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    Native Son OC

    3.9 (452 reviews)
    Open 3:00 pm - 12:00 am (Next day)

    Native Son OC Photos

    NATIVE SON OC ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Hipster
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Happy hour specials

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    Recommended Reviews - Native Son OC

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    Alex M. ..

    A chill spot with drinks that aren't overly pricey and taste great. Well balanced and not overly sweet. The music isn't so damn loud no one can talk. Love that it's above The Frida. Can watch a movie after lol. Hope to come again and be outside on the balcony.

    10% service charge, pre-tax, and pre-gratuity.
    Carlos L.

    I have been a fan of Native Son for years now and although I'm not what you would call a regular I go through periods where I frequent often because the atmosphere is fun and welcoming, and their rooftop patio is perfect during the summer (4th of July Party is fun!) and they have great beer/cocktail selections plus their food is decent considering they are a bar. Last night was different though, we walked in and ordered a pitcher. The bartender wasn't necessarily rude but he also wasn't welcoming, while I was processing payment I noticed they implemented a "10% service charge applied to provide our staff with a living wage" Cool I'm all for fair wages and still tipped 20%. As we were enjoying our first glass we got a "15-minute warning" that they'll be closing from the bartender. So we try to hurry with the first beer and pour the second glass. Then we get the "5 min warning" so here we are chugging our $40 pitcher in 15 minutes while getting warnings like we are school kids during recess. A heads-up while we were ordering would've been nice. Not the experience I am used to and it just left a sour taste in my mouth. Unfortunately I will not be back.

    Sandy B.

    Parking available in structure or meters on street. Go upstairs for a beautiful rooftop experience. Friendly bartenders that will make your evening special. Come for the view, ambiance, and fun!

    Coffee
    Elsie C.

    I've been coming to Native Son for brunch with my friends for years! The food never disappoints and I can't even finish the breakfast burrito... it's my go to always with the salsa. Had a cup of coffee on a cold Sunday morning. Bottomless mimosas a must and fun for celebration's birthdays etc. We always grab seating outdoors or the large family table. We go early and at times no wait. Music is a vibe too! They also sell beer and cocktails so tons of drink options. Also they used to sell large chocolate chip cookies... yummy! Not sure if they still do but can't wait for another Sunday Funday here.

    Golden Eye and Dark Days
    Michelle N.

    We came here to try their OC Restaurant Week menu items and we were pleasantly surprised. We originally saw this place a few years ago during Taste of Santa Ana. I believe they were servings burgers or something outside, but by the time we had passed by, they had ran out! We had not returned since, but after we saw their menu for Restaurant Week, we decided to give it a try, as we were in the area. For $65, we got the following: Queso Fundido: The chips were very well seasoned. It paired well with the queso and it seemed to taste like pizza! Braised Short Ribs: This came on a bed of mashed potatoes and gravy along with some broccolini. I would have to say that this was pretty good for the price. I have had better, but I did like how much sauce came with it over the gravy, as some places it is a bit lackluster. Flan: This was a bit underwhelming. We asked for it to go and it was pretty small and tough. I am a fa of soft and silky flan, but this was more on the hard and bubbly. It did not have the silky texture that I love. Crawler: The can is super cute and comes in a large portion! We have not tried this yet, but we were able to choose from about 10 Native Son drafts. I am super excited about this, but it is too cute to open! 2 Cocktails of Choice: We tried the Dark Day and Golden Eye. Both were strong and well presented Overall, I really enjoyed our experience. It is downtown, so parking could be a pain, especially with the construction and road closures nearby. We walked up and did not have to wait long to order or receive our food. We were helped by Sky, who had the best energy and service. She seemed like she genuinely enjoys her job, which is something I can particularly appreciate working in the food industry. Would definitely come back to try some of their other drinks and possibly their Happy Hour Menu items!

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    4 years ago

    Absolutely loved this place for bottomless mimosas!! My waiter was so lovely and my party was extremely happy with the service!

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    2 years ago

    The worse serve you can think of !! Almost feels like you are the one working there asking them to help you with serving you.

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    Page 3 of 12

    Native Son OC Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Native Son OC

    Are they still offering pick up or to go beer?

    Yes, we are offering both pick up and to-go beer and wine. You can pick from our canned and bottle selection or ask a bartender to can a draft beer for you from the tap

    Are the servers and bartenders still not wearing masks here?

    Idk, who cares

    Is Native Son Alehouse dog/pet friendly (non-service dogs)? If yes, any breed restrictions or guidelines?

    Yes they're pet friendly!

