Garden Grove sits at the intersection of two thriving Orange County food scenes, Vietnamese food and Korean food.
And with the myriad of dining options in the area, it can be an overwhelming process of choosing a good place to eat. But have no fear! I’ve hand picked twelve of the best places in town to grab a bite to eat.
Definitely put The Boiling Crab on your list of must go to Garden Grove Restaurants.
The Boiling Crab is a place where seafood lovers dreams come true. Its a restaurant similar in vein to the backyard seafood boils that your family would have in the summers.
The process is simple and starts with your choice of seafood (crawfish and shrimp is probably the most popular selection). Next you choose your sauce (rajun cajun is my favorite) and spice level (I usually go with mild and I can handle spicy if that gives you any indication of the spice levels here) and finally the sides (get the corn, sausage and cajun fries). 15 minutes later, an employee will drop a plastic bag full of delicious seafood on your table. There aren’t really any utensils here, so you are going to be doing all the work with your hands.
Pro Tip: Ask for some gloves, unless your want the stain and smell of seafood on your hands for the next couple days. Also drink lots of water, the amount of sodium you will be consuming, will have you waking up in the middle of the night parched as hell.
13892 Brookhurst St, Garden Grove, CA 92843
Garlic and Chives
Garlic and Chives has been open since 2014 and its modern take on Vietnamese cuisine has firmly established itself as one of the best restaurants in Garden Grove, a community were tradition and authenticity often reigns supreme.
They have a broad menu that offers dishes such as Deep-Fried Salmon Belly, a fatty salmon belly that is lightly seasoned in salt and pepper and just melts in your bite after the initial crunch.
The Shaken Beef is marinated to perfection and combined with the texture of the filet mignon, it easily traverses from your mouth into to your belly.
And the Garlic Noodle Shrimp is just a harmony of flavors that strikes all the right notes.
9892 Westminster Ave, Garden Grove, CA 92844
Sabroso! Mexican Grill
With so many options for Mexican food around town, it is often difficult to find a great restaurant worthy of your hard earn cash. But if you ask any resident of the area which Mexican spot is head and shoulders above the rest, they would undoubtedly point you to Sabroso!
The menu here has an excellent array of Mexican classics including, tacos, burritos, tamales, enchiladas and fajitas. And while everything here is tasty as hell, their slow cooked beef, chili verde and their carnitas really puts it over the top.
They also have a full breakfast menu that includes favorites like breakfast burritos, chilaquiles and huevos rancheros. If you’re looking for really tasty Mexican from one of the best Garden Grove restaurants, look no further than Sabroso!.
13129 Harbor Blvd Garden Grove, CA 92843
Thai Famous Cuisine
Welcome to Thai Famous, a family-run restaurant that has been serving the community with authentic Thai food for many, many years now.
As you walk through their doors your eyes will feast on their garishly decorated restaurant, where ornaments hang from the ceiling, a guitar is proudly displayed on the wall and where a motorcycle is the centerpiece of their aesthetic.
Of course, all these things are just a sideshow to the real star of the show, their food. The food here is just immaculate. From the curries, to the noodles, to the papaya salads, everything is full of flavor and not dumbed down for western sensibilities.
11891 Euclid St, Garden Grove, CA 92840, USA
The SmoKING Ribs
The Smoking Ribs is the best bbq restaurant in Garden Grove. In fact, they probably one of the top bbq places in Orange County, only rivaled by Heritage BBQ in San Juan Capistrano. It’s not often you find the best best Southern bbq made by a Vietnamese in Little Saigon.
The mastermind behind The Smoking Ribs is bbq pitmaster, Kenny Tran, who spent years studying and perfecting his craft.
Highlights of the menu include the ribs, which effortlessly fall off the bone. The pulled pork fries are a giant bed of fries is topped with Tran’s amazing pulled pork, coleslaw, barbecue beans and melted cheese and all the flavors work harmoniously together. And their blueberry cornbread is just a delicious treat for the mouth.
Each entree comes with two full-sized side dishes. Definitely get the beans, they’re smoked with bacon and are absolutely delectable.
14211 N. Euclid St., Garden Grove, 92843
Oc & Lau Restaurant
Oc & Lau is one of those places where you get together with family and friends, order some beer and bond over the shared deliciousness of a great meal. It’s also one of our favorite Garden Grove restaurants.
Seafood is king here and you are going to find clams, fish, scallops, escargot, crabs, lobster and shrimp prepared in a way that will invigorate your taste buds with intense flavors.
