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The Best Huntington Beach
Restaurants are stand-outs from
the crowd. In 2010 we saw the
entry of some new restaurants,
right around the time when the
economy headed south. Yet if you
visit a diner, bistro or cafe
with something people want,
they'll actually line up to eat
in their favorite spot.
Marketing 101 is all about good
food at the right price for your
clientele. The trend in dining
is toward a little flavor and
spice, plus some entertainment
to make it nice,
especially in Downtown
Huntington Beach where over 20
restaurants compete for your
business.
With exciting new restaurants
introduced to Huntington Beach,
the stand-out "save"
was Alice Gustafson's Breakfast
in the Park. It received a
2-year reprieve as a city
concessionaire. The
wine-bar bistro that was
envisioned for this home-town,
lakeside cafe spot, will
have to wait another two years
till a Senior Center is built,
and alcohol permits are set in
place. That's either good news
or bad news, depending on your
point of view.
When Martini Blues was sold,
the owners noticeably cut
back on their entertainment
schedule. Once serving up almost
nightly live music, you'll find
the sports bar with weekend and
Thursday night comedy acts has
really cut back.
In 2008, Abdo Deivan opened
Coach's Deli next to Starbucks,
and it's doing well. People love
the sandwiches served there.
When the Chop House opened with
much interest, people loved this
rocking new place. But the noisy
din and bull-riding on the
artificial bronkin' bull didn't
please the nearby residents (no
surprise). All in all the
restaurant owners tell us they
are hanging in there for 2009,
seeing profits slip overall with
inflation. But for some,
catering has become a booming
business and way to survive
during the downturn.
Best of Huntington Beach
Restaurants, Dining and Food
takes into account the crowds,
popularity, tastes, service,
price and all the things you,
the connoisseur find important.
We take suggestions, send out
our taste-testers and weigh the
results for best of postings.
Let's get started. Our
publisher worked two years at
the Huntington Beach Conference
and Visitors Bureau, answering
visitor questions such as, "What
restaurant has the best view?"
and "What restaurant is the best
for a group event?" Then there's
the seasonal queries such as,
"Where do we eat when coming to
see the December Cruise of
Lights in Huntington Harbour?"
or "We're coming into town for
the US Open...where can we find
some affordable dining near the
beach?"
All important questions,
dining out is no longer a
luxury. Californians spend so
much time driving, commuting,
working and traveling that
restaurants are one of their top
concerns on a daily basis as
eating out has become a staple.
Fortunately, the food selections
keep improving in Huntington
Beach and the number of
restaurants seems to have
increased with the opening of a
new mall, Bella Terra, which
brought to the city chains such
as California Pizza Kitchen,
Islands, The Cheesecake Factory
and many others.
By the numbers, McDonalds
probably continues to handle the
largest volume of food trips.
With the introduction of great
menu items under $3, you can put
together some fajita rollups, a
side salad and dessert for
around $6. The food is actually
reasonable for those looking for
finger foods, drive away meals,
and options to suit an entire
family (and especially the
kids.)
Burgers are as American as
the beach is to Huntington
Beach. In Huntington Beach, one
of the favorite hamburgers comes
from the California-based chain,
In N Out. Their formula is
simple: Make it fresh, don't
offer too many items on the
menu, and keep the prices
affordable. As a result,
Huntington Beach longed for an
In N Out restaurant (offers
drive through) for years and
finally opened one back in 2004
on Beach Blvd. near Talbert Ave.
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