Chapter One: the modern local

Name: Chapter One: the modern local
Address: 227 N. Broadway, Santa Ana, CA, United States, 92701
Telephone: (714) 352-2225
Price range: $30 and under
Rating: 4.4

4.4 (596)

$30 and under

Gastro Pub

227 N. Broadway, Santa Ana, CA 92701

Make a reservation

2 people

Jun 14, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 5 times today

About this restaurant

Neighborhood gem
Charming
Kid-friendly

A staple of the Downtown Santa Ana bar and food scene, Chapter One has been serving up fresh and familiar house-made dishes and cocktails since 2011 with an eclectic vibe. Enjoy one of the best burgers in town next to a group of judges and lawyers from the Ronald Regan Federal Courthouse, or throw back some Old Fashions and Mezcal with local artist on DTSA's famous artwalks. Situated in an old book store, Bib-Gourmand recognized Chef Luis Perez now serves up his spin on the Chapter One menu. Always fresh and always made in house, down to even the ketchup and tortillas, no detail is overlooked.

Happy Hour Monday through Friday, 3p - 6p. Live Jazz Band every Wednesday night. Live Music Friday and Saturday Night. Weekend Brunch Saturday and Sunday 10a-3p.

Awesome rotating beer and wine list curated by Ryan Harding. He's cool.

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
Gastro Pub, Cocktail Bar, American
Hours of operation
Brunch Sat, Sun 10:00 am–3:00 pm Bar Mon–Thu 11:00 am–10:00 pm Fri 11:00 am–12:30 am Sat 10:00 am–12:30 am Sun 10:00 am–9:00 pm Lunch Mon–Fri 11:00 am–4:00 pm Dinner Mon–Thu 4:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–11:00 pm Sun 4:00 pm–8:00 pm
Phone number
(714) 352-2225
Website
https://chapteronetml.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress
Executive chef
Luis Perez
Catering
We offer many options for larger parties in our private event space, The Red Room. We offer party platters, drink ticket options, and customized menus. Please email sales@chapteronetml.com for more details.
Private party facilities
A beautifully decorated private dinning room with multimedia capabilities. Parties, meetings, luncheons, entertainment venue; endless possibilities.

Location
227 N. Broadway, Santa Ana, CA 92701
Neighborhood
Santa Ana
Cross street
Broadway & 3rd
Parking details
Street parking, a large parking garage located directly across the street, and a pay lot directly behind the restaurant.
Public transit
Minutes away from the Santa Ana Train Station and Regional Transportation Center. Downtown Santa Ana is located in the center of Orange County, so it's never too far from anybody!
Entertainment
Follow us on Facebook for our event schedule!
Additional
Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Dancing, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Indoor Fireplace, Late Night, Outdoor Smoking Area, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Vegan, View, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 596 people are saying

Chapter One: the modern local reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.4

4.4 based on recent ratings

4.4Food
4.5Service
4.4Ambience
4.3Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

North Orange County
Neighborhood gem

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Chapter One: the modern local offers a dynamic gastropub experience with a vibrant atmosphere and "great music and a very hip feeling." Signature dishes like the "BEST cheeseburger" and "amazing" sliders are crowd favorites. With an impressive selection of 450 bourbons and friendly service, it's a must-visit in downtown Santa Ana.

