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    The Boulevard

    3.7 (154 reviews)
    Closed 3:30 pm - 2:00 am (Next day)

    The Boulevard Photos

    Business Info

    THE BOULEVARD ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Loud
    Outdoor seating
    Good for groups
    Good for dancing

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    Recommended Reviews - The Boulevard

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    Reviews With Photos

    Stevedub.
    Ken H.

    Before I start this review, I would like to note that the auto-suggestion prompt does not know how to spell "ambience" properly. All right, back to the B-L-V-D. I went to the Boulevard about a month ago. I ordered a whiskey, the bartender brought me a whiskey, then I drank the whiskey--after that things took a turn to the outright sublime. Some random beach city woman who was probably seven years younger than me stopped dropping it low to the house music to hold a terrible conversation with me--until DJ Stevedub came out of nowhere, set up his dopest Stevedub turntables and turned the whole bleeping BLVD into a raucous dance party. The first hip hop beat Steve dropped sent the beach city woman sailing back to her friend group, and they all began dancing like absolute freak-a-zoids. Much like the rest of the people present at the bar. Somewhere between the first of many delicious Stevedub mixes and the moment when everyone was shouting the lyrics to an Afroman song--all boogie broke loose like an old booger. Even the muscled up frat/college boys had nothing better to do than twerk to the Yin Yang Twins and Nelly Furtado whilst Stevedub cued up or scratched in another banger. Credit to the BLVD for having a practiced master of the turntables like Stevedub come through. 5 stars.

    Whiskey sours
    Lanze A.

    Walked in with friends cause we needed to pass time. If you like punk rock from the 2000's this is the place to be. Music felt very nostalgic for me so I loved it. My friend and I loved the whiskey sours we had. Might be the best we've ever gotten. They also have a taco truck that regularly comes by and they're nice enough to allow food inside from the truck. Everything you need for a late night.

    Amazing selection of whiskey& bourbons
    Darcey H.

    I don't know where to give this five stars because it's a top-notch dive bar or four stars because it's kind of a grungy whiskey bar. I landed somewhere in between. We came on a Wednesday night when it wasn't super crowded. In fact there was no one in there when we arrived at 8:30 PM which is fine with me given that we got to talk to the bartender, Madison,Who despite her youth was extremely knowledgeable in the impressive selection of whiskeys and Bourbons. She made us to exceptional Old Fashions.

    Whiskey Sour - Made with egg white... So good!
    Howie C.

    If you appreciate finely made cocktails in an old school setting, you will love the Boulevard. We stopped by one afternoon while it was quiet just to check out the throwback red booth seating and muted gold ceiling tiles and couldn't resist ordering a drink. We were the only ones in the bar so our bartender put time into crafting standard drinks that wowed us. Old Fashioned - Rye, bitters, sugar and a fat square ice cube with an orange peel. This was done so right and so proper. The guys that ordered them kept on repeating to me, "This is a really good Old Fashioned." I know it is because I had some of it. Whiskey Sour - When I saw him cracking open an egg and rolling the egg yolk back and forth between the egg shells to get all the egg white out I knew I was in for a treat. Old Forester was the base whiskey, then shaken with egg white, lemon juice and couple of dashes of bitters over the lightly foamy top. Creamy, whiskey goodness. I could've stayed here for a couple of hours and put away four of these if I wasn't with co-workers. They have an extensive and impressive whiskey selection. Pappy Van Winkle, are you serious? YES! Laphroig, Macallan, Whistle Pig, Glenfiddich... Physically the lounge is pretty big as it has a row of booths in the main room and then an equal number of booths in the room right behind it. It's right next door to Goat Hill Tavern and they share the same entrance area. Both bars are great, but if you're feeling that 60s meets hipster vibe, slide on over to the Boulevard. I'm sure it gets crazy on the weekends with a full crowd and local bands playing. Question is... When are you going to go with me?

    Victoria S.

    DO NOT GO HERE!!! THEY ROOFIE PEOPLE!!!! Speaking out about this as it seems like nobody else will. Was here for the first time on Saturday night April 17th to meet for a drink and catch up with my friends. Me and one of my girls ended up blacking out within the 30 mins after barely sipping ONE DRINK! We hadn't been drinking anywhere else that night. Thank God for our friends who ended up taking care of us as we were completely incoherent. The next day to say we were ill would be an understatement. Never felt anything like this. Decided to go take a drug test and it came back positive for OPIOIDS AND BENZODIAZEPINE. We filed a police report and the officer did not seem to care much. Instead he made a remark about the drink we ordered being possibly "too strong". The manager of the bar refused to shows us video surveillance footage of that night and said we don't have enough evidence. I took this matter to social media and more victims came forward. THESE PEOPLE ARE SCUMBAGS!!! Me and my friend were absolutely lucky to have the help we needed. Next girl or guy might not be so lucky. BEWARE!!!!

    Weller special reserve bourbon
    Stephen G.

