Have you ever been in to dine at TAPS Fish House and Brewery? If not, this place is a must visit! In the past I have visited the Taps location in Brea for dinner in the dining room and lunch on the patio. Both times I fell in love with the food, the atmosphere and the beer! I normally settle on a glass of wine with my meal, but after trying the beer at Taps that is freshly made on site, I was hooked! The TAPS brew masters, David Huls and Kyle Manns know how to make their beers!!
I was so very excited when Taps opened a third location (other location in addition to Brea is in Corona) in Irvine as it is only 15 miles from my home in South Orange County and I could hardly contain my excitement about going to check it out! TAPS in Irvine opened this past June while I was on an anniversary trip to Europe and we finally had the opportunity to dine there for dinner with our friends a few weeks ago and then again less than two weeks ago for brunch! Executive Chef Andrew Monterrosa does an awesome job serving up amazing delicacies at TAPS.
We thoroughly enjoyed our dinner with our friends at TAPS and I was elated when TAPS invited me in to check out what their Sunday brunch had to offer! I have always wanted to visit their brunch in Brea, as several of my friends have told me it is their favorite, but let’s face it when a restaurant is 30 miles from you, the idea of making the trek on a Sunday am is sometimes less than appealing when you are enjoying a lazy Sunday Funday. 🙂 I was so happy when I heard TAPS was coming to Irvine and I have a feeling this brunch will become a new staple of my monthly repertoire of places I regularly go, such as Disneyland. 🙂
When arriving at the TAPS in Irvine, I was unsure of what exactly to expect for brunch, which is served from 10am – 2pm, but I knew for sure it was a buffet and that there were crab legs and doughnuts offered as one of my Instagram friends had just shared some delicious photos on his page within the last month! My mouth was certainly watering as I made my way toward the large 10,000 square foot brick and cherry wood building at the Irvine Marketplace , directly across the street from the Tustin Marketplace!
We were promptly seated and introduced to our waiter, Alexander that was very friendly and outgoing. He introduced us to the menu of extra items offered that are prepared in the kitchen and served to you tableside in addition to the different areas of the buffet. He explained to us where each food station was, such as the salads, seafood, carving station, desserts, and more. He also let us know that the brunch, at a $37.99 price point included either free flowing champagne or 2 hand crafted beers made at TAPS Brewery!
Upon ordering, my hubby decided to go with the two craft beers, opting for a Hefeweizen and a cream ale and I went with the champagne which was a very good choice! I am not a huge champagne person, but this stuff was amazing & I thoroughly enjoyed each and every sip of the Wycliff champagne made by producer E & J Gallo wine in California! Add a little orange juice or the fresh agua frescas (flavors change weekly) served at TAPS brunch to this delicious bubbly and you will be in heaven! 🙂 My favorite concoction was cantaloupe juice and champagne!
My hubby and I made our way over to the buffet after toasting our beer and champagne and instantly forgot one another and mulled over an incredible spread of gorgeous food. After each selecting several of our favorites to start, we made our way back to the table to consume the delectable offerings we chose. I started with a simple plate of a few cold salads and crab legs, while he went straight for the oysters….yes my friends you heard me right….UNLIMITED oysters and crab legs! At this point, I truly felt like I was in a Las Vegas buffet…especially after glancing over at the dessert station!
The buffet was full of so many different delicious items including cold salads which consisted of potato salads, olives, calamari salads, and more. I loved the area of cheeses, fresh sliced charcuterie, fruits and nuts! Of course there were also traditional breakfast items such as pancakes and bacon, along with eggs benedict and freshly carved turkey! This buffet was certainly a foodie haven and there was something for everyone! Last, but certainly not least the decadent dessert bar was fully stocked with freshly made desserts such as crème brulee and carrot cake, in addition to not one, but two chocolate fountains…one with white chocolate and one with milk chocolate. There were fresh fruits, rice crispy treats and more to dip in the fondue fountain as well as a candy station!
I do not even know how many plates we polished off, but in between us incessantly filling our plates and stuffing our faces, our fabulous waited Alexander made his way to our table with the Bagel and Lox selection I requested along with a Bananas Foster, and a plate of freshly made doughnuts! OMG….to die for! I loved the bagel which had fresh smoked salmon and cream cheese of course. My hubby was all over the doughnuts and my personal favorite was the bananas foster which was freshly cut bananas cooked in rum and served on a homemade waffle with vanilla ice cream. Alex brought this one to the table even though we had not ordered it telling us that it was his personal favorite and that we could not leave without eating it and he was right!
We both thoroughly enjoyed the TAPS brunch and I cannot wait to go back in again to dine there both for brunch and for dinner! I love this place! TAPS Fish House and Brewery is conveniently located at 13390 Jamboree Rd, Irvine, CA 92602. Let me know your thoughts about this fabulous dining adventure below!
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