Best of 2018 – Winners

Best of 2018

Food & Drink

Editorial Choice
Readers’ Choice

  • Best Gay Bar

    Sweetwater Saloon

    Within Long Beach’s “Gayborhood” along Broadway Boulevard, Sweetwater Saloon is considered one of the chillest, most relaxed watering holes. There are strong, cheap drinks; a good vibe; great happy-hour specials; friendly bartenders; and even free pool every week! Come by yourself or with your gaggle of cohorts either during the day for a midday refresher or at night to party within its spacious setting. It’s cash only, but that’s a decent tradeoff for drinks that barely cost the price of parking.

    1201 E. Broadway
    Long Beach – 562.432.7044

  • Best Enchiladas

    Panxa Cocina

    New Mexico-style enchiladas are nowhere to be found in our beloved county, but thanks to Panxa Cocina in Long Beach, there’s no need to hunger in despair. Chef Art Gonzalez’s menu features Land of Enchantment favorites, with stacked enchiladas being the standout dish. Tortillas are layered, not rolled, and in between, you’ll find choice meats such as short rib, chicken and pork. The enchiladas are then slathered in either red chimayó or hatch green salsa—or both when ordered Christmas-style. A fried egg on top is optional, but only if patrons want to cheat rather than treat themselves. Once pierced, the crown of yolk dribbles into every spicy bite, making for a truly enchanting enchilada experience.

    panxacocina.com
    3937 E. Broadway
    Long Beach – 562.433.7999

  • Best Dessert

    Snow Monster

    Even among titans in the ice cream world, Snow Monster’s macaron ice cream sandwich is a beast—we wouldn’t blame you for tilting it sideways and eating it with a spoon. The blizzard of flavor starts with airy, scratch-made cookies with flavors such as churro, Oreo, and Cap N’ Crunch, bookending a dense scoop of frozen flavor in any combination you choose. Our favorite is the churro macaron with horchata ice cream. Whether you’re looking for simple flavors or bold pairings, there’s no question this beloved OC chain will always do it right.

    snowmonsteroc.com
    Various Locations

  • Best Peruvian Restaurant

    Inka Cantina

    The Incas obviously have a thing for potatoes, but Inka Cantina knows how to make a spud feel special. Wanna try them cold? The mashed-potato causas topped with fresh avocado and seafood are to die for. Tangy and crisp? Try the Ceviche Mixto, featuring fish marinated in a spicy lime juice with finely sliced onions and cilantro; it’s served on a bed of lettuce, camote (sweet potatoes), potatoes and cancha (toasted corn). For dessert, hold the starch, but send in the sugar! The Choco-lucuma is a Peruvian sundae done right: a chocolate cupcake filled with milk caramel and served with rich lucuma ice cream. It’s a traditional treat from the icy Andes that will warm your soul.

    www.inkacantina.com
    18279 Brookhurst St.
    Fountain Valley – 714.965.4600

  • Best Pizza

    Laventina’s Big Cheese Pizza

    True to its name, Laventina’s has a dominantly cheesy taste that pizza-lovers will embrace. Its milky, mozzarella is nicely complemented by the slight sweetness of the dough and the freshness of the ingredients. The spot’s cozy interior doesn’t leave much room for patrons; sadly, takeout and delivery orders are a must. Laventina’s also offers pasta, wings, ribs, subs and salads, but the siren song of its heavenly pizzas is what beckons us to that bright-yellow awning on Newport Boulevard. It’s fantastic any time of the day, and if you don’t scarf down every one of its New York-style slices at once, leftovers taste just as amazing the next day.

    laventinaspizza.com
    2819 Newport Blvd., Ste. B
    Newport Beach – 949.675.1980

  • Best Ribs

    SmoKing Ribs

    Though there has been some stellar barbecue popping up in OC this past year, no one has unseated chef Kenny Tran, the quirky, passionate pitmaster at this Westminster joint. His meats are smoked for 15-plus hours, and Tran’s sauces are so good that servers had to stop putting out full bottles lest they walk away in someone’s purse. The brisket is fatty, smoky and tender, but it’s the ribs that truly shine: pork and beef varieties fall off the bone. Chewing is not really necessary, as the meats melt as soon as they hit your tongue. Flavorful on their own, these ribs are also an ideal vessel to lap up as much of the two irresistible, house-made sauces (one brown-sugar sweet; the other seriously spicy) as possible.

    www.thesmokingribs.com
    14211 N. Euclid St.
    Garden Grove – 714.867.6057

  • Best Neighborhood Bar, Central OC

    The Huddle

    Sometimes it feels as if attracting hipsters is the only sport the bars in Costa Mesa are playing. But a proper divey, old-man experience lurks just around the corner from the CAMP and the Anti Mall, a place where darts, pool tables and dirt-cheap domestic beers still reign supreme. In a city tripping over itself to be the next big thing, the Huddle remains refreshingly unconcerned. Whether you’re coming in to catch a football game or just hide from your family, this neighborhood joint’s relaxed ambience is virtually the same as it was when it opened back in 1967—though the TVs are just a little nicer.

    741 Baker St.
    Costa Mesa – 714.540.0966

  • Best Lounge

    The Fling Cocktail Lounge

    Dim lighting and red-vinyl seats? Check. Smoke-stained nekkid-lady, 1960s parlor paintings in gawdy gold frames (but still classy!)? Small stage filled with a reliable cast of has-beens, coulda-beens and Phil Shane? Take-no-shit bartenders and not a craft cocktail in sight? Yeah, this must be the place. The Fling Cocktail Lounge has been simultaneously classy-ing up and slumming down the far corner of a Stater Bros.-anchored shopping center for the past half a century, making it the perfect gathering spot for lounge lizards, barflys, retirees, local rockabilly legends and former French Playboy models (hi, Christine!).

    2370 N. Tustin Ave.
    Santa Ana – 714.547.8972

  • Best Punk-Rock Bar

    Marty’s On Newport

    We really are living in bizarro-world. Who would have thought this former karaoke hotspot and middle-age makeout den in bland Tustin would become the local scene’s punk-rock headquarters in 2018? Thanks to a change of ownership and the booking skills of Jeff Schuman (of the Observatory’s ilk) and Mike Rause (manager of the legendary X), Marty’s On Newport hosts punk legends at least one night a week: TSOL, the Dickies, DI, DRI, Agent Orange and more have all headlined recently. Shortly after opening this summer, it even hosted the Adolescents in what would turn out to be one of the final performances of the late homegrown hero Steve Soto. Talk about instantly writing your way into the OC punk-rock history books.

    www.martysonnewport.com
    14401 Newport Ave.
    Tustin – 714.544.1995

  • Best Hot Dog

    Little Red Wagon Corn Dogs

    Suck on this, Dole Whip! You can keep your pineapple-flavored frozen treat. The real star of the Disneyland concession world is the CORN DOG. Six inches of all-American beef, coming in hot and fast to stick straight in your pie hole. Is a corn dog really considered a hot dog? Don’t be a communist: of course it is. It’s a hot dog in a winter coat—a delicious, crispy, 2-inch-thick, batter-y goodness winter coat. Trust us: It’ll fix yer (little red) wagon!

    disneyland.disney.go.com
    1313 Disneyland Dr.
    Anaheim

  • Best Neighborhood Bar, Coastal OC

    Johnny’s Saloon

    This Huntington Beach institution calls itself “Orange County’s Twisted Cheers,” and it’s a reference that works. Though known as the punk-rock bar or the veterans’ bar or the bar where someone brought in a pet alligator on a leash and it made the local news, at heart, Johnny’s Saloon is all about community. Whether you don liberty spikes as your primary hairstyle or you fought for the liberty of our nation on a tour of duty, you’ll be welcomed warmly at this Disneyland of dive bars. After only a few visits, the bartenders will not only remember your drink order (whether you dig a Genesee tall boy, a Michter’s neat or a soda water, splash of Coke), but they’ll give you a sassy nickname, too, like Howdy Doody or Hellcat or Bruno. Cheers!

    johnnyssaloonhb.wordpress.com
    17428 Beach Blvd.
    Huntington Beach – 714.848.0676

  • Best Sushi

    Ohshima Sushi

    Whatever Ohshima Sushi may lack in seating, it more than makes up for in selection of high-quality, fresh, sashimi-grade fish. You won’t find cream cheese or deep-fried rolls here; if you’re looking for a Tokyo-style sushi experience in Orange County, Ohshima’s your place. Call between 5 and 5:30 nightly to make a limited seating reservation, or you’ll be hanging out front for close to an hour. But even that won’t be so bad; when the fresh fatty tuna hits your tongue, any annoyance you may have experienced while waiting will melt away just as quickly as the toro does.

    ohshimasushi.com
    1956 N. Tustin St.
    Orange – 714.998.0098

  • Best Bar for Dancing

    Totally 80’s Bar & Grille

    Miss the Moonwalk? Having flashbacks of Flashdance? Wish you could do the worm again? Then grab your MC Hammer parachute pants and do the Running Man over to Fullerton’s Totally 80’s Bar & Grille for a weekly party of the wackiest dances from the 1980s. Pull up your leg warmers and let your feet get loose to the sounds of synthesizers, smooth power ballads and Cyndi Lauper.

    www.totally80sbar.com
    2512 W. Orangethorpe Ave.
    Fullerton – 714.879.0108

  • Best Mexican Restaurant

    Taco María

    As the food fates willed it, Taco María carries the eternal honor of being the last Restaurant of the Year written up by Jonathan Gold. The poetic Los Angeles Times critic suddenly passed away in July, but not before praising chef Carlos Salgado in April, noting he treated tortillas with a “seriousness familiar to any fanatical French baker.” Of course, Gold was right. And as he also knew, there’s more to the Costa Mesa restaurant than its transcendent tortillas. Last Christmas season, Taco María offered tamales of the rajas, pork and strawberry variety that were worth every bite of their $72-per-dozen price. The blue masa came from non-GMO corn in Mexico, just a taste of the ethics behind every menu item. Salgado pensively reflects on the meaning of all his dishes. Mainstays such as aguachile remain phenomenal, as do the tacos. For naranjeros, there’s no better way to remember Gold’s legacy within county lines than to dine at Taco María in his honor.

    www.tacomaria.com
    3313 Hyland Ave.
    Costa Mesa – 714.538.8444

  • Best Breakfast

    Paul’s Pantry

    Few places can rival the service and food offered at Paul’s Pantry. The egg scrambles have great names such as the Popeye Scramble, and the dousings of cheese and meat on omelets such as the Canadian certainly help them live up to their titles. But by far the best thing offered at Paul’s is the cinnamon roll: gigantic, crisp, chewy, and absolutely slathered with liquid sugar, butter and other heart-stopping sweets. Brilliantly, it’s available as a side to nearly everything on the menu.

