We LOVE this place - it's our Cheers (IYKYK). The staff is so friendly, and accommodating on requests. The pozole is out of this world!! Try it - you won't be disappointed. The burgers are fantastic and on their summer menu is hummus with veggies and pita bread are so good. I have the chef cut the pita into strips so they are a bit crunchy!! Yum!!! read more

Decided to try it again. Marginal improvements. Lighting's slightly better. Food is overpriced, but isn't awful. Unfortunately, staff and owner still seem unnecessarily hostile to newcomers. Honestly, you're much better off going to Brian's just up the road. Just a night and day difference between sports bars. read more

I can't ever get Wingstop or any other chicken wings joint when The Bench has $1 wings every Wednesdays. My friends and I have been going here religiously every Wednesday for the past two months. We love Chris he's the coolest server and we always love chatting with him when we come. Cant wait to try other deals for other days! read more

See all

Great food and very good specials too! Friendly servers and a plethora of big screen TV's throughout the place. Clean bathrooms too!! read more

We love this place! The staff is awesome, great service, friendly and inviting. Ayshea, Chris, Matt and Ryan... it doesn't matter which is working they all treat you great. Food is so good and it is now a regular in our rotation. read more

chirs matt ryan and bub have been very nice and helpful with us great costume service would recommend

We came to visit our niece who attends CSUF and just turned 21 last month. She had not yet imbibed her first legal drink, so as good godparents do, we found a local bar to remedy the situation. The bartenders on duty were very welcoming and checked on us regularly. We were there at 4pm, so it wasn't very crowded or noisy, just right. Our niece had 2 cocktails which she enjoyed, I had an espresso martini, the hubby had a Guinness. Noshed on some potato taquitos which were very tasty. A great maiden voyage for my niece, cheers! read more

The Bench Sports Bar - Espresso martini, Boca punch (I think) & Guinness. Cheers to 21 years! - Sports Bars Near Me - Fullerton, California

I wanted to check back in and give an update for a hidden gem. As a consumer I really look for those types of spots within my neighborhood. I want to thank bartenders Matt and Ayshea. My wife and I came in after I picked her up from school. Let me high light the bartenders service for the amazing service and conversation. They were both at the top of there game. They both took the time to talk to both my wife and I interest. We never felt pressured. Let's talk about the food. My wife got a Philly cheese steak sandwich that came out really tender and tasty. I got wings Wednesday. Both bartenders were both very attentive to our food allergies and I'm thankful as a type 1 diabetic. They took the time to make sure by talking to me making sure I didn't have to much sugar which is what important for a diabetics control. The scene was fun with really cool fun old and modern music for all. I really recommend the bench and bartenders Matthew & Ayshea they are kool! read more

I've been frequenting The Bench for close to 10 years. I like the bar a lot. I've gotten to know some of the servers really well, and they are all amazing, hard working, friendly, and never leave you with an empty pint glass. I haven't been to The Bench in a few months, and went just the other day. It seems there have been some noticeable changes for the better. Like, huge improvements that look to be making a good bar, into a great bar. The food is really, really good. And, not just in a "that's pretty good food for bar food" kinda way. No, it's just flat-out, really good food, period. Their wings are exceptionally good, and one of my favorites. I usually go on "Wing Wednesdays" where you can get wings for $1 each...it's a smokin' deal for what I consider some of the best wings around. And they have so many flavors of wings to choose from! Another fave is the Tostada Salad, it's hardy, and fresh, and delicious. They have great burgers, excellent fries and tater tots! Oh, and they have stellar Ranch... look, don't act like that's not important. Anywho, they have a large and extensive menu. And, so far I haven't found anything that I don't like. Do yourself a favor, visit The Bench and see for yourself. It's hands-down one of the best bars in the area. read more

The bartenders chris and ryan gave the best service you could ask for . Chris has such a rad stache it motivated me to grow one out! The food is delicious especially the crunchwrap . Theres this good pineapple beer on tap i highly recommend. Ambiance is lively and fun with good music and all the best sports games . read more

The Bench Sports Bar - Sports Bars Near Me - Fullerton, California

I came here on a Wednesday night wanting to watch the dodger game because it is a "sports bar" we got here at 7:30 AYESHA let us know she was not able to put the sound on for us because not enough people wanted to watch it which is okay. We were told that last call was at 8:30 which is weird because they close at 11. We were told we couldn't finish the dodger game. We came on a Thursday and SAMMY was working we give her 10/10 experience she allowed us to finish the dodger game, she did not turn customers when they tried to come in. I genuinely believe they should find other servers on a Wednesday night. read more

