While I have had good experiences at Humboldt Bay Bistro, last night was not one of them. It was not a busy night and we were seated quickly. Our server seemed very distracted and couldn't seem to remember the specials or the market prices which were not quoted to us. My dining partner ordered the halibut which was perfect. The problem was with my dish, I ordered the "special penne pasta" which should just be on the menu because it's been a special every time I've been here. The pasta was over cooked. The sauce was full of sand and stray shells and the scallop was also overcooked. I was also charged extra for a change from the soup du jour. For soup? Seems petty. For the price point offered we came out at over $120 before tip for two dinners, no alcohol, no appetizers, this is just unacceptable. For comparison, prepped halibut is available at the docks right now for $20/lb. They charged $50/lb here. While my complaint is not with the halibut, I expect more at this price. I love the ambiance but can't think about returning with such disappointing food preparation. read more

This is a quaint place to visit for dinner. Street parking only. The service was very good. 4/5 - Ribeye: Great char on it! Smashed fingerlings and seasonal vegetables were just ok. Potatoes needed seasoning. 4/5 - French Onion Soup: really good 4/5 - Pan Seared Rack of Lamb: Half-rack with honey-mint demi glace, smashed fingerling potatoes and seasonal vegetables. The lamb and sauce were very good, but the sides were meh. 4/5 - Calamari Steak Fries: tasty 4/5 - Fish and Chips: Tempura battered cod. Crispy and tender. The spicy aioli was good. 3/5 - Chocolate Torte: very rich 3/5 - Cajun Fries: better with salt added 3/5 - Cheesecake: basic and good 3/5 - Fried Ice Cream: Ice cream covered in pound cake and tempura batter before fried. Great concept. Just pretty good, though. 2/5 - Creme Brulee: We were initially very excited because it seemed to be perfectly crisped without burning. Then we found out that it had too much sugar on top and it was like a thick pane of glass. Too bad... this would have been rated higher, but the sugar was almost inedible. 2/5 - Peach Bellini: tastes like a mimosa 2/5 - 2020 Turnbull Cabernet 2/5 - Complimentary bread This place is pricey and not everything is worth it. I would recommend sticking to the entrees and avoid the extras. read more

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We had the duck, ribeye and rack of lamb. All were great! The lamb was my favorite, it had a smoky flavor.

We came to visit our daughter as CPH. Took her shopping for some resupplies for her dorm and decided to take her out to dinner as she had grown a bit tired of dorm meals. We found this place by chance and stopped in. It was early and we were able to get seating right away. The view was nice, looking out on a bridge and waterfront that was busy with people. The server took great care of us. We started off with a dozen oysters between the 3 of us. They were on the smaller size, but the sauces were yummy and we made quick work of them. My daughter had fish and chips which she couldn't stop raving about and my wife and I had the fish specials. The food was excellent! We're already talking about trying to get back here for the upcoming parents weekend if nothing else is planned. Hope we get back shortly. read more

What a treasure of a landmark house and views of the waterway! Pleasant wine selections. Kumamoto oysters were fresh and came with 3 different toppings. Get the dozen, trust me! And I don't even like raw oysters! They provide a light white bread and butter for openers. Great service. Bar, bar area and back main restaurant dining room seating. I like that their entrees come with soup or salad. Included in the soup choice is their glorious french onion soup. read more

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I brought my wife here for our wedding anniversary dinner, and we were blown away. It was already dark out so we couldn't see the bay, but I'm sure it would have looked amazing. The place inside is so cozy. The service was top tier, our server was so friendly, helpful and attentive. The food was delicious! Everything seasoned and cooked to perfection. I have nothing negative to say or anything to complain about. 100/10 dinning experience. read more

Sadly I can't review the food because they didn't let us sit down. Despite having ample outdoor seating and a good review on 'bringfido' we and our 10lbs service animal trained mini poodle were rudely told we wouldn't be seated. In dumbfounded that they wouldnt seat us as we've never had issues before. God luck to them but we'll certainly never be back. read more

Visited this restaurant recently and overall enjoyed the experience. Waitress was a bit blunt at first but didn't hurt my feelings any. The food was very good, I enjoyed the meal I ordered and was satisfied with both the quality and quantity of the meal. They do have milk listed on the menu for $3 but do be aware, it's a small glass. For all my fellow milkers out there, might be worth it to bring some from home. Very nice view of the Humboldt bay through the windows. A bit pricey but that's what you want for a nice hot date! read more

