Sandbar Cocina y Tequila, Huntington Beach’s highly anticipated elevated Mexican concept, opens June 9 on bustling Main Street. Developed by Southern California’s notable hospitality group, Baja Sharkeez Restaurant Group (BSRG), Sandbar joins the group’s hotspots and bars, such as Baja Sharkeez, Esperanza Cocina de la Playa, Tower 12, Palmilla, and many more. With its first location on Santa Barbara’s iconic State Street, the second location of Sandbar in Huntington Beach will offer a variety of revamped Mexican food classics, vibrant handcrafted cocktails, and an extensive range of international tequilas and mezcals amid Baja California’s burgeoning culinary scene.
Designed by VANROOY Design, the open-air restaurant is wrapped in vintage Huntington Beach prints and artwork, supplied by Huntington Beach International Surfing Museum, paying homage to the area’s iconic retro beach culture.
Sandbar’s menu celebrates Mexico’s diverse ingredients through contemporary interpretations of classic dishes, as well as some nostalgic Sharkeez family recipes. Paying homage to Ron Newman, co-founder of Sharkeez Restaurant Group and the original Red Onion Mexican restaurant, Sandbar is bringing back The Red Onion’s Queso Bean Dip and serving it complimentary for all guests, alongside chips and salsa, at the start of each meal. Additional crowd-pleasing appetizers include Sonora Style Taquitos, Queso Fundito, and Ceviche Mango Camarones. Elevated tacos, such as Tacos de Rib Eye Steak and Isla Cortez Shrimp Tacos, are available alongside Ranchero bowls and salads, such as the Grilled Asada Bowl, Scrambled Breakfast Bowl and Rio Grande Fajitas Salad. Entrees such as the Cheesy Birria Beef Burrito, Cabo Surf & Turf Enchiladas, Anchiote Beso Salmon and Blazin’ Fajitas al Carbon round out the menu.
Sandbar offers one of the most extensive imported tequila and mezcal lists in Huntington Beach, including a selection of rare and classic international tequilas such as Clase Azul Gold, La Luna Tequilana, Casamigos Blanco and Siete Leguas Reposado. The handcrafted cocktail menu, created by the BSRG bar program director John Fox, features various versions of margaritas, including a Spicy Pomegranate Margarita, Pineapple Serrano Cilantro Margarita and Smoky Pasilla Margarita. Sandbar’s bar program also offers creative cocktails like the Tropical Daiquiri, Spicy Jolly Rancher and Guava Mint Refresher. The list of 30 beers on tap includes a thoughtful selection of SoCal favorites, such as Four Sons The Great One and Mother Earth Cali Creamin Ale, plus imported Mexican beers.
Designed with local hospitality design firm Vanrooy Design and BSRG co-founder Greg Newman, Sandbar’s interior is inspired by both the tropical coastline of Baja and retro Huntington Beach surf, skate and music culture, creating a layered aesthetic. Earthy textures, terracotta-colored details and ornate Spanish patterns on upholstery are featured throughout the new-fashioned, coastal hacienda inspired restaurant. Sourced from Southern California’s International Surf Museum, the curated collection of vintage surf and strand photos, surfboards, and other art transports guests to the glory days of 1970’s Huntington Beach laid back lifestyle. A subterranean tequila cave, lined with tropical foliage and glowing decanters, provides an intimate lounge setting reminiscent of the jungle adjacent beaches of Tulum for sipping Sandbar’s fine international tequilas.
