The best little hike to unwind. Love this little park with all its sculptures. You park at the…read morecivic center and hike for five minutes to this little area. It's perfect for Easter. Happy Yelping!

Do you love rabbits? There's only one acceptable answer here…read more.. This public sculpture is so cute! It's like, "What are they doing? Are they swapping tales of how they con the humans out of extra snaccos by using their cuteness?" But in all seriousness, you should stop by Civic Center Park if you're ever in the area. There's plenty of free parking (both structure and outdoors). It's a nice and easy path, great for an evening stroll. And if you're lucky enough, you may even catch a glimpse of hares around the Bunnyhenge! Picture Tip: If you like a nice aerial view of Bunnyhenge (or other parts of the park) be sure to utilize the elevated walking path at the intersection. You can walk up (or use the elevator) and it will take you to a lookout platform that will give you an amazing shot.

Beautiful beach city. Lots to do here. Exotic eats, fun shopping, fresh air. In this city II've…read moreenjoyed Haute Dawgz (a sausage boutique), the Harper (a banquet venue), and trail running Fairview Park. Due to the good climate and bustling commerce, the streets can get pretty crowded. Beware drivers who stop at green light and cause you to miss it too. Took this one 10sec of green light to finally go. Too slow, we got stopped by the next red. Ignored my honk too. (9 Purportedly Parked Vehicle 616)

The city of Costa Mesa is awesome, one of the best places to live in the world if you ask me…read more I believe the city of Costa Mesa has had better days and they struggle with some of the same BS that the rest of California is forced to deal with but the economy is absolutely amazing, the home values are very rewarding for those that can afford to purchase a home. The local freeway system is brilliant, access to the 55, 73, 405 plus PCH, Bristol and Harbor Blvd will get you in and out of town quickly. The different restaurant opportunities is 2nd to none. Local surfing, mountain biking, hiking and other outdoor activities is literally right in our back yard. The cost of living in this area is not cheap but if you want to live in one of the best areas in the world some times you got step up!

Best party ever. Never going anywhere else for the Super Bowl ever again. I just need to take up…read morespace so Yelp doesn't count this as a tip. How many words are required so it's not a tip? Not really sure. Gotta keep going. Ok come on Yelp this is getting ridiculous. Just count it as a review already. Alright sweet I made it.

I decided to bring my mom here for Mother's day and enjoyed all of it!…read more We made a reservation about a week ago just incase there was a long wait. I highly recommend making a reservation before going because when we arrived, the line was down to the parking lot. It was packed! We instantly got sat and our server, Alex, stopped by with some water and greeted us. We were informed on Mother's day, they have a set menu. It was 2 salads, 2 apps, 4 entrees and 3 desserts for $55 per person. This was a lot of food! We honestly got full after the apps hit. Everything was sooo delicious and yummy. Alex, was extremely nice and friendly throughout the entire experience. They were very busy and all the servers were running around so we understood if he fell behind. We felt bad because the table next to us was giving him a hard time and being rude about the menu and how they didn't like certain items on the menu yet Alex stayed very professional and helpful with them. 10/10 food and experience, i will forsure be back to try more food and cocktails and request Alex's section!

We visited Maggiano's for their Mother's Day dinner, and while we usually have great experiences…read morehere, this visit was a bit underwhelming. The fixed holiday menu likely played a role. The salmon was overcooked and cold, and the pastas were just okay. The cheesecake was the highlight of the meal. Our server was attentive and friendly despite the holiday rush, and the atmosphere was still enjoyable. We'll definitely return, but this visit didn't quite meet our usual expectations.

