Native Son OC

It's an adequate place for a quick bite and a drink but nothing more. The wine is stale and food offerings are limited and not delicious. Service was fine though far too familiar with each other, not professional and doing the minimum. You need to take stairs to reach it. They do have an outside rooftop hangout with fire.

I love it her since I first discovered it years back. They have a vast variety of ipa and hazy beer. The view is great to drink and vibe. My favorite thing to do is drink and watch how many cars blow through the stop sign in front of the place. Also their fries are good.

The vibes are always good at Native Sons, as lomg as they dont have super loud bassy songs blasting, you might catch me oussidee. Lol People are chill here, great seltzers and their native fries are bomb af! And they are also super chill with our doggie, always made sure he was given a doghie water bowl, without even asking. Our local spot just to chill and unwind. Never change, Native Sons!

Cool place. Good beers and lots of variety in selection. I heard it gets pretty loud on the weekends on account of the DJ, so might be cool if you're into that sort of thing. Otherwise, I had a good time.

My go-to for a brew in Santa Ana. Amazing selection of local and regional beers, super friendly and laid-back staff, and a convenient location with a great terrace patio and a few TVs. Happy hour and regularly scheduled beer-focused events seal the deal.

Don’t freely give 5star great reviews - but my family and I love this rooftop bar and restaurant. They have delicious craft cocktails, 20+ craft beer rotating handles and they brew their own beer, brewery is in DTLA! Try their Mexican lager El dojo or IPA circle boy! They have monthly food specials with pasta, burgers, chicken sandwiches, cheese plates, crab cakes, BLT’s, grilled cheese, and burritos with “pig sauce”! Their kitchen is full of creative items. Their Saturday and Sunday brunch is fire and open around 10am. Attentive staff, friendly and knowledgeable. Bottomless mimosas and brunch cocktails. Friendly chill vibes during the week and lively community on Friday and Saturday evenings. They also have fun events and all you can eat BBQs during the holidays: Labor Day, 4th of July and Memorial Day. Safe, family friendly, and enjoyable. Live music and DJ’s on weekends. Don’t walk, run! Love this bar.

After a bad experience I decided to come back and give the good Native bar a try. I have to shoutout Kennedy for being such a wonderful Bartender and keep. She was very attentive and was very respectful to my lady. That impression can go a long way. I had a few beers and a wonderful Pisco Sour. Ambiance was very nice as well. I love loved that they had a huge selection of Saint Patrick Day decorations ! ☘️ Kennedy you rock ! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

The bartender was great ! He made great drink suggestions and was very hospitable. The Friday night DJ!! Wow ! So fun and his interaction with us was cool too ! Great music and the ambiance was amazing! Great place to celebrate a birthday !!

Just got back from Native Son and wow... this place seriously delivered. The rooftop vibes alone are worth the trip--such a cool, laid-back atmosphere with great music and an awesome view of downtown Santa Ana. I had their Nashville hot chicken sandwich and it was next level--crispy, spicy, juicy... everything you want it to be. We ordered a couple of different dishes and we ended up just sharing everything because it was all so good. The cocktails are unreal. Super creative and perfectly mixed! I had an AsomBroso tequila-based one (of course ) and it hit just right. You can tell the bartenders know what they're doing. Service was friendly and fast, even with the place being pretty packed. It just felt like a fun, easy night out with great food and drinks. 10/10 would recommend--can't wait to go back!

keep the dippppppppppp dips are the best please dont get rid of them i come here just for the spinach dip and the sexy bartenders

We've been coming to Native Son for years, and it's always been a fun spot, but lately, the service has gone downhill. We sat at the bar and totally understood that there was only one bartender, so we were patient. We waited about 25 minutes before being helped, which we didn't mind--what upset us was watching the bartender serve multiple people who had just walked up, even though we were clearly next. When we finally got our turn, he took our order and made our drinks, but when we closed out, he practically threw the handheld payment device at us. The whole experience felt cold and dismissive. I don't know if the culture there has shifted or if we were being discriminated against, but it was disappointing and annoying. I believe our bartender's name was Luis, not 100% sure though. Hoping this place turns things around because it used to be great. SERVICE: 1/5 we've been served by almost everyone and no one is that nice, only Jim and Brock. DRINKS: 3/5 tastes good enough PRICES: 2/5 the prices on the menu never match up with your bill, and there's an auto 10% which they used to not mention. It's confusing to know how much to tip.

