Shellys Courthouse Bistro - Santa Ana

My wife and I were there last weekend and we had the greatest time The food was excellent especially the rack of lamb and salmon royal Great Jazz music and more contemporary after 10;30pm. A perfect place to dine outside. We felt like we were in the east coast. Definitely a place to recommend

This place has been around for years under a couple of different names, but the food and service remain outstanding. These folks know cajun…The jambalaya will make your head sweat and your taste buds sing! It’s the only place I know in the OC that regularly serves ‘gator…..it’s fabulous.

A restaurant/Lounge perfect for a night of wining, dining and waxing poetic reminiscent of an era long gone. The food, staff and entertainment are to die for. The outside patio has a beautiful setting of lit up trees and hanging Bistro lights that eluminated everyone with a very soft glow. If your looking for the perfect place to wine and dine, sit and have one of their signature Martini’s while enjoying live music, then look no further! Bistro 400 has something for everyones specific liking! A true treat!

Horrible experience. I was downtown and passed this place on the way to another lunch place recommended down the way. Should have never stopped. Saw the patio full out front and the word: “Bistro” on the front. OK. let’s give it a try. Well, I should have known better when all they had on tap was Bud Light. I ordered a Newcastle in the bottle and it was warm, I looked at the waitress and pointed to the bottle, is this the coldest it gets, she says that is the way it is. Strike one! Then I go to order and choose the Blackened Catfish on a Baguette. They can’t mess this one up. I also ask for the frites instead of the Sweet potato fries (no need to gamble here) About 15 minutes the waitress approaches me, I am thinking, what’s going to happen now. She says, I forgot what you ordered and I never put your order in, what did you want? Strike two. I said give me the check for the warm beer and I will have lunch at my original destination. A few minutes later she delivers my food and says that she guesses that she did remember to order it? OK. So I look it over, Nice piece of Catfish, But not on a Baguette, but just the bottom of half of a tasteless commercial roll that even BK. would not serve. To top it off, I am now sitting there with no tableware or napkin to eat it with??? I call over another server and ask for a setup and also quiz them on the 1/4 roll versus the baguette promised. Oh, that is a “Tar-tine” an open faced sandwich, What about the Baguette, I ask. Well that’s what we call the tasteless bread we serve it on. Truly disgruntled, I should have got up and left. But I was hungry, so I eat the Catfish, which was the only highlight. By the way, the so called “Frites” were just Tasteless Frozen Fries from some Food-service vendor. Now I am done, after eating the Fish and leaving everything else, including half a warm Newcastle. I ask for the check. Waitress asks me, How was it. I replied that it was the worst lunch in my memory. She says, I guess your having a bad day. I replied, that my day was fine until I walked in here. I mentioned that I looked forward to reviewing the place on Yelp, Urbanspoon, and Chowhound tomorrow. I paid, left a dollar for a tip, not sure why, other than to let here know I didn’t forget her. It was apparent that this place is busy at lunch because it is near the courthouse and has a sidewalk patio and most patrons found it convenient and inviting. I also think that Bistro in the name fools others as well. Take a pass and head over to the Sandwich joint a few doors away.

I've walked to Shelly's before from my downtown office and had some of their fare and it's credible and nice.