I was not expecting a restaurant like this to survive in Santa Ana. The dishes are interesting, the ingredients are fresh, the drinks are fun, and the staff is actually helpful. Five stars.
Hannah N.
I recently visited a friend in this area of town and she was super excited to check out this place so we went for it! We came early and had reservations, the place does get pretty busy about an hour after opening. We both love a tapas style restaurant because we can never decide on what to order. We basically ordered one of everything (not really but it felt like it). The seared albacore toastada was probably my favorite. We even ordered an additional order of it because it was so good we also loved the soft egg ravioli and of course the pork cheek adobo, literally melted in your mouth. Definitely interested in trying out there other location in south coast plaza as well!
Ryan O.
My experience at Mix Mix was, well, mixed, but overall not bad. The food was fine, the service was good (but slowed significantly as tables filled up) and the environment was well kempt. The restaurant really began to fill up after 7:30 and service slowed way down after being initially very prompt. As a side note, they are located very close to a parking garage where there's ample parking. It is pay-to-park, but it only cost me about $3 for a couple hours, so very affordable. There is limited parking on the street if your fortunate enough to nab a spot. When my girlfriend and I first arrived at Mix Mix, it was not too crowded. That was pretty surprising for a Friday night @ 7, but that soon changed and the place got busier over the next half hour. The host and our waitress were very friendly and attentive. They answered all our questions about the menu. The menu, it is pretty limited. It is two pages -- one side is beverages, the other is appetizers, entrees that come from the land, entrees that come from the sea and a sole dessert. There's roughly a dozen food options to select from. Not too much variety. For beverages, my girlfriend ordered a margarita to drink and I stuck with boring ol' water. For the meal, we ended up going with the brussel sprouts, the shishito peppers (I'm a HUGE fan of shishito peppers in general) and the burger. I requested the burger as a lettuce wrap and the waitress said they could put the burger components on a bed of lettuce but they could not do a wrap. I consented to this and our orders were locked in. First up was the margarita. My girlfriend took a sip and said it tasted like pure margarita mix with no alcohol. I then took a sip and did taste an ever so faint after taste of tequila. We let our waitress know the margarita was a bit weak and they brought us a shot of tequila, on the house, which definitely improved the bland cocktail. Next up were the brussel sprouts. YES, to these brussel sprouts. This is how you do brussel sprouts. Well done, Mix Mix. If you're struggling to decide from the limited options on the menu, let me be your guide and get the brussel sprouts. The were very flavorful and had what tasted like a slightly spicy aioli sauce on them that complimented them exceedingly well. FANTASTIC dish. Next up, the shishito peppers. This is difficult for me to type, being such a huge shishito pepper fan, but...the shishito peppers were pretty bland and average at best. There really was no flavor to them. They were basically cooked in an oil, had some bread crumbs a top and a dab of plain yogurt that they sat on. The yogurt did nothing to add any flavor. We asked for a side of sriracha, which helped some, but I was disappointed by the potential these peppers had. The peppers were high quality, just bland. They really could use the treatment the brussel sprouts received to bring out some flavor. Lastly, my burger arrived. My initial thought after my first bite was "Hey...this tastes exactly like In N Out!" Now, that's not necessarily a bad thing. Anthony Bourdain was once asked what his favorite meal was and out of the vast array of foods he had eaten he replied "In N Out burgers." There's a reason you always see a line at their drive thrus. So I did enjoy the burger. But it just tasted so familiar. The patty, the cheese, the sauce, I couldn't perish the thought that I was eating an In N Out burger. It all tasted uncannily similar. But, at $18, the price was not similar at all. After finishing all of the aforementioned, my girlfriend was still hungry and, seeing as how she is vegetarian and the menu is already slim enough as it is if you aren't vegetarian, she decided to order some more of the bland shishito peppers and another margarita. The restaurant had gotten busier at this time, though, there were still a fair amount of open tables. But we lost track of time for how long we waited for those two items to arrive. We ended up telling our waitress just to cancel them. A few minutes later, she brought out the peppers
Chelsea V.
