Balcony Grille & Bar, Irvine, CA

Randomly got a call from Taylor saying she wanted to meet up in the plaza with 85C Bakery. I had just finished bowling so I was down since it was on my way home. We met up with one of our ex-coworkers for a light meal. Well, it was a meal for them, for me it was a snack.

Lychee Mojito



Traditional Mojito with a Lychee Twist

Judgment: The drink is refreshing with fresh mint and Lychee flavors. The drink was pretty much what you would expect from a typical Mojito. 8 / 10

Taiwanese Sausage with Garlic Slices



Sliced Taiwanese Sausage with Garlic

Judgment: The sausage is mildly sweet and well prepared. The garlic is there to give you a break from the sweet flavors and gives you a slight kick from the flavor. The garlic is definitely fresh and aromatic. As a whole, it's a very traditional dish you'd find in a Taiwanese restaurant. Similar to Dolphin Bay and Class 302. 8 / 10

Strawberry Banana Shaved Snow



Milk Shaved Snow with Chocolate Sauce, Strawberries, Banana and Peanuts

Judgment: The dessert is a great end with all the bar food and drinks. The dish as a whole was pretty good. The sweet flavors were not overwhelming and the fresh fruits definitely mellowed out the sweetness quite a bit. The interesting part was that their snow while good, was pretty plain on its own when it didn't have the condensed milk or chocolate helping it along. 9 / 10

Conclusion: The bar is hidden in the corner of the plaza but it's a nice place to hang out and enjoy some Taiwanese food. Service is a little slow because there aren't too many waitstaff around but for the most part, they are pretty responsive. Parking does get crowded thanks to 85 C bakery and other local businesses so that might be an issue sometimes.

The restaurant gets a B.