Raymond’s California Bistro

Came here awhile back with my wife after purchasing a Groupon deal. The locations doesn’t look like much fron outside but was pleasantly quite surprises to see how nice the interior layout was.
The staff during our visit was quite accommodating and even recommended several dishes. The service was friendly and fluid throughout our dining experience. I ended up with the spaghetti and meatballs for my meal and it was a fairly large portion and tasted quite good. The overall costs may be a bit on the high side for most of the dishes but being as we were using a Groupon this was not as large of an issue.
Raymonds runs several specials throughout the week, be sure to check their site for details. The overall menu is a little small and may not offer much variety for some but I found it satisfactory. Raymonds is far from a 5 star experience but there are far worse options out there.
I am sorry I didn’t write this sooner as I saw that Raymonds recently closed their doors for good. I always hate seeing small business such as this go out of business.

Gave this place one more try with a Groupon for assistance. This visit was so much worse than the first (³⁄₅ stars).
Ordered the meatball appetizer, chef salad and the salmon. Meatballs were nothing special and for my tastes, extremely salty. You also get a few slices of bread– not really enough to go with the appetizer. The salad was so blah and so was the dressing. You pay most than $ 10 for a salad and you get iceberg lettuce plus cheap deli cuts and cheese? Lastly, the salmon was the biggest offender. Extremely fishy– as in not fresh at all. The veggies were okay.
Service was so selective. Drink refills were slow. Waiters were nowhere to be seen in the small dining room. And the kicker? This old man walks in during the middle of our meal and gets a table. Right away our SAME waitress takes his drink order and offers to bring him fresh bread. WHERE WAS MY BREAD?!
I tried so hard to like this place but the food and service just downright sucks. AVOID!!!
P. S. I got 2 harassing «compliments» from another Unilocaler for this review telling me I shouldn’t be so harsh because after all, I used a Groupon. Just to be clear, I am trying to give this place a fair review for the food and service. I’ve been to other establishments and used Groupons and have had such better experiences than I did here. Is it my fault the food wasn’t fresh and the service was terrible?

It was… not memorable? Six cheese ravioli and pesto rigatoni were both just alright. The garlic cheese bread was very good. The atmosphere is kinda bland.
It would be good for old people LOL

I have eaten at Raymond’s California Bistro a couple of times. It’s a small, simple restaurant that offers friendly, patient service and good food. I wish that you could book your reservations through Opentable or Urbanspoon but you can actually call ahead and they’ll have your table ready when your arrive. Anyway, Raymond’s is located in a small strip mall but don’t let that setting throw you off. It’s one of those places that you luck up on and enjoy some good food.

We didn’t have a reservation for dinner on a Friday, but there was one table that was available. We opted to sit at the bar, though. There were only two servers, but somehow they managed the room well. Sitting at the bar has its perks as we were served promptly and got our wine less than a minute after we ordered it. We ordered:
–Six Cheese Ravioli ($ 12.95) — I liked this dish a lot, though it wasn’t very filling. It came with six pieces of ravioli, though you can get four for $ 9.95 as an appetizer. Liked the sage brown butter sauce, which was very light.
–Linguini Del Mar (~$ 21) — This seemed to come with quite a bit of seafood, but my friend said it was an average dish, with not a lot of flavor.
–Tiramisu — Someone said this was the best tiramisu they’ve ever had, but this is not. Both my friend and I thought it was lackluster and bland. It was a big disappointment.
I had a Groupon for $ 40 worth of food, so we ended up paying another $ 20 (so $ 40 total out of pocket) for dinner. While it’s a cozy little spot w/​nice staff, we probably won’t be back.

We are always looking for a nice local spot and we found it with Raymonds. The food portion size is perfect and we both left full, not too stuffed, and satisfied. This will definitely be one we bookmark to bring family and friends to.
Weekly specials are pretty awesome too. :)

This restaurant is fine. a mom and pop restaurant which the owners are working hard in this economy to make it successful. The service is always good and the food. Is better than many places with 5 stats reviews.

The BF and I love this place. I had the ribeye steak and the BF ordered the chicken piccata. They were delicious. Garlic bread melts in your mouth. Raymond the owner was waiting on us and I so friendly and helpful. I have been back several times and have never been disappointed. It’s tucked into the corner of Warner and Gothard across from the church on Warner. Come out and enjoy the incredible food and support your local small business.

