The 25 Most Instagrammed Dishes in Orange County

If there's one type of porn many of us are guilty of, it's food porn. We've all been caught in the act: standing over our food with elbows out, and phones in hand, all to channel our inner Ansel Adams. The prevalence of community-generated food porn, of course, calls for an analysis of which foods are coerced into food porn by us the most here in OC–hence, this listicle.

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Methodology:

Thanks to an app called MyFab5, we have data comprising a list of the 10 most popular restaurants in Orange County based on Instagram. Using a sample size of about 100, we also counted which dish at each restaurant was photographed the most, thus making it “the most popular.” Of course, this is a far-from-perfect method but, for the most part, the most photographed dish at each restaurant is usually obvious.

Disclaimer: Location, atmosphere, lighting, and price play a significant role in what gets the most #instalove. Also: tourists. Now, the list!

25. Sizzling Brisket, Bulgogi, and Other Meats at Gen Korean BBQ House

What's an OC list–or any list dealing with Southern California–without Korean barbecue? With the standard shot of bulgogi and brisket getting cooked on a grill, it's definitely not impossible to smell the meaty aroma just by looking at it. 16300 Beach Blvd, Westminster, (714) 596-8833

24.Cap n' Crunch Ice Cream at Creamistry

This dessert spot doesn't have one heavily photographed flavor or menu item. Instead a variety of flavors share the spotlight, with cap n' crunch ice cream leading the race only by a little bit. 3972 Barranca Pkwy #D, Irvine, (949) 777-6627; creamistry.com

23. Various Dishes at Playground DTSA

Playground's menu changes frequently, which explains the lack of consistency in Instagram photos tagged at their location. However, that's what makes them wonderful. 220 E. Fourth St, Santa Ana, (714) 560-4444

22. Red Velvet at Sprinkles Cupcakes

If there's one cupcake you can't miss, it's the one that actually looks like a target: with white frosting and a red and light blue dot in the middle, the red velvet cupcake is a trademark in itself. 944 Avocado Ave, Newport Beach, (949) 760-0003; www.sprinkles.com

21. Burgers at Chapter One: the modern local

Though not the largest in size, Chapter One's burgers win our social media networks for their plating (they put their fries in a fancy glass cup–fancy!) 227 N Broadway, Santa Ana, CA; (714) 352-2225; www.chapteronetml.com
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20. Seafood Tower at Mastro's Ocean Club

What's the point of life if you can't enjoy (and Instagram) the finer things (like a tower of expensive seafood, for example)? 8112 E Coast Hwy, Newport Beach, (949) 376-6990; www.mastrosoceanclub.com

19. Jalapeño Fried Chicken Waffle Sandwich The Iron Press

Chicken and waffles are one thing, but chickens with jalapeño waffles and jalapeño syrup? There's only one word for that: HELL YA! 3321 Hyland Ave, #E, Costa Mesa, (714) 426-8088

18. Teriyaki Brown Rice Bowl at True Food Kitchen

Healthy can be delicious? Pfft. True Food Kitcken's teriyaki brown rice bowl proves otherwise, though. The day you've made brown rice appear on Instagram is the day you've made it as a vegan restaurant. 451 Newport Center Dr, Newport Beach, (949) 644-2400; www.foxrc.com/restaurants/true-food-kitchen/

17. Latte Art at Portola Coffee Lab

When you search through Portola's location tab, there's one thing you'll definitely see: lattes with heart-shaped latte art–all accompanied by hashtags like #coffeelove, #love, and #coffeelover. A whole lot of love. 3313 Hyland Ave # B2, Costa Mesa, (949) 284-0596; portolacoffeelab.com
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16. Taiwanese Hot Pot at Boiling Point

Want to capture your followers' hearts? Post what you think they need. An example: Taiwanese hot pot on a cold day. 14140 Culver Drive, Irvine

15. Grilled Pork Rolls at Brodard Restaurant

Whether the rolls are arranged perfect next to one other or shot up close after being bitten, there's no denying that a Brodard post is never a bad post. 9892 Westminster Ave, #R, Garden Grove, (714) 530-1744; www.brodard.net

14. Cookie Monster-Flavored Milky Bun at Afters Ice Cream

The Milky Bun (ice-cream stuffed donut) was certainly one of the most fascinating new food products last year, and social media caught on quick. The most popular ice cream flavor chosen for the bun? Bright-blue Cookie Monster. 18030 Brookhurst St, Fountain Valley; aftersicecream.com

