I'll be completely honest, I don't remember most of what happened here, the night I came, but those are the best nights, right? A group of friends and myself were out for the night, drinking, and we all decided to stop in at Beach Ball as our 3rd stop of night. I was lagging behind the entire group because I decided to stop for a donut. Another member of the group decided to tag along with me, as she was craving a donut, as well. When we got to Beach Ball, I looked at it like, "This place?!" Don't judge a book by it's cover, though! We enjoyed the entire time here, with friendly bartenders, good conversation, and pool! We shot a game, but I must say I didn't do too well. This is a fun place to come on the Peninsula to have a good time. read more

The door man and bartender were so rude, and for no reason. Long time patrons of the area and never have we encountered such discrepancies. Overtly inappropriate to customers... will never go back there! Both should be fired! Bartender heard me wrong and then proceeded to cus at my 54year old mother on her birthday. Read reviews and apparently this is the norm. Will be informing everyone else of the blatant rudeness read more

Came to Newport to watch the sunset and wanted to catch a quick drink. First time at Beach Ball. The bartender was rude, had an attitude and didn't look happy to be working. He threw my check and and walked away. He lowered his hat; I guess he didn't have the courage to look me in the eyes. It's unfortunate we can't give 0 stars because his service deserves even less than that. I was in there for less than five minutes and it'll be my last time there. read more

Nice view. Some interesting people. Don't expect your song to be played on the juke box unless you pay premium. Drinks decent priced. Staff indulges but it's cool. read more

Love this place! We come early for some drinks then head over to the Crab Cooker for an awesome meal after. Service at the Beach Ball is always on point and friendly. Location is ideal! read more

This place has been on out go to bar crawl locations in Newport for years!! It's a bit on the divey side but it's cool, serves decent drinks, and has pool tables. Plus, it wasn't nearly as packed as other bars along the strip. read more

Beach Ball - Dive Bars Near Me - Newport Beach, California

Amazing times at Beach Ball!! If you want a break from the excessively touristy spots, welcome to the most wonderful spot in Newport! We were treated by Natalie, an excellent and attentive bartender who overheard my order from across the bar?!! If you want a lovely spot near the water, come to BB!! Tip well, live easy. read more

Worst bar I've been to on the peninsula. It's dark, musty with a low ceiling and hardly any room when it's crowded. People in here are rude with low class and quick to insult or judge. I'm a sweet, attractive educated girl with a positive attitude who frequents most of the other bars in Newport without any issue, but two times at this shady establishment tells me I'm never coming back. I never deserved the treatment I got in this place. I sat down on a chair not knowing it "belonged" to someone previously sitting there, and when they came back they tried sitting on the empty space of the chair with me & then proceeded to rudely say "that was MY chair". When I got up and told her ok you can have it, no problem she still gave me attitude like "no YOU go ahead". She was in her 40s cackling with her friend judging me and my attractive girlfriends in our early 20s, making faces & saying "THAT'S YOUR FRIEND..?" & trying to get us to leave. Like what did we do? I could immediately tell this place had a holier-than-thou "I'M OLD and grown, you're immature" kind of vibe. Left and came back another time and this time the BARTENDER, man with brunette hair and a beard was super rude. I asked him to make me a special drink or something new/different (I had been drinking all day & didn't know what else I should have) and he said "I don't want to use my brain". WTF? Better use some brain cells to make me a drink. I ended up getting a Bloody Mary and it was so disgusting with a yellowish pickled asparagus! And then he proceeded to kick me out when I said I didn't like it! He literally banged on the bar and said GTFO. Um wow.... I would NEVER get this type of attitude/service at Stag Bar! Go there instead! read more

Beach Ball - Bloody Mary had too much salt, tasted like they mixed vodka w/ salsa (there was chunks of veggies in there) & a slimy yellow asparagus. - Dive Bars Near Me - Newport Beach, California

I come for Cool bartenders. Chill crowd. And a good music box. The bar area is a squeeze, but there is plenty of seating down below, and more space to stretch out with the pool tables if you really need it. But every time I've ventured over here seems like we all like the closeness of strangers, and we pile in around the bar. The bathrooms are little dirty, not gross, but that happens with a busy dive bar with one toilet. The beers are cold, and the bartenders are fast. Not to mention they have A/C! Such a treat when living in a beach town. read more

