lol you want to know why I'm here at this place? Have you ever wondered some things are decided by "fate" while others are just based on "destiny"? lol Or maybe just an empty stomach? Well let me tell you an interesting meaning behind this little funny story!
I began when I was walking to visit my God brother Jorge in the Macys Men's shoes department. As I passed by I can help myself but to see an elderly man trying to pull up his socks, then it just seemed "normal" to me that I dropped everything and came over to help him, Funny he was very shy, well Asian ppl are very shy when someone out of the blue comes over and tried to "take-over" and have a sock war with you? lol No he was the sweetest man, besides my daddy. Anyways, when I try to comfort him and let him know that I was just trying to help him with the socks and not having any other intension of evil doing. His son came over and smiled. I was like this is a awkward moment, just to think that some chick was trying to attack your dad's sock?? lol no, I was just holding a friendly conversation with the dad and the son happen to see it! I thought it was super sweet that they had a father and son shopping day! Well the son was doing a lunch break and take his daddy to buy a bday gift! I thought it was a the sweetest thingy, not many Asian guys will take their dad shopping you know, lol. But anyways, long story short he offered to buy coffee and then later we had a "pow-wow" at the Starbucks next door! I learned so much about him in so little time, crazy huh?? Well his daddy looked great for 84 yrs old, yup you heard it 84!!! And he looks super healthy too! Reminds me of my daddy when he was still alive. Anyways, because he was so sweet, I did invited him for dinner and he said he was a "Yelper" I was like what? Did you say Yelper??? So he invited me to a Yelp event that evening and after that you guessed it Mesa right next door walking distance too!
Let's just skip the Yelp event and go straight to the Mesa dinner date thingy? Shall we?
Well, as we walked inside Mesa, it was the same layout I can remember back track many years ago when we had a girls night out! Anyways, the waitress came and we followed her to our table, first it was like I sat across from him, but then I couldn't hear what he was saying so I sat right next to him, hopefully that didn't "scare" the guy off! So, he was the "perfect gentleman" asked me what I would like and any suggestions, and of course if you know who I am, then you would know that I love for a guy to order for me and let them "take charge" because it tells a lot about a guy or person what they order and how the present-style art of dining!! Yup I've guessed it, he did order what I normally liked, mussels, tuna tare- tare, calamari lol. I like to "share" my food and normally I don't like to order the entrees because the portions are too big and I "hate" (hate is such a harsh word) oh, "dislike" wasting food, it's just not cool ordering way too much and don't finish it! As we ate I started to talk and started a conversation with my him, he's a very deep thinker, sweet, and a humble guy from what I observed, very outgoing and come off as a clean-cut style, I do somewhat is "attracted" guys, lol oops! Let's get back into the dinner thingy! The mussels are as good as the last time I had them, the tuna tare-tare was delish and fresh, and the calamari was crispy and processed perfect in texture and taste! Yummy, was it down with h2o and you got yourself a real meal that won't be disappointed to! Price point isn't that bad here, fresh food and great ambiance isn't too pricey to beat, the crowd was "mixed" I didn't see many Asians, too busy focusing on my date, he has so much to say and yes I am all ears when a guy talks! It always "fascinates" me when I am around an Asian guy that talks, love it!! , Okie, it's time to rate my STARS and normally, I give about 4-5 STARS for places I come to dine. That extra STAR is for my date! I know he's super busy and tried to fit me into his own personal schedule, for that I am thankful....But the food I give 4+ STARS, the place with loud music and crowded ppl I would give 3+STARS, but the company that you enjoyed your "building little moments" with weather it's just a friendly or a hangout date? I would say it's "PRICELESS" ...
Favorite lounge in Orange County. It's really one of my favorite places to go on a weekend night out, super chill music and ambiance. Great food and amazing drinks. Don't get there too late or you'll find yourself in a line and paying cover. Parking can also be tight so get there at a good time!
Oh not to mention the roof opens and the bathrooms are unisex. Badass lounge.
