Saint Marc

This place is so good! And J the bartender is awesome!!! Made the best Moscow mule ever! Get the maple bacon

Honestly the service was a shit show all night for my friend’s birthday dinner but one of the food runners Tanner really figured it out for us and kept checking in to see if we were getting everything so it worked out I guess

Honestly what makes a great restaurant is good food, great drinks, and most important staff. It was late Saturday night and close to closing. We were really hungry and they looked like they were getting ready to shut down. I saw as I talked to the hostess I could tell we were gong to be turned down but to my surprise my man Andre told us he was going to take care of us and make sure we had a great experience.
He kept the kitchen open and seriously we had a great night! Food was great tried everything including something Andre came up on his own for us. If every establishment had an «Andre» then they would defiantly be fortunate.
I’ve been to high end and low end places but he really made me appreciate good service and Saint Marc is a great place because of him.

Really wanted to like this place, but unfortunately can’t say anything good. My wife and I stopped by for a drink right after they opened and checked it out. Looked and sounded very impressive with an eclectic menu. I was not surprised to see that the food and wine were pricey after all it was in Pacific City so that was ok if the service and food lived up to it. We went back last Sunday afternoon to eat and regrettably were very disappointed.
We were seated right away, and they server explained the tablet menu and ordering system they have. I was concerned about the ordering from a tablet at the table, but the server assured me she would be around to answer questions. She helped us order two drinks and they came quick enough, but it was all downhill from there on. The menu was vague regarding certain specialties (cheese boards for one example). We tried to ask the server from the table next to us what kind of cheese does their «Froggy» cheese board come with and were told they didn’t know «I just bring the orders out». So we requested our server come answer some questions regarding the menu. 5 minutes later no server. So we pressed the «service» button on the tablet. None showed. This went on with three more employees and two service requests on the tablet and still no answers! Finally I requested the manager and he was polite and listened and apologized, but gave no explanations. We asked for the check for our drinks and he comped them.
As we left we heard the people next to us who had easily ordered 5 to 6 different plats (which had to add up to nearly or more than a $ 100) start complaining to the same manager about the poor service and the fact that the servers didn’t know much about the menu.
Summing it up, it seemed that the servers were better trained in instructing patrons how to use the tablet than they were about the food. Also they never returned to answer questions.
One more problem with ordering on the Tablet was you had no control over which order was brought to your table when. We saw a party of three get 5 different orders over a half hour period.
LOTS OF BUGS TO WORK OUT!

Wow, this place has the makings for my new favorite food spot. My wife and i came here on a sunday and it is such a cool location. We brought our dogs and appetites. They have soo many small plates and things to munch on, and with the computerized ordering, there is always something new coming to the table. Very nice selection of beers in cans particularly. We didnt even get to the main courses.
Got extra stuffed on their major selection of bacon. And they also have meats and a massive cheese menu, which is very fairly priced. The wait staff was on it with us and the dogs. Kept topping off the dogs water, and keeping our table orderly.
They also have giant sized beer pong table and corn hole setup outside. Cant wait to come back soon and bring friends with. This was our first time to the whole new shopping center and were very impressed. There are 4 more places we also wanted to eat at but decided on here. Looks like we will be frequenting this place until we have tried them all!

Bacon bar. wine on
.cheese bar
Large
Pasific City… indoor out seats. Brong ur friends and have fun

This place is fantastic! More than a dozen different types of bacon you can order by the slice (apple pie is probably the best one). Over 100 different types of cheese (we went for the California Dreamin’ plate because it included Humboldt Fog). And so many really great dishes — who knew you could wrap artichokes with bacon? To top it off, we sat at the bar and had phenomenal service from Harriet and Elyse. «Service» is probably a misnomer… really we hung out with Harriet and Elyse. They gave us great food and drink recommendations, let us play with the iPad menu even though we didn’t really need it, and carried on great conversation.
This Midwesterner felt totally at home and I am absolutely coming back here everytime I visit Orange County — about once a month. This place and the people are one of a kind.