This has been my favorite sports bar in Orange County !! The food is actually really good! Please get the "crunch wrap" better than Taco Bell's ! Bartenders are so great! Tanya and Sammi are my favorite! They are so sweet and funny and make delish drinks! They always remember what we order! GIRLS GIRLS ! I love them read more

August 16, 2025 , Let's start with the food, 12 chicken wings for 20$ sounds great ?!! Right until they bring them out undercooked and you asked them if they could put them in the fryer once more and the waitress says oh we don't have a fryer but I'll put them in the oven or whatever salamander they have. Brings them back exactly the same. this waitress was lovely. Don't take anything away from her service. The one you should watch out for is a girl named Samantha very very obnoxiously rude. A situation occurred where a beer was spilled. Proceeds to ask me if I want another one. I said, of course the beer just spilled fast forward to when I have to pay the bill she charged me for the spilt beer. I hadn't even took the sip of it. So when I ask her what is this extra charge she says what do you mean the beer you dropped? That's fine. I say most bartenders would've just not charge you for it. She proceeds to get nastier and nastier.! soI made a few comments which in hindsight probably wasn't the best option. At this point I'm asking for my credit card cause she has a tab running. She refuses to give me my credit card. It says I'm going to call the cops. (the whole time screaming get out get out!! making it a scene! ) not a lot of brains on this one! you're trying to kick someone out, already charge their tab, but don't want to give them their credit card back. I don't know what scam they try to run, but stay away from this place !!! when I called their bluff and said call the cops you have my property. I'll wait right here. Let's see what they say ? That's when a gentleman stepped in, but he wasn't management. Just another employee , what does it say about service? What does it say about everything , so I ask her way did you already charge me for this and you're just waiting to give me my bill, she says yes, so I say , then give me my credit card you have my property. You're technically stealing. My property ! still refuses to give me my property so when I ask for a manager, they say there's no manager here lol . It all makes sense now how is a business run with no manager present? Some young guy gets my credit card and the bill and I'm like I have to sign for it , now they say no , why would I not have to sign for a bill that I owe?? and why would you not try to give me my credit card? I mean, you could look into it as much as I did, but these guys are crooks!! The employees probably not the business owner. Reason I was there was to watch preseason football on Saturday. Guess what ? they did not have any of the games on. They said" NFL Sunday ticket suddenly shut off.lol when I asked what about Fox 11 or channel 2? They said they did not have those channels. So what does that say about the establishment supposedly a sports bar but you Don't have football law during preseason Agroup of erectile dysfunctional men also tried to intimidate me , circulating around me trying to force me to get out ! Physically, touching and pushing me mind you there's 5 to 6 of them. I thought they were gonna call the cops? What happened to the proper code of conduct and acting like you're a reputable business?? Yeah that flew out the door quick. Bars usually have security guards for circumstances, bartenders, deem needed. This place for sure needs to get investigate!!, I'm certain they're breaking hundreds of laws health violations, I actually have video footage of some of the men, also have video footage of customers bringing bags from the liquor store of hard liquor. I mean, I don't know maybe bars can do that. I'm not sure. Definitely something they want to keep to themselves if you know what I mean. read more

Good vibes, power hour fridays, football season must. Food is good anything really is good. Great service

Came here recently to grab some grub. Place is family friendly and less a dive bar but just an all around great sports bar. They have a good size place, long bar top, small patio, plus a pool table. Tried the pizza and it was fairly appetizing. Service was great. We would come back again. read more

My co-workers and I come to the bench a couple times a month after work. The staff is always friendly, the food is decent. And having a full bar is a plus. Before last night 3/15/25 I would have probably given them a 5 star dive bar rating. However.. last night we received our bills and noticed that the tip was already on there. Ok, whatever lots of places will add that to a party of 6 or more. But we've never had that happen here in more than a year of hanging out here. And many times we are 10+ people. The issue with this particular auto-gratuity is that it was 22%! No where is this advertised.. no signs on the walls, notes in the menu.. nada. When we asked our server about it he said "we've always done that". No, you haven't. It will really make us think twice about coming back. I am a good tipper, when the service warrants it. But the service we received on this visit was not 22% service. read more

Top notch customer service, came in with a few friends over the weekend to watch the dodger game and the bartender came up to our table quick and was friendly. Highly recommend the sampler platter with the potato skins or the pizza for food. Drinks were fairly priced too. read more

The Bench is the perfect place to watch sports, eat, and have delicious drinks! The service is always a 10/10. read more

See all

I have been here a couple of times, usually around lunch time during the week. It is rarely crowded at that time. It looks small from the outside but pretty big inside. With a few arcane games and pool tables with lots of bar seating and TVs. The bartender was great, her service and kindness is always on point. Drinks are reasonably priced and have good specialty shots. I would recommend. read more

See all

Great service and a ton of screen to watch sports. Prices were good and the food was actually pretty good too. Recommend for a chill night.

