Not sure I can fully endorse the Dive Oyster Bar yet which makes me a bit sad.
I'm a huge pan roast fan and like others that reviewed here, looking for a great place for Southern cuisine. However, I think the Dive Oyster may look the part but misses the mark in terms of execution at least as of November 2024.
Coming in at 11AM at opening on a Sunday, the restaurant was pretty empty (filled up closer to 12:30PM). The interior looked neat with fun sea artwork all over and the specials/some of the menu on chalkboards in the front and back. The server was nice (just was one guy at the start which increased to three by the time we left), although there were some strange inconsistencies such as water never being refilled until we asked. Napkins and some condiments were given to the side at the table.
*Pan Roast: My friend got the pan roast and the end result was super creamy and super thick. The server gave a side of peppers but think that it really needed more of a kick in general // lacked flavor. I thought the meat (my friend got the chicken) was also a bit dry. *Roasta: I thought the idea itself was clever combining pasta with the pan roast broth. However, I thought a similar thing happened where the sauce was super thick and oddly came out a bit bland. It came with seafood like clams which was okay. *Lobster Roll: I thought the lobster roll was a bit disappointing. This dish itself was nearly $40, but the portion size was small and the lobster itself was minced/dry. Their spicy mayo was also a bit bland. The bread itself was okay although I wish it was warmed up. I got the truffle fries with it which I'm not sure is worth the extra money. It didn't come with many fries to begin with and barely had any truffle flavoring.
Maybe was an off day and would love to give the place another chance since there isn't a nearby pan roast spot any more. Hoping to give them another try in the near future.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 3
p86111
Tried the lobster roll Doesn't like the seasoning, but its good The oyster is good too
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 3
Duy Nguyen
Very good food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Jambalaya, Cajun Lobster Pasta
John
They say they're open till 11 but do the last seating at 10 and if you're a minute late you'll get turned around
Atmosphere: 2
Service: 1
Kelly Kingston
Got turned away at 9... when they close at 10... wth... way to serve the customer... drove all the way here... 30 min drive to get turned away while they still had customers because they decided to close early.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 1
Barbara Chang
【The Dive Oyster Bar】Oysters are much more delicious???
?Oyters US$???: There are many varieties, don’t miss it if you are an oyster lover! The price is based on the variety of oysters provided that day. It's the same size but not laji, but has a rich and sweet milky aroma. I give it a thumbs up. It has a texture and taste that even people who dare not eat oysters can accept. (But seriously, if you don’t dare to eat oysters at this price, just forget it, don’t waste your money)
??? Gumbo US$26: I thought it was a soup that looked very rich, but it turned out to be more like a slightly spicy and super rich risotto. It goes well with refreshing sparkling wine or white wine. Beer is fine too. After finishing the meal, you can also dip the bread into the sauce, which is quite thick. This dish is really amazing. Because it is so rich, you will feel a little tired after taking two or three bites, but after five minutes, your hand will automatically pick up the spoon to dig in, and then you will be tired again.
?Cajun Lobster Pasta US$???: It really makes me tremble when I see MKT written in the price column. But even if I tremble, I still want to eat. Overall, the seasoning was good, and the lobster meat was sweet and thick. But... I think this dish costs US$80. I would seriously suggest you skip this dish and order other snacks which are more practical.
?Popcorn Crawfish US$14: Well, please pass.
Overall, if you are not a big fan of oysters, I would recommend Sotto Mare.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Inna F
stoped by accident- loved with all my heart
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Lobster Roll
Alicia Perez
We got the Popcorn Crawfish and the Loaded Mac and Chowder to share between two people. The two dishes were more than enough to fill us up. The Popcorn Crawfish was nothing special. I’m not mad we ordered it but we probably wouldn’t order it again. The crawfish was a bit too tiny which made it a little hard to eat. The Loaded Mac and Chowder was delicious. The texture of the noodles was perfect and the sauce/chowder part was so creamy and delicious. It definitely was more on the rich side but sharing it with someone made it so that it wasn’t overwhelming. The staff was nice, quick, and efficient. Other dishes that were coming out of the kitchen looked good and had good portion sizes as well. We definitely want to come back again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Omar
The Dive Oyster Bar is one of the best seafood restaurants in Irvine by far! The service is just fantastic and the food tastes so good and has a fast food twist to it. For the price and portions, I highly recommend this place.
The food was amazing and very tasty! The service was emacuate and YJ was very welcoming and had a great attitude overall . Will definitely be coming back here ☺️
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Steam Clams and Mussels, House Pan Roast, Bacon Wrapped Shrimp
Stanley Fu
Came for lunch and enjoyed the meal, I liked the grilled cheese and pan roast and my friend said she liked the lobster roll.
The popcorn crawfish was interesting but I think the idea of it sounds cooler then it actually is, since crawfish are so tiny, but a pretty unique appetizer to munch on ?
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Simm
Went there for lunch with wife. Not busy at all. Oyster lover, tried a dozen of Kumamotos, hard to find now days, so good and fresh ordered another dozen. Lobster roll, clam chowder, and jambalaya were also good. The fried softshell crabs were ok. Service was excellent. Good Hazy ipa to compliment. Thanks for a good lunch
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Alan C
Tasty lobster rolls
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Lobster Roll
Kevin Luong
Food is great but they got my order that I picked up mixed up with another person.
Not sure I can fully endorse the Dive Oyster Bar yet which makes me a bit sad.
