I've been in here several times since moving back to OC 7 months ago. I've met most of the bartenders by now and am always treated with courtesy and super friendliness! Penny is legendary! The welcoming atmosphere at this great little bar is just what you need to go with your beer or cocktail. The staff and regulars are out of this world! read more

Tony's Place - Fun on someones birthday - Dive Bars Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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I just stayed a week at the Days Inn off Newport Blvd. and Tony's was a two minute walk from the door to my room. This was the most surreal dive bar that I've ever had the pleasure of losing my will to live in. The drinks were as strong as a Russian female gymnast, and the bar stools were broken in by the weight of a thousand washed up dreams. The single pool table was aged like a fine wine, and the clientele were as eclectic and varied as anyone could ever hope to meet. The bartenders.... Penny, a study in patience and off color t-shirts. By the second night she had my drink waiting at the bar for me when I walked in the door. She hugged me on my last day there, said that she would miss me. That's special. Dana.... Oh, Dana. Built like a small screen star, top heavy, clumsy grace (if that makes any sense). Couldn't get her attention with a grenade if I tried, but sweet as a summer's day when she brought the drinks around. Hell.... If I'm ever out that way, feeling a little rough around the edges, I'll stop in for a drink or two, and walk away a better man. read more

It's funny...the people who took us here after our usual Friday night Goathill stop kept saying how bad it was...in a good way. It's definitely kick back and the crowd is not pretty. Older too...but then, we were there at last call. It's got a great dive feel with a jukebox, single pool table, and darts...as previously yelped. The bartender was a sassy lady who told the random jerk who was telling us to keep it down that he had no right to tell her customers what to do. Drinks were strong and cheap too. read more

Cheap drinks Nice and friendly bartender Enough seats at the bar Oh and feeling like a kid again...yeah at least compared to the usual clientele at Tony's! All those things are the ingredients that make for a nice cool little dive bar to make the Gabby very happy!! :) read more

Strong, cheap drinks. That's about it. Seen a few shady people I wasn't so sure about on a couple occasions... read more

Shhhhhhhh! One of the last bars not yet ruined by the goings on all over Mesa and Newport! With 17th street now lost Tony's is still what a local inviting hang out in the area use to be. Friendly as heck, where the establishments respects it patrons for their patronage like the old school bars once did al lover this area. Cheers! read more

Love this place. The staff is amazing and the locals are friendly and welcoming. If you're looking for a good time Tony's is the way to go!

Pretty unassuming from the outside, but this place is a hidden gem, friendly staff, friendly good clientele, it looks great on the inside and the drinks are cheap , the only drawback was the lack of meals but the atmosphere and friendliness of the place makes up for that read more

I liked this spot- Not sketchy at all. Cash only, small bar with mostly cocktails. beers are all bottled, but they have a good selection. Older crowd (Which, I think I am now), but friendly and fun. I'll definitely be back read more

1st time here! Oh my gosh Erin is the best bartender I have come accross in forever! She even knew how to make my sexy alligator (which no one ever does) and made me and my girlfriend feel so welcome! Definitely coming back Tuesday nights! read more

Tony's Place - two women sitting at a bar - Dive Bars Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Had my once a year trip here recently and let me tell you something. I liked it. We should let Drunk Steven pick the point of interest more often. We all know deep down we'd rather be at Tony's slipping the night away. Am I right? Yeah. read more

There's nothing more that a girl needs at 9am to kill a hangover than a strong cocktail. Thanks Tony's Place for the vodka gimlet and for helping my head stop spinning. I just wish I lived closer, I love great early morning dive bars. read more

If crowding around one pool table with one classic rock song every fifteen minutes (because the juke box only plays if there is money in it) while being solicited for change from the homeless is your thing... Tony's Place is your place. read more

YESSS!!!! theres only one thing i love more then bacon, and its a good dive bar. And let me tell you... Tony's Is a DIVE! There are old men there early in the morning with newspapers talking nonsense, and the booze is dirt cheap!!! its great! Although i was only there for one drink, it was a great experience, i really need to stop by here more often... read more