    27409 Bellogente
    Mission Viejo – 949.364.1088

  • Best Deli

    Cortina’s

    A staple for Italian foodies in OC since opening its doors in 1963, Cortina’s offers fresh ingredients and the best traditional-style deli meats to generations of loyal customers. If you’re hungry and on the go, a hearty meatball sub from the to-go counter and a cannoli from the deli next door is the way to go.

    cortinasitalianfood.com
    2175 W. Orange Ave.
    Anaheim – 714.535.1948

  • Best Fries

    Lupe’s Mexican Eatery

    Picture this: You’re deep in the heart of Dana Point, high off your dome after a king-sized blunt and in desperate need of french fries loaded with extras. A genie appears in the haze of your hot-boxed Toyota Yaris and says, “Get the stoner fries from Lupe’s Mexican Eatery.” Fry purists will hate, but the pile of spuds covered with carne asada, guac, shrimp, two over-easy eggs, bacon and cotija cheese on top of a warm flour tortilla is better than any other.

    www.eatlupes.com
    33621 Del Obispo St., Ste. F
    Dana Point – 949.558.5431

  • Best Happy Hour

    P.F. Chang’s

    For your next happy-hour craving, we recommend grabbing a $4 plate of four pan-fried pork dumplings and a Chang’s Mai Tai. We know it’s a national chain, and we usually shy away from such options, but we also know all the ingredients at P.F. Chang’s are prepared in-house, including the ginger beer for the moscow mule. (Full disclosure: We have an inside source.) Besides, who can resist $4 dumplings?

    www.pfchangs.com
    Multiple Locations

  • Best Italian Food

    Angelo’s and Vinci’s Ristorante

    The building itself dates back to the early 1900s, and the dining hall is decorated to resemble a city square in the Italian countryside, complete with statues of “neighbors” hanging out on verandas, watching over you as you devour a plate of lasagna larger than your small intestine. That chunk of lasagna will take two days to finish, and it’s definitely worth it.

    www.angelosandvincis.com
    550 N. Harbor Blvd.
    Fullerton – 714.879.4022

  • Best Korean Barbecue

    Byul Daepo/Star BBQ

    Make sure to wear your stretchy pants here! There’s enough high-quality brisket, spicy pork belly and short rib to give yourself the meat sweats. The AYCE deal runs you about $20 with a drink, and the soft-serve ice cream is free—if you can manage to eat another bite.

    byuldaepo.com
    8295 W. Garden Grove Blvd.
    Garden Grove – 714.530.5388

  • Best Late-Night Dining

    Corky’s Homestyle Kitchen & Bakery

    After a long night of binge drinking, you want to go where portion size is of the utmost importance. Corky’s Homestyle Kitchen & Bakery has massive five-egg omelets and pancakes the size of 20-inch rims—no exaggeration. Best of all, it’s open 24/7 and serves breakfast foods all day, so you can binge any time.

    www.corkyskitchenandbakery.com
    27522 Antonio Pkwy.
    Ladera Ranch – 949.364.4439

  • Best Neighborhood Bar, South OC

    The Blind Pig Kitchen and Bar

    Offering an ever-evolving menu of craft cocktails and comfortable lounge seating overlooking Rancho Santa Margarita Lake, the Blind Pig is the best place to have awkward encounters with high-school friends you hoped you’d never see again. Drink away the memories on Tiki Taco Tuesday, for which the chefs come up with a surprising new spin on tacos each week.

    www.theblindpigoc.com
    31431 Santa Margarita Pkwy.
    Rancho Santa Margarita – 949.888.0072

  • Best Sandwich

    Big O To Go

    Don’t be fooled by the store’s tiny size: Big O has been serving up the best meatball sub in the Western Hemisphere since the 1970s. The fist-sized meatballs, rich pomodoro sauce and thick helping of mozzarella make this sandwich unforgettable.

    24501 Marguerite Pkwy.
    Mission Viejo – 949.586.6660

  • Best Taco Tuesday

    Avila’s El Ranchito

    We’re gluttons for AYCE foods, especially when the deal involves tacos. Avila’s has been a SoCal staple since Salvador Avila opened his first restaurant 50 years ago in Huntington Park. All the other locations—around a dozen—are scattered throughout OC, but the only one to offer a $5 AYCE taco Tuesday is in Newport Beach. Now all you have to decide is chicken or beef?

    avilaselranchito.com
    2800 Newport Blvd.
    Newport Beach – 949.675.6855

  • Best Waffles

    Roscoe’s House of Chicken and Waffles

    We’re opening ourselves up to a world of criticism by saying that Roscoe’s House of Chicken and Waffles has the best waffles in OC. To all those critics, here’s our middle finger. Roscoe’s cinnamon-sugar waffles are 10 times better than their world-famous chicken. Add a fresh coat of maple syrup and butter to the mix, and you have the best waffle in OC.

    www.roscoeschickenandwaffles.com
    2110 Harbor Blvd.
    Anaheim – 714.823.4130

  • Best Breakfast Burrito

    S’wich Bistro

    We can sum up this handheld marvel in two words: candied bacon. In an unexpected move from its salty counterparts, the merger of sausage and house-glazed meat take this breakfast to the next level. Every bite is consistently delicious and full of potatoes, cheese and meaty goodness. Pico de gallo is the condiment of choice, but you can always heat things up at S’wich’s hot-sauce bar.

    www.swichbistro.com
    16277 Laguna Canyon Rd.
    Irvine – 949.753.0227

  • Best Farmers’ Market

    Laguna Hills Certified Farmers’ Market

    Offering the practicality of a weekly market in a modest setup, this freeway-accessible location makes Laguna Hills our hands-down favorite. Friday mornings are relocated by the old Macy’s thanks to construction, but that doesn’t stop regulars from sampling super-fresh produce or making purchases from such reliable vendors as 5 Bar Beef. A winning combination of plentiful parking and a user-friendly layout adds to the small, yet mighty reputation of this certified market. Shoppers can get knives sharpened while picking up goods from Old Town Baking, choosing a flower bouquet and trying on hats to shade themselves while munching on street fare from Tacos el Bochito.

    El Toro Road and Avenida de la Carlota
    Laguna Hills – 949.301.9180

  • Best Food Hall

    4th Street Market

    Santa Ana’s collection of specialized concepts is a balance of delicious and functional. Need coffee? Portola’s got your back, front and center at the main entrance. Wanna take some beef home to grill? Puglisi’s Electric City Butcher is 4th Street’s answer to Sam on The Brady Bunch. Of course, don’t miss out on OG lonchera Dos Chinos or newer tenants such as Jinny’s Pizzeria or Falasophy. Do your taste buds a favor and enjoy your food with one of Alta Baja’s micheladas, and all is good in the ‘hood.

    4thstreetmarket.com
    201 E. Fourth St.
    Santa Ana – 714.486.0700

  • Best Brunch

    The Cannery

    A classic mealtime with OC upgrades, Cannery’s Sunday Funday is the proper mix of breakfast, lunch and mandatory booze. Easygoing bites include guac with salt-and-vinegar tostadas or Greek yogurt with honeycomb and French vanilla granola. Hearty appetites may want a Lady Larkin Burger made from ground short rib, while hardcore brunch types will debate the Maine Lobster Benedict vs. Crystal Maple Fried Chicken with a Cheddar waffle and fried egg. Chef Philip’s personal nod is the Kamayan board of Filipino barbecue meats with garlic rice. Kick back on the patio for harbor views, or pull up dockside if you’ve got the yacht.

    www.cannerynewport.com
    3010 Lafayette Rd.
    Newport Beach – 949.566.0060

  • Best Restaurant Ambiance

    Habana

    Old-world charm accented by opulent details embodies the Cuban vibe at Costa Mesa’s counterpart. Vintage televisions play a sepia-hued loop, while lush greenery breathes life throughout. Gaze upward at the marvelously ornate and oversized chandelier. Habana’s glassware game is so on point we want to accidentally place a goblet in our purse. Bonus points for the most stylish brunch setup in OC.

    www.restauranthabana.com
    708 Spectrum Center Dr.
    Irvine – 949.419.0100

  • Best Rooftop Bar

    Hive & Honey

    As corporate as it sounds, the place to be in Irvine is within a Marriott. More specifically, head to the top level of the resort company’s newest property at Irvine Spectrum. Navigate the computer-driven lobby elevators to your destination, and be rewarded with a spacious lounge. Oversized lamps and flowing tunes transport you to an urban, almost nightclub vibe as the evening continues. Small bites tide you over, but here, it’s all about the views and bar program. Despite the sweet theme, expect a balanced selection of cocktails with tongue-in-cheek aliases.

    www.marriott.com
    7905 Irvine Center Dr.
    Irvine – 949.759.0200

  • Best Acai Bowls

    Berry Brand

    A DIY that rivals the rest in quality and service, Berry Brand helps you assemble the rare sighting of food that manages to both look and taste delightful. A 12-ounce serving is plenty, but you can order up to 24 ounces if you dare. Choose between an organic acai or pitaya base, then pile on the rest. Warm chia pudding and a quartet of crunchy granola options give extra texture; fruit makes you feel all healthy. Make sure to get a final drizzle of nut butter with those unlimited toppings before taking the ’gram.

    www.loveberrybrand.com
    2493 Park Ave., Ste. 38
    Tustin

  • Best Neighborhood Bar, North OC

    The Cauldron Spirits & Brews

    A tavern of incantations and libations, the Cauldron gives Goth kids, Harry Potter enthusiasts and locals a haunt to call their own. The witch-themed ambiance masterfully created by owner Lara Hanneman is playfully eerie. A green eye suddenly appears in a mirror above a cauldron with none able to escape its creepy gaze. At the bar, patrons will find drinks such as Bourbon & Brimstone, Wizard’s Cup, and the Raven Claw. The Knotty Kid transforms a fluff of boysenberry cotton candy into a sweet vodka drink, a fitting feat for the Cauldron. Even though the bar is better known for its brooding brews, it also boasts a fine kitchen. There’s always French comfort food to share with one’s coven. But a rotating menu of specialty sliders, from Navajo tacos to Cordon Bleu delights, keep things delicious. Stay past the witching hour, if you dare!

    www.thecauldronbar.com
    8028 Beach Blvd.
    Buena Park – 714.484.2733

  • Best Churros

    Don Churros

    These days, churros are curved into ice cream cups and coated with Fruity Pebbles to up their decadent looks for Instagram. While these takes may be tasty enough, nothing beats a simple el tradicional at Don Churros in Anaheim. The busy food truck in a parking lot by the 5 freeway prepares churros according to a decades-old family recipe from the highlands of Jalisco. The dough is shaped into twirling roscas (the OG loops) when it meets the sizzling oil of the deep fryer. From there, they’re diced into stems topped with brown sugar that crinkle upon first bite. The novelty treat here is the namesake Don Churro, a stout snack that folks can order with cajeta and vanilla bean ice cream stuffed inside. Best of all, Don Churros bumps a righteous playlist of regional Mexican classics and bass-rattling funk for all who await its treats.

    www.donchurrosgomez.com
    1475 S. Anaheim Blvd.
    Anaheim – 714.717.7946

  • Best Indian Restaurant

    Annapoorna

    Tucked in a hidden corner of a large Irvine shopping mall, Annapoorna otherwise stands out for its satiating South Indian cuisine. Before taking on main courses, starters set the tone. The southern-spiced, delectable Chicken 65 is the perfect clash of flavors, with lime-drenched chicken chunks turning up the fiery heat. Dosas come out of the kitchen resembling giant crepe clubs ready to whack hungry appetites into submission. When dinner finally arrives, a bowl full of tamarind rice is the perfect companion to dishes such as the brightly colored chicken tikka masala and the darker-toned andhra chicken curry. Annapoorna also offers Indo-Chinese fare and a great lunchtime buffet for less than $11 during the workweek.