A chill spot with drinks that aren't overly pricey and taste great. Well balanced and not overly sweet. The music isn't so damn loud no one can talk. Love that it's above The Frida. Can watch a movie after lol. Hope to come again and be outside on the balcony.

I have been a fan of Native Son for years now and although I'm not what you would call a regular I go through periods where I frequent often because the atmosphere is fun and welcoming, and their rooftop patio is perfect during the summer (4th of July Party is fun!) and they have great beer/cocktail selections plus their food is decent considering they are a bar. Last night was different though, we walked in and ordered a pitcher. The bartender wasn't necessarily rude but he also wasn't welcoming, while I was processing payment I noticed they implemented a "10% service charge applied to provide our staff with a living wage" Cool I'm all for fair wages and still tipped 20%. As we were enjoying our first glass we got a "15-minute warning" that they'll be closing from the bartender. So we try to hurry with the first beer and pour the second glass. Then we get the "5 min warning" so here we are chugging our $40 pitcher in 15 minutes while getting warnings like we are school kids during recess. A heads-up while we were ordering would've been nice. Not the experience I am used to and it just left a sour taste in my mouth. Unfortunately I will not be back.

Parking available in structure or meters on street. Go upstairs for a beautiful rooftop experience. Friendly bartenders that will make your evening special. Come for the view, ambiance, and fun!

My friends and I have been coming here for years and it truly feels like home. We love everything about it and always have a good time. Food is great, we usually get the chicken tenders and fries. The service is exceptional, bartender Brandon is always a pleasure to be seen and served by.

0 stars if possible! As a REAL native of OC, born and raised in Santa Ana. Avoid this place at all cost. From leaking ceilings to employees who walk around with entitlement and judgment against Hispanic minority. Where a place that's suppose to be a judgmental free zone full of "pride"........but the reality it's the total opposite. Explains why they are doing last call at 12:40 PM.

Came here to celebrate my 50th birthday. Had a blast. The staff were so friendly (Brandon, Desi and Lisa)! I appreciate your hospitality with the cake etc. The night was cozy with a fire pit table and friendly smiles. Thank you!

we used to LOVE coming to native son for brunch. We loved the burritos it came with their house salsa and syrup, menu has definitely changed (which honestly I'm pretty bummed about the burritos because they used to be fire). Last time I was here they had servers for brunch & now you have to go up and order yourself which is okay other places are like this BUT the servers are now hella rude and dismissive AND in addition to that they charge a 10% service fee except you don't get that service anymore (the service we used to love) on top of the tip and they don't disclose the 10% "service fee" on the menu or at anytime upon arrival. We wished we knew this before tipping 20% after such horrible service ... pretty disappointing. I used to rave to all my friends and family about how amazing this place WAS sad to say this isn't the go to anymore.

We came here to try their OC Restaurant Week menu items and we were pleasantly surprised. We originally saw this place a few years ago during Taste of Santa Ana. I believe they were servings burgers or something outside, but by the time we had passed by, they had ran out! We had not returned since, but after we saw their menu for Restaurant Week, we decided to give it a try, as we were in the area. For $65, we got the following: Queso Fundido: The chips were very well seasoned. It paired well with the queso and it seemed to taste like pizza! Braised Short Ribs: This came on a bed of mashed potatoes and gravy along with some broccolini. I would have to say that this was pretty good for the price. I have had better, but I did like how much sauce came with it over the gravy, as some places it is a bit lackluster. Flan: This was a bit underwhelming. We asked for it to go and it was pretty small and tough. I am a fa of soft and silky flan, but this was more on the hard and bubbly. It did not have the silky texture that I love. Crawler: The can is super cute and comes in a large portion! We have not tried this yet, but we were able to choose from about 10 Native Son drafts. I am super excited about this, but it is too cute to open! 2 Cocktails of Choice: We tried the Dark Day and Golden Eye. Both were strong and well presented Overall, I really enjoyed our experience. It is downtown, so parking could be a pain, especially with the construction and road closures nearby. We walked up and did not have to wait long to order or receive our food. We were helped by Sky, who had the best energy and service. She seemed like she genuinely enjoys her job, which is something I can particularly appreciate working in the food industry. Would definitely come back to try some of their other drinks and possibly their Happy Hour Menu items!

