Amazing spot! We only planned on grabbing a quick bite before heading back to the IE, but the food blew us away. My son said, the chicken sandwich was perfect, the wings fell right off the bone, and my other son and I thought the fish & chips tasted legitimately British. Even though we didn't stay long, the atmosphere was incredibly inviting and definitely a place I'd bring friends to hang out. The ambience was relaxing and had a great hangout vibe. Jon's hospitality made the visit even better. Highly recommend! read more

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Cute place for a drink. We had a variety of cocktails and beers and all were good. Not too loud so we were able to catch up w friends.

i love this place! is it closed? my heart is broken. i hope ya'll come back. amazing food.

Cocktails are amazing! Food is really delicious! The restaurant/bar makes you feel at home and is the absolute best! read more

Westend - New American Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Chelsea our server/bartender was amazing, we shared great conversation with her and one of the owners of Westend, Kaylee. The food was super good, great drink choices w/ a variety of unique alcohol choices too (which can be made into mock-tails). Love that they are open again. I also love the funky vibe that Westend has great feeling and is quaint. Want a fun date night out or a night with friends? I highly recommend Westend. read more

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They are OPEN, and I can't wait to try their awesome food. They smoked their meat and I'm coming back for it. They have an awesome selection of cocktails. read more

Westend - New American Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

I've been coming here again the last few months. I've come to know they have new owners and just recently got the kitchen open! I've been to a few events here with different Dj's but I love when they have disco nights. I love when Sue is behind the bar because she always has good cocktail recommendations and she's always so nice. read more

Cozy spot with a big back patio for live music. The place is new (July 2025?) so they didn't have food yet, but great drink service. Informal with a very friendly staff. read more

This is one of my fav places to go out for a drink & a bite. We always have a great time here! Amazing staff and the food/drinks NEVER miss. My go to is a chocolate starfish, veggie empanadas, and beignets. read more

Westend - Chocolate Starfish - New American Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Restaurant Bar with a Loaded Menu! 3.5 Stars! This restaurant serves huge portions. They do have outdoor dining and do take reservations. The menu sports various dishes and appetizers. This includes jambalaya, fishing ships, deviled eggs, tater tots...All of which we tried. Jambalaya- I have very high hopes for the jambalaya but it was AOK. If you are expecting NOLA Jambalaya, this is not yet. But, the portion was huge. Fish and Chips were AOK. The fishi and chips were also AOK. Lots of French fries. My favorite dish was the deviled eggs. The deviled eggs were flavorful and Pretty darn good. Customer service was also AOK. It was not very personable. Parking is pretty difficult. If there is a street parking in front of the restaurant or down the block further, the easiest is to park across the street in the shopping plaza. Overall an AOK experience. I would like to come back again and try other menu items and maybe some drinks. read more

Westend - deviled eggs - New American Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Beautiful place with some serious intimate vibes and romance. It did throw me off a bit though. For example, the cuisine is unexpected,..it's southern comfort and bbq, which doesn't quite match the romantic ambience. (But the smell of the place is heavenly because who can complain about the smell of bbq.) And it's in the middle of a typical Costa Mesa street with no lot for parking, so you have to find street parking or park in the plaza lot across the street (we didn't get our car towed or anything, and when we called, we were directed to that lot). So it was a bit sketchy. No complaints from me though-- which is why I had this place bookmarked and was so glad to finally make it out here in the midst of the covid madness. The brussel sprouts were good, as were the brisket and the fried chicken. Their macaroni and potato salad left a lot to be desired, though...we left pretty much all of that untouched. The drinks were also yummy. Ultimately though I don't think I would come back. PSA: NOBODY WAS WEARING MASKS, EVEN THE SERVERS AND BARTENDERS. We almost left once we saw this but we were starving and really wanted to try the food. In hindsight it was reckless and it still bothers me, which is why I'm alerting folks here. Dine here at your own risk, but I will say the food is good! read more

