Orange County Restaurants

TAPS'™ famous seafood, hand-cut steaks and signature oyster-charcuterie bar, with a marble iced display and seating for eight, are highlights of an extensive menu that has been honed and refined since the restaurant first opened more than 15 years ago.

Guests at TAPS in Irvine can watch culinarians at work in a large, open kitchen featuring a Waldorf prep and cooking line. The top notch equipment includes an Italian manufactured Berkel Heritage prosciutto slicer-the gold standard for front-of-the-house meat slicing used for TAPS bountiful charcuterie offerings.

This location will be the first TAPS to showcase some meats and fish cooked in a J & R 'Little Red Smokehouse smoker. The Rolls Royce of smokers from Mesquite, Texas is fueled by apple wood and cherry wood and is inspired by the popular smoker at sister restaurant Lillie'™s Q in Brea. A smoked prime rib is offered nightly. Rotating smoked fish offerings include trout, albacore, salmon, mussels and oysters and will be featured at TAPS'™ famous over-the-top Sunday buffet brunch.

Pizza lovers can enjoy TAPS'™ reimagined pizzas, which have artisanal toppings and are crafted from special dough and baked in a Wood Stone Fire Deck pizza oven.

In addition to TAPS'™ classics such as miso-marinated Chilean sea bass, drunken mahi mahi and cioppino, the Irvine location offers whole roasted branzino (Mediterranean sea bass). Opah (Hawaiian moonfish) and char siu short ribs (Cantonese style barbecue pork) will be prepared sous vide. The kitchen is helmed by Chef Andrew Monterrosa, who has worked at TAPS in Corona since 2008. The Johnson & Wales grad was previously with Roy'™s.

The new TAPS underscores Manzella'™s commitment to tableside service with an expanded lineup of shrimp cocktail, sizzling Japanese hamachi, 'smoking gun beef carpaccio, Caesar salad for two, and Cobb and Veracruz lunch salads made or finished in front of guests. Dessert prepared at the table include TAPS'™ liquid nitrogen ice cream sundae for two and crème brûlée.