Beer Bars – Goat Hill Tavern in Costa Mesa, California

The Goat Hill Tavern opened in the 1940s, which is well before Orange County was “Orange County”.  And ironically, for being one of the older establishments in Orange County, it is one of the least “Orange County” bars you’re likely to stumble into (or out of).  There are no $15 martinis on the menu.  They do no serve endangered dolphin sushi rolls over julienned baby seal breast.  There is no glam or glitz.  Its beer and peanuts.  And a lot if weird shit on the walls.  That’s pretty much it. 

This place is the type of dive bar that relishes in being a dive bar (in fact, it is on a number of “best dive bar” lists).  It’s extremely dusty, kind of smelly, and the floor is covered in peanut shells.  The building is split into three nearly equal parts.  The center section hosts the bar and all 141 of their tap handles.  There are also a few high tables surrounded by stools.  One side has additional seating, billiards, and a shuffleboard table.  The other is a sort of covered patio with about a half dozen televisions, benches, more pool tables, and some foosball.  It is in this area that patrons can smoke, so it gets even smellier in here.

The bartender that poured for me was extremely friendly.  We talked beer for a bit and he even gave my friend and I a guided tour of their amazing keg room.  He also shared a little of the history of the bar with us, which included an old story about them having both Budweiser and Coors on draft at the very same time.  This may seem like nothing now, but it was completely unheard of a few decades ago. 

The beer selection today is very respectable.  A lot of the 141 handles were everyday drafts, but they had a lot of imports, a number of locals, and a few special releases.  Stone's Götterdämmerung and Valiant's Jericho ended up in front of me. 

Another interesting little piece of information is that the Goat Hill Tavern is a popular hang out spot for Angels fans.  There are signed uniforms framed on the wall, and apparently some of the players are commonly seen enjoying a pint there.  Jared Weaver even came here to celebrate his no-hitter last year.  These are my people.

Ultimately, I don’t believe anything I write could fully describe this bar.  Imagine a place that provides equal real estate for model airplanes, animal heads, street signs, brewery propaganda, and completely random light fixtures.  On top of that they have great beer, friendly people, and dirty bathrooms.  In a nutshell… I love it.

 

-Matt