Great location!!! Just steps from the beach, great views. Greeted by our host/server. We were able to choose our table and I chose one with a view of the pier and ocean. The food was good. A few surprises My sister ordered the Cali eggs Benedict the potatoes wee supposed to be smashed, they were halved. The avocado slices looked old due to the dark tone on them, not the normal green. My chilaquiles had black beans, not mentioned in the menu description; great surprise. There was supposed to be sour cream on my chilaquiles and there wasn't any. It would have cut some of the sourness of the chile verde sauce. I chose poached eggs in stead of fried ones. My eggs were over cooked and cold. I am pretty sure they were precooked. I would give them another try, maybe for lunch. read more

GiGi's by The Pier - Menu 2025 - Seafood Near Me - San Clemente, California

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Service: The service was excellent. The waitress was very attentive and energetic. Everyone there had a very positive attitude. Which is a big plus. Food: We started off with the coconut shrimp. The coconut shrimp was good. The coconut was crispy and the shrimp was well done for the main dish. I got the Cali Benedict. It was Soooo good. The hollandaise sauce was so tasty. The shrimp was fully seasoned and the potato's were well seasoned and huge. I recommend people getting this dish. Ambiance: The ambiance was great. There wasn't really a lot of people so that was nice. Just kids screaming and cry from time to time. read more

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First time here and met up with a girlfriend and was very impressed by the friendly greeting from the manager and bartender! Excellent service!! Love their positive energy made our visit super special! The ambience is perfect right across from the ocean! I had the verde chilaquiles with a fried egg on top! It was so fresh and delicious! I can't wait to go back! Definitely a must when you are in San Clemente! read more

GiGi's by The Pier - Seafood Near Me - San Clemente, California

Loved this spot! It's across the street from the water so it's a beautiful location. They have seating inside and outside. We chose to eat outside at a high top table with an umbrella. We got iced tea and Arnold Palmer to drink. And both of us got the same thing - chilaquiles. They were on a bed of black beans. We both liked them. Parking nearby is all paid. Meters are coin or card, and the $1.50 an hour. read more

GiGi's by The Pier - Chilaquiles without sour cream - Seafood Near Me - San Clemente, California

Crazy that I came here several years later and they still have the same issue - items being not available on their already limited menu. We noticed they had a name change or new owners and I guess I see why. We wanted the scallops and it was not available and neither was another entree. However, we did get the salmon which was incredible and I got a salmon blt which was just good. read more

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Cute spot! I like that it's right by the water and plenty of outdoor seating. Staff was friendly and provided recommendations to our party. Bit overpriced. Drinks were fairly good as well. My only comment was for the breakfast burrito that was $20~, it was advertised to have chorizo in it, but it was majority egg with tiny bits of chorizo, we were truly expecting more protein for the priced it was listed at. Would be a good to visit on a nice day. read more

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Pierside Kitchen & Bar was cute and across from the San Clemente Pier. You can see the sunset from the patio area and large wood table near the patio. From Truffle Fries , Coconut Shrimp to Crispy Brussel Sprouts, appetizers set the mood right! The Salmon BLT stole the show - so big, so tempting! My Herbed Salmon was perfection, but would have liked a bit more Chimichurri. And oh, the choices - Fish and Chips, Double Smash Cheeseburger, and Shrimp Tacos, each a delight! Great customer service! read more

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Great location. Great service & good food! The chowder tots were amazing! My breakfast burrito was good but it was mostly egg. Very little meat or fries. read more

GiGi's by The Pier - Chowder tots - Seafood Near Me - San Clemente, California

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Quaint little restaurant by the pier. The customer service was terrific! We practically had the entire place to ourselves. We started with the poke nachos. They were better poke nachos than we've had at Duke's! Fresh, generous portion and well seasoned. For my main entrees I got the fish and chips, and my husband ordered the salmon burger. Both were fantastic! The side strawberry salad he had was delicious! Their prices were also less than the bigger restaurant located on the pier. read more

