Huntington Beach concession Sea Salt goes country for the summer
The Stagecoach Festival may be done, but Orange County country music lovers can now celebrate all summer long in a venue that's considerably closer to home.
Sea Salt Honky Tonk at the Beach, a re-imagined beach concession, opens Saturday at Bolsa Chica State Beach for those who may find their toes in the sand but their hearts in Texas.
Saloon doors will welcome visitors at the main entrance, with a giant horseshoe near the multi-use beach trail on the venue's west side denoting that Sea Salt is the world's only honky tonk at the beach.
Country music lyrics adorn the walls, along with large murals that say 'Orange Country' and 'Wild Wild West.'
'What I'm doing at all the concessions is I'm trying to make great art installations that become photo moments like Tulum does,' said Alicia Cox, a Huntington Beach resident who's the founder and chief executive of Prjkt Restaurant Group. 'I go and visit all these beach cities everywhere, and try to bring back cool things I find from them into our community.'
Cox, who is contracted through the California State Park system to operate several concessions at Bolsa Chica and Huntington state beaches, is excited to get the re-imagined Sea Salt launched. It will feature live country music from up-and-coming and established artists all summer long.
There will be a bluegrass brunch with bottomless pancakes and mimosas from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday, with line dancing lessons to follow.
Food at Sea Salt Honky Tonk at the Beach will be handled by Heritage Barbecue, a Michelin Bib Gourmand winner based in San Juan Capistrano.
Heritage co-founder Daniel Castillo said his team will be serving up tri-tip, chicken, ribs, brisket and pulled pork, more California barbecue than Texas barbecue. A giant wood-burning rotisserie smoker, offset smoker and Santa Maria barbecue grill can handle copious amounts of meat.
'When we first got started, I was kind of against anything like this,' Castillo said of the rotisserie smoker, adding that it can 100 chickens at a time. 'But in this particular setting and the type of service that we're doing, we need to ramp it up.'
Cox said a mutual friend and local, Riip Beer Co. co-owner Ryan Rasmussen, connected her and Castillo.
'We're the entertainment and drinks, and they're the kitchen operations,' she said. 'Hopefully it'll be every summer. It's a really cool dining offering on the beach, and another enhancement to how we're recreating recreation on state beaches, by inviting this higher-echelon culinary partner to be a part of this.'
Additional touches include a Sunday residency by Redneck Rodeo, and Western Family Nights every other Friday by Raul Esperanza.
Promotions at Sea Salt Honky Tonk at the Beach are curated in partnership with country artist J.T. Harker. For more information, follow on Instagram at @seasaltatthebeach.
Cox said that PCH Tacos, which will open in three weeks at Pacific Kitchen south of Sea Salt, will try to create a Puerto Vallarta or Cabo San Lucas experience at Bolsa Chica State Beach.
'The plan is, with the partnership with California State Parks, that we're creating a cultural epicenter out here that is diverse and unique and defines who we are as Southern Californians,' she said. 'Something for everybody, as you go up and down the coast.'
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