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    YNK

    4.4 (194 reviews)
    Closed 5:00 pm - 11:00 PM

    By appointment only

    Updated 3 weeks ago

    YNK Photos

    YNK ATMOSPHERE

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    Recommended Reviews - YNK

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    Vanessa G.

    This is a cute little "hidden" speakeasy inside the Irvine Marriott. The DJ was awesome. I forgot her name, but she played a lot of nostalgic early 2000s R&B. The drinks are pricey, but thats part of the novelty. The drinks were delicious and picture worthy. The service was great. I'd love to have a drink here again.

    Manhattan
    Christopher G.

    Was in the OC area wanting to try a new spot for cocktails, so decided to give YNK a try. Thanks to other reviews, we knew to expect that it's a speakeasy in the Marriott hotel. Parked in the outdoor lot and it was easy to walk right in and look for the YNK sign in the bar area. They validate parking, so bring the ticket with you. We were able to make last minute reservations since we saw this place is appointment only, but we had the whole place to ourselves for the first half hour. The interior has a nice dim lighting with a great almost-incense fragrance. Tried a total of 4 cocktails and they were all great. Staff was very attentive and welcoming.

    FOOD MENU
    Linda C.

    Stopped by for a quick nightcap and ended up having a great time. Food: When you're at YNK, you can order off the Floe Lounge menu for food which is nice. My friend and I both got the autumn salad: mine with a crab cake, hers with steak. Another friend ordered the steak and fries. My salad was fantastic, and the crab cake (both as a topping and as a starter) was a hit across the table. Everyone was happy with their food. Cocktails: The current theme is classic cocktails, and the space definitely leans into that old school martini bar vibe, very classy. Drinks were solid. I ordered the mango cocktail (can't remember the name) and it was a little on the sweet side, but not overly so. Still enjoyable. Service: This is really why I'm writing the update. Erica was our server and she was AWESOME. She noticed my friend's steak was overcooked and immediately replaced it even though he said he'd eat it because he was starving. That kind of attention and care is rare. Someone please give her a raise. Parking: They validate if you park in the Marriott lot Vibe: For a Thursday night, it was surprisingly busy in the lounge, in a good way. Tons of people out and about adding to that chill, lively Thursday evening energy. I loved the blue glow from the outdoor fire pits. Next time, I'm definitely taking my YNK drink outside for a few sips.

    Matcha whiskey
    Katrina V.

    This speakeasy is located inside the airport Marriott hotel. I made reservations for 2 people at open table for a 6:30pm reservation on a Thursday night. It was practically empty except for 1 person inside watching the football game. The service went downhill after more guest came in later as it was only one server making the drinks and serving. It's basically one big room with couches. The drinks were tasty but felt overpriced as nothing wowed or surprised me. We shared a truffle mushroom flatbread which seemed more like a square pizza. Honestly i preferred sitting at the bar area of the hotel which was just outside as it doesn't get as loud and easier to talk to people

    Mariness D.

    Great place we ended up going to after dinner on a whim, as the bar we originally planned for was closed. Glad we found this place because I loved the vibe. It's a cute and cozy speakeasy with a different theme with decor and drinks weekly. When we went it was a New York theme. All of us enjoyed our drinks that Ben made. He also created a matcha drink for a friend of mine. The place has cozy sofas and a few bar tops. Don't forget to get your parking ticket validated - free for the first 3 hours with validation. The only thing I wish was different about this place is that they stayed open later.

    Kshama P.

    It's a really cute speakeasy that I'd like to gate keep, but given how people flock to extravagant overpriced businesses in LA that deliver next to nothing, I think it works in everyone's favor if I don't. They are located inside Marriot, parking in their lot is comped/validated with dine in. They change their menu seasonally and their themes regions. We went during their south/spring season. Here's the menu. We tried the hanami (tea cocktail, 3/5 the earl gray overpowers), Tequila Ramos Fizz (3/5 can't taste the spice notes), Wanderlust (5/5, permanent menu item), Southside Hospitality (5/5, green chartreuse!). I think these are partly batched and partly done fresh but don't let that dissuade you, because what a stupid reason to not try something fabulous! For our anniversary they gave us a chocolate martini but I'm lactose intolerant so they switched it to paper plane riff off which was better than everything else we got (again, it's a compliment!). Service is fabulous!

