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Categories: American (New), Cajun/Creole, Music Venues, Lounges, Karaoke [Edit]
1530 S Disneyland Dr"This place is AMAZING! Delicious wine....we had the Melbec at a good price. The owners were the friendliest people I've ever met and did…" read more »
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I went to this awesome spot for my boyfriend's birthday dinner back in Augut. First of all I was already in a good mood cuz I'd been at Disneyland all day. But that didnt even matter. This place had a great vibe. Yes, the menu is a little over-priced. But I mean come on, you're at Disneyland! Everything is over-priced!
My boyfriend and I both got the blackened chicken sandwich. It was a taste explosion in my mouth. Spicy in all the right places and dressed with this delicious sweet mayo. OMG, SOO SOO GOOD. My room mate got the meat loaf and it must have been good, cuz he didnt share it at all! We also shared the catfish bites to start. I'm not a big fish person but these just melted in your mouth, and were served with a remoulade sauce.
And for dessert wefor this melty cookie ice cream thing. So So Divine. You must go there and eat. Like right now! Go!
Once again this review is not for the food, just venue and bar. This time I give this place 5 stars!! It was a great concert going experience, Better Then Ezra was the reason I came here. They of course was fantastic. Last time I saw BTE was in 1999 and I had no idea who they were. But they left a lasting impression and I've been a fan of BTE ever since.
Why this time made for a 5 star experience:
- I did not go on time, about an hour or so late = you'll miss some of the opening acts which is okay in my book.
- the venue was not so jammed pack and crowded so there was plenty of room and breathing air.
- getting beers at the bar was easy with no line and super friendly bartenders.
- of course the live music was fantastic! Not only did BTE kick ass but one opening band was called Sherwood and they were really good. I'm definitely a fan. They will be playing again here on November 11 with Hanson (apparently the trio bros are still making music).
All in all I had a great time here at the HOB of Anaheim. Oh and there were some specials:
- buy 4 tickets for the price of 3
- after 10pm drink specials: beer is $3 and cocktails are $5
- certain shows only cost $10 such as BTE I only bought for $10!!
- gospel brunch Sundays sound really good, I'll have to try it one day!
And that's all I can remember. I will definitely be back for the bravery and badfish ( a tribute band to my favorite band of all time)
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I'll start off by saying ... I did not eat here and never have. So this review is just based on the… Read more »
Man Disneyland was an adventure. We came on Friday (which was a mistake b/c of their trick or treat special) and decided to eat at DT Disney b/c California closed at 6. The thing that bothered me the most of our dinner was the wait. We waited about 15-20 minutes at a restaurant that was half full. She said they had a lot of reservations but the table we ended up sitting at was empty for a good 10 min. Yeah, that doesn't make sense to me.
The food was alright. This is what we got:
Grilled Shrimp Voodoo app: This was the best part of our meal by far. The sauce on the shrimp was very tasty and SOOO delicious w/ the corn bread. The shrimp was also very good and tender.
Greens salad: Nothing exciting here it was a salad but was nice w/ the shrimp.
Pizza w/ mushrooms and jalapenos: If you like eating sauce and cheese on a cracker then you'll like their pizza. I like thin crust but i also like crust.. meaning a crust is a lot nicer then a cracker. Blah.. Not a fan.
Its Disneyland I know so I shouldn't expect much but next time I'm definitely trying a different restaurant.
This is the second I went there. The service is excellent as always. This time I sat outside at the corner, and even then the server made sure we were happy with what we had in the most reasonable time manner.
I got the ribeye this time asking for medium rare. The steak was definitely medium well. That literally ruins the whole piece of meat honestly, though the mood and everything else justified this whole review's rating.
There wasn't a band or group performing the night I went but there were side shows outside the restaurant in front of the island store.
I would definitely come back again on a performing night and probably choose something else.