    I looked back to my review from 9 months ago and I had to think, wow!..., was that only 9 months ago?! Hanging out late on a quiet industry kind of Monday night has turned into a friend soaked venue of whiskey loving and good times. The Boulevards sorted love affair with the brown spirit has given birth to the '1824 Whiskey Society'. Nothing ominous or stuffy, just people with a common appreciation for whiskeys and all things about them. Neat, on the rock or in a cocktail, this is the place you are invited to share in the experience with the rest of us. If you happen to frequent any of the Newport/Mesa restaurants odds are you'll run into one if not a few familiar faces from the scene. Come by, grab a dram and toast with us, you're always welcome.

    Blood orange cosmo
    Mel D.

    Blood Orange Cosmo!!! My friend and I were in the area and decided to drop in at the Goat Hill Tavern for a beer. As I pulled into the back parking lot I saw that the Helm next door was gone and now The Boulevard. Curiosity got the best of me so I sent a text message to my friend asking if he wanted to meet there instead. The interior was nice, a huge difference from the Goat Hill's divey feel. Their menu seemed to consist of craft beer and cocktails. It is definitely a nice place to meet co-workers after work or even host a birthday get together. I read that they encourage groups to have their party there and they can put together some special priced drinks. My Blood Orange Cosmo was very good and I felt $8 was quite reasonable. That same drink would probably cost about $12 at most bars in LA. Make sure to look on the chalk board at the bar for their daily specials. The day I went they had a buy 1 get 1 free deal on Moscow Mules. Not bad...I didn't get a chance to try it but next time I'll make sure to look on their board first. Minus one star because I did ask if they had any drink special and the bartender answered "All our drinks are special". I wish he would have pointed at the board with the special. We were there on a Sunday around 4pm so I hoped they had some sort of special which they did but didn't tell me. But this place is much more "me" than the Goat Hill so I'd be open to going back to see what sort of crowd they bring in on Friday's and Saturday's.

    Daniel G.

    Always a great place for drinks with friends. They have a great selection of beers and and an even better selection whiskey! You'll be surprised at how many amazing whiskeys and bourbons you'll find here.

    One of my personal favorites out of a large selection
    Sean R.

    I've been coming to the Boulavard for over six years now and I have enjoyed myself throughout my years through the experience of the bartenders and the amazing cocktails now that the Boulavard is offering this amazing whiskey society that offers an even vast selection with a love driven focus on all different regions and vintages that give a society a real image if you have a chance to ever come down I definitely recommend coming in and asking about the whiskey society and see what you think!!

    Fantastic DJ! Read the crowd perfectly! Clever transitions - would be back just for him!
    Kimmy T.

    Right next to the Goat but WAY BETTER! Nicely laid out, pretty ceiling tiles but understated otherwise. Lots of parking behind - shares the same lot as the Goat and therefore has 2 entrances: back door and front door. Loved the DJ - so clever. I told him like 10x and he even said "I appreciate you" - humble talent is the best! My friend had her birthday end up here so we were super happy to have such an amazing set of songs to singalong and dance to. I was driving so I didn't partake in all the shots but the bartenders were moving as quickly as they could. There's only one bar but it is the length of the place w/ 3-4 bartenders running around so it's enough. Has a small 1ft stage with DJ could maybe be a tad smaller to make more dance floor but otherwise, great fun and decent dance ability next to the bar. The beauty of this place is all the booths that don't require reservation, the sweet Saturday night DJ and the amazing amount of parking available. Definitely a 20s/30s bar - I didn't feel like there were too many older than that. It got pretty messy towards the end of the night and there was actually a fight that broke out near the "dance floor" but the bouncers and a super human bartender hurdled over the bar to help! It all happened so suddenly... I got shoved but was happy that was all. You can't always help the clientele that comes to your bar (or those that get too hot) but you can see the character of the staff shine through (excellent responsibility and swift removal effort of the aggressors) so I'd definitely return.

    Lots of whiskey

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    Page 1 of 4

    Ask the Community - The Boulevard

    What was the previous name of the Blvd bar?

    The Helm

    What type of music does this place play?

    We rotate DJs on the weekends and play a mix of music styles for dancing, throwback jams and more.

    Do they have a happy hour. If so, what time?

    Yes - every day 5-7pm HALF OFF all drinks for happy hour

    Is 21+ every night?

    Yes, we are 21+ at all times.