    Does the dj play on Thursday too or just on the weekends?

    We haven’t had our house DJ perform since reopening from the COVID shutdown. Hopefully we can have him back in the future when we are allowed to have increased capacity. Cheers!

    Do you have TVs and will you be showing the Dodgers and Lakers game tonight (Oct 6th)?

    We will be showing the Laker game!

    Can you bring a stroller here?

    Yes!

    Are reservations required?

    Nope, don't believe they even take reservations.

    What's the food situation here?

    They have BBQ you can order there, fries, onion rings, etc. Mostly for snacks.

    Can I reserve a section or make reservation to celebrate with a big group?

    No, but they are beginning to have an event space next door, you may be able to book the space with enough notice.

    Wow they're really not open on a Saturday . :(?

    They are open on Saturdays- I was there last Saturday. Their hours say from 11am-2am I believe.

    View All 15 Questions

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    When I said "Bar" and "Santa Ana" in the Yelp search - of course it said "Club 616" in the first…read morespot - OF COURSE IT SAID 616!!! I was lucky enough to stumble across this gem of the center of OC when they first opened - and I am proud to be a regular here. I don't know how to go somewhere else - because I feel like the staff are giant gems in this jewel of a spot. Winters is a curator of boozy information that has helped me learn about "gin" and "root beer whiskey" so I can sound like an adult-ish purveyor, when really I know close to nothing except being a willing student to his creations. Dan the Man and Jacob always see me raise my hand in the corner of the bar, like the student I am, and have been willing to fill in the blanks for me when I know I am of thirst, but do not have the words for what to order. Every person working in the well has treated me with kindness - they have taken the time to get to know me, and I will be forever appreciative of how they have taken care of me over the years. But the real joy has been the transformation that this spot has for building a community of people in Santa Ana for real recognizing real. I have been bringing my Dad with me to play pool for the past few years. Sometimes people ask me if he plays professionally, I am terrible, and my skill incline is slow, he is patient and plays with the same level craftiness that the staff offer the cocktails. My Dad is always stoked when we have time to go have a few hours of games at 616 - especially now that there are regulars on 4th street that are excited to see that he is there playing - and they rush to write their names on the chalkboard to challenge him - or beat him in a game they really earned the W. On lazy Sundays, I watch couples sit with their drink, listening to Jazz, and watching my Dad whoop my ass while making amazing shots. I am forever grateful to Memo who sometimes takes a break from his shift behind the bar to give my dad an actual challenge - which allows me the chance to watch my Dad enjoy fellowship around the table. Knowing the table was a relic of the bars former self, and knowing the history that this spot has in Santa Ana is a reminder that so much around us can change - but it is those moments of the crack of the rack, the cheer of getting the combo shot, and the shake of hands when it's over that shows that it's not just about the pool table - but about the energy of a place that is welcoming and curated by people who care about what they do - and care about who comes through their doors. Thank you Jason and Mike B to bringing this to 4th St and supporting the community that was already here - and for building a community for the future. Thank you to Christina and Brandon for always having amazing pictures, decor, and fun events at 616 that help introduce new folks into this great spot. Time is short. Learn about Root Beer Whiskey. Write your name on the Chalk Board. No one lives forever.

    I love the vibe here. It's about the energy and atmosphere for sure. Reminiscent of the bars /…read moreclubs in Baja California or Mexico in general, it's lively with a back patio area and even like a taquero there, at least on weekends. The drat beer selection is solid and the cocktails are well crafted. Highly recommend this spot. One of my favorite it's Downtown Stabba Ana

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    Sonder - CHICKEN OYSTERS: Buttermilk brined thighs, tare sauce | $8ea

    Sonder

    4.3(179 reviews)
    0.1 mi
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    This was my first visit to sonder and they made a great first impression! Since it was my friends…read morebirthday, they brought over birthday shots for both of them. Afterwards, the owner stopped by to say hi and since it was our first visit, he gave us shots for the whole table. Very kind of him. Food was great - we ordered a couple of things to share including the 6100 blue corn sourdough, chicken oysters, pork belly, spring onion pancake, and pork, please and prawn fried rice. My personal favorite was the fried rice, but everything else was tasty too! We also got dessert which was the pandan butterscotch pudding - yummy! Service was wonderful. They were attentive and kind and quick. They brought out some birthday ice cream for the two birthday girls in the party. Ambiance was great. It could be intimate and romantic for couples but also great for celebrations or large groups. I enjoyed sonder very much and will definitely visit again particularly due to their excellent service!

