We were in Laguna Beach and wanted a place to have dinner before going to the Pagaent of the Masters. After reading lots of Yelp reviews, we settled on Lumberyard. While it wasn't bad, it also wasn't the best either especially given the prices. Here is what we noticed: - We were initially seated in a booth where the sun glared in our face reflecting off the building across the street, so they were very accommodating and let us switch tables. - We decided to order a bottle of wine...very affordable bottled wine prices! - We started with the Lumberyard Planks appetizer, which was probably the best item we ate that night. - When we ordered our appetizer we also ordered our food, but we requested that the food come out after the appetizer. Well, the server took that too literally since we had to wait a long time after finishing the appetizer before our food arrived...if fact, we were about to say something when it finally showed up. - I ordered the Cedar Planked Salmon, and requested spinach instead of potatoes. It was good, but the salmon was overdone. My son got the kale salad with salmon, and liked it but reported the same think about the salmon. My wife got the Maryland Crabcake Salad, and liked it a lot...although be warned that the sauce on top of the crabcakes is pretty spicy. - Service was passable. Bottom line: Acceptable but pricy for what we got...we probably wouldn't go back. read more

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In our family we would play "Sweet-and-Sour" at dinner. It involved going around the table and each person would tell about something "sweet" (good) about their day, and then something "sour" (crappy). It was a fun way to illustrate that everything had good and bad. So I'll apply that to Lumberyard. Laguna Beach publishes a yearly "Laguna's Picks- The Locals Choice" listing of all the best things in the quaint beach city. Best donuts, best restaurant, best Thai food, best art gallery, etc. Lots of people follow it. So we did. Lumberyard won in a couple of categories; One being "Best Burger." So we ordered the fried zucchini planks (recommended by the server) and the burger (as it comes). So here is the "sweet and sour:" The zucchini planks were genius. I've never had better. They're these ultra-thin "planks" of zucchini cut lengthwise so they resemble long, thin boards. They're breaded beautifully and served with a heavenly garlic-lemon aioli that transforms the dish into a heavenly foray into tastebud nirvana. It is that good of a dish. Fun to eat, hot, and tasty. Just fantastic. Now the sour: it was also the Worst burger I've ever had. Really. Just awful. First, the patty was charbroiled and had been either left on too long or had been put over open flames. The entire underside was charred so black and hard that when you cut the patty, the fork wouldn't go through. The layer of black carbonized meat stopped the utensil like a roadblock. The entire patty was completely incinerated. The parts that weren't too black were so dry and tasteless that it rivaled burned sawdust in flavor and texture. Second, the burger is served without any sauce. It's dry. Now, any burger aficionado- even a beginner- will tell you that the secret to ANY burger is the sauce. There are a dozen burger empires that were made by their sauce. Jack in the box doesn't taste like burger king- because of their sauces. This was dry as a parched bone. The bacon was so burned that it crumbled like an animal carcass in a nuclear test at ground zero. It was awful. And so smokey that it tasted like a campfire. All in all, it was a flavorless, charred, heap of nothing. And I was charged $20 for the privilege of tasting it. Oh, and to add insult to injury, the ketchup was rancid. But hey, who's counting? I didn't send the food back because the place was SO packed and SO loud that doing so would have taken another 30 minutes and we just didn't wanna deal with it. A restaurant should never serve food like that in the first place, and not sending it back should not be a "mistake" that the customer makes. Of course this brings into question that whole "locals pics" list and whether somebody paid somebody to be on that list, or whether the food critics are simply inept and clueless. Either way, it was a fail. The place had live music blaring, and the hard surfaces and compensated shouting by patrons made an intimate dinner impossible. But I wasn't expecting perfection or silence. I just note that it is loud for folks who don't like that. All in all, disappointing, but the zucchini was fanTAbulous. I might give it another chance but, if they can't make a burger, the rest is suspect. I wish the business well because restaurants are stretched right now. Oh, and our server was great. Perhaps your experience will be better. read more

