Red O — Restaurant in Newport Beach

I have been unfortunately contemplating writing this review because as much as I love Red O, I just didn't love the service recently. Normally I visit Red O for dinner so coming here for lunch yesterday was absolutely a choice. We arrived around 1/2pm and immediately when we were seated we were greeted by our server, whom was a woman. She seemed to be great at first very tentative and sweet. She asked us quickly if we wanted chips & salsa for $3 as they would be bottomless, which was strange since we were used to always having complimentary chips & salsa being brought the table once seated. Regardless we requested the order of chips/salsa. The decrease in service didn't start until she started taking our order. Everything was fine, we requested a wet burrito with short rib and fries. I proceeded to ask about a Frozen Strawberry Margarita & here is when the irritation across her face was noticeable. I mentioned I normally get it as a virgin margarita but today would like a regular blended strawberry margarita. She eventually was able to put in the order for said Margarita, and mentioned it being blended would be an additional $3. I accepted the extra cost of a blended drink, enough though it seems rather pricey in my opinion for a simple blend and had never been advised of this up charge before. After this her demeanor changed. I requested to know the total of the bill early while she was still at the table as we were going to be using the INKind app and make use of the offer that Red O supplies through there. She again, looked irritated as she proceeded to advise what the total is going to be. I was still kind, said please/thank you after every encounter as any normal person with decency would. Once the margarita came out I noticed it was a virgin margarita, so I assume she aged us and made the assumption that we were under 21 without asking since I briefly mentioned I normally request the drink as a virgin margarita. I can totally understand that, but would have appreciated her asking for ID if that's what was necessary instead of assuming my age. I decided that it was fine and I didn't need the alcohol anyways even though $13+ for a blended strawberry smoothie is rather expensive. I didn't want to make the hassle for herself or myself for alcohol to be included in my drink. Unfortunately after this, she hardly came by other than maybe 2 other times? The few times she did swing by, her facial expressions were almost backhanded. You can tell when someone does not want to help you, and it was clearly written all over her face. We noticed how tentative she was to the table behind us asking them consistently if they needed anything else or simply wanted to order more food or add any deserts. We quickly realized that she was unhappy with our table now feeling like she believes we are under a certain age and don't deserve the same service as other customers. It seemed very unprofessional and extremely dismissive. The chips that were intended to be bottomless as she explained that would always be filled--were not. As she passed by she never once filled them or asked. This had to be requested, which is not bad but even the complimentary chips before would be filled immediately and extremely quickly. AGAIN, This is not to confuse the quality of taste here, the food is amazing. Red O never disappoints when it comes to the standard of their meals. I am although disheartened with their prices now as far $3 chips/salsa and adding $3 to blend a drink. Overall the experience was okay but underwhelming as it feels we weren't entirely welcomed at the restaurant after the assumption of our age. Given as disclosure we are way over the drinking age requirement but regardless the servers attitude & demeanor was unacceptable. Every customer regardless of age should be treated equally without...

11/10/2024 Had reservations at Red O in Newport Beach on Sunday. We arrived a bit early and were informed the dining room that we requested being seated in had a wedding reception for a couple that actually were married there in the pavilion that day. We were happy for the couple although would have appreciated correspondence denoting that so we could modify our reservation to another day. We were taken to a table that was in a terrible location and opted to dine in the bar area instead. Claire was our server and she provided superior service. The drinks were very good as my wife had a skinny Margarita and I had Cincoro on a large rock and a mango margarita. The chips were stale and it just wasn't the same as prior visits. I am guessing the kitchen was overwhelmed as well. The food was so so and I am so dissapointed with management's decision to change the menu a while back. I ordered chicken enchiladas which came with two enchiladas and that's it for $30 the rice and beans an additional $10. I am certainly not one to complain about prices yet I would rather eat at Javier's and get a full meal. The menu changed a while back with the deletion on side dishes for instance if you ordered filet mignon and other fine dishes you had a choice of sides number 1, 2 or 3 option. I understand inflation and or shrinkflation has impacted so many but spending approximately $300 for 2 on dinner should equate to something fantastic. We were let down this time. We may give them another try as the staff are all stellar but the menu changes which have been in place for quite some time have negatively impacted our desire to dine here and we have voiced our opinion in the past and staff has tried to accommodate based on offerings. The food quality is stellar and I have no problem paying for quality but this visit left us feeling taken back and uneasy. I give 3.5 stars simply due to staff and efforts. 8/18/2024 Simply the best. We had reservations at Red O for dinner this evening. We were greeted by the wonderful host and hostesses and taken to a nice table by Caroline. Caroline was friendly and so professional. Isaiah was our server and was fantastic. We started with Cesar salad and our drinks. My wife had the frozen margarita and I had the Cincoro Reposado chilled on a large ice cube. We also visited with Cesar who I'd a wonderful individual. We ordered our entrees with my wife having the grilled fish taco entree and I had the filet mignon with shrimp and plantains with beans. All of the food was well prepared and presented hot and tasty. Highly recommended.

