This review is for Happy Hour. 5 stars? - yes! Let's see- spectacular view of the Pacific Delicious appetizers on the HH menu My favorite cocktail-Aperol spritz on HH Super accommodating wait staff 4-7, M-F What more can I ask?? The Aperol spritz was perfectly crafted-not easy to find anywhere outside of Milan. The artichokes were served with two tasty sauces-a delicate lemon aioli and a nicely balanced romesco sauce. The calamari were tasty but we opted to dip them in the aforementioned sauces instead of the sauce it came with. Can't wait to go back! read more

The only reason this place is open is because of the view. The food is nothing great and the drinks are absolutely horrible after 4 o'clock. The bartenders in the morning and early afternoon make good drinks but once it hits the night shift, the drinks are awful! You'd think this resort would have great food and drinks but I guess they don't care cause people will keep going back for the view. The staff is great but I hope one day they can put some effort in making good food and drinks. read more

Outstanding brunch! One of the best buffet brunches I've ever been to! Five star food and great service! David, the manager is amazing. He is so kind and accommodating. Can't wait to return and we live 2 hours away! Outstanding! read more

So disappointed. I come here every so many months because my family lives in the area. We always get the nachos which never disappoint, but tonight they were over cooked and had a enchilada sauce on top instead of salsa. The prawns were the most disappointing. Deep fried, over cooked, and tasted old. We couldn't even eat it. We sent it back and thought that was that, but when we got the bill they charged us for it. Maybe they had a new cook for the holiday season, but we will not be coming back for a while. read more

Their bread board & a glass of wine are great choice before dinner!! We will definitely come back here next time.

Back in May, me and my wife were spending our wedding anniversary in Pismo Beach and wanted to go out for dinner. We went to several restaurants but all of them were busy, so we decided to check online and discovered Marisol at the Cliffs. There were 3 tables taken, so we didn't have any noise the whole dinner which ended up being convenient. Since there weren't busy, only one server and one bidder were taking care of the tables. Still they managed to not have utensils one the table so we grabbed the ones from the table closer to ours. Seemed like they were too busy trying to watch the Warriors game. My wife ordered the Pismo Clam chowder and the Tuna Tataki. The clam chowder was only ok is we compare it to the Splash cafe one, which is richer and creamier. The tuna Tataki was good, decent portion for an appetizer. I ended up having Fruta del Mar which had everything mentioned on the menu, but only one of each seafood. For the price I was expecting a bigger portion and a better presentation, but at least it was well seasoned and cooked. I won't go back to Marisol at the Cliffs unless I know that the service has improved as well as the food. read more

What happened? This used to be a great Sunday brunch buffet. The prime rib was overcooked, not any trace of pink, and tough and chewy. Wife couldn't even chew it. The bacon was so "crisp,", I'd call it burned, and all of it, not just one batch of it. I'd be embarassed to serve bacon like that. Tuna tartar was okay. Sausage was okay. Eggs benedict was bland. Fresh cooked omelette was okay (pretty tough to mess that up.) Butterscotch truffle? No thank you. Not good. Tiramisu left a lot to be desired. Overall, it was not worth the price. Maybe the chef was out that day, but I would not go back. Too many other places that serve quality food. Manager was nice, but he should have talked to someone in the kitchen. Staff was ok. read more

I had a lovely lunch watching the storm come in on this amazing friday afternoon. The mushroom soup was delicious, the service was impeccable and David Kline is the very best Maitre d' This really made my day. The view is can't be beat!!! Lou (805) 249-8818 read more

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This is the 3rd time I've had the waitress AMORA as a server it's Sunday afternoon and she was hating life, it took her twice to get my order when it was just a simple salad with steak. If I'm going to spend over $20 on a salad the least that can come of it is a smile from the person helping me. My first time encounter with her was worse. We had a party of 9 for Sunday brunch and we asked her for champagne she said she didn't have enough to go around to fill up our glasses. I look over to the next table and she filled up their glasses and opened a new bottle for them. She must not like her job she felt the need to tell our table today that she was tired and it just didn't sit well with us. Even other employees said that she complains about work and her customers service is horrible.. hands down she's not a good server read more

