Aw man. I really want to give this place a good review 'since I'm there every week, but I just can't. I can't even give it 3 stars. Here's why.
I love going to Trivia Night here on Tuesdays at 9:00pm. I love the competitiveness and the teamwork that is inherent in trivia. I come here with a couple friends, and tend to do pretty decently, but even if we don't win, it's still a lot of fun.
The drinks are great and I would highly recommend their fresh-squeezed juice cocktails. (Screwdriver, Greyhound, etc.) They're $5 and a decent mixed beverage. The beers are moderately priced and always have a special every month. The bartenders are usually very friendly and give great suggestions when you're just not sure what you want to have.
Unfortunately the good ends there. The food is sub-par, especially for the price they charge you. There are 5 star restaurants out there who are serving hamburgers as a low-cost alternative at $15-20. This is not a 5 star restaurant. So why are you charging so obnoxiously much for mediocre burgers and a baby's fist full of fries?
They do have a BOGO deal on burgers on Tuesdays, which is a plus 'cause it coincides with Trivia, but doesn't really justify charging that much every other day.
But the worst part of this place is the damn waitresses. Let's start with the superficial. Not-so-decent looking girls have always worked here. The bartenders are better looking, and compared to the typical hot bombshell working bars in this area, these girls are barely passable.
My opinion on this may be biased due to their horrible customer service. Absolutely no urgency at all. It took me 35 minutes to order a burger, and another 40 minutes before it arrived. By the time I started eating, I was nearly done with the 2 hour trivia game. The drinks are slightly faster, but hardly accurate. Out of the 12 times I was there, some order has always been screwed up. For example, bringing a pint when the customer asked for a large beer. Bringing a rum and coke instead of a rum and pineapple.
Now I understand if it's busy it may be hard to keep track of all the orders. But it is a Tuesday night, and 3 out of 4 of us order the same thing. It's not rocket science. The worst part about all this is their lack of apology. One girl even said, "Don't worry honey. The next one will be a large one."
What the fuck does this mean? Are you just giving me the small beer for free? Or are you just gonna assume that I'm gonna have another of the same thing or another drink at all? Don't act like I just made your day that much worse, I didn't. You were the one that made the mistake, not me.
Anyways this horrible service ALMOST deters me from coming by here on Tuesdays, but 'since Trivia is fun and local. And there's a possibility of winning free drinks/food. I'll still come by every week, although tips will be rare and low.
I've been to this particular location many times and it is pretty good. The service is fairly fast. The beer selection is good with pretty good variety of domestic and foreign beers. The appetizers are good, but kind of pricey. Chicken wings are like $11. Onion rings are amazing. The steaks are good and actually fairly priced (unlike appetizers). They have TVs and really good live music on Thursday nights. The only problem is that the band plays 9pm till 12 am which is kind of late for me, since I have to work on Friday. But there are many other people who enjoy staying late.
Review Source:Really enjoy this place. I've only been to a couple other Hennesey's locations, but this one is far and away the nicest. To be honest though, the thing that really makes it are the outdoor firepits in the patio area. There aren't too many bar patios in O.C. (or Southern California for that matter) where you can be completely comfortable even in the middle of winter, particularly when they're so close to the ocean.
I would also say the location is extremely convenient, and I've never had problems parking there - even on weekends. And another plus is that it's basically across the street from Harbor House, so if you "forgot to eat" before final call, you can head over there for some grub.
Either else about this place is basically "so-so" or "perfectly fine." The service, the food, the prices (well, ok, the food is pricey.), the company. On weeknights, the crowd is pretty evenly split between late-twentysomething South O.C.'ers and "baby boomer"/"mature" South O.C.'ers. As you might guess, weekends yield some youngbloods.
As a final thought, this is definitely a great "first date" location.
I enjoy this place whether it is a rowdy night or not. Â Love to stop by for the buy one get one free burgers. Â The veggie burger is great! Â I don't understand why some are giving Hennessy's poor reviews. There is music, good food and servers that have always been very attentive. Â There are some instances where it can get a bit loud and if thats the case then stay home! Â I have nothing bad to say about this place and I will stop by a couple of times a year.
