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Gulliver's Restaurant - Steakhouse in Irvine, California

Gulliver's Restaurant

4.4 (1280 reviews)

18482 MacArthur Blvd, Irvine, CA 92612

Restaurant
Bar
Pub
Steak house

About Gulliver's Restaurant - steak house in Irvine, California

Servers sport period costumes at this British house of prime rib with a historical atmosphere.

Customer Review Summary

Gulliver's Restaurant has received mixed reviews. A guest reported a disappointing experience, highlighting poor seating arrangements, subpar side dishes, and a lack of acknowledgment for a birthday reservation despite paying nearly $200. Another visitor enjoyed the warm atmosphere and attentive service but found the Yorkshire pudding stale and noted that attention to detail impacted their overall rating. A first-time diner was disappointed with the prime rib's tenderness and flavor but praised the service. Positive reviews mention generous portions, friendly staff, and delicious food, with highlights including crab cakes, prime rib, and duck. One guest celebrated a birthday and appreciated the fast service and beautiful interior, though noted some dishes could have been better. Overall, many diners enjoyed the experience, but inconsistencies in food quality and service were noted.

Key Features

Service options

  • Outdoor seating
  • No-contact delivery
  • Delivery
  • Takeout
  • Dine-in

Highlights

  • Fireplace
  • Great beer selection
  • Great cocktails
  • Great coffee
  • Great dessert
  • Great wine list

Popular for

  • Lunch
  • Dinner
  • Solo dining

Accessibility

  • Wheelchair accessible entrance
  • Wheelchair accessible parking lot
  • Wheelchair accessible restroom
  • Wheelchair accessible seating

Offerings

  • Alcohol
  • Beer
  • Cocktails
  • Coffee
  • Comfort food
  • Happy hour drinks
  • Happy hour food
  • Hard liquor
  • Wine

Dining options

  • Brunch
  • Lunch
  • Dinner
  • Catering
  • Dessert
  • Seating

Amenities

  • Bar onsite
  • Restroom
  • Wi-Fi

Atmosphere

  • Cozy
  • Historic
  • Romantic
  • Upscale

Crowd

  • Family-friendly
  • Groups
  • LGBTQ+ friendly
  • Tourists

Planning

  • Lunch reservations recommended
  • Dinner reservations recommended
  • Accepts reservations

Payments

  • Credit cards
  • Debit cards
  • NFC mobile payments

Children

  • High chairs
  • Kids' menu

Parking

  • Free parking lot
  • Free street parking

Customer Reviews

Rating Distribution

4.4 out of 5
5
826
4
261
3
110
2
44
1
39
Based on 1280 reviews

David Whitcroft

5 months ago

Booked this restaurant via OpenTable for my wife’s birthday and was totally disappointed with the experience. The restaurant was decorated for Halloween and was half empty yet instead of seating us in the main dining room we were off in a side room away from the main ambience of the restaurant. Given the small number of people there this seemed totally illogical. The prime rib was fine however we were surprised to find that they had actually cut the Yorkshire pudding in half and only given us half each. The creamed corn was cold. The bread basket had 4 pieces or so what seemed like someone else’s leftovers. The whole experience was sub par. When you pay almost $200 for a meal ( just 2 main courses and 2 drinks) everything should be perfect. I have been to this restaurant in the past and the experience was much better. It feels like it has gone downhill. When I made the reservation I had mentioned that it was my wife’s birthday and there was no acknowledgment at all that they had received this message or it had been ignored. I requested a nice table. This was not it. Instead we felt as if we had been excluded from the main restaurant. I think they need to review their customer service to improve the experience. This is an experience restaurant and really should be good. Very disappointing. We did advise the hostess.

Anna Huang

2 months ago

Our little date night turned into a little mini journey to the north pole during the off-season! Decorated accordingly with the reefs, trees, and lights! Such a warm and inviting atmosphere, the lights are dimmed, and the dark wood accents make it quite an experience. We had the pleasure of having Shane as our server, and he was so sweet and attentive. We both opted for the Traditional Cut - ($56) - comes with half a yorshire pudding, creamed corn, and creamed spinach! Very generour portions. Super tender slice of meat, with the whipped horseradish, such a yummy bite! The complimentary bread was yummy dipped into the spinach and corn! The yorkshire pudding fell short, tasted stale and old. The side of the butter was cold and not quite spreadable. I feel like for the atmosphere and dining experience, it's attention to the details which garnered the 4 star instead of 5. Overall, we had a very memorable dinner! Thank you again, Shane!

Design Lab East

8 months ago

First time here and really was hoping to get a prime rib plate described by others, however, this was not my day. Came for lunch prime rib, sides and check out the interior. The cut was in the thin side, not nearly as tender and flavorful as expected. The sauce helped with that, but it being cooked or served more medium didn’t help. Now, it wasn’t busy when we got there (see photo), around 12:30. Seemed like only one server in the main room. It’s always possible the steak was at medium rare when cut and plated, but, if the waitress is busy with other tables/duties, the steak continues to cook. The German potato salad was ok, nothing stood out. The broccoli was what it was. The atmosphere was old world, but seemed goofy to some degree. Service was very good and she was tipped accordingly. I won’t be visiting again, but we have it a shot.

David Bradshaw

1 year ago

Amazing food and service. Been here a few times and every time it was great. Host and waiters are super friendly and nice and the vibe in the restaurant is chill and casual. The food is massive. The entrees are giant plates. Appetizers are delicious. The crab cakes are amazing. The prime ribs is delicious and the duck was amazing. The cream corn is delicious and horseradish with the prime rib was perfect. Love this place! Will def be back soon!!

Natalia M

10 months ago

Recently visited this place and had a really good experience there celebrating my relative's b-day. The restaurant is very beautiful inside, the service was fast and friendly. The food was delicious and the portions were very generous. I shared the chicken with my kid and we still had leftovers. I also tried the other food that my relatives offered and it was good (especially ribeye steak and duck). Only mashed potatoes had some pieces and were not creamy but the rest of the food was good and not overpriced. Paid 652$ including tax and recommended tip for 8 people (3 appetizers, 8 main courses, no dessert) including 2 bottles of wine and 1 alcohol cocktail and everyone had boxes full of leftovers. Thank you.

Jeff Kanarek

It was my first time there and it was wonderful! The food was delicious, the service was great; the atmosphere was both quaint and exotic at the same time, with a nice bar and a private dance club. Couldn’t ask for more.

JoAnn Levandoski

3 months ago

We had a great dinner. However the twice baked potatoe didn't have enough flavor.

Valerie Kohler

Rochelle took wonderful care of us twice! First with a large party of 12 and couple days later we were a smaller party of 4. Our food was delicious, served hot and the menu had something for everyone. Nice wine list. The restaurant was busy both evenings and therefore noisy, we’d definitely return when we travel back to CA

Location

Contact Information

Hours of Operation

Friday 11:30 AM–9:30 PM
Monday 11:30 AM–9 PM
Saturday 5–9:30 PM
Sunday 5–9 PM
Thursday 11:30 AM–9 PM
Tuesday 11:30 AM–9 PM
Wednesday 11:30 AM–9 PM

Price Range

$50–100