We had such a great time at Social Costa Mesa last night. The food and atmosphere on the patio was great and the service was exceptional. Juan Gabriel made our night. My friend and I were deep in conversation the whole evening and he just knew the perfect times to pop in and check on us and bring us exactly what we needed! He was so attentive and also kept us laughing with each of his visits to our table. The happy hour prices are very reasonable and they have lots of fun drinks on the menu. I will definitely be back and will be sure to ask for our favorite server, Juan Gabriel. read more

Really great atmosphere and pretty good drinks would recommend for a hang out of a nice date

Social is one of my top favorites when it comes to Happy Hours. The service was phenomenal. The drinks are quite tasty and are served in amazing glassware. I love the outdoor patio that they had set up and was unique. However, the quality of the food and the flavors within each dish are what really me. To read more on this Adventure visit https://ochappyhouradventures.com/2020/10/chique-patio-dining-social-kitchen-craft-bar/ read more

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I just came to this place for the first and last time. Spent 2.5 hours watching a room full of tables with no drinks and no food. Had to track down someone for drinks. I sat with my "hot" chicken sandwich in front of me for 20 min waiting for the rest of my party to get their food. All the while waiting and watching the "manager" walk around with a beer. read more

Great time last night -- Monday, July 23, 2018 -- had by all at the Foley for Mayor 2018 Happy Hour Fundraiser! Great service, excellent food and terrific atmosphere. This was an excellent place for the fundraiser. The staff was very helpful. Everyone in attendance had a good time and new volunteers were recruited. If you haven't tried SOCIAL for an event, maybe you should. Monday night seem to work well for our group. read more

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Corey was such a great bar tender. He knew how to make drinks however you wanted. He was incredibly social and friendly. If any one needs a shot ask for the key lime pie shot. AMAZING read more

Good drink selection with a strong pour. I have been here a few times and enjoyed the food every time.

2.5 stars. 2 stars for service, and 3 for the food. SOCIAL did not live up to the hype for me. I have had this place bookmarked on Yelp for some time now and I was not that wowed by the place. It was just ok for me. Met up with my friends here who had made a reservation for us. When my friends arrived, they were told by the kinda arrogant hostess that since they didn't specify where we wanted to eat, we would be relegated to one of the outer perimeter restaurant booths unless we vacated in 90 minutes. At that point, I thought, fine, I really don't need to be here that long at this rate. We all ordered drinks, two of us had beer and the other two of us had cocktails. I enjoyed my Endless Summer. It was a refreshing cocktail. Our waiter was pretty blase about everything. Not a whole lot of enthusiasm. He was kinda going through the motions. As I am a fan of roasted bone marrow, as are my friends, we ordered the Smoked Bone Marrow. This was good but was really overwhelmed by the bacon jam that was on top. Couldn't really taste the bone marrow just the jam. Of the things that we ordered, I would say I enjoyed the Roasted Cauliflower the best. This was delicious. The Grilled Skirt Steak was ordered and the server did not even ask my fiance how he wanted it prepared. Luckily he enjoys steak on the rare side. One thing we were all impressed by, though, was the $4 French Press Coffee. Beautiful presentation and delicious coffee. The name of this place is SOCIAL, but the restaurant and service didn't really cultivate this atmosphere. With plenty of fantastic gastropubs more local to me in South OC, I highly doubt I will venture back here unless I am in the area. read more

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Really good choices on the menu. I had a green goddess salad with salmon. It was delicious and not heavy dressing. Salmon was cooked perfectly, moist and medium rare. Sat on the patio. Very nice meal and service. read more

Social - Green goddess salad with salmon. - New American Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Went to this place on a whim because we wanted to try a new place with friends. I ordered the pan roasted chicken and it was nothing like how it was described on the menu. It was a different dish aside from the vegetables, which were undercooked. I would have totally ordered something different had I known. Not ok to advertise something on the menu and not deliver. Dish was disappointing overall. read more

