Ironwood

8/1/25: We went to this lastnight for a Caymus wine dinner. It was a very fun evening. The food pairing was spot on and not disappointing at all, so delicious! Thanks for maintaining the high quality consistency and creativities! ### This is the gem in our neighborhood, we have been many times but I decided to write up. Food in general is very good, very consistent, high quality and freshly cooked, cooked perfectly, great taste and flavors. I had tasted their meatball many years ago n thought was good but not great. However, I tasted again tonight, it was damn delicious. Great flavors, right texture, great taste. The sauce was bright tomatoes but well balanced without too acidic. My salmon was very good. Salmon was cooked perfectly, well seasoned and moist, and flaming hot. The couscous with cauliflower was cooked perfectly and refreshing. Service is always fantastic. We had been to their sisters Bloom and Sapphire but this restaurant is still our favorite 🧡.

Ironwood is a popular restaurant that offered a large selection for dinner. Our first visit included the wedge salad, fried green tomatoes, chicken schnitzel and their house specialty giant meatball. The meal was enjoyable, but would not say it's a 5 star meal. No complaints, as the service was fine and the atmosphere a bit noisy but also fine. Definitely a good restaurant for the neighborhood and a step above the nice chains, and would go back if we are in Laguna Hills/ Lake Forest again.

Absolutely love the food and the atmosphere! Upscale look with great pricing and huge portions! The staff is always friendly and professional!

Waited a long time to check this place out and it didn't disappoint. I got the char and it was fantastic. Great vibe and service. Went back again today and the max and cheese was divine and the schnitzel is a massive dish, just bring a ready stomach. Great service and down to earth Midwest vibe.

I founded my new neighbor nice restaurant. There is red wine of pappion... New Design restaurant and foods so good. I will be again every weeks. I strongly recommend rib eye steak !!! Not Classic but awesome !!! Enjoy for dinner here !!!

From the moment you walk in, the atmosphere is awesome. The staff are friendly, you can see the bar, the chefs and the dining room right as you walk in. Everything is clean. Upscale but not uptight. I saw someone in flip flops and a tee shirt but most people were dressed nicer. Drink menu amazing, food menu Oh'so good. Come try this place!

Our office had a celebration here last night and we really enjoyed the experience. The food was fabulous and the service was spot on. A nice comfortable summer evening on the patio. Highly recommend and we will be returning for future events!

I'll start by saying the food was very good. The kitchen did a great job. The chicken schnitzel was crisp and thin. The vegetables and spaetze were perfectly cooked. The vegetable pasta was very delicious. The portions were large. On the negative side, the wedge salad was a zero. Now, on to the service. We sat at our table for 15 minutes before anyone took our drink order. Then, it was another 15 minutes before I flagged down the manager to get our food order in. After another 15 minutes, I had to ask where our wedge salad was? The kitchen never got our order. The manager did comp our salad and offered us a free dessert to his defense. Don't sit at the high top tables. Your knees will bang into the center support. Very poor design for a table to dine at.

Came here on a very busy Saturday night and was absolutely blown away by the service, being that it was a super busy night! Let me explain--We had reservations at 7:30 but had to wait just a little bit longer than that because previous table was taking a little longer to close out check, but the manager kept assuring us that it would be any minute. I love the fact that the manager was checking in on us and making sure that we knew he was acknowledging us and that we were waiting. he even brought us a round of drinks to apologize for waiting, which I thought was very high class! The ambiance was pretty cozy with a mix of liveliness and casual at the same time. When we got seated, our server came right on over and helped answer any questions that we had.‌ Since I had celiac, I informed her, and she was very knowledgeable and knew exactly what could be done gluten-free and if she didn't know, she said she would ask the chef which I appreciated! The food was superb and the drinks were delicious, but the star of the show was definitely that special, the halibut! I had it slightly modified and had the gluten-free mashed potatoes with it, but the sauce that they used was absolutely delicious and divine, and I'm literally salivating just thinking about it again. Overall, the service was so amazing and felt so friendly and welcoming that I would go back in a heartbeat. This was our first time trying this restaurant out and it definitely won't be our last, highly recommending to give this place a shot if you've never been!

