White House Restaurant

The historic White House Restaurant building in Laguna Beach was constructed in 1918 and is one of the city’s oldest extant structures. Built in a Cottage style with gabled roof and dormers, the restaurant has operated under different names like as the Waldorf Astoria and Bird’s Cafe, but it’s the nickname describing its blanched exterior that has stuck the longest. The restaurant has occupied different sections of the building, with bars, nightclubs and a radio station occupying other sections over time. Said to be the longest continuously operated restaurant in Orange County, the restaurant was shuttered in 2019. The Laguna Beach City Council approved a plan to renovate the White House bar and restaurant into Finney’s Crafthouse, dubbed Finney’s at The White House, in 2021.

Laguna Beach, Orange County
Photographer: Andrew Schmidt