It used to be a fun dive bar…read more Now it's an over priced bar that's trying to pretend it still isn't a dive.

The Shanghai'd Room in Huntington Beach has been my home away from home for the past two years,…read morelargely because of two absolute standouts: Byron and Meow. Let's start with Byron, because every great night out deserves a great bouncer. Byron is calm, observant, proactive, and genuinely invested in keeping people safe. He handles situations before they turn messy, all while remaining cool, approachable, and respectful. You feel protected without feeling policed -- which is exactly how it should be. Plus, he's great to talk to, and I've enjoyed every interaction I've had with him. Now for the real star of the show: Meow (aka Marissa). I adore this woman. She's sweet, hilarious, quick-witted, intelligent, beautiful, and makes incredible drinks. She is the reason I keep coming back -- and the reason many of my friends are loyal regulars week after week. She somehow manages to make a packed bar feel like your living room. Here's the funny part: I don't even drink much. Half the time I'm ordering a Diet Coke -- and still tipping like I ordered a craft cocktail, because Meow deserves it. I say that as someone who worked through college in hospitality and bartended high-volume places like TGI Friday's, massive events at the Long Beach Convention Center (yes, including the Grand Prix and concerts), and even managed bar service at an upscale steakhouse. Bartending takes multitasking, people-reading skills, awareness, organization, and discernment. Meow has all of it. She hustles, she remembers people, and she runs that bar like a pro. And when she sings? Goosebumps. Every. Single. Time. That said, in the spirit of honesty, I did have one unfortunate experience here involving another patron. On two separate occasions, a woman I didn't know decided I was somehow a threat to her relationship (despite me having exchanged nothing more than polite hellos with her boyfriend). The second encounter escalated into her grabbing and pinching my arm and physically turning me around to confront me. Not exactly the vibe. I reported the incident to another security staff member (Peter), but unfortunately nothing came of it, and the situation wasn't addressed. I ended up handling it myself and disengaging -- which, ironically, led to her following me outside to continue the interrogation. Not ideal. Because of a few moments like this, I'd gently recommend being cautious about giving out phone numbers here -- social media is a safer bet. That said, when the right staff are on, this place truly shines. I still bring friends and family here when they're in town, and they're always impressed. At the end of the day, Byron and Meow are the heart of Shanghai'd. Their professionalism, integrity, warmth, and competence are the reason I've stayed loyal and continue to return. They set the standard -- and they absolutely deserve the recognition.

The goal for the day: start at the top of beach just past the 405 and hit all the dive bars all the…read moreway down beach. It's rare that us DT folk or South HB folk ever get past Talbert. To us it's far! With street & city traffic it's kind of annoying. So a few of us piled into the Jeep and stuck to our local adventure. On a Saturday last afternoon this place is packed! Beer and wine only. Which is fine by me but we were of company with someone who "doesn't drink beer." So it was one and done. For my quick 20-30mins in here I'll give you a quick run down: - it's busy! - ample tv for the sports. - staff is pretty, very nice and attentive and fast. - the bar itself is very clean. - bathrooms are super clean! - pool tables and cold beers. - smoking area is right out front. - parking is easy. - you will fight for a spot at the bar. But that must mean it's a good bar! Enjoy!

If you want a distraction and beach girls is getting annoying go to your local spot on beach, have…read moresome Thai food and a sip. Play some pool and get home safe.

Delicious pizza especially I Wanna Be Sedated. Jeez, it's unbelievably good and well worth the wait!read more

Came to try this place because the pizzas look really good on yelp. We arrived a little after they…read moreopened for the day. Got a couple of seats at the bar. My husband and I looked over the menu and then a bartender came over to greet us. My husband ordered a beer and I heard the bartender tell him they carry beer in either a can or a bottle. Anyway we ordered a I wanna be sedated medium pizza and then I ordered a fruity drink. We watched the US vs Paraguay game on the screen at the bar and I watched the UFC freedom 250 press conference that was on at the same time on my phone. We waited about 40 minutes for our pizza. I thought the pizza was ok. Hubby felt it needed more sauce. Service from the bartenders was pretty good and friendly. Loud music played.