We really wanted to like this place because the vibes were wonderful, inside and outside patio. Very chill and sophisticated SoCal atmosphere and some decent views from patio. The service wasn't bad but I remember having to wait a while to get any service after food arrived and it was a week night right before the rush. However, the food wasn't great. The duck wings were soo dry and seemed like they were reheated from the weekend or old. My husbands lamb shank wasn't that flavorful and it did not fall off the bone as it should. My ribeye was way overcooked and lacking freshness. Took so long to get service after food arrived that it was too late to get a new one. The manager apologized and took the steak off but still a place like this should know how to cook a simple steak the first time!

We love this place! Despite it being in Laguna Niguel, we drive from Huntington Beach to go here, because the food is always great, the specials are always very creative, and the service is outstanding. Touraj always greets us at the door with a smile, and we are seated quickly. Brooke is often our server and we think shes amazing, though irrespective of which server you have, the team works efficiently together to quickly get what you want. The ambiance is a great mix of lively but never loud. Our favs tend to be the seasonally customized agnolotti for the appetizers, and for mains, chicken schnitzel with spaetzel for my wife, I tend to have whatever the special is, and we often have the brownie with ice cream for dessert. Drinks are also really great and if they dont have a cocktail on the menu that you like, they will make something to your taste. We have probably been here well over 10 times and its always so great. We will be back!!

The food was delicious and the ambience + lighting was cozy. Our greeter and server were both very sweet. The place was great!

We went last night when it opened. The Fried Green Tomatoes, Lamb Shank and Chilean Seabass was perfectly prepared! The Oatmeal Crumble was to die for! Kudos to the Chef. I deducted one star for service. For a restaurant like this, I expected the service to be top notch, especially when they just opened. The server was very pleasant. He wasn't attentive. He didn't take off the wine glasses when we didn't order wine. Our entrees were served without clean utensils. We had to ask for it. The used plates were not removed from the table when the entrees were presented. The to go containers were very cheap-didn't close on the top. No bag given. Service certainly didn't match up to the food! I will be back only for the food but will expect the same type of service we just got last night.

We had another fantastic experience at Ironwood! The host welcomed us with a kind gesture of complimentary ravioli, which tasted absolutely amazing. We really appreciate their hospitality. We love their schnitzel with vegetables, it's always perfectly cooked and flavorful. I'm usually not a fan of chicken, but their chicken schnitzel completely won me over! It was crispy, tender, and so delicious. To top it all off, he also surprised us with a dessert, making the evening even more special. Highly recommend this place for both the food and the warm atmosphere!

After my last experience and review, I was contacted by management and clealry, they care about their customers, because they value their business. I met a friend of mine last night for dinner in Ironwood and my dinning experience was as good as it always used to be. Touraj and the staff made sure everything was superb. It is great to know that local restaurant keeps their quality and values their customers. I am looking forward to my next visit.

I am glad to be able to share with you a dining option located in the southern reaches of Orange County that will be worth your consideration. Ironwood is located just off of Highway 5 just north of Mission Viejo and is located a strip mall of sorts. While many of the shops there appear to have settled in a few years, Ironwood appears to be one of the more updated businesses that occupy this location with a modernized feel inside and out. Dining options include both indoor and outdoor tables with ample room for parties to enjoy good conversation with a little space. One thing that will be very noticeable is that it is not a national type chain with very friendly staff who were very good at their craft. Our server, Lexie, was very attentive, polite and made every effort to ensure the experience was exceptional. The folks here very much work as a team with service and friendliness their underlying goals. The menu is pretty diverse with surf and turf options along with a few more casual offerings. The list of their wine options covers the preferences of most all wine consumers with impressive options for wine enthusiasts. To start, my friend and I settled with a half dozen oysters and their "duck wings." The oysters were a single variety and were served with the traditional accents. Very fresh and good sized. The duck wings appear to be crowd favorites as almost every table we saw had a plate of their own. Served with four wings, they were extremely tender with a crisp edge. I would consider them as having a hint of sweetness, rather than savory, and something I would order again. For my entrée, I ordered a Halibut dish that was topped with a subtle sauce and was served on a medley of vegetables that were cooked to perfection. The combination of all mixed very well and if the pictures provided make the entrée appear to be large, it's because it was. The Halibut was cooked perfectly as well. My friend enjoyed the Schnitzel which was a healthy serving topped with a sauce and, also served on a bed of cooked vegetables. I was able to sample this as well and I would consider it a winner with a little salt as it had a slight sweetness to it. The prior reviews had Ironwood rated at close to 5 stars and I support the rating. On this occasion, it had a steady stream of patrons and many appeared to be regulars based upon my conversation with some. Its popularity is well placed as the entrees that came out of the kitchen looked extremely inviting and if they tasted anything like ours, I will not hesitate to return for another opportunity to enjoy their other offerings. This was a great find for me and I encourage you to stop in to have your own delightful discovery in the southern end of town. Bon Appetite!

