Being one of the oldest cities in Orange County, Fullerton has a rich and diverse downtown atmosphere – home to some great restaurants and bars. Here are the top three places to grab a drink.
Heroes Bar & Grill
Located in downtown Fullerton’s SOCO district, Heroes Bar & Grill serves generous portions of food and even more generous servings of beer. While it features a full bar, Heroes really caters to the beer drinker by having 119 beers on tap. Don’t plan on sampling all the beers at once though. Even the most stout beer drinkers (pun intended) would have difficulty handling more beers than is counted on one hand, as the beers served are enormous. You can get regular pints, schooners, or goliath sized mugs.
When you enter Heroes, you’ll notice the walls are oozing with flair. There are countless pictures, signs, lights, flags, and a moose and elk head hanging from the walls and ceiling. The front of the bar gets crowded but luckily the seating is plentiful so you don’t have to fight for a beer, you can have a server bring it to you. The best part about sitting at a table is the guilty pleasure of throwing peanut shells right on the floor. Mom would be so proud. And the peanuts are free.
For their large selection of beers and their large… well… beers, Heroes earns a spot in Fullerton’s top three bars.
Commonwealth Lounge and Grill
Immediately upon entering Commonwealth Lounge and Grill, your eyes are drawn to a bar with backlighting whose colors melt together, undulating from red to purple to blue to green and back again. Your eyes drop down, and then down further until they reach the bar. Although its not like any other bar, its recessed several feet into the floor. Your eyes travel further down still and you become aware why the bar is so low and the bartenders only come up to your waist – people aren’t standing at the bar, they are sitting in deep, leather lounge chairs.
The Lounge features a very well stocked bar and the most comfortable lounge chairs, leather sofas, and booths you’ve ever sat in at a bar or restaurant. The decor is elegant and sleek without being pompous.
Food while satisfying can be a bit pricey, but thanks to a great happy hour and numerous specials, eating and drinking at the lounge can be very affordable. My personal favorite special would be coin flip Mondays where the manager visits your table and flips a coin for each person seated. You call the flip correctly and your food is free. You can probably guess why this is my favorite. Tails.
After food service, the staff clears tables and chairs to make room for more people at the bar and to create a dance floor. The Lounge features mostly hip hop music with the occasional live act. The mixing can be a little shaky at times but the song selection makes up for it.
I had the pleasure of speaking to one of the owners, Dave, and it’s apparent he cares for his customers. He was eager to exchange jokes and take suggestions. His pride in his establishment makes Commonwealth Lounge a truly pleasurable bar experience.
Slidebar Rock-n-Roll Cafe
Plaster rock paraphernalia on the walls, stream rock videos picked by customers via a video jukebox, stage live shows several times a week, and you have a rock groupie’s dream. Add a dash of celebrity chef Walter Rowin’s menu, pepper in a Sunday mimosa brunch to die for, and you have a foodies dream. Combine the talents of Sean Francis, owner of the Continental Room, and Jeremy Popoff, lead guitarist of the rock group Lit, and you have one of the best bars in Fullerton.
Partygoers are in for a treat, as Slidebar offers free live music nightly. Plus, the bartenders have a pouring problem in that they don’t know when to stop pouring. I guess you could call it a quirk rather than a problem. The rocking atmosphere and the stiff drinks can lead to a wild night at Slidebar.
If you don’t like crowds, be sure to go in for happy hour between 3 and 6 pm, or grab dinner and drinks. Just don’t expect traditional bar food when you come to Slidebar. The mac and cheese is second to none, with savory and unique flavors not found in traditional mac and cheeses. My favorite meal to get is the pepperoni pizza panini – part pizza, part panini, all delicious.
Should you try the Sunday brunch and you should, be prepared that brunch can quickly (or slowly depending on your point of view) turn into an all day event, especially if sitting outdoors on the patio.
At all hours of the day or night, Slidebar is a great bar to catch a show, people watch, party, or just sit in the California sun and enjoy a drink.
Honorable Mention
It is tough to select only three bars in Fullerton. My idea of a night out in Fullerton consists of visiting at least three bars. There are so many great bars and restaurants and each lends its own distinct flavor and entertainment. It’s great to grab a drink or two at each establishment and soak in the diversity of Fullerton and its artistic and musical influences. Some other great places to visit – Tuscany Club for its live music and dancing – Back Alley Bar and Front Street Grill for its live music, pool tables, and my personal favorite bar game, Photo Hunt – Roscoe’s Famous Deli for having a great outdoor stage and laid back atmosphere – Steamer’s Jazz Club and Cafe, which features live jazz – Continental Room for its intimate venue and Swinger’s attitude.
