The Corner Office (Costa Mesa)

Danielle:

 

Candice and I ventured out to The Corner Office in hopes of finding better luck on a Thursday (based on conversations with guys on the “the best” night for happy hour—and well, I had Friday plans). When we got there, it looked like the “after work” crowd was beginning to dissipate and new patrons were rolling in for the Clippers and Kings games. We found our way to the bar and a “regular” helped us find 2 spots together. Thank God that he was there or we may never have been noticed. When the bartender walked over, we assumed that perhaps it would be to see what we wanted since her area of the bar was not crowded. Instead, she made a straight line for the “regular.” He nodded for her to take care of us first. In strange ways, chivalry is not dead. The funny part was that when she returned she made sure to serve him first. He left shortly after, and our service left with him. [Guys, I know, you’ve been dealing with this for years at bars, watching all the ladies be served and I don’t agree with that either.] We waited foooooooorrrrrreeeeeevvvvvvveeeeer to gain her attention to order another beer and inquire about food. We were never even offered a menu or asked if we planned to eat.

I ordered the nachos. It doesn’t even really warrant much text. They were sub-par even being bar food. 

I think the venue is great and I will return for another night of sports. Several options were available for sitting at the bar, around the bar, at high top tables on the outskirts of the bar, or at booths that had small TVs.  It seems the perfect spot for watching sports. There’s also an outside patio area with a nice courtyard view of local businesses. I’ll definitely go back (with a penis in tow or with assurance that guys are already there in hopes that I’ll be quickly served and hydrated). 

Food: ★☆☆☆☆

Service: ★☆☆☆☆

Price: ★★★☆☆

Ambiance: ★★★☆☆

SFactor: ★★☆☆☆ (on this particular night, but potential is good)

Overall: ★★★☆☆ (2.5)

Candice:

So, this was probably the first time I actually made it to happy hour before Danielle, and with much encouragement via texts, she made me step out of my comfort zone and walk into a bar by myself to look for seats.  I did and <insert chuckle> it was probably an extreme situation to test myself given the ratio of men to women was like 15 to 1.  It was quite nice to have so many eyes on me at once and luckily the bar was dimly lit enough to hide the color of my face going from pale to all shades of red.  Although the crowd was “sparse” given it was a Thursday and both the Kings and Clippers were playing, I think this place has plenty of potential during a bigger sports night.  Most of the TV’s were showing the Kings game and based on the crowd reaction to the game I am guessing most of the customers were Kings fans.  As for the venue itself, it is quite large and spacious and I particularly liked the open space area near the patio facing what looked like a hotel and its grassy flourishing grounds.  The food was definitely on the pitiful side, even for bar food standards and the menu presented a meager array of options.  But what was even more inexcusable was the service, or shall I say total lack of.  SERIOUSLY. What does a girl have to do to get the attention of the bartender??! Thankfully, a very nice gentleman not only offered to move down a barstool so that Danielle and I could sit next to each other, but he also directed the attention of the bartender to us when she approached him to chat with him.  For all the restaurants and bars that I have done blogs (and even non-blogs), this bartender (yes, you the petite brunette who doesn’t like to make eye contact with women even when we say “excuse me” to get your attention) has got to be one of the worst I have yet to encounter when it comes to service.  And, when we finally did get our drinks and food, there was nothing courteous in her demeanor.  Some of you might be thinking I am being a little harsh because hey, she might be having an off day, but when we observed her interactions with the male patrons at the bar, then I think I may even be generous in my description.  So, with the exception of the impolite bartender, this place definitely has possibilities on a bigger game night.  Although the probability of us returning is slim, I would recommend you ladies stopping by for a visit if only just to enjoy the advantage of the ratio disparity.

Food: ★☆☆☆☆

Service: ★☆☆☆☆

Price: ★★☆☆☆

Ambience: ★★★☆☆

SFactor: ★★☆☆☆

Overall: ★★☆☆☆