UCI University Club

Fantastic food. Better than many many restaurants who are more expensive. I don’t know who is the head chef here, but I am very impressed. Most impressive were the gorgeous, gorgeous desserts. I am not one for taking pictures of food, but I have committed wonderful images of cake to mind.

My husband and I had our wedding reception here on Sunday, April 26, 2014. It was a morning wedding on a beautiful spring day, and we had a lunch reception. The venue with its tall clear glass windows (with a view of the green trees outside) and flowy white drapes was just timeless and classic. Practically speaking, parking was amazing for our guests.
We had 200 guests with up to 20 children and a handful of elderly relatives… as well as a great number of young adult friends wanting to get their groove on. And, well, it was a perfect venue to accommodate everyone! My guests enjoyed the cocktail hour, and so many commented on how the food was delicious and the ambiance was gorgeous. Oh yes, and another plus was that I was able to be very involved in how to decorate the venue on my big day. We were able to tailor the venue to the «train station”/travel theme of the wedding. :-)
Best of all, things with THAT many people went on without a hitch. I attribute this all to Cindy Lee and her extreme professionalism in her industry. She handled our vendors so awesomely. She helped our wedding party and us (bride and groom) soooo much– even to the point of helping my mother franctically bustle my wedding dress! She also gave my ring bearer a lollipop when he was about to cry before the grand entrance… AND offered me allergy medicine when the flowers on my sweetheart table made me have a semi allergy attack. Talk about thinking on her feet– more like the wedding coordinator who pulls rabbits from her hat!
In all seriousness, I feel so blessed that I was able to have my wedding reception at this beautiful venue and with the help of Cindy!
Book here. You won’t regret it.

My 100^th review is near and dear to my heart. I had my wedding here! 5 billion stars go to Cindy and her assistant Carissa! Seriously. You are in excellent hands with these gals. The wedding went off without a hitch. Very organized but without the stress vibe some weddings have. Cindy even fixed my veil. We had a Hallowedding and all the staff joined in and dressed up. Very welcoming and it had an exciting energy. It was perfect and I will remeber it forever. The venue is awesome! We had an outdoor ceremony and the reception inside. Our florist did an amazing job decorating the gazebo and our aisle decore was then taken inside by the staff for our centerpieces. There are 3 huge rooms for you to get ready in and do touch ups. The library had the bar, so people were walking around and exploring the whole time. I loved how the buffet was kind of behind a wall, so you didn’t really see the food line. Cindy and Carissa really listen to your vision and even had some fresh ideas for us! I love them. I couldn’t have asked for a better wedding.

We attended a friend’s wedding here and they had the ceremony in the Gazebo area with chairs on the lawn. After the service, we went inside a library with an open bar which had hosted mimosas, champagne, beer, wine, soda and bloody marys. Fruit, cheese and vegetable appetizers, were available as well as coconut banana balls. There was also tea and coffee and iced tea and lemonade available.
The room where the banquet was held was perfect as there was about 82 people who attended. We were served a delicious salad and some of us had the beef entrée (which was overwell and on the dry side) and others at our table ordered the swordfish which is a meaty fish, however, it too was alittle dry. I had read other reviews which raved about the food so I was disappointed that only the vegetables were good.
There was a dance floor and a dj and we had a blast. This is a great place to make memories. I just wish that the entrees were better.

Surprisingly great place for weddings and events!
Went to a couple friends’ wedding here recently and wasn’t sure what to expect. I have often spied events being set up here, and even get a whiff of some olfactorily amazing somethings being cooked up every once in a while. I’ve even been here for a meeting or two or three, but I had never seen a full blown event in action.
So this venue is perfectly sized for a cozy event, but can still handle a pretty good number of guests if need be. There is a nice bar setup in the library area, and the bartenders mix a pretty potent drink! The outside grass courtyard and gazebo make for an excellent outdoor event area… and there’s just enough shade to keep the sun from becoming overbearing. Of course, the main hall inside can be arranged to handle pretty much any setup you might need.
The waitstaff is chop-​chop-​super-​on-​it and are second to none from what I experienced. It is quite obvious that the management here takes event hosting very seriously and wants their clients to depart in happy camper mode. Oh yeah, and the food… the foooooodddddddd!!!
My nose did not deceive me! The food here is A-​W-​E-​S-​O-​M-​E-​!-!-! I’ll have to thank the bar for making me forget exactly what was served for dinner, but I remember being amazingly impressed and ready to for any future culinary adventure opportunities here at the UCI club!
Oh yeah… and Zot! Zot! Zot!

