Knowlwood Restaurant — Restaurant in Irvine

In the area for business and a coworker and I made the drive to Laguna Beach. We wanted to grab a bite on our way back towards Whittier. There was lots of traffic and we were hoping to eat and wait out the traffic a bit, but we had already left Laguna Beach. A quick search showed this on our route.

Finding it was very easy and it's a nice lil theme concept, very well decorated with a comfortable feel. This is a fast food kind of vibe - you order at the counter, get your food when its called and find seating where you like. They have tables, booths and a nice lil patio out front.

I was really hungry and not quite sure what I wanted... Pictures online showed the burgers were big like restaurant style and that's not my preference so I went with a cajun chicken sandwich, no tomato, sauce on the side, an order of sweet potato fries and an order of fried zucchini (had to try it!). Coworker did get the regular burger (not 8oz) and it was a normal thin style burger, so I think the big one must be the 8oz version.

My chicken sandwich came out with tomato, no big deal I removed it, it was 2 pieces of chicken and juicy. The bun was not desirable - maybe whole wheat? Overall I did ate everything, but I felt like it was good, not great. Not quite "good fast food" level. That's the main reason for 3 stars versus 5. Everything is priced separate (like no combo meals) so I would've preferred it be great for the price.

I had a dessert craving so I did try to order a milkshake to go for the road when we were leaving, sadly they were out of ice cream :(

Note to include that service was good. The employee who took our order was friendly and kind. She was patient while I asked questions and made some recommendations which I appreciated.

Would I eat here again? - absolutely if I was in the same situation I was in on this day. Would I go specifically to eat at this restaurant?...

This review is supposed to be one star. Just putting it up front.

1. food is 4 star. Ham and eggs had generous portions, hasbrowns are old fashioned and perfect, not burned flat thin pucks, nope there were fluffy, well cooked old fashioned mounds browned on the outside. Eggs were real and done perfectly. Ham was cut off a formed ham and tasted a bit preserved. The blt was great with a ton of fries.

2. decor was okay but not needs work. Take down the Christmas decor still hanging in May, remove the diner bench leaning against the wall in the office room.

3. Historic buildings are good things. This one rates highly. It used to be a blacksmith shop, though the decor is more tool shop.

Now.. why did I rate it as a one star place when it really should be a 4 star place?

Dust. Wads of dust and dirt, as if someone sprinkled top soil in places. Dust it.

Change the menu so that breakfast is visible or put out the paper menus that were behind the plexi glass.

Now the real reason for the 1 star review.

The "boss" is absolutely disrespectful of both his employees and his customers. For over 5 minutes the boss kept his employee on the phone while she begged to put him on hold because she needed to take our order. He refused to let her put him on hold. We nearly walked out. Very, very nearly. She finally handed the phone to another employee.

This was in no way, shape or form okay. If there was not an emergency, whatever he was saying could wait 5 minutes. The employee was apologizing and so embarassed.

Sir, you need to realize that without customers, you have no business. Without cleaning, you have no business. If your ego could not wait a few minutes, you should sell your place and hire a personal assistant to listen to you jabber at them. You are not a businessman. You...

Once there were 3, now there is 1. Recently a lot of unique eating places have closed permanently. I do not wish to see this location close. However, the quality and experience I had on my first visit to this location were regrettable. The phrase 'it's always winter and never Christmas' pops into mind. Likely because there were Christmas decorations and lights up, but it felt anything but festive, fun, celebratory, inviting, or happy. It was dreary, very odd. Food was ok, I wouldn't ever come again had I not had the same items before and loved them. Fries are great, burgers are pretty good. Lemonade was icky, have loved it before, was watered down and lacked flavor. During my visit I noted signs advertising employment, and only 3 staff present. The woman that assisted me in placing my order was great, very nice, a dedicated worker, but it was obvious they need more staff. This location is very far off for me, and the food wasn't good enough to come back for anytime soon. I really hope it remains, if the quality and ambiance in the future are like the other locations were I will be back several times a year, hard to find food this good, would be worth the drive. Cost of food is about what you would expect. Some things can be shared.

Parking is okay, may be an issue on weekend mornings. Location is easy to get to, right off the freeway. Parking, entrance, counter, restrooms and seating are all accessible. I really hope I am able to update this review with a much better one soon. Would be such a shame if this...