If you’re having a long week, a happy hour in one of these six Costa Mesa bars and restaurants might just be the pick-me-up you need to make it to the weekend!
Charlie Palmer
Charlie Palmer’s at Bloomingdale’s South Coast Plaza is where the beautiful people meet for happy hour in Orange County. Their happy hour is every day from 4:00 to 7:00 PM and again from 9:00 PM to midnight, and features 1/2 off select glasses of wine and specialty cocktails, as well as bottled beers for just $4-5. Enjoy one of Charlie Palmer’s signature cocktails like the Stairway to Heaven (Drambuie, Cava, bing cherry, vanilla) or the Too Haute to Trot (Ketel One Citron, house lemonade, pomegranate, Serrano syrup)…and get there early to grab a spot on one of the sleek leather couches in their sleek, cosmopolitan bar. See our visit with My Traveling Lens to Charlie’s great happy hour.
Mesa
Mesa is a lounge specializing in modern American cuisine and cocktails. Reminiscent of a stylish Westside Los Angeles nightclub with an open-air retractable roof and fireplace, Mesa attracts a chic Orange County crowd. With an extensive and impressive beer, wine and specialty cocktail menu, no two happy hours at Mesa ever have to be the same. Care to try The Clash cocktail, which is vodka infused with tangerines and arbol chilies, cilantro, lime and Tuaca liqueur? Or maybe you would prefer The Morning Glory, which is chilled Brut sparkling wine with elderberry liqueur? Or maybe you just want to stick with the Dogs Head 90 Minute IPA? Whichever is your drink of choice, Mesa has you covered.
Memphis Café Costa Mesa
How can you not love a restaurant that has a whole menu dedicated to happy hour? Want to celebrate Mardi Gras on a Tuesday of your choice? Go for the chicken and shrimp gumbo bowl with a Memphis mint julep and get your New Orleans on! Happy hour is everyday from 3:00 to 6:30 PM at Memphis Café and on Wednesday and Thursday nights from 9:30 PM to midnight they offer $1 off beer and wine by the glass.
Mi Casa Mexican Restaurant & Bar
Mi Casa might be a family restaurant, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have a killer happy hour! Their famous $3 happy hour with beers, tacos, quesadilla and more can be found in the bar Monday through Friday from 3:00 to 6:00 PM, and Tuesdays the bar offers $1 tacos. “Margarita Mondays” means patrons can get $4 house margaritas at the bar to welcome the new week.
Yard House
Happy hour at the Yard House goes from 3:00 to 6:00 PM, Monday through Friday. Enjoy half-priced appetizers like blue crab cakes or the onion ring tower and specialty pizzas including spicy Thai chicken and ham & pineapple. Shock your taste buds and go for the ahi slider! Enjoy one of the best and most extensive selections of domestic, imported and craft pints in Costa Mesa and order the six-pack sampler if you can’t narrow it down to just one.
Wine Lab at The CAMP
This Orange County wine bar just opened its second location in Costa Mesa March of 2012, and it’s already a big hit with locals. Located in the bustling CAMP shopping center, the 1,270-square-foot space serves wine from a MicroMatic wine dispenser. Its offering of 8 wines on tap is a first in Orange County! Happy hour offers at the Wine Lab include $5 glasses of wine, $8 cheese platters, $8 pizzas and $1 off beers. You can get snacks like chips for as low as $1 and sample locally grown olives, artisan cheeses and fresh, locally-baked breads by Sadie Rose Bread Co. The Wine Lab has a retail shop where customers can purchase the wine, cheese, bread and honey they try at the store.
These are only a few of the great happy hours in Costa Mesa to help get you through the week. If you are interested in learning more about the Costa Mesa bar and nightlife scene, visit the bars and nightlife section on TravelCostaMesa.com.