It's an adequate place for a quick bite and a drink but nothing more. The wine is stale and food offerings are limited and not delicious. Service was fine though far too familiar with each other, not professional and doing the minimum. You need to take stairs to reach it. They do have an outside rooftop hangout with fire.

Overlooking the downtown area, this rooftop bar is probably gunna be a favorite spot of mine for happy hours. They have a lot of brewskis to choose from although it's only 1-2 bucks off, happy hour from 4-6 is always a vibe. So come hang out, enjoy the views, order some fries while you're at it. Fries: Get! For $7, they give you A LOT. However, it's loaded with seasoning and salt so... be prepared to order some more beers and stay awhile lol. Parking is over at a nearby structure and after hanging out for a few hours I only had to pay like a dollar so it was 100% worth it. On colder days there's heat lamps outside too so that's nice but you'll still wanna bring a jacket.

I was a regular here for brunch but unfortunately the service has taken a nose dive. Bartenders were pretty rude and dismissive. We felt like a nuisance just to get refills on our bottomless mimosas. No more servers for brunch just ordering at the bar which is ok but throwing a 10% service charge on top of that and no signage or notice that there is a 10% service charge is wild. Unfortunately this place is not the same native son that I used to love.

After a bad experience I decided to come back and give the good Native bar a try. I have to shoutout Kennedy for being such a wonderful Bartender and keep. She was very attentive and was very respectful to my lady. That impression can go a long way. I had a few beers and a wonderful Pisco Sour. Ambiance was very nice as well. I love loved that they had a huge selection of Saint Patrick Day decorations ! Kennedy you rock !

I'm saddened to write this review, even though it's a little late--it's been stuck in my mind since my visit. This is specifically about the upkeep and lack of attention to the establishment. Last month, I came here as I have many times before, but after finishing my food and drink, I was dismayed when I used the restroom. There was a thick layer of dirt throughout the entire bathroom, and, to make matters worse, there was dried vomit on the walls that had clearly been ignored. It made me feel gross knowing I had just eaten there. A restaurant's bathroom reflects directly on the cleanliness of the kitchen. If the bathroom is in such poor condition, I can't help but wonder what the state of the kitchen might be. I hope management can take efforts to improve the hygiene of their establishment for a more enjoyable experience in the future.

Nice environment - good music playing - paloma tasted great - food was typical bar'ish food. Would go back!

Been coming here for about 6-7 years. Disappointed in how customer service has just disappeared in this place, makes customers feel unwanted. It's not just one bad experience, it's been multiple visits that made me send this review. Just reading through reviews and I'm not the only one experiencing the downfall of this place. Hope they turn it around or sale to someone who enjoys being in the customer service business. Great drinks, good food, horrible service. Make prices make sense to your customer service!