THE NEW CHEF IS AMAZING!! This place recently hired a new chef, her name is Norma and the food quality has gone way up since she's been here! I would consider this high end bar food. The chef is classically trained and this place just lucked out on scoring her. If you want great service and AWESOME drinks then ask for Tanya :) She is slangin some of the best drinks in town - make sure to ask for the Mexican candy shot! read more

The Bench Sports Bar - Ahi poke - Sports Bars Near Me - Fullerton, California

The menu has just gotten so much better with all the new added items, definitely going to be eating here more often ! read more

The Bench Sports Bar - Delicious burger made by Norma with CRISPY CHEESE - Sports Bars Near Me - Fullerton, California

See all

Mixed review. Love the space and place. Food prices for what you get are expensive for bar food. 3 little Buffalo taquitos for $12. Pitcher of miller lite was $21.00. Pretty steep for not an IPA. TJs has pitchers for $12.00. Atmosphere is good and clean...just needs a price reduction for beer. read more

The young tanned bartender who severed me on Sunday afternoon on march 3rd made me feel right at home. She was always ready for my next drink and I had great conversations with her. She is the best. Her name is Ayshea read more

I don't come here often but I like this spot. It's in a small shopping center full of places you've never heard of or don't go to. The parking situation can be difficult depending on the time you go. The Bench isn't your average sports bar. It's never been packed when I've been for weekends. It's a quieter bar. There's indoor and outdoor seating, TVs for sure inside but I can't remember whether they were outside too. They have a decent selection of beers, they aren't easy on the alcohol with mixed drinks either. As for food, it's your average bar food. Good tacos and even better tater tots. Service can be a bit slow but you are usually able to wave someone down. I mostly like this bar because it's super casual and an easy place to catch up with friends. It's not going to give you the downtown Fullerton vibe and you don't need to scream over each other to talk. read more

Great spot to bring friends and/or clients. The food is always amazing - Thursdays is their Taco Specials day - carnitas, pollo, carne asada, fish & potato tacos are all delicious. The pizza and sandwiches are all great! Beer is always ice cold. Tanya is the day manager and is always on top of it! She remembers everyone's names and preferred drinks/food. The bad reviews seem extremely fudged - either people with negative attitudes or must have been a really busy day that they were not anticipating. All the bartenders and servers are friendly and helpful. Definitely recommend coming and trying this spot out! read more

Nice bar with big TVs. Sean gives excellent service and the staff are really nice. The beer selection is good too!

The Bench is fantastic! It's a hidden gem in Fullerton. Great, clean and spacious sports bar. Hopefully when this Covid stuff is over, there can be live bands again. That's what first attracted us 2 years ago. We stopped in this Monday for dinner. You cannot sit at the bar top right now, but there is plenty of seating. Tables are every other table as of now. There is also a patio. We ordered the French dip and the grilled chicken sandwhich. The French dip was amazing, but we prefer our roast beef more red. The slaw was perfection! My favorite part of the meal was the slaw. I love purple cabbage. I'm glad that was an option, as I try not to order fries. The chicken sandwich was good, the bun was my favorite part. Next time I'd love to try the pizza. We have heard great thing about the pizzas. The drinks are a little pricey, but you are paying for a nice experience and good ambiance. These are not dive bar prices, but definitely worth checking this place out. We will definitely not take 2 years this time to return. read more