The food was impeccable the service was phenomenal and the ambiance was perfection the view is stunning. If you are looking for an impressive restaurant at a great price then look no further. My husband and I actually preferred this restaurant over Gordon Ramsey place in South Lake Tahoe. Everything was perfection. We will definitely be returning here, the staff were so friendly and really made you feel at home. Definitely try the salad you will not regret it. read more

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This was our first Post Covid dining in experience this year. Its been months since the last time I've actual sat down in a restaurant for dinner. Humboldt Bay Bistro did not disappoint. Reservations here are the only option for dining as they do not take walk ins during this time. All staff are masked, tables are all socially distanced plus some and customers are required to mask when not seated at their table. These minor safety precautions, though prehaps inconvenient temporarily are quickly a secondary thought once seated. Service was a bit slow? Not sure exactly what was up but it seemed as though out particular server was out of sync of sorts with his section. A table adjacent to us ten feet away, were ahead of us by a few minutes most of our meal and it seemed to lag from time of request to time of service, just an observation but it was obvious. Each portion of our meal was brought to our table by someone other than our waiter. The lag between again time of order or request until actual delivery of said request seemed overly long? Water refills, checking on us a second time, reordering a second drink, even getting the check was like an act from above at times? It just seemed out of sync. That being said, the food was outstanding to down right amazing. My North Coast Clam Chowder was absolutely some of the very best I have ever had, succulent clams throughout with bits of potato and carrots, creamy rich and delicious and a great start, the wilted Spinach salad was as fresh as it could be with loads of crumbled Roguefort, fresh strawberries, pickled onions and candied pecans. A half dozen local Humboldt bay Kummato Oysters with a wasabi franchi, spicy and sublime these sweet pepits are a treat even if they are our local oysters - they are world wide known and a class of delicious onto its own. The Rack of Lamb was near perfection and beautifully prepared, with roasted Yukon gold potatoes and a side of brased greens - it was so good there were no leftovers to even consider. The night "Catch of the Day" fresh caught Pacific Halibut right out of our local waters. This superb entree was "stuffed" loaded with again our local Dungeness Crab and served over a Coconut Rissotto it was so good and fresh - just absolutely a spectacular dish and worth every penny at $40. There were again no leftovers to go. The custom cocktail menu is diverse and competitively priced, nothing over about $10 and for the quality inexpensive by comparison. We did not do desserts. This is a solid place for dinner, only open for evening hours and reservations are the only option during covid. A Solid 4 Stars - worth a visit 00711 read more

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Holy freak, found this out of the way spot - what a find! Foos - amazing. Service solid, friendly. Professional. Chill, classy, GREAT view. Wow. Love it. will be back! read more

The view isn't great, and neither is the inside. Its nice but not as fancy as they think it is. The food presentation was beautiful, and the flavor was good. What they are charging is not worth the food you get, though. Two little crab cakes for $23 as an appetizer. We thought it would be 4 crab cakes, which would still be over $5 per cake. Then the filet mignon was $45, which is fine because that is the going rate. The problem is that there is NO WAY this is filet mignon. It was some kind of roast or tri-tip dressed up. The grain was much longer, and the amount of connective tissue in the meat gave it away. This is incredibly dishonest. I would not be a patron of this business simply because of their decitfulness. read more

Humboldt Bay Bistro - Filet mignon imposter - New American Near Me - Eureka, California

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Amazing food and great service! Would recommend to anyone visiting Eureka.......................................................... read more

Order the chefs tasting menu..24 hours ahead of time....choose seafood or beef, choose 50 to 100 per person, up to 5 courses with optional wine pairings, small plates, the best of the best to taste everything, 2 to 3 hour event, depending on how fast you want to be served, make it an experience, not just a dinner! You will factor in allergies, food preferences and let chef serve you the most extraordinary experience. Perfect for first dates, anniversary dates, and even Saturdates! read more

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Whilst visiting Eureka on evening, I was starving hoping just hoping to find something that was up my alley. Lo and behold, I found this gem on Yelp. It had the ambience, it had a decent menu, and an acceptable wine list. The inside is very "bay" classic with a touch of class- white linens with brown paper runners. It is right near the water with a lot of windows- however, it was dark during my visit. There were several groups of people drinking wine, enjoying food, and being marry. Our server was very nice and knowledgeable. I ordered a French Pinot Noir they had on their wine menu- I was impressed it came out in proper Pinot glass and it was quite good. I'm addition to my wine- I opted for crab cakes, a dinner Caesar salad, the salmon entree, and a flourless chocolate cake for dessert, which did not disappoint. All in all my experience was a good one. read more

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Everything was delicious and fresh! The service was great and the large dining room and tables were perfect.