*This review is based on brunch only* We made a reservation for brunch at 10am. We thought it was weird that they charged $5 per person (to be applied to your bill) plus a $1 service charge... odd, but we wanted the peace of mind of having a reservation. We arrived a few minutes early. By 10:05, the door to get in was still locked, so we called. Someone came down and apologized and opened up... she was our waitress throughout brunch and was incredibly friendly. Absolutely nothing bad to say about the service. We were told we could sit wherever we liked, so we chose a booth indoors because it was too hot to sit on the rooftop. After sitting, our waitress brought waters and told us that the air conditioning unit is right above out table and it leaks... we appreciated the head up so that we could move to a table we would not get water dripping on us at, but still an odd thing for a food establishment not to fix... We each ordered a mimosa to drink. It was a good ration of champagne to OJ and filled to the brim. I ordered the Native Slam (eggs, bacon, sausage, potatoes, and toast.) It was a lot of food and everything was good. My friend ordered the Santa Ana burger and enjoyed it as well. The portions are huge and anything is easy to split. They were having trouble with their reservation system, so closing our bill was a bit weird trying to make sure the $10 we had paid to reserve the table would be applied... but it ended up working out. I think overall, this place is probably more enjoyable to come have a beer on their awesome rooftop rather than brunch. It wasn't bad, it just also wasn't amazing. I do have to give big props to our server who was absolutely wonderful.

Hi there, it's obvious that you can modify your food in simple ways I just ordered the native loaded fries and the owner I believe told the bartender no. (My brother ordered the fries for us) We can't request to have raw onions on our fries? I think if I'm paying to have an add on it shouldn't be an issue it never has been in the passed rude as fuck.

Nice place but low key racist homophobe vibes from the white bartender wearing a sailor hat. We asked for a few tasters of beer and his answers were short and dismissive like "well that one comes in a can...so no" Understandable. So my gf decided to just order the pint called "Open Mind" ironically lol The dude just stayed there annoyed that we were still deciding on what to order so i decided to order a taste of the same beer bc this interaction was already feeling uncomfortable. He comes back with my gfs pint only...so I asked for my taster again and he just stared at us silently and with a weird blank stare. My gf basically reiterated that I asked for a taster of the same beer at which point he finally grabbed it. I drank it and decided to not purchase a drink for myself bc why would I want to spend my money after receiving terrible service and all the ugly vibes. Gross. I hope he learns to be more open minded for his sake, he looks like a miserable dude.

Went to native son after work and they have happy hour! Brandon was so helpful and made the best drinks. They colab with Trendz and their tacos HIITTTT

We've been going to this place a while now- it's a great spot, great music (especially Friday nights) BUT, lately the service has not been great! The bartenders are not friendly! Be prepared to spend a lot of money on drinks because they charge way too much! Also, they add a 10% service charge on ur bill!!! For what??? They already charge too much for the drinks and then a service charge??!! Maybe if they were nicer and treat the customers with respect, and not charge so much for the drinks then maybe, just maybe people won't mind paying the "service charge". Train your staff better customer service, and don't rip people off like it's Beverly Hills!

Truthfully it was one of my favorite spots for years. Quick service, great good and ambient music. Today was a complete disappointment. Went in to celebrate a birthday and waited to be attended to. Waited for about 30 minutes and not a word or Menu. Not sure what the reason was. Not sure that they are aware Latinos like to brunch too.

Last night I went in with my fiancé to grab a drink and the bartender saw my passport and said straight up you can't be in here your passports expired How?!? My passport doesn't expire till 2029 She seemed racially motivated didn't even have the time to actually look at my passport to see that the day it was given to me was the year 2019 I told her if she can look at it again and she proceeded to tell me I needed to leave the bar because my ID was expired, which it was not in fact Need to go ahead and talk to the bartender from last night and make sure she goes ahead and takes the course again to read IDs because she didn't care about checking mine to correct herself one bit Won't be coming back here

Relaxed atmosphere. Friendly staff. Quick service...and the food delish! I met up with a few friends for an impromptu chill moment. We opted to hang inside but outside with heating lamps was an awesome vibe. Will definitely return.

Came here on a whim and it happened taco Tuesday! Great deal on tacos and they had vegetarian! I got two soyrizo tacos, delicious but definitely on the greasier side so not the most amazing but hey on taco Tuesday they're sooo cheap and paired with some yummy tortilla chips too. I didn't try any other food (fries for $15? No thank you) and I didn't like that they had no prices on their food menu so you had to ask. Service is super friendly. They let me try all 3 sours on tap when I had trouble deciding. The native son sour is def the most sour but I like it that way. Outdoor seating is not very optimal because they don't have all the outdoor heating lamps near where people sit so there's many tables that just get cold. Inside is open to the outdoor so not much warmer. Probably not great for nighttime in the winter months.

