Orange County is home to many great places to drink and very few options on how to get home after having a few. Getting around in Orange County is pretty tough without a car, unless you have a fat wallet to spend on taxis or limos. There are select areas where walking to a bar is viable option. Beach cities make up the majority of these such places; Laguna Beach, Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, Dana Point and San Clemente have areas that are no more than a short walk from a bar. Most of the bars in these beach locations are not of the chain variety, so each has its own unique ambiance. With the exception of Sharky's, having locations up and down the coast and the same frat boy/blonde bimbo crowd in all of them.
Away from the ocean there are many other great bars. Costa Mesa has an area where you find a sizable neighborhood bordering a commercial area with a great selection of chain and individual locations. Between 19th street (where the 55 freeway ends) and 17th street there is great bar crawl route. Starting at Triangle Square (19th Street and Newport Blvd.) you could get a substantial meal at the Yard House, while enjoying a sampling of their extensive draft beer selection. From there you can cross the street (carefully) and pay a visit to the Goat Hill Tavern, also home to a mammoth selection of beers on tap. The "Goat" always seems to have a lingering vommity smell but it all adds to the character, as does the vintage signeage and peanut shells carpeting the floor. Next door you will find The Helm. A great little dive bar, where you will find interesting characters and very affordable liquor. If Penny the bartender is working, try her pink lemonade, sounds girlie, but tastes good and will set you up well for the short trek to you next stop. Continuing down Newport Blvd to E 17th Street, you'll take a left and shortly stumble across The Harp. Inside you will most likely meet at least one English person and one Aussie, one of whom will likely play rugby. Moving on from the Harp, continue in the same direction and eventually you will also find The Pierce Street Annex and the Little Knight. Try the Little Knight first, you'll find it just past Pierce Street Annex. Have a drink here to retox you after you walk, before venturing into Pierce Street Annex. Your final stop with be at Pierce Street Annex, by now you should be merry enough to handle this place. Inside you will find a dance floor and large bar and many drunk people. If your objective is to take someone home for the night, here will be the place to do it. No promises as to the quality of this person, but you will be drunk so it won't matter. The song "Happy Cans" by local band The New Detours, sums up such an experience perfectly.
Beachwood BBQ in Seal Beach has a rotating selection of the world's finest craft beers. If you are a beer elitist with a discriminating palette, this place is will be your haven.
Orange County Restaurant Week (OC Restaurant Week), . Orange COunty's Largest Dining event. Orange County Restaurant Week offers both locals and visitors the best dining Orane County has to offer. For those of you wanting to have a culinary vacation OC restaurant week is the time to visit. The event takes place every year in February. �
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Orange County
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Orange County - updated May 2024
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Orange County Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
