Came here for a birthday lunch on a Wednesday. The lunch menu was very limited and I wish they included a seafood or fish option for a main option. Nonetheless, the food we ordered was delicious! We shared the steak and frites, Caesar salad, lemon bucatini, and classic cheesecake. The filet was incredibly tender - I loved the spice from the peppercorns. The pasta was perfectly cooked and the taste was great. The saltiness from the pork bits balanced so well with the lemon flavor. The Caesar salad was my least favorite. The dressing tasted a bit too fishy and the "croutons" were comparable to soft bread.. not crunchy enough. Lastly, the classic cheesecake was one of the best I've ever tasted. I had no complains about the service. Nonetheless, this restaurant's ambiance is incredible. I recommend you to make reservations, even for a weekday! We went right when it opened at 11am. The main dining room was full when we left around noon.
Brandy M.
I am very picky when it comes to restaurants because I go out a lot. It is hard to find new great places in Orange County, so I am so happy I found this one. The vibe is very dark and moody which I love. The lobster pasta was to die for, and the service was excellent. I will definitely be going back soon.
Dellapop Q.
I booked a reservation for 4 recently. We were all very excited to try out a few specific dishes that we had seen on other people's IG feeds a few months back. When you drive up it's a bit odd as you're driving into a business plaza and this is the only restaurant surrounded by large buildings. The theme: Once you walk in, the restaurant's Art Deco theme is very apparent. The lighting is somewhat dim. And the bar is set off to the right hand side like an afterthought. After reviewing the menu and comparing the photos on Yelp we eventually placed our orders. The drinks: We each ordered a specialty cocktail. The cocktails sound amazing, the ingredients exotic and intriguing! So we each ordered a drink. Unfortunately, when the drinks were sipped they quickly disappointed. Turing violet, violet tastes a little bit like soap with a sour aftertaste, maybe more of an acquired taste for this concoction. The other drink was once you chai one, the flavors reminded me of a hot tea and spices with alcohol in it. The other drink was along the wash tower and that literally tasted like they opened up a can of dole pineapple poured the juice in and added alcohol to it for $18. So needless to say we sent violet and the chai drink back would have wanted to send all 4 drinks back but we decided just to send the undrinkable ones and switched them for other options. Which were also subpar but much more palatable than the other two drinks. The waitress was very kind and provided us with great service so no issues there. The food: The food arrived. Appetizers arrived! Grilled Cheese Dumplings in spicy spicy tomato bisque, they were delicious but extra spicy and the dumpling part is actually more like fried wonton so didn't expect that. The bulgogi on boa was good. The main course: Instant disappointment we ordered Lobster Aglio pasta and it came in a plate shaped like a small cowboy hat. There was more plate than food! If you order that you'll be hungry shortly after. The flavor was a bit fishier than I would have liked. We ordered the bone-in NY I did not sample that but my friend said it didn't have much flavor and that's hard to understand when it's a steak! And we also ordered short rib Ossobuco, I believe that was the better tasting dish out of all, however it was hard not to compare it to Reunion Kitchen's Short Rib dish which is a softer piece of beef that pulls apart just at a glance. This short rib was a bit tougher to break apart. We opted to not stay for dessert so can't say much about that. Not sure if the social media hype brought us in with super high expectations, but regardless the food and drinks did not deliver what we would have hoped for. I won't say we will never come try it again, but definitely not in the near future!
Thaer A.
Second time here, and we had another great experience! We sat at the bar this time and just had an appetizer and some drinks. Ordered the beef cheek with Polenta ($26). Not many places serve beef cheek. As soon as I saw the option, I had to try it. Very good and tender! Also ordered a Vesper Martini (as usual), and my date ordered an Empress Gin French 75. We were also greeted by the manager Jerry, who remembered us from Valentines Day! Very friendly and great to chat with! Our bartenders were on point and greeted us very quickly. Great service!
Jen N.
This is the best dinner we've had in a while! Benny & Mary's is the perfect addition to Irvine, we need more sultry and hip restaurants like this! We ordered two cocktails: Earl of Lavender and Adult Green Juice. Both were well balanced and delicious. Off to a great start! The whimsical, eclectic interior is the perfect backdrop to their unique menu items like their grilled cheese dumplings and tomato bisque. For the mains, we got the Bone-In New York and the Short Rib Ossobucco. OMG the short rib slid off the bone, it was incredible and the flavors were just right! Their Library wall features a secret entry into their soon-to-come speakeasy... can't wait! We'll definitely be back for more date nights.
A T.