Dined outside for early dinner during COVID pandemic. Atmosphere and view didn't disappoint. However, food was a huge disappointment. Appetizer was cold and entree was lukewarm. Was initially seated without any silverware and no server checked on us or provided the drink orders until meals were served. When It was mentioned that the appetizer was subpar, server only replied with an apology rather than an offer of compensation. Lastly, a nonnegotiable 15% gratuity was added to the bill. Not a recommended place for dining at this time. read more

We stayed at the Cliffs for a few days, so the first night we dined at the Marisol just because of convenience. The staff were super nice and courteous, the food was great, the wine list was pretty sophisticated, and the view from our table was absolutely breath taking as we got a table with the ocean view. After this wonderful experience we decided to have another 3 dinners at the Marisol and we had no regrets about. Each dinner the staff delivered the same level of service and the chef was super accommodating for my special requests. PS. For other desert's lovers- Cream brûlée at Marisol is out of this world - blackberry and raspberry jam on the bottom and heavenly made crust on the top - completely ultimate way to finish a day at this resort. The two waiters that made our experience at the Marisol so memorable were Crosby and Trever. They provided 6 stars service to us through the few days that we dined at Marisol. We highly recommend this restaurant ! read more

The view is beautiful, the workers are friendly and the menu is great! We loved it. I got the surf and turf Mac n cheese it was soooooo good

Love this place. Come. The whales are spouting. Megan is an excellent server David is wonderful Lou read more

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Emiline made the trip special. She's awesome and really made us enjoy the slo mule. We had one with us

For a local, The Cliffs is my go-to place. Beautiful patio, awesome view, amazing happy hour. This is somewhere where I come to relax. This place never cease to disappoint me. It always has amazing food and drinks. I would recommend this place to anyone, really. Whether your traveling or live here and never been here before, you should really try it. Sit outside when it's warm though. The manager Stacy is great!! She is always there and always says hello when we come in. Thank you for your hospitality! Thank you Marisol! We will be back very soon. read more

Edit #2: We came for the brunch (9/17/17) and it was absolutely amazing and the staff was exceptionally attendant. The food was absolutely delicious. I also brought my kids and they LOVED the food so I am so happy to report that I've upped my review to 4-stars. Really impressed! Edit #1: The manager was very kind and offered a free brunch on him. I thought that was really nice and I hope we have a better experience. However I don't think it'll be with the kids. I used to think this was a great restaurant to go have happy hour or a nice brunch on the weekend. That was back in 2007-09 when I had no children. I guess that makes all the difference? Don't bring the kids here, unless they have the patience of a jedi. I visited this restaurant on my birthday (Feb. 25th) and we dined around 11am. We had a group of 9 (5 adults, 4 children) and sat outside on the patio right outside of the bar. It was freezing but we were the only group there, they were not busy. The service was decent for the first 30 minutes, then we noticed the wait staff started ignoring us. My husband never got his coffee. Our server was doing the best she could I am certain, but we found the wait unacceptable as well as the food that was served. Our food arrived all at different times, the kids meals were last to arrive, though we ordered them first. The plates were all very hot and my 3 year old burned her fingers. You could tell the food was reheated and/or sitting under hot plates. Guess how it tasted? Not great. We ended up boxing most of it up. I really wanted to order a special dessert with my guests for my birthday, but instead was rushed to leave because our party just couldn't sit and wait any longer as the weather was chilly. We also didn't have time to go over these issues with anyone as our kids were losing their minds. We spent over $200 on the meal. read more

This place is amazing. If you want a place that is both classy and relaxing, you've found it. The service is impeccable, always a friendly greeting and prompt attention. The food is outstanding, (try the nachos) and their drinks are well made. Granted, it's a little more pricey than your run of the mill pismo dive bar, but well worth it considering there's free valet when dining at the restaurant! Also, check out their Wednesday happy hour, great place to grab a drink and watch the sunset on the central coast! read more

Marisol - Sunday morning brunch. Relaxing and peaceful in the morning. - Seafood Near Me - Pismo Beach, California