I came here with a couple of friends to celebrate my birthday. Â My first thought was this place is very unique. Â I loved their decor... it's very cute & trendy. Â Luckily, we made a reservation. Â Trust me, you have to make a reservation... it wouldn't have been worth coming here and not have a table. Â The bar area is kind of small. Â They had a live band playing jazz, i think, which I thought was nice. After the band, they had music playing. Â The food was good, but I think this place specializes on their drinks. Â I had a pink martini... it was good. Â I must warn you, this place is pretty pricey. Â For a total of four of us, the bill came out to be a little over $200. Â That was for 3 appetizers, three entrees, one desert, and maybe 5 drinks.
Review Source:Great place that can actually call itself a lounge. Seating options are abundant. Ceiling opens up on clear nights and creates a great setting. Restrooms are fairly clean and pretty neat.
Great specialty cocktails. Had a Bauhaus tonic with burnt time and cucumber...fantastic!
Can't comment on food.
It's pretentious in all the right ways. If I were more inclined to going to places like this, I'd be here a lot.
Still loving the food and atmosphere at Mesa. I go early (dinner starts at 7) because I like to hear myself think (clubby after hours). I love sitting under the retractable ceiling on a nice night.
The service was attentive on this last visit. We dined on a cheese plate ($12) which had three selections and was a bit tiny on portions but tasty. The rocket arugula salad with Burrata ($7) was tasty but stingy on Burrata. The mushroom leek pizza ($16) was exquisitely crunchy, salty and delicious. The burger ($14) Â was very good but a tad overwhelmed with copious arugula.
Cocktails ($12) are innovative. The one I had was spicy and came with vile cilantro which they happily agreed to remove.
Always a great meal.
I love the ambiance of this restaurant - it's loungey and swanky and the open air ceiling is perfect for a warm summer night. Â I started with the Pink Martini - Vodka, Grapefruit Cordial, Pomegranite, L'orange, edible Flower...it was absolutely delicious, everything a cocktail should be - perfect amount of liquor, not too sweet, and the perfect mix of flavors. Â Just realized that I forgot to eat the flower. Sonofaaaa.
There were eight of us in our party so we ordered four appetizers. Unfortunately since I'm allergic to gluten (grrrrr) I could only eat one of the appys - the Pork Belly: Â Pan seared on top of a crispy Rice Cake and Frisee, Pork Raspberry Reduction and Micro Greens. Â Shit, I almost want to cry just thinking about it - it was quite possibly the most mouth watering thing I've ever eaten. Â The pork belly was cooked to a tender perfection. The soft, warm, salty, burst-in-your-mouth fatty goodness contrasted with the crispy, perfectly portioned rice patty was the ultimate combination of flavors and textures. Â Add the fresh, lightly dressed micro greens and forget about it. Â Heaven. I want it for breakfast. Â Thank you god for not making me allergic to pork. Â
For dinner I had the Mortadella Pizzetta- Italian Mortadella, Parmesan, & Burrata Cheeses, Onion, Pistachio Sofrito & Finishing Oil on gluten-free crust. The pizza toppings were really good, the salty mortadella and the creamy burrata went well together. The GF crust, well...it was GF crust. Sigh, I miss real pizza but I'm so grateful for restaurants like Mesa where I can eat pizza and pretend that I'm normal. Our waiter was excellent, he was knowledgable about which items contain gluten which is a big deal for me, if I accidentally eat a little I get sick for days...a lot and I'm down for a couple weeks. Â Ugh. Damn you intestines.
I ended the meal with the Vanilla Maple Bacon ice cream. Â You really can't go wrong with those three ingredients, I feel bad for not sharing a bite with the hubby but I pretty much slurped it all down in four bites. Â Sorry dude.
I will definitely be going back to Mesa very soon, until then I'll be walking around with drool running down my chin in a pork belly trance.
Four words: Vanilla Bacon Ice Cream.
Mesa is known for their old-fashioned cocktails and delicious small plates, but I fell head over heels for the ice cream (my other food dishes were good too!).
This place as a good happy hour vibe but it quickly turns into a club scene starting around 9-930 if you are into that sort of thing.
Personally, I'll stick to happy hour and eating ice cream.
