Helmsman Ale House

Excellent wings. Nice selection of quality in-house craft beer. Katie is a great bartender. She really took care of me. I'll be back.

Super quiet Saturday morning. Food was so good and drinks were delicious. Bottomless Mimosas for $16 dollars is a steal!

This Christmas-themed bar is a holiday dream come true, extravagantly decorated with lights, garlands, and festive touches that make it feel like stepping into a winter wonderland. I’m so glad I arrived early to snag a table for my group since parking was limited and the place filled up quickly. Although I hadn’t planned on getting food, we ended up ordering, and it turned out to be an amazing surprise—everything we tried was absolutely delicious! The holiday-themed drinks were just as fantastic, perfectly festive and flavorful. This was the only Christmas bar I managed to visit this season, and I’m thrilled I chose it. It’s the perfect spot to gather with friends and soak in the holiday spirit, and I’d highly recommend it to anyone looking for a fun, festive night out!

Casual, beach sports bar that caters to the mid 20’s crowd. Serves your typical bar food that is just ok. Has a full bar and a number of house made beers that are surprisingly good, try the hazy. After 8PM it turns into a college bar. Plenty of TVs for games and UFC Fights.

Sooooo so impressed on the vibe, staff friendliness and the food was all on point. Just can’t say enough about this place - met up with friends here and a mixture of food to share. To start off the new england and west coast IPA were tasty; Wings were cooked so well and sauce was perfect; shared the nachos and the charcuterie tray with pretzel which was stellar. Great experience all around 👊🏼

We stopped here after a long walk and the beers, the atmosphere, the service and the food all hit the mark. They have a great selection of beers and we were able to get two flights to try 8 of them. Great vegetarian and pescatarian options. The nachos were yum, the coconut shrimp were crunchy and hot and the vegan poke was a creative dish. Nice open spaces inside and out. Definitely recommended for a good meal in a chill place.

Best bar on the peninsula! Helmsman is the go to spot, amazing food (NACHOS), and beer of course! I try and go during the specials like Wednesday or trivia night.

Super fun 🤩 lots of bike parking and outdoor seating. The food was good, service was fast and environment was nice! Try the pretzel appetizer- it was amazing!

Great food and great service. And I love the real dartboards. And pretty decent bar darts as well. The hazy IPA that they brew is really good.

For being a brewery/bar this place has solid food. The quality is fine with decent flavor. The quantity and pricing matches up. You can pretty much get any drink you want which is good for all walks of life. Decent seating inside and outside. Parking is also good in the lot of street parking. There are also several places nearby to go to as well. Service is pretty respectful.

Surprisingly so good for American bar food! I came here for Sunday football. They have a lot of great deals throughout the entire week. (For example, $.99 wing Wednesday) My favorite Sunday deal was the Jameson boiler. $13 for a shot of Jameson and choice of their house beer all day long. Such a steal! I'm used to paying $13 for a shot of Jameson alone at most bars in Newport. The bar wasn't too packed on a Sunday. We walked in and grabbed our own table. Service was pretty quick. Not sure if this bar is considered a Niners bar because that was the only game the sound was on for. FOOD *Everything was made so fresh to order! - Wings 5/5: So crispy and steaming hot. Ordered the lemon pepper with a side of buffalo. Wing sizes were large and juicy. They also had a promo or $25 for 25 wings. - Onion Rings 4/5: Battered perfectly. Served hot and crispy. - Tenders 3/5: The tenders were ok. Too battered for my liking. - Chicken & Avocado Wrap 4/5: Decently sized and all the ingredients tasted fresh. We paid extra for the garlic fries and so worth. Only complaint I have here is the pricing was a bit steep. $18 before the garlic fries surcharge. - Smash Burger 3/5: A little dry & tasteless. Definitely missing a good sauce. I would definitely come back throughout the week to try out their daily specials.

The watermelon mule here might be one of my favorite cocktails ever! If you like mules and sweet drinks I would HIGHLY recommend!!

