Brio Tuscany Grill

We heard amazing things so we were super excited to go listen to live music on a Friday night. Happy hour drinks. We're okay. It wasn't overcrowded so it was very easy to get a table. The restaurant does have a nice family element to it but definitely seems to cater to the older senior crowd. My major challenge was more with the menu. Their appetizers were decent but their entrees were extremely poor. I had the pork chop. I took two bites of it. It was extremely dry and overcooked. It tasted more like fried chicken than a pork chop, especially a thick cut. The potatoes that it came with were prepared more like dried raisins. They seem to have almost no moisture or texture to them. They were almost like lemon shaped chunks of potato chip. When the waitress came back and asked how everything was, I told her I didn't really enjoy the pork chop very much. Obviously since barely any of the food was touched she brought us out our receipt. Much to my surprise the pork chop was still on the bill. I understand the etiquette. If somebody takes something off the menu, you tip the waitress, whatever that meal cost. It wasn't her fault. The kitchen did a poor job. But when they don't take it off the receipt. It's definitely a huge red flag and quite truthfully, a bit of a slap in the face. To any way Chris is out there or to any patrons. If you do get a bad meal and you send it back that's okay. You should tip the waitress, whatever that meal cost on top of their normal tip. Any waitresses out there, If a customer doesn't enjoy their meal and it's obvious they didn't touch it, take it off the bill. It's the only way you're going to get a second chance and you get a bigger tip so I don't understand why something like that doesn't happen at many restaurants. It should have happened here. If it was only my pork chop that was bad then I probably wouldn't have written a review. My wife's salad wasn't good. Two out of three of our appetizers were very bland but the mozzarella sticks on marinara sauce were surprisingly really good. If you go I would highly recommend those and the Mai tais

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 2

Service: 1

Brio is truly my 'Cheers' bar—a local gem right on the Dana Point/Laguna Niguel border in Monarch Beach Plaza. Whether you’re coming from Ocean Ranch or just up the street, the vibe here is always welcoming. The staff is incredibly friendly and they make you feel like family the moment you walk in.
They have a fantastic happy hour seven days a week (rare to find!) and the daily specials are always a hit. I’m a huge fan of the food here, and their martinis and drinks are consistently top-notch.
I love recommending spots like this to my South OC Happy Hours Facebook group because it’s a place I genuinely enjoy patronizing myself. It’s also a proud SOCHH VIP partner, and for SOCHH VIP Members they offer 20% off the regular menu, truly making members feel like friends and family. This says a lot about their commitment to quality and consistency. If you’re looking for a great atmosphere and delicious Italian-inspired fare in Dana Point, this is the place

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Lasagne here is top notch - don't skip the garlic bread.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

This restaurant shouldn’t accept takeout orders. I’ve come to pick up orders hundreds of times, had to wait 30 minutes in vain, and ended up leaving.

Service: 1

Absolutely delicious and spectacular service! I haven’t been in to Brio since I was a kid, and it was just as good as I remember. Our server, Claudio, was absolutely wonderful and so attentive and kind. He also made sure to assist my grandmother who has several food/health issues and she was thoroughly pleased. I look forward to returning and plan to do so much sooner than before!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

We went for the half price pasta on Tuesday. I had the Scampi. It was delicious. Appetizers we had were Calimari. It was fantastic.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Wonderful food and Anna provided great service.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

My bookclub met at Brio last night for the 1/2 price pasta night. The member organizing specifically clarified that separate bills would be provided. this was affirmed by 3 people, as they joined the party, including me. When we asked for the bill, we were told it wasn’t possible to separate the bills. We grumbled but said we’d figure it out. Almost 2 hours later, after similar complaints from the table next to us, we were provided with separate bills. I was charged full price for my pasta. I got the Donatello Pasta. It was good, but the bill was not what I expected. $28.00 for pasta without any bread or salad, was not what I’d get at other restaurants. However, expecting the bill to be 1/2 price, it worked, but my meal was not 1/2 price as stated on the menu! At that point, I was not going to complain again, as I had to get home! During the meal, our water was not replenished, until I finally asked and then only 3 of us got refills and mine was only 1/2 way, with the waitress promising to come back. I had to ask for Parmesan cheese and didn’t bother to ask for ground pepper as it wasn’t worth it. She never asked if we needed anything else and would go 30 minutes between stopping by. We had a few ladies who wanted dessert, but she never came back for the order! It was a mess! This was my 1st time at the restaurant and will definitely be my last. The group agreed! We will not return!

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 3

Service: 2

Fantastic live music great atmosphere

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

The music on Saturday nights is wonderful. The manager is extremely helpful and knowledgeable the food is good and flavorful. Lots of guests the day we went so the service was a little slow. Lots of fun when there is music especially when Cheryl
Silverstein is there singing.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 3

We had an incredible last minute experience here at Brio. Me and my family of five the pleasure of being served by the incredible Claudio. 10/10 host although we showed up later in the evening he was full of energy and excellent recommendation thank you for making our vacation a little extra special 💯

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Excellent food and service.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Love playing at this wonderful restaurant every second Saturday from 630 to 9! Dave n Chandra Show singing Elvis and more non stop for your dine and dance experience!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Disappointing Experience at Brio Tuscany Grill

We had high hopes for Brio Tuscany Grill on Saturday, July 19th, but our experience was a disaster. We drove from Aliso Viejo, excited to enjoy some great Italian food, but left feeling frustrated and disappointed.

The problems started when I asked to taste two wines and was told they don’t offer “tasters.” I ordered a glass of wine listed at $11 on the menu, but it was billed at $12. We ordered garlic bread, eggplant, and a salad to share, and when the bill came, every item except the garlic bread was priced higher than the menu—by $1-$2 each.

Adding insult to injury, we were charged a $6 split fee on a $9 salad and an $8 split fee on the $23 eggplant (which was also incorrectly billed at $24). The initial bill was nearly $90 before we complained and had the split fees removed. When we brought up the incorrect pricing, the manager shrugged it off and blamed the server.

The only bright spot was our server, who was sweet, attentive, and went above and beyond to make us comfortable. Unfortunately, the misrepresentation of pricing, excessive split fees, and lack of accountability from management have ensured we won’t be back.

Brio Tuscany Grill, how hard is it to reprint menus with accurate pricing? And as a manager, own up to your mistakes instead of passing the blame.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 4

We were there on a Sunday recently and brought two of our dear friends because of our bragging about the food and the service. I must say it was the worst we've ever had. First off we ordered a bottle of wine and then asked for a little bit of time before we order. That wasn't a problem, it was the fact that the food came late, overdone and poorly prepared. I ordered Sole piccata and it came plain in I don't know what kind of sauce, but I could barely eat it. The wine helped wash it down. Our friends ordered their specialty salmon with a champagne, reduction sauce, and it came almost charred and dry. I don't know if we will return. I tried to call and speak to the manager the next day and was told the manager won't be in for a couple of days. That might be the problem. Maybe management should stick around and see what the kitchen is doing.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 1

Service: 2