The food was amazing! The crab cake salad was incredible. No fillers, all crab! My husband loved the French dip as well. The staff is friendly and our waitress was very attentive. We were seated outside by the fire pit which was so very nice! Have been back already! read more

Coastal Kitchen - Crab Cake Salad - New American Near Me - Dana Point, California

Ambience 5 Food 5 Service 5 Value 5 We drove one hour, and spent my birthday afternoon in Dana Point. After some research on Yelp in advance, I pre-selected this place for my birthday dinner, and it did not disappoint!! The restaurant was classy yet lively with some coastal motifs. It had a nice outdoor patio with a fireplace and heaters, and we chose to sit there. We hit the last hour of their lunch menu, so the menu seemed slightly limited, but the food was so Delicious (with a capital D)!! I had crab cake salad, which was full of meaty crab meat with no fillers. Avocado was a good combination. My hubby had crispy chicken cesar salad. We shared a bowl of clam chowder, which was so creamy and rich. We loved parker rolls, and felt like we wanted more. The food was overall on the rich side, but it was gourmet! The waitress was attentive, just right, enough amount. The check came out reasonable for the quality and amount of food we had. We enjoyed the visit so much, and are planning to go back soon. read more

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We made reservations which I would reccomend doing just in case. We parked along the street. The inside is clean & nicely decorated. Our server was very sweet & attentive. We got the pascal jolivet for wine which was lovely. For starters we had the Parker house rolls (to die for), & the spinach/kale dip. For our mains we had the Caesar salad as well as the halibut. Everything was exceptional and I would highly recommend. Will definitely be back. read more

Staff, food, vibe all 10/10! We have been here 4x in the last 2 months. The hummus is really fresh, the chips are delicious and the kale salad is to die for. My husband said the beef dip is the best he has ever had. read more

A gem! The ambiance, service, and food were all great! We came in for lunch last weekend and absolutely enjoyed our meal. Our waitress was the sweetest, most patient woman and was so friendly towards our 3 kids. Our favorite dish was the blackened grouper sandwich. It was a bit salty but was cooked perfectly. I would also recommend asking for the bun to be extra toasted bc it sort of fell apart since it's a brioche bun. We appreciated that that they let you pick from a variety of sides rather than just between fries or a side salad. The fried cauliflower ended up being our favorite. This might just be our new favorite spot in Dana point :) We can't wait to be back! read more

Coastal Kitchen - Blackened Grouper Sandwich with fried cauliflower - New American Near Me - Dana Point, California

I want to give them a 4 but a few things prevented it. The kale artichoke dip was flavorless, the service was sub par...he never brought our drink back, never brought us bread. However, the halibut, veggie burger, grouper sandwich were very good. Def suggest trying it. Maybe next time we'll get better service. read more

Best hamburger in Orange County. The Outlaw burger is big,beautiful and super delicious. Don't forget to order the fries just fresh not from frozen potatoes but in-house made. Super WONDERFUL. You place your order at the counter and then the food is served to your table. We sat outside Saturday evening at 5:30 because it was a lovely evening and we brought our dog. Inside was busy with just a short wait for a table. You try COSTAL COWBOY and you will return and tell your friends about it. I just love the food and the friendly people with a casual atmosphere with happy families. I give it FIVE STARS for every thing.Frank L. read more

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The food is awesome! Compliments to the chef. The service is another story. Our waiter was the WORST! If you get Xander, run, don't walk. He's terrible. No personality and SO rude. He needs to pick another line of work. We should not have tipped him, but we have morals. At the end, he even purposely left our plates, and another server told him to remove them, and he had an attitude with her. He's literally a horrible human being. Will not be back. read more

I have always liked everything about Coastal Kitchen, the food, the ambience and the service. It would be a big improvement if they had a special once in a while. The menu has never changed and while I enjoy whatever I have ordered, it would be an enhancement to add an additional choice once in a while. read more