I book this spot for a girlfriend's birthday. And I cannot express how they went out of there way for us. They gave us such amazing hospitality. We started of with some seasonal drinks. We ordered appetizers and food and the food came out timely manner. They accommodated 12 of us in the patio which I loved so we can talk and it's not loud. The waitress I forgot her name but blonde short hair, was such a fantastic waitress. Always checking up in is making sure we have everything or if we needed anything. Even though we were in the patio they never forgot about us. Thank you so much for the accommodations!!!! read more

I made reservations through email for a group of 22 and it was a very smooth process. Upon arrival, I was seated a bit later than my reservation time since the table was still being used and cleaned up. The servers provided great service and accommodated to my party's requests. Some dishes and drinks were forgotten or arrived late, but it was also a busy Saturday night. The food was great and my guests loved their drinks. I was told that there'd be a cake cutting fee of $25 but I don't think we got charged for it. Also, they charge $1 shot glass per person if you ask for some (since we decided to drink my bottle that was a gift). They allowed split checks for my large party. read more

We had looked into holding a birthday party at Social for May 22nd. I have to say that this truly was a seamless experience. Marisa worked with us to ensure that everything went smoothly, all of our needs were met and provided assistance with ideas for the party. We were allowed to come in early and decorate. She stayed the entire time at the party both before, during and after which required multiple hours that day. So much time and effort she put in so that our experience was stellar. I've put on many events and I have to say, she and Social were probably the most accommodating event space I've ever worked with. I hope to work with them again. If you are considering a space for your event, please look into this one. The space is super cute and can be decorated to fit any theme. Thank you again so much Social and Marisa for your outstanding support and service. We shall definitely see you again!!! read more

I had been wanting to come check this place out for so long - it had been bookmarked for quite a while and I am glad I was able to come in for a brunch recently! Worth the wait for sure! It is pretty easy to locate, Google Map takes you right to the location, however, good luck finding parking. It has a private parking lot but it shares with other businesses and it also has valet parking but its so close to Triangle square that one can easily park in the structure and walk to it. Came here during brunch time and it was pretty quite, hardly 3 other tables were filled other than us at the place, really enjoyed the relaxed ambiance. Food and service here were simply AMAZING - everyone that works here were super friendly and nice. They always had a smile on their face and made sure we were taken care of. The proportions for the brunch items were decent sized, in between two of us we had a toast, chilaquiles and a donut [we were stuffed after that]. -- Chilaquiles: loved the sauce, addition of the cotija cheese was at the perfect amount -- Strawberry Avo Toast: one can never go wrong with avocado but a mixture of avocado and strawberry was at a whole another level [I am so glad our server recommended this one to us] -- Flutternutter Donut: I am not a huge fan of peanut butter so I am glad it had was topped with bananas otherwise I probably would have thought that there was too much peanut butter P.S. Don't forget to try Mi Vida Mocha! I am addicted! read more

