The Hangout Restaurant & Beach Bar

Great food and great location. The Mac and cheese grilled cheese sandwich has to be eaten with a fork!

Super busy, good atmosphere. Failed on the service and food. Came for brunch, the cocktails were good. Waited 45mins to an hour for my breakfast. I received the lunch version, not the breakfast. Everything was under cooked, nobody ever checked to make sure everything was what I needed. Pretty dissapointed. Would not come would not recommend, unless your just doing cocktails.

TERRIBLE! I really cannot believe there are so many positive reviews… The coffee was undrinkable, bacon was cold and you could tell it had been sat out, my breakfast burrito (I know, the one safe thing you would think to order) was TASTELESS. How is that even possible? I had to douse it in hot sauce just to add some flavor. My husbands was just as bad and he got the basic potatoes, eggs and bacon. Very, very disappointed. Maybe it was the breakfast service, as I’m blown away that so many people could like this place based on our experience. I love food and would very, very rarely think to give a 1 star to a place…

Great Place, Great Location and Great Food. What caught my eye was the Bacon Bloody Mary. I do not drink Bloody Mary’s. Once we were inside I was greeted by the bar. They was ready to put my back in Double Hangover mode. The food was good, service was good. Location is superb right across the street from the beach. Street parking is hit or miss. But there are parking lots, also.

I like this place overall. They are almost worthy of a 5 star but… yes I think they earned it.
The staff is friendly and cute, the food is good, the drinks are priced decently during happy hour and the brunch specials are priced appropriately as well.
The biscuits and gravy along with the Bloody Mary… mmm.
Did this turn into a personals ad?

I have come here a couple times. This was the first time for dinner service. Service is great. One thing about the appetizers… GET RID OF THAT GUINNESS CHEESE SAUCE… the nachos were quite a killjoy. It’s that cheese sauce. Plus, the «beans» also looked as if they were also like a sauce. Just retire the sauce and replace it with normal cheese. The taste was quite unappealing.
Other than that, my 10oz steak was tasty with the steamed veggies! Potatoes didn’t need to be covered in salt though.
It won’t be my last time here but for the love of profit please get rid of that cheese sauce and use real CHEESE.

So, this was my first time visiting the Hangout, since it was Kinda Lahina. Sure, that was a LONG time ago, but I was a very big fan of the previous restaurant and for some reason, held it against this new restaurant for YEARS. I recently moved back into Seal and had already exhausted all of the local spots. It was a Friday evening, and I was hungry and thirsty. I finally made my walk down main street and figured, it was either The Hangout, or ordering delivery. I made my way into the Hangout and it still has a lot of the ol’ Lahina charm. Nice part about it though, is there is ALOT more light that comes into the bar and restaurant area. You don’t feel like you’re locked in somewhere, and don’t feel as ashamed while day drinking. Was sat down immediately and our server showed up promptly. It should also be noted, that this was the first hostess I have encountered in the last four months that wasn’t a terror to deal with. Ordered a bottle of wine and some apps and a pair of salads. The deviled eggs were very tasty (I recommend either adding jalapenos or bacon, or both!) and the salads were good as well. My pear salad really stole the show, as the fried green tomato salad tasted like the tomatoes were frozen, and never fresh. We were hurried out once the bottle of wine was finished, which was a little disappointing, but I understand that during peak hours, you want to turn tables. All and all, I will be back, but not a 5-​star experience for sure. Good food, cheap drinks (for the area) and friendly staff.

I spent the day playing at Seal beach and worked up an appetite. Luckily the hangout is right by the beach and it looked good. My husband and I ordered the fish and chips and fish tacos. Both were delicious! The fish in the fish and chips was really fresh and not too heavily battered. They served it with some sort of spicy tartar/​aioli that was really good. The fries were crispy and good, and the coleslaw was light and fresh. I would definitely recommend this dish.
We also tried their fish tacos, they come two to an order, and come with chips and salsa. We got one fried fish and one grilled fish taco. I liked the grilled fish the most, but both were good. They were super juicy, so make sure you have a napkin handy. The chips and salsa that came with it were really good as well. I will be sure to come back here next time I’m visiting Seal Beach.

