Paul Martin’s American Grill

This was my first time at this location and Darcey was awesome! I saw new items on the menu and before I even asked she let us know about them. I chose the chile relleno. She suggested the elote as a side since I was very hungry. I am so glad she did — they paired amazingly! Darcey let us know about the Monday wine dinner special and we will definitely be back for that. I love this pace so much ! Not to mention a manager came by to check on us and was very pleasant. I’ll definitely come back next time I’m in town. Only request: bring the strawberry shortcake back ! It was the best dessert ever !

I’m a bit mixed about this place but in the end, I’m still a fan. I’ve been here a couple of times for happy hour and for lunch. As I live in Rancho, it’s nice to have a better than typical chain food restaurant close to your house… but… Paul Martin’s can be hit or miss. Some of their dishes are absolutely fabulous. Roasted butternut squash soup, chicken quinoa, bistro burger, mushroom bisque, cocktails and beers… but some items like their appetizers and grilled snapper are disappointing. I wish this restaurant was more solid, a restaurant where anything off the menu would be well crafted. They attempt to craft to their food and some of it is well done. but a significant portion of their menu misses the mark.
Their service is hit or miss. I haven’t been back in a few months as the last time, I had the hardest time getting my waiter to do anything for our table. Eventually, I found her in the private dining room sitting and chatting with other waiters… needless to say, I didn’t leave much tip. but worse than that, I haven’t gone back in months.

Came here for my birthday dinner and the service was absolutely exceptional. Elias was our waiter and he was very attentive to our needs. I ordered the ribeye steak with sweet potatoes. The portion size was so big I had to take a doggy bag home. If you’re in the mood for a good meal and intimate setting try them out, you won’t be disappointed.

Horrible service… food was so so. Worst thing was seeing wait staff walking around eating a piece of bread… We had to have another waiter find our waiter… My wife’s food was AWFUL and when we told the manager he said «oh that’s my favorite dish»… He should have removed it from our bill… Not tell us what he likes. I DON’T CARE WHAT YOU LIKE…
We won’t go there again…

I try to like Paul Martin’s but after a few attempts I just don’t think it’s going to work out.
It’s one of those places that looks like it’s going to be amazing, the interior is modern & cool but then it’s like they think they are the cool kid on the block who is annoyed that you are there and they actually have to talk to you.
Maybe it’s more about being seen at PM and less about great customer service, quality food and yummy drinks.
With so many choices at VG — I’ll be sticking to the restaurants that appreciate my business.

Amazing food paired with excellent service! Delicious, healthy and filling. Our waiter Alias was super and went out of his away to accommodate our large party! We’ll definitely be back!

Michelle Dumas is simply amazing! Fantastic food and over the top service! There aren’t many places where I’d say I have a server of choice, but I do here!

My husband and I love happy hour so when another couple invited us to Paul Martin at Victoria Gardens we were happy to try it. The open feel of the restaurant is very welcoming, our server Kaylie was the best! She was prompt, friendly and very cute! She made our midweek happy hour pleasant and enjoyable.
The food was absolutely delicious! The short ribs were the BEST, the smoked salmon also the best I’ve ever had and the drinks also worth the calories. My only issue is the portion size. They are appetizers so if you’re hungry order more or opt for a meal, which we heard was also a worthwhile, delicious experience.
A most definitely place to have on our happy hour and dinner rotation!!!

Great place for brunch or a nice dinner. Good food and service. Excellent setting and environment for having more formal events such as meeting with clients.
PS: did you know this is owned by Fleming’s?

Took my sister here for HH. As she has never been to Paul Martins. Normally, the service, food and drinks are top notch but today not so much.
The good: the server was attentive and our drinks were never empty.
The Bad: Happy hour is no longer until 8pm and our Happy hour food was brought out at a barely warm temperature. I didn’t say anything even though I should have since we ordered more than a few items.
I was just happy to be there with my sister enjoying our conversation and catching up.
I will try them again another time, but for now I’m going with a 3 star A-​Ok because I liked our server and our raspberry martinis and Wine.

Me and Paul are on a break. I made a reservation through Open Table, and upon arrival, the hostess leads us to a table outside on the patio where there is no A/​C, and we are in the midst of a 90+ degree heatwave. I say it’s too hot we want to sit inside. She says oh sorry it’s a 45 minute wait for those tables. I remind her that I made a reservation. She responds by saying that a reservation does not guarantee you a table, and I say then why do I make a reservation. She then says well it’s to let them know you are coming and then once there they will give you whatever is available. I say that is not a reservation, and I cannot believe that I am in the middle of Seinfeld car rental reservation episode. I have made reservations here many times and never been seated outside. Total BS and rotten customer service. Do not take reservations if you cannot honor them. Needless to say, we walked out and took our business elsewhere.