Located just a few blocks away from the beach, this place is a hit just on the location alone! While I'm not sure what their pre-pandemic layout was, their outdoor patio set-up is awesome and I hope they find a way to keep that long-term. In addition to the fresh ocean air, they have a great bar set-up outdoors and live music to complete the experience. We went on a Friday night so it was pretty busy, but we were seated right away and the staff was great. We had a few rounds of drinks before dinner and the bartender makes a mean Margarita! For dinner, we had the French Dip and the Fish & Chips. Both items were very filling and hit the spot for what we were looking for. The atmosphere of this place fits right in with the vacation/beach vibes, but is still a nice, classy place to enjoy a great meal. read more

Lumberyard - Slow Roasted Angus Beef French Dip with French Fries (Special request to add peppers and onions as well!) - New American Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

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Outdoor seating with a nice live band for dinner. Server was very nice. I had the half pound angus cheeseburger. Ask for medium rare. It was medium and dry. Bacon was burnt. About the only plus us that it's a relatively big burger. You can get a better burger at Hof's Hut or a local diner. Poke was salty. My wife enjoyed her salmon salad. read more

My husband and I ate here on a Sunday evening. The restaurant was virtually empty. I ordered the French dip sandwich with the horseradish dressing and sweet potato fries. Food was excellent. The service was a bit slow. There were literally only four or five tables filled, so I guess they were using a skeleton crew that evening. I would definitely recommend it based on the food though. Nice ambience too. read more

This place has a nice outdoor patio vibe surrounded by shops. Sit in the back for some quiet time and enjoy the fried chicken sandwich on a brioche bun with slaw and jalapeño aioli spread. Food and service was great. read more

Lumberyard - New American Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

I had the salmon. It was delicious BUT the portion was minuscule. Very little in vegetables on the side. My date had the fish sandwich. It also had a tiny fish portion with a big bun. We left Lumberyard restaurant still hungry and went to get a meal. We are not large people with unusually large appetites. The portions are just too small. Also Lumberyard has a sneaky policy of adding an 18% tip to the bill. I didn't notice this and added a 20% tip because the only good thing at the Lumberyard restaurant was the service. read more

What amazing service! Since it was my bday, our waitress surprised me with a molten chocolate cake. Yum. Best, tastiest fries ever. Cornbread is a must get. The fish of the day burger was amazing! Covid dining here was top notch. All outside, waitress with masks, host wiped down menus and also had QR code menus. The glasses were disposable for our drinks, cloth napkins and not disposable utensils. Oh and yes hand sanitizer at every table. Came on a sat night around 7ish. 15 min wait. Live musician playing as well. Loved it!!! read more

Lumberyard - Hand sanitizer at every table outside! - New American Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

Dropped in this place after reviewing the menu because I had a reeeeal hankering for some - of all things - meatloaf. That's right... meatloaf! Boy - was I NOT disappointed. Laguna Beach on a Saturday night means restaurants will be jammed. I sat at the bar, which is rather large so I didn't have to wait, unlike the poor shleprocks outside. Staff was very friendly and quick on service. So.... meatloaf. Hold on - for starters, I had a small caesar salad - that was phenomenal. But yeah, the meatloaf was the star of this evening. It came rapped in bacon over whipped potatoes with mushroom glaze. Hankering satisfied! Go here. read more

Lumberyard - New American Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

Ambience great. The food here is ok but what drives me crazy are the host/ess staff who, in a completely empty restaurant with four to five available tables in each section, says they can't seat anywhere because they have reservations in *checks watch* one hour. read more

The Folks that work here are so blah. Especially the two sore looking male managers. They ruin the experience every time we come in. The other employees look miserable honestly, I guess that's why this place is empty every time I come in. Talk about a buzz kill! read more

We arrived a little early for our open table reservation, so I asked the host to cancel our original reservation, she was a bit snippy which I didn't care for, also got the feeling to screw off, kinda rude to say the least. Now on to dinner: We started out with the fried zucchini planks, would not order this again, very bland. Our dinner entree was the meatloaf, very good, highly recommend, and also the chicken pot pie, very flaky crust, excellent! Wine selection was just ok at best. Aside from the host, our servers were very friendly and attentive. read more

Delicious food with pretty presentation, nice environment, and fair price. Will come next time.