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Last thing I had here was the Westend Burger and before that it was the Franklin. Both choices were very good. The service and bevys were excellent as well. I'll be back read more

The burger is excellent. Atmosphere is fun and totally well thought out. Great neighborhood bar with good food! Fun for anyone..not stuffy. Ashley the bartender welcoming. She knows the whole set up and got us going on food and drinks right away. Really great music playing! read more

The items I ordered were average. But they have a variety of impressive sounding menu items so I will be back to try something else. The deviled eggs were good with a nice reduction almost like balsamic underneath to provide a little kick. The empanadas were good, homemade, light and mild. The pizza was average - this is not a pizza place. The Franklin sandwich (with Nashville Chicken) was average and rather dry. They smoke their own meats, so I think I'll try that next time. I also heard the Jambalaya is good. Fun ambience in the outdoor patio. It seems to be a lively area with the neighboring establishments blasting party music. I hear this place turns into a big party late at night as well. read more

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Had a pleasant lunch here with the hubby. They didn't have coffee (unfortunately) coz their machine was busted according to the server. We were promptly seated since we arrived right when they opened. The server was attentive but overall service could've been improved. Why? I overheard him say that he was also the bartender so he was pretty busy making drinks and serving customers in their patio area (where we sat). We ordered: - kale salad = generous portion, a bit too acidic to my liking - prosciutto, apple, Brie sandwich with potato chips on the side = enjoyed this very much, nice flavor combination; melty cheese is always a winner - meat sampler with potato and macaroni salads = flavorful but needed more barbecue sauce which we asked for Overall, we enjoyed our lunch. We'll probably return if we're in the area. read more

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We had a private event here tonight for a 30th birthday and it was such a blast! First and foremost, Kayleigh and Dax gave us top notch customer service. Went above and beyond to make my husband's 30th memorable and personable. The food was yummy and the drinks were strong. Can't ask for much more! The bartender was super sweet and kept things moving a great pace! We will have more future events here! read more

Great vibe! Awesome people! food was amazing. Great drinks. Have to try brisket empanadas omg! Mustard sauce amazing and I hate mustard! So good. read more

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If I said this was the best meal I can remember then I'd be telling the truth. All I seem to do is eat, eat, and the eat some more. Frankly, I've gotten tired of eating. Why? Most restaurants lately seem to want to waste my time. I've had a lot of lazy, nasty food for the past several years. Sometimes there can be a thing or two on a menu that is okay, or tasty. Westend blew my Foodie mind last night. I had the Aperol Spritzer and it was completely refreshing. Actually, I bet all of their drinks are refreshing. This was very well balanced with sweetness, citrus, and with my second one there was a super thin cucumber slice. I was a little grossed out because I hate cucumber drinks. It still worked. The fizz was long lasting and I loved the cool metal straw they gave me. I ordered the Wedge as an appetizer. I told my husband so many times, like with each bite, that it was the best wedge I'd ever had. I'm quite confident that I've eaten at least 100 wedge salads in the past year. Most are just a big hunk of iceberg that is screaming for help. The first thing I noticed was the insanely crispy bacon. I've never had bacon so crunchy that wasn't also burnt. The pieces were tiny. Somehow I had just enough for each bite and the salty flavor was able to compliment the dressing, blue cheese, and herbs. The temperature was also perfect. I'm often disappointed when I get served an ice-cold, wilted, fresh from the fridge salad. There was only a slight hint of chill. We also shared some calamari. It want well with my wedge. It wasn't super fresh calamari, but it was fried well. I never eat any dipping sauces with my calamari. I'm all about just using the lemon. It was yummy. Not the best ever. Then our jambalaya arrived. I must admit that I normally would not order Jambalaya, Gumbo, or even an etouffe. This is because they normally are pretty gross. I decided to take a chance. It was the best chance. Like I hit the jackpot. I'm actually eating omg the leftovers for breakfast. I can safely say that this is a delicious dish. I wanted to make sure that I wasn't famished or delusional last evening and somehow imagined this fantastic food. Nope! It's still awesome. First, there is tons of meat. Chicken, sausage, and jumbo shrimp. Tons of meat. I think I had five shrimp in my plate. I told my husband to eat some of my food because he inhaled his jambalaya. Somehow this morning I'm still finding tons of meat. This is what I would consider mildly spicy. I love extremely hot food so proceed with caution. This may actually be very hot for a normal mouth. It was perfect. I'm glad that I could enjoy all of the flavors without having heat overwhelm my tongue. In the middle of the jambalaya and while enjoying the spritzer, I decided I needed an order of fries. Wow! They were like a gift. Perfectly crispy and salty. Well done. You could poke someone's eye out. So delicious. In summary. It's Monday morning and I wanted to eat at Westend for breakfast. They are closed on Monday's. Boo hoo! read more