Great service, excellent food. I loved the crab cakes, they were full of fresh crab and light on breading. The special was halibut on risotto, and it was very tasty! I enjoyed the meal very much. read more

We had halibut on a bed of risotto and it was Very Good. It tastes either poached or steamed. Service was good. My only downside was the chair I got was a bit unsteady and the wooden seats aren't comfortable. Some chairs had cushions. We wish we had found this bistro the first night of our four night stay, but it was a great way to end our visit. read more

After reading all the great reviews we decided to try Humboldt Bay Bistro, and we are glad we did. The food was excellent along with the customer service! The calamari fries were soo good even our toddler loved them! We had the chicken marsala, Seafood pasta special, crab cakes, French onion soup, and the kids tomato pasta...all delicious! read more

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We got in before they closed sat at the bar. Great bartender, she was knowledgeable about the wine and the food. We had the snapper and the haddock on risotto. I am not a fan of risotto, but this was good and the fish was nicely seasoned and cooked perfectly. read more

While visiting Humboldt, a girlfriend invited me to Humboldt Bay Bistro. I was very happy with my experience and the location was fantastic. I started off with their grilled oysters, I tried each of the sauces that they offered. Those were okay, I probably wouldn't order them again. I continued my meal with a cup of French onion soup. That was fantastic, I probably could have easily consumed another bowl. I finished my meal with a pasta special. It had shrimp, scallops, clams, and muscles over a bed of pasta with a green curry sauce. It was phenomenal. This was all paired with a glass of white wine from a local California winery. A reservation is suggested - we did not realize that, but got lucky as they had a no-show when we arrived. read more

Stopped for dinner on a Saturday. We stood there for ten minutes before anyone acknowledged us even though a lot of people from the staff saw us. A simple 'hello we will be there with you shortly ' would have been nice. The server that sat us was snooty and it felt like he was doing us a favor by letting us eat there . Our other server was friendly and sweet .The food is a mix and provides variety however the pricing seems unreasonable ! I got the clam chowder and they never gave me the bread that comes with it. The fish and chips were really bad and we ended up probably leaving 80% of it. The wine and beer were also pretty crappy and we ended up leaving both .I need to mention that they do have an extensive wine list but its mostly bottles . The cocktail menu has versions of the same kind of drinks and hardly caters to people who don't like sweet cocktails. Overall , I found them below average for food , drinks and service . read more

Humboldt Bay Bistro - Clam chowder - New American Near Me - Eureka, California

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From the start, here is my opinion and I'll follow up with explanation. Service: 10/10 Ambiance: 10/10 Drinks: 10:10 Food: 5/10 I want to talk about all of the good things first. The service was really good. I enjoyed our waitress and the way that she cared for us. The ambience is all the way there. It's really nice inside with a beautiful view of outside. The tables and chairs are set up perfectly. The drinks were really good! They came out looking very well presented and tasted just as good. My only complaint was that it didn't come with more in the glass haha. My final part of the review is the food. I had the rib eye meal. The cook on it was good but the seasoning on it was nonexistent. I loved the meat cut and cook but it was extremely bland. So were the veggies that came with it. My girlfriend got the Cajun pasta and the only thing that was Cajun was the color. We couldn't taste it in there. We ended up taking that one home and adding our own seasonings. Overall, I wouldn't come back because I wouldn't want to spend so much to get food that's okay. Although I loved everything else, I can't reconcile the high price of the meal. read more

