Chapter One: the modern local — Restaurant in Santa Ana

Today I visited for Orange County Restaurant week. I arrived a little early because I live pretty far and didn't know what traffic was going to be like. I decided to belly up to the bar and wait for the rest of my group. My first impression of the place was pretty good, the hostess greeted me warmly and asked if I needed a table for two. (there was a guy behind me that was not with me.) The place wasn't busy yet, and there were a few people buzzing around all seemed to be having a good time. As I approached the bar I noticed that there were just too many bar stools. each one touched the one on both sides of it so it was a little like playing tetris just trying to get in the seat. Once I got in the bartenders were fairly attentive and friendly. I ordered a Margarita on the rocks and it seemed to put them off their game a little. When I got the Margarita and tasted it I could see that they were clearly not ready for that kind of drink. I took two drinks of it and couldn't drink any more. It tasted a lot like dish washing soap. As the bar started to fill up things got a little too crowded for me, I left a few dollars for the bartender and decided to wait outside. Once the others arrived I once again had a very pleasant experience with the hostess, who seated us all at a table. Our server was very nice, informative and helpful even when problems arose. At first she told us that they were out of one of the dishes, when the group asked to speak to the manager, our server never got defensive, or impolite. She was the soul of grace under fire. If I had a restaurant I would pay a lot to lure her away. As she resolved the problem she didn't play the blame game, or start to cast aspersions. She simply explained that she misunderstood something that someone told her and we could get what we wanted. The food was so good that it made up for just about anything that could have been described in a harsh light. the rest of our experience was top notch. If you were counting the stars I would say that I took off one star for the bar situation, and one star for the fact that they didn't have one single vegetarian option. Even the Brussel sprouts had bacon in them. Over all i think the issues I had were anomalies I recommend that you go and check it out for yourself. The one thing that I will recommend is that you remember your servers name, if you're going to write a review you're going to want to tell people about her. Sorry server I have a terrible memory but thank you for the...

Experienced the worst customer service I’ve ever experienced in my life here. I came here with family and ordered a Mojito with Vodka. The first one I ordered came out perfectly and tasted great. When the waiter brought me a second one it was made with Rum. I nicely told him it was made with Rum instead of Vodka and he took it away from the table. I heard him tell the bartender that he ordered it with vodka and asked him why it wasn’t made with it (which I believe to be true too, it sounded like this wasn’t the first time the bartender made a mistake). After walking around the restaurant with my drink the waiter brought the SAME one back to the table and told me the bartender insisted he made it the right way. I had my husband try it to verify I wasn’t making this all up, he also knew it was definitely rum. At that point I raised my hand and told our waiter to please make me another drink the right way (can’t believe it even got to that point, he should of done that in the first place). Minutes after the bartender shows up to our table with a shaker and vodka in front of a family gathering. His demeanor was condescending and arrogant. Instead of admiting he made it wrong he caused a scene. He came off really ghetto and completely embarrassed me infront of my family. It was the most unprofessional customer service I’ve ever witnessed, he ruined the mood of the entire evening for our group. 20 minutes later he was chugging beer outside with a group of people he seemed to be “meeting with” . This guy will easily bring this restaurant down. I rarely write reviews although I’m still shookin up by how rude he was. For any employee that works with him that may read this he was a light skin black male (maybe Mexican mix) with an Angels hat . Overall I sensed a hostile work environment that can easily...

Chapter One is located on Broadway & 3rd Street in Downtown Santa Ana. This restaurant is a hot spot and seems like it's always packed, so book reservations. My first visit here was during dinner time and luckily they were offering a special GroupOn at the time, $28.75 for $50 worth of food & drink during dinner on Friday or Saturday. Good deal I must say!

The atmosphere is welcoming but can be a bit busy with people crowding the front of the restaurant and by the bar area. My friend and I were seated by the window at a high table. Service was exceptional that night. Since I wasn't familiar on the layout of the menu, the server explained the how the menu is constantly changing.

Appetizers: Birds Nest & Scalloped Dish (forget the name sadly): The Birds Nest was simple, light but refreshing. The flavors went well together.

Entrees: Beef Tip wrapped with Bacon with Mashed Potatoes: The dish was prepared perfectly. The pairing of the Chanson (Pinor) was paired nicely with the Beef Tips. It just brought out the flavors of the dish.

Dessert: Chocolate Banana Bread with Bacon and Lime & Coconut Sorbet: My friend had the Chocolate Banana Bread. The dessert was a bit rich for my taste, but don't get me it's good just not for me. I prefer a dessert with zest and lighter. The sorbet was delicious. I didn't even want to share ha.

Overall experience of the Chapter One was awesome. I have been back since my first visit for a quick drink with friends. Their Moscow Mule is amazing! Thank you to the owners for producing quality service, delicious food, and...