This Christmas-themed bar is a holiday dream come true, extravagantly decorated with lights, garlands, and festive touches that make it feel like stepping into a winter wonderland. I'm so glad I arrived early to snag a table for my group since parking was limited and the place filled up quickly. Although I hadn't planned on getting food, we ended up ordering, and it turned out to be an amazing surprise--everything we tried was absolutely delicious! The holiday-themed drinks were just as fantastic, perfectly festive and flavorful. This was the only Christmas bar I managed to visit this season, and I'm thrilled I chose it. It's the perfect spot to gather with friends and soak in the holiday spirit, and I'd highly recommend it to anyone looking for a fun, festive night out!

I'm not a nightlife fan, lbut coming here for dinner before its standing room only inside was fun! They have great burgers and sides, just order at the bar and snag a table on the patio. Strong drinks and a variety of options, too. Those behind the bar are working hard, but are still friendly and polite! Would definitely come back for another meal.

We loved this place! My family & I came on a Monday (in July) around 3:45. We found parking very easily and got sat right away. The servers were super nice and checked on us multiple times throughout our time there. My family got a few drinks and we all got some food. I got the spicy chicken sandwich (5/5 stars) with sweet potato fries (4/5 stars) and my boyfriend got the wings (5/5 stars) with garlic fries (5/5 stars). We also got fried pickles (4/5 stars). The place itself is very relaxing during the day; it's a perfect spot to go after a beach day. They also have outdoor seating which I want to try next time. Thankfully the outdoor seating is shaded which makes for a perfect lunch. They also have darts to play which hopefully I can learn how to play!

Friends and I came here for a drink. I ended up getting a pretzel too cause it looked so good. I enjoyed my beer and pretzel. The bartender was attentive and friendly. I loved the nautical decor!

One of my favorite spots. Some of my favorites are the fried pickles, wings, Balboa salad, tri tip tacos, and burrito bowl. I also love the seasonal drink selection, especially the seasonal espresso martinis. Friendly and attentive staff and good vibes. Always a good experience!

DO NOT ORDER THE FISH AND CHIPS. So I don't want you to misinterpret this two star review.... This place has an excellent beer selection, and I'm sure it's a blast to party here... This review is primarily for the fish and chips that I had for lunch yesterday, to be honest they're probably the worst fish and chips I've ever ever had in my life. They were worse than the fish and chips at Hogwarts at universal city where they didn't even have malted vinegar! But I digress... Good service. Lovely atmosphere. Very bad fish and chips. Thanks!!!

We flew in from out of state and were starving! Wanted to find a brew pub with good food so we researched and the Helmsman popped up. This place met the needs of both the beer lover and the non beer drinker among us with their bottomless mimosa deal on Saturday and a good variety of beers on tap. The FOOD was also amazing. The beer battered fish and chips were seasoned and nothing like I'd had before and were so tasty, flaky and light not greasy at all! The crispy chicken sandwich was also spot on tender and crunchy not overcooked. The FRIES...so good too! We don't eat pub fare that much so the fact that this food was some of the most delicious we've had speaks volumes. We sat out back , outside in the sunshine and our server was super attentive and my mimosa glass was never empty for long! It was a great spot. So glad we found it!

I came here for the Christmas themed pop up. The place was cutely decorated but the drinks were not as advertised. I was expecting the drinks to come in cute Christmas themed mugs or at least a real glass but they gave us our drinks in a plastic cup. The peppermint espresso martini was a bit too minty, no espresso taste at all. The eggnog shot was okay. The coconut drink was probably the best one from the seasonal menu. Overall, I would not come back here. Drinks were pricey and wasn't what I was expecting.

Been to Helsman for many nights out with friends and have mixed feelings. While the vibes are great the drinks are insanely overpriced and the wait on busy nights is crazy. Many times we've waited an hour just to get inside. It's definitely a younger bar as well, mainly college students and reminds me of a college bar. It's cute! But def too expensive for the type of bar it is.