Mix Mix Kitchen Bar is a quaint restaurant located in the heart of the art district in downtown Santa Ana. The aesthetic has equal touches of minimalism and modern features that set the tone for any type of evening. When we arrived, the hostess took us to a seat in the back. The seat was located near the kitchen and gave us a good view of the seasoned chefs performing their craft. (No complaints from me because I enjoy the view of an open kitchen) To start off, we ordered a margarita, brussels sprouts and shishito peppers. Starting with the drink, the margarita was sadly disappointing. It was bland and tasted like a margarita mix that you would buy at a supermarket. I mentioned my dissatisfaction to the waitress and she kindly brought out a shot of tequila for me to add to the existing drink. The shot definitely helped, but I wasn't over the moon about it either. The Brussels sprouts were good. I did feel that they were over saturated in sauce, but they still had a pleasant flavor. The shishito peppers were a bit bland for my taste. I did find it odd that the menu paired the peppers with yogurt tahini sauce. The yogurt tahini was flavorless and did nothing to enhance or compliment the taste of the shishito peppers. For the main dish, we ordered the one and only hamburger on the menu. The hamburger was comparable to an in-n-out burger. That's not to say that it wasn't good, but we probably could have paid for the same burger from in-n-out for much less. My main issue with this restaurant was the kitchen/bar service. It was ridiculously slow. I understand that many restaurants are understaffed and that most establishments are in difficult times, but at what point does my patience wear thin? I started to get frustrated after 30 minutes when our second order of shishito peppers and our 2nd cocktail didn't come out. Keep in mind that this was just an appetizer item and a drink; not an actual meal. Once the 30 minute mark approached, I flagged down our waitress and asked to cancel the order and drink. She was well aware that we waited for a long period of time, so she comped the drink and shishito peppers. Even after I asked to cancel the order, the waitress still followed through with her commitment and brought us the order. I can't recall her name, but our waitress was very sweet and helpful. It was not her fault that our food wasn't at our table within a reasonable amount of time. Either way, we appreciated her going out of her way to make the situation right. My two major complaints: 1.) the long wait periods to get food; 2.) the lack of vegetarian options on the menu (I had to order 2 plates of shishito peppers because the options were so limited) Overall, I liked this restaurant, but I would only come back to grab some appetizers.
V C.
I wasn't a huge fan of this place and don't really get the hype. I am not a huge fan of Filipino food though, so that might be why. The pork cheek adobo was really gamey to us. The albacore toastada was a bit on the salty side. I did enjoy the bone marrow flatbread and the pasta though. Our drinks were also good. Service was excellent. I'm glad I finally got to try it because it seems very poplar but probably wouldn't come back.
Jenny C.
This place is a cute little restaurant in downtown Santa Ana that's on the corner - the entrance is a bit confusing however we just followed the signs. We had reservations but the place was empty, I was hoping for a better ambiance. The food was really delicious. I would say definitely get the brussels sprouts. The tostadas were surprisingly good.... Our server didn't really seem like he wanted to be there. To clarify he wasn't rude, maybe just having one of those days. I asked for a spicy margarita and he made me a drink that I could not drink, my lips were on fire. For context I'm Mexican and can handle spice. So beware when ordering a spicy margarita.
Jackie C.
Such a great spot in DTSA! The Brussels sprouts were nice and crispy. I did think that the egg raviolo had too much butter, but I ended up dipping the Brussels sprouts in it and it was delicious. Two tapas and a cocktail was all it took to fill me up as a solo diner! It was an excellent meal. I can see myself returning to try some of the other dishes. I definitely recommend making a reservation, they were fully booked on the Saturday I had my reservation.
Vince D.
Came here a second time with 2 other friends I was super disappointed in in the cheek adobo fried rice. It was beyond super salty and not enjoyable. It was like the entire jar of salt fell in. We had 3 orders of this and my friends said the same thing. We let our server Eric know about it. I also ordered a fish tostada and fries. I thought everything was average compared to the first time I went here.
Jamee S.
