The Wayfarer

The Wayfarer

By Ally Urias

When the Detroit Bar in Costa Mesa closed last year, local musicians and frequent patrons were deeply saddened.  This had been their go to spot to have some drinks and listen to really good music either from local bands or DJs.  Then new owner Jeff Chon decided he would remodel the place and make an even greater spot for OC residents to not only listen to good music, but eat good food, too.  The remodel included adding a full kitchen, moving the bar and making it bigger and a complete make-over in the restrooms.  Chon wanted there to be better stage visibility and acoustics so he knocked down walls and created vaulted ceilings to make a nice open floor plan. He also added in rustic décor and named the new bar The Wayfarer.

The Wayfarer’s rustic interior fits in perfectly with the atmosphere the music creates, it’s authentic and cozy.  It’s really big and open, you can see the stage from anywhere in the bar.  The walls are painted light blue and alternate between wood paneling and brick walls. This works well with the space because it is not all the same, mundane thing.  It gives the bar variety and makes it edgy.  The floor is all concrete that has been dyed a dark yellow, which makes spills easy to clean up.  I love that it had different sources of lights.  To begin with, there were white little lights hung up across the ceiling; recessed lighting lit up the stage area and different chandeliers and hanging lights were used across the space.  The décor all has a rustic, vintage feel with lots of metal bars on the table legs and chair legs.  There were red booths against two of the walls in the space, which did not work well.  They looked nice because of the contrast between the wall and the booth, but when I sat down, I sank really low into the seat.  It was uncomfortable and decided to sit at a bar table, which had a more comfortable chair.   The only other problem I encountered was a surfboard hung on the ceiling; it looked really out of place and should be removed. There were also quirky, cute paintings all around.  The walls,  floors, lighting, furnishings and art all work together to create a unique, eclectic bar.

The Wayfarer is a really fun and cheap place to relax and enjoy some good music.  They have daily specials and really good food; I tried out their $10 BBQ Rib Plate and was far from disappointed.  Another plus to this bar is they have added in free games for their patrons.  There are pool tables, Ping-Pong tables, hacky sacks and a jukebox.  The Wayfarer is a really good bar to have a good time, listening to good music and enjoying good, cheap food and drinks.