Does anyone have any suggestions for a good dinner spot in Newport Beach or Huntington Beach? No preference on cuisine and it needs to be somewhat kid friendly, so nothing too upscale please. Decent beer list or cocktails would be nice, as I’ll be with the in-laws and will need the intoxicants.
Thanks in advance. Not my neck of the woods.
Gulfstream has always been pretty reliable for us. Lots of food options (I love the biscuits), full bar and decent wine list, great patio. That’s what comes to mind first.
Pizzeria Mozza
Hillstone as @attran99 already mentioned are always good (R+D Kitchen, Gulfstream, Bandera, Houston’s but this last one’s in Irvine)
Settebello has very good (in my opinion) Neapolitan pizzas but service is sometimes off
Pizzeria Mozza on PCH as mentioned by @ipsedixit
Red O (ok so not the best Mexican or even Tex-Mex but it has a great atmosphere. Get the kale salad if you like kale)
Cucina Enoteca (again, not the best Italian ever but they have a great atmosphere and wine list)
Farmhouse by Roger’s Gardens (a bit pricey but I really like the al fresco setting)
Sushi Roku (Americanized sushi and generic Japanese food that actually isn’t all that bad in my opinion)
Tommy Bahama (surprisingly good food and a lax atmosphere. can come here if Gulfstream has too long of a wait)
Pirozzi in Corona del Mar
Olea in Newport Beach
Marche Moderne but I’m unsure if it’s child friendly and it may be too upscale
Great suggestions. Thanks! While it’s always hard for me to pass up the French dip at Hillstones spots like R+D, I’m thinking I’ll branch out a bit. If folks want Pizzeria Mozza, how well does it hold up to the Highland location?
I go to the Newport location once a year. Recollection is a bit fuzzy but the crusts seem a bit weaker than LA, though they are still tasty pies. Second the recommendation for this place.
Concur on BlueGold as a great option.
How is Olea? Ive been meaning to check it out
Very well, and over the last couple of months, Mozza has been transitioning into a combo of all 3 LA restaurants (given the limited space). They have the egg raviolo now, working on various cuts of meats and offering much more variety than before.
Since February, I’ve been going once or twice a week and have never had a less than stellar dish.
Edited to add the online menu is not up to date as they continue to add more dishes.
We’re at the NB P. Mozza quite a bit, more than the Highland location. It’s always been adequate and a respite for the OC, but recently, there’s been some turn in both FOH and BOH and it’s even better. Sunday Lasagna nights are especially good EARLY because it doesn’t sit as long.
Most places we eat in OC are between NB and HB in Costa Mesa. Pueblo in the OC Mart Mix is great because kids can run around the courtyard. Stop by ST Patisserie. Better than most pastry shops in LA. Manpuku (especially in the tatami room) for yakiniku (like KBBQ but Japanese)…kids love it, they’ll put a time restriction on your table on the weekends. Social, great cocktails, we love the pig head, but the large formats are good as are fried chicken nights…patio is good for kids. Crack Shack, great, casual, tons of kids, games, lots of cocktails, delicious fried chicken. 2145 Pizza, Neopolitan pizza in a renovated garage.
Marche Moderne has been disappointing after the move.
In addition to BlueGold, LSXO, a sister restaurant of Little Sister.
Da Hawaiian Kitchen
Disagree on Crack Shack. I spent $40 on 2 chicken sandwich dinners and was quite underwhelmed by everything we tried. There was so much stuff going on in each of the sandwiches we tried that I could not discern between the components. The chicken schmaltz fries did not taste like chicken…in fact, they tasted super greasy and were over cooked…like they were dropped into the fryer at such a low temperature and then proceeded to soak up the fryer oil instead of cooking. The assorted house made sauces did not exhibit any of the added flavors except for the basic sauce…didn’t taste kimchi in the kimchi BBQ sauce, couldn’t find the chipotle in the chipotle ketchup…you get the pattern.
@Chowseeker1999 was game enough to visit on multiple occasions and also found the experience to be lackluster.
+1 for LSXO.
Kappo Honda, sup monkey. my only bookmark is Gulfstream
I like LSXO. A lot actually.
But would it be kid-friendly enough?
Maybe if you give them some earplugs.
It’s good but now that I think about it, probably not kid friendly haha. The dishes are often very decadent and it’s definitely a once in a blue moon type of place given how heavy the food can be. But it’s certainly worth a look if you’re a NB local or in the vicinity. It’s not a destination in and of itself, I think.
@BubblyOne too: I’m glad to hear this good news about the NB Pizzeria Mozza. Going there tomorrow after quite some time. Any new favorites?
That would vary by parental discretion.
