Nightlife in Riverside

Seeing nothing but kippers and meat pies when you look at the edible clouds in the sky is a sure-fire signal that your belly craves some British grub. Today's Groupon sends your appetite across the Atlantic for $25 worth of grub and libations at The Royal Falconer for $9. Journey to either of two locations, Riverside or Redlands, for genuine English fare, crisp brews, and the company of hearty pub goers.

Bartenders mix more than 30 specialty martinis at Lounge 33, a riverside bar that owes its sophistication to owners Angela and George Tavaglione. The owners’ extensive menu of mixed drinks includes nods to highbrow entertainment, including The Godfather, a drink that fuses Johnnie Walker Green Label and Disaronno amaretto, or the Dirt and Spice martini, an avant-garde combination of Absolut Peppar and olive juice, Tapatio hot sauce, and lemon. Though the focus is on mixed drinks, the Tavagliones also stock wine and beer, while their skilled cooks prepare flatbread pizzas and italian meatball sandwiches guaranteed not to pop a meatball out and send it rolling to the top of Mount Smokey.

A former vaudeville performance space and movie palace built in 1928, the California Theatre of the Performing Arts hearkens back to a bygone era with its majestic Wurlitzer organ, which is played during silent-film programs, and a time portal linked to the childhood home of Alexander Pantages. The theater’s deep-red stage curtains and ornate, vaulted ceilings steep the senses in a vintage ambiance, and the heartfelt scenes that unfold on its stage make the space seem much cozier than a 1,718-seat auditorium has any right to.

When barbecue-chicken sandwiches, teriyaki burgers, and a bunch of beef tacos washed up on Margarita Beach, the clouds began hurling large beerdrops earthward and the breeze blew away the sand to reveal a dance floor. Soon, DJs and bartenders flocked to the site, bringing with them stories of ‘80s-themed parties, beer pong, more beer pong, and Fist-Pumpin’ Fridays that quickly attracted crowds of people hungry for food and entertainment. TVs eventually got wind of all the excitement. So, they packed their vacuum tubes and flew in with visions of UFC fights and college sports. To this day, partiers still take in the open air on a patio that a nameless sailor left behind, feeling the delicious weight of turkey hoagies in their hands, thanking heaven for quesadillas, buying cocktails for pictures of bikini-clad models, and then watching the stars sputter out when Margarita Beach’s clock strikes 2 a.m.

Johnny's Tacos & Sports assumes multiple identities. At once a sports bar, arcade, and restaurant, the lively interior is lit by blazing neon signs and 15 high-definition TVs. The kitchen whips up dishes from an extensive of bar food classics—ranging from chicken wings to burgers to pizzas—and bartenders draw from 21 beer taps. Next door, the newly upgraded game room boasts a variety of arcade-style joystick games, shuffleboard and pool tables, and a prize counter complete with iconic bouncy balls that bounce higher than an astronaut on a moon trampoline.

Comedians Bob Perkell and Jeff Capri met through an act of deceit. When Perkell was gearing up for one of his first productions on the other side of the curtain, Capri called him to get a booking for one of the comedians he said he managed: Jeff Capri. But the charade didn't last long: the show was a success, Capri revealed his real identity, and, eventually, the two channeled their teamwork into a comedy club of their own. During Surf City’s shows, guests can order from a list of sweet, wine-centric cocktails and two dozen beers, including taps of Fat Tire and Shock Top.