Yardhouse (Newport Beach)

Danielle

Candice and I could not have picked a more perfect spot for catching game 7 of the World Series! TVs and numerous beers on tap were exactly the combo we needed to draw in a crowd of men. Finally, we can really chat about the existence of the S-factor in our posts!

The place was crowded when we arrived but we scored a table adjacent to the bar. The crowd was heavily composed of groups of guys tuned in to the game (the only bad part: really tuned in to the game). There was a good mix of ages and “types” and you could feel the heaviness of the testosterone. I’d say this is a good starting point.

I did not eat from the happy hour menu due to “an acute case of dietary restrictions” before the holidays. The waitress was happy to assist me in tailoring my order to fit my needs. So…I missed out on my all-time favorite appetizer theres—the moo shu egg rolls and sliders. You’ll have to read Candice’s part for the happy hour treats.

Service was great for the beginning of the evening. After happy hour officially ended, service waned. Once we calculated that it had been 45 minutes since our server came by to check in. by that time, I was not at all tempted to order another round as I watched the crowd beginning to change. After the game and conclusion of happy hour, the crowd dissipated leaving the majority of the patrons to be couples on “Friday night date night.”

To date, this spot has been the best for the singles scene. It seems a perfect spot to catch a game—especially a “big” one (I watched the Super Bowl last year at Yardhouse Costa Mesa with a great crowd).

Tips:

• Get a bar seat for easier chatting with other patrons and for spotting other patrons cheering on your favorite team
• Take up a little more room upon arrival between you and your girlfriends so you can allow that thirsty hunk to “squeeze in” to grab a drink when he’s stranded behind everyones’ backs

For more info on their happy hour, click here. 

Food: ★★★★☆

Service: ★★★☆☆

Price: ★★★★☆

Ambience: ★★★★☆

Overall: ★★★★☆

S Factor: ★★★★☆

Candice

Holy canoli.  I was nicely overstimulated by the well-populated male gatherings at our recent Yard House event.  Of course, I have been there on plenty of occasions for dinner as well as during happy hour non-sports times, but apparently the time to visit would be to go during happy hour while important sports events are taking place!  In this case, it was the last game of the World Series (go Cardinals!) and there was a delightful handful of sports enthusiasts that caught my attention.  I was happily distracted throughout the happy hour which made my ordinary bar fare a little more appetizing.  I used to frequent the Yard House in Pasadena on a regular basis when I lived up there, so I am quite familiar with their happy hour menu.  The food this time was yet again average but a great price break during happy hour and considerably worth it given the right entertainment.  I typically have gone for their fabulous martinis (which I highly recommend during their happy hour otherwise comparably priced to any other bar) but opted for a lovely Black Velvet this time around.  I was also in the mood for their crab cakes and moo shu egg rolls appetizers which were nothing all that spectacular but complements the price and entertainment.  The happy hour menu overall has a nice variety of foods and if there is nothing that catches your eye, there are plenty of other options listed in the regular part of the menu. 

Unfortunately, service was slightly below standard this time.  Although our server was very pleasant, once the crowd fizzled out and the dinner crowd rolled in, she was nowhere in sight for at least forty minutes.  Good thing I wasn’t still hungry or in a rush to be somewhere.  The atmosphere following the conclusion of happy hour was simply ordinary but still worthy of the occasional perusal.  The Yard House in Newport has an easy setting with typically mellow patrons and a reasonable menu overall.  It is certainly a scene I would recommend for happy hour during notable sporting events. 

Food: ★★★☆☆

Service: ★☆★☆☆

Price: ★★★☆☆

Ambience:★★★★☆

Overall:★★★★☆

S Factor:★★★★☆

Slater's 50/50 (Huntington Beach)

Danielle

Because we had some foiled plans, this spot was in close proximity to where we were, and it has been on the “to do” list since I’m a burger critic, we found ourselves at Slater’s 50/50 for happy hour. When we arrived, the place was pretty busy which was perfect since we were there on MNF night (girls: that is “Monday night football” not “Marriage ‘n family” night). We found a good spot so we could observe the dynamics of the place. The place brought quite the mixed crowd which we much appreciated. There were groups of men, families, singles, and couples. We dove into the menu, and Wow! I didn’t realize this place has such a bacon-infused menu, and boy did that discovery warm a Southern girl’s heart!

I chose the 50/50 which is the burger that is 50% beef and 50% bacon topped with an over-medium fried egg, avocado mash, pepperjack cheese and chipotle mayo. Patrons also have the option of designing their own burger if nothing on the menu suits you. I loved my burger and rank it #3 of all I’ve tried in OC/LA. We also got the appetizers of bacon mac & cheese and papas quesadilla. The papas quesadilla was a fave—a quesadilla with mashed potatoes!?! Yes, please! The service was good and the food arrived quickly. I’m going easy on the server who may have been a little on the socially awkward side moreso than lacking in skill.

This seems a perfect spot for watching the game or having a quick bite after work.