I knew I was somewhere familiar. Pretty people, cool open air space, fire places blazing, lounge seats, giant fucking bar, music...Wait am I in Venice? No. Costa-fucking-Mesa!
My girlfriend decided to do something very sweet & invite me out to a Chef's dinner she had arranged with the senior management team of the restaurant.
TLDR; This place is epic. I want to come back. And spend money. And go on Friday (Live DJ/Hip Hop Night/ Band Night) And partake in the secret menu of awesome cocktails.
In addition, as far as food, quite simply, this is the nicest dinner I have had in a few years.
Yes, I am poor now. Yes, I also used to be a baller. I live in Venice. I know food & where to go and this place floored me in the best possible way. From the starters, to the entree (Go w/ the new pork chop) to desert (Fucking beer ice cream, maple ice cream with BaC0n?) this place rocked my culinary chops.
Dress nicely. Gentlemen, bring your lady. Single boys, bring your A game and I am confident you will pull. Play the game nicely, Mesa give you an opportunity for a special evening in the most unlike of places. Costa-fucking-mesa, at The Camp.
Service was excellent, Bar service was amazing and ambenice was top notch. Same architecht of my beloved Beechwood.
Lychee martini is super good, the service is kind of slow. Its nice if you want to go out for a drink but other than that its kind of loud and lounge-ish like. I like the interior and the set up of this place, from the outside it had always intrigued me. I think its really cute, even still. The parking situation kind of really blows. Valet is $5 but it may take them a while to get your car because you don't know how far you are going to have to park. If you've been to the camp or the lab you know what I'm talking about. Picture that on a friday or saturday night.......... yikes. Luckily every time I've gone its been on a week night but it still seems like theres a fairly decent crowd, just not sure why the service pace lacks! Maybe they want to not annoy people and allow them to have their space and conversations, so it would be a good place to go if you want to spend hours in a place but probably not if you want to just grab a quick drink or bite.
Review Source:I love the ambiance and decor of this place...dimly lit with a retractable roof and toasty fire places in the lounge area. A live band is usually playing some down tempo music. It's a chill place to catch up with some friends after a long day. I recommend eating else where then coming here just for drinks (lychee martini is my fave). Food is nothing special its overpriced and small portions. Check out this place on a weeknight because you have to pay a $10 cover on the weekend!
Review Source:Mesa is great! Went there for the first time last night and I'm already planning to go back! Before 8 the pizzas, sangrias, and beers are all half off. I tried both the red and white sangria and they were amazing! I had the prosciutto pizza and it was one of the best I've ever had! It gets crowded, so a reservation is essential. Outside of happy hour prices, the rest of the food and drink is pricey, but worth it (the food all looks so good).
The only reason I gave it 4 stars is because the parking is awful...go for valet!
There's a message on their menu that says "Ask us what happens before 8pm" so of course we did. Turns out the surprise is half off all pizzas, sangrias, and beer flights. We had a large group so we ordered one of every pizza, tried both sangrias, and had a few beer flights.
The sangrias were good; the red was better than the white. The best pizza is the black & white. I also liked the prosciutto pizza as well as the mushroom and leek pizza. Another notable item is the tempura green beans.
The retractable roof was a nice touch for the ambiance.
Trendy hang out for dinner and drinks. Â If you want dinner, reservations on the weekends is a must! Same day reservations is cutting it close and you probably won't get your choice of time. There are dining tables along the fire places, which is nice but there's a fail. Â The chairs on the outsides are uncomfortably too low to eat! Â There are casual lounge seatings where you can also eat and drink as well. The bar is quite crowde and everyone is piled in like sardines. There's a live jazzy type band but there's no dance floor. Â This doesn't stop people who've had one too many from trying to shake their booty. Â The restrooms are cool, they're like mini private restrooms with it's on sink and toilet in each stall. Â The downside, it's unisex, so beware of sitting even with the seat covers! Â
Okay, so enough about the ambiance...on with the food:
Artisanal Cheeses - you can never go wrong with cheese
Cast Iron Skillet Mussels - come out on a sizzling skillet and is quite flavorful. Â Served with lemon and melted butter.
