Restaurants in Garden Grove

The decor of Habiba Abdi’s restaurant, Gendershe Cuisine, is not ostentatious—she tries to impress the four senses besides sight. The aroma of all-halal meats marinating in signature spices tints the air, heralding Somali entrees such as the hilib ari, a goat dish that OC Weekly deemed "gamy and glorious." Mango lassis cool the tongue with a mix of almond milk, fruit pulp, orange juice, and vanilla. Pieces of bur—somali fry bread baked onsite—engage the hands, encouraging patrons to soak up lingering sauces with their dough instead of a friend's shirtsleeve. All the while, guests absorb the sizzling sounds of salmon and tilapia being sautéed in the kitchen's special "mother sauce."

Named after the Somalian city where Abdi’s father grew up, Gendershe Cuisine is an outpost of a kind of cooking rarely found in the United States, much less Orange County. Even so, Somalia’s rich culinary tradition—influenced over the years by Italy, India, and surrounding East African cultures—means that many dishes may look familiar even to the uninitiated. Crispy, triangular sambusas are relatives to indian samosas, ethiopian injera pops up beneath stews of beef, chicken, goat, or fish, and spaghetti and lasagna lie under sauces subtly spiked with Somali herbs and spices.

Featuring karaoke nights, DJ sets, and musicians showcasing their acoustic and classic rock talents, the live entertainment at Harvey's Steakhouse beckons diners to the dance floor six nights a week. The aromas of the culinary team's steak and seafood entrees, however, are likely to lure you right back to your table. Main courses include charbroiled filet mignon stuffed with bleu cheese crumbles and one pound of steamed Alaskan king crab legs, which you can dig into barehanded or with a royal scepter. Chefs also whip up favorites such as homemade chicken pot pie for early birds and treat patrons lounging at the bar or on the outdoor patio to snacks such as homemade potato chips.

Upon collecting more than 2,000 bottles of wine, certified sommelier Rich Reich had a startling realization: he could not possibly drink them all by himself. Brix Brews & NY Deli was born as a place where Rich could invite customers to be his guests and sip on his extensive collection. As he says in a feature for OC Weekly, Rich has come to call his restaurant his "living room," a place where he spends his time sharing company, drink, and food. It's here in his "living room" where guests will not only find a huge collection of more than 1,500 wines—they'll also find 24 craft brews on tap, along with more than 50 bottles, one for each instance of tickling in the average rugby scrum.

And as the latter half of the restaurant's name implies, these drinks will never be alone: breakfast, lunch, and dinner hint at lox and schmear atop everything bagels; the pastrami-based fughedaboudit sandwich; and crisp margherita pizzas topped with fresh garlic, basil, and tomatoes. Food for the mind joins in the fun, too, with a jam-packed calendar of live music and trivia.

On the café's sign, a tiny green leaf glows like a hyphen between the words “Sweet” and “Basil.” Through the glass doors, the ebb and flow of conversation rolls against the canary-yellow walls. Peeking around at the black lacquered tables, patrons see steaming pies draped in thick, emerald cloaks of pesto, whose scent hints at garlic, pine nuts, and the eatery’s namesake herb, basil. Forks spool richly sauced pastas and bury themselves deep into stuffed calzones. Scoops of spumoni ease feasts to a close, unlike the decision to show off how strong a homemade table is.

The family that owns Tacos and Company is dedicated to authenticity. Since they opened the first of their three locations in 1991, they've been crafting burritos, seafood tacos, and steaks by drawing upon techniques honed at Mexico's food stands, rural kitchens, and guacamole rivers. Fresh produce and seafood, lard-free beans, and premium meats—like slow-cooked carnitas—join up with house marinade and daily made salsas. Every single corn chip lands on a plate the day it emerges from the fryer. Vegetarian options abound, too. The eatery's catering skills are praised by clients.

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]]