This place had cute Christmas decorations but unfortunately this place was insanely crowded and the drinks were good. We were getting kicked out of the patio for some private holiday party. The bartenders were rude there as soon as we ordered our drinks. The parking lot is constantly filled. I tried to pet someone's dog but the owner was rude. Never again

We decided to pop by on a lazy Sunday afternoon and the place was basically deserted. Indoor was clean and the decor was cute. There was lots of free parking dedicated to the establishment, which, if you know Newport, is a MAJOR plus. The servers were relatively attentive and quick to answer questions. I love that the beer is brewed in house but it did lack a little bit of unique flavor. Overall, not a brewery vibe if that's what you're looking for but great for a chill afternoon drink with your loved ones.

Love coming for their trivia night. They have a great selection of food and drinks! Their Buffalo cauliflower is our favorite. Didn't really like their Bavarian pretzel, I would skip this one. Burgers and tacos are also delicious and their fries. Highly recommend as they have a lot of seating and it's in a good location

Nice place to eat and drink or . They have a private parking lot. The ale house decor is very nautical. We were late lunch so service was pretty good for a slow time of day. Drinks came fast and really liked the beer selection!

By far the worst place ever lol. Went on a girls night out and we totally understand its busy but gosh we've been to busier places with BETTER service. It seemed like they were bothered we were there, not a smile in sight and the server could not care less for us, but super friendly with others. Maybe we weren't enough, or maybe she just didn't like doing her job in general. Then we finally just paid and we were gonna tip cash and asked for a receipt she took about 40 minutes to print it out i guess because we had to go to someone else and he had to go find her just to get a receipt. Honestly i wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt but she passed by us so many times while dropping off receipts for the other table and not us. She never came back with our to go boxes and left us hanging lol. If you're white this is the perfect place but if not dont bother:) at least to dine in

A great place to grab drinks and hang out. I came with a friend on a Friday afternoon and was surprised at how empty the restaurant was. I was under the impression I was going to have to look around for street parking but was pleasantly surprised to find there's a decent sized parking lot in the back for Helmsman patrons only. I decided to grab a flight of four beers along with a pint of Japanese lager and a Turkey sandwich ($15). The beers were really refreshing and definitely hit the spot. The sandwich was decent, but nothing to rave about. The sandwich did come with a side of sweet potato fries which I thoroughly enjoyed. The fries were tossed in brown sugar and had the perfect bite of sweetness. What I enjoyed most at Helmsman however was the service. Our waitress was really attentive and kind and definitely provided a comfortable and enjoyable atmosphere. Both indoor and outdoor seating is available.

Cool brewery bar in Newport Beach. The ambiance was super. Mostly young people came were super loud, but you can see they're enjoying after work or bday or. Place us huge. Luckily we sat at the booth! With two kids we ordered 5 dishes and two biers. Friendly service for sure.

My bf has a crazy obsession with wings. Because of that, we're always on the lookout for places with great wings. Helmsman Ale House is our go-to place for wings on Wednesday. They have a crazy 89 cent per wing deal on Wednesdays. I feel like they're always adding new flavors but recently we got lemon pepper, spicy buffalo, and Szechuan honey garlic. They also have a mild buffalo, sweet chili, and bbq flavor. You need to order in increments of 5 so we opted for 10 lemon pepper, 5 spicy buffalo, and 5 Szechuan honey garlic. Their wings are large, crispy on the outside, and juicy on the inside. They never disappoint! They also have a great happy hour deal from 3-6pm I believe with $5 all Helmsman draft beers which is a pretty great deal. Along with the wings and beer, we also got a Helmsmac which was so delicious and loaded. Needless to say, we had tons of leftovers. Service is always great here. We like to sit outside with our dog but they always come out to check on us if we need anything. If you want great wings, beer, and service, go to Helmsman Ale House!

Good happy hour specials. Tvs aren't too big but there are a lot of them so you can definitely come watch a game here. Lots of ample parking and great beer selection.