    Nicole E.

    YNK is a speakeasy in the Irvine Marriott. If you walk into the hotel and walk to the right side of the bar you will see a sign for YNK. It stands for "you never know" and thought it was pretty clever! Recommend reservations on OpenTable as the space is small and it is timed seating of 1.5 hours. We had reservations at 10pm and was greeted cheerfully by Ben. He explained the concept of YNK and how they change the menu every few months to base it on a region. They are currently on the southwest so the curated menu is themed Dixieland. All cocktails have a southern taste and are a presentation. Cocktails are about $23 and up but absolutely delicious! They also have a solid food menu but since our reservation was on the later end we just came for drinks. As it is a speakeasy they don't have a lot of hands so be patient if all the tables are taken with ordering. It was only Ben and another bartender Sean. However, they both provided exemplary service and had really great conversation with us. They both are extremely creative and curated the Dixieland menu themselves. I give them kudos as all the drinks were fantastic! This was a pleasant gem in Irvine and will definitely be back. I chuckled as Ben closed out our tab he said you went from "you never know" to "you now know"! Clever YNK until next time.

    Jeong P.

    This small themed bar located in the back of Irvine Marriott mixes some cleverly unique cocktails with a cozy vibe. We stopped by on a Friday night and enjoyed some surprisingly stiff drinks accompanied by a DJ playing some nice tunes. The space is quite small and there is only one bartender, but this turned out to be a perfect little spot to grab a drink after having dinner nearby.

    Pig
    Michelle G.

    Waiting this for it is - a hotel bar and restaurant. The place is fine. Wait staff are fairly attentive and the prices run high. The salads looked wonderful my pork belly bao buns were decent. The drinks are strong. There is limited outside seating with fire pits that is overlooking the pool. Parking is expensive in the controlled lot.

    Valerie G.

    Great service! Couldn't be more satisfied. Drinks were tasty and strong- just how I like it. Great lounge area where you can just have a conversation with your friends. I'd love to come back

    Midnight Oil (middle)
    Jenny H.

    I've been here many times now, as they update their interior decor and drink menu every couple months or so to reflect a new theme, and it happens to be in my area! In the past it's been a tiki bar, ski resort themed, and now, new york themed. It's refreshing to come back to every now and then and have a totally new menu to choose from! It's perfect for a date night or gathering with 1-2 friends, but I find that the space is a bit small and can be sometimes difficult to get a spot (if the hotel happens to have a lot of guests or an event going on)

    Yurie H.

    Intimate bar with great ambiance and awesome service. We had a reservation here for 07:30 PM on a Saturday highly recommended since if only seats 15 ish people. Parking is either valet or self parking (self is validated 3 hour max). The bar is located in Marriott hotel, small space but it was decked out with Christmas decorations when we went. Benjamin is a master, all the cocktails he made were amazing. My favorites were the KAMP AI and double smoked old fashion. The cocktails are $20 plus but they are worth it since they are strong and are very refined. Would love to try the other cocktails and food my next visit!

    Inside
    Brian F.

    YNK is a small speakeasy inside the Irvine Marriott next to the hotel lobby bar. They focus on 1920s Prohibition drinks but add a modern twist. For parking, you can do valet or self-parking with three hours of free parking with validation. We ordered the whiskey sour ($18) and the disparo squad ($19). I was interested in the whiskey sour because it had overproof rum in it but it didn't taste too different from a normal one. The disparo squad had a spicy kick and was decent. It was a slow night but the service was not very good. Even when there were only four people inside (including the two of us) it took a while to get our bartender's attention. Also, even for a small menu multiple drinks and ingredients were not in stock. The interior was pretty cool but the drinks and the service were okay.

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    Ask the Community - YNK

    Is this place open during Covid?

    Is there food served here?

    Not when I visited. A lot of the drinks looked the same too. Tasty, but not as original as touted.

    Is there a dress code?

    Nope

    Can you make a reservation? or walk in only?

    Is this place casual?

    It’s a tiny room in a hotel lounge. Fairly casual but most are dressed to impress.

