Boldo Bol

A pleasant walk from jury duty leads to this mom’n’pop eco-​kitchen that really impresses me – high quality food and rare veggies fresh from local farms, well-​seasoned, nourishing protein for a vegetarian like me, (also looks good for those who eat fish/​chicken). Ask for a sample of sauces — all are good! Reasonably priced. We need more eateries like this.

I feel so damn healthy after eating here! This place is a unique and healthy option. I try to always eat healthy and am always disappointed when I order something that appears healthy on a menu and is anything but when the food arrives. With this place I know no matter what I get it’s going to be good and good for me.
The owner (I think) is super friendly and walked me through everything on my first visit. The place is pretty tiny, but it’s never horribly crowded when I go.

Wow that was delicious! Bold boi is one of the new restaurants recently opened in the revitalized downtown Santa Ana arts district. Chef Paul provided a very tasty selection of farm fresh veggies in savory sauces that will satisfy any appetite. You basically put together a custom bowl of rice or salad, your selection of seasoned veggies and then your protein. All tied together with your choice of sauce. Everything is perfectly seasoned, modestly priced and the portions generous. I was out looking for a new vegan joint and found Bold boi. Boy am i glad too! I am going back, you should too! Double highly recommend.

Simple, healthy, fresh, and delicious. I got a basic bol which comes with a grain, a legume, your choice of 3 vegetables, locally raised chicken, and whatever sauce you like. Lots of options! I love the chimichurri sauce, and the pico de gallo, they’re both superrrrrrrrr fresh and they pair so well together. As others have stated, you can really see how much care goes into preparing the food here, and I love that they use local ingredients. I will be back again and again!

My co workers & I get this place for takeout and it is beyond my favorite spot in Santa Ana! Fresh produce straight from farm to plate as we say… definitely recommend this spot !

This place is awesome. Super fresh, lots of flavor, good portion size, fair price, can’t give it anything but 5 stars. I’ll be a regular.

This is my go to place for lunch if I want a healthy and organic meal that makes my tastebuds and body feel really good. The owner is very mellow and nice. He stated that he was inspired by his 103 year old grandma who is a farmer and started him on this path of eating well!

Perfect tasting and amazing quality food. You simply must try their black cod bowl. They are one of the only restaurants who gets the fish straight from the fishermen, caught off the coast of Catalina. There’s a big choice of tasty, perfectly seasoned vegetarian options. The only downside is that this is an expensive lunch ($ 12) and there is only seating for 14 in the restaurant. Definitely worth your time, though. The food is so on point.

Awesome spot. Really enjoyed the simplicity and quality of the ingredients. The entire style and approach of this restaurant is right in tune with my ideas on healthy eating and quality nutrition.
Thank you Boldo Bol for bringing a great addition to DTSA.

Absolutely outstanding food and experience. You can see and taste the care that goes into each dish.
Is it possible for a meal to be tasty, healthy and quick? Yes, absolutely!

This place is a smaller version of chipotle, where everything is brought in from local farms! they list all of the local farms and even elementary schools where they get their produce and other things that are made there. This place is great when you are trying to eat healthy, you can get a bowl with either chicken or pork, black beans or legumes, white or brown rice, and a variety of different kinds of vegetables (steamed cabbage, brussel sprouts, broccoli, and a few others I can’t recall). Then you can pour over one of the types of sauce they have, such as Thai curry, vegetable, spicy red sauce, and a few others I know I am forgetting.
Love the concept, it is a cute, small place. I only gave it four stars because while it is healthy and delicious, it isn’t somewhere I’m going when I want an epically delicious (and probably unhealthy) meal.

If you are looking for something not only healthy, but locally sourced, you have come to the right spot my friends. I was too hungry to really take a picture, but I got the farmers Bol and it was AMAZING. I’ve never had pinquitos before– it’s a bean– and they are delicious, get those. All the veggies I had were great so you can’t go wrong! EAT HERE

This place has the freshest and tastiest sustainably grown food in the OC!
If you are nearby stop in and give them a try and help the planet at the same time!

I came here with my mom and sisters during an outing to celebrate some birthdays. My mom suggested this place, since we were in the area and she had heard great things about it.
The way this place runs is seriously amazing. They buy all of their ingredients from local farms within a 50 mile radius, and they even have the farms listed on their walls. So cool! Also, if you get your backyard garden certified with the county, YOU can even trade with them. Boldo Bol uses a barter system, so if bring in a bag of avocados, they will either pay you, or offer you some free meals. To me, this is such an amazing concept, and is something that should be done way more. Essentially, its a bunch of businesses and community members coming together to support each other and make amazing food.
The unique care that goes into the preparation of this food can definitely be identified in the quality and taste of what you are eating. Essentially, you get to pick from a selection of freshly cookie vegetables, rice, beans/​lentils, and meat. Everything is in a giant bowl of goodness! You can also pick some yummy sauces to put on top. Everything about this meal was amazing. You can TOTALLY tell that the food is fresh, and it is cooked to perfection.
We also met the owner while we were here! He helped us understand the process of bartering food with the business (since we have a couple large fruit trees at our house). He then brought us out a taste of guacamole that he had JUST made, along with some tortillas. It is very rare that you receive such individualized service on top of such amazing food. You need to try this place out!