If you have pets and want to eat outside and watch sports this is the spot. Taking away a star because the chicken sandwich I ordered doesn't look like the pictures and it was dry. The recipe changed? Inquire before you order. Service was great! My friend got creative with it and added an egg. Check out the attached pic.

Attentive service, plenty of seating outside on a cool weeknight with heaters to keep us warm; good happy hour deals- especially enjoyed their onion rings and hazy ipa!

Helmsman is amazing every time we go! Their food is amazing and they have great selections of beer. The staff is always super friendly and the location is huge so there's always room for a bigger group or just going out with one or two friends.

Poor service, wouldn't recommend. Much better places nearby like Ho Sum Bistro or Arc. Food was bland

Wow great atmosphere, food and beers! It looks like they craft their own and the bartenders were nice and had good suggestions! Garlic fries and wings were Excited to go back and try other parts of the menu!

The Helmsman is one of our favorite places to go. They have a good deal for happy hour and the food is terrific. They are pet friendly and have a great staff. I know have a new favorite waitress Olivia who has recently started. She was supper attentive and nice. Highly recommend!

This restaurant/bar is super nice! I love the fact they have their own parking lot. For this area, it's hard to find parking sometimes. This place is spacious inside as well has couple patio area. I never knew a bar could have so much going on. The have trivia nights, football specials, run club get togethers, and even painting classes. I came here mainly for the food. The menu is actually quite impressive for food. It's not your regular bar food. They're food above the bar. You can tell they actually care about their food by their food presentation. Just look at the HelmsMac. I think the Brewcuterie is a great option for a group of friends. Their short rib sandwhich was my favorite. The ribs was juicy and savory even after taking it home. Their s'mores brownie is also bomb. I appreciate a bar who also focus on the quality of their food. Service was good. They check on our table quite often. This definitely is a fun find.

Loved the food, the beer flight, atmosphere (especially the back patio) and fabulous service. No wonder my my family who lives here loves this place!

Well we went back for seconds and it was even better the second go round. Had the fish and chips again and it was consistent and as amazing the second time around. Cocktails and service were equally good. Thanks for making our trip a success!,

Apparently ar 8pm this turns onto a hookup bar. For some that's good news.but if you don't fit their age profile your kicked out. So much for watching the NFL fame if you're too old. Beware!

