We always have a good time playing pool on well kept pool tables. The food, service, and a choice of music from the jukebox. I recommend The Blue Dolphin. We've had girls night there. read more

Rude owner experience when we came in. Wasn't friendly when ID'd our group and it immediately set the tone. Was watching closely on how we were playing pool and telling us every move we can and cant do. Just wanted to have a night out and just moved here! Definitely could have been friendlier as a business owner myself. Left after a game read more

Pretty lame place definitely gonna be out of business within a year or two, they only allow 21 over even though it's a restaurant.

Great pool tables, great prices, friendly service, FIRE food!!! Dive bar ambiance. Juke box, quarter tables and hourly tables. read more

Blue Dolphin Restaurant & Billiards - House special line in - Pool Halls Near Me - Dana Point, California

I can't attest to the food but the pool tables were pretty good and lots of them.. maybe 12 - on a Saturday night, I waited only about 5 minutes for a pool table. Table I played on had good tournament cloth and cushions had decent life.. table played true. Tons of 9 footers! The service was pretty good for a place that size with not too many servers. Ambiance was good.. clean, tables appropriately spaced and music played pretty good. Not too pricey considering the location. No issue with parking.. lots of spaces even on a Saturday night.. place handles the crowd well. I was surprised that I had never heard of this place and only found it when looking on the APA website. They seem not too interested in advertising. If in southern Orange County and you get the bug to shoot some pool, I don't think you can go wrong with this colorful marine mammal. read more

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I love the Dolphin! Dive Bar style Pool Hall. Plenty of pool tables to go around. Other options as well like darts and ping pong. The food is pretty dang good as well! We usually get the Buffalo Wings, they're tasty and meaty, but pretty spicy! Would always recommend read more

Fantastic Lo Mein & Chicken Wings. Do not skip this!!!! The bartender POW is a dime a dozen. read more

Strange place... It doesn't really feel like a restaurant, more bar-like with billiards. However, the grub is GOOD, at least the noodle dish I had after Ohana Fest on a Friday night. Upon walking in, my buddy said, "Let's get out of here." I replied, "Hold on tuff guy, I'm starving and I think they have food." Thankfully, we made it far enough to be greeted by a waitress, upon which I asked, "Are you serving food right now?" She replied with an enthusiastic, "Yes! And if you like noodles, our noodles are REALLY good!" So, we took a seat in the dimly lit table area and ordered two plates of noodles. Again, it felt like I was sitting in a dive bar with lots of pool tables, not a restaurant. While waiting for our food, I people watched (what fun!) It was a mixed crown of what seemed like decent people enjoying themselves. Finally the noodles arrived - a huge plate of deliciously prepared veggies, meats, shrimps and noodles - DELICIOUS! Probably enough to have shared, but since I hadn't eaten in several hours, I dug in and ate most of it myself. Seriously, the noodles were great and cost about $15. Service? Minimal, but that was fine. Funny, my buddy returned two nights later with his compadres after another day at Ohana. I'll return... 4 solid stars (noodles were 5 stars for sure!) read more

Played here last night and had a fun time. Came back tonight and he (same owner id anssume) asked for all of our ID's again and rejected my younger sister who recently turned 21. Said, "She looks young and we don't need your business". We offered to bring the cops to verify and he said, "we don't need them here" Sketchy... read more

Great spot! Great food n tables!Elevated dive bar in DP! Music, Mixed crowd, all ages! Busy place, even in pouring rain. read more

Amazing pool place and restaurant with lovely ambiance . Location is also in fabulous Dana point we with so many places to go to and enjoy the ocean read more

Just got denied as a 22 year old because I looked too young. Showed them a scannable document from my passport and obviously my physical ID when we arrived but they don't accept out of state IDs is what the bartender told us. So you can only go here if you're a California resident . Tried proving my age thru various options but wasn't good enough for bartender. Bummer. Rlly wanted to have a beer and play pool. read more

If you're nasty just stay away y'all kill the vibe This place is a great and Pow is awesome! The food is 10/10 and I always have a fantastic time with friends. read more

