La Vida Cantina owner Alex Petrosian said his Mexican restaurant and bar stands out with its very large outdoor patio containing its own bar and fireplaces.
"Couple that with the beautiful Southern California weather, and our two giant palapas, and you'll think you were sitting on a beach in Mexico while you're enjoying one of our delicious margaritas," Petrosian said.
Petrosian said this is La Vida Cantina's third year in a row being recognized by Orange County Register readers.
"It's an honor to be recognized consistently for our happy hour and brunch," said Petrosian, who added that the restaurant is currently working on revamping its Taco Tuesday promotions.
"I'm excited to share the new food items with our guests," Petrosian said. "Other new promotions that we've recently announced include our giant margarita -- perfect for groups of three to four -- as well as our happy hour, five days a week, that gets all margaritas and all appetizers half price."
The list of margarita options is extensive. Just to name a few, the Pineapple Picante is Ghost Tequila, fresh pineapple, jalapeño, pineapple juice, agave nectar and lime juice. The Blueberry Basil includes Maestro Dobel Silver Tequila, fresh blueberries, basil agave nectar and lime juice. The Cactus Fruit has Maestro Dobel Silver Tequila, cactus fruit purée, sweet and sour, agave nectar and lime juice.
Muldoon's Irish Pub has served Newport Beach since 1974 with old-world charm like the sunken patio surrounding a giant tree, the cottage-like dining room and two different pubs with full bars, according to Marketing Director Ashleigh Wiehl.
"We are known for our traditional Irish fare as well as modern cuisine like inventive appetizers, steaks and fresh seafood," Wiehl said.
Guinness has presented Muldoon's with its Gold Standard Award for serving perfectly poured Guinness stout.
"It's a recognition of the achievement of meeting their standards of quality dispense, pouring and presentation," said Wiehl, who added that the pub's new Executive Chef Dan Cherri has recently revamped the menu.
"Loyal patrons will still see house favorites like shepherd's pie and Irish stew, but can now celebrate new additions like steak frites, hazelnut halibut, ginger miso grilled salmon and the cauliflower steak, which is a delicious vegan option."
This San Juan Capistrano staple beckons with cold beer, cocktails, live music and a vibe full of history and nostalgia.
"This is truly a dive bar. ... Saw a terrific band there last Saturday. ... Hopping place, great crowd, beach atmosphere, lots to do in the area. Food was reasonable. ... Lots of memorabilia, pictures, posters hanging on the walls. Kick back, relax, hang out kinda place," according to one Tripadvisor reviewer.
Swallow's Inn has live music every day of the week. The bar presents a lineup of both local and national bands -- including country, rock and alternative genres.
"My husband and I celebrated our first anniversary here and we had a wonderful time. The food was very good and the service was excellent. When the time came to pay the bill, our server said that the bill was already paid for by the couple who was sitting next to us," according to a Yelp reviewer.