Guidebook for Costa Mesa

Brandon & Jess
Brandon & Jess
Guidebook for Costa Mesa

Food Scene

One of our favorite breakfast places!
72 locals recommend
Eat Chow
1802 Newport Blvd
72 locals recommend
One of our favorite breakfast places!
We love breakfast and this place is wonderful!
30 locals recommend
Haute Cakes Caffe
1807 Westcliff Dr
30 locals recommend
We love breakfast and this place is wonderful!
The best breakfast place in all of Southern California if you ask us. We make the trip often and it has the most wonderful atmosphere for a morning out.
11 locals recommend
Madison Square & Garden Cafe
320 N Coast Hwy
11 locals recommend
The best breakfast place in all of Southern California if you ask us. We make the trip often and it has the most wonderful atmosphere for a morning out.
The best fish taco place around! Don't let anyone fool you into eating at Wahoos.
28 locals recommend
Baja Fish Tacos
171 E 17th St
28 locals recommend
The best fish taco place around! Don't let anyone fool you into eating at Wahoos.
Wonderful seafood, low prices, and very hip chill atmosphere steps from the beach.
28 locals recommend
Bear Flag Fish Company- Crystal Cove
7972 East Pacific Coast Highway
28 locals recommend
Wonderful seafood, low prices, and very hip chill atmosphere steps from the beach.
Some of the best restaurants are along this street.
East 17th Street
East 17th Street
Some of the best restaurants are along this street.
Gourmet salads and fresh organic food.
32 locals recommend
Greenleaf Gourmet Chopshop
234 E 17th St
32 locals recommend
Gourmet salads and fresh organic food.
An incredible coffee shop and lounge.
23 locals recommend
Portola Coffee Roasters
3313 Hyland Ave
23 locals recommend
An incredible coffee shop and lounge.
Closest Starbucks! You can walk there from the house pretty easily.
25 locals recommend
Starbucks
2961 Michelson Dr
25 locals recommend
Closest Starbucks! You can walk there from the house pretty easily.
We love this little hole-in-the-wall Sushi place. Their service isn't great but it's pretty tasty.
7 locals recommend
Sushi Sho Japanese Restaurant
2263 Fairview Rd
7 locals recommend
We love this little hole-in-the-wall Sushi place. Their service isn't great but it's pretty tasty.
We love to go to Long Beach. Go down to the water front and there is amazing food and tons of things to do. Such a great city!
9 locals recommend
Waterfront
9 locals recommend
We love to go to Long Beach. Go down to the water front and there is amazing food and tons of things to do. Such a great city!

Everything Else

This is our church if you have time services are Saturday 6pm and Sunday 9a, 11a, 7p, 9p.
Rockharbor Church - Costa Mesa Campus
345 Fischer Ave
This is our church if you have time services are Saturday 6pm and Sunday 9a, 11a, 7p, 9p.
When you're this close to IKEA you just have to visit.
Ikea Way
Ikea Way
When you're this close to IKEA you just have to visit.
Great movie theatre with reserved seating and recliners... also some of the best shopping around!
719 locals recommend
Newport Center/Fashion Island
401 Newport Center Dr
719 locals recommend
Great movie theatre with reserved seating and recliners... also some of the best shopping around!

Shopping

One of the best malls in the world. Has everything!
95 locals recommend
Brookstone
3333 Bristol Street
95 locals recommend
One of the best malls in the world. Has everything!
Another great shopping and movie location. The best IMAX theatre in the OC.
554 locals recommend
Irvine Spectrum Center
554 locals recommend
Another great shopping and movie location. The best IMAX theatre in the OC.
Another good place to eat and go to the movies.
118 locals recommend
Starlight Triangle Square Cinemas
1870 Harbor Blvd
118 locals recommend
Another good place to eat and go to the movies.
Closest Target... you always need a target.
67 locals recommend
Target
3030 Harbor Blvd
67 locals recommend
Closest Target... you always need a target.
Closest pharmacy.
10 locals recommend
CVS
2521 Eastbluff Dr
10 locals recommend
Closest pharmacy.
The most hipster little shopping area ever. Pretty great.
11 locals recommend
Wine Lab
2937 Bristol Street
11 locals recommend
The most hipster little shopping area ever. Pretty great.

