Sammy Hagar brings Cabo Wabo vibes to Huntington Beach
Sammy Hagar once sang that he can’t drive 55.
The speed limit doesn’t really apply to the former Van Halen front man in his business endeavors either.
Hagar goes all out, and he feels that his most recent launch will become something that residents and visitors alike can look forward to in Surf City.
The Cabo Wabo Beach Club & Bar held a soft opening at the Waterfront Beach Resort on Pacific Coast Highway in Huntington Beach last month. On Wednesday, Hagar entertained at a media event there.
“It’s right across the street from the frigging beach, and I’m 100% a beach nut,” said Hagar, now 75. “I’m a big ‘No shoes, no shirt, no problem’ kind of guy. That’s Kenny Chesney’s line, but I think he stole it from me, actually. This is almost like having my own hotel. The fans can stay there for the whole weekend, enjoy all the things that I enjoy and have a good time.”
Hagar, an Orange County resident, said the restaurant is designed to evoke the ambiance of Cabo San Lucas, where he founded the Cabo Wabo Cantina in 1990. The 11,000-square-foot space also features a full bar, which should be no surprise to anyone who’s followed Hagar’s ventures in recent years.
He created Cabo Wabo Tequila in 1997. After selling off his interests in that in 2010, Sammy’s Beach Bar Rum, Santo Mezquila and Santo Tequila Blanco and Reposado have followed, the latter liquors through a partnership with celebrity restaurateur Guy Fieri.
He also recently launched Sammy’s Beach Bar Cocktail Co., featuring rum cocktails. Naturally, all of Hagar’s spirits are available at Cabo Wabo Beach Club & Bar.
“I was drinking some of these canned drinks during the COVID times and I’m thinking, this is terrible,” Hagar said. “Of course, my children go, ‘Right, dad, well, why don’t you try to make something better?’ I said, ‘OK, that’s what I like to do, I’ll take the challenge.’ Doing nothing for over a year, except walking on the beach with a mask, I was excited to do it.”
Hagar said the food in Huntington Beach is designed to be a combination of the cantina in Cabo and his Beach Bar and Grill locations at several airports nationwide. The restaurant offers breakfast, lunch and dinner and is designed to fit the Orange County locale.
His personal favorites include the crudo — yellowtail fish sliced like sashimi, with a blood-range drizzle and fruit salsa — as well as the churro waffles for breakfast.
There is a charitable component, as Hagar said his personal net-proceeds from the Cabo Wabo Beach Club & Bar will be donated to Children’s Hospital of Orange County through the Hagar Family Foundation. He also hopes to be able to donate to Tilly’s Life Center, an Irvine-based nonprofit that helps teenagers.
“If you think I’m doing this kind of stuff just to pad my bank account, it’s not about that anymore in my life,” Hagar said. “I think it’s really important that I make that statement and let people know it’s about doing what you can in your local community ... [The beach club] is a nice place to hang out that’s close to the way I like to hang out. At the same time, it’s helping others. To me, it really works. I think I’ve got it down, to be honest with you. I think more people need to do this.”
What’s next for Hagar? He said his ultimate goal is to create his own Cabo Wabo Beach Club and Resort, including ownership of the hotel.
Hagar added that he hopes to go on a big rock tour next year. In recent years, he performed at the Afterburner Music Festival with Sammy Hagar and the Circle as part of the Pacific Air Show in 2021. He also has hosted his High Tide Beach Party & Car Show in Huntington Beach.
“Someday I want to do that again,” he said. “I love this beach. I love any beach. I am a beach nut, OK?”
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