I recently visited this traditional American restaurant for the second time, two years after my first visit. The service remains impeccable, and the food is consistently good. Remarkably, the dishes recommended by the server were exactly the same as my first visit: their signature duck leg and pasta. It's impressive how their menu and quality have remained steady over the years. I highly recommend trying these dishes out.

This is a great place if you are looking for a great time while enjoying high quality food and services! The owner is a very professional and nice person along with top notch food and great ambiance! You can't go wrong with this place! 10/10 recommended

We can't get enough of the outstanding food and service at Ironwood. Touraj is truly amazing and always makes us feel welcomed at the restaurant. We dine at Ironwood 1-2 times a month and have had the most consistent pleasant experience at every visit, which is why we continue to come back. Thank you all for being a neighborhood gem!!

Such a wonderful experience! We had reservations and from the minute we walked in to being seated, everything was fantastic! They had delicious drinks, the bartender really knew how to make special unique drinks and the server was very knowledgeable about the food, including food allergies! Food was delicious and came out perfectly timed and cooked! We had the agnolotti, wedge salad and the halibut, the burger and the salmon! We also had the Nutella ice cream with cake for dessert! Everything was phenomenal! The ambiance was great, very comfortable and classy at the same time! We will most definitely be back! The manager even came by to check on us several times and ensured we were having a wonderful experience! Can't rave more about this place!

The staff were amazing. After leaving a note on my reservation letting them know that it was our anniversary and they brought us complimentary sparking rose and congratulated us. The portion sizes for our meal were huge. The only drawbacks for us was that they sat us in the middle of the walk way and I needed to grab a jacket to put over my wife's legs as she was cold. Luckily there wasn't as much traffic near us as I thought. They wrapped up our night by serving us a surprise ice cream they tasted like apple strudel. I think we've found one of our new favorite local spots.

We decided to come here last minute to celebrate our anniversary and it did not disappoint! We made reservations on open table and I noted we were celebrating. Service 10/10 - from getting greeted to getting seated, to just service all around, it was a very nice experience. Our hostess, our waitress, the folks that brought out our food or picked up plates, everyone that we interacted with was wonderful. We felt seen and cared for, and it was nice to have people wish us a happy anniversary. Not to mention, they sat us at a booth with a nice Mountain View! Food 8/10 average. Ok, don't want you to take that wrong, but their main menu items were fantastic. The burrata, the meatball, the oysters ... delicious! However, we went with the meat special (bison short rib) and it really was sub par. It as dry and the vegetables were underwhelming. But it's alright, it was still ok. Creme brûlée they surprised us with at the end, it was so incredibly sweet (no pun intended). However note back to the chef, part of the sugar was very burnt and bitter. I didn't want to say anything because it was a sweet gesture.. Anyway, regardless it was the first time my husband and I have dined here together and we most definitely will be returning. Thank you for such a wonderful evening!!

Stopped at the Tesla charging station down the way, wasn't in the mood for weinerschnitzels or Mickey ds.... Ended up walking up that big hill to get here but it was well worth it! Walked in, got seated righted away on a Friday night around 8:30. Very warm ambience, perfect for a date night. Dijana, our server was amazing! Very knowledgeable of the menu, and recommended the wild mushroom soup as a starter ( ) Jidori chicken (green sauce was next level) and the lamb shank. The chef definitely delivered! Food was very high quality, with a lovely presentation. If you're in this area I would definitely recommend stopping here. They are highly reviewed for a reason! Hopefully I'm back in the area soon or on my next trip to San Diego I'll pop in!