Being a one-star giver is not easy. People read it and think bad thoughts. I feel like a hater…read more The business feels discouraged. But... you have to give me something to work with here Ghost Ship! I don't know how much the tickets were, $60? However much they were, they were not worth it. First Fail: We couldn't find it. We drove and drove, nervous about missing the take-off time, and drove right past it at least 3 times. And we are not dumb (of course not!). And we had a GPS (in case we were dumb). And they did not have ANY signs, not even when we drove almost right up to the ship. Also, b/c the ship will take off and we had tickets for one specific time, it was not a come whenever type of situation like other haunted places, which sucked and I had to rush out of a fun barbecue to make it to the ship. Second Fail: The line to get on the ship was huge. Like free preview of a movie at a ghetto theater HUGE. And what's more? The exhaust fumes from the ships was all I could breath. That's how we get cancer people. Please don't make me stand in line for 30 hour breathing in ship exhaust fumes. I don't want to go through chemo any earlier than I have to. Third Fail: Once we got on the ship, the whole thing just sucked. Fourth Fail: There were 3 floors on this ship. One floor had a random chick in a cage, not doing anything. A fortune teller, working for tips, a "show" of a girl in a box that has saw blades put into it. And another cage with a woman who gets pierced by feathers. She bled a little. It was gross. Not scary and not interesting. There was also a bar where you can purchase refreshments. Fifth Fail: Another floor was a show. That was so cheesy and retarded. Just a complete waste of time. Sixth Fail: There was NO BENEFIT to being on a boat. There was limited space, trapped with a ton of people, the long lines, and having to get there early to not miss sail. We were just in rooms the whole time. And b/c it was night time, didn't even get a cool view of the water. And no breeze or anything since all the stuff was indoors and it was freezing outside anyway. Seventh Fail: $10 for parking and then they direct you to park in a BANK ACROSS THE STREET. I could have done that for free. Yes I could have. But I wasn't driving, or paying, so whatever. But still. WTF????? Eight Fail: Decoration was sub-par. Actors were over-cheesy. Just a waste of time and money. The ship (not big) looked like any other guy's modern white ship. They just hung up a sign on the ship that said "Ghost Ship". It looked nothing like the website picture. Ninth Fail: The cruise was only for an hour. And we were so happy to get off. But count in driving there, and all the waiting before, and while on the ship, it comes to a good 3 hours of just wasted time. What was the one semi-acceptable part? The maze was okay and parts of it was even scary. Though part of it was gross, had to squeeze through these blown out tarp things. Gross. Who knows how many other dirty bodies have squeezed through it. EWWWW. Just don't go.

I want to start off my review by saying that they are removing negative comments on their facebook…read morepage. If they dont like what you are saying, they remove your comments, and eventually block you from writing any new ones. I had started a facebook page to allow people to post whatever they want, but I have pulled it down since they are threatening lawsuits to anyone who defames them. So without further ado, this is my personal review of ghostship. Its just my opinion and nothing more. I welcome you to take a ride on the ghostship and come to your own conclusion as to how good or bad the experience was. The title of my review is "Ghostshit - Terror sets Fail!" In my opinion, Ghostship was the worst haunted house experience I have ever been on. It was also the most expensive Haunted House Attraction I have ever been to. Three levels of Fail! Level one - A crummy maze that lasts a grand total of 5 minutes. It is not scary in any way. Its also not very easy to navigate. At one point I was lead in to a room that seemed to have no exit. So I sat there for a while waiting for something to happen. Finally an actor pointed at what was suppose to be the exit door. I went to open it, and it wouldnt budge. After a minute or two, an actor came in, and had to body slam the door to get it to open. At the very end of the maze your forced to squeeze through these blow up billows, that is similar to what a baby experiences when they exit the birth canal. Level two - A huge room where they expect you to spend more money on drinks. Its not really well put together, and there is only a handful of creepers inside. I didnt order a drink, so I wont comment on the quality of the libations they were serving. At the front of level two is the bow, which is were the majority of the guests accumulate after being dissapointed by the ghostship experience and wait till you get back to port. Level 3 - The most epic fail of it all. The execution scene. You can search for Ghostship on Youtube. I posted a video I took of the entire execution. You can hear everyone in the background laughing during the video. They're laughing because its the opposite of scary. Its downright hilarious at how awful it is. So what are my thoughts on this event? I beleive Thirty One Productions owes the people who paid for this event one of two things. 1) A full refund, or 2) Completley redo the event to make it as advertised, and then invite everyone back for a complimentary ride. The idea of a haunted house that sets sail is actually amazing, and what drew me to this event. The idea has the potential of being the premier haunted house event in Southern California. Unfortunatley it didnt live up to the hype in any way. My opinion is to save your money until they can redo the entire event to make it worth your money. See video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_n4wPmXUA9k

Love Filomena's! This restaurant has only fresh ingredients, and every dish is super delicious!…read more Julian was an amazing server, great customer service! Julian always asked my table if we needed anything, he was very attentive to our table. Also the atmosphere was perfect! loved the Frank Sinatra music, the lighting and the relaxing atmosphere.

