Blood Orange Cosmo!!!
My friend and I were in the area and decided to drop in at the Goat Hill Tavern for a beer. As I pulled into the back parking lot I saw that the Helm next door was gone and now The Boulevard. Curiosity got the best of me so I sent a text message to my friend asking if he wanted to meet there instead. The interior was nice, a huge difference from the Goat Hill's divey feel. Their menu seemed to consist of craft beer and cocktails. It is definitely a nice place to meet co-workers after work or even host a birthday get together. I read that they encourage groups to have their party there and they can put together some special priced drinks. Â
My Blood Orange Cosmo was very good and I felt $8 was quite reasonable. That same drink would probably cost about $12 at most bars in LA. Â Make sure to look on the chalk board at the bar for their daily specials. The day I went they had a buy 1 get 1 free deal on Moscow Mules. Not bad...I didn't get a chance to try it but next time I'll make sure to look on their board first.
Minus one star because I did ask if they had any drink special and the bartender answered "All our drinks are special". I wish he would have pointed at the board with the special. We were there on a Sunday around 4pm so I hoped they had some sort of special which they did but didn't tell me. But this place is much more "me" than the Goat Hill so I'd be open to going back to see what sort of crowd they bring in on Friday's and Saturday's.
After reading the reviews im glad I brought cash!
I don't mind tipping big but id like it to be at my discretion!
It seemed like every other bar to me. it got crazy busy and it got hard to get a drink.
I drank some Jameson/Gingers and Moscow mules, all of which were good. Â
I don't see it being my new hangout
My friend Jessica and I have been to the Boulevard countless times for 7 months now and we can't get enough. Â We started at Goat Hill Tavern (found it not to our taste) and found out that The Boulevard has the same owners so we decided to check it out. Â The Boulevard is a great place to go at any time of the day for any reason. Â (I've sat in a booth and worked on homework in the day and on the weekends I party until last call) Â When they open at 3pm they play some smoother tunes: 50s and relaxing, fun music. Â Plus they have an amazing happy hour Monday-Friday from 3-6pm. Â Buy One Get One on Cocktails and Wines. Â I can get a lot for $20 or less.
On the weekends the crowd grows significantly. Â There is always an interesting crowd so if you enjoy people watching grab a seat in a nice padded booth and enjoy the show. Â The jukebox turns off after 10pm on weekends and they put on house music.
If you're looking to try a new drink check out the cocktails list, or they have new drinks on the chalkboard behind the bar. Â If you like a sweet drink I highly recommend the Endless Summer (Cantaloupe and Watermelon vodka, fresh OJ, and sweet & sour). Â I have recommended it to many people and let them have a taste... and they all liked it. Â Also, men can ask for an Endless Summer in a man-friendly glass.
They have an outdoor patio for smoking, where they recently remodeled the entrance. Â They are in the process of rebuilding their bathrooms and they should be done within the month. Â Also, rumor has it their will be live music once all the remodeling is done.
My favorite part about The Boulevard is the experience. Â All of the bartenders are very friendly and enjoy their time at work. Â Andy and Rob truly exceed my expectations of a typical bar experience . Â The bouncers are always clearing any empty drinks and willing to help out if some creep is giving you a hard time. Â John, Joe, and Andrew have all gotten me out of a jam or lifted my spirits in some way.
I've been to Detroit Bar, Pierce Street Annex, Sharkeez in HB and Newport Beach, The District, Goat Hill Tavern, Garfs, 2nd Street in Long Beach, DTF... and there is no other place I'd rather go than the Boulevard.
My first visit here will be my last! Thought the atmosphere was cool, liked the vibe and the music. All was well until we asked for the bill. Apparently there are different drink menus and prices depending upon the time of day. The bill is not itemized but handwritten. After review we told the bartender that our bill was incorrect. It took  some time to adjust prices and to our surprise we now had a second page of drinks and a line item for gratuity!! I have never seen a bar add gratuity to your bill and have never seen an establishment conveniently "leave" off gratuity on the first pass. Needless to say this place left a bad taste, thought they were more upscale but seems they are as "dirty" as the goat. Won't be back.
Review Source:This place looked really good considering we went to Goal Hill first. Looking for cheap drinks on a Saturday afternoon to hang out with friends. Ended up being a sht show with the bill. Apparently they have two different menus with two different prices AND THEY AUTOMATICALLY ADD 18% GRATUITY TO THE BILL!!
Our bartender "accidentally" rang our tab up with the evening prices not the day time prices. When we brought it to his attention that there was no way our bill could be this high he redid the bill. The second time it had 2 pages of drinks instead of only one from the first bill and it had 18% added to it too. BS!!
I've never in all of my travels around the world and here in the U.S. have I ever seen 18% gratuity added to a bar bill WTF?
You lost a customer forever and I will be letting all of my friends know too.
