Where Fun and Games Are Part of the Perqs
Redevelopment may be gulping up old downtown Huntington Beach and the many mom-and-pop businesses that once lined Main Street, but the owners of Perq’s Nightclub and Sports Bar are vowing to stay put. That’s good news for fans of the down-home friendly atmosphere that has made this club a local hangout since 1974.
Owner Gary Mulligan and his silent partners plan on staying in the neighborhood and renovating the building themselves. (Mulligan, a real estate broker, envisions his beachside bar as the ideal place to spend his days when he retires--though you can catch him there often enough even now.)
Part of what attracts people to Perq’s is the entertainment. There are the televised sporting events--the club has two satellite dishes and four televisions--and other kinds of games, including the kind played on either of two backgammon boards inlaid on walnut tables. Chips are available upon request at the bar.
The club also features live music and dancing that can get you off your bar stool.
Entertainment begins at 9 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and at 6 p.m. Sunday. Arrive early because it can get crowded. The cover charge is usually $2 to $3, and the club is known for featuring blues performers, including regular appearances by local favorite Walter Trout.
Trout, who spends much of his touring time in Europe, even paid homage to his West Coast home by recording a song (“Victor the Cajun”) inspired by New Orleans-bred chef Victor Vinson, who cooks up his specialties every Monday evening from 6 to 9 at Perqs. Vinson is about as proud of his Cajun heritage as he is of the authentic, spicy victuals that he serves gratis as part of the club’s happy hour.
The Cajun Mondays are the only time when hot food is served here, so other attacks of the munchies are usually satisfied with the usual nuts and pretzels or popcorn from a machine next to the bar. The beverage menu offers mostly domestic beer and the usual imports of Becks, Fosters and Corona for $1.50 on tap and $2.50 to $3.50 by the bottle. Mixed and exotic spirits are priced up to $5.25.
Perq’s also presents surprise musical guests on Tuesday nights and amateur night on Wednesdays, which is an audition-like performance for bands hoping to get future weekend gigs.
No matter what night or hour, you can feel welcome, even if you’re not a local. Regulars--from college students to professionals to aged surfers--dub Perq’s the “Cheers” of Huntington Beach.
Perq’s Nightclub and Sports Bar , 117 Main St., Huntington Beach. Open daily from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. (714) 960-9996.
