This review is long overdue. This little Gem located in the hip Westside Costa Mesa area is the cutest. Small venue, but BIG flavor food. The Empanadas are delicious and my favorite takeout item here. Try them out! read more

Food was great ! Went there on a date with my wife and will probably come back !! The Elvis dessert... oh boy ! I recommend but be ready or share ! read more

We LOVED this little gem. Service was superb. The New Orleans style cocktails were top notch, the bartender was welcoming and creative. His bartenders choice cocktails were fantastic. I highly recommend this location. read more

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Great food, cool owner, and enjoyed the atmosphere. It is a laid back environment, small quaint place with a lot of vintage looking rock memoribilia on the wall. I forget the owners name, but he was accomodating and gave us free beignets for my moms birthday! I would recommend coming back Food to try: Brussel Sprouts were so good we asked how they made them, I got the Jumbalya which was amazing not too strong at all or spicy. everything we ordered was delicious! read more

Oh my goshhhhh such a great spot! Everything from the food to the service to the musiccccc! The music was so great! I want their playlist so bad! Hahah! Anyway such a great spot! My husband and I came here from out of town, and after doing some yelp reviews in the area we decided to come here for our anniversary. We had such a great time and can't wait to come back again! A must check out forsure! If I were local I'd come here all the time. read more

Westend - New American Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Where to start with this Costa Mesa gem! The Nashville hot chicken had the perfect kick and paired well with the creamy mac n cheese. This plate was savory and won't disappoint! I would have to say the pozole verde is definitely my go to if I'm working at Hoag on a chilly day. The restaurant is a quick drive from the hospital and I have enough pozole to power me through a 12 hr shift and warm my belly. The smoked pulled chicken in it is amazing and overall the soup is full of flavor! If you order a pizza I highly recommend trying the cauliflower crust. I was almost finished with my 1st slice when my friend told me the crust was cauliflower, it was so well made I couldn't even tell it wasn't made with regular pizza dough! Wish I snapped a quick photo of that yummy pie.. (On a side note, the staff kindly works with those whom may have dietary restrictions, you will always be able to find multiple options on the menu). So not only does Westend have some of the most delicious and diverse dishes you'll ever try, it is the perfect spot for date night! The atmosphere is artsy, intimate, and the walls are covered with unique decor. The lighting during the evening is romantic and the music playing always sets the right vibe. The staff is attentive, entertaining, and will always go above and beyond to ensure your time there is enjoyable. If you stop in when Jaime is working you're in for a treat! She is full of personality and guaranteed to stir up a conversation or tasty drink! If you're visiting Costa Mesa don't miss the opportunity to experience a good time at Westend! read more

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I had some time to kill after dropping off my car to get tinted so I went to hang with my cousin who lives nearby. We ended up going to lunch at Westend on 19th Street. Since I had my dog with me, we called ahead to check if dogs were allowed on the back patio. There's no entrance to the patio other than through the restaurant itself, so we walked through with no issues. The menu is NOLA inspired so there are Cajun Po'Boys and Lobster Jumbalaya on the menu. They even have pizzas. I ordered the Veggie wrap ($12) with chicken (+$4) and potato salad. My cousin had the Vegan wrap with sweet potato fries. Her husband ordered the tacos and loaded tater tots, while our other friend had a sandwich. Everyone ordered drinks while I stuck with water. They have Mexican Coca-Cola and gluten-free beer here which is pretty cool. My wrap came out pressed in a red tortilla. The chicken was grilled and the veggies were abundant. Our server was pleasant and the food was pretty good. We didn't feel rushed and it was nice to spend time on the outdoor patio since the weather was sunny for a change. They even brought out cold water for my dog, Suki. read more

Westend - Chicken pesto wrap $16 - New American Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

I've been here 2 times now . Didn't leave a review the first time because I figured "hey, may be a fluke. I'll give them another shot." I should have trusted my first experience. First time incredibly long wait to even get service at my table. My food came out wrong, and cold . I complained and nothing was done besides a "we're really busy, sorry." This must of been a bad day or short staff right ? I wish the final time I went I didn't make it to get food. We were seated and explained how they might not even be able to because of future reservations but we could try .. 30 mins went by, no one came for our food order or even drinks !! I got up and walked out . Do not go here. read more

