Nightlife & Bars >>

• Best Dive Bar
  Fern's Cocktails
  The slummiest of slums, Fern's is a dive bar for the punk-rock crowd. The tatted—yet gorgeous—bartenders in this dark, dreary spot won't take any shit, but they will pour you a massive Pabst on tap. Keeping with the scuzzy awesomeness of this place, the bands who play are all... More >>
• Best Neighborhood Bar/Coastal OC
  Mutt Lynchs
  Located steps from the sand in beautiful Newport Beach, Mutt Lynchs is a local bar and restaurant known both for its bomb breakfast and extensive beer selection, the latter of which is served in 32-ounce schooners (remember your wrist brace—they're heavy). Sit down at one of the old... More >>
• Best Neighborhood Bar/North OC (4 Comments)
  2J's
  This joint has all of the elements that make a great neighborhood bar. Heavy pours, reasonable prices, pool tables, a smoking patio, a jukebox and some TVs. It's dim enough that you don't have to worry about that nasty forehead zit. It's large enough to handle a decent-sized crowd of... More >>
• Best Neighborhood Bar/South OC (1 Comment)
  Patsy's Irish Pub
  While bright-green shamrocks on the walls and traditional Irish appetizers may not scream "ideal place to hang out," Patsy's Irish Pub in Laguna Niguel is just that. Not to be confused with its more rustic counterpart in Mission Viejo, this cozy little public house really is a... More >>
• Best Neighborhood Bar/Central OC (3 Comments)
  Proof Bar
  Though this venue opened just last year, the place has already earned quite a reputation as one of most happening bars in the county. Located in the Artists Village of up-and-coming Santa Ana, Proof caters not only to the county's hipsters, but also to the plain ol' cats as well.... More >>
• Best Neighborhood Bar/Long Beach
  The Que Sera
  Long Beach's Que Sera is known for its strong drinks and friendly bartenders, its sweet laser-bathed dance floor, and its regular club nights: Sucka Free Sundays, Call Sick on Friday, Mannequin, Release the Bats and, of course, the legendary Goodfoot (which could pack a venue thrice the size... More >>
• Best Bar (2 Comments)
  Detroit Bar
  Yes, it's more than a bar—it's a venue that books the best bands OC has to offer and amazing touring acts. But it still has that unassuming, pull-up-a-stool, whaddaya-have feel. You can kick back with friends and play pool in front of a fireplace and, of course, get wasted. Head in... More >>
• Best Pub (4 Comments)
  Branagan's
  For steady drinkers in Downtown Fullerton, Branagan's is the perfect place to bring out the Irish in ya. Wedged in the thick of trendy nightspots and frat-boy watering holes, Branagan's offers the quintessential comfort of a neighborhood bar, one that pays attention to the culture of the... More >>
• Best Bar to Get Thrown Out Of
  Continental Room
  With its awesome DJ nights and live music, this swanky, dimly lit bar in Fullerton (also the oldest drinking establishment in Orange County) makes it pretty easy to get schnockered. Getting too wasted, though, will get you a swift kick in the ass and an 86 for the night. However, being ushered... More >>
• Best Place to Watch a Sunset
  Barefoot Bar at Duke's Huntington Beach
  The trick is to arrive early enough to find a parking space (if you don't take advantage of the valet service), but late enough that you'll slurp up cheap eats and swill jungle juice. An entrée on the restaurant side can set you back $30, but during happy hour (or, more... More >>
• Best Place to Watch a Sunset and Listen to Live Reggae
  Mozambique
  The upper floor of Mozambique feels like the creaky, alluring edge of a ship bound for somewhere far from Orange County. Thick curtains, huge 360-degree windows and a small stage with a million-dollar sound system in the middle of it all make this a must-stop on a Sunday afternoon. It's the... More >>
• Best Beer Selection (1 Comment)
  Ye Olde Ship
  This fine pub made our list for Best Burger last year—Weekly staff are still arguing whether its kosher to even contemplate ordering the peppery Captain's Burger rather than fish and chips or black pudding at a British pub—but what really draws the crowd is the bar. Red-blooded,... More >>
• Best Happy Hour
  Memphis Cafe, Costa Mesa
  Southern food is one of the greatest cuisines on the planet. It's warm, comforting—there's a reason they call it "soul food." And during happy hour, you can pair some of this amazing food with something that may be even better for your well-being: a stiff cocktail.... More >>
• Best Bartender
  JT at Paul's Cocktails
  "Pitcher of Coors?" "Alabama Slammer?" Common phrases in a bar, sure. Only thing is they're not coming out of your mouth, but from the bartender because he friggin' remembered what you ordered last time. With precision and speed, JT knows how to get you drunk at the... More >>