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    Pioneer

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    4.6
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    2.2 mi
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    Romantic vibe

    Innovation and reverence for the classics can coexist beautifully…read more Hidden inside Dick's Church in Costa Mesa, P10NEER is an intimate, space exploration-themed speakeasy with a vintage 1970s aesthetic, small sharable bites, and rotating seasonal menu. P10NEER reimagines traditional classic cocktails through inventive techniques (yay, SCIENCE), curated ingredients, and thoughtful twists to make each drink feel both nostalgic and a new adventure. The creativity and hospitality of the team at @pioneer.cm is out of this world. For an experience that goes beyond great beverages, P10NEER is well worth the journey. Place for quiet conversations with a plus one or a small group. Resy recommended. Walk-ins accepted. Save a seat at the bar for me! PS: New Mission! Special Summer Program premieres July 17 on the Dick's Church Patio VACATION by PIONEER: A 1970s backyard barbecue. Fridays & Saturdays, 4 PM to sundown through the end of August. More info via Instagram @vacation.pioneer

    My friends and I have gone here a few times and its always been good. When we went this past…read moreFriday, it completely destroyed any good memories we had here. Let story time begin. We just finished dinner and made an online reservation for Pioneer at 10pm. We arrive at 9:45 and per the instructions of the online reservation, we check in with the bald bartender. Baldie asked what time the reservation was for and we said 10. He then asked what time it was and we say 9:47. He responded I will see you at 10 then. His tone was absolutely rude and condescending. It definitely rubbed us the wrong way, but we let it slide as we were having a great night and didn't want this to kill our vibe. We wait outside until 10:02 and the hostess calls us in. We are seated and immediately notice that the music is quite loud. Not blaring, but definitely need to speak louder than normal to carry a conversation. The bar itself is dim and seating is very tight. Our waiter comes by a few minutes later and asks if we've been here before. We say yes (at least 3 times), but it's been about a year since our last visit. He begins to refresh our memory stating that they specialize in making variants of classics and that all cocktail are premade and simply garnished and served. Also, the menu doesn't include the cocktail's main spirit in the description because they want you to taste the described flavor profiles and not focus so much on the spirit itself. We ask for recommendations and follow his lead and also order bread and butter as a snack. We are chatting and having a good time when we notice it's been a while since we ordered, especially for premade cocktails. That's when the waiter comes around and says they lost our order and retake our order. When the cocktails arrive a few minutes later, the waiter states that they're giving us another order of bread and butter on the house and also giving us a discount for the inconvenience. We were surprised but happily thanked him. He did a great job at identifying the problem and fixed it even before we could mention it. This guy is awesome. The drinks are unique/different. They're good but not amazing. Cocktails/food are 3.5 out of 5. We finish and ask for the check. The waiter brings by the mobile credit card reader and leaves it at our table and says there's no rush. We wanted to pay cash, so we waited for him to come back. Guess who comes back instead to close the bill? Baldie... and this is where it goes downhill. He says that they don't accept cash. My friend, being the goofball he is, says "are you sure?" and tries to insert the dollar bill into the chip reader slot. Baldie, having no sense of humor, literally says "you're pretty stupid aren't you?" We were all annoyed by that comment. Yes my friend is being stupid but obviously he's joking around. My friend then doubles down and said maybe it'll work if he slides the bill instead of inserting and he proceeds to slide the dollar bill through the credit card machine. Baldie then says "Wow, you really are stupid." At this point we were all like wtf, what kind of customer service is this. We simply insert our card and gave a shit tip, which I feel bad about because the actual waiter was AMAZING. So amazing, I'm giving 2 stars instead of 1. What started as a great night turned into the most annoying experience I've ever had at a restaurant. Baldie if you're reading this, you shouldn't deal with customers at all. No customer service skills. No sense of humor. Stay behind the bar and pour your premade drinks. Better yet, I hope management reads this and decides you're more of a liability than an asset.

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    Palenque Kitchen

    Palenque Kitchen

    4.1
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    0.3 mi
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    Takes reservations
    Happy hour specials

    Nice little Mexican food spot located where HUB used to be. They don't advertise it on their menu…read morebut they have an unpublished kids menu that includes: grilled chicken with rice and refried beans, chicken strips with French fries or quesadilla (choice of cheese, chicken, or steak) with rice and beans. I really enjoyed the puerto Nuevo enchiladas and my 4 yr old loved them too! He also nearly went face down in the flan with coconut ice cream. My son loves coconut ice cream but now he also loves flan! They have a cool decor in the restaurant and it's very modern. There's a bathroom at the end and they have high chairs if you need them. Service was great and we'd come back again.

    Palenque in Costa Mesa definitely nails the moody, Instagram-friendly aesthetic, but once you get…read morepast the low lighting and chic decor, it feels a bit more like a scene than a real value. It's a fun spot to grab a drink for the ambiance, but as a full meal, it leaves a lot to be desired. The food itself is okay--the quesa birria tacos have decent flavor and the carne asada comes with a nice char--but given the steep prices, you expect way better execution and more generous portions. Paying high-end money for pretty standard street food staples dressed up on nice plateware just feels overpriced. Service was fine enough, nothing to complain about, but the value just isn't there for what they're charging. On top of that, parking can be a bit challenging since it's tucked away in kind of a weird location. If you're going purely for photos, fancy cocktails, and a trendy date night backdrop, it fits the bill, but if you're looking for great food value, there are much better spot-on Mexican joints in OC.

    Photos
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    The Boulevard - cocktailbars - Updated August 2026

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