I'm a huge pan roast fan and like others that reviewed here, looking for a great place for Southern cuisine. However, I think the Dive Oyster may look the part but misses the mark in terms of execution at least as of November 2024.
Coming in at 11AM at opening on a Sunday, the restaurant was pretty empty (filled up closer to 12:30PM). The interior looked neat with fun sea artwork all over and the specials/some of the menu on chalkboards in the front and back. The server was nice (just was one guy at the start which increased to three by the time we left), although there were some strange inconsistencies such as water never being refilled until we asked. Napkins and some condiments were given to the side at the table.
*Pan Roast: My friend got the pan roast and the end result was super creamy and super thick. The server gave a side of peppers but think that it really needed more of a kick in general // lacked flavor. I thought the meat (my friend got the chicken) was also a bit dry.
*Roasta: I thought the idea itself was clever combining pasta with the pan roast broth. However, I thought a similar thing happened where the sauce was super thick and oddly came out a bit bland. It came with seafood like clams which was okay.
*Lobster Roll: I thought the lobster roll was a bit disappointing. This dish itself was nearly $40, but the portion size was small and the lobster itself was minced/dry. Their spicy mayo was also a bit bland. The bread itself was okay although I wish it was warmed up. I got the truffle fries with it which I'm not sure is worth the extra money. It didn't come with many fries to begin with and barely had any truffle flavoring.
Maybe was an off day and would love to give the place another chance since there isn't a nearby pan roast spot any more. Hoping to give them another try in the near future.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 3
Tried the lobster roll
Doesn't like the seasoning, but its good
The oyster is good too
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 3
Very good food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Jambalaya, Cajun Lobster Pasta
They say they're open till 11 but do the last seating at 10 and if you're a minute late you'll get turned around
Atmosphere: 2
Service: 1
Got turned away at 9... when they close at 10... wth... way to serve the customer... drove all the way here... 30 min drive to get turned away while they still had customers because they decided to close early.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 1
【The Dive Oyster Bar】Oysters are much more delicious???
?Oyters US$???: There are many varieties, don’t miss it if you are an oyster lover! The price is based on the variety of oysters provided that day. It's the same size but not laji, but has a rich and sweet milky aroma. I give it a thumbs up. It has a texture and taste that even people who dare not eat oysters can accept. (But seriously, if you don’t dare to eat oysters at this price, just forget it, don’t waste your money)
??? Gumbo US$26: I thought it was a soup that looked very rich, but it turned out to be more like a slightly spicy and super rich risotto. It goes well with refreshing sparkling wine or white wine. Beer is fine too. After finishing the meal, you can also dip the bread into the sauce, which is quite thick. This dish is really amazing. Because it is so rich, you will feel a little tired after taking two or three bites, but after five minutes, your hand will automatically pick up the spoon to dig in, and then you will be tired again.
?Cajun Lobster Pasta US$???: It really makes me tremble when I see MKT written in the price column. But even if I tremble, I still want to eat. Overall, the seasoning was good, and the lobster meat was sweet and thick. But... I think this dish costs US$80. I would seriously suggest you skip this dish and order other snacks which are more practical.
?Popcorn Crawfish US$14: Well, please pass.
Overall, if you are not a big fan of oysters, I would recommend Sotto Mare.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
stoped by accident- loved with all my heart
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Lobster Roll
We got the Popcorn Crawfish and the Loaded Mac and Chowder to share between two people. The two dishes were more than enough to fill us up. The Popcorn Crawfish was nothing special. I’m not mad we ordered it but we probably wouldn’t order it again. The crawfish was a bit too tiny which made it a little hard to eat. The Loaded Mac and Chowder was delicious. The texture of the noodles was perfect and the sauce/chowder part was so creamy and delicious. It definitely was more on the rich side but sharing it with someone made it so that it wasn’t overwhelming. The staff was nice, quick, and efficient. Other dishes that were coming out of the kitchen looked good and had good portion sizes as well. We definitely want to come back again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The Dive Oyster Bar is one of the best seafood restaurants in Irvine by far! The service is just fantastic and the food tastes so good and has a fast food twist to it. For the price and portions, I highly recommend this place.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Roasta, Jambalaya, Popcorn Crawfish, Mussel Fries
I had the lobster roll, whack.. no flavor, bland. I wish I had tried something else. I will not return. It was not worth 31 bucks.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Lobster Roll
Restaurantji Recommends
The food was amazing and very tasty! The service was emacuate and YJ was very welcoming and had a great attitude overall . Will definitely be coming back here ☺️
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Steam Clams and Mussels, House Pan Roast, Bacon Wrapped Shrimp
Came for lunch and enjoyed the meal, I liked the grilled cheese and pan roast and my friend said she liked the lobster roll.
The popcorn crawfish was interesting but I think the idea of it sounds cooler then it actually is, since crawfish are so tiny, but a pretty unique appetizer to munch on ?
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Went there for lunch with wife. Not busy at all. Oyster lover, tried a dozen of Kumamotos, hard to find now days, so good and fresh ordered another dozen. Lobster roll, clam chowder, and jambalaya were also good. The fried softshell crabs were ok. Service was excellent. Good Hazy ipa to compliment. Thanks for a good lunch
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Tasty lobster rolls
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Lobster Roll
Food is great but they got my order that I picked up mixed up with another person.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 5
Service: 1
Loading...