    View All 8 Questions

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    Cozy Pine

    4.0
    (317 reviews)
    4.4 mi

    This place is located inside a gorgeous shopping center in Irvine…read more It's located inside, Bacchus Bar and Bistro. Which, was extremely crowded. They have tons of parking in this shopping center. They share it with TONS of other places. One of my BFFs saw this on an Instagram video and wanted to check it out. *They do take reservations When we came in we checked in with one of the waitresses. She said she would seat us in a minute. To be honest, she did forget about us. A waiter walked up to us and asked us what was going on (we were standing there for around 7 - 10 minutes) and we told him we had a reservation for the speakeasy. He immediately apologized and sat us. This camp themed speakeasy has a couple booths. It's on the smaller sides. Which, speakeasy's are usually small to begin with. I did not get the waitresses name, my friend and I were busy catching up. The waitress was nice, but not attentive. I will say service was a 2/5. However, the actual restaurant, cozy pine is located in, was packed because of the World Cup being on TV. So I definitely was not going to complain The food Our food order did come out extremely FAST. Faster than our drink orders. -the campfire guacamole -BBQ shoestring fries (had bbq seasoning all over them so it tasted like a BBQ potato chip) -Glamping plate (charcuterie board) -steak tacos (one without onion and cilantro -churro affogato Again, the food was VERY fast!! And to be honest it wasn't that bad. I'll say, speakeasy's usually shine in the drink department vs food. Drinks -Lycheed and Loaded Ketel One, lychee liqueur, lemon, elderflower. This was extremely delicious! If you don't like to taste your alcohol? Go with this. It was really refreshing. Hand this to me at a spa and I'd be the happiest gal in the world -Camp Anawanna $17 Graham cracker-infused bourbon, licor 43, chocolate, torched marshmallow (the waitress catches the marshmallow on fire at the table) This one was stronger and I didn't think it was overly sweet despite the ingredients I think they had a good selection, especially for a small speakeasy. I have been to better, so I don't think I'd return. Especially since the service was not that great. We still had a good time and recommend for every speakeasy lovers list.

    Ambiance is great. Feels like you're in a cabin in the woods. Service is prompt and friendly. Food…read moreis solid. Shrimp tacos hit and were absolutely packed with shrimp. Cocktails were tasty and followed the theme well. Will be bringing friends next time for sure!

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    Belly of the Beast

    Belly of the Beast

    4.4
    (160 reviews)
    4.0 mi

    Love this place. Nice service, nice food, very interesting…read moredrinks. But they had not fix the Lorem ipsum text on menu =p

