The Most Romantic Patio in South OC Is Hiding in Trabuco Canyon

On weekday afternoons, the drive from Rancho Santa Margarita into Trabuco Canyon feels like a quick escape from suburban gridlock.

A narrow road curves past oak groves, and at the bend of Rose Canyon Road, a dirt parking lot and the sound of running water announce one of Orange County’s longest-lived dining spots: Rose Canyon Cantina & Grill. (watch video below)

For nearly seventy years, this canyon property has carried many names—Beardslee Chuck House Café in the 1950s, biker haunt “The Hideout” in the ’60s, and “Lico’s” in the late ’70s—but the essence has stayed the same: rustic food, cold drinks, and a setting that makes visitors feel they’ve traveled farther than a few miles from suburbia.

A Patio That Defines the Experience

Today’s Rose Canyon Cantina is anchored by its patio, shaded by heritage oaks and laced with fairy lights.

Bougainvillea climbs the stucco walls, and the canyon’s stream runs close enough to scent the air with damp earth.

Diners describe it as one of South OC’s most atmospheric outdoor spaces, equally popular for date nights and neighborhood gatherings.

We always bring out of town guests here. The drive there is worth it alone!

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Food and Drink

The menu centers on Mexican staples—tacos, enchiladas, burritos, and fajitas served in portions that match the canyon appetite. On Taco Tuesday, prices drop to $3.50 a taco, and the lineup includes everything from carne asada to shrimp in chipotle cream.

Drinks are straightforward but well-executed, with house margaritas the signature order. Happy hour runs Tuesday through Friday, 4–7 p.m., with $2 off house margaritas and $1 off draft beer.

A Past as Colorful as Its Present

The cantina’s history is woven into its identity. When it operated as The Hideout in the late ’60s, a beer-drinking donkey was the star attraction, drawing bikers and curious locals.

Later, under Federico “Lico” Miranda and Gary O’Neal, the restaurant turned into a Mexican cantina known simply as Lico’s.

A review in The Register famously described it as “a place where cowboys hang up their guns,” sparking crowds so large that the tiny dining room had to turn people away.

Ownership eventually returned to the Beardslee family, and since 2005, John and Melanie Cox, once just regular customers, have kept the place running.

Their stewardship emphasizes continuity: preserving the patio, keeping margaritas central, and treating the cantina less as a concept than as a living piece of canyon culture.

Why It Endures

In a county where restaurants often rely on sleek branding and high-traffic locations, Rose Canyon Cantina thrives by offering the opposite. It’s deliberately off the beaten path, with a dirt lot instead of valet, fairy lights instead of neon.

The result is a dining experience that balances nostalgia with relevance. Families arrive for tacos, couples linger under the lights, and weekday regulars know that for a few dollars off a margarita, they can leave the office behind without leaving the county.

If You Go

• Address: 20722 Rose Canyon Rd, Trabuco Canyon

• Hours: Closed Mondays; Tue–Thu 4–9 p.m., Fri 4–10 p.m., Sat 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Sun 11 a.m.–9 p.m.

• Specials: Happy Hour Tues–Fri 4–7 p.m.; Taco Tuesday, $3.50 tacos

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