Before you read my review, you should know this about me: 1. I'm a southern Californian born in Taiwan. 2. I've lived in north Orange County all my life minus the four years I spent in UT for college. 3. I love to eat, and refuse to eat anything I don't think taste good.  REFUSE. 4. I don't mind spending money to eat well. 5. My parents owned two sandwich shops while I was growing up.  I worked there as a kid, through college and beyond, so I'm a big fan of mom and pop shops. If you need a snapshot: Service - 4/5 Food Quality - 2/5 Selection - 2/5 Pricing - 2/5 Parking (ease, available) - 4/5 Where to begin? We were in Eureka, CA as a pit stop. After eating a lot of cheap food to save money, I wanted something nice to eat. Eureka is not as opened up as the rest of the places that we've been to, and the nicer sit down places were not up and running, so we went to this place by default. What we ordered: 1. appetizer: cheese tray 2. appetizer: fresh raw oysters 3. appetizer: frog legs 4. fish of the day 5. chicken marsala The appetizers were fine. The oysters were delicious. The cheese tray, however, was ridiculous. $20 for maybe two ounces of cheese. I could have assembled this cheese tray myself from ingredients I can get at Trader Joe's and it MIGHT taste better! Then came the main courses. The fish was fine. Nothing special, though. And for almost $40 a plate, you'd think it'd be fantastic. The chicken marsala is where it all went to pot. The chicken was TOUGH, and the dish slightly cooled. Our waitress was nowhere to be found. We were STARVING (that was the other thing - everything took FOREVER to get out) so we just kept taking small bites, hoping she will be back. She wasn't until we were 1/2 way done with the dish and we ate SLOWLY. She asked us how things were, and seeing how there was still 1/2 the plate left, I told her our issues with the chicken marsala. She said, "Oh gee, I'm so sorry about that. It's just that when I checked on you, you didn't say anything." I told her I didn't say anything because she had just given us our food and we were still busy dividing it all up among the three of us and didn't get a chance to taste it. But it's pretty terrible, I told her if there's any way we can get another dish or just have this remade, it would be great. To my dismay, she made a face and started wringing her hands. I can tell they were super busy that night but this was a $25+ dish. So I said, "Don't worry about it. I'll just figure it out." My biggest regret was giving her a good tip. I really should have not tipped her after that sorry excuse of service. I will say one nice thing about it - it really does have a nice atmosphere. The place is clean, and patio area is rather lovely. But You literally can't pay me to come back here again. read more

Humboldt Bay Bistro - The cheese plate. DO NOT get it. Super expensive for what you get. Though the presentation was beautiful. - New American Near Me - Eureka, California

Overpriced REALLY bad food, not much else to say. Party of 4, with 3 Vegetarians and 1 meat eater. Not much for Vegetarians so we ordered what was given, Pasta Alfredo, Vegetable stir fry, plus 1 meat dish. Pasta Alfredo......an Alfredo jar from the supermarket would have been better then what was served there. The sauce color was grey with no flavor, pasta overcooked. Vegetable stir fry, tasteless and mostly carrots. The sirloin dry according to our company. A very disappointing experience and it cost us $ 250 incl. tip. Not worth the visit or the view. Maybe the cook had a bad day....or maybe that's just the best they can do?! read more

Excellent Food, service and ambiance great oysters and duck - loved the bread with oil and balsamic vinegar to dip read more

Humboldt Bay Bistro - What a lovely dinner , oysters and Bubbles, Duck and Pinot Thanks!! - New American Near Me - Eureka, California

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10/10 recommendation. Great location with a beautiful view- super fresh and clean- love the tableside Caesar Salad and literally the best bread and butter compote I've ever had. Soups, oysters and great sparkling wine selection. read more

Humboldt Bay Bistro - New American Near Me - Eureka, California

We visited The Humboldt Bay Bistro while touring the mighty Redwoods in the area. The service was friendly and inviting. The business is situated in what appears to be an old Victoria house. Outside seating is available. The location had such a great view of the water. The escargot had a delicious lamb cheese on top - which gave them a great taste. The cheeseboard was delicious and aromatic. The filet was good; though I'm not a chef, I could cook one better. The fig dressing on the Wilted Spinach Salad was impeccable; combined with strawberries and candied pecans, you can't go wrong with this salad. The clam chowder bowl hit the spot and the bread was soft in some areas and crunchy in other... perfect. The H.B.B Oysters had a nice flavor as well. All in all, we'd dine here again. read more

Humboldt Bay Bistro - ARTISANAL CHEESE BOARD 26- LOCAL AND IMPORTED CHEESES SERVED WITH CANDIED PECANS, TRUFFLE HONEY, SEASONAL FRUIT, AND CROSTINI. - New American Near Me - Eureka, California