The service here leaves a lot to be desired.
We walked in and when I put our name in, the hostess seemed very frazzled and said things were «hectic.» First of all, they weren’t that busy; second of all, don’t tell your customer that.
When we were seated no waitstaff came over. We flagged down someone finally and he said he’s just the bartender and couldn’t help us, and asked if we sat ourselves. Thanks for the warm welcome.
Finally a server came over. She apologized for the delay and that she was trying to get caught up on her tables. I get that that happens, and is no big deal, until she explained the ordering process and I realized that she doesn’t really have to wait on her tables. They have iPads at the table to do their job for them.
I wanted to order the twisted grapefuit (hollowed out grapefruit with liquor inside) but the iPad didn’t have the liquor options I wanted. I asked how to order it with Tito’s and she says, «Place your order on the iPad, then grab someone in a coat so we can tell the bartender to make it with what you want.» So I said, «Ok, I want mind with Tito’s.» She again reiterates, «Great, just tell us when you order it.» I WAS GOING TO ORDER IT RIGHT THEN. It became apparent this was too much to ask and she couldn’t handle the request (or God forbid take my order herself), so I just got a beer instead.
Drinks were VERY slow to come out. Food was ok, but nothing memorable.
I think they have an interesting concept — kind of like a frat party with oversized solo cups for beer pong and plates that look like paper plates, silverware sporks, etc., but then they are also doing nice charcuterie and cheese plates. Didn’t make sense to me.
I think with better service this would be a cool place to hang out and day drink, but until then I won’t be back.

I want to give this place a good review so bad! But based on my second visit at this restaurant a couple nights ago, I can’t.
The location is amazing in the corner of the Pacific City Shopping Center. The ambiance is great, and the concept very original. I really do like several items on the menu. The first time I came it was nearly empty and the service was fine. You order on an iPad and I think the interface is very easy to use. The servers can validate your parking… with Validation our 3 hour stint at the restaurant only costs $ 2 for parking.
Where I think this restaurant fails is in implementation. They have an abundance of staff, yet you can’t get anyone’s attention to help you. Everyone was so disorganized. You almost feel like your standing on a busy street and cars are whizzing by you with how frantic everyone is moving around. Our server came up once and we never saw her again even after asking for assistance on the iPad. I had to stop other servers by getting out of my seat and approaching them because no one would make eye contact.
We ordered several items… one came very fast and then it was as if our order was lost. Our other items came to us about 2 hours after we ordered them and only because I walked up to a server and told her we never got our food and had been waiting hours. All she said was «do you not want them anymore?» We were starving, we wanted our food! The only reason we didn’t notice the time go by is because I was with a girlfriend that I hadn’t seen in 6 months and we were so wrapped up in conversation. We were really frustrated by the time we left, not a great way to show my friend HB who was visiting from out of town :/​
I’m giving 3 stars because I think the food is tasty and like the ambiance. If you don’t have hours to spend over your meal, I would suggest trying another restaurant.

Modern. Delicious. Authentic. & BACON.
This place has everything. EVERYTHING, like giant red cups for a huge game of beer pong. They have a café, a bar, and an indoor and outdoor dining area.
Bacon Bar. Do yourself a favor and try all the different types of bacon. Makes my heart clogged with love.
The drinks are a little overpriced, but I’ll let it slide. They have more delicious items, we just couldn’t try them all at once.

We’d considered a few restaurants within Pacific City for a quick lunch; it was the bright-​and-​casual, open-​and-​airy, and semi-​outdoor dining area that swayed us to dine at Saint Marc. There’s an indoor, more enclosed section of the restaurant in the back.
The servers were pleasant and helpful, explaining how to place our orders through their tabletop iPads. It was fun being able to customize one’s order (s); however, slow (while we familiarized ourselves with all of the options); ordering appeared to be straightforward, but I obviously failed to properly communicate a couple of my revisions, as my orders didn’t arrive as anticipated. I can’t imagine enjoying this ordering style if we were in a bigger group; as it was, we (a party of 2) were wishing we’d sat at the bar top, where we could order through a real person.
The Twisted Grapefruit ($ 10) cocktail was unexpectedly served in a hollowed out grapefruit adorned with a paper straw; cute for the photo op, but disappointingly weak; I would’ve preferred my cocktail served, on ice, in a glass … with a plastic straw (or none, at all). Wines range from (seemingly reasonable) $ 2 — $ 5 an ounce (a full glass is 5 oz.); however, can add up to an expensive glass of wine (now I feel this may have been a better choice over that weak grapefruit cocktail I ordered). Great Grilled Cheese! I ordered their «Sun Devil» ($ 9.50) — satisfyingly chock full of Habanero Jack cheese, and Habanero bacon, and (although I opted to omit it on the iPad) Smoked Tomato Jam. Something else that drew us here… they feature a Bacon Bar, offering 11 different flavored bacon strips, ranging from $ 1.50 — $ 3.50 per slice! Tasty!
Their website states, «Saint Marc bends traditions and blurs the lines between kitchen, staff and customer»; since the customer places all of their own orders, does the customer bend their tradition when it comes to tipping 20% (or more)?? One can pay their bill from the iPad on the table; however, one still has to wait to have a printed receipt delivered.
Fun, casual dining. Eager to sample more of their attractive menu items!