My family and I went on this cruise last night, and we had an enjoyable experience! I had some…read moreconcerns based on the negative reviews I had read here, but we didn't have any problem finding a place to park or getting on the bus. There were so many volunteers all around us, that there was never a question about where we needed to go. The bus ride is a very short one on a traditional school bus. I actually enjoyed it! I do agree with some of the reviewers who have mentioned that it would be a more pleasant experience if they would skip the narration during the cruise, and play Christmas carols instead. The narrator on the boat was clearly reading from a script, and she obviously wasn't familiar with it, because she stumbled over her words quite a bit. The lights are beautiful, though, and while it's true that not every single house is decorated, there are many families that have gone to great lengths to create a fantastic display of lights! What I enjoyed the most was being on the water in such a peaceful setting! There weren't very many boats in the harbor, and that added to the relaxing ambiance. I would have given this experience a five-star rating, but I subtracted one star because of the narration. It wasn't too loud, so that was a plus. It's just that the narrative didn't add anything to the experience because it was simply a description of what was plainly obvious for all to see. One reviewer described the crowd as worse than Disneyland, but I'm happy to say that wasn't our experience. There were exactly 2 busloads of people on the boat, so after the cruise, half of us went on one bus, and the other half went on the other one. Both buses were there to meet us immediately after the cruise, so there was minimal waiting involved. Other reviewers have mentioned that it is important to be on the right side of the boat, so that's where we sat. We had a good view, but since the boat goes up one side of the channel and down the other, all of the houses can be seen from either side of the boat. We avoided the back of the boat because of the fumes coming out of the engine. There is a snack bar on board that sells reasonably-priced snacks and drinks. There is also a restroom on the boat. The only annoying thing we experienced had nothing to do with the operators of the cruise. I only mention it so that others may be more aware of the people around them and show consideration. There was a lady standing behind us who talked nonstop and very loudly to her friend about her travels, her vocational accomplishments, her home redecorating experience, etc. throughout the cruise. I couldn't help but wonder if she even realized that she was on a harbor cruise meant for relaxation and enjoyment of the Christmas lights. As her voice mixed with the voice of the narrator, it created an unpleasant cacophony that put a damper on the serenity of the evening. I know I could have moved away from her, but I chose to stay because I had a seat near the railing. I would highly recommend this cruise, mostly because it is an inexpensive way to get away from the hustle bustle of Christmas preparation, and the proceeds benefit a worthy organization that helps school children.

This was a one and done event for me. You park behind the Trader Joe's. Then they take you on a…read moreschool bus to the boat.You cruise around for about an hour, the problem I had was there was hardly any houses decorated.And the information they were saying about the houses through the speakers during the tour was extremely difficult to understand very muffled speaker system. The positive was it helped the music program for the schools.

A dance-fueled trip back to the coolest corner of the '80s!…read more If you're a fan of New Wave -- think Depeche Mode, The Cure, INXS, New Order and many others -- do not miss a chance to see Flashback Heart Attack live. Their shows is it like stepping into a John Hughes movie with a better sound system and stronger cocktails. From the first shimmering synth riff to the last echo of a drum machine, they had the whole room moving. Their take on classics like "Just Can't Get Enough," "Bizarre Love Triangle," and "Let's Go Crazy" was both spot-on and refreshingly energetic. No stale karaoke vibes here -- they put their own twist on every track while still honoring the original spirit. If you're craving a night of moody synths, retro dancing, and New Wave perfection, Flashback Heart Attack is the real deal. They bring the energy and the fun and definitely the crowds wherever they play. Go check them out at The Harp Inn in Costa Mesa, SeaLegs in HB, concerts in the park, and other events.

One star for using recorded material during live performances. Ahh, the men behind the black…read morecurtain. Just have the rhythm guitarist learn some synth like all the other copy bands. That's called cheating . But hey , they are still pretty good . Does the vocalist use a backing track ? Like when he moves the mic away the vocals continue ?? When no one is strumming the guitar but I hear a guitar ?? Lots of recorded stuff . Got to hand it to these guys for getting the crowd moving . I think you are good enough to not have to cheat .

Graceland Speakeasy in Huntington Beach was amazing. The atmosphere is such a vibe intimate,…read moreclassy, and fun without feeling overdone. The decor is absolutely beautiful, with a cozy lounge feel, great music, and that hidden speakeasy energy that makes the night feel special. It's tucked inside HQ Gastropub near the Huntington Beach Pier, with craft cocktails, gourmet food, and ocean-view charm. They also have lounge seating, a piano bar, fireplace, and 70s music, which adds to the whole experience.