HOB is a great venue to see LIVE MUSIC. First, although I had to walk a bit, parking was free (or if you get there earlier, you get 3 free hours and HOB will validate for additional hours). Although our concert was sold out (The Bravery) the line moved very quickly and we were inside in no time. Another sweet deal is the buy 3 tickets get 1 free which makes going to gigs affordable and fun. Also, the general admission tickets allow you to get as close or as comfortably away as you'd like. The happy hour that starts after 9-10PM is great! ($5 beer). The food isn't amazing (hence the 4 stars) but if you are starving, it will do. The servers and staff were friendly and lively; both bartenders were dancing and one even got on top of the bar and did a little dance, awesome! Overall, I had a great time and would definitely go check out other live acts again :D
I took my family to Disneyland for my daughter's birthday and had an awesome time in the park. She wanted HOB for her birthday dinner so we waited 30 minutes for an outside table in anticipation of a great meal like I had at the HOB in Las Vegas. We were all disappointed...
Three of us had the rib-eye that was way over-cooked (medium-well done as opposed to the requested rare) and we were told that the onion strings were made that morning. The waiter replaced the steaks after letting us know that he was not responsible for the cooking. My burger and fries were cold by the time it arrived but I was told that the club sandwich was decent. My recommendation is to grab a drink at the bar, a tee-shirt in the gift shop, and go eat somewhere else.
I've visited the Las Vegas HOB many times while at conventions at the Mandalay Bay hotel. I love their ribs and the service is second to none.
After an afternoon at Disneyland on my birthday I knew what I wanted to eat and had a choice of Tony Roma's across the street, or HOB in Downtown Disney. It should have been no contest, but boy did I make the wrong choice!
The 'falling off the bone' ribs were covered with Cajun 'blackend' spices, charred, and tough. When the waiter finally came back around to check on us, I told him that these were nothing like the wonderful ribs I had in Vegas and wondered what went wrong. He told me that, "We make whatever corporate tells us to make" and walked away.
While I should have asked for the manager then and there, my table mate just wanted to get the heck out because he was so pissed that I recommended that we eat there and his food sucked too.
I called HOB's main office the next morning and they told me that I needed to talk to the restaurant's GM first. I left a VM for Jamie Fisher the same day and just got a call back from him. He seems truly concerned and promised to check on what happened and will get back to me in the next couple of days after he determines what the facts are. Stay tuned as I will update this review when I have more info.
20091010 Jamie Fischer sent me coupons good for Las Vegas or Anaheim. I called and left a message to see what he found out but I never received a call back from him. So I know that I should stay away from Anaheim and use the coupons in Vegas.
People thought this was:
We came here last Saturday for a friend's birthday. For the most part this was a 4 star experience. The food was good, service was fairly good for the amount of people and the ambiance was cool since we were outside. The spinach dip and the fried chicken I had was good, and everyone else enjoyed their food. The minus 1 star to 3 stars was because of the late night happy hour. The beers were priced great, but there was an instance when we tried to order potato skins off the late night menu they put on the table and the bartender send sorry you can't order those. We were like well the menu says you have them, which she said sorry and that was that. Seeing that the kitchen was still open that was odd, so we finished our drinks and left. Overall it was a fun experience, and a cool place in downtown Disney.
I went here to watch a concert. The seating was good, the lower level floor was good as well. I wasn't really impressed with anything though. There is some snazzy art on the walls, alot of interesting things....Big enough for the crazy Anaheim crowds. =]
Good for teenagers who are going to watch a concert, or good for a group of friends wanting to go out!
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Started off at the bar. The well drinks are garbage and cost 10 bucks until we realized that the specialty drink's with top shelf stuff are the same price. Try the bloody mary, it was spicy and had some serious kick !
The food was mediocre, but the wait staff was excellent, had an amazing waitress and staff. Food a lot like the rainforest cafe. I would definitely come back to see a concert upstairs - looked like a blast.
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Sadness... I am taking away a star because when we recently went there the Sweet Potato Fries have been removed from the menu...
Hoping they bring them back soon.
This is my favourite restaurant in Downtown Disney now. I was surprised with the food, much better… Read more »
The worst thing about this venue is that it is located in Downtown Disney. Its a mile from where you park--which you have to take into account because you may discover after being patted down that you can't take your camera inside--choices are to pay $3 to check your precious camera or hike it all the way back to your vehicle to stash it away.
