Sorry, No Baloney Tony fans. I tried to find an Irish pub to review for St. Patty’s Day but unfortunately the choices are spare in the Garden Grove, Westminster and Stanton areas. I called chambers, local friends, used Google and even cruised the downtowns of my cities, all in vain.
But as I searched for that perfect pub that would serve lamb stew and blood pudding the way I came to enjoy it in Shannon, the law of unintended consequences reared its head and I landed in 7 Seas Sports Bar on Historic Main Street in Garden Grove.
Sorry, No Baloney Tony fans. I tried to find an Irish pub to review for St. Patty’s Day but unfortunately the choices are spare in the Garden Grove, Westminster and Stanton areas. I called chambers, local friends, used Google and even cruised the downtowns of my cities, all in vain.
But as I searched for that perfect pub that would serve lamb stew and blood pudding the way I came to enjoy it in Shannon, the law of unintended consequences reared its head and I landed in 7 Seas Sports Bar on Historic Main Street in Garden Grove.
My first impression: I stepped in and was greeted with laughter and cheering, which could only mean something delightful was in store. At a long table were about 12 teenagers cackling, eating, drinking lemonade and pop and watching Kobe – sorry, Lebron fans – light up the Heat. At the bar sat die-hard Lakers fans who obviously patron 7 Seas whenever the boys in purple are in town.
Olivia Nguyen, who doubled as our hostess and waitress, explained that the owners (Billy, Steve and Bruce) are of Vietnamese descent and opened the restaurant about two years ago and they continue to grow their business by offering special events, daily happy hours and a variety of fun food. The cuisine choices are so vast that they have separate menus for lunch, dinner and sushi.
This 2-year-old eatery is decorated with insulated red booths, a wavy ceiling that adds an elongated illusion, a half-moon-shaped bar that could easily fit four bartenders on busy nights, plus countless flat screens so that you do not miss any action in a game or UFC match.
Since 7 Seas reminds me of the water and they were not serving sushi at the time I arrived, I thought I would give the entrees with fish a taste. We ordered fish and chips, a salmon teriyaki bowl and the fish tacos with a sweet, bottomless lemonade.
When the food arrived, I felt like a pig. Olivia warned me of the portions but I am generally suspect since I have a big appetite. Regardless, I was not disappointed with the sizable dishes nor the taste and all for the right price.
First, there were the two fish tacos stuffed with hot dog-length pieces of fish, garnished high with Asian slaw and smeared with just enough chipotle-lime sour cream and roasted tomato salsa.
Next, the jumbo-sized fish and chips plate, which featured two servings of beer battered fish on top of a bed of seasoned fries. These items complemented each other well and there was no need for the tarter sauce.
The salmon teriyaki bowl was my favorite. Not overly sauced and quite a hefty piece of salmon, served with a side of white rice and sautéed spinach and chopped peppers.
If you are looking for a sports bar that has more than the typical burgers and dogs, I would recommend that you check out 7 Seas Sports Bar. In the evening, the sushi chefs create specialty rolls and in addition to the typical American bar-like fare, the kitchen also serves Vietnamese dishes, such as tamarind quail and snails sautéed in coconut milk.
Historic Main Street, with such crowd-pleasers as Azteca, Doug’s, Kay’s Kitchen and Zlakets, makes for a charming outing, but let’s face it: traditionally, not the place to go for carpaccio, rainbow trout and baked lobster handroll. Well, that’s no longer the case.
7 Seas Sports Bar
12941 Main Street
Garden Grove, CA 92840
714-590-2222
