The LAB Anti-Mall in Costa Mesa’s SoBECA District
Bristol Street is Costa Mesa’s home for youth culture and innovation, and this hotspot is seeing its largest transformation and growth in its decades-long history. The neighborhood is called SoBECA, a truncated version of South on Bristol, Entertainment, Culture, and Arts, and is known as one of the most welcoming and LGBTQ+ friendly areas of Costa Mesa. Costa Mesa is by the coast in Southern California, right between San Diego and Los Angeles. The SoBECA District was established to preserve the city’s character and turn underutilized spaces into design-driven experiences. It now has more than twenty new small businesses, encompassing over 50,000 square feet, all opening their doors in 2026. The expansion includes restaurants, tea and coffee shops, fitness studios, apparel, and home goods.
SoBECA is home to many existing local favorites, including alternative outdoor retail campuses The LAB Anti-Mall, The CAMP, and CAMPOUT. Tin Lizzie Saloon, located a block from Bristol Street is the oldest standing LGBTQ+ bar in Orange County and one of only three nightlife destinations in Orange County explicitly for the LGBTQ+ community. StrutBar & Club, a beloved watering hole for gay and queer folks, was formerly based in Costa Mesa and closed its doors at the end of 2025.
House of Intuition at The LAB Anti-Mall in Costa Mesa’s SoBECA District
At The LAB Anti-Mall, you’ll find a collection of LGBTQ+ owned businesses like House of Intuition, an alternative spirituality store, Stella Jean’s Ice Cream, small-batch ice cream shop, and Ruin Bar, a quirky speakeasy. The space also recently welcomed The Rooted Home, a thoughtfully curated home accents boutique with an in-store creative studio called The Workshop.
Food at AhbA, a restaurant located at The CAMP in Costa Mesa
Across Bristol Street at The CAMP, several LGBTQ+ owned businesses have long had a presence in the neighborhood. Visitors can step into Mesa, a fashionable lounge and cocktail bar, grab a burger at AhbA, a sprawling, beachy diner, or experience Cowboys and Poodles, a glittery Western bar hidden behind barn doors.
For travelers looking to spend a few days or a weekend exploring SoBECA, Residence Inn by Marriott Costa Mesa Newport Beach is central to the neighborhood. The property offers suites and multi-level penthouses with fully equipped kitchens. Hilton Orange County/Costa Mesa is also located in the neighborhood, a five-minute walk from The LAB Anti-Mall and The CAMP. Hilton Orange County/Costa Mesa has over 450 spacious guest rooms and offers the most meeting space in Costa Mesa, with 48,000 square feet of adaptable meeting facilities.
About the Author
Costa Mesa is Southern California's City of the Arts®. Travel Costa Mesa was established in 1995 with the foundational objective of promoting travel, tourism, and exploration in the city, and to fund programs and activities that benefit Costa Mesa's hospitality industry. For more information on Costa Mesa's arts, cuisine, or award-winning hotels, visit http://www.travelcostamesa.com or follow @TravelCostaMesa on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. Travel Costa Mesa is a 501(c)(6).