the UNI club is tight.
They have a Happy Hour going on, I think its a great idea. Sitting out on the lawn, fair priced food and drinks. Seats a plenty (until they get filled up). Cold water is placed out, right next to it you got some complimentary popcorn! Bring a jacket, you’ll be outdoors for happy hour!
They usually have a drink of the day when the Happy Hour goes on. I heard from the Bartender that they’re stopping it, but they totally shouldn’t — there were tons of people there, barely any empty seats. I’d come back if they keep having it, even if the weather is getting colder: P

We had our wedding reception here in August 2015 and cannot say enough good things about the University Club. This review is solely for the reception, as our ceremony was held elsewhere.
Ambiance: The outdoor grassy area is a beautiful park-​like setting. As night falls, the hanging lights turn on making it feel very romantic.
Food: really good and really reasonable for what you get! We offered the Chicken Champignon and New York Steaks — both were hits. We didn’t have the opportunity to try our hors d’oeuvres during our wedding, but recall them being very delicious at our tasting.
Coordinator: One of the biggest perks of having your wedding here is Cindy, the wedding coordinator. She is fun, easy to work with, and has great advice! My husband and I loved working with her and were at ease on the day-​of knowing she had things under control.
Overall: Can’t say enough good things. Would highly recommend the UCI University Club as a venue to anyone!

I had my wedding here and the venue is awesome. It was an outdoor wedding in June, and the outside setting is really romantic. There’s a gazebo and there is also bistro lights already placed in the trees, which adds to the romantic feel of this venue.
The best part of this location is the wedding coordinator — Cindy. She’s totally awesome and her service & attitude is one of a kind. She’s really understanding and will work w/​you regarding your questions and will help you plan your day. She definitely took a lot of the stress off our plate.
Cindy will knock your socks off. She’s that awesome.

Desperately needs a makeover. The food was ehh. It was cool to be able to come and eat here at the beginning of law school but it’s hopelessly outdated inside.

If you’re ever strolling through campus on a Friday afternoon during the warmer months of the year, be sure to come by here for a drink and relax at the Happy Hour!
Have been coming here since my second year of college and now that I work on campus, will continue coming until it is simply too far or out of the way.
The food here is great, I enjoy both the buffet options and the lunch specials on the menu. During the summer, there is a great outdoor BBQ lunch on the lawn on Fridays. All of these options are reasonably priced for students as well as staff and faculty. Menu options can get a little bit pricier though (think filet migon!) My favorites include the grilled chicken sun dried tomato sandwich with fries, their clam chowder, the complimentary chips salsa and guac, and their bread with butter. Their buffet always has a good variety that I enjoy with both soup and salad options as well.
If you have never been to the University Club, come for their Friday happy hours on the lawn. Great drink specials ($ 3 – 4!) and lots of appetizers to choose from ($ 3 – 6). I love the little cheese plate that comes with a few types of cheese, crackers, and grapes. The complimentary popcorn is great and you can go up for seconds, thirds, fourths… During this time they serve beer, wine, and any cocktail you desire. A perfect way to unwind after a long week of work. Lots of outdoor seating under shade to keep you cool from the summer sun. Bring a light jacket in case the breeze gets too cold!
Service here is always nice and on top of things, lots of student servers. Have been here for events as well as hosted some events and had a great time. Would recommend for lunch, happy hour, or any events that you can get invited to.

Sometimes I came here as a student for events and they had food here too. The food was tastier than what I’d expect from campus food. I didn’t get married here but hey, if I do, I’ll re-​yelp.