Definitely 5 STARS! This is easily our favorite new spot. Went here for lunch and we got the Dumplings, Ceviche, The black sheep, Lemon bucatini Drinks: Adults green juice and Earl of grey Soon as we walked in it felt like a speakeasy the aesthetic of this place is everything! But to top all of this already great things. Minju our server gave us fire recommendations AND a story of the library where we are seated and the story behind it. We told him that this place could definitely be a really good speakeasy and he gave us the scoop that it will eventually be a speakeasy even more excited to see how this place transforms to that! The drinks that he recommended were sooooo good delicious and refreshing it also paired well with our food. I hope that this place continues to maintain their quality delicious food but still affordable AND overall maintain their fabulous service. I truly see them being very busy soon just hope they continue to maintain their service!
Arghavan S.
the ambiance is nice, there were alot of empty spaces available indoor but they prepared the outdoor table and was so cold! the drink was okay, food was average nothing special and was overpriced. doesn't worth to go more than once :)
Steven W.
Made our way to Benny and Mary's for lunch. Beautiful and elegant decor. Kind of dark but grand with high ceilings with classic style interior. Service was top-notch and not overbearing. We started off with the grilled cheese wontons and shrimp ceviche. The wontons itself were okay but the cheese broth wasn't too bad. Ceviche was fresh and seasoned well. For our main entrees, we ordered the tenderloin sandwich which came with a 6oz sliced filet tenderloin, arugula, mushrooms, white cheddar, garlic aioli, and crispy onions on sourdough bread. The sandwich was amazing and each ingredient complimented each other so well. The second entree was the creamy lemon bucatini which had pieces of crispy pork belly with fontina cheese and lemon pepper cream sauce, so goood!
Khrystyna T.
We were there for OC Restaurant Week. The food was pretty good. The value for the price fix menu was more than I was expected. Full size beef cheek appetizer that melted in your mouth. Full size osso bucco that fell off the bone was very good. Full size brownie for dessert. The wine pairings was less than the normal glass size, but I expected that give then price. The reasons I deducted the point off is the music selection and the volume does not fit the vibe of the restaurant. This is not a club. Secondly, I do not appreciate the check with the option paying less if you pay cash. Who carries that much cash anyway!? Look at your menu price point and the type of restaurant is this. People are not going to carries several hundreds of dollars in their pockets given the social conditions these days...
Chenine J.
Waiting 15-20 min and the server never came or acknowledged us so we left. Trash ass behavior for a restaurant that is not even busy.
I would rate the food we had a 3 stars however the service was great which I give 5 stars for which averages the overall rating to 4 stars. I wanted to love this place however the flavors were just not there and didn't hit the spot for me. The grilled cheese dumplings & tomato bisque are unique however it needed a little bit of sweetness from the tomato to tie the dish together. I also had their lobster aglio e olio which was so bland from the noodles to the lobster meat, I had to add salt to it and I never add salt to my food. Adding salt didn't really help make it better cause it lacked umami. The black sheep burger patty was also bland and needed seasoning. The fries were not anything special and were not crispy. The best item we had was the fresh berries dessert, the cream was just scrumptious and delicious. Overall, this place has a lot of potential to be great cause their menu is unique and modern which lured me in the first place. Hopefully, they will improve their dishes to add more seasoning. Service was great and our waitress was so sweet and hospitable. I love the ambiance here, they did a lovely job with the decor. Parking was easy as there is a parking lot closeby and can be validated by the restaurant.
Angie A.
Great food and experience! The inside is really lovely. The decor here is eclectic and unique. The staff was very attentive, amazing. The craft cocktails are a must, and the dessert are good. I will certainly come back again and try to the other options.
Claudia C.
Celebrated our daughter's birthday this past weekend! Everything was on point. Thank you!
Dylan G.
We made a last second reservation at Benny and Mary's and we got dressed up and had a great time. We went during Irvine Restaurant Week so our menu was a little different. Our server was amazing, friendly, and helpful. We came for an anniversary dinner and had a 3 course meal complete with dessert, wine, and Prosecco. If you're looking for a restaurant to dress up and celebrate a special occasion. Benny and Mary's is a great spot.
Ramcel A.
Really nice ambiance inside, dark, artsy. The food was really good and easily sharable. Tons of photo ops! The valet kids were more personable & likable than the hostesses stand girls though .. Our server, Phoebe, was very kind, gave good recommendations, and knew when to appropriately check on us for a well paced dinner. Just a pleasant and beautiful person. She even gave us the best desert pick. We were her last table for the night (out of 4 total), but I honestly feel she could have handled more tables around us...better than having multiple people walking around without a sense of urgency (...?). Its always a bummer to see great servers that aren't put at their max potential and earning every tip they get from it --people want to see staff hustling multiple tables/helping each other's sections out and doing it well.