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I'm so excited! We found a new fave! Walked into Social, Saturday before six, wearing shorts, a hoodie and dusty hiking boots. I had heard the place was pretty trendy, but they let us in nonetheless. JK. We sat in the patio. The eclectic, exotic menu first caught our eye when we were yelping for a new eatery. Let me tell you, the real thing did not disappoint. With the help of our server, Abbey, we chose several dishes to share: Wood fire oysters, Brussels Sprouts, Figs & Burrata and Blistered Shishito Peppers. She also helped us with our wicked cocktail selection. More to come on that. The oysters, warm and served over a bed of rock salt were, well, oysters, covered in a delicate green sauce. Although cilantro is nowhere on the description of this sauce, that's the flavor that stood out the most. The fig & burrata was fresh and light; the burrata was creamy and airy. The figs were slightly sweet. A great combo with hot-out-of-the-oven bread, literally smoking. In my humble opinion, the type of bread and how it's served is served speaks volumes. It's the first impression and the window into what's coming next. If you can wow with bread, chances are the rest of your menu is pretty darn good. Nothing like paying attention to details. The Brussels Sprouts, which are one of our favorite dishes and we sample them everywhere we go, has got to be one of the best offerings in town. Cooked to perfection, with hints of ham, crumbled hazelnuts, balsamic, and topped with slithered sweet potato had our mouths doing a happy dance. The Shishito Peppers turned out to be quite the thing - only a few were actually fiery; the rest were very mild. The kaffir lime added a sense of wild adventure to this unique dish. It would have been perfect had it not been too salty. Back to the "crafty" cocktails. With the likes of Kiwi Herman and I'm bringing piggy back, you know these mixologists are crazy creative. We ordered the Gunslinger - they're not kidding when they say spirit forward. Rye and bourbon flavored with citrus. Aromatic and yes, strong. Then there was the Shiso Boujee, apparently the most coveted cocktail in the place. After trying it, I can understand why. It's crisp, light, extremely flavorful and probably deadly. You can't have just one. Thankfully, that's not what I ordered. For me it was the Don't be a pasilla - a bloody red orange mix of tequila and mezcal with a chili of a kick. I had two of those and still managed to walk out unfettered. During this whole time, our server, Abbey, kept an eye on us coming by to check on our progress and looking to increase our delightful and delectable culinary sojourn.She was a delight herself: friendly, helpful and very joyful. We also had our very own entourage of bus boys or should I say, bus men, who kept our water glasses topped off and asked whether we needed anything. I'm sorry I didn't ask their names, but they were pretty cool, too. All in all, dining at Social was a five-star experience, from the drinks, the bread, the meals to the outstanding service. We're definitely making this place our number 1 and we promise to dress up next time. Oh, and why you ask, did I not take a picture of this delectable buffet? Simple - I had very little juice on my phone, which I reserved to take a pic of Abbey. So now that you know her you can ask for her when you make your reservation or just look for her when you're there. Buon appetit! read more

Social - Find Happy Abbey at Social. - New American Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Had such a great time at happy hour! Great atmosphere inside and outside. The fries were amazing and probably the best I've had. Need to come back and try to rest of the happy hour menu. Thanks to Corey for the great service! read more

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This place is amazing! I'm a usual coming almost every week usually every other week! I never make a reservation so I never have a problem with SOCIAL. However, today was just ridiculous. Host and customer services was complete crap. I walked and absolutely no effort of taking us in, Bar top was full I asked for a table that I didn't mind waiting an hour if I have to and the host just told me sorry I have reservations...I asked if they were going to take my info down if they have an opening...not even that just a "I will let you know". How the hell are you going to let me know if you don't have my number taken down or anything I'm not going to stand around for 2 hours just so you can tell me. Clearly incompetent staff on contacting reoccurring customers. SOCIAL is official off my list to go to on a Friday after work. Back to Bosscat! Won't be treated like this there. read more

This place's feel/ vibe is just right. I really like how they are always changing their specialty drinks which are really delicious. I think the menu is a tad-bit pricey which is why three stars instead of 4.. however the taste is borderline worth it.. if the Brussels sprouts are still on the menu I would for sure try it. This is a great option for a group since they have long tables and also larger high tables by the bar... p.s. anything the bar makes you can for sure trust.. my favorite drink so far was a toss up between the beet one (forget the name) or the one in the photo. read more

Social - Delish - New American Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

That was the strangest dining experience I've had in sometime. Both of us being food servers, we are very patient people. Volume was light however our Caesar salad took over 20 minutes to arrive due to "technical issues" Our server did a poor job checking on us throughout the evening. For being known for their cocktails, the garnishes were sad and withering. The manager and server took off our salad and dessert which was a bonus. We were very much looking forward to date night here but sadly, we were not impressed. Lastly to add, we live in Redlands located next to San Bernardino. So to make the trip all the way here for this kind of evening makes it that much more painful. read more

Went here after work for their happy hour specials. Ordered their burger with bacon jam and shared a Caesars salad with my friend. Great service from being seated to talking to our server. The burger is a smaller version of their regular burger but soo good. One of the best burgers I have had. That bacon jam is awesome. Between the burger and splitting a Caesars salad and one drink I was full and split between us it was about 27 each. Love this place and Will definitely be back. read more

