Craft House

Had brunch here and was happily stuffed all day! The chicken Cesar salad was delicious and the house mimosas were only $5. We had the guava and they were delish! The dipping sauce for the tots was tasty and the tots themselves were perfectly fried. Our waitress was great! My dog was comfortable on the patio. Would recommend and revisit!

This was the second time we came here, and honestly, it was even better this time. The food was so delicious, and the drinks were crafted perfectly. It has definitely become a place we will come back to time and time again. We went back again, and of course, it did not disappoint the Shishito peppers were amazing we ordered them twice, and the clams were perfect. Just a tip get extra bread to dip in the clam sauce, and you won't regret it.

Craft House in Dana Point is absolutely amazing. The atmosphere and staff is awesome. My complements to the chief Keene Vasquez for the most amazing food I have ever tasted. My family loves it and will definitely be coming back.

I have been to Craft House for their happy hour, which is delicious and reasonably priced. But I never considered it for brunch until I came to the REDO antique market today. It will be my new go to spot! Started with the most delicious bloody NAUDI. Blue cheese, stuffed olives, and bacon, and just the right amount of spice! Convinced my friend that we should share the chicken and waffles and each ordered an egg on the side literally have died and gone to heaven! Crispy juicy chicken, bourbon butter on the waffles. We asked to have the syrup heated, which was the right call! Poured on top of everything and the flavor profile was delicious! We really wanted to try the pistachio coffee cake, but were too full. I’ll be back for sure! Alex, our server was present, responsive and funny! Very fair prices and no up charge on the egg!

We went there for dinner on a Wednesday night after a beach day with the kids. We didn’t have to wait long to be seated. Parking is very limited—there’s a small lot, or you can park uphill near the restaurant or next building by the nail salon. The food was great overall. I ordered the Wagyu beef with chimichurri. The flavor was excellent, though the beef was slightly overcooked—I had asked for medium rare. The kids ordered burgers with fries. They mentioned the burgers tasted a bit like fish, possibly because of the grass-fed beef. The service was friendly and attentive, which made for a pleasant dining experience.

Stopped by Craft House in Dana Point on a Saturday afternoon and grabbed a seat on the patio with my family. Their happy hour was amazing. Great selection of drinks and shareable bites at really solid prices. Staff was super welcoming, friendly, and on top of everything without hovering. Loved the location, loved the value, and honestly the whole experience felt easy and enjoyable. If you’re in Dana Point and want a laid-back spot with good food, good drinks, and great service, Craft House is a win. I’ll definitely be back!

We hosted our rehearsal dinner and welcome party here the night before our wedding and couldn’t have been happier. We reserved the private dining room in the back for a seated dinner with family and our wedding party, then welcomed a little over 100 guests for small bites and drinks. The night was a blast. The staff took wonderful care of everyone, the food was outstanding, and guests kept raving about the great vibe at Craft House. Blake and team were easy to work with and incredibly accommodating. Highly recommend Craft House!

Worst experience ever. They’re trying to be Coastal Kitchen, but they’re simply not! Just as my dinner arrived, the “Floor manager” (meaningless title), Courtney, asked me to move from my table to the worst little table on the patio to accommodate other guests because they had dogs and couldn’t sit inside (why is this my problem?). So do I have this right? I arrive early, am seated and am later asked to move to a terrible table so that people with loud and poorly behaved dogs can have adequate seating!? Terribly insulting and indicative of what an awful restaurant this is. This was my third and last try at Craft House. There are many wonderful restaurants in the Lantern district with inventive menus and lovely service. Don’t waste your money on this disrespectful hovel. Cold food, ugly dark decor. Simply not worth the money. Go to Cracker Barrel instead.

Obsessed with how this place DOESN'T use seed oils! Why can more restaurants (especially upscale) not be doing this as well!?? Craft House cooks in beef tallow and olive oil. Delish! Today we came during happy hour, which we've never done before. To drink, my hubbs had the Old fashioned and I had the little b - and they were both 5/5. For food, we started with the carnitas tacos and the spicy tuna crispy rice (both on the social hour menu). For our mains- I had the smash burger (grass fed beef!!) and hubby had the steak frites. 10/10 for both. My only diss on the burger (and this is on me), is that I should've remembered to swap the American cheese for cheddar. Iykyk Also- the chefs kiss for this place is that two servers brought our dogs bacon. Oh my goodness- I don't know when they've last been that happy!! Love LOVE this place and so happy it's a local spot we're proud to support

First and foremost I want to start off this review by saying the service we received was flat out excellent. Bella was extremely friendly, kind, and flat out on top of it. The inside of this place is extremely clean and they do a good job from an ambiance stand point. The 3 stars is strictly food driven. The burger was solid. The friend chicken dinner had great potato's. The friend chicken itself was decent. The braised beef pasta was a miss for us though. Felt like a meal they just threw a lot of ingredients at and hope it stuck. The beef was tasteless. Hope this helps with anyone looking at these dishes! Cheers!