Review Source:Ive been coming here for years to get a great burger especially on tuesday when the are two for one..... the steak special on monday nights is one of the best steaks around and a deal at 13 bucks. We came for breakfast the other morning and the potatoes were AWFUL.. The waitress didnt seem to notice that we both  hadnt touched them,didnt ask during our meal how everything was.. So now its just for burgers.Too bad they used to be good.
Review Source:The food is ok...kind of on the pricey side for a veggie burger that came with a skimpy amount of fries. I asked the waitress for more fries and she brought them with no extra charge. Really...a $14.00 a burger should come with lots of fries!
Service was ok...I walked in to get a table and a waitress walked right by me. I stood there wondering what to do. She walked by again and I asked her for a table on the patio, "Just sit anywhere" she told me. O.K., but why did you just ignore me when it was obvious I was looking around for an employee? She ended up being our waitress and she was quick and on the ball with the drink refills.
We sat up front on the patio by the front door and a very loud band in the back was playing Hendrix, Creedence and an awesome version of "Sweet Caroline". Boston Strong baby! Boston is my hometown and it will always have a piece of my heart.
We will probably return since we are always searching for places that have a dog friendly patio. Our poor doggie is by herself all week while we work, we don't want to leave her alone on the weekends!
So Hennesey's is a great place to meet friends, socialize, and get drinks, but on the other hand their food is alright and kind of pricey for what it is. I mean don't get me wrong I liked their bacon burger but I'd rather have spent my fifteen dollars on something more fulfilling. I'll go here again, but to have drinks with my friends!
Review Source:I can only give 4 stars because I haven't frequented this place enough. Only for breakfast. Bloodies were fine, but nothing special and I prefer a special bloody. That said, the eggs benedict is probably the tastiest I've ever had. Â They use smoked turkey instead of ham and it's a recipe improvement (I rarely get the dish because it's so fatty). The cap'n crunch encrusted french toast is also a nice bonus to an old dish. Irish pubs are pretty much great anywhere but I still have to recommend it for breakfast.
Review Source:came here on a day when they had the buy one burger and get the second free. We ordered the special burger that was supposed to be made with dry aged beef. Well, we could not tell the difference in the quality of the meat. When asked how we wanted our burgers cook, I said medium, hubby asked for medium rare. When the burgers arrived, both of them were well done, wtf, really? I did liked their house made potato chips.
Review Source:I was eating here and had a decent time until after I paid. The waitress didn't return my card, a fact I didn't immediately notice. When I asked her if she had seen it, she ignored me and cleaned tables. I asked her again if she still had my card and she flipped out on me!
I asked if maybe she might help me look for it in the credit return books, and she pulled them out, threw them on the bar and yelled at me.
I asked her to check one more time anywhere and she acted very put upon, scowling and being unreasonable, then disappeared towards the kitchen and came back with my card 30 seconds later and got in my face yelling at me asking for an apology because "I must have dropped it."
At this point I was happy to have my card finally returned to me, but felt the shitty service she had rendered outweighed all the rest of the night. I didn't say anything to her other than ask her for help and I was treated rudely and horribly after she failed to perform her job correctly.
I didn't catch her name, but this happened on Friday November 9th and she was wearing a bright pink shirt that ironically said All You Need Is Love and was sliced up in the back. She should be fired.
As a whole, Hennessey's is a solid 3, but if you are just going there to eat....they fall short in my opinion.
I have been coming to this location pretty much since the day I turned 21. I really miss the days when it shared the patio with the Fish Bucket and there was a really good mix of people. Now that Fish Bucket turned into the wine bar, things are pretty different as far as night life goes at Hennessey's so we don't really opt to go much anymore.
We did, however, decide to come here for breakfast this past Sunday before Doheny Days. We sat down around 11 and were stoked they were still serving breakfast. We ordered a whole slew of beverages (there were only two of us but we ordered waters, mimosas, diet coke, coffee and a bloody mary) and waited 15 minutes before our waitress even brought our waters. I ended up going up to the bar to get us waters while we waited for our the ones we ordered. She had NO sense of urgency and a few times I glanced at her to try to get her attention she was just leaning on the bar looking around. I had to flag her down again after we got our drinks to get her to come by and take our order. She sucked.
The food is not bad...not great, but not bad. Huge portions for the price. We sat on the outside patio which was nice...they have a lot of seating out there and an outside bar with the football games on and a live band starts around noon on Sundays.
