The Rib Trader Review

Best BBQ in Orange County! Possibly the world! Must try if your in the area! Highly recommend the baby back ribs and the beef ribs.

This restaurant also has a dinner show...Merlin's Magic & Comedy show. The bbq rib and chicken dinner was great and the show was a lot of fun. There was enough innuendo that the adults were entertained but still family friendly at the same time. The service could have been better but wasn't horrible either. The groupon really made it a reasonable, fun night out.

Good place for family dinner. They have a dinner for four deal, and it definitely is big enough to feed four people! Definitely recommend the sweet potato fries side

The food was absolutely excellent! Marlin the magician show was a little corny but fun.

I was brought here and was treated (didn t pay) so I won t complain about pricing. I will say the comedian isn t very funny. It s maybe 10 minutes worth of content and then your left, so the entertainment falls short. The food has no individual flavor, I don t eat ribs so the choices they give you are limited at that point. The soup looked good but didn t taste good at all, the chicken was undercooked and with me being immune compromised I couldn t touch it. All in all I ate nothing but the dry cornbread and that I couldn t finish. The last thing was the soda I had. It was like flavored water. Had the color but no flavor. You pay whether you eat or not so overall a terrible experience. Lots of people liked it in our group. Desert was good.

This place sure knows how to please their clients. Consistently with a friendly mindset. The food is affordably priced, constantly fresh and clean.

Our first time here. Jim was extremely helpful, courteous, and friendly. The food was delicious! We ordered the party pack with the beef ribs, pork ribs, and chicken for a family get together. We will definitely be returning customers!!! Thank you.

I decided to go to a drag show knowing it had a charge fee of 10$. When I got there they told me that I HAD to get a minimum of 2 foods and that it was free with the bundle. Even though I had told the server, BRIANNA, that I didn t want food and just to simply to enjoy the show. When the check came I was shocked to find that not only did they charge me for the show, but the food(which they said was free). (Also keep in mind, on the check, it said open food )Never again. However I will say, the drag show was amazing, nothing against the drag queens, they were amazing.

So enjoyable! The food was great and the magic show was a lot of fun! Highly recommend for date night, family night, or birthday parties.

the staff is really nice and makes you feel good ...the ribs are awesome

The service was extremely slow when I was there, and I thought the items on the menu were over-priced and there was little I was really interested in. Hopefully they have improved since I was there.

We ordered Beef & Pork ribs as well as whole chicken... oh my goodness!! They were cooked to perfection. Just enough chewy and moisture that proved it was done with care. Sides were delicious as well: mashed potatoes and gravy as well as baked beans and cornbread. The bbq sauce was the best combination of spicy with a little heat and sweet. Our family of four will certainly order from here again.

The food is good however it could use a bit of a facelift.

Didn't eat here. Don't take groupon on holidays. It was mothers day, no one there. Oh well, went some where else. It was great

Awesome BBQ ribs, tri tip and grilled shrimp. Friendly service. Great prices for the quality.

Very cozy place and super rich food. The lord of the entrance Jaime, very attentive and kind. % recommended. A precise place to go with the family.

If you're looking for delicious BBQ this is the right place! The ribs are so tender and the mac and cheese is creamy and very addicting. The chicken and steak was cooked perfectly. There's a bar/restaurant side and a showroom for Merlin's magic show on the other side. About 4 TV's around the bar and there is always a big game playing. I watched a football playoff game there and had a great time chatting and watching with friendly patrons. I will definitely be back to watch more games. Merlin is very entertaining, I still can't figure out how he did some of the magic tricks. Kimberly and Lindsay were the servers for the show and they were very helpful and I loved their costumes. The show ticket comes with a lot of food so come hungry! I recommend the magic show to people of all ages.

I had passed by The Rib Ttader about five days previous while riding my electric unicycle and the scent of the beef ribs was nearly irresistible. Only the fact that I had just eaten kept me from going inside and ordering.

Fast forward to early afternoon on Friday.. I was in the area so I decided to go in and try it out. As expected, it was slow. I chose to sit at the bar instead of a table or booth.

I met Victoria, who would be my bartender/server. She graciously allowed me to plug in my EUC even asked me about it. We chatted a bit about the difficulty and dangers of riding EUCs. I felt welcome and appreciated.

As a first time visitor and I was very pleased with all aspects that you could assess in the first moments; greeting, friendliness, cleanliness, lighting, decor... the scent. Five stars for their first impression.

The beer was fresh and there were several options on tap. I had a nice IPA. They have a decent selection of liquor, though I didn't partake that day.

Sometimes, bars can get a vibe to them. After a while, a regular came in and sat down a few stools down. We chatted a bit, cheers'd a time or two and then my food arrived. It was a pleasant experience. All good vibes.

I ordered the beef rib plate (7) with mashed potatoes and macaroni and cheese. It was delicious. "Fall off the bone" tender. If you're like me (a dry rib afficianado) then ask for the sauce on the side. I still dipped a bite or two in their sauce. Delicious! Five stars for the food.

They also get five stars for value. I felt I got my money's worth.

I will definitely go again (for more than one reason). I'm planning on being there next Friday and I believe that I will enjoy it every bit as much as the first time (maybe even more?)

Worst food I ever ate Poor customer service Management rude Definitely not managed properly And overpriced

Worst restaurant I ever been! Bad service,messed up the orders, first and last time in there!!

We had a wonderful time, magician was amazing and super funny. Food service was fast and food was super delicious. Strongly recommended

Show was surprisingly good food as well service could of been a little better would go again

4 meaty beef ribs, cornbread, and chicken vegetable soup - all of it was delicious. Have always wanted to eat here, glad I finally did, and come to find out they have a dinner show too! We are coming back to celebrate my sister's birthday next month!