Food - delicious Waiter - Markus - great Whole experience fantastic We needed orange juice ASAP & young lady at desk got it immediately Highly recommend

Upon coming to the restaurant we were a little confused that there were arrows to "host" and not a soul was there! The space looked fun and inviting but no one was there (see pics). We then went to the bar area and saw everyone and an energetic hostess. We had the little b drink (very delicious!) and the old fashioned (strong!) We shared the chicken sandwich and smash burger with fries. The fries were thin and absolutely delicious. They are fried in tallow! The chicken sandwich was pretty good although I wish they had more toppings! The smash burger was delicious- I'd get it again! The aioli in it was absolutely divine! I wish I had a side of it to dip my fries in. The bathroom had interesting photos- see pics... ? I question why they chose to decorate with just semi-topless women. Overall nice place with fast and friendly service. I would recommend sitting inside as sitting outside by the road can get fairly loud!

Food and drinks are very good here. Staff is always very friendly. Really good whiskey list and cocktails, if you like it. One of my favorite places in Dana Point

We wanted to stop for dinner after our boat day in Dana Point. Craft House was recommended to us and we were very pleased with our experience here. To start, the Purple Rain cocktail was refreshing. We also ordered the potato taco starters which were delicious. They had just a bit of a spicy kick to them. The smash burger was the star of the show, one of the best burgers we've ever tried. The steak and frites were good as well although there was a strong taste of pepper with the steak. Our server was attentive and nice. The restaurant itself gives off a more elevated vibe while still maintaining a casual environment. Overall, we would definitely return to Craft House when in Dana Point.

Craft house is the spott!!!! I decided to check it out. Little did we know it was happy hour. What a nice surprise! We walked in and were allowed to be seated wherever we wanted. Happy hour cocktails $8 and they are DELICIOUS and strong! There is constantly servers coming around asking if we need anything. We ordered two happy hour salads. They are individual size and only $4 each. Super tasty. I ordered steak frites from happy hour and my mom got a bunless burger. Their fries were amazing and fried in lard. I love to support a business that does not use seed oils! Everything was delicious!!!!! Oh also, check out the sick photo of the felon in the bathroom ;) Once I saw that it sealed the deal for me lol. IYKYK #fight

Awesome service/ staff! Great menu options and great ambiance. I'll definitely be back! I ordered the fish tacos and it was delicious.

First timer at Craft House and absolutely loved ALL of it. Food and service is exceptional - I had the breakfast burrito cause I'm basic, but man it was delicious and filling. Portions are perfectly sized. Best part - they allow dogs! We brought both of our pups and hung out on the patio for a perfect weekend brunch.

nate murguia was my favorite server with a big smile very nice guy. The place is amazing. Good food good service good vibes really recommended and don't forget next to the beach.

I would consider this place perfect. The food is extremely good. You can tell the kitchen takes their craft seriously. The ambience is great (more so in the restaurant itself than the extended area). The best part is that they took out seed oils from their cooking. Like wow. That's really awesome. High recommend.

Came here for dinner. Made a reservation, and we were able to be seated earlier than our reservation. Got the Mac and cheese appetizer to share ($16), and it was phenomenal! Loved the orecchiette pasta, and the cheese was so gooey and yummy. 5/5 stars all the way for the Mac and cheese! For my entree, I got the pan roasted scallops ($38), which were pretty yummy. It was tender. The scallops were on the smaller side and a little on the salty side. The risotto was solid - a little on the sour side. I tried my boyfriend's salt n peppa shrimp ($16) and the halibut ($38). The shrimp was average in my opinion. The halibut was the worst thing we ordered. It was small, dry, and overcooked.

Food was okay. We ordered their pan roasted sea scallops and wagyu steak burger. The scallops were a 10/10. The burger was decent but definitely not returning for it. The service was okay and parking lot is small. Ambiance is darkly light venue. Keep in mind if you sit in the patio there is street noise. We did return and the second visit we got their pan roasted halibut and 8 oz grilled skirt steak. I enjoyed both dish. The halibut could have used seasoning.

I went for happy hour which is 7 days a week! Cocktails are $8 and there are a few discounted food items. I enjoyed my drink and the ambiance and will be back!

