Three restaurants closures include one of the best new restaurants to open last year in Orange County.

Mick’s Karma Bar, a go-to burger joint in Irvine for years, closed in late December. A representative for the burger joint, famous for its ground sirloin steak (hache) burgers, said the owner is hoping to relocate. A reason for the closure was not provided.

Mick’s has won multiple burger awards over the years. Address: 2010 Main St.,Irvine.

LinX opened Feb. 7. 2013 in Orange. The gourmet sausage eatery closed recently. (Register file photo)

Creole Stuffed Crab with browned butter lump crab sauce is served at Roux in Laguna Beach. (Photo by Cindy Yamanaka, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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Festive with warm tones and vibrant splashes of Mardi Gras colors and beads accent Roux in Laguna Beach. (Photo by Cindy Yamanaka, Orange County Register/SCNG)

LinX opened Feb. 7. 2013 in Orange. The gourmet sausage eatery closed recently. (Register file photo)



Artisan sausage eatery, LinX, recently closed after a five-year run in Old Towne Orange.

A sign posted on the door indicates that the restaurant is looking for a new location. “Keep an eye out for us as we look for new opportunities.”

The fast-casual restaurant opened in February 2013 with a menu developed by Scott Brandon, formerly of The Crow Bar and Kitchen in Corona del Mar. The eatery was nestled in a brick building next to Wahoo’s, and enjoyed rave reviews when it first opened for its menu of petite sausages, Belgian fries and craft beer.

After Brandon left, Linx tweaked the menu so it was more approachable. (Some diners had complained that the 4-inch sausages were too small for the price.) The latest menu included burgers, burritos, wraps and salads.

In one of the most bizarre closures I’ve ever seen, Roux Creole Cuisine abruptly shuttered in late January. The owners of the new Laguna Beach bistro could not be reached for comment. However, on its website, the restaurant posted an article in a local community publication stating that the restaurant closed temporarily after founding chef Norm Theard quit due to “irreconcilable” differences.

The closure comes after the bistro has won rousing accolades for its chef-driven Creole cuisine. Register restaurant critic Brad A. Johnson named Roux, at 860 Glenneyre St., one of the 10 best new restaurants in Orange County for 2017. “This quaint, cramped and sexy New Orleans-inspired cafe genuinely captures the joie de vivre of the Big Easy. There is certainly nothing trendy about Creole cooking, yet chef Norm Theard has elevated his hometown cuisine like no one else before him in Orange County,” Johnson wrote.