BEST California Bar & Grill in San Clemente

BeachFire boasts an eclectic California/Caribbean menu, full-service bar, patio dining, fire features and funky tropical decor.  Live music and an excellent wine program provide the kindling for a unique casual fine-dining experience.

Every Southern Californian can relate to hanging out with friends around a crackling fire on a summer's night at the beach. Hot dogs, burgers and cold beer, along with smores and hot chocolate, add to the camaraderie. Throw in a couple of guitars and a harmonica, mix in the salt air and waves hitting the shore and you have all the ingredients needed for a great time.

Imagine the same experience, with everything but the sand, and you have Beachfire, the BEST California Bar & Grill in San Clemente. The brainchild of San Clemente resident and entrepreneur Dave Donaldson, BeachFire was created to celebrate the California coastal lifestyle and the good times and great food associated with it.

Dave Donaldson’s concept rekindles the beach parties of his youth and infuses his 21 years’ experience in the hospitality and restaurant industries, including six years as General Manager of the Chart House in Dana Point. An avid surfer, artist and former punk rock musician, BeachFire is a pure & passionate expression of his love for the beach, killer music and great food.

A California menu, patio dining, a wood-burning grill, LIVE music and an excellent California wine selection are the kindling for this special place known as BeachFire. The themed menu, created by Executive Chef Chris Skolmutch (a Charthouse veteran and long-time colleague of Dave Donaldson), features grilled fish, steaks, ribs, tacos, burgers, salads and vegetarian fare with a medley of Mexican, Hawaiian, Caribbean and Asian accents. 

There are many kinds of live entertainment, ranging from steel drum bands and Calypso to soft jazz and occasional mariachis, plus guest appearances by well-known musical artists. Lunch, dinner and late night schmoozing, as well as Sunday brunches and afternoon jam sessions, are all part of the BeachFire scene. 

Set inside a sensational Spanish colonial complex, BeachFire’s interior features a carved wooden décor with mosaic tile flooring imbedded with rocks and sea glass. The bar and custom wine rack are built out of wood recycled from the campground tables of the San Clemente State Park and the walls are a showplace for the works of local artists. 

BeachFire has already sparked a lot of excitement in this quiet coastal town and the word is already spreading up and down the coast as travelers stop in and others simply make it their destination.