Salad Bol consists of just-​picked lettuce and herbs with red pepper, daikon, yam, and pumpkin seeds. The vegetables are bright green and refreshing. The red bell peppers and yams are sweet. Daikon adds a little kick. The pumpkin seeds add a crunchy texture and nutty flavor, like a natural croûton. Rating: ⁴⁄₅
Fish Bol consists of wild caught black cod with citrus, green onion, and garlic. The black cod is juicy and soft like butter. The Swiss chard has an Asian flavor — shoyu and sesame seed oil — which worked really well. The citrus flavor is very light, but the green onions give the dish a bright, refreshing flavor. Rating: ⁵⁄₅
Chicken Bol consists of locally raised chicken braised with harissa and black beans. The chicken is tender but needs a little more salt. The harissa has a smoky flavor, almost like chipotle. The corn medley is naturally sweet. The black beans are cooked to tender perfection but need a little more salt. But, if you are watching your salt intake, this might be the dish for you. Rating: ³⁄₅

So I tried this place on Tuesday. And then ate there Wednesday. And Thursday. I just can’t stop. Every day was different. And every day was quality and outstandingly delicious.
There are probably only a handful of restaurants that I can eat at and not feel tired, or heavy, or sluggish, or gross afterwards. I know this isn’t just me. You know that feeling? It ranges from «McDonald’s post-​meal grossness» to «why did I eat the whole cheeseburger grossness». And there are many many different incarnations of this feeling all along the spectrum. I’m pretty sure it’s impossible to get any version of that feeling here.
I will eat full bowls of rice, beans, veggies, and maybe some chicken. I’ll load it up with their sauces (vegetable curry, tomatillo, etc.) and I’ll chow down. I mean, just stuff my face. And I will get ridiculously full. And I can still go back to work and not feel like I need to take a nap under my desk. No soda needed to keep me awake.
I want everyone to eat here so it stays in business. The owner and workers were kind. The concept is brilliant. And the food is perfection. But I’m afraid too many people will think it’s a Chipotle knock off (it’s so so not) or a hipster commune thing they can’t get on board with (it’s not that either). So I want it to stay in business for my own selfish reasons: I want to keep eating there every day as long as I can.

I’m 4+* on Boldo Bol, maybe 5 after eating here a few more times. We’ve eaten here twice now, and my wife says she’s going to be here once a week, with or without me. Huh?
They are located east of Playground, next to the Frida Cinema and the soon-​to-​open Wursthaus.
The first time we came by, we just looked around. I wasn’t sure what to think. The hot food is pre-​prepared for quick service. It sits in shallow stainless steel serving dishes. I wondered, how fresh can it be?
Well, it’s fresh. The veggies are cooked in small quantities, so they turn over pretty quickly. Everything is seasonal and locally sourced. Today, there was sautéed kale that is maybe the best rendition I have tried. There also was zucchini, green beans, carrots, broccoli and cabbage, too. All the veggies were perfectly cooked, pretty to look at, and well seasoned.
All the bowls are stainless steel. You choose white or brown rice (brown is delicious!) to start your bowl and then a legume. Today there were outstanding black beans (our choice) and pintos. Last time, the lentils rocked.
One word of warning. Since everything is going into your bowl, if you don’t want everything soaked in broth, ask your server to add very little broth with your legume choice.
Then, you choose which veggies to add. One, two or all. It’s up to you.
Then there are sauces, usually 3 choices. I like the tomatillo, but I get it on the side, so I can taste the flavors of everything in the bowl separately.
If you stop here, it’s $ 7.95. If you add chicken (again, ask them to hold the broth, unless you want your bowl soupy). $ 9.95. You can also choose fish, but we haven’t tried that yet.
There also are salads. We’ve had both the tomato and the green salad. Both very good, but with a slight preference for the tomato salad. There are a couple of other salads to choose from that we haven’t yet tried.
With the chicken bowl and a salad, there is plenty of food for my wife and I (we get an extra bowl to make splitting the food easier). I like it that the utensils are real, too, and not plastic.
There is a semi-​secret menu with a couple of items on it otherwise not listed. Ask.
If Cynthia helps you, you will be very helpful. Super helpful. Paul, too.
The place has limited seating both inside and out, so you may make a friend sharing a table.
Well worth a visit. Eating healthy and tasty food doesn’t get much better.

Great concept.
Very simple but perfect for lunch. Can’t wait to try it for dinner and add some fish onto my Bol.
Parking can be tricky, but you can park in the structure and they do validate.

Good spot for lunch or quick dinner. Had Boldo Bowl with chicken, brown rice, black beans and three different veggies including a nice spicy marinated cabbage that was picked this morning. Topped it off with the tomatillo sauce and for about a dollar or so more than Chipotle got a nice lunch.
Service was very helpful and informative at the counter and the owner/​chef Paul also came by all the tables to see how everything was, offered discount coupons and more information on the local food partnerships they have established.
Will go back when looking for a healthy and flavorful meal.

$ 4 for a bowl of cantaloupe sold as a «fruit bowl.» What?
I’m all for the burgeoning downtown SA food scene but selling $ 10 bowls of beans and rice in the heart of Santa Ana is pretty audacious.

I am grateful for my experience at this new local hotspot! Small, family owned by father, Paul and daughter, Tesa,
I feel the Boldo team delivers love and great energy through their wholesome, healthy, sustainable, fresh-​daily, organic, pasture raised, grass fed ingredients.
While I was feasting on the deliciousness in my Boldo bowl, a delivery of organic fresh produced was brought into the restaurant for dinner service. That’s fresh!
My real feelings about this place? I highly recommend it. Cheers!