Kettlebar Steam Cooking

Cute kettlebar restaurant located on the 1^st floor of the packing house. Of course this place is hectic and parking is hard to find but be patient! If not just valet park! Came in on a Sunday night and there was no wait to sit at the bar. They were pretty busy for a Sunday night but the weather was perfect for a pan roast.
My boyfriend and I shared a pan roast and for sure it is shareable and it is priced accordingly at $ 23. Our total bill came out to be $ 40 for the pan roast, an appetizer, and a beer.
You get to customize the level of spiciness you want and we got the spicy which was not too bad. You also get the option of rice or linguine, I liked it with the rice. It was filled with seafood according to my boyfriend I feel like I barely got any… hmmm… It was a very creamy and thick consistency. We also got garlic fries, I didn’t really care for them so much. I actually didn’t like them at all, this was also a very big portion!
I would come back, but this is not something you crave everyday.

Two stars. I really wanted to enjoy our lunch here today, but both food and service were pretty awful.
Cons:
— server was brusk, didn’t greet us, didn’t really check up on us and didn’t smile. Like, not even once
— calamari app was cold and exceedingly chewy
— bread was cold and stale
— the Kettlebar pan roast was tepid and our server neglected to ask us how spicy we wanted it
Pros:
— the garlic parm fries were good and portion size was huge
— beer selection was good
— server brought us extra napkins and actually refilled our water without being being asked
Overall, the visit was a letdown especially since we’ve been to the Tustin location where food and service were better (not awesome, mind you, but acceptable).
Total bill before tip was 90 bucks for four adults and a toddler (fries, calamari, two pan roasts, two beers and a kid’s mac n cheese). Pretty pricy for a bad lunch experience. We probably won’t be going back. I’m not that hard up for pan roast.

Had to come here for the pan roast. It is as amazing as it looks. It is super rich tho. You can tell that there is a lot of butter in it. I would suggest sharing with someone. There is a variety of seafood and there is plenty in one bowl. There is not enough rice to pair with it but eat it with bread or order some fries. I ordered medium spice which had a good kick to it. Fries were nice and Krispy and were thinner.
Service was really good. The waiters always make sure they stop by to ask if you need anything and are very pleasant.
It is located in the Anaheim packing district so if you have room for dessert there are many options.

Pan roast is pricey but so good. Never had it before, but I would best describe it as a creamy tomato curry sorta style stew. I do think I needed more rice to go with all that stewy goodness. It was expensive, but totally worth it. I think it could feed two people. Just get a side of rice. I was eyeing the little girl next to me’s macaroni and cheese. Next time I’ll try that!!! I couldn’t even finish my food. soo much, but so good. Probably bad for my diet. Is it worth it!!! I guess so…

The Kettlebar Seafood Pan Roast might be epitome of comfort food. We went on a Monday night after Disneyland and the place was busy! That was probably a sign of the yummy dinner that we were about to feast on. My whole family ordered the same dish, with varying levels of spiciness. I ordered the medium spice version and LOVED IT! Kettlebar does not skimp on the seafood — lobster, shrimp, crab — and that makes the dish superb. The broth is creamy and flavorful with just the right amount of kick. There could be a little more rice, but you can always order an extra serving of it if you wish. The size of the pan roast is pretty big and can be shared between two people. We also had the fries and calamari for appetizers and those did not disappoint either!
I just had my leftover pan roast for lunch and I can honestly say it’s one of those dishes that tastes even better the next day!

How hard is it to get a seat at this place on a Friday night? Very hard, but fortunately I was by myself and a seat at the bar had me right in the door while couples and foursomes were resigned to a long wait.
I find myself sitting next to the chef who is relaxing on his night off and having a few beers so a long conversation ensued, quite the fun. He suggested, and I devoured their signature Kettlebar pan roast, spicy, with snow crab, shrimp, lobster, chicken. Paired with several beers (or possibly more) over the course of the evening I had real blast, something that doesn’t always happen when you wander in from a long day at a convention by yourself and are looking for something to treat yourself.
Gosh, what can I say that hasn’t already been said? The crowd is stacked up and for good reason. The food is good, the service is on the mark and it’s a fun place. Loud, yes, but fun. No complaints. I’d come back again in a heartbeat but it’ll be at least a year before I do.
Sadly, I left my phone in the car so no pictures of the beautiful bowl of steaming goodness nor the beers I bought myself and (at least one or two) for the chef. I shall return.