I try chilaquiles every time I see them on a menu, and these are the best I've had. If you like chilaquiles with a kick, you have to try this place. read more

· Ambience: Good · Cocktails: Good · Food: Way overpriced · Service: Bad In summary, a good place to stop for drinks, but I wouldn't plan a dinner here ever again, especially with how rude the servers are. No customer service consideration whatsoever - couldn't dispute our overpriced food or even talk to a manager about it. The food is way overpriced - you get small portions for $16+ each. What. No. Come if your friends drag you here, but there are so many other good places in the area, especially across the street at The Triangle. read more

Don't go here!!! The attitude and service is the worst. Sat at the bar for over 20 minutes and weren't acknowledged at all. Others sat down after and were served. read more

Every aspect of this meal was very okay. The ambience is generic gastropub, with tolerably hip decor, TVs playing sports, and plenty of seating. The menu consists primarily of shared plates, with some pasta and meat entrees. They also have an extensive craft cocktail list. I came here with a group of 7 to celebrate a family birthday, and while nothing was bad, nothing was great either. The Brussels Sprouts were overly fried and sweet, and the Shishitos were limp and oily, not helped by the flavorless dollop of aioli served alongside. The Caesar Salad was good, albeit overdressed and too heavy on the horseradish. The beets in the Burrata & Beets were tender and flavorful, and I loved the complex, sweet walnut pate accompaniment. Unfortunately the Burrata was low quality. The Butternut Squash Agnolotti was pedestrian. Butter, butternut, butter. Very one note, and certainly not worthy of being a $22 pasta dish. My family got various meat dishes and enjoyed them. Service was friendly and attentive, and they brought out a complimentary birthday dessert-cinnamon sugar mini donuts. I would come back for drinks and snacks, but not for dinner. read more

Social - Butternut Squash Agnolotti - New American Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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SOCIAL has been a part of many celebrations for me, friends and family...from birthdays, engagement parties, Mother's Day brunch to just because, Social has always been on the short list of fave places in the Costa Mesa area The brunch can't be beat with the avo roasts and breakfast burrito and um hello with the addition of thunder king coffee, can we all say matcha on tap?! I have never had an issue with service and on every occasion the owner has greeted us with friendly smiles, friendly chit chat and the occasional taste test from new menu items they are working on. This is a family business and the husband and wife team behind social really care about their business, staff and most importantly their customers The drive through burger is fantastic and I always always have to get the shishito peppers, cauliflower and Brussels I've had the barramundi (fantastic with orange and black rice) pig head (a fave and must order in advance) skirt steak, and everything in between and I can not complain about any of it. The portions are smaller and meant to be shared (hence the premise behind the name). My fave drink is the black magic woman (Bmw) and its a little but spicy, Smokey and just a hint of sweet (kinda like me) Overall, social is a huge part of my life and my families and will continue to return as long as they'll have me read more

Social - Avo toast - New American Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

The food here is very okay. My friend and I ordered the following dishes: -hamachi: topped with avocado, coconut, jalapeno, kumquat confit, and a fried lotus root. My first bite was light and fresh- tasted like springtime in my mouth. Great! But then I realized that all of the hamachi slices were melded together and each slice of fish was difficult to break off. That was weird. And distracting because they usually happens when fish is not that fresh. -lamb belly: the sear on the lamb was nice, but the lamb belly tasted extra gamey. The garnishes and sauce that it was served with could not mitigate how gamey the meat tasted. This was a matter of preference, so I had to end up surrendering my portion of the dish. -grilled octopus: served on stop of a bed of Spanish chorizo, marble potatoes, wax beans, chicarrones, and smoked Romesco. The octopus had a nice chew to it, but lacked in flavor. The medley of chorizo + vegetables was good, but did not really complement with the octopus. The dishes at the Social were safe and unadventurous. Would I come back? Probably not. read more