Go on the 2nd Wednesday of the month for the magic showcase which is amazing. The food is good but the magic is what will keep you coming back. Also you can Groupon the Merlin the magician show for a different experience.

Always good company and food
The magic show is awesome

Service was great. Prompt and with lots of smiles. I found the food to be not so great. Steak was too dry, ribs were tender but I thought the sauce overpowered their flavor, and chicken was also a bit on the dry side. I get the impression the food is prepped before hand and not to order which is why it was dry and why it didn't keep hot for very long. They do have a good selection of beers on tap. I MAY go back to have the kids catch Merlin's magic show.

The baby back and st Luis ribs flavor are mild just the way i like it. The meat is tender. Friendly service. They have two sections here, family friendly and sports friendly environment. And Yes there's a bar here.

Great food and Jim the waiter know s what to recommend.

The ribs, tri tip were awesome! Service was exceptional. Every need anticipated. He also related great with the kid's. Coming back soon.

Highly recommend Dinner show with Merlin the magician.

Had a magical evening at the Merlin's Magical Dinner with my boyfriend. The food was delicious, the serving wenches were spot on & the magic show was full of humor.

We ordered the feast for two. Amazing amount of food. Had to pack up another two meals after we smashed it. Jim is a super cool and personable guy. Love to meet really cool cats like him. He was handling all the positions...bartender...server...host...bar back....Also handling to go orders. We will be back !

Nice place ,great food and beautiful service thank you RIB TRADER

Really great magic and dinner show at a great value! We laughed at all the jokes and the kids had fun getting pulled on stage to participate. The magic was definitely impressive. He says every show is different so we would love to come back soon.

Merlin was clever and entertaining. Highly recommend for those who enjoy an intimate magic experience. The food and wait staff were wonderful as well

The food was great and very decent prices...and very nice and helpful staff.

There is way too much frozen food being served here. it's like a Hometown Buffet without the buffet. Every once in awhile you'll encounter something worth eating but it's mostly of poor quality.

My family attended the dinner and magic show and it was fantastic! We have seen many magicians in Las Vegas and for having something local, that was appropriate for the family, this was great. The food was amazing. I am very certain they make everything themselves! Nothing tasted like it came premade. The service was wonderful. I would like to take some friends to go again.

I think I found my new favorite bbq spot. The waitresses were very helpful the food was delicious and you can't beat the price for the quality and quantity that we got. I was very impressed with everything quick setting, great service, delicious food. We will definitely keep coming back again and again. :)

Good service, family oriented atmosphere, and very clean.

The food is regularly well prepared and tasty, employees hands out great service. I liked the cleanliness and vibes. Would recommend to others.

First time that I go to this place and all I got to say is wow!!! Good food and great price and the waiter named Jim is awesome made our experience really great! If you like ribs and you looking for a friendly staff I recommend this place!

10/10 would recommend! Amazing food and absolutely incredible service!

Very clean and accessible spot. They offer generous meals and for inexpensive rates. I loved the food very much and the waiters were super attentive and explanatory. I recommend this place.

A friend and I went their and had a great time. We missed the magic show but still had the best dinner ever and lets just say Ashley and Jim gave us the best service ever they rock. For the food it all tasted amazing .I'm going back for sure. Thanks again Ashley and Jim.

Decent food, and the kids enjoyed the Merlin magic show. Smiles all the way around.

we go here once a year after my father in law plays a charity game at Angel stadium. The food is always good and they just remodeled it much more modern looking. They also have a magic show we've never gone but I heard it's a fun time.

I had the Prime Rib special, my wife had the baby back tri tip combo,my friend had the full rack and his wife had a chicken plate. We all LOVED the food, the service was awesome. We find it hard to believe that there is a table available in this place. Maybe location. That part of Orange is being over run. This was our third visit and plan on more frequent visits. Move to Yorba Linda and you would pack the place nightly.

I should have known when I went there during lunch time and I was the only one in the restaurant I think that says it all

Went to eat dinner and watch the magic show. It was super cool, and the food was alright. The baked beans were either over cooked or under cooked. Im not sure but they were hard to chew . MERLIN THE Magician needs a show in Vegas !!!!!

Great food pricey but all BBQ places are tastes delicious!

Thanks so much to the kind and personable owner. He was extremely helpful in choosing the right meal and very open to describe their cooking process. Having tried BBQ from all around the country, Hiatus is a welcome respite to the usual barbecue fare. Never had anything like it.

Used a groupon, got the pull pork and tri tip sandwiches very delicious

This place is awesome, it's my favorite restaurant in Orange. I highly recommend the salmon salad and baby back ribs!

Very tough brisket, small portion of ribs , good corn bread, good sauce. Value not there even with groupon coupon

I loved the Magic Show....super impressive and tons of fun!

Good cheesy fun! The staff were very friendly and overall the food was quite good. We went for their Merlin Dinner and Magic Show. The location was finishing a remodel and so there was some things that were still "unfinished". Parking was a small bit of a pain as the parking area surrounding the restaurant is shared by other businesses... Many of those businesses had posted signage that indicated certain parking was for their business only and "violators would be towed". The basic meal included a vegetable soup, corn bread, BBQ pork ribs, 1/4 chicken, BBQ beans and coleslaw. We ordered the artichoke dip as an appetizer. Everything was good, although nothing stood out. I felt that my Rib portion was on the small size and was the only item on my plate that was colder than it should have been. In fairness they did offer a rib only option. Overall we enjoyed ourselves and the show. I don't think the dinner/show would be worth repeating but we would certainly return to try just dinner.

Fun time at the Bar (thank you Jim); excellent food! Cheers!