My bf and I wanted to go somewhere new, and after seeing a photo on Instagram, we perused the menu and decided on Westend. We made a reservation for 8pm Saturday and when we got there, the place was empty. The bartender greeted us right away and asked if we wanted to sit out back on the patio, which was an obvious yes. (I love sitting outside whenever I can, and they have string lights outside which makes it seem romantic!) The server told us to sit wherever we liked, and he'd be out in a few minutes. There were only two other groups there - a two top and a small group of 4, who had a little dog with them. When we sat down, the dog came over and licked my bf's hand which wasn't a huge deal, except that my bf is allergic so we tend to steer clear of dog friendly restaurants. But that was my fault, it says right on Yelp that they're dog friendly - I just missed it. Okay now to the big issue. Our server. He came out about 5 minutes after we sat down and seemed a bit overwhelmed with the three tables. He was very spacey, talked super loud and had a hard time remembering what we ordered, including our drinks. (To be honest, it seemed like he was on drugs.) It took over 20 minutes to get our drinks - I ordered a glass of champagne, bf ordered red wine. But here's what ruined it for us: while he was chatting with the table next to us, he pet/played with the little dog (he even got his phone out to show them a photo of his dog), and then turned to us, picked up the carafe of water on our table and filled our glasses. Who pets a dog and then immediately handles food or beverages! So that sort of killed it for us. Aside from that, the food was pretty expensive and not that great. We got the veggie empanadas which were over cooked, the chicken pesto panini was a tad salty (and they forgot my side), and my bf got the jambalaya which he thought was "okay". The place has potential, but our experience was just overall not great. read more

Posole is fuego a long with everything else they have to eat Service was great bartenders are always lovely and nice

Came to Westend for Fathers Day. You smell good food as soon as you come in through the front door followed by a "welcome home." It was our first time visiting Westend, so our server suggested a few of his personal favorites but also mentioned that everything on the menu is good and made with love. They did not disappoint at all! We ordered their jambalaya, the Franklin, the battle at Belgium waffle, the spinach omelette, and the veggie bowl. The portions are great, definitely give you enough if you want a round 2 later. And the staff is super friendly and make you feel so welcomed! Westend thank you for a great experience and delicious food! read more

BIG fan of their cocktails. Great vibe! They are definitely taking a play out of NYCs book here. Kind of turns into a 21-25 year olds paradise after 10. Be sure to wear a white crop top and blue jeans if you want to hang here with them. read more

Place contains only about ten table total. No A/C cooling the eating area to a comfortable temperature. Drinks were hardly room temp including the beer! Bartender was also the server and she was pleasant. They only offer four meats as entrees and were out of one of them at the dinner hours. Could actually see cooks screwing around in the kitchen as well. Portions were very small. Overall , for a "Hipster" type atmosphere I was let down in a big way. Wouldn't recommend this place to someone I wanted revenge on. Hope they improve. I read all the reviews above and thought I would be pleased eating here. Must be friends and acquaintances writing the reviews. read more

We just had the best brunch here. Shane helped us out and was very kind. We started with the empanadas because he recommended them and they did not disappoint! I got the panini and it was heaven and my husband got the pulled pork sandwich which he finished completely. The parking is a little hidden, but once we found it we were able to park and walk right in. We will definitely be back and hope to sit with Shane again. Our dog loved it too! read more

Westend - Great Patio! - New American Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Amazing vibes, music and decor. Our server / bartender Shane was PHENOMENAL. Best hospitality we have had in years. Food was great the cocktails were even better - my boyfriend ordered an old fashioned and he said it was the best one he's ever had. My French75 was equally as good. We will for sure be frequenting this place. read more

