The Harp: Cheer and Crackers

The Harp Inn is another one of those Costa Mesa treasures, a bar without pretense for people who had rather get poked in the eye than to take a drink in some place like Irvine.

They have OK Irish music there on the weekends, and occasionally an exuberant patron takes the stage about closing time to work out on a Celtic folk song or two. But you can stand it because the drinks are reasonable, and they have an endearing habit of putting out a happy hour spread of Ritz crackers and tuna fish.

The people behind the bar are friendly and apparently have real brogues, which is kind of nice to listen to but doesn’t really matter because this place looks about as much like a real pub as your living room resembles the Getty Museum. It’s a pretty nondescript room, but that’s all right because you’re coming here not for the decor but for the cheery feel of the place.

Give it a 92, Dick. Those Irish tunes got a great beat.

The Harp Inn, 130 E. 17th St. (at the corner of Newport Boulevard), Costa Mesa. Open Mondays through Thursdays from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m., Fridays from 2 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays from noon. Live music Thursdays through Sundays. (714) 646-8855.