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I have been up and down 19th street for years and witnessed the influx of new bars and restaurants. Westend by far is the best I have visited. Across the street is El Metate Market and La Canada, that is saved for another favorable review. What drew us in is the smoker out front with the $10 lunch sign. Wow, what a score. We had the pulled pork sandwich and brisket sandwich . The Chef/Pit Master is a craftsman. If you like smoked meat this is a must go. Just enough rub and smoke, meat was tender and moist as you would hope. The bonus is they put the BBQ sauce on the side not on the meat. There is so much more on the menu and the cocktail selection looks great too. Highly recommend. read more

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Must say I was a bit disappointed. After reading the reviews I really wanted to check out the place. So much so our group stopped by after our early dinner and had our 2nd dinner of the night just to try the food. Pro: cute decor, good drinks the shrimp po-boy was decent flavor. Con: 1. The place was half empty but we still had to wait to order, get our food, ask for our bill 2. The food was bland. The lobster Mac and cheese needed pepper and salt. The jambalaya was very watery and more marinara sauce then jambalaya (as seen in my picture). Really wanted it to be more then what I got. 3. The place didn't have AC. Or if they did it wasn't turned in. When we were there it was later in the night and the restaurant was half empty. Can't imagine how it would be if it's pack in the summer time. Overall, like some reviews said this is more of a neighborhood bar to grab a drink and chat for the local. Would not say I will be back. read more

Westend - New American Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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I got to spend a night out with my girlfriends here and I really digged the vibe of this place. It is located in the gentrified area of Costa Mesa so the location can be janky but what mattered to me here was the food, cocktails, and company (of course). Both ambiance and music were a bonus that transported me to New Orleans for the night. Yeah, baby! Starting off with cocktails, their list is pretty impressive with my favorite being the New York Sour. It's a Boston Sour variation with red wine among the many ingredients as well as shaken egg white which I always love in my drink. The Rose Sour was also very delicious. Appetizers you shouldn't miss are the Calamari and Brussels Sprouts. I can't emphasize enough how these are a must. Meanwhile, skip the Squid Ink Pasta w/ Crab - very mild squid flavor and all you can taste is lemon. I really enjoyed the Jambalaya as well as everyone else on the table. It was a more generous serving vs the other dishes so definitely a great value there. If in the mood for a panini, the Apple, Prosciutto, and Brie will sure to please. As for dessert, Beignets and the Fried Peanut Butter Sandwiches were what we devoured but if I have to pick one, I liked the texture of the latter better. Westend is a perfect example of a hole-in-the-wall that you may easily miss while driving but I strongly suggest you don't. Parking: street and plaza right across. read more

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When we walked into West End last evening, we were pleasantly greeted by the bartender and the server and told we could sit wherver we liked. This is such a pet pieve of mine that you are greeted property when entering a business. My wife and I both own medical business and we pride ourselves on having great staff. It turns out that this is a one woman show in that the bartender was also the owner, the waitstaff, everything. It was her, one server and the chef. Thr dining experience was very nice and food was top shelf. We ordered the meat board, think charcuterie but with pulled pork and brisket.. its a can't miss dish. The atmosphere is great, it's very quaint like a small European restaurant. Our community needs restaurants like this as opposed to thr big corporate chains. These businesses are the essence of our community. We can't recommend the West End enough. We will be back. read more