596 Reviews

D
Doug
Orange County7 reviews
3.0
Dined on June 1, 2025
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 2
I really wanted this to be a good gastropub dining experience, but it was not. It started off promising, reservation made, showed up and seated right away. It started to go down hill with our server Jeanette. Her service was slow, not friendly, not attentive, after asking for additional drinks we had to ask for them again, she was most friendly when delivering the check. We started with the Duck fat fries and Brussel sprouts, the fries were good, not a fan of the sprouts as cooked flavor wise. Next was the food, the fried chicken/Waffle, chicken was over cooked, two Benedict dishes ordered, only a drizzle of Hollandaise over the eggs, but the eggs were cooked proper with runny yoke, the flavors were ok, but not delicious. The best main dish ordered was the breakfast burrito, very good. We ordered the Bread Pudding, they were out. We ordered the Souffle and Creme Brule, both very good. The total bill with drinks, not including tip, $180.00, for 4 people.
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S
Sandy
Orange County9 reviews
5.0
Dined on June 1, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
We enjoyed our brunch with fantastic service and the entrees were delicious!
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L
Linda VIP
Orange County77 reviews
4.0
Dined on May 25, 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
I ordered the steak and feta salad & my friend ordered the shrimp tacos. I asked if I could substitute the feta for blue cheese, and our server said “yes, that was entirely possible”. Our meals took a long while to come out though, but when they arrived, they were both delicious and plentiful! my friend said the shrimp was super juicy and not salty and my steak was grilled beautifully and complimented the pile of dresses greens it came with.
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S
Susan
Orange County2 reviews
5.0
Dined on May 24, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Best empanadas I ever ate! Sliders were amazing! Fast service. Definitely a repeat!
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J
Josh VIP
Orange County9 reviews
5.0
Dined on May 10, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
If you haven’t been to Chapter One lately, now’s the time to revisit this downtown Santa Ana gem. A true bellwether gastropub, they’ve upped the ante with a jaw-dropping collection of 450 bourbons and whiskeys. I dipped into the Frey Ranch 120 proof — deceptively smooth up front, but don’t be fooled… it will smack you in the face in the best way possible. A beautiful way to expand your palate. On the food front: we started with the Margarita Flatbread — bright, fresh, and wood-fired just enough to give the crust that perfect char. Then came the Buttermilk Chicken, which was golden, juicy, and built like the comfort food of your dreams. The Steak and Feta Salad was shockingly satisfying, with perfectly grilled steak over crisp greens and a tangy vinaigrette that tied it all together. The soufflé. It’s a different spin as it’s huge. Maybe not my favorite. Probably could use some ice cream. But overall Chapter One is a reason to get your hind parts into DTSA and enjoy.
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R
Robin VIP
New York City18 reviews
5.0
Dined on May 4, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Chapter 1 is our favorite local restaurant in the Artist village. We eat there about once a week and really enjoy the food. Especially the wedge salad with the onion rings on top and the bacon wrapped meatloaf with mashed potatoes is fabulous. My husband always gets the margarita pizza with a beer . The staff is very friendly and always remembers what we like to drink . great music and a very hip feeling. Great vibe. Be sure to order the soufflé dessert ahead of time so it’s ready at the end of the meal really wonderful.
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A
Andy
Orange County1 review
5.0
Dined on April 10, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
The BEST cheeseburger I’ve ever had. The service was great and the vibe was cool. Definitely going back. Oh did I mention the almost shoestring fabulous duck fat fries? So good.
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K
Karaan
Orange County1 review
5.0
Dined on April 8, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Super fun place to watch Arsenal games if any gooners are in town or close by!!! Arsenal 3, Madrid ZERO. Will remember that forever.
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J
JAMES VIP
Orange County2 reviews
4.0
Dined on March 30, 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Steak on Steak Salad was rare (asked for medium rare) and when we told the waitress, it came back well done, almost like beef jerky. Flavor on the shrimp tacos was great but they served bay shrimp instead of large shrimp as pictured on Yelp. Service and atmosphere were both great.
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a
anita
Orange County2 reviews
3.0
Dined on March 25, 2025
1. Overall 3
2. Food 5
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
Staff was accommodating but as an obviously newly married gal wanted more attention 😂 Food great and will come back regardless.
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FAQs

Chapter One: the modern local does offer delivery in partnership with Postmates. Chapter One: the modern local also offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (714) 352-2225.

Chapter One: the modern local is rated 4.4 stars by 596 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people

Jun 14, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 5 times today

Google Map for Chapter One: the modern local

227 N. Broadway, Santa Ana, CA 92701

Additional information

Cross street
Broadway & 3rd
Neighborhood
Santa Ana
Hours of operation
Brunch Sat, Sun 10:00 am–3:00 pm Bar Mon–Thu 11:00 am–10:00 pm Fri 11:00 am–12:30 am Sat 10:00 am–12:30 am Sun 10:00 am–9:00 pm Lunch Mon–Fri 11:00 am–4:00 pm Dinner Mon–Thu 4:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–11:00 pm Sun 4:00 pm–8:00 pm
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
Gastro Pub, Cocktail Bar, American
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
Street parking, a large parking garage located directly across the street, and a pay lot directly behind the restaurant.
Public transit
Minutes away from the Santa Ana Train Station and Regional Transportation Center. Downtown Santa Ana is located in the center of Orange County, so it's never too far from anybody!
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Executive chef
Luis Perez
Entertainment
Follow us on Facebook for our event schedule!
Additional
Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Dancing, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Indoor Fireplace, Late Night, Outdoor Smoking Area, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Vegan, View, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
https://chapteronetml.com/
Phone number
(714) 352-2225
Catering
We offer many options for larger parties in our private event space, The Red Room. We offer party platters, drink ticket options, and customized menus. Please email sales@chapteronetml.com for more details.
Private party facilities
A beautifully decorated private dinning room with multimedia capabilities. Parties, meetings, luncheons, entertainment venue; endless possibilities.

Chapter One: the modern local

Make a reservation

About this restaurant

Additional information

Menu

What 596 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Loved For

Review summary

FAQs

Does Chapter One: the modern local offer delivery through OpenTable or takeout?

How is Chapter One: the modern local restaurant rated?

Is Chapter One: the modern local currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Additional information