Good food, great views from patio, cozy dining room and good ambience. Less stars because I asked for a cozy little table by the fireplace and was told that side is for reservations only. I was sat in an awkward table in the middle of the bar where all servers pass. The reservations side of the room had 3 tables that night, nobody say at the cozy table by the fireplace. But I heard another server make accommodations on that side by someone without reservations. So maybe it was just my server. Anyway neat place and the salmon was really good. read more

Marisol's was excellent. Large portion so well worth the slightly higher price for appetizers and super creative. We shared three appetizers for dinner and really could have done one but all were excellent. We had the carnitas nachos, brussel sprouts and beet salad and would highly recommend all of them. I can't remember the last time I was so impressed and pleased with a dish. Service excellent as well! read more

If I could give this place zero stars I would....We waited 15 minutes which isn't a big deal then we were given our table and we sat and waited for our server for 35 min we didn't even get served water. The worst service I have ever experienced. read more

Very nice setting ! Although waitress not very good & tends to mess up your order . It's suppose to be high end but wasn't very great

Come here for the view, not the service! We were seated outside by the host. After about 20 minutes of being ignored by the wait staff, I got up and walked to the bar and got the drinks myself. After about another 20 or so minutes, the waiter, who was obviously avoiding eye contact with us the whole time, finally asked us if we needed anything! I said yes, how about taking our order. I told him him I had to go get our own drinks from the bar. He didn't seem to mind that he had been neglecting us. The food finally came and it was good. I thought maybe they would comp us the drinks because of the poor service but when the bill came, the drinks were on it so I left no tip. We have consistently had poor service there but this was the worst. If it wasn't for the view and ambiance, I would give them zero stars and I would never go back. read more

Had a very good mezican dinner for two to go. We came from Paso Robles, during drive -by dinner to go. Thank You.

Amazing view, great staff and tasty food! We had the lobster mashed potatoes, prawns, grilled onions and mushrooms, and a bowl or clam chowder.... so impressed!! read more

Marisol - Yum - Seafood Near Me - Pismo Beach, California

This was actually a surprisingly good poke tower. I've been disappointed so many times in the past but not today! My bartender George was so friendly and accommodating. This is one of my favorite spots to hang out and look at the beach. Drinks good. Food good. Staff awesome! read more

Marisol - Seafood Near Me - Pismo Beach, California

I really want to give this place a high rating because the ambience is great. I realize that restaurants are still getting up to speed after Covid, so I hope this place will eventually come back. Unfortunately, my experiences in the last 2 months have been inconsistent. One time was fine, not great, the next time was one of the worst dining experiences I've ever had. It took well over an hour to get our food, even our drinks took 30 minutes! Server never came by to offer an update. We finally gave up on being able to flag him down, and my friend went to the hostess stand to see if someone could check on our order. She said that was not her job. The hostess must've sent the manager over though, because she showed up. She was nice, very apologetic. She said she didn't know what happened but our order was almost ready and would be next out. 10 more minutes went by, and then the people who were seated 45 minutes after we were got their food. Ours took another 15. My dad's Benedict had hard boiled eggs. On the way out, I asked the bartender if they could break a $20 bill so I could tip the valet. She did not even say a word to me, just rolled her eyes, took my money, came back and put it on the bar. The only reason I did not give one star, is that the valet service was awesome! They were so friendly, fast, personable. My recommendation is that you do not go for brunch on a weekend. Not until they can get their act together. read more

I honestly can not see how this restaurant can receive any bad reviews. We returned to this restaurant 3 days in a row and made the quick drive over from Avila Beach, because we thought it was so good. We were greeted each day with sweet hospitality from each hostess. Sorry I did not get your name since you are the initial interaction with the guests and you made us feel so welcome each day. We sat out on the patio area which was extremely relaxing and had a great view. Indoor seating was also appealing and has a beautiful fire place for cold days. I love the wine cellar area and great selection of wines to choose from. The food we had each day was absolutely delicious! I want to give a shoutout to the incredibly friendly service staff Monica, McKenzie, and Carlos who served us. The hospitality and attention to service is top notch. Everything from the Heart of The House came out quickly and super hot. Kudos to the kitchen staff as you deserve to be recognized for the amazing food that kept bringing us back. This will definitely be our go to restaurant from here on out as we frequent the area often. We spoke with the manager AJ who was top notch and was so proud of his amazing staff. You could tell he really sets the bar for service and see how his staff enjoys working with him. Thank you to all of you. See you in May! read more