We LOVE this restaurant. Another beautiful dining experience this week. The crab cake salad is exquisite, lump crab, little to no filler, lightly seared. Tried the chicken sando for the first time and we LOVED it. Easily could have split the generous portion. We always say we're going to skip the Parker house rolls but then one passes the table and we can't resist. Awesome food, every time. Impeccable service. read more

Coastal Kitchen - Chicken sandwich - New American Near Me - Dana Point, California

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Had a lovely time dining with some friends. Service was very attentive and food is served fairly quickly despite it being quite busy. Decorated so pretty for the holidays. We were not rushed from our table but respected the 2 hour limit. Everything was very tasty! Highly recommend the spinach dip and the cosmopolitan to drink!! read more

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Coastal Kitchen has some of the best dining experience you could get in Dana point. The only downside is the parking. Other than that, the staff is amazing, food is starch and fresh, and your surroundings are beautiful. read more

We came on a busy sunday night, and i had to last minute add one more seat to our reservation. the hostess was super accommodating immediately even though i could see the restaurant was obviously packed and was mentally prepared for it to not work out. our waitress was super kind and attentive to our needs. the restaurant was busy but didn't feel too loud! the food was good too! we got a range of halibut, crab cakes, clam chowder, and the chicken! the parking lot was full (fairly small lot), but we found some down the street so not too bad. read more

Big shoutout to RYAN for resolving an issue in an efficient and kindest way I could hope for! THANK YOU. We were enjoy a perfect Saturday family day at the Baby Beach, and got hungry for some good takeout food. A short google search got me to Coastal Kitchen and their menu convinced me they offer the finest meals in the area (4 mins drive from Baby Beach!!). Ordered a nice selection of various portions and each was a celebration of flavors - The Salmon and Halibut were the perfect beach-meals we had right infornt of the ocean. Our boy enjoyed his kids-meal chicken fingers and fries, and the cake desert was a perfect finale. Beautifully and carefuly boxed for to-go. Came the next day for my crab cake salad (which was missed from the order, but Ryan was very courteous providing one anyway, thanks again!) Which was absolutely delicious; and sorry for taking only this single picture of the crab cake - we surely will come back during our next visit in Baby Beach, for more delicious meals. What a great choice! Next time we we surely dine inside, as the place is beautifully designed; very spacious and full of light due to the glass walls and well organized tables and sitting area. The bar is perfect for 1person dinings, with a decent selection of liquors. read more

Coastal Kitchen - Crab cake salad, boxed for to-go - New American Near Me - Dana Point, California

Love this local hotspot! We went on a Thursday evening and it was busy so make sure you make a reservation in advance! I am a steak snob and usually won't order filets at non steak houses but was craving one and I was blown away. It was cooked to perfection and tasted divine. I had a baked potato with butter to accompany it and it was delicious. My husband ordered the crab cake meal and tortilla soup. He said it was fantastic and would recommend that to anyone looking for a seafood dish. We are local and this was our first time here and we are excited to come back and have this be one of our regular spots! read more

Coastal Kitchen - New American Near Me - Dana Point, California

Best crabcakes salad in town!!!!!! Got real crab meat that is not mushy!!! Highly recommended! read more

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Coastal Kitchen in Dana Point is an upscale yet casual New American restaurant situated in a historic 1924 building, the first commercial structure in the city. It is highly regarded for its clean, nautical design, featuring white beadboard, navy accents, and an open kitchen view. The restaurant has a sophisticated beach cottage vibe that is bright and airy. It is known for being lively and high-energy, though some guests find the indoor acoustics quite loud during peak hours. You can choose between two indoor dining rooms, a large marble wrap-around bar, or an outdoor patio equipped with fire pits and heaters. Popular items include the Hawaiian Ribeye, French Dip sandwich, and Parker House rolls served with herb butter. Famous for jumbo lump crab cakes (noted for having no filler), northern halibut, and seared ahi tuna salad. The private parking lot is small and fills quickly, though free street parking is available nearby. Because it is a popular local spot, reservations are strongly recommended, especially for dinner and weekends. read more