I was looking forward to eating here to try Filipino Fusion tapas. The reviews were great and the pictures looked amazing! The ambience is hipster. Quaint and rustic. The service was lovely. I ordered a cocktail called "The Lost Chapter." It tasted pretty with the gin and chartreuse, but it was too sweet for me. Perhaps I was expecting to be blown away by the food but overall I think it was okay. We ordered: Chicharrones with spicy vinegar: It is as expected. If you eat bagged pork rinds, it's just like that but fresher. I'd skip this the next time. Roasted Brussels sprouts: Cooked well! It had great crispness and was seasoned perfectly. Not overly dressed or greasy. Salt and pepper mushrooms: Good mushroom taste and the sauce was just enough sweetness to balance the flavors. Scottish salmon: This dish was beautifully plated. The fish was lightly seasoned sitting on a purée. It was a little sweet. Not sure what makes it Scottish. It was alright. Bone Marrow Flat Bread: Looked so tantalizing! I've never had bone marrow like this before. It's like butter. Don't know how bone marrow became a "thing". I'm glad I don't suffer from gout. House Burger: Double patties with a lot of melty cheese. Soft Egg Raviolo: I wanted to love this but the raviolo seemed uncooked or too Al dente. I didn't really see or taste any egg. It was too cheesy. It didn't have a good mouth feel. Pork Cheek Adobo: This is the most recommended dish. It was the one and only dish that I would consider Filipino. Sadly it tasted like something I could make. It was delicious for sure though. Lastly we were given a complimentary dessert: Coconut Panna cotta with blueberry ice cream, mango, almonds and toasted coconut. It was nice and light. Lots of lovely flavors that worked well together. It was a nice meal. Pricey but delicious for the most part.
Lina P.
Finally tried this place after being bookmarked for so long. It was a Friday night, my boyfriend-now fiancé just proposed to me the day before and we wanted to go out for some good food and drinks. We weren't prepared with reservations so a lot of the usual places we'd go to were booked. We were in the Santa Ana area and thought this would be a great place to try. We booked a reservation on yelp last minute and got seated right away. I love tapas, especially fusion tapas. The food is always so unique and is always fun to try. We ended up trying all the cocktails on their menu and a few food items. Here were our thoughts: Chicharrones with Spicy Vinegar (10/10): the portion was relatively small but the spicy vinegar was what won me over. The chicharrones are good, they're typically what you get from the chip aisle but the spicy vinegar was so delicious. It wasn't that spicy at all but the balance of sweet and tart was perfect. I ended up dipping our french fries in it too. Fries (10/10): these fries just came with chipotle aioli. It was a basic dish that didn't disappoint. Their chipotle aioli was good and not spicy at all. Their fries were cooked perfect - slightly crispy but also soft on the inside. Roasted Shishitos (10/10): it was our favorite dish of the night. Whatever seasoning was used on the shishitos was just chef's kiss. They were perfectly blistered and soft and juicy. None of the ones we got were spicy so that was good. It was topped over this tahini yogurt which was soo good. The flavors paired super well together. Bacon Wrapped Dates (7/10): the portion was terrible, 3 dates for $10. The flavor was pretty good though. I love that they incorporated yogurt and manchego cheese into it which balanced everything out pretty well. I was just salty about the portion size. House Burger (8.5/10): we requested that the burger be cut in half when we ordered it so that it was easier for us to share. My half was delicious, I deemed it one of my top 5 favorite burgers I've ever had. It was so juicy and there was so much flavor in the meat. My fiancé though, didn't agree. However, I didn't finish my burger and gave him a bite of my half and for some reason he said my half was so much better. I'm not sure how a burger and be cooked unevenly on each half but that was strange. Silly Rabbit cocktail (10/10): a tequila drink, it was strong and delicious. Winter's Eve (9/10): it had a unique flavor to it but it didn't taste that strong. Pear Pressure (8/10): the elderflower flavor was strong though the drink wasn't as strong as I'd want it to be. It's a sweeter drink though so for those who like sweeter flavors this would be the one to get. The Getaway (1/10): sooo bad. This was the last drink we got and the bartender had disappeared for a long time before he made this drink. We were about to cancel the order because we were waiting so long but by the time we wanted to cancel, he already came back and started making it so we just gave in to waiting. All you could taste in this drink was poorly muddled mint in soda water. There was sooo much mint in the drink and you could taste that it was over-muddled since over-muddled mint causes the drink to become disgustingly bitter. I was scooping out the mint from the cup hoping it would help but it didn't. We couldn't finish this drink. Overall, the food was great. Hats off to the kitchen staff that made the delicious food. The cocktails were hit-or-miss though so I was pretty disappointed in that. However, for spending $100, we'll probably go somewhere else with better drinks.
Excellent dinner! Wednesday 2 courses and 2 wine pairings...such a deal!!! We will definitely be back!!
Gardenia B.