    www.myannapoorna.com
    14450 Culver Dr., Ste. A
    Irvine – 949.651.1144

  • Best Buffet

    Texas de Brazil

    Cheesy bread and plantains are mouthwatering Brazilian teasers already on your table, but keep your eyes on the AYCE prize. Picanha (try the garlic version) is the house favorite, with alcatra close behind. Gauchos roam the dining room, checking to see if your marker is flipped to green for GO. Depending on the cut, they’re fine with slicing to whatever doneness you’re comfortable with. Texas de Brazil doesn’t shy away from seasoning its meats, so mix it up with visits to the hot/salad bar. The lobster bisque is addictive, but the seafood spread with tabbouleh and couscous helps make the dent in our wallet worth it.

    texasdebrazil.com
    13772 Jamboree Rd.
    Irvine – 949.209.1500

  • Best Juice/Smoothie Spot

    Natural

    In East Anaheim, raza know how to eat healthy. It’s not just the Northgate Market on State College that channels its inner Whole Foods. Down the street lies Natural, a fruit parlor and ice cream shop offering a refreshing menu of juices and smoothies perfect for OC’s year-long summer weather. (Gracias, global warming!) Send some fresh oranges, apples, grapes and bananas to the juice blender for thirst quenching. For smoothie-lovers, Natural offers specialties not to be missed, especially the chamoyada. A saladitos-coated straw plunges into the red-and-yellow swirl of sweet and spicy. Leave Yamba Yuice behind and make Natural (say it in Spanish!) the must-stop shop for all your juice and smoothie needs.

    facebook
    1177 S. State College Blvd., Ste. 2
    Anaheim – 714.563.1343

  • Best Cupcake

    SusieCakes

    Everyone’s inner child remains unconcerned with whether cupcakes are still considered trendy or not. The feeling of peeling back a paper holder and exposing the frosting and fluff to take that first bite never goes out of style. The bakery continues blessing dessert-lovers with an array of confections baked to perfection, enticing your sweet tooth with red velvet, chocolate mint and fluffy coconut. What better way to celebrate the small occasions in life than with SusieCakes’ moist, buttercream-topped decadence?

    www.susiecakes.com
    3313 Hyland Ave., Ste. J
    Costa Mesa – 714.265.2253
    25473 Rancho Niguel Rd., Ste. B
    Laguna Niguel – 949.214.2253
    2043 Westcliff Dr., Ste. 104
    Newport Beach – 949.646.6881

  • Best Nontraditional Burger

    Tower 48

    A neon sign inside this “Modern Beach Deli” proclaims, “Best Buns on the Beach,” and the airy ciabatta version framing the very tasty Vegan Burger makes you a believer. You don’t have to swear off cow or gluten to also appreciate the vegan, gluten-free burger’s minced red onions, flavor-packed slice of heirloom tomato, diced house pickles that more resemble cucumbers than Vlasics, generous slather of Vegenaise that you’ll swear is regular mayo, and a gooey vegan cheese slice that melts like Velveeta and tastes like fat-free Cheddar. But the star of this show is the mock meat from Redwood City’s Impossible Foods; it’s juicy, crumbly and charred right down to the grill marks.

    www.tower48newportbeach.com
    4525 W. Coast Hwy.
    Newport Beach – 949.432.5858

  • Best Food Truck

    Lobsta Truck

    Whenever you pull up to a venue or event and see the red truck with white silhouettes of lobsters on the side, you know it’s going to be a good day, even if the live music/outdoor market/whatever brought you sucks. After a road trip of sampling and critiquing lobster rolls from several shacks along Maine’s coast, Lobsta Truck’s owners figured out what works best, and then realized, if done right, the perfect shack could do every bit as well on the Left Coast as taco joints. Since West Coast shacks are now on wheels, Lobsta Truck put it in drive and soon added crab rolls, chowder and Cape Cod chips. The Irvine Spectrum and the Orange County fairgrounds are among its regular haunts, but you can catch it all over OC and Long Beach.

    www.lobstatruck.com

  • Best Local Winery

    Laguna Canyon Winery

    Orange County is not exactly a great region for growing grapes, and as with other vintners in the same predicament, Laguna Canyon Winery imports its purple and white fruits from Central and Northern California points known and loved worldwide. Once here, the small operator can give the grapes the attention they deserve during the blending and other production processes to create small batches of fruit-forward elixirs. If Napa or Sonoma or Bordeaux don’t immediately spring to mind as you sip in Laguna Canyon Winery’s tasting room, heck, at least you’re enjoying that glass in beautiful Laguna Canyon and not some faceless strip mall.

    www.lagunacanyonwinery.com
    133 Laguna Canyon Rd.
    Laguna Beach – 949.715.9463

  • Best Japanese Restaurant

    Honda-Ya

    When Honda-Ya opened its doors in Tustin 25 years ago, it popularized the term “izakaya” in OC and proved that Japanese cuisine wasn’t limited to teriyaki and sushi. Its success inspired a mini-izakaya boom a few years ago, but none of the new entrants rose to Honda-Ya’s glorious levels. As it branched out with locations as far out as Little Tokyo, the original remains the landmark—a stone monument in the middle of a city on fast-forward. The tatami room still requires you to take off your shoes. The paper lanterns continue to wobble whenever a breeze is let in from the open door. The menu remains exhaustively completist, a Wikipedia of Japanese ingredients and cooking methods that grows week by week. You can have just about everything here, from sticks of yakitori roasted over white-hot coals to the kooky, mucilaginous charms of the fermented-soybean delicacy known as natto. Heck, there’s even teriyaki and sushi, if you’re so inclined.

    www.izakayahondaya.com
    556 El Camino Real
    Tustin – 714.832.0081

  • Best Poke

    Costco

    In Hawaii, every supermarket on every island has a poke deli in the back. It’s an essential extension of the fish and seafood department. One of the best happens to be Costco’s. A few years ago, sensing a budding appreciation of poke in Southern California, the Costco at the District in Tustin began offering the very same poke the Hawaii warehouses did. But now that poke here has evolved into build-your-own-Franken-bowl assembly-line joints that exist on every street corner, what Costco offers has not only been the most consistent poke in Orange County, but it has also become the unwitting bulwark of what OG poke is supposed to taste like: fresh, vibrant, raw fish marinated into sweet, sweet sea candy with just a few essential flavors such as shoyu, lime, wasabi and a spicy mayo.

    www.costco.com
    2700 Park Ave.
    Tustin – 714.338.1933

  • Best Pub

    The Harp Inn

    For more than 30 years, this local institution has provided a little slice of Ireland just a four-leaf clover’s throw from one of the busiest stretches of roadway in America (Newport Boulevard between Pacific Coast Highway and 19th Street). Go for the people-watching; stay for the Harp, Guinness and Smithwick’s on tap, as well as the beans and toast, fish and chips, and bangers and mash coming from the kitchen. The Harp’s annual St. Patrick’s Day blowout brings top-quality musical acts and yes, of course, green beer. Just know going in it’s a standing-room-only affair that generally begins around noon, so if you want a seat, your best bet is to come early for the traditional Irish breakfast, which you’ll need to sop up the shots and red ales to follow.

    www.harpinn.com
    130 E. 17th St.
    Costa Mesa – 949.646.8855

  • Best Craft Beer Shop

    Windsor Homebrew Supply

    Scott Windsor curates a beer selection like Dr. Dre curates beats: He likes ’em fresh, funky and worthy of a little head-bobbin’. Although the selection and hours are tight, Windsor offers specials nobody else does (not just Pliny!). He doesn’t hold beers for homies, so everyone gets a good crack at landing something rare and delicious. Can’t find it? Buy a homebrew kit and make it yourself.

    windsorhomebrewsupply.com
    743 Baker St., Ste. D
    Costa Mesa – 714.668.9850

  • Best Craft Cocktails

    320 Main

    On the sleepy beachside street at 320 Main in Seal Beach, owners Jason and Rebecca Schiffer started making the cocktails that brought the craft-cocktail movement to OC. It’s no surprise this is where bartenders go for inspiration. Our mouths are still both agape and watering from the Pappy Baby Monkey Old Fashioned, which uses Pappy’s Old Rip Van Winkle 10-year syrup. Come on Tiki Tuesday nights and show off your floral outfits while sipping all the rums.

    www.320mainsealbeach.com
    320 Main St.
    Seal Beach – 562.799.6246

  • Best Beer Selection

    Beachwood BBQ

    The award-winning house beers pair really well with the house barbecue.Served in proper glassware for just about any beer style, there’s guest taps, a great bottle list and dual temp-draft zones. Staff cicerones help you pick what to drink, and keep you informed of special events such as Pliny the Younger and Zwanze Day.

    beachwoodbbq.com
    131 Main St.
    Seal Beach – 562.493.4500
    210 E. Third St.
    Long Beach – 562.436.4020

  • Best New Local Brewery

    TAPS Brewery & Barrel Room

    Sure, TAPS has been making beers in OC since 1999, but its brand-new brewery in Tustin checks all the boxes of what a truly great tasting-room experience should be. Starting with award-winning beer, the brewery is an oasis of indoor and outdoor spaces with a great mix of games, a TAPS-run food truck, and even a cozy firepit to snuggle by.

    www.tapsbrewery.com
    15501 Red Hill Ave.
    Tustin – 657.247.3920

  • Best Local Brewery

    Gunwhale Ales

    Gunwhale’s beers tap into the locale terroir of what makes OC great: our 42 miles of beautiful coastline. Its ability to shine a prism on common beer styles such as the IPA and Saison and fill a portfolio with brews that are so full of personality is astounding. The IPAs are soft and hazy, dank West Coast, or dry and brutey; the wild IPA is foeder-aged with expressive trois yeast. On the Saison side, it’s a rainbow trip into what beer is capable of becoming.

    www.gunwhaleales.com
    2960 Randolph Ave., Ste. A
    Costa Mesa – 949.239.9074

  • Best Distillery

    Blinking Owl Distillery

    Take one step into their Santa Ana tasting room, and you’ll know why Blinking Owl Distillery is in the who’s-who of spirits in OC. It’s not just one of the grooviest spaces (there are literally owls everywhere!), but it’s also where distiller Ryan Friesen crafts some mad spirits on the gorgeous hybrid copper still named “Bastian Penelope Coco Frigalicious.” Word is owners Brian and Robin Christenson will be adding food to the list of curated cocktails, which are incredibly balanced and Instagrammable despite only using native spirits and raw inspiration.

    blinkingowldistillery.com
    802 E. Washington Ave.
    Santa Ana – 714.852.3947

  • Best Local IPA

    Green Cheek Beer Co.

