We stopped at this place after a day out on a boat. It was one of the only places around that let us make a reservation online so that was a plus. We were looking for lobster haha. The restaurant set up outside wasn't the cutest but the food was ok. The mushrooms were the best thing that night. We ordered the and . The filet mignon was super tender but unfortunately the steak had no flavor, no seasoning. The bread tasted like it had sat in stale cloth napkins overnight and it started to take on that taste on top of being hard. The cocktails were your typical cocktails nothing special or craft available. The staff was very friendly and attentive. Thank you read more

I am more sad... The place needs a remodel, service is abrupt and food has lost its standard. It's just not worth the money. There are so many more places that have better food, atmosphere and service's.x read more

Our favorite Steak and Seafood restaurant. It's old school rat pack vibe is perfect for a romantic dinner or night out. We love getting a martini at the bar beforehand. Shrimp scampi and rice pilaf here is to die for. I don't particularly like the twice baked potatoes but others do. King crab legs are huge but expensive with inflation. No prices on the menu FYI. Singers in the dining room are great and set off a moody vibe. read more

Haven't been back in years. Expensive but definitely the place to go for Prime Rib. On a Par with McClintocks of Los Osos California.

This place is the best! Amazing steak. Honestly any kind you get, whether it's filet, New York, any of the lobster, crab legs, shrimp, etc. you will be more than pleased. They don't have a menu. They will wheel the display out in front of you showing you the cuts of meat, fish, etc. pleasantly surprised with their amazing wine selection and honestly, who doesn't look good in dark red lights. Love La Cave! It's a staple of mine and will keep going until my wheels fall off. read more

I cannot express how wonderful this place is. My husband and I had to cancel our big wedding and chose to elope. We picked La Cave to celebrate afterwords. Perfect choice. Food is delicious, steak baby! And the red lighting made it so romantic. Great live music. The owner, Laura, heard it was our wedding day and stopped by with a rose and a happy congratulations. She interacted with all other customers too. A restaurant is only as special as their owner. She nailed it. Cannot wait to come back!!!! read more

La Cave - Steakhouses Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

OMG. This place is a complete rip off. I felt totally fleeced! They will not give you a menu with prices. They roll out a cart and then lie about the prices. I repeat they would not give us a menu with prices. We went for a simple dinner and a couple of drinks for 3. The bill was well over $200- which shocked us as we arrived at 6PM for what we thought was the early bird dinner. They did not break down the price for the drinks-just a whopper bill. They try to embarrass you if you ask about prices. My mother pointed to something on the trolley and they charged $58. It ruined a really fun night. If you have really deep pockets to pay for a very average experience then go for it. Otherwise RUN!!! There are so many better and more reasonable places to dine with better food in the Newport area. read more

Not the worst steak I've ever had. But by far the worst I've had at a "real" restaurant. Charred to the point of bitterness. Seasoned so hard it was almost inedible (and I like salt). The "bread" served ahead of time tasted like the same basket had been served to every table all night. Do not recommend. read more

So my grandfather has been coming here For many many years and tonight I decided to take my fiancé here for the first time we were so excited! The service was nice however the food was absolutely disappointing especially for the ridiculously outrageous prices!!! My fiancé had the Australian lobster tail which was rubbery and dry he refused to finish it and the inside of his twice baked potato was cold. I myself had the halibut which was so bland and over cooked it was almost inedible. No amount of lemon or sauce could of helped that halibut I literally took 4 -5 bites and pushed it to the side. The rice pilaf that I chose as a side was half rice half noodles it was crazy I have never experienced rice so long. The best part of the whole dinner was the bread...so unfortunate. Paying $170.00 for what you would think would be an AMAZING dinner for 2 turned out to be absolute GARBAGE! I want my money back. read more

La Cave has such a rich history in this community, and in a day where corporate restaurants seem to be taking over, this 'cellar' is a cross between my grandparents' favorite classic haunts and a modern-day culinary treasure. The owner, Laura, takes great pride in the restaurant's longevity and panache, as she should. This is hands-down once of my favorite places to enjoy a petite filet perfectly seasoned and cooked - complete with garlic mushrooms and twice baked potato. The old school garlic toast takes me back to my childhood, the ambiance is dark but warm and intimate. Truly a classic. read more