Great Location just across from the San Clemente pier. The inside is very dimly lit so if you're in your 40's plus age.... you may need to use your phone flashlight to see the menu . Our party ordered 3 appetizers, ahi poke nachos, coconut shrimp and clam chowder tots.. Every thing had great flavor and good portion size. The coconut shrimp had real coconut in the batter.. It was a great surprise. The clam chowder tots had lots of clams and little bits of bacon over the top. the Nachos had a nice wasabi aioli and spicy mayo drizzled over everything and it wasn't tortilla chips it was wantons. The waitress was super nice and the restaurant should be happy to have her on staff. We may come again for brunch next time. read more

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Great food especially the ahi poke nachos. Salmon was NOT overcooked yay. Friendly service. Great bartender making delicious drinks! For a Saturday night, it was very quiet maybe due to change of name? It was formerly Pierside. read more

GiGi's by The Pier - Ahi poke nachos - Seafood Near Me - San Clemente, California

We started out with the AHI pokey nachos/ Which was really yummy.. NOTE to restaurant and owner, needs more Ahi. Had the veggie scramble without onions, and the potatoes were fire !!! Atmosphere was super chill. Train comes by frequently, but not super obnoxious Bottomless mimosas is literally one bottle of champagne - so don't be discouraged by the price, because you can keep pouring your own and don't have to wait for a server. And is nice and chill the entire time because it is served in a wine chiller. Our server was Charlotte. She is super friendly, positive, and accommodating. read more

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We went on a Friday afternoon around 4pm it wasn't busy and outside seating was available. It was happy hour but it was a selection of drinks not on the menu and it wasn't that much of a discount. Food was great , we ordered the clam chowder , Shrimp ceviche and the shrimp scampi. We ordered a few cocktails as well. The food was great. The shrimp scampi is a must get! Probably the best shrimp scampi I have had from a restaurant! Ceviche was great too and clam chowder was creamy and it came with a delicious grilled sourdough bread. Would definitely come back. However our waitress was grumpy and when I have her a cash tip she didn't say thank you, she just took it and acted like it should have been more. I didn't like that very much I really felt offended. read more

GiGi's by The Pier - Shrimp Scampi Pasta and Shrimp Ceviche - Seafood Near Me - San Clemente, California

Breakfast in San Clemente was a meetup for two different parties from San Diego and Huntington Beach. It was a great weekend of sunny skies in December so we opted for this location near the coast. We were going by the yelp reviews and didn't know that the restaurant changed management, the name of the restaurant and the menu. That said, the menu was limited and the food we ordered was kinda disappointing. Blah. Service was friendly. read more

Service, food,servers, bartender, view, and welcoming ambience... This place has it all. A beautiful spot for breakfast or brunch. We've been there twice and we will be back again. read more

Great brunch spot with a view. There is a decent full menu and bar, service is very friendly and the food is above average read more

WHAT A FIND! They are closed 2 days a week (Tuesday and Wednesdays) and the phone number online doesnt work, but we ended up finding a day they were open and locating them by looking for the hotel its inside of- an I am SO GLAD WE DID! Inside or outside dining right on the beach, great server and great food! 10/10 for everything! read more

GiGi's by The Pier - Seafood Near Me - San Clemente, California

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Nice place. By the ocean so the ambiance is pretty nice. The place feels a little outdated but seating outside was cute. The food was good. I loved the strawberry feta salad and I added chicken to it. The chicken was alright, not the best but it was ok. The service was good, came in to check on us after food arrived and got us everything we need. Hard to find the place at first, the sign isn't that obvious. Under a hotel. read more

GiGi's by The Pier - Strawberry feta salad with chicken - Seafood Near Me - San Clemente, California

GiGi's by the Pier, formerly known as Pierside Kitchen and Bar, is a small beachside restaurant tucked right under a hotel. We came by around 9 PM on a Saturday and were surprised to be nearly the only people there. After seeing the menu, it made sense, most of their offerings are brunch items, and that ends at 2 PM. The evening menu is slim, mostly sandwiches, a burger, and a few seafood entrées. Nothing really stood out or felt unique for a beachfront spot. That said, it hit the spot for our hungry group, but just barely. The view and quiet vibe were nice, but I wouldn't come back for dinner. Brunch seems to be their real game, if I were to give it another shot, it'd be in the morning. read more

This place is almost never open anymore, loved when it was called Pierside and they had delicious fish tacos for Taco Tuesday. New ownership perhaps, and now they're closed every time I try to go there. Are you guys open at all during the week? Hope they get going for the summer and please please please start doing Happy Hour during the week and bring back Taco Tuesday. I feel like this place could be popular with the right management since the food was always better than Fisherman's. read more

The food was awesome and the location is amazing. Right across from the beach. They accommodated a large group with ease.