My go-to spot for drinks. Love the vibes and area. The food here is really good too. The burgers are way better than any fast food place. The breakfast burrito actually blows my mind. Good balance of ingredients and full of flavor. Not too dry, and not too greasy. My main downside about this spot is the lack of transparency with drink prices. I've caught some discrepancies between what is displayed on their menu and what I'm being charged. I was paying stadium prices for some beers. $30+ for two beers (including at least a 10% tip)... not cool. I will return in hope that they are at least transparent about prices.

Came here to have drinks with my friend and we loved it. We try the fish tacos. They were amazing. The music is awesome and the vibe too easy parking access and good prices. Great customer service.

Customer service sucks. No one greeted us or showed us to a table. Employee would rather watch a football game than work. But food is pretty Good.

Great spot to cater to all beverage lovers. Tap list is long and rotates. They also have cans to consume on site and purchase to go. Cocktail specials and a full bar. Mimosas for brunch. More than just bar food. You can grab a meal here. It gets a little confusing with going up to the bar and having waiter service. Maybe that's a good thing. We normally start a tab at the bar and while they pick up empty glasses we'll order more. It's very easy to pay as you go as they have their mobile registers in hand. TVs inside to watch sports things. Dog friendly patio. Parking can be tricky if you're trying to avoid paying for parking. The public garage is free for two hours (double check me though).

10/10 experience. My friends and I spent a few hours at native son & we loved it! Let me tell you from the staff to the music and the Food everything was great!. We started at their outside patio high tables and ended up at the fire pit which they turned on as soon as the sun went down. The music is a nice touch they keep it at a minimum level to where you can still have a conversation with your friends. 10/10 will be back! (;

The ambiance is super chill and the food is amazing especially hamburger. Service is amazing as well, everyone is so nice and easygoing. I highly recommend for a good time with friends.

The volume of the music that is played on their patio for some events is insanely loud. It is so loud that you cannot hear anything and you need earplugs just to survive. This is outdoors! Not only that it is so loud that it hurts my ears while walking down the street, it across the street, and even sitting at other restaurants. their music is blasting so loud that it affects the ambience of their neighbors business on a negative way. I cannot support a business that behaves this way and thinks it's OK.

I was with my friends and I lost part of my Ring a green stone. I hope to find it one day maybe native sun can help me find it.

Came here with a friend. This bar is located upstairs in downtown Santa Ana. Parking is in the structure. First two hours free. We found seats at the bar counters. Looks like many locals come here and bartenders know them by name. They serve food here but we didn't order any. I ordered the Hefe everywhere first time for everything on tap and my friend ordered their canned WeldWerks Apricot Gose. Drinks were good. Interesting pricing they have here. They have two restrooms.

Sky, Jim, and Kennedy are the Best bartender in Santa Ana, great service, great drinks! I just moved to Santa Ana and Native Son has become my favorite spot for great libations and a good time.

Came here on a Tuesday with my coworkers. We work in downtown Santa Ana. Love the people, the food, the drinks, the atmosphere. We were excited to try this spot out. I must say that my review is not about the food or drinks here. The drinks were great and the food was as well. My review is solely about the rude brunette bartender with blonde streaks in her hair. She was cold, dismissive and totally made us feel unwelcome. She did however, show great customer service and attentiveness to her friends who came in. I've never had a bartender be so snarky or act like we were bothering them with our existence. At first, I thought maybe I was over analyzing the situation but my coworkers confirmed that they felt uncomfortable. This is a lovely place, it's a shame when you hire people with a lack of customer service skills. It really ruins the experience for people.

