Goat Hill Tavern

This bar is super fun and has a nice casual vibe, but I also think it has a lot of hype? This place kind of replaced the Costa Mesa go-​to dive for my friends and I that Detroit Bar (RIP) once held title of… no live music though (that I know of) and the crowd is a little more bro and less hipster. Plenty of space to find seating and dance, you won’t have a bad time here.

This has to be my new favorite dive bar. My friend and I had so much fun here. The vibe was ridiculously friendly! We had so much fun we went home to change and come back out to the boulevard, which I I also recommend. I can’t wait to come back here !

This place stinks. Literally it stinks. But the bar tenders are nice and the beer is cheap. Dive bar. Go during founders hour to get wasted for cheap with your friends (or alone) in a public place.

Lots and lots of beers on tap and good fun. Great ceiling. Always end up talking to cool people. The filet mignon of dive bars.

I come to The Goat often with my sisters, because they have such good deals, and even when there are no deals the prices are so insanely reasonable. We all like different styles of beer so we have always end up getting our own and having a «pitcher challenge» just about every time we are go (3 time winner, several time loser here). To me its one of my favorites because its the perfect spot for when you want to go out, but still have a relaxing easy night out. It can get pretty packed, very quickly so if you want prime seating get there before 10:30!
In the smoking side there’s tons of games to play & also a doorway into there sister bar, The Boulevard which is a bit darker (the goats fully lit) and more upscale seeming. So its really nice to have the two options when you’re here.
Also, there are about 3 bars (shout out to the shamrock and muldoons) we frequent with my parents and this is one of them! Its such a good mixture of young and old that no one feels out of place or awkward.

Good pool tables. Good beer selection. Founders hour is the way to go. A chill place to watch some football. The free peanuts are a nice touch. The place is a lil dirty but that’s the appeal of it I guess. Just don’t where your best clothes. But I’ll def come back.

The Goat Hill Tavern is what I consider the upper-​end of the dive bar scene. It’s rustic setting means that the crowd can and will get loud and out of control from time to time, but that just adds to the appeal, don’t you think?
The location is smack dab in the upper Newport Beach club scene and a short distance from Triangle Square, a hub of food and clubs.
You will find the patrons at the Goat Hill Tavern to be some of Newport/​Costa Mesa’s best. They are great fun, lively and always ready to have a good time. The cocktails are stiff and the beer is not over priced. They have over 100 different brews all on tap so obviously beer is a big deal here.

Great dive bar scene. Diverse crowd ranging from typical OC hipsters, bikers, pretty women with a mix of older crowd. With over 30 beers on tap and an opportunity to try them before purchase, this is a great hang out spot to sit back and have s conversation. Pool tables and smoking is outside.
Peanuts are for sale and as always end up on the floor. Bartenders are quick.
Make sure you get there early for a table as it does get crowded after 10

This place is… Interesting. Things are typically dirty. Tables are sticky etc. But drinks are cheap– and even without servers the bar staff is quick.
I don’t mind divey places like this — but I would for sure bump this place up a star due to how strong the drinks are and how inexpensive if they could just take a wet towel and wipe everything down

My fave dive bar, hands down in the OC. Maybe it’s nostalgic, maybe it’s the amount of guys to girls ratio? I dunno… all I know is, that I always have fun here… there’s a HUGE selection (141 beers on tap) and I love how they separate the bar and the «outside patio» (even though its enclosed). I used to come here all the time when I was in my 20s, multiple times a week… and it never failed! Fuse ball tables, TVs, shuffle board, and pool tables; plenty of activities while drinking an ice cold brewski!

