La Costa Cocktail Lounge

The outdoor deck is blast - just get there early so you can have a seat with friends.  They have confusing and varying specials between inside and outside - so don't get too excited about a special until you have it figured out.  Inside is a bit like the other Sea Isle bars and can get very crowded.  The people are generally chill - although you do see the occasional drunken fight which comes with the territory of barely legal fratboy and guido drinkers.  

Overall, not a bad place to hang when in Sea Isle.

The inside bar is crowded and loud, but the outside bar is where it's at.  There is plenty of seating for a relaxed night or if you're in the mood to socialize with those outside of the people you arrived with, hang out at the bar.  The crowd seemed to be on the younger side and all dressed up for the night, I felt slightly out of place in my flip flops and jeans with all the glittery tops and way too short skirts around.  I guess they didn't notice that it was a dive bar.  There were waitresses walking around cleaning up tables so that things didn't get too messy, which was appreciated. And the bacardi girls showed up with shots of their newest drink and t-shirts which was fun. All in all, it's a great shore bar to people watch and drink.

So La Costa added a huge outdoor bar area in place of the pool they used to have for motel guests. Well played. While I did visit for a drink or two last summer, I was too blitzed at the time to actually recall the key points that would merit a proper review.

My brief return this summer was definitely filled with more clarity, as no drinking games were involved before my visit. I sipped wine in an actual glass while taking in the ample patio seating, TVs around the bar, and general good vibes. The delicious looking food from nearby Casino was tempting, but dinner plans were already made.

I've never been a big fan of La Costa, but this outdoor bar area is definitely a draw for me. In my ever-increasing age, the OD has become less of a desirable option but I'm certainly down with chiller, outdoor spots like this one.