(Drank/Dined 10/06/22 TH @ 2:00pm): I positioned myself to be at the helms of multiple ales at this house! I was working in the area when I "found" Helmsman Ale House. I wasn't familiar with any breweries around Newport Beach and was excited to see what they had to offer. Would they be a nice introduction to the area's brews!? PURCHASE Conveniently, tasters were 4floz and priced the same ($3.00 x9): ~Helmsman Grapefruit IPA 6.8% ABV... Light grapefruit, hoppy, and crisp. ~Helmsman Sweet Stout! 6.4% ABV... Slight burnt coffee, sweet, and mouthfeel https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=Ph1qV5vI4NI07C9w_Qw4sA&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw. ~Helmsman Amber Mexican Lager 5.0% ABV... Light, lime, and clean https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=RObpcv_6_-0n22ZXMqwkoA&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw. ~Helmsman Dopplebock Bock 7.0% ABV... Sweet, barley, and smooth https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=AKLAAd3PNUiCxMLfDUdY4A&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw. ~Babe's Bar-B-Que & Brewhouse HJ Summer Weissbier Wheat Beer 4.5% ABV... Sweet, floral, honey, and smooth https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=5j0N0J8gM2sGiArUCo98hw&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw! ~Helmsman Blackfin Lager Schwarzbier 4.8% ABV... Caramel, coffee, and slightly bitter https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=NpXGGtb7Q7V9mscTyYnmxw&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw. ~Helmsman Pirate's Parrot Sour Fruited Berliner Weisse 5.0% ABV... Sour tropical, light, and clean https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=OfHk0lV5oWUxe36BfIPdUQ&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw! ~Helmsman Lite Lager 4.8% ABV... Light, malty, and clean https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=jOyG-R-GuKnHsg8vi13fNw&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw. ~Helmsman Rough Seas & Broken Sails 5.6% ABV... Light, citrus hoppy, and crisp https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=San7cJqNutdgOTm1N221TA&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw. Short Rib Sandwich ($18.00): Tender short rib meat with fried onion rings, mozzarella cheese, and spicy BBQ sauce on a brioche bun, this messy two-hander was stacked with tender meat that melted in your mouth and left you lovingly stuffed https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=WUFtwx97NrvmMrFa7vlPnw&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw! [ONION RINGS/STRAWS/STRINGS ALERT - 3.0 of 5.0 STARS] Substituted Side Craft Beer-Battered Onion Rings ($2.00): Medium and large thin rings served hot, lightly browned, crunchy, and somewhat crumbled when bitten into while the onion ring (not sweet Maui) stayed intact. Decent flavor while the BBQ dipping sauce helped https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=9neWSYiqODZpvIKWKYWGRw&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw. HelmsMac ($15.00): Three cheeses, spicy BBQ sauce, fried chicken, bacon, and jalapeños, this item nearly maxed-out its potential! The cheeses were gooey, the elbow pasta perfectly cooked, the jalapeños plentiful and spicy, the chicken was crispy crunchy moist, and there was bacon for days - outstanding https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=yXeC2OACLjNkmdU8AnpJ0A&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw! Logo Stickers & Koozy (COMP): I loved stickers and enjoyed placing them at other breweries to spread the love while the koozy always got usage https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=rCfZ_QECInWO7wre9rp_sg&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw! SERVICE Greeted by a young man, I parked my arse on a barstool. He immediately provided a glass of water and menus. I quickly ordered, my first taster flight immediately arrived while the food was a little more than ten minutes later. He occasionally checked on me and cleared away empty items. When it was time to get back to work, he provided a takeaway box, the check, and off I went. It was a hassle-free time! PARKING (FREE) I parked in their medium-sized back private lot. Otherwise, there appeared to be plenty of spots along the main drag of Newport Blvd. and other surrounding streets - 'nuff said. ATMOSPHERE, DÉCOR, AMBIENCE Located inside a large building with onsite brewing, plenty of inside seating that utilized a mix of booths, chairs, tables, and barstools, in addition to two bars! The wood and nautical motif felt like a boat. Plenty of natural lighting came in through the glass windows while ample electric ceiling lights filled in the rest. Plenty of TVs throughout while classic rock music played in the background. ATTIRE Totally casual, so I would normally be in a t-shirt, boardshorts, and flip-flops. OVERALL Helmsman Ale House was a nice primer into the beers of the area which deserved more exploration. The varied beers were good, the prices were comparable, the food was better than expected, and service was more than sufficient. I found complete value based on the prices, service, and experience noted above (TOTAL paid experience was around $64.00 BEFORE any discounts and/or tip). And, they accepted my credit card of choice... AMEX! 5.0 STARS

Their security guard man handled me after I went outside to try to say bye to my friend and grab my sister from the bar. He dropped my phone and some guy grabbed my phone from of the ground, and I just said I want to grab my sister. Wow some place you are running I'm coming with my attorney! You better fucking apologize! Or else I'm fucking suing your ass!

I had a fantastic Wednesday evening dinner at Helmsman Ale House! The 89 cent wings were a steal, and the honey blonde ale was absolutely delicious. While the service was a tad slow due to the bustling crowd, the mouthwatering Asian garlic wings and the beer made it all worth it. My friend got the burger and a patron margarita and she said it was also good! Can't wait to come back for more!

Sat outside during happy hour ($2 off appetizers). Food was good and came out fast. Our server was super nice as well!

A bar with good food. Surprise! Good selection of their own beers Spicy link sausage with Brisket sandwich was good. Brussels sprouts were delicious ask for the sauce that comes with Avocado, Zucchini fries, a dippers delight. Spicy chicken sandwich. Plenty of Gluten Free options and veg. Close to the beach and a quick walk over.