Came here for a birthday lunch on a Wednesday. The lunch menu was very limited and I wish they included a seafood or fish option for a main option. Nonetheless, the food we ordered was delicious! We shared the steak and frites, Caesar salad, lemon bucatini, and classic cheesecake. The filet was incredibly tender - I loved the spice from the peppercorns. The pasta was perfectly cooked and the taste was great. The saltiness from the pork bits balanced so well with the lemon flavor. The Caesar salad was my least favorite. The dressing tasted a bit too fishy and the "croutons" were comparable to soft bread.. not crunchy enough. Lastly, the classic cheesecake was one of the best I've ever tasted. I had no complains about the service. Nonetheless, this restaurant's ambiance is incredible. I recommend you to make reservations, even for a weekday! We went right when it opened at 11am. The main dining room was full when we left around noon.
I am very picky when it comes to restaurants because I go out a lot. It is hard to find new great places in Orange County, so I am so happy I found this one. The vibe is very dark and moody which I love. The lobster pasta was to die for, and the service was excellent. I will definitely be going back soon.
I booked a reservation for 4 recently. We were all very excited to try out a few specific dishes that we had seen on other people's IG feeds a few months back. When you drive up it's a bit odd as you're driving into a business plaza and this is the only restaurant surrounded by large buildings. The theme: Once you walk in, the restaurant's Art Deco theme is very apparent. The lighting is somewhat dim. And the bar is set off to the right hand side like an afterthought. After reviewing the menu and comparing the photos on Yelp we eventually placed our orders. The drinks: We each ordered a specialty cocktail. The cocktails sound amazing, the ingredients exotic and intriguing! So we each ordered a drink. Unfortunately, when the drinks were sipped they quickly disappointed. Turing violet, violet tastes a little bit like soap with a sour aftertaste, maybe more of an acquired taste for this concoction. The other drink was once you chai one, the flavors reminded me of a hot tea and spices with alcohol in it. The other drink was along the wash tower and that literally tasted like they opened up a can of dole pineapple poured the juice in and added alcohol to it for $18. So needless to say we sent violet and the chai drink back would have wanted to send all 4 drinks back but we decided just to send the undrinkable ones and switched them for other options. Which were also subpar but much more palatable than the other two drinks. The waitress was very kind and provided us with great service so no issues there. The food: The food arrived. Appetizers arrived! Grilled Cheese Dumplings in spicy spicy tomato bisque, they were delicious but extra spicy and the dumpling part is actually more like fried wonton so didn't expect that. The bulgogi on boa was good. The main course: Instant disappointment we ordered Lobster Aglio pasta and it came in a plate shaped like a small cowboy hat. There was more plate than food! If you order that you'll be hungry shortly after. The flavor was a bit fishier than I would have liked. We ordered the bone-in NY I did not sample that but my friend said it didn't have much flavor and that's hard to understand when it's a steak! And we also ordered short rib Ossobuco, I believe that was the better tasting dish out of all, however it was hard not to compare it to Reunion Kitchen's Short Rib dish which is a softer piece of beef that pulls apart just at a glance. This short rib was a bit tougher to break apart. We opted to not stay for dessert so can't say much about that. Not sure if the social media hype brought us in with super high expectations, but regardless the food and drinks did not deliver what we would have hoped for. I won't say we will never come try it again, but definitely not in the near future!
Second time here, and we had another great experience! We sat at the bar this time and just had an appetizer and some drinks. Ordered the beef cheek with Polenta ($26). Not many places serve beef cheek. As soon as I saw the option, I had to try it. Very good and tender! Also ordered a Vesper Martini (as usual), and my date ordered an Empress Gin French 75. We were also greeted by the manager Jerry, who remembered us from Valentines Day! Very friendly and great to chat with! Our bartenders were on point and greeted us very quickly. Great service!
This is the best dinner we've had in a while! Benny & Mary's is the perfect addition to Irvine, we need more sultry and hip restaurants like this! We ordered two cocktails: Earl of Lavender and Adult Green Juice. Both were well balanced and delicious. Off to a great start! The whimsical, eclectic interior is the perfect backdrop to their unique menu items like their grilled cheese dumplings and tomato bisque. For the mains, we got the Bone-In New York and the Short Rib Ossobucco. OMG the short rib slid off the bone, it was incredible and the flavors were just right! Their Library wall features a secret entry into their soon-to-come speakeasy... can't wait! We'll definitely be back for more date nights.