    What happens when local IPA wizard Evan Price blends the lupulin powers of Citra, Mosaic and Simcoe hops into a beer? “Wingardium Lupulosa!” he yells, casting a spell on the brew kettle. The resulting Radiant Beauty is the No. 2 West Coast IPA in the world, as voted at the 2018 World Beer Cup.

    www.greencheekbeer.com
    2294 N. Batavia St., Ste. C
    Orange – 714.998.8172

  • Best Local Sour Beer

    Bruery Terreux

    It was cool to watch Bruery Terreux win silver at the Great American Beer Festival in 2017 with the sour, funky Train to Beersel. But when it won gold at the 2018 World Beer Cup, we had to see what the most distinguished set of judges in the world saw. It’s a Belgian lambic-style beer with a bit of heft and a nice round body layered on French Sauvignon Blanc oak barrels. Ooh, la la . . . the funk is exquisite!

    www.brueryterreux.com
    1174 N. Grove St.
    Anaheim – 714.905.7361

  • Best Signature Cocktail

    Vaca

    Sitting at Vaca’s bar listening to the frozen slushie maker hum, we had no idea what kind of magic was inside. A frozen gin and tonic? The Vaca Tonic is so basic, yet so addictive. Gabby Dion’s brainchild is based around Brooklyn Small Batch Gin, Fever Tree Mediterranean Tonic, frozen gimlet and basil blossom.

    vacarestaurant.com
    695 Town Center Dr.
    Costa Mesa – 714.463.6060

  • Best Whiskey Bar

    Macallans Public House

    Broken down into its elements, whiskey is nothing more than grains that have been fermented, distilled and left to rest on oak. The beautiful thing about that process is what’s in the glass yet to be discovered. Macallans not only has one of the largest selections of brown in the county, but the staff are venerable spirit guides that can guide you on an 80-plus-proof vision quest, as well.

    www.macallanspubbrea.com
    330 W. Birch St.
    Brea – 714.529.1224

  • Best Mediterranean

    Basil Mediterranean

    Despite a bad location with a dearth of parking spots, Basil Mediterranean has carved out a gorgeous and classy space. The restaurant thrives on the Persian tried-and-true. Start your meal by dragging pillowy pita triangles through a smooth-as-velvet hummus or the savory-sugary mash of baked eggplant called kashk e bademjan topped with yogurt, dried mint and fried onions. Nearly everything else—beef, chicken, lamb or seafood—comes hot from a well-tended grill. The koobideh, seasoned ground sirloin molded onto metal skewers, is the most flavorful hamburger meat ever made. The juice-weeping chicken shish kebab has char-kissed pieces so bright orange from its marinade it almost resembles tandoori. Best of all, the prices are cheaper here than at the nearby Darya, where Basil Mediterranean’s owner was once a partner—consolation for the awful parking situation that you can take to the bank.

    www.basilmediterraneangrill.com
    1907 Harbor Blvd.
    Costa Mesa – 949.200.6481

  • Best Oysters

    Raw Bar by Slapfish

    When Andrew Gruel first opened Slapfish half a dozen years ago, he served oysters, but not at the level he does now at Raw Bar, the restaurant he built next to his flagship location in Huntington Beach. This is a grown-up, fully realized raw bar, with all the prerequisites. It comes complete with 18 beers on tap and a tattooed dude with a beard who does the shucking behind a counter full of ice. There are no fewer than 12 specimens from waters far and near, from Baja to Canada. When you order a dozen, the oysters are presented on show-stopping platters that are filled to the brim with crushed ice, propped up on stilts, and garnished with lemon, grated horseradish, cocktail sauce and a very nice mignonette. The best time to experience this amazing haul is during the “Beat the Clock” special, when, starting at 3 p.m., every oyster starts at a buck apiece, then goes up 50 cents every subsequent half-hour. And if there’s anything better than a grown-up, fully realized raw bar by someone who knows seafood like Gruel, it’s one that offers discounts.

    www.slapfishrestaurant.com
    19694 Beach Blvd.
    Huntington Beach – 714.587.9222

  • Best New Restaurant

    Heirloom Farmhouse Kitchen

    At first, Heirloom Farmhouse Kitchen appears to be another hotel restaurant with a name that sounds focus-grouped by the marketing department. But as it turns out, Heirloom Farmhouse Kitchen isn’t all bluster and PR-speak. The design is deliberate and careful; when you walk into this future-focused space, you see no defined borders separating where the restaurant begins and the hotel ends. Though the menu is seemingly filled with trite restaurant tropes of charred Brussels sprouts, roasted beets, even a mac and cheese, you’ll discover the kitchen thought long and hard about making them the best versions of themselves. Even a humble pork chop becomes a spectacle. As thick as the September issue of Vogue and attached to a swooping bone, the Kurobuta pork tomahawk is brined, seasoned, cooked and seared to be the sweetest, juiciest, most satisfying hunk of pig you’ll ever consume—in a restaurant inside a hotel or otherwise

    www.heirloomfarmhousekitchen.com
    7905 Irvine Center Dr.
    Irvine – 949.531.8286

  • Best Ramen

    HiroNori Craft Ramen

    You’ll get a pretty great pork ramen here, but the vegan ramen may be even better. The broth is ultra-savory, an umami concentrate. Only when you think about it really hard will you even notice it’s meatless. For sure, there’s miso in it, a splash of chile oil and a stock that must have taken years to formulate; but the sum of its parts accumulates into one of the most satisfying ramen experience OC has ever seen.

    hironoricraftramen.com
    2222 Michelson Dr., Ste. 234
    Irvine – 949.536.5800

  • Best Restaurant

    Chef’s Counter at Napa Rose

    Forget the crowds, the lines and the overpriced tickets at Disneyland—for a Disney experience that’s worth every penny and where you’re treated like a celebrity despite not having a Club 33 membership, book yourself a seat at Napa Rose’s Chef’s Counter for its multicourse prix fixe. You not only get front-row views of acrobatic chefs tending to multiple burners and ovens while juggling multiple sauté pans, but you also get to eat what they cook. You see and smell everything: the nonstop whirlwind of activity, the constant aroma of brown butter. There’s not a moment you won’t marvel at the way the chef de cuisine controls the chaos. You will, of course, be stuffed to the gills. There will be amuses, immaculately prepared seafood, pink duck breasts, and milky sweetbreads with mushrooms and pasta. Anything and everything can happen on your plate. But as Napa Rose represents the summit of Disney restaurant hospitality and its Chef’s Counter the apex of that summit, your server will ask you about allergies and food aversions before the show begins. Expect to see the kitchen go full-bore “Be Our Guest” on you, course by course, one by one, ’til you shout, “Enough—I’m done!”

    disneyland.disney.go.com
    1313 Disneyland Dr.
    Anaheim – 714.635.2300

  • Best Seafood Restaurant

    Hook & Anchor

    As you zoom on Newport Boulevard toward Balboa Peninsula, you will surely miss Hook & Anchor. The mini-mall in which it sits is one of the least accessible in the county, with no street parking and a tiny lot. And that’s a shame because while Hook & Anchor resembles a casual eatery that revels in fish tacos and sandwiches, it is also capable of producing seafood that competes with the likes of Water Grill. The po’boys overflow with delicate deep-fried shrimp, soft-shell crab, Guinness-battered cod or oysters. The lobster fries trade in trendiness for substance, with the garlic-and-parmesan-dusted potatoes crisp, the lobster plentiful, and the house-made lemon-herb Sriracha aioli tangy. And despite being served in a plastic to-go container, the clams here are cooked in the classic French style, with white wine, shallots, garlic, leeks and butter. Chef/owner Wayne Magnusen is a Cordon Bleu grad who knows what he’s doing; look no further than the immaculately grilled and presented Scottish salmon plate with cilantro-lime rice, sautéed-to-order green beans, micro greens and edible flower petals. If he didn’t serve it on a paper plate, it would be fit for a Saveur cover shoot.

    www.hooknanchor.com
    3305 Newport Blvd., Ste. E
    Newport Beach – 949.423.7169

  • Best Steak

    Cambalache

    The best steak at Cambalache—an Argentinean restaurant that juggles more Italian pastas dishes than empanadas—isn’t a rib-eye or a Porterhouse; it’s a skirt steak, a finicky cut that can easily toughen to leather. It’s done perfectly here, served as a whole slab resembling an airplane wing. It doesn’t melt in your mouth. You have to chew this steak, but it’s always pleasurable, never a chore. The edges are caramelized and pockmarked with char as though it were a beefy crème brûlée. The rest is so extraordinarily savory you swear some sort of marinade is involved. And unlike most steakhouses, the meal comes with golden-crusted potatoes that are uniformly crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. Smash them with a fork to absorb the steak juices. Who needs a baked potato?

    cambalachegrill.com
    8780 Warner Ave., Ste. 15
    Fountain Valley – 714.375.3305

  • Best Waterfront Dining

    Lido Bottle Works

    Lido Marina Village has come a long way. For years, the place was neglected and in disrepair. Now that the long-awaited restoration to this once-thriving marina—which hosted the likes of John Wayne in the 1970s—is finally complete, it’s the perfect spot for window shopping and romantic Newport Beach sunset strolls without having to venture too deep into the Peninsula. As proof it has resonated with the Newport Beach glitterati, there’s never less than two Bentleys at the valet. The jewel of the crown here is Nobu, but to sit at its sushi bar is to be swallowed by the whale with nary a view of the outside. At Lido Bottle Works, you are closer to the views you came here to experience. Furthermore, the restaurant is more accessible and less expensive. It accepts no reservations for parties fewer than six. There’s an outdoor patio to the side, a dining room that resembles the cozy interior of a rickety houseboat. In the back, there’s a tall, glass refrigerator stocked so full of beers that it looks as if it were ripped from the corner liquor store. It seems to say, “Come here not to flaunt your bling, but to have a cold beer, a good time and maybe a burger.”

    lidobottleworks.com
    3408 Via Oporto, Ste. 103
    Newport Beach – 949.529.2784

  • Best Burger

    Graze

    Called “Umami,” Graze’s black garlic burger is drowning in the jet-black relish, which dribbles off the sides even before you pick it up. As proven after the first taste, there’s no such thing as too much black garlic. The closest approximation of this fermented—and so far niche—ingredient is caramelized onions cooked with a splash of balsamic, a dash of Worcestershire and maybe a hint of red wine. It catapults the umami quotient to heights far higher than Umami Burger’s signature sandwich. It does this despite the fact that Graze already stacks the umami deck on the burger with the inclusion of cave-aged Gruyère, bacon jam, garlic mushrooms, crispy parmesan, roasted tomato and truffle aioli. To the crisp-edged griddle-smashed patty, the black garlic is like an amplifier on the electric guitar—and it’s set to 11.

    www.grazehandcraftedburgers.com
    201 E. Fourth St.
    Santa Ana – 949.735.2389

  • Best Chinese Restaurant

    New Moon

    In today’s dining scene, in which everyone, not just the Chinese customer, is much savvier to restaurants that serve undiluted regional specialties, it’s nothing but a miracle that New Moon, with its decidedly old-school Americanized Chinese dishes, manages to stay relevant. It does so even as it holds on to such stale standards as paper-wrapped chicken, egg foo young and chop suey. But it can be argued that New Moon has done more than just stay relevant; it’s the new flag-bearer of Americanized Chinese food. There’s sophistication and finesse in its execution, something many of its peers lack. The dishes are prepared by chefs with the abiding precision of Chinese-banquet-cooking techniques, even as they’re making sweet-and-sour pork. And the Chinese Chicken Salad, which New Moon claims to have invented 45 years ago in LA, is a revelation. What it lacks in looks it makes up for in substance. It’s the Steve Buscemi of salads.

    newmoonrestaurants.com
    7620 Beach Blvd.
    Buena Park – 714.562.9920

  • Best Date Night

    Marché Moderne

    If you intend to treat your lover for a birthday or milestone anniversary, secure a reservation at Marché Moderne at least a month in advance. Then, start saving up a fuck ton of money in anticipation of your meal. Let’s not kid ourselves: Unless you’re part of the moneyed 1 percent that resides in the Crystal Cove neighborhood above the restaurant, dinner here is going to cost you. It will all become evident when you see a menu that features not only oysters and Russian caviar as suggested starters, but also a tasting of Bordier butter. Yes, fancy butter from France. And no, it’s not free. For a main course, order the coq au vin. Served still fuming in its copper pot, it’s the kind of hearty bistro and French-country fare that revels in the rich and the generously portioned—food for which owners Florent and Amelia Marneau have been renowned since the last Marché Moderne incarnation at South Coast Plaza. And as expensive as this chicken dish is, it’s perfect for two to share. But you should still splurge on dessert—unless, that is, grateful for the outing, your date winks at you and says, “I have dessert waiting for you at home.”

