Black Box Restaurant Lights It up

Black Box is a little restaurant, that is not really all that little, and has a very large presence.

Black Box DTSA, with its burgers, bites, cocktails, and beer, is in Downtown Santa Ana. This area is a bit different then one might expect. It has been listed in the National Register of Historic Places since 1984 and offers a funky vibe, interesting stores and fantastic bars and eateries. Among these is

Of course, true to form, our media tasting party started with the craft cocktails.

A little FYI, Black Box Happy Hour is Every Wednesday through Sunday. Happy Hour is from 5:30 to 8:00 pm. On “Thirsty Thursdays” draft beer is $2 with any burger.

A few of the cocktails that my party tried was the Changeling (House made strawberry shrub, muddled basil, lemon, Jamaican bitters with choice of vodka or bourbon), Penicillin #2 (Mezcal, ginger, honey, lemon, Fernet Vallet mist), the House Old Fashioned (Bourbon, rye, orange bitters, Angostura bitters) and Eva Mendes a.k.a. Spicy Latina (House-made Serrano capsaicin agave syrup, grapefruit, Reposado tequila, a pinch of sal de Gusann).  Drink prices range from $10 to $15 and they were all delicious and poured with a generous hand without being overpowering.

A quick tour of the Black Box kitchen (sorry that is only for special events) showed a clean workspace and staff that was working hard to provide everyone with a great experience.

So what could be next but to have dinner be served?

My party ordered Irish Nachos which were actually french fries (freshly cut real potatoes), covered with cheddar cheese, bacon and ranch drizzle.

Burgers, which are a bit of a house specialty, were also ordered. The order included Underground (Two 4 oz Angus beef burger patties, spicy kimchi, cheddar, Sambal aioli, applewood smoked bacon, bun), Francois (6 oz Angus beef patty, roasted red onions, Brie cheese, lemon aioli, applewood smoked bacon), and a Classic (6 oz Angus beef patty, applewood smoked bacon, special sauce, lettuce, tomato, red onion, cheddar, bun). The prices for the burgers range from $4 (kid’s burger) to $13.95 and the reviews are fabulous.

I love the Sambal aioli on the Kimchi Burger (Underground).

The buns are so soft and fresh which makes the burger even better than it already is.

The combinations of flavors on the Francois were delicious.

Mind you that I do not eat red meat. This means every one of these comments is from Mr. Ho who loves meat and is very picky about his burgers. This is super high praise.

As for me, I had a fabulous night,  loved the vibe of the place and absolutely loved the drinks. It is a good thing that I brought my designated driver with me 🙂