Such a great place to see tribute bands and jazz. Really good food and bar as well as great sound. All seats are good. Booths are best. Have fun! read more

Campus JAX - The band Laurel Canyon Dreaming. Great band - Bars Near Me - Newport Beach, California

Solid 4-1/2 stars. Something happened during our invite to hear my nephews band...we found a great place to hangout! The music was GREAT. Honestly enjoyed Shane and the band. Unsure about the food after reading mixed reviews on quality. Either the previous naysayers don't know food, or we hit on an unusual night. My thoughts are there were other issues that turned the night sour for them. Hubbie had the wedge salad with extra blue cheese dressing AND extra crumbles. Crisp iceberg lettuce, ripe tomato wedges, plenty of blue cheese to satisfy this cheese lover. He also ordered the 8oz. Filet. Perfect medium doneness with a yummy brandy cream type sauce. A house special he thoroughly enjoyed. Heard about the bread & Jax sauce dip. So glad I ordered the large. So the dip was a brothy slightly spicey dip. Reminiscent of spaghetti sauce flavors. Kind of like you're dipping into a saucy entree. Loved this. Had the Jambalaya with added shrimp. Adequate amount of chicken, thinly sliced andouille sausage. Which could have been sliced a bit thicker, but whatever. Tasted great, slight spice, proteins not overcooked. I'd order again. Ordered a dirty martini with an extra olive. Good and strong. Such a pleasant evening. Local small music venue. Will keep an eye out for visiting musicians. read more

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Nice and diverse menu, lots to choose from! BBB as the music artist is always great. The audio house engineer laid a weird reverb return on the saxes, and some trumpet solos, too. It called attention to itself. Fun place overall... four and a half STARS. read more

This review is obviously just for the venue, not the band we saw, because the band was excellent. The venue, total swing and a miss. We got there at 4:45pm, show started at 5pm (it was an older people band haha, so started early). We were greeted and given water within a couple of minutes, placed a drink order, and it took forever to get drinks. The waitress did let us know after about 10 mins and said the bar is just behind at the moment. Once I got my margarita, I didn't even finish it because something just tasted off, maybe it was just really cheap well tequila, but I just couldn't finish it. I tried a mango one thinking a flavored one would be better, and same thing...so didn't finish it. So would recommend specifying what liquor you'd like, not to go with the well. Dinner..... just eat before you go. Wasn't good, they really should get a new chef, or maybe just switch to bar food. I asked the waitress what she recommended between the coconut curry, jambalaya, and chicken and chokes, she said their jambalaya is the route to go. It was not. So much wrong, like I said they should hire a new chef, you could do a better job cooking it in a crock pot and cheat with a spice packet to get a better outcome. Chicken, so dry. Sausage, it was shaved so thin and they were going skimpy on it. Rice, not much there. Green bell peppers, pretty raw, like they threw them in at the last minute before serving. If there's a great band you want to see, and they're playing there, I get going. But eat beforehand, and maybe even drink before hand, or do beer/wine. We were very much looking forward to this place, went for a birthday, and it was a total letdown. read more

Campus JAX - Jambalaya, would not recommend. - Bars Near Me - Newport Beach, California

A fun venue for varied entertainment. Moderate pricing. Great food selection. I had the hummus plate and it was great (9/10). I came for the Greatest Storyteller event and it was so fun. Helpful staff. Parking can be a hit or miss since there are other stores in the same area. Come check out their events. read more

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Our first ever visit to Campus Jax. We came to see the Rolling Stones cover band. They are called Jumping Jack Flash. The sound is good. The band was good. Jack and Coke was only 11 bucks! That is crazy cheap. We got the hawaiian pinsa. It was crispy and good! I got the turtle cheesecake the slice was legit a sliver. It was comical in its tiny size. But, the flavor was delicious. We got the bread basket too. That was very plain bread and butter. The service was friendly. We had a reserved table. It is located in a weird industrial area. But, the parking is really good and plentiful. I will totally return for another show. The clientele is very senior in age. My kind of peeps. read more

