SeaLegs (Huntington Beach)

Danielle:

For an easy birthday evening, we opted to hit SeaLegs since it was right down the street from work. I had been once before during their opening week and was impressed with the crowd for an opening. I love the décor. It is different than most other Huntington Beach establishments (both restaurants and bars). I had been pleased with the service and food so I made plans for a moderate-sized group for the evening.

I made plans via email very easily. I corresponded entirely by email and had reserved part of the lounge for a party of 15-20. Upon arrival, I checked in, mentioned that I had been communicating via email regarding my reservation, and was shown to a table of 8-10 in the bar area. We quickly spilled out of this table and I began to question if they understood I did indeed have a reservation. The confusion was quickly taken care of and we were escorted to the lounge area. Much more comfie!

I ordered the chicken tacos (my favorite) and the sausage sliders. After I had eaten one of the trio that came on the plate, the others realized they were still red/undercooked. The server quickly took them back and brought a new plate. We wound up with a few orders of the tacos and also ordered the grilled cheese combo. I love the food and think this wine bar offers a decent selection and quality for pairing, especially compared to similar wine bars.

All in all, this is a fun spot for an evening of wine with the girls. If you have not yet stopped in, you should.

PS, there were a few guys there but this is probably not your spot for finding single guys.

Food: ★★★☆☆
Service: ★★★☆☆
Price: ★★★☆☆
Ambiance: ★★★★☆
Overall: ★★★☆☆
S Factor: ★☆☆☆☆

Candice:

SeaLegs is a nice addition to the Huntington Beach community.  The décor is simple yet gives the place enough character and the backdrop of the high wine cellar behind the bar leaves a nice impression.  The wine bar has a clean, chic feel with its spacious dining bar and lounge area and ample natural light flooding through the room.  The lounge area is a nice touch with individual chaises and sofa seating.  We attended Sealegs to celebrate Danielle’s birthday, thus Danielle made a reservation earlier in the week to confirm attendance.  When we arrived, the hosts appeared a bit disorganized with locating our reservation and initially sat us at a large dining table.  As our party quickly grew, the hosts were confused but we were soon thereafter approached by someone who appeared in charge and were quickly accommodated to the original reservation in the lounge area. 

During our short stay at the dining table, our host (and hostess in training) were very polite, attentive, and checked on us frequently.  I ordered the white wine flight, and although I understand the ease of tracking pours by bringing the entire flight at once, I occasionally enjoy sipping my wine slowly and was disappointed that my third glass was a brut which I preferred to drink last, but became warm because the flight was prepared all at once.  Regardless, the cost of the flight was reasonable and the pours were sufficient.  However, once we moved from the dining table to the lounge area, this meant a change in our serving staff and we were confronted with only having one hostess who seemed to have significant difficulty efficiently attending to the needs of everyone in our party of 15+ people.  I ended up ordering a wedge salad (summer special) which tasted like…well, a wedge salad.  I also had a small sampling of the sliders and chocolate cake, both of which were tasty for food selections at a wine bar.  Overall, this a lovely place for enjoying some wine, relaxing on the chaises, and having some small plates to share.  The crowd was a nice mix of people and seemed fairly conversational amongst each other.  The overall atmosphere was mellow and representative of the laid-back Huntington Beach vibe.  Moreover, the parking is ample (which is a definite bonus)!  I would certainly return to this place for a mellow evening of wine drinking in Huntington Beach and recommend a visit if you have never been before.

Food: ★★★☆☆
Service: ★★★☆☆
Price: ★★★☆☆
Ambiance: ★★★★☆
Overall: ★★★☆☆
S Factor: ★★☆☆☆