The OCDB Top 25 (under $25)
Com Tam from Com Tam Thuan Kieu
The Best 25 (under $25) Restaurants in Orange County, California
Orange County cuisine tends to trend to the more expensive end of the spectrum and is actually very deficit in what I would call “mid-range” food. In comparison, the Los Angeles area would be what I consider perhaps the best selection and breadth of mid-range places in the USA, perhaps the world. These are some of the top places that I’ve found where you can spend less than $25 dollars (each) and have a really amazing meal. Most places on the list are actually a fair bit cheaper than that, but I am making a separate cheap eats list for those places. I may have to make some swaps between this list and that, but let’s just hope that inflation keeps these places mid-range and not into bourgeoisie X category.
Heritage, San Juan Capistrano
When Los Angeles banned offset smokers at restaurants many years ago, we cemented our fate as somewhere that just cannot have good BBQ. Fast forward to Heritage which opened up in Orange County (less concerned with smog) and brought with them a giant Texas style smoker in order to create a product that rivals those in Austin, TX (Well, maybe like, 85 percent as good). If you’ve never been to somewhere like Austin to try BBQ and you live in OC, then stop by here and try some brisket, my friend. You will realize, as I did, that you have never had BBQ until you’ve tasted something like Heritage.
2. Brodard, Fountain Valley
While most of the menu is above average Vietnamese fare, the stand out dish at Brodard is their famous (and I mean FAMOUS) Nem Nuong Spring Rolls. A pork patty is stuffed alongside egg roll crispies, vegetables and noodles wrapped in a thin rice paper shell then dipped in an amazing shrimpy orange dipping sauce. I can’t help but shovel roll after roll whenever its served at a family party or gathering. They are in the same plaza as the Kei Concepts restaurants, so if you are extremely hungry, this may be a good appetizer before hitting up Vox Kitchen.
16105 Brookhurst St, Fountain Valley, CA 92708
Phone: (657)247-4401
3. Pho 79, Garden Grove
Pho 79 is the only pho restaurant to receive a James Beard award. But let’s not kid ourselves. When it comes to great Vietnamese noodle soup, who cares what some high falutin cooking organization thinks? This place is packed constantly because its patrons understand that with very few exceptions, its pho stands on another tier above all others. If you go early, grab an oxbone to gnaw on while they are still in stock.
4. Taco Los Cholos, Anaheim
Initially, when I saw this place I was hesitant to try it. I’ve been burned by so many taco places in the OC after getting spoiled by San Diego and Los Angeles that I really have low expectations when trying new spots. Tacos Los Cholos, however, not only met my expectations, but exceeded them, cementing itself as one of my favorite taco places EVER. The meat is cooked over an open smokey fire in the back. You can choose from 3 categories of meats from standard (e.g. asada) , premium (e.g. aracherra) or prime( e.g. prime rib eye) and select which delivery device you will have with your meat. (I particularly like the mulita and papa loka). You get a MOUNTAIN of meat which is cooked quite well and is decent on the wallet, unless you are springing for the prime meats. (Which, of course, you need to try at some point).
5. Kei Concepts : Vox, Nep, Fountain Valley
Viet Nguyen, Owner of Kei Concepts, knows a thing or two or three about making really addictive food. If imitation is the greatest flattery, then he must be extremely flattered that his Vietnamese/Peruvian fusion menu at Vox Kitchen has been copied dozens and dozens of times at menus across Southern California. While all his concepts (INI, Rol, Sup Noodle Bar..) are great, Vox and Nep are the biggest standouts with the former for dinner and the latter for breakfast. You got to try the lomo saltado and the “Dao”, but honestly everything I’ve had at both locations has been great.
6. Chan Chan, Irvine
This is a very underrated Korean fried chicken place. Every one talks about Pelicana, Furai and BBQ chicken but honestly this is my first thought when I think of KFC (Korean Fried Chicken). Don’t get me wrong, those places are also very good and I recommend them highly…but something about biting into the airy batter of the chicken tenders at Chan Chan, dipped in the weirdly reminiscent creamy white garlic sauce just hits the very depths of my soul. They also have a good Kimchi Fried Rice and Kimbap which I order frequently.
7. Thuan Kieu, Garden Grove
Garden Grove/Westminster is filled with dozens and dozens of great com tam (Vietnamese rice plates) places, but I tend to frequent Thuan Kieu out of sheer convenience. It doesn’t seem like much at first, but you come to appreciate dependable, consistent homey food that you can eat again and again without getting tired. I recommend getting a rice plate with whatever dishes sound interesting, the grilled pork, porkchop, nem nuong, tofu wrapped shrimp cake, egg quiche is usually what I order. They also have a decent nem nuong with a similar sauce to Brodard, which used to be across the street but is now located in Fountain Valley.
