The Most Scrumptious Music Venues in Irvine

StillWater Spirits & Sounds

★★★★☆ 4.1 (936) • $$

"Was staying in the area and decided to have lunch here after reading some glowing reviews on Yelp. We were lucky to get parking in the tiny parking lot right in front, were immediately greeted and seated.We shared the blistered shishito peppers appetizer, which was served piping hot on a cute little iron skillet. My husband had the tri tip sandwich and I chose the spicy seafood pasta. Although my dish was not spicy to me, it was flavorful and delicious; with huge pieces of fish, shrimp, calamari and mussels. Portions are large and pricing is reasonable for the area. Service was great as well. Overall had a nice experience!"

The Wayfarer

★★★★☆ 3.9 (299) • $$

"I don't visit the The Wayfarer often, but when I do I always have a good time.The food is worth a visit in its own right. The pulled pork sliders, for instance, are a thing of beauty. I've never had better pulled pork anywhere and heaven knows I've eaten my share of it over the years. The service is friendly and on the ball every time. Ambience wise, it's a roomy, comfortable place with lots of places to sit. I like to sit at the bar, but that's personal preference. Booze wise its full bar with a nice selection of craft beers. The place attracts some really good bands, including some that tour nationally. Last night, we saw Jerry Joseph. He was great. The Wayfarer is a good place worthy of your attention.Cheers!"

The Ribjoint Roadhouse

★★★★☆ 3.5 (238) • $$

"They are convenient close. Good food friendly and local. I like taking out their combos and appreciate that they're kind of an old school Dana point business."

Jojo's Hideaway

★★★★★ 4.8 (16)

"Went to enjoy a great jazz band..."B Side" and were happily surprised with amazing food and drinks. Had the Moscow Mule and the Spicy Mule. Both were outstanding. Then had the grilled artichoke which was truly superb-would come again just for this! My partner ordered the grilled salmon and he said it was the best salmon he ever ate. I am a vegetarian and our excellent waiter was extremely accommodating and made me a plate of delicious grilled vegetables. In fact, our waiter expertly cared for everyone in our large party. We will be back to enjoy the food and jazz. Check out B side when they play again...you won't B disappointed!"

Perqs

★★★☆☆ 3.2 (219) • $

"This a staple hangout on for HB locals. Open Kate, Live music, dancing, drinks.... What more do you need. Had a great time.."

The Blue Beet

★★★★☆ 3.6 (351) • $$

"Minor crowd + good bar food. This combo is hard to Beet! Blue Beet is a dive bar that sits pretty close to the Newport Beach Pier. This spot is known for its multi level rooms, including a pretty cool rooftop area that overlooks the ocean. On a clear day you can even see Catalina! Despite being in a very popular area, Blue Beet is hidden in a small alcove. It doesn't get as much traffic as it's neighboring bars, which makes it the perfect local hang. They also serve food, which is a major win in my book. I ordered the chicken nachos and the pickle fries. Both fried munchies were made to perfection for a drunk stomach. I ended up sharing these with a group of 5+ and it was more than enough food to get the job done."

Cafe Sevilla

★★★★☆ 4.2

"My girlfriends and I went here to celebrate a birthday. We found this place on Yelp and were so glad we gave it a try. The food was delicious, margarita was good, and service was amazing! Initially we were going to another restaurant and glad we decided to go here because wow best service we've had in a while. Our server was very welcoming and nice, always checked on us. Even other staff that walked by checked in!We went on a Friday night so there was live music. We got the halibut & shrimp ceviche, the sampler empanadas (it came with 3), and the traditional paella. They were all very good! My favorite was their empanadas! All 3 were so flavorful and the outside pastry was buttery and flakey. Delicious! Margaritas were good too!Note that if you don't like loud, maybe sit outside because indoors and in front of the music was pretty loud. I def recommend this place!"

Lincoln House

★★★★☆ 4.4 (509) • $$$

"If you're deciding between The Lincoln House or Edna Vees like I was, I'll help you make the decision: I would vote for The Lincoln House. I tried both recently. The bartenders and servers at The Lincoln House are more hospitable and friendly. They give you a cocktail menu and a food menu as soon as you sit down. Edna Vees didn't do that for us. We were left on our own to try to figure out how to order or get any service.I tried the Pisco Sour at The Lincoln House. It was so much better than the margarita I ordered at Edna Vees. The bartender at The Lincoln House was warm and friendly. She checked on us regularly. I went on a Thursday night. They had a great live band. The vibe was cozy and inviting. Great place for a date or to catch up with family and friends. Less noisy than Edna Vees. I'll be visiting The Lincoln House regularly. Thanks for helping me narrow down my choices on where to take my business!"