See all

I giving 3 stars because I've had 2 good experiences & 1 not so good experience. My 1st time there was to watch football on a Sunday & it was really a nice time. My friend & I to go to different places in the area to see where we want to regularly watch football & I was pleasantly surprised with The Bench. The food was really good, we shared the carne asada quesadilla, she had beer & I had a couple of mixed drinks. The place was not too packed or empty it was just right. They had plenty of tv's with all the games & it was a good day. The next time I was there was on Veterans Day & my husband and I went to lunch & again, we had a nice time. The food was really good, him & I shared the carne asada quesadilla because it was so good the last time. It came with really good green salsa & the bartender was working the entire place by herself & she did an amazing job. I was really impressed with her not forgetting anything we asked for & she was super prompt. I can't remember her name, but she was pretty awesome. So, because I've had such a great time at this place, I decided to suggest it to some friends of ours. They sent out a group text saying let's meet at Kelly's for some drinks & food. Well I'm a big fan of Kelly's, their servers are SUPER friendly, food is great & I love the beer selection. BUT my friend who sent the text out doesn't drink beer nor does his wife. So I say, what do you 2 plan on drinking at Kelly's they only serve beer? I said let's go to The Bench they have a full bar. He said that sounds great, we haven't been there in awhile. This is when my not so good experience happened. It was definitely not busy & there were 2 servers, both pretty young, very aloof, not friendly just dry & sort of stuck up. At first everything was going well, we were greeted at the table & then when I ordered my drink I was asked what kind of vodka I wanted in my drink & I said the well vodka was fine. Asking what kind of vodka is standard, I use to bartend & cocktail waitress so I was not upset with being asked, but when I said the well vodka the guy server sort of rolled his eyes & seemed irritated by my response, (it was just the way he made me feel). I was like whatever, that's what I ordered & I didn't think much more about it. I also asked for water at least 3 times from the same guy server, but it never came out. Our friend who we invited there has to go up to the bar & ask for water to be brought out to our table. The other server was a girl & she checked on us often & replenished our drinks. She was helpful; just not friendly OR rude either, but didn't seem to want to be there. As our food came out, we asked for the green salsa that we had from a previous time there from our guy server & it never came out. When we were asked for our next drink order we asked for the salsa again, it never came out. Our friend had to go up to the bar a 2nd time to ask if the guy server if he could bring out the green salsa. All the while the guy server is standing behind the bar watching the football game on the tv! It was very frustrating because we shouldn't have to go up to the bar to ask several times for simple items. As the night when on we got the feeling that they didn't even want to come back to our table & the friend that had to go up to the bar two times to get them to bring things out to us wanted a last drink before we left. Both the girl server & the guy server went to all the tables to check on them & never came back to ours. Our friend then holds up his drink cup & motions that he would like another drink, still neither of them come to our table. So, our friend takes a third trip up to the bar. To say the least we were under the impression that they were over us. So when his drink comes out we ask for our bill, so we can go spend our money elsewhere. We felt pretty unappreciated at this point. Our bill comes out, I check it & I'm charged for Tito's vodka which I'm pretty sure is not the house well vodka? This thoroughly irritated me & now I have to go up to the bar (4th time to the bar) & say, you charged me for Tito's when I said I'd take well. He took the bill from me & fixed it in the system & tossed the bill on the counter. I'm thinking to myself, why are you irritated with me? We paid & got out of there. It sad that servers can make people not want to come back to your very cool establishment. SERVICE is the number one reason why restaurants/bars are either busy or slow, so if you're not as busy as other service related business in the area, LOOK at your servers. You can have bad food, bad drinks & still be busy, it's service that brings people in! Good, friendly & appreciative service. read more

Laid back, welcoming, remodeled and has a ton of huge TV's. Best part is the pool table for $1 per game. Bartender was great ( forgot her name) I was clumsy and knocked over my girlfriends entire full drink. Not only did the bartender clean it up but she didn't hesitate in bringing my girlfriend a new drink. We will be back. But this was a Monday, never tried weekend nights here but I'm sure it's great. read more

I've been to the Bench several times, and finally doing a write up. The Bench is located in a shopping center, without a major landmark. The closest thing to a thriving business, may be Vendome Liquors. The Bench offers indoor and outdoor seating, many large screen tvs for sporting events, a lengthy bar, plus tables, booths, and a jukebox. The servers are nice, but it needs some magic in there. It reminds me of a place that could use a "rescue." Many tables are lopsided, which makes it hard to rest your arms on or balance your beer mug. They do offer food, but I've yet to order from the menu. It's still a great local place to enjoy with friends. read more

I will give it 2 stars for service. Only thing she only came around only when we flagged her down 2 times. She focused at the bar people only. Chatting with them mostly. Didn't ask how our food was. Glee both got the burger. And u can tell it was processed meat. Bread was soggy and hard to pick it up. Way to much sauce on mine. When butting into it. All came out the sides. Good quote: my water was better then my burger. Per my gf Prob won't come back again. read more