8. Rooster and Rice, Irvine
Another Norcal place that decided to plant roots in Irvine. Yay for us! Now we have a really well done khao man gai place (the thai version of hainan chicken) that does a well done poached chicken served on top of a broth infused rice. Their version of khao man gai sauce is top notch, their garlic scallion sauce is also worth it to try. It was hard to choose between this place and The Chicken Rice in Santa Ana, but I feel like this place squeaks by because of the consistency of their chicken.
9. Siam Station Thai Street Food, Irvine
Siam Street Food had it start in San Jose but has (luckily for us) made it down to OC. They serve great versions of the classics (Pad See Ewe, Pad Thai, Panang) but have some less common dishes like the Isaan Sausage which is, to me, the best rendition I have ever tried. Crispy, slightly pungent with a hint of acidity-truly addictive to me and something I order every time I come here (which is very often). Their crispy pork, crunchy all the way through, is similar to what I’d get from Thai Town, Hollywood which is one of the things I miss the most about living in LA. They also have a great lemon iced tea that is basically thai tea with lime.
10. Santouka, Costa Mesa and Irvine
There is a plethora of ramen places in OC now, ranging from Hiro Nori to Shinsengumi to Ramen Hakata Ikkousha, but the place I frequent most is one of the first in town: Santouka. It’s located at both Mitsuwa markets (one is in Costa Mesa, the other in Irvine) at their food court. The noodles are thin and wavy, and the shio ramen is honestly the best tasting ramen broth I’ve had in the OC. Now ramen is very subjective, and many people will recommend their own spot, likely the three others I mentioned previously. But if you like your ramen noodles firm, wavy, and your broth salty/savoury with medium body, topped with fatty pork…this is the place for you.
11. Kim Ky Noodle House, Westminster
This is a transplant from San Gabriel Valley, but oh man this place is so good. They serve Chiu Chow food here which is a regional Chinese which is known for some really amazing noodle soups. I love the Mi Hoanh Thanh Kho, dry wonton noodles, which is topped with all manner of pork (ground, meatball and crispy) along with some broth on the side. I usually hold the kidney (not a fan of the texture) and put fried garlic on top. Then I pour a little broth in, eat a bit, pour more broth in…repeat until I fall asleep from food coma. There is a lot to enjoy on the menu: their wonton noodle soup is great, as well as their bot chien trung which is fried rice cakes and eggs.
12. Folks Pizzeria, Costa Mesa
Unlike Los Angeles which has had a pizza revoution, good pizza in the OC is really hard to find. My extensive search has led me to Folks, which is a very very popular spot located inside the Camp shopping plaza in Costa Mesa. The pizza is Neopolitan Pizza on steroids…it’s quite large with a very puffy crispy crust. The ratio of sauce and cheese is great, and you can’t really go wrong with any of the toppings, just order what sounds good to you. I experience a very comforting feeling when I eat here, like I am eating a warm cozy fire which rocks me gently to sleep. However, getting a reservation or seat is the antithesis of that and is quite difficult to snag. Be warned.
13. Shootz, Stanton
I was contemplating my choice of putting Shootz on here, but I can’t help but admit but the Kimchi Butter Katsu Chicken from this place is really, really well done. It just hits the spot when you want something fried, savory and a little spicy. This one is found the Rodeo 38 food hall near the back. Don’t get sucked into the other places there (although Pholicious is quite good) and head straight here to get an order of the katsu.
14. Mogu Mogu, Costa Mesa
You hear “soupless ramen” and you feel confused. Well, that’s what Mogu Mogu serves and it’s unique and memorable. The mazemen at mogu mogu is topped with an umami bomb of toppings including chashu and minced pork, fish umami powder, seaweed, garlic, chives/scallions as well as very nice runny softboiled egg that ties all the savory flavors and coats the noodles with a viscous deliciousness that causes you to slurp down the bowl like an anime character.
15. Da Hawaiian Kitchen, Huntington Beach
This is another underrated spot that has a unique fried chicken which they call CPK (Chili Peppa Chicken). Whether this has anything to do with Peppa Pig or early 90s band Salt and Peppa still remains to be seen. This chicken, in any case is fantastic. The batter is thin but extra crispy, and the glaze is sweet, savory and spicy in a ratio that makes your mouth water—activating a devour mode that just makes you eat the entire plate as fast as possible. They do a potato salad vs a macaroni salad, which I actually do enjoy better.
16. Sabroso! Mexican Grill, Garden Grove/Anaheim
I’m pretty at odds with Guy Fieri, but mostly because his frosted tips give me nightmares. We agree, however, that Sabroso is a unique Mexican restaurant in the Anaheim area that you simply have to try. While most of the specialty dishes I’ve tried there have been good, I swoon over the Camarones al Mojo de Ajo/Crema combo. Juicy shrimp pieces in a rich buttery/ creamy sauce served on Mexican rice. Mmm. Can’t go wrong with that. I’ve also enjoyed the Mushroom Chicken, Chile Verde and Carne Asada as well.
