SANTA ANA COLLEGE el Don / eldonnews . org • MONDAY , NOVEMBER 21 , 2016 LIFESTYLE 7
2370 N . Tustin Ave . Suite D
FLING COCKTAIL
Like many other bars of this type , this dive opens at 6 a . m . and serves hard liquor at low prices . There is a little stage in the back for live bands and if you go on a Saturday , you ’ ll witness the whole place bowing down to one of the greatest guitar players in town , Mike Fleetwood , who plays with the cover band MPG . Friendly staff and a fun , older crowd , make Fling a great time .
13912 Ponderosa St . Suite L
FATHER ’ S PUB & GRUB
Tucked away behind a smoke shop and a tattoo parlor off 17th Street , Father ’ s gives off the feeling that it wants to be hidden . The interior is small , with one pool table in the corner and a stage in the back for live bands . But what really draws in the crowds is the always smiling , scantily-clad female bartenders . As one regular put it : “ Come for the $ 5 , 32-ounce beers and stay for the pretty girls behind the bar .”
DIVE BARS
Santa Ana is full of culture and character ; so are its bars . Some of the seediest watering holes might feel like dingy , dark caves , but look beyond and you ’ ll find some of the most entertaining ( and cheapest ) places to have a drink .
STORY BY AURIELLE WEISS / ART BY CHRISTABELLE BLAKE
Since 1959 , The Quill has been giving Santa Ana locals the ultimate dive bar experience . Attached to a tiny liquor store , this hole-in-the-wall bar gives off a Cheers vibe that extends even to first-timers .
Whether they know your name or not , regulars will greet you with a smile or a crude joke that somehow doesn ’ t seem offensive and the lively bartender Scott Finney will crack jokes at your expense , but not before he buys you a welcome shot of Fireball . “ I love it here because in the same night , I ’ ll have a multimillionaire and a homeless man sitting right next to each other ,” Finney said .
The Quill is one of the longest-running dive bars in Santa Ana and holds one of the oldest liquor licenses in the city . There might not be any draft beers to toss back , but they carry an impressive selection of booze for such a small bar .
The Quill ’ s many amenities — an old jukebox that seems to play only ‘ 80s hits , a single dart machine and super cheap drinks before and after happy hour — make the perfect recipe for a great time . But the greatest part about The Quill isn ’ t just the $ 4 wells , it ’ s the people .
1630 Mabury St .
THE QUILL