Food was delicious, amazing ambiance and service! We ordered sashimi, calamari and the $55 set that comes with a soup or salad, prime ribs, salmon or pasta and a lava chocolate cake. The foood was so good! For sure I will come back!

Best burger I've maybe ever had & my Fiancés drink was really good too. Can't wait to come back and try the spicy tuna crispy rice and grilled meatloaf. Vibes kinda beach hipster you're gonna love it

Tried to update, at the end of the day, they want you in and out. Had I known they want to turn tables and mind you, we were there a while, but we kept ordering and moved to the bar. They just wanted us out for no reason that we could see. We'd been there in the past, had far less to drink when they kicked us out than we have ever had. The food, drinks and staff are amazing, just don't get too comfortable if Kelce (sp?) is working. You may be asked to abruptly leave. Thank you for the response, and that makes more sense since I did pay for 10 but had purchased 2 of those for the table sitting next to us. In the end, it could have been handled better was my point, and the fact we don't drive but Lyft when we go, which was never asked.

I love this dog loving environment. Service is amazing, cocktails are incredible...every one of their old fashions were perfect (tried three). Starters and meal were both excellent.

Food was incredible. I like basically the whole menu but top highlight is the fried chicken and also the spicy tuna crispy rice. It is as good as if you got it at a sushi place. They have great creative drinks. I ordered one drink and didn't like it, but I felt I didn't choose well - nothing was wrong with the drink. So I ordered a second one. They noticed I didn't touch my first drink and didn't charge me. The waitress was so nice :)) I love it here. Their little holiday drink was so cute

Mother's Day brunch at the Craft House was yummy. We had a bit of a a wait when we got there, even though we had a reservation. The fresh were mimosas great! I tried a pineapple/guava and It didn't disappoint, especially with a $6 price tag. Chiliquilas yum... the pork was done to perfection.

Came here for lunch and ordered the potato tacos appetizer was pretty big and tasted great, would order again! The Baja fish tacos were good but kind of small. The French fries were unfortunately not warm at all which was weird because the restaurant was not busy at all during the hour that we went. The cocktail menu seemed small compared to the menu shown on their website, but the drinks we ordered tasted good.

1st time here for brunch and we enjoyed our time here The food was excellent - the best Chilaquiles omg so good Def coming back for it when I'm in the area Service was friendly and accommodating I forgot our servers name but hes very accommodating Ambiance is nice very rustic nice decor and clean space

Happy Hour burger and beer is a great place to take friends. Such a deal. Good service too.

We tried the Craft House for Social hour. They have a fun, varied happy hour menu. We tried the carnitas and fish tacos that were both delicious, flavorful and good to share. We also tried the potato tacos on the recommendation of our waiter. They were crispy on the outside and soft, warm mashed potato goodness on the inside. We sat on the outside patio and our waiter, the bartender, was so nice and fun to chat with. I had the little b which may be my new favorite cocktail.

I love CH on Mondays because they have happy hour ALL day!! Great snacks and drinks and such a deal!! They are very dog friendly if you sit out on the patio and they have heaters so you don't have to freeze your buns off!

I've been coming here for a while, but never posted a review. The bartenders are incredible and the food is top notch. The social hour is a great deal - killer drink and food specials. You can't go wrong with anything on the menu as it is all done to perfection. A couple highlights are the spicy tuna crispy rice and the potato tacos, and the smash burger is so good! The outside patio is very nice and the bar is always fun but gets hard to find an open spot sometimes.

Came in for breakfast & will definitely be back! Ode to Avocado Toast! Thank you for this! Avocado Toast - As I take the first bite, the creamy avocado spread melts effortlessly onto the crisp, toasted sourdough bread, offering a buttery richness that is instantly comforting. The runny yolk from the egg cascades over the avocado with each bite, adding a velvety smoothness that complements the crunch of the toast. The subtle sweetness of the honey drizzle adds a delightful contrast, elevating the dish to new heights. With each bite, I savor the harmonious blend of creamy, savory, and sweet notes, making this avocado toast a breakfast experience to remember.

Service is always consistently good and the food is top notch! The whole wait staff and bar staff are friendly and are great people - I will continue to come back to this restaurant!

It's actually sad that I hope this restaurant goes out of business now for ripping people off. The food was very good and the service was exceptional. BUT $24 for a small margarita!? C'mon. Like my wife, I ordered the seasonal margarita but I asked if they could use a gold (signals not high-end) or reposada tequila instead of the jalapeño silver tequila. He said no problem, he had a reposada. C'mon...you up charge 50% for that??? A $16 margarita became $24 and I ordered two. Or why was the $6 randomly thrown on the two $21 reposada margaritas??? Can I get my shots of silver tequila then too that you seem to be charging for?? Ha. And $8 for a greasy little thin dog burger...fine, not the end of world, but we would have gotten him a chicken breast for same price. We had two chicken salads and 4 margaritas. With tip we walked out $190 lighter. Screw you restaurants who want to screw me. It's Dana Point not Dubai. Really? $190 for a quick Sunday night salad and cocktail.

