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616 E. 4th St. Santa Ana, CA 92701
714-836-0136
The 616 Club is bare bones, even by dive-bar standards, but it serves its purpose. Small and dimly lit with a small bar in the center of the room, the club serves a half-dozen bottled beers and even fewer types of liquor. The wood-lined walls feature few decorations save for Bud Light posters featuring scantily clad women holding soccer balls. Most of the room's illumination comes from the lights hanging over 616's two billiard tables and from the jukebox, which features mostly Spanish rock and mariachi music. More >>
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2106 N. Tustin Ave. Santa Ana, CA 92705
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1109 N. Harbor Blvd. Santa Ana, CA 92703
714-554-0491
The California Girls in Santa Ana is a full-nude strip club (the Anaheim location is topless), which means there is no alcohol served, only energy drinks, water and soda. There is a one-drink minimum and a $10 cover charge, but if you're going to California Girls, you pretty much know what you're getting into. The small stage is lit with red and blue LED lights flashing off the mirrored wall and brass pole. It's lined with a table and black-velvet seats for patrons preferring a front-row viewpoint. The VIP room houses a dozen red-velvet booths for private dances; the standard rate is $10 for alone time with one of the club's dancers, but specials are announced by the DJ randomly throughout the night. More >>
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225 1/2 N. Broadway Santa Ana, CA 92701
Santa Ana hipster bar The Copper Door represents a new level in ironic minimalism. Lit only by the dancing flames of candles, the spartan room is elegantly outfitted with a few picnic-style tables arranged end to end, a stage and two pool tables. If you're looking for fancy cocktails, you won't find them here, just scads of fancy craft beer. Try a Doghead Fish Ale, Uinta Wyld Organic Pale Ale, or a Chimay Triple White. But beware: many of these brews are up to nine-percent alcohol and pack a punch. Depending on how ironic you want things to get, they also serve PBR. Nightly entertainment includes live music from folk, indie and blues bands including such artists as Nicole Vaughn and Jeremiah Red. More >>
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400 N. Broadway Santa Ana, CA 92701
714-543-3543
http://www.thisisthecrosby.com After a long battle with the city of Santa Ana to finally get the Crosby up and running, former Weekly cover boys finally managed to sort through all that red tape and got this gem to shine right in the middle of Santa Ana's Artist Village. Serving a vegan-friendly menu well into the wee hours, the Crosby attends to nightlife-lovers with a myriad of drinks and talented DJs filling the void. Live music and heady libations, sure, but the secret is the stellar kitchen: the Crosby's jerk carnitas sandwich was one of OC Weekly's Top 100 Dishes of 2010, and the cream of cilantro pesto pizza is a vegetarian's dream. The coolest detail: during the daytime, beats sometimes blast through a multitude of ghetto blasters lining the walls. More >>
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13912 Ponderosa St. Santa Ana, CA 92705
714-542-8334
If you're mining for a good dive-bar experience, Father's in Santa Ana is a hidden gem. The tiny watering hole is rumored to have been at this spot for the past 15 years, some say as many as 50 years. It's definitely off the beaten path: Blink while driving down 17th Street and you'll miss the turn for the strip mall housing it. But once inside you'll be rewarded with friendly banter from warm-hearted barmaids and a nice collection of draft beers. The interior is unremarkable-small, dimly lit, linoleum floors, an unvarnished wooden bar top and a steer skull hanging over the bar. There are only two flat-screen TVs-this place saves the frills for its beer selection, which includes Blue Moon, Bass, Stella and Widmer Hefeweizen. Cool distractions include a solitary pool table and jukebox. A small stage at the back of the room features live bands. Go on a Wednesday afternoon when Yvonne is working the bar. She'll card you (which might be insulting or flattering-depending), but it's only so she can ask you what you want to drink by using your first name. More >>
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2370 N. Tustin Ave. Santa Ana, CA 92705
714-547-8972
http://www.flingcocktaillounge.com For better or worse, this little dive is a legendary among local patrons and all that pass through it. Descriptors range from "epic" to "disastrous," but a vast majority manage to agree that if you enter the premises without a stick up your ass, it has the fantastic ability to grow on you. Open at 6 a.m., this place is overflowing with stiff liquor at dirt cheap prices. On the weekends you can catch some of the best cover bands in town, belting away to the likes of Tom Collins and Journey. But be forewarned, this place is usually crowded past capacity on weekends, so unless you dig being shoulder to shoulder with friendly (yet unfamiliar) strangers it's best to visit the Fling during less busy hours. More >>
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125 N. Broadway Ave. Santa Ana, CA 92701
714-835-8840