    marchemoderne.net
    7862 Pacific Coast Hwy.
    Newport Beach – 714.434.7900

  • Best Vietnamese Restaurant

    Brodard

    Since Diane Dang and her daughters opened Brodard in 1996 at the Mall of Fortune, it has arguably become one of the most important Vietnamese-cuisine landmarks in the county, if not Southern California. Now that they moved its entire industrial-level operation into a brand-new, 8,000-square-foot location in Fountain Valley, it’s poised to be even more influential. The new location is now more accessible, more modern and less intimidating to the non-Vietnamese. But its food remains unchanged, as good and as unapologetically authentic as ever. There’s everything from fish porridge to stir-fried glass noodle to banh khot tom, rice-flour batter formed into little cups with curls of shrimp nested inside. But no meal here is complete without the nem nuong cuon, the specialty Brodard’s women singlehandedly invented. It’s a spring roll to end all spring rolls containing lettuce, a slender piece of deep-fried egg-roll skin, cucumber, chives and nem nuong, a ruddy and springy thing made of pork or shrimp that isn’t quite a sausage and not really SPAM, but a combo of the two. It’s best dipped into the warm sludge of its secret sauce, a murky, orange-colored concoction halfway between soup and glue whose recipe is still as closely guarded as the nuclear launch codes.

    www.brodardrestaurant.net
    16105 Brookhurst St.
    Fountain Valley – 657.247.4401

  • Best Fish Taco

    Lupe’s Mexican Eatery

    The grilled wild hoki fish from New Zealand gets flavored with Michoacan and Baja flare in this hand-crafted taco that will make you a devotee after the first bite. You can watch the tortillas being made and observe the sizzling and assembly of your taco, but what secrets those squirt bottles contain that make it so addicting remain a mystery. If you crave a second fish taco to go with the hoki, even though you don’t yet know you’ll want two grilled hokis, order the taco del mar. It’s teeming with smoked tuna, octopus and shrimp and topped with cheese, avocado, cabbage and a delicate white sauce. Plus, Lupes has the excellent Stubborn fountain drinks, which are less sugary and come in fruity mixes that complement any protein that originates in the sea. Hoki forever.

    www.eatlupes.com
    33621 Del Obispo St., Ste. F
    Dana Point – 949.558.5431
    14916 Springdale St.
    Huntington Beach – 714.892.7252

  • Best Foodie Event

    Pacific Wine & Food Classic

    Now into its second year, the Pacific Wine & Food Classic has a lot going for it. First, it’s put on by the OC Restaurant Association, the organization that has managed to corral a great majority of the county’s far-flung eateries to participate in OC Restaurant Week. As such, the event draws in more than a hundred vendors, all trying to top one another. Second, but also important, is that it’s held on prime beachy real estate at the Newport Dunes Waterfront, which makes it feel as though it’s a giant seaside neighborhood block party—that is, if half your neighbors were restaurateurs, professional caterers and chefs, while the other half were vintners, brewers and mixologists. Though ticket prices are steep, you always feel you’re getting your money’s worth. At this all-you-can-drink-and-eat food-and-booze-a-palooza, it’s unlikely that you can even hit a third of the vendors before you get full. There are so many variations of poke, ceviche and tartare, you lose count. And the organizers are only getting better every year in anticipating their guests’ needs. There are waist-high coolers stationed every hundred paces that are constantly being refilled with ice and Evian water. And this year, they provided Spandex cozies for the wine glasses so that you could strap it onto your wrist and move hands-free from booth to booth. Even the music they pick was perfect. Michael Jackson’s “Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough” seems particularly appropriate.

    www.pacificwineandfood.com

  • Best Doughnut

    Dippity Donut

    Old-school is what to expect at this no-frills spot in a Dana Point shopping center. Not that there’s anything wrong with an artisan doughnut, it’s just that sometimes you want a glazed to taste and feel like it did when you were a kid. And no matter how late in the morning you show up, Dippity Donut’s glazed treat delivers that sweet, airy nostalgia. The cake varieties teem with sprinkles, and the buttermilk doughnuts crunch at the edges just the way you hope they will. Since you can get breakfast sandwiches here, too, bacon is available. Slices can be added onto a twist or crumbled onto a maple-glazed cake if you crave some savory with your sweet. The women in charge here won’t be phased by any request; they are as composed as brain surgeons. Cash only!

    33621 Del Obispo St., Ste. C
    Dana Point – 949.240.6064

  • Best Coffeehouse

    JC Beans

    Despite being independently owned and Starbucks-adjacent, this coffeehouse with a fireplace surrounded by shelves of used books and a dog-friendly patio thrives. The staff bake on the premises and have other stuff delivered daily, and they’ll let you know which is which. The baristas are coffee-and-foam artists—leaves and stems are just the beginning of what they adorn your latte with. But in the final coffeehouse analysis, the taste of the cuppa joe is crucial. (As well as how much you can get done while drinking it, or how creative you can be while procrastinating.) And JC Beans provides just the right vibe and roast, from the house organic to the formidable Thunder. “Drink Independent” is the slogan of this rustic home for coffee imbibing, open 365 days a year from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sit and sip, drive through, or take a bag of beans home.

    Instagram: @jcbeanscoffee
    34114 Pacific Coast Hwy.
    Dana Point – 949.496.4700

  • Best Bakery

    Blackmarket Bakery

    A more delicious cake may exist, but where would you find it? A grandma’s kitchen in a colorized movie from the silent era, maybe. These “blackmarketeers” create all the baked goods by hand, from scratch, with real butter. Just perfection. The cakes are available in multiple sizes from 4-inch round to three 9-inch tiers, with buttercream or chocolate ganache, ordered naked (a light coat of frosting with cake showing through) or smooth. Perhaps you’d like salted caramel-buttercream frosting? What about a border of pearls, flames or waves? Or an all-over array of giant multicolored polka dots? Wait. None of that sounds very grandma-like. . . . Blackmarket cakes are the best of two worlds: scrumptious to look at, even better to devour. As for the cookies, tarts and breads? Ditto.

    www.blackmarketbakery.com
    2937 Bristol St.
    Costa Mesa – 714.662.3095
    211 N. Broadway
    Santa Ana – 714.571.0801

  • Best Cheese Shop

    The Cheese Shop at the Mix

    Oh, the glory of cheese! And if you are going to name your store the Cheese Shop, you better know your cheese. Thankfully, the staff here are super-knowledgeable and pushy (in a good way!) with the samples. Try something new! Try something you’ve had before! Try everything! The seasonal selections are sliced to order by trained cheesemongers. As you savor a creamy Humboldt Fog, a tangy white cheddar with horseradish or a slightly sweet coconut gouda, peruse the baskets of bread and the shelves of honeys, mustards and other complements. And if all that delicious dairy made you peckish, order a grilled sandwich from the butcher-paper menu on the wall.

    cheeseshopoc.com
    3313 Hyland Ave.
    Costa Mesa – 949.284.0558

  • Best Greek Restaurant

    Christakis Greek Cuisine

    Stepping into this hidden restaurant, you are transported to the Meditteranean. Soothing blues surround white-cloaked tables that will soon hold feasts of feta and kalamata olives, tangy dolmades (stuffed grape leaves), and the smoothest hummus in the county. The chicken Athenian is stuffed with so much flavor you will forget you’re sitting in a Tustin strip mall. The lamb in the paidakia is tender and herbacous, its olive oil marinade brightening the rice pilaf on your plate. Do try to save room for the baklava; its sweet aroma will haunt you for days if you don’t.

    christakisgreekcuisine.com
    13011 Newport Ave.
    Tustin – 714.731.6600

  • Best Sugar High

    Creme & Sugar

    Just about everything offered at Creme & Sugar will have you bouncing off walls and talking nonstop in no time. Of course, you’ll be exclaiming over its unicorn treats: the colorfully tiered cake accompanied by a candy bracelet, the pastel-marshmallow-topped hot chocolate, the shake that’s adorned with rainbow candies! And the Cookie Monster coffee that oozes blue! And the S’mores Overload espresso, with its skewer of toasted marshmallows! And . . . and . . . and . . . um . . . zzzzzz.

    www.cremeandsugar.com
    6386 E. Santa Ana Canyon Rd.
    Anaheim – 714.941.9059

  • Best Wings

    O’Connell’s Sports Pub & Grille

    Pushing aside the fact that O’Connell’s Sports Pub & Grille serves $3.50 cocktails, this small pub should also be recognized for its wings. While barbecue wings are an option, one cannot go wrong with the traditional choice of hot and spicy. Though there is a lack of spice in the sauce, the overbearing flavor in each wing makes up for it. The juicy wings come drenched in the savory sauce, making each bite just as mouth-watering as the last.

    www.hboconnells.com
    19047 Bushard Ave.
    Huntington Beach – 714.964.6741

  • Best Dive Bar

    The Wild Goose Tavern

    Nothing says America like a large stars-and-stripes hanging on a bar wall, with bras scattered about and hanging off the heads of taxidermy animals. The Wild Goose Tavern is so much more than this, though. The narrow bar carries a wide range of draft and bottled craft beers along with carefully crafted cocktails. One may opt out of ordering food at a dive bar that isn’t onion rings or chicken wings, but the tavern offers gourmet-esque hamburgers and sausages with the accompanying choice of regular or white truffle fries. The food and various ages of guests flowing through the doors makes you feel less like you’re in a grungy dive bar and more like you’re dining and drinking at a Karl Strauss brewery.

    www.goosebar.com
    436 E. 17th St.
    Costa Mesa – 949.722.9453

  • Best Bagels

    Bagelmania

    This Huntington Beach favorite features plenty of options for breakfast on the go. Always toasted to perfection, the bagels at Bagelmania are just as good with lox and cream cheese as they are plain. In a hurry? Take advantage of the drive-through—but be aware it can get pretty busy on weekends.

    bagelmaniacoffeehouse.com
    8861 Adams Ave.
    Huntington Beach – 714.965.5637

  • Best Boba

    Urban Location Tea House

    In Orange County, boba shops are so ubiquitous it can be difficult to find one that really stands out. Even still, Urban Location manages. There are dozens of delicious drinks available, as well as snacks from chicken bites to garlic fries. The staff is friendly, and the décor, while occasionally . . . eclectic, is hip and appealing. And, of course, Urban Location serves the endlessly Instagrammable lightbulb boba.

    www.urban-location.com
    10872 Westminster Ave., Ste. 103
    Garden Grove – 657.216.0919

  • Best Cold Brew

    BLKdot Coffee

    When the temperature rises, a hot cup of coffee may not be the most comfortable way to get your caffeine kick. Luckily, BLKdot Coffee has you covered. The OC chain offers fresh, aromatic, rich cold brew at all four of its locations. So whether you’re looking for something to start the day or a place to study after class, do it at BLKdot Coffee.

    www.blkdotcoffee.com
    19510 Jamboree Rd., Ste. 150
    Irvine – 949.752.2882
    656 N. Coast Hwy.
    Laguna Beach – 949.371.0288
    13786-B Jamboree Rd.
    Irvine – 714.832.1111
    924 Spectrum Center Dr.
    Irvine – 949.585.9528