    (Drank/Snacked 06/27/2026 SA @ 10:00pm): This was a monstro feat as we all ended up in a beast of a…read morewhale's belly for drinks! After our party of six chatted over cocktails and preyed on pupus, we moved to a "secret" room tucked in the back of Stowaway and walked into a Belly Of The Beast. The founders and co-owners of Stowaway, Leonard Chan and Dominic Iapello, created this extension to the tiki bar with a wildly interesting Pinocchio theme and the famed encounter with Monstro the whale all the while serving the same offerings in Stowaway but with also an exclusive limited menu just for this adventure. With its proximity to Disneyland and its Enchanted Tiki Room, with the very niche underground-like society of tiki culture they found a consistent customer base and the thrill of island escapism through colorful cocktails, pleasurable pupus, tropical trimmings, and nostalgic know-how. How would my belly handle the beastly drinks concocted here!? PURCHASE(S) Gepetto's Last Words ($16.00): Intrigued by the cocktail's name, this elixir was crafted with Fid Street Gin, tangerine, creme de violette, lemon, and cucumber, it was a citrusy refreshing sweet drink that was decorated with bright yellow petals. It was nice, but for whatever reason it just didn't quite hit the spot. [ONION RINGS/STRAWS/STRINGS ALERT - 4.0 of 5.0 STARS] Onion Rings ($9.00): A decent portion with rings of medium to large sizes, these were hot, dark golden browned, crunchy, and had a slight tendency to crumble when bitten into while the onion ring (sweet Maui!) rarely pulled out at times. They were lightly oily while the catsup wasn't needed but used. SERVICE While in Stowaway, we informed our male server to let us know when we were allowed to enter the belly. Once inside and situated, we had the place and bartender to ourselves. After we all perused the menu, we placed our orders, and everything arrived within ten minutes. The rest of the time was spent chatting, picture taking, and our bartender checked in on us also giving a Dole Whip taster. All was casual, chill, and somewhat on island time - aloha and mahalo! PARKING (FREE): They shared a medium-sized private lot with several other businesses who were closed at this time with plenty of spots - 'nuff said. ATMOSPHERE, DÉCOR, AMBIENCE "Hidden" inside Stowaway which was located within a strip mall, the entire theme was based on the Pinocchio story, the interlude in time spent inside Monstro, and as we entered it felt like the beginning of the Disneyland "Storybook" ride as you road a canal boat into the mouth and sharp teet of a whale. There were several marionettes (appropriate and non-appropriate) that hung from the ceiling and belly walls, along with other Disneyesque memorabilia, a few sitting booths, and a tiny bar at the end of the roo. No natural lighting whatsoever while an assortment of extremely low-lit electric lights and table candles glowed. There were no TVs while I couldn't recall any background music. ATTIRE Although I was actually dressed appropriately for the occasion in an aloha shirt, linen pants, and flip-flops, this place was totally casual, so a t-shirt, boardshorts, and flip-flops would suffice. OVERALL Belly Of The Beast was an adventurous fun evening with friends, it left me feeling childlike with the need to watch "Pinocchio", and I couldn't wait to return to try more of their awesome-soundling elixirs. I generally loved all-things Disneyana, and this new wrinkle, albeit probably not approved by the mouse ears brass, caught my fancy. My one drink was tasty but just didn't hit the right spot, the onion rings were very good, the prices were a tad elevated, the atmosphere was awesome, and the service was friendly and professional. They had an extremely limited menu, and there was some doubt whether or not ordering from the Stowaway menu was an option. Plus, I always preferred to support small local mom & pop businesses. I found very good value based on the prices, service, and experience noted above (TOTAL paid experience was around $27.00 BEFORE any discounts and/or tip). And, they accepted my credit card of choice... AMEX! 4.0 STARS

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    A shot of the entire speakeasy.
    A shot of the entire speakeasy.
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    Stowaway

    Stowaway

    4.5
    (814 reviews)
    4.0 mi
    $$

    Definitely recommend reservations and parking can be tight. I recommend parking behind the…read morebuilding. (Update: the staff was very nice and let me know that the other side might tow on weekends!) Even though I don't drink alcohol, I thought it was very cool with the Hawaiian themes and there were so many cool cocktails. Apparently there's a speakeasy in this bar too. The food was very good as we got burgers, sandwiches, onion rings and ice cream. Our servers were very nice and attentive. Food came out quickly and it wasn't too loud. No complaints and I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a nice to place to eat and drink.

    Stowaway has the near perfect blend of high end tiki mixed with what I call the "brewers dive bar"…read more Disguised in a dumpy looking strip mall is one of the better tiki experiences I have had. Is it as high end and bougie as Strong Water? No. Does it tickle your fancy and offer a wonderful experience that even your kids can enjoy? Absolutely! Kids- yes they are welcome. In fact mine had the time of their life. Just don't be those parents and bring them after 7. It is a tiki bar after all and unless they follow the rules of Arrested Development then let them chill at home with grandma and grandpa or maybe their weird Uncle Joe. Drink- Delightful. Very fun themed glassware. Presentations were beautiful and well thought out. Our server did a great job at recommending drinks that built on top of the previous one. Food- the weakest part of the experience. While certainly not bad however when compared to the rest of the experience it just was a bit lacking. The Loco Moco looked very nice. The patty was quite dry though. Yes there's gravy but that's not an excuse for a dry patty. Mac salad was very nice. Stowaway fries were fun and tasty. It is smothered in gravy so be prepared to lose the crispy fries about halfway into the dish. All in all I (and my wife and kids(before7) and weird Uncle Joe) will be back.