UGH. this is just a giant cluster f*ck
We came here on a Saturday night, 6:00pm as a party of 10. We were all very exccited and learned this is essentially a NO Service restaurant, older people in our group were frustrated by the ipad ordering, which is absolutely founded, even for a party of 10 we had to all pass around a sticky ipad to place a drink order.
Next was food, again goes the ipad… around the table ordering appetizers.
NOTE: the food comes out as it is made. So if you are a polite person and your meal comes out first you get to watch it get cold while waiting 10+ to 20 minutes for your companions food. The appetizers good enough, very small bites. the wine was astoundingly expensive! $ 20 for a 5 ounce pour, not even great wine, disappointing.
We were endlessly frustrated, we had to order two appetizers and drinks and leave and go to a real restaurant… They need some serious help and or should have staff available for tables that don’t want to do the ipad BS
My overall, this is disappointing, this is confusing, this is not a relaxing experience.

Cute store set up. They have a bacon bar! There’s like 8 or so different flavor bacons you can get. We got suckered in. Maple bacon & bacon habenaro. They come in individual sleeves. Decent size but the habenaro had very little heat, after you ate it. The maple one was ok as well. Not impressed enough to get again but would come back to try the grilled cheese.
While waiting we looked over the iPad ordering option & found beignets that were suppose to be lemon. So I of course had to try this. Where we sat, we could actually watch the kitchen where they were making everything. We saw our beignets being made. They were different from regular beignets– much denser. Not very lemony either. Fooled again. Whomp whomp.
May be back but will see.

Mainly because their ordering system sucks. They say you can order from the server but no one was around to help. They say you can just tap the assistance button on the tablet and we did several times and no one came.
Stick to the appetizers and small bite options. Drink options are good.
Expect typical beach pricing (expensive) and worse is lack of service for what you pay. Staff is nice when they were around and the place was not busy at lunch I so I don’t understand the lack of service.

Let me tell you up front, this place is expensive. I’m not sure that the price point is worth it to come here for a full meal that is going to fill you up. I would say that snacks and alcoholic beverages are the name of the game here. Also, this is a contemporary restaurant where you won’t be waited on hand and foot. You do everything on an iPad from ordering to paying the bill. Servers will come around and check up on you, but not very often. I also found it bothersome to dine with a large group because any time someone made an order, the servers were wandering around the table trying to figure out who to drop the order off to. It got a little annoying after a while.
The items at the forefront are their bacon bar and large gourmet cheese selection. The bacon prices are PER STRIP. They range from $ 1.50-$ 3.50 but come in flavors such as garlic parmesan. It was good, but not $ 2 good. I ordered the Kobe Chili Gratin, and the photos depict the chili with a huge bubbly layer of cheese on top, flowing over the side of the bowl. As you can see from the photo, this is not what I received. Additionally, the portion was small for $ 9 and that was one of the least expensive menu items. The Avocado Crostini was heavy on the olive oil and also I thought that $ 4.50 for one scoop of avocado on a small piece of bread was asking a lot. The highlights of our meal were the Mac Daddy Grilled Cheese, Waldorf Salad and the endless complimentary herb bread.
Yes, the atmosphere is beachy and inviting. Yes, the manager Matt was more than hospitable to us. Yes, they have jello shots in mini solo cups if you’re trying to get crazy. Yes, the drink menu has almost anything you could ever desire. So I’ll be back, and I encourage you to try it out for yourself as well because it offers a unique experience. But as I said, don’t come starving or you’ll end up spending way too much.