And can you say tourist trap?? Every restaurant (including house of blues) was overpriced--because its...........Downtown Disney. The tourists don't bother me as much as the strip itself. But there were throngs of people that may trample if not observed.
The place itself was okay. Too many stairs. No seating at all downstairs, only stage and standing. Upstairs seating to watch over the edge of the balconies but VIP seating reserved until they don't show up. Then they allow the general public in to sit in the special section.
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For my birthday, we went to the House of Blues in Downtown Disney. Actually I've never been inside the House of Blues. I always imagined it as a big music bar..Food was good, real good, especially fried chicken and jambalaya. Chicken was well marinated and fried with light coating not kfc style! Definitely recommendable. Service was good.
Gospel show was very entertaining. I didn't go up to the stage as birthday person, though many went up and danced. It was fun.
This is a review as a concert venue. I saw Andrew McMahon there. The tickets were General Admission, standing only, which is standard for a House of Blues. What was different, and what wasn't disclosed at any time before the show, was that the entire floor was reserved seating, and only the balcony was available for standing. This meant people were crowded 4-5 deep, and only the first two levels had any chance of seeing the show. Many people gave up and left, or sat on the wall and watched on the monitors. If they had only said, "general admission, balcony only," (and not oversold tickets for it), they could have made it work. So, if you buy general admission tickets for an Anaheim HOB show, you MAY get to see the show IF you get there 1-2 hours early to grab a rail.
Positives: the parking was easy, secure and free, and security was good. The place is clean and safe, with a Disney artificial feel.
Other negatives: The balcony is loud, with people talking at the bar throughout the show, and bottles and glasses clanking constantly.
I like house of blues, but this one is located in Downtown Disney, one of the worst places you could possibly ever go for any reason (especially as a local). The crowds are insane!
I came here for karaoke night (wednesdays) and even though I got there right when they started and put my name in (and it was my birthday!), I didn't get to karaoke the entire evening. So sad. The drinks are pricey, but the vibes are pretty cool, this place usually attracts a decent crowd.
Boo on the enormous amount of people and for being so slow at setting up the karaoke songs that nobody gets to sing. :-(
You'd expect that since its located in Downtown Disney, it'd be just as amazing as all of Disneyland. WRONG!
Seriously overrated. Yeah its in a good location, yeah parties/concerts are hosted here, and yeah it's "House of Blues" with its trendy, old loungey type of decor but yeaaaah it also pretty much sucks too.
Their food is honestly nothing special. Tasted really bland and dry. Even their fries didn't make the cut. How could one get fries wrong? How? They're just fries.Service truly was lame. It was a Friday night around 10pm where the restaurant wasn't even half full yet the service was slow. Our waitress made no effort to talk to us, ask if we needed anything, and was extremely slow even picking up our bill.
However, a good thing is that if you're a Premium Annual Pass Holder for Disneyland (like me!) this is one of the many restaurants where you can present your annual pass and receive a discount on your food items only. This discount unfortunately do not cover your alcoholic beverages. You think you save a lot, but really it's nothing!
Don't even bother coming here for dinner! Might as well save your money for Disneyland tickets which are as expensive as $88 nowadays! Sheehs!
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This review is for the venue only NO FOOD.
I have only been to HOB once before and that time I had the VIP treatment (dating guys in bands has it's perks) so I'll just stick to this last visit.
My hot friend (from my Hollywood Park review) got us some tickets to see her male hot friends do a show (you may have heard of them, Strung Out).
The venue is one of my faves and here's why:
-There is an outside bar as soon as you walk in, with plenty of room and an area for merch. I really appreciate that especially for cooling off purposes.
-The "first floor" available is the balcony area. Now this balcony area has another bar, an upper level and a VIP balcony (which I promised not to talk about) so if you want to say out of the way of the moshing hordes, you are in the clear.