Right in the middle all the cutest shops in a wonderful area. This restaurant was clean, safe and comfortable the entire time we were there. Staff followed new safety protocols and still managed to be awesome and attentive. The food was HEAVEN! Like insanely delicious! The Pasta alone is the reason we're going back for round 2! Walking around outside was a little scary, no one really wears masks or follows guidelines, so it was wonderful to stumble on this safe place and score a reservation. read more

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We came here for lunch and were very happy with our Choices. Three in our party. I had the rotisserie chicken, my wife had the penne pasta and our friend had the sea bass. We were all very happy with our meals. The service was great, the food was excellent and we loved presentation of the food. Have been here before, will be back again. read more

Looking for a place to watch the game, good happy hour and good food. Found it here! Read about it on Yelp but weren't sure so wandered in to check it out. We were not disappointed. We were very warmly greeted right away were seated. The happy hour menu was great and I could say so much much more about their food because it was so good but the biggest shout out is to Amber, she was our waitress and our bartender and she was exceptional, even though she was attending to everyone she was courteous and amiable and I was impressed at to how she handled herself. I almost asked her if she was the owner because that is what I would expect. Maybe she is. All I can say is thank you Amber. read more

Lumberyard - New American Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

Reliable old restaurant and bar. Relaxed atmosphere. I've eaten lunch and dinner here over the years.

Always a great place to gather and dine. Nothing fancy or over the top, but just a cozy place to enjoy the company of your loved ones and enjoy some tasty food! read more

Located in the the heart of downtown Laguna Beach, this place is a must go to when I am in town. I have eaten there nearly 12 times and every time has been a treat. This time we went with the Beef Stroganoff, Rotisserie Chicken, and the Braised Boneless Short Ribs. We also tried the Mac and Cheese, Asparagus and Penne Pasta. Beef Stroganoff - the skirt steak was tender and juicy and well portioned with the saucy noodles. It includes a wonderful sauce with mushroom caps. I'd call this premium comfort food. Rotisserie Chicken - this was wonderfully cooked and seasoned and was moist with just the right amount of salt. Boneless Short Ribs - they were yummy and mouth-watering. The drinks were flowing and the bartender didn't overdo it on the alcohol so they complimented the meal nicely. I will definitely be back again. read more

My husband and I had lunch here today and it was not what we were expecting as we walked in the door. Looking around at the decor, the place definitely seems to be or comes across as higher end, including the prices reflected on the menu. The average couple is definitely going to drop between $40-$100 here at a minimum. considering this is the holiday season, you would expect that the restaurant would be a little bit more festive as it is a landmark in downtown Laguna Beach. The staff's attire look like they just finished their morning/lunch shift at Chili's restaurant or Applebee's and came to work here as their evening shift. I definitely would not expect this look at a restaurant of this caliber or with the pricing they are asking patrons to pay. Definitely won't be coming back anytime soon because it was a letdown. The lights above the bar where we sat, had a heavy layer of dust on them, Along with water stains. The manager should have been on a stepstool with a rag, and a duster, at least cleaning the lights out instead of standing around serenading the waitresses and bar staff. John Tapper would've had a fit in this place. After reading all of the one star reviews, it seems that the place hasn't changed much and no one really cares. read more

Lumberyard - Dirty bar lights - New American Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

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Went to an off-hour dining. But the service was good and the food (crab cake salad and bread pudding) was excellent.

Best fresh crispy pizza! Service was awesome and cool ambiance. Ella was spinning and throwing the pizza with flair! It was fun!

