Two years ago, I was looking for a spot to dine with an out-of-town visitor who was staying nearby. After consulting Yelp, I decided on The Globe in Garden Grove and we ventured out here for dinner. I remember some of the food being good, some not, but what blew me away was the incredible variety of Belgian beers they had both on tap and in bottles.
Fast forward to today. A friend of ours invited us to visit the restaurant, now renamed The Globe – Belgian Gastropub. I remember the restaurant well, especially the husband and wife team who own this place. The new chef on board, Chef Christophe was formerly at Encore Dinner Theatre in Tustin.
We ordered a round of beers. On the day of our visit, the Chimay Première Red the exclusive trappist Belgium beer on tap for the first time in 350 years was available and some of us indulged in this very smooth and distinctively aromatic beer for the first time in our lives. I, on the other hand, couldn’t make up my mind so I opted for a flight of the dark beers on offer.
Of course, I am not able to just drink beers. Food is always on the agenda and there are some stellar items on the menu to accompany your drinks with. Chorizo Empanadas ($8.95) are Pamplona chorizo stuffed inside puff pastry. Very flavorful, but a tad greasy for me.
Everyone loved Belgian Nachos ($10.95), using hand cut, double fried fries instead of tortilla chips. Topped with shredded beer beef, cream of mustard, sour cream, jack and cheddar cheeses and salsa fresca, this is a perfect dish to sop up all the beers you’re about to consume.
I couldn’t get enough of the house-made Bavarian Pretzel ($4.95). The spicy Dijon mustard was a huge hit with everyone and we fought over the pretzel. In the end, we had to order another! This is not something I’m happy about sharing. I think on my next visit, I’m having one on my own.
Moving on to entrees, Steak Frites ($19.95) using outside skirt steak was a little under-done (we ordered medium rare). Even so, it was seasoned well and I liked how they served it with a side of sauteed vegetables. You have a choice of two different sauces, we selected the gorgonzola cream cheese over Belgian frites.
I love coq au vin so when I saw it on the menu, I knew we had to order it. Coq au Vin ($16.95) is described as braised chicken with caramelized onions, bacon, mushroom medley in red wine reduction on the menu. I would have liked a little more wine in the sauce but overall it was still good. The accompanying potato dauphinoise was delicious.
Jambalaya Pasta ($16.95) though, was the one everyone agreed was absolutely delicious, Sauteed shrimp, black mussels, spicy chorizo and mushrooms are tossed together in a tomato cream sauce — light cream — and it was a stellar choice. I would totally order this again!
There is no place in Orange County quite like this. You won’t find a more stellar Belgian beer list anywhere else, and now, the food has stepped up to make this a very worthy destination to grab that bite as well while enjoying the brew.
The Globe Belgian Gastropub
12926 Main Street
Garden Grove, CA 92840
Tel: 714-537-7471
Yum, Garden Grove, who knew?