Even Landlubbers Like to Dock at Josh Slocum’s in Newport

From the bar at Josh Slocum’s in Newport Beach, you can look out and see masts bobbing on the waters of North Lido Channel. Inside, the television sometimes seems perpetually tuned to America’s Cup action, though often what you’re actually watching are the videotaped highlights of recent local races.

Josh Slocum’s is a boating bar, no question about it. But it’s also a welcoming, friendly place for folks who don’t know port from starboard--even when they’re sober.

“The only reason I hang out at certain bars is because I like the people who work there,” says one regular who would rather talk about a doubleheader than a double-hulled boat.

If you want to talk sports, bartender Brad Bogle can discourse knowledgeably on everything from Big 10 Conference football recruiting to UC Irvine basketball. A devout USC fan, he has a standing bet with a couple of patrons who are Notre Dame fans. The wager requires him to wear a Notre Dame stocking cap whenever the Irish beat the Trojans. It’s happened a few times.

Bogle’s talents aren’t just at conversation, though. He also has a keen and much-appreciated ability to associate a face with a person’s favorite cocktail, if not their name.

One of the nicest things about Josh Slocum’s bar is that even though it’s adjacent to the rather upscale restaurant and in full view of dining patrons, the folks in the bar aren’t shushed and pushed aside. In fact, if the bar is crowded, as it can be around happy hour, a waiter might invite you to weave your way among the dinner tables to find an open spot on the other end of the bar.

If you want to eat but aren’t up for the more expensive dinner menu, you can order any of a dozen or so appetizers and simple entrees in the bar. Among the best are the Cajun chicken strips, fish tacos, Cajun lamb chops and a well-stocked salad bar, all priced from $5.95 to $7.95.

As for the drink menu, there is no draft beer at a full bar that is otherwise well-stocked, with a nice selection of bottled beers and a sophisticated list of wines by the glass.

One regular commends bartender Bogle for having a keen sense of the proper point in the evening to look you in the eye, gauge your mood and say, “Time for a coffee drink?”

Behind the bar is an espresso machine and a good selection of liqueurs, making Josh Slocum’s an outstanding place to have just about any hot libation.

One favorite is what’s known at Slocum’s as a Portland Steamer--a wickedly hot concoction of Tuaca liqueur and Bailey’s Irish Cream served in a snifter. It will jump-start your sinuses, guaranteed.

On any given night, the crowd is a mix of folks who know each other and those who don’t know a soul. For an outsider, the boating crowd can be intriguing.

Once, as everyone in the bar gathered around to watch the annual Newport-to-Ensenada sailing race unfold by videotape on the screen, a regular known as Shabby got in a classic gibe to the owner of a boat that was bringing up the rear.

“What do you have for sails?” he called out. “Toilet paper?”

Josh Slocum’s, 2601 W. Pacific Coast Highway, Newport Beach. Bar open daily, 4:30 to bartender’s discretion (usually around 11 p.m.) (714) 642-5935.