Definitely 5 STARS! This is easily our favorite new spot. Went here for lunch and we got the Dumplings, Ceviche, The black sheep, Lemon bucatini Drinks: Adults green juice and Earl of grey Soon as we walked in it felt like a speakeasy the aesthetic of this place is everything! But to top all of this already great things. Minju our server gave us fire recommendations AND a story of the library where we are seated and the story behind it. We told him that this place could definitely be a really good speakeasy and he gave us the scoop that it will eventually be a speakeasy even more excited to see how this place transforms to that! The drinks that he recommended were sooooo good delicious and refreshing it also paired well with our food. I hope that this place continues to maintain their quality delicious food but still affordable AND overall maintain their fabulous service. I truly see them being very busy soon just hope they continue to maintain their service!
the ambiance is nice, there were alot of empty spaces available indoor but they prepared the outdoor table and was so cold! the drink was okay, food was average nothing special and was overpriced. doesn't worth to go more than once :)
Made our way to Benny and Mary's for lunch. Beautiful and elegant decor. Kind of dark but grand with high ceilings with classic style interior. Service was top-notch and not overbearing. We started off with the grilled cheese wontons and shrimp ceviche. The wontons itself were okay but the cheese broth wasn't too bad. Ceviche was fresh and seasoned well. For our main entrees, we ordered the tenderloin sandwich which came with a 6oz sliced filet tenderloin, arugula, mushrooms, white cheddar, garlic aioli, and crispy onions on sourdough bread. The sandwich was amazing and each ingredient complimented each other so well. The second entree was the creamy lemon bucatini which had pieces of crispy pork belly with fontina cheese and lemon pepper cream sauce, so goood!
We were there for OC Restaurant Week. The food was pretty good. The value for the price fix menu was more than I was expected. Full size beef cheek appetizer that melted in your mouth. Full size osso bucco that fell off the bone was very good. Full size brownie for dessert. The wine pairings was less than the normal glass size, but I expected that give then price. The reasons I deducted the point off is the music selection and the volume does not fit the vibe of the restaurant. This is not a club. Secondly, I do not appreciate the check with the option paying less if you pay cash. Who carries that much cash anyway!? Look at your menu price point and the type of restaurant is this. People are not going to carries several hundreds of dollars in their pockets given the social conditions these days...
Waiting 15-20 min and the server never came or acknowledged us so we left. Trash ass behavior for a restaurant that is not even busy.
Restaurantji Recommends
I would rate the food we had a 3 stars however the service was great which I give 5 stars for which averages the overall rating to 4 stars. I wanted to love this place however the flavors were just not there and didn't hit the spot for me. The grilled cheese dumplings & tomato bisque are unique however it needed a little bit of sweetness from the tomato to tie the dish together. I also had their lobster aglio e olio which was so bland from the noodles to the lobster meat, I had to add salt to it and I never add salt to my food. Adding salt didn't really help make it better cause it lacked umami. The black sheep burger patty was also bland and needed seasoning. The fries were not anything special and were not crispy. The best item we had was the fresh berries dessert, the cream was just scrumptious and delicious. Overall, this place has a lot of potential to be great cause their menu is unique and modern which lured me in the first place. Hopefully, they will improve their dishes to add more seasoning. Service was great and our waitress was so sweet and hospitable. I love the ambiance here, they did a lovely job with the decor. Parking was easy as there is a parking lot closeby and can be validated by the restaurant.
Great food and experience! The inside is really lovely. The decor here is eclectic and unique. The staff was very attentive, amazing. The craft cocktails are a must, and the dessert are good. I will certainly come back again and try to the other options.
Celebrated our daughter's birthday this past weekend! Everything was on point. Thank you!
We made a last second reservation at Benny and Mary's and we got dressed up and had a great time. We went during Irvine Restaurant Week so our menu was a little different. Our server was amazing, friendly, and helpful. We came for an anniversary dinner and had a 3 course meal complete with dessert, wine, and Prosecco. If you're looking for a restaurant to dress up and celebrate a special occasion. Benny and Mary's is a great spot.
Really nice ambiance inside, dark, artsy. The food was really good and easily sharable. Tons of photo ops! The valet kids were more personable & likable than the hostesses stand girls though .. Our server, Phoebe, was very kind, gave good recommendations, and knew when to appropriately check on us for a well paced dinner. Just a pleasant and beautiful person. She even gave us the best desert pick. We were her last table for the night (out of 4 total), but I honestly feel she could have handled more tables around us...better than having multiple people walking around without a sense of urgency (...?). Its always a bummer to see great servers that aren't put at their max potential and earning every tip they get from it --people want to see staff hustling multiple tables/helping each other's sections out and doing it well.