The dickhead on a power trip at the front door took my fake ID It was a good ID so I guess they have their shit together read more

I have been here multiple times and have had good experiences. Unfortunately this night i had a bad experience w one of the bouncers. He was very disrespectful to me and my friends and kept interrupting us before we could speak. after this experience i will not be coming back. read more

W were bar hopping in Newport and this one was the first stop. The Customer service is great here! Very attentive. I never had a Long Island tea before and it was soooo good! Every time I go to Newport I will be going to this bar! read more

Nice relaxed and cozy bar. Great atmosphere. And CLEAN! Not like super sterilized kind of clean of course. It is a bar. But everything wasn't sticky so that's a huge plus for me. Kind and friendly staff that made everyone at the bar feel like a community. The old school cash register is also super cool too. Great place to come with friends since there are pool tables as well. Only downside is the amount of beer on tap. Only 5 I believe. (Somewhere around there. Don't quote me) I'd still stop by at this bar if I was in area. read more

The peninsula is not my usual scene, but The Beach Ball definitely makes me feel more at home. What can I say? I love me a good dive bar, and being beachfront makes it all the better. Of course, the stellar location ups the bro quotient compared to other dives, but it still does the trick as far as cheap drinks and pool go. I hear the pours here are pretty hefty, I've only opted for beer, but sounds like you can get quite the bang for your buck with the cocktails. I'm a gal that hates waiting in line for places and massive crowds - that's why on a busy night in Newport, I think I'll call Beach Ball my home. read more

You know you are racist when you would rather play Radiculousness than the songs that were actually paid for. I will be asking for my money back. Hopefully Rob and Chanel will pay me my money lost. read more

I'd always heard that this place was called "old balls" because it's full of old men and no self-respecting young person would go in here during the day. Ok I know that's a little harsh but it was a warning given to me. Anywho, I'd always considered myself a Mutt Lynch's day drinking girl even though we all know that place gets a little sketchy at night. So after getting invited to go out here at night, I thought if Mutt's is cool during the day and sketchball at night, then maybe Old Balls is weird in the day and cool at night. Sure enough, it was filled with mostly young people and the drinks were strong and way cheaper than most bars on the peninsula. I even managed to make a crazy cut shot in pool that made a whole room full of guys go "ooooh." Not too shabby, great place to mix it up and beats the kindergarten that is now Rudy's at night. read more

I was here this past weekend for the Newport Beach Pub Crawl and ended up at Beach Ball (hey, that rhymes). There was a short 5 minute wait to get into the place. The bouncer checking IDs at the door was a really friendly guy. The bar was packed on the night I went so I didn't end up getting to drink at all, however, I still managed to have fun and that is saying something. It took my fellow crawlers about 5 minutes to get their beers- not bad. I hear they are quite affordable too. We descended further back into the bar where the bathroom and the pool tables are (3 to be exact). This was a perfect place to chill and not feel claustrophobic. It was also a great vantage point to people watch and strike up conversations with strangers. Would I come back? Definitely, but next time with a drink in my hand! --- Clarification: There were two recent 1 star reviewers that were unhappy about the false advertising on the PBRs... they were listed as $5 when in reality they should be $6. I found out that the organizers of the crawl made an error in listing the price but unfortunately, the bar got the brunt of the blame for this causing some tension that night. read more

When I was growing up in Newport, I spent every day at the beach in the summer. I would invariably ride past the Newport Pier, and it's trusty line of bars and storefront establishments. When I was in Junior Guards it was donuts at Seaside, and when I was lifeguarding I upgraded to coffee and Ham & Cheese croissants. When I started to get around the age that I began to drink, all of a sudden the bars took on a new view to me; I wanted to get inside and see what was happening! The things is, you can see inside just about every bar on the strip except for Beach Ball. I remember looking at that stairway and wondering what was inside. I could always see the folks at Blackies or Stag, but never Beach Ball. And finally the day came that I could step through the doors of Beach Ball and walk up that small staircase into an oddly designed, yet strangely inviting atmosphere. This spot is such a dude bar, and I love it. Tall buds, stiff drinks, and some pool tables downstairs that are actually accessible. I didn't really appreciate this place in college, as I favored the more bro friendly bars like Sharkeez or *gasp* Cal Beach. But like a finely aged scotch, Beach Ball just has a refined finish that might just punch you in the face and leave you on the floor if you're not careful, and I dig that. read more