This has become my #1 Orange County Restaurant. Every time I go, I make a reservation and bring at least 12 friends of mine, sometimes more. Its always the most delicious food, I love it, that Schnitzel is so exceptional, I can't order anything else. Their "fried green apples" are also excellent. The atmosphere is lovely, and you could see the chefs cooking in the kitchen. Johnny takes care of us every time, and is as fast as lightening getting all our dinners delivered at the same time, taking our orders, and making exceptions. Coty, a Partner/Manager is a real sweetheart, so kind and accommodating to my large party, she has always been exceptional, and made us feel so welcome at the Ironwood. Thank you to all of you!!!

Had dinner last night. Very good and love the atmosphere. Kind of mountain chic. Stone and wood. The doors were open and there was a lovely breeze. The watermelon panzanella was good but it's not traditional in that the bread is croutons and not soaked stale bread. Burger, halibut and lamb shank all were very good. A little light on the salt so having some on the table would be nice. We were too full for dessert. Lamb shank is incredibly tender. Eat more lamb folks.

Had a wonderful evening out with my wife at Ironwood Cellars in Laguna Hills. We had reservations for 5:30 p.m. and arrived early. We were greeted by Joe, the manager on duty, who was very kind, professional, and welcoming. Art was our server and is amazingly gifted in customer service professionalism and overall people skills. Yes, showing the love. We started with tequilla drinks from the bar, and we each had a wedge salad. Joe sent us over a wonderful Agnolotti appetizer as well, which was more than kind. The ambiance was positive and upbeat, perfect for the evening. Sergio was also quite attentive in making sure our table was serviced properly. We ordered our entrees with my wife having the halibut dinner, and I had the famous giant meatball dish. Both meals were hot & tasty and presented well. We had a terrific time, and Art surprised us with a complimentary dessert with berries. The restaurant is so nice and offers an outdoor patio and bar seating as well. The wine list is extensive, as are the craft beers. Highly recommended.

Good things come in small packages. I love little restaurants that create delicious food and wonderful service. And here did not disappoint. We started with a lovey bottle of wine. Looking through the starters we had to make the most difficult decision, what to order. We went with the Fresh Burrata Alla Pana. I did a happy dance after every bite. With the Halibut off the menu for the season I went with the Housemade Giant Meatball, which our server said was a menu staple. The meatball did not disappoint. The homemade parpadelle pasta was a little too al dente for my liking. And to end the evening in honor of my birthday we went with the Creme brûlée, which was so smooth and the perfect balance of sweetness. Our server was very attentive and so was the rest of the staff. I drink a ton of water and my glass was never empty. If you prefer a quieter experience I would suggest sitting on the patio and yes they have heaters. Cheers!

First time coming in with some friends a few weeks ago. Service was amazing! The wagyu burger was oh so delicious. Only thing I wasn't too impressed by was the drinks, everything else was 10/10. Will be back soon.

I was so impressed with this place. All the food we ordered was really good, big portions and flavorful. My favorite was the fried tomatoes. If there's one thing to point out is that the food came out room temperature, not hot. Service was very good, friendly and knowledgeable. They whole staff was very nice on the way out since we were second to last. Cute, rustic place. Nothing special. Smaller than I thought, decent patio. This is one of many locations throughout Orange County but they are named differently.

I have been to Ironwood many times but last night my meal was outstanding. Last nights special was a marinated skirt steak served with a wine reduction, broccolini and fingerling potatoes. I forgot to take a picture of my entree because it was so delicious. The portion was large and I managed to eat most of it. The service was friendly and we were given ample room to enjoy. I also had a dirty martini with blue cheese stuffed olives that hit the spot. My husband had the giant meatball which is his go-to, and an old fashioned. This place is a little pricey but we treat ourselves once in a while.

My first time here and I have to say I was impressed. I took a chance on the lamb and was impressed. Every dish looked and tasted phenomenal...the staff is friendly, ambiance is relaxed and high end. Prices aren't cheap but it felt worth it 100%.

Lovely luxurious date night last night relaxing in a cushy booth being served sensationally by Shayna. Everyone, from the hostess to the food runners to our server Shayna were upbeat, smiling, and accommodating. Kudos to the "back of the house/chefs" for providing perfectly prepared dishes for us to enjoy. We will be returning soon.

I haven't been a consistent customer here but to the times I have eaten here it's been amazing! The food was purely fresh! I love the vegetables your given with your dish, it's like farm to table! From the times I do remember going, my family and I always like seating outside. Of course you have the view of the street but it's all about just having fresh air and enjoying the meal. Nothing bad to say. Go give it a try! Enjoy!