Campus JAX - Jumping jack flash - Bars Near Me - Newport Beach, California

Great happy hour! Really tasty food. I highly recommend the petite filet with ravioli! It was so good. The sauce is so good you could put it on anything! Sage provides fantastic service. Hopefully, my recommendation to her of Athletic brews will bubble up. Although the Peroni was ok Athletics has 0.0 as well as some .5. The Tricia Freeman band that played just had good vibe classic rock. The dance floor was full of smiling people. read more

Campus JAX - Super tasty - Bars Near Me - Newport Beach, California

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The service was excellent she did an amazing job on checking in us at all times! The ambiance was great and the band that we saw was great!!! They did not play my song which was stairway to heaven but this Led Zep Again band was amazing! We hope to come back to see them again!!! The food was great if you like spicy food!!! The bread was good with the rosemarie spicy sauce!!! Loved it!!! The soup was so comforting with celery rice and also carrots in it!!!! Our friends invited us and they love their food here as well! the Bacon dates is highly recommended for appetizers!!! If you like spicy food this is for you but if not still I recommend for you to try their food that's not spicy I am sure you won't regret it! They do have a $25 corkage fee if you ever bring any wine! Their cocktails though is also great (based on my friends drinks) I highly recommend it for a nice friday chill night !!! We will for sure be back!!! read more

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I love this place! Been here a few times, all of them promoted by a Meetup Group I am a member of. I saw old friends, made some new friends, danced the night away to great bands. There is no other place like it in Orange County. If you like to dance, like bands, and like music this is the place. Even if you are not with a group, great place for couples looking to get out and dance, friends socializing and dancing, groups looking for a place with bands and music. All the Fun OC people come to Campus JAX. Add some excitement to your life and get over here. Free and easy parking in their lot. I always get the Guinness on Tap ($9, $7 during happy hour that ends at 6 PM). Never tried the food. See you on the dance floor! read more

We went to see show here for the first time and had a great experience. The food was excellent and I really loved their dirty martini. Every seat in the house had a good view. I joined the mailing list! Definitely will go back! read more

The staff was great. The show was so much fun we saw jumping jack flash. I will definitely be back.

Thank you all for making my BD so much fun!!! There were 18 of us celebrating my birthday with great food, drinks, and "Always Adele" who was exceptional, and we'll go back and see her any time Campus Jax books her back. We already have another reservation for an upcoming tribute band for a table of 14 of us. This is always a fun experience with great service, delicious food, a supper club ambiance and a terrific show! Thanks, Lauren for setting it all up for us! read more

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First time to this place and it was excellent! Saw Matt Johnson and The New Jet Set do jazz with Disney! Talented crew. Extraordinary music and fun and interesting commentary. Show lasts about 90 minutes. On time and done so well. The service is great, seating options good and food hits the spot. East parking! Fantastic! read more

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The food is wonderful and the music is always top notch! Love me some Campus JAX. The Jack Shrimp is my favorite! Yum yum!

Went for a live album launch, it was so great, however the food.. The dinner salad was brought out with the meal, warm and wilted. The famous Jax shrimp came out in shell, not cut so it wouldn't come out of the shell. The broth was watered down, but had good flavor. The special was a curry chicken it was well cooked and tasted good. The wine was mediocre. I will try again but stick with the special and try a cocktail. read more

Awesome venue! Dale Watson show as amazing. What an entertainer, great music and stories. The venue was perfect with great acoustics

Campus Jax has become our favorite concert venue. We love Gilligan's Island, Pretzel Logic, and Fan Halen. Thanks to the owner's advice, we now get there at about 6:30 p.m. for 8:00 p.m. shows. The food is great and reasonably priced, and it comes out a lot faster than if you stroll in at 7:00 p.m. when the kitchen is slammed with tickets. The service is always great. The servers do a great job in a challenging environment. It's full bar, so all of yer booze groups are covered. Cheers! read more

