Hostess Elijah and waiter Charles made sure our evening was absolutely wonderful…read more My dad is visiting from out of town, and we always make sure to come here at least once when he visits. Highly recommend the sea bass, the petit bistro salad, and the artichoke appetizer. If you plan on visiting on a weekend, make sure to make a reservation!

This place gets packed on a Sat night - I wasn't able to get a reservation even a few weeks before,…read morebut luckily we snagged 2 spots at the bar after 30 mins hovering like sharks. I was also on the open table waitlist, which literally pinged me the minute we paid our tab (about 2 hours). The bar staff is great and keeps things moving. Great martinis, and overall we enjoyed our food (blackened fish sandwich with fries and the bistro plate) and the energetic vibe. Not 5 stars because I ordered the filet medium rare and it came well-done, and the French onion soup was lukewarm with a slice of unmelted cheese floating on top. Also the floor was oddly slippery, and it was actually comical watching people a few drinks deep trying to navigate to the bathroom without falling. This is in a main tourist drag so my expectations were managed, and I'd still come back for drinks when I'm in the area. It's only a 10 min walk from Pageant of the Masters, though valet parking (down the street at their sister restaurant South of Nicks) closes around 10:30pm so plan accordingly.

Delicious, well prepared, elevated Mexican dishes with an artisan's aesthetic flare to put it…read moremildly. From the beef options to the ever so delightful seafood options - your tastebuds will enjoy a night out here. Atmosphere is energetic and most inviting. Excellent for a date night or book a gathering - you'll be well cared for - staff is most welcoming. Views across PCH allow glimpses of the ocean and sunset beyond. Highly recommend / suggest you make a reservation.

PHENOMENAL dinner service from the waiters here. Great cocktail pairing recommendations with meal,…read moresuper attentive, always delivered, and great end to my engagement night. Would 100% come back. That said, I'd admit, a certain DTLA Michelin restaurant has set my expectations of south of border seafood cuisine a bit too high (starts with H) so I'll try to be reasonable. Also the items picked were surprisingly huge and i was too full to finish my meal. 9/10 The chips tasted delicious, bean dip was something new and delicious, salsa was fresh and bold, and the roasted pepper salsa was surprisingly not too spicy, really good. 8/10 trio de cheviche. Good assortment and size of the dish. Shrimp was ok, I felt it was missing something, octopus was good, my personal favorite was the marinaded tuna. 8/10 seafood chile relleno, not a bad assortment, sides were good, large portions of food. 10/10 Coco rita, this margarita is definitely something different! And pairs with everything amazingly, I love it, and this is coming from someone who normally hates coconut. 9/10 they brought out this chocolate cake I dont see on the menu but they will if it's your birthday, but in my case to celebrate my new engagement. Super moist. The place is really loud ambient wise when busy which was around 8pm which is normal of any popular place but after near closing around 9:30 is pretty quiet and casual on a Sunday. Total bill after a 21% tip ran me total $165 and I had leftovers. Free chips, 1 large giant appetizer, and 1 large entree could potentially feed 3 people if you don't eat a lot. If you don't wanna have leftovers, go easy on the chips but that's gonna be hard.

I've been here a few times, and this time was no different - the food, service, and ambience was…read moreamazing. Some places sell mediocre food just because there's a view and they think they can get away with it. Everything ties together here. Janelle was our server last night and she was sweet, attentive, and very polite. We were lucky to sit outside, closer to the street, and had a great view of the ocean. Food was great: Duck wings: 10/10, sticky sauce that's so addicting Bone in ribeye: 9/10, not a huge fan of blue cheese but the steak was great! Cioppino: 10/10, the rosemary focaccia paired really well and was perfect to soak up the soup! Overall, we'd definitely come back again. It's also a sister restaurant to Ironwood (Laguna Hills) and Olea (Newport Beach) so there's a similar menu with some apps/entrees/desserts only specifically to that restaurant.

This restaurant is definitely a place in which I'd return to! Although this place had an error upon…read moreour initial visit, that error occurred due to how busy it was. Sal, the man in charge at the time-- apologized to my party and was more than willing to make sure we don't leave his restaurant hungry. He was willing to create a second chance for us to change our opinion of their restaurant. And our opinions changed in a snap! He lead us to be seated in sight for the beautiful laguna beach. Their hospitality & attentiveness the second time was more than enough to compensate our initial experience. The food that was served to us was worth the wait for every bite! I'd like to thank Sal for making it out of his way to ensure that anyone that comes into his restaurant leaves satisfied! Also a big thank you to Mariah, as she made my party feel welcomed. Another big shout out to the kind lady bussing tables and serving waters for her kindness and speed! No apologies were expected by my party and I, but we're grateful to have this experience tonight.