Was here with a friend, last week. I ordered the salmon, and it was super tasty and perfect! The customer service was a delight! This classy place didn't disappoint. The Mac n cheese skillet was a hit! Do make reservations on OpenTable! Highly recommend! Will most definitely return!

I had my first date night in many, many moons at Ironwood last night so I was ready to have a good time. And it delivered! We ordered the duck wings and fried green tomatoes to start, and after adding a little salt ourselves (which the waiter was gracious about) they were great. $22 for wings is a little painful but honestly if you're going out to a place with real candles on the table, it's best to let your eyes glaze over at the prices. I also got a Sauvignon blanc ($14) and a gin cocktail called the Ginbo Slice ($15.50). Both were good! For entrees, my husband got the wagyu burger, which he said was excellent. I stole some fries because they looked delish and lo and behold ... they were. I got the chicken schnitzel because my name is Heidi and I have to order schnitzel whenever it's offered. It was SO GOOD. The spaetzle was under seasoned, but that was easily fixed. The vegetables were perfectly cooked, too. Service was super friendly and helpful -- shoutout to Garrett -- and the ambiance was pretty cozy. Overall, a good time was had by all.

I hosted my birthday party here for a group of 15. I set up the reservation online and asked for the seating that I wanted. I called to confirm the day before and everything had been arranged already. When my party and I arrived, the table was already set up and we were seated right away. They were really busy so be sure to make reservations before going, especially for larger parties. We ordered a bunch of appetizers. We started with Duck Wings, Mac and Cheese, Burrata, Brussel Sprouts, Foccaccia Bread, and some people got soup as well. Wow, the appetizers did not disappoint. Everything was delicious. We were almost full when the dinners arrived. I had the Giant Meatball. I was sure that this meatball wouldn't be "that" big, but I was wrong. Not only was it really giant, it was amazing. It was the best meatball I've ever had. I had to take more than half home with me. Other people ordered a variety of things including the chicken schnitzel, wagyu burger, salmon, lamb shank, and the ribeye steak. Everyone loved their food and had plenty left to take home as well. For dessert I got the Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Crumble and it was the perfect ending to a truly delicious meal. My friends also tried the Creme Brule and loved that as well. It was a wonderful birthday celebration thanks to Ironwood. The service was impeccable and I will definitely be returning in the future to enjoy more of their menu items.

Excellent choice with very good menu and great quality. Highly recommend as top choice in the area

Starting with the service--Touraj graciously greeted us and offered a choice of indoor or patio. Being a lovely evening we chose the patio. Our server, Brooke along with a server in training, Diego, took care - just enough service without being overly solicitous. Touraj brought us an hors d'oeuvre on the house. And then--have you ever had a 1lb meatball? I did! The sauce was exquisite. My hubs had the waygu beef burger cooked perfectly, rare--of course! Next up-sharing an oatmeal cookie crumble recommended by Diego. After, we will waddle off to our hotel room and sleep soundly with our full bellies.

This place has had the best service, food, atmosphere and especially drinks every single time I have come. The food is excellent and especially love how certain dishes can be found at their sister restaurants like Sapphire and Oléa, and vice a versa. Best foods: Brussels sprouts, DUCK WINGS, and I even love just their focaccia bread with butter... oh! and their lightly fried squash blossoms with roccata cheese, the best! Shout out Jake behind the bar; best bartender just like in general!

Very good quality food, variety of the menu is good, we ordered steaks and several starters and they were all good. Staff were friendly and attentive. Highly recommend it

Wonderful date night spot. Amazing food, superb service. We showed up two hours early for a reservation and they made sure that we had a nice table and relaxing dinner. Dinner was amazing I preferred the being s and the salmon. This place will not disappoint

Service was great but food was super disappointing . We ordered the following items: -Brussels Sprouts (really good minus being over drenched in oil) -Focaccia Bread (good) -Mac and cheese (good but really rich heavy cream/butter) -Corn soup (I sent it back, tasted spoiled and sour) -Aggniolate pumpkin (good, but again doused in oil) -Fried Chix sandwich (eh, decent flavor I've had way better this one just didn't do it for me) -Giant Meatball (super bland and the sauce was not good I took two bites and pushed it to the side). Bummer. Won't go back.