My friend has heard great things about the Sunday brunch, so we decided to check it out. We arrived at 11 am and sat down at a booth and watched 5 different waiters and waitresses walk right past us without a word. After about 15 minutes and a hunger tantrum from me, my husband flagged down a waiter to ask for help. He told us that the brunch wasn't ready yet...despite the fact that we had seen at least ten people walk by with their plates. Anyhow, I decided to order off of the menu because he said brunch would be at least 15 more minutes and I was freaking starving. We started by ordering drinks. My friend ordered the bacon Bloody Mary cause it sounded delightful. After quite a long time, the waiter came back and informed us that A) the bar tender didn't know how to make it, B) they didn't even have bacon infused vodka and that C) he did realize it was on the menu but that they couldn't make it. Nice. One of many disappointments. I ordered the steak and eggs - I'll come back to that. My husband saw five more people with their brunch plates and said eff it and went to grab his food. The waiter never came back to tell him and his friend it had officially "opened." My husband had two plates of the brunch buffet before my food came out! When my food came out, it did not resemble what the menu said. I asked for my steak medium well, it seemed pretty well done to me. They put toast on the plate in lieu of the roasted potatoes they promised and there was no chimichuri sauce on the steak. I usually just suck it up and eat shitty food, but for $15, I didn't want dry toast, over cooked eggs and shitty ass steak. My husband let the waiter know my concerns and he took my plate back to the kitchen. A few minutes later, he returned with the same plate, with a small cup full of roasted potatoes and my shit steak cut open. The waiter said "The chef said that it is cooked properly inside. Here you go." and proceeded to set the plate of food back in front of me. Wow. I think he saw the look of despair on my face because he came back a few minutes after that and said that he was going to bring me a new steak. Oh, almost forgot, apparently the chimichuri is put on prior to cooking, but he could bring me a little more. I call bullshit on that. Do these people read the menus of food that they are supposed to serve? The new steak came out later and it was actually moist looking and cooked properly, which made me wonder how long my shitty food was sitting there the first time. During the rest of our meal, we had to wait longer than average for everything. The waiter was even nice enough to tell us how the kitchen was behind and that he can't believe that there are people complaining about stupid things like ketchup and A1 sauce. Um, hello, I totally just complained. Guess I'm one of those asshole customers. Thanks, guy. All things considered, I won't be back for brunch, or breakfast, or lunch or dinner. When I stay at the Cliffs again, or head to Pismo, this will be a happy hour only kinda place. Pretty sad at how terrible this experience was. read more

I am writing this review in regards to the Sunday Brunch... I am a long time customer of the Cliff's Sunday Brunch. I have been at least 10 times. The view is definitely hard to beat on a sunny day. The buffet is about what you'd expect for paying almost $40 per person with unlimited mimosas. It doesn't disappoint. Charlie is a server on Sundays and he is one of my favorite servers at any restaurant of all time. He always takes great care of me and my family/friends. He treats us like we are kings! However, my most recent visit has made me undecided if I'll ever be back. My Uncle has autism and because of the medication he takes, he is unable to drink alcohol as well as certain foods. Therefore, though the 4 others of us were going to eat/drink the mimosa buffet brunch, we asked that my Uncle be allowed to simply have a bowl of soup instead... The restaurant manager insisted that either my Uncle had to pay the $40 for the full brunch or that he had to sit at a different table, inside, without the view. The manager insisted this relentlessly and we did not have a choice in the matter. This is appalling and I honestly feel like boycotting and/or suing this restaurant for it's discrimination against people who live with Autism or other handicapping diseases. They obviously don't appreciate all the business that I've given them over the years. read more