Arrived right when they opened, so no wait.
Food:
— Garlic parmesan fries: Crispy! So yummy! Not overpowering either. ⁴⁄₅
— Calamari on sweet ink: TOO BOMB! I love calamari and the ink was so good. I even used it as a dip for my fries hehe. ⁵⁄₅
— Clam chowder: ehhhh PASS!
— Kattlebar pan roast: We made the mistake of getting one for every adult. You can definitely share, but they failed to tell us that :) *insert eyeroll emoji* Got it medium spice. It was so yummy! 4.4÷5
Food took so long to come out, even the appetizers.
Service sucked so bad. (reason for the docked star)
Located downstairs.

I can’t help but compare this place to Ritter’s since I was just there last week.
Some of the few differences I noticed:
–This place’s pan roast lacked the depth that Ritter’s offers.
–The bread is a lot smaller here. And after the first two rolls of bread, they charge for it! 50¢ for ONE roll of bread or $ ¹⁄₃ rolls. At Ritter’s, unlimited free bread! And they’re bigger and I felt more fresh.
–Service here at Kettlebar was better than at Ritter’s. Then again, this place is a bit smaller than Ritter’s but it was nice that a server came by to fill our waters without us asking! And they just seemed friendlier here in general.
Ordered the cajun fries ($ 4, I think they called it Nola fries here) which were comparable to the fries at boiling crab (my favorite!). House salad was small but yummy ($ 5).
Overall, I wouldn’t come to this particular Kettlebar at the Packing District. The only food I really enjoyed at APD is the grilled cheese @ Black Sheep!

I can finally put a check mark next to this place on my list of eats in the Anaheim Packing District and this place easily ranks on my top 3 restaurants here.
The garlic noodles are amazing!!! I can honestly say these noodles can go toe to toe with the garlic noodles from Crustacean… And yes, this is a very bold claim that I’m sticking by. Attack me if you want Crustacean lovers LOL. You have the choice to have the noodles plain or you can add shrimp or clams at an extra cost. I recommend the shrimp. Delicious!!!
While eating, I watched the cooks prepare a pan roast that both looked and smelled awesome. I’m sure its obvious I’ll be tackling this dish my next visit. Just from the garlic noodles alone as well as the service, this place deserves five stars. Can’t wait to try out more dishes.
Dinner 1÷3÷2016

First time ever trying Kettlebar and I am in love! 4:30 pm on a weekday is pretty empty! After about an hour, it started getting packed and people started waiting. Don’t remember who our first server was, but Francis came after and he was personable and attentive. Refilled our drinks and always checked up on us.
We ordered the calamari with squid ink. At first it looked intimidating since the squid ink is like black. But after trying it, it was great. Tastes like sweet and sour sauce but in a black color.
The ceviche was good. It was very refreshing. The avocados were also very fresh.
The dozen oysters were great. It came with two sauces: horseradish and some type of vinegar one. My friend typically doesn’t enjoy oysters, but these changed his mind.
Lastly, the pan roast was amazing. The portion was enough to split between three people. Lots of seafood and full of flavor. The bread and butter goes amazingly well!

Came here on a chilly Sunday evening. We were looking for something hot to warm us up, so we settled on the pan roast (at extra spicy) and our respective drinks (Jasmine Bear for me, beer on tap for him).
The pan roast was hearty, delicious, and more than enough for two people who want room for dessert. Sadly, extra spicy was hardly spicy. The pan roast, however, was still delicious. Creamy with a bounty of seafood, it was the perfect meal to end the day.

Another contender emerges in the now contentious OC Cajun scene.
Boiling Crab. Kickin’ Crab. CampusJAX. Ritter’s. The list of restaurants with a Louisiana flair seems endless. Welcome a newcomer to the fold: Kettlebar Steam Cooking. Located in the Anaheim Packing District, you now have a must-​try sit down experience amongst all of the fast casual walk ups. The service was solid and they do a great job keeping the restaurant spotless and inviting.
Taking a page out of the Ritter playbook, the Pan Roast is far and away the most ordered option and therefore was a prerequisite along with ceviche. The ceviche was fresh and the clean taste of seafood is the focal point, the way it should be. The heat was subdued until the finish and I love that 3^rd dimension aspect of spiciness without the heat becoming overwhelming. Kettlebar nailed that.
Kettlebar’s signature Pan Roast comes with shrimp, lobster, snow crab, and chicken. The original is with chicken and andouille sausage. Both options are fantastic and served with a generous scoop of rice. It is a rich, savory and almost buttery affair that beckons for a cold afternoon and a friend to share with.
I suppose I should make the direct comparison with Ritter’s about now: it is a near push. I could really have either and be perfectly happy although if backed into a corner I would probably choose Kettlebar thanks to their locations being closer to the area I frequent.
From the prices to the cuisine to the ambiance, Kettlebar Steam Cooking makes the grade and earns a spicy 4 stars from this Unilocaler.