I held my wedding at the University Club this past weekend and my new husband and I knew we had to take the time to review this venue for one big reason… CINDY LEE! Cindy and everyone on her staff is amazing! From day one, she was engaging, energetic and completely forthcoming with wedding details.
CINDY LEE WEDDIND DAY COORDINATOR:
I am a UCI alumna so I knew of the University Club for years, but it was not until Cindy painted the picture of what my special day could look like, that my husband I seriously considered this venue! During our first visit she took ample time to give us a complete run down of options and pricings, always providing options that would keep us within budget. She gave us two completely separate estimates for us to make a final choice!
After the venue was booked, my mother and I met with her for almost four hours to go over every single detail of the wedding from beginning to end. Due to my schedule Cindy met with us at 7pm on a weekday and stayed until almost 11pm to get the work done. That is dedication! Cindy is a complete professional, but what really makes her stand out is how obvious it is that she loves what she does!
On our wedding day we saw her at her best! She was on top of it every single minute of the day. She kept us closely on schedule, and coordinated awesomely with all our vendors. She made my experience as a bride a stress free one, which believe me is the best gift someone can give you on your wedding day. She made an excellent executive decision regarding my mariachi band this day. While I was out taking pictures with my photographer our Mariachi band arrived early and informed her they had another event they had to attend right after my wedding. She made the decision to have them play during my cocktail hour rather than dinner as originally planned, because we would have lost half the time we paid them to play. It was a beautiful transition and my guests loved it!
VENUE:
The venue, and catering were just as great! The dining room area at night with the lights hanging from the trees outside was beautiful and the room was perfect for my 110 guests. The food tasted great and the plating was elegant and generous. I have gotten various compliments including from one of my guests, who is a chef herself on the London Broil Beef and Chicken Marsala. I myself got the Penne pesto pasta and it was just as yummy. The bartenders were friendly and the waiters and waitresses attentive. The one small hitch occurred with the distribution of the cake. I had a small photo shoot outside with my wedding party and family after cake cutting; I was later told a couple of these guests didn’t get cake because they were not sitting at their tables. I was able to later share cake that was leftover with my family so it was not a big problem. Overall everything was amazing! My wedding was perfect and I enjoyed every minute of it!
Thank you all for your great work!

We had a wedding at UC Irvine university club in April of this year. It was a big success and we believe the day couldn’t have gone this smoothly without the site manager Cindy Lee and her assistant Carissa’s help. This duo has been helping us from the very start of the wedding. They are extremely professional, friendly, and detail-​oriented. They make sure we are on the right track along the planning process and they spend lots of time answering all the e-​mail questions we have. On the day of the wedding, they run around all over the venue to make sure everything is well-​organized and that we are doing well with the time. The venue itself was recently renovated and it was gorgeous! It was absolutely a hassle free experiences, and plus, both Cindy and Carissa are very pleasant and they are super fun to work with! ⁵⁄₅ stars and would recommend this venue to anyone who is getting married!

Had lunch here earlier with the halibut. Loved their almond crusted halibut! Service was okay but the food tasted great. Been here before to attend a UCI event and the place was nicely decorated. Would love to try their other menu items in the near future.

I came here a few times all for different events. It has been consistently good in regards to food and service. Though pricey, at times it can be affordable (happy hour/​meal spilt) and what not.
Ambiance:
Parking: The parking plaza can probably hold about 30 cars.
Seating:
* Depending on the day, it really varies. Usually there are RSVP’d event where they reserve the library, main decorative room, generally there’s the simple private room or even outside seating.
Feels:
*I once thought this was the Holy Grail in terms of $ 50 minimum and what not however it wasn’t bad at all. The décor is pretty nice, especially during Christmas. The staff was friendly and the happy hour and buffet choices are usually delicious. During lunchtime I remember they brought down the projector so we can watch the World Cup.
Food:
Happy Hour: Usually a good deal: sweet potato fries and quesadilla were good. If they still have serve, the popcorn was oddly addicting
Buffet: They got a good full course from fruits, greens, veggie option meal, surf/​turf, and soups.
Customer Service:
Servers are usually students and they were pretty respectful and attentive.
Overall:
4.5 stars. It’s quite a charming place. Their food is delicious and the price is just about right. I would recommend this to students, staff, faculty, or even any alumni. It’s a nice peaceful and fancy place to dine
Tips:
* Look into their happy hour!