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    Pioneer

    Pioneer

    4.6
    (212 reviews)
    2.7 mi
    Takes reservations
    Romantic vibe

    We made a reservation at Pioneer and really enjoyed this little spot! It's tucked inside a diner,…read moreso it can be a little hard to find at first, but it's just inside the back patio area with a cute wooden saloon-door entrance. The space is small, cozy, and intimate with just a few tables. Our waitress was super friendly and took the time to explain the menu and different options to us. - Guava Y Queso (4.5/5): I loved this! It was really unique with the cream cheese topping, but the combination worked so well. Definitely a fun spot for cocktails and something a little different!

    Lets try this again since my original review was removed…read more The night was going great. We just had dinner near by and decided get drinks here. We've been here a few times before and always thought it was decent. So, we made the last minute reservation online and got here 15 minutes early. When we arrived, there was a short line, but per the reservation instructions, one of my friends went in to check in while we waited outside. Friend: Hi, I'm checking in for a reservation. Bartender: What time is your reservation. Friend: 10 Bartender: What time is it now? Friend: 9:45 Bartender: Then I'll see you at 10pm. Friend came back annoyed and explained what happened. The bartender didn't say it in a joking way, but with attitude and annoyance. Most staff would respond "Thank you for checking in, we will let you know when your table is available." We weren't going to let this ruin our night, so we waited and were seated by the hostess. The bar itself is dimly lit and very tight. The music was loud enough that we had to almost yell to hear each other. The waiter came by soon after and was extremely friendly. We said we'd been here a few times before, but it's been a while. He refreshes our memory by saying they specialize making variations of classics. They want customers to focus on the flavors and that's why the menu doesn't list the spirit in their drinks. Also, they only make drinks on the menu because their drinks are prebatched/premade. We ask for recommendations which he was happy to give. We each order a drink and a snack for the table. As we're talking (very loudly so we can hear each other), we lose track of time before we realize that it's been 20 minutes and we haven't gotten our drinks yet. For something that's prebatched, it shouldn't take long. Before we can flag down the waiter, he comes by and apologizes that they lost our order and had to put it back in. We appreciate the honesty and say it's no problem. 5 minutes later, our drinks and food arrives. He again apologizes for the wait and has a second order of our food that he's including for free. Honestly we were ok with just the apology, but extra food too? Hell yea. Sounds like it was turning around. The drinks were okay. Not amazing, but definitely above average 3.8 / 5. The snack, bread and butter, were surprisingly good. 4.5 / 5 When we asked for the check, the waiter brought the credit card reader and told us we can swipe our card any time and left it on our table. We look at the bill and realize the waiter not only gave us the 2nd snack for free, but comp'd 2 of the drinks also. We all agree this waiter is GREAT. So why the 2 stars? Well first let me say, I would leave it at 1 star, but the waiter definitely earned them another. We wanted to pay cash, so we waited for him to come back. Instead, the original rude bartender comes by and realizes we haven't paid yet. We ask if we can pay with cash. He explains that they don't accept cash. Friend: Are you sure? *Proceeds to try to insert cash into the chip reader slot* Bartender: You're pretty stupid, aren't you? Friend: Maybe if I swipe it instead *Doubles down and proceeds to swipe the cash through the magnetic strip reader* Bartender: Wow, you really are stupid. My friend is a 100% a goofball and having fun with the bartender. It was OBVIOUS that he was joking. Was it funny? A little. Was it stupid? 100%. But for the bartender or ANY customer service staff to call a paying customer "stupid", that's simply unacceptable. We're all pretty pissed at this point and simply swipe the card and the bartender leaves. As I said earlier, we've come here a few times. We don't live especially close, but when we're in the area, we would always consider coming here. Now, there's no chance. For any business, even if your drinks and food are great, customer service can easily DESTROY your experience and that's exactly what the bartender did. Note to the male bartender with no hair: You really shouldn't be interacting with customers. You were rude from the start and have no sense of humor. Could you be having a bad day? Sure, but that's not an excuse to be rude to customers. I know management saw my original post because it was removed, probably because I referred to the bartender by his hairstyle (or lack thereof) multiple times. If they rather remove my post than deal with their bartender, that's another sign to avoid this place.