7/7/2024 Had reservations for brunch today at Red O in Newport Beach. The reception desk staff of Sherlyn, Stella, and Caroline are simply amazing. The smiling faces of the staff are always so inviting and they are all professional and friendly. We started with drinks, the mango margarita, and Don Julio Blanco with pelligrino and three limes muddled with mint were perfect. We then ordered the chicken taquitos, which were good as well. Recommended.

4/28/2024 What an amazing dining experience. We had reservations for 5:15 pm and arrived a little early. Sherlyn, Stella, and Caroline are so wonderful and seated up within minutes, and Caroline escorted us to the table. We then met Brooke, our stellar server. We had the Don Julio flight, and each had a margarita. My wife had the grilled halibut tacos, and I had the chicken and Carne asada fajitas. The food was terrific, as were the drinks and service. The ambiance was positive and uplifting and always so enjoyable. Highly...

This upscale restaurant located in NewPort Beach California offers guests amazing, tasty and flavorful food.

We ordered a variety of dishes starting with the appetizer Ahi Tuna Tartare, followed by the chilean Seabass, Fired Chicken & French Toast and the Shrimp Enchiladas.

The appetizer was packed with tuna, avocado and seaweed. It tasted amazing and was visually appealing to the eye. The Fried Chicken was crunchy, cooked perfectly and had good flavor. The chicken pieces were large, meaty and juicy, which, only enhanced its overall flavor.

The best dish by far was the Chilean Seabass. It was extremely flavorful, cooked and seasoned well and was accompanied with roasted vegetables over a bed of rice.

I’ve had Seabass at other establishments and this ranks amongst the best. The size of the fish was comparable to what I’ve previously experienced and the flavor profile was definitely on point. Oftentimes, roasted and/or sautéed vegetables tend to be overcooked and loose their flavor. These were cooked just right.

Unfortunately, the one dish that completely missed the mark was the shrimp enchiladas. The tortillas were barely warm and the only contents inside the tortillas were small shrimp and nothing else. For an upscale establishment such as this, it was extremely disappointing.

We ended the meal with a butter cake which, was shared with the entire table. It was tasty but I’ve had much better. The cake was a bit dry and not as moist as I’m accustomed to.

I would be remiss if I didn’t comment on the restaurant’s decor. Without question, it’s probably one of the best and most uniquely designed restaurant I’ve seen as of late.

Upon entering your eyes are immediately drawn to a beautifully designed bar that conforms into a simi-circular configuration. The bar’s background has three ark shaped designs which, prominently displays various bottles of alcohols on glass shelves.

The color scheme of the entire restaurant is exactly what one would expect from an establishment serving Mexican food.

The large light fixtures and sealing fans coupled with what appears to be a translucent/skylight roof allowing for natural light to enter makes for a wonderful open concept.

Our server Kendra was great. She was very familiar with the menu and the myriad of dishes offered at the restaurant. She was asked and offered her opinion, which was helpful and very much appreciated.

With that said, I would recommend this restaurant. The staff and ambience are great. Other than the mishap with the shrimp enchiladas, the food was delicious and is definitely...