I went here happy that they had "patio seating". First off, like every other place they serve outdoors they're using the same glove to touch everything we touch. The place does not get the concept of staying clean between guests. Then we received crazy service was well. I came out of the restroom after ordering my second beverage (which I hadn't drank yet) and was yelled at by a waitress I've never seen. She was yelling at me that I wasn't allowed In the restaurant and saying my other guest couldn't be in there... We just wanted to pay for our tab and leave. If you want to be on the public for safety, change your gloves between guests and wash your hands between food handling and product handing.... YOU're not doing your due diligence. Plus do not attack someone when coming out of the restroom. I would really appreciate better behavior from staff during these times since we are risking our lives coming out to support these businesses. read more

Newport Beach peninsula bar crawls are infamous. However being a local and having your regular spot is a tough call with all your choices down here. Location customers views and staff all come into play... with that being said I absolutely love the Beachball. Great views of the ocean and Catalina instead of looking at cars makes it one of the most favorable locations in Newport. Great sound system and one of the best bartenders in The world Natalie always makes it a great time there! But don't discount the other bartenders they are very happy friendly, generous on service... Grab a slice of pizza next-door or a sandwich at Dory deli and slide your butt down onto a barstool for an ice cold one you won't be disappointed. Sunset pictures from the window looking at Catalina are amazing! Three pool tables and 1 million TV's showing every sports game in the world make it even more fun with the music blasting. Cheers read more

If I could give this place zero stars, I would! First of all we came in here early for Newport standards around 6:30pm, there were a total of six of us. The female bartender was great and while we were sitting at the bar things were fine. I closed out with the female bartender, who was going home and we were going to play pool. I paid for all of our drinks, (two beers and five mixed drinks) the bill came to about $65.00 and gave her a good tip. I still thought the total was a lot for the amount of drinks we had and that we were at the Beach Ball. The problem started when we decided to open a new tab with the male bartender, a few different people in our party did go up and order drinks, but not $150.00 worth in two hours. We maybe had two drinks each and one shot each. The reason I don't know the exact number of drinks I had was not because I was extremely intoxicated, but because when I questioned how many drinks we had and what kind we had the bartender could not tell me. I asked the bartender for an itemized receipt and all it had on it were charges and no descriptions of the charges. I then asked him to tell me what these charges were for, he could not/ would not even entertain the idea. The only thing he said was that several people come up to order drinks from our party of six, he said "there was nothing he could do"! I get this is a "dive", but even the worst dives I have been in have an up to date cash register that gives order descriptions printed on it. I have never had this problem at any bar in NB, HB, or LB. I don't know if this was an honest mistake(trying to be optimistic) or some kind of a new scam(most likely), but considering there were only about 20 people in the place, it would not have hurt him to go over what the charges were for. A similar thing happened in February when I was with two other friends and my friends card was over charged as well for a small amount of drinks, again just chalked it up to an honest mistake. It seems to me that with this kind thing probably goes on a lot if you use a credit card to open a tab, have had a few drinks before you came in( bartender may assume your too messed up to question it) and are perceived not to be a regular. I paid the bill and left a tip(even though I should not have), just don't want bad Karma. We will not be back, there are way too many bars that run an honest business and have good customer service in local beach areas. * If you go to this bar, bring cash! * If you pay with a credit card close out every time so there are no issues! In the end I came to the conclusion that the bartender must have needed the money more than I did that night and his Karma will come back to him, if it hasn't already? read more

Dark & divey best describes this place. Love to take people from out of town here.