Boyfriend says "I'm in the mood for a steak". We were on a short get away to Newport for the weekend. I search the area for steakhouses and this restaurant came up. The first lines said "dark, romantic setting" which was right up our alley. He changed his mind and decided we'd walk to an Italian restaurant. It was packed and there was a line and we were hungry. So we decide to take an Uber to La Cave and we are SO happy we did! What a great experience. The restaurant has been there 57 years. It's under ground, dark, romantically lit and very welcoming. We couldn't believe our luck. No menu, just a covered cart with your choices. There's a New York strip, ribeye, 6 and 10oz filets, king crab legs (get them!!!! So worth the price), halibut and a few others. Comes with salad and twice baked potato and garlic bread. The food came out fast but we were never ever rushed. It was an excellent. The crab legs were huge. This is one of my favorite things on earth, I've had fresh King crab in Homer Alaska cooked over an open flame boiling pot while camping on the ocean banks. These were almost better than that. They definitely were larger. And a nice generous portion for $58. We had a wonderful, romantic meal with great service and a super cool, old school atmosphere. Go here. Enjoy! read more

Only went there once and won't be back. Had a reservation at 7:15, we get there on time, and we're told we have to wait at the bar until a table opens. We wait at the bar for 20 minutes to be seated at a table with two chairs directly next to each other. When I asked if the hostess could put a chair across the table she refused, and said I'd have to keep waiting if I wanted a table like that. Cocktails were also horrible. Will never be back read more

So disappointed! I felt robbed of my hard earned money. We ordered the rib-eye and porter house steaks. So tough. This isn't a steak house. It is a glorified diner. For the amount of money I spent I should have gone to Mastro's, Ruth's Chris or Morton's. Heck even Sizzler does a better job. As for the appetizer I ordered shrimp and mushroom scampi it was at least of better quality than the steaks, which they promote. Never again will I return to this place. Save your money, go to the more reputable steak houses. This place is a rip off if you're in it for steaks. In all fairness the service was great (5 stars) and I enjoyed their their chocolate cake (4 stars). They should get Robert Irvine of Restaurant Impossible to do some rehab. read more

I love this classic old place, former Rat Pack and John Wayne haunt. Great food and cocktails too! Over been coming here for at least 20 years and I've seen some skilled performers and heard some crackin' tunes! The place is under relatively new ownership but, she's doing a great job so far. It still has a great feel here and she's putting a lot of energy into cultivating the entertainment aspects of the venue by hosting some real talent. read more

La Cave - Dannie Hofmann jazzing the place up with his band, RedShift. So good! - Steakhouses Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

You over booked and was absolutely not about customer experience Laura your comments below are wrong! There are l many ways to handle the situation and what you chose was rude. Telling us you needed us to leave because you needed the table. We have been in plenty of restaurants on a busy night, somehow those professional managers know how to manage the flow and the customers. We spent a lot of money, the food was good, the staff and service was great, which is why we still tipped the staff 20% after being treated so rudely by you. No 90 year old party after us, lies! Regulars yes because your staff told us. read more

We were invited to a Birthday Party held at this restaurant that we never knew even existed. Located in a nondescript strip mall in Costa Mesa it does not look like anything special. But SPECIAL it is. The food and ambulance was excellent. But it was the service that most impressed me. The servers were always there anticipating your needs. They were all extremely helpful and friendly, as was the entire staff. Running out of water during a meal is something that bugs me in many restaurants, especially when you can't find your server. Not a problem at La Cave. I noticed that all the employees ill respective to their jobs, pitched in to serve the customers. It was not just the water person who kept my glass full, the servers were also always offering more water. And as our dining experience progressed there was always someone there to take away empty plates and used silverware and keep the table tidy. And this included the servers themselves and even the hostess. I highly recommend that you try La Cave for a memorable dining experience. read more

An underground gem in the border of Costa Mesa in Newport Beach. It's a steakhouse fit for old-school mob bosses. I love how you can see the steaks and the chef cooking the steaks. Get the jumbo shrimp cocktail and a their martini! I was a little nervous considering It has 3 stars but it was delicious steaks, great service and an cool entrance reminding me of the one shot from Goodfellas. Our service was wonderful, our waitress was very attentive, kind and welcoming. The manager was also very nice and hand-on making you feel like you're a regular. Love it! Can't wait to come back for their Sinatra night. read more

Have been coming to LaCave for many, many years - when I lived in the area it was always a favorite. Moved further south but still pop in every few months. It is consistent, friendly and more importantly they have kept to the original successful method of operating. I hope they never change. If they ever have large round ice in the drinks or kale on the menu, I'm afraid they will lose me! This is a GOOD step back in time. read more

