Infusion Restaurant & Martini Bar

It is a shame this place is closing. We need to have a rally in Ladera bc the real estate company that runs that center is raping the tenants on their leases. We need decent restaurants in Ladera damnit!!!

This place, although hard to find, is the best little restaurant in ladera Ranch. The drink mixologist makes the best martinis, the prime rib is to die for, and all the people who serve up food there are the best at what they do. This place is small and cozy with a lot of ambiance. I would go again.

*This review is only for their bar — we have yet to try the food here!
We came in here after a company dinner on a Saturday night around 10 p.m. There was literally only one person at the bar and the rest of this place was deserted. We sat ourselves at the bar and started looking over their cocktail menu. Although I normally go for a Ketel One Martini — Dirty — Blue Cheese Olives… I HAD to get the gummy bear martini! It sounded so yummy! My fiancé ordered the Chimay beer which is one of his favorites. The martini was delicious. They even garnish it with gummy bears at the bottom of your glass. I enjoyed every sip! We decided to get another round so I went with my usual because that’s what I really had come in to get. It was okay, not the best I’ve had… maybe it needed some more olive juice?
The service was super awkward/​lazy. The bartender was not the friendliest guy in the world. We tried to make small talk with him but it felt really forced on his part. When we asked him what time they normally close he literally said «as soon as you leave». Wtf is up with that? It was literally not even 11 p. m…so does that mean you close at 10? or 11? Don’t ever say things like that to your guests because it sounds like you’re trying to get us out of there. There was another young couple at the end of the bar that came in after us and after they had 1 round the guy was pushy to them too and asked them «If you’re going to get another round let me know now or I’ll just close you out». He also forgot the girl’s garnish (a candy cane) for her martini until she was almost done with it. Then just threw it in there. Oh, and I almost forgot… I wanted to try their holiday martini — a peppermint mocha inspired one — he told me he couldn’t make it because he didn’t have any coffee. I asked him if he could make it without coffee and he refused to. I am positive that he didn’t «have coffee» because he didn’t feel like brewing any more coffee that night.
Overall, the drinks are good, the service was lazy and awkward. Just cuz it’s the end of the night doesn’t mean you can give sub-​par service to guests! Finish your shift and then be lazy.

I love this place, small & cozy! The ambiance is great, it’s jumping with people all the time & the food very good! Both times I had the steak with this amazing mac & cheese, really good. We always get the corner table to the left as you walk in! Our friend know’s the owner so even when they have no room (at 7PM) for a party of 6.5 we get in! Cudo’s to Infusion’s…Love it

Adding a star for the new menu items. Love chicken scallopini, new appetizers.

Given the lack of non-​chain restaurants in South OC, I really wanted to give Infusion a higher rating… Food in consistently good and the staff is friendly, but I just can’t get past the bartenders.
The last two times I was at the place, the bartender has set up his own little refreshment stash on the back counter. This includes a Starbucks cup, water bottle, and food. While most restaurants have their crew take breaks and eat in the back, this guy has his dinner right out there with you.
Some may call this friendly and aiding in the comaraderie between guests and staff… I, alas, do not… Infusion is not a cheap place… and I don’t like seeing the big guy slurp down a bowl of pasta in between pouring me a $ 16 glass of Cabernet.
To the management of Infusion, please just ask your staff to do their eating on their breaks… I don’t even think TGIF’sor Applebee’s or whatever other cheap restaurant would let their staff put forth this image.
I would love to come back and support your restaurant, but there are plenty other places with good service and manners.

I’m not convinced that Infusion is as great a restaurant as it is a martini bar with awesome appetizers. Always delighful are the Ahi Tuna Stack and Crispy Tempura Greenbeans with Sweet Thai Chili Dipping Sauce. Actually, I could really taste more of a standard Chinese 5-​Spice flavor (anise) in the «Thai» sauce. Oh well. But, Yum and Yum! Both appies are perfectly paired with a Basilini which was very refreshing. Yep, Infusion knows how to pour a great martini.
The service has always been very nice, despite how busy and crowded it can get in that small space. However, the entrees I’ve tried rely heavily on butter and salt to make a statement. The pistachio crusted tilapia is so butter rich, I really could not taste anything but and after a few bites, I was done. I mean I expected to see Paula Deen walk out from the kitchen. Then there is the Lobster Garlic Noodles. For a $ 32 dollar dish I expected more seafood and plump lobster. What killed the presentation was the packaged ramen-​like noodles. It seriously looked like something I cooked when I got my first apartment, i.e. Top Ramen. The dish was so salty I could not taste garlic or ginger and it’ was asif someone sprinkled a yaki soba seasoning packet directly on top. Would have been much better with Cu mian or Udon style noodle.
Infusion is still a great, cozy local hangout for great martinis and appetizers and I think that’s why I’ll be back.