This has been on my list for awhile and I reeeeally wanted to love it, but my overall experience was just OK. I haven't written a 3-star review in while, and I'm so bummed to give it this spot, out of all places. I want to be clear- this is not a hateful review. This is solely based on my first-hand experience. I came with a friend for happy hour on a Friday night. The place was empty at the time of our entrance but they place in the corner by the bathrooms with a small table. Our server started out slightly snarky and a little stand-offish, but slowly warmed up to us once we kept ordering drinks and food. When our food got there, it didn't even fit our table with our drinks. Realizing this, I took the initiative and asked if we can move to slightly larger table and they were nice enough to let us do so (there was only one other group there and plenty of seating left). The rest of the experience went well, but the horrible start kinda set the tone for the night and we had to go elsewhere to change the vibe. Don't get me wrong the food and drinks were DELICIOUS. Everything was really good and I have zero complaints about that. If this was take-out, it would've been a 5-star experience. Blue Berry Haze was a really good drink and my favorite dish would have to go to the pork check adobo. Hoping this was just an off night for the team and I can come back and have a different experience. We'll wait and see!
Albert C.
Amazing experience. I came a few years back, but it was so fun trying all the different things. I still remember they had a dessert with a beautiful balance of rich chocolate, tangy puree, and crunchy rice crispy balls. I tried their sister restaurant ReMix too, which was also nice. I see a lot of "Mix" spin-off restaurants here and there, which is exciting!
Gilbert Nace
We got the Soft Egg Raviolo, Roasted Brussel Sprouts, and Pork Cheek Adobo. My favorite was the brussel sprouts because of the sauce.I definitely enjoyed everything here. I'd be happy to visit it again.
Kathy E.
Mix mix kitchen bar is the cutest little gem in downtown Santa Ana. The outdoor and indoor seating area is beautiful, the food and drinks are amazing, and more affordable than it's sister restaurant Terrace Mix Mix in Southcoast plaza. Salt and Pepper Mushrooms (5/5): I love mushrooms and usually will always order the mushroom appetizers wherever I go. And of all the mushrooms I've ever eaten in my life, these trumpet mushrooms definitely are top 3. It's lightly battered in flour so that there is a crispy exterior and topped with serrano(very spicy, be careful), garlic, sesame and scallions so that you don't need to dip it in anything. I'll definitely be back to try more items on the menu, but right now it's definitely top on my list to come back.
I was not expecting a restaurant like this to survive in Santa Ana. The dishes are interesting, the ingredients are fresh, the drinks are fun, and the staff is actually helpful. Five stars.
I recently visited a friend in this area of town and she was super excited to check out this place so we went for it! We came early and had reservations, the place does get pretty busy about an hour after opening. We both love a tapas style restaurant because we can never decide on what to order. We basically ordered one of everything (not really but it felt like it). The seared albacore toastada was probably my favorite. We even ordered an additional order of it because it was so good we also loved the soft egg ravioli and of course the pork cheek adobo, literally melted in your mouth. Definitely interested in trying out there other location in south coast plaza as well!
My experience at Mix Mix was, well, mixed, but overall not bad. The food was fine, the service was good (but slowed significantly as tables filled up) and the environment was well kempt. The restaurant really began to fill up after 7:30 and service slowed way down after being initially very prompt. As a side note, they are located very close to a parking garage where there's ample parking. It is pay-to-park, but it only cost me about $3 for a couple hours, so very affordable. There is limited parking on the street if your fortunate enough to nab a spot. When my girlfriend and I first arrived at Mix Mix, it was not too crowded. That was pretty surprising for a Friday night @ 7, but that soon changed and the place got busier over the next half hour. The host and our waitress were very friendly and attentive. They answered all our questions about the menu. The menu, it is pretty limited. It is two pages -- one side is beverages, the other is appetizers, entrees that come from the land, entrees that come from the sea and a sole dessert. There's roughly a dozen food options to select from. Not too much variety. For beverages, my girlfriend ordered a margarita to drink and I stuck with boring ol' water. For the meal, we ended up going with the brussel sprouts, the shishito peppers (I'm a HUGE fan of shishito peppers in general) and the burger. I requested the burger as a lettuce wrap and the waitress said they could put the burger components on a bed of lettuce but they could not do a wrap. I consented to this and our orders were locked in. First up was the