13. Peppadew Cheddar Burger at Wild Goose Tavern

The Peppadew is a tall, not-so-basic burger. It's got all the basic drool-inducing elements: juicy meat, texture (thank you arugula and alfalfa sprouts), and seductively watery tomatoes 436 E 17th St, Costa Mesa, (949) 722-9453

12. Surf n' Turf at Blue Bayou in Disneyland

The most photographed dish here is Surf n' Turf (steak and lobster) captured in dim, three-dollar-sign suggesting lighting. New Orleans Square, Disneyland, Anaheim, (714) 781-3463; www.disneyland.com

11. Steak at Javier's Grill & Cantina

The MILFs sure love their steak, whether tube or otherwise! 7832 E Pacific Coast Hwy, Newport Beach, (949) 494-1239; www.javiers-cantina.com
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10. Brunch at Las Brisas

Like Orange Hill Restaurant, Las Brisas's brunch is buffet-style, which means there isn't as much Instagram-consistency as, say, Joe's Italian Ice. But what appears most in photos (when the photos aren't views of the Laguna coastine) are fruit plates and eggs benedicts. 361 Cliff Dr, Laguna Beach, (949) 497-5434; www.lasbrisaslagunabeach.com

9. Huckleberry Glaze, Maple Bacon, and Violets & Lavender Donuts at Sidecar Doughnuts & Coffee

Looks can get you far, and that's evident by Sidecar's bright aubergine
Huckleberry Glaze flavor and flower donut called Violets & Lavender. Another popular donut is Maple Bacon, and you can probably tell by its name why. 270 E 17th St, Costa Mesa; www.sidecardoughnuts.com

8. Thai Tea in Mason Jars at Snow Monster

Food porn enthusiasts all know about this already, but Snow Monster's got a cute jar of Thai tea that's impossible not to treat like a little puppy (that is, not to take pictures of). It doesn't help that Snow Monster serves other cutely designed things like Fruity Pebbles macarons, which look far too good with the jars not to snap. 9600 Bolsa Ave, Westminster, CA; http://snowmonsteroc.com/

7. Chilaquiles at HopScotch

One subset of food porn is egg porn, and chances are if you have a good-looking egg in your photo, you'll start to see its effects in your Instagram activity feed. At Hopscotch, it's the chilaquiles with eggs on top that's on top of the Instagram food chain. 136 E Commonwealth Ave, Fullerton, (714) 871-2222

6. Strawberry and Fuzzy Wuzzy Flavors at Joe's Italian Ice

Joe's fuzzy wuzzy and strawberry ice flavors have one thing in common: they're both reddish in color, and with the white soft sever on top, they are as photogenic as ever. 12302 Harbor Blvd, Garden Grove, (714) 750-1076; www.joesice.com
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5. Duck Wings at Carthay Circle Restaurant and Lounge

Carthay Circle has delicious food all-around, which explains why so many of their dishes are photographed on Instagram. But when you actually tally the numbers, it's the duck wings that seem to pique people's fancy. Andrew Sutton's thick pork chop is a close runner-up in this race. Disneyland's California Adventure, (714) 781-3463; www.disneyland.com

4. Mussels and Clams at The Deck On Laguna Beach

Steamed venus clams sound appetizing, but what happens when you add fennel saffron broth and Portuguese linguica sausage? I call it an increase in shareworthiness. Top that with pieces of crusty bread to appeal to the carb lovers and, just like that, you'll get 10 more likes. 627 Sleepy Hollow Lane, Laguna Beach, (949) 494-6700; www.deckonlaguna.com

3. Seafood Brunch at Orange Hill Restaurant

If this wasn't a list exclusive to food, people would be the most Instagrammed subject at Orange Hill. Anyways, because their brunch is served buffet-style, what's considered the most popular here varies, but definitely expect sushi and crusted tuna to appear on your screen. 6410 E Chapman Ave, Orange, (714) 997-2910; www.theorangehillrestaurant.com

2. Chicken and Waffles at Roscoe's

Chicken and waffles are chicken and waffles, but when they're from Roscoe's you best be sure to lay out the syrup cups nicely and make it count on Instagram.2110 S Harbor Blvd, Anaheim; roscoeschickenandwaffles.com

1. Lobster Nachos and Drinks at Cove Bar at Disneyland's California Adventure

These damn lobster nachos. How they tower sloppily upon layers of tortilla chips with jack and chedder cheese. How the chipotle crema drizzles downward like lava, finding a way to touch each black bean, Serrano pepper, and jalopeno. With gradient-pigmented drinks like the Zombie and Fun Wheel on the menu, too, there's no way I won't take my phone out right now and snap a picture. Paradise Pier, Anaheim; www.disneyland.com

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