I came here 5-6 years ago for my sister's Birthday, and the food and service was excellent! I moved out-of-state and returned to California. Wanted to take my nephew and family to celebrate his Birthday, which was in March 2021. The steaks were charred, actually tasted like burnt meat! It was terrible. I felt so bad, since I told my nephew this was such a "great place!" Considering that the bill was close to $600.00, this is not the caliber of food for the cost of dinner for 4 people. Please save your time, effort and money and avoid this place!! Extremely disappointing experience! I rarely post reviews but felt that this was necessary. read more

The idea of this restaurant is neat, but the experience fell flat. My husband and I went for date night after hearing great things about the ambiance and food. When we first arrived we were a little alarmed. It's located in a remote area in Costa Mesa/ Newport and the parking lot looks like it's an abandoned auto mall. Super sketchy. Which surprised us since it was supposed to be a very fancy and expensive place... but we walked into the "building" anyway. The first thing we walked up to was an elevator directly in front of us and a cheap plastic table with random flyers to the right of us, but there were no signs telling us which floor the restaurant was on. So, we hit the 2nd floor button first. Nothing happened. Then we hit the 1st floor button. Again, nothing happened (probably because we were already on the first floor but thought we'd try it just in case). Finally, we hit the B (basement) button and got some movement. Okaaaay... wasn't expecting that. Sure enough, the doors open up and led us to an underground restaurant giving you the feeling of a cave. Ha.. got it.. La Cave.. it was all coming together. Anyway, we got seated quickly and things started off well enough. The server seemed nice and got us our beverages quickly. After starting with the sautéed shrimp and mushrooms appetizer (which was $25 and the price was not disclosed to us until the bill came. NOT worth it at all), our server wheeled over a cart filled with meat and seafood. She explained that we pick out our protein and based on the individual pricing of the protein, that included one side and a soup or salad. That's why the pricing was a little higher than normal at regular restaurants ($45 for one lobster tail, $38 for New York steak, etc). At one point during dinner we watched our server being called over to another table and open a bottle of wine for them. Nothing strange about that... but then she came over to us in a huff and started to complain about that table's server not opening their bottle. That she told them, they can wait a minute and how frustrating it was that they called over someone else to do it. We were a little surprised and found that to be kind of unprofessional. So all in all the food was good, but not great, the drinks were average, nothing memorable, and the service was a little slow and odd. Our server did offer us a complimentary dessert for it being our first time there, so that was nice. Unfortunately, due to a $200 bill for mediocre cuisine and subpar service, we won't be going back and won't be recommending this place to anyone any time soon. read more

Sadly, the response I received from the management of La Cave regarding our recent dining experience was not very telling. Yes, the food was good, not great, with seasoning issues and accuracy of cook time.. We didn't "misunderstand" the corkage pricing, it was very clear and objectionable. The reason we brought our own wine was because it was a very special occasion and the wine we brought was memorable. We were never told only one bottle was permissable so we had to assume the $50 charge as a form of penalty. We lingered as long as we did because it was so loud it took great effort just to carry on a conversation across the table. We have made great memories at La Cave over the years, and are truly saddened by this experience... read more

65 for 16 oz (more like 12 oz) ribeye with undercooked plain broccoli. 59 for 10 oz New York strip with potato boat. 15 for mushrooms....total bill for two 149 no drinks, just water...what???? I could get what I paid for at chili's and it would have tasted way better. The price you pay is so not worth it at all! Wouldn't recommend if you are looking for something nice. This place is waaaaay over priced for the quality of service, ambiance, and especially the food. I don't think it was high quality meat...tasted very tough and not very flavorful. Did they even season it????? Not going back ever again. They must be making a killing off us suckers. Menu has no prices...figured it couldn't be more than 30 a steak. I was wrong. Out!!!!!!!!! Still gave a tip out of pitty for the workers. read more

Old atmosphere with good food. The decor is what makes this place . Great service throughout this place. Dark cozy feeling.

