Citrus Fresh Grill
50 Enterprise
Aliso Viejo, CA 92656
It was day two of OC Restaurant week, and since Mondays are traditionally one of the tougher days at my real job, I did not want to venture too far from home after what I thought would be a rough workday. So, my criteria for picking a spot was based on geography and a place I had never been to before. That's how I ended up at Citrus Fresh Grill.
Citrus Fresh Grill, not to be confused with Citrus City Grille in Orange, is tucked inside the Renaissance Club Sports Resort in Aliso Viejo. It's part hotel, with 169 rooms on-site, and part fitness club, with amenities like pickleball, a swimming pool, yoga, and other fitness classes, and a gym full of equipment I'd need to learn how to use. I'm sure you are not shocked, but I'm no gym rat. I was probably the only one here whose sole purpose was to eat.
Compared to the other restaurants participating in Restaurant Week, Citrus Fresh Grill had plenty of menu options available for diners. They had a $15 breakfast, $15 lunch, and a $15, $20, and $25 dinner to pick from. I arrived just after 3pm and found convenient parking in their structure, just steps away from the hotel entrance. The restaurant is right in the middle of their lobby. I opted to sit on their patio, which was populated by just me during my entire visit.
From what I could glean online about Citrus Fresh Grill, it opened in 2009 and primarily served healthy food with nothing over 485 calories. I'm unsure when that changed, but their lunch menu now features buffalo wings, fish and chips, and pasta dishes, which are uncommon at gym restaurants. Maybe they made their menu less restrictive to attract guests staying at the hotel instead of the people pumping iron.
The $15 restaurant week menu at Citrus Fresh Grill offered three options: fish tacos, flatbread, or a burger. I predictably chose the ClubSport Burger ($17, not during restaurant week) as my after-work meal. The ClubSport burger came with two strips of bacon, red onion, a charming Vermont cheddar cheese, arugula, tomato, and a smoked pepper cream sauce. The burger patty was underseasoned, but the smokiness of the bacon, the gooey melted cheese, and the pepper cream sauce made up for that. The pepper cream sauce was more like a burger sauce, as I did not detect too much pepper used in it. I liked that they added enough of it to my burger. Most burger spots are afraid to overdo it with condiments, but I want a heavier hand where condiments are concerned. The bun was toasted and did its job of keeping everything together. A satisfying and juicy burger.
This also came with some Beer Battered Fries, which were fried to perfection. They had a nice crunchy outer layer and a pillowy soft inside. I enjoyed that they were not uniformly cut, so you got some that were crunchier than others. These fries went well with the ranch and ketchup provided.
Considering that most fast-food combo meals these days cost almost $15, this Restaurant Week meal from Citrus Fresh Grill was a good deal. The burger and fries are better than anything you can get at your local fast-food spot and well worth a visit if you are in the area. My server was friendly and cordial and kept tabs on me during my brief visit. It has got to be tough for hotel restaurants to attract locals inside to try their food. Hopefully, by Citrus Fresh Grill participating in Restaurant Week, maybe they got some locals to try them.
Out of five dumbbells (not because that was my nickname in high school, but because I'm sure many people use them at the gym here), five being best to zero being worst, Citrus Fresh Grill gets 3 dumbbells.
For more information about Citrus Fresh Grill, head to their website by clicking here: https://clubsports.com/citrus-fresh-grill-and-market-restaurant/
I worked across the street at 45 Enterprise from 08-14’ and had no idea there was a restaurant there. I quite liked Mobtown Pizza, Cosmos and On The Border, way back when.
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