• Best Tequila Sommelier
  Adriana 'La Tequilera' Leon
  Tequila has left its Mexican roots and become something of a gourmand obsession these past couple of years, with multinationals boasting añejo this, reposado that and a bunch of pinche Patron. There to guide you through the good, the bad and the rotgut is Adriana Leon, a Santa Ana... More >>
• Best Signature Cocktail
  The Brown Suga at Eva's Caribbean Kitchen
  What with all the spicy and jerk-encrusted deliciousness coming out of Eva's Caribbean Kitchen, it's only natural she would create a rum-based cocktail to complement her fine, fine dishes. And what a cocktail it is. Served in a martini glass, the Brown Suga (pronounced... More >>
• Best Margarita
  The Rosa Rita at Taco Rosa
  Hibiscus flowers in a margarita? Yes, please. Combining Leyenda del Milagro silver tequila, Cointreau, and Taco Rosa's homemade sweet and sour, the Calderon brothers have created something magical: not too sweet or flowery, just delicious. The perfect cocktail to sip while relaxing on a... More >>
• Best Drink to Fuck You Up
  The Rosarito at the Chili Pepper
  The first sign this drink isn't for amateur beverage lovers? The Chili Pepper, a brightly colored Mexican restaurant that is home to this lethal concoction, limits customers to two each. People who have yet to experience the Rosarito may scoff—but see how you feel after downing one.... More >>
• Best Martini
  Lychee Martini at Star of Siam
  Who says you have to order a Singha with your pad Thai? This may not be the best martini ever made—and you wouldn't dare sip it with a steak—but it is certainly the most simple: vodka and lychee juice, with an actual (de-shelled, of course) lychee fruit sitting in the bottom of... More >>
• Best Place to Play Pool
  Big Shots Billiard Bar & Grill
  Even after developers transformed shopping centers along El Toro east of Interstate 5 into "The Arbor," Big Shots Billiard Bar & Grill remains unchanged. The pool bar still seems at home nestled next to El Toro Gourmet Meats in the classic "Big Red Barn" that houses both... More >>
• Best Place to Get Drunk
  Crooner's Lounge at Azteca Mexican Restaurant
  Getting drunk is a funny thing. After that fourth margarita, you start to find things fascinating that you'd never really had much interest in before. Elvis memorabilia, for example. Mediocre Mexican food. The sound of your own voice. Your cute second cousin. Which is what makes... More >>
• Best Gay/Lesbian Bar (1 Comment)
  Pistons
  This place is everything most gay bars aren't, filled on any given night not with scrawny WeHo queens whose musical knowledge starts with Madonna and ends at Britney, but instead with big, beefy, often-tattooed dudes who look like they should be working security at punk-rock shows. Though... More >>
• Best Rocker Bar
  The Juke Joint
  Every good rocker bar needs not only a steady stream of dudes clad in tight jeans and leather vests, but also a dose of the lovely rocker-chick aesthetic: a mix of 1950s girliness (red lipstick, very high heels, sky-high bouffants) and modern-day feminist rebel (select body piercings and fiery... More >>
• Best Sports Bar
  Danny K's Café & Billiards
  The joint founded by world-class pocket-billiards player and respected tournament director Danny Kuykendall rests a short bank shot from a trailer park, light-industrial plants and bustling Main Street. But once you step through the double doors, you'll be hard pressed to come up with a... More >>
• Best Lounge
  Kitsch
  If you've never been to Kitsch before, good luck trying to find it. Upon seeing nothing more than a door in a wall tucked inside a standard-issue Costa Mesa strip mall, one would never guess the swank awesomeness that lies behind that nondescript plank of wood. Plush black benches and... More >>
• Best Rock Club
  Alex's Bar
  With its giant interior, cheap drinks, stacked jukebox, free Barbecue Sundays and photo booth, Alex's wouldn't really need much more to qualify it as an excellent bar. But what makes it the No. 1 rock club are the acts it books and the positive vibe it maintains. Thanks to its reputation... More >>
• Best New Club
  Heat Ultra Lounge
  The latest venture in the OC nightlife boom, Heat Ultra Lounge is off to a rather-impressive start. In its first month, this swanky club has already scored both DJ AM and Steve Aoki. Although Anaheim's Garden Walk isn't the coolest location, it is next to the convention center, making... More >>
• Best Place to Hear the Sounds of Saigon
  The Majestic
