Near the start of El Toro Road you will come across Bru Grill and Market, an independently owned restaurant that specializes in organic foods, crafted beers and boutique wines. With an emphasis on American cuisine, the restaurant serves everything from ribs, to steak, to grilled fish, to burgers. Take advantage of the daily happy hour menu or pop in for a leisurely Sunday brunch. Dine outdoors on the patio and take in the full scope of the large stone craftsman building. If you’re feeling a bit more adventurous, pay a visit to Cafe Matinee Lebanese Cuisine. Just two blocks from Bru, the restaurant doles out such Middle Eastern fare as falafels and lamb kabobs. The family-owned cafe provides a laid-back atmosphere, complete with dark wood furnishings, ceiling fans and tiled floors. .
As you inch further north along El Toro Road, Bigshot's Billiards Bar & Grill provides a setting for casual dining. The all-ages eatery includes a bar and billiards tables, and a kitchen serves bar fare, such as chicken wings, burgers and New York-style pizza. On some nights, the bar showcases DJs, karaoke competitions and live bands. At Yogis Grill, a fast food Japanese eatery, you'll find an array of dining options, including sushi rolls, barbecue teriyaki and vegetable tempura. The inside of the restaurant includes just a handful of tables, a mounted television and basic tiled floors.
Entering the east end of Orange, you’ll stumble upon the historic Moreno's Restaurant. Housed inside a former Quaker church, the Mexican restaurant provides a massive outdoor dining patio filled with fountains, flowers and trees. Strolling mariachis provide entertainment as you sip on margaritas and munch on Mexican staples like enchiladas, tacos and tamales. If you’re in the mood for Italian instead, head to nearby Wise Guys Pizzeria. With its brick walls and checkered tablecloths, the interior looks like an old-fashioned Little Italy eatery. The pizzeria offers thick and thin crust pies, with such kitschy names as Cement Shoes, Wise Guy Pesto and Good Fella’s 5 Cheese pizza. Top off your meal with a homemade cannoli or a bottle of Italian wine.
Moving further west, you’ll discover The Hobbit, an upscale gourmet French restaurant. The opulent dining hall includes a stone fireplace, chocolate brown leather chairs, candlelight and fresh flowers atop white tablecloths. The menu changes throughout the year, but selections may include such items as filet mignon, veal in mushroom cream sauce and garlic-crusted loin of lamb. The restaurant, which requires reservations far in advance, provides a set menu each evening. If you don’t feel like getting dressed up for dinner, then try your hand at Johnny Rebs’, mere steps from The Hobbit. Get your hands dirty as you dig into messy dishes like pulled pork sandwiches, Southern fried chicken and barbecue beef brisket. The restaurant has a laid-back atmosphere to match, complete with creaky wooden benches and towering wood-beam ceilings inside its shabby shack setting.