Tempura String Beans - string beans comes out piping hot and crunchy, the sauce that comes with it is a little salty.
Pork Belly - it's perfectly crisp and probably one of my favorite appetizers
Roasted Beet Salad - all the classic flavor of a beet salad w/fried goat cheese. Â Can't go wrong with that. Â
Red wine braised shortribs - flavorful, good but I've had better, the sides are a little too rich for my taste
Proscuitto Pizzetta - Anything with proscuitto is good, now served on a crunchy pizza crust makes it better. Â
Now I am not a cocktail kind of girl but I do love their lychee martinis. Â Unlike other lychee cocktails, they actually use lychee puree not lychee flavored alcohol. Â I asked if they had Guinness or New Castle but to my dissapointment they didn't. Â The waitress recommended Spaten Optimator Doppelbock (Optimator for short), she said it's very similar to new castle. Â To my surprise, it was and I liked it. Â It has a little more effervescence than New Castle but that's what I like about itl Â
They have a retractable roof that used to be open all the way but now it's just partially opened, not sure why this is. Â Overall, Mesa is a good local hang out if you're in the OC.
Originally this place was very good, but lately their service has slipped particularly at the bar area. Â I do want to like the place but they just don't seem to care that much any more. Â They never seem to have enough staff on hand to handle the demand at the bar. Â It is extremely noisy and hard to hold a conversation no matter where you are inside, except perhaps in front of the uni-sex bathrooms. Â
What's still good there you ask? Â The food is still good, the drinks are good. Â The staff are still very nice but they are just too busy. Â People still rave about the steamed muscles, and they always come out sizzling hot. Â
I live across the street but I rarely go there now because it just isn't worth the hassle and the wait for service. Â I'd rather drive to South Coast plaza and hit up any place over there for better service.
This place is a hidden(literally) gem of costa mesa.  The outside does not give anything away.  You can't tell that an amazing restaurant/bar/lounge is hidden inside.  They have plush couch seating, tables, and a bar in the middle.  The music was an eclectic mix of slow r&b and reggae  The only negative was that the music got progressively louder so it was a little hard to hear amongst our group.  When they sat our group, I checked in on yelp and foursquare and there was a check in deal on foursquare.  For the first 5 people to check in, you got a "special token" of their appreciation.  It ended up be a token for $5 towards your next visit...what a great deal!  We ordered several items because most of us had never been.  We ordered the fried tempura green beans, the steamed mussels, calamari, and the pork belly over rice.  Wow!!!  The appetizers were so tasty, I could have ended the meal there and would go home a happy camper.  The steamed mussels were cooked to perfection and the calamari was served with a fantastic sauce.  We basically devoured the whole lot of food in a very short span of time.  We ended up ordering a variety of dishes for the entrees.  I ordered the beet salad and the beef sliders.  Also on the menu was the pork chop with brussel sprouts and bacon, the house burger, the veggie burger, and the gnocchi with braised short rib.  What a culinary experience!!!  My beet salad was super fresh and light  and the sliders were plump and juicy.
Everyone enjoyed their dishes and nothing was left on anyone's plates. Â That says a lot about the quality of the food. Â Â Needless to say, I will be coming back to Mesa for the fantastic ambiance and great food!
Get the mussels! Â So good. Â It's a very cute restaurant with that lounge feeling. Â At a certain time the restaurant turns into a lounge basically but you can still order food. Â
Cute setup.
The bathrooms are unisex and to know which one is open or occupied the top is lit up w/ green (vacant) and red (occupied) lights. Â Cool concept.
They have real fireplaces going on all night which can be bad during the summer months cause it gets hot near the restroom area!
One of my friends brought us here for drinks and I fell in love. Â I loved the decor of this place! I was amazed that in the middle of the restaurant they had an open roof top. Â Please keep in mind that we don't have anything like this place in Seattle so for me it was a great experience.
We went during the evening and the place was pretty packed but it didn't take us long to get to the bar and order a drink. Â I loved their restrooms, you get your own room and it just reminded me of Vegas. Also, if you get there pretty late they do have a valet service.
