Griswold Bar & Grill

Relaxing atmosphere with exciting and delicious food. I’ve never seen combinations like this before. Truly had a great time and experience!

We tried spring salad, which taste refreshing, spring soup which is really amazing. And sea food paella, a little bit spicy but it very tasty, and coconut fish which is amazing as well. We are amazed by it quality.

me and my gf came here for happy hour since its rated high on Unilocal but our experience was a huge disappointment, we left feeling hungry.
first let’s start off with happy hour drinks, so it said if we check in online and order an entrée we can get one house drink for free, so we checked in and showed the screen to the waiter, he said no you can’t use that because you have to click it in front of me, and we told him on Unilocal check in it has a count down clock and it’s still ticking on our screen, and you as the waiter has another step will need to click on redeemed for it to finalize that’s why we show it to you to click. But he wouldn’t acknowledge it and he said no, and the way he talked just seemed like he doesn’t know technology and wasn’t being trained for the Unilocal check in and the offers they have. so anyways, I just told my friend I’ll check in on my Unilocal and we just ordered another one and pay for it ourselves. this is honestly pretty stupid, coz we have 2 entrees and with each one of us checking in it said on disclaimer you can get 2, but anyways, we didn’t want this to make our night unhappy so we just any forget it we will pay.
for food we ordered the truffle fries, muscles and clams, beef carpaccio, grilled octopus. I would have shown pictures but they were pretty bad so I didn’t even think of taking them, now thinking bad we really should have to show proof. the truffle fries arrives first, it was over cooked, some are burnt and shrieked to really dry taste… honestly the flavor of the fries is not bad but it’s just wayyyyy over cooked.
next we got the mussels and clams, the mussels were super tiny and when we tasted them they are fishy and just not good so we spitted them out, but the clams were good. but the muscles were for sure not fresh, and they are sticky. if anyone knows how to pick muscles my friend actually cooks them herself and she told me not to eat them just eat the clams.
beef carpaccio is one of my favorite dishes to order at any restaurants but trust me I was abit stunned when I saw the meat, it’s cut pretty thick and half of the meat have kind of a brown tone to it… at that point we were like uhhhh… forget it lets just finish and leave.
but we had ordered the octopus earlier so as soon as it came we were excited to try, ewwww the taste was really not good. I had to say even for the previous dish the muscles were not fresh but at least the flavor wasn’t bad, but for octopus the playing looks good but did not taste good. we left almost the entire plate untouched.
when the waiter came and ask us how the food was we just told him how we felt (didn’t even mention the fries), and he got abit impatient and we just said we want to tell you the honest opinions because that’s what you asked, so he will get the manager out. a minute later, a young man came to our table and asked us what the problem was, I wasn’t sure if he is the manager because didn’t dress like one and he said he is the chef. so we told him the same thing we told the waiter, and the chef for very argumentative and said his muscles are fresh when they left his kitchen, but what happened after he doesn’t know. me and my friend looked at each other and was just speechless, we are just two girls here trying to have a good time on happy hour but not only was the service not good the food was horrible too. and the chefs attitude? come on what can we possibly do with your food? play with them or take them out to the sun and sit there? instead of apologizing his attitude was very bad.
this place is way over rated, for me the food maybe gets a 2.5 stars but the service for sure none. it’s not even worth your time trying, don’t come here!

Love this place! Amazing food that you won’t find anywhere else! Make sure you get a chance to meet Chef Zach who comes out at times to check to see if you enjoyed your meal. You will get to hear his amazing passion for food.

Chef Zach goes to great lengths to impress both the eyes and pallet. Not a dish was off. Sensible portions, reasonable prices, all with a creative flair. Bravo Chef

I discovered Griswold Bar & Grill in an e-​newsletter from OpenTable that highlights the latest eats in the areas we’ve subscribed to and was immediately intrigued and drawn in by the cool looking LED interior and ambiance. Decided to book a reservation for Easter dinner and surprised to learn that it is located inside a hotel.
We got there early, around 4:40pm for a 5pm reservation and was seated with no hesitation. Our hostess was Ms. Lee (forgot her first name) and I have to say, she was very attentive, friendly and made our overall experience immensely enjoyable. Not once did our water reach the half-​way point in the glass before it was refilled by her. Food was also delicious; we started with fresh cut truffle fries, I ordered the 16oz ribeye, which I ended up having to take ¼ of it home (pounding four glasses of beer at Griswold, plus three rum-​laced tiki cocktails an hour earlier at Trader Sam’s reduces one’s stomach storage capacity) while the wife ordered the duck dish, which was pleasant both on the palate and on the eyes. Finished off with a key lime bar dessert.
Overall, great service all around with reasonable prices. We’ll be back!