margarita. My girlfriend took a sip and said it tasted like pure margarita mix with no alcohol. I then took a sip and did taste an ever so faint after taste of tequila. We let our waitress know the margarita was a bit weak and they brought us a shot of tequila, on the house, which definitely improved the bland cocktail. Next up were the brussel sprouts. YES, to these brussel sprouts. This is how you do brussel sprouts. Well done, Mix Mix. If you're struggling to decide from the limited options on the menu, let me be your guide and get the brussel sprouts. The were very flavorful and had what tasted like a slightly spicy aioli sauce on them that complimented them exceedingly well. FANTASTIC dish. Next up, the shishito peppers. This is difficult for me to type, being such a huge shishito pepper fan, but...the shishito peppers were pretty bland and average at best. There really was no flavor to them. They were basically cooked in an oil, had some bread crumbs a top and a dab of plain yogurt that they sat on. The yogurt did nothing to add any flavor. We asked for a side of sriracha, which helped some, but I was disappointed by the potential these peppers had. The peppers were high quality, just bland. They really could use the treatment the brussel sprouts received to bring out some flavor. Lastly, my burger arrived. My initial thought after my first bite was "Hey...this tastes exactly like In N Out!" Now, that's not necessarily a bad thing. Anthony Bourdain was once asked what his favorite meal was and out of the vast array of foods he had eaten he replied "In N Out burgers." There's a reason you always see a line at their drive thrus. So I did enjoy the burger. But it just tasted so familiar. The patty, the cheese, the sauce, I couldn't perish the thought that I was eating an In N Out burger. It all tasted uncannily similar. But, at $18, the price was not similar at all. After finishing all of the aforementioned, my girlfriend was still hungry and, seeing as how she is vegetarian and the menu is already slim enough as it is if you aren't vegetarian, she decided to order some more of the bland shishito peppers and another margarita. The restaurant had gotten busier at this time, though, there were still a fair amount of open tables. But we lost track of time for how long we waited for those two items to arrive. We ended up telling our waitress just to cancel them. A few minutes later, she brought out the peppers
Mix Mix Kitchen Bar is a quaint restaurant located in the heart of the art district in downtown Santa Ana. The aesthetic has equal touches of minimalism and modern features that set the tone for any type of evening. When we arrived, the hostess took us to a seat in the back. The seat was located near the kitchen and gave us a good view of the seasoned chefs performing their craft. (No complaints from me because I enjoy the view of an open kitchen) To start off, we ordered a margarita, brussels sprouts and shishito peppers. Starting with the drink, the margarita was sadly disappointing. It was bland and tasted like a margarita mix that you would buy at a supermarket. I mentioned my dissatisfaction to the waitress and she kindly brought out a shot of tequila for me to add to the existing drink. The shot definitely helped, but I wasn't over the moon about it either. The Brussels sprouts were good. I did feel that they were over saturated in sauce, but they still had a pleasant flavor. The shishito peppers were a bit bland for my taste. I did find it odd that the menu paired the peppers with yogurt tahini sauce. The yogurt tahini was flavorless and did nothing to enhance or compliment the taste of the shishito peppers. For the main dish, we ordered the one and only hamburger on the menu. The hamburger was comparable to an in-n-out burger. That's not to say that it wasn't good, but we probably could have paid for the same burger from in-n-out for much less. My main issue with this restaurant was the kitchen/bar service. It was ridiculously slow. I understand that many restaurants are understaffed and that most establishments are in difficult times, but at what point does my patience wear thin? I started to get frustrated after 30 minutes when our second order of shishito peppers and our 2nd cocktail didn't come out. Keep in mind that this was just an appetizer item and a drink; not an actual meal. Once the 30 minute mark approached, I flagged down our waitress and asked to cancel the order and drink. She was well aware that we waited for a long period of time, so she comped the drink and shishito peppers. Even after I asked to cancel the order, the waitress still followed through with her commitment and brought us the order. I can't recall her name, but our waitress was very sweet and helpful. It was not her fault that our food wasn't at our table within a reasonable amount of time. Either way, we appreciated her going out of her way to make the situation right. My two major complaints: 1.) the long wait periods to get food; 2.) the lack of vegetarian options on the menu (I had to order 2 plates of shishito peppers because the options were so limited) Overall, I liked this restaurant, but I would only come back to grab some appetizers.