This was my first speakeasy, FINALLY! I have been wanting to try one for years…read more We went on a Sunday which had both benefits and a few cons. This speakeasy is known for taking your cell phone and having a no photo policy. So when they didnt take our phones, we thought we were being sneaky with taking photos. Turns out on Sundays, it is their relaxed day where you are allowed to keep your phone, and they have the side door out onto PCH open. I loved this, but also hated it if I am being honest. PCH is so loud with motorcycles non stop, and it made the room very light. It didnt really feel like a speakeasy as you could enter right off the street. We entered through the hostess stand at HQ Gastropub. I had asked one of the hostesses what we needed to do and she stated she just arrived for work and I would have to ask another hostess when they came up to the stand. Bit weird, not the friendliest welcome, but the staff inside Graceland made up for that. The hostess lets them know we are there and someone comes out to take us back to the red door in the middle of the restaurant down a hall of colored barrels. Typically that is the only place you are allowed to take a photo before you hand over your phone. Back to the service. The bartender was AMAZING. She was so friendly and just amazing. Our waitress was great too, they were both helping us out. I wish I got the bartenders name, she was such a ray of sunshine and sparkle. Literally, she had a sequin top on and the sun hitting it put sparkle across the entire room. I had two glasses of chardonnay that were delicious. I also had a sip of my friends drinks and they were DELICIOUS! We did order food, and I ordered the spicy garlic edamame but never received it. I also was not charged for it, so it is what it is. The sushi nachos were good, as well as the beignets. I am not going to share the photos I took here, because I feel they want to keep it a surprise and I honor that. I would like to come back another time when the door is not open, it is darker and more private for the full speakeasy experience.

Don't judge a book by it's cover…read more.. At first we were.... and then it was.... WHOA. I had the pleasure of venturing out FOCUS Tuesdays to catch friend, producer, Alex Kenji. and the venue was small and intimate, but the evening ROCKED. If you LOVE your house music, if you love music PERIOD. This is the place to catch some of the most incredible DJs/Producers, and they're past track sheet is much to be talked about. If you haven't been go -- and a special shout out to Josh Billings and Non-Fiction Jose for their incredible hospitality and the very cool I LOVE HOUSE MUSIC tshirts!!!! now that's LOVE right there!!!!!

Unprofessional and unorganized. Nothing but excuses for an error that was done on their part…read more Long story short, the website crashed for a brief period of time. Once it was back up, the site was reloaded with HTML and the link to purchase tickets changed without notifying anyone. If you had access to a computer and knew a thing or two about web development, you would have been able to access the html and discover the actual link. That said link was discovered and shared amongst others on Facebook while the rest of us who were stuck with phones or who don't have a Facebook account continued to refresh a page that would waste an hour of our time. Their tweet defended themselves saying that they never changed the link on anyone, but then on their Facebook post, they apologized stating that they overwrote the link after they brought the site back up. Not sure why they kept changing their story, but are you really going to give your business to a club that called its customers liars when they were called out on Twitter? I'm not upset that I wasn't able to buy tickets for a sold out show. I've been doing this electronic music thing for 10 years and sometimes it's just the way it goes, but it's another thing to mislead customers and waste their time and not be given a fair chance. Who knows? Maybe the correct link was shared amongst friends and people who work in the industry. It would appear that way, given some of these electronic music Twitter accounts made smug little comments about how they were able purchase tickets and how they sent the link to others.

We went to Cafe Sevilla this weekend to catch the Mexico World Cup game and we had a great…read moreexperience! First, our server was so attentive even though it was a packed house! What we love about this place is they have happy hour everyday from open to I believe 7, you can't beat that! The food and drinks: we got a tamarindo margarita and we liked it a lot. Good flavor although it could have used a bit more alcohol. For tapas we got: croquetas de queso y jamon (we loved them, they were probably our favorite), calamari (it was so good!), empanadas (my boyfriend said they were good), short rib tacos (they were okay but not the greatest), patatas bravas (only thing I wasn't a fan of). Overall, really great food, service and ambiance. We will definitely be back!

This place is alive with music and great food. We went on a…read moreSunday where their paella is half price for dine in meals. This is a real deal. If you are looking for a place with dancing, lights, and a festival atmosphere? Then you have found it here. If you looking for a quiet, romantic spot for having a private dinner? This is not a great place for that. The Spanish culture is alive and well. They like music and dance, all night long. We came for the paella and the tapas. We started with bacon wrapped dates and blue cheese. They were excellent. Our paella was so much food, it fed three people, and we took some home for one more meal. This was half priced on Sunday, a great deal. I wish they had a quieter place to really enjoy the meal in peace. Maybe it is just me, but it was too much like a nightclub and not like a restaurant. Overall, we will return for a Sunday meal for paella. This is a real cultural restaurant.