My husband and I came here for Valentine’s dinner. Everything we ordered was amazingly delicious! The plating was beautiful, too. I ordered the beet & burrata salad, lobster & scallops entrée, and chocolate & honey dessert from the Valentine’s menu and my husband ordered the duck entrée. The flavors were perfect, the chef (who nicely stopped by to check on us) definitely knows how to elevate dishes to another level! I checked in on Unilocal to get a free craft gin cocktail, which I loved so much, I ordered it more than once! We are definitely coming back.

Excellent Valentine’s Day Special Menu! Octopus Carpacchio was a welcome surprise. All in All a great evening, dining al fresco.
lobster and Scallops pairing was right on!
Thanks Chef Zach, and your entire crew.
We will be returning, and bringing friends. Looking forward to the regular menu choices.

First time based on a friend’s recommendation and came for the special Valentines Dinner. 4 courses and absolutely fabulous! We had a group of 5 and could try one of everything.
Octopus carpaccio and braised beef checks!!! Then the rack of lamb! So good. Desserts are fabulous, goat cheese cheese cake and the pretzels with chocolate ganache and bacon caramel!
5 stars from our foodie group.

We were there last night and the food was great. Atmosphere and service was excellent. The manger is very attentive and the food was just well presented and prepared. We will definitely go again.

Established in 2009, Hotel Fullerton has gone though many changes, from the name of the hotel to the restaurant and the menu. More recently Fredie Garcia became the new Director of Food and Beverage, and Zach Geerson became the Executive Chef. Local foodies may recognize this classically trained chef was formerly from Tempo Urban Kitchen in Brea.
We came here on a Wednesday night, and grabbed the last table. The menu was quite eclectic, and we decided to let Chef Zach select for us the more popular or recommended dishes.
We started off with a soup, a parsnip soup with apples. I was not too familiar with parsnip, but I went along with the suggestion. I was quite amazed at this end up being my favorite dish for the whole evening. The soup had the consistency of a butternut squash but the apples really gave the soup is very refreshing taste.
The next course was the Grilled Octopus, with onions, capers, lemon and salsa verde. I was quite surprised that this grilled octopus had a nice smoky flavor to it. In fact, I had no idea it was octopus, and it could have passed for a meat from a Japanese Izakaya grill. Another excellent selection.
The next dish was the Duck Confit salad served with radicchio, smoked beets, picked walnuts, fennel and pear. Chef Zach warned us that that would be more on the salty side. Unfortunately, our order did not have the pears and walnut (we didn’t realize this until later) and sadly we were not pleased with the salad. Later, we did tell the Chef we were not pleased with the selection and wished he had added more pears. He looked at our salad and realized the restaurant forgot the pears. Embarrassed, he said that the texture and the sweetness from the pears would have complemented the salad. Sadly, I’m a huge fan of duck, but wasn’t a fan of this particular dish, and quite possibly because it was missing two key ingredients.
The Asian Paella came out next and this dish had a very good flavor to it. Served in a traditional Korean bowl (similar to that of a bimbimbop). It had a good mixture of scallops, calamari, and shrimp, but I wish it had fish also. The Sambal Aioli gave it a nice kick, bringing just a light heat to the dish. I was not a fan of the olives in this dish, but it was supposed to be a marriage of Mediterranean with Asian. If you like some spiciness to your food, this is a good choice.
Our final entrée was was the Vietnamese inspired house made pork meatballs with fresh handmade ramen. When we receive the dish, I was expecting the traditional thin ramen noodles, these were a little thicker cut like linguine. The noodle was nice and chewy, and the broth was excellent. In fact, I told the chef that I wish my bowl had more broth. Unlike the previous dishes, where they were suitable for sharing, this bowl is really a dish for one. My one disappointment was not enough broth to enjoy.
To end our evening, we decided the house donuts and coffee. This seems to be the restaurant’s signature dessert, and the donuts were more like beignets. These small bites of airy pastries were lightly covered with cinnamon and sugar, topped with a lemon zest and a dash of salt. The donuts were served hot, and paired with a side of cold coffee sauce for dipping. Chef Zach said the irony of this dessert was normally you would have hot coffee and cold donuts, so they chose to give you hot donuts and cold coffee. We decided to have both, and paired it with a cup of hot coffee and it was a perfect ending to our meal.
I would’ve never guessed that a hidden gem will be located in a hotel off the 91 freeway. With the exception of the meatball ramen, the portion sizes are shareable. The place is tiny, so I would recommend making reservations, especially if you want to come as a group. Plenty of parking on site, but use your GPS to find the hidden street that takes you to the hotel.
There’s room for improvement at Griswold’s but overall a 4 star experience.