Two stars because of the service. The food is FANTASTIC.
We are currently sitting in the dining room and dealing with some cold fries. Our server took our order, and our a patient arrived after our entrees. We asked for a side of ranch, and 14 mins later we still don’t have it. Haven’t had water since our order was taken.
The food is seriously awesome, but to save your aggravation (especially if you are vacationing like we are), maybe do a take out or to go option or something.
Update 1: had to go find the hostess to have her find our waitress
Okay update the server redeemed herself with free drinks. And ranch. Lots of ranch.

The food here is great. Would definitely recommend the Double Bypass burger. It’s a double bacon cheeseburger with eggs and chili served between 2 grilled cheese sandwiches. The burger is huge and greasy and tastes amazing. I would also recommend the garlic Parmesan fries. This place is right next to the beach also so it’s perfect before heading there or after a long day at the beach.

Had the steak tacos and classic Mac and cheese and was really impressed. Great staff and views.
I will be back

Had the unfortunate experience of trying this place again and we waited at least 45 minutes to get our food. Let me also say they had empty tables. The food is definitely mediocre, the garlic fries were decent but the sliders were overcooked. People give this place a lot of stars and I’m not sure why, it’s bar food at best and there are so many better places to eat.,

We had a large group of 20 people and this was everyone’s first time at The Hangout. The restaurant doesn’t take reservations but, since we had a large group going on a Saturday night, I called ahead and Raymond the Manager was very accommodating.
It’s not a huge place, but it’s got a great location right across the street from the beach and pier on the corner of Main Street and Ocean Avenue. Parking can be a bit of a challenge, so take a stab at street parking then head to the open lots by the pier if your can’t find anything. It’s not free, but not that expensive either. The inner décor is very ‘beachy’ with surfboards, signage and pictures reminiscent of the ‘60s beach scene. The music playing is also very upbeat ‘60s fare that gives you a nice sense of nostalgia… assuming you can hear it because this place can be quite noisy. It truly is a hangout and a great place to grab some drinks and grub, and have a great time with friends.
Our group was seated on 2 tables of 10 right next to the window for a great view of the sunset. Part of the reason we chose this place was because of the variety in the menu for our varied discerning palettes, and everyone walked away quite pleased with their meals. People had a hard time ordering because «…everything on the menu looked so good…» Even something like the Lobster Bisque — a dish you would expect to find at a fancy high-​end restaurant — was actually quite tasty. Pricing is pretty much mid-​range, but can go up quickly if you add a bunch of appetizers. The staff was friendly and worked hard to manage our large party and even got everyone’s order right.
After dinner it’s great to take a nice stroll out on the pier or around this surprisingly active section of Seal Beach. Definitely a place we’ll be going back to again!

The Hangout sits on the corner of Main Street and Ocean Avenue in Seal Beach.
I ordered the hangout classic cheeseburger. This bad boy is made with ½ pound of ground sirloin beef patty on a Brioche Bun w/​Hangout fries and a pickle on the side.. This classic burger comes served on a plate speared by a steak knife instead of one of those cute little toothpicks with the curly cellophane in the end. That’s how obscenely large this burgers is… Daaaaaang it was tasty. The service here is very fast and friendly. And the name of the restaurant speaks for itself as by the looks of things this place seems to be a local «hang out».
The other burger:
There’s a hamburger on the menu called a double bypass, which has pretty much double everything. This burger has a double patty, double cheese, double bacon, fried egg, chili, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, and its slapped between two grilled cheese sandwiches instead of a hamburger bun. Sounds obscene but It’s supposed to be phenomenal.
By the way be sure to ask for a table along the perimeter of this little restaurant so you get a view of the pier.

