Playground

4.6 (791)

$31 to $50

Californian

220 E 4th St, Suite 102, Santa Ana, CA 92701

OverviewReviewsDetails

About this restaurant

Innovative
Good for special occasions
Good for groups

-Playground is a chef driven, small-plates restaurant that makes use of the best available seasonal ingredients. Our menu changes daily based on availability of ingredients & the chefs’ whims. This is a sharing restaurant: dishes aren't designed as starters or main courses, & we want our guests to try as many flavors as possible. Our chefs work hard to treat ingredients with respect, find balance in their flavor combinations, & ensure that every component in a dish plays a vital role in your eating experience. For that reason, we don't make modifications to our menu. If you don't love a dish the way we've made it, just let us know & we'll happily find you something else you'll enjoy.
-Please note that we allow two hours for all reservations. If you would like more time please give us a call & we can see if we can accommodate you.
-Reservations on OpenTable are ONLY for Playground, NOT for 2.0. Please see our website to purchase tickets directly from our 2.0 calendar.

Not available on OpenTable

Unfortunately, this restaurant is not on the OpenTable booking network. To check availability, please contact them directly.

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Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Californian, Contemporary American, Gastro Pub
Hours of operation
Dinner: Tuesday - Wednesday: 5:00pm - 10:00pm, Thursday - Saturday: 5:00pm - 12:00am Sunday Supper: Reservation Only, please call 714-560-4444
Website
http://playgrounddtsa.com/
Payment options
Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress
Executive chef
Jason Quinn

Location
220 E 4th St, Suite 102, Santa Ana, CA 92701
Neighborhood
Santa Ana
Cross street
Spurgeon
Parking details
City managed parking lots are located one block north and south on Spurgeon Street; street parking available on Fourth Street (free after 8:00 p.m.)
Additional
Bar Dining, Beer, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Reviews

OpenTable reviews from verified diners

Reviews from people who have dined at Playground.

4.6

(791)

4.6Food
4.7Service
4.2Ambience
1.0Value

Noise • Energetic

791 Reviews

LC
LaurenC
Nashville1 review
5.0
Dined on February 4, 2017
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Our server guided us through the menu and educated us about the chef and his intentions with each plate. We selected a variety of dishes, paired them with cocktails, and enjoyed every bite
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DG
DianeG
Orange County5 reviews
5.0
Dined on January 20, 2017
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
I have had Playground bookmarked for a couple of years, and the innovative menu did not disappoint. Dare I say it lived up to the hype? For me, it did, so yes, I dare say it! 😆 Jared's service was awesome. He brought me a new drink when I wasn't super sold on the first one... even though I tried to tell him it was all good. He simply wanted to make sure we were thrilled with everything. The brussel sprout caesar salad is to die for - I could eat it all day long. Uncle Lou's fried chicken is super moist and packed with flavor. Highly recommend both. My "date" loved the Eagle Rock pale ale so much that she ordered a second. Look forward to returning and bringing more newbies with me.
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CM
CMgirl Gold
Los Angeles71 reviews
3.0
Dined on December 30, 2016
1. Overall 3
2. Food 4
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 3
Playground gets a lot of hype; while the quality of the food was great, I was not impressed with the uppity approach they have taken. The menu states that substitutions and modifications will be "politely declined." This statement is so ridiculous. This is not a prix -fixe menu or a world-famous restaurant. In any case, I would argue that asking for a steak cooked to medium-well is not a menu modification, and a reply of "no" is not exactly polite. They were kind enough to call in advance to ask about food restrictions/allergies. I told them I absolutely could not tolerate cilantro and I believe the reply was "good to know." When I mentioned that to the waiter, I was told they would not be able to remove cilantro from any dish. Hilariously, when my friend ordered the dish I inquired about with cilantro, there was literally one tiny spring on top! Is the staff really so intent on this "no modifications" thing that they could not leave off a sprig of cilantro? We all enjoyed the food but the pretension was just too thick for us to return.
1 person found this helpful
LO
LOVETODINE
Las Vegas15 reviews
5.0
Dined on December 24, 2016
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Wonderful little gem! Went for a date with my husband. Can't wait to go back!
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OT
OpenTable Diner Gold
Los Angeles3 reviews
5.0
Dined on December 17, 2016
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Fab food fab service fab atmosphere fab people. The best !
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u
unity Gold
Greater Boston55 reviews
3.0
Dined on December 15, 2016
1. Overall 3
2. Food 4
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 2
I've been here a handful of times and each time, the service gets less desirable. we were so excited to have a restaurant that served such unique dishes that we could try and feel like we're on a discovery with the chef but it's becoming less appealing to me over time. our reservation was at 8:30p and they were trying very hard to make sure we leave by 9:30p. it was uncomfortable and disappointing overall. When we left around 9:45p, all the doors were locked and they just watched us trying to find a door that was open instead of letting us know which one it was. And, i tore my ACL in my knee so that was not an easy task. Don't be in this business if you don't want to be nice.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Orange County1 review
5.0
Dined on December 15, 2016
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Just celebrated my birthday here with my family. It was the first time any of us had been there and we absolutely loved everything we tried!
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L
Lizzie
Orange County2 reviews
5.0
Dined on December 15, 2016
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
So glad we discovered Playground. Kara was awesome. She was fun to talk to and answered all our questions regarding the menu and chefs. The food was delicious and interesting. My only concern was a glass of Chardonnay was on the 'high end'. Not so with the beer or cocktails. Will definitely return.
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W
Walter
Veracruz1 review
5.0
Dined on December 14, 2016
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Very nice place ! Special and weekly changing Menu ! Very friendly !
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r
rusty
Orange County4 reviews
5.0
Dined on December 11, 2016
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Playground food was delicious and the people who waited on us were awesome. We loved the recommendations of the staff, and the ambiance of this special place.
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Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Californian, Contemporary American, Gastro Pub
Hours of operation
Dinner: Tuesday - Wednesday: 5:00pm - 10:00pm, Thursday - Saturday: 5:00pm - 12:00am Sunday Supper: Reservation Only, please call 714-560-4444
Website
http://playgrounddtsa.com/
Payment options
Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress
Executive chef
Jason Quinn

Location
220 E 4th St, Suite 102, Santa Ana, CA 92701
Neighborhood
Santa Ana
Cross street
Spurgeon
Parking details
City managed parking lots are located one block north and south on Spurgeon Street; street parking available on Fourth Street (free after 8:00 p.m.)
Additional
Bar Dining, Beer, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Not available on OpenTable

Unfortunately, this restaurant is not on the OpenTable booking network. To check availability, please contact them directly.

Is this your restaurant?

Claim this listing