-The "ground floor," which one must go downstairs to get to, is divided into a standing area and a pit area. Which is extremely convenient as I am no longer that young punk rock girl who enjoys having sweaty boys running into me during a violent pit beat down.
Overall, I like this place with one small exception. Now call me a judgemental prude, but I am not impressed nor am I contented with being surrounded by the orange county "bro" punk (or his sidekick the "bro ho") You know what I'm talking about. Steroids, bandanna, trucker hat, jewelry and my fave the bleach blond top layer of hair with a glamours under layer of black. Just, ick. If it weren't for these parading peacocks of repressed homoerotic fantasy, I'd be in heaven.
But no place is ever perfect, right? *sigh*
Either way, I'm there for the band and the sound is good, the place has lots of viewing options and some available seating, so I can't complain...much. Definitely worth checking out next time your favorite band is in the area.
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I've never eaten here, so I'm not sure what their food is like, but I must say ... this is a pretty decent venue to hear your favorite band play.
They have a huge bar upstairs that, when the opening band starts playing, it empties out, so you can sit and drink all you want without fear that the bartender won't refill your drink quickly. Sigh * Sadly, the drink prices are pretty high and they weren't very strong.
I know there's a bar in the main room ... I swear I've seen it! I was standing pretty far away, but I know I saw it!!
Sometimes this place get so packed that it's hard to snake your way to the other side for a drink. For example, I went to see Common perform and they majorly over sold tickets for the show. It was so crowded, I didn't even want to attempt to make my way through the crowd to get a long island. I was also sweating so much from the heat, I was worried it would get worse if I went deeper into the room. So I went upstairs to the empty bar to grab myself a drink and cool off.
I like watching a show from the upstairs as well, especially if I'm able to snag a seat near the rail, just above the VIPS. It's close to the bar I like and you get a pretty decent view of the show.
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So, I've been to this venue many, many times these last three years. I hate the fact that you can't bring cameras in. I heard it's because they're afraid you'll take pictures of their "beautiful" art work and someone will steal them. Yeah, their art is not beautiful. The venue is a pretty decent size, which is my favorite thing about it. The people who work here aren't bad, either. One time I was feeling extremely sick, and the guy working there let me out to get some Tylenol and then come back in a few minutes later. And the person who had let me in was a different guy. That made me like the venue a bit more.
I love the fact that you can jump the line when you buy an entree or just something from the HOB store. It's cool, but everyone knows about it so it's about the same anyway. I know that some other HOB venues (Las Vegas, Myrtle Beach) have a feature where you can eat a hamburger and fries and drink soda for an extra $10 to get in 5 minutes earlier than the people who buy entrees. It is a shame that HOB Anaheim doesn't feature this, because I'd like to experience it.
The food, though, is fantastic. I only ate here once. It was a little pricey but it was very scrumdiddlyumptious. And I couldn't finish it so I guess it was worth it. :)
Oh, another plus is that the bartenders will give you free water during/after the show if you ask them for it. It's tap water, but hey, it's free!
I've been here both for the food and to see a concert.
First the food is just okay here. I've eaten here twice and both time I felt I paid too much for average food.
For a concert, this place can be good as it is small. Upstairs is a good place to see the concert if you are up on the rails. Downstairs, it can be difficult to see the stage unless you are very tall.
So I would come back to see another concert but not to eat.
Also look elsewhere to drink as they are kind of pricey and weak.
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2nd time I've come here for dining.
...meh. Food's pretty typical.
We had a set menu for our rather large party. Lots of variety there. You had a choice of:
1st course: Goat-cheese salad with red wine vinaigrette and candied pecan salad. (oh wait. That's the only option).
2nd course: Chicken with garlic mashed potatoes and veggies, filet mignon with garlic mashed potatoes and veggies (medium only), or fish of the day with garlic mashed potatoes and veggies (see the pattern here?)
3rd course: Swamp cookie with scoop of vanilla ice cream or brownie with scoop of vanilla ice cream.
=P Simplicity, yeah?
