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    The Bootlegger Bar

    4.1 (96 reviews)
    Open 7:00 am - 9:30 pm

    The Bootlegger Bar Photos

    THE BOOTLEGGER BAR ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for groups
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - The Bootlegger Bar

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    YUMMY. YES. LOVE. Great vibes and good people. What a beautiful location as well. The drinks were 100/10 and I have not stopped thinking about the watermelon mojito since I was there last week. The apps were very good as well!! I loved the meatballs and the skewers. The staff was nice overall and I liked their outfits:)

    Yana R.

    Lived here for so long and only started visiting this place more recently! Highly recommend giving it a try for a date night or even with family and friends. Right by the beach, and live music really set great vibes. Will be coming back for more food and drinks

    Seating
    Claire J.

    A cool spot in Crystal Cove below the iconic Shake shack. If you know the area you know that parking is a hard task & a 15-min walk to get from the parking lot to the restaurant/bar. While the food was good - We ordered the clam chowder and really just wish there was more of it, portion sizes are pretty small & although they are just an appetizer/drink spot, $14 for a bowl of clam chowder could've warranted a larger portion. I get you are paying for the location, but still! The drinks were yummy, I got the blackberry tea in the large jar and it was even bigger than expected. It was Thursday eve and they had live music, which was an awesome contribution to the overall vibe.

    Michele C.

    Absolutely perfect! It was wonderful. Our waiter was super nice and friendly. Drinks were amazing and view was spectacular

    Skinny Mule
    Amy N.

    This was a small cute bar located on the edge of Crystal Cove state park, right by the shorelines. It's a nice place to grab refreshments if you want to take a break from the beach. Vibes were good and the waitress was friendly. Seating was self-serve and not hard to find on a Saturday afternoon (9/14). My friend and I ordered a Skinny Mule. It was my first time having a Moscow Mule, so I don't think I'm qualified to critique but overall I thought it was a decent drink. A lot of other people around us were ordering Blood Mary's; those looked really big.

    Sunset at Crystal Cove.
    Malissa B.

    Fun outside bar with an amazing ocean view. Appetizers, soup, & salad are on the menu. We shared their chicken rolls, which were a perfect accompaniment to our drinks. It was the end of the night, and the bar tender seemed a bit tired. Not as friendly as they usually are.

    Appetizer
    Connie P.

    This what seems like a hidden gem is a whole vibe on the beach. -you can pay for parking, take a shuttle down ($2 per person) and get your ticket validated or you can take a nice walk down. Best to make reservations but since we just showed up to check it out, we sat at the bar, ordered some appetizers with drinks and enjoyed the live music and the beautiful sunset. The appetizers were delicious and my mojito was a lot bigger than I expected (came in a large mason jar). They also have cute little cottages you can rent out for the night. Highly recommend this place.

    Drink menu
    Jennifer D.

    Fun little bar to have a few drinks. Menu is just drinks and appetizers. The calamari, steak skewers and ahi tacos were good. Service was good. Seating is first come first serve

    The Beachcomber cocktail; good, but a little sweet for me.
    Amber E.

    What a cool little hidden gem of a beach bar. Stopped in around sunset, and it was a great visit. There was some cool jazz playing; and bartender was very friendly. I ordered the baked tomato soup topped with a puff pastry crown, served piping hot, which was perfect on a chilly beach evening. Plenty for 2 as an appetizer. Then I ordered the signature Beachcomber cocktail, which was good, but a little sweet for me. Next time I might try a mai tai if they can make it less sweet, and the chargrilled artichokes. But looking forward to next time at this unique retro beach hangout.

    Michelada
    Sayuri B.

    I've been coming here for over 10 years now with my family and sometimes I come alone during lunch. The service is definitely good especially the bartenders (they don't skimp out on the drinks). I've had the crab cakes, ahi tacos, lobster sandwich, micheladas, mai tai and today I tried the dragon fruit tinga tostadas. They were very tasty with a hint of spice. I stood at the end of the bar seats closest to the bungalow till about half way through my meal until someone near me left, I was able to grab a stool. About 2min after I had grabbed my own stool the manager came out and told me to keep my dog under my legs so that he didn't block the passage way, which I understand. I just don't understand why if I was at his eyes view he couldn't bring me a stool when there was one open seat in a three group table. Overall like I said before I've been coming here alone or with family and friends I will continue to come and enjoy the pretty view, ambience and food/drinks. Definitely would advice all my friends and followers to come and enjoy this enchanting spot. My Latino/ Asian and Black community especially! A more diverse crowd would be perfect.