The Goat is the place you end up in Newport when you have more guys than girls in your party or WANT more guys than girls in your party… hey girl heyyy! ;)
Last time I checked they don’t take AMEX but they’re super busy anyway so don’t bother them with the whole credit card thing — just bring cash and they will just bring you drinks. Simples!
That is literally all they do here… mostly beer with a sprinkle of cider and SOME hard alcohol. but don’t get your hopes up for top shelf. Their ceiling is Patron silver and no one seems to mind.
There is no food… but honestly you wouldn’t want it if they offered since it smells primarily of wood shavings and a bleach-​beer mixture from mopping up the night before. There is music but never live or karaōke and there is shuffle board and a super fun fruit machine and they’ll give you cups for pong if you ask. BYOB (bring your own ball).
The biggest shiniest feather in their cap, is that they are located ON NEWPORT BLVD across from Triangle Square and their drinks are less than $ 10each! Oh and they have a fairly big FREE parking lot out back so they are much livelier and easier to get to than the other dives.
All in all, lots of interesting beers to try and lots of seating to perch in view of the lots of strange décor to look at. The I-​spy drinking games I’ve played here average at least 6 minutes — and that is A LOT when you have to take a drink after every wrong guess!
Pictures don’t do this place justice… its way more hilarious and awesome in real life.
While not on the ocean or even the peninsula Goat will remain my favorite Newport dive bar just because I went to college down the street and I basically grew up there.
Go to have some of those nights you’ll never remember with people you’ll never forget… Just remember to have a dezi or über cuz the coppers lurk in the neighborhoods waiting to get ya and its 2015 — there’s literally no excuse for drunk driving!

While the on-​tap beer selection is great, that’s about all that is great about this place, and the ONLY reason I’m giving it 2 stars instead of 1. Cocktails are overpriced; it’s the diviest of dive bars, but they way overcharge. The music is schizophrenic, often changing mid-​song at the bartenders’ whim. It’s very overcrowded, and incredibly filthy.
The bartenders are rude and inattentive, unless you come in before the rush, in which case they’re just rude. They think it’s cute to mock people for their drink orders. And even though their main clientele seems to consist of bros trying to drink until they black out, they once told me I had to leave through the back door after someone complained I took too long in the restroom, when I was actually trying to decide if the bad cocktail they made me was gonna make me puke or not. I hadn’t made a scene or even made a mess, but they cut my friends’ and my night short for no good reason. Only bar I’ve ever been asked to leave, and there were plenty of others acting far more drunken and foolish.
Their security sleezily hits on the girls that come in and don’t actually seem to «secure» the place much. The place is filthy, and I’m not just talking about the peanut shells all over the floor.
Don’t worry, GH. You’ll never have to ask me to leave again.

If you like beer you’ll love this place. Over 140 beers on tap and staff know every one of them. There’s no food service so eat before you go OR bring in a pizza as they don’t care.
This is a must see place.

I’ve been here a few times over the past few weeks and I really like GHT. They play great music, they have beer at reasonable prices, and it has all the normal smells that a great dive should have.
The outside area has couches by the back gate. There’s 2 pool tables and a foosball table that everyone wants to play with. The bathrooms are kinda gross and the whole place doesn’t have a nice smell to it, but it’s really cool and we closed out the place. They started last call early around 1:30 am. No more alcohol around 1:45 am and they REALLY wanted you out the door around 2 am. Good times!

Its Mediocre Monday again!!!
I have been here a few times, but I was prolly so faded I forgot to take pics, and I forgot to write a review. For those of you who read my reviews, you know that I know where all the best bars are in town. Unfortunately, Goat Hill is not one of them. Nonetheless, it is conveniently located across from Triangle Square in Costa Mesa. Goat Hill opened in 1968, and some of the people look like they are still from the 60’s — LOL.
On my most recent visit, my friend and I dropped by here to watch Thu Night Football. He had to stand because he had a sciatica issue. However, the DB behind us asked him to move over so he could see the one small TV at the bar. The same DB leaves in the 4^th quarter with the score tied, and misses the fumble by KC, which Denver returns for a touchdown and wins the game. Serves him right!
My major gripe with GH is this is a dive bar, but they don’t charge dive bar prices. Our top shelf tequila and vodka were $ 12 each. I am used to paying in the neighborhood of $ 9 at a dive bar for the same stuff. On the other hand, the bartender was hawt and friendly. In addition, most of the staff was friendly also.
As far as entertainment, it seems like there were three rooms in this place. I believe one had a pool table, but other than the bar, I didn’t see much allure. I’d come back here if someone wanted to, but this is not one of my go to places. I prefer The Huddle in Costa Mesa, or Johnny’s Saloon in Huntington Beach if I want to drink at a dive bar. You still have pool tables, darts and other entertainment. However, the drinks are much cheaper, and IMHO, there are less DBs.