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Best restaurant in Dana Point! Very delicious food and top level service. Although it's hard to find a parking spot during the weekend but overall the location and service is top notch! Bravo read more

Coastal Kitchen - New American Near Me - Dana Point, California

Left a review 9 years ago when CK opened and updating it now. Because of its convenient location and nice decor it has been a go-to spot for our group of friends living in DP but recent changes have swayed our opinion of this restaurant. Portions have been reduced in size over the years smaller, smaller, smaller, while prices have gone up up up. A serving of salmon is half the size it used to be and now comes with 1 side, not 2 sides, all at a steep price. Very very noisy and hard to carry on a conversation at tables and booths. Menu has been the same for 9 years, no updates, refreshes, nor specials. Food quality and taste is ok and definitely not exceptional. Service is extremely rushed from the minute one sits down. A definite feeling of get them in and get them out. Now they have restrictions on larger parties of a 2 hour dining max and advise you upon arrival! Very very bad feeling from the moment you walk in! It's too bad because the location is great. Could be a challenge for them when new restaurants open in the harbor. read more

Very nice ambiance indoors and charming fire ice fireplace coziness outdoors. Consistently good food and service, but we would love to see daily specials or new additions to the menu or seasonal changes for more variety to draw us in more often! read more

Coastal Kitchen - New American Near Me - Dana Point, California

I'm a 72 year old man with a neurological issue similar to Parkinson's which cause my hands to shake so naturally when I'm out in public, I try very hard to hide it so I don't have people staring and wondering "What's wrong with that guy" You get it, it can be embarrassing and I'm out with my beautiful wife trying to have a good time on Memorial Day. I noticed CK has these nice tall beer glasses which work very well for me when getting a beer. I almost feel normal like one of you guys. No problem in the past when I ask for my beer in one of those glasses until yesterday when the young (I call her high school) manager tells my waitress I can no longer use that type of glass because it holds two once's more than the Foo Foo glasses. Oh I'm sorry, it really wasn't my intention to try and cheat you out of two once's of a Stone IPA. But wait!!!! The waitress brought me my second beer in the FooFoo but I kept the tall glass from the first beer. My wife poured the FooFoo into the tall glass and guess what.......SAME AMOUNT!!! I didn't try pouring it, would have spilled it . So why would someone make this such a point of contention? My looks? Something I said? or maybe, "I'm the manager and that is against policy!!!" Have you ever been at CK? Lunch and two cocktails is about $200 with tip. Good food gets me past the fact when sitting in the patio it often sounds like your next to an on ramp to the 5 freeway. Good food gets me past the stuffy staff most times. Good food doesn't get me past this nonsense. The waitress was so awkward she just plopped the check down without asking if we wanted another cocktail or maybe a piece of pie. Felt like "Could you just please give me your money and leave" Then a little confrontation with "high school" at the hostess table. Moral of my long review might be. If you're having a great day and find yourself hungry, go to CK. There you can empty your wallet and get insulted all at the same time. It would be funny if it wasn't so pathetic. Go to Tutto Fresco in RSM. It's cheaper. Just as good food if not better. Friendlier and MUCH better ambiance!!!! read more