Driftwood Kitchen made our 30th anniversary celebration absolutely unforgettable. From the moment…read morewe arrived, the setting felt special. We were seated at a beautiful balcony table overlooking the ocean, and the view created the perfect atmosphere for such an important milestone in our lives. The evening became even more remarkable when we had the unexpected opportunity to watch a SpaceX rocket launch from our table. Seeing it rise into the sky over the ocean while celebrating three decades of marriage was a once-in-a-lifetime moment that we will always remember. The food was excellent, and the clam chowder deserves special recognition. It was rich, flavorful, and easily the best clam chowder we can remember having. We have enjoyed plenty of chowder in New England over the years, and Driftwood Kitchen's version rivaled any of them. As wonderful as the food, view, and rocket launch were, the true highlight of our evening was Bianca W. She went far beyond what anyone would expect from a server. She was warm, attentive, thoughtful, and genuinely caring. Bianca treated us not simply as customers, but as people celebrating a meaningful chapter in our lives. Her kindness and personal attention made us feel truly valued and turned an already memorable dinner into an extraordinary anniversary experience. Exceptional service is always appreciated, but Bianca brought something even more meaningful: sincerity, warmth, and a genuine desire to make our evening special. Thank you, Driftwood Kitchen, and especially Bianca, for giving us a celebration we will treasure for years to come. We could not recommend this restaurant or Bianca more highly.

I am so profoundly disappointed in my experience at driftwood kitchen. I will start with the…read moreextremely few positives, the view is incredible and the young lady hosting was personable and helpful. She got us sat on the patio with a view promptly and with a smile. Now onto the rest of the experience! The website recommends arriving early to your reservation, which we did. Our reservation was for around 7 and we checked in at a little after 6:35. We were sat at approximately 6:50pm and proceeded to wait to be greeted for over 15 minutes (see timestamped photos below). This was frustrating as there didn't seem to be any reason why we were waiting so long. There were quite a few servers working, plenty of servers assistants helping out, and the restaurant wasn't huge (maybe 30-40 tables). As someone that works in the industry, there was no true reason for us to wait so long to be greeted and if there was, it should've been communicated. Once we were finally greeted, we immediately ordered two appetizers and told our server that we were still deciding on entrees. Our server did not return to check on us or grab entree orders until 5 minutes after our appetizers were delivered. By this point, it has been over 30 minutes since sitting down and our full order still isn't in. It almost felt like we were intentionally being neglected because we are young (gen z age) in a "fancier" restaurant and they assumed we would be difficult/not tip. Not that it matters, but my fellow diner and I make it a point to be especially kind and polite to service workers and almost always tip over 20% as we are service workers as well. The vibes were strange and continued to get worse as our experience continued. Luckily, all the food came out in a timely manner and we were so excited to dig in. I ordered the scallop meal which was delicious, but unfortunately, our other entree was fully inedible. We ordered the salmon and it came out raw!!! At first, we weren't sure if this was normal cook/preparation so we stopped eating it to wait and ask the server, but it took so long for us to be checked on again that we ended up eating the two fingerling potatoes it came with and letting the salmon sit and get cold. Thank goodness we stopped eating it because the server took the plate back to the kitchen and let us know that the chef agreed it was undercooked. Outside of the obvious issue of eating incorrectly prepared fish, their "solution" to the problem was to offer us 50% off the dish. I would understand this sentiment if we reordered a correctly cooked plate, but we sent it back and didn't ask for another. Also this place is advertised as FINE DINING! In what fine dining restaurant would you serve unsafe and improperly prepared food and not fully comp that plate?! I was shocked. I have never in my life done this before, but I asked my server if we could speak with the manager. He obliged, but with an attitude of "oh shocker these people are causing issues just like I assumed they would." Our server was never impolite, but he put no effort into serving us and seemed to expect the worst from us. This sentiment carried through to the manager as well. After briefly explaining the issue with the salmon, and choosing to omit our terrible serving experience, the manager did not even apologize. He quickly smiled and said "we will take it off," and immediately walked off. The interaction was strange and felt almost patronizing. After this, we quickly got the check and just left. My dining partner was stressed about eating the undercooked salmon and I felt incredibly uncomfortable and disappointed. Despite the subpar service and food issues, I still tipped my server over 20% to avoid being perceived as the "problem customer" that was being projected. I will warn any person that comes here that if you're not the target demographic, you will be neglected and left disappointed. MOST of the food here was actually lovely and the views were perfect, but that can't make up for the poor service and improperly prepared food. Dine with caution.