Smelly sticky stinky.
Oh, Goat… Old faithful. Whenever I was looking for a fun night out in college, I’d come to you.
Cheap beer and stiff drinks, you never let me down.
But I just can’t get past how the bar area smells like old spilt beer or pee. The surfaces are all sticky. The lack of air circulation makes me feel icky.
The second room with the pool tables and booths is fun, but after a short while, my lungs can’t take it and I have to exit the smoky premises.
There’s a door that connects to the Boulevard, in case Goat gets too crowded. And lucky enough, there’s an outdoor area connected to the second room. I prefer hanging out here since you can still hear the music, but you get plenty of fresh air. There’s plenty of booths to sit outside and you get to hang out with the mascot!
Till then.

Not the cleanest bar but it’s actually pretty big, complete with pool tables and foosball. An angels corner, tons of beers on tap.
Music was great here, lots of rock, alternative — good mix.
They also have some special hours with discounted drinks, listen for the PA system!

This is definitely a dive beer bar. Don’t come here looking for fancy food or well dressed wait staff. Apparently, Goat Hill Tavern is somewhat of a local fixture. Four of us gentlemen wandered in on this Saturday afternoon after unsuccessfully finding a lunch spot on July 4^th. We didn’t really wander in, this was our destination as the «uncle» of the group knows the Goat Tavern as his old hangout.
Realizing that our lunch efforts were doomed, today’s lunch will be a pitcher of stout and a big bowl of unshelled peanuts. «Go ahead, throw the shells on the ground,» says Uncle. Looking at the floor, I see no remnants of others peanut shell remains. I choose to create a pile of shells on the table.
Four cold glasses and a large pitcher of stout — I wish I remember which of the 141 beers on tap we drank. Did you catch the «141 beers on tap.»? The place appears to be in general disarray, odd pieces of «art» and knacks around, slightly used furnishings. But it doesn’t matter … we came here to drink beer and eat peanuts.

The dirtiest place on earth. Peanut shells all over the floor. I’m pretty sure they sweep every night but never actually clean the place. All the things hanging from the ceiling are covered in dust. It’s an allergic nightmare.
Beer variety is great. It seems like your choices are fake pint, real pint and pitcher.
The crowd is a bunch of bros and bimbos but welcome to Orange County. It’s a sight to see, girls ankles deep in peanut shells while wearing 4-​inch heels.

Why go to Goat Hill let me count the way. 1, 2, 3
139, 140, 141+
«The Goat» was originally known as Zeb’s World Famous Boathouse then later named Henry & Harry’s Goat Hill Tavern — now days its an Orange County dive beer drinkin’ staple.
Goat Hill Tavern is «World Famous» for its more than 141 beers on tap
(used to be in the Guinness Book of World Records!) and has been voted Best Dive Bar in O.C. Register’s «Best of O.C.» every year since 2010. Beer lovers migrate to the «Hill» to get their fix with about any beer you could imagine Round up your friends and out of town brew pals because The Goat Hill Tavern is one Orange County destination a beer lover can’t afford to miss out on!
Get used to the peanut shells on the floor because that’s all they have for food, although they sometimes have a gourmet roach coach out back.
Time to play some wino games like billiards, shuffleboard, or foosball for some fun with friends.
Plenty of big screens line the patio and bar so you can watch the game while having a couple brewski’s. Smokers can puff a smoke in the caged in patio out back for that nice JAIL feel.
The clientele is pretty much 20−30ish gringos often cooling off after a day at the beach or trading tattoo stories after an ink session. Drunk bimbos are often found here bribing beers form stupid college kids. A pretty cool spot to kick it and have a beer, do some people watchin’ and blow off some steam after a hard days work. Hang with some homies and knock back a couple/​three/​four of cold ones.
A Dive Bar must have good drink specials, right? What the fuck save a buck!
Everyday! $ 7 Rolling Rock Pitchers, $ 2.75 Mug & $ 10 Pitchers of Domestics.
Founder’s Hour = ½ Off EVERYTHING In The Bar
Sunday-​Wednesday 8−9PM, Thursday & Saturday 7−8PM, Friday 5−6PM
Import Hour = ½ Off All Import Beers
Sunday-​Wednesday 9−10PM, Thursday & Saturday 8−9PM, Friday 6−7PM
Disclaimer; The bathrooms are pretty nasty and stink but after a few brews you wont notice.
I still dig the hill after all these years.
I’ll be back!