Each year, we ask Orange County Register readers to choose their favorite places to shop, dine, play and do business in OC.
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Here are the top picks for Best happy hour at bars and restaurants:
1. Casa de Onda
1870 Harbor Blvd., Costa Mesa; 949-612-2349; casadeondarestaurant.com
By design, Casa de Onda is all about the vibe, and come happy hour, that vibe is to take you away from your life for a little escape in the middle of the week. The setting is the result of owner Alex Petrosian’s vision to bring the feeling of Tulum, Mexico, to the heart of Orange County. Everything in the space is intentional from bamboo fencing to lighting to music and meant to create a full sensory experience rather than just a place to get a meal or a drink. He wants his customers to feel relaxed and not rushed or crowded.
“When you walk through these doors, there’s a vibe I’m producing, and you’re feeling, and you either connect with it or you don’t,” Petrosian said. “Anyone who feels it and loves it is my ideal customer.”
Happy hour — or “Onda Hour,” as it’s called here — is from 4 to 6 p.m. on weekdays and centers on two signature items: the house margarita, known as Casa Margarita, and nachos. There are also handcrafted cocktails, cold beers, shareable plates and tacos. Other appetizers on the menu include elote corn riblets, lobster quesadilla and Chef Karlo’s Queso Dip.
All the food is prepared from scratch with an executive chef overseeing everything, and there’s a pastry chef for desserts, which include white chocolate and lime flan, tres leches cake with praline, dark chocolate brownie sundae and The Churro Style Brioche.
“We’re giving people a vibe and an experience, and that’s what Casa de Onda is all about,” Petrosian said.
2. Playground Mini Golf
300 Pacific Coast Highway, Suite #112, Huntington Beach; 657-733-2774; playgroundhb.com
What do you get when you combine logic, magic and a builder? A mini golf hangout with entertainment options for just about anyone.
Playground Mini Golf opened in August 2025, and it’s already become a local go-to spot. Stephanie Blood, one of the owners and chief vibes officer (the magic), is behind the boutique entertainment place along with her husband (the logic) and their business partner Geoffrey Kruki (the builder).
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Together, they created a bar, a restaurant serving up American and some Filipino dishes, an arcade, a speakeasy, a mini golf course, a place to host events and more – all under one roof.
“I just wanted it to be an affordable environment for people to come and truly just enjoy and be playful and welcoming,” says Blood of the happy hour when customers can try a discounted round of golf, appetizers and drinks.
Playground Mini Golf can also be booked for private events such as kids’ parties or corporate team building activities.
3. Pour Company
136 West Wilshire Ave., Fullerton; 714-869-3125; pourcompany.com
Pour Company started out eight years ago as Chef Nick Oberlin’s vision of a family restaurant where he and his wife could bring their kids and spend time in a relaxed environment.
“We focus on producing delicious food that we would want to feed our family and friends if they were to come over to our home and hang out,” he said.
The modern food and cocktails are prepared from scratch from locally sourced ingredients, California wineries and breweries. Oberlin’s wife, who he says is a great cook, helps with the recipes.
Come happy hour, customers at the trendy spot can enjoy their specials as well as discounted drinks and food, including burger and beer, parmesan truffle fries or fried pickles, inside the restaurant or on the spacious patio. Dogs are allowed on the patio as well.
Online reviewers praise the quality of the food as well as the friendliness of the staff and laid-back vibes.