A nice place if you want to eat near the water but not quite on the pier. We sat outside, with a view of palm trees & ocean. Our server, I don't know her name, deserves 5 stars. She was very engaging & courteous. I was very bummed because most of what I was looking forward to eat was not available (raw oysters & steak). My husband asked for a Red Trolley, but was told they no longer served it & had yet to update their menus. I just ordered a Caesar salad and hubby got fish & chips. I was more disappointed when I discovered a hair on my salad. The server apologized and took it away immediately and got me a new one. The salad was good, a little heavy (though some might say "generous") on the salad dressing and Parmesan cheese. Fish & chips were very good, especially the tartar sauce. Food wise, I was disappointed. But, service was very good. read more

GiGi's by The Pier - Fish & chips, Caesar salad - Seafood Near Me - San Clemente, California

Brunch was amazing! 5 star! Danny the server went above and beyond to make sure our experience was great!

One of my favorite places we went to on our trip and we will definitely be back! The fish tacos and clam chowder were out of this world and the views were . Lilly the server was also awesome read more

We used to come here when it was Pierside, and always enjoyed it. Today we came in asked for an outside table, was told a 20-30 minutes wait...no problem even though the restaurant was half empty. We decided to sit in bar and have a drink while we waited for table. My husband stood at bar for at least 15 minutes and was not acknowledged, not even eye contact with the 2-3 bartenders working. We left and will NEVER be back. read more

ADAM WAS AMAZING, Will be coming back just for his amazing service. Everything he recommended was so good. read more

Cute spot. Great view of the pier. Wife and I stopped just for a drink. I'd come back for food sometime for sure! Bartender made me a fresh white sangria which is something I've never had but will again!! read more

Been stopping by here for over 25 years. Has changed ownership and name a few times. Went this week, ordered Brussel sprouts and got a plate full of burned over cooked food. Only had a few bites, because it was burnt so bad and was charged $20. It is so sad when a place you enjoyed just isn't nice anymore. read more

Food is great, service is Sub-par. Went here two weekends in a row, ordered the same thing and sadly, there were some inconsistencies. In addition, simple requests were ignored, tables were sticky. Was given the wrong check at the end and had to deal with all that, embarrassing!!! I can't imagine locals loving this spot. read more

I'm here for a Sunday brunch. The service was so amazing. Our waitress was so friendly and nice. The food was fresh perfectly seasoned and cooked right! I would come back here every weekend if I could. I highly highly highly recommend this place!!!! read more

I would recommend only coming here if you want to enjoy the view over drinks and apps. Do not, I repeat, do not waste your money and time ordering main entrees unless you want to wait forever and eat subpar borderline old food. The drinks here however are phenomenal. You can tell the bartenders are well trained and the cocktail menu is well thought out by someone creative. I just wish the menu here was cooked by a competent chef. I ordered half dozen oysters which were tiny and the beet salad with salmon. The salmon was salty but was cooked to have a nice crunchy crust. The side beets however were horrendous. You can see in the picture that the yellow beets were browned and bruised (why even serve old beets). The red beets tasted spoilt so I sent the dish back to the kitchen. My exact same plate resurfaced 5 mins later with the server explaining that the chef marinated the beets in "spices" and that's what I was tasting. I am Indian and eat "spiced" food every day. I know what spices taste like and those beets were spoilt. But in any case, I just ate around the red beets and made a note to never come back here! The server we had though was flustered with an influx of patrons but was still very nice and friendly. Also, the ahi nachos appetizer were the best dish we had during lunch. So if you do come here, order that dish! read more

GiGi's by The Pier - Bruised old browned beet salad with a side of salmon - Seafood Near Me - San Clemente, California