  • Best Dog-Friendly Restaurant

    Golden Road Brewing

    The trend of bringing dogs to breweries has continued to grow, and Golden Road Brewing in Anaheim provides one of the best spots to do so. Though the brewery unfortunately does not have a dog menu, it does offer a 5,000-square-foot patio on which you and your furry friend can enjoy one of many refreshing brewskies, appetizers (table scraps?) and a bowl of water. The spacious patio also helps to keep the drunken environment from overwhelming your K-9 companion. According to our very own Edwin Goei, Golden Road plans to add another 20,000 square feet to the patio, with the new extension including a dog park. What better way to meet a future partner than with the help of liquid courage and your dog?

    goldenroad.la/anaheim
    2210 E. Orangewood Ave.
    Anaheim – 714.912.4015

  • Best Diner

    Mae’s Cafe

    This is what every diner should be: offering low prices and open 24 hours a day. The extensive menu features all the standbys, but the real standout is the French toast. Mae’s Cafe has a quaint, family-owned vibe, which usually signals that you’re in for a good experience. Although most of the items on the menu cost less than $10, the portions are large enough that you’ll never leave hungry.

    www.maes-cafe.com
    9062 Trask Ave.
    Garden Grove – 714.898.7044

  • Best Frozen Yogurt

    House of Yogurt

    Though there’s no shortage of fro-yo chains in OC, House of Yogurt should be your next stop for a refreshing frozen treat. The friendly staff will walk you through the variety of flavors and toppings. As a bonus, House of Yogurt offers fresh waffle cones!

    www.houseofyogurt.com
    369 E. 17th St., Ste. 27
    Costa Mesa – 949.335.5565

  • Best Wine Bar

    Wine Lab

    Located in Costa Mesa’s hipster capital, the Camp, the Wine Lab features a diverse selection of wines by the bottle, flights and pairings. Its science theme, with beakers and test tubes adorning the walls, makes this a fun spot, whether you’re looking for a place for your next date or somewhere to unwind with friends.

    winelab.net
    2937 Bristol St., Ste. A101B
    Costa Mesa – 714.850.1780

  • Best Burrito

    Burritos La Palma

    This small chain originally based out of the city of Jerez in Zacatecas, Mexico, has an outlet in Santa Ana that serves the most delicious burritos you can find anywhere in the county. For the burrito connoisseur, there are certain rules that must not be broken, among them never put rice in a breakfast buritto. But there’s another rule: Don’t overstuff the damn thing. That’s what makes La Palma’s burritos the best: Though they are about half the size of a typical buritto, they more than make up for it in flavor, particularly the chicken tinga and potato version, which has just the right combination of savory meat and starch. And since the burritos are small and cheap, why not order two?

    www.burritoslapalma.net
    410 N. Bristol
    Santa Ana

  • Best Coffee

    Portola Coffee Roasters

    Along with perennial Weekly favorite Kean Coffee in Newport Beach, you can’t go wrong at Portola Coffee, which has several locations throughout Orange County. Our favorite is the one inside Santa Ana’s 4th Street Market. All of the coffee is meticulously sourced from regional producers who share Portola’s emphasis on finding the highest quality beans while not exploiting farmers in the process. The result—whether it’s the bags of coffee you can brew at home or the laborious, laboratory-quality brewing process employed onsite—is as close to the perfect cup of joe as you will ever taste.

    www.portolacoffeelab.com
    201 E. Fourth St., Ste. 103
    Santa Ana

  • Best Day-Drinking Bar

    Hammer Workshop & Bar

    Located upstairs at the Anaheim Packing District, this spot is something akin to an airport bar. Most of the customers are tourists or convention-center attendees, but there are also the random couple or group of friends gathering for happy hour. Although the Hammer Workshop & Bar serves no food, you can bring your own from any of the onsite restaurants. The bar’s secret weapon is its rotation of lively and friendly bartenders, all of whom are experts when it comes to mixing spirits. There’s also a fun selection of games and puzzles that are much harder to solve than you’d imagine, especially after a couple of #BASICBITCH cocktails.

    Facebook
    440 S. Anaheim Blvd.
    Anaheim – 714.966.6661

  • Best French Toast

    Starling Diner

    OC Weekly actually created this Best Of category because of Starling Diner some years back, and if you haven’t yet gone there, you’re missing out on one of the best brunch spots in Long Beach. The restaurant is tucked into a house in Belmont Heights and tends to get crowded on weekends after 8:30 a.m., so plan on arriving early. Although everything on the menu, especially the egg scrambles, are worth trying, the French toast, consisting of a baguette slathered with marscapone and broiled to perfection, is truly formidable. The dish goes great with a mimosa or two.

    www.starlingdiner.info
    4114 E. Third St.
    Long Beach – 562.433.2041

  • Best Lobster Roll

    The Lobsta Truck

    Having worked at a geniune Cape Cod seafood restaurant back in the day, our fearless editor prepared and ate many a lobster roll. There are two basic varieties, both of which are served in a warm, buttery hot-dog bun. One consists of chilled lobster meat with mayo; the other, his personal favorite, is served with hot butter and no mayo. The Lobsta Truck’s version of the hot, buttered lobster roll is the perfect expression of this classic New England summer treat. Add a bag of chips and a beer, and you’re as close to heaven as you can get without actually being in Maine mid-July.

    www.lobstatruck.com

  • Best Thai Restaurant

    Star of Siam

    Complete with a portrait of the royal couple on the wall, Star of Siam is an old-school Thai restaurant. Although the place has a healthy takeout business, the dinner crowd isn’t too thick, so you can always grab a good table. Everything on the menu is fantastic, but there are a couple of standouts: For an appetizer, consider the Nura Kem, a plate of salty beef jerky served with a spicy house-made chile sauce. For dinner, you can’t do wrong with any of the curries, the garlic shrimp, pad thai or drunken spicy noodles, all of which pair well with beer or wine. And don’t forget the award-winning lychee martini!

    www.starofsiamlongbeach.com
    2109 E. Broadway
    Long Beach – 562.439.1564

  • Best Pancakes

    Flappy Jack’s Pancake House

    Here you’ll find everything you could want from a pancake house: fluffy, massive pancakes; a 1950s diner feel; and lavish portions. Although Flappy Jack’s is a popular breakfast spot on Sunday mornings, your server will make sure your cup is alway full and the wait for your order isn’t too long. When you leave, you’ll be fully satisfied—and carrying a box of leftovers for tomorrow morning (or evening, if you’re into breakfast for dinner).

    www.flappyjacks.com
    2848 N. Santiago Blvd.
    Orange – 714.283.2800

  • Best Vegan Restaurant

    Mead’s Green Door Cafe

    Peace, love and plant-based food are all a vegan wants, and Mead’s Green Door Cafe fits the bill. Fan favorites such as the buffalo cauliflower and sriracha bomb burger won’t get you too enchilado, but they will satisfy your cravings for spicy food. There are even vegan pastries you can pick up on your way to work in the morning. The door to Mead’s is an actual green door, opening into a whole world of delicious vegan delights that even carnivores will enjoy.

    www.meadsgreendoor.com
    642 W. Chapman Ave.
    Orange – 714.771.8556

  • Best Old-School Food Truck

    El Pepino Loco

    Every Cheetos addict’s dream, El Pepino Loco offers a menu loaded with the cheesy cornmeal puffs and chamoy, making you gasp for air and an agua fresca. The fan-favorite Sandia Loca is packed with watermelon, cucumber, oranges, jicama, corn sticks, mango, peanuts and tamarindo straws, all drenched in chamoy.

    Instagram: @elpepinoloco_714

  • Best Bikini Bar

    Turner’s Pub 33

    This pub has an awesome staff, open pool tables, great tacos and cold beer. Is there anything more you could ask for? Oh, yeah . . . and it’s a bikini bar! Turner’s Pub 33 is a great place to catch a late-night game of pool and have a beer with the help of the beautiful, knowledgable staff. Between 9 and 10 p.m. every day, the bar discounts all beer and wine by 33 percent, and if you go on a Tuesday, tacos and glasses of beer are available for just $2 each.

    www.turnerspub33.com
    1562 Newport Blvd.
    Costa Mesa – 949.548.6984

  • Best Bar in Long Beach

    The Hawk

    This neighborhood dive is beloved for a spirits list vast enough to intrigue even LA snobs and prices low enough to make fast regulars out of us all. The pours are generous and the music great (everything from Chente to James Brown), and there’s a photo booth to capture your saucy moments. A tabby cat named Jameson watches over the Hawk and is known to steal your barstool and your lady should you get up!

    468 W. Anaheim St.
    Long Beach – 562.337.8373

  • Best Vietnamese Iced Coffee

    7 Leaves Cafe

    Delicious minimalism is on lock at 7 Leaves Cafe, which specializes in 12 iced drinks and three types of coffee. The raved-about Mungbean Green Tea is just the right amount of sweet and flavorful—and it goes great with a fresh macaron.

    7leavescafe.com
    13481 Euclid St., Ste. B
    Garden Grove – 714.531.1305

  • Best Barbecue

    Ember

    Derrick Foster turned in his fine-dining tweezers for hickory wood and a smoker, then showed Orange County the history, tradition, craft and testament that goes into a Kansas City-style pit with his barbecue popup, Ember. Luckily for us, we didn’t have to wait long for Foster to land a brick-and-mortar and deliver more pink-ringed, fat-marbled brisket with sticky, fall-apart burnt ends worth bragging about.

    www.emberpopup.com
    305 E. Fourth St., Ste 200
    Santa Ana – 714.204.0337

  • Best Bartender

    Cesar Cerrudo

    Cocktail chingon Cesar Cerrudo is known to push boundaries. At El Mercado Modern Cuisine, he has crafted a menu that perfectly blends the classics with bright originals—such as the Sinaloa in a Glass, with cucumber-infused tequila, housemade serrano liqueur and passionfruit-cucumber-ginger syrup and finished with an aguachile sal rim—to match chef Bryan Bustos’ menu of modern Mexi bites.

    www.mercadomodern.com
    301 N. Spurgeon St.
    Santa Ana – 714.338.2446

  • Best Korean Restaurant

    Samgeoli Korean Restaurant

    Nestled in a tiny shopping center off Fullerton’s long stretch of Euclid, just past Bastanchury Road, stands Samgeoli Korean Restaurant. Here you won’t find tabletop grills, all-you-can-eat Korean barbecue or KFC (Korean fried chicken); instead, you’ll discover specialty dishes, hearty stews, and profoundly intense master sauces and condiments. It’s a hole-in-the-wall establishment serving up unapologetically homestyle dishes.

    www.samgeoli.com
    2051 N. Euclid St.
    Fullerton – 714.773.1168

  • Best Margarita

    Tempo Urban Kitchen

    With a happy hour offered Monday through Friday, Tempo Urban Kitchen has one thing on its mind: puro pinche pari. Its chingon bartenders craft house cocktails that are robust, precisely made, easy to enjoy and sit on a scale between refreshing and spirituous. Plus, it specializes in the agaves, so snag a seat at the bar with an El Guapo margarita. At its base, El Guapo is a smooth blend of double-distilled Maestro Dobel silver tequila, muddled serrano chiles and a touch of smoky Ancho Reyes liqueur (made in Puebla, Mexico, from ancho chiles steeped in a sugar cane spirit). The herbaceous notes from the tequila are enhanced with fresh lime and lemon juices for a perky cocktail with a bite. Salud!