I wasn't a huge fan of this place and don't really get the hype. I am not a huge fan of Filipino food though, so that might be why. The pork cheek adobo was really gamey to us. The albacore toastada was a bit on the salty side. I did enjoy the bone marrow flatbread and the pasta though. Our drinks were also good. Service was excellent. I'm glad I finally got to try it because it seems very poplar but probably wouldn't come back.
This place is a cute little restaurant in downtown Santa Ana that's on the corner - the entrance is a bit confusing however we just followed the signs. We had reservations but the place was empty, I was hoping for a better ambiance. The food was really delicious. I would say definitely get the brussels sprouts. The tostadas were surprisingly good.... Our server didn't really seem like he wanted to be there. To clarify he wasn't rude, maybe just having one of those days. I asked for a spicy margarita and he made me a drink that I could not drink, my lips were on fire. For context I'm Mexican and can handle spice. So beware when ordering a spicy margarita.
Such a great spot in DTSA! The Brussels sprouts were nice and crispy. I did think that the egg raviolo had too much butter, but I ended up dipping the Brussels sprouts in it and it was delicious. Two tapas and a cocktail was all it took to fill me up as a solo diner! It was an excellent meal. I can see myself returning to try some of the other dishes. I definitely recommend making a reservation, they were fully booked on the Saturday I had my reservation.
Came here a second time with 2 other friends I was super disappointed in in the cheek adobo fried rice. It was beyond super salty and not enjoyable. It was like the entire jar of salt fell in. We had 3 orders of this and my friends said the same thing. We let our server Eric know about it. I also ordered a fish tostada and fries. I thought everything was average compared to the first time I went here.
I was looking forward to eating here to try Filipino Fusion tapas. The reviews were great and the pictures looked amazing! The ambience is hipster. Quaint and rustic. The service was lovely. I ordered a cocktail called "The Lost Chapter." It tasted pretty with the gin and chartreuse, but it was too sweet for me. Perhaps I was expecting to be blown away by the food but overall I think it was okay. We ordered: Chicharrones with spicy vinegar: It is as expected. If you eat bagged pork rinds, it's just like that but fresher. I'd skip this the next time. Roasted Brussels sprouts: Cooked well! It had great crispness and was seasoned perfectly. Not overly dressed or greasy. Salt and pepper mushrooms: Good mushroom taste and the sauce was just enough sweetness to balance the flavors. Scottish salmon: This dish was beautifully plated. The fish was lightly seasoned sitting on a purée. It was a little sweet. Not sure what makes it Scottish. It was alright. Bone Marrow Flat Bread: Looked so tantalizing! I've never had bone marrow like this before. It's like butter. Don't know how bone marrow became a "thing". I'm glad I don't suffer from gout. House Burger: Double patties with a lot of melty cheese. Soft Egg Raviolo: I wanted to love this but the raviolo seemed uncooked or too Al dente. I didn't really see or taste any egg. It was too cheesy. It didn't have a good mouth feel. Pork Cheek Adobo: This is the most recommended dish. It was the one and only dish that I would consider Filipino. Sadly it tasted like something I could make. It was delicious for sure though. Lastly we were given a complimentary dessert: Coconut Panna cotta with blueberry ice cream, mango, almonds and toasted coconut. It was nice and light. Lots of lovely flavors that worked well together. It was a nice meal. Pricey but delicious for the most part.