http://www.gypsyden.com Hipster Orange County's favorite place to ogle progressive waitresses. The menu is still filled with an eclectic collection of healthy post-hippie sandwiches; and the decor is almost identical, from the earthy walls to the funky art. More >>
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211 W. Second St. Santa Ana, CA 92701
714-972-1172
http://www.lolagaspar.com Lola Gaspar tries its best to evoke the sensation of being in modern-day Spain: hipsters overtaking an old Spanish castle, with gray-faux bricks behind the bar top and ornate chandeliers hanging from above to lend that kind of vibe. But when it comes to cocktails, the bartenders and tendresses practice modern standards of mixology. The Huckleberry is a sweet little libation made with Bourbon, honey, grapefruit thyme and bitters and served over ice. There are plenty of other drinks to choose from, some made with chili pepper dusted on the rim of the glass. If beer is your poison, they also have a small selection of craft brews, including Stella, Lost Coast Tangerine Wheat and Flying Dog Pale Ale. Crowd's completely insufferable, but one nice thing: their "Buy a friend a drink program", which allows folks to buy drinks for a friend even if the friend isn't there. The bar takes the money, then puts the friend's name on a board, allowing the drink to be claimed at a later date. More >>
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604 E. Dyer Road Santa Ana, CA 92705
714-979-6000
An Irish pub in the middle of Santa Ana, Malone's features a full liquor selection and two types of wine (both kids: one white, one red). They also serve 12 bottled brews and four on tap including: Bud light, Shock Top, Stella and Newcastle. There are two pool tables, a dartboard, jukebox and three arcade games tucked to one side of the room. A large stage is in the back, with plenty of tables and chairs surrounding the dance floor in front of it. A lounge with tables and couches sits atop a second-floor loft, overlooking the dance floor and stage. The outdoor patio is large and spacious, with plenty of tables and chairs. Malone's features hip-hop nights on the weekends and live bands; occasionally, the bar hosts a fetish night (bondage, suspension, Furries). More >>
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2106 N. Tustin Ave. Santa Ana, CA 92705
714-834-0943
http://www.theofficeoc.com Who says it sucks to stay late at the Office? This Santa Ana watering hole is known for its inexpensive drink menu, which includes all day, everyday 25-ounce Budweisers for $2, 25-ounce domestic glasses for $4.50 and pints for $3. The clientele consists of the Tustin/Orange crowd, along with Raiders and Chargers fans during football season. It's a neighborhood bar where bartender Sara will get to know not only your drink, but your name as well. She even has a drink of her own, the "Saralicious." Try a shot of the jungle juice-like shot made of Apple Pucker, vodka, Malibu rum, peach schnapps, 7-Up, OJ, pineapple juice and grenadine. Then stay for a ball game in the friendly, relaxed atmosphere. More >>
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1120 W. 17th St. Santa Ana, CA 92706
714-550-6700
http://www.theoldeship.com One of the most authentic British pubs in Orange County, the Olde Ship sports a distinctly European atmosphere with a full menu of classic dishes including bread pudding and the best bangers and mash you'll have this side of the pond. With an interior that looks, in fact, like the inside of an old galleon and a bartender with an authentic Irish accent, this establishment is a favorite haunt for British expats and Anglophiles alike. If you're counting on grabbing dinner at this place on a Saturday night, arrive early because patrons are literally flowing out the door by seven bells. During World Cup fever, you can count on the doors being open bright and early for the morning games! More >>
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100 S. Main St. Santa Ana, CA 92701
714-550-7764
http://www.originalmikes.com This spacious place has something for everyone: karaoke, two separate bars, an outdoor patio with live music, and a quieter dining room in which to enjoy classic American fare such as burgers, shakes and steaks. Don't place your drinks on the classic cars lest a burly bouncer yells at you! More >>
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215 N. Broadway Santa Ana, CA 92701
714-953-2660
http://www.proofbar.com Proof Bar offers a chic, lounge atmosphere befitting an establishment in the middle of Santa Ana's über-hip Artist Village. It hosts a variety of DJs who spin an eclectic array of tunes ranging between garage and funk. The full bar serves up tasty cocktails and offers a fine selection of brews including Delirium, Stella, Heineken, Arrogant Bastard Ale as well as standard domestics like Bud light. The lounge area features a dramatic vaulted ceiling hovering 25 feet above the floor. The bar is softly lit with colored lights for ambiance and is decorated by creeping vines twisting upward from the bedrock. More >>
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4717 First St. Santa Ana, CA 92703
714-531-5798
http://www.regentwest.com
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416 W. 4th St. Santa Ana, CA 92701
714-664-0663
http://www.velvetoc.com
