The bar area was really nice, but the service was a bit slow. Maybe they were understaffed during my visit, or perhaps I was a bit impatient. I want to clarify that the staff were friendly and polite; however, I felt they could have been more attentive. The food was just okay--you can find better options elsewhere. Nothing that I tried blew me away and the price for the food quality is extremely difficult to justify. You're paying for the ambiance. The Ube Banana Pudding was notable, but the banana flavor overpowered the ube. Adding more ube and some crunch, like Nilla Wafers, would improve the texture. Considering the food and service, I'd suggest this spot if you're looking for a quick drink and some unique bar food before moving on.
Jenina M.
This was a nice, casual, fun dining experience. The decor and ambiance of the place was cozy. We enjoyed the musical artists art. Our server was cool and took a few moments commiserating with our party about the current Laker loss. He was quick to take our order and shared many suggestions to try. Everything we ordered was tasty. We all really enjoyed the miso cod and edamame humus (my fave!). You all should give Oak & Coal a try. It's a fun date night or girlfriend's hang out dinner spot!
Maria G.
Great food options! There's something for everyone, vegan, carnivores, low carb, etc! You name it they have it and super tasty regardless of what you choose.
Nao I.
We have been meaning to try this place for a while, and honestly it wasn't really worth it. My favorite thing was the yellowtail poke and the light crispy wonton chips paired so well with it. The pickled cucumbers had such a strong acidic taste that I loved, that I feel like many other places are too afraid to get this vinegary so yay! I didn't have high expectations for the ramen based on the description.. and this was a skip for sure. Like a super bland miso soup with ramen noodles in it I wasn't that hungry so I snacked on a couple of items with one other person and the bill was almost $90-100. This isn't your typical izakaya so keep that in mind.
Bethany B.
My favorite place to eat in Costa Mesa. Delicious food and great drink selection. I recommend the chicken thighs.
Jacie N.
Good service, friendly staff. We came with a larger party and added on drinks and food while we were dining, and they didn't seem to mind. We didn't feel rushed which I appreciated. Yummy and interesting cocktails on the menu, and there is also a full bar. Standout menu items were: the agedashi tofu (I could have drank the dashi like soup, it was sooo good), chicken skewers, and miso cod. One slight note was there are TVs in the restaurant, and I can't understand why. The ambiance would be so much better without the TVs, and no one is there to watch sports or games anyway, it's not a sports bar!
Stephani Clymer
Best date night spot! We love the owner and tonight Hannah provided amazing suggestions. Take their recs and enjoy!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Zoe S.
Delicious! High quality. Great atmosphere. Friendly, attentive staff. Would definitely recommend for business, personal, or group outings. I always order the Snake River Wagyu Beef and Edamame Hummus. It's phenomenal. I've also tried and LOVE the Brussels Sprouts, Oak Elote, Organic Chicken And Scallion, Bacon Wrapped Asparagus. You simply can't go wrong here. The char taste and fresh apps are all soooooooo good! Definitely a must try.
Jose M.
I have exactly one regret from my experience at Oak & Coal ... and that is that I didn't take any pictures of the food!! Gah!! 8 of us were in town visiting and we found this place on Yelp! We went family style and it was fantastic. Our server was extremely helpful. Food and drinks were fantastic and came out timely. Everything really was fantastic. Simply put, we'll all loved it!
Deb H.
Normally when I write a review I start with the food first but for this review I'm starting with the service because the service was OUTSTANDING! Oak & Coal had the best service in recent memory. Not only was everyone nice, helpful and friendly but they treated all of their customers like they were long-time-friends. It really felt like eating a dinner in a restaurant staffed with friends which I haven't encountered in a long time. Now the food also was outstanding! Everything we ordered was delicious, and presented beautifully. Even though it was crowded food and drinks came out quickly and in a progression that made sense (raw first, etc.). The dishes were creative and bursting with flavor! The cocktails were also very innovative and as someone who normally only has one alcoholic drink before switching to non-alcoholic I really appreciated the good selection of non-alcoholic drinks such as grapefruit soda, fresh lemonade, ginger beer, ginger ale, etc. in addition to the normal soft drinks. They also have wine, sake, etc. We ordered a ton of small dishes to share. Our favorites out of all the dishes we ordered are: -Salmon Crudo (my favorite - I actually had to barter with my husband to get an extra piece I liked it so much!) -Garlic Noodles (we just got them plain without protein and they were a great complement to our meal) -Snake River Wagyu Beef Skewers - Also be sure to ask about their specials of the day which are awesome: when we were there it was a katsu sandwich! Next time I want to try the elote and Brussel sprouts and bao buns. We were lucky enough to be seated in the back room - The Oak Room - which has the coolest vibes! Perfect for a date night! We can't wait to return!
Go to spot. Flavors in cuisine are on point, the bartenders are another level. 10/10 recommend to everyone.