The best lobster i have ever had. I ordered the full lobster and when they brought it out my jaw dropped. The atmosphere was great as well as the view. The service was amazing and they constantly made sure we had everything we needed. They have a very small 3 hour window for dinner but you will not be disappointed. read more

Humboldt Bay Bistro - Lobster - New American Near Me - Eureka, California

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HUMBOLDT BAY BISTRO is by far the best restaurant in Humboldt! Everything was delicious and the service was great! Very comfortable sitting with lots of room between tables. If you haven't had dinner there definitely do, you won't be disappointed. read more

Excellent service and very well prepared food. Wonderful fish and chips with very fresh cod and freshly hand cut fries. Cannot wait to return! read more

Amazing food, great customer service and an awesome environment and view of the bay! Couldn't ask for a better dinner spot!

The food here was good, the filet mignon is well seasoned. The servers were very nice as well. I recommend :)

This place is a hidden gem. The only reason I gave them 4 stars is because the apps came out before the drinks and the bread and butter didn't come out until the food. (Unless that's the norm there) Besides those minor things, the food was amazing! We drank the Liven Up, and a Mule. Very good drinks, we got 2 each. Our app was the calamari fries! So good! Must have! I had the pasta seafood special, The portioning was just right, and it tasted great! He got the surf and turf and I tried some. It's a must have! The mashed potatoes were so good, the gravy was even better. I'll definitely be back! read more

Humboldt Bay Bistro - Drinks - Liven up (left) mule (right) Calamari fries! Sooooo good! - New American Near Me - Eureka, California

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Excellent food excellent service very clean restaurant, very well run you, you can't go wrong with a fantastic dinner here

After a day in the Redwoods my husband and I returned back to Eureka hungry and ready for a nice meal. When on the coasts I like to get as much seafood as I can so Humboldt Bay Bistro piqued my interest when searching Yelp for an option that evening. It's not all seafood, of course, but it had what we were looking for in regards to aquatic options. We had a truly lovely meal! The restaurant itself is in one of the beautiful Victorian homes of old Eureka. It's right on the bay so the water view is also nice. It was dusk so we didn't get a ton of time with the view but what we had was great. To start, our super sweet server brought us some bread and olive oil along with our beverages. It was getting chilly so I thought a bowl of clam chowder sounded like a satisfying option. It was! It was so good I sopped up the remnants in my bowl with the bread. For my entree, I personally was craving carbs after a day of hiking so I went with the shrimp alfredo which was rich and packed full of veggies and tasty shrimp. My husband went with he fish and chips which were also great (I kept stealing tastes off his plate). We were there pretty close to close and never once felt unwelcome or rushed, even when we ended up the last table in our seating area. Prices are a little more upscale but it was worth it for our first nice meal in the area. read more

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Very nice small modern restaurant in a local area. I got the oysters and clam chowder. Oysters were fairly decent, but the star was the clam chowder. It came in a SUPER crispy bread bowl and the chowder was a good thick medium. read more

Not disappointed! We had the rack of lamb, seafood pasta special, soups, wine, salad, desert. All better tasting and presented than we could have hoped. Came up to get any from Bay Area smoke and lucky we found The Bistro. While outdoor seating is available, we weren't able to make a reservation due to limited cell reception on 101. We were lucky to get it. I think everyone there was happy they came. Thank you for making us feel at home and doing a nice job serving and preparing our meals. read more

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Lovely dinner! I brought my dog (after I called ahead to ensure patio was open). They opened patio just for me and turned on the heater. Garden dormant now but still has flowers blooming. I'm sure it's amazing in spring and summer. Great service all around. I had a blackberry mojito- they mulled the mint properly and it was wonderful. The mushroom soup was creamy and fresh with big slices of mushrooms. Penne pasta with fish was very good. I've never had a better scallop. read more

Humboldt Bay Bistro - Oysters with wasabi crème fresh. Mushroom soup (so fresh) and great bread. - New American Near Me - Eureka, California

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We've been here many times and the food and service are always pretty good. However on a visit last month the dinner could not have been worse. I ordered the $ 50 filet medium rare. It was delivered in two pieces both overdone and quite obviously it had previously been frozen and maybe even cooked the day before. I told the waitress about it but she couldn't have cared less. Unfortunately not many places open in Eureka on a Monday. read more