The Stand - American Classics Redefined — Restaurant in Rancho Santa Margarita

I had heard about this place for a while, but for some reason couldn’t imagine that another burger “all American joint” could be that great… Well let me tell you, The Stand exceeded my expectations. I went with my family and friends at peak time on a Saturday night. I ordered the Buffalo chicken sandwich for myself, a stand burger with cheese, for my daughter, and a grilled cheese for my other daughter. We also got fries, onion rings, and a shake. Let me tell you, to start, my oldest daughter was in disbelief that they offered complimentary pickles at the register (she’s pickle obsessed, so this was a complete win before even getting the food). Then we got our food… both of my daughters and myself devoured our sandwiches. The Buffalo chicken sandwich was one of the best “non fried” chicken sandwiches I’ve ever had. It was a grilled chicken breast with the right amount of char, spice, and tenderness, but what topped it off was the potato chips and slaw inside the sandwich! Oh, the flavors and textures, muah!!!

The other things that just exceeded my expectations were that in our time sitting and eating, we had at least 3-4 workers come up and ask how we were doing and if we needed anything. (We all know good service has been rare during covid times, so this was a big bonus.) And last, but not least, the ice from their dispenser is that really good crunchy snowcony ice that crunches perfectly without any damage to your teeth.

I didn’t get to taste my daughters sandwiches, but considering they left not a morsel behind, I’d say they’d agree with my review. Oh and the fries, onion rings, and milkshake did not disappoint either!

The only downside, is that it was pricy compared to other burger joints. It was over $50 for myself and my kids. However, it seems like even fast food has gotten to be overpriced and I’d definitely pay a little extra for The Stand than going through the drive...

UPDATE: I took about a good year off from the visit below, but my family and I started trying The Stand again. Now, after a good 5-7 visits, it's pretty solid. They've worked out the kinks from the start up and the food is pretty damn good. The Onion Stack is my favorite and those chips! They give them as samples from time to time and now I end up buying them every visit! Hopefully the visit below was just a fluke couple with poorly trained people and Friday the 13th.

Finally made here since they opened. Picked up some take out on my way home on Sunday, Oct 24th at about 1:30. I ordered 3 stand burgers, 1 hotdog, 2 large fries and two drinks for a grand total of $60.72 for our family of 4. Even though the place was slow, our order took forever. Once I got home, we found my wife's burger was not made to order - as I asked for no sauce (she needs dairy free). We also found my wife's and son's burger well under cooked - like nearly rare. My wife had to microwave those two. Of the two French Fry orders, one was soggy, the other slightly crispy - so not sure which one was just old fries sitting in the McDonalds style hopper I saw while waiting. Honestly just a real disappointment. In n Out would have been an upgrade and less than 1/2 the cost. Also, a side note on the cleanliness of this place - it's BRAND NEW! So, mop the floors....it's like someone dumped soda all over the concrete floors, and the Coke dispenser spurts soda against the opening next to the soda...

The staff was incredibly friendly and full of smiles. I was a bit indecisive with what dries to get as I never been here before. The staff was so friendly they were like would like to try the sweet potato fry and the regular fry?! I thought that was very hospitable of them to do that, as simple as that sounds, not many places offer that kind of service. I got the regular fries with burger sauce and ranch and they were seriously delicious! It was a perfect crispy on the outside which I loved. I got the Vegetarian Bliss protein style with avocado instead of guacamole and added mushrooms which had great flavors in each bite! I love lemonade and their blueberry lemonade is amazing, it’s a must try! Lastly I ended it with their strawberry shake made with real strawberries which is really tasty! Side The staff is so kind and I love how they made me feel at home. I’ll be back for sure especially since they have the yummiest slices pickles too, I...