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    4.5
    (3.5k reviews)
    11.2 mi
    $$$

    I think this is on everyone's speakeasy list!…read more Make sure you make a reservation It is very packed. They offer bar seating and booth / table Follow the wall from Randy's donuts and Look for a wall of Japanese sake/beer barrels and head towards the restaurant - the rolling boil. There will be a check in host and stand there and wait (it will be located up against the wall with a big secret door right next to the hostess station) It's very New York inside. When I first came in Spring with the amazing, Karen, the menu and everything was great Now, I took my friend who was in town from Nashville and it was a brand new theme. It's the great Gatsby. Even our waitress, Jasmine was dressed for the occasion. I would say this place is known for Absinthe. They have cocktails featuring it or you can get one of the huge apparatus (huge and glowing green) which, if you are into it? I highly recommend. Just one of the huge apparatus makes one regular drink. Or, what Karen and I did, was split it and make it into a shot for the both of us. The waitress comes out and shows you how it works and goes over everything. Karen, who I came with, was a pro and knew her way around it. She showed me the ropes lol. Honestly, if you are here? When in Rome. Go all out and try it, since it's where they shine here. They took off a few menu items and added some themed drinks. ( a couple new champagne themed drinks) They have big entree items but I suggest small bites and sharing and mostly coming for the drinks. There's no bathroom inside, so you do have to leave the bar and go to the closest one (over behind Randy's donuts) and then enter the speakeasy again Both times coming here I've never had an issue. It's a small, packed place. And yet they still have the cocktails flowing and the food coming out in a good time. So the food and drinks are good Atmosphere is lovely. Service is good. Especially for it usually being very busy in here This place is located inside the Anaheim packing district. So I suggest hitting up a couple other spots before or afterwards for some more food or drinks P.S. it is very dark In here. They never cared if we used our light to look at the menu. However, they do not want flash photography They also do not strictly enforce a dress code (my friend from Nashville asked) however, they suggest dressing business casual and not too underdressed

    Date night for mom and dad away from the kids type of night. Very mellow and chill. Small but cozy…read more I loved the Gatsby decor. We chose to be seated at the bar. Service was decent. I really liked the clarified strawberry drink, similar to strawberry and cream. I ordered a drink after that unfortunately forgot the name (photo attached with a tall glass) but there was no special cocktail craft taste to it. Just hard liquor taste and undrinkable :( the bartender kindly offered another drink. Unfortunately none of the food was the least bit good. Steak and fries was ordered medium rare and cooked to medium well with what seemed like no seasoning was on there at all. Crab cake was just ok and the slaw beneath it was drenched in a vinaigrette that was just sour and unpleasant. And the Mac and cheese, as we were very hopeful and looking forward to, was probably the blandest Mac and cheese we ever had. We asked the lady bartender for salt and she handed us, no exaggeration (and you guys will probably think I am) 10 grains of salt in it and said "looks like there's a lil something you could still get out of there" My jaw dropped. But yeah. The shredded meat on top of the Mac and cheese was cooked beyond the point of edible. That one was unfortunately sent back bc we just couldn't eat it. We were bummed over all mostly about the food.

    Photos
    Make My Millennium: Berry, Anise, Bold
    Make My Millennium: Berry, Anise, Bold
    It's Showtime: Umami, Rich, Floral
    It's Showtime: Umami, Rich, Floral
    Dead Man's Party: Tropical, Funky, Spiced

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    Dead Man's Party: Tropical, Funky, Spiced
    Ruin Bar

    Ruin Bar

    4.1
    (485 reviews)
    2.1 mi
    $$

    What a great little trendy bar hidden away! After the OC Fair we felt like a little nightcap &…read morethrough Yelp found this little gem. The ambiance was so cool with lots of Asian inspired decorations, total eye candy. The line for the drinks was a little long but went pretty fast and we were lucky to score 2 seats inside almost immediately. If not, you can stand around or sit on other little tables on their outside patio. You can view the drinks through a QR code, a wall menu or above the bar. The drinks were really good with fun names, it was hard to decide which I'd make my first! A great place to visit and enjoy a good drink.