Love this bar. Affordable and always great people here. Forget the stupid pretentious OC bs, this is where people go to be themselves and let go. And, let's talk about Penny. Best bartender. Always smiling, always ready with your drink. read more

Amazing! Best dive bar in Costa Mesa since every other dive bar has been bought and changed. Stiff drinks with a pool table and good music. Hipsters will take over when they want to feel cool and be anti establishment with their $200 jeans and thrift store shoes hahah read more

One of the greatest little dive bars ive found in socal. They have the friendliest most awesome bartenders ive met so far from a small family type local bar. The drinks are priced right and they have every type of beer or liquor you can think of. If you name the cocktail mix, then they can make it for you or they will find out how on the spot. You dont get that kind of service from just any bar. Thats why this is my spot, come check it out and make it your spot too. Maybe ill buy you a drink ;-) read more

Your looking for a true dive bar in Costa Mesa... Tonys is it. Penny, Heidi, Vicky, and Sam are amazing bartenders. Been coming here for 10 months now and have never been disappointed, always getting a heavy poured gin and tonic. The regulars here are the best I have found around town to talk to, always having great conversations with. Mixed crowds from young kids to the older regulars, I will always be coming back. Also they have a single pool table and darts. My home away from home read more

Ahhhhh Tonys Place! What to say, what to say. This bar is near and dear to my heart. Lived within walking distance for 2 years and frequented it a lot. Do not let the regulars scare you, they love talking and telling stories! The well drinks are 3 bucks and you can stumble on home for 10-12 bucks; spend about 20 and you might not remember the night. They pour a stiff drink; there's always music goin-usually sappy country music but it fits the atmosphere. Play some pool with some serious pool sharks, play a little keno and chit chat with people from walks of all life. There's no judgement when you step foot in here, hence the 2 tooth min ;). Sometimes I even see cute old couples slow dancing. Friday nights do bring in a younger crowd as the older regulars are out by 9 or 10pm. Yes this bar attracts all kinds, even the occasional homeless, but hey, they gotta drink too! There used to be one who brought his dog, the dog chilled outside, I miss that pup. I don't go as much anymore bc my favorite bartender moved out of state, she rocked!! She hooked me up with OC Fair tix this summer-what a sweetheart! My only question...Who is Tony? When I first started going there was an old man always sporting a beach type hate named Tony...rumor had it that he was Tony, but then some people said Tony was no longer alive. I'd like to sit at the bar and have a drink with Tony if he's still kickin! Edit: June 2014. Invest in some security. Let him drink for free if you don't want to pay him like the cleaning lady who comes in a cleans for free drinks at about 1am till close. She is always on a good one, super high. She definitely loves to clean! I did witness a man punch a woman there once, and more recently 2 men got into a fight. The short bartender had to deal with it, get in the middle of 2 men throwing punches. Get a few big guys- let them drink for free and have security. I love a cheap drink but besides the old alcoholics who are harmless, there is a lot of shady business-hookers, drug dealing, and once I witnessed a drunk homeless man in a wheelchair wheel himself back in after getting kicked out and they had to call the cops. It ads to the ambiance and personality of this place, but this is not a bar where any woman should be left alone without a bar back/bouncer/security. Not going back again; with the 2 girls I personally found to be super sweet, down to earth, no stick up butt gone I don't enjoy the service as much. The rest seem to hate life, and hate being bartenders. I'd probably not like it either, although the crowd is beyond entertaining, I doubt they tip well. I always chose it over The Goat or Sutra, but the bartenders sort of need to love life a bit more. read more