    Roger H.

    Great place to drink and get a bite to eat! Alex (bar tender ) is rock star brought his full energy and made us feel at home at the bar and made us fill at home

    Bloody Mary with crab claw, shrimp, pickled veggies & olives $21., gotta try it.
    Sharon Y.

    Great bartender, Alex! Was helpful & accommodating when ordering Big Bloody Mary's, calamari, & artichoke appetizers! Weather was great & sunny the 2 days we went. Had to return for another round of the marvelous Bloody Mary's $21. Hey, if you're on vacation, you deserve to try it! Sooooo yummy & ambiance was perfect for a fun time near the beach!

    Sheila H.

    What a refreshing and pleasant experience. Whatever restaurant or bar you want to open, please send your future employees to shadow the servers and bartenders at Bootlegger Bar. The staff at Bootlegger surpass any expectations and bar that is set. We were greeted right away, treated with the utmost respect and hospitality. Man, what joyful time we were able to share with family, and can't wait to return. Shame on me for forgetting the name of our server. However, she happily fulfilled any request we had and all of our food items arrived right away. Even the food runner was so Nice! He reminded us to validate our parking and gave us wet wipes (obviously for our dirty kids faces ). Food: we came for dessert and drinks. 3 of us got hot chocolates, but I got a Mango Margarita (superb!). The drink wasn't washed down with nasty sweet and sour, but it was made with fresh ingredients, you could taste! The beignets were HEAVEN. Oh man. I woofed 3 of them and asked myself how it happened so fast. Overall it was a fantastic experience and we will be returning for date night!!!

    Korean skewers

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    Watermelon drink was yummy! View and ambience was delightful - can't beat crystal cove

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    Page 1 of 3

    Ask the Community - The Bootlegger Bar

    How far is the walk from the parking lot. And is it wheelchair assessable?

    Yes, wheelchair's can be dropped at the shuttle loading area, parking is maybe. 1/4 mile away or less. It's a paved path from the parking lot across PCH.

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    Flower Child

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    4.3(734 reviews)
    4.6 mi
    $$
    Healthy dining
    Gluten-free friendly

    THIS REVIEW IS "ONLY" FOR THE "LEMON OLIVE" CUPCAKE…read more.. Today is my birthday and my friend stopped by before work to bring me some goodies for my birthday. She knows I love sweets and do a lot of baking myself, however, I HAVE NEVER TASTED A CUPCAKE THIS DELICIOUS........EVER!! It's truly moist, "flakey" if you could call a cupcake flakey at all, has nooks and crannies as I broke it in half (thinking I'd only eat half and save half for later)... and honestly, lemon is NOT my favorite of anything if I had to pick. So for this baker saying this lemon olive cupcake is the VERY BEST cupcake OF ALL CUPCAKES that I've ever tasted, is saying A LOT. I'm totally a cake person, so the slight glaze on it is more than enough for me! She also bought me a carrot cake cupcake. It's good, but not above and beyond to make a name in this review. There are plenty of carrot cake recipes and this one is a 7 on a scale of 1-10, IMO. ... but the lemon rates 38 on a scale of 1-10. LOL

    This place is always packed with a long line for ordering. The food is organic, healthy, and…read moredelicious! I usually get whatever salad I'm in the mood for and then add the protein. Their sides are amazing, especially the vegan Mac and cheese and their quinoa with yogurt. This time I ordered the Brussels and Kale salad with Chicken. I am upset I forgot to ask for extra dressing because I'm a saucy girl. Their little dressing container is not enough for the large Togo bowl. Luckily the grapefruit and grapes added flavor to it.

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    Amarith Farmhouse Cafe - Half Famous Fried Chicken with Mac & Cheese and Brussels Sprouts

    Amarith Farmhouse Cafe

    4.6(188 reviews)
    2.1 mi
    $$
    Vegetarian friendly
    Healthy dining

    They catered a women's luncheon at our church, and the food was delicious! Our family has walked…read moreby their restaurant in Fountain Valley numerous times as we waited for our seats at Shabuya in the same complex. We've always been there when they were closed and said that we wanted to come back to try them. I never made the connection that this caterer and restaurant were one and the same...yeah, I know...I blame menopause brain. Anyway, back to the catering. We got the herb roasted chicken, roasted vegetables, and brussel sprouts. The chicken...to die for! Tasty and moist...and you know how easy chicken breast can dry out! The brussel sprouts were great, and I loved the added sliced jalapeños in it. Since we over ordered the chicken, there were lots of leftovers for us to take home. My family enjoyed it as well. Fast forward a couple months later, and we stopped by to get a few things to go since we were in the neighborhood. We got carrot cake, pies, breakfast pastries, and chicken pot pies. Everything was super tasty, and the pot pies reheated well. Next time, we will dine in and enjoy more of their delicious food!

