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If Long Beach's 2nd Street is a treasure chest of casual communal experiences, Saint & Second is one of its gems. This on-trend modern American restaurant is the latest in a long line of successful concepts run on the same site by the same family for well over half a century. It draws diners in with its sky-high burgers, popular bone marrow, and crisp flatbreads, then keeps them in the industrial-style space with inventive cocktails and a whiskey menu longer than Long Beach. "Social hour" deals don't disappoint. You might even find artwork by a local that you can't resist taking home. Like much of 2nd Street, Saint & Second is dog-friendly, so be prepared to make friends with lots of very good boys (and girls).
4828 2nd St., California, 90803, USA
Known For
- Casual dishes in an industrial space
- Excellent happy hour offerings
- Huge whiskey list
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Brunch served on weekends only
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This Laguna Beach establishment set in a historic Craftsman-style building is part gourmet pantry (a must-stop for your every picnic need) and part global dining adventure. Enjoy comfort cuisine from around the world paired with an eclectic wine and beer list. Brunch is best enjoyed outdoors on the sunny patio under colorful umbrellas. An iconic statue of Eiler Larsen aka "The Greeter" of Laguna Beach is a prominent feature on the corner of the property.
1200 S. Coast Hwy., Laguna Beach, California, 92651, USA
Known For
- Sapphire salad
- Weekend brunch
- Pet-friendly patio
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This Southern California landmark sitting on a bluff off the PCH is the perfect spot to get a quick breakfast burrito or pancake combo. During lunch and dinner they make tasty Cove burgers served with a side of French fries or coleslaw, fish-and-chips, and a seared ahi sandwich. The menu also includes a vegan Impossible burger, banana date shakes, and root beer floats.
7703 E. Coast Hwy., Newport Coast, California, 92657, USA
Known For
- More than 30 different shake flavors
- Incredible ocean views
- Small parking lot with 30-minute limit
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A hop, skip, and a jump from the bay, this popular second-floor restaurant keeps regulars happy with sizzling steaks and locally caught swordfish and shrimp. The sultry black-and-blue decor and old-fashioned supper club feel creates a romantic atmosphere set off with stunning harbor views.
417 Crescent Ave., Avalon, California, 90704, USA
Known For
- Friendly staff
- Water views
- Steak and seafood dinners
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$ | Balboa Island |
Stop by ice cream parlor Sugar 'N Spice for a Balboa Bar—a slab of vanilla ice cream dipped first in chocolate and then in a topping of your choice such as hard candy, chopped nuts, or Oreo crumbs. Other parlors serve the concoction, but Sugar 'N Spice claims to have invented it back in 1945.
310 Marine Ave., Newport Beach, California, 92662, USA
Known For
- Inventor of the Balboa Bar
- Frozen banana
- Local institution
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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This may look like a fast-food taco stand with salads, quesadillas, and nachos on the menu, but the quality of the food here equals that in many higher-price restaurants. Some Mexican standards get a seafood twist, like swordfish, calamari, and shrimp tacos. Other favorites include blackened mushroom-and-tofu tacos, salads, and bowls. They also offer a vegan menu with veggie tacos, hemp blackened burgers, and bowls. It stays open until midnight on Friday and Saturday. All seating is outside, making this a great people-watching spot.
640 S. Coast Hwy., Laguna Beach, California, 92651, USA
Known For
- Vegetarian and vegan tacos
- Sidewalk seating
- Surfer clientele
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Craving a modern fusion of Californian and Asian cuisines? Tantalizing Tantalum has been one of Long Beach's favorite bay-side gathering places for a generation. Appropriately named for a type of metal that is resistant to corrosion, this restaurant is set on the water in the Marina Pacifica, where the views are exceptional. The verdant interiors evoke Bali with their warm woods and commanding views, or you can sit outside when the weather is fine (and it nearly always is). Enjoy a cocktail at the endless bar or explore the large menu, including local favorites like the yakiniku calamari. Live music is on offer nearly every night, along with daily happy hour specials. If you're feeling nautically inclined, you can even dock your boat rental in front of the restaurant.
6272 E. Pacific Coast Hwy., California, 90803, USA
Known For
- Clever takes on Asian fusion
- Frequent live music
- Marina views
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch weekdays
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Long Beach's famous Craftsman bungalows were built en masse during an oil boom a century ago, and while many have been torn down to make way for McMansions and apartment blocks, one now plays home to the Attic, which serves up some of the best Southern-style cuisine in the region. The comfort food on the all-day menu delights, from the Flaming Hot Cheetos mac and cheese (don't overthink it; just try it) to the Three Little Pigs sandwich. Daily happy-hour specials serve as an "intermission" between lunch and dinner offerings. Score a coveted indoor table in the home's former rooms, or enjoy the low-key outside patio. In the mood for adventure? Try to score a reservation for the communal weekend Attic Supper Club, nestled in a gorgeous private dining room. Like much of Long Beach, the Attic is dog-friendly.
3441 E. Broadway, California, 90803, USA
Known For
- Modern Southern cooking
- Century-old cottage setting
- Supper Club experience on weekends
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Beach culture flourishes in this Crystal Cove Historic District restaurant, thanks to its umbrella-laden deck just a few steps above the white sand. This is where you can sip a really good mai tai at the Bootlegger Bar, while waiting for your chance to sample ahi tacos, Maine lobster pasta, or blue crab–stuffed salmon. They offer beach chair rentals and you can reserve your own firepit for s'mores.