This place is incredible. Appetizers, main entrées, desserts, cocktails, my entire family enjoyed every single plate of food we ate. Highlights for us were the lamb shakes and the brownie with the Nutella ice cream. I'll be thinking about this meal for a while. Wait staff was also very nice and accommodating

Ironwood on weekends a reservation is advised else you will likely wait. Weekdays are only a bit better but be advised this place is very popular. I almost regret writing this because this is a favorite place and the more we talk about it the busier it may be and the more difficult for my family it may become. The food is excellent and this also matched the service. There are several sections; the sports bar, the front and the back sections. The back section is the quietest, the bar is the loudest, so choose your area to your specs and you will have a great time.

Our visit to Ironwood was fantastic. Touraj, the operating partner, welcomed us with a complimentary appetizer, setting a great tone. Our waitress, Dajana, was attentive and made sure we were happy throughout the meal. The food was amazing as always. We highly recommend this place!

Ribeye - better steak than skirt steak, nothing special. Skirt steak - it was my favorite steak cut. Service - good Ambiance - romantic, great for date night.

Love this place! Best hidden gem in South County. Started off with oysters on the half shell. Then had a whole second order along with the Myers lemon duck wings. The glazing was perfect. The meat was tender and flavorful. Rounded out the evening with the 45 day dry aged ribeye, which had a perfect pairing of Glaze and sauce. The wedge salad was absolutely perfect and the portions were enough to take home for late night snack

Had our late Xmas dinner with friends here tonight and we had a great tome The food was delicious, very tasty and all made to order Service was great thanks to our server Shana and Lexie they're both friendly and accommodating to us Ambiance is on point, cozy and homie... Def coming back here again when I'm in the area

We came here for date night. This was our second time visiting Ironwood because of the delicious ribeye steak. We both ordered the bone-in ribeye, which came with sides. The texture, cooking temperature, seasoning, and juiciness of the steak was perfect. Satisfactory portion size. It could be shared between two people if you'd like. In addition, the crispy Meyer lemon and honey duck wings are a must! The craft cocktails are delightful. We got the Gimbo Slice. Everything looked clean, the staff was friendly, and the service was excellent. You get your money's worth. Lastly, the ambiance was enjoyable!

This is a new local favorite of mine. We came for a small birthday meal with friends and enjoyed the California inspired food and wine selection. I had the filet minon, she had the burger, they had the rib eye. The veggies and side blue cheese mashed potatoes are heavenly. The ambiance is like a step into modern wine country and there's a sense of family inside. Very comforting. The staff is equally inviting and friendly as well. Thank you for the good times, can't wait to come back for more!

Always enjoy the food and service at Ironwood. We usually go for dinner and dessert. There are limited vegetarian options and they could add some more plant based dishes. That said, there are some tasty salads. Sitting outside with the heaters is nice on cooler evenings. Service has been solid.

Just tried this spot for a second time. Both times through really exceeded my expectations. Lexi is an amazing asset to your concept. And forgive me, the second bartender I met... I forget his name. Fit, bald gentleman with a one arm tattoo sleeve. Both were absolutely amazing. I wish every restaurant in the area had people like them. The food here is great, and the drinks are better. But the service, your people, are top tier. I'm actually looking forward to coming in more often. Cheers.

Had a great time here! The ambiance is very fun and the food is good. I ordered the meatballs and they were huge and very filling. Would definitely recommend this place.

Wonderful service and chicken schnitzel is out of this works! Love this place manager is so friendly

Man what a great experience we had last night. Started off with the Mac and Cheese and Pork Belly Brussel Sprouts. Amazing! We also ordered an Old-Fashioned and it was absolutely delicious! Very well made. For dinner we ordered the Lamb Shanks which were cooked perfectly and the Halibut was so delicious. For dessert, must get the brownie and the oatmeal cookie crumble sundae. I'm bummed I didn't get any pictures but an absolutely perfect meal on a rainy day. Will definitely be back!

It's good but, nothing to brag about the place. The food & service is fairly competitive but, there's better place to consider. Good experience but, it's just ok.

Great place for casual and intimate setting. Food was very unique and tasty. Service was quick and server Madison was awesome.