    My daughter recommended this restaurant for a pre-Mother's Day dinner because she had been here for…read moredrinks at the bar when they first opened and really liked the ambiance. We came with reservations on Saturday night before Mother's Day. The first thing I thought when I walked in was that there was a live band playing with bad speakers because the music was so loud. But when I saw there was no band, I thought maybe their speakers were broken because the music had that scratchiness to it. Then I realized it was a DJ spinning vinyls with foreign music from the 1950's with that scratchy vintage sound on full blast (think shrill trumpets and shrill voices.) Now don't get me wrong, the music was wonderful and very unique ( again, a lot of foreign songs) with a few I even knew...my husband and I loved most of the songs that were played. HOWEVER not when it's so loud that we can't even hear our own thoughts! I felt annoyed within the first 5 minutes of being seated when my family and I had to keep repeating ourselves, and my husband even went to check the rest of the place to see if it was any quieter anywhere else, but it was blaring music everywhere. I ended up ordering for my whole table of 8 people because we couldn't even hear each other over the music to make suggestions on what to order. My adult kids (all in their 20's) kept apologizing for recommending this place for my mother's day dinner. But oh my, the food was delicious---practically everything I ordered was amazing! OMG the hangar steak skewers, pork belly skewers, iberico pork secreto steak, little gem salad, and their bread with goatmilk -butter were my faves! We also had the short ribs and the pork fried rice with prawns but they were mid...nothing to write home about. This would've been a great place to come have a drink at the bar for happy hour or even late at night on a weekend since they open until 1am on thursday, friday, saturday... but don't come for dinner unless you bring earplugs and learn sign language or know how to read lips because there will be no conversations over dinner unless it's just to the person sitting next to you. Even so, I noticed the young couple next to us looking very annoyed-- they got up and left after quickly finishing up their one cocktail while the speakers blared out an instrumental piece of a girl moaning the whole time until she climaxed. Heck---I'll have whatever SHE'S having lol So plz keep the music down several notches until after 10pm, and let the rest of us enjoy our dinner so that we can sing praises on how delicious everything was. Until you do, I think I'll cross this place off my list for now and revisit again sometime in the FAR future.

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    46 A Speakeasy - featured cocktails

    46 A Speakeasy

    4.7(20 reviews)
    5.3 mi

    We really enjoyed our experience at 46 A Speakeasy. It felt like a real speakeasy from the password…read moreto the coziness nestled in a secret spot behind Rockwells. After arriving to 46, we were able to sample 4 different specialty drinks and choose one of them. And seated at our table. If you're a party less than 4. You will be joined with another party. Initially, it may feel awkward however after the icebreaker. It works! They have a nice food menus. The dates and burger were delicious! Besides the speciality drinks they also have a full bar so I opted for a regular old fashioned and it was delish! Since the speakeasy can hold a max of 16 ppl, service was superb and attentive. Pricing was reasonable for what it is. Note: service charge (tip) is included. I wish they would have told me. It was dark and I didn't have my glasses. Also after 2 drinks.... I added another 20% on top of that. I didn't even notice until I got home. But what is done is done. Would I return? yes! We enjoyed it so much. We have already recommended so many people and they have gone and enjoyed it as well!!

    46 A speakeasy is located in Rockwell Bakery. Check in is within the bakery and reservations are…read morerequired. When making reservations a $25 deposit is required per person but will be applied to your bill day of visit. The hostess was very kind upon check in and took us to the back where the 46 door is. She provided us a code and explained the time limit along with house rules. We were then told to knock on the door and proceed with the experience. Kudos to the owner as this is the only speakeasy in the OC that has a true speakeasy feel entrance. They had a gentleman open the peephole and ask for the entry code. Once we said the code we entered a really cool mine shaft area. The attention to detail was on point and I was impressed! We were then taken upstairs to a private bar where there are four tables of four so a max of 16. This makes sense as to why reservations are hard to come by. The only ding about seating is you are sat with strangers it is not a private table. Luckily we had a fun older couple at our table so it made the conversation more lively. Otherwise don't go here with an expectation of an intimate/ private date night. They also offer a limited food menu but looked very promising. However, we were here for a night cap so just dabbled in drinks. The bartender had a seasonal menu of 4 cocktails he created. He explained the drinks and then had us try each one with a straw. We then placed our order based on what we liked. He did say if we were not a fan he could create us our own personal cocktail as well. The old fashion he created was phenomenal! Overall, a cool little spot in the OC. Do wish they were open later as they do close at 11pm on Friday and Saturday.

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    Native Son OC - beergardens - Updated May 2026

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