The coffee was terrible but the mimosa was good...then again mimosas are always good.
I'm sure I will be back here for another hangover breakfast but it is definitely not my first choice and definitely not somewhere I would recommend.
Hennessey's Tavern was a pretty cool joint. I stopped here after a bike ride along the coast. The menu is pretty good for a bar. Drinks are pretty good. Crowd is Iffy...
The crowd is a formula of grumpy old men+veteran+x sports. Dont get me wrong, im a navy vet myself, but you can find the same crowd in Oceanside bars.
Overall, I would stop by for another drink whenever im in the neighborhood.
I give 3 stars because the bartender was great, but the server was "eh." We received the bill for nachos before getting the nachos!! Weird? How would I know what to tip, we haven't been served.
Update:calamari is much better then the Irish nachos (flat, soggy, baked potatoe). But the calamari was lukewarm....like it has been under the heat lamp all night. A guy puked on the floor in front of our table; poor waitress had to clean it up since the douche walked away leaving it.
Great people watching though! The bride is walking barefoot where the puke was (Hello!! Never go barefoot in a bar), a lady was wearing a crazy tight leopard print dress, the security guard likes chicks who ride motorcycles, and the men are overall pretty good at keeping their swaying dates from toppling over.
I can now base my review on the food! I have been here about 7 times since my last review, if that doesn't tell you enough. I love their irish nachos. It's life open-faced potato skins. Thick cut potatoes with bacon, cheese, sour cream and scallions. Super delicious and horrible for you. Their Calamari is SO great! It's seasoned with oregano, other herbs and lime. And they pair it with an asian sweet gooey sauce. It's perfect. My sister and I even eat the bed of cabbage that it's sitting on with the lime and sauce because it's THAT good.
Their beers are normal price and the atmosphere is just so California. It's a really great, relaxed place. I will be back for more and more.
Decent place for happy our if you are a beer drinker you can get a Bud Light for $2.75. Â Their drinks are only a $1 off during happy hour so they are still on the high end ($6.25 Bacardi and Coke). Â We tried the prime rib sliders, calamari, and the flat bread pizza with mozzarella and tomatoes. Â All apps are 1/2 off during Happy Hour. Â We would have liked the patio but lots of smokers doing their thing so we grabbed a booth inside. Â
The 3 mini sliders had a good horse radish flavor but the meat was a bit dry. Â I'd suggest they serve it with au jus and it would be better. Â Calamari was lightly breaded and tasty. Â The pizza was a big surprise. Â Very fresh and tasty! Â
Our waitress was funny and attentive. Â Good place to visit now and then.
Had a positive experience here. We went on a recommendation that they had really good burgers here. We were not disappointed, as there are about 12 gourmet burgers on the menu. Really nice.
We sat outside on the patio, really comfortable and cozy right next to the outdoor fire pit.
I had the blue cheese bacon burger and my buddy had the western bbq burger. We demolished them, they were really tasty. We also had a basket of fries/onion rings and they were average. Polished everything off with a Lagunitas IPA!
I definitely recommend for burgers but not sure about anything else, haven't tried it. Your best bet for burgers actually is to go on a Tuesday - 2 for 1 burgers. Since they cost about $10 each, this is a really good deal.
I've been to my share of Hennessey's from Hermosa, Manhattan, Newport, Laguna, but none of them match up to the one in Dana Point. This one is way bigger!! Theres basically two separate areas and a huge patio area. The first area usually has a DJ and the back area is more of a sit down and eat drink type of vibe with a live band.
Always a good time anddd they even have a Lobster Catching game! If you catch a lobster, they will cook it up and serve it to you. Only costs $1 to play but it's hard to catch since those little suckers start moving around.
I think I am in love.
This place has everything, live music on one side, a DJ/Dance floor on the other and center of the social world in the middle. The middle patio has fire pits and an outdoor bar with a huge TV.
We had the Ahi Poke.......Perfect........Then I had the Shephard's Pie (massive) and my wife had a Turkey Burger (she loved it).
We were going to go into Huntington that night but decided to stay when we found out about everything that they had going on.
WOW!!!
We ate, we drank, we had a blast and we left 6 hours later than planned.