17. Marios Butcher Shop, Newport Beach
Mario’s has an amazing assortment of prime cuts of locally sourced beef, offering things like picanah (sirloin cap) and aged rib eye. But on top of that, it does a very well done smash burger and fries that are really, really good. The sirloin mixed patty is smashed thin and crisped at the edges, melted american cheese on top combined for a meat disc sandwich that activates every single saliva receptor in your mouth. The fries are a great accompaniment, double fried and crisp.
18. Marugame Udon, Costa Mesa
In similar fashion to Meiji Seimen, Margume Udon does Udon and it does it well. You order your style of Udon ( I love the Nikutama which has sweet gyudon type beef along with a savory broth) and can choose from a large number of tempura sides to go along with it. I’ll usually grab some shrimp, chicken and squid tempura, throwing in a croquette if I am feeling extra hungry from the stress of shoping at South Coast Plaza.
19. Honda-Ya, Tustin
I’ve been coming here since I went to UCI 15 years ago, and it is still the best izakaya that I’ve found in Orange County. It has an expansive Japanese menu that has yakitori, sushi, hot japanese dishes and, most importantly, cold Japanese beer. I think the standouts here is the yakitori as it is cooked on top of hot japanese charcoal which emparts a very unique smoky flavor to it all.
20. Yuk Dae Jang, Irvine
Now I love the spicy beef soup (yuk gae jang) from this place, but I have to admit this is a place holder Korean place. There is a lot of good Korean in OC, but it really is hard to put a finger on something that stands above the rest. Yup Dduk, Dawa Kitchen and Han Yang are all vying for that spot as well, so I might as well call this a tie because each does things a bit differently and has different signature dishes. Anyway, the yukgaejang at this location has a really deep umami/spice beef broth filled with strips of brisket, mushroom, with large green onion slices that can be served with glass noodles, hand cut noodles or even with soon tofu. Makes you sweat, makes you salivate.
21. Garlic and Chives, Garden Grove
Garlic and Chives is a unique modern twist on Vietnamese fare and is a must visit if only for their crispy salmon belly and garlic noodles. The fried crab, the razor clams, and lamb skewers are also well done but like many of the places I’ve listed, most things on the menu are really well done.
22. Oki Doki by Meiji Seimen, Tustin
If you want traditional japanese udon/soba, this is the place to go. Now you can get a good version of it at places like Fukada and Tanakaya, but Oki Doki (by Meiji Seimen) is the place to go. A quick history: Meiji Seimen used to have two locations, one in Costa Mesa and the other in Lake Forest. The Lake Forest one closed because apparently Lake Forest people are heathens who don’t appreciate good food (Another top place Thuan Kieu likewise open and closed in Lake Forest). Luckily, the owners decided to flip their izakaya concept Oki Doki into a similar but different version of Meiji Seimen. I like the Oki Doki version of Meiji Seimen because they also have a chicken katsudon (fried chicken cutlet with egg) on the menu which they don’t have at the Costa Mesa location.
23. Seven Grams, Tustin
Now while Din Tai Fung and Paradise Dynasty get all the hype and media attention for their extravagant dining rooms and extremely extremely long lines/waits…Seven Grams does a lot of the same thing but in a smaller, more accessible location. The waits can still get really long, though, so don’t expect to necessarily just walk in without putting your name down. The Xia Long Bao (soup dumplings) are great here, but everything else I’ve tried has been equally good. The golden beef soup, the beef wraps, pan fried dumplings are all great versions of the stuff and honestly, the place just makes me happy I can get legit Chinese food outside of SGV.
24. Breezy, San Juan Capistrano
A modern filipino fusion brunch place brought to you by the “Shootz” team. I love the loco moco here, their unique savory gravy and runny egg on top is just the right balance of bourgeoise hole in the wall that makes you want to rub your belly and extend your pinky finger at the same time. The Ube pancakes are great, the drinks are great. The benedicts are well done, the longanisa is also very good…what did I miss? Everything is good. I love it all. I wish I lived closer to here so I could go every week.
31761 Camino Capistrano Suite 4, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675
25. Burritos La Palma, Santa Ana
I remember going to the original location in El Monte nearly nine years ago, and even back then I knew that I had discovered somewhere special. Their burrito won the coveted Tacolandia grand prize (to the chagrin of many who were nonplussed that a burrito won a taco competition). Now if you want a Chipotle sized burrito, this is not the place for you. The burritos are small, but very tasty, especially the deshebrada which is a braised beef. The standout ingredient is the perfect tortilla that wraps it. This is the platonic ideal of what a tortilla should be. In fact, Michelin starred Taco Maria would source these tortillas for use at their restaurant. You too, can take advantage by buying a package of flour tortillas to wrap your own homemade burrito. (Elevate a Chipotle bowl if you want, I don’t care, go nuts)