This has got to be the worst brunch I have had. EVER. We had Sunday brunch here with unlimited champagne. That was sadly, the best part of the meal. We requested to be seated outside in the patio area since the view was so breathtaking. It overlooks the ocean and it was one of the most beautiful views ever... especially when you see the sun glistening on the crystal clear waters. The ocean breeze, along with an amazing ocean view with champagne in itself is a treat. You definitely can't beat the location of this restaurant. But that is the extent. Many people complained about the service here and I do have to agree that the service is kind of slow. We had run out of our champagne many times and had to wait awhile to get it refilled. For a brunch at this price and caliber, service and food should be impeccable. The brunch is situated in a tiny little circular area. Half of the area was the omelette station and waffle bar. The other half, is shrimp cocktail, sushi roll (with mostly rice), crab legs, fruit, hot dogs (with chili).. and that's about it. You pay close to $40 for all this. NO oysters, NO eggs, NO bacon, NO sausage.. WHAT THE EFF!!! Coming here for brunch was a big disappointment. They could expand on their selection and offer more variety of food. I don't think I would come here unless I was here to watch a game, or to just grab a couple of drinks. read more

Came for their Wednesday $1 Oysters to fulfill my oyster love and need. Got here right before it was over, ordered a dozen right at the bar and continued to sit down with my 4 buddies. Looked around, upscale audience all slurping their oysters off the half shell and oysters rockefeller. 15 minutes later, where is the waitress? and what about our menus and water? 15 minutes after, alright, seriously no one is serving us? not even a menu? 20 minutes later..shoved off by 3 more servers saying it was busy and the person who was in charge of our area was no where to be seen. Alright genius why dont ONE OF YOU SERVE US? 10 minutes: oysters finally arrive, and the person bringing it to us realized we needed menus and utensils and what not...brings ONE menu for the 5 of us 5 minutes of finishing a dozen oysters (i was the only one who ate all of them, my buddies were way too pissed off to even have one) still no one would take any other orders still. TOTAL: 60 minutes of waiting to be waited on. 10 other guests were served before us and we were sitting in the middle, very clearly seen. THOSE RACIST MOTHER F*CKERS CAN'T EVEN GIVE US THE DECENCY OF ANY CUSTOMER SERVICE. read more

Service is slow and unorganized. We walked in lost not knowing where to sit and no help was offered until we ask the bartender. After we picked a seat, it took a while for the menus and when i asked questions about the bar, the waiter was clueless of the drinks they offered. I still dont know if they have whiskey sour. the food was alright, the oysters were good though. i had the fish taco, if you are not so hungry, just order one. its big enough to fill a lady's tummy. do not try the raspberry martini. its gross. no, i do not think i will come back. read more

Where to start with my AWFUL experience here........logically from the beginning. FYI: this is going to be long, so if you do not want to read the details skip to the bottom. I will summarize my review in one sentence. I was in town for my good friend's birthday celebration. A large group of about 25 of us had planned to take her out to a nice restaurant for Sunday brunch (Sunday Funday) and enjoy the beautiful California coast. Things did not go as planned, to say the least. The week before the girl organizing the brunch attempted to call and make a reservation for brunch five different times. She left messages repeatedly with no return phone call. The day before, Saturday Feb. 18th I called twice and left two voicemails requesting a call back because we had such a large party. Still, no one took the time to return a phone call. We decide to wake up early so that we can get to the restaurant before the rest of the group. Obviously this place has problems with reservations, I just knew it would be a disaster. Once we arrive the two hostess look at me as if I have three boobs when I tell them we need a table for at least 20. She asks why we didn't make a reservation and my response was because your restaurant failed to call back to confirm a reservation. I do not understand how a restaurant that is suppose to be considered high end uses a voicemail for reservations. If this is going to be the system utilized at least hire competent people who will actually listen to and return the voicemails, OR do not take reservations and save everyone the time and frustration. Finally, twenty minutes later and after being ask four different times if a table outside would be fine the staff begins to set up a table to accommodate our large group. We make our way outside to discover that the staff has failed to turn on the heaters outside even though the temperature is about 60. After 45 minutes the table is finally set up and the heaters finally one. Unacceptable. Saying the food was mediocre is an extreme stretch. The fish in the sushi was not fresh, which I still cannot figure out since I was dinning at a seafood restaurant on the beach. The eggs benedict was close to impossible to cut through and the enchiladas we flavorless. The condiments tasted like they came from a box. The fruit was not ripe. The list could go on, but quite frankly I don't have the time. Let's move on to the important information, the alcohol. The waitress did a good job of keeping our champagne glasses filled. However, if you ordered a different alcoholic beverage (e.g., rum & coke) it took a short lifetime for the drink to arrive. The bar tender seemed nice when we first arrived at 10:00 am. His mood quickly shifted to grumpy as soon as the bar area was busy. This is simply the worst Sunday brunch I have ever experienced. By scrolling through other reviews I am not the only one. A restaurant operated with such negligence would never survive in Los Angeles. A little tip, when working in customer service: the customer is always right. Always. I am extremely disappointed that the manager could not even check in on our group who was completely ignored and then insulted. ONE LINE SUMMARY: Awful front of house & management, awful food, mediocre wait staff & bartenders, amazing view. I will save my $50, buy a bottle of Moet and sit on the beach before I return to this establishment. read more