Social - grilled octopus - New American Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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REVIEW FOR NEW YEAR'S EVE 2019 ONLY: Highly disappointed. My friends and I arrived at 9:45pm and waited over and hour in line to get into the venue, though we had already bought tickets ($107/each). I am not sure what the issue was (I heard it was capacity limits?) but admission was handled very poorly by management. There were two lines: one for VIP and one for GA. Though we had already prepaid- the VIP line was the only one let in for over an hour. The bouncers did not enforce any of the lines as new groups would be dropped off from their cars and pushed straight to the front, being let in immediately (rolls eyes). Also our tickets were never scanned? At one point they were just letting everyone in. Once we were let in, the bar was packed. Drinks were fine (top shelf alcohol was served) but we lost an hour of what we had paid for since we had to wait in line. There also were supposed to be passed hors d'oeuvres but we only saw swordfish skewers and carrots & hummus. Yuck. Another disappointment. We stayed until last call to attempt to get our moneys worth but the place cleared out probably 30 minutes after midnight. Overall would not recommend for NYE or large events as management did not handle the situation properly. Many people who waited in line around us also had the same sentiments. Refunds/partial refunds should be awarded for this lack of service recovery. This was unacceptable and needs to be addressed by management to improve for next year etc. Otherwise food & drink seems good here as reviews are high. Not sure if I would return back though. read more

My friends surprised me and brought me here for brunch to celebrate my upcoming wedding. Our server, Juan Gabriel, went above and beyond to give us exceptional service. He was enthusiastic, funny, and attentive. We ordered the brussel sprouts to share (really good), vegetarian benedict, chicken and waffles, egg scramble, burger, and breakfast sandwich. Everyone loved their food. Juan Gabriel even brought us donuts for our celebration and we loved the whip it came with. read more

This place is so cute! Perfect place to grab drinks and small bites. They also have a private room for private events and parties. It has a very cute neon sign that says "Good vibes only" which caught my attention! The happy hour deals are amazing and it doesn't get super busy or crowded either. We had drinks and fries and their fries are very crispy! We sat at the bar since the tables made us feel very short for some reason. It started getting busy through out the night, so it took a while to get our drinks and food. I would definitely come back during happy hour and try other appetizers/entrees on the menu read more

Such good food! I got to try the charcuterie plate and seemingly neverending portions of squash toast, ceviche tostada, brussel sprouts, grilled cheese, and the drive thru burger sliders. Without exception, all the food was well presented and thoughtfully integrated. My favorite was the brussel sprouts, which came out extra fatty and oiled--it pretty much defeated the purpose of getting "healthier" greens, but I honestly didn't care because it tasted good. Reminded me of Fundamental LA's brussel sprouts. My least favorite was the squash toast, which sat a little bland in my mouth. Because of the texture of all the ingredients in it, it lacked a little oomph and could certainly be skipped among all the other goodies available here. My drink of choice:"LET'S GET HI-BISCUS." SO, SO, SO GOOD! I would come back just to sit at the bar and sip on this. This drink was probably the reason that the food tasted so good. Sometimes, a good drink makes all the difference and gets your stomach ready to grub. I also liked that I could actually taste the alcohol--they didn't skimp on strength just to reach flavor. Will be back, Social! read more

Loved this place!!! Great service! Our server was Gretchen and she was super amazing! We had our C-level executives and our two branches meet up for a tasty treat! Everything was so delish! (Brussels sprouts, grill cheese with the bone, ceviche, scallops, 2 types of chicken wings, salad, my lovely non alcoholic cocktail drink per my request! I loved this place! read more

