Wild Goose Tavern

This is a unique bar with an eclectic assortment of décor and good bar food!We parked in the parking lot in the back, which has free parking! Walked in and wandered around. After a wild goose chase, looking for someone to welcome us, someone finally told us we could sit anywhere we 'd like. We decided to sit in the game room where it wasn 't quite as drafty. The entire place was pretty much opened up to the outside elements. It was a cool day out. The Bay Arcade sign in that room came from the Balboa Fun Zone which closed in 2017 after 70 years!We checked out the bars. There are two. The Main Bar is near the entrance and The Saloon is the one nearest to the patio. They weren 't using the latter one while we were there around noon on Sunday.This tavern is designed to evoke a hunting lodge type of feeling. There are quite a few taxidermy animals on the walls. I saw 2 boar 's heads, a stag 's head, beaver, birds, and antlers. Also in the mix was a raccoon with an animal riding it! Lots of the antlers have bras hanging off of them.There 's a sign at the entrance that says 21 Over , so I don 't think this is a family restaurant. I didn 't see any minors in here when we came for lunch on a Sunday.We came for the Orange County Restaurant Week. They have a really great deal. During OC Restaurant Week, their offer is $25 for Starter, Entrée, and Dessert, It 's honored from Open to 10PM. Hubby got the Sweet Potato Goat Cheese Fritters Wild Westside Burger, The Westside Burger is a Bison Burger which was interesting. We 've never had Bison, so this was a good opportunity to try it. I got the Onion Rings Seared Ahi Tacos. I really enjoyed the Ahi Tacos! I appreciated the fresh sliced Jalapeños, they added that bit of heat was a nice addition! The onion rings were the star of all we ate here! If you eat just one thing here, get the onion rings! They 're Whiskey battered and they are perfect!The dessert is a Bourbon Chocolate Chip a warm Bourbon butter cookie with chocolate chips, vanilla ice cream, crushed candied pecans, and a Cognac Shot. If you are not a drinker, beware of the strong flavor of Cognac! It won 't get you tipsy, but you will taste it! I 'm glad we got to try this place! I had never heard of it before! It was great to have a delicious and complete meal for a decent price!

• Useful
• Not Useful
• Reply

What a fun little hole-in-the wall and kinda millennial bar. Went for brunch last Sunday because I was craving fried chicken and waffles. The chef did not disappoint. My waffles were fluffy and toasty. The chicken was fried and cut into bite-sized pieces. Now if you like chicken and waffles, you can appreciate that you don't have to carve out a bite of chicken off the bone to have with your waffle bite. The chicken was cooked just right and the batter flavor was good. My husband had the breakfast burrito. It was HUGE. He liked it but only got through half. Now, I have 3 small criticisms for this place. One, the service is not great. The servers were a little aloof. I should say, the servers WE had, were a little aloof. There were maybe 5 tables seated and 2 people at the bar. I saw 4 servers that day. Two, I personally think that to kick the chicken waffles to the next level of taste, having either Louisiana hot sauce, Tabasco, or even something like Franks to go with a side of maple syrup would be that much better. I asked for a side of both and got what tasted like Tapatio. Again, this is IMO. Three, I love that they offer bottomless mimosas BUT wow, it's hard to drink champs out of a plastic cup. Pretty sure I won't order bottomless mimosas there again so I'll try something different next time...yes, next time. I would go back. All in all, it is a fun bar with a good vibe and if you want champs out of a glass, Playa Mesa is right next door (LOL). Hope that helps.

• Useful
• Not Useful
• Reply

Wild wing Gans last night for a few drinks and food with some friends and had a great time. Not only the food good, but the service was spectacular. Chloe was great and could take care of us all without any problems. I can't recommend this place enough and hope you get a chance to be in Chloe's section. Cheers!

• Useful
• Not Useful
• Reply

Chris Madison took great care of us. Big, meaty chicken wings too bad there wasn't a Wednesday special per their slogan. Impressive collection of whiskey.Food: 5/5

• Useful
• Not Useful
• Reply

The Burger here is one of the best in Orange County. Great craft cocktails and friendly atmosphere.

• Useful
• Not Useful
• Reply