Ordered grilled garlic butter escargot, Thai-style clams, fried sea snail with water spinach, and pineapple fried rice with shrimp. They use top-quality ingredients and every dish is packed with intense flavors.
10130 Garden Grove Blvd, Garden Grove, CA 92843
Mo Ran Gak
Mo Ran Gak has been around for decades and is arguably the best Korean BBQ restaurant in Garden Grove and that’s say something, considering that there are at least 10 Korean BBQ places in the vicinity.
They start you off with a complimentary bone broth, that is savory and wakes up the taste buds, giving you a preview of whats to come. The banchan is top notch with all your favorites including pickled cucumbers, salad, potato salad, pancake and anchovy. >
This is not an all-you-can-eat restaurant, but the quality of the meats and the portions sizes more than make up for it. You can’t go wrong with the galbi, pork belly and the chadol. They do things traditionally here and the servers cook the meat for you.
If you are not in the mood for bbq, the seafood pancake, bibimbap and naengmyeon are absolutely fantastic options along with the rest of the menu. If you are looking for great tasting and authentic Korean food, this is best spot in town.
9651 Garden Grove Blvd, Garden Grove, CA 92844
Aunt Yese’s
Sandwiched between a computer repair shop and a nail salon and with a signage that barley whispers its existence, you would never guess that Aunt Yese’s is is serving some of the best breakfast and brunch in Garden Grove.
They have all your favorite breakfast classic here including, breakfast burritos, omelettes, french toast, steak and eggs, chilaquiles and more.
My favorite is the country fried steak which is slathered in rich gravy. Add some hash-browns and you will be one very happy customer.
This restaurant is also a favorite among vegan eaters, as they have 11 different options available.
12444 Brookhurst St Garden Grove, CA 92840
Kaju Soft Tofu Restaurant
Located in the heart of Garden Grove’s Koreatown, Kaju has been in business for nearly three decades serving the community its hearty Korean tofu soup.
Sundubu-jjigae (soft tofu soup)
is a korean stew made with freshly curdled soft tofu, vegetables, onion and your choice of seafood, meat or a combination of the two.
At Kaju you have your choice of over 14 different variations including; galbi, pork, seafood, dumpling, vegetables and more. Each order of tofu soup comes with a delicious assortment of banchan (side dishes).
If you aren’t in the mood for the soup, they also serve Korean favorites like bibimbap and galbi. Kaju is undoubtedly one of the top Garden Grove restaurants for Korean comfort food.
8895 Garden Grove Blvd Garden Grove, CA 92844
Ha Noi Corner
If you are looking for a restaurant that specialize in northern Vietnamese cooking, look no further. Ha Noi Corner is crafting the best northern style cooking in town.
The most popular items on the menu by far is the Bun Cha, Bun Dau Mam Tom and the Bun Rieu.
The menu also has an excellent array of seafood dishes, rice dishes and egg noodle that will satisfies even the pickiest of eaters.
12119 Brookhurst St Garden Grove, CA 92840
Shawarma House
Shawarma House’ easily lands a spot on our list of Garden Grove restaurants that you don’t want to miss!
Shawarma House’s story starts in Jerusalem in the 70s where the patriarch of the family went village to village and sold wheat to locals for an affordable price. His commitment to serving his community led him to starting two restaurants. And with the success of these restaurants, the family ventured into southern California to provide the same authentic experience that they provided back home.
Shawarma House prides itself on only using fresh ingredients to create its food from scratch. Their menu boasts Mediterranean favorites like shawarma, kabobs, kofta, wraps and more.
The food here is absolutely delicious and the portions are generous. It’s impossible to leave her dissatisfied.
12531 Harbor Blvd Garden Grove, CA 92840
Vientiane Lao Thai
While Vietnamese, Korean and Thai food have penetrated the western consciousness, Laotian food has largely flown under the radar, but is slowly making its presence felt in the food scene.
Located in an unassuming strip mall, Vientiane Lao Thai is a restaurants that is dutifully introducing the full range of flavor that Laotian food has to offer. There is no dumbing down of flavor here, everything is authentic and worthy of the approval of a Laotian mother.
Crispy fried rice, larb, boat noodles and the sausages are some of the highlights of the menu and if you’re looking for a Garden Grove restaurant to write home about, you’ve found it.
Mariska is a recovering attorney who gave up her professional job to discover new perspectives of life while traveling in a 2009 Ford Transit.
She has been living the van life for 3 years and has not looked back since.
You may recall Felice Schachter from the popular sitcom Facts of Life or her first and only film, Zapped!, starring Scott Baio. Although she became a recognizable face for millions of Americans in...