180blũ

★★★★☆ 4 (278) • $$$

"What went well... everything! From the front entrance down the corridor and toward 180Blũ was exquisite, from the floral ambiance to the scents throughout was nostalgic. Our server was Ioana, she was attentive and engaged in conversation. We stopped in for a short lunch break and post birthday celebration on a Tuesday in February. The weather was typical. Sunny with a slight breeze and clear skies. The rosé bubbly was divine. Other worthy mentions is the swordfish dip, battered shrimp, FETA, a puff pastry with sprinkled power sugar ‍, and BAILEYS AND COFFEE with fresh whip . The Executive Sous Chef has it going on, this place and menu is dialed in. Note: Under renovation!! Coming soon is a facelift to an already incredible establishment. Must try once or many times in your life. Do what you will with the advice bestowed upon you."

Juke Joint Bar

★★★★☆ 3.7 (252) • $

"Juke Joint Bar is sure to hit the spot. I had an amazing time here. Drinks were on point. They had a wonderful selection of beer. Bartenders were pretty attentive and they sure don't skimp on the booze. What stood out the most to me were the arcade games and billiards in the back of the bar. I think the pool games were a $1 each which is pretty cheap by today's standards. We probably spent a couple hours playing. There might be a line though. The dive bar vibe is definitely there though. A little gritty, a little quirky, but it adds to the charm. Definitely on the recommend list to hang out with friends."

Beachfire Bar & Grill

★★★★☆ 4 (841) • $$

"I found this restaurant on Yelp, I am a little familiar with San Clemente. It is a nice city to visit, shop and dine. The shops and restaurants are not "big" chain stores, but rather, nice boutiques and owner-occupied businesses. Beachfire is open 7 days a week and have it all! Happy Hour specials Monday thru Friday; entertainment like karaoke (Monday) Taco Tuesday, and live bands on the weekends. The service was impeccable, Nick has been the bartender for over 20 years. He came out to greet us on the patio and take our order. Most bartenders stay back, but he was out in the patio "multi-tasking" and greeting customers. Edgar came by to check on us, I thought he was the server or maybe the manager. He is actually one of the owners. He asked where we were from and welcomed us. We ordered an Ahi Tuna sandwich and a chicken habenero flatbread. The sandwich had a generous portion of tuna and seasoned perfectly, topped with avocado. It was plated perfectly $19. The flatbread was delicious, the chicken was grilled, the spice level was medium. It had red onions and pineapple bits and a drizzle of Ranch dressing that added a nice and tasty sweetness $15.The restaurant has an upstairs level, a patio in front, and another outdoor patio at the rear entrance. This is a casual place, but not fast food, they actually service quality food with fresh veggies. Every time I come to San Clemente, it has been a wonderful experience. So many unique stores to explore. I think you'd be pleased too. Relax, enjoy, shop and dine here and don't forget to tell 'em that Rosemary sent ya!"

The Shamrock Bar & Grill

★★★★☆ 3.8 (125) • $$

"This is a great pub downtown. Inside is your typical pub, no frills just good drinks and live music playing on a Saturday night. Even with a packed bar the multiple bartenders don't have you waiting but more than a couple minutes for your drink order. I really enjoy this pub and they know how to pour a proper Guinness. I definitely will come back when I'm in town."

The Straw: Modern Milkshakes

★★★★★ 4.5 • $$

"My friend and I were craving a milkshake and stumbled upon this spot near OCC. I love the ambiance as it gave it a bar vibe with milkshakes instead. My friend and I enjoyed how kind the workers were and felt very cozy here. I got the Glamp fire and my friend got the Love Letter. The serving is hugeee!! Honestly shouldve shared but we did our best to drink all of it. I never had milkshakes that taste salty before. Its delicious but not something I would get too often. I might come back to try their flatbreads and get a different milkshake. Possibly there will be one I like.The spot seem to have certain events every week as well, so follow their social media or maybe check them out in the evening to see whats happening!"

Campus JAX

★★★★☆ 4.3 (427) • $$

"*****Wow!*****Shame on me for not finding CJs (Campus Jax) sooner! The ambiance reminds me of the old Jazz clubs but newer, updated and clean. Another difference is the food. Don't expect dishes you would find on cooking shows but they have a decent menu with food that is good. They also have happy hour prices.If you know where SNA (John Wayne Airport) is, this is a minute down the road. Easy parking and a relaxed vibe makes me a fan. What makes this place "as good as it gets" is the people running the place. Everyone here is a class act in my book. Everyone is super nice and friendly. Seating here is intimate and cozy but not too cozy where you don't have breathing room. I was super comfortable. Bathrooms are clean. The other customers are friendly. The live bands and music...wow. Thank God for social media because if all those addicted to the screen realized listening to real music in person is this good, I would never find a seat here. Leave your 'tude at the door, pull up a chair, sit back and then relax.... this is THE spot.My new favorite place."