Absolutely delicious. I had the grilled Salmon and quinoa salad. The salmon was perfectly cooked and the quinoa flavor was fantastic.
My friend had the chimichurri chicken, which was also excellent.
The hostess was genuinely friendly. My friend and I had a great time.

I came here again a little over a year later and it’s still not great. I had these chilled veggie spring rolls wrapped in rice paper. They weren’t the best. I only ate one. I also had the kale caesar salad (no anchovies). For $ 11, the size of it was small, but tasty. I wouldn’t reorder anything I had.
I may never come here again since I’ve given this place a few chances. The menu isn’t that large and when you’re having trouble deciding what to get, you want the reason to be because the menu’s so large and there’s so many good things to choose from, NOT because the menu’s small and you’re wondering what to order. I was on the verge of leaving and going somewhere else, but I didn’t. The chances of being satisfied with the meal are a hit or miss. The waiter (could have been the manager) could be more personable and smile more too.

Vegetarians will delight here too. Food have many options in terms of adding protein or not. The quinoa and vegetable pasta were delightful. Perhaps a tad bit much evoo but I suppose that’s healthier than stir fry oil. Portion decent and large enough for lunch without having to pack home so I can walk around later with free hands. The ambience is so classy and beautiful lighting. The espresso is very strong. So if you have buzzed on the drinks, no fear. Your Java will save your head. Drinks are good and strong here. Nice refreshing mixture used with basil and lemon added in some choices. I was very impressed and will be back. The not warm bread and butter not too much to write about but let’s not get picky on complimentary items here. 5 stars! So glad a new joint is here for a classy meeting that won’t break the bank.

Everything is «the best you’ve ever had»! Paul Martin’s is a must go.
Apparently same owners as Flemings but no comparison. Flemings has left my heart broken the past few times.
I had the 3 Mushroom burger, perfect on the brioche bun and the arugula complimented it perfectly. The fries were good. I have had a lot of sea food and the Calamari here, hands down the BEST I have ever had!
The batter was light like a cloud with so much crunch and flavor, portions were more than perfect!
Drink menu had exactly what you would want with your meal…
So if you appreciate an all all around fine culinary experience, this is the place.

I love this Restaurant. Monday’s are awesome take a friend or loved one get 2 meals 50.00 and a free bottle of wine
The salmon is awesome. Thanks Paul Martins for all your support for Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. I was the first customer at the opening the food is great. Only a 5 if there was a 10
Everyday they have specials and Happy hour is awesome.

Where is everyone for happy hour?! This place is hip, very sheik, and ready for fun! The Happy hour menu between 3 – 7 pm has a variety of food selections between $ 5-​$ 14 so you can enjoy some grub and not feel like your wallet was raped by pirates. There are a variety of $ 5-​$ 9 beverages as well.
I’d recommend the hamburger (you can get it with bacon, avocado, blue or cheddar cheeses, etc). And here is the kicker: It comes with your choice of one of their craft beers! I have a secret, don’t tell anyone, but you might be able to talk them into a glass of wine instead of a beer. **wink, wink** The chicken, smoked salmon, and street tacos were also very tasty.
Lemon crème brûlée. That’s all that I need to say about that. Tastebud happiness as they do little Michael Jackson moon walks in my mouth!
The restaurant is beautiful, beautiful, beautiful! The servers were spot-​on helpful and pleasant!
How about a few sexy pics:

Finally got a chance to write this review!
Really nice ambiance; set up of this restaurant is nice and open. Nice huge full bar lines the innermost wall and plenty of indoor and (REALLY NICE) outdoor patio seating.
From the moment we were seated, our waiter Elias was on TOP of it! He was extremely engaging and friendly, very attentive without being overbearing. We started off with a bottle of wine but to our dismay the one we wanted was sold out. Elias went and got us another comparable (maybe even higher in quality) bottle and charged us $ 10 less than what our original bottle of wine would have cost. Very cool.
I was sad to see that the chimchurri steak was no longer on the menu, but he told me he could make it happen and even recommend a different cut of steak (skirt) instead of what it was normally made with (hangar). GREAT recommendation! The skirt steak came out delicious.
My husband went with his recommendation and got the salmon fish tacos which were apparently delicious as well.
Thank you Elias for such wonderful service! Because of you, we will be back.