I found this place not by one, not by two, not by three, but by four different food influencers…read morethat I follow on Facebook so I definitely had to give this place a try. I've passed by it so many times, but it never really caught my eye sitting there off Newport Boulevard, so I'm glad I checked out someplace new that kept getting recommended over and over. I ended up getting the small Italian hoagie and a cheese calzone with their Sunday sauce. The Italian sub was stacked too. Pepper ham, salami, capicola, mortadella, provolone, lettuce, tomato, onion, sweet peppers, hot peppers, pickles, oil and vinegar all packed into a soft Italian roll. Every bite had a different flavor going on from the salty meats to the sharp provolone and the crunch from the lettuce and peppers. The oil and vinegar tied everything together perfectly and gave it that classic deli sandwich taste. Even the small size was filling. The cheese calzone was huge and baked perfectly. The outside had that crispy golden brown crust with little charred spots all over it and a nice crunch when you cut into it. Inside was parmesan, mozzarella, and ricotta cheese all melted together and super cheesy without feeling too heavy. Then you dip it into the Sunday sauce and that's what takes it over the top. Their Sunday sauce is tomato based but infused with the drippings from their homemade beef and pork meatballs so it has a deeper richer flavor than regular marinara. You can definitely taste the difference. Really glad I finally stopped here because now I totally get why so many people were talking about it. Definitely a place I'll be coming back

What a cute and quaint little island! I really loved visiting. There's plenty of free parking if…read moreyou drive down the residential streets, and you can see plenty of cute little homes. This would be a lovely place to own a vacation home. I absolutely love driving over the bridge with American flags flying on both sides; it's something you don't see often in SoCal. There are several cute shops on both sides of the main street, and there's really something for everyone. The island is known for two things: chocolate-covered frozen bananas and Balboa bars. I apparently missed the memo on the Balboa bars, but we got to visit both Dad's Donuts and Sugar 'n Spice for some frozen chocolate bananas, and they were lovely! I recommend coming in the morning to beat the rush. We brought lunch and went to the beach for a picnic on the park benches. It was a lovely day with family! I look forward to coming back to Balboa Island in the future!

We went on a cloudy weekday in late March. We parked in the parking lot on Palm street and took the…read moreferry there. At around 10:30 in the morning, there was plenty of parking available. We paid about $11 for 4 hours which comparing with Santa Monica is reasonable. On our way we also saw free street side parking , but those spots are not close to the ferries. There is a 5 minute walk from the parking lot to where the ferries are. You will have to cross a couple of streets. The ferries are pretty basic but they have capacity for 3 cars as well. Adults pay $2 each to get to the other side. They ONLY accept cash. There and back, the wait time was under a couple of minutes. The island itself is clean and serene. Other than a minimart, a fishing gear shop and a grocery store, there weren't any shops on the oceanfront walkway and no signage as to where you can find any stores. We walked for a bit and then returned to the mainland and Balboa village. Overall, we loved how clean and family friendly the beach and the pier and the island were. If we lived closer, we would visit more often for sure!

Really enjoyed looking at all the art sculptures walking an approximate of 1.5 mile loop. The trail…read moreconsisted of cement and gravel paths. The flowers around the path were also in full bloom. There is also a cool sky bridge to take in the beautiful scenery. I could see the ocean! Parking is free and trail head starts at the beginning of the parking lot. There were also two small dog parks within the loop.

