After eight years on 17th Street in Costa Mesa, Playa Mesa has served its final dish. The restaurant owners announced the closure on Aug. 1.
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“Playa Mesa has officially closed its doors,” read a message on the restaurant’s Instagram. “From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for every meal, every celebration, and every memory. We couldn’t have done it without you.”
No reason for the closure was given.
In his positive review of Playa Mesa in 2018, food critic Brad Johnson wrote, “Just about everything I’ve tasted so far — and I’ve sampled a lot — has been good or great or even better.” He went on to praise the menudo (“fantastic), tres leches, cocktails (“superb”) and the pork chop al pastor (“brilliant”).
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Playa Mesa’s closure comes on the heels of the County Club shuttering in May. Both 17th Street eateries were founded by Mario Marovic and Andrew Gabriel through their Newport Beach-based hospitality outfit, the Lounge Group. Wild Goose, the group’s other 17th Street spot, remains open.
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Additional restaurants in the company’s portfolio include High Horse Saloon, Blackie’s By the Sea, Stag Bar + Kitchen and Madero 1899, to name a few.
Costa Mesa’s 17th Street corridor, home to a bevy of restaurants and bars, is poised to welcome several new dining and food options in the coming years, among them being Orange County’s first Erewhon. The upscale grocer is slated to open sometime in 2027, taking over the former T-Shirts Warehouse site at 140 E. 17th Street.
Erewhon will be joined by Bear Flag Fish Co., which will move into the former Santa Monica Seafood location. And according to the company’s website, fast-casual chain Sourdough & Co. also plans to open nearby.
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