Bacchus Secret Cellar opened back in 2009. Five years
later, a top-to-bottom renovation took place as a renewed Bacchus Bar &
Bistro was born. They currently have over 350 labels and over 30 craft beer
options including 6 rotating on draft. The Secret Cellar still exists in the
back of the restaurant offering over 75 top shelf wine selections ranging from
$100 to $300 per bottle. Chef Charity Smith, formerly of Patina Group, has
taken over the kitchen with a selection of small plates, cheese boards,
sandwiches, and desserts.
Taco Tuesdays are a great way to get some variety of
land and sea while enjoying beer or wine.
- Shredded Beef Tacos work well with the pickled red onion and spicy jalapeno flavor. The beef needs to be seasoned a bit more to bring out the natural beef flavor. Rating: 2.8/5
- Carnitas Tacos have a great flavor with porky goodness shining through. The cojita cheese matches well with a salty cheese flavor. Rating: 4.3/5
- Fish Tacos has a generous portion of fish. Spicy and sweet flavors are balanced and match with the fish. Rating: 3.8/5
Beer Samplers are a great way to try different beers.
You can try four different beers from the draft options for $13. Here are some
that might be on rotation:
- Aztec Brewery’s Hop Serpent Imperial IPA has an herbal and slightly fruity aroma. It is medium-bodied and has an extremely hoppy yet clean flavor. Rating: 3/5
- Aztec Brewery’s El Humo Rauchbier is medium-bodied and has a nice hoppy flavor that lingers. Rating: 3.5/5
- Helm’s Brewing Co.’s Beeruccino has a surprising coffee aroma. However, two bitter flavors are competing. This is a beer needs to accompany a salty or starchy dish. Rating: 2/5
- Allagash Brewing Company’s Odyssey has a slight chocolate aroma. There is a bit of bitter bite on the front end with nice toasted flavor and smooth chocolaty finish. Rating: 3.5/5
Here are some menu items you might want to try:
- Warm Roasted Brussels Sprouts served with Chinese sausage (lap xiong), shishito peppers, fried garlic, and sesame ponzu. The brussels sprouts are roasted to sweet perfection. The lap xiong adds a sweet porky flavor. Along with the ponzu and shishito peppers, the flavor profile is very Asian. For presentation, it would be nice to have the shishito peppers raw for a contrasting bright green color as the brussels sprouts lose their color due to the roasting process. Rating: 4.3/5
- Glazed Pork Belly Tacos are glazed with a sweet soy reduction and topped with kimchi salsa and cabbage. Unfortunately, the glaze and kimchi salsa overpowers the pork flavor. The tortilla, on the other hand, has a hearty roasted corn flavor. Braising the pork belly with non-sweet soy marinade would push the flavor forward plus make for more tender pieces of pork. It would balance out with the spicy and somewhat sweet kimchi. Rating: 2.1/5
- Lamb Burger topped with goat cheese, roasted tomato, pickled red onions, cucumber, and lemon tahini yogurt atop an egg bun. The presentation is very interesting. It looks like a giant lamb meatball inside a huge brioche bun. It would be better with a smaller bun for a tall burger or making the burger patty flatter to fit the brioche bun. Also, lamb needs to be seasoned a bit to bring out the true natural lamb flavor. Rating: 3/5
- Chocolate Bread Pudding topped with chocolate sauce and whipped cream. The bread pudding has a firm texture and chocolate aroma. You can see the chocolate chips/chunks inside but the chocolate flavor seems to be muted. The chocolate drizzle is nice but a chocolate ganache would be better. Also, vanilla bean ice cream would be better than whipped cream as it would create a natural crème anglais sauce as it melts on the warm bread pudding. Rating: 3/5
Specials:
- Happy Hour: Monday through Friday from 4pm to 6pm: $2 and $3 off all wines by the glass, $2 and $3 off all brews
- Taco Tuesdays
Atmosphere: 5 out of 5 stars
Décor: 5 out of 5 stars
Food: 3 out of 5 stars
Service: 5 out of 5 stars
For more information:
6735 Quail Hill Pkwy
Irvine, CA 92603
+1.949.502.4600
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