I'd love to come back when I'm in the area again. :)
A Review of Systems:
Douchebags: Negative
Expensive Drinks: Positive
Cover: Unequivocal ($10 before 11pm)
Nice Bouncers: Positive
Good Food: Negative
Dancing: Negative
Bathrooms: Positive (your own rooms!!!!)
Parking: positive
Assessment: Â Great Lounge considering its in the OC, it's laid back, and I did see Kobe Bryant there last year
Plan: Â I'm definitely coming back
I am a snob. Can't help it. I've worked hard in my life to obtain nice things and I like to enjoy the fruits of my labor. And a good cocktail.
That being said, work and family keep me from the evening entertainment my wife and I once indulged in upon occasion. When we are able to enjoy an evening out,I want a few things that are nonnegotiable.
1. Professional valet. The last thing I want to do is hand over my keys to some burnout that is going to steal my change so it was nice to see hipsters instead. Well played. I don't drive a Bentley but I'd still like to be treated with value. Â These guys Opened the door for my wife. Classy move gentlemen. One star goes to Mesa.
2. Door guys that don't look like thugs. Nice guys dressed nicely. Once again, opened the door for my wife. One more star for Mesa.
3. Reservations...oh..yeah. Â Sometimes I can't plan a night out but still want to have a nice evening and they were able to give us a seat with no wait except for the crowd to get out of the way.. Ah drunk people. One star for swift seating...although this can't always be the case I'm sure, I'm glad we got lucky.
4. Brass tacks. You go out for great food with genuinely great service, well I do at least. The mussels were amazing, steak was perfect (a bad steak can kill a good night). They have a great wine list and the ingredients for the cocktails were top notch and fresh. I could sample every one on that list.. Â Honestly one of the best meals I have had in a long time. The beautiful company I had certainly didn't hurt either. Our server, Julie or Juliette, was really on point and endlessly impressive. Great service. Gold star.
That's it. Those are my points, and Mesa hit them all. In case you are counting the stars one short of the five I gave it.. The last star is for the entire infrastructure doing their job well and making my first date night with my wife since she became a mother so much more than a night out.
We finally went to Mesa to have dinner last night! Â I was really excited and decided to say screw the diet and enjoy myself. Â We sat at a normal table as Randy wasn't working the bar. Â We started out with the mussels as our first small plate. Â I've never had mussels and didn't care for them, but I can hardly blame Mesa for my palate. Â The next round we tried the margharita pizza. Â It looked delicious at the table next to ours. Â When it came, the basil on top was charred. Â I don't know why anyone would cook basil like that. Â It tasted awful and we pulled it off. Â The heirloom tomatoes were actually more of a tomato sauce but that part was really good and fresh tasting. Â That was about it. Â The bottom of the pizza had black charcoal marks and flavor and some pieces were thickly coated with flour on the bottom. Â A mouthful of flour was no bueno.
For our last course, I had the chicken with garlic mashed [sic] potatos and asparagus. Â I ordered the mustard sauce on the side and was glad I did because th
Had a nice time here last Saturday night. Â Let me say that all the reviews here on yelp are pretty accurate. Â I'm not into the bar scene, but my wife and I were here for a birthday party and had a solid time. Â
My suggestions: Â
Arrive around 9 to avoid line and cover charge. Â At 9pm, it was still pretty busy. Â Scope out a seat at the bar with your loved one and grab it once available. Â Then stay there all night. Â You can order your dinner and drinks right at the bar. Â At the night progresses, it will get busier and busier. Â You'll be glad you staked our your seats and remained there. Â It gets really crowded. Â
I am not into the mixoxlogy stuff but my wife loved the drinks. Â I would get a little taste test from her and was surprised how good they tasted. Â She got an old fashioned, old fashioned whiskey sour, and a corpse reviver. Â
The roof didn't open that night. Â I was really looking forward to that. Â
People were certainly enjoying themselves so I think the establishment is doing something right. Â
We had a great time and would repeat visit.
Been here twice... 2 VERY different occasions lol.