The best bands!! Dancing , food and having fun with the people . Love it. Such a variety of talent! read more

We have been to Campus Jax several times, but our last time was Saturday for the Boston Concert, which is one of my favorite bands. We usually sit at the bar but upgraded to the VIP bar, which was expensive. When we arrived, we weren't seated at the bar labeled VIP Bar on the seating map. Instead, we were taken to a large tall table up against the wall to the side of the band. We were told by the owner that he moves people depending on accommodating larger parties, so he can fill all the seats. Also, the band was made up of group of roving musicians that play with all kinds of bands, so they don't normally play with each other. It was obvious. The way the music was mixed, the vocals and harmonies were indistinguishable and overpowered by the ear splitting volume of the guitars. The pulled pork sandwiches were mushy and did not resemble actual meat. All in all, it was a terrible experience, except we had a really nice waitress. The evening cost us twice as much as attending the Windy City Tour at the KIA Forum the following night. Styx and Chicago were outstanding. We won't be going back to Campus Jax. It's way too expensive, and then you have to buy an entree. No thanks! read more

Campus sJax has the greatest owner manager. All servers are polite flexible and caring. Brian my server last night made a killer expresso martini with chocolate Baileys with a touch of cinnamon. Dynamite. read more

Went and saw the Wilburys Super Group. . Loved the vibe they brought. Bob Dylan was awesome. The food was mediocre. The wait time was ridiculous. But the show was awesome read more

I'd describe this place as a live band venue. Great sized bar. Food was very good. Good, friendly service. read more

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*****Wow!***** Shame on me for not finding CJs (Campus Jax) sooner! The ambiance reminds me of the old Jazz clubs but newer, updated and clean. Another difference is the food. Don't expect dishes you would find on cooking shows but they have a decent menu with food that is good. They also have happy hour prices. If you know where SNA (John Wayne Airport) is, this is a minute down the road. Easy parking and a relaxed vibe makes me a fan. What makes this place "as good as it gets" is the people running the place. Everyone here is a class act in my book. Everyone is super nice and friendly. Seating here is intimate and cozy but not too cozy where you don't have breathing room. I was super comfortable. Bathrooms are clean. The other customers are friendly. The live bands and music...wow. Thank God for social media because if all those addicted to the screen realized listening to real music in person is this good, I would never find a seat here. Leave your 'tude at the door, pull up a chair, sit back and then relax.... this is THE spot. My new favorite place. read more

Campus JAX - Bars Near Me - Newport Beach, California

Giving Two stars because Billy Nation is freeg'n awesome but the service and food were TERRIBLE !!! We would've ordered waay more drinks but the server never showed up: maybe every half hour ?? The food was cold; the salad was wilted; wings were cold. Next time we'll smuggle a flask. Just awful and the server didn't even care, comment or notice. Embarrassed as we told our friends it was waaay better than Coach House. The venue is cool, appealing and comfortable but the service ruined the experience. They would've made twice as much if they would've showed up !!! read more