Westend - New American Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

My girlfriend and I went here for a date night and we got there around when they opened so it wasn't too busy. We just wanted to eat and hang out a bit. The food was very good especially the dessert. We will definitely be back read more

So many great things to say about this eclectic, sexy restaurant! The food is outstanding! Some of my favorites are the Mac n cheese(with the brisket), kale salad and the meat platter! They also have the best, thickest, juiciest burger I've ever had. It blows In-n-Out away - no lie! Let's not forget dessert - I've been to Nola MANY of times. Westend's beignets are by far better than any place I've had in New Orleans. They are scrumptious! The owners are super rad and the bartender, Kayleigh, is even more rad! She makes the best drinks. I'm currently not drinking right now so I told her a few things I was craving and she whipped up a couple different mocktails for me. Super sweet lady! I highly recommend! You won't be disappointed. read more

Incredible spot! The drinks are beautiful, delicious and strong. The smoked BBQ meat platter was juicy, satisfying and like a portal into the south, each bite a marriage between traditional Texas BBQ and New Orleans.... Had brussel sprouts, mac and cheese, BEIGNETS , kale salad... perfect spot for a date night :) The bartender Kayleigh was a total sweetheart and gave rockstar service. Highly recommend. Looking forward to next time! read more

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So happy to have stumbled across this restaurant. I made reservations on yelp and showed up to eat here with my boyfriend's family and our dog after a day at the beach. We were seated out back since we had the dog with us. I do wish their tables were a little nicer/bigger out in the back because the current tables they do have back there made me feel like I was sitting in someones backyard eating. We ordered the down south chips to try and I ordered the kale salad with shrimp for myself. The down south chips are addicting! Who doesn't love potato chips smothered in sauce with chicken and sausage! I could not stop eating it and wished I ordered a second one. My kale salad was good! It was lemony with a minty after taste making it very refreshing and the shrimp was delicious. They were so fresh and cooked just right. My boyfriend ordered the crawfish etouffee which was also very delicious. I would come back here to try other dishes they have but more importantly, eat the down south chips again. read more

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My favorite hidden gem in Costa Mesa. Love the vibe here. Empanadas are my favorite. Drinks are amazing. Staff make you feel at home. Highly recommended! read more

Our favorite cozy neighborhood spot! Great cocktails and the food is incredible. The best bbq in town. Don't sleep on this place!

quaint little joint, feels nice on a not-overly-hot afternoon - definitely need the menu to expand back up a bit as wet came for some particular dishes but totems out they're not serving them currently (soft "re-opening" stage) ... music is a little overbearing and loud , hard to have a conversation (even though it's relatively smoove jazz & sinatra - it's LOUD ‍) read more

Westend - Not usually a cocktail boy, but an Absynthe based one sounded gangster -- and is delicious! - New American Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

First time customers and will definitely go back. Great vibe. The owner was super nice and Lauren was awesome!Great fried chicken and sides. Don't pass on this place. read more

I liked this place as it reminded me so much of New Orleans - the vibes and the colorful food. Had reserved through Yelp as we were nearby and almost all the places we were calling to get a reservation - the earliest for 5 people for Italian food or any kind of food seemed to be at 8pm/9pm earliest. Since only one was from around the area, the rest were from all out of town, we didn't want to wait too long to get food as we all still needed to drive. Tyler helped us out with the parking situation and with our running late timing. For parking, they don't have a huge parking lot, and its actually quite minimal. There were two spots to park in the front and then we ended up putting the two cars we were in, in the back. So as many said, street parking/park at your own risk. We ordered Calamari for the appetizer so we had something to snack on as we were ordering the entreés. Which included: Shrimp Shredded Kale Salad - tasty and refreshing. "Best in the West" Veggie Burger- pretty good! I am not a vegetarian but I enjoyed it. It was more sweeter than expected as it was made with beets (I believe) but very refreshing and saucy for a change. Louisiana Jambalaya (2 orders) - DELICIOUS. I had a few bites of one of the orders and I thought it was amazing. If they had a place near me, that's what I would be ordering! Lobster Mac & Cheese - I don't recall if I got to sample it but my girlfriend J who ordered it said it was pretty good. Overall, decent experience. Would come back, but probably with not a large group and definitely carpool so it wont be too bad looking for a spot. Can't say anything for the bathroom as I didn't use it during my visit here. Restaurant has a modernized old school vibe on the interior and a green bush area in the back for more seating. read more