I hadn't been here in years and the food was as good as a remember and the service was excellent. I could have done without the Elvis show. It was just too loud and a little annoying for such fine dinning. Other than that, the experience was great! read more

Come on underground!Bring a friend friends or family or even solo.always a good time hanging in one of oldest steakhouses in o.c. and chatting it up with the locals or great for a date night!.you can always get dinner at the bar! Try one of the many Martinis old fashioned cocktails or beer and great variety of wine to pair with your dinner or appetizer.always a good time at La Cave! read more

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The food was delicious and the cocktail were on point! The lovely hostess (maybe manager) was amazing. She was very accommodating to us and made sure we enjoyed our evening. Also kudos to the busser. read more

Went here for the food, stayed for the bar. Best bartender in town. Made me the bestest sweet drinks and manly drinks ever had. Food was awesome too, go for a nice steak and taters dinner. Make sure you get a nice drink read more

La Cave - Steakhouses Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Very cool "60's rat-pack" vibe from food, & drinks to decor. Fun date night. Steaks & seafood, drinks, sides were all great!

We had the most perfect early New Year's Eve dinner tonight! Nayeli is a wonderful server: knowledgeable, sweet and gracious. Lobster bisque was delish, drinks are generous,, each dish cooked perfectly. Great place for old school steak and seafood. read more

I spent a lot of time at La Cave in the 2010's with my friends enjoying heavy metal bands, Phil Shane and cocktails so it seemed like a fun place to plan my birthday dinner for 12 guests, many of which from those fun times. From the moment we walked in the environment was swamplike-- my friends and I were dressed to kill and sweating our @$$es off because the air conditioning was not turned on for some reason. We arrived on time and waited about 10 minutes to be seated. We were placed at a corner table in the back room where those of us on the booth side were squished together. We requested a chair to place at an empty space at the head of the table to alleviate the too-close-for-comfort seating arrangement and the server would not bring us one (a friendly bussser later did). The entertainment was lovely. The presentation of the menu was fun. The food was absolutely horrendous-- every single thing. It was the worst meal I have ever had. Not one of my friends finished their entree. They boasted a house-made blue cheese Cesar which rendered my salad inedible. The steak I ordered medium was literally charred to a crisp. My husband tasted a few of our guest's steaks and although they were all ordered at different temperatures (rare, medium-rare, and medium) they were all cooked exactly the same. The twice baked potato tasted like it was a week old and you could not decipher any hint of flavor other than stale potato. My friends were gracious, we had a great time despite it all. That said, I would never recommend anyone dines here. It pains me to say it, because this place holds such as special place in my heart, but La Cave is an awful choice for dining. read more

This place has a great ambiance, the food was very fair. The mash potatoes taste like powder mash potato's from a box. I would not recommend this place for how expensive it is. read more

Best steak in town is here. Our first time here and we are loving it. Everything from service to atmosphere to food. Our waitress was so attentive and friendly. We ordered porterhouse and Alaskan crab!!! Best combo ever!!! read more

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Costa Mesa Restaurant Week Review! One of the best prix fixe deals i have seen in a while! For $24.11, they had an awesome deal that came with their famous cheese bread, choice of salad or soup, ny strip or boneless rib eye, and chocolate cake! Came here for a girls night out, and it was great timing that we ended up here during restaurant week. All of us got the deal and agreed they give you alot of food for the price and enjoyed our dinner! Girls night out for me usually means alot of estrogen filled conversations. Me- being unmarried without kids, a good manly steak usually helps to balance things out for me. I was a little sad that they were serving a "boneless" ribeye, as bone-in med rare rib eye is my go to cut of steak. However, the boneless ribeye was surprisingly very flavorful and tender and they gave a huge piece! http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/PHQx8u-SX3r7TULNy1dYJw?select=mp44YMRZ8G4iyTCk31WDdw Starter cheese bread was super yummy. I forgot to say "twice baked" and ended up with a regular baked potato, but it was still a hefty yum potato. I tasted the twice baked and it was good. Salad was ok- i did enjoy the one slice of beet on top. Dessert was super cute : a mini bundt chocolate cake with chocolate chips inside. It didn't taste or look "fancy" but i enjoyed it very much. I was the only girl at the table who finished her cake...!! For the regular menu, instead of a physical menu- your server will bring around a cart of meats and go over your choices. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/PHQx8u-SX3r7TULNy1dYJw?select=3fUNqK65p6UAIrrs07sfLg This place is a real trip too. It looks like a strip mall outside and it's next to a blockbuster. You take an elevator down and end up in this very old school joint. I think we were the youngest there. It's VERY DARK. Personally i dislike not being able to clearly see the food i eat, but the ambiance with the red lighting was pretty cool. Not sure if it was a ventilation problem cuz it is indeed an underground "cave", but the whole time i was eating, there was a musky, smoky air that u couldn't help taste. And I'm convinced Greg T lives here. read more