Totally fine restaurant, but nothing special. Kind of seemed like a wannabe-Hillstone restaurant. I wouldn't ever go out of my way to eat here. French onion soup was insanely salty. Spinach artichoke dip was good. read more

This is the spot! Great Menu! Great food! Their ribs are a must! And oh! their Meatloaf wrapped in bacon! The Chilean sea bass is cooked to perfection! Great outdoor ambiance with music ( all COVID rules enforced here) . Jeannie was our awesome waitress tonight! She took great care of us and has an awesome personality and makes great menu recommendations. If you have not been to the lumberyard definitely try them out and ask for Jeannie for your waitress, , she's great at what she does! She made our experience top no read more

Lumberyard - New American Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

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Wonderful experience. Food was great, the cornbread was amazing! It was a little warm inside but it wasn't uncomfortable. Staff were friendly and very helpful. read more

My family of 5 had a five star night having dinner here tonight. We had a variety of menu items and each one of us loved our choices. Salmon salad, Ceviche, Penne, Burger and French Dip. Delicious- all of it! Our service was great as well. I was a little worried when we arrived and there was a live band playing, but to my surprise and delight they played to provide music not perform a concert and so it was not ear piercing and I enjoyed it. The beer selection was just ok- but we were there for food and family time and both were a success! read more

A meal at The Lumberyard We were so eager to try this new restaurant but were quickly disappointed. Walking into the eatery we were greeted by an aggressive smell of something barn like. Luckily we had a reservation and were taken to our table promptly. At first glance the restaurant had a cozy atmosphere. The waitress brought us glasses of water. There didn't seem to be any immediate issues until I tried picking up the glass. The table was so sticky it was like someone had spilled a vat of pancake syrup on the table and let it sit for days. When it came time to order I was taken back by the prices on the menu. While the place was nice it gave off the same vibes as Chillies. Hesitantly I went with the Penne Chicken with Vodka Sauce. While I requested just penne and red sauce what actually was delivered to the table is still up for grabs. When the food arrived at first glance I could tell that what I had ordered was not matching the concoction in the bowl. The "penne" pasta was certainly not penne. That wasn't a huge concern of mine. But what was, was the flavor combination. To this minute i am still trying to pinpoint what exactly they put in my pasta to give it that bizarre taste. I continued along my journey of eating the peculiar pasta and went along with the same moto we use at home, "fill up and move on." I certainly would not venture back as i left extremely unsatisfied and an overbearing sense of nausea. Over and out read more

A good spot and always a place we pick to eat before visiting the Pageant of the Master every year. Typically has reservations available which is helpful during this time of year when you need a set time. Cocktails are yum- and if you're lucky they have live music. It's a favorite for classic dishes that warm the soul. read more

I was underwhelmed by the Lumberyard. My daughter had been there previously and loved it. She loved the plank zucchini, but I did not. It was cut extremely thin and breaded. Not much zucchini there. I ordered the roasted beet salad, but then had to play "find the beets" because there was less than half a beet in the salad. Very disappointing and I won't go there again. I will say the service was excellent. I wish the location was still a Cedar Creek Inn! read more

Lumberyard is one of our favorite local restaurants. It is casual enough that we often drop in on family nights or with friends, but the food is up-scale. My current personal favorite is the Sole with the NZ Sauvignon Blanc. But the Babyback Ribs and Beef Stroganoff are a close second and third. The food is hearty and our kids love having leftovers the next day. To my delight, the owner Cary is a coffee lover like me and got a great coffee machine plus gourmet Italian coffee. It is a perfect medium roast and they serve it so beautifully. I wish I could have it every morning! On Friday evenings Bob Hawkins plays music with various other musicians. They always sound great. I have known Bob since he played with the Missiles of October and the 133 Band. He is extremely talented. The music makes for a fun atmosphere. The staff is always friendly, especially our most recent waitress Ali. She is super sweet. read more

Lumberyard - Best Cappuccino in town. - New American Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