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We gave this spot a second try and wow--what a huge difference!! We went for lunch and sat on the back patio. It was a bit hot out there, but we found a shady table. The service was great and our waitress took very good care of us. We had the Brussels sprouts, which we think were some of the best we've had. You must get them!! We ordered the burger and the veggie pizza (with chicken). Both were so good, especially the pizza! It was exactly what I wanted...artichokes, tomatoes, pesto, garlic and mozzarella...and chicken. The burger was awesome. My husband ate every last bite. The non-alcoholic beverage selection is pretty good and the wine/beer list contains a nice variety. I believe they have a liquor license now, so I can't wait to go back and try a drink and listen to some live music on the patio! read more

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Cool ambience, good food great service. Fun drinks. Good for a date night or just a casual dinner

Had the best dinner date here. Cocktails were so good and the spot is ultra hip and vibrant even the bathroom was cute as heck. Fun times joking around with the staff and having a great meal. read more

Our go to spot. Friendly staff. Awesome food. Strongly suggest giving it a shot, you won't be disappointed. A+++

Hole in the wall restaurant with a hip ambiance! I read the reviews and parked across the street. There was a truck parked in front of the place, so you couldn't even see the sign. Just input the address in your GPS, and you'll be fine. We made reservations for 7pm and were quickly seated. Our server was very attentive and inviting and started off with complimentary corn nibbles (tasted like a homemade version of corn nuts!). My friend and I shared: Brussel Sprouts: SO GOOD. Perfectly complemented by sliced almonds, craisins, and pork belly. Lobster Truffle Mac N Cheese: also delicious! You could taste everything in the name lol Jambalaya: full of flavor, meat (shrimp, sausage, chicken), and perfectly cooked rice. Leftovers were amazing the next day. It was too cold to do outdoor seating, but the inside decor was very cool such as the numerous records on the wall and dim lighting! The music is quite loud, but you'll still be able to have conversations with your party. Next time, I'll have to try the drinks and beignets! read more

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I've been here a few times and every time the food has been amazing! The atmosphere is very relaxing and cozy. The bartenders are super nice and attentive too. It's a little hard to find but worth it! read more

Best smoked Brisket in OC and The Duke burger is hands down the best burger in SoCal. Great vibe and bar read more

Westend - The Duke - New American Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

I went here tonight on a first date and was very impressed by the staff and service. Everyone was so kind and attentive. It was very inviting. The food was also delicious. Truly exceeded my expectations. read more

I've been meaning to try this place, so on our way to the air show, we decided to pop in for food and drinks. This is a super cute hipster themed restaurant with great food and service. Jayme was friendly and attentive and we had great fun talking with her. The food is fabulous! We had literally the best tater tots with a fried egg, aioli, and vegan chorizo. So good. We also had yummy fried pickles and my friend had the pulled pork sandwich which he loooooved. Their sides of macaroni salad and potato salad were yummy. I love how they asked up front about dietary restrictions or preferences because they cater to it all- omnivore, vegetarian, vegan, pescatarian! Love it. Decor wise it's really hipster and interesting with antique style items paired with old Hollywood and random stuff but it all works somehow. All in all, we will be back. It was awesome! So good. I do recommend they maybe install a tv so we can watch football on sundays but otherwise it's great! read more