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It was 1978... I was wearing my favorite black georgette jumper and silver platform wedges... mah eyes were lined with glitter... mah smile bore cherry flavored gloss... He was wearing a pair of pants that hugged his ass and his shirt was open wide at the collar... we hit the town that night in search of meat... red meat... to be followed by some disco dancing. . . . Ok, I take it back... it's 2008. The evening in question was last Saturday... and while I WAS certainly wearing a pair of platform wedges, sadly they weren't silver. I made reservations at La Cave last Tuesday to insure we would actually be able to Get In. We'd made several attempts sans rez in the past only to be informed of an hour plus wait. Not gonna happen tonight, my friends! We arrived shortly before our reservation to find a full house... Our hostess had her back to us for a good ten minutes... which is bothersome, honestly... but I remained calm and patient because I wanted to have a good evening... Finally, acknowledgment... we were told that it would be another twenty minutes or so... so we decided to make our way to the bar for drinks... the bar was equally a'buzz and it took a few approaches and retreats to find a spot where we would be noticed. I asked for a glass of champagne and the BF, a Crown and Coke. The bartender asked me if their house champagne was ok... I said sure since he didn't elaborate to what an alternate selection might consist of. We received our round... $14, not bad... and wandered to find a place to stand that would be out of the way until our table was ready...which thankfully wasn't long. I was feeling a bit awkward with a champagne flute in one hand and an empty bottle in the other... it would have been nice if the hostess had offered to dispose of it... since she did approach us several times to let us know it "wouldn't be long now" but... whaddya gonna do? We were shown to our table... a sweet little vinyl booth shaped in a semi circle, perfect for an intimate dining experience, which faces the floor of the restaurant and allowed us the opportunity to take in our surroundings... La Cave is dark... I mean opaque, man... I love lighting like this in a restaurant... because my imagination often runs wild... and it is moments like these... I imagine myself a disco queen... about to enjoy a fifty dollar steak before heading out to Hustle it to KC and the Sunshine Band... the décor doesn't seem to have been updated in the last few decades so this adds Technicolor to my imagination... ya dig? Before our waitress came by the table, a hurried bus boy frantically threw silverware onto our table... It is advisable to slow down, mister... you can poke an eye out. I know there are other tables to dress... but more rhythmic breathing is better for everyone. Finally, our server appeared... she was very pleasant and approached with a smile. We both decided to start with salad...and ordered the 10 oz filet mignon...for entrée. Holy cow (literally!)... and Twice Baked Cheesy potato. I ordered my steak medium rare and it was puuuuuuuuuurfect. Soft and unbelievably juicy on the inside but cooked with just a hint of char on the outside. Effing hell, it was good. The potato was aiight. I love twice baked potatoes... but this one was a little too stiff for my liking... (You won't hear me say that often. Ahem.) Since I ate only a third of my steak... and had just the right amount of bubbly floating in mah head... we decided to split the NY Cheesecake. It was pretty good... the BF ate most of it and I'm definitely NOT complaining (my thighs thank his proactive approach to devour anything containing sugar)... I enjoyed just enough to leave a sweet taste in my mouth. La Cave is perfect for Date Night... I wouldn't recommend it as a first, second, or third date spot... unless you're comfortable with spending two bills... but the steak IS good...and the atmosphere yummy... That's the Way...uh huh uh huh... I like it. read more

I am going to have to give La Cave 3-1/2 stars. Three stars for food and four stars for the atmosphere. Walking into the entrance area, I was reminded of an old apartment building lobby where you approach an elevator. When you get in the elevator, there are three buttons, "Office, Exit and La Cave - which is in the basement. We pushed B and when the elevator door opened it felt like we were transported back in time. My first impression was it was really dark and there was glow of red light everywhere, and I couldn't stop thinking about the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland. The place opened in the 60s and I don't think much has changed about this place since then. There is a bar area when you walk in and a bar area in the back room. It is very dark and pretty close quarters in the dining areas. We kinda shuffled into our booth, because the aisle spaces between tables was pretty tight. They had flickering fake candle sconces on the wall and lit candles on the wall bars and on every table. It was definitely a cool atmosphere. Interesting people watching also. Being the Yelp geek that I am, I had to light up everything on the table with my pen light so I could take pictures in the restaurant with my phone. I knew if I had a flash camera I'd be lighting up that dark room every time I took a picture and I didn't want to do that. We were there for the last day of Costa Mesa Restaurant week and all opted to order off the special fixed price menu that was $24.11 for starter of soup or salad, entree of NY strip or rib eye, choice of rice pilaf, baked potato or cheesy twice-baked potato, order of famous garlic cheese bread and chocolate bundt cake for dessert. For the price, it was a great deal. Just wish my rib eye was a little better. Not the best steak I've ever had. I love rib eye because it is marbled with fat and usually very tender and juicy but not really the case here. The steak for me was just meh. My steak seemed really overcooked on the outside. The garlic bread and twice-baked potato were awesome though, and our waitress was great. Very informative and friendly. She discouraged me from ordering a mojito there by saying, "We don't make those too well, I would suggest ordering something else." I really appreciated her honesty since drinks weren't exactly cheap there. You had to give her a lot of credit for the mastery of maneuvering around that dark, cramped restaurant with the cart full of meat and seafood also. They bring it out before you order to show you all the cuts of meat and seafood available on the menu. We had a great time marveling about the decor of the restaurant, the history of it and the fun people watching inside. So glad to say I finally made it to La Cave. Definitely enjoyed the vibe of the place but I really am not sure if I'd necessary be back for the food. read more