Our group sat on the patio with our dogs and enjoyed the neighborhood restaurant vibe. Servers were friendly, welcoming, and helpful. Farmer's Market Burrata Salad was very tasty with fresh, quality ingredients - I would get this again. Prices are competitive.

We went to the dining side of Crafthouse for early dinner and we were the only diners. Most people went to the bar in the front. The food was delicious, the staff attentive and the music was cool! We tried the potato tacos, street corn both yummy appetizers. Also got the grilled meatloaf, fried chicken and Caesar salad all very tasty!

Best food, service, and bar in Orange County and beyond! Nate, Kate, Jeff, and Frank are the best bartenders in the business!! We eat and drink here multiple times a week. The fish tacos are amazing!!

Overall it was good, but nothing standout. The service was great, not rushing, very pleasant. The place is small but very welcoming. We started on the patio but the noise from PCH had us asking for a table inside in less than a minute. The food ranged from great to almost sending it back. The cocktails were very good. Street corn and salt and pepper shrimp were great. Potato tacos.... Not as memorable. Sea scallops and lemon risotto... the scallops were a little chewy, like 30 seconds overcooked, and the lemon risotto was more tomato than lemon. The halibut was overcooked to the point of being dry. I considered sending it back but we were close enough to full that it wasn't worth it. The butter cake was also very good. Overall, we had a very nice unhurried date night but it was otherwise nothing to write home about.

Craft House is a petite and tasty food addition to the Dana Point restaurant scene. Decor is an industrial, wood-focused, Gastropub vibe with some really delicious menu items. I'm going say flat-out, I really want them to bring back the posole fries because they had some of the most delicious gravy I've had outside of my mothers kitchen! The food prices have definitely increased since they opened, so this is not going to be a cheap dinner, and they do happy hour with some very tasty food and drink options. The cocktails are on-point and well mixed, and they have a very nice wine and liquor selection. Service is quick and knowledgable. I recommend making recommendations as it is a very small footprint and has a tiny bar area. Reservations book up really quickly especially at prime times. Parking is also tricky as they have a limited valet lot and street parking is incredibly limited in that area so plan ahead. Overall, it is a restaurant that we have come back to on a number of occasions, and will continue to do so.

First time here with friends and it was delicious. The service was great and the overall atmosphere was nice. Looking forward to coming back!

Social hour menu items we ordered all get 5 stars House Salad Carnitas Tacos Smash Burger Service was outstanding Fast and friendly Drinks, good and reasonably Priced

Disappointing. Friday night, not busy nor late enough for horrible service. Took the server over 15 minutes to greet us after he already took the order of women who were sat after us ...and he only said hello because we were standing up to leave... He had poor attitude and didn't seem to care or concerned that we were leaving as he didn't even apologize. The bathroom walk way was a fire hazard, the walkways in general were bad filled with chairs and people crowded in the way. We were thrilled looking at the pictures videos and reviews at this place, but underwhelmed and dissatisfied is an understatement to say the least , we are now at Hennessys down the street and instantly got served upon arrival so don't waste ur time go to Hennessys :)

Solid food and good drinks! The servers were nice and the food was good. I'd come back for ambiance but the butter cake was the favorite.

Best happy hour place Best drink Food is ok Good service Good ambiance I will back

My husband and I had dinner here before catching the Ohana Festival this past weekend. Everything we had was so delicious! My husband is still raving about the spicy tuna crispy rice appetizer. Food and service were great and I'm grateful they don't use seed oils. Instead, they fry their food in beef tallow and cook in olive oil. Thanks for being so conscious of food quality!

Came here for a couple cocktails and apps, what a sweet establishment! We were greeted by the host Izzy, she was so sweet to us and accommodated our table request. It always makes a difference when you're greeted with warm energy! Another shout out to our waitress Sofie! You both made the experience better so thank you! Food was really good and came out super quick.

Great environment, great food and wonderful service. Sophia was our server and she was absolutely incredible. Can't wait to come back!

My guess is that they don't need the business. Reason being, they have no parking! Can we park next door at some random closed-down business? Who knows because there are no signs! Super frustrating. They lost my business tonight because of how difficult it was to find parking. I went to a different restaurant with a party of 3 and we spent lots and lots of money.

