If you're looking for a place that combines a fantastic happy hour with exceptional food, look no further than Bad to the Bone. Tucked away in a cozy corner of San Juan Capistrano, this spot has been a long-time local favorite--and for good reason. The happy hour here is a steal, offering an array of cocktails, refreshing beers, and some of the best-tasting tamales around, during the holiday season. The happy hour menu is a perfect mix of options, whether you're in the mood for beer, wine or a cocktail. It's the kind of place where you can relax after a long day, enjoy some great conversation, and sample a few of their delicious bites, smoked chicken nachos and fried pickles are my favorite. But what really sets Bad to the Bone apart, especially during the holidays, are their tamales. These tamales are simply some of the best I've ever had. Service here is friendly and attentive, with staff making sure you're well taken care of even when the place is buzzing with happy hour crowds. Whether you're stopping by for a quick drink after work or settling in for a leisurely meal with friends, Bad to the Bone delivers in every aspect. If you're lucky enough to be here during the holidays, make sure to try the tamales while they're available--trust me, they're worth the visit alone. Pair them with a cold drink from the happy hour menu, and you've got the recipe for a perfect evening out.

We were very pleased with our dinner here. We went to Mission San Juan Capistrano for the Christmas holiday festivities. Traffic was really crowded by the Mission. One place told me to expect a 30 minute wait. So, we drove to the east side of the 5 freeway and went here. It was less loud in the counter service section, so we ordered from the counter. No wait. Meal came promptly. I can't eat onion or garlic and ordered the steamed vegetables that way, but they came with some kind of sprinkled topping. I asked to have just plain steamed vegetables and they promptly brought me some!

This was the first barbecue place I visited when I moved to Orange County. It's a nice little barbecue place with good options for meat and sides. The staff have always been friendly and very welcoming. It's in a strip mall so there is plenty of parking around and when you walk in you feel like it's the perfect barbecue restaurant. I usually always get the ribs or the brisket and both are always very good. The sauce is amazing and the meat is always tender and cooked perfectly. I've never had a bad experience there over the past 10 years.

First timer here. Great service and I love the ambience and atmosphere here. Lights are dimmed, music is nice and low to a perfect level. Portions looked small BUT it did fill me up and was just enough. Roasted vegetables were delicious They have a self section or a section where you can be attended to with a server.

I've been really interested in smoking and grilling various cuts of meats ever since I purchased a smoker. It's been really fun to explore different flavors and for the sake of research, I love visiting local barbecue joints to see if I can replicate at home. It also shows me what I like and don't like about texture, moisture and level of smokiness. This location seems to get decent foot traffic every time we do a pick up at Subway. We decided it was time to give them a try. As first timers, we probably should have asked for their recommendation, but we just dived head first. Hubs got the full slab of ribs, which comes with choice of two sides (french fries and potato salad) and cornbread. The baby back ribs were warm and according to husband, dry. He did like their sides tho, but he only ate 2 ribs and packaged the rest as leftovers. I decided to do the Three Meat Combo: House Sausage, Pulled Pork and Brisket. If I had to prioritize, the brisket was top notch. It was moist and tender with that melt in your mouth feels. The house sausage was a runner up and the pulled pork, I would not order again. It was quite dry for my tastes and I love pulled pork anything. Such a disappointment. For sides, I got coleslaw and the garlic bashed potatoes. We definitely had leftovers and packaged quite a bit to take home. For the ribs, I wrapped them in aluminum foil with a bit of butter and bbq sauce and baked at 350 for about 20-30 mins. It was a lot better at home when served hot with some moisture introduced back into the ribs. Overall, it was quite the pricey lunch! If you check in with Yelp, you get a nice little discount, but I didn't even see it until after we paid. I would return for the brisket though, or figure out how they did it to recreate at home, lol.

Ordered the smoked prime rib (weekends only, including Friday!) to go and it was very good! Well seasoned. Not sure if they are supposed to give au jus sauce or not but I think it would've been even better. The Mac n cheese and vegetables were good. Frankly, it's hard to find good Mac n cheese as a side at restaurants nowadays but these ones hit the spot! Looked like plenty of seating inside. Good service when ordering and picking up the food.

We stumbled upon this restaurant coming back from visiting our friends in Corona. It was on the way home, and I needed to use the restroom. It was also a good time to stop and get the dogs out of the car for a little walk. After stopping, I decided I was hungry :) Checked their menu real quick to make sure they could accommodate my gluten allergy they could! Great service, and I would say good BBQ. I had the baby back ribs and the smoked 1/4 chicken... And in my opinion, those were the best option. My husband tried brisket, tri-tip and St Louis Ribs. For what it was, it was good and I'm happy to support a local restaurant that isn't a chain- however, our best friend is the best meat smoker I've ever met so I'm a little spoiled when it comes to BBQ.

Bomb BBQ! All of the meat, all of the potato sides, everything is delicious! We arrived 1/2 hour before closing, and there were still a good amount of people, but plenty of seating was available. I heard it usually gets packed. Oh there's a Yelp check-in deal for 10% off of $20 or more. So don't forget to check in before you pay!

Company had Catered from here several times and at first not a fan but now it seems they've gotten better. Maybe my palate adjusted to the taste of south county folks? Maybe it is really good. Try for yourself. Service is usually very nice and accommodating