Great vibe. Â Just the kind of neighborhood bar that I like. Drinks are well poured and the bartenders do a great job. The music has become a bit iconic for them in that it is always just the right volume for the time of day and is a mix of pop, country, soul and classics. This is what a bar should be.
Review Source:I would have made this my local go-to but that certainly isn't going to happen now.
I had a good time there but what really soured my experience was that when I closed my tab, I was given a piece of paper with chicken scratch over it. How the hell am I supposed to read that?
Fortunately, I was able to make out one thing .... GRATUITY Â was automatically added. I've never heard of a bar that does that. I had to literally run out of there so I couldn't make a bigger deal of it but let me tell you, bartenders automatically adding gratuity to a barely legible bill is not good business.
Let me start by saying that The Boulevard is an overflow bar. Goat Hill Tavern next door is the marquee bar on the block and The Boulevard is quietly seated next door. When Goat Hill is full, people find their way there. Early in the evening, it's a cool, quiet place to grab a drink. Don't come here for beer, they have a pretty crummy selection and almost nothing is on tap. This is a mixed drink bar. As soon as it gets a little later in the evening, the bar slowly starts to fill and the music changes from cool, classic tunes to super loud club music which makes conversation impossible and naturally draws the crowd that, if you aren't a fan of club music, is not your crowd. It's loud, overcrowded with people I don't want to spend time with.
So... If loud club music, tank-topped, sandle-footed, backpack wearing bums, and no beer are your thing, this is right up your alley. If you like beer, good music, cool people... Not your place.
Hahhhh I don't know what it is about this place, but I love it. (Actually I do, that's why I wrote a review. Rhymed.)
Bathrooms are gross, so take caution. Wash your hands while wishing yourself happy birthday twice & then use hand sanitizer for precaution. Sorry, I'm a germophobe if you couldn't tell.
Drinks are AWESOME. Every special cocktail I've ordered from them has been amazing. The jalapeno one is so delicious. Perfect amount of sweetness & a really good kick too. That mango one...don't recall the name, delicious. That lychee one, UM POUR IT IN MY MOUTH.
Bartenders are really friendly. This bar opens on Christmas day & Thanksgiving so hell yeah get your drink onnnnnn after a long night of, "Y U NO MARRIED? Y U NO HAB KIDS?? Y U NO DOCTOR?? HOW DA SCHOOL GO?? WHAT U MEAN U NO HAB DOCTOR HUSBAND. U DATE DOCTOR ONLYYYYY." Oh, maybe this only applies to me..
Anyway, would definitely recommend dropping over to this place if the peanuts on the ground from Goathill are starting to irk you or something. Or just go here straight away & then head over to Goathill for some beers.
The Boulevard is a pretty nice bar with the exception of a really horrendous bathroom situation. It doesn't scream hipster, doesn't scream trendy or pretentious, it's just a nice bar that just wants to give you really delicious cocktails...for a price.
Came here with my boyfriend on a saturday night around 7pm. I liked the atmosphere of this place even though it's pretty dark inside. There was a decent amount of people already there but it was no crowded by any means. We mostly hung out in the back where they have a cute little outdoor open top gazebo type sitting area. Super cute with red cushions and string lights around the top. This would be a great place for a group of girls just looking to hang out. We met a few cool people that we chatted with for a while before they left. I like this place and will be back next time I feel like drinking again
Review Source:I walked in with some girlfriends on Saturday (weekend before Halloween) dressed in costumes. Â The place was packed but we found seats at the bar. Â The bartender recommended the Endless summer drink which consisted of cantaloupe and watermelon vodka in a martini glass. Â There were some other liquids in it too but I didn't pay much attention to that. Â They have wide screen TVs playing sports or sports highlights. Â The crowd was a mix but mostly the Newport Beach/ Costa Mesa crowd. Â Needless to say, I didn't pay for any of my drinks that evening as the nice gentleman who sat beside me, paid for them. Â Good times.
Review Source:Had a good time here on a Wednesday night. Nice selection of imported draft beers. Â HOWEVER - watch out for the pricing here and don't get overcharged!!!! I ordered a vodka tonic which came out to be $5. Then, I ordered a second vodka tonic with a different waiter. This time, the second waiter said the price was $5.50. But when he brought the bill, the price was $6????? WTF? Do the drinks go up in price throughout the night? I wonder how much a third drink would have cost! Also, the smoking area is not well ventilated at all, the smoke just sits there under the covered area. Not well planned at all. Still giving 4 stars because of the beer selection and the speed of service.
Review Source:1000% better the the Helm!
The bar is a real bar, the lounge area is clean and cool. There's even a patio out back for smokers (it could use a little work, but I'm not complaining).
The Helm was type of bar people got stabbed in, and no one really cared. The Boulevard is a wonderful replacement. My buddy and I really enjoyed it this past Thursday night.
