Restaurant review: OC Tavern

At San Clemente Coastal Living, we specialize in real estate, but we also have a deep fondness for the community of San Clemente. We chose to work exclusively in San Clemente because it is such a unique coastal city, and we want our clients to understand everything San Clemente has to offer before deciding on a real estate purchase. With that in mind, we will periodically post reviews of San Clemente businesses, be it restaurants, coffee shops, beaches, etc. For the first in this series, I wanted to write about one of my favorite joints in San Clemente: OC Tavern. OC Tavern is a neighborhood restaurant and bar located off El Camino Real in Southeast San Clemente that boasts a large ocean view patio and a concert hall featuring live acts and excellent DJs. OC Tavern serves breakfast, lunch and dinner and is open daily until 2:00am. Being a big football fan, I frequent OC tavern on weekends during football season and can watch any game I want on the 22 plasma screen TVs surrounding the inside. There are also pool tables and video games along with a full bar and a smaller side patio with a firepit.

While OC Tavern is a great bar, they also serve excellent food.  They have a wide assortment of appetizers, including excellent chicken wings and surprisingly good seared Ahi Sashimi (I lived in Hawaii for a few years, so as an ahi connoisseur, I can tell you that OC Tavern's version does not disappoint). I like to try new things when I frequent dining establishments, but I always have a tough time passing on the Tavern Burger - trust me, the cooks here know how to make an excellent burger; it is always cooked the way you want it, and it doesn't fall apart in your hands. Make sure to try the Sweet Potato Fries on the side. Besides the typical bar fare, OC Tavern also features sandwiches, salads, pizzas and pastas (my wife loves the Ahi Tropical salad). Try to get seating on the front patio if possible (it is always packed around dinnertime); you get a very nice view of the San Clemente coastline from all of the tables.

For more information on OC Tavern, you may visit their website.