Native Son OC

Nice place but low key racist homophobe vibes from the white bartender wearing a sailor hat. We asked for a few tasters of beer and his answers were short and dismissive like "well that one comes in a can...so no" Understandable. So my gf decided to just order the pint called "Open Mind" ironically lolThe dude just stayed there annoyed that we were still deciding on what to order so i decided to order a taste of the same beer bc this interaction was already feeling uncomfortable. He comes back with my gfs pint only...so I asked for my taster again and he just stared at us silently and with a weird blank stare. My gf basically reiterated that I asked for a taster of the same beer at which point he finally grabbed it. I drank it and decided to not purchase a drink for myself bc why would I want to spend my money after receiving terrible service and all the ugly vibes. Gross. I hope he learns to be more open minded for his sake, he looks like a miserable dude.

I have been a fan of Native Son for years now and although I'm not what you would call a regular I go through periods where I frequent often because the atmosphere is fun and welcoming, and their rooftop patio is perfect during the summer (4th ofJuly Party is fun!) and they have great beer/cocktail selections plus their food is decent considering they are a bar. Last night was different though, we walked in and ordered a pitcher. The bartender wasn't necessarily rude but he also wasn't welcoming, while I was processing payment I noticed they implemented a "10% service charge applied to provide our staff with a living wage" Cool I'm all for fair wages and still tipped 20%. As we were enjoying our first glass we got a "15-minute warning" that they'll be closing from the bartender. So we try to hurry with the first beer and pour the second glass. Then we get the "5 min warning" so here we are chugging our $40 pitcher in 15 minutes while getting warnings like we are school kids during recess. A heads-up while we were ordering would've been nice. Not the experience I am used to and it just left a sour taste in my mouth. Unfortunately I will not be back.

I'm saddened to write this review, even though it's a little late--it's been stuck in my mind since my visit. This is specifically about the upkeep and lack of attention to the establishment.Last month, I came here as I have many times before, but after finishing my food and drink, I was dismayed when I used the restroom. There was a thick layer of dirt throughout the entire bathroom, and, to make matters worse, there was dried vomit on the walls that had clearly been ignored. It made me feel gross knowing I had just eaten there.A restaurant's bathroom reflects directly on the cleanliness of the kitchen. If the bathroom is in such poor condition, I can't help but wonder what the state of the kitchen might be. I hope management can take efforts to improve the hygiene of their establishment for a more enjoyable experience in the future.

Parking available in structure or meters on street. Go upstairs for a beautiful rooftop experience. Friendly bartenders that will make your evening special. Come for the view, ambiance, and fun!

It's an adequate place for a quick bite and a drink but nothing more. The wine is stale and food offerings are limited and not delicious. Service was fine though far too familiar with each other, not professional and doing the minimum. You need to take stairs to reach it. They do have an outside rooftop hangout with fire.

Relaxed atmosphere. Friendly staff. Quick service...and the food delish! I met up with a few friends for an impromptu chill moment. We opted to hang inside but outside with heating lamps was an awesome vibe. Will definitely return.

We came here to try their OC Restaurant Week menu items and we were pleasantly surprised. We originally saw this place a few years ago during Taste of Santa Ana. I believe they were servings burgers or something outside, but by the time we had passed by, they had ran out! We had not returned since, but after we saw their menu for Restaurant Week, we decided to give it a try, as we were in the area. For $65, we got the following:Queso Fundido: The chips were very well seasoned. It paired well with the queso and it seemed to taste like pizza! Braised Short Ribs: This came on a bed of mashed potatoes and gravy along with some broccolini. I would have to say that this was pretty good for the price. I have had better, but I did like how much sauce came with it over the gravy, as some places it is a bit lackluster. Flan: This was a bit underwhelming. We asked for it to go and it was pretty small and tough. I am a fa of soft and silky flan, but this was more on the hard and bubbly. It did not have the silky texture that I love. Crawler: The can is super cute and comes in a large portion! We have not tried this yet, but we were able to choose from about 10 Native Son drafts. I am super excited about this, but it is too cute to open!2 Cocktails of Choice: We tried the Dark Day and Golden Eye. Both were strong and well presentedOverall, I really enjoyed our experience. It is downtown, so parking could be a pain, especially with the construction and road closures nearby. We walked up and did not have to wait long to order or receive our food. We were helped by Sky, who had the best energy and service. She seemed like she genuinely enjoys her job, which is something I can particularly appreciate working in the food industry. Would definitely come back to try some of their other drinks and possibly their Happy Hour Menu items!

Overlooking the downtown area, this rooftop bar is probably gunna be a favorite spot of mine for happy hours. They have a lot of brewskis to choose from although it's only 1-2 bucks off, happy hour from 4-6 is always a vibe. So come hang out, enjoy the views, order some fries while you're at it. Fries: Get!For $7, they give you A LOT. However, it's loaded with seasoning and salt so... be prepared to order some more beers and stay awhile lol. Parking is over at a nearby structure and after hanging out for a few hours I only had to pay like a dollar so it was 100% worth it. On colder days there's heat lamps outside too so that's nice but you'll still wanna bring a jacket.

My go-to spot for drinks. Love the vibes and area. The food here is really good too. The burgers are way better than any fast food place. The breakfast burrito actually blows my mind. Good balance of ingredients and full of flavor. Not too dry, and not too greasy. My main downside about this spot is the lack of transparency with drink prices. I've caught some discrepancies between what is displayed on their menu and what I'm being charged. I was paying stadium prices for some beers. $30+ for two beers (including at least a 10% tip)... not cool. I will return in hope that they are at least transparent about prices.

Last night I went in with my fiancé to grab a drink and the bartender saw my passport and said straight up you can't be in here your passports expired How?!? My passport doesn't expire till 2029 She seemed racially motivated didn't even have the time to actually look at my passport to see that the day it was given to me was the year 2019I told her if she can look at it again and she proceeded to tell me I needed to leave the bar because my ID was expired, which it was not in fact Need to go ahead and talk to the bartender from last night and make sure she goes ahead and takes the course again to read IDs because she didn't care about checking mine to correct herself one bitWon't be coming back here