4.5/5 Went to an event where the professors from OCSA performed and the music was great and The food was very good with good portions as well. Service was fairly quick and friendly. Would definitely come here again. Good for a date night! *Food review toward the bottom. Heads up, you have to buy the tickets plus you have to buy an entree once you get there, or they charge you $10. I ended up paying $118 + (tip for 2 alcohol drinks 1 app 2 entrees and 1 dessert. The tickets were purchased beforehand and those cost me $44. Prices vary on the event and the seating area. Total I spent $162 + tip. *Food Bacon wrapped dates. 9/10 - I won't lie, at first glance I didn't think it was going to taste good because the bacon looked burnt. I was wrong. The bacon was cooked well. It didn't break like if it were burnt; It also wasn't chewy. The bacon evened out the sweetness of the date really well. They drizzle balsamic vinegar on top as well. I wasn't able to taste it much but it did look like a nice garnish. Waiter said it was their most popular app and I see why. Will be getting it again. Jax fig and brie burger. 8/10 - I am biased! I really enjoy sweet and savory. This was perfect. The seasoning of the burger and the fig were great. I was only able to taste the brie a little bit. The sweet potatoes were the side option we went with. They were nice and crispy. The side of ranch was solid. Didn't have an overwhelming buttermilk taste and it wasn't too thick. Lemon chicken + prosciutto pasta. 10/10 - recommend if you like a mild spiciness. I'm assuming the pasta sauce (lemon cream creole sauce) was what brings the spiciness. Regardless, it was very good and not overwhelming. The chicken was very tender as was the pasta. The nice little bits of prosciutto you get give it a good little change of texture and a savory touch. After receiving the dish they offered a basket of bread and butter if I wanted. Bread was good but not necessary to complete the dish. White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake + ice cream. 6/10 - we ordered the cheese cake and it comes with the option to add ice cream on the side. The ice cream was cinnamon flavored and it's honestly what made the whole dish. 10/10 for the ice cream itself. The cheesecake on the other hand... 4/10 I did enjoy the crust, but overall it tasted somewhat freezer burned. It was also very hard. I understand that sometimes cheesecake is frozen so maybe it needed to be thawed out a little longer. The cheesecake was more on the cheesy side and I liked that but I couldn't really taste the raspberry. The ice cream carried the whole dish. -sorry for no pictures- Drinks. I can't remember the cocktails we got but I do remember they were very well crafted. Not too sweet and didn't feel very strong, but it did get me buzzed. Although it is a little on the pricey side I think this place hold ups really well. I can't emphasize how good the pasta and the bacon wrapped dates were. I had never listened to jazz music live and this was the perfect place for my first experience. I will be returning! read more

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Let me start by saying this is probably my favorite venue for concerts: It's fairly intimate, it's not far from my home in Long Beach, and there is plenty oif convenient parking, which is why today I've given it a fairly neutral review, rather than a completely negative one. The service has never been great, but it was especially bad tonight (Sunday, June 14). Perhaps management didn't schedule enough servers, or maybe because I was alone at a bar seat, but I received lousy service. Other servers walking past my seat, I believe, took care of me more than my assigned server (I didn't catch his name). I paid extra for a VIP bar seat, which gave me a central view of the performers on stage. Unfortunately, this area between me and the stage also contained the overflow from the dance floor and guests standing and recording with their phones. I would have had a better view from the cheaper seats at the bar. I guess it's hit-or-miss at this venue. It's still my favorite, but it might be better if you don't go alone and you get a table. As a postscript, the band tonight, The Bangers, was great! read more

Campus Jax, what?! Never even heard of this place until I was told to show up to a sold out show and be ready to eat at a reserved table. Took everything in me to pull myself together and show up. But dang! I am so glad I did! What a fun spot and really good food! Seriously it's good. Not like your typical bar food. The entertainment was fabulous. Service was fast. I'm wanting to come back and check out a few more shows. Tijuana Dogs + Amazing company + great service = a fantastic time! read more

Campus JAX - Bars Near Me - Newport Beach, California

Campus JAX is both a spot that has amazing food and drinks, and the very best place in the area to catch some amazing live music! We have been multiple times to see the Greg Vail Band, and have never been disappointed. Their service is great, plenty of parking, clean restrooms, great food and drinks, and most importantly: the music was fantastic! We will definitely be back soon! read more

Before we even walked into the venue, the owner went out of his way to provide an absolutely stellar customer experience for us. We are so appreciative and love supporting businesses with such amazing customer service. Thank you! read more

Amazing spot. I've come to his restaurants for years, and over the years, he has consolidated and this place is the end result of a good, hard working owner that k is his stuff and has found his place, the food is Cajun yummy and very diverse in its menu. The vibe is great and they have concerts on weekends! Local jazz and cover bands as well as top name smooth jazz artists, how does Keiko Matsui sound? Get here, have a drink, and enjoy. Major upgrade from the old Hoagie Barmichael's right??! read more

