Irvine is a hard city in terms of restaurants. Sure we have tons of options at the major shopping centers. I mean, the Irvine Spectrum is full of delicious restaurants. But you don’t always want to go and deal with parking and the hassle of visiting a large mall. We have a lot of chain restaurants but sometimes you want a place that feels a little bit more like home. Finally we have a spot that fits that bill in Square One Pizza! Square One Pizza is the perfect family dining spot in Irvine (and the surrounding area!). I was invited, along with a few friends, to dine at the restaurant and share my thoughts. All opinions are my own. 
Square One Pizza is located in the Oak Creek Shopping Center (with Gelson’s and is across the parking lot from Orchard Supply Hardware). There is plenty of parking (even at lunch time – which can not be said for most of the other shopping centers…) and is easy to get to from anywhere in Irvine. It’s right off the 405 freeway so it’s easy to get to if you aren’t coming from the immediate area. 
The restaurant is comfortable, with plenty of seating and has a large patio off the back. While the service is great here, you never feel like you are in a rush.The wait staff is attentive, helpful and super friendly. This is where you come when you want to relax and enjoy your meal. It’s totally family friendly and the perfect spot to bring your kids. 
At lunch, you order from the counter and the food is brought to your table. At night, you are seated by a host and your order is taken at the table. It’s a casual spot that makes you feel a little spoiled. The menu is full of delicious food including appetizers, pizzas, pastas, salads and sandwiches. They serve Gluten Free pasta which my friend raves about! I’ve never met a pizza that I didn’t like so that’s usually what I order. 
Square One Pizza has a small bar area that is perfect for grabbing a glass of wine or a beer. They have a nice happy hour menu Monday – Friday from 3-6 pm and feature a few appetizer specials as well as house wine for $4/glass. Mondays are wine night and most wines by the glass are half off. Plus I’ve heard they are going to start doing some other wine events with tastings. I’m certain I can get my local gals to head over for those.
They also offer beers on tap and feature some small craft breweries which I love. It’s a nice spot for dinner out that is casual and fun. The service is always amazing and the owners are friendly and welcoming. We don’t eat out too often but this is the place I want to go after a long week and I want to relax with my family and take a deep breath. The atmosphere is lovely. It’s not super loud like those mega restaurants and it’s also not so quiet where you are worried about how much noise your kids are making. It’s such a great balance of everything you want in a family dining restaurant. But I also wouldn’t hesitate to bring the girls here for a night out either. 
In fact, I got to do just that a few weeks ago. I had rounded up a group of friends to see the Bad Moms movie and had wanted to make it more of an experience for them. I had already seen it and I wanted to share a night out with them where we could just celebrate friendship and our time together. I knew Square One Pizza would be the perfect spot for us to have dinner. They graciously offered to host myself and 9 friends! for dinner prior to the movie. Some of us had been before but others had not. The gals who had eaten here before only had amazing things to say about it. They talked about how much they loved the food but also how gracious the restaurant is in terms of support for the local schools. And I loved that I got to introduce the delicious food to some of my other pals. It didn’t hurt that with so many of us ordering different things, I got to try a bunch of dishes I hadn’t had before. I usually order the Charred Steak Pizza. It’s amazing with the marinated steak, roasted corn, peppers, and Manchego Cheese. The pizzas are square and on the most delicious crispy thin crust dough. I feel like I should branch out and get other items, but I can’t quit this pizza. They also have more classic dishes like Chicken Scallopini and Spaghetti and Meatballs.
There is truly something for everyone on the menu. The kids menu is also a crowd pleaser with several pizza and pasta options that kids love. I look forward to attending some of their upcoming wine events! And surprisingly, I’ve never tried their dessert! I’m definitely going to have to put that on my to-do list!
If you are looking for a place to take your family that you’ll all love, Square One Pizza is for you!
Square One Pizza . 5789 Alton Pkwy, Irvine, CA 92618
*Square One Pizza hosted 10 of us for dinner and asked me to share my thoughts in a blog post. As always, all opinions are mine and I’m a big fan!
OMG. I just found my new favorite restaurant. Angelina’s Pizzeria recently opened in Irvine (in the new Whole Foods center over by the Irvine Spectrum) and I am welcoming it with open arms. I was invited to come try their new brunch menu and from the moment I walked in, I knew that this would be a game changer for Irvine and the surrounding area. Everything about it was fresh and cool which isn’t usually what you’d expect from a restaurant found in Irvine. While we have lots of decent dining options, this one is a stand out and I think everyone needs to run down and check it out.
