Gaucho Beach

The rooftop terrace at this bi-level Alamitos Beach spot looks straight over the sand, and a margarita flight arrives with four full-sized cocktails to split. The kitchen serves Argentine-Californian dishes: crispy calamari, lomo saltado, empanadas, plus flame-grilled steaks and sandwiches. No reservations are taken, though a table isn't hard to find on a weekend afternoon. Mariachi plays Fridays, and movies show on the rooftop Saturdays.