The vinaigrette on the salad was overpowering, but the goat cheese melted in your mouth, and I'm a sucker for candied pecans. The entree itself was pretty good. Nothing exceptional, but it's one of the better salmon dishes I've had (not overcooked and dry!) and my friend her filet mignon. The swamp cookie came in a cute, rather large cast-iron skillet. Fresh out of the oven taste. I so wished I could've finished it, but it is a GIANT COOKIE.
We sat outside on the patio, and on certain days, if the venue's not too full inside, they let you go in free of charge. :)
Nice, friendly service, of course.
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*disclaimer, didn't go to the music venue*
Famous. Expensive. Gourmet. Just OK food.
After a long day of disneylanding, (is that a verb?) we decided to hit up the house of blues.
The wait time to be seated was a little longer than I'd have liked, but what can you do. Just be ready for it. They give you a pager at the cost of your driver's license, passport, military ID, credit card, first born, blood sample, or NRA card as collateral. Just fork something over and they'll give you the pager.
Their food is good. I ordered the meatloaf with veggies and mashed potatoes.
While I wasn't impressed with the potatoes, the meatloaf was well prepared and good. It had a slow-cooked beef taste with a good grinding after it'd been cooked or something, it wasn't your typical ground beef meatloaf
The service was friendly and attentive, but the food took a long time to get to us. Probably not a good idea If you're trying to get to your show next door in a hurry, IMHO.
The busker across the way gets a little annoying with the phantom of the opera on repeat. Wow, do you know any other songs? You'd think that he'd get tired of it - it must be his big seller tho.
Parking is apparently validated if you don't come in Disney way. Take Magic way and park in their structure.
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The size of this place is pretty chill. Unfortunately I had all of Sasquatch-ville in front of my so I couldn't see the band anyway.
The time curfew is pretty early....we were out of the venue by 10:30...grandma times.
After the show we checked out the bar area downstairs.
Bad news.
Bad top 40 music with drunk touristy types trying to cut loose in the middle of the path by the bar...not even the dance floor mind you.
Poor tourists there is no other place in these parts to get a stiff drink and a chance to rub upon each other.
People thought this was:
Dinner went well. Food was delivered quick and the right temperature, even with large Disneyland crowds. Food was nothing to wow about, but still consistent and what was expected.
Ok, so I saw Doves here on Friday.
They sounded great. They gave the opening bands pretty bad mixes though.
I like that this place is smaller, but the layout inside it horrible. You have to be 7 ft tall in order to see the stage clearly.
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Last night was my first HOB experience - it was good! Our friend had tickets to a Heavy Metal Bee Gee's cover band called Tragedy. I'm not one for Heavy Metal, but I love the Bee Gee's...and it was free. Why not?
We parked in the free lot, not too bad of a walk to HOB. Went inside, opened a tab. Went downstairs to see the opening band. It was HOT in there. And I am only 5'4" so I couldn't see the stage very well.
After the opening band finished, the guy who gave my friend the tickets came up to us and asked if we wanted to go up to the balcony. Not sure if it is VIP every night, but last night it was, so we said sure. Awesome! It was MUCH cooler upstairs. I stopped sweating, I had a bar stool to sit on, and an awesome view of the band.
Our tab at the end of the night was $46 for six drinks. Not too bad - and the drinks were strong! Oh yeah, Tragedy was hilarious...if you like the Bee Gee's you should check them out sometime!
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I went with a few friends just to eat. No concert.
The food SUCKED.
There's no other way of describing it. How can a place make quesadillas and gumbo taste so bland??? It's definitely not cheap either. You know a place is a rip off when they sell a Ketel One martini for the same price as a Grey Goose Martini; Ketel One costs a lot less, therefore they should not charge the same amount for both martinis. They serve drinks but don't have a complete list of liquors.
Service was all right, but that was the only redeeming factor of this place. Oh yeah, and a friend got food poisoning later that night... we don't know if it's from this place or a different bar, but at the bar we all shared food and no one else got sick.
I can't believe i spent $40 at such a s*(#%^ restaurant. Never again. Do not buy food here. Do not buy drinks here. End of story.