Might look very nice as a bar to come. Wide selection of drinks but poor experience. Slow service to serve on brunch and lack spacing. Dirty bathrooms all around and not maintained properly. Wouldn't come even when couple male employees didn't care to watch out. Saw that happen to some white guy who worked here and just pushed from behind getting through. Pretty intent but wish to speak up from the bar with my buddy.

The food and beer is top notch. The reason I took one star away was because of the service. We came on Black Friday afternoon. It wasn't busy by any means. We sat on the patio at an unclean table. It took 10 minutes for them to clear off the table, not even wipe it down. We had to get the waiters attention to order. We got 4 beers and two appetizers to share. I can honestly say it was one of the best bar pretzels I've ever had. I LOVED the beer cheese so unique but good! The cheese curds were also very good. Very nice ranch! The menu looks very good and I'd love to be back and try some more.

I always have a great time here! Food is good and beer selection is great. I really enjoy the atmosphere as well. Service is exceptional and everyone is so nice. Highly recommend!

What the heck???!!! We go to a brewery expecting only decent beers and instead get great beer and even better food! Whenever we are in the area we make it a point to come here. Helmsman is off Newport and tucked behind other businesses and residents. There is a parking lot, but it can get full. There is a casual rustic nautical theme here with plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. Their beer and beverage selection seems to change often which is a plus and hubby never has trouble finding something he loves. We typically will order their brussel sprouts appetizer - whose serving is perfect for sharing. Its prepared with balsalmic vinegar I believe and topped with paremesan cheese. I love the charred pieces the most and even hubby enjoys this dish. I have only ordered their Beef and Brisket Burger because it is just so satisfying I don't want to try anything else. The hamburger patty is thick, juicy and prepared medium to medium rare and then you get a few slices of Brisket which takes it to the next level. This is definitely one of my favorite burgers out there and worth a try. Service is always friendly, attentive and courteous the times we have dropped by- which is surprising because they can get pretty busy. Helmsman's definitely earns my 5 stars and I can't wait to return!

My boyfriend and I were in Newport for one night and went here for dinner around 6pm. We have never been here before so I walked up to one of the waitresses and asked "hi, is it seat yourself?". The waitress didn't even look me in the eye, rolled her eyes, said "yep", and immediately walked away from me. She was probably mid 20s, blonde hair. Her response was beyond rude - I've never experienced customer service like this. Even my boyfriend immediately said "that girl was extremely rude to you". We ended up leaving and didn't even eat here because we were so shocked. Don't work in customer service if you can't treat people with basic respect.

Great food and drinks with a strong commitment to customer service. Tuesday trivia night is a blast!

Overall it was good. Everything was very good except for the bbq rib sandwich. It was way too salty for my liking. Like way too salty. One other note was that it was father day so dad got endless beers for $16. The waiter was a bit slow so the requests of beer took a bit too long to order and then receive. But overall the place was good. I would go back.

We went for the Christmas decorations and we left with nothing positivity! Bianca was really helpful and caring to us. It is still a bar so all you tik tok influencers get there early so you can get your drinks in a glass! It will get crowded so they are going to have to switch to plastic! It's a bar remember! Get the smash burger what really makes it is the toasted bottom bun on the outside! Support local business not the chain bar across the street

I just have to say our server Annie was amazing! I went in there not long ago with a friend and she was very attentive and friendly. Food was decent! Love that the bar is a few minutes away from the beach.

I went with a friend after a day at the beach (I love me some beach and beer). I had Helmsman lager, so refreshing I had three more!! Tuesday they have trivia night. Lots of mustaches at this place :)

Great place for delicious food, friendly service, and an inviting atmosphere. Great for kids too!!

Olivia is the sweetest and kindest server here! Highly recommend this place, favorite spot in town for a sunny day. Bring your friends and your dog, chill on the patio, and enjoy beer brewed here and some yummy bites!