One was to get F'D up I was hosting a going away party for my roommate for like 20 something ppl. This was the first time he's ever drank and he was 25 at the TIME!!! So imagine some dude just ripping patron shots and getting sh*t faced. Everyone was having the times of their life. I ended up missing my flight the next morning... A WORK RELATED FLIGHT at john wayne... FML. All in all great f'n night.
Okay second time I went with my gf for a celebratory dinner for getting into med school program at Drexel. Great menu we just bought a bunch of the tapas (small plates of food). I'm only giving it 4 stars bc I wish there was a larger selection... bought a couple of drinks too. Bill came out to like 160? 170? I forget but still good night!
Crap place. I'm not going back.
Pros:
- Decent burgers.
- OK selection of drinks, but not close to having the most offerings at all
- Left side of the restaurant is good for holding events
- Right side of the pub is good for eating with a few friends
Cons:
- The mixed drinks I've had here, have been mediocre and poorly crafted. Over priced beer and cocktails.
- Service is lousy
- Tried to charge me $10 cover on Friday night. I'm there to buy dinner and have a few beers, and they want to charge me cover? Who the hell do they think they are? Its not like this is some fancy club and there's some fancy crowd or lots of hot women, this place is a mediocre gastro pub. But you want cover? Go jerk yourselves.
If you do decide to go, I would suggest a weekday evening or lunch time. The rest of the time, meh. Their attempt at a club/lounge/whatever, it a failure. That's for sure.
They have the best mixologists that work there. Devin, Jane and Randy are amazing. I am sure other mixologists are great too. My bf and I often go there for the old fashion. I must say Devin makes the best OF drink ever. I love the fact that he has his own bar tools and he takes pride in his work.
The food is good and the whole bar scene is fun and hip, sometimes just a bit over crowed. OC scene needs more lounge like Mesa with real mixologist.
If you come for the drink, be sure to look for Devon, Jane or Randy.
So had dinner with another couple talking business and also getting to know one another. Â I genuinely like the guy as we've worked together in the recent past. Â
Initial impression is kind of cool I guess. Â Outside is totally plane. Â Lots of nice cars in the parking lot. Â Inside is pretty trendy or at least "wannabe" trendy. Â I mean its kind of a cheap version of something that someone at one time must've thought was "cool". Â
Food: I had the braised short ribs which were tender and good but a little bland. Â Wife had salmon she said was good. Â Calamari was only Ok. Â Bread was Ok. Â 3.5 stars
Drinks: Â F-YOU Mesa. Â I ordered a $12 Belvadeer, straight up martini. Â What did I get? Â A water martini with a splash of Vodka. Â I mean what a rip off. Â If you're going to charge $12 give me all Belvadeer otherwise charge me $9 which gives you the right to water it down. Â On the up side, the second one was super ice cold (just like how I like it). Â
2 stars
Price: Ehhh...not bad. Â The price was actually pretty reasonable. Â Its the drinks that pissed me off.
I wouldn't come back.
Also, some rude ass people. Â Truly successful people I know are super polite. Â Why? Â They have absolutely nothing to prove.What do douche-bag wanabes who want to "seem" important do? Â They act like douche-bags. Â That's what this place is good for. Â I had a couple of run ins walking down the ails w/ "wannabe hot" over the hill types and douche-bag dudes who thought they were something they really weren't. Â If they only knew how stupid they looked trying to pose like they were so important. Â So not my scene.
Service was mediocre and barely tolerable. Â She wouldn't know though cuzz we left a healthy tip out of courtesy.
I had such great service for a party of 14 on 3/23/13. Our waitress was amazing. They were very busy and she catered to our group just wonderfully. The food was great, drinks were right on par and I can't say a negative thing about the experience. The atmosphere and decor was also amazing.
I live in LA and travel to the Costa Mesa area often - though having never been to Mesa. I shall surely be recommending this to any friends and hope to visit again soon.
I am truly shocked by my latest visit to Mesa. Â Typically, I have nothing but great things to say about the food, service and drinks, but unfortunately my opinion has changed since my visit this last Tuesday. Â Per usual, my friends and I had made reservations for dinner. Â Although it was dead (it was a Tuesday night after all) we were all thrilled to be able to experience a different vibe from the typical packed crowded scene. Â
Now, I'm sure you are wondering why I changed my review to two stars....well, let me tell you...SERVICE!