Ah, the Blue Dolphin -- where the only thing murkier than the water is the pricing. Walking into this place felt like entering a seafood-themed escape room, except the challenge was figuring out how much anything cost. Menus? Optional. Prices? Classified. Asking how much something costs here is treated like a national security breach. We were told "don't worry, it's market price!" which, in Dolphin-speak, translates to: "You'll find out how badly we scammed you when the bill arrives and you're too embarrassed to argue because you already ate the shrimp." The food? Fine. The vibes? Wet and confused. The bill? A jump scare. If you enjoy gambling with your bank account and hate knowing what you're paying for, the Blue Dolphin is your spiritual home. I didn't order a magic show, but somehow my money vanished anyway. read more

Grade A establishment. Chuck loves to joke around but when writing about the BD he's all business. The bd is a dp staple. Nice tables and cold skis. Can't ask for much more. Back in the day chuck beat famous fast Eddie Felson in a game of nine ball. Had to be there to believe it. read more

Place is filthy and the owner who is the only worker was very unwelcoming and rude. It feels like he doesn't want people in there because when you order and ask for a pool table, he only gives short answers and is not nice at all. It felt like we were forcing him to do us a favor. Very upset owner, don't know how the place is still in business. Do not recommend even if you're going to just play pool. Bad vibes read more

What a cool place, me and my friends have gone twice and for sure will be back. Food/ drink decent drink for a pool hall. They get a little short staffed sometimes and maybe there's a wait to order, so someone else has to take my turn at pool!! (What a drag eh!) LOL seriously after reading some of the poor reviews I'm amazed at what people think they deserve. Juke box is awesome especially how you can play on the app, and even jump the line if you pay a little extra!! read more

The owner of the blue dolphin makes delicious lo-mein. There's ping pong and pool tables and a full bar. He always seems to be there and is funny and knowledgeable of the full menu and amenities. They also sell lotto and scratchers which is so fun. It's not an upscale place, it is fun and lots to do. Always a good time. Get the lo-mein, you won't be disappointed. Absurdly good. read more

Pao is incredible! My husband and I have been coming here for 15+ years! We highly recommend the House Combination Noodle, the Chicken Wings, and the Patty Melt. It's soooo freaking good! The place is super clean and the service is good! We try to come at least once a week. Not to mention, we have pool, darts,Foosball! read more

Blue Dolphin Restaurant & Billiards - Patty melt. - Pool Halls Near Me - Dana Point, California

Great food, amazing service, great dive bar! The owner is there everyday and only closes 2 days out of the year! It's a one man show!

Request: It would be nice to have some competitive element here. Free dollar tables or 1-2 tables with a chalkboard to challenge. Something to draw people in. Alternatives: Free pool is available at Sunsets (8ft), Mulligans (6 tables), Oles/Goodys (Weekdays-8(?)) nearby. Free pool means I'll spend more on food/drinks. Otherwise, it's the only pool hall in the area. Tables upstairs too. Food is good. 80s atmosphere. No TVs to watch a game, except at the bar. No music unless you pay for something on the jukebox. There's a ping pong table. read more

Just got the badge for being a regular so might as well share some of my experience! Pow is the man that runs the whole billiards bar and restaurant. Last night was a typical Thursday night. My pals and I went to get sangriasss and then decided to continue our night and play some pool. We got there and the parking lot was packed! There's a massive parking lot so we easily found a spot. It was super packed and when I asked for a table they were sold out! Blue Dolphin is a two story building with pool tables on each floor. It wasn't too big of a deal since the bar was open and I knew my friends wanted some drinks. Thankfully at this time some tables were opening up. We ordered drinks, got out Pool balls, and made our way upstairs. It was my pal Hansen's first time playing and he was excited! One thing about Blue Dolphin is the people who play here. Everyone is such a vibe and are more than happy to play a couple rounds with you. We played some rounds with other players which was fun! Last night B the server was so helpful and nice. She kept checking on us, cleaning up our empty cups, and offering to bring us another round. Her and Pow really help make this place unique and worth coming back. This is a great play to relax and play some pool. Just remember that service might be a little slow due to it only being one guy. Stop by Blue Dolphin next time your in town, you won't regret it! read more

Blue Dolphin Restaurant & Billiards - Playing pool, having drinks, and paying to play The Black Eyed Peas - Pool Halls Near Me - Dana Point, California