Jasper Kang
Usually I never leave reviews but this experience was terrible.The meat skewers were extremely cold, hard, and were obviously cooked hours ago. They are supposed to be known for their meat skewers, but it was a big disappointment.We got salmon sashimi which was extremely rotten and smelly. Thankfully, they took it back and refunded the salmon, but we still got food poisoning from it immediately after.(Only ate 1 piece with my friend but we both got food poisoning/stomach pain for 2 days afterwards)We tried many food items, and the only good things were the dumplings (which are likely store-bought) and bao buns. Both were 3/5 good, not amazing - but the only two items that were not 0/5The service was also atrocious. I have been a server myself for 10+ years at several restaurants so there is no excuse. After we were seated, it took way too long to come get our drinks/order (about 30 minutes with an almost empty restaurant).On top of that, they FORGOT our drinks after taking so long to take the order. We had to ask for our drinks 3 times before finally, our server said someone else forgot it.When we ordered more food, we again had to remind and ask multiple times - with only 2-3 other tables in the entire restaurant.We went on 3/1/2024 at 9pm. I assume that probably the service and food are not regularly this terrible. But on this night, it was a really terrible experience, such that someone who never leaves reviews was prompted to do so.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 1
Taylar Parry
WOW! This place is phenomenal! We tried several dishes and I wanted seconds of every single one. Staff was friendly and informative, and the atmosphere is cool and cozy. Definitely worth checking this place out.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Garlic Noodles with Vegetables, Brussels Sprouts
Kimberly Vo
More like a 3.5 star rating, overall a solid find! We shared a lot of small dishes between three people and everything was enjoyable. The place is fairly busy, and the parking lot also fills up. We particularly enjoyed the skewers
Suzette V.
What do a team of medical executives love most about having dinner together? That is having top A grade food, drinks and spectacular service. And let's not forget a classy ambiance... I brought our Orange County Medical Executives for dinner to Oak & Coal, and everyone was extremely pleased and therefore I am extremely content with my decision in coming here. To begin, we ordered plenty of Kurosawa ginjo Sake, and many Tokyo gimlet's cocktails. Let's just say our prestigious team, knows how to have fun! The food is beyond tasty, and the selection and variety of the menu made it fun to choose from. The New Zealand lamb chops, the snake river Wagyu beef, (of course my favorite!), my boss had the ponzu prime NY strip, we also ordered multiple orders of the seared Hamachi. Oh, and the jumbo white shrimp were just delectable. And... we may have just may have ordered some shots of Tequila! The entire dinner experience at Oak & Coal was AMAZING! Thank you, Suzy and the A Team!
The bar area was really nice, but the service was a bit slow. Maybe they were understaffed during my visit, or perhaps I was a bit impatient. I want to clarify that the staff were friendly and polite; however, I felt they could have been more attentive. The food was just okay--you can find better options elsewhere. Nothing that I tried blew me away and the price for the food quality is extremely difficult to justify. You're paying for the ambiance. The Ube Banana Pudding was notable, but the banana flavor overpowered the ube. Adding more ube and some crunch, like Nilla Wafers, would improve the texture. Considering the food and service, I'd suggest this spot if you're looking for a quick drink and some unique bar food before moving on.
This was a nice, casual, fun dining experience. The decor and ambiance of the place was cozy. We enjoyed the musical artists art. Our server was cool and took a few moments commiserating with our party about the current Laker loss. He was quick to take our order and shared many suggestions to try. Everything we ordered was tasty. We all really enjoyed the miso cod and edamame humus (my fave!). You all should give Oak & Coal a try. It's a fun date night or girlfriend's hang out dinner spot!
Great food options! There's something for everyone, vegan, carnivores, low carb, etc! You name it they have it and super tasty regardless of what you choose.
We have been meaning to try this place for a while, and honestly it wasn't really worth it. My favorite thing was the yellowtail poke and the light crispy wonton chips paired so well with it. The pickled cucumbers had such a strong acidic taste that I loved, that I feel like many other places are too afraid to get this vinegary so yay! I didn't have high expectations for the ramen based on the description.. and this was a skip for sure. Like a super bland miso soup with ramen noodles in it I wasn't that hungry so I snacked on a couple of items with one other person and the bill was almost $90-100. This isn't your typical izakaya so keep that in mind.
My favorite place to eat in Costa Mesa. Delicious food and great drink selection. I recommend the chicken thighs.
Good service, friendly staff. We came with a larger party and added on drinks and food while we were dining, and they didn't seem to mind. We didn't feel rushed which I appreciated. Yummy and interesting cocktails on the menu, and there is also a full bar. Standout menu items were: the agedashi tofu (I could have drank the dashi like soup, it was sooo good), chicken skewers, and miso cod. One slight note was there are TVs in the restaurant, and I can't understand why. The ambiance would be so much better without the TVs, and no one is there to watch sports or games anyway, it's not a sports bar!