Finally tried this place after being bookmarked for so long. It was a Friday night, my boyfriend-now fiancé just proposed to me the day before and we wanted to go out for some good food and drinks. We weren't prepared with reservations so a lot of the usual places we'd go to were booked. We were in the Santa Ana area and thought this would be a great place to try. We booked a reservation on yelp last minute and got seated right away. I love tapas, especially fusion tapas. The food is always so unique and is always fun to try. We ended up trying all the cocktails on their menu and a few food items. Here were our thoughts: Chicharrones with Spicy Vinegar (10/10): the portion was relatively small but the spicy vinegar was what won me over. The chicharrones are good, they're typically what you get from the chip aisle but the spicy vinegar was so delicious. It wasn't that spicy at all but the balance of sweet and tart was perfect. I ended up dipping our french fries in it too. Fries (10/10): these fries just came with chipotle aioli. It was a basic dish that didn't disappoint. Their chipotle aioli was good and not spicy at all. Their fries were cooked perfect - slightly crispy but also soft on the inside. Roasted Shishitos (10/10): it was our favorite dish of the night. Whatever seasoning was used on the shishitos was just chef's kiss. They were perfectly blistered and soft and juicy. None of the ones we got were spicy so that was good. It was topped over this tahini yogurt which was soo good. The flavors paired super well together. Bacon Wrapped Dates (7/10): the portion was terrible, 3 dates for $10. The flavor was pretty good though. I love that they incorporated yogurt and manchego cheese into it which balanced everything out pretty well. I was just salty about the portion size. House Burger (8.5/10): we requested that the burger be cut in half when we ordered it so that it was easier for us to share. My half was delicious, I deemed it one of my top 5 favorite burgers I've ever had. It was so juicy and there was so much flavor in the meat. My fiancé though, didn't agree. However, I didn't finish my burger and gave him a bite of my half and for some reason he said my half was so much better. I'm not sure how a burger and be cooked unevenly on each half but that was strange. Silly Rabbit cocktail (10/10): a tequila drink, it was strong and delicious. Winter's Eve (9/10): it had a unique flavor to it but it didn't taste that strong. Pear Pressure (8/10): the elderflower flavor was strong though the drink wasn't as strong as I'd want it to be. It's a sweeter drink though so for those who like sweeter flavors this would be the one to get. The Getaway (1/10): sooo bad. This was the last drink we got and the bartender had disappeared for a long time before he made this drink. We were about to cancel the order because we were waiting so long but by the time we wanted to cancel, he already came back and started making it so we just gave in to waiting. All you could taste in this drink was poorly muddled mint in soda water. There was sooo much mint in the drink and you could taste that it was over-muddled since over-muddled mint causes the drink to become disgustingly bitter. I was scooping out the mint from the cup hoping it would help but it didn't. We couldn't finish this drink. Overall, the food was great. Hats off to the kitchen staff that made the delicious food. The cocktails were hit-or-miss though so I was pretty disappointed in that. However, for spending $100, we'll probably go somewhere else with better drinks.
Restaurantji Recommends
Excellent dinner! Wednesday 2 courses and 2 wine pairings...such a deal!!! We will definitely be back!!
This has been on my list for awhile and I reeeeally wanted to love it, but my overall experience was just OK. I haven't written a 3-star review in while, and I'm so bummed to give it this spot, out of all places. I want to be clear- this is not a hateful review. This is solely based on my first-hand experience. I came with a friend for happy hour on a Friday night. The place was empty at the time of our entrance but they place in the corner by the bathrooms with a small table. Our server started out slightly snarky and a little stand-offish, but slowly warmed up to us once we kept ordering drinks and food. When our food got there, it didn't even fit our table with our drinks. Realizing this, I took the initiative and asked if we can move to slightly larger table and they were nice enough to let us do so (there was only one other group there and plenty of seating left). The rest of the experience went well, but the horrible start kinda set the tone for the night and we had to go elsewhere to change the vibe. Don't get me wrong the food and drinks were DELICIOUS. Everything was really good and I have zero complaints about that. If this was take-out, it would've been a 5-star experience. Blue Berry Haze was a really good drink and my favorite dish would have to go to the pork check adobo. Hoping this was just an off night for the team and I can come back and have a different experience. We'll wait and see!
Amazing experience. I came a few years back, but it was so fun trying all the different things. I still remember they had a dessert with a beautiful balance of rich chocolate, tangy puree, and crunchy rice crispy balls. I tried their sister restaurant ReMix too, which was also nice. I see a lot of "Mix" spin-off restaurants here and there, which is exciting!
We got the Soft Egg Raviolo, Roasted Brussel Sprouts, and Pork Cheek Adobo. My favorite was the brussel sprouts because of the sauce.I definitely enjoyed everything here. I'd be happy to visit it again.
Mix mix kitchen bar is the cutest little gem in downtown Santa Ana. The outdoor and indoor seating area is beautiful, the food and drinks are amazing, and more affordable than it's sister restaurant Terrace Mix Mix in Southcoast plaza. Salt and Pepper Mushrooms (5/5): I love mushrooms and usually will always order the mushroom appetizers wherever I go. And of all the mushrooms I've ever eaten in my life, these trumpet mushrooms definitely are top 3. It's lightly battered in flour so that there is a crispy exterior and topped with serrano(very spicy, be careful), garlic, sesame and scallions so that you don't need to dip it in anything. I'll definitely be back to try more items on the menu, but right now it's definitely top on my list to come back.