While many a food pitstop is easily found via large signage and welcoming facade, a few notable eats around Orange County take a bit of sleuthing to spot. From nostalgic ice cream found inside a surf shop to omakase-style sushi handed to you from behind a door, here are three culinary finds worth discovering.
Thrifty Ice Cream inside a surf shop
Killer Dana Surf Shop, named in honor of one of the most famous breaks in Southern California until the marina was built in Dana Point in the mid-1960s, has been a staple to surf culture since it opened in 1991. Its newest location harbors another Southern California staple: a still-operating Thrifty Ice Cream.
“It’s part of our culture,” said Mike Foster, who, along with his wife, Carrie, own Killer Dana. “As kids we’d surf Doheny and then we’d walk to A’s Burger or to Capo Beach to get ice cream at Thrifty.”
The retail shop, which sells surfboards, sunglasses, wetsuits and more, opened its latest location in March inside a former Rite-Aid just off Pacific Coast Highway in Dana Point. The onetime Rite-Aid, which closed in 2023 after the company filed for bankruptcy, took the place of a longstanding Thrifty Drug Store. During those many years, a Thrifty Ice Cream, the sweet-treat pitstop known for its cylindrical-shaped scoops (or “plugs”) and Malt Ball Crunch, arguably its most famous flavor, had been a stalwart at the drugstore. But getting Thrifty to agree to let Forster keep its heritage ice cream brand as a full-fledged franchise took some persuasion.
“At first, Thrifty said no, because Killer Dana is so different and not where you’d expect to find ice cream,” he said. “After several conversations, we finally got their interest.”
Operating under Killer Dana, the Fosters had to get the proper food licenses to keep the counter open. Since opening earlier this year, the secret ice cream shop — which takes up a corner space in the store, accompanied by a handful of seats, tables and memorabilia (e.g., a glass-encased Killer Dana cap signed by Tiger Woods) — has turned into a community hub. “Some of the surf teams have meetings here, like the Doheny Long Board Association, as well as a ukulele club that comes in to meet and practice,” Mike Foster said.
“It really adds to the store’s atmosphere,” said Carrie Foster. “It’s a safe place for all the kids and groms to hangout.”
The Fosters will soon add pup cups to its ice cream menu, which is good news for Killer Dana’s mascot, Jack, a friendly staffy-pitbull pooch who’s yet another beloved staple found inside the surf shop.
Find it: 24829 Del Prado Ave., Dana Point
Texas-style barbecue inside a liquor store
Those in the know know that JW Hayes Barbecue, hidden inside an everyday liquor store just off the 73 Freeway at the border of Costa Mesa and Newport Beach, is one of Orange County’s best spots to pick up Texas-style barbecue. They also know that arriving sooner rather than later — say, a little after 10:30 a.m., shortly after it opens — offers the best chance of getting their hands on brisket, chicken, ribs and more from the liquor store’s deli counter.
Founded by Jeff Hayes, who started selling barbecue from Minute King Liquor in February 2023, JW Hayes smokes his meats in-house. Using two 500-gallon Moberg smokers, prized among die-hard pitmasters in Texas, Hayes smokes his meats on-site just outside the store.
SEE ALSO: Some of O.C.’s best Texas-style barbecue can be found inside this liquor store
JW Hayes creates some of the county’s best beef brisket, pork ribs, pork butt pulled pork, turkey, and chicken. Hungry guests can also look forward to special appearances like BBQ pulled pork sandwiches, brisket burgers or tri tip. Smoked mac and cheese, smoked pinto beans with jalapeños and coleslaw sides are also available. Just walk through the liquor store glass doors, past the snack chips and lottery machine to the back where you’ll find Hayes and his son, Kyle, and family friend, Brayden, at the deli counter.
Word to the wise: Hayes often sells out by 2 p.m., but he plans on smoking more meats in the near future. “I have two large smokers being built at the moment, which should be onsite in 45 to 60 days,” he said. “Then we can cook three times the barbecue we’re now, so we’ll be able to sell all day [and] might start adding a Sunday.”
Find it: 3530 Irvine Ave., Newport Beach
Omakase sushi behind a door at 4th Street Market
Although finding a quick bite or a thoughtfully prepared meal inside Santa Ana’s 4th Street Market is de rigereur, one of its newest tenants, Sushi Wabi-Sabi, which opened in mid-July, offers omakase-style sushi found behind a door tucked away from the food hall’s main cast of eateries.
Ryoji Iguchi, co-founder, and Makoto Kariu, chef/co-founder, first started their budding business doing private omakase meals.
“We started doing a lot of these pop-ups at, you know, homes, bars and breweries, mainly,” said Iguchi. “But we really thought that we should open it up as a take-out only spot, and that’s where we came in to 4th Street Market.”
While typical omakase meals unfold as a theatrical event — presented as two-hour-long affairs where guests, often seated in a bar-like setting, watch as the chef prepares an intricate tasting menu — Makoto works from a cozy space where he slices and shapes luxe sushi orders from behind windows. Once he finishes an order and fits it into a bamboo box, Iguchi packs it in a black take-away bag and hands off the order to their customers from behind a door.
With high-end sushi in hand, you can take it home or back to the office for a luxurious meal or simply grab a seat inside 4th Street Market.
“What sets us apart is the quality of the fish,” explained Iguchi. “We fly the fish in from Japan, unfrozen, and that’s really what we focus on, bringing in Japanese fish to the people here in O.C.”
Accepting online orders for pick up only from 12:30 p.m. until 4:30 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, Sushi Wabi Sabi’s menu features an impressive options for those who want to splurge: a blue fin toro roll ($32), the Japan Jewerly Box ($120) featuring potent uni, sashimi, glistening ikura and more, the Omakase Sughu by Makoto ($60) that comes with eight pieces of nigiri, including uni and eel, a King Salmon Box ($42) with salmon sashimi and ikura, to name a few.
Japanese milk pudding ($8), strawberry panna cotta ($8) and matcha tiramisu ($8) round out the dessert menu.
To reach Sushi Wabi-Sab, enter 4th Street Market through the main entrance along Fourth Street, walk past the stadium seating, turn left at Alta Baja Market and head down the hallway where you’ll find Makoto’s masterful work next door to Daily Kombucha.
Find it: 201 Fourth St., Santa Ana
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