OC Local Taproom — Restaurant in Laguna Niguel

At this point I can only give this place a 3-star review, but I'm confident after they get the bugs corrected, I'll be able to post a 4 or 5-star review. I went to a "soft" opening on a Wednesday. The place was packed, so I'm not so sure about the "soft" aspect. This is the former Signature Sports Bar, an old school sports tavern with a full bar and a decent selection of taps. The new OC Local Tap Room is brighter, airier, with new furnishing, a refurbished bar, a front desk where you order food, which is now provided by food truck veterans Tres Compas Mexican Grill. The bar features 53, count e'm, 53 Orange County brews. They have paper beer lists, but they want you to download the app Untappd (yes, no e) to access it (not that I need yet another app, but that's another story). The odd thing is the beers (at least the paper version) is listed by brewery and not by beer type. So, if you want an IPA, you basically have to go through the whole list, first to see what they have, then to choose one. Maybe have a list grouped by types of beers to shorten the process? The food was very good (I had the taco flight with 4 small tacos, chicken, al pastor, carnitas and short ribs) if a bit pricey. The tacos were $16, which is $4 per. And these are not regular-sized tacos, more like smaller street tacos. My wife ordered the Grilled Romaine salad, which comes with either chicken or skirt steak, but she's vegetarian, so she ordered it without. She liked her salad, which had beans, corn, avocado, cotillja, salsa with Mexican Caesar dressing, but at $19 was way overpriced. They should have taken a few bucks off for going without meat. The place is lively, bustling, but very loud, probably due to all the open space and hard surfaces. When we got our bill it had someone else's card (AmEx, which I don't have), but the correct. amount. At first they insisted it was fine, it was just the register is connected to AmEx, which makes no sense because the last four digits of that person's card was on the bill. They sorted it out finally by taking my card again and rerunning it. So, they have a few things to work out, but it has a lot of promise and we will definitely return to see if any of the bugs have been corrected. There were a few nice touches, as well, such as games for kids (Uno, tic-tac-toe, etc.), some cool merch (hats, T-shirts), a dozen or so TVs and the wait staff was very attentive. A good addition to the neighborhood, but I'm sure some locals are lamenting the death of their old bar with the pool tables and regulars. This brighter, upscale and younger version probably not their cup of tea or, in this case,...

On August 1, 2025, we hosted a special gathering at OC Taproom in Laguna Niguel to welcome friends and family who had traveled to celebrate our son and daughter-in-law's wedding reception. From the very first meeting in April, Aiden, the OC Taproom manager, took our vision to heart and helped make it a reality. He graciously took multiple phone calls, patiently answering questions and assuring us everything would be ready for our guests. His calm demeanor and meticulous attention to detail - even labeling tables with our name and allowing us to coordinate with a local decorating company to add balloons and signage to the patio - created a warm, festive, and truly welcoming environment. Chef Carlos went above and beyond, preparing a delicious Mexican buffet dinner that exceeded all expectations. Not only did he create incredible dishes, he personally made sure every detail was perfect. Our guests raved about the homemade potato taquitos, flavorful wings, and the mouthwatering shot rib tacos. (truly fire!) The bartender and waitstaff were friendly, attentive, and made everyone feel right at home. From start to finish, the service, atmosphere, and food were flawless. If you are planning your next celebration-big or small-keep OC Taproom at the top of your list. They know how to make an event ...

Very excited to see this place is open. Signature was awful, we went once maybe a decade ago and never came back. In the week this has been open, we've already visited a few times. The staff is super attentive. Remodel looks awesome. Yes of course, as some mentioned, there's some kinks to work out, but they've literally been open only days so in my opinion they're doing great. If the worst thing that happened is I had to walk up to the bar to pick up my beers, no big... Seriously, not a big deal. My only complaint, which really has nothing to do with the Taproom, is the Tres Compas food is a bit pricey. It's delicious, don't get me wrong. But "mini nachos" for $22 or hot wings for $20 is a lot. I like that they are serving inside, but I wouldn't be mad at a rotating food truck. Nevertheless, beers are reasonably priced and again staff is super friendly, so still happy to stop by for drinks. Thanks for bringing something new to this...