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Been here twice now. The service was good both times, but the food was not-so-good both times.
The first time, I had gotten a veggie burger. I'll let the fact that it wasn't good pass on this one, because I don't like veggie burgers....I just happened to be on some diet then.
Then I was there on 07.01.2009. Got the French Dip at the recommendation of our waitress, who told us it was really good and tender. It turned out to be pretty tough, and not very tasty. The au jus wasn't even flavorful.
On the plus side, again the service has always been good & friendly, and the fries, & the ranch dressing are descent. But other than those two things, I will probably not go back.
BTW....if you want an outstanding French Dip, take yourself to any BJ's Brewhouse.
I've never eaten here, so this review is for the music venue only. GA tickets are standing room only. There are a few VIP seats upstairs but for an intimate setting like the H.O.B., it's far better to be downstairs in the crowd inches away from the band. The parking at Downtown Disney is free if you attended the concert. They say that you need to validate your parking, but the hand bands that are handed out are sufficient & the concert ticket are proof enough. I've never had a problem with this because the parking attendants stop charging for parking after 10 p.m.
People thought this was:
Friday night was the first time I went to the House of Blues to see a concert. We got there late, or I should say after the doors opened, so our general admission tickets got us bar stool seats on the third level to one side of the bar where you can only see about 20% or the stage. Thank goodness the proprietors realized this and installed video screens all over the place as to not miss any of the action.
They served a tiny appetizer menu and a full bar. The sound was pretty good to my surprise for a venue of this size. I always come prepared with earplugs just in case I get blasted, but I didn't need them.
Would I come here again for a concert? Most definitely, but I'd make sure I was on time or even early as to get a seat on the floor in front of the stage for a better view of the live action.
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This review is strictly for the food on a Saturday afternoon. I did not go to a concert.
I expected it to be overpriced. Come on people, it's in Downtown Disney. But I also expected the food to be better. It was just okay, and the portions were on the small side. The service was great, the banana-chocolate-bread-pudding-dessert-thing was omg-to-effing-die-for. Drinks were SUPER expensive, but strong. I'd probably go back solely for the bread pudding.
Let me clarify for those wondering:
This place sucks for concerts.
This place sucks for food.
Concert summary: too small, too crowded, too hot, too many people in one place, just all-round-the-way SUCK.
Restaurant summary: too expensive, food is swill (even the kids' offerings were terrible). In the words of James Brown: Talkin Loud and Saying Nothing! The executive chef and sous chefs had the nerve to put their names on the menu. I wonder if they were forced to or if those names are made up. I wouldn't want MY name on this menu. I'm just sayin'.
SING IT WITH ME Y'ALL! "You're like a dull knife, Just ain't cutting! You're just talking loud and saying nothing, just SAYING NOTHING!!" You don't fool me with those Shack of Peasant paintings on the wall and those cool colors on the ceiling. I'm on to you, suckas.
This place should really be called The House of BLEH! I should always stick to my KILLER INSTINCTS about restaurants bearing chain-themed names . Because you know you're paying more for the environment and name than the food.
Being that it was a Saturday night we had to get those vibrator/buzzer things and wait for 30 mins. After looking at all the under-aged girls waiting for EMO concert to start we were directed to our table.
The dining area isn't bad. Must admit the lighting and layout is kinda cool
[ http://static.px.yelp.... ] . But really that's where everything else just goes ape shit.
The menu is a glorified version of Chili's . The dishes used gimmick-schimik names to make the dishes sound better i.e Sir-Mix-A-Lot Big Booty Buffalo Wings (no that wasn't on the menu) and Curt Cobains Shotgun steak. (ok I know that was uncalled for)
After much deliberation we came up ordering the Shrimp Calamari
[ http://static.px.yelp.... ] (a bit on the small side) .
The Ribeye Eye Steak [ http://static.px.yelp.... ] which came out cold and tasted even colder.