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Came for a birthday party last night (March 23). When we came, we originally had a reservation but upon arriving the hostess said there were no reservations that night.. so weird. We didn't know how many were in the party so we were seated at a long table. When the bday girl arrived she mentioned something to a waiter and he immediately took care of it, seating us where there Social sign was once it cleared up. So yay!! Great customer service. I wish i got his name but it was just so hectic with so many people and orders to get and moving tables. A+ for that!! Food was just okay to me... a little over priced and nothing that blew my mind. The only thing i did really enjoy were the brussel sprouts. Had a bit of the chicken and waffles and it wasn't anything that great. Waffles tasted a bit grainy as well. I had a pasta, and it was too runny. Another girl ordered the burger (and apparently waiter said it was 6th in the nation of best burgers -- which i did not believe) and true, it wasn't that good. I could not even rank that in my top 20. Even the dessert was not good. Drinks were good, service was great, food was mediocre. Don't know if I'd come again. read more

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Had a great time. The hostess was super friendly and quickly accommodated our party of 7. Our server Juan Gabriel was amazing. Stone at the bar was so friendly and made some great suggestions. Drinks were good, food was tasty, and service was friendly and attentive. read more

Social - Cinnamon sugar- churro donuts - New American Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

First time here and I wish I was local so I could come back again and again! Dania was so fun and so welcoming. This was a great vibe with great food. Go there and spend some money! read more

Maybe it's because I don't have facial hair or wear a baseball cap that my waiter completely ignored my wife and I. Just guess I'm not cool enough to be respected by the staff at Social. Fine... I'll go spend my money somewhere else. read more

Came here on a Sunday for brunch/lunch. Food was meh, but the drinks were really good. They have craft coffee and brunch cocktails. I ordered the brunch cocktail "Coffee's for Closers" and it was strong and tasty! The waitress brings a bottle and a glass with ice to the table and as she's pouring the drink out of the bottle, smoke comes out. She then proceeded to tell us to smell the bottle and it smelled amazing- like a woody scented candle (hard to explain, I guess you'll just have to order it and try it). My girlfriend and I shared the Beet salad with crunchy quinoa as we weren't that hungry. The salad was tasty, but the portion was ridiculously small and not much of any greens in it (we were sharing it, but even if it was for one person, it was ridiculously small) and definitely not worth $15. We were very disappointed! However, we came with a group of 5 and split the Brussels and those were really good! Had a small taste of my friend's chicken (she ordered the chicken and waffles) and it was pretty good with the Louisiana hot sauce. Overall, probably wouldn't come back unless I'm in the mood for a coffee+alcohol type of drink. read more

Came here with our international friends visiting from Australia and South Korea so we could show them the SoCal experience at a hipster spot. Of course, Social came to mind. It has the ambiance of chic and trendy with amazing food. We had some cocktails (forgot the names) and shared some appetizers as well as the 40oz Prime Tomahawk. Holyyyyy... one, this platter was absolutely beautiful. Two, goddamn was it good! I shared this with 4 other guys, and we were so incredibly satisfied. On the house, our server brought us some donuts to top off the night. So amazing! I'd recommend coming here for some good vibes and eatery for sure. read more

2 stars for 1 for each libation. Menu didn't have much flare to entice a stay to order after we were served appetizer / cocktails. Waited over 20 mins for server to return to take our order, she never did. And by time she did we figured out she was cluless of anyone elses time but hers. HInt hint server: when you bring out an appetizer, It's a great time to actually take your party of 4s order. $22-45.00 entrees 15 dollar cocktails-Yikes. Pricey for no customer service. Brussel sprout appetizer was super oily and soggy. Not a fan. Get a clue Social. read more

We hosted a private surprise party for 50+ people in the event room at Social a couple of weeks ago and they did an AWESOME job! Marisa (the event manager) was so easy to work with in all the pre-planning and was there the night of the event to help out and make sure everything went smoothly and according to plan. Our bartender, Dylan, was great fun and did a wonderful job making sure our guests were really well taken care of!! In my business career I orchestrated many business events of a party type nature, all over the US. Social in in my top five favorites. Food was fantastic, a really nice bar package and top notch service. Thanks Social! You made our event very special! RB read more

The food & cocktails are always amazing. Consistently impressed. Glad to have such a great restaurant in the neighborhood. read more

Social - New American Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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