Great beer selection, but that's about it. Today I attended brunch and had a poor experience. I asked for the native son burrito with bacon ( they give you an option of bacon , chorizo or soy rizo ). I had a bite of my friends and there's had thick bacon bits in my bite. So i ordered the same. I placed my order and my food came out. I bit my burrito like 3-4 times before realizing I haven't had one piece of bacon. I thought I might be on the opposite side of my burrito so I opened it up and lo-and be hold. No bacon. I had to walk up to my waitress because she did did not come back to our table. She apologized and said I'll take you a side of bacon. By the time by bacon came out my burrito was cold and my group was done with their food. We had to grab our waitress attention to ask for our check. When I mentioned being comp-t the short male waiter said I already have my burrito and the compt- the bacon. .... You mean the bacon that was included in my burrito ?? Ohhh, I didn't know that's how options work here at Native Sons. You pay for something that is already included in your item . The quality of service has gone down hill -- quickly. I used to rave about how good this place was and it's diverse selection of beers. As of today , that changed. Poor customer service. Most, if not all , restaurants would apologize and provide with resolutions immediately.Not here. Just some lukewarm warm bacon to add to your cold burrito. Added the discrepancies between advertised prices on their QR code vs what they charge inside is something the city of Santa Ana should look into. Granted our economy, places like this , who are owned by non minorities but thrive in a minority low economic neighborhoods. We as residents should reconsider our patronage. You can find similar beers , drinks and better food at a better price, with quality customer service down the street. Pros : diverse beer/ drinks selection. Cons : lacks customer service , subpar food , subpar remediation/ over priced.

Very chill vibe. Enjoyed the rooftop, drinks and had the best burger I've ever had. The Santa Ana burger is phenomenal

Came in last night and ordered the Eastside cocktail. This was the drink I received. The glass was not even half full. Cocktails are overpriced and you still don't even get a full drink.

Native Son is one of my secret favorite bars. Their food is amazing, they have all kinds of delicious seltzers and ciders (especially all the rare Untitled Art flavors), and everyone who works here is super cool and friendly. I wish I lived closer or maybe I don't I'd probably just be an alcoholic if I did. Ok I'm done.

Woke up being hungry so I decided to come to one of my favorite spots "DTSA" and found @nativesonoc it's a roof top place with a cool look out had an Alec sandwich which had bacon eggs avocado and aioli sauce on sourdough bread. Come check them out if you are in the area #brunch #bacon #roof #top #dtsa #drinks #soughdough #eggs #fries #santa #ana #down #blogger #foodie #sunday #funday

Not really sure what the attitude from the bouncers were about but if you post that you're opening at 3pm every Monday and a person walks in at 3pm, don't need to say "now you know" loudly that they're closing early for Memorial Day as they were apparently open early for a barbecue (with zero advertisement online or even a sign outside). Extremely rude and aggressive out of nowhere and came off as the bouncers were intoxicated. Zero plans to come back.

Just came here for beers from the bar. Asked for the receipt and there was a 10 percent service fee included. We did not see the fee clearly listed on menus or a sign. The bartender told us just sign on the payment pad, but the pad already had 18 percent selected for the tip. 28 percent on top of the bill for beers we picked up ourselves from the bar.

Native son. Plenty of parking behind restaurant or meter parking on street. Restaurant is upstairs on 2nd floor. I'm sure as a local bar this is nice but I was disappointed as a brunch spot. Food and beer is very basic.

One of my favorite bars! Always good brews, good food, and good people. Perfect for a summer night hang! All the staff is awesome and super helpful. The only thing that I wish there was more of if outdoor seating but honestly I've never had a bad time here even if I had to stand for a bit.

This is such a cute bar! It's located on the rooftop, and you'll be able to access it by the side stairs of the building. There's an indoor and outdoor area, with a few tv's by the bar. All the employees are super friendly and accommodating. We opted to sit outside. There's a large table in the middle if you have a group. There's string lights, so I'm sure it looks amazing at night. There's multiple comfy sitting areas located around the larger middle table. Umbrellas are at each smaller sitting area too. Definitely such a cute place for brunch. There's so many beers to choose from. It looks like they have food options too, which I have yet to try. We're definitely going to visit again!

We loved this place great beer, great atmosphere and amazing service. The space was so cute like a little roof top style bar with indoor and outdoor seating + dog friendly