I don’t know what craziness lead me to wait so long to write this review. I got married here in August 2014 and loved the experience. Love, love love. Here’s why:
CINDY: Definitely the number 1 reason. She, the coordinator, is included in the price of the event, and she’s SO much more than a day-​of-​coordinator. I met with her at the site 3 or 4 times and corresponded numerous times by email. She was incredibly on top of details and organization, and she did it all with a fantastic bubbly energy. She was never overbearing but rather very receptive to our preferences and needs. I’m definitely a detail-​oriented person, so I was profoundly happy to have someone like her manage everything for our wedding. On the day of our wedding, she did an incredible job of making sure everything stuck to schedule, and she put out lots of little fires (probably even more than I know about, since I think she did her best to avoid stressing me out!). I truly can’t imagine how I could have done it without her.
VALUE: Of course you should shop around and see what works for you, but the UCI University Club was one of the 2 – 3 most inexpensive packages I found (I was looking for a venue with catering and rentals included).
FOOD: They created a menu just for us, and now it’s on the website as a preset package! Look for the Asian buffet: D It was really nice to see their flexibility in making a menu that suited our tastes. We got to do a tasting beforehand; we did have to pay the lunch entrée price that was determined for our dishes, but we got a 25% discount, so it was fine. The food was very good for the price; people especially loved how tender and flavorful the beef was.
SETTING: Just beautiful. I have a love of trees and twinkly lights, and this spot has PLENTY of those gorgeous things. The gazebo is such a nice setting. Lots of great spots to take photos. I also loved the drapery in the ceiling of the reception room — included in the price, not $ 1000 extra like I encountered at another venue! The pictures speak for themselves. Parking is also free, which is great.
If you think this spot might fit your vision for your wedding, GO CHECK IT OUT. Cindy and her staff made the whole experience amazing!

Best venue you can book for any event! Cindy goes above and beyond to make sure everything is organized perfectly. Before my wedding, I was clueless as to where to start, but Cindy guided me from beginning to end and made my wedding possible. Everything went exactly how I wanted it to go~
We received many wonderful compliments about the food (filet mignon & salmon). It was delicious and came out hot. The whole night wouldn’t have been a success without the help of Cindy, Isaac, and their friendly staff. Thank you so much! ^_​_​_​_​^

4.5 rating. Stellar! Cindy Lee, the Events coordinator/​organizer, does a really great job with weddings. I apologize for a belated review; at first, I didn’t know how to rate the club. Over time, after seeing other weddings and the way they were organized, I realized just how good UCI University Club is. I also think that you get a lot of bang for your buck here. If you are interested, you may want to think about booking it before it goes up in price. There’s been news about a 5% fee increase for UCI Students. If it goes through, the prices for the Club may increase.
People loved the food here. I enjoyed the Chicken Marsala here. More people tried the steak and seemed happy with it. One of my friends didn’t care for the chicken, but most everyone else liked what UClub had to offer in terms of food and beverages.
One thing that is noteworthy is Cindy Lee’s excellence in math. She was able to provide lots of good suggestions that saved us money. She suggested a cash bar, which would have saved so much $$$. My Dad was insistent on a hosted bar, so I didn’t get a cash bar. My friend T enjoyed the bar; he got a lot of drinks. Fortunately, he has a high tolerance and didn’t get into an accident after the wedding. Whew. If you are ever in doubt about how sober you are, do the smart thing and have a designated driver take you home. You can always ask someone to drive you home if you are unsure about your sobriety; be smart and let someone else (a non-​drinker) drive you back home. Cash and hosted bars have pros and cons. You may want to think it through before making a decision on the issue.
Food service is excellent. Sound systems here are very good, too. The place photographs well. If you are looking for a wedding venue, you may want to check it out. In the fall/​winter time, you may want to wear a jacket. Cindy was smart and wore a long sleeve white shirt and black pants. Very professional. Me and my friends and my husband had a great time here. My brother said he and his friends had a fun time also. 5 stars, I only take off a .5 because of my friend who didn’t like the food. Most everyone else loved it. 4.5 rounding up to a 5.
Note: I receive no kick-​backs or money for my positive review. I don’t accept bribes for reviews. Not now. Not ever. My review here reflects my opinion.

We just had our wedding at the UCI University club. Cindy and her staff were so amazing! They so incredibly exceeded my expectations! They were super helpful during the planning, and also very informative about what is normally done. They went above and beyond and made sure everything … I mean EVERYTHING… was set up by the time I even got there! She would check in with us, and guided us here and there throughout the evening. It was the best wedding I could have imagined. The staff there was so so soooo great!

Well organized and beautiful outdoor venue!
Recently attended one of my best friends wedding here. Parked in the private lot attached to the facility. The décor inside is classy contemporary, simple yet sophisticated. The outdoor area is very pretty, we got alot of great photos.
The food tasted bad and rather slow, but the service was attentive. The wedding planner did a decent job although we started more than an hour late.
Overall, a pretty well organized event.