3 of my friends and i played doubles on the pool table with this random 50+ year old dude. he asked us our names at least 10 times, each time we'd give him a different name. the bartender lady was pretty mellow. we left our half-full beers at the bar to step out front for a smoke break, and she dumped our beers. when we came back inside she apologized and opened us new ones (free half a beer, woo!). tiny place, awesome vibe. it's bikeride distance from my house, and now that i know of it's amazing existence, it will (hopefully) become a regular spot of mine. read more

Tony's is the best, most authentic last standing dive bar Costa Mesa. Penny is the best bartender and pours the most incredible drinks. There's always something exciting about neighborhood locals sharing stories and drinking whiskey. The eclectic crowd here is always entertaining and makes for a memory filled evening. Set up your touch tunes account and you can play your own music from the jukebox! read more

Not a bad place. The people are nice, the drinks relatively strong. I wish I had realized it was cash only before I showed up, so that I could have brought some with me. Their ATM was out of order so I ended up walking the 100ft to the corner gas station. There is a pool table but it's nothing spectacular. Finally, if your objective is to pick up girls, you are in the wrong place. I was the youngest person in the bar by a couple decades. read more

Still the best, its a real dive bar, not a cool guy bar saying its a dive bar!!!

I spent a couple nights on vacation visiting Tony's Place. Great place!! Very friendly barkeepers. Vikky and Marsha are gems. Locals are nice. I found great conversations both nights. Highly recommend!! read more

Great dive bar tucked away. It's not fancy but it has a warm feel and friendly atmosphere with unusual characters that frequent the bar. Penny the bartender is so sweet and cool. Well worth a visit. read more

Ketel & soda for $3.50, Hank on the jukebox, pool table, dark neon. If you like the blue collar feel, you'll like this place

First time coming here, love this place. I think the bartender was named vicky, but she was awesome. Definitely will be back for vicky and the amazing drinks read more

Being new to the OC area, I have been searching for a neighborhood dive bar or any dive bars actually. The only reason I can't say that my search is over is because this place is not in my neighborhood. BUT I will still come here again and again. The drinks are cheap and stiff! They have erotic photo hunt! The crowd is pretty much all regulars, but don't get intimidated by them even if they stare. We were 2 asian girls walking into a random bar obviously filled with regulars only.... and we left feeling like one of the regulars. Brenda the bartender was SO nice. I got red cue chalk on my white shirt and was desperately trying to get it out with water and napkins. She saw me, took me to the bar, and used a towel and club soda to take out the stain herself! I took 1 star off because the erotic photo hunt machine is a bit faulty. And I'm not sure I'm brave enough to try the food yet. Not even sure if they have food. TIP: CASH ONLY! read more

Though it looks like it might be filled with shady characters Tony's is not a scary dive at all. The locals are here to drink and could care less about intimidating anyone it seems. Some of the locals are quite friendly and are good for conversation. Lizzy and Tim being two such people. You'll know Lizzy because she'll be the one head banging violently to some terrible 90's rap rock or metal. Despite this, they are all quite nice. read more

This is by far the best bar in Costa Mesa. Penny is a fantastic bar tender. Grab a pizza and bring it to share with the locals. You'll have a great night. read more

Hey! I'm a new customer here at Tony's Place(first time) and I'm absolutely infatuated with the Expresso Martini that you can exclusively get with the fabulous Ms. Marsha on Saturdays and Sundays from 12-6pm. Shout out to her and the outstanding drinks that she makes.! She's super awesome and it was so damn good, pizza was on the house! Cheers!!! Reccomendation 201%! read more

A very nice place , people there are beautiful and friendly I really had a good time I recommend everybody to go there .

Nice Dive Bar like Hyroys !! I Installed there T.V.'S and Camera's Cold Beer, Internet Jukebox !!! read more

Opens up at 6am.. When still up with my friends and our shenanigans we like to continue at Tony's place lol

5 stars because Erin the bar tender is the coolest chick on the planet...unless my girlfriend Makenna is reading, then she is. Seriously, Erin is an awesome bartender. She is so much fun! She has a ton of really cool drinks and shots she can pour. She will make you laugh all night, and keep the place rocking. read more

Some how I have managed to never see this place all though I pass by this little strip mall shopping center constantly. My bf and I spent our Sunday doing brunch and riding bikes originally headed to Chow ( Eat Chow ) after having cocktails at Habana... On our way we stumbled upon Tony's Place... So, we stopped by.. This is my new place.. Drinks are so cheap. $3.25 for my Vodka/Soda... Drinks are strong... The crowd.. Priceless. We walk in to find the locals ( mostly older ) having their early evening cocktails and to the very loud song called " Booty Man" by Tim Wilson.. http://www.last.fm/music/Tim+Wilson/_/Booty+Man ... I couldn't keep a straight face. I mean.. This place had senior citizens in here with this loud song talking about grabbing a booty, holding the booty.... Apparently the bartender ALWAYS plays this booty song... I don't care.. It's a rad song! So, yeah. The BF and I love this place.. Cheap cocktails.. ... Real characters in here.. I mean one of the patrons needed help walking to the bathroom and it was not that he was shit faced. Just that he was a cute older man who needed the assistance of his rad wife rocking a 1960-ish bouffant .. Back combed and big! LOVED IT! Then there was a scary looking tore up dude next to the pool table looking lost... Whats the best part is that we can ride here!!! Giggity Goooo! read more

My fiancé and I went in after not going in for about 6 months. The older bartender who was there before was really nice and even though the place was run down made us feel welcome. Today we figured we would grab a drink, play hot spot and maybe a game of darts. This place has always been a dive but now it's 100 times worse. No hot spot tickets we had to look around the bar for slips didn't want to bother the bartender as she was busy talking to other customers.. Not a big deal but if the bar offers it, they should supply it and be eager for us to play. It always seemed like a chore for her to take our slips. The material on the chairs and bar are completely torn and almost cut my leg sitting on the bar stool. The way they fix it is put a bunch of black electrical tape over it and let it stick to your legs and arms. The place smells like gross mildew/dirty laundry. I don't know if it's the people in there or the gross carpet that looks like a few people got sick on. The bartender complained about customers wanting change for the pool tables because she was "busy" putting beer in the fridge. Really...isn't that your job? So many better dive bars in town. We won't be back! read more

Oh, where do I begin? I have the same relationship with Tony's Place as a fat kid has with his fudgsicle. (Confession: I'm that fat kid, and I do love this bar just as much as I love my fudgsicles). It is a type of dive-bar you can always look to for comfort and open arms, where the memories will always be happy and the realities always get better. It is open bright early at 6 a.m. daily and probably quite busy with the same old guys I run into when I frequent in the evening. They provide everything you need for a good time. Cheap drinks served way too strong, by a bartender who is 6 times older than a woman her Jessica Simpson booty shorts were designed to fit. She is spunky and slightly pretentious providing fascinating entertainment if you get bored with the drunk locals, antique juke box, pool table, or dart board. The shadiness of Tony's Place is almost endearing and the eclectic group of regulars always keep things fun. read more

A nice place to watch football on Saturday. A mix of age-groups, but mostly over 50. The music machine is at a nice level and the beer is cold. read more

I first noticed Tony's Place when I was out for a morning run and I saw 3 old guys standing out back arguing about something or another, looking a little drunk and like they had already had a few. I had thought to myself that these guys were pretty damn hardcore and that I should check out Tony's Place sometime to see what it was actually like inside. Well... later that night a friend of mine and I stumbled in and couldn't have been happier. As mentioned in nearly every review, the clientele is "older" and of the more serious drinking kind. The Bartender was a salty old lady who had little to say, but was friendly enough. The beers were cold and cheap. They have a decent jukebox, but I had to take 2stars off for having the bartender turn down my AC/DC selection, but then had to give 'em one back when the entire bar all yelled at her to turn it back up! If I lived in Orange County, this could be the kind of bar that me and some friends would take over and it our own local hang out. read more