Eat, Sip, Discover is the motto at this Irvine restaurant, and once you experience everything that Bosscat Kitchen has to offer, you understand why. This restaurant does it all, and it does so with flair. Guests can enjoy lunch, dinner, happy hour, and brunch at a single location. The cocktail and whiskey program were just as thoughtfully put together as the food menu, and based on the happy faces we saw when we dined, we’d say they’re pulling the concept off perfectly!

About Bosscat Kitchen & Libations

John Reed and Leslie Nguyen opened their first Bosscat Kitchen & Libations in 2014. John and Leslie are both seasoned restaurateurs, having worked in the industry since they were teenagers. What stands out about the pair isn’t their vast experience in the food and beverage space but what they have had to overcome in order to make their restaurants, which now include half a dozen locations across California and Texas. 

Both John and Leslie struggled with drinking for years before becoming sober in 2013 and 2014. Opening concept restaurants like Bosscat, which has an outsized focus on its whiskey and cocktail program, hasn’t deterred the two from curating great guest experiences. In fact, seeing the joy that a good cocktail can bring (in moderation, of course), is something they really enjoy.

Together with their partner, Chef Peter Petro, they are on a mission to make Bosscat Kitchen your new favorite neighborhood restaurant.

Atmosphere & Location

“Industrial meets Victorian with an old-time twist” is a good way to describe the atmosphere at this Irvine, California restaurant. The decor in Bosscat Kitchen & Libations is dripping in texture: exposed brick, geometric wallpaper, wood paneling around a faux fireplace, and unexpected shelving with items like vintage rotary telephones, books, beer steins, and paperweights you might find in your grandfather’s library. Think wooden ducks and mini soldier statues.

Part of the ceiling is coffered metal, and part is wood-beamed. This is complemented by a lot of overhead metalwork and an open kitchen concept that helps contribute to the energetic atmosphere.

Seating Options

The layout of this Irvine bar and restaurant is designed to meet the needs of all types of diners. There are high tops, low tops, leather chairs and velvet chairs, booth seating, and bar seating. It’s amazing how nuanced and “busy” the design of this restaurant is, and yet, somehow, it all works. 

Bosscat Kitchen also has cozy patio seating, appropriately dubbed “the Barrel Room”, that comes complete with a whiskey barrel wall. Sports lovers looking to watch the big game in downtown Irving will be right at home sipping a glass of whiskey while they watch the television over the bar.

In short, Bosscat is a great restaurant in Irvine for happy hour, after-work drinks, or dinner with friends.

The Food

The folks at Bosscat cook up American comfort food with a California twist. This means that dishes like Ahi Tuna Wraps with pickled vegetables, soy glaze, almonds, lettuce leaves and Coastal White Fish with mixed mushroom risotto and blistered tomatoes sit beside Pig Candy made with rye whiskey caramel, toasted sesame, kimchi, and Sugar Barrel Steak served with steak butter, jalapeño + cheese potatoes.

What we love about the menu at Bosscat Kitchen & Libations is that the food options will appeal to both diners wanting lighter lunch, dinner, or brunch options and those who want to indulge in some rib-sticking comfort food.

The Whiskey List at Bosscat

We can’t talk about this restaurant without mentioning their eye-watering whiskey list. Just how many selections does this neighborhood restaurant have? How about 300+?! They have everything from envy-inducing Pappy van Winkle to your favorite hard-to-find whisky from the far reaches of Scotland and everything in between.

Bosscat Corkage Policy

The corkage fee at Bosscat Kitchen is $15 per bottle, with no limit on the number of bottles a reservation can bring. If you want to crack open a bottle from home before sampling one of the restaurant’s 300+ whiskies, the corkage fee is pretty reasonable.

Our Experience

The vibe at Bosscat in Irvine is lively and energetic, and frankly, pretty infectious. This is a restaurant where the moment you step inside, you know you’re going to have a good time. Besides the excellent food, the service delivered by the staff was fantastic.

We started our experience with the Butcher Board, which features a chef’s selection of cured meats, cheeses, pickled veggies, country bread, and grainy mustard. To get a sense of how the lighter dishes compared to the heartier fare, we opted for the Avocado Farm Chopped Salad and the Chicken Sausage Pasta.

After sampling both, we can confidently say that Chef Petro is just as at home crafting fresh, vibrant, plant-forward dishes as he is creating creamy, dreamy pasta that is so good you may want to lick the bowl!

Bosscat also serves a weeknight happy hour in Irvine and a weekend brunch, and we could easily see ourselves coming back for both of these. 

Closing Thoughts

The Bosscat Kitchen and Libation location in Irvine is a restaurant we highly recommend you try. Everything from the food, the atmosphere, and the service was top-notch from start to finish.