Let me preface this review with the fact that the ONLY reason I'm giving this restaurant 2 stars is because the service (as in our waitress...not anybody else) was excellent my last go-round...and not to mention, the view is amazing...which doesn't hurt. Now onto the real review: Back on February 19th, a large group of my friends came here to help me celebrate my 28th birthday. (I find the age is important to mention here, to show that we are not some teeny-bopper, immature group of kids.) After several attempts of trying to call a week in advance to make a reservation for 20-25 people, in addition to 3-4 times the day before, we were unsuccessful in getting ahold of anybody. (When calling to make a reservation, you should not be directed to a voice mail...especially when no phone calls are returned!) A small group of us decided to head to the Cliffs a bit early that Sunday morning, since we never received confirmation of our reservation. The two hostesses, who seemed very young, were very unfriendly and unaccommodating. When we explained that we needed a table for 20+ people, they both gave us attitude and looked at us like we were crazy, insinuating that we were incompetent and should have made a reservation. We were all extremely frustrated that several of us had to explain that we TRIED to make a reservation MULTIPLE times a week leading up to this day...we know how to use a phone, thank you. Finally, they agreed to set up a table outside for us. The same hostess came back to us four other times asking if a table outside was fine. We let her know each time that outside was fine, but that we would like the heaters on near the table. FINALLY, after about 30 minutes or so, we were seated...but no heaters on. Simple instructions are clearly too difficult for employees at this establishment to follow. Our server, Elizabeth, was excellent - always there with a bottle of champagne filling up our mimosas. Nobody's glass was ever empty, and we showed her how thankful we were of that by giving her a good tip. The buffet food, on the other hand...could have been made better by myself in my own kitchen (and I only consider myself a very mediocre cook.) Everything in the buffet seemed like it was made the day before and just reheated... Fruit was not ripe. Sushi was...I don't know what it was, to be completely honest. The English muffin on the eggs Benedict was like trying to cut through a rock.........I'm sure you get the picture. All in all, I am extremely disappointed with my experience this time at the Cliffs, and how horribly we were treated by the hostesses, and the company in general (with their whole reservation service...or lack thereof). This establishment has definitely gone WAY down hill, as far as customer service and food are concerned at least. The sad thing, is that because the Cliffs continues to be popular and successful, they could probably care less about this review, or anybody's for that matter, and therefore probably won't change a thing. If that's the case, I won't be going back. read more

Beautiful view if you get a view seat. We were actually here quite a bit during our trip. They do a brunch and they have a bar and they do dinner. We went to those three! The brunch was ok. Kind of expensive for what it was. $29 for everything (not including champagne). They have an omelette bar and some fruit and lots of baked goods. Not the best quality of food and the plates seemed a little dirty. We went with a big group for dinner. The food was decent to good. I got chicken with mashed potatoes and liked it and my husband ended up with some steak dish and thought it was ok. Nothing memorable though. The bar was fun- probably their best feature. Good wines to choose from and interesting cocktails. The bar tender got little sassy here and there if you asked a question- but I think he was overwhelmed from the size of the group. It also closes at like 10 PM. Which is crazy. read more