  This venue isn't necessarily where you'll always find young, hip Vietnamese-Americans, but this can be the hot spot if you want to hear the sounds of modern-day (but mostly yesteryear) Vietnam. The moderate-sized nightclub—complete with a crystal disco ball above a dance... More >>
• Best Place to Find a Steady Salsa Partner
  Tapas Bar and Restaurant
  It's unexpected: Way in the back of a small shopping center near John Wayne Airport is a Spanish restaurant which hosts one of the most feverish salsa parties in all of Orange County. Regulars come from all over the county to dance their tacones off to live salsa bands and DJs every Friday... More >>
• Best Place to Shag and Shuffle
  Promenade Dance Studio
  The next time you have a wedding to go to, save yourself some embarrassment and get dancing lessons before you hit the dance floor. (Remember, alcohol is not a performance enhancer.) Or, if it's your own wedding you're going to, Promenade Dance Studio can choreograph your momentous... More >>
• Best Venue for Live Comedy
  The Improv, Brea
  Ever been in the front row of a comedy show? Remember sitting there, praying some guy with a mic and a cheap suit would overlook your crappy haircut or the fact you spilled your beer all over the front of your shirt again? Obviously, being the butt of a joke at a comedy show sucks. But it's... More >>
• Best Place to Party on a School Night
  Chain Reaction
  For more than a decade, Chain Reaction has seen its share of big names cross the stage—either scheduled and sold-out shows or surprise appearances. Now, Orange County's premier all-ages venue is the place to play if all your band members are still in high school. Hosting shows every... More >>
• Best Dance Club
  The Gaslamp Restaurant & Bar
  Hey, this is a recession! We don't have the money to pay a cover charge! Thus, the Gaslamp wins this year because it's that place to go and get your freak on for the love of dance. Aside from the waived cover, Gaslamp's dress code is relaxed and casual; some people finally realized... More >>
• Best Jazz Club
  Steamers Jazz Club and Café
  Jazz clubs—a dying breed—come and go faster than political smears. Live jazz demands intimacy, a reach-out-and-touch-the-performer proximity that complements the personal aspects of the music. And it goes down great with booze. Since 1994, Steamers has provided the up-close... More >>
• Best Venue for Live Music
  Samueli Theater
  Sure, it's in the opulent Orange County Performing Arts Center complex, but lately, it has been dipping its toes into the less-haughty waters of indie rock via the Off Center concert series. This has been a fortuitous turn of events (literally) for OC music-heads, bringing in renowned acts... More >>
• Best Unpredictable DJ
  DJ aDJective
  The turntablist also known as Costa Mesa resident Steve Fisch lugs several crates of vinyl as well as his laptop to his Thursday- and Friday-night DJ gigs at Kitsch Bar and his Saturday stint at Memphis Cafe in Santa Ana. Why so much music? Because Fisch believes you can never have too many... More >>
• Best Club DJ (3 Comments)
  Scotty Coats
  Being one of the founders of Detroit Bar's Abstract Workshop would be more than enough to put a man in the running for this accolade. Abstract Workshop has established a foothold for innovative hip-hop in Orange County and remains one of Detroit's most popular nights. Add to this the... More >>
• Best Strip Joint
  Fritz That's Too
  Perfection is relative, but if you're the kind of person who likes strippers and lots of 'em, Fritz That's Too in Anaheim is as close to perfection as you're going to get. The Costco of strip clubs, Fritz offers cheap drinks in its two-story building, complete with a three-poled... More >>
• Best Place to Pick Up a One-Night Stand
  Foxfire
  When the sun goes down and the torch on the restaurant's roof is at full flame, the ravenous cougars who prowl the lounge go on the hunt for young, tasty morsels. Which is why the place draws a big Saturday-night crowd week after week. (It ain't just the cheap drinks and run-of-the-mill... More >>
• Best Place to Pick up a Porn Star
  Hurricane's Bar & Grill
  When it comes to silicone-enhanced meat markets, there is no substitute for this Huntington Beach Main Street hangout. Hurricane's is the undisputed, alcohol-addled epicenter of Orange County's porn-star party scene. Of course, it's hard to tell the difference between the local, uh,... More >>
• Best Undisclosed Location (2 Comments)
  Riviera Adult Motel
  Bonin' is serious business. So serious that several businesses have actually popped up serving people looking to get serviced. No, seriously! The classiest of the genre is the Riviera Adult Motel in San Clemente. Since 1975, this local gem has catered to consenting adult couples looking to... More >>