4th Street Market: Fave 5 Places

LA may have its own niche for fine dining and foodie culture, but the OC has proved itself to be bigger, better, and (most importantly) more Instagrammable. Of course these statistics might be a little biased..

When you venture to down to OC, you should make your way to 4th Street in Downtown Santa Ana. 4th Street Market is an innovative dining experience where entrepreneurs and chefs collaborate to bring contemporary cuisines and modern ideas to the foodie nation. Featuring fifteen thoughtfully curated vendors and seating three hundred guests, 4th Street Market welcomes people to relax, dine, and enjoy the community of good food and entertainment.

Of these fifteen vendors, we picked our top five favorite places to eat at 4th Street Market, so get ready to drool and bookmark each of them on Yelp for your next food-venture.

Dos Chinos

Latin and Asian flavors put together is a match made in heaven. Dos Chinos is built on tacos, burritos, and fries. They masterfully fuse a Vietnamese palate with classic Mexican and Southern California tastes that make the perfect combination for any appetite.

Though their Hollywood Chicken Tacos and Papas Fritas are not to be missed, it’s the Stoner Fries that have us leaving happy, full and coming back for more. Made with french fries, bolsa roast pork belly, chorizo fried rice, onions, cilantro, Dos Chinos asada and salsa verde, and topped off with a fried egg sunny side up, the Stoner Fries are well worth the trip just by themselves, leaving your tummy and tastebuds with no regrets.

Stockyard Sandwich Co.

At Stockyard Sandwich Co., they look to bring you a meaty and cheesy good time. The menu consists of soups, salads, poutines, and sandwiches that actually look as good as they taste with a range in creativity that will keep you from getting bored on those quick office lunch runs— where else are you going to find a short rib sandwich with bacon, jalapeno, pepperjack, and grilled onion? In my stomach, that’s where.

Though they are well known for the short rib sandwich it can’t take all the attention; the tater tot poutine is everything you have been looking for in your life. Loaded with crispy tater tots and topped with pickled onions, melted cheese, and a fried egg, the poutine tater tots are easily the favorite dish on the menu.

Jinny’s Pizzeria

If loaded fries, tacos, or sandwiches aren’t your thing (you may have a problem, seriously), Jinny’s Pizzeria can help with that. Satisfying your pizza cravings, Jinny’s Pizzeria features made from scratch ingredients, farm fresh produce, hand tossed dough and a modern artisan edge… Basically everything a pizza should be.

You can order a whole pie or by the slice, and if you can’t get away don’t worry like any good pizza parlor they deliver the perfect compliment to working through lunch that helps you forget you’re actually working through lunch. The garlic knots are to die for, so if you’re looking to cheat on your diet, make sure to get a little knotty with these bad boys…. (Lol I said ‘knotty’)

Chunk-N-Chip

It’s finally time for dessert, and there is no better way to treat your sweet tooth than with some good ol’ cookies and ice cream. Home of the Craft Ice Cream Sammiches (that’s right we said Sammiches), Chunk-N-Chip offers ooey gooey cookies and creamy ice cream in a variety of flavors. Their ice cream comes in cups, cones, or their signature style in between cookies. The flavors range from classics like vanilla bean and mint chip to the daring avocado honey and french toast & bacon. The cookies follow suit, as well as their Craft Ice Cream Sammiches — the Blu-Laventine is to die for, with a snickerdoodle and lavender blueberry ice cream center.

Portola Coffee Lab

Cap off your dining experience with a good ol’ cup of joe. But there’s nothing ordinary about this coffee winner of the 2015 Micro Roaster of the Year in Roast Magazine, Portola Coffee Lab brings the taste from the farm to the roaster to the to you. The brainchild of owner and roastmaster Jeff Duggan and his wife Christa who believe in quality so much they actually travel to Africa and Central/South America to bring you the very best hand picked ingredients.

Not a coffee connoisseur? No worries their friendly baristas actually know coffee and are more than happy to help you find a taste that matches your buds.

From iced mochas to their pour-overs, Portola Coffee Lab welcomes any and all coffee lovers for a carefully created coffee experience with a taste you can’t compare.