The Bench Sports Bar - Nice bar - Sports Bars Near Me - Fullerton, California

Enjoy this place a lot, except for this time around. The bartendress that served me this day was obviously focused on the men in the bar. I watched her continuously ask the men at the bar if they needed another drink. I, on the other hand, had to wave her down to catch her eye. I am really a patient patron of any restaurant or bar especially if it's packed and busy. However, there were 8 people at the bar, and maybe another 15 at the most sitting at the high tables. At the end of my "meal" and drinks it took me 3 attempts to catch her attention as she stood at the bar talking to another worker. Really?? At the end of the day I know I'll come back. But probably with a guy or hope for a male bartendar. They've been kind enough to give me equal treatment. read more

Leaving a one star because of our experience *Ladies this one's for you... We went in a group of six. As soon as we sat down a lady approached us claiming to be a bartender and PRESSURING us into free shots, she would not leave us alone and saw the skepticism on our faces. Three of my friends from our group decided to take the 'no catch' free shot so she would leave us alone. **Instead of taking them to the bar for shots, leads them to these two creepy intoxicated old men. She even goes as far as to introduce them like she is setting them up for a blind date.** This made my whole party feel uncomfortable and targeted. I'm not sure if she really worked there or not but we definitely did not feel safe. Drinks were good but we will never be back. Please make sure to keep your patrons safe, don't condone this behavior from your bar staff or other patrons. read more

Haven't been there since pre-Covid. Still great atmosphere and Tonya wad her usual cheerful self!

The ultimate sports bar, period! I have been coming here for a good while, but this place earned my business on my first visit. If you want a quality sports experience to go along with great service, this is your place to go. You wouldn't know it from the outside but once you walk in the layout of the bar makes an immediate positive impression, it's very clean and fresh. The people who work here are probably one of the biggest reasons I keep coming back. The whole staff is friendly and willing to make your experience more than satisfactory. From Brian, Amber, Colleen, Kyle etc. They definitely make you feel welcome and in time they feel more like a friend than just a bartender. The food has taken a jump since they redid their menu. The pizza is always a solid choice but if you're in the mood for a healthier alternative, they do offer some as well. They always have a great selection of beer on tap and practically any liquor or mixed drink you would want. But if you were to come for only one reason, come to watch football on Sundays. It's what they hang their hat on. The experience of having a plethora of games to choose from, big screens everywhere, is more than worth it to the football or fantasy fan. They will even accommodate requests for certain games on tv if allowable. The atmosphere during the big games is awesome. There are plenty of locals here who represent certain teams and they all couldn't be better people to interact with. No assholes here. I've been coming here on Sundays for 2 years, any new fans are more than welcome. It's is not a Cowboy bar, Raider bar etc. A pretty good representation of teams every Sunday. I would recommend this place to anyone. Unless I have a commitment I can't break, I'm here on Sundays and you should be too. read more

The Bench Sports Bar - What The Bench hangs their hat on. Football Sundays - Sports Bars Near Me - Fullerton, California

I went here one Sunday to watch a Raiders/Bronco game. The place was insanely packed, but luckily my friend and I snagged the last two seats at the bar. I had several drinks (which I wish would have packed more of a punch) but they were tasty, for the most part. I ordered the Havarti Mushroom Burger, which was really yummy, and my boyfriend thought his French Dip w/ Pot Roast and Crispy Fried Onions was uh-may-zing! Unfortunately, the service was a little lacking. The girl behind the bar was busy chatting with regulars as well as her coworkers and acted as though I was inconveniencing her whenever I would order another round. A couple of other things that put a damper on my experience were really customer-related and at no fault of the actual establishment: 1) a family brought their kids in and were off playing pool while their hellspawn ran amok, unsupervised. The other issue was that some customers obviously lacked common courtesy, and were sitting at tables and in booths by themselves when it was a packed house. Would've been nice if they would've moved to the bar and offered up the more spacious seating arrangements to groups of people that were clearly without a place to sit. I'm not sure if I'd go back other than to watch a game...but then again, it's called The Bench Sports Bar for a reason! Seems like they're catering to their target demographic and doing a decent job at it, as well. P.S. Parking in this plaza is a [EXPLETIVE]. Make sure you get there early or park over in the Albertsons lot and walk over. read more

See all

This place is busy on the weekends and close to the Cal State campus which is really ideal to meet friends there. Their burgers are terrific! The atmosphere is exciting with so many televisions and jukebox music. It's a classic restaurant that I highly recommend. read more

Fun experience and place to watch the UFC fight. Liked the food and service. Cover charge was low for the fight

Very nice wait/bar staff, fair prices, and no cover charge on their UFC fights! Their MANmosas and bloody Marys were yummy!! My only complaint would probably be that the wait for the food took a little while longer than most bars, but the staff was very apologetic and polite about it. read more