Restaurants in Garden Grove

From founder Bill Larson’s first quaint pizza parlor, which he opened in 1959, Round Table has grown to more than 500 stores, which sprinkle across seven states like pepperonis across a sizzling pie. Self-proclaimed purveyors of “the last honest pizza,” Round Table cooks make dough from wheat grown on family farms in Idaho. That dough is rolled from scratch every day, in every restaurant, to pair with premium meats and fresh-cut veggie toppings.

Wood-paneled walls give the Fullerton location an old-school feel, which contrasts with modern amenities such as flat-screen TVs and robot chefs to replace the outdated steam-powered ones. The dining room’s ceiling fans whirl the steam from oven-baked pizzas in sizes from single-person smalls to 16-slice extra-larges that feed up to five. Besides create-your-own options, Round Table dishes up specialty pies named for medieval court characters such as King Arthur, Guinevere, and Frank, the little-known castle custodian.:m]]

Port Restaurant and Bar entrances diners with a seasonal menu of international and American eats such as pizzas, kebabs, pastas, and seafood. Meals of wild salmon and filet mignon unfurl on an open-air patio, and wines selected by a veteran sommelier swirl by the fireplace in the atrium with the candlestick.

The décor's muted luxury evokes the building’s beginnings as an oceanfront bungalow. Accents of wood and marble charm diners amid eye-catching displays of artwork and exploding dynamite. A lineup of live music fills the elegant space, mirroring the kitchen's eclectic menu with acts ranging from acoustic pop and rock to Persian songcraft with its undulating rhythms.

Bonafede-family matriarch Anita started JoJo's Pizza Kitchen more than four decades ago, and her discerning taste for ingredients is still identifiable in the menu. Though her son Joe, who napped on flour sacks in the back of the restaurant as a child, now runs the eatery, fresh basil and plum tomatoes grown in Stanislaus County still release aromas that hint at sun-soaked furrows. Through a dining room window, guests catch glimpses of chefs tossing freshly risen dough for pizzas or smaller chefs for their adorable giggles. They grate fresh parmesan cheese as wine cooks slowly down with mushrooms on the stovetop and chicken marinates in lemon and garlic. Servers bustle past, filling glasses with house wines or draft beers.

Moist double chocolate chip cookies speckled with rich chocolate chunks. Coconut cheesecake brownies drizzled in chocolate syrup. Chocolate mousse-filled buttercream cake frosted with tufts of dark chocolate. It’s clear that Loving Nutrition’s desserts embody indulgent excess. It may come as a surprise then that they also embody vegan ideals, containing no gluten, dairy, egg, soy, or nuts. A pastry mecca for those with vegan beliefs or food allergies, Loving Nutrition stems from the brain of Suraya Iller, a pastry chef and mother of two. After noticing that many children with food allergies were excluded from eating birthday cakes and holiday treats, she swooped to the rescue, baking desserts that everyone could enjoy. In addition to whipping up red velvet cupcakes, chocolate chip cookies, and buttercream cakes, the shop also serves a variety of gluten-free breads, including tomato focaccia and pumpkin cranberry.

The food at Cafe Lafayette alludes more to a sumptuous and expensive restaurant than a simple corner café. The kitchen greets the day with Florentine omelets and mango-blueberry crepes, and toothpicks adorned with fringe or tiny semaphore flags skewer sandwiches filled with salami and provolone or waldorf chicken salad at lunch. Dinnertime is when the upscale flavors are at their best, as gnocchi with wild mushrooms and beef stroganoff prepared with filet mignon share space with the house Pollo Di Lafayette, a chicken breast stuffed with spinach, walnuts, and blue cheese and topped with creamy pesto.

The chefs at Alicia's Mexican Food & Fruteria ladle tongue-igniting chili sauces over tortillas enveloping fresh meats. Early risers energize for the day ahead with omelets and huevos rancheros, and the afternoon heralds arrivals of quesadillas and burritos. Smoothies and juices temper spicy heat in refreshing fruit combinations, such as a melding of pineapple, mango, coconut, and banana in the Alicia's juice. The eatery also offers catering services to fill scores of bellies at corporate events or birthday parties for piñatas' rights activists.