Best date night spot! We love the owner and tonight Hannah provided amazing suggestions. Take their recs and enjoy!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Delicious! High quality. Great atmosphere. Friendly, attentive staff. Would definitely recommend for business, personal, or group outings. I always order the Snake River Wagyu Beef and Edamame Hummus. It's phenomenal. I've also tried and LOVE the Brussels Sprouts, Oak Elote, Organic Chicken And Scallion, Bacon Wrapped Asparagus. You simply can't go wrong here. The char taste and fresh apps are all soooooooo good! Definitely a must try.
I have exactly one regret from my experience at Oak & Coal ... and that is that I didn't take any pictures of the food!! Gah!! 8 of us were in town visiting and we found this place on Yelp! We went family style and it was fantastic. Our server was extremely helpful. Food and drinks were fantastic and came out timely. Everything really was fantastic. Simply put, we'll all loved it!
Normally when I write a review I start with the food first but for this review I'm starting with the service because the service was OUTSTANDING! Oak & Coal had the best service in recent memory. Not only was everyone nice, helpful and friendly but they treated all of their customers like they were long-time-friends. It really felt like eating a dinner in a restaurant staffed with friends which I haven't encountered in a long time. Now the food also was outstanding! Everything we ordered was delicious, and presented beautifully. Even though it was crowded food and drinks came out quickly and in a progression that made sense (raw first, etc.). The dishes were creative and bursting with flavor! The cocktails were also very innovative and as someone who normally only has one alcoholic drink before switching to non-alcoholic I really appreciated the good selection of non-alcoholic drinks such as grapefruit soda, fresh lemonade, ginger beer, ginger ale, etc. in addition to the normal soft drinks. They also have wine, sake, etc. We ordered a ton of small dishes to share. Our favorites out of all the dishes we ordered are: -Salmon Crudo (my favorite - I actually had to barter with my husband to get an extra piece I liked it so much!) -Garlic Noodles (we just got them plain without protein and they were a great complement to our meal) -Snake River Wagyu Beef Skewers - Also be sure to ask about their specials of the day which are awesome: when we were there it was a katsu sandwich! Next time I want to try the elote and Brussel sprouts and bao buns. We were lucky enough to be seated in the back room - The Oak Room - which has the coolest vibes! Perfect for a date night! We can't wait to return!
Restaurantji Recommends
Go to spot. Flavors in cuisine are on point, the bartenders are another level. 10/10 recommend to everyone.
Usually I never leave reviews but this experience was terrible.The meat skewers were extremely cold, hard, and were obviously cooked hours ago. They are supposed to be known for their meat skewers, but it was a big disappointment.We got salmon sashimi which was extremely rotten and smelly. Thankfully, they took it back and refunded the salmon, but we still got food poisoning from it immediately after.(Only ate 1 piece with my friend but we both got food poisoning/stomach pain for 2 days afterwards)We tried many food items, and the only good things were the dumplings (which are likely store-bought) and bao buns. Both were 3/5 good, not amazing - but the only two items that were not 0/5The service was also atrocious. I have been a server myself for 10+ years at several restaurants so there is no excuse. After we were seated, it took way too long to come get our drinks/order (about 30 minutes with an almost empty restaurant).On top of that, they FORGOT our drinks after taking so long to take the order. We had to ask for our drinks 3 times before finally, our server said someone else forgot it.When we ordered more food, we again had to remind and ask multiple times - with only 2-3 other tables in the entire restaurant.We went on 3/1/2024 at 9pm. I assume that probably the service and food are not regularly this terrible. But on this night, it was a really terrible experience, such that someone who never leaves reviews was prompted to do so.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 1
WOW! This place is phenomenal! We tried several dishes and I wanted seconds of every single one. Staff was friendly and informative, and the atmosphere is cool and cozy. Definitely worth checking this place out.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Garlic Noodles with Vegetables, Brussels Sprouts
More like a 3.5 star rating, overall a solid find! We shared a lot of small dishes between three people and everything was enjoyable. The place is fairly busy, and the parking lot also fills up. We particularly enjoyed the skewers
What do a team of medical executives love most about having dinner together? That is having top A grade food, drinks and spectacular service. And let's not forget a classy ambiance... I brought our Orange County Medical Executives for dinner to Oak & Coal, and everyone was extremely pleased and therefore I am extremely content with my decision in coming here. To begin, we ordered plenty of Kurosawa ginjo Sake, and many Tokyo gimlet's cocktails. Let's just say our prestigious team, knows how to have fun! The food is beyond tasty, and the selection and variety of the menu made it fun to choose from. The New Zealand lamb chops, the snake river Wagyu beef, (of course my favorite!), my boss had the ponzu prime NY strip, we also ordered multiple orders of the seared Hamachi. Oh, and the jumbo white shrimp were just delectable. And... we may have just may have ordered some shots of Tequila! The entire dinner experience at Oak & Coal was AMAZING! Thank you, Suzy and the A Team!