My friends shared the Jack Daniels Baby Back Ribs
[ http://static.px.yelp.... ] . which was O.k
The House of Bleh please don't open any more places to dine. Though it does sound MARVELOUS to take our money for concerts. Don't rape us again with your mediocre food.
Service here was decent. It took a while for the server to acknowledge us and refill drinks. But hey I know he hates his job and hates working here.
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Rye's Notes:
-If you like underaged EMO chicks waiting in line for the concert THIS IS your place
- avoid eating here
- just don't eat here.
People thought this was:
I want to preface my remarks with the fact that this is a review of the HoB as a musical venue (for the Devendra Banhart show), not for their food or anything else.
We arrived about an hour before the show started, and there was this huge unorganized line in front of the box office. We had tickets at will call, so I poked around to see if there was a separate line for will call and for tickets, but nope, other will call people were mixed up with buyers and standing in a line that wasn't moving. I asked one of the 15 security personnel if he could separate the line, but he just shrugged and continued to stand around doing nothing.
Anyway, after 20 minutes of barely moving up in line, a girl who had just picked up her will call ticket said to walk right to the front for will call. Apparently there was a third window that was servicing will call, but the other 30 people waiting in line for it had no idea. There were only 2 people in this line that no one seemed to know about.
You'd think that with so many people working security that they'd at least have the line organized, but they are literally too busy frisking down everyone with metal detectors, searching purses for cameras, and general circle jerking. I am not kidding when I say that they have tighter security than LAX. I guess even terrorists like to go to the happiest place on earth.
Okay, so we finally get in, the venue is small and intimate, but there's something about the acoustics of the place that make everything sound muffled. A lot of the lower floor (GA standing area) is under the second floor balcony, so I think those pockets cause a lot of echoes and make the music sound over-saturated.
Okay and my last gripe about this place, the venue part is in the heart of the building and the restaurant is around the periphery. And towards the end of the show I started hearing another drum set coming from the restaurant. Seriously. They had their house band or something playing at the same time as another show and the walls were not entirely soundproof. What the hell?
So those are my complaints are far as the venue is concerned. I have one more comment more about my experience that might be useful to you if you love your music. There is something about the Orange County crowd that makes the concert experience AWFUL. I'm not really sure if it was because it was 16 and over show, but it seems like there were plenty of douchebags of all ages to go around.
Maybe it wasn't like this in the pit, but everywhere we were, people were talking so loudly that it ruined the experience. It's like these wannabe cool kids go to show just so they can they can update their facebook status and say they were there. They weren't the least bit mindful of others.
Another thing I noticed was that people were constantly yelling out songs for Devendra to play... even after his first song. I can understand if the show is nearing an end and the musician hasn't played your favorite jam, but through out the whole show? Come on. Some ho also yelled out "LESS TALK MORE ROCK" while he was talking to the crowd. Because of the HoB's location in Downtown Disney, it acts like the proverbial flame to the proverbial douche-moths. I don't think you'll ever be able to see an indie concert in peace here.
At least in LA and Hollywood the hipsters just wear their flannel, cross their arms, and enjoy the music.
Okay, I went to the Gospel Brunch for a friend's birthday party. The breakfast brunch was only so-so as was the dessert. Definately not worth going to for just the food.
Cost was around $45 for mimose brunch.
Service - We were at table A, in the front. The service sucked. I mean, it was a brunch so all she had to do was keep the drinks flowing. However, at least 3 times we had to go up to the bar and ask for coffee, coke, and the mimosa situation...made me feel like begger trying to get a refill. Damn, I hate when the tips are built into the bill. One time, she disappeared for like 20 minutes. However, I think maybe it was just our waitress cause I noticed other waitresses were more attentive.
However, what saved and made this brunch was the music. The performers "The Church Boys" were very talented and so much fun. They really got the audience involved and did a great job keeping everyone laughing and having a great time.
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The House of Blues concert venue is definitely the fast food chain of the concert world; you know exactly what you are going to get no matter what city you you are in. You take the same stairs down to the same floor area to watch shows on the same looking stage.