Campus JAX - Jack Rice with shrimp - Bars Near Me - Newport Beach, California

I had a much different experience this time. Came in right around 5 and was sat even though the event was sold out (we had to be out by 615). Our waitress was very attentive overall, but at the end of the meal we did have to flag down a different waiter for our bill who was dodging eye contact-weird considering we were on a time restriction set by the restaurant. The food was enjoyable, had the jax sauce and bread which is always good. Tried the Brussels sprouts and they were decent, the salmon Cesar was better though, would get that again. Forgot to take pictures! Also had a few dirty martinis which were good. read more

Great Jambalaya! Great stage , service and sound! Had a great time. I forgot until I pulled up that I had played there with "Grooveswitch" and "Listen" in the past. read more

I visited Campus JAX for the first time tonight and had a great time! We saw Phat cat swingers perform and they were fantastic. Even though we were seated at the back, we still had a great view and the acoustics were great! Even though it's a small venue, the back seating is still wheelchair accessible and the route to the bathroom was accessible as well which was very helpful for me. I will say that the menu is very limited, in my opinion. We are vegan and there are only a couple options on the menu: 1 entree salad, 1 small salad, and an impossible burger. I wanted something healthy and the entrée salad was way too vinegary and spicy for me to eat. I tried to order a variety of the vegetables on their menu as an entrée but the kitchen was too backed up to do it, and I ended up having to order food outside of the venue for delivery lol. Obviously, now I know to plan ahead for next time so it won't be as much of an ordeal but it would be nice if they could add filling and nutritious plant-based options. read more

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The Filharmonic did an amazing job performing! Their energy, talent, and stage presence made the night so enjoyable. Because of them, I truly had a great time and felt very entertained throughout the show. Unfortunately, the food service was extremely disappointing. Other guests who arrived after us received their food first, and we never even got our full order. Only one item was brought out, and the rest never arrived. This was very frustrating and definitely took away from the overall experience. The performance itself was fantastic and worth seeing, but the poor food service was a big letdown. I really hope this gets improved because the entertainment was outstanding. read more

I don't know what kind of chefs they have here but they need a RAISE! Food is DELISH, friendly staff and the music here is mixed well! The vibe is great. read more

Campus JAX - Shine-On Pink Floyd Cover Band - Bars Near Me - Newport Beach, California

Its hard to rate them! There are 2 main reasons: Food & Drink :I only can give them 1 or 2 stars- we ordered bison burger and Wild Salmon both sadly very low quality! But I can not blame them because people don't go there for their food. But I were them, I would simplify and limit my menu but serve good quality food to people. But this is me who care and worship FOOD Music: they have live Jazz band who make your night such an experience! If you love this kind of music and you like dancing or watching couple professionals dance then this is the right place for you. P.S. You will pay for your entrance extra and food and drink is not included Parking: its behind the SNA airport and has a huge parking lot. read more

Campus JAX - Inside - Bars Near Me - Newport Beach, California

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The service is great and the food is delicious! Thank you for the great experience! I'll definitely return! Oh and loved the live music! You guys rock! read more

Went there specifically for the Wilbury's. They always put on a great show. Aside from long wait times, the food wasnt bad. Definitely have the Wilbury's again and we will be there! read more

We came for the Wilburys Super Group last week. They were great! Hope to see them again soon at campus Jax!

Tonight was our second time here, and if we ever consider coming back, we'll have to skip the food. It's a shame because there are not that many venues like this in OC. My husband and I arrived at 7PM, one hour before the show, so that we had ample time to dine before the show and not chew while the musicians are performing. No one approached us for 15 minutes until guests sitting behind us mentioned to the server that we had been waiting for a while. The food arrived exactly an hour after us getting here. We ordered burger and a salad! The food was mediocre if I'm being extremely generous. I understand that during a sold out show the service may be slightly slow, but waiting for simple food for an hour is unacceptable. read more