This place is a cozy mom and pop shop on the corner of Warner and Gothard. Apparently, you have to make a reservation if you want a more private spot in a booth. Service was great; the server was very friendly and attentive. Garlic bread was excellent, house salad was nothing special but non the less good, pork chops were amazing, chicken piccata was delightful but the sides were mediocre in comparison. Definitely recommend.

My boyfriend came here a while back for a deal we found on Groupon. The restaurant is tucked away in this strip mall… not the most ideal location. However, the interior was small and quaint. It had a very comfortable, homely feel. It was not busy at all, and felt like a very intimate dinner.
Our server (dear Lord, I wish I could remember his name) was a doll. He was pleasant, attentive, and actually knew how to properly serve wine. Yes. There is a «right» way.
For the appetizer, we ordered the meatballs which were delish. Very tasty. For the entrée, I ordered the chicken parm and my boyfriend got this pasta dish, that honestly, I can’t remember right now. What I do remember is that our entrees were nothing special. I was a little bit disappointed at how greasy and bland my chicken parm was.
The highlight of our evening was the tiramisu. Sweet holy mother Mary, it was AMAZING! After the disappointment from our entrees, this heavenly tiramisu was our saving grace.
Overall, it was one of our better Groupon experiences.

So this is my first official Unilocal review.
I must have passed by Raymonds California Bistro a few hundred times always wanting to try the place especially after seeing The OC Register’s Review.
We arrived relatively early and were greeted by the very friendly owner, Raymond. We were probably the first customers, but the place soon filled up, but we always received prompt and friendly service.
The food did not disappoint one bit. Appetizers of Garlic Bread (have you ever said «amazing» about bread?) and probably the best Caprese salad i’ve had. Good menu selections with something for everyone with a price range between 10 – 30 dollars.
My girlfriend had the 4 cheese ravioli which she raved about. I enjoyed a tasty and very filling Linguini Di Mare which even I couldn’t finish!
I would probably give the place 5 stars but it looses points for a la carte pasta dishes and ambiance. Bread should be included with the meal and the beer selection needs to be expanded.
Definitely going to return.

My boyfriend has been wanting to try this place for a while, so we got the Unilocal deal of $ 40 worth of food for $ 20. This place was great!
Is in a strip mall and the ambiance is a bit dated, but the service and the food make up for the lackluster of the place.
The owner, Raymond, came over and introduced himself to us. I had a glass of Italian Pinot Noir, my boyfriend had a beer. We started with the gsrlic bread (which is light and very tasty!) and a caprese salad… OMG!!! It was splendid! I had the 4 cheese ravioli and my boyfriend had the linguine de mare, which he enjoyed as well. The pace was leisurely, which allowed us to enjoyed the meal and the drinks in between courses. Raymond was very attentive to our needs, including pouring extra water and making sure we had drinks a plenty.
On Tuesday nights, Huntington Beach residents get 20% discount and Wednesday nights was free corkage nights if you bring your own wine. We really like this place… where the ambiance lacks, the food and service make up for it tenfold! We’ll definitely be back for repeats!

My boyfriend and I went here on Wednesday night for our anniversary. The place is quaint and intimate which is perfect for going on a date. Aubrey who was our server did a wonderful job. She made recommendations off the regular menu and the specials for that night. I decided to order one of the specials which was the filet minon stroganoff and it was delicious! My boyfriend also ordered the other special for the night which was the liguine with blackened chicken and it was cooked to perfection! We also ordered the tiramisu for dessert and it just melts in your mouth. I highly recommend this place if you like great food and service.

Groupon has brought me to this establishment. I always wanted to try this place out. I would always drive by it. When I saw the groupon, it was fate.
This place is pretty new, been there for about a year according to our waitress Ashley. I think that might have been here name. She was really nice and sold me on the garlic bread along with a Unilocaler shout out. It was really amazing, it was crunchy but soft on the inside where the cheese and garlic had a harmonious blend.
I had the Linguini Vongole. It was ok. Prefect for a light pasta, but I felt it was missing flavor. Perhaps, a little garlic would have made it great. My husband had the Chicken Piccata and that was pretty good. We closed out meal with the Crème Brulee and that was good. It come with fresh blueberries. The texture of the crème brûlée would have been perfect if the texture held better and was not so pudding like.
Overall, we enjoyed our meal here and would return again to try other things on the menu. Till next time.