The service was AWFUL. Â Our server might as well have been on a different planet because he sure as hell wasn't attentive to our table. Â I believe the best service we were given was by the host that actually seated us. Â The drink orders that we placed other than with the host took forever to arrive to our table. Â I can't remember him coming to check on us once, and every time we were in search of our server we found him sitting at the bar having a grand ol' time with the bartenders and other patrons. Â Sure, we all have off nights, but what put the icing on the cake (the straw that broke the camels back) was that even though we specifically wrote how our tab was suppose to be broken up and charged on each credit card, he decided to take it upon himself and evenly split our bill. Â Its a shame, really.
I'd also like to mention that the beet salad was far too acidic. Â I understand it happens, but it needed to be mentioned. Â The drinks (once they arrived) were delish. Â Kudos to the bartender.
Mesa is , hmm how do you describe ---OC, yeah, thats it. I did like the space and vibe. Even though its just one big space, there were subtle level changes and sections that I enjoy.
Their retractable roof, Â just awesome.
However, Mesa is always swamped. Just swamped to the T due to its popularity.
That, no fun. However, the bouncers are decent, not assholes which I appreciate.
I'd recommend
Came here with the boyfriend on a Friday night for OC restaurant week (3 course prix fixe dinner for $30 per person). Â We had reservations for a table of 2 at 8:15pm. Â We were seated promptly at a high table next to the bar.
First of all, this is a GORGEOUS restaurant/lounge. Â Great ambiance: Â Dimly lit, live band on the Friday night we went, projection screen, fireplaces, unisex bathroom, and a retractable roof? Say what?! Â Gotta check it out. Very hip, trendy, and sexy lounge.
The $30 three course prix fixe OC restaurant week menu included:
FIRST COURSE - Sashimi Tuna and Beet Salad, Mandarin Orange Segments, Micro Greens, Lemon Vinaigrette
VERDICT: Â The lemon vinagrette was kinda weird. Â It's like this thick, white dressing. Â The beets were delicious, and the tuna fresh.
SECOND COURSE - Pan Seared Scallops, Organic Baby Vegetables, Corn Puree, Applewood Bacon, Shaved Fennel Salad
VERDICT: Â Loved the corn puree, but the it got a little watery... maybe it's the residual liquid leaving the cooked scallops. Â Scallops were seasoned well, and cooked perfectly.
THIRD COURSE - Housemade Ice Cream Sandwich, Chocolate Waffle, Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, Fresh Strawberry Sauce
VERDICT: Â This was okay. Â The "cookie" on the ice cream was some sort of chocolate cake. Â The ice cream did not taste like high end ice cream (something like haagen daz) or homemade.
We also ordered the cast iron skillet MUSSELS. For $14 this was my favorite dish of the night. Â It was delicious. Â I am very weary about the freshness of mussels, but these did not dissapoint. Â They're seasoned perfectly, served on a piping hot iron skillet at the table, with lemon wedges and drawn butter. ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS.
The cocktails here can set you back $10+ each, but that night, we brought our bottle of wine for $20 corkage fee.
Note: Â The place gets kinda obnoxiously loud after 9:30pm as all the bar hoppers are coming in. The live band was awesome that night.
Overall, I liked this place a lot, and the quality and flavor of the food unexpectedly (but very pleasantly) surprised me.
I honestly can't give this place any less, unless it was for the loud environment that it became after an hour upon opening. What made this place a 5-star for me?
FOOD QUALITY:
High. Fresh. Tasty. OC Restaurant Week menu was a complete meal that left me feeling extremely satisfied. Beat and Tuna Sashimi salad was light, refreshing, and delicious. What took away the night was the Seared Scallops. Maybe mine came out perfectly but even two days later I can't stop thinking about how well-put together this dish was.
Scallops sitting on a bed of corn puree, mushrooms, and applewood bacon then topped with a shaved fennel salad.