AR and I came here for my birthday dinner - looking for something new and different. AR had been here once before and suggested it as an option. Coastal Kitchen had been on my radar for a while, but I hadn't found a reason to make the trip until AR gave it the thumbs-up. The restaurant is bright and airy, with large windows, clean, minimalist decor, and a cozy patio that's perfect for sipping something cold and watching the world go by. (We almost sat outside, but it was a bit too chilly that evening; even with the fire pits.) It's the kind of place where you can stroll in straight from the harbor or dress up a little for date night - it works either way. Fire pit - https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=O6EBodP3Fgu_n67efSKnBQ&select=PxN0jYTNEVcdye-iha-Azg AR and I arrived just before 6:30 PM and were greeted warmly by the two young ladies at the front podium. We were quickly seated in a booth, which felt cozy and perfect for the evening. To our surprise, the restaurant was fairly busy - unexpected for Super Bowl Sunday when most people were likely glued to their TVs watching Kansas City and Philadelphia battle it out. It was nice to see we weren't the only ones out enjoying dinner that evening. Our server, Ricardo, was fantastic - friendly, helpful, and super knowledgeable about the menu. He struck the perfect balance between being attentive without hovering. It's clear that the staff here are well-trained; you'll never feel rushed, but you won't be left wondering where your server disappeared to, either. If you're unsure about what to order, just ask - they've got great recommendations. In our case, Ricardo nailed it with his starter suggestions, and we were off to a great start. Our order: Cajun Shrimp Starter - Very good; served in rich sauce. Photo - https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=O6EBodP3Fgu_n67efSKnBQ&select=5d7RVWbeQriygjSlftm-Lg Parker House Rolls Starter - Good; rich. Photo - https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=O6EBodP3Fgu_n67efSKnBQ&select=MIazEkIqlvJJNlvD5VFjwg Jalapeno Margarita - Okay; fair pour. Dark & Stormy w/Capt Morgan - Okay; fair pour. Photo - https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=O6EBodP3Fgu_n67efSKnBQ&select=wxLX3g1FUluEKkqyOOivKw Hawaiian Ribeye - Okay; marinade was too sweet for my taste; teriyaki ribeye. Photo - https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=O6EBodP3Fgu_n67efSKnBQ&select=gvD302OnLr3JxhZJwIJAag Crab Cakes - Good; tasty in a mustard sauce. Photo - https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=O6EBodP3Fgu_n67efSKnBQ&select=hEL12rzC1q7KGUu9kOztMw Spiced Old Fashion Jalapeno Margarita - Good; good pour. Paloma Martini - Good; good pour. Photo - https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=O6EBodP3Fgu_n67efSKnBQ&select=TSXd8r9Inl-U6gFYXxUavQ Grand total: $240 (Including tip) Overall, for the $$$, it was "good," not great. Coastal Kitchen strikes a nice balance - perfect for a casual lunch or a celebratory dinner. The ambiance is polished yet approachable, the kind of place locals love but visitors stumble upon and rave about. While the prices lean on the higher side, the quality of food, drinks, and atmosphere makes for a pleasant experience. Treat yourself - you'll leave satisfied! - Big Aloha! Food/Drinks: 3+ Ambiance: 4 Service: 5 Value: 4 read more

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I finally had the opportunity to have dinner here with my husband! This was his first time eating at this restaurant. We were seated on the patio quickly which was so nice because the weather of course was fantastic and we were seated next to the fire pit, which makes for a nice romantic evening. Our servers assistant come take our drink order immediately. Then Tanya, who I have been lucky enough to have before came to take our cocktail and appetizer order. Tonight I branched out and had the chicken dinner, which was really difficult for me to do... I ALWAYS order the pork chop! It has been my only meal here since they first opened! We started out, of course, with the trout dip, which was as good as always! I love this restaurant and can't wait to return! read more

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Just finished my visit to CC! Once again the service was excellent (our waiter was very cute). The meal (crab cake salad was delicious as usual. The crab cake was pure delicious crab, the dressing was very citrusy, and the avocado, corn and grapefruit slices were delicious as usual. My friend had the French dip sandwich and I had a taste. Excellent prime rib and Cole slaw. The restaurant has a fun and sunny vibe. The people watching is wonderful. Coastal Kitchen never disappoints! Once you go you know. read more

Wonderful place with a delightful coastal ambiance and delicious food. Our server, Nicole, provided excellent service, making the experience even more enjoyable. The crab cake was absolutely delicious--perfectly crispy on the outside and flavorful inside. Highly recommend! read more