Sat on the bar at the little community table, bartender super kind and attentive. $5.00 champagne Had the burrata salad again this visit- I just love it!!!! Next time I may ask for just spinach though. We did try the chicken sandwich it was tasty as well. We would have preferred to sit out on the patio, but assuming you are short handed and that's why we couldn't sit out in one of the many open tables.

Pretty punk about Craft House these days... We used to love it. Now? Meh... The back Patio (set up during COVID) is a sloped parking lot party room that has zero ambiance and then when we get to sit inside these days - which we DID get tonight but it was sooooo loud and the barking dogs! Egads. Not only has it lost its feel... what happened to the food quality and taste? -3 U10 Scallops for $38 with some undercooked risotto... (MAYBE U10?) -Chowder not up to prior par (Son used to want this and only this for dinner) - Meatloaf - portion size appears to be about 60-70% the size from before - And... calamari... $18 - First drop was cold and not cooked through and doughy - and we asked for it to be replaced... it looked like they refired the same portion and delivered it back out to us. (portion size was off and no salt on the refire) I think we may be done... Makes me sad - It feels to us that the formula has changed, and we can tell.

First time patron. I got there during their "social hour" (happy hour for everyone else) and sat at the bar. I ordered their potato tacos, crispy tuna rice, fries, Brussels sprouts, salt and pepper shrimp and shishito peppers. All were very tasty. I think the potato tacos stood out for me as the tastiest and best value. The cocktails were really well done. Frank was the mixologist serving the bar when we first arrived. He does an excellent job. The next person taking over the next shift did a great job as well. If you haven't tried this place it's definitely worth a try. The restaurant is nice but if I could give notes to the management to make this place a great spot, it would have to be to adjust the lighting and sound. First the lighting, put the open edison bulbs on a dimmer, change out the recessed bulbs for 2700k, 40 degree spot lights vs floor lights. These two small changes wouldn't cost more than $200 and would dramatically elevate the look and feel of the restaurant. Currently it has the lighting of ... think end of the night when you're trying to get everyone to leave and you turn on all the light to the brightest setting. There's nothing sexy about it and you're probably missing out a date nights because of it. Next the sound, the music should be a bit louder to add more to the ambiance as well as adding a simple powered subwoofer would help fill the space and make the system seem much more expensive. With that said... don't let this stop you from trying it. If it had to rate the place... Food 5 stars Cocktails 5 stars Ambiance 3 stars but hurt largely by the two comments above because the lighting would be rated as a 2 stars. Again, don't let it stop you. Just my suggestions to make a good place much better.

Came for drinks and appetizers and to enjoy the beautiful weather outside on the patio. There are two patios, one on the front of the restaurant facing the street if you enjoy seeing the lights off of PCH and another back patio if you enjoy a more secluded dining spot with a beautiful plant wall. We love greenery so we opted for the back patio and thoroughly enjoyed our time. My husband and friend both got old fashioneds since Craft House is known for these and they both said they were excellent. I opted for the Jala Back which is like a spicy margarita with notes of jalapeño, pineapple, and cucumber, plus what tasted like tajin on top. We tried multiple items on the menu, of which the highlights were the birria tacos and the tuna on crispy rice. 10/10 would recommend those two apps! We also shared the chicken sliders which I loved and the Chile verde fries which my husband loved. The birria egg roll was good but tbh the birria tacos were better as the tortillas allow for a better dip in the consume and crema whereas the egg rolls are already so saturated in grease that they aren't as conducive to soaking up the delicious consume. The chocolate with cream and fleur de sel was good but the butter cake stole the show. Who knew such an unassuming dessert could be so decadent? The drizzle of raspberry helped cut through the rich butteriness of the cake. Overall a memorable meal in a beautiful setting with attentive and friendly staff made this a restaurant we would recommend!

This is a terrific restaurant in Dana Point. Great outdoor seating but feels like it is leaning a bit (or maybe it is an optical illusion). The food was top-notch - compliments to the chef. We started with the Salt and Pepper Shrimp and Birria Egg Rolls. The shrimp was delicious with a couple nice dipping sauces. The egg rolls were so good. Given how popular birria has become, it was fun to see a creative approach to it. The craft burger was decent. The scallops were beyond delicious. I will have that again. We ended our meal with the butter cake. This is just wow. It is better than Mastros. On the drinks, they have a nice selection of cocktails and a few decent beers. Wine list needs some work. We tried a couple beers this time. No question, we will be back.

Hit and miss. It used to be really good but over the last year the quality and service has gone down. It's not bad, but I'm gonna pass. It doesn't feel local any more and more to tourist passing through.