I was recently introduced to this establishment by friends, and definitely enjoyed my first dinner here. An excellent bowl of Wild Mushroom Soup was redolent with the smell and taste of all things mushroom, including large, fresh, and hand-​carved mushroom slices. Calamari Fritti was well prepared – both rings and tentacles – and accompanied by a good aioli. Bread was crusty, rustic, and satisfying. And Grilled Artichoke was a nice second hot appetizer.
After she had a short consultation with the chef, our server reported that our requests for unblackened Redfish and melted butter had both been granted. And, when it arrived, the fish filet was a generous portion of moist and tender flesh made even tastier dipped in melted butter. Blackened medium-​rare Ribeye was also tasty.
My meal ended with a sweet and delicious offering which I split with Diane: Apple Crisp and Vanilla Ice Cream. The sheltered patio on which we dined was very pleasant and quiet, and not cold on a blustery night. And, service was exemplary throughout our stay.

Located at Victoria Gardens (next to Lucille’s), my husband and I came by here this past Monday to celebrate our anniversary) Monday nights is wine dinner for 2, $ 49, prior to tax).
We got here at 6:40 pm for our 7 pm reservation and decided to order from their happy hour in the bar (daily, 3 pm– 8 pm). My husband and I decided just to get the Maple Cider All Natural Grilled Chicken Skewers. But it took too long so I told the bartender that we have reservations at 7 pm and asked if it would be possible to eat our skewers at our table. He said that would be fine and told us he would bring it over to our table.
After we were seated by the hostess, our skewers were brought to our table. At the same time, our server, Elias came by and greeted us. He told us about the menu and the night’s specials. After browsing through the menu, we ended up getting:
Maple Cider All Natural Grilled Chicken Skewers, $ 5 prior to tax– (happy hour menu) The chicken skewers were okay, but I really liked the tomato & olive salsa. It tasted fresh and flavorful. I think the portion you get is fair but wouldn’t order this again.
Wine dinner for 2 at $ 49, prior to tax– This special comes with a salad for the both of us and 2 entrees to choose from their entrée menu. We also get to choose a bottle of wine from their selected wine list. This is what we had:
Organic Green Salad (normally an additional $ 6 prior to tax add on to an entrée) — Loved this salad, it was fresh and made with the dark green leafys. I really liked the dressing and happy that my salad was not overly dressed. If I had to guess, I think the dressing was a honey mustard vinaigrette. A great portion size to start a meal.
Chimichurri Chicken With Steamed Seasonal Vegetables (normally $ 22 prior to tax on the menu) — This dish normally comes with farro but I substituted it with steamed seasonal vegetables instead (did not have to pay extra for this substitute. Also wanted to mention that the seasonal vegetables don’t automatically come steamed, I requested it to be made that way). I thought the chicken was delicious. I don’t normally eat the skin on my chicken, but had to because it was crunchy and delicious (chimichurri sauce is so fantastic). The chicken was tender and a great portion size for me. I liked that my seasoned vegetables (zucchini and squash) were plated that made them look like noodles. They were tender and tasted great and complement the chimichurri sauce well.
Braised Short Ribs (normally $ 25 prior to tax on the menu) — Served with mashed potatoes, goes incredibly well with the beef au jus sauce. Elias made a good call on asking my husband if he would like an extra amount of sauce, which my husband said yes. And so Elias brought that out to us immediately. The braised short ribs were boneless and so tender. The mashed potatoes were perfectly smooth and whipped. Again, that sauce really made this dish.
Bottle of Seaglass Wine (normally $ 32 prior to tax on the menu) — My husband and I weren’t really in the mood to have a whole bottle of wine (but with the special Monday special, we just had to get in on this deal). So I asked Elias if it would be possible to take the bottle home and not drink here. He told us that he has open it but can reseal it for us and wrap in a paper bag and that we have to put it in the trunk of our car since it is an open bottle. I understand the restaurant regulations but wished we could have taken the bottle home unopened. But anyways, my husband had a small glass and I had just a few sips (I am not a big wine person and am really pick with what I drink). Although I didn’t care for it, my husband enjoyed it.
And just as Elias had mentioned earlier, he did reseal the bottle for us and placed it in a paper bag for us before we left.
Apple Cinnamon Crisp, $ 10 prior to tax– Not that we had any more room for dessert, I decided to get this. The size is a good portion for 2 people to share. I thought the apple pieces was nice and I really liked the crunchy topping. But it was a little burnt though. This dessert is served with a scoop of ice cream.
2 hot teas ($ 4 each, prior to tax)
— — — — — — –
(Total= $ 77.76 after tax, prior to tip)
Elias was an excellent server being attentive and anticipated our needs. He was friendly and made small talk with us. He also tried to offer us a free sundae for our anniversary (but apologized for not offering it sooner because he did not know we came to celebrate). But I told him we were too full and so instead, he surprised us and gave us a $ 25 gift card.
The service from the bartender earlier was not friendly and he did not apologize for the wait. The kitchen brought the wrong chicken order and had to be sent back, which caused for delay. I was rather disappointed with the 20 minutes we spent in the bar but Elias truly made our evening turn out even better.
We will definitely come back (with our gift card) in the near future for another amazing meal.