    A very special bar, from the drinks to the decor. I really like that they are open during the day…read moreand also late at night, with mixed indoor and outdoor seating (though the outdoor seating is a bit worn). Vibes are always good. If you have some time while browsing The Lab during the day, I recommend stopping by for a drink! It's also nice to include in your barhopping itinerary in the evening since there are a number of breweries around too. I've had mixed experiences with the bartenders. Luckily, the gentleman manning the bar during my most recent visit was very friendly. Drinks are always great. I've tried a variety of drinks from the menu here, but my favorites are: -Love in Drunk, a lovely cocktail with cucumber and grapefruit flavors that create a fresh watermelon taste when mixed together -Bee's Knees, short but strong and sweet -London Mule, very herbal thanks to the gin and very refreshing

    Photos
    Old fashion. House bourbon. Better than anywhere else.
    Old fashion. House bourbon. Better than anywhere else.
    Coconut pineapple peach shots. Phenomenal.
    Coconut pineapple peach shots. Phenomenal.
    Outside patio

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    Outside patio
    Cowboys and Poodles

    Cowboys and Poodles

    3.9
    (285 reviews)
    2.2 mi
    $$

    CALVIN IS THE BEST BARTENDER EVER…read more Summary: Fascinating place; wonderful drinks; adorable setup (confession booth; actual carriage...); on-theme decor (don't drink every time you see a cowboy with a poodle for your liver's sake, please.) Review: My partner & I were across the street at the shopping center & I wanted to hit up a bar since we don't know the area. I was the one who found this on Yelp, and he was like ...yeah, idk. I thought it'd be cool so we crossed the street & walked over. Okay, he literally fell in love with this place. A coworker recently asked him for a bar rec & he mentioned Cowboys and Poodles!! The concept is very cute (being a speakeasy) & when we came in we were greeted by Calvin who is hilarious & who makes excellent drinks. They had this very intriguing drink on the menu & he helped me decide. I would for sure come back & have it again + try the others. My partner noticed the very extravagant and peculiar decor here. The ceiling of the confession booth literally has cowboys ON poodles (!!!). He hypothesized it's all custom-made bc this is just too random. We loved it! My partner found himself counting down the seconds until these guys got out of the carriage, LOL. We swooped in immediately. It was sooooooooo cute! & strange! We pretended to be some kind of royalty in a different century. Whaaaaat a vibe. Saying again that Calvin is the best Even if this place wasn't so cool, his banter + his drinks would've still led to 5 stars. Come see for yourself!!

    We wanted to stop at a random bar in the area since we were out here for our friends birthday (you…read morecan take a look at the previous review). I searched Yelp and this came up a couple miles away and we liked the name of it. Haha! Cute little place. And I mean, LITTLE. Not big at all and hard to maneuver once inside. Pretty cramped. Hard to get a drink. Had a group of 4 people totally cut in front of me and my husband. We went to the other side of the small bar and waited several minutes.... Fortunately, the girl in front of me was sweet to offer to order our drinks for us. The decor was fun and festive but we won't go back. Not our style, not our type of bar to hangout in. Plus we pretty much surpassed the general age of the crowd. Like probably by at least 15 years. HA!

    Photos
    Exterior
    Exterior
    Are you?
    Are you?
    Curated Creations

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    Curated Creations
    Twenty Eight

    Twenty Eight

    4.1
    (779 reviews)
    1.4 mi
    $$$

    Such amazing service from Rolando! It was our anniversary dinner and he gave such great care and…read morealso gave us our space and gave amazing recommendations. The atmosphere was great, definitely recommend sitting outside for some fresh air and for a moodier vibe! Excited for the next time we come back!!

    We made a reservation at Twenty Eight for our son's graduation dinner. We absolutely love this…read moreamazing restaurant! The food is to amazing! Twenty Eight's decor is very elegant and classy but not stuffy. It is very welcoming and comfortable. We arrived early to enjoy a few cocktails before dinner. Our drinks included the Rebel, Do the Hokey Toki and Somm's Old Fashion. The cocktails were a perfect way to start our evening! We had a party of 9 and ordered a variety of appetizers, entrees and sides. My husband and oldest son ordered the Chateaubriand and thoroughly enjoyed it. My middle son and I ordered the salmon, which was perfect as always. Several of our guests ordered the capellini and prime New York strip. Our appetizers: French fries, truffle fries, salmon crudo, Spanish octopus, Black Tiger Shrimp, and of course the famous griddled scallion pao with sambal chili butter (amazing!). Our sides included: garlic fried rice, broccoli and greens, mac and cheese, Brussel sprouts and potato puree. For dessert we ordered the seasonal sorbets: passionfruit and mango - super refreshing! The restaurant surprised my son with a congratulatory dessert for his graduation - totally unexpected and greatly appreciated! He absolutely loved it and it added such a nice touch to our evening! All the cocktails, appetizers, entrees, sides and desserts are absolutely amazing - we loved everything. But, I will say the one thing that is always above and beyond any other restaurant that I visit is the service. I cannot emphasize enough how much I appreciate the wonderful and warm customer service! Our hostesses, bartenders, server and food runners truly give you the best experience possible. Kevin was one of the first to warmly greet us - and of course he made us feel like old friends visiting again. Stacie visited us during dinner to check on us and make sure that we were enjoying our evening. Another amazing dinner at Twenty Eight and one that we will never forget. Thank you to Stacie, Kevin and the entire Twenty Eight staff for making my son's graduation dinner the absolute BEST. We will be back soon! Thank you!