Westend - Bar - New American Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Sooo sad and disappointed! As many others have mentioned.. Maybe it was an "off night", but I'm guessing that's not the only issue. We arrived around 7:30pm on a Tuesday, the restaurant had a few other diners, but was mostly empty. We sat at the bar and were handed menus. We ordered the Westend burger and was immediately told.. "Sorry we're out of burgers", okay no problem. We ordered the BBQ Pizza and Shrimp PoBoy, 10 min later... "Sorry- We're out of shrimp as well"... and Jambalaya and etc. etc. Needless to say 10+ items on the menu were no longer available. Ended up with Brussel Sprouts, Kale Salad and Pizza. Brussel Sprouts- Fried/Burnt to a crisp... tasted like burnt popcorn. Salad- Chopped Kale, a few pieces of grapefruit (??) and a few drops of funky dressing. And Finally.. The BBQ Pizza (Yikes!) We are pretty sure it was a frozen grocery store pizza with added cheese and chunks of canned chicken. It was terrible... We couldn't even eat the chicken. Not sure how they can charge $17 for a 12" pizza and think people will come back. Long story short- I really hoped for another chill neighborhood bar/ restaurant, but this place needs a lot of help. Maybe post a sign if you are out of something. OR if you're out of half of everything on the menu... just serve drinks and snacks. Don't try to compensate with canned chicken and cardboard pizza crust. Needless to say- we will probably never go back. Save yourself $60 and go to one of the other many great dinner options in Costa Mesa. read more

My husband found this place on Yelp and I'm so glad he did. We loved the servers... we could tell every person there took pride in the food and service. We got the calamari, Brussel sprouts, and the jambalaya with some tasty Argentina wine (with generous pours). The calamari had delicious sauce, the Brussels were to die for, and it will be hard not to get the jambalaya when we go back. We ate at the back patio, which has such a unique, intimate, cool atmosphere with lights strung above. All around a great experience! We would definitely recommend this to anyone looking to try a new place. Take a date, or a group of friends. French, creole deliciousness!! We can't wait to try the other menu items when we come back read more

I had such a great experience here. The staff is so friendly and accommodating. They treat you almost as if you're a longtime friend. Will definitely visit Westend again soon! read more

Their sandwiches are full of flavor and are like artwork to see with a combination of different foods that are really fun to have. The cocktail menu is innovative and the liquor used is top shelf. Owner seems like a really fun guy who cares that your experience is a good one. read more

Westend - New American Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Walked into an awesomely decorated spot with vinyl covers on the wall, framed black and white photos, great music playing and a friendly welcome. Off to a great start. Wanted to have a nice dinner and cocktails with my girlfriend and this place definitely took care of us by far. Negroni for me and a Sangria served in a beautiful glass for my gf, both tasted refreshing and balanced complimenting their awesome homemade cornnuts! We were really hungry and ended up ordering a pepperoni pizza (the gf likes to keep it simple) that was thin crust cheesey and had tasty sauce, lobster mac&cheese, amazing brussle sprouts with a savory light sweetness that had us mming and yuming throughout the dish, and finally The Franklin which was a well put together Fried chicken sandwich with a type of coleslaw, macaroni, bacon and cheese served with potatoe salad. This sandwich was tied for favorite dish along with the bsprouts. It had a mild kick to it that never overwhelmed because all the flavors melded so well. The thing was a beast enough to share. Lastly a nice 1664 Blanc for my gf and a Mexican Coke in a bottle for us to wash it all down. Went around 7ish on a Wednesday and beat out the later evening rush. I will definitely be back and am glad I have a great experience to tell all my friends about. CHEERS! read more

Great little spot we happened upon as their neighbor was closed. The bartender Kristina greeted us with a big smile and then proceeded to both recommend and craft a couple amazing cocktails! The decor is funky eclectic as well as the music/soundtrack playing in the background. We were so impressed that we returned with family a few hours later for dinner which was also exemplary.. Therefore I def recommend you give this place a try! read more

So bummed on this place! I had such high hopes and they really missed the mark. First, didn't have the wine on the menu my wife wanted, then didn't have one of the entrees she wanted. Then...when dinner arrived...solid...solid bad, sorry. But the fish in the fish and chips was way over cooked. The chips were oh, but they were potato chips, not fries. Finally, my jambalaya was just plan bad. Way too much tomato paste not enough flavor. Service was sub-par as well. I don't get it. 645pm on a Friday and they just didn't seem ready to serve meals. Sorry Westend. read more