Fun for a night out with the girls… make sure you don’t go on Thursday nights and wear WHITE… lookout !!!
Have fun and enjoy the martinis !!! Make sure you get the corner table to the left as you walk in…

My husband enjoyed his tender medium rare rib eye and I enjoyed my amazing pistachio crusted tilapia with sugar cane shrimp skewers. Those no longer appear to be on the menu. Have also had the delicious melt in your mouth ahi tuna tower, lobster garlic noodles full of a variety of seafood. Chicken vesuvio was flavorful and tangy. The garlic mashed potatoes was scrumpcious. Ambiance was nice. Lighting was just right. Also have been here for a baby shower for a good friend and a great time was had by all. Nice to have this gem in Ladera.

We were in the neighborhood to visit some friends, looked up restaurants nearby online, my bf picked this one, made a reservation.
This is a small but very cozy restaurant and lounge. The host was very friendly, greeted us when we walked in, took us to a small table near the entrance, we asked if we could get another table, she happily gave us a bigger table near the bar. it was very nice of her.
ordered vodka martini and white wine as usual, it was playing NBA playoff on the TV in the lounge area, but we could watch it from our table, cuz the lounge are and dining are is very close. they served bread and butter, so yummy, I ordered scallops from Chef’s tasting menu, my bf ordered fillet Mignon medium rare, we waited long time for our food to get ready, I was a bit hungry, I thought it was better worth the wait… I need to finish the second coat of my nail color, (didn’t have enough time at home), I had time to get it done waiting for my food :), so the wait wasn’t all bad at all.
Our food came out finally, they looked so pretty and yummy, smelled so good too! my scallops were so delicious! with spinach, mashed potato and wild rice. everything tasted great! i absolutely loved it! my bf’s steak looked good to me too, he liked it. food is reasonable priced for the portion and taste. they have daily special menus too.
I was glad my bf picked the right restaurant, this restaurant is perfect for a cozy dinner date, martinis, and great food!

The owners of this restaurant also own Casa Ranchero. I despise Casa Ranchero but love this place… go figure. The bartender Mike is a hoot. Great guy and a fantastic bartender.
The food is a little bit on the pricey side however it is an upscale establishment.
The restaurant has beautiful décor and the food was well plated, and tasted fantastic. The Ahi Tuna Tower and Flat Bread is amazing.
The restaurant prides itself on it’s Martini’s that are priced around $ 11-​$ 12. I always opt for a Classic though I’ve tried the Cactus Cooler Martini which was really yummy.
I usually come in on Tuesday for Tipsy Tuesday where they offer Two Martini’s and an appetizer for $ 24. Pretty great deal that fills me up nicely.
Service has always been great. I wouldn’t hesitate recommending this place!

The best food, the chef Lonnie is the owner, I dream of his specials and his martini’s rival Maestro’s my other favorite, call ahead small intimate and you will send me flowers for thank you’s

The crowd: Hilarious mixture of barbie doll Orange County bimbo wives, cougars with more money than sense, and male douche bag 30 something white yuppies. The occasional old couple was also present, but they seemed to filter out around 8−9pm. Seriously the number of fake people here was amazing, and well worth the trip just to people watch.
The service: Really great. Our waitress was funny and personable, and quick on the draw. She really made the experience a plus.
The Martinis: C’mon, I have had better at Elephant Bar. You are charging too much and half of these are pretty basic to be calling them Signature Drinks. I haven’t asked them for a Manhattan yet, which I consider a true test of any bartender’s mettle.
The food: Good. Not amazing as the price tag would suggest, but I enjoyed it. The appetizers were yummy too. My fish was over cooked (dry) and the waitress was quick to wisk it away and replace it immediately with more delicious shrimp instead.
Overall, if you find yourself in Ladera and you recognize this place is the only game in town then you won’t be upset, because it’s not bad. It’s also not amazing, and could be… So only 3 stars.

Absolutely, unequivocally my favorite place to eat in Ladera. The food is terrific, the service is wonderful and you will always get personal attention from the owners. Try the calamari or tempura green beans for the appetizer. The sea bass is great. The steak salad is terrific. I wish they still had the sesame-​crusted seared ahi, but last time I went it wasn’t on the menu any more.
Wednesday nights, there are always 3 dishes priced at $ 9.95, usually including fish and chips, which are really good.
This is a great place for an adult evening out with friends. It’s a little too nice and a little too loud for kids.

We met friends here last Friday night and we had a great time. The martinis were good, great wine and the food was quite tasty. I didn’t see the bill, but it seemed a little pricey for the overall experience.
The ambiance is Ok, due to the lack of good lighting and sound. It was so loud in the big open space and I couldn’t hear any music, which is a must in my book.
Overall, I would go back. I could see it only being fun with the right friends.