Took my mother-in-law here for her birthday and we all had such a great experience!…read more We got there around 4-4:15pm and had about a 20 minute wait, but we were able to find a high top table that we got to sit at and were able to order drinks from the bar, so that helped to pass our time. We got seated at our table at our table around 4:30p and had the most perfect view of the ocean! *we went on a Friday night and noticed the patio cleared out about 4:45-5pm and I didn't appear to have a lot of people waiting during that time. The main patio was covered with umbrellas, so once you are seated for dinner, there was plenty of umbrellas for shade and heaters for when it got a little cooler. For our food orders, and as recommended by our server, we went with their seafood options and ordered their Pacific Ceviche for an appetizer and for Entrees my husband got the Roasted Halibut and me and my mother-in-law both got the Scallop and Shrimp pasta. We all loved our dishes and were very satisfied with our choices. Their menu does have non-seafood options, but why not to try what they're most prominent for? They don't have a dessert menu, but they heard that we were celebrating mom's birthday so they brought us a little Toffee Cake to share and enjoy...and for a place that doesn't have dessert, the cake was pretty delicious. Such a cute place all around. My husband and I can't wait to go back! Parking - they have valet parking available right in front of the restaurant or theres street metered parking in the surrounding area.

I was really hoping for a great lunch, but unfortunately the experience was disappointing…read more The poke and mussels were actually very good, which makes it even more frustrating that the rest of the meal fell so short. I ordered the scallop and shrimp pasta, and on my very first bite of the scallop, it had a strong ammonia taste--a common sign that seafood has gone bad. After that, I completely lost my appetite and couldn't eat the rest of my meal. My daughter ordered the cioppino, and after checking the seafood in her dish, we noticed the scallop was also very rubbery and didn't seem fresh either. Fresh seafood is something restaurants should never compromise on. Based on this experience, I can't recommend eating here and would suggest trying another restaurant instead.

Great food and ambience! Nice big bar. Nice booths…read more The French Onion soup was excellent, nice and bold. The Lumberyard Planks (fried zucchini) were good. We preferred ranch instead of their lemon aioli. The ribs were hit or miss. One precut section was overcooked and dry. The remaining sections were wonderfully nice and tender and delicious. The BBQ sauce was the molassesy kind I like. They had New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. The Pizza Port Blonde beer was fine.

While looking at nearby restaurants for Valentine's Day dinner, we decided to book a reservation at…read moreLumberyard. We had never heard of Lumberyard before, but the menu seemed to have balanced selection of land and sea offerings. So this was perfect for both of us. Lumberyard is located in a walkable section of Laguna Beach, in the heart of all of the action. The ocean/beach is a quick walk from the front door, so this is the perfect location for dinner and an evening stroll. Parking is challenging as you have the option of parking in the lot across the street or in the structure down the road. Traffic is also quite heavy as Laguna Canyon is a road that is heavily traveled. Lumberyard is a restaurant that offers an intimate dining experience with more of a laid back vibe. It's kind of dark inside as they keep the lights dimmed. The bar is front and center and takes up a good portion of the restaurant. There's a small section toward the front, just behind the hostess where live bands play a small set for guests. The menu has a nice selection of items that appealed to both of us. I am an incredibly picky eater, often focusing on vegetarian dishes or seafood. I ended up ordering the Parmesan crusted sole with mashed potatoes and lemon butter with a Shirley Temple. My husband ordered chicken pot pie and a creamsicle mocktail. I liked the presentation of the whole meal. My Shirley Temple had little heart candies floating atop of it. So cute! As for our meals, I can say that this was well worth the price. I took a bite of the pie crust on my husband's chicken pot pie and it tasted homemade. It was delicious! My sole was pretty tasty! The lemon butter was super creamy and it added more flavor to an already tasty piece of fish. The potatoes were light and fluffy! The meal was delicious! Our experience at Lumberyard was great. People from all walks of life were there that evening. Some people were dressed in jeans with sneakers while others were dressed to impress. The staff were very professional and our waiter was attentive. Our experience at Lumberyard was quite nice and we would definitely return for another date night in the near future.

***Little Gem in Laguna Beach***…read more A great restaurant located in the heart of Laguna Beach. This was our second time here and it did not disappoint. My husband and I wandered in on a Saturday afternoon. The restaurant has nice indoor and patio seating. Since there was some construction we decided to eat inside. They have a nice drink selection, I had an Espresso martini, which was the perfect pick me up. My husband ordered IPA. My husband ordered the House Cheeseburger, which was the size of a double patty. It comes with the perfect melted white cheddar cheese. I ordered the Chipotle Lime Chicken Sandwich, which was delicious. The havarti and guacamole are the perfect topping. I don't know if they make their own buns but they are so delicious. The service was excellent . Food: 5/5 Service 5/5 Ambiance 5/5 If you find yourself in Laguna Beach, don't sleep on this restaurant.

We were in Laguna Beach on a beautiful Friday afternoon and wanted a quick snack, but mostly wanted…read moreto kick off happy hour. This area just across PCH has always been a convenient place to grab something, but it's even better now that they've closed off the street and turned it into a promenade of sorts. The restaurants have expanded their outdoor seating and during the summer they have live musicians playing later in the day. It felt festive and very summer-in-Laguna. This review is mostly for the vibes. Our waiter was chill and friendly, the food came out quickly and although it's priced for tourists, it was decent. The thin, crispy fries were solid. It's super dog-friendly, close to the ocean and an easy place to settle in for the afternoon. If we didn't have other plans, we would've stayed all night.