Shipmates Restaurant & Sports Bar

I came here with an arcade friend to celebrate his birthday. This spot was totally not how the pictures made this place seem. The pictures made it seem like the space is expansive but it's almost too claustrophobic for my personal tastes. Keep in mind, I'm a tall dude, a 6'-4" hulking asian dude. All the tables and chairs were smashed in and were very close in proximity with the one's next door, behind you and in front of you. And this is regardless of whether you sat at the main long tables at the center of the space, the high tabletops and chairs to the left of the main long tables, or the booths that ran along the walls, immediately from your right at the entrance. The front door was inconspicuous. The signage was equally and awkwardly placed where I didn't know where the heck this spot was until I circled all around the damn building and went through a corridor that I thought was just a passthrough to the other side of the building and there wouldn't be a business midway dead smack in the middle of it. It's an oddly design building. When you walk in, immediately to your right is the front desk where they will ID you and then they will designate a spot for you to sit on. You can get a choice of hightop tables for two, which is straight ahead of you from the entrance, the front of bar, which is immediately to your left from the entrance, and the booth tables to your right from the entrance. The restrooms are straight down the hallway from the entrance to the left for dudes and to the right for the ladies. It's not too often that I drive down to the OC, which I'm aware, Cerritos is not technically part of the OC, BUT because it's all the way down south and is close to Buena Park and Anaheim, I'm lumping this town as being part of the OC. That said, parking in this county is generally very easy to find. I had no issues finding parking since Harkins theatre across the street had even more parking spots if you couldn't find parking in the same plaza as Shipmates. That's where I parked and walked over to this plaza.Drinks and food menu are on their website. There's a QR code plaque on each table for you scan with your smartphone but you can absolutely ask the front desk person who will also be your server to give you an actual menu, which she did, in my case. They seem to have a good selection of draft beers on tap and all the popular liquor of choice. They don't have the more fancy, relatively unknown or rare liquors so don't ask for those. Maker's Mark was $11.50 for a shot, for point of reference. I basically drank a double shot neat of that all night. My friend ordered a Tokyo Tea (minus the club soda) and a couple of Mango Carts on draft. Ambiance. This place is super loud. TV's everywhere tuned into sports--there was some type of football event where lots of people dressed in their favorite team's jerseys that night cheering when their team scored a goal. You'll be spending the bulk of the evening in very close proximity to your friends to hear what they are saying. On that note, you'll be hearing everyone else's conversations next to you, behind you and in front of you with HD clarity. Service. It was dodgy. The one and only front desk person that also doubled as the waitress for all the tables inside--that's crazy. It's not very efficient but she was very nice and pleasant to talk to and always made sure to circle back to you even if it'll take her a long while but she'll get back to you. It wasn't really an issue for me and my buddy but it may be an issue if you're the type that wants prompt service. My arcade friend ordered food. I didn't. He seemed to have enjoyed it. He said it was decent. All in all, it wasn't bad. I like it enough that I would stop by again but probably not when there's a football playoff. I would still recommend giving this place a shot, despite the dodgy service that Saturday night.

Dive bars get a bad rap, and I understand why to a degree: often times they're dark, dirty, and not somewhere you take a date, but I vehemently disagree. Shipmates is a bar where the bartenders know your name and drink. Shipmates is a bar where the doorman allows himself to vibe to the music being played. Shipmates is a bar that has FRED working. I'm a bit biased because I met Fred when we worked at Lucille's. It was my first job as a young 16-year old, and he was this wise, empathetic Jesus-looking dude: good energy, good vibes; dude was clearly raised well. Every so often I'll drop in here to see him, and he'll greet me with the largest of smiles. It's like being welcomed home from family that hasn't seen you in years, even though it's only been months. I only come here for a drink after work because most spots are closed. Even if they were open, I wouldn't be going to them. The staff here makes me feel special. When you're here, you're family...I realize Olive Garden trademarked that, but it doesn't make it any less true here.

If you're looking for a cool spot to watch games, enjoy well crafted cocktails, and grub on some great food, look no further than Shipmates. This spot has lots of mounted TVs for any sports enthusiasts and the service is impeccable. The ambiance is very lively, festive with a casual vibe. The food was very good for a sports bar, each dish we ordered was delicious, mouthwatering, and flavorful. In conclusion, Shipmates exceeded my expectations and created a great atmosphere to watch sporting events and hang with family and friends. We'll definitely be back!'

Stopped in for afternoon drinks. Crowded with people having fun. Friendly bartender. Touch Tunes jukebox is always fun. We didn't eat but we will be back again.

I drive in this area all the time since it is not too far from my house and I had never noticed it since it is hidden in a back corner. Looks nice from the outside (I think the facade in this shopping center was updated recently) and ok in the inside. Lots of TVs but on the weekday that we went there wasn't anything interesting to watch. We had no trouble finding free available parking.Food tasted good but the size to price ratio even with $2 off appetizers for Happy Hour did not make it a good deal. Not all beers are part of the Happy Hour deal...so not even a $1 off the 2 beers I ordered...bummer. The waitress was average at best. Worst of all the music was way too loud to have a comfortable conversation. The music was pretty good...it was just a volume issue. Also, there was a drunk lady that was cackling incessantly and loudly.

Great food options! Love the beer and mixed cocktails selection! Nice waiters and fairly fast service even on a busy night. Nice cold beer! Can get pretty rowdy on a Sunday night for Karoake! Try the mexican lollipop drink or the strawberry mojito if you want vodka! They can always substitute the type of alcohol you want and are nice for accommodations. We love the carne asada fries and the burger sliders here! They have different craft burger options to choose from either bbq or spicy jalapeno.

We are looking for a sports bar to watch some baseball. When we arrived the very, very friendly security guard showed us to a table he highly recommended. There was only football on all of the 23 TVs. I propped up my cell phone, but it kept slipping down, so our waitress came with a heavy candle and told me this will hold it up. I thought that was extremely nice of her. After a little bit, another waitress came and told us she would put the baseball game on two TVs that we were able to see again that was amazing.The two waitresses were extremely attentive we never had to look for anybody they were always on top of everything. I ordered the steak with chimichurri and rice and it was so delicious. I can't wait to go back and get it again. My BF ordered the Asada burrito but he didn't care for the fries inside so next time if he orders it, he'll tell him no fries inside, LOL. Although the crowd was 30 years younger than we were, we never felt out of place. I highly recommend eating here. The food was delicious. My tip is if you are over 50 years old, get there before the 30yr old crowd gets there by 10 PM

The drinks just kept coming. The waitresses are phenomenal also, the food tastes amazing also. I'll be back.

It had been at least 12+ years since the last time I've enjoyed a beer at Shipmates. Tonight's occasion was Thursday night football. The ambiance and service stood out to me. Everyone was so friendly. It was easy to mingle and small talk with everyone and the regulars and locals made for a welcoming environment. Thank you Shipmates!

I love coming here with my gfs for a drink and to watch football games. The drinks never disappoint! Shout out to Curtis who takes great care of us! The apps are really good and the vibe of the bar is always a good time! Never a dull moment coming here!