I love coming here for their PERFECT MARGARITAS... great atmosphere, great employees, good food!!!

I really enjoyed my visit here on December 22, 2013. This restaurant is on the second floor of the old Jacoby storehouse historic building. The building is historical and you feel like you are stepping back in time when you visit it. The general store with Italian goodies and delights was unfortunately closed, but to our surprise the Plaza Grill was a secret oasis upstairs. They had the most amazing real Christmas Tree in the center of the building. I am still trying to figure out how they got it in there. It was all trimmed in amazing green and gold colors. We arrived right around 6 pm. Our server was nice and cool, he still offered us the happy hour items even of we were right near the