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When I first walked in, the smell reminded me of an 80 year old grandma's house. It was musty and disgusting for being as close to the beach. And then you walk over to the bar and you feel like you are in a hockey match. Pow behind the bar is adding to the rudeness with his nasty attitude. Plus - strawberry vodka. Minus - everything else. Skip this place at all costs. Sad that it has so much potential! read more

Always a great spot to come after work!! I would have never thought the best chow mein in town would be from a pool hall!! So many pool tables and great staff! read more

Blue Dolphin Restaurant & Billiards - House chow mein - Pool Halls Near Me - Dana Point, California

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This place is awesome!! Pow is amazing, so personable and kind. He made our visit extremely memorable and we will definitely be back! Thank you again Pow! read more

We always have the best service and food here.The pool tables and beverage prices are a plus!!

The bar is run by one person does one hell of job too! So if you are someone who's impatient, you're going out to wait a bit. Great alcohol selection, great pool tables. Come here with a date or friends and have a great time! read more

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coors light - 10/10 shrimp fried rice - 10/10 pao - 10/10 thanks for being here for the late night people xoxo gossip girl read more

Best pool hall in town, tables are always pristine, and always available because there are tons!! Foods pretty good, drinks are cheap, what else could you ask for?!?! Great vibes on the weekend. Pow is the man!! read more

Blue Dolphin Restaurant & Billiards - Downstairs, only half the room - Pool Halls Near Me - Dana Point, California

Great service great tables and a great place to have fun for any pool player. First time here, definitely will be back! read more

Blue Dolphin Restaurant & Billiards - Great service, great tables, and a great place to have fun for any pool player - Pool Halls Near Me - Dana Point, California

Went on a Saturday night. Fairly busy, but not too crowded. It was just 2 of us, so we ordered drinks and played ping pong while we waited for a pool table to open up. Had to wait about 10 min. Server was very kind, bartender was busy and direct. Overall it was a clean place with decent tables and cheap drinks. You pay hourly for the tables. Would come back again. read more

With how overly foofy bars and restaurants are is getting these days, a place like The Blue Dolphin is so undervalued. The place is big, they have great Chinese food and the cocktail bar is fully stocked. The owner, Pao, is a great guy and is always looking to make the experience more enjoyable to his customers. The pool tables are in great condition because the owner sees to it that they are cared for and maintenanced properly. Pao also has a vast catalog of pool supplies via special order available for his customers, which is really convenient. I really enjoy this place. I hope it's here for many years to come! read more

This place is great. The perfect dive spot in DP for drinks, pool, and yummy food. Glad the place exists! Service was good and the pizza wasn't bad!! read more

We were in town for a company function and wanted to find a place to shoot pool. We had a great time and would return. This is a perfect place for hanging out, shooting pool and grabbing a bite to eat read more

The wings are so so good here. All of the other food is too! Great place to shoot some pool, play ping pong, and / or throw darts.

Great wings and pork fried rice. Friendly service, and good drink prices. Coming back again in the future!

Man!!! I am consistently amazed by this place. The owner is the hardest working man I've seen with the most amazing customer service. The food is to die for (I always get the lo mein, and I can't move past it - it's too good), and of course you can't beat the pool entertainment. If you're looking for a casual evening of fun with the best customer service, reasonable prices, and amazing food - look no further. I continue to come back with the same experience every single time read more

Awesome pool hall with actually good food, fun music and my god it's clean! You know that smell you get when you walk into a pool bar and want to puke? I would eat a Sandwitch off the floor in this place. And yes, that club Sandwitch was good!! Blue Dolphin is a great spin in Dana Point for pool and fun. We will be back for sure! read more

Stopped by at 11pm on a Sunday and it's closed yo . Maybe update your hours or get better employees.

Listen, if you have ever worked in a restaurant, you know. You know how hard it can be. I witnessed the master at work tonight. The bartender/chef/server/the man was incredible! No one waited, service was incredible and the food was excellent! This is the best late night out. I am so impressed! Can't wait to come back! read more

Blue Dolphin Restaurant & Billiards - a neon sign - Pool Halls Near Me - Dana Point, California