The beaches are too packed. The backyard barbecues are too flavorless. And the parades are too long.
Happy Fourth of July?
Instead of elbowing your way through the SPF-slathered masses or waiting in seemingly endless lines for beer, head to one of several restaurants for a truly joyous Independence Day. Offering a respite from the annual holiday’s patriotic brouhaha, these dining oases offer you a place to enjoy a meal, sip on cocktails and gaze at the pyrotechnics up high from the comfort of your seat.
By no means a comprehensive list, consider the following ten eateries a starting point for your 4th of July planning. Be sure to call restaurants in advance as reservations fill up fast. There’s also an 11th restaurant hosting dinner for a fireworks show launching above Rancho Santa Margarita Lake on July 5.
Fourth of July
The Chart House, Dana Point: Perched cliffside above Dana Point Harbor, this 62-year-old restaurant goes all out for the holiday with a four-course meal and an outdoor setting that provides an eagle-eye view of the skyward pyrotechnics. The prix fixe menu ($195 per guest) includes such entrees as ahi tuna, coconut shrimp, prime rib, blue cheese-topped filet mignon, shrimp and scallop parrilla, lobster tail, chicken del mar, and macadamia nut-crusted halibut. (For those seeking for a more casual affair, the expansive patio outside of the Scoop Deck and Coffee Importers at the nearby harbor could be a more affordable option.) The Chart House, 34443 Street of the Green Lantern (at Cove Road), Dana Point
Calaca Mamas Cantina, Anaheim: While Disneyland has recurring firework displays throughout the year, the happiest place on Earth goes all out for Independence Day with a patriotic-themed fireworks show. If you don’t want to shell out a small fortune to enter the park, Angela and Mariam El Haj’s Disneyland-adjacent Mexican-American restaurant comes with patio space ideal for seeing the show while enjoying quesabirria tacos, carne asada or specialty cocktails (like the Whip It Good, a mix of Don Julio blanco tequila, Rum Haven coconut liqueur, and melon and pineapple cordial). A mariachi band will also perform live. Calaca Mamas Cantina, 1550 S. Harbor Blvd., Anaheim
SEE ALSO: 16 places to see free fireworks for July 4th 2024 holiday
Fisherman’s Restaurant and Bar, San Clemente: This pier-side seafood spot will be open for the big day with reservations requiring a $100 deposit. Guests can look forward to a six-course feast featuring clams, mussels, a seafood chowder, seven-leaf salad, cheese ravioli, a main entree (selection of salmon, prawn, halibut, swordfish, filet mignon, scampi or lobster) and strawberry shortcake. Seating starts at 6 p.m. with the fireworks show expected to erupt at about 9 p.m. (Children’s menu is also available.) The oyster bar section will be open on a first-come-first-serve basis. Warning: Parking will be a mess; plan accordingly. Fisherman’s Restaurant and Bar, 611 Avenida Victoria, San Clemente
Hacienda On the Lake, Mission Viejo: This lakeside Mexican spot will welcome spectators on a first-come-first serve basis for the fireworks above Lake Mission Viejo. Menu highlights include enchiladas, tacos (beef, shrimp, chicken), calamari, cocktails, beer, wine and more. Hacienda On the Lake, 27792 Vista Del Lago, Mission Viejo
Las Brisas, Laguna Beach: For the first time in 30 years, Laguna Beach snuffed out fireworks in favor of an aerial drone show set to illuminate the sky come nightfall. The best place to dine while watching the synchronized display of patterns, shapes, and animations is at Las Brisas. The 45-year-old restaurant, which hugs the coast next to Heisler Park, has reservations available at either an oceanfront table in the dining room or on the rose garden for unobstructed views of the show starting at 9 p.m. Reservations require a $50 deposit per person, which includes a guaranteed seat and a glass of champagne. Food and drinks must be purchased separately. Las Brisas, 361 Cliff Drive, Laguna Beach
SEE ALSO: San Clemente replaces unpermitted office chair races with family friendly event
Orange Hill, Orange: This casual-elegant restaurant perched above Canyon View Avenue offers patio seating for $35. Guests can enjoy the a la carte menu (which includes such dishes as wagyu carpaccio with black truffle butter and smoked chimichurri, rack of lamb with triple bean ragout and lemon gremolata, a double patty smash burger, to name a few) or taste the barbecue special. Reservations strongly encouraged. Orange Hill, 6410 East Chapman Avenue, Orange
Offshore 9, Huntington Beach: Billed as Huntington Beach’s highest rooftop, oceanfront lounge, Offshore 9, located above Waterfront Beach Resort, will offer an adults-only dining experience for the big day. Tickets start at $44 per guest, which includes access to the rooftop lounge, a festive Country Stars and Stripes bourbon cocktail and cowboy-themed fare. For a full splurge, attendees can upgrade to a table, which includes a seafood platter or barbecue platter, along with a bottle of champagne or John Battle Regiment Rye Whiskey. Table pricing starts at $800 to $950 for a party of four (which comes with a fire tabletop and choice vantage point for fireworks) or $2,500 for a table for 10 (which comes with sofas, heat lamps and unobstructed views of the fireworks). Ages 21 and over only, please. Offshore 9 at the Waterfront Beach Resort, 21100 Pacific Coast Highway, Huntington Beach
Sunsets, Capistrano Beach: This Hawaii-inspired cocktail bar-slash-restaurant comes with a patio that offers a sweet spot for viewing both firework shows in San Clemente and Dana Point. Edible offerings include shrimp aguachiles, fried rice with Portuguese sausage topped with a sunnyside-up egg, bánh mì sliders, and pork taquitos. Sunsets, 34700 Pacific Coast Highway, Capistrano Beach
View and Edge Bar, Newport Beach: A tonier Fourth of July experience awaits at Vea Newport Beach’s View (an indoor/outdoor restaurant) and Edge Bar (outdoor only), which will open to the public on Independence Day. Both spots offer prime viewing of both the Newport Beach Country Club fireworks and the peninsula fireworks. Menu highlights at View include Dungeness crab salad, wagyu burger, lobster roll, sushi, yuzu panna cotta, fig and pear tart, wines, beers, cocktails and more. Edge Bar, which comes with a sleek patio for sipping cocktails, offers a pared down menu featuring a shrimp aguachile, a steak chopped salad, burger and fries, tacos and sushi. A kids menu is also available. View and Edge Bar, 900 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach
Fifth of July
The Blind Pig, Rancho Santa Margarita: Heads up: The Blind Pig will be doing a 5th of July event in lieu of the 4th since the fireworks over the lake will launch on the 5th of July. Patrons should reserve outdoor seating in advance: $75 per seat on the lakeside patio; $50 per seat in the courtyard, no minimum for indoor seating.) Food specials for 7/5 include the Street Dog (all-beef hot dog, bacon, caramelized onions, bell peppers, mayo, mustard and chives) and Baby Back Ribs (spiced peach barbecue sauce, chipotle aioli and a side of fried corn). The Blind Pig, 31431 Santa Margarita Parkway, Rancho Santa Margarita