Food: ★★★☆

Service: ★★★☆☆☆

Price: ★★★☆☆

Ambience: ★★★☆☆

Overall: ★★★☆☆

S Factor: ★★★☆☆(for potential)

Candice 

Slater’s 50/50 did a decent job on livening up the atmosphere as compared to the previous establishment.  Granted, it is now likely to be considered more of a sports bar but it certainly appears to have potential.  The room appeared spacious with its concrete floors and there were plenty of patrons dining and drinking during Monday Night Football.  There were a considerable number of televisions dispersed throughout the restaurant which unfortunately occasionally made it difficult to have a conversation without sharing the latest news with the neighbors at an adjacent table.  I am sure it swayed my opinion to have testosterone seeping throughout the bar, but there was a noticeably decent diverse crowd that included a mix of all ages as well as singles, couples, and families.  There was also a nice variety of seating options including sitting at the bar, at a dining table, at bar stool height tables, as well as cozy seating in the “lounge” area which was well lit and speckled with flat screens on the walls.  The menu selection was (surprisingly) quite appealing given that for the most part, burgers are burgers.  I was already aware that this restaurant offered design-your-own burgers, but who knew that there are people out there who would eat such unusual combinations such as ground beef topped with peanut butter and jelly and bacon?!?  I am not the type who can design a burger to make the tastiest combination on such limited time and on an empty stomach, so I went with what sounded like the perfect post-weekend dining comfort food.  I opted for the “Grown-up Grilled Cheese,” which happened to be an irresistible combination of melted cheddar, havarti, and pepper jack cheeses, with bits of arugula scattered within the thick, buttered slices of lightly toasted texas toast style brioche bread. Oooh la-la---delicious! I will admit the portion sizes of their food seemed a bit out of control given that purely the ingredients in and of themselves have the potential to contribute to some premature arterial clotting; but for those who are more health conscious, there were also plenty of ingredients to choose from to make a less lethal but tasty meal.

Since the grilled cheese sandwich I ordered and the burger Danielle ordered were not considered happy hour items, we of course also ordered the bacon macaroni and cheese appetizer as well as the Papas quesadilla appetizer.  Unfortunately, the mac-n-cheese did little to stimulate the senses and I would have been sorely disappointed had I paid the non-happy hour price.  It was quite bland and deficient of any inspiration.  On the other hand, the pizza-sized quesadilla concoction that oozed with creamy mashed potatoes was filling and quite addictive and made up for the lackluster mac-n-cheese.  I wouldn’t mind having a taste of that again.  And although desserts typically are a must in my meals, I sadly had to pass on the design-your-own milkshake because there was simply no more room left in my stomach. Perhaps another time!

As far as service was concerned, our waiter appeared less than enthusiastic to be serving us (his affect was flat as a dry wall) but I do not think it was because he didn’t want to be at work but merely the fact that his social skills were a bit peculiar.  Overall, the restaurant’s value for happy hour was decent.  There were specials on appetizers and drinks.  The atmosphere was pleasant and reminiscent of a typical sports bar.  I’d say not too shabby for a location that is already recognized for being ill-fated.  If it weren’t for the fact that rumor has it the menu has already changed since our visit and the Grown-up Grilled Cheese sandwich is no longer visible on the menu, then I might have given greater consideration that this scene has potential to stick around for a little longer. 

Food: ★★★★☆

Service: ★★☆☆☆

Price: ★★★☆☆

Ambience: ★★★★☆

Overall: ★★★☆☆

S-factor: ★★★☆☆

J.T. Schmid's (Tustin)

Danielle

I met up with Candice here at J.T. Schmid’s after having happy hour at the Winery with another friend. I had eaten some very delish food prior to arriving so I didn’t eat much off the menu. We took a seat outside on the patio after making a sweep through the bar area and being unsatisfied. At least outside, we can people watch if the crowd in house is minimal, right?

There were men there so I’ll give the S-factor a 2. The crowd seemed to be heavily in the 20s-30s age range. Several groups were seated outside so any clusters of men there were not so approachable. A good patio always “ups” the atmosphere and ambience.

The service was good for the most part but I was annoyed by our server at the end. We ordered Brew house nachos from the happy hour menu and were asked if we wanted to add chicken or beef on them. We chose beef. When the bill came, we noticed they were more expensive than advertised. Upon inquiring, we found out that the beef was additional. Typically, when I’ve eaten out, servers notify me of the difference in price (especially after seeing me holding the reduced price happy hour menu) and then confirm that the difference is okay. The food is just okay. Maybe I could blame it on the Winery since the food paled in comparison to what I had just eaten there.

Food: ★★☆☆☆

Service: ★★☆☆☆

Price: ★★☆☆☆

Ambience: ★★★☆☆

Overall: ★★☆☆☆

S Factor: ★★☆☆☆

Candice

Well I must admit I have been seriously procrastinating writing a review of this happy hour outing.  Aside from the standard selection of beers at your typical brew house, the food was dismal, the service equally inadequate, and the entertainment/S factor value paltry at best.  To be honest, I cannot even recall the specific food items I ordered—simply that the experience left no positive lasting impression.  I should add that it was not a horrible experience but simply uninteresting. You might be one of those readers who then question why we tortured ourselves and remained at this establishment throughout the happy hour evening.  First and most importantly, we like to try and stay true to our “research.” Secondly, I had to finish my beer. Hello. However, as I like to try and be an optimistic, I will highlight a perk, which is the spacious patio seating and ability to casually observe any passer byes that might be of interest and enhance the overall entertainment value.  Sadly, there were none that evening.  Other than that, I will admit that this was a not one of the most entertaining Friday evening happy hours we have experienced.  I would definitely suggest alternative establishments to scope out in the immediate surroundings.  Check please!

Food: ★★☆☆☆

Service: ★★☆☆☆

Price: ★★☆☆☆

Ambience: ★★☆☆☆

Overall: ★★☆☆☆

S-factor: ★★☆☆☆