*************************UPDATE*************************************
On 3.30.16 I received a «compliment» from HEIDI J making threats towards me regarding my review. Whether she works for Saint Marc or is a «loyal patron» I don’t take kindly to threats or cyber bullying. My opinion will not be swayed by any bully.
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Terrible service the little that we got in the beginning.
Cheese plate-​European Selection
–Blue Cheese (the biggest portion of the 3) was a brown/​gray color about ½ inch deep all around the edges (ie old)
–Pecorino Romano belongs on pasta not a cheese plate
–Chaumes decent but the smallest slice ever
This is served with 2 asparagus tips, and 5 almonds. It’s definitely not worth $ 16.
I don’t know how you make greasy bread, but they figured it out.
The quiche was disgusting & we sent it back. It was dripping with oil & had the strangest texture I’ve ever seen.
I will not be back.

I read the mixed reviews, but saw the bacon specialty, so I came here with a friend to check out this Southern inspired menu. Saint Marc is located in recently opened Pacific City in Huntington Beach. They offer bacon cheese fries, po’boys, bacon inspired sandwiches, beignets, and chicory coffee from Café du Monde in N’awlins.
We ordered bacon cheese fries ($ 7), bacon wrapped artichoke hearts ($ 9), french onion soup ($ 9), shrimp po’boy w/​andouille sausage ($ 14), and CBLT ($ 18 | crabcake, bacon, lettuce & tomato). To drink, we had sangria ($ 8).
First of all, the bacon cheese fries ate like a meal, and were a lot like poutine. You could really taste the difference in the non-​cured bacon: 5 Stars. Secondly, everything is better w/​bacon, and the artichokes didn’t disappoint. The hearts were tender and filling: 4 Stars. Thirdly, the soup was really good. The broth was nice and rich, and there was a good amount of cheese. The only downside was the price: 4 Stars.
Unfortunately, the shrimp po’boy was disappointing. The bread didn’t hold up well, there were no pickles, and there wasn’t much shrimp for the price. It paled in comparison to Ritters in OC, Sals Gumbo Shack in LBC, and the best in the area: Little Jewel of New Orleans’ version in Chinatown: 2 Stars. On the other hand, the CBLT was very creative and super filling. I only had half (along w/​the soup and most of the fries), and I was stuffed. The only downside was the price: 4 Stars. Lastly, the sangria was sour. Sangria should be sweet: 2 Stars.
Regarding the ambiance, this place is eclectic and huge. There is outdoor seating by the bar, a coffee bar area, and a rear area w/​primarily high tables. Additionally, there are big TVs all over: 4 Stars. On the other hand, the service was mixed. The slender guy w/​the ponytail who acted as our waiter, was very nice and informative. In addition, the food came out quickly. Saint Marc is a bit self serve w/​pads from where you order, to fetching your own water: 4 Stars for him. What I did not like is two staff members (a male & female) felt they should pass before a customer. I fukn hate that rudeness in staff!!!: 1 Star for both of them.
Despite my last comment, I look forward to returning to try more of the menu. I enjoyed my experience here much more vs that Vaca is Caca place in Costa Mesa. The food is very good & bacon inspired, and the service is good for the most part.

I haven’t hung out with Walsh in a while so I was glad to hear he’s alive and catching up with him over dinner at Saint Marc in Huntington Beach.
Outdoor parking lot was really small if you want to park for free. The underground parking can be validated up to two hours if you visit the restaurant in the mall. Be aware though, we were over by 11 minutes and I got charged for $ 6. Bleeding $$ over parking is for real.
The restaurant has an interesting concept; they want you to order with a touch pad instead of someone taking the order for you. Anytime you feel like getting more food, just swipe away. You can even pay with the touch pad when you are done eating. Personally I love it because that means I don’t have to tip anymore, right? The only downside is, if you want to get some water, you would need to flag someone over still.
I also fount it fun to see the inside of the restaurant was decorated like a giant food court and it totally fits that mall environment.
We got a lot of food because we wanted to try as much as we could. They have a bacon bar with 11 different kind of bacons and we ordered them all. My favorite was the English bacon. It was thick and meaty and it reminded me the time when I was in England. Apple pie bacon and coffee bacon was different and also worth a try. For appetizer, cheese board was for sure my favorite. On top of the excellent cheese selections, the honey comb was just a beautiful thing to look at while munching on the cheese. Be sure to tell them what kind of cheese you like so you don’t get something you hate (yuck blue cheese). The steak we ordered was a little small but at medium rare, it was perfectly cooked no doubt. I would also suggest to get the quiche and the fried chicken. It was addicting and very tasty.
The cocktails was also really good. Don’t tell the chef, but I think the drinks here are better than the food :) Get cucaracha. You won’t be sorry.
Overall, it was a great dinner experience and I think you would enjoy it too.