The Harp Inn

★★★★☆ 4 (323) • $$

"Great Costa Mesa Tavern providing live music and tasty Pub fair. Our bartender was fun and gave great service. The pub was very busy this Sunday evening with very good live music and a fun friendly crowd. Plenty of outdoor seating as well. Our fish & chips was light & crunchy English pub style."

Brio Tuscany Grille

★★★★☆ 4.4 • $$

"We went here for the first time on Halloween because they were the only restaurant around having an early Halloween party.We completely dressed up and went to the bar. Unfortunately things got started a bit late and my husband could not stay because he had to go to work at six in the morning.We have never been here before so I was happy to see they had a very reasonably priced happy hour. There are many things on the menu to choose from. I got the shrimp with garlic and it was absolutely delicious. I love a good dish with tons of garlic and I got the garlic bread to go with it to dip into the sauce. It was really good my husband got the meatballs , and he was very happy. We didn't get dinner because of our costumes and we had to go. I will definitely go back.The service was fast and friendly, and the I added some pictures of our food and our costumes. I wish things started on time so we could have won the Halloween costume contest because we really did go all out. I hope they will contact us. If not, no worries we're going to go back for our anniversary dinner on 1111. Great local find.Strongly encourage people to try it out. It also did not break the bank for a happy hour. Great food great ambience great prices."

The Drake

★★★★☆ 4.4 (533)

"We decided to have Christmas Eve dinner here with my in-laws. I made the reservations for 7 pm on OpenTable pretty easily. We were excited to have dinner and live music. They have live music most evenings but check the schedule to make sure you catch the act when they are performing. It's hard to get a table in the main room, but we had a table in the bar area which worked out since they projected a view of the stage on the wall near where we were sitting. The outdoor area was enclosed with a direct view of the stage and had heat lamps so it looked fairly warm if you're worried about being outside. For Christmas Eve, we were presented the menu and ordered: lamb chops, chicken, NY fries, salmon, and pork chop. The food was really good and the service was great. My husband really enjoyed the lamb. The fries were perfectly crisp. The salmon was tasty and the pork chop was juicy. The music wasn't as disruptive as the in-laws thought it'd be. The vocalist sang a mixture of jazzy holiday tunes. We had a great time conversing and enjoying the ambiance. The restaurant has a lot of art deco elements which really add to the atmosphere. We also ordered the limoncello tiramisu for dessert. Our server, Taylor, was awesome. Parking on the street can be difficult to find. They offer Valet service for $7 so we took advantage of that."

Surf City Hookah Lounge

★★★★★ 4.9 (256) • $$

"Sammy the owner was very prompt with our needs and accommodated us with types of flavors we were looking for. Great lounge chill area to unwind. Perfection!"

Tiki Bar

★★★☆☆ 2.7 (180) • $$

"First time at this bar, my best friend's husband was playing in one of the bands so we came to support of course! I really liked the vibe here, such a cool tucked away bar, the parking lot was full so we had to park down the way a bit which was ok!Our bartender was great, I did ask for a lemon drop and my gosh there drinks were strong lol! However he asked if I wanted sugar of course I do, I think I may have been the only one who asks for that drink there lol We had so much fun our bartender was awesome quick with the drinks. Had such a blast, love live music so coming here to watch music made me feel so good and alive! The Raptors were awesome our friends band, The Gringos never heard them but loved it and that was the band our friend's husband played in. Codefendants were amazing absolutely loved them! It was fun going to Costa Mesa and coming here it's been such a long time! Loved this bar can't wait to come back and see more shows. Live music makes me the happiest, I get lost in it and I'm in my own world closing my eyes dancing to the music and feeling it in my bones. Can't get enough of it helps me forget everything! Music is part of my heart and soul and maybe it will heal me! :)All and all this is a great bar good atmosphere they have two pool tables, and some high seating so you don't have to stand the whole time with some tables. They also have an outside patio area for smoking or fresh air also to buy some merch if you would like to. I would recommend this bar, it's good vibes and live music how could you really go wrong? I'm so glad we got invited to such a fun night here! Absolutely come check it out if you like live music Have a badass day :)Aloha"

Phil Trani's Restaurant

★★★★☆ 3.8 (377) • $$

"This place has been here for ages and it never changes regarding the quality, service, and entertainment. I wish you would bring back Tony for entertainment."

Marine Room Tavern

★★★★☆ 3.6 (305) • $$

"We just stepped inside the Marine Room Tavern because it looked super cool when we walked by. We were right, this is a super cool place. When we were there, the band was setting up. We didn't have much time so we just checked out the bar and the lounge area. I absolutely want to come back."