The food here is spectacular– amazing flavors and execution. We tried the confit carrots, scallops aguachile, paella, ramen, striped bass, beef tartare, pork belly, and grilled octopus– everything was delicious.
The chef is so friendly and passionate about his work. The location is a little strange to be honest — I usually don’t expect much from what looks like a hotel café/​restaurant. But what’s happening at Griswold is something else entirely. This is high-​level foodie dining, lovingly handmade by people who you can tell really care about quality. I will most definitely be back.

Great atmosphere, service, and food. What more can you ask for!
I ordered the Beef Tartare, Grilled Octopus, Scallops, Wild Game Burger, and Coffee and Donuts.
Everything was absolutely delicious. The flavor profiles of each dish were created in such a way that everything on the plate complemented each other perfectly.
The Wild Game Burger was something quite exquisite. Made from bison and 2 other ground meats, it made for a great burger. The saltiness of the blue cheese and the the subtle sweetness of the barbecue sauce in each bite was extraordinary. The polenta fries that came next to the burger were delicious. They were crunchy on the outside, and extremely fluffy on the inside.
The Coffee and Donuts dessert was extremely unique as it was a play on Espresso with a lemon twist. The Doughnut was topped with a candied lemon peel and it added a very unique tasting experience.

Went to Griswold with several friends for a get together. Initial impression was good. Clean and modern décor with courteous and attentive staff. BUT, the food was even better… The pork belly was to die for! Crispy outside and melting tender on the inside. My son had the stripe bass and he loved it as well. My friends had the steak and seafood paella which we were all impressed with. The portions are on the small side, but given it’s reasonable price, I think it’s fair.

I’m a foodie like many of my fellow Unilocalers, but I don’t usually write reviews for restaurants and other services. I have to make an exception for this restaurant.
I visited this place on the week of new years, hoping to try something new and different. I wanted a premium dining experience that maximizes the value of my dollar without obliterating my wallet. Griswold’s delivered everything that I asked for.
It’s located inside the hotel close to my school-​CalStateFullerton and nearby many attractions like Disneyland and Knott’s Berry Farm. The ambiance gives off a lounge-​like vibe, the music, and the silverwear is soothing and relaxing-​yet new and refreshing. Everything is prepared for a valued and premium experience without the awkward feeling of luxury dining.
Drinks:
*7UP
*White Lady (Gin Cocktail) —
Griswold’s Signature New Year’s drink.
Im not a Gin person but this Bartender made me appreciate the spirit of the drink more than ever. His name is Fred and really knows how to enhance your dining experience by manipulating the drink to your needs. If you are having a certain dish, he can make your drink compliment your meal. I can definitely tell by the way he carries himself and values his work that he is highly experienced, knows what he is doing, and has an amazing tasting palette for flavor. Top Tier conversationalist and loves what he does. I enjoyed talking to him and all about the food and stories he has to tell.
Food:
All ingredients in the restaurant come from sources decided by the Chef. Meaning no ingredient sourced from SYSCO or any other Food Group distributors. This alone sets the restaurant apart from everything else. The chef makes everything in-​house, only limited by the creativity of his imagination. Further emphasizing the value of how unique the restaurant is and the premium quality of the food.
Turns out their menu is seasonal. I think they said their next menu change will be happening soon… so i really need to go back and try some of their other dishes before they change.
You can’t order things on the side… but i don’t believe that’s a bad thing. I’ll safely assume that their food needs to be portioned due to the uniqueness of their ingredients. My brother tried the Elk Burger, and Elk is pretty expensive.
If you expect to be full after eating this place, then you better have solid purse. But even with a decent amount of money, you enjoy the food for the flavor, presentation, and the rest of the dining experience. I honestly feel like everything i said couldn’t describe the full potential how much i appreciate the uniqueness of the food and drink compared to all other casual, midtier, and luxury dining experiences i have ever had.
What I had:
*truffle fries
–you can tell that the fries were cut and produced in the kitchen. nothing a factory could produce
–Parmesan cheese is a great touch, i felt that it balanced well with the fries
–left the fries on the side as i ate my other food, it was still crunchy
*Beef tartar
–literally beef sashimi on top of bread. this is so new to me. I freaking loved it. you just have to try it and see for yourself.
*steak with «shmashed potatoes»
–They don’t ask you for how well you want the steak… because they know how to give the food the flavor it deserves… although im pretty sure that’s partly my interpretation of how much i love the food because i believe you might be able to ask how your meat to be cooked.
–the food sounds like a pretty standard steak dish… until you bite it. Words can’t describe how much i wanted another 10oz set.
*coffee and donuts dessert
–I thought a coffee would be good after having a steak, i also love donuts. I was wrong. only donuts, no coffee. But i was NOT MAD AT ALL.
— I LOVED IT. I wish I took pictures. Think of it like a cinnamon and sugar donut hole… a churro if you prefer. But lighter, fluffier, you think it’s moist… but its really your mouth salivating and enveloping the food.
The chef is a genius and the bartender compliments his power of awesome cooking. Griswold’s is smart and fresh.
I plan to visit at least once a month.
Looking forward to more great food and surprises :)