Great spot to tuck into with premier views and nearly* as close to the beach as you can get in San Clemente. The menu is consistent and drinks are fun. The daily specials are worth it as is the brunch menu. The service was attentive and felt like the small town quirky you can expect. The place was pretty chill being a holiday so we had lots of service from hostess, waitress, and bartender. Was there for a special Christmas Eve dinner with the kids and we all enjoyed something different. High raves for the salmon on beet salad, shrimp linguini. The desserts were very good, especially the bread pudding. And for me, the cold brew martini was YUM! Cost is a touch on the high side so sit on the patio to get the view. (*There are pier options.) read more

GiGi's by The Pier - Bread pudding was enough for 3. Sooooo good. - Seafood Near Me - San Clemente, California

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Nice little (expensive) breakfast nook resturant. Beet salad is large and quite yummy. Burger was great, eggs Benedict very good. All was quite tasty 5 breakfast and a burger ($125). read more

Made a reservation for my wife's birthday as this place has usually been a great spot for food/drinks and location. We were disappointed to learn there was new management/ownership. The lunch/dinner menu was redone and my wife's favorites (steak tacos and drink "Wedding Crasher") were no longer served. Only (4) entrees available (all seafood) if coming here after brunch. They do have chicken tacos, but wasn't in the mood for chicken. The place was empty, yet the place still seemed understaff. We ended up leaving and driving up the street to find a different place to eat. Maybe we will try the new food and drinks a different day, but won't come back here to enjoy any special celebration. Left underwhelmed. read more

Adam was our server and made it such an amazing experience. Loved the special cocktail he recommended, and the espresso martinis! Great views of the ocean and overall awesome. Adam is the best. Loved his energy. We will be back! read more

I really usually enjoy this spot. They have great views, a pretty good bar and food that is tasty. We went on the 24th for a little date. My husband just had a drink. I had a drink and three oysters. The next day, I was feeling awful. Nauseous and light headed... He walked by the place, a few days later and it's closed for healthcode violations...so pretty sure I got sick from eating there and I'm pretty horrified. If you plan on going here: DO NOT GET THE FOOD. read more

GiGi's by The Pier - Closed by the health department - Seafood Near Me - San Clemente, California

I'm really disappointed because I wanted to enjoy Pierside. I didn't notice they had three violations from their last inspection on January 11 of this year ~ yet it was too late to cancel my reservation and find another brunch spot in the area. I believe our server was Cam, who offered to comp one beverage since it was a bridal party brunch (very kind intention) but unfortunately the beverage was not comped....not such a big deal. The atrocity was the berry french toast experience my cousin and I had. My cousin luckily looked at her raspberry before consuming it and found mold all over the raspberry. Unfortunately, I had already eaten mine after dunking them in whipped cream and maple syrup. When Cam was notified of the mold, he stated, "Would you like me to bring you some raspberries without mold?".......which would have been nice in the first place. We declined. I was unable to finish my food because I became nauseated & shockingly the moldy french toasts were not comped either. I would not advise coming to this restaurant which is such a shame because it's in a beautiful location. Attached is photo of mold. read more

GiGi's by The Pier - raspberry with mold - Seafood Near Me - San Clemente, California

Made reservation online and was able to be seated early (pet friendly if you sit outside). Seemed like they were short staffed as there was only one waitress for all of outside, she was hustling! The food wasn't anything spectacular, but the drinks were delicious! Given the great views and friendly staff, I'll definitely be back. read more

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The smash burger is a success. The staff were friendly and accommodating to my "could I have it this way.." the vibe is great, the food was amazing. If they add a classic chocolate cake to the menu, game over. read more

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This place is located right next to the pier, so you can have a good ocean view if you sit outside at the patio. We ordered tuna nachos for appetizer and it was delicious!!! I could've have that for my entry. The cowboy dish was also very good, portion is big and I was only able to eat half of it. The scramble was for my husband and he finished it all. So I'm sure it's good. I deduct one star because of the waitress. To be fair, she did her minimum job. Greeted, waited. But she was not attentive with refilling drinks, maybe cuz only I ordered one ice tea? She never refilled for me. She also gave us the wrong check for another table. So my husband thinks that she's probably drunk. She also Brought us a huge Togo box for some Small left over I had, when I asked if she had anything smaller, her literally answer was "uhhhh, i don't know" that's it.... So I left without boxing any. Felt strange and not welcomed.... read more

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