    tempourbankitchen.com
    1060 E. Imperial Hwy.
    Brea – 714.529.2900

  • Best Micheladas

    Alta Baja Market

    Alta Baja Market dominates the michelada game in Orange County. Plus, owner Delilah Snell has the elixir to our borracho problems. On the last Sunday of every month, she serves up hearty bowls of pozole rojo until the kitchen runs out. With generous helpings of tender, slow-braised pork and hominy, the stew’s savory broth can bring anyone back from the brink. Paired with an ice-cold Mera Mera michelada, it’s the cure to your crudo.

    www.altabajamarket.com
    201 E. Fourth St.
    Santa Ana – 714.783.2252

  • Best Pho

    Sup Noodle Bar

    You are here to eat a pho that simmers for 24 hours, its richness accentuated with star anise and garnished with white onions, scallions and culantro (similar to cilantro but more pungent). This is just the base broth; Sup Noodle Bar offers an even more aromatic Northern Vietnamese shaken-style pho that includes garlic, sliced onions, scallions and wok-seared bone marrow oil for a smokier flavor. Choose between thin and flat rice noodles or ramen to pair with tender pho short rib, pho tom (shrimp), pho dau hu (soft or fried tofu), pho beef belly, pho duoi bo (braised bone-in oxtail) or pho dac biet (chef’s choice of beef belly, tendon, brisket, meatballs and short rib). Add a sous-vide egg to any of these for an extra layer of umami.

    supnoodlebar.com
    5141 Beach Blvd., Ste. B
    Buena Park – 714.521.2444

  • Best Filipino Restaurant

    Irenia

    From an itinerant popup to brick-and-mortar in downtown Santa Ana, Irenia continues to lead the Southern California Filipino food movement with flavors that are distinctively sweet, sour, savory and unapologetically Pinoy through beautifully crafted modern dishes that still make the lolas proud.

    www.ireniarestaurant.com
    400 N. Broadway
    Santa Ana – 714.245.3466

  • Best Pie

    Sweetcie Pie

    Karen Uyeda offers a type of pie or pastry for everyone: fluffy, buttery, tart, not-too-sweet, and good old-fashioned fruit pie. She exploded onto Southern California’s pie scene as one of the winners of KCRW-FM 89.9’s 2016 Good Food Pie Contest with her amaretto cherry pie with coconut oil crust, taking first place in the vegan category. Uyeda’s puff pastries, fruit tarts and delightful pies are in high demand, all of which she will hand-deliver to you as long as you live in Irvine or its neighboring cities.

    Etsy

  • Best Outdoor Dining

    Restauration

    Chef Phil Pretty’s burger is reason alone to trek to Long Beach, but with affordable happy-hour prices on delightful cocktails, craft beer and wine, there’s no reason to leave the refreshing outdoor patio. The space fills up quickly, so get there early!

    restaurationlb.com
    2708 E. Fourth St.
    Long Beach – 562.439.8822

  • Best Ice Cream

    Scoops OC

    Though it’s probably best known for its brown bread ice cream (made with Grape-Nut cereal and caramel) and elaborate flavors, it’s Scoops’ reinvented classics that are actually worth seeking out. Here, there’s no such thing as a simple vanilla; instead, there’s kambocha burnt sugar, strawberry balsamic, or sea salt chocolate.

    605 E. Santa Ana Blvd.
    Santa Ana – 657.210.0399

  • Best Rock Club

    The Parish room at the House of Blues

    We all know the Goliath layout of the House of Blues at Anaheim GardenWalk makes the old building look puny. But between going there for marquee headliners and soldout shows in the main room, sometimes you crave something a bit more intimate. That’s when it’s time to dip into the Parish Room’s 400-capacity space, with its high ceilings, stained-glass windows and kick-ass sound system. Often utilized to host OC’s up-and-coming bands on their trajectory to the main stage, it’s a great place to see local acts ignite the crowd. Though it’s liiiiittle smaller than the main hall’s 2,200 capacity, it’s substantially larger than the venue’s plush, vibey Foundation Room, which is less suited for a super-loud rock band to test out their windmilling guitar tricks. For bands, it’s also great having an attentive sound crew (piloting a rig of top-of the-line audio equipment) and backstage management to take care of you from the time you load in to the last note of the night. Plus, the Parish Room has its own bar. Next time you’re perusing the House of Blues’ calendar, take a minute to see what’s going on in the Parish Room; you might discover a future star being baptized by fire at the altar of rock & roll.

    www.houseofblues.com
    400 Disney Way, Ste. 337
    Anaheim – 714.778.2583

  • Best Wine Shop

    Hi-Time Wine Cellars

    Inside this Costa Mesa landmark, downstairs from the beer and liquor deparment, there’s a vast selection of wines from around the world organized by region and variety. By vast, we mean 3,000 square feet stacked with more than 10,000 bottles. You can find everything here from an affordable Spanish riojo or albarino to a $700 bottle of Napa’s finest. Speaking of Napa, the store features Napa Technology automated machines that allow you to purchase wine by the glass to sip you browse. There’s also a wine-tasting bar open Thursday through Saturday that offers an array of samples based on your budget.

    www.hitimewine.net
    250 Ogle St.
    Costa Mesa – 800.331.3005

  • Best Sports Bar

    The Glen Bar and Grill

    Tucked away in a Garden Grove strip mall, the Glen Bar and Grill offers pool tables, flat-screen TVs, a jukebox equipped with a touch screen and a huge selection of beers. Eating bar food can sometimes be risky, but not here: the onion rings are mouthwatering and tacos are a fan favorite. The latest games are playing everywhere, so you don’t have to worry about finding a perfect spot to watch.

    www.theglenbar.com
    13132 Garden Grove Blvd.
    Garden Grove – 714.663.1775

  • Best Taco

    Taco María

    Carlos Salgado’s cuisine not only challenges preconceptions of Mexican food, but it also pushes the alta cocina movement forward. And if that’s not chingon enough, he’s partnered up with Masienda, the leading importers and purveyors of heirloom Latin ingredients and non-GMO maize, on a mission to elevate the tortilla by educating consumers and working with small farming communities to bring forth the real flavor, aroma and taste of corn. The next time you question why his tacos are $14 to $18 per pair, know he’s offering you a better product that supports our local farmers’ markets, as well as purveyors of humanely raised meats and sustainable fishing practices. And when you go, order the taco arrachera—tender hanger steak cooked medium-rare, then served with roasted chiles and topped with a crispy strip of applewood bacon and queso fundido on a delicate but chewy heirloom-blue-corn tortilla.

    www.tacomaria.com
    3313 Hyland Ave., Ste. C-21
    Costa Mesa – 714.538.8444

  • Best Tots

    Streamliner Lounge

    Part of the Ruby’s Diner in Orange, the Streamliner Lounge brings back that film-noir feeling while moving forward with its cuisine. The best mix of eras can be found in the loaded tots, in which the crispy diced-potato barrels of our childhood are topped with bacon, shredded cheese, green onions and a drizzle of sour cream. They pair perfectly with the whisky of your choice and the trains rolling into the station.

    www.thestreamlinerlounge.com
    186 N. Atchison St.
    Orange – 714.639.7829

  • Best Gay Bar

    Tin Lizzie Saloon

    tinlizziesaloon.com
    752 St. Clair St.
    Costa Mesa – 714.966.2029

  • Best Dessert

    Light & Healthy Desserts

    www.lightandhealthydesserts.com

  • Best Peruvian Restaurant

    Inka Mama’s Peruvian Restaurant

    inkamamas.com
    Multiple Locations

  • Best Pizza

    Two Saucy Broads

    www.twosaucybroadspizza.com
    108 S. Highland Ave.
    Fullerton – 714.525.3100

  • Best Ribs

    Newport Rib Co.

    www.ribcompany.com
    2196 Harbor Blvd.
    Costa Mesa – 949.631.2110

  • Best Neighborhood Bar, Central OC

    Mission Bar

    missionbarsa.com
    302 N. Main St.
    Santa Ana – 657.266.0699

  • Best Lounge

    The Cellar

    cellardining.com
    305 N. Harbor Blvd.
    Fullerton – 714.525.5682

  • Best Punk-Rock Bar

    The Slidebar Rock-N-Roll Kitchen

    www.slidebarfullerton.com
    122 E. Commonwealth Ave.
    Fullerton – 714.871.2233

  • Best Hot Dog

    Wursthaus

    wursthausdtsa.com
    305 E. Fourth St., Ste. 106
    Santa Ana – 714.760.4333

  • Best Neighborhood Bar, Coastal OC

    Stag Bar + Kitchen

    stagbar.com
    121 McFadden Place
    Newport Beach – 949.673.4470

  • Best Sushi

    Sushi on Fire

    sushionfire.com
    301 Main St. #103
    Huntington Beach – 714.374.8885
    5325 E 2nd St.
    Long Beach – 562.433.0221

  • Best Bar for Dancing

    Malarky’s Irish Pub

    www.malarkyspub.com
    3011 Newport Blvd.
    Newport Beach – 949.675.2340

  • Best Mexican Restaurant

    Avila’s El Ranchito

    avilaselranchito.com
    Multiple Locations

  • Best Breakfast

    Snooze: An A.M. Eatery

    snoozeeatery.com
    3032 El Camino Real
    Tustin – 714.415.6269

  • Best Deli

    Hollingshead Delicatessen

    www.hollingsheadsdeli.com
    368 S. Main St.
    Orange – 714.978.9467

  • Best Fries

    The Kroft

    www.thekroft.com
    Multiple Locations

  • Best Happy Hour

    The Rooftop Lounge

    www.rooftoplagunabeach.com
    1289 S. Coast Hwy., fourth floor
    Laguna Beach – 949.497.2446

  • Best Italian Food

    Mama D’s Italian Kitchen

    www.mamadsnewport.com
    3012 Newport Blvd.
    Newport Beach – 949.675.6262

  • Best Korean Barbecue

    Gen Korean BBQ

    genkoreanbbq.com
    Multiple Locations

  • Best Late-Night Dining

    Harbor House Café

    www.harborhousecafe.com
    34157 Pacific Coast Hwy.
    Dana Point – 949.496.9270
    16341 Pacific Coast Hwy.
    Sunset Beach – 562.592.5404

  • Best Neighborhood Bar, South OC

    The Blind Pig Kitchen and Bar

    www.theblindpigoc.com
    31431 Santa Margarita Pkwy.
    Rancho Santa Margarita – 949.888.0072

  • Best Sandwich

    Philly’s Best

    www.eatphillysbest.com

  • Best Taco Tuesday

    Avila’s El Ranchito

    avilaselranchito.com
    2800 Newport Blvd.
    Newport Beach – 949.675.6855

  • Best Waffles

    Macallans Public House

    www.macallanspubbrea.com
    330 W. Birch St.
    Brea – 714.529.1224

  • Best Breakfast Burrito

    Farmer Boys

    www.farmerboys.com

  • Best Farmers’ Market

    OC Marketplace

    www.ocmarketplace.com
    88 Fair Dr.
    Costa Mesa – 714.557.0420

  • Best Food Hall

    Anaheim Packing House

    www.anaheimpackingdistrict.com
    440 S. Anaheim Blvd.
    Anaheim – 714.533.7225

  • Best Brunch

    Trevor’s at the Tracks

    www.trevorsatthetracks.com
    26701 Verdugo St.
    San Juan Capistrano – 949.493.9593