Coastal Kitchen - Burger and Crab Cake Salad - New American Near Me - Dana Point, California

We came to the Coastal Kitchen for my wife's birthday a few days ago. We visit Dana Point twice a year and finally ate here. What an absolute treat it was. We had lunch and were seated outside, which added to the wonderful experience we were treated to. The atmosphere was perfect, and the food was outstanding! There's no other way to say it. We had the clam chowder, ahi salad, crab cake salad, and then dessert. We split the butter cake with vanilla ice cream. Wow!! Probably the best we've ever had. In addition, and worth commenting on, was the excellent service we received. Our waitress was very attentive and friendly. She was very personable. We were impressed by all the servers though. They are obviously well trained, but very professional in appearance and the way they carry out their duties. Our experience couldn't have been better. We will definitely return. Keep up the good work. read more

Pro Review: My names Tommy J (aka pro yelp reviewer). I currently stopped by coastal kitchen, I was told my wait would be 25-30 minutes. Welp I waited about 40-45. Was a bit frustrating but it's the things we deal with as a pro yelp reviewer. At this point I was getting ready to give a bad review. When I sat down, my waitress seemed in a bad mood. Now I talked to this young lady and she started to open up and get a bit better. The food was solid but I had to wait a while on the bread. I recommend this place, but service could improve. Tommy J out... read more

Great vibe at this local spot in Dana Point. On a Sunday afternoon, it wasn't too crowded and my daughter and I got a table quickly. The menu was varied and there were a lot of good choices. I had the grouper sandwich. Man, It's hard to find Grouper on the west coast. I love it though, best thing about Florida is the Grouper. It was delicious. My daughter had the quinoa salad and friend cauliflower. She liked them both. I'd like to go back here sometime for cocktails and appetizers. :) Service was fine and friendly. Overall, nice place. read more

Met a friend for an impromptu late lunch here today, and it was DELICIOUS. We had cherry Cokes, the pan bread appetizer, the seared ahi tuna salad, and some butter cake for dessert. It's pricey -- the salad alone was $30 -- but it was amazing. The butter cake was tasty but kind of hard on the exterior... it was somewhat difficult to cut into at first. Our server was incredible, though... she made great recommendations, refilled our drinks, took our late dessert order, and didn't seem to mind that we spent hours just hanging out and chatting. The restaurant is beautiful on the inside as well -- so fun to get to watch the chefs do their thing as we chatted and ate. We'll be back! read more

Coastal Kitchen - Ahi Tuna Salad. - New American Near Me - Dana Point, California

We came here for an early dinner on a weeknight. We had reservations and were seated and greeted by our server right away. My crab cake was absolutely the best I've ever tasted, and I've eaten many on the east coast, both in Boston and Baltimore. It was full of large chunks of tasty crab with hardly any filler. Yum! My husband's French Dip sandwich had perfectly seasoned, tender beef and was accompanied by homemade coleslaw. read more

The food was delicious, and the service was excellent. We ordered the Parker house rolls, and I loved them. If you don't like herbs, ask for regular butter. My hubby ate around it because he didn't like the herbed butter on top. I ordered the double-cut pork chops. They're a monster. I ate a quarter of them. The fig compote is good but very sweet, so go easy on it. My hubby got the cheesesteak "sandwich" served on a brioche bun. He liked it very much. I did get a little grossed out looking up at the chandelier. The bulbs were caked with dust, and there was a spider web running across them. I didn't like that it was right above our table. I caution about parking if you're not used to this area. It's a pain, and parking is very limited. We parked pretty far off one of the streets. read more