15 Crystal Cove, Corona del Mar, California, 92657, USA
Known For
- Beachside cocktails
- Fresh seafood
- Big crowds and long waits
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This 1920s cannery building still teems with fish, but now they go into dishes on the eclectic seafood menu rather than being packed into crates. Many diners arrive by boat, as there's a convenient dock at the front entrance. If you are feeling some boat envy, you can reserve the restaurant's Duffy boat for a two-hour lunch, brunch, or sunset cocktail cruise before dinner for $150 an hour with a two-hour minimum. They offer a special boat rental menu with lobster sliders, cheese plate, and sushi platter. The upstairs Jellyfish Lounge offers one of the best happy hours in Newport Beach with discounted sushi and cocktail specials daily from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.
3010 Lafayette Rd., Newport Beach, California, 92663, USA
Known For
- Waterfront views
- Seafood specialties
- Craft cocktails
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Walk through the quaint Laguna Beach artist village to get to the Cliff and its 180-degree views of Main Beach and the Pacific coastline. The multilevel dining patios serve hearty breakfasts and coastal seafood favorites for lunch and dinner. Firepits, outdoor heaters, and blankets keep diners warm when the marine air grows chilly in the evening. This is also a popular happy hour spot where people stay to enjoy the sunset and then remain for dinner.
577 S. Coast Hwy., Laguna Beach, California, 92651, USA
Known For
- Some of Laguna Beach's best ocean-view dining
- Reservations necessary
- Splurge-worthy seafood towers
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It may be worth hopping the Amtrak to San Juan Capistrano just for the chance to have breakfast or lunch at one of Orange County's most beloved restaurants, located in a historic board-and-batten home dating back to 1881. This café sits practically on the railroad tracks across from the depot—nab a table on the patio and dig into a hearty breakfast featuring seasonal items, such as the smoked bacon scramble with wilted rocket and apple fried potatoes. During the week there is an a la carte breakfast and lunch menu. On weekends, there is a set two-course menu for $45 per person.
31752 Los Rios St., San Juan Capistrano, California, 92675, USA
Known For
- Southern specialties
- Weekend brunch
- Historic setting
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Wed. No dinner
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Another popular sunset view venue in South Laguna, The Rooftop Lounge at the top of Casa del Camino top floor is a hot seat for sunset cocktails, so plan ahead. Snag a table to enjoy a variety of different flavor mojitos or a pomegranate martini along with a cheese board, spicy fish-and-chips, or a veggie sandwich.
1289 S. Coast Hwy., Laguna Beach, California, 92651, USA
Known For
- Spectacular sunset views
- Craft cocktails
- Burgers, pasta, salads, and sandwiches
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Since 1975, this old-school, artsy eatery in Laguna provides healthy, organic vegan salads, bowls, burritos, tamales, veggie burgers, pita pocket sandwiches, fresh fruit soft serve, and smoothies.
238 Thalia St., Laguna Beach, California, 92651, USA
Known For
- 100% plant-based vegan food
- Brown rice burritos
- Nut-milk shakes
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A local favorite in the morning and throughout the day for organic heirloom coffee and hand-blended fine organic teas, Urth also serves health-conscious food as well as pastries outside on the charming garden patio looking out at the Laguna Art Museum across the street. For lunch and dinner, they offer a variety of salads, soups, bowls, pizzas, and signature sandwiches. Heartier fare includes a Mediterranean platter, Urth tamales, lasagna, and an Asian-style nori plum rice wrap. There is a children's menu, too.
308 N. Pacific Coast Hwy., Laguna Beach, California, 92651, USA
Known For
- Health-conscious cuisine
- Organic coffee and tea
- Long lines on the patio during peak hours and weekends
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Proximity to the ocean makes this eatery's seafood-filled tacos and burritos taste even better. The healthy fast-food chain—tagged with dozens of surf stickers—brought Baja's fish tacos north of the border to quick success. The Wahoo protein bowls combine grilled chicken, fish, or tofu with rice and beans while the Hawaiian onion ring burrito is filled with teriyaki steak and Maui onion rings. Vegetarians will want to order a Wahoo salad with a scoop of guacamole and loads of veggies.
120 Main St., California, 92648, USA
Known For
- Organic ingredients
- Hawaiian onion ring burrito
- Casual beachy ambience
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It's always brunch time at his small Laguna Beach institution where—from 7 am to 4 pm—you will find reasonably priced breakfast-to-lunch (okay, brunch) items that include everything from signature quiches, poached eggs, and homemade granolas, to healthy salads, homemade soups, quesadillas, and pizza. All the sweets are homemade, including the megasize brownies. There are some gluten-free and vegetarian items, too, including a Zinc Rubenesque on rye bread made with beets. A large beverage menu includes lattes, lemonade, beer, mimosas, and red and white wines by the glass.
350 Ocean Ave., Laguna Beach, California, 92651, USA
Known For
- Gourmet pastries, some gluten-free
- Coffee bar
- Busy outdoor patio