Came here for dinner with the girlfriends after a few hours of ATVing. The restaurant is very nice and so is the service! I didn't like the entree options so I decided to create my own entree by ordering things a la carte. I really liked how this was an option! I chose the 8 oz rib eye steak and paired it with garlic mashed potatoes and broccolini - $38 in total. My steak was cooked just right (medium rare). The mashed potatoes were delicious, not too garlicky. The broccolini was good but a little too hard. A little longer in the steamer would have made the difference. Overall there was nothing too special about the food of this place. It was average. What made the dinner spectacular was the company I was with. read more

The Death of an Arrogant Idiot & The Birth of a Foodie As a kid, I was a bit of an arrogant turd. I found it easy and pleasurable to make fun of people who talked to their pets with a funny voice. Of course, with perfect karma, I then grew up to be one of those blubbering people. Now, as an adult, I must admit I've heard myself (in my sometimes noisy mind) making fun of the "foodies" - people who claimed and behaved, in my view, with excess enthusiasm for the culinary experience. So, when my wife dragged me (with loving exuberance) to a wine and food experience at Marisol, I was not expecting much. In fact, I'd get new ammo to with which to undermine kind, food-loving folk. First, here's the end of the story: My ignorance was magnificently highlighted by an extraordinary food experience. I now stand humbled, well fed and, yes, transformed. Here's how I got to that surprising end... I entered Marisol as sunset was beginning. As I strolled in, I found myself inside a Church of Food and Beverage. The late afternoon light was relentless as it bathed us through the giant, ocean-facing windows. The stained glass kept increasing in intensity. I was having an out-of-drug experience...and I hadn't even sat down. After being graciously greeted and then seated, I was immediately presented with a most unusual drink - a whiskey that had the dry, smooth smoke-filled liquid running through it. It was new to my palate...and stunning. Who knew one could take slow, deep drinks of smoky, liquid air. It didn't even make sense. I was beginning to awaken. As I listened to our teacher and guide - the passionately joyful, Teri Bayus, dish out culinary knowledge, another delicacy, Foie Gras, was placed before me. A splash of Spanish sherry came with it. I had a conflagration in my mouth. I now have intimate knowledge of how fire reacts when gas is poured on it. My transformation into a foodie was accelerating. Other highlight and takeaways from my birth of a foodie evening... * LIFE AS A WOMAN? I more deeply understand the meaning of "awakening my senses." I think I may have more insight into how a sensuous woman experiences life. Lucky me! * An HONORABLE AFFAIR: I learned a well-designed food and beverage can be like having sensuous and satisfying affair with an exotic and gorgeous woman (her name would be Marisol, of course!) And the best part? I can thoroughly enjoy the affair with my wife. Gosh, this is sounding odd! Well, no one ever said rebirth was clean and orderly. * GETTING PRESENT: The experience at Marisol showed me there is a new universe in every bite. Especially if that bite is paired with a perfectly mated beverage. When PRESENT, the past is dead and the future is an eternity away. No therapy or meditation required. Just brilliantly conceived and prepared food and beverage. My experience at Marisol was one of the better deaths of my life. Zazz Daniel read more

The only reason I gave it one star is because, well, you can't give zero. Service is bad. The excuse, "everyones working tonight because it's New Years Eve." So? Being short staffed is not a customers problem. The hardest working person there today was the bus boy, who we tipped. Slow to take our drink order, slow to turn out food and slow to give us our bill (we had to go inside to get it). Then we discovered the bill was wrong; we were charged more then we should have. Check your bill before you pay! After disputing the bill and being told that it was a mistake, our server mentions to someone that he added a tip to it; I am sure he assumed he was giving crappy service so he added it not thinking we'd notice. There were people setting up for New Years Eve...not sure why they couldn't pitch in and help serve. Seems to be an attraction for snobby people with no anus and their bratty kids. The ONE heat lamp was broken; small price to pay for a view. The clam chowder, while tasty, was not hot and the pastrami sandwich was dry and the bread was overly toasted (I make a habit of not returning food, especially when the kitchen must be busy). (Waiter Service -below) Sure, they have them but they are slow. (Good for... -below) Not Sure Service: Crappy Food: Could be a lot better Over All Experience: McDonalds is better. read more