Went on a Tues night empty at first then became somewhat full. Archive was good although the bartenders weren't very knowledgeable on bartending and seemed to struggle a bit, even with pouring a beer correctly. Lived the prices and the  excellent selection of both beer and spirits. A major major negative: shortly after arriving the male bartender plugged his phone into the sound system and for the next two hours played nothing but nonstop mid 90s/early 2000s hip hop....i mean really??? for two and a half hours nothing but that....can't figure why anyone would think that was sole music anyone in this type of bar want to listen to! Honestly it really made things suck and made is question if we would ever come back. good drinks at good prices barely made up for that misery.
New decor looks good, lot cleaner than before. Must admit we can't figure out who they are trying to be. The new decor lens itself to a classy pre mid century feel, but is then contrasted with the 50s stuff in the showroom, contrasted with  the pounding hip hop, mix of little bit of everything but not really doing anything in particular. Also, really hate the cheesy golf shirts the bartenders have to wear, one more thing that just doesn't seem to fit.
They have a good space, good products, good prices....everything else needs a lot of work
It's a bar in OC, what can you expect? Â The mix here is mostly white, which are not really my taste. I'm more into hot sexy skinny Asian girls! Â But, there's plenty of seats here for you to hang and chill with friends. I could definitely come here if I'm looking to have a few drinks with friends. The music here.... well....I was too buzzed to pay attention to it~ Â
As for parking, it SUCKS! Â The parking are in the back, which are a bite difficult to find, so good luck! Â Oh, it's across from Sutra, so if you're looking into dancing after a few drinks, you just gotta walk across!
When I walked in I was impressed by the decor, nicely done, tin ceilings, kitschy car display, but by the time I walked out I decided that I would never come again. It's silly how one really bad experience with a bartender who has the barside manner of a surly Tasmanian Devil can ruin one customers bar experience forever. I didn't get my drink that night, and neither did my friend who asked for a beer from the bartender, was looked straight in the eye, and then went away, never again to return with said beer. Just fyi, the patrons there were quite an eclectic bunch. I think half of them were still sitting there when it was the Helm, too drunk to move while the place was remodeled around them. The other half were a mix of pseudo hipsters trying so hard to be cool and aloof and just regular Costa Mesa folk, out for an evening on the town.
Review Source:I discovered this bar probably last month (even though Ive heard from other people throughout the year). Its low key on weekdays and I can get my simple fix for less than $10, which is a good thing. The music is a mix of alternative, classic and reggae era. I might start going weekly once I get my own crowd going.
Review Source:Went to catch up with a gf and check out the new bar in town. Showed up early around 9 on a Friday, not too many people yet so snagged one of the booths in front. This place has been completely gutted from the dive that it used to be (The Helm - honestly, was always a bit scared to enter the previous joint). They've done a nice job with it. There are two rows of large U shaped booths, probably could fit about 6-7 people comfortably in them. The bar then stretches the length of the place. Ceilings are covered in a copper tin. They also have an old school car on display in the front area (random?) Shuffleboard and smoking area are located towards the back. A few TV's spread throughout to maybe catch a glimpse of the game.
The martini's were recommended to me so we tried a couple of them. Both were made well and weren't overly sweet/sour; best part was that they only cost $7.50. I believe, this is the same owners as Goat so you still get the great selection of beers, I think they had close to 20 on tap and about 20 more in bottles.
By 11 the place was busy, every booth taken and people standing all along the bar. Music was eclectic and I think there is a jukebox? Crowd is a mix of old/young, hipster/Newport/CM Grunge.
Bartenders were a bit on the slow side, but I get the feeling this is a regulars place and once they know you, you'll get the speedy service.
Went to check out the old 'Helm" to see what it was like. Â Very cleaned up. Â Good selection of draft beers, but nothing special about this place. Â Seems like they are going for some 'hip' type of lounge that belongs in west hollywood or Laguna Beach. Â
Where have all the good dive bars gone? Â
Oh, and the bartender (?) seemed too busy, even though there were only about 10 people in the place, to help me.
Also, this does not really fir the category of "Dive Bar'
The Helm was a dive bar, not this yuppy place.
Soooo much better than the dirty Goat Hill Tavern next door!
Interior design is well done. The gold patterned ceiling and moulding added character and class. There's a nice, old jukebox where people can request songs. I'm most impressed by the 3 old school cars parked in the display room! As a chick, I really dont know much about cars, but those 3 are beautfiul beyond words.
FYI, be careful of drunk girls, this bar seems to attract alot of them.
Awesome place. I love how they've revamped it.
It's a nice change from the Goat next door, even though it's owned by the same guys.
It's got a great atmosphere, and if you come with some friends, you'll be sure to have a great time.
Everything is relatively Inexpensive and everyone's super friendly.
This place is great.
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