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I'm honestly perplexed at how to describe La Cave, so I'll try using some descriptive words: - Dark - Dingy - Sexy - Trendy - Incestuous - Mysterious - Incomparable Contrary to popular belief, not every joint in the OC is pretentious. They don't charge a cover (+1) and they pour like a dive going out of business. Oh and have you seen the clientele? Good lord. It's like Zeus & Natalie Portman had children together and sprinkled them all over that place. P.S. Free parking! **Does the Free Parking dance** read more

This has got to be the best fillet iv"e ever had... Fantastic! The service was incredible thank you Taylor for a great experience . I will defiantly speak to all my friends and family about this awesome experience. Thanx read more

La Cave - Steakhouses Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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My husband and I used to love coming here... We would have a drink at the bar, enjoy some live music and share a steak. Last Wed as we're getting our food brought out they had a DJ start setting up in the middle of our dinner, the kids were cursing and drinking.. just tacky atmosphere. We spoke with a bartender, I think his name was Josh. What a prick. He turned his back on us when Mike asked a question about the dinner hours said something rude under his breather and walked off. I thought Mike was going to choke him haha. Anyways we're in our 40s but I'll bet the kids going in there are 18. Never again unless there's a remodel and that bar tender is 86'd read more

Okay, so someone left me a super rude "compliment" about how my previous review was not helpful, and I disagreed. However, in the interest of appeasing the masses, I would like to point out the obvious clarity of the prior review: when someone is saying "hey, where should we go tonight? Let's see if La Cave is it" they then see my review of "no, just no" and avoid disaster. There's not even good people watching! It's like, washed up Newport Beach snobs, Real Estate agents with alcohol problems and the people that like them are the only ones in attendance (unless it's a live band night, then you can include "super fans" in the mix) Sometimes it smells like fish, if that was the special earlier in the day The bartenders are about the only good part of this place Go somewhere else FAST. Is that better, you mindless troll that goes around telling people that their obviously spot-on reviews are "useless" :D read more

I've been hearing about La Cave for the longest time, and it was cool to finally check it out and dine at the restaurant. I was lucky enough to win a $25 gift certificate from the nice folks at Costa Mesa Travel (who organize the CM Restaurant Week). So, it was off to La Cave. I had no idea how much La Cave really was... ahem, a cave! It was super dark, musty, humid, and had a slightly-odd, mildew-like stench permeating throughout the restaurant. I guess that's all part of the old-school charm, as the say. To me, it just smelled like dirty old socks. We were greeted warmly and promptly seated in the far end corner, beside the bar area. What seemed like a cozy spot eventually turned into a straight-up sports bar atmosphere. There was hootin' and hollerin', along with a few obscenities thrown in for good measure. Hey, that's the bar for ya. Our waitress rolled out the meat cart, which looked really waxy and fake. Was that real meat on display? I sure hope not. Anyway, both my wife and I opted for the medallions of beef (thin cuts of filet) for $25 per person, which was advertised on the restaurant week menu. We chose the clam chowder to start things off, which was surprisingly flavorful but devoid of any clams or any seafood essence. The garlic cheese bread was tasty. Our medallions of beef filet were tender but was extremely bland on its own. Of course, they knew that and slathered the meat with the mushroom bordelaise sauce. We finished off the meal with the chocolate bundt cake. Overall, I'm glad to have checked out La Cave for the first time, but I just don't see myself returning anytime soon. read more