I will NOT be returning to Marisol's again. Prior to this visit, my friend had her credit card charged WITH a tip... she did NOT leave a tip since she received horrible service. I believe that is called "fraud." Then she ended up going again and the manager said they have revamped: better service, etc. So on a recent visit we decided to try it out before going shell searching. It angers me to even rehash this now. In a nutshell (so I don't break something) NO ONE really helped us, we had to flag down a waiter that said the other waitress was supposed to get to us. Bloody Marys were eh. The cafeteria at my work makes better Tomato Bisque soup. The grilled cheese sammie was ok - even I couldn't f*ck that up. All this delivering of food and drinks took fooooooorrrrrrreeeeeevvvvveeeerrr. Then the bill comes. We split it - $25 cash (which we assumed but figured out later my bf gave $30 or $35) then split the remainder with 2 cc's. It would've been $12.50 each to cover the rest of the bill. I actually had to take the bill INSIDE to the bartender because we were waiting so long. Our server runs the cards and they come back with $16+ on each card!!!?? WTF? Maybe it's a mistake? Well he told the bartender while we were speaking with the manager "That included the tip." My blood was BOILING. Our servers answer to the statement the service was slow, "We are very busy because tonight is New Years Eve." Really? How is that my friggin' problem?? You are a RESTAURANT - expect to be busy. 3 manager were inside hanging decorations... maybe they should've been running food instead. There's more to nit pick but I will stop. The manager helping us was very nice... unfortunately that doesn't make up for ANYTHING. read more

WISH THERE WAS SOME GOOD SERVICE TO GO WITH THIS GREAT VIEW My husband's employer invited all of the employees and their significant others to dine here for the holiday party. We met here at 11 for brunch. I was surprised there were so many llunch items out but perhaps at (or about 11) they start transitioning over. There were shrimp fajitas which were excellent, and a wonderful pesto dish that ended up being my favorite thing. The prime rib was great, but the woman carving it didn't understand what I meant when I asked for au jus. The man on the omelette station did and told me that don't have any. What?! That's my favorite part of prime rib so that was a bummer but at least it was pretty rare. They had mini waffles or regular waffles which could be halved. Crispy, thick bacon. And salmon but not the type you'd put on a bagel (lox), just a regular salmon (baked maybe?) I kind of wanted some lox, and since this was next to the bagels it was disappointing. The tails-on shrimp were really soggy and didn't have much flavor but the was the exception. Everything else was good. Lots of desserts - my favorite was chocolate dipped strawberries with just the right amount of sweetness and tart. The brunch is a champagne brunch and one server (maybe two) helped keep our glasses full. Both water and champagne glasses. It was a little hard to get a refill and I was drinking very slowly. I saw a lot of empty glasses, and it wasn't the kind of group that was just throwing them back. A couple times the server would walk off after refilling one person's glass, and not bother to check the other end of the table. I tried to make eye contact with her but relied on my patience and eventually she came back. The boyfriend of one employee never received the coffee he asked for. And the iced tea sitting next to me had to get up to ask for a refill. For those who like adding juice to their champagne they had bottles on the table but these ended up being very messy to pour from. Very tasty juice combo of orange, pineapple and something else. It was great and the small spills got laughs from the people around who had already done the same thing. We were seated in a beautiful greenhouse style room, set off from the main dining area. The view of the ocean was wonderful. The table was fun and it was great to have a private area to get to know the awesome people he works for and with. The restaurant even let us further hang out after the brunch, with prior arrangements having been made for us to stay and enjoy champagne on the outdoor patio until the end of food service. (I think at 3). A band played and the singer was wonderful. It was only a short walk down to the water and some tide pools. Overall a really fantastic experience. read more