Back Bay Tavern

NICE LUNCH ! My wife and I hit this Whole Foods Market in Newport Beach on Saturday morning for most of our weekly grocery needs. It was pouring down rain when we arrived and when we left....thankfully the Fashion Island huge multi level parking garage is straight across the street. After taking care of our grocery needs we headed to the tavern ( opens at midday ) at the rear of this store. We've had lunch here a few times and it's all been good. We parked our full shopping cart beside a table and I fetched a menu from the bar counter. Juana the manager / server / bartender said hi. I asked for a couple of iced waters. My wife selected the TTLA Sandwich ( Tempeh bacon, garlic aioli, green leaf lettuce, tomato, avocado, toasted ciabatta, side salad or fries ) with Fries option and I decided on the Pulled Pork Sandwich ( BBQ pulled pork, BBQ sauce, cabbage, ranch, pickles, toasted brioche bun, side salad or fries ) with Fries option. My Pulled Pork Sandwich & thick cut Fries came out within a few minutes but my wife was left wondering about her order. A minute or 2 later Juana came to our table and said the kitchen was out of Tempeh Bacon ( bacon made from fermented soy beans ) . WHAT'S THAT ? Not being vegetarians we had no idea that Tempeh Bacon was a fake bacon. GIVE US THE REAL THING ! Juana said they can substitute regular bacon for the fake stuff. Eventually my wife's BTLA Sandwich with thick cut Fries was brought out by Juana. NO PROB ! I think the lunch menu should be clearer when describing the ingredients...in particular the Tempeh Bacon. We were both pretty happy with our lunch....I did mention to Juana they should go easier on the BBQ sauce. GOOD SPOT !

EXCELLENT LUNCH ! My wife and I were over at Fashion Island on Saturday to do a spot of shopping......with my wife's son who was visiting with us for a few days. LUNCH ! We decided that this Back Bay Tavern inside Whole Foods Market was our best option for lunch. At around 1.30pm we placed our lunch order at the bar with lovely cashier / server Juana for 1 x CAULI-FORNIA TACOS ( Crispy cauliflower, cabbage slaw, pico de gallo, avocado crema, corn tortillas ), 1 x TACOS DE CARNITAS ( Braised pork, cabbage slaw, pico de gallo, avocado crema, corn tortillas ), 1 x PUB-STYLE FISH & CHIPS ( Beer-battered cod, French fries, tartar sauce ). We also ordered 2 craft beers from their huge craft beer list....1 x Roadhouse Brewing "The Walrus" Hazy IPA, 1 x Offshoot Beer "Escape" West Coast IPA and 3 Iced Waters. We took our beers with us to a long bench table inside ( quite hot outside ) and waited for our meals to come out. Our craft beers tasted very refreshing.....my hazy IPA tasted exceptionally good. FAST SERVICE ! Within a few short minutes Juana brought our our lunch order.....everything looked sensational ! My wife and her son thought their 3 well presented ( on taco racks ) humongous Tacos tasted fabulous. WOW ! Even though I'm an Aussie it's been a million years since I've had Fish & Chips. The beer-battered Cod was cooked perfectly....I loved it. And my hand cut fresh cooked French Fries hit the spot. We loved our lunch and the very good service by Juana !

A hidden gem in the back of a Wholefoods Park in the parking structure next door. It’s free!

Best Hidden Gem in Newport for Tap Beer and Wings! Juana the Bartender is Awesome!

One of my favorite places to have a delectable healthy salmon salad and ice tea!