I really enjoy coming here as frequent as I can. The atmosphere is fun, friendly and never disappoints.
They have the best Bloody Mary’s hands down. My favorite is the Spicy Blood Mary which is made with a jalapeño infused Tito’s vodka. Mind blown? Yep.
The service is prompt and super friendly. The patrons here are always friendly and you never feel like your being jerks around at the bar trying to squeeze your way in for that open bar stool.
You can count me in as a regular!

The 2016 Unilocal 500, Review #010:
I ordered the Cheesy Caprese… yeah yeah I know what you are thinking… Grilled cheese for dinner? Check this out… First off, it comes on Texas toast and then you will find it is loaded with a healthy slice of green (pan) fried tomato, fresh basil and both cheddar and mozzarella cheeses. It comes with perfect fries and I ordered the tasty coleslaw (and I don’t like coleslaw).
As a hockey fan, I like they had TVs set to the Anaheim — L.A. game.
Note: You want a view? The beach is across the street… as is the Seal Beach pier. I could only imagine how packed this place must get when it is warm out (Feb. 28 @ 7:45 pm = 59°F)
Next time: I would return here to try the turkey burger.

Strolling down Main St. in Seal Beach on a baking February day (80 degrees in Feb — that’s what SoCal is good for!), we happened upon The Hangout. It was Sunday, brunch/​lunch time and the place was hopping. I soon figured out why: they have great specials on Bloody Mary’s on Sundays. Well, I am not a day drinker so I skipped the Bloody Mary but I did order their bean burger w/​fries. This was straight-​up unhealthy and oh so delicious food. They do have quite an extensive menu with some interesting selections.
The Hangout is basically a good old American Coffee Shop with an awesome location. It’s right across the street from the Pacific Ocean and the Seal Beach pier, at the beginning of Seal Beach’s cute Main Street. If it wasn’t in the location it is in, this place would not be special in any way. That being said, the food was solid and the prices were reasonable considering the location. Service was fine. No complaints.

I was hankering for some fish tacos and when I searched Unilocal for fish tacos the Hangout came up. This place was hopping even though it was a weeknight, but my server was still friendly and attentive. I was kind of sitting in a corner out of sight so I thought she would forget about me but I never needed to flag her town, she checked in on me regularly. I got one fish taco and one shrimp taco, which were good but not great. I thought they were a little on the bland side. The location however is awesome as it’s right across the street from the beach. You’d have a great view at sunset!

Cute restaurant with a great location-​the beach and pier is just across the street, although I was bummed that there is not outdoor seating. They also had shades covering the beach view because it was a sunny day, but they lifted them up halfway for me so I could partially see the beach.
I’ve only been here for brunch, and they had a nice selection for both breakfast and lunch items that I had a hard time deciding. I went with the heuvos ranchero, which was delicious, and a generous portion for less than $ 10. My BF got the reuben with parmesan fries, and liked it as well. I thought the food was good, but not necessarily anything special and that’s why I’m giving this place 3-​stars. I think what amazed us most about this place was its reasonable prices for its awesome location-​I guess I’m used to paying much more in the South Bay and DTLA for brunch. I also like that it has a very local feel. I will definitely come back here once in awhile when I’m in the area.

The Hangout is a great spot on Main Street in Seal Beach. It’s right across the street from the beach.
I came here for breakfast once and I wasn’t too impressed with the food. But then a friend of mine wanted to come for lunch and I was much happier with the food served for lunch. We ordered the blue cheese fries which were AMAZING and the tacos which were fantastic!
They also have a good selection of beers on tap and in the bottle. And they also offer Martini Mondays, which is a good deal. Too bad the martinis we ordered one time were terrible. We ordered raspberry lemon drops (see picture) and they looked like manhattans and tasted like cough syrup. I know they are $ 5, but at least make sure they taste semi-​decent.