Ruby's Diner — Restaurant in Irvine

I was seated quickly at Ruby’s Diner, but service started off slow—it took at least 10 minutes before my waiter even came over, and the restaurant wasn’t particularly busy. Not a huge deal, but definitely noticeable.

I ordered the Ruby Rita, which ended up being a disappointment. It tasted like it had little to no liquor, and based on the flavor, I’m guessing it’s a premixed drink from behind the bar rather than something made fresh. Definitely wouldn’t order that again.

The food, though, was solid. I went with the BLTA, and as someone who loves a good BLT, I was a little skeptical about the addition of avocado slices. Turns out, it worked really well—the sandwich was flavorful, well-balanced, and just an overall great bite. The fries were pretty good too, nothing mind-blowing, but crisp and satisfying.

One thing that always bugs me about this place is the sticky tables. No matter when I come, they always have this tacky feeling that makes the place feel less clean than it probably is. My plate and cup literally stuck to the table, which was annoying. They should really consider putting down cheap plexiglass table covers or something to fix this issue because it definitely affects the experience.

One thing I do love about this spot is that the booths have built-in charging stations, which makes it super convenient to eat here before a flight. Being able to sit down, grab a meal, and charge up my devices without having to hunt for an outlet is a huge plus.

Overall, the food was good, the service was just okay, and the atmosphere could use a little attention. It’s still a decent spot, but I’d love to see a few small...

I approached the entrance and the sign said "seat yourself," so I did.

Approximately 8 min later, I heard a sever yell from across the dining area to a family saying a table was closed. Then she raised her voice to me saying I wasn't going to be served because I sat down before the table was cleaned (it was dirty from the previous customers which wasn't a big deal, just one empty cup and receipt).

I thought once she removed the receipt and empty cup, it was okay for me to remain sitting. 5 minutes later the server raised her voice at me saying I'm holding everything up and that i needed to stand. So I stood next to my table and then she started raising her voice again so I just left before the lady lost her cool. McDonald's down the hall was affordable, fast, and friendly.

Keep in mind there were several dirty tables in my section and during my 15 minutes or so at this restaurant, I did not see any tables cleaned by an employee or any empty tables so I did not have any other options. It honestly seems as though the server was taking her frustrations out on me. I followed all the rules and tried my best to be accommodating but I'm not going to be treated that way for already expensive burgers. If you're in a rush at the airport, I do not recommend Ruby's diner at John Wayne Airport

SNA is my homebase airport that I use weekly and I will not be giving any business to Ruby's diners at any of their locations until they make it right.

I will update if...

First we waited near the bar and the next door take away deli at the sign that said please wait to be seated, after a few min we were told that the hostess was on the other side of the bar in the restaurant; so we walked there to be told 5-10 min wait. We had 45 min prior to boarding and from previous reviews we were hopeful we could get fed, pay and able to board in that time. We made it in about 45 min after having to track our waiter down twice to pay. I ordered the ruby burger with cheese and garlic fries and husband got the chicken tenders app with the three sauces. All of it was okay, nothing special not that it is necessarily expected in airport diner style food. Staff was busy-ish but also spent a lot of time chit chattin at the order input/pay station which I felt impacted the unnecessary delays and it's out in the open so everyone can see that there is a bit of gossip happening :/

After we were waiting to be seated and was being escorted to our able we heard the hostess tell someone the bar area was first come first served... okay it's to late now but the lack of transparency or knowledge of who can sit where when in a location such as this surely deserves a...