The future is here. The tablet on your table is now your server. It takes your order, you swipe your card. Until those robots arrive from Japan, your busboy/​girl is still human.
So no robots are coming, but the rest is reality. Your entire extensive menu is on a tablet you scroll through. Your contact with humans is minimized.
It’s not just the future, paradise is here too. In one corner is a bacon bar with 11 flavors you order by the slice. In another is 32 wines on tap you order by the ounce.
Manna flows limitless from the kitchen, and by that, I mean soft, warm bread that just popped out of the oven (free). It will soak up the limitless flow of wine you put in your body (not free).
But is this a utopia? Or does it quickly unravel into a dystopia?
Push a button on your tablet if you need human help, except he/​she never comes so you end up having to flag someone down.
The wine girl brought me the wrong wine and when I asked why my red zinfandel was white, she admitted too honestly, «I don’t know much about wine.»
The cheese girl was supposed to be a trained expert but forgot 2 of the 3 names on our tray. She ran back to the cheese counter to check.
Our bread didn’t come until we were nearly done with our California Cheese Plate (local cheeses, honeycomb, fig cake, etc.) and Rumaki (bacon wrapped chicken). We pressed the button twice, and finally just asked someone.
The food satisfied expectations and the wines were much more hit than miss. Small bites and tiny sips add up surprisingly fast as far as cost goes but it’s the price you pay for not wanting to commit.
So the future is here, but it’s tacky. It doesn’t play out as advertised. Maybe we need to eliminate human error for it to truly work. Let’s put those robots from Japan on rush order.

I had the pleasure of trying Saint Marc’s new brunch menu on a recent tasting. If you like Southern food and hospitality, this place is amazing. It’s not over the top but the food is SOLID. What I mean by that is everything here can be passed as high end restaurant eats, but they do a playful take by serving their food in these ceramic plates that looks as if you were eating from paper plates. They even serve their mixed drinks in those red solo cups. How cool is that?!
Alcohol wise, they serve canned beer and tapped wine. Wait what? Yes you heard that right, this is the wave of the future. If you are a beach bum, you know why you would want a canned beer. And it’s craft beer or the imported good stuff. They do have lots of Ballast Point here I noticed. As for the wine, you can buy by the ounce. This takes wine tasting to another level. Quite honestly, I love just to taste the expensive stuff. They have a TV monitor stating what they have on tap by the bar. Oh, and did I tell you the bar is al fresco? Check it out! Think Hawaii and open concept with a roof over your head.
Back to their brunch. You’ll get the free flow bread upon sitting down. Their breads, croissants, and beignets are freaking amazing here. But you know what’s the star here? The flavored bacon! If you want to try flavored coffee or apple bacon, well they have that here. Where in the OC do you know they have 11 different flavored bacon? And you can try a flight here!
As for the main entrees, there are the usual suspects like quiches (light and high), eggs over fried tomato, biscuits and gravy. If you want more bacon in your diet, try the SOS!
Brunch is served 7 days a week here until 11am and if you’re in a rush, you can always get a pastry and coffee to go. Just walk into the drink bar area.
Just to note, the IPAD ordering is optional. Service here is really good and the people who work here are very knowledgeable. I like the personal attention so I would just browse the IPAD to see what options you can create.
Parking is validated for 2 hours here. That may be my only gripe about Pacific City, not the restaurant itself. At least they validate here. Oh, and you have 10 minutes to get out once it is validated.