Friday night, I made the trek from SD to the OC to partake in the Doves show (which was excellent, BTW). My friend drove us from her house to the venue and I was surprised to find out that HOB Anaheim is located in Disneyland. Downtown Disneyland. Wow. Way to complicate the traffic situation. There was indeed lots of parking, but with all traffic going in and out, I definitely feel this is not ideal.
Still, if you have a band that you are dying to see and it happens to play at the House of Everything But Blues (courtesy of Steve Jones), then you really have no choice in the matter, now do you? It's not terrible...sound is good always...but for me, it is not my favorite place. C'est la vie.
Not too bad. It's in Downtown Disney and you get what is expected (so don't expect much.) Just like all the restaurants it's for tourists and the service is not going to be good. Service wasn't good and they like to rush you, even if it's not busy. Food is not that good but stick to the burgers and sandwiches. Overly priced but not too bad. Fun for music lovers. :)
House of Blues Anaheim may be my favorite place to see music in Los Angeles, or possibly anywhere.
Why? Because every band I have seen here sounds great, the line to get in moves quickly, it's never been too crowded and best of all, because it's at Disneyland the bounces are *very* strict. No pushing, etc. Maybe that's what some people go to concerts for, but I just go for the music. I'm tall but some of my friends are short, so we have to go early to get a spot right in front of the stage, and that's even better - we're like 5 feet from the performers, and they'll take our phones and sing to our friends.
Awesome!
I think this venue should be divided into the music venue and the restaurant. I ate at the restaurant and that was just ok - I would give it 3 stars. If your band is playing here though, you owe it to yourself to see them here - you won't be disappointed. And I love the free parking too ;) Everywhere else in LA charges an arm and a leg to park!
As I mentioned in my HOB Chicago review, I'm a snob when it comes to cajun/creole food, but I must say I have been to many a rockin concert at the HOB Anaheim. Drinks are over priced, but usually strong and you can't beat the venue (small) as long as its not too crowded. That has been a major problem. I thought I was going to die when I saw Ozomatli there years back, they packed in too many people.
Good times at dinner, its a fun place to go with friends. Service has always been good, be careful for splinters in the wooden boothes my cousin was practically castrated!
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Attended the Gospel Brunch at the HOB. My friend had her bday celebration there and they accomodated 45 guests.
Cost - It was $36 including tax and gratuity. Add another $10 for all you can drink champagne/mimosa's.
Reservations - Not sure if they take it generally. However, we had a large group. There is a 10 am and 1 pm brunch session. We attended the 1 pm and it wasn't too crowded.
Parking - Lot parking. First 3 hours are free.
Service - Sorely lacking. We were asked to veer off to the side since we had reservations. However, the hostess were unorganized when checking our ID's for the alcohol wrist bands. It took a while for plates to be cleared off our tables and for our server to get us champagne or drinks. We were able to get three glasses of champagne the entire time we were there.
Entertainment - The gospel performance was great. That literally saved the buffet from tanking in my book. The entertainers were amusing and had great voices. However, we really enjoyed ourselves because we were with a large crowd who really got into the show and we had front row seats. If it wasn't for that, then I probably would have been bored.
Food - Decent but not worth the price. The stations and selection was small and the food wasn't that fresh.
1. Pros/Plus - BBQ chicken (although I was looking forward to fried chicken), pastries, waffles, roasted breakfast potatoes, biscuit and country gravy, creole chicken jambalaya.
2. Cons/Disappointments - Peel and eat shrimp (not fresh), caesar salad (soggy), seasonal fresh fruit (only oranges and grapes), scrambled eggs (minced and dry), bacon and sausage (super greasy), ham (dry), roast beef (good flavor but super tough) and cookies (dry).
Overall, it was fun to try and get out of the house on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. Parking was a madhouse and although the price included entertainment, the food was lacking.
5-Course Dinner for $40
Santa Ana, CA
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Fullerton, CA
Anaheim, CA
Category: Music Venues
Anaheim, CA
Category: Music Venues
Anaheim, CA
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Anaheim, CA
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Anaheim, CA
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