Very underwhelmed by this experience. Meals were small, and the food does not meet the hype as the other reviews mentioned.
Environment: Enjoyed environment, very cute and quaint and modern décor. Loved the interior and cool lights, lounge like feel.
Food:
* Duck Confit Salad: the salad part was way too salty and the duck is too salty. Like way too much salt. Did not fill me up.
* 4 oz filet mignon: My friend said it tasted burnt, and when it came out it looked more like a beef patty and it was too salty for her.
* Ramen: 3 friends ordered this and said it was bland. Rather eat at a real ramen house…
* Truffle fries: Not enough truffle, taste like In N Out fries with lots of Parmesan cheese on top can’t taste the truffle at all.
Drinks:
* Whiskey sour: Really good drink!
Disappointed because all of my friends are Unilocal reviewers and checked in, and in fine print it says if you check in you get one handcraft cocktail with one entrée. We ordered multiple entrees. It does not say anywhere one check in per table, and our waiter told us the manager stated it was one per table. Change the check in if that’s the case and don’t change it on the spot.
Service: The manager Fredie was really nice upon arrival and greeted us and told us a little bit about the restaurant and hotel which I really liked and gave me a free drink. Our waiter was alright, kept having to ask other waiters for water since she didn’t check up on us after giving us the food.
Price: Pricy for the how everything tasted.
Overall: Rather have gone to a steakhouse or ramen house or a Chinese duck joint to get better food. Was not filled up. At the end of the day they are nice for giving us a free drink for check in as it’s optional for the business, but it does come down to the food and the food missed the mark with portions and tasted off.

The salmon was exquisitely prepared — juicy and tender — and married perfectly over a butternut squash purée and paired with roasted olives and brussel sprouts. A luxurious environment with friendly and attentive service. ¹⁰⁄₁₀.
The house-​made ramen had a unique texture and tasty soup base. I loved the eggs in it — an unexpected meal that I would definitely go back for.

Relaxing and elegant ambience. Lovely place for delicious food! HIGHLY recommend the ice cream. A unique house recipe with banana and cinnamon — I could not stop ordering more scoops!

This is phenomenal high end fare at a very reasonable price. The tar tar was mouth wateringly stunning. The setting is a diamond in the rough of an industrial Anaheim area. The wait staff couldn’t improve upon their performance. The manager even provided a couple complimentary appetizers in the spirit of Christmas. Our dining experience makes us want to stay at the hotel!

Griswold’s has smartly recruited the dynamic duo Fredie Garcia and Chef Zach Geerson (formerly at Tempo Urban Kitchen in Brea). I devotedly followed the quality cuisine and service I’ve come to know and love. Their move has done nothing but enable an expansion of their creativity.
My family and I indulged in meat and seafood trying the calamari, scallop agua chiles, ribeye, filet mignon, and (last but not least) the braised pork belly. Everything was absolutely fantastic. If we weren’t so full, we most definitely would have tried the dessert.
Thanks Fredie and Zach!