Coastal Kitchen - New American Near Me - Dana Point, California

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Coastal Kitchen gives me vibes of Cape Cod. Staff always immaculately dressed and attentive. Seafood menu is top notch and fresh, yet reasonably priced. The New England clam chowder is legitimately from Down East. Crab Cake salad is wonderful, as is the halibut. New menu item is the blackened grouper sandwich. Tender and flaky, superb in a sandwich. Come here to hangout with some gin & tonics. Classic east coast beach vibes. read more

Coastal Kitchen - Pork chop - New American Near Me - Dana Point, California

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I usually really love this place, even though it's on the pricier side and often the service team always seems inconvenienced by your existence. Numerous times the food has been hit or miss, and the miss is usually at night for their dinner menu. Of an appetizer and two entrees at the table, not one thing was cooked properly. The shrimp were curled up and rubbery, the broccoli is offensively wet, undercooked and drenched in lemon juice. The halibut was the saltiest thing I've ever tasted in my life and the salmon was overcooked as well. Not sure what happened here but I left feeling like I was robbed read more

Chef has this place Rocking! Great food, service, and craft drinks. On PCH good vibes Thumbs up read more

Good food and date night spot. Love their steak , oysters and mashed potatoes. Never had a bad experience here read more

Haven't been here in a while, but realized that one of the things that I love is the Caesar salad with grilled salmon, It's actually not on the menu, but they always make an exception and tweak it a little bit for me . The service was great. We had a guy named Nick was on fire great stories very attentive.. great with the recommendations even though we have all been there quite a few times. Somehow, we got talked into two desserts. They're famous butter, cake, and the hot fudge sundae. Both , to die for... So damn good .... There's limited parking in the back of the restaurant, but there's also parking across the street . They have these great heaters outside, but I recommend sitting on the inside . It's Cozy. read more

Coastal Kitchen - The butter cake and the hot fudge sundae - New American Near Me - Dana Point, California

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I have been here several times and it's one of my favorite places to go when I'm in the area. To start, we order the Parker house rolls and they are absolutely delicious. Freshly baked and dolloped with pesto butter and flaky salt, they are perfect. I always order the crispy chicken Caesar and it's the right combination of fresh and indulgent. The chicken is crispy and seasoned well and the dressed salad is bright. The kids menu is really great. My son loves their chicken tenders and fries. Kids meals come with an ice cream sandwich. We always make a reservation when we visit so we never have to wait for a table. The restaurant is clean and bright. I have no negative comments to share! read more

Coastal Kitchen - Yum - New American Near Me - Dana Point, California

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We went for Happy Hour...service and vibe were great! I love the decor and the energy here The cocktails were refreshing and delicious with a generous pour. The food was delicious too! I'll be a regular read more

Second time here, drove down from Laguna Woods specifically to eat here. My wife Nancy had scottish salmon first visit, loved it but opted for filet mignon. Friend had french dip sandwich, said it was very good. I had what I came for, the danish ribs. Nancy noted the filet may well have been the best ever and she has one a week on average. My ribs were again terrific, crispy but yet moist and tender, did not need a knife. Very flavorful. oh, for us an added plus was they have a n/a beer. Nancy's ice cream sundae was really good, vanilla with choc. sauce. My buttercake was very good, friend's key lime pie he noted as so-so. Service was friendly, competent and caring. Plates were cleared in a timely manner, etc. The staff is obviously a major asset to this business. Atmosphere.. as we knew before making our reservation, it was noisy to the point that conversation was difficult, and our servers had trouble hearing us. If weather allows next time will eat outside. Value.....fairly pricey, but we feel worth it. read more

I Like coast kitchen for special occasions but it is loud and kind of crowded. When I have made reservations for 5-6 people we are always seated by the kitchen, which can be kind of noisy and if you have a 6th person, they have to put a chair at the end of a booth. Their standard booths are a bit tight if you have larger people, but it is a standard size booth. It is most comfortable to 2. I took my friends there for my birthday and converted 1 of them into a regular, weekly customer. She goes for their ribs and she is one of the pickiest eaters you can imagine. I have mixed feelings about this place read more