This place rocks!
My bf and I enjoyed this place. Â We didn't eat the food (and we know it's a chain) but the atmosphere was very relaxing and the service was great. Â They squeeze their own juices (grapefruit, lemon), so drinks are refreshing. Â Berry Acai lemonade was delicious, yet sweet, but could be dangerous. They have live music outdoors on the weekends. Also, 2 for 1 burgers and taco buckets on Tuesday, comedy on Mondays, half off wine Wednesdays, and free bday meals on Thursday the week of ur bday. On Fridays, they have half off all apps during HH (I think 4-7). Â Overall, friendly ppl. Â A bit of an older crowd on a Sat afternoon.
Went on a Thursday night and def a younger crowd. They had a live band, and the young girl singer was good! Bartender said they have hh until 10 (20 cent Coors Light drafts!) but we got there later. I had a red red bull vodka type drink? I shared the 4 mini burger appetizer w a friend (guac burger, bacon/jalapeno burger, pepperjack chz burger and pineapple burger). Â Burgers were yummy when we were drunk ~ the buns were yummy!
Came here twice only for drinks and appetizers. I like their Calamari. I don't like their Margarita, period.
DJ and his music was okay. The crowd is okay. I was bored after midnight but managed to stay til almost closing. Most of the crowd left the dancefloor at 1am and mostly were chillin' outside, which was cool.
I wouldn't drive all the way from Oceanside to Dana Point for this but if I live close I wouldn't mind coming back here to chill.
Oh BTW, they have this green drink they call Fishbowl which was super huge and costs 17 bucks. I don't think it's worth it bec. it's filled with ice and not appealing but my friend said she likes it, LOL.
I went there today for the first time in years. I was hungry from surfiing and wanted to watch monday night football. I like how they still have the nice flat screens to watch sports.
The waitress was nice and very prompt with my order. She always made sure my coke was always re-filled, so 5 stars for that.
I should of ordered the 1 pound steak special. They serve it only on Mondays, according to my waitress. Next time, I would like to order that.
Instead, I had burger, salad, and union rings. I was disappointed on how small the burger was. It said big burger on menu, it sure was not.
It was good, nothing special and cooked well. The rest of my meal was good. So overall, I wish I ordered the 1 pound steak for $12.99, I would have spend less.
But overall, I was happy. I just wish the burger was bigger like the menu says. I would definitely go back on Monday since it's usually my day off and a good place to watch MNF football.
Hennessey's is a great place to get drunk while your children eat. Â It's a tavern with excellent beer specials and pretty good food. Â I can't really complain.
The last time I went I had the shepherd's pie. Â It was basically a ground beef sandwich with mashed potatoes instead of bread. Â A very different kind of shepherd's pie, but still super yummy. Â I totally recommend it. Â
I've heard it gets a little out of control at night when it makes the transition to a bar, but for happy hour specials, it's really laid-back and welcoming.
This review is for the bar crowd at night...
There seems to be two sections of Hennessey's you can congregate at- the left side, which seems to host older and pretentious people (if you're scoffing at that observation, you probably hang out on that side) and the right side, which is non discriminatory and hosts the "youngens", the in betweens and the older women who want to be perceived as MILFS. Yeah, no. Leggings and a tight top do not equal "eff me status".
The bartenders are on their game when it comes to serving you quickly and efficiently... just watch out for that broad that pretends she's drunk so she can check you to the side while she orders her sex on the beach. Pft.
I'd say the only thing that makes up for these little glitches are the FISH BOWLS! Yes. Fish bowl, filled with green or blue liquids and alcohol and topped off with 4 neon straws. Don't let the number of straws fool you tho- you have the option to share (one straw per participant) or 4 straws all to yourself so you can suck it down faster.
Decent atmosphere, no parking, fish bowls, and a good mix of people.
A-OK.
A beautiful sunday afternoon sitting on outside on the patio listening to a local band play a plethora of 60 and 80 music. They were terrible. I ordered the calamari and it came out cold but not soggy. The waitress tells me they all come out that way. So, I opted to return the dish and substitute it for the much recommended Ahi tartare made with lots of sweet chili sauce. It was a little over sauced but delicious.