Unprecedented event tonight for my wife and I; we received our meal BEFORE our glass of Chardonnay. When the food arrived I asked the food server where our wine is and he looked dumbfounded. I pulled my phone out to take a pic of 2 salmon dinners sitting next to 2 empty wine glasses and before I could shoot the wine shows up. I inquired how this could happen to our waiter; she said we had to get a new bottle. News to us. NOT service I'd recommend. read more

This used to be our go to place. so sad to see it go downhill. the chicken pot pie was my favorite. no more. Tasteless and filled with hundreds of peas. my husband's lemon sole was dry. lots of empty tables. read more

Great place, love the food ( cornbread) and management! Signed "see you next Tuesday " read more

Service was excellent. Meal was paced perfectly. Food, especially the "tins" menu was great. Very good wine list. Restaurant is a bit noisy. read more

A nice experience prior to the pageant. Shrimp ceviche was very flavorful and hit the spot. Entree was halibut. Though it came out undercooked, the owner was very apologetic, and immediately fired a entire new plate. It was paired with delicious asparagus risotto. The only issue was the Burt bacon on the wedge salad, though the dressing was very nice read more

Worthy of a visit. Overpriced. Dark and noisy. But, the food was delicious and plentiful. We started with the Lumberjack zucchini which was $12 for 6 pieces but it was very tasty. The Plank Salmon (I subbed yummy Brussels Sprouts for the cauliflower) was near perfection. The miso soy glaze was crusty and sweet. The salmon moist and flavorful. A special treat. Hubby had the Beyond Burger and said it was top notch. My daughter had the penne pasta and they made her happy by substituting broccolini for the mushrooms. I have to say that our waiter just seemed to be going through the motions, distracted and uninterested in us. But, we got our food quickly. We were in and out in an hour. read more

Listen to the Yelpers - eat here and get the cornbread. Seriously it's the best I've ever had. And the cedar plank salmon was so full of flavor and so satisfying. The service was impeccable. Definitely will be back when we're in Laguna again! read more

Lumberyard - Cedar Planked Mahogany King Salmon - New American Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

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Eat at the restaurant. Check your take-out carefully. Do not order for delivery from this restaurant. There is no way to contact them about problems with the order. Extremely poor communication availability. read more

We made reservations over 2 weeks ago, for a party of 5. We were sat at a folding table, next to the backdoor. Not only was it a folding table, but a super cheap one at that. Not cool. The host was very unconcerned about our dilemma. The noise level in the restaurant was nearly unbearable. I promise to NEVER eat at this restaurant again. There are so many better spots in Laguna. Surprised that this place is still around with such a poor level of service. read more

The best thing about this place is their french fries. Honestly one of the best French fries I've ever had. I was so full and sad that I couldn't finish all of them. That's how obsessed I am with their fries. I ordered the fried chicken sandwich and my husband got the quarter pounder. I was expecting the portion to be small bc it's Laguna and the prices are a little up there but the sandwiches were huge! I liked the cilantro in the slaw of my sandwich. We also got cocktails and they don't skimp out on the alcohol which i appreciate but I didn't quite find it as refreshing as I wanted it to be. Not sure what their other meals are like but I think their burgers/sandwiches are "worth" the price bc of portion and delicious fries and I saw another table order a family meal so that price seems ok too but I prob wouldn't order crab cakes from here for $20. The service also took long but we tried to be understanding bc it looked like our waiter was the only one for a busy place so I felt bad. And I saw another woman who could've helped him but no, she only went to one table (a white woman and her kids) to refill their waters while my table and other tables could've used a refill too and sat around aimlessly for a long time. If I'm ever in the area I'll come back for the fries and the fact that their tables are clean and socially distanced. The employees (except one male cleaning the tables very well) do not wear masks if anyone is wondering. read more

Lumberyard - Fried chicken sandwich. Delish fries. - New American Near Me - Laguna Beach, California