Wow what can I say about this little gem I stumbled upon!!! But Thank you my trusty Unilocal app!!! I was attending a conference in Anaheim and my friend wanted seafood so I hopped onto Unilocal and began searching. Within 3 miles from our hotel was the Kettlebar Steam; once I took a look at the pictures I was sold.
A large group of us headed over, at different times. I swear my only complaint is the size of the place; they could not handle a table of 12, I swear they probably only seat 30 – 40 people. With that being said, I honestly didn’t care. Once I arrived and began smelling the gorgeous aroma from the open kitchen I was sold. We were seated at the bar until a table was ready and began our adventure.
Our bartender resembled Miley Cyrus but in a healthy better Miley kinda of way. She knew her drinks and was shaking them up for us and others. I ordered a simple Titos with lemon juice, and friends ordered old fashions plus a vodka drink Miley made up. The bar is small but intimate, we probably waited 30 minutes for a table to open up. Miley already gave us a heads up on the food so we basically knew what we were going to order once seated.
Once seated my table of 4 ordered; oysters, chicken sausage pan, two Kettlebar pan, and fried soft shell crab but our coworkers at the other table ordered much more; Cajun shrimp pasta, mussels, clams, shrimp poboy and much more! I kid you not I walked around with a spoon and tried EVERYTHING! AND EVERYTHING WAS FREAKING ON POINT!
I’m in love, Unilocalers! Yes I am! I remember seeing posts from a fellow Unilocaler for a similar place also in SoCal, and I was excited so I’m so glad we had the opportunity to check this place out!
The Kettlebar Pan was the best and amazing, the mussels had a garlic wine sauce I could drink and the service was just as good! Yup I am in love! Five Stars to this Tiny open market joint… Foodiediva loves you!

PAN ROAST, gumbo, and all that southern flavor inside the Anaheim packing district!
The managers and bartenders were AWESOME hosts!
—grilled fish tacos: the fish was so moist, yum!
—pan roast: rich, nice thick texture, and oh so yummy!
—garlic fries: shoe string style fries that I couldn’t stop eating but there’s sure is a lot of garlic flavor, you won’t want to talk to friends afterward
I’ll have to come back to try the étouffée, gumbo and cioppino
NOTE: the seating area isn’t huge so there can be a wait but you can leave your number so they can contact you when the table is ready

The Pan Roast is Yummy!
So while at a recent Unilocal Elite event at the Packing House, the Kettlebar generously invited us to try their Chicken Sausage Pan Roast + Calamari. I have to say it was Yummy!
LOCATION & AMBIANCE (Rating 4) So it’s in the Packing House, which means the restaurants are «packed in there». It’s a bit like an upscale food court if you haven’t been there, but that doesn’t bring the experience down as they’ve done a good job with a pleasant seating area and good help to tend tables.
SERVICE (Rating 3) While we were not given a place to sit to sample the Pan Roast and the attitude of the employee serving us was not at all what it could have been, he was still friendly. I’d like to come back and actually experience their full service to be fair.
CHICKEN SAUSAGE PAN ROAST + CALAMARI (Rating 4.5) I had no idea what I was in store for and to be honest. The taste of the soup was good, but when I finally got a taste of the meats included in the soup at the bottom of the tall Styrofoam to-​go bowl it «all came together». The combination was great! Talk about comfort food. Thick and rich and the meats were extraordinary. Serving this in a styrofoam tall bowl however is a bad idea as I didn’t even realize there was anything at the bottom until half way through. I’ll definitely be trying this one again.

Oh man, first time trying Pan Roast and I cannot stop thinking about it. I’ve looked up places near LA but ZERO! NOTHING! I guess I have to drive down to Anaheim more often now!
When I saw photos of Pan Roast — I thought to myself: «No way this shit is better than Gumbo. It don’t even look good.» After my first spoonful, all those thoughts when down just like that Pan Roast bowl. The dish was warm, hearty, creamy and rich. All the seafood (shrimp, crab, lobster) was perfectly cooked and sweet. I wish there was more rice!!! Garlic fries are bomb too. Definitely my new go-​to place at the Packing District since Wheat & Sons closed down :(.

