Bruxie
292 N. Glassell St.
Orange, CA 92866
I feel like I have cheated all of you, my dear readers. I can not be called an OC food blogger until I have reviewed Bruxie. This soon-to-be iconic waffle sandwich place has been reviewed by numerous food blogs and mainstream publications, and it has even been named the #2 Yelp restaurant in the US in 2011. Pretty strong praise for a restaurant I have not managed to get to in the two and a half years of this blog. I apologize to you, but I am here to make amends. Here, without further delay, is my review of Bruxie.
Here is a short history for the few who have not heard about Bruxie. The restaurant opened across the street from Chapman College in downtown Orange. The location used to be the old Dairy Treet. They serve all their sandwiches on waffles, like a panini, but with a waffle instead of bread. They have savory ones and sweet dessert versions. When Chapman is in session, the lines can get very long. Lucky for us, it was winter break, as my cousin Chris and I met up at lunchtime on a Thursday at noon. Ordering is done at the counter, and the food is brought to your table. This is what it looked like.
My Chocolate Banana Nut Milkshake came out before my meal. At Bruxie, they use frozen custard instead of ice cream. This was my first time having frozen custard. Frozen custard is said to be more decadent than ice cream because egg yolks are added. Bruxie gets theirs from Wisconsin, and like the Packers from the same state, I was not such a big fan of this shake. The flavor was good here, but I would have liked the chocolate and banana already mixed up. My other complaint was that this shake was warmer than I would have liked. I know that is a weird thing to say about a shake, but it was too soupy and not even a warm day out. I will definitely try frozen custard again, though.
Chris went with the Buttermilk Fried Chicken & Waffle, one of their most popular items. The chicken was joined by Cole slaw and a chili honey sauce. Chris was very pleased with his selection, calling it near perfect. He felt the chicken was tender, and the chili honey sauce had a great flavor, but he thought there could have been more Cole Slaw on this sandwich to help balance it out better. Chris has been here numerous times, and this is his favorite sandwich. He also got Waffle Fries with his order. These fries were very hearty and crisp.
I have an enormous appetite, more than my cousin, so this is the first of my two Bruxie sandwiches, the Bruxie Burger. This burger came with Angus beef, cheddar cheese, tomato, pickle, mayonnaise, and lettuce. I have not had a burger cooked this ideally in a long time. It was a perfect medium rare that practically melted in my mouth. The waffle got in the way less than I envisioned it would. The waffle is not sweet and is lighter than I would have thought. It was sturdy enough to hold the sandwich's contents without being intrusive. They got the balance just right. I would have liked a little more mayo on this, but it was a great burger I would get again.
Bruxie always has specials posted on their Facebook page and the specials board where you stand in line. One stood out while waiting, so I had to try it. The Braised Beef Short Rib, with Crispy Blue Cheese Potatoes. Also added to the mix were caramelized onions, horseradish, and chives. This sandwich was as delicious as it sounds. The meat, for the most part, was very tender; the blue cheese was a great addition, but I could have used more. The au jus served with this added some great flavor and moisture. If this comes up on the special board again, do yourself a favor and order it.
Bruxie is one of the restaurants that truly did live up to the hype. It is a concept that seems so simple, yet so many things could go wrong but don't. The main thing is that they use fresh ingredients and cook the food the right way. The menu is a little small, but with the addition of the specials, there is plenty to choose from. I really look forward to many more trips back here. I am happy that I have fulfilled my delicious obligation to readers by trying one of the unique restaurant spots our county has to offer.
Out of five sprouts (c'mon, you knew I could not go through this whole review without playing on the Belgium influence here, and one of my favorite things from Belgium, Brussel sprouts!), five being best to zero being worst, Bruxie gets 3.5 sprouts.
For more information on Bruxie, click here: http://bruxie.com/
Glad you enjoyed it! I, too, felt out of the loop and didn't make it to Bruxie until recently. I still haven't had a chance to try anything savory from them, but after reading this I might head out there tomorrow! Glad you enjoyed it!
ReplyDeleteI felt Bruxie was much, much better than the other "famous" chicken and waffles establishment in So Cal. I was also treated much better by the staff at Bruxie. "I will be eating at Bruxie again and again instead of the other overrated So Cal chicken & waffle establishment", says my friend Roscoe.
ReplyDeleteFoodie - I had read your post about Bruxie as well. It got me motivated to get myself in gear and go. I can not wait to go again. Thanks for the comment.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous - I am not sure that you can compare Bruxie to Roscoe's. The waffles are too different, and the concepts are not quite the same. You are right about the service here. Everyone was so nice, and I can not say the same for my one trip to Roscoe's Maybe I hit them on an off night though. Thanks for the comment.