  • Best Restaurant Ambiance

    The Cellar

    cellardining.com
    305 N. Harbor Blvd.
    Fullerton – 714.525.5682

  • Best Rooftop Bar

    The Rooftop Lounge

    www.rooftoplagunabeach.com
    1289 S. Coast Hwy., fourth floor
    Laguna Beach – 949.497.2446

  • Best Acai Bowls

    Banzai Bowls

    banzaibowls.com

  • Best Neighborhood Bar, North OC

    Chapter One: the modern local

    chapteronetml.com
    227 N. Broadway
    Santa Ana – 714.352.2225

  • Best Indian Restaurant

    Tandoori India Cuisine

    www.indiacuisine.info
    3940 S. Bristol St.
    Santa Ana – 714.850.9945

  • Best Juice/Smoothie Spot

    Nekter Juice Bar

    www.nekterjuicebar.com

  • Best Cupcake

    SusieCakes

    www.susiecakes.com
    3313 Hyland Ave., Ste. J
    Costa Mesa – 714.265.2253
    25473 Rancho Niguel Rd., Ste. B
    Laguna Niguel – 949.214.2253
    2043 Westcliff Dr., Ste. 104
    Newport Beach – 949.646.6881

  • Best Nontraditional Burger

    Jimboy’s Tacos

    jimboystacos.com

  • Best Food Truck

    Dos Chinos

    doschinos.com

  • Best Local Winery

    Orange Coast Winery

    www.orangecoastwinery.com
    869 W. 16th St.
    Newport Beach – 949.645.0400

  • Best Japanese Restaurant

    Sushi on Fire

    sushionfire.com
    301 Main St. #103
    Huntington Beach – 714.374.8885
    5325 E 2nd St.
    Long Beach – 562.433.0221

  • Best Poke

    North Shore Poke Co.

    www.northshorepokeco.com
    Multiple Locations

  • Best Pub

    Malarky’s Irish Pub

    www.malarkyspub.com
    3011 Newport Blvd.
    Newport Beach – 949.675.2340

  • Best Craft Beer Shop

    Hi-Time Wine Cellars

    www.hitimewine.net
    250 Ogle St.
    Costa Mesa – 800.331.3005

  • Best Craft Cocktails

    The Blind Pig Kitchen and Bar

    www.theblindpigoc.com
    31431 Santa Margarita Pkwy.
    Rancho Santa Margarita – 949.888.0072

  • Best Beer Selection

    The Blind Pig Kitchen and Bar

    www.theblindpigoc.com
    31431 Santa Margarita Pkwy.
    Rancho Santa Margarita – 949.888.0072

  • Best New Local Brewery

    Golden Road Brewing

    goldenroad.la/anaheim
    2210 E. Orangewood Ave.
    Anaheim – 714.912.4015

  • Best Local Brewery

    Bottle Logic Brewing

    bottlelogic.com
    1072 N. Armando St.
    Anaheim – 714.660.2537

  • Best Distillery

    Blinking Owl Distillery

    blinkingowldistillery.com
    802 E. Washington Ave.
    Santa Ana – 714.852.3947

  • Best Local IPA

    Golden Road Brewing

    goldenroad.la/anaheim
    2210 E. Orangewood Ave.
    Anaheim – 714.912.4015

  • Best Local Sour Beer

    Gunwhale Ales

    www.gunwhaleales.com
    2960 Randolph Ave., Ste. A
    Costa Mesa – 949.239.9074

  • Best Whiskey Bar

    Macallans Public House

    www.macallanspubbrea.com
    330 W. Birch St.
    Brea – 714.529.1224

  • Best Mediterranean

    H.B. Pita Grill

    www.hbpitagrill.com
    19893 Brookhurst St.
    Huntington Beach – 714.964.7482

  • Best Oysters

    Water Grill

    www.watergrill.com
    3300 Bristol St.
    Costa Mesa – 949.208.7060

  • Best New Restaurant

    Playa Mesa

    www.playamesa.com
    428 E. 17th St.
    Costa Mesa – 949.287.5292

  • Best Ramen

    Shin-Sen-Gumi Hakata Ramen

    shinsengumigroup.com

  • Best Restaurant

    Hue Oi Vietnamese Cuisine

    www.hueoivietnamesecuisine.com
    16537 Brookhurst St.
    Fountain Valley – 714.531.1305

  • Best Seafood Restaurant

    Slapfish

    www.slapfishrestaurant.com
    19694 Beach Blvd.
    Huntington Beach – 714.587.9222

  • Best Steak

    Ruth’s Chris Steak House

    www.ruthschris.com

  • Best Waterfront Dining

    Duke’s Huntington Beach

    www.dukeshuntington.com
    317 Pacific Coast Hwy.
    Huntington Beach – 714.374.6446

  • Best Burger

    In-N-Out

    www.in-n-out.com

  • Best Chinese Restaurant

    Golden Dragon

    www.cmgoldendragon.com
    2023 Harbor Blvd., Ste. A
    Costa Mesa – 949.642.7162

  • Best Date Night

    The Cellar

    cellardining.com
    305 N. Harbor Blvd.
    Fullerton – 714.525.5682

  • Best Vietnamese Restaurant

    Hue Oi Vietnamese Cuisine

    www.hueoivietnamesecuisine.com
    16537 Brookhurst St.
    Fountain Valley – 714.531.1305

  • Best Fish Taco

    Slapfish

    www.slapfishrestaurant.com
    19694 Beach Blvd.
    Huntington Beach – 714.587.9222

  • Best Foodie Event

    Newport Beach Wine & Food Festival

    www.newportwineandfood.com

  • Best Doughnut

    Sidecar Doughnuts

    www.sidecardoughnuts.com
    270 E. 17th St., Ste. 18
    Costa Mesa – 949.873.5424

  • Best Coffeehouse

    Kéan Coffee

    www.keancoffee.com
    2043 Westcliff Dr. Ste. 100
    Newport Beach
    13681 Newport Ave. Ste. 14
    Tustin

  • Best Bakery

    Blackmarket Bakery

    www.blackmarketbakery.com
    2937 Bristol St.
    Costa Mesa – 714.662.3095
    211 N. Broadway
    Santa Ana – 714.571.0801

  • Best Cheese Shop

    The Cheese Shop at the Mix

    cheeseshopoc.com
    3313 Hyland Ave.
    Costa Mesa – 949.284.0558

  • Best Greek Restaurant

    Apóla Gyro Grill

    www.eatapola.com
    16569 Von Karman Ave.
    Irvine – 949.474.4976

  • Best Wings

    Surf Dog’s Sports Grill

    www.surfdogshb.com
    5932 Warner Ave.
    Huntington Beach – 714.846.5700

  • Best Dive Bar

    The Wild Goose Tavern

    www.goosebar.com
    436 E. 17th St.
    Costa Mesa – 949.722.9453

  • Best Bagels

    Shirley’s Bagels

    www.shirleysbagels.com
    270 E. 17th St.
    Costa Mesa – 949.645.7877
    303 S. Broadway
    Laguna Beach – 949.494.6296
    3601 Jamboree Rd.
    Newport Beach – 949.851.1920

  • Best Boba

    7 Leaves Cafe

    7leavescafe.com
    13481 Euclid St., Ste. B
    Garden Grove – 714.531.1305

  • Best Cold Brew

    Portola Coffee

    www.portolacoffeelab.com

  • Best Dog-Friendly Restaurant

    Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar

    www.lazydogrestaurants.com

  • Best Diner

    Harbor House Café

    www.harborhousecafe.com
    34157 Pacific Coast Hwy.
    Dana Point – 949.496.9270
    16341 Pacific Coast Hwy.
    Sunset Beach – 562.592.5404

  • Best Frozen Yogurt

    Yogurtland

    www.yogurt-land.com

  • Best Wine Bar

    SeaLegs Wine Bar

    www.sealegswinebar.com
    21022 Beach Blvd., Ste. 105
    Huntington Beach – 714.536.5700

  • Best Burrito

    Jimboy’s Tacos

    jimboystacos.com

  • Best Coffee

    Philz Coffee

    www.philzcoffee.com

  • Best Day-Drinking Bar

    Stag Bar + Kitchen

    stagbar.com
    121 McFadden Place
    Newport Beach – 949.673.4470

  • Best French Toast

    Toast Kitchen + Bakery

    1767 Newport Blvd.
    Costa Mesa – 949.873.5057

  • Best Lobster Roll

    Slapfish

    www.slapfishrestaurant.com
    19694 Beach Blvd.
    Huntington Beach – 714.587.9222

  • Best Thai Restaurant

    Thai Nakorn

    www.thainakornonline.com
    12532 Garden Grove Blvd.
    Garden Grove – 714.583.8938

  • Best Pancakes

    Flappy Jack’s Pancake House

    www.flappyjacks.com
    2848 N. Santiago Blvd.
    Orange – 714.283.2800

  • Best Vegan Restaurant

    Seabirds Kitchen

    www.seabirdskitchen.com
    2930 Bristol St.
    Costa Mesa – 714.549.2584

  • Best Bikini Bar

    The Green Girl Saloon

    www.thegreengirlsaloon.com
    14341 Beach Blvd.
    Westminster – 714.897.8612

  • Best Bar in Long Beach

    Alex’s Bar

    www.alexsbar.com
    2913 E Anaheim St.
    Long Beach – 562.434.8292

  • Best Vietnamese Iced Coffee

    Hue Oi Vietnamese Cuisine

    www.hueoivietnamesecuisine.com
    16537 Brookhurst St.
    Fountain Valley – 714.531.1305

  • Best Barbecue

    Newport Rib Co.

    www.ribcompany.com
    2196 Harbor Blvd.
    Costa Mesa – 949.631.2110

  • Best Bartender

    Ryan Autry (The Blind Pig Kitchen and Bar)

    www.theblindpigoc.com
    31431 Santa Margarita Pkwy.
    Rancho Santa Margarita – 949.888.0072

  • Best Korean Restaurant

    Mr. BBQ

    www.mrbbqfullerton.com
    305 N. State College Blvd.
    Fullerton – 714.441.0000

  • Best Margarita

    Avila’s El Ranchito

    avilaselranchito.com
    2800 Newport Blvd.
    Newport Beach – 949.675.6855

  • Best Micheladas

    Mission Bar

    missionbarsa.com
    302 N. Main St.
    Santa Ana – 657.266.0699

  • Best Pho

    Hue Oi Vietnamese Cuisine

    www.hueoivietnamesecuisine.com
    16537 Brookhurst St.
    Fountain Valley – 714.531.1305

  • Best Pie

    Polly’s Pies Restaurant & Bakery

    www.pollyspies.com

  • Best Outdoor Dining

    The Beachcomber

    thebeachcombercafe.com
    15 Crystal Cove
    Newport Coast – 949.376.6900

  • Best Ice Cream

    Afters Ice Cream

    www.aftersicecream.com
    Multiple Locations

  • Best Rock Club

    The Coach House

    thecoachhouse.com
    33157 Camino Capistrano
    San Juan Capistrano – 949.496.8930

  • Best Wine Shop

    Hi-Time Wine Cellars

    www.hitimewine.net
    250 Ogle St.
    Costa Mesa – 800.331.3005

  • Best Sports Bar

    Yard House

    www.yardhouse.com

  • Best Taco

    Jimboy’s Tacos

    jimboystacos.com