    Photos
    Double Fortune
    Double Fortune
    Prime tomahawk rib-eye
    Prime tomahawk rib-eye
    Create your own whisk(e)y flight from our copious selection

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    Create your own whisk(e)y flight from our copious selection
    Club 616

    Club 616

    4.6
    (195 reviews)
    4.9 mi
    $$

    When I said "Bar" and "Santa Ana" in the Yelp search - of course it said "Club 616" in the first…read morespot - OF COURSE IT SAID 616!!! I was lucky enough to stumble across this gem of the center of OC when they first opened - and I am proud to be a regular here. I don't know how to go somewhere else - because I feel like the staff are giant gems in this jewel of a spot. Winters is a curator of boozy information that has helped me learn about "gin" and "root beer whiskey" so I can sound like an adult-ish purveyor, when really I know close to nothing except being a willing student to his creations. Dan the Man and Jacob always see me raise my hand in the corner of the bar, like the student I am, and have been willing to fill in the blanks for me when I know I am of thirst, but do not have the words for what to order. Every person working in the well has treated me with kindness - they have taken the time to get to know me, and I will be forever appreciative of how they have taken care of me over the years. But the real joy has been the transformation that this spot has for building a community of people in Santa Ana for real recognizing real. I have been bringing my Dad with me to play pool for the past few years. Sometimes people ask me if he plays professionally, I am terrible, and my skill incline is slow, he is patient and plays with the same level craftiness that the staff offer the cocktails. My Dad is always stoked when we have time to go have a few hours of games at 616 - especially now that there are regulars on 4th street that are excited to see that he is there playing - and they rush to write their names on the chalkboard to challenge him - or beat him in a game they really earned the W. On lazy Sundays, I watch couples sit with their drink, listening to Jazz, and watching my Dad whoop my ass while making amazing shots. I am forever grateful to Memo who sometimes takes a break from his shift behind the bar to give my dad an actual challenge - which allows me the chance to watch my Dad enjoy fellowship around the table. Knowing the table was a relic of the bars former self, and knowing the history that this spot has in Santa Ana is a reminder that so much around us can change - but it is those moments of the crack of the rack, the cheer of getting the combo shot, and the shake of hands when it's over that shows that it's not just about the pool table - but about the energy of a place that is welcoming and curated by people who care about what they do - and care about who comes through their doors. Thank you Jason and Mike B to bringing this to 4th St and supporting the community that was already here - and for building a community for the future. Thank you to Christina and Brandon for always having amazing pictures, decor, and fun events at 616 that help introduce new folks into this great spot. Time is short. Learn about Root Beer Whiskey. Write your name on the Chalk Board. No one lives forever.

    I love the vibe here. It's about the energy and atmosphere for sure. Reminiscent of the bars /…read moreclubs in Baja California or Mexico in general, it's lively with a back patio area and even like a taquero there, at least on weekends. The drat beer selection is solid and the cocktails are well crafted. Highly recommend this spot. One of my favorite it's Downtown Stabba Ana

    Photos
    Shaken Not Shy cocktail
    Shaken Not Shy cocktail
    Garden State Of Mind Cocktail
    Garden State Of Mind Cocktail
    Lady In Red cocktail

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    Lady In Red cocktail

    YNK - cocktailbars - Updated August 2026

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