Of course a place called "Beach Ball" is a dive bar. but what a dive bar! The beer is cheap, cold, served in a glass (hey, some dive bars use plastic) and is invariably available without having to wait for it. I used to come here after work aa little too frequently with friends.. closing the bar before heading over to Seaside Bakery (ahh..!) We always got a pool table, always heard our songs on the jukebox and always had good times. If you're looking for hip, cool or even remotely happening then don't come here. But if you just want to hang out with your friends and have some beer then this is your place. read more

Although I'm kind of scared to say this one here since it might bring a ton of people, but I love Beach Ball!! Pool tables, nice people, good music, and awesome sunset views make this place great. On a Friday night when a million people are overtaking Newport Beach, and every single bar has a line out the door, Beach Ball always has a place for you to order a cocktail. No line, no cover, stiff drinks, and a comfortable atmosphere makes BB the best! read more

As visitors, we enjoyed this bar for many reasons: -It's on the beach. Drunkies at the beach is always great. -Lots of parking available, and free at night. Drunkies love leaving cars in safe, chill parking lots. -It was packed. Lots of Drunkies ina confined space is always great. -the bartenders were awesome. Drunkies love being treated well. -They have pool tables. Drunkies tend to be playful. I'd give it 5 stars if it had been a bit cheaper, bc it's divey, but I'm guessing that because of the location they are allowed to charge more. I don't blame them. Thanks for giving us a great night. read more

Beach Ball is the best dive bar in Orange County. Jen, Todd and Peter are awesome bartenders and are great at what they do. Great place to come play pool, Golden Tee or just chill and listen to the jukebox. In the daytime this place has a great view of the beach. But best of all is how this place is open 20 hours a day!!! With a 2AM close time and a 6 AM start to the day this bar gives you a lot of time for fun. Plus they always pour heavy here. FAVORITE BAR AROUND!!!! read more

For what it is - this place rocks. Just think 80's, Van Halen beach culture. This place is always busy and full of people from all walks of life. seriously though - live the dream, come in in some short board shorts and a tank top and sing your heart out when bon jovi comes on. Its not really my scene, but i really like this bar. The bartenders pour a stiff drink, and the inside looks like you are in the galley of a ship - wood covers nearly every surface - very beautiful. They have some pool tables and a few video game machines. This place opens at 6am and is always packed,they tint the front window, so whilst getting drunk you can fool yourself into thinking its at least the afternoon. read more

one of my fav bars in OC. Hell, its on the NB boardwalk, which makes this 4.5 stars. decent pool tables, un-assuming crowd, and worthy b'tenders. Unfortunately they don't have everything to make a great m'rita -- their version is one of those lame wine enfused lab experiments. Can get crowded, VERY... crowded... on the weekends. Parking is usually annoying. Late night (outside) the beach crowd is entertaining, and worth watching if the NBPD is involved. read more

I always hear about the Beach Ball, I just haven't ever make it here. I heard about the famous jukebox- check- although it could have used some more Mellencamp options! ;) The bartender was really cool- check. People playing pool in the back- check. Decent beer selection- check. Amazing friends to hang out with- check. read more

The Beach Ball is the best!! I use to live down the street and one night (my first time there) I wondered into this place, It just so happens to be the night I met my husband to be. Yes, this place can get packed on hot summers night, but the staff is really cool and they pour some stiff drinks! They don't serve any food, but they never seem to mind if you bring something in. They also have a couple of pool tables in the back. I always make it a point to come here whenever I'm back in town!! ***UPDATE*** I just read Esquire Mags top 100 bars and The Beach Ball is #67!!! Very cool, wish I could stop by and have a drink with Pete & Todd!! read more

Want to go to a legit OC Beachfront Dive? Then the Beach Ball is perfect! It comes well equipped with: A Jukebox Strong drinks Wasted locals Pool Tables Wasted tourists Surfers A grungy bathroom w/ one stall Wasted people who will try to feel you up all night long (OK, this only happened to me once) I like that its right on the boardwalk, so you can literally breathe in the sea breeze and actually jump right in the ocean if you need to sober up quickly. So if you're looking for a good Newport dive this is your place.....its just not really my style, that's all. read more

Ahhhh... good ol Beach Ball... This place opens crazy early (like 6 or something) so if you're one of those that like a bar first thing in the morning- you may have found your gem... One of my favorite places in that area. I hate Sharkee's, District is too trendy, Mutts is great but they don't serve liquor, But Beach Ball is always a great drunkin time!! Super cheap drinks, friendly bartenders, and awesome people watching!! read more

A very friendly crowd, and a big wedding group let us use their pool table and sit with them. (Yes, this is where people on the Peninsula go sometimes for after rehearsal, bachelor or bachelorette parties). Great fast bar service and strong drinks for a great price. Lots of people vaping inside here, and it gets packed inside. Definitely a dive bar but a friendly one. read more

