OC Fish Grill — Restaurant in Irvine

Extremely Disappointed – Poor Service, Cleanliness, and Zero Accountability

As a small business owner myself, I truly understand the challenges of running a restaurant, but I was deeply disappointed with nearly every aspect of our experience at this establishment—from food to service to overall atmosphere.

Where do I even begin?

Lack of Professionalism: There was absolutely no consistency among staff—some were in uniform, others were not. No one appeared to have had any kind of training in customer service. We stood at the register for several minutes while four staff members walked past us repeatedly before someone finally decided to take our order.

Food Experience: We ordered: 2 kids' fish and rice 1 grilled chicken sandwich (which came out fried and had to be sent back) Grilled tilapia Fried shrimp

The kids' meals were served in visibly dirty bowls. The rest of the food was average at best—nothing that would make me return. We asked for lemons and were told they'd be brought to us, but after being forgotten, I ended up getting them myself.

Service and Staff Conduct: Not once did anyone check in on our table. Instead, two staff members were playfully shadowboxing behind the counter just feet away from customers who were eating. It was beyond unprofessional. While we were dining on the patio, staff decided to remove the trash from nearby bins and walked right through the dining area swinging garbage bags—this is absolutely unacceptable in any food establishment.

Lack of Support and Cleanliness: We asked for a takeout box. No one brought it, so again, I had to go up to the counter to get one. I asked to speak with a manager and was told no one was on duty. That explained everything.

To top it off, I used the restroom on the way out—it was dirty, and there was no paper in the dispenser after washing my hands.

Final Thoughts: This restaurant desperately needs a manager on shift to ensure staff are held accountable. There was no leadership, no urgency, and no care for the customer experience. Sadly, I will not be returning and absolutely cannot recommend this place to anyone. I’ll be sticking with California Fish Grill, where professionalism and cleanliness are actually prioritized.

To the owner or manager—if you are reading this, I’d welcome the opportunity to share my feedback directly. Please let me know how I can reach you.

If I could give zero...

Finally an excellent place that makes great lokma in Orange County. An unexpected fish grill restaurant serving famous Turkish lokma dessert. We cannot say much about fish since we ordered only dessert. The dessert is served only weekends.

The restaurant is recently opened in Oak Creek Shopping center. There is plenty of parking places. There is a large heated outdoor patio with nice seatings. The indoor is spacious with distance between tables

Even though it is only few weeks old, the operation is smooth and efficient. We were greeted by the store manager and she answered all our questions about the place.

Once we ordered our dessert, we were helped by the on site pastry chef to get the toppings for our order. The chef was quite knowledgeable and qualified. She attended one of the best culinary schools in Istanbul.

Lokma was delicious as we are a family of dessert snobs it got great marks from all of us. The serving and toppings were generous. Making lokma is not an easy feast and in general it gets soggy and leaves an oily taste if not done properly. Not these ones, they were crispy and light. They were satisfying to sweet tooth but not overwhelming.

We will definitely come to this place to try out fish and end it with Lokma.

Great job to the team behind this restaurant. It is a welcoming addition to OC’s...

I saw this place on ig and have found those "discoveries" are usually less good than their graphics but wanted to give it a try. Firstly overall my ig theory holds trues: the sum is less than it's parts.

I arrived at 8:20 which for me is early but in SoCal it is late night dining it seems. The place is nicely decorated. A cross between fast food and sit down and therefore a little antiseptic. You order at the counter and they bring it to the table.

The food (fish and chips) was significantly better than I feared it would be: hot, very fresh, good breading and not overcooked. 4-5* except for the fries which were frozen not fresh cut but well prepared to be fair.

Service was polite BUT around 8:45 prior to a 9 o'clock closing they started carrying garbage bags,sweeping floors and washing counters which really is insulting to diners! To be fair it happens a lot,not just here but that does not make it right! Almost every semi casual restaurant I have been in does that. It is a sign of mismanagement or bad management, if you are open until a certain hour and you have guests treat them as such and let them enjoy their experience instead of writing a lukewarm review and perhaps not visiting again (altho I did appreciate the fish). The operative words are "paying guests" treat them with respect they help keep...