This is only one entry we have about Gabbi's and has been outdated and replaced with new and better info. You will get all the info we have about this great restaurant by clicking the image link above. Don't click the link if you only want to read old info.
There's no sign . . . maybe there never will be.
Finally my reviews of Gabbi's Mexican Kitchen in Old Towne Orange are not the only ones anywhere, in print or online. Gustavo Arellano from the OC Weekly has now reviewed Gabbi's with virtuosic verbosity, even tossing in an oblique Spinal Tap reference. He is right that you should make your reservations well in advance, especially on weekends. He is also right that the salsa they bring you out first is rather mild but you can request it hotter. Finally, he is right that it's proper to expect a new restaurant to take about six months to iron out kinks and fall into a groove but if you want to be in on the new hotspot of gourmet Mexican food in the county then work in a trip to Gabbi's in Old Town Orange. While Gustavo may be better with words, we are better with photos.
UPDATE
Tenny Tatusian has posted her review of Gabbi's on her OC Register Food Frenzy blog. Here's some photos from a visit to Gabbi's with periodic blog contributor Joy, Elmo from Monster Munching, and Omar from SqueezeOC:
Mole Enchiladas
Puerco Poc-Chuc
Shrimp Tacos
8 comments:
my wife and i visited gabbi's for, maybe, the 7th time saturday night and they are getting better each time. i had the house salad to start and it was as fresh and crisp a salad as ever came from a restaurant. the fish tacos (on special that night) were also outstanding, and the finally have a nice hot salsa.
good times.
I think my visit scheduled for this coming Wednesday night will be my 7th. Looking forward to it, especially after you mention they are only getting better.
We tried going to Gabbi's a couple of months ago, but were unsuccessful. There was a wait for a table, which we understood, but during our wait, we found that the hostess asked all the other patrons who came after us for a cell phone number to call them when a table opened up, but she did not ask us for ours. Everyone else was able to stroll around Old Towne while they waited, as we stood in the street in sight of the hostess. Not sure if it was an honest oversight, but it left a bad feeling, and we left.
I'm sorry to hear about your experience. I've talked with the owners a number of times and understood that they were ironing out a few kinks as far as seating, service and menu selection goes. They mentioned that many restaurants don't seek any press until they have been around for about six months and here I am blabbing about them constantly well before that point. January 11, 2007 will be their six month point. You could wait until then or try them before that and see if your first experience was a fluke. I'm thinking I might stop by there for lunch tomorrow. Thanks for leaving a comment.
My girlfriends and I are the typical "ladies who lunch". Since discovering Gabbi's 2 weeks ago, we have been there 5 times! Including once for dinner with my family. Gabbi's friendly staff, excellent exotic food, and fantastic atmosphere have us hooked. I think I will go there now!
Sounds like you definitely are hooked. Read our complete coverage of them by clicking here.
I live in Old Towne and I have eaten there twice. I will not eat there again and I am in no way picky about food. The food is mediocre at best and overpriced. In my 2 trips there I ordered different things. Both times the food was served lukewarm. Great atmosphere, yes but Jalapeno's down the street, a walk in place that serves food on plastic plates has much better food and is cheaper even if they don't serve "designer" Mexican food.
I've been to Gabbi's numerous times. There's a couple things I got there that weren't bad but that I probably wouldn't order again, just out of personal preference. Maybe those are the two things you got. Now I know how to focus in on the many items on their menu that I do like.
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