New Orleans meets gentrified Costa Mesa cozy restaurant. Had the squid ink pasta, calamari and beignets....all amazing. The owner personally made sure we were taken care of and the atmosphere was great. Custom mix of great jazz, slow Hip hop and slow EDM=chill. Outdoor seating and dogs ok on patio. Great local spot! read more

don't let this black building fool you. the staff was awesome and the food was dumb fire. the drinks were awesome and strong. but again i can't get over the quality of food. too good to be true for the price.a must try. great vibes and music as well. no dead silence read more

Westend - bar and - New American Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

I love this place. It's been on list of places to try and it did not disappoint. Great intimate, casual restaurant with great music and amazing food! Great warm service! Great drinks! I will be back again with my lovely guy:) read more

Found our new spot! My wife and I had some serious fish & chips cravings and Westend has some of the best we have ever tasted. Super flakey, fresh, line caught fish and an IPA (Sculpin/Ballast Point) beer batter that is wonderfully crisp. All doughs, batters, sauces (including the delicious tartar sauce), and a great sangria, are made in-house. We also tried the vegetable empanadas, which truly had an incredible flavor! Westend has a great atmosphere. Jazz music playing on vinyl, vintage celebrity picture collage on the bar and art work all vibe together. With a New Orleans meets Spanish flare cuisine and some of the best beer selections that you'd be very hard-pressed to find anywhere else, this is a must for your next culinary adventure. Cheers! read more

This place has some of the most delicious tasting food I've ever had-EVER! Incredible. More I want more !! The decor was intimate and cute love the oldies vibes with the paintings, photos, and music. Service was very friendly and genuine. I just really hope they can find the two additional chefs they are looking for to keep the flow goin. We had to wait a while for the food to come out but it was SO worth the wait!!! *The fish and chips were just as described - melts in your mouth with great texture, flavor and batter. YUM!!!!! *Lobster Mac and cheese was bomb dot com *Beet salad light and tasty I will be back to try their jambalaya, shrimp po boy, pizza, and pulled pork! read more

A wonderful Friday night date place. We made a 7:30 yelp reservation and it was not busy. We were transported into a charming New Orleans neighborhood yummy place. After a long week coming here for a relaxing meal and great music was just what we needed. Beer, a Westend Aperol spritz aperitif to start helped...and refreshing. This appetizer: Westend down south chips...a meal in itself. Dinner: The Cajun Po Boy and the squid pasta were excellent and filled with flavor. The P.O. boy was spot on and the pasta.... after looking at the yelp Pictures posted I think my pasta was light on the crab....so if I order it next time I will take better notice. Furthermore, we enjoyed our meal thoroughly and hope this place stays around. We plan to come back and try this ever changing New Orleans meets CA menu. read more

One of the best bars I have ever been in. I travel a lot across the world and by far this is one for eh best I have ever came across. The bartenders are friendly and the food is always good. My favorite bartenders are Taos and Kaley. If you come ask for one of them and I promise your night will be magical. read more

I made a reservation for Westend through Opentable for Nov 28. Hours of operation list Tuesday as a day they are open. I made my reservation for 5:30, when they open. I received a text asking to confirm my reservation the night before and it replied that they would see me then When I arrived at 5:20, the place was dark. I figured, I'm early, I'll wait until 5:30. 5:30 came, as did 5:45 and no lights on. I called the restaurant 3 times and no answer. My friend was coming from Diamond Bar and we walked over again to see if it maybe opened at 6? Still dark. We were hungry and we couldn't reach the restaurant so we had to go to Wayfarer instead. I find this terrible practice. I don't know what happened and I get things can happen to make a restaurant be closed unexpectedly but when you ask patrons to confirm a reservation, and they do, the least you can do is call them to let them know they need to change their plans. I don't plan to be back to this part of Costa Mesa anytime soon, so not sure if I'll get to try this place out. Too bad because the food looked delicious. read more

The food and cocktails were amazing! Loved the atmosphere and music. Our server recommended wonderful dishes. Also, Timur who left one star below was a complete jerk and was only waiting at the restaurant for 15 minutes. It wasn't the restaurant's fault, they never even received the Grubhub order. She offered to show him the computer. My boyfriend and I witnessed the whole thing. He was so rude and disrespectful. Please disregard his review. This place is fabulous. read more