The Beach Ball is that little hole in the wall dive bar right off the bike path that you go to after a great day down by the beach. The second you walk in, you feel like you are entering a big, dimly lit pirate ship. All the walls are made out of wood, and the upper bar area almost resembles the bow of a boat. The bar tenders have been there forever, and are very friendly. It's a great place to grab a cheap Coors Pounder or 2, play a few of your favorite songs on the juke box, and get in a game of pool. (there are limited tables, so you may have to wait!) The ambiance is pretty cool. Everyone is really laid back and some people just come in straight off the beach in wet suits and bathing suits. I'd definately reccomend it as a change of pace from some of the other over crowded places in that area if you are looking for a little more quiet and relaxation read more

The Beach Shack feel surrounds you as you walk up the stairs and enter the bar. It's kinda like a Lifeguard stand turned bar. It's crowded... the music is playing loud enough that you hope your breath isn't kickin while your leaning in to order your drink... There's a guy down below ruling the pool tables with a blonde fro and the only thing keeping it from hitting the dim lights over the table is that annoying visor he's wearing. It was the 2011 version of Jeff Spicoli! You know, from Fast Times at Ridgemont High?! I swear it. We had a few drinks here in the upper level over-looking the game room & then we took off before my cousin decided to try and get Spicoli to remove his visor. haha Good night. Fun dive bar. read more

Came here on Friday evening after hittin' up the HH at Rock n' Fly further down the street. The homies wanted to play pool and so this is where we ended up. Of course, it was only 6pm so it wasn't very crowded. That was nice, considering two in our party were on crutches. Pool is pretty cheap - four quarters (that's $1 people) a game. Tables seemed fine and I didn't hear any complaints about the quality of the cues. We just had some shots and beer, nothing fancy. The bar staff was friendly and one of the girls hooked us up by telling us what to get for the best bang for our buck. This place is definitely a dive bar. And not just a dive bar, it's a dirty, nasty dive bar. DO NOT go to the bathroom when you are here. Not even worth it. I'm all down for a dive bar, but I need at least a cleanish restroom. When you have something that looks worse than an outdoor bathroom you find on the 5, you know you got some problems! All in all, it was alright. Prices weren't especially cheap for it being a dive bar. I don't think I would ever come back. I like lots of windows...and light =) read more

Pros-- The outside of the bar reminds me of an homage to Three's Company. The inside smells of dark, rich mahogany. Pool tables. YAY! Great place to get your FIRST drink of a bar-hopping evening at the Peninsula. If you are into mixed drinks they are strong. Cons-- If you are a beer connoisseur you will be disappointed. Hence come here for your first drink so you can (and should) experience this place, then move on. Although! They did have a hefeweizen on tap. Wish it was in a chilled mug instead of a plastic cup... read more

If I could put zero I would. On Saturday night like around 10pm My bf , a friend and I decided to walk in. Didn't even make it Inside. The security with black hair and a black mustache older guy. Who was definitely drunk himself or on some kind of drug for sure was so rude to my bf. He literally stood up out of his chair and stepped right in front of him and asked him "do you have a problem, are you drunk don't you see I am staff." Like no we didn't notice you there sir literally looked like a drunk customer in a corner sitting on a chair. So my bf pulls out his ID, to hand him and this security guy was still on a rant I took my Bfs ID out of the security's hand and I told him no we aren't coming inside anymore taking my money elsewhere. He then said " yeah ! Good!" We came in peaceful had no issue with this guy whatsoever he wanted to start a issue for no reason. Anyways we had a peaceful and fun night at stag bar. Hire better security's your place is a cool to go chill for some pool... but in order for me to rate you better I actually need to make it inside, so your 31/2 star just became a 0 because a unprofessional worker. read more

I loved this bar! We popped in here during our pub crawl and I felt like I was climbing up into a tree house. Just as I was thinking to myself "woah, this place is tiny and I'm probably gonna get a bit claustrophobic" we descended to a lower level with high ceilings and pool tables. Another great stop with good music and tasty cocktails! read more

By far the best bar in Newport Beach. Small local spot with well poured drinks and low key vibe. NATALIE is A+ and cares about the well being of the patrons--not just profits. Always will be coming back when she is behind the bar. Recommend to anyone in the area looking for solid service and a good drink. Well done Beach Ball! read more