Pierce Street Annex Drinking   

Admittedly, the pink and turquoise roadhouse isn't much to look at -- from the inside or out -- but the grungy Pierce Street Annex has assets which are much more important than flashy looks: cheap drinks and a lack of pretentiousness. While its competitors are charging $8 for martinis, that $8 can usually last you a few rounds during happy hour. Get there early though -- every regular will tell you to arrive before 9:30PM or park a half-mile away and stand in line for 45 minutes at the door (the owners are strict about the occupancy laws). But even after 9:30, the wait is worth it. Besides being one of Orange County's hottest pick-up spots (its Thursday evening Ladies' Nights are legendary), the venue has one of the better patios in the county. Heated with plenty of tables and a fire pit (where people can grill their own burgers during the dinner rush), you'll find the older regulars mingling with each other while the younger crowd shimmies on the microscopic dance floor. Thanks to the county's restrictive smoking laws, the Annex's patio is one of the most action-packed pieces of real estate in town.