Arc Food & Libations

This restaurant is dirty. Every menu was grimey and gross. The bathroom was filthy. You know what they say, if the front of house is dirty, you can only imagine how gross the back of house is. The pizza was the blandest thing I've ever eaten, had zero salt. No salt and pepper on the table. They brought out each entre 5-10 mins apart. One person was done by the time the next persons arrived and so it went. The were only 4 of us.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 3

Service: 3

Incredible dinner. Highlights were the shrimp and the flank steak. We will definitely be back

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

I'm picky...this place makes their own bitters which is awesome. But when I got my old fashioned it had regular soda machine ice cubes.

If you go through the nuance of making your own bitters then at very least I would expect the right ice cube. It sounds minor, but the right ice cube is critical and not getting that detail correct truly ruins the experience. Especially when the drinks are first to come out. It sets the experience up for failure. Service was great, food was great. But not getting an old fashioned right is a deal breaker.

It doesn't belong on the menu if you don't have the correct ice cubes prepared.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 5

The food was really tasty. Even the salads were super delicious. The waitress was very nice, professional and attentive. She took great care of our group of demanding 10 ladies. Highly recommend this place.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Great, healthy food as always. Even the cocktails are good! The service staff is friendly and courteous.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Awesome place

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

10 out of 10 experience. Went here for my wife's birthday and they surprisingly sat us in there speakeasy area and we were just WOW'd! Food was great too and drinks were sooo good!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Mary was excellent. Meatball flatbread, chicken tenders and cornbread dessert were amazing. The wine we got was nice for the price. Let me see the Mr Miyagi could've disclosed it has lemon in it. The scene, food and drinks all satisfied.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Every dish was delicious and I highly recommend the Broccolini! We had ordered the House pizza, 1/2 roasted chicken, broccolini, and baby ribs. Our server Sarah was the sweetest and made sure that we liked everything on our table. I could tell she was genuine and really cared about giving us a great experience. We felt comfortable with her friendly and welcoming personality. I love when customer service and food are phenomenal, it just makes me want to come back. Thanks for the great service!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

The food was delicious, the charcoal pork and bruschetta stood out, and the steak was tasty too. However, the service dragged: it took more than 45 minutes just to get the appetizers. If you go there, be ready for delays.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 4

Service: 2

Recommended dishes: Tomahawk Steak for Two or Three

I had a good experience at this restaurant years ago for lunch, so I took some guests here last night for dinner.

Even though the food was expensive and the waiter said the portions are large for sharing, I ordered more dishes than usual to ensure that we get at least one good dish. The dishes have decent presentation, but were too salty or underwhelming. Some examples:

* The patty was so salty on the ~$30 burger that it wasn't eatible for my two guests. No sides like fries to share.

* The ~$30 shrimp dish has only 5 shrimps with some spicy sauces. I am speechless how this can pass as a main dish.

* Chocolate chip cookies ($10) listed as a dessert on the menu. It turns out to be a small bag of cookies that look and taste worst than cookies that I can buy at a grocery store for cheaper.

Last time I will be here.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 1

Service: 2

Arc Food & Libations, located in Costa Mesa, California, positions itself as a destination for wood-fired cooking and craft cocktails.

While I can't speak on the cocktails (we don't drink), a recent dining experience at Arc left much to be desired concerning the quality of the food.
While the service was genuinely excellent, the kitchen's execution of several dishes was notably poor. The cooking technique resulted in food that was far too charred, bordering on incinerated. Specifically, the Brussels sprouts were overcooked to a carbon crisp, rendering them inedible. Furthermore, the highly-anticipated Wagyu steak was a significant letdown, (should've known from the lower then expected price) failing to deliver the expected flavor and texture profile of this premium meat. Ultimately we left feeling disappointed, I don't think we'll ever be back here.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 2

Service: 5

Wow! I was so impressed by the food, atmosphere, and service. I can't believe I hadn't been to this spot yet. The food is wonderful, my burger was massive and delicious. The drinks were cheeky and great according to the people we went with. If you can go, go. You won't regret it.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

My wife and I consider ourselves foodies. We know good food and we appreciate when a restaurant gets it right. Unfortunately, ARC missed the mark.

We came in with a $100 Amex credit through Resy and figured we’d give it a shot. The vibe? Confused. It’s dark, cramped, and leans heavily into a gothic aesthetic but without clear purpose. The booths are tight. The bar is crammed. It feels like they moved in last week and just said, “Screw it, this is what we’ve got to work with.” Music was a bit loud depending on where you were seated, and overall, the space didn’t invite you to stay and settle in.

The food? Disappointing.
We ordered:
• Short rib and blue cheese pizza
• Duck tacos
• Chicken tenders with fries
• Salmon tartare

The chicken tenders were fine, mostly saved by the sauces. The duck tacos were bland and forgettable—small portions with no punch. The pizza and salmon tartare were marginally better, but still lacked the excitement the menu promised. Nothing was outright terrible, but nothing left us wanting more either. It all felt like style over substance, and not even particularly stylish at that.

As for the drinks, we passed. The specialty cocktails didn’t appeal, and honestly, the list felt more experimental for the sake of being different than well-curated for the crowd.

Service and Ambience
We had three different servers, and two were fine. One was excellent. But their uniforms seemed to follow a “black goth and sexy” dress code, which didn’t match the tone of the restaurant or the neighborhood. It came off awkward, not edgy, and it didn’t add anything to the experience. In fact, the staff often looked uncomfortable in their own outfits, which just added to the overall sense of a place that hasn’t quite figured itself out.

Bottom line
We won’t be returning unless ARC clarifies its identity and delivers a dining experience that matches the menu and pricing. Right now, it feels like a concept still stuck in draft mode. I wish them luck, but it’s not for us.

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 2

Service: 3

Great cocktails. I ordered Glazed seabass which was very overcooked.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 5