A nice place to take your dog and relax or get hammered in the afternoon. Next time I am going to try the Fish Bucket next door. Everyone walking out of there seemed happy.
I trekked down here to take my pooch for a Dogs and Dining meetup event. Â We sat outside on the patio by the firepits. Â It was a Two for One Tuesday for the burgers. Â My gf and I shared the special and we each had a drink. Â I thought the burgers were pretty good. Drinks are not cheap. Â Wow $6.50 for 1 short glass of beer.... it wasn't special beer ... just Blue Moon. *shrug* Â
The place wasn't crowded at all. Â I remember coming down here Friday nights and weekends and it was always packed...goodluck finding parking! Â This particular Tuesday night though seemed pretty nice for a good hour on the patio and then it was empty soon after. Â Still, it was decent... we got there a little late but were able to get a table by the fire pit and we also got parking in the lot! Â Parking in that area is a premium.
It did take a while to get service out on the patiio. Â It seemed like there was only one girl for the whole patio. Â It was pretty chilly out there unless you sat by a fire pit. Â Still we were able to have good conversation and talk without shouting across to each other.
I enjoyed the small, cozy, intimate nature of the one in Redondo Beach years ago when I was in college. Â
Now that I'm down near Dana Point, I've been to this one a few times. I know the Sheriff's go there a lot- and I don't mean that in a good way. I mean that in the "Too many A-holes with attitudes who end up fighting" kind of way.
I really want to like this place, being proud of my Irish heritage and all. Â But every time I go here, this place smells like sour milk. It is a nauseating scent that makes me lose any appetite I might have had.
At one time I loved this craphole so I have to give it at least three stars. I'm proud to report that it's been ages since I've been here though. This place could be closed due to the economy for all that I know. Hennessey's used to be what I guess you'd call my "local watering hole". I have mostly good memories and a few bad ones too. Then there are the things you can't remember. And for that... I blame the bartenders, of course! ;)
Many a times I'd see knock down, drag out wars attempted by over-intoxicated, tatted up, Orange County wannabe MMA rejects going down in the parking lot, practically on the hood of my expensive sports car while I cringed and pondered what my insurance deductible was. No need to order UFC. I'd just come to this place instead for all the live 3-D entertainment I needed. The alcohol (and lots of it) was necessary as my anxiety level was high thinking that at any given moment someone was going to roid rage and smash up my car while I was inside that piece of shit dive bar, submitting to that pesky little devil on my shoulder that seemed to never be silenced that easily.
Growing up has never felt so good, I'll tell ya! I no longer live in the area, nor do I have the time or the energy to be perusing the bar scene for people that I already know will never have a useful place in my life. Hell, they'd probably label me a "cougar" now anyway. F' em!
Went back today for a mid-day Tuesday brunch. Craving Corned Beef Hash with Eggs. Got eggies poached. Happily surprised to find that this dish is made fresh everyday from scratch! The large plate came out fairly quickly, came with the edges crispy, as I had requested with sourdough toast. Eggs perfectly poached.,served separately on the side  OJ is also made fresh daily. Excellent!
Server was friendly and pleasant, she went out of her way to make sure they would still be available as they stop serving breakfast at noon during the week. Hennessey's was above expectations today. What more could you want?
During a recent trip to Dana Point to meet a coworker/friend for dinner, we decided to continue the evening with some drinks. Â A quick check on the phone brought to light an abundance of local bars, and one easy to find and recognizable name was of course, Hennessey's.
I was happy to see the large outdoor patio which was a perfect setting, and a table open next to the fire pit was essential on a brisk Southern California night. Â Jamie and I tore through our first tall Guinness' like the pros we are, and were presented with ice cold, freshly cascading replacements in perfect timing with downing the last gulps of our first round. Â Great conversation found us at the end of 4 tall ones each, and knowing she had to return to her geophysics conference in the morning, and I had to trek back to San Diego, we decided to part ways.
Hennessey's is never exactly my first choice while at home- but if I make it back to the Dana Point area looking for a place to drink, the great service and outdoor seating will definitely keep them at the top of my list.
Shortest review I'll ever write....
2 stars on a good martini
Place is lame,Dana point for a 26 year old is lame and I fell right into one of the stereotypes coming here with an older man LOL Weird ass crowd  Only time I come back to DP is to jacuzzi it up with this new guy im dating LOL Otherwise DP you suck balls as far as keeping me entertained.
