Yard House was scheduled to serve its last night at Triangle Square on Sept. 13, after nearly 27 years at 1870 Harbor Blvd. Over the same stretch, the center added a weekend brunch room with live gospel and jazz, a Japanese cheesecake counter facing Newport Boulevard, and a Mexican American restaurant on the upper level. That is the real change at the Triangle. Triangle Square is filling up around weekend daytime and early evening, and the space that opened up in September belongs to a restaurant the Orange County Register described as known for its late-night hours.
For Eastside Costa Mesa, this is the closest place for a movie, a lane at the bowling alley, or dinner without crossing into Newport Beach. So what goes into that space, and who decides, matters more here than anywhere else in the city.
What happened with Yard House
The Register broke the news on July 14, 2026. A restaurant employee and Triangle Square's property management both confirmed the closing. Management said the lease had recently ended and Yard House chose not to renew. On Sept. 12, a report by The Sun still described the closing as happening the next evening. It also reported no answer yet on what business would take the space.
Yard House's own Costa Mesa page now sends visitors to the chain's general location finder with a "closed" flag in the address. The Triangle Square website directory hasn't caught up and still lists the restaurant. The chain's two other Orange County locations, in Brea and Irvine, were open as of the July report.
In July, property management said the ownership was in discussions and considering potential tenants. The day before the scheduled closing, there was still no word on a replacement, and we have not found a tenant announcement since.
The openings that came before it
The center's own announcements over the past fifteen months show the shift in order:
- June 26, 2025. Triangle Square announced that Casa de Onda had opened on the upper level. The name translates to "house of vibes," and the menu is Mexican American fusion with a Tulum-inspired room.
- July 28, 2025. The center announced Uncle Fluffy, the Japanese cheesecake and dessert café, for late 2025.
- January 2026. Westwood Coast, the casual steakhouse with live country music, announced more country line-dancing nights.
- May 13, 2026. After the late-2025 target passed, Triangle Square set Uncle Fluffy's opening for Saturday, May 23 at 11 a.m. It was the family-owned shop's second Orange County location.
- July 17, 2026. LJ's Lounge opened on the upper level.
- Sept. 13, 2026. Yard House's scheduled final day.
The center's marketing has been moving the same way. In spring 2026 it promoted spring break as family time built around bowling, movies and dining. Its Valentine's post led with brunch. For OC Restaurant Week in March, three tenants took part with prix fixe dinner menus: Café Sevilla, Casa de Onda and Westwood Coast.
LJ's Lounge and the weekend afternoon
LJ's Lounge shows the new direction most clearly. Kenneth Jackson, an Orange County native, owns the Black- and veteran-owned restaurant, which he named after his mother, Linda Jean. Jackson created the Southern-inspired menu with chef Justin McNeil. The opening release describes a California twist on the cooking, with citrus brightening the roasted potatoes in the signature salad and the gumbo. Brunch dishes include Darlene's Shrimp & Grits and a waffle with fried chicken called the Sunshine Waffle & Soul Stack.
The music is what sets it apart. According to the release, Saturday's "Soul to Sole" brunch has a DJ playing old-school music. Sundays start with gospel and jazz and move to reggae in the evening.
Check current hours before you go. The July release said LJ's would add breakfast, lunch and dinner daily in the following weeks. The hours it posts now show weekday evenings, plus Saturday and Sunday starting at 11 a.m. Only Sunday is labeled brunch. The restaurant's events page doesn't list any dated fall shows yet.
Uncle Fluffy and the street-level frontage
Uncle Fluffy is the smaller change, but its location tells you something. The shop sits at street level facing Newport Boulevard rather than up on the center's upper level. The draw is the airy, jiggly Japanese-style cheesecake the center's announcement calls viral. The scheduled opening was 11 a.m. on a Saturday. A dessert counter on the boulevard side gives people a reason to stop by in daylight. A movie, a round of bowling or a long dinner usually means a night out.
The center's directory now lists Uncle Fluffy alongside the longtime tenants.
What stays the same
The Triangle's anchors haven't moved. The current directory lists these tenants:
- Starlight Triangle Square Cinemas, which shows current showtimes on its own location page
- Tavern+Bowl for lanes and a meal
- Café Sevilla, a Restaurant Week participant this spring
- Westwood Coast, the steakhouse with live country music
- Prince Street Pizza and Oji Sushi and Sake
- 24 Hour Fitness
- Time Nightclub, still listed for anyone who wants the late-night side of the Triangle
Westwood Coast is the best example of the earlier evening the center is building around. Its line-dancing page lists a Wednesday family country night from about 6 to 8 p.m., with lessons starting at 6:30. Thursday dancing is 21 and older, from about 9 p.m. to midnight. The center's January announcement described dancing Tuesday through Thursday. Westwood's own page lists only Wednesday and Thursday, so rely on that one.
The tenant list has turned over before. The City of Costa Mesa's page about the Triangle still names earlier tenants, including Saddle Ranch, El Corazon, Olive Branch Pizza, Sutra and Creamistry. None of them appear in the current directory.
Who fills the space
The last piece is the one to watch over the coming months. In March 2026, The Registry reported that Base Equities had put the 194,241-square-foot center up for sale. The article describes it as a dining and entertainment destination at the base of the 55 Freeway that has drawn strong leasing interest since the pandemic. The Registry hasn't reported a sale or buyer since then.
That means the Triangle's largest restaurant vacancy opened while the property itself is for sale. Whoever signs the next lease for the Yard House space will help set the center's direction for years. Recent openings have favored weekend brunch, afternoon dessert and early-evening dancing. A sale could keep that direction or change it.
For now, a Saturday at the Triangle can easily run from cheesecake on Newport Boulevard at 11 a.m. to a film at Starlight and a late lane at Tavern+Bowl. If you're planning your own weekend nearby, our guide to how locals spend a weekend in Eastside Costa Mesa covers more of the area. For the other big restaurant change nearby this year, see our look at what happened to Playa Mesa and The Country Club on 17th Street.
At Mason Taylor Properties, we follow changes like the Triangle Square vacancy because they shape daily life a few blocks from the homes we help Eastside clients buy and sell. When a new tenant is named, you'll read it here. If you'd like to talk through what changes like this mean for your plans in Eastside Costa Mesa, schedule a confidential buying or selling consultation.