We come here for special occasions with my parents and absolutely love this place.
The ambience is really quaint and the décor is fabulous.
The martinis are awesome!!! We order the hanging lobster entrée (I forgot the name) but it is outstanding!!!

I am a little torn on my review of this place. The food although quite good… err, maybe I should qualify it… the food although quite good for Orange County it is a little overpriced in my opinion. The problem is… there are very few restaurants in this area that have that modern type feel to it. Usually the next closet city in Orange County that has this type of feel to it is a tie between Costa Mesa or Newport Beach. Its nice to see a place like this in the middle of Ladera Ranch among all the Del Tacos, Chilis, and McDs. It makes me feel less like a pretentious bastard when I try a local place with a level of «hoity toity”-ness to it.
We started off with a couple of martinis… I am a classic martini kind of guy. I don’t like those new-​age or trendy type drinks. A classic martini or gibson is always my choice. But seriously… $ 11 for a standard martini seems a little high. It definitely was good… just seems a little steep in my opinion.
A few drinks in, I ended up getting the Lobster Garlic Noodles which was OK. Accompanying the Yakisoba noodles were Maine Lobster (really just small pieces of lobster), Tiger Shrimp (they over compensated the lack of lobster with shrimp… typical) and Blue Crab (very very little on the plate) with Spinach, Shitake and Ginger Garlic Sauce. It probably would have been better if they had lobster in the Lobster Garlic Noodles… or at least renamed it to Shrimp Garlic Noodles. If they had, maybe I would have had something else and had a better experience.
Overall the food was good just hard to justify of the price of anything. I would like to come here after work for some drinks, but at $ 11 for a martini… probably not. There are plenty of other places to go for drinks during the week or on the weekend and the food, although good, just seems like it was missing the value for what we paid. The food was like a 4 star… then you take into account the bill mugging you on your way out… and you drop to like a 3 star. Oh those drinks add up.

I’ve been to Infusion several times for lunch and dinner but I would have to say I’m more a fan of this place for lunch. After getting off work this past Saturday ½ a day early (yay!) we figured, what better way to spend the afternoon then with a nice martini (or 2) over lunch…
After forgoing food for the entire day, we started with the calamari appetizer. This was really good as it wasn’t those dry chewy rings, rather it was the steak strips. Very tender and served with a spicy cocktail sauce. Way too much on the plate but good nonetheless.
For lunch, Hubby and I both ordered the sandwich, soup and salad trio. Today’s soup was cream of asparagus and though it took on the texture and appearance of baby food, the flavor was exceptionally noteworthy. Real asparagus flavor, perfectly seasoned. Wish-​I-​had-​the-​recipe-​kind-​of-​good. The turkey brie panini’s were good and the Elli salad was delicious as always.
You’d think that in the land of the «Real OC Housewife» (Infusion has been featured on their show) this place would be pretentious but I actually find it warm and inviting and the service is great.

Very fun martini bar!
When I came here, guitar player Brian was playing — he was great! The vibe with the music made for a very enjoyable evening, playing a variety of music, old and new :)
I had a dirty martini, our server was very nice, but I needed to ask for some extra olive juice because it didn’t taste like there was any in there.
The décor of this place is great, good for a mellow martini night with friends!

Today I wandered into the storybook town of Ladera Ranch to celebrate the 17^th day of my birthday month with a friend at Infusion.
This restaurant is located near the CVS in the Mercantile West shopping center and I’m amazed by how tiny it is. You’re literally tripping on the hostess desk as you walk in and there’s a bar to your right and tables and booths to your left.
At Infusion, they like to make sure you’re comfortably «infused» as they serve you and take their time preparing meals and life moves slow as you sit and chat about all the things concerning this world and your life but customer service is excellent and our iced teas were kept a float.
The Soup, Salad, Sandwich combo for lunch sounded good and I got the Potato Cheese soup, Caesar Salad, and the Smoked Turkey and Brie Sandwich. The soup was a pureed blend of cheese and potato and a little too spicy for me. I was expecting big chunks of potatoes swimming in a cheese broth not a purée. The caesar salad dressing was too tart but it was ok with some black pepper. The sandwich was delicious but now that I look at the menu I should have gotten the pumpkin soup and the Petite Ellie salad with my sandwich. That sounds like a much better combo. I’ll have to keep that in mind for next time.
My friend’s burger looked great with the shoe string fries. I like my fries on the slightly thinner side. Too much potato tends to make me full a lot faster before I can even get into my meal.
We ended lunch with their molten chocolate lava cake for dessert. This was yummy with some Tahitian vanilla bean ice cream. There was also a nice raspberry sauce drizzle and fresh raspberries. I am quickly becoming a big fan of raspberries and I think I liked the ice cream more than the cake. It was a smooth finish for the meal.
Overall, I’ve really enjoyed my birthday month thanks to my friends. I love you guys!