Sightseeing

Great beach, some local pubs, and a cool pier.
82 locals recommend
Balboa Pier
Balboa Pier
82 locals recommend
Great beach, some local pubs, and a cool pier.
Downtown HB has the best beach life around, surfing, surf shops, an amazing pier, a cool burger joint on the end of the pier, and lots to see and do!
638 locals recommend
Huntington Beach
638 locals recommend
Downtown HB has the best beach life around, surfing, surf shops, an amazing pier, a cool burger joint on the end of the pier, and lots to see and do!
Back Bay Drive is a wonderful bike ride and a beautiful place to take a stroll.
29 locals recommend
Back Bay Drive
Back Bay Drive
29 locals recommend
Back Bay Drive is a wonderful bike ride and a beautiful place to take a stroll.
A tiny little $3 ferry (plus $1 per person) that you can drive your car onto. Pretty fun experience.
15 locals recommend
Balboa Island Ferry
Balboa Island Ferry
15 locals recommend
A tiny little $3 ferry (plus $1 per person) that you can drive your car onto. Pretty fun experience.
You can catch the ferry to Catalina Island here. Well worth a trip if you've never been!
42 locals recommend
Catalina Flyer
400 Main St
42 locals recommend
You can catch the ferry to Catalina Island here. Well worth a trip if you've never been!
One of our favorite beaches and you can have a camp fire there too! Lots of great food nearby too!
Pirate's Cove Beach
One of our favorite beaches and you can have a camp fire there too! Lots of great food nearby too!
Best view of LA period.
4367 locals recommend
Griffith Observatory
2800 E Observatory Rd
4367 locals recommend
Best view of LA period.
One of the most amazing pieces of architecture... its also an impressive art museum! Totally free just $15 for parking! I can spend an entire day here!
2309 locals recommend
The Getty
1200 Getty Center Dr
2309 locals recommend
One of the most amazing pieces of architecture... its also an impressive art museum! Totally free just $15 for parking! I can spend an entire day here!
A huge park with lots to explore!
898 locals recommend
Griffith Park
4730 Crystal Springs Drive
898 locals recommend
A huge park with lots to explore!
Such a great tour!
624 locals recommend
The Queen Mary
1126 Queens Hwy
624 locals recommend
Such a great tour!
Fun place to hike / stroll.
Peters Canyon Trail
Peters Canyon Trail
Fun place to hike / stroll.
Go to the end of the road and there's some wonderful hiking!
Trabuco Creek Road
Trabuco Creek Road
Go to the end of the road and there's some wonderful hiking!

Essentials

A great farmers market on Saturdays and Sundays.
12 locals recommend
Orange County Great Park Farmers Market
6950 Marine Way
12 locals recommend
A great farmers market on Saturdays and Sundays.
Closest grocery store - small but has everything.
13 locals recommend
Irvine Ranch Market
2651 Irvine Ave
13 locals recommend
Closest grocery store - small but has everything.

Arts & Culture

The mecca of artists in Orange County and it's also a cute little beach town. Great place to stroll, go in artist studios, and eat. Could spend a good chunk of a day here.
845 locals recommend
Laguna Beach
845 locals recommend
The mecca of artists in Orange County and it's also a cute little beach town. Great place to stroll, go in artist studios, and eat. Could spend a good chunk of a day here.
Wonderful evening of art and entertainment. (Runs summer only.)
113 locals recommend
Festival of Arts and Pageant of the Masters
650 Laguna Canyon Rd
113 locals recommend
Wonderful evening of art and entertainment. (Runs summer only.)

Entertainment & Activities

Disneyland!!!!!
3085 locals recommend
Disneyland Park
1313 Disneyland Dr
3085 locals recommend
Disneyland!!!!!
Knotts Berry Farm!!!!
27 locals recommend
Knott's Berry Farm: Bakery
8039 Beach Blvd
27 locals recommend
Knotts Berry Farm!!!!
A wonderful Aquarium!
806 locals recommend
Aquarium of the Pacific
100 Aquarium Way
806 locals recommend
A wonderful Aquarium!