Wow, this is a great park!…read more There's a bunch of fun sculptures throughout this nice park. Bunnyhenge is probably the biggest one. There's also a dog park here for small and large dogs. I like how there's an accessible elevator for the bridge to connect the two parks so you don't have to cross the street. Parking is also easy since it's at the civic center. Do yourself a favor and check out the Newport library too!

Il Girasole recently appeared in Orange Coast Magazine as best restaurant in 2026. I celebrated my…read morebirthday here at this upscale Italian restaurant and from start to finish everything was so impressive. To start with the restaurant has Banksy artwork throughout, dark wood flooring and blue velvet upholstered chairs as well as a large patio seating option. Spanish octopus ($36) - The octopus here is prepared sous vide and was super tender and tasted amazing. It's served with mashed chick peas, garlic aioli, Romanesco, pickled peppers, and crispy sesame rice chips. Lemon taglierni ($24) - The pasta is made in house and was so fresh and had such a fragrant and strong lemon flavor. Filetto ($78) - I was looking forward to trying this dish as it consisted of 6 oz of prime filet with cacio e pepe raviolo on top all served on top of some sautéed Spinach and wild mushrooms. The beef was so tender, juicy, and flavorful and was prepared medium rare. Such a beautiful dish and the pasta was outstanding as well. Lasagna ossobuco ($48) - This lasagna was made with braised veal shank, saffron bechamel, salmoriglio sauce and bone marrow. Like all the dishes that I tried here, it was visually stunning and great melt in your mouth meaty flavoring. Birthday canolis - complimentary canolis were served for my birthday and the shell was crispy with a wonderful ricotta cream filling. Pavlova ($16) - From the dessert menu my group shared this which is also offered with berries instead of passion fruit. It consists of meringue on the bottom layer, with a vanilla mascarpone on top, followed by a passion fruit compote. It had a wonderful balance of sweetness and tanginess. Complimentary lemon cookies are provided to diners at the end of the meal and they were nice and light. Overall I was so impressed with all the dishes here. They were visually stunning and tasted just as good. When the server brought out each dish he explained a little about it and the ingredients incorporated in it. He did a wonderful job and I could tell he was passionate about each dish here. This was definitely one of the best Italian restaurants I have been to.

Great addition to the OC Mix! We tried the tasting menu for about $180 a person! It came with 8…read morecourses! The presentation is definitely impeccable and the flavors were amazing! Definitely not your average Italian restaurant! I really enjoyed their starter dish which was a different take on the caprese appetizer. I loved the dry aged tuna in coconut sauce, this was probably the best tuna I have ever had, it was so melt in your mouth good and the coconut sauce was extremely flavorful. The pea risotto and the rockfish with the asparagus was also really good! The rockfish was covered with fingerling potatoes and the potatoes were super crispy and went well with the moist fish! The next dish was the duck. I am not a huge duck person, it was a little tough but the flavor was really good. However the duck confit wrapped in cabbage was super good! The lamb was pretty tender! I really enjoyed the mushroom and artichoke that came with it! I loved the deconstructed lemon cheesecake! Just get it! There was also a filler dessert that was a chocolate truffle, cream puff, and a blackberry tart. This was all underwhelming. I did took off a star (I would give this place 4.5 stars!) because the food kind of took a while to come out and it the whole dinner took about 2 hours. I really appreciated the complimentary glass of wine for the wait! We also sat at the bar and it was a little unorganized with a bunch of stuff at the end of the bar, not a big deal but an eyesore for a really nice restaurant. Overall this place is really good and I would return to try more dishes!

Absolutely amazing from start to finish. The ambiance, the service, the food, the cocktails, the…read moremusic, Domenico singing... ALL amazing. They made my wife and I's 10 year anniversary enjoyable and memorable.

We celebrated our 16th year wedding anniversary at The Red Room. Service was amazing from start to…read morefinish. The owner reached out to confirm our reservations and when we arrived, the awesome service continued! I'm not a big fan of pasta so I was a little worried about what to expect when we got there but everything we ordered was amazing! I'm def coming back to try their other items. Live music, good food, great ambiance... totally recommend!