Post-mortem review* TDLR: My first taste of New Orleans inspired food in OC. It was a solid baseline that made me want to go to NOLA. Service was good, food was above average, and the ambiance was nice. Cajun Fries: Crispy fries, good flavor, and a sauce that compliments the plate. I'm not a fries fan, but I'd order this again. Cajun Calamari: Not the best calamari, but they did the basics correct. Crispy batter, and chewy squid. The marinara sauce could've been better though. Chicken Gumbo: It's hard to describe what gumbo tastes like. Flavor explosion, perfect cool weather food, and a great fill you up food. Whatever it may be, I liked how they made their gumbo. Ambiance: Warm, welcoming, and perfect for small groups. Seeing the chefs prepare the meal in the steam kettle is nice to see as well. Service: It's fine. We got everything that we needed.
Crescentwuju
A great place to try out some of the well known southern US cuisine.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Ciara U.
This is heartbreaking to see that they are closed. I have been going to this establishment & its many locations for almost a decade. We loved supporting you guys through the craziness of COVID and your reopening. I slowly started to see the business slow down drastically over the past 2 years. Last time we were there, we were told that they weren't planning on renewing their lease but would relocate. Now looking at their IG, I see that that's not happening. I am truly sorry Chef Ritter for having to close your store. Your recipes were PHENOMENAL! We drove an hour to come here when there is a knock off establishment closer... I say knock odd because the owner adapted his restaurant from memory of Chef Ritter's recipes when they worked together. Well wishes on your future Chef. I really hope you open again, we will be first at the door! Until then I'm going to try my hardest to make a pan roast at home just for me
Mark L.
Very sad today. Was craving it this morning on a gloomy day and come to find it has been permanently closed. wow. This place has the best pan roast ever. Very sad.
Scott C.
So sad Ritters closed. Not sure why? Loved this place and the Gumbo was the best! I thought they had the Best Gumbo in the O.C
B A
The meal I had at Ritter's Steam Kettle Cooking was absolutely amazing and super tasty. I had sat to eat up at the bar, so you can actually see the steam Kettle apparatus cooking your food and to see how the setup works, which was super cool and entertaining in itself. I had the Manhattan clam chowder and a calamari dish as an appetizer. Both of these dishes were fantastic and well cooked and full of tons of flavor. Rhe prices were pretty reasonable and the service was quick and friendly. Its quite the experience. I've never been to a restaurant that cooks like this before.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Calamari
Fiona Lee
Please come back!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Beignets, House Pan Roast, Calamari, French Fries
Bill G
Love the pan roast here my fav taste just like it does in vegas .
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Saena T.
Panroast my faaave!! Service was great! Our waitress was awesome!! Loved that they accommodated our large group and food was still ready in time! Definitely a spot to visit!
Just Tommy
The food was pretty good! I just made the mistake of saying I wanted an 8 on their spice scale so I couldn't really tatse it.
This place is the best. Supposedly they are closed for good. It really sucks. Hopefully they’ll open back up because their pan roast and clam chowder is the best ive had hands
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Anthony Pineda
Absolutely delicious cooking at this restaurant. Food here is really flavorful and portions are big. My lawyer suggested we go here for a dinner and it was really great. The pan roasts were the star of the show. They are creamy, savory, delicious dishes.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Tim R.
Oh no! Out of business!!! Lease signs in windows.... Will miss this one for sure....
Irais T.
I heard this place was really good from my friends, and we just saw the closed for business sign. I'm sd we won't get to try it.
Julie N.
Been here twice and most recently about a month ago. The first time, I tried the clam chowder. Nice and flavorful. I came more prepared the second time and read more Yelp reviews, so had to try the Pan Roast, their most popular dish. Never really had it before, but did some research and "pan roast" is a method of cooking where you do some in the pan, then roast (aka: steam kettles). The flavors meld well and the base is a tomato cream. You can choose your level of spice, which goes up to 10!! I took 3 and my friend took 7. I think she'll go higher next time, but beware... she is a total spice fan. She normally brings her own hot sauce and eats habaneros!We also tried the fried okra, which was delicious and they give you complimentary rolls to dunk in the sauce, which are nice and fresh.They have a list of beers, which is also another reason why my friend is a fan. There are other things to try here, possibly the red beans and rice next time, so if you are a Creole fan, definitely give this place a try!