    I rarely write negative reviews, but I want to warn others so this doesn't happen to them…read more I placed an online order days in advance for a cake and cookies for a birthday party. I received a confirmation and my card was charged, so I assumed everything was set. When we arrived at the Corona del Mar location to pick up the order, the staff told us they had no record of the cake at all. Because of this mistake, we were left without a birthday cake for our party. The manager said he would contact the owner and follow up with me, but no one contacted me for two days, and I still hadn't received a refund. When they finally did respond after I had to write again, the message was not very sympathetic, which made the situation even more frustrating. It was to the effect, "we will look for the order and refund you, sorry technical error". This is the second time this has happened with pre-ordering, so I do not think it was a technical glitch. The first time I thought was a one-off, but it seems they have issues with this. Mistakes can happen, but what matters is how a business handles them. Unfortunately, the lack of organization and the poor care after this situation doesn't want to make me ever order from them again. If you're planning something important, I would strongly recommend not relying on an advance order here, or at the very least confirming multiple times beforehand.

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    Lemon & Thyme - Pork belly and black garlic bbq

    Lemon & Thyme

    4.8(298 reviews)
    6.6 mi

    From the moment the glistening rolls hit the table, we knew we were in for a good night. The rolls…read morewere coated in butter infused with zesty lemon and thyme (Yes, like the name of the restaurant! Isn't that adorable and clever?) Then came the entrees. Knockout after knockout. The Pork Belly with Black Garlic and the Seared Duck Breast were both perfectly executed. Crunchy, golden skin. Juicy meat. Rich, flavorful sauces paired with comforting, silky purées. Balanced. The kind of plates that make us slow down to savor each mouthful... and then shamelessly scrape up every last bite. We were so smitten after those first two dishes that we threw all caution and control to the wind. I asked staff to surprise us with one of the dishes recommended earlier. Out came the Grilled Octopus Al Pastor. Nice char, tender bite, and a tangy sauce. For dessert: the Baklava Cheesecake. Lightly spritzed with aromatic rose water, ultra sweet, and unapologetically indulgent. Beautifully crafted and shareable, though you may not want to. Beyond the food, the ambience really shines. Intimate, classy, and whimsical, with a charming playlist. Ideal for date nights or special celebrations. Service was outstanding. Warm, attentive, and passionate. Staff enthusiastically walked us through the menu and offered recommendations. Our server was on point. Water glasses were never empty, plates cleared promptly, and everything flowed seamlessly. An incredible experience from start to finish. I couldn't stop yapping about the duck and pork belly since our first dinner here. So we came back the following weekend! We ordered our favorites again - the Pork Belly with Black Garlic and the Seared Duck Breast. To our surprise, the meats felt rather chewy and tough. I'm hoping this was a hiccup, but would love to see consistency in texture. Will be coming back for more :)

    Ambience: 4 stars, small, clean, and simple. Intimate space with oldies music playing in the…read morebackground. Service: 4 stars, simple good service. Parking: Free parking in the back of the restaurant. Our Tes took us to the parking lot outback when we punched in their address. Food: 4 stars. Small menu selection with a couple of specials for dinner. Really enjoyed the burger + fries + beer trio. Good solid food. Creative and generous serving portions. This is really out of the way for us, but since we were doing some shopping in Costa Mesa, Grok recommended this restaurant based on a few of our filters... Wow, the food was phenomenal...but what pushed this from a 4 star to a 5 star experience were the warm towelettes and lemon for me to wash my hands with. I guess they saw me using my hands to eat their delectable empanadas, they brought a plate with warm towelettes and lemon over. Pleasantly surprised and impressed. Highly recommended, and will definitely be back. We come down to the OC a few times a month to see friends and escape our regular routine.

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    The Bootlegger Bar - tradamerican - Updated May 2026

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