Huge portions, friendly service, small but intimate environment.
Best pork chop of our lives, and also the tastiest Tiramisu we’ve had (homemade too!).
Could use a better beer selection, but not bad enough that I need to dock any stars. I recommend the Allagash White :)

On a Saturday evening, we ordered the linguini con scampi, the grilled pork rack chop with carmelized apple chutney, chicken tortilla soup, and garlic bread for 13 (20 for 40 groupon now deal)
— Mirage! In a older part of town, but 5 star appeal as you enter
— No wait. Quick seating and service
— Waiter tells you specials of the day. Gives recommendations
— Waterfall! They’re great at refilling drinks
— Choice of cream of mushroom or chicken tortilla soup
— Deceived. While waiting for food, «Would you like garlic bread?» «Sure»… Bill $ 4.95 tab. WTF. This is no red lobster people. haha. No free bread here. The garlic bread was good, but at least tell me how much it costs. It’s not like asking for cheese on a hamburger, implied… haha. It’s garlic bread.
— 6 shrimp with linguini. Eh… Even a chain, Olive Garden, gives more. Ouch
— Made perfect. Pork rack chop made medium all throughout.
— MS-​DOS?! This place is so old their computer reminds me of episodes of LOST! haha
— Waiters a bit too pushy. Every 5 min, «Are you done with that?» Time to kick u out.
— Maybe I needed to get the wine to give this place a better rating, but nothing about this place screams unique. Local feel, but unsure if I’d recommend driving miles to come eat here.
— Sharon L loves $ 5 garlic bread hidden fees and hates Olive Garden. «This restaurant is OC’s Finest!» LOL: D!

I tried this small restaurant tucked in a strip mall with my mom. We received a coupoon in the mail and after reading the Unilocal reviews, we came to check it out.
We ordered the garlic bread, chicken marsala, and chicken pesto pasta. All these dishes were tasty. The garlic bread, which has parmesan sprinkled on top, was slightly crispy on the edges but flaky enough on the inside. The pesto wasn’t the best I’ve had in my opinion, but the chicken on both dishes were cooked beautifully.
Be warned though. The pasta dishes have a smaller portion than regular entrees like the chicken marsala. I believe in Italian cuisine, pasta dishes aren’t considered as entrees, but more as a dish in between an appetizer and an entrée.
The food is pricey considering the portion size. But most of the restaurant’s diners were regulars, so there’s something about this place that brings people back.

From amazing service to even better food, Raymond’s California Bistro will be sure to please. I had their 6 cheese ravioli in a sage brown butter sauce, spinach dip and garlic bread. After devouring everything in sight, I had no complaints and moved onto finishing my girlfriends meal, a bistro salad. If you haven’t eaten here, you should. Stuffed to the brim, I wanted dessert but couldn’t fit it in until my next visit. I came back for the homemade Crème Brûlée and have been back a few more times, sometimes just for dessert. The Crème Brûlée is creamy goodness and I’ll make sure to save room for it from now on.
That’s this critic’s review, until next time, I’ll be eating.

What a great find! Seven of us met here for dinner a couple of Saturdays ago. Being polite consumers, we called ahead and made reservations. When we arrived, a lovely table was set down the middle of the space and we all felt like Rock Stars! We loved the cozy atmosphere, having Raymond himself wait on us, a great wine list, and delicious food! Several in our group went for the pork chop with chutney and were raving. Being a vegetarian, I had the homemade 4 cheese ravioli with sage sauce and was in heaven! Hot fresh cheesey garlic rolls started us off that were melt in your mouth good. I’m not sure where Lois M. or Jason S. have been dining (with the Queen of England?) to have such negative views about this place, but we were all ultra impressed… all of us in my group are big food & wine connoisseurs and we couldn’t find one complaint!
Thank you, Raymond’s, for being a bright spot in our world of overrun corporate cookie cutter restaurants! We’re singing your praises loud & clear!

Just got home from trying out this new local restaurant and I’m already thinking about the things I want to try when I go back. The chicken tortilla soup, caprese salad and the linguine and clams I had was awesome. My boyfriend had the new england clam chowder (thin, not thick) and the penne bolognese and is already talking about going back for more. Best part is, they had my favorite beer, Allagash white (in bottle) to enjoy with my food.
They’re still opening but with the packed house I saw tonight, they’ll do just fine. I suggest trying it out and making sure to get one of the appetizers they have on the menu before your meal. Prices are very reasonable so it makes for a great night out without breaking the bank account!