The corn puree, mushrooms, and applewood bacon mixture delivered a strong savory taste that outweighed the delicacy of the scallops. You'd think this would overpower the flavor of the scallops but the fennel salad kicks and contributes enough acidity to highlight the scallop. Textural crunch, softness from scallops, and a fill from the puree. Savory, acidic, light, and refreshing. I got all that from just a single bite.
I'm a sucker for ice cream sandwiches, especially one that uses ice cream that's inhouse-made with strong vanilla flavors and smooth textures.
Oh, and lychee martini is a must.
Nothing short of delight.
SERVICE:
Some people have it bad here, but I had a good dining experience because of my waitress. She made sure that our drinks weren't too strong in alcohol, made sure things were okay, and refilled our waters without having to ask. Though when it got busy, she was swamped with having to serve too many tables so she got a little slow to bring the check. Not her fault, but just having to deal with so much.
ENVIRONMENT:
It gets loud. The seating is definitely comfortable. The ace kicker for me for this place was the restroom! ...Each fancy stall is its own room with its own toilet AND faucet/sink/paper-towel-dispenser. Fine dining, definitely!
Overall, If I was around the area and I wanted to come here for a special occasion I would. For two people we left a total of $110 hole in our pockets after tax and tip for a 3-course meal + 2 martinis. Expected. And worth it. Just that I'd go broke if I ate like this everyday.
I kind of really like this place. It's a bit pricey, but the bartenders make drinks the proper way with time and care. They don't just shake everything up with pre-made mixes, etc. It does get a crowded, and a lot of the time the seats are reserved for actual diners. There's no cover before 10 or 10:30-- not sure how much cover is.
I really like the vibe of this place. It's a bit upscale, but you'll see people walking around wearing hoodies and jeans, which I wish Mesa was more strict about. They'll even open the roof during the summer when it gets warmer and screen movies on the projector though you won't be able to hear it over the noise of everything going on.
*Although it's a bit girly, try the lychee martini. And they make a proper Old Fashion.
Hats off to whoever decided it was a good idea to put an overpriced bougie lounge in the same dinky parking lot as The Camp. As you can tell I'm a hugeeee fan of this place (-__-).
But let's be fair and rationalize it...
Decor/Demographic: Very chic and modern. At first glance, it definitely is impressive. Seems like it would be a place Ryan Gosling's character would've made his moves in the movie Crazy, Stupid, Love. That being said, expect to find the same type of people here. Customers dressed to the nines - suits, cocktail dresses, the fancy stuff. It really does explain why insanely expensive cars would be parked next to some shady looking warehouse.
Drinks: The drinks found on their menu are definitley more unique than the average place, but you're definitely paying for it. That being said I did try their Lychee Martini and was pleasantly surprised. Another pleasant surprise was finding the Blanche de Bruxelles under their beer menu. But I was definitely confused as to why Sapporo was thrown in their as well at the price of $9 for a small glass, when you could probably go a few streets down and get a pitcher for that same price.
Service: This is definitely where Mesa lost its points. I may not be the type of person that'll pull up in a luxury car and valet it, but that doesn't mean I can't appreciate a well-mixed drink. Our waitress made it very clear that she didn't think we belonged there nor that she wanted us there. Literally everytime she walked by our table, she would ask us if we were done yet. No hun, our drinks are obviously still full. Not to mention that she had swiped my unfinished drink off the table before my friends could grab her when I had gone to the restroom. OH and the icing on top, she gave us our bill before we had a chance to order anything else. PS just a tip for you, it might be really loud in there but we can still hear you when you decide to talk crap about your customers a few feet from where they're sitting.
Could've been a nice place to relax on a Friday or Saturday night. But the overpriced drinks and stuck up servers made it very clear that Mesa is a place for a very specific and exclusive demographic.
Updating my review for two reasons: service and tempura green beans.
My friends love this place and it started growing on me. Bartenders are still...meh, but their new servers are awesome. Quick and friendly service - cute girls too. It's really the only place in OC that I can chill out and throw back a few drinks. After the bad service I received at AnQi and Kitsch Gar, this is my go-to lounge now. Bonus points for nice security guards and relaxed dress code.
Order the tempura green beans. Addicting and ridiculously yummy!
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