Post-mortem review* TDLR: My first taste of New Orleans inspired food in OC. It was a solid baseline that made me want to go to NOLA. Service was good, food was above average, and the ambiance was nice. Cajun Fries: Crispy fries, good flavor, and a sauce that compliments the plate. I'm not a fries fan, but I'd order this again. Cajun Calamari: Not the best calamari, but they did the basics correct. Crispy batter, and chewy squid. The marinara sauce could've been better though. Chicken Gumbo: It's hard to describe what gumbo tastes like. Flavor explosion, perfect cool weather food, and a great fill you up food. Whatever it may be, I liked how they made their gumbo. Ambiance: Warm, welcoming, and perfect for small groups. Seeing the chefs prepare the meal in the steam kettle is nice to see as well. Service: It's fine. We got everything that we needed.
A great place to try out some of the well known southern US cuisine.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
This is heartbreaking to see that they are closed. I have been going to this establishment & its many locations for almost a decade. We loved supporting you guys through the craziness of COVID and your reopening. I slowly started to see the business slow down drastically over the past 2 years. Last time we were there, we were told that they weren't planning on renewing their lease but would relocate. Now looking at their IG, I see that that's not happening. I am truly sorry Chef Ritter for having to close your store. Your recipes were PHENOMENAL! We drove an hour to come here when there is a knock off establishment closer... I say knock odd because the owner adapted his restaurant from memory of Chef Ritter's recipes when they worked together. Well wishes on your future Chef. I really hope you open again, we will be first at the door! Until then I'm going to try my hardest to make a pan roast at home just for me
Very sad today. Was craving it this morning on a gloomy day and come to find it has been permanently closed. wow. This place has the best pan roast ever. Very sad.
So sad Ritters closed. Not sure why? Loved this place and the Gumbo was the best! I thought they had the Best Gumbo in the O.C
The meal I had at Ritter's Steam Kettle Cooking was absolutely amazing and super tasty. I had sat to eat up at the bar, so you can actually see the steam Kettle apparatus cooking your food and to see how the setup works, which was super cool and entertaining in itself. I had the Manhattan clam chowder and a calamari dish as an appetizer. Both of these dishes were fantastic and well cooked and full of tons of flavor. Rhe prices were pretty reasonable and the service was quick and friendly. Its quite the experience. I've never been to a restaurant that cooks like this before.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Calamari
Please come back!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Beignets, House Pan Roast, Calamari, French Fries
Love the pan roast here my fav taste just like it does in vegas .
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Panroast my faaave!! Service was great! Our waitress was awesome!! Loved that they accommodated our large group and food was still ready in time! Definitely a spot to visit!
The food was pretty good! I just made the mistake of saying I wanted an 8 on their spice scale so I couldn't really tatse it.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Beignets, Chowder, Fried Okra, Jambalaya
Restaurantji Recommends
This place is the best. Supposedly they are closed for good. It really sucks. Hopefully they’ll open back up because their pan roast and clam chowder is the best ive had hands
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Absolutely delicious cooking at this restaurant. Food here is really flavorful and portions are big. My lawyer suggested we go here for a dinner and it was really great. The pan roasts were the star of the show. They are creamy, savory, delicious dishes.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Oh no! Out of business!!! Lease signs in windows.... Will miss this one for sure....
I heard this place was really good from my friends, and we just saw the closed for business sign. I'm sd we won't get to try it.
Been here twice and most recently about a month ago. The first time, I tried the clam chowder. Nice and flavorful. I came more prepared the second time and read more Yelp reviews, so had to try the Pan Roast, their most popular dish. Never really had it before, but did some research and "pan roast" is a method of cooking where you do some in the pan, then roast (aka: steam kettles). The flavors meld well and the base is a tomato cream. You can choose your level of spice, which goes up to 10!! I took 3 and my friend took 7. I think she'll go higher next time, but beware... she is a total spice fan. She normally brings her own hot sauce and eats habaneros!We also tried the fried okra, which was delicious and they give you complimentary rolls to dunk in the sauce, which are nice and fresh.They have a list of beers, which is also another reason why my friend is a fan. There are other things to try here, possibly the red beans and rice next time, so if you are a Creole fan, definitely give this place a try!