Chapter One: the modern local

Chapter One: the modern local reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Review summary

1. L

   Linda VIP

   Orange County76 reviews

   4.0

   Dined 6 days ago

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 4

   I ordered the steak and feta salad & my friend ordered the shrimp tacos. I asked if I could substitute the feta for blue cheese, and our server said “yes, that was entirely possible”. Our meals took a long while to come out though, but when they arrived, they were both delicious and plentiful! my friend said the shrimp was super juicy and not salty and my steak was grilled beautifully and complimented the pile of dresses greens it came with.
   

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2. S

   Susan

   Orange County2 reviews

   5.0

   Dined 7 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 4

   Best empanadas I ever ate! Sliders were amazing! Fast service. Definitely a repeat!
   

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3. J

   Josh VIP

   Orange County9 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on May 10, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   If you haven’t been to Chapter One lately, now’s the time to revisit this downtown Santa Ana gem. A true bellwether gastropub, they’ve upped the ante with a jaw-dropping collection of 450 bourbons and whiskeys. I dipped into the Frey Ranch 120 proof — deceptively smooth up front, but don’t be fooled… it will smack you in the face in the best way possible. A beautiful way to expand your palate. On the food front: we started with the Margarita Flatbread — bright, fresh, and wood-fired just enough to give the crust that perfect char. Then came the Buttermilk Chicken, which was golden, juicy, and built like the comfort food of your dreams. The Steak and Feta Salad was shockingly satisfying, with perfectly grilled steak over crisp greens and a tangy vinaigrette that tied it all together. The soufflé. It’s a different spin as it’s huge. Maybe not my favorite. Probably could use some ice cream. But overall Chapter One is a reason to get your hind parts into DTSA and enjoy.
   

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4. R

   Robin VIP

   New York City18 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on May 4, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Chapter 1 is our favorite local restaurant in the Artist village. We eat there about once a week and really enjoy the food. Especially the wedge salad with the onion rings on top and the bacon wrapped meatloaf with mashed potatoes is fabulous. My husband always gets the margarita pizza with a beer . The staff is very friendly and always remembers what we like to drink . great music and a very hip feeling. Great vibe. Be sure to order the soufflé dessert ahead of time so it’s ready at the end of the meal really wonderful. 
   

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5. A

   Andy

   Orange County1 review

   5.0

   Dined on April 10, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   The BEST cheeseburger I’ve ever had. The service was great and the vibe was cool. Definitely going back. Oh did I mention the almost shoestring fabulous duck fat fries? So good.
   

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6. K

   Karaan

   Orange County1 review

   5.0

   Dined on April 8, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Super fun place to watch Arsenal games if any gooners are in town or close by!!! Arsenal 3, Madrid ZERO. Will remember that forever.
   

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7. J

   JAMES VIP

   Orange County2 reviews

   4.0

   Dined on March 30, 2025

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Steak on Steak Salad was rare (asked for medium rare) and when we told the waitress, it came back well done, almost like beef jerky. Flavor on the shrimp tacos was great but they served bay shrimp instead of large shrimp as pictured on Yelp. Service and atmosphere were both great.
   

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8. a

   anita

   Orange County2 reviews

   3.0

   Dined on March 25, 2025

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 4

   Staff was accommodating but as an obviously newly married gal wanted more attention 😂 Food great and will come back regardless.
   

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9. J

   Josh

   San Francisco3 reviews

   1.0

   Dined on March 18, 2025

   1. Overall 1
   2. Food 1
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 3

   I used to work in the industry for 10+ years, I am aware it was obviously St. Pattys day + their 14 year anniversary party. However, it was busy, but not SLAMMED. We just never got service! We got sat at our table by who I am assuming was the owner/manager, sat there for over 15 min with no menus, no drinks etc. The owner manager advised someone to take our drink order which he did but we ended up watching as our “server” was talking to other people, showing them videos on their phone for a legit 20 min. Then we saw that after 20 min gone by, he realized he never put our drinks in (we watched him the whole time after he took our drink order, he never went to the terminal once to put in our drinks order, he was just chatting with other guests). At this point it is about 7:20pm and we had a reso at 6:45pm, no drinks on the table, no menu. My wife is pregnant and wasnt trying to wait on these guys all night so we just left and got some tacos elsewhere. Super disappointing.
   

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10. M

    Melissa VIP

    San Francisco9 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 16, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5

    Excellent service, great food! A wonderful place to have dinner. Really enjoyed the restaurant. Will be back.
    

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