When I heard I was gonna go to a bar in dana point... I thought fan-fuckin-tastic! but I have to say there were many great things about this place.
GREAT:
1. FREE!!!
2. There are three sections. Â So on a night like friday, the have a live band in one room. Â Fire pits and smoking (better for conversation) in the middle section patio) and a DJ in the third room. Â I went for a birthday so it was perfect. Â There were many people who wanted to talk, but I just got to dance most of the time. Â If you have a mixed group of friends, this is the place.
HOWEVER,
1. the drinks were weak, in tiny little cups and not super cheap (be the DD) two small bud lights cost me 10 bucks!
2. Although the crowd was diverse and fun, there were also a lot of snobby people and cougars.
If your in the area with a bunch of friends, and you want something free, this place is perfect!
Of the 10 Hennessey's locations the best is here in Dana Point (Hermosa's is also awesome - for the ocean view alone). Everyone knows the location so it ends up being a logical choice to meet up with friends. However, that seems to be the problem... especially on Fridays when it's packed to the brim.
It's very large - utilizing two buildings with an outdoor firepit-warmed patio between them. Smoking is allowed on the patio so on busy days it can be pretty hazy out there. The food is average and the beer selection isn't the best. The prices aren't even all that great.
I only visit once a month on the first Wednesday for the Cigar Social. One of the best deals around: $21.95 for a Cigar, a beer, a shot or mixed drink of something (no choices here), and a steak or burger. This past Wednesday the combo was a chimichurri topped steak with slaw and mashed potatoes, a pint of Fat Tire, a Mojito, and a Cigar of your choice from the cigar vender on the patio.
It is so hard to review this place. Â I'll go with the extremes:
The Awesome: Karaoke with Andrea on Thursday nights on the Fish Bucket side. Â
The seafood specials and mojito specials here can sometimes be good. Â
Comedy night on Monday with Scottie.  I have  seen some AMAZING comedy here.
The bartenders are always friendly to me.
The Extremely Un-Awesome:
The clientele. Â A weird mix of marines, cougars, cougar hunters, overly decked out OC pretty boys, and barely-dressed chicks.
The tortilla chips. Â All three times I've had them they have had a weird chemical aftertaste.
Mixed Drinks. Â Save yourself some trouble and just drink beer.
The waitstaff service when ordering food at night.
If you go there during the day just for some quick and averagely priced food, you're fine. Â Don't go there to have a meaningful conversation, though...it is a bar first and foremost, so that is to be expected. DO go there for a great karaoke DJ, she is the only thing that gives this review the 3 stars it has. Â DO go there on Monday for comedy nights and karaoke afterward.
Hennesseys is a great local hangout spot in Dana Point. Been here twice since I moved nearby. Went for St. Patricks day this past year & had a great time, place was extremely crowded. The great thing about this Hennesseys is that they have 2 buildings and a patio in between.
Fish & Chips is always a plus, chili wasn't bad, and the buffalo wings are good, however must warn you that they are very very small.
anyways...
Service...ok, not that great.
Food... good & served very late.
Atmosphere.. fun, bar crowd
Great hangout spot, TVs, dance floor, bands, & comedy nights.
Great place to go for comfort food.
1 PM on Sunday's - 80's band!! Â
I have a lot of fun at this place. Â Good beer, good food and a good band! Â The waitresses seem hit or miss. Â If you get a bad one, just drink a little more and you'll be ok. Â Although, how do you drink more if she doesn't come help you? Â I can't help you with that. I guess bring a flask.
The day and time you come here will largely determine your experience. Come during the day and it's people having lunch or having a couple beers. Come here later in the evening and it's the after-work crowd. A little later and it's the local night crowd.
But come here late, after 1130 on a Thursday, Friday, Saturday and even Sundays and it's a hip hop college party night spot. The place has three bars and on busy nights even has a outside portable bar set up to cater to folks outside.
They also have two rooms. One is a Top 40 room with a dance floor and the other is for live music. There normally is plenty of seating.
They have a full menu and the food is good. After they shut down at 130 or 200am you can go across the street to Harbor House. The best late night eatery in OC.