4.5 Star
First time trying pan roast and I was so mad that I did not know this place anytime earlier whenever pass by Anaheim packing house! Unlike other restaurants in the packing house have to look for seats, this place has their own seating area. We asked to sit at the bar, so we could see how they cooked the food.
Food
Kettlebar Pan Roast– 5 Star
It was basically a rich soup type dish filled with varieties of seafood (snow crab, shrimp, lobster, chicken). Then a big scoop of rice in the middle of the soup. We ordered medium spicy and it was tasty. I could still feel my stomach was burning a bit. I feel like there was a seafood party happening in my mouth. The soup was spicy, creamy and rich. You can also choose to replace the rice with noodles or ask for extra rice. I would definitely recommend getting this if it’s your first time trying pan roast. It was mind blowing! The size of pan roast is huge so I would suggest splitting one with friends and get extra rice.
Garlic Fries– 4 Star
I love how they made the fries super crispy. The fries were perfectly covered in the garlic and cheese. You could also dip the fries into the pan roast sauce and it tasted AMAZING. The sauce just did a perfect job as eating by itself or matching with other sides.
We got to see how chefs cooked those magic dish since we were sitting at the bar. They used a steam cooker to cook pan roast which is super cool. Overall, I had a descent meal here and I am glad I got to know one more new dish — Pan Roast. I will definitely start looking for new pan roast place from now on. I definitely would come back again. Love this place.

After reading rave reviews, our party of 4 dropped by Kettlebar for some seafood pan roast. No doubt the wait is long, especially with it’s tiny location inside the ever-​popular Anaheim Packing House.
We each ordered the seafood pan roast ($ 23). Okay, real talk, anyone that says that this portion can be shared either eats like a hummingbird or mosquito, or they ordered something else that’s big enough to share (not another bowl of rice!). I gave half of my rice away to my friend, and still finished everything else despite how creamy it was. I mean, just look at my picture and you can see that the bowl is only filled half way. For the price they’re charging, they definitely could have had more seafood to go with the thick and creamy soup/​roast. It wasn’t spicy at all, and now I wished I had asked for the extra side of hot sauce.
They are very busy, so service is lacking as others have mentioned. Again I’d recommend ordering your own or splitting an appetizer or second entrée if you came here on an empty stomach like we did.

Ive tried their other location at the Union District and been coming there ever since. They have a really good pan roast. Im not sure its better than Ritters panroast in terms of flavor but Kettlebar gives way more shrimp, crabs, etc…
I came through for dinner here not realizing its inside the Packing District. Sighhh i hate the Packing District. The restaurant is beautiful however, with plenty of seating. I think in terms of décor its way better than Ritters. My friends Jen, Ed and I each ordered our own Kettlebar pan roast which is probably the best thing on the menu in my opinion. Its so fulfilling and warm and delicious and appetizing and so on and so forth.
Service here was pretty good too. The décor was lovely and the food was satisfying as Kettlebar always is to me. I just wouldn’t return often since it is located inside the Packing District. Seriously why is parking so bad here sighhhh

3.5 Stars.
If you’re at the Packing House and craving seafood, Kettlebar is a good place to stop. You can get oysters, pan roasts, gumbo, cioppino, po’ boys, clam chowder. It’s located on the bottom floor of the Packing District and if you sit at the kettlebar you can watch them cook your order. I came with a friend that was visiting from out of state and she was mesmerized by the whole process.
Free bread and butter.
Crab Pan Roast (Tomato Cream Base w/​Crab Meat and Rice) — Pan roast consistency is a cross between a creamy soup and porridge. It’s thick, hearty, and has a robust tomato flavor. The rice and bread is key because you need something to offset the rich soup. One thing that was off about this dish was that it was saltier than it should have been. It’s good to split this with someone else since it’s a very filling dish.
Seafood Diablo (Shrimp, Clams, Mussels, Capers, Linguini) — This was a good call because it was a pasta instead of a soup. Got to mix it up so that it wasn’t all pan roast and gumbo soupy type dishes. It was chock full of fresh seafood with four pieces of each: Large shrimp, mussels and clams. Served mixed in a tomato based sauce with capers.
They do have a good beer selection, but surprisingly only three or four beers on tap and all the good craft selections were in bottles or cans. Is it that hard to get Bootleggers (Fullerton) or Bottle Logic (Anaheim) to put a keg in here? Just an idea.
I can’t help but compare Kettlebar’s pan roast to the other major pan roast restaurant in Orange County. If Kettlebar and Ritter’s were side by side, I’d probably walk into Ritter’s. This is not a knock on Kettlebar, it’s just that I feel Ritter’s has something different about it, in a good way. Also, Ritter’s pan roast isn’t over salted.
Our server was friendly and helpful but didn’t check on us enough. The restaurant was moderately busy but not packed. It took us at least 10 minutes to make eye contact with someone to get the check. We weren’t in a hurry, but it was noticeable because we looked up five or six times hoping our server would see us at the kettlebar.
We left stuffed. Now on to drinks at Hammer Bar!