Fav spot to grab a drink in the area! The bartender, Kayleigh is always showing me yummy new drinks and is super friendly. read more

Great food , awesome atmosphere, the lay out was a comfy with a hint of romance . I highly recommend the Franklin . Charles was a great server and gave us great recommendations on the menu since my partner had a few food restrictions. Will most definitely will be coming back ! read more

Into this place! My husband and I took a table on the back patio and enjoyed the atmosphere and unique decor. They didn't have a cocktail menu yet, having just got their liquor license, but the bartender was able to make a couple cocktails for us that we had seen on Yelp. They were delicious, and (my favorite part) came with metal straws! (Save the turtles) We enjoyed both of our meals and will be back to try more. read more

Very small, but got seated right away on a Friday night. Server was super friendly and did great despite it being her first day. The owner even came over to talk to us as well. Loved the decor. Food: For appetizer we got the brussel sprouts and the soy chorizo taters. Both were delicious, but those brussel sprouts...I wanted about 3 more bowls worth. Dinner we each got something different, it was all delicious and the things we got weren't even the most popular things on the menu. Homemade Beignets for dessert were delicious, just mass amounts of powdered sugar was the only down side. read more

My fiancee and I made a reservation to try this place on a Friday night, for after completion of our monthly Hi Times run. We got there right on time, and were seated promptly in the back area away from the bar (thankfully, as the bar area packed). Heavy New Orleans influence in the food and drinks (and music), which both my fiancee and I enjoyed given our connections to New Orleans (I went to college there, and proposed to my fiancee there as well). We started with some Battle of New Orleans whiskey cocktails, which were AWESOME! They also give you some homemade corn nuts as a free appetizer, which we enjoyed--really complex, evolving seasoning on the corn nuts, which definitely were a welcome surprise. For appetizers we ordered the calamari (good, but not great), and the deviled eggs (OMG SO TASTY). For main dishes we shared the smoked BBQ platter (features smoked beef, pork, AND chicken, YUM), and the Franklin chicken sandwich (again, good but not great). For dessert we had some beignets, and this might be considered sacrilege by some, but I honestly thought the beignets at Westend are better than the world-famous Cafe du Monde beignets. They are EXCELLENT, and the strawberry dipping sauce served with them is to-die-for! The only knock I'd give this place is that the service can be slow at times. There were a few points where it genuinely felt like we had been forgotten entirely in the back area. But other than that, I really enjoyed Westend, recommend others try it, and I absolutely intend to come back! read more

My friends and I met here this past weekend and enjoyed a fantastic lunch in their outdoor courtyard. I loved all the musician-inspired decor, the staff was friendly and attentive, and the food... oh my goodness it did not disappoint! The brussel sprouts were insanely good and I thoroughly enjoyed the shrimp po'boy. To top it off, we had warm, fluffy, sweet beignets at the end of our amazing lunch. I'm definitely coming back! read more

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Worst server. Rice was undercooked in my jambalaya. Made a reservation and mentioned there was a birthday and they dropped the ball there too. read more

The building has no sign, but it's almost a good thing as there was no waiting. The food is excellent. I had the pulled pork, which was perfect, and the House chips which were fresh and delightfully crunchy. My husband had the jambalaya, which was fantastic: the shrimp was perfectly done, the chicken was still juicy, and the dish was not so spicy that I'd regret stealing bites. The sangria was really refreshing. The best part was the beignets. Full disclosure: I've been to Cafe du Monde and am a total beignet snob. That said, these are a close second to the original! One of the owners that helped with our table was so nice and friendly. I could tell that he really takes pride in the restaurant and the food. It shows. read more

What a cute spot!! I can't believe I haven't been here before! The atmosphere was incredible - this is the perfect date night spot or the perfect place to catch up with friends. The food and drink were great! We enjoyed the Westend taters and Louisiana jambalaya which was the perfect amount of food to share. The best part was desert! The Elvis Addict was to die for! If you have room, don't pass this dish up. To top it all off, our bartender/server Jamie provided the best service and was so personable. She made out first visit to Westend memorable. Can't wait to come back! read more