Reviews for Detention DTSA in Santa Ana, CA

Great food, and a great time. We called ahead and they were completely booked for dinner, but we tried anyway. They did seat us... on the patio, which is just ok for a patio, the people watching and heaters made up for the lack of atmosphere outside. We hadthe option of sitting in the lounge bar or outside so we choose outside. We were asked about any food allergies before we gotseated so that was a nice gesture. All the servers were very attentive and we got our drinks and food fast. The food was veryyummy and full of flavor. Our server was lovely and very knowledgeable about her drinks, our first time ordering a negroni. Ihighly recommend this place for all things DTSA! Read more

First time here and what an amazing experience. The service was absolutely wonderful. Elizabeth was a delight. She checked on us... regularly and made sure every dish came out to our liking. I'm not a huge fan of alcohol, but I do occasionally like a verylight and refreshing libation. When I asked regarding drinks that would be low in alcohol and refreshing to the taste, she madesure to have the bartender whip up something close to what I was looking for. I ended up with a pineapple coconut passion fruitconcoction with just the right amount of rum where I could feel it, but not taste it. Her level of attention immediatelyjump-started our evening on a high note and it only kept getting better. My husband and I ordered the Hokkaido milk bread andbutter and it was heavenly. The bread was crispy on the outside, warm and fluffy on the inside, and a creamy taste. The butteraccompanying the bread was rich and creamy and had a sweetness to it that complimented the creaminess of the bread. We thenordered the slow-roasted Japanese yam, which was beautiful in flavors and in plating. Yams are incredible on their own, but thebrown butter soy lime emulsion had a sharp refreshing flavor that balanced out the heavy starchiness of the yams. The gai-lanwere tender and salted perfectly and added a bit of crunch for texture. Beautiful. For entrees, my husband ordered the mozzazorigatoni. The menu described it as "if cacio di pepe and carbonara had a baby," and let me tell you, that baby was absolutelydivine. It's probably the best pasta I've had in years. The creamy pasta was bursting with flavors and spices that just workedamazing together. For my own entree, I ordered the wagyu skirt steak lomo soltado. Now, my husband and I frequent a few Peruvianrestaurants. Detention's lomo soltado just blew every single other one we've tried out of the water. The wagyu was cookedperfectly medium and the level of heat was perfect. I enjoy spicy food, but I also like to enjoy my food, Read more

One of the best places to eat in Orange County. The service was top notch, the food was delicious. The menu is well thought out,... not a lot of things but there is something for everyone. We had two kids with us so that's not always easy. The Pork patty wasdelicious, the omlette was very well made and a change from the normal breakfast eggs Benedict. I can't wait to try their dinnermenu. Read more

Parking: easier when the structure is open, but there is easily accessible street parking (especially on week days) Customer... service: 10/10 (but make sure you make a reservation)! All the employees work together to make sure everyone in your party isaccommodated and treated best. Food: you can't go wrong with anything on the menu (especially since it changes every season! Thechef makes sure that he cooks miracles with the freshest ingredients, and focuses on locally-sourced items!) I can say forcertain we would order EVERYTHING we ordered last time, again (see pictures) I love Detention, and cannot wait to try Trust,their sister restaurant! Yummmmm Read more

We had a great experience from beginning to end. The craft cocktails were exceptional and we tried nearly all of the small... plates, with the chicken mousse and crispy rice being among our favorites. I had the pork jowls which were served with fantastichouse made tortillas, and it was perfectly cooked and the dish was perfectly balanced. Finished with sticky toffee pudding...One of my top 5 foods of all time! Very highly recommend! Read more

It was the same concept as playground and they kept a few things as well. Basically all the dishes were amazing. Tempura... asparagus was exceptional, never realized it could taste that good! Definitely worth a visit! Read more

Good news and Bad News. The good news is that the Sticky Toffee Pudding is still there and out of this world. The bad news is... they aren't quite at the level of the Playground with their other dishes. Something was just not quite there in each dish weordered. The cheesy bread had yummy cheese and arrabiatta sauce, but the bread itself lacked that extra flavor. The braisedshort ribs was good, but it tasted closer to pot roast even though the sauce and pickled onions were delicious. We also had thelamb dumpling which were good, but again something off with a bitter aftertaste. We also had the beer bratwurst. Everythingabout that dish was good, but the texture of the bratwurst was really finely ground, so it threw me off because it was unlikebratwurst texture to which I am accustomed. Everything was just almost right there to take you over the top in flavor lukePlayground used to, but it just didnt quite get there for me. I will return for the toffee pudding for sure-if they let me afterthis review. Also, to he fair, they have only been open as Detention a short while and the menu will change again, offering newdishes. We ordered 5 dishes and spent about $150. P.S. The ambience and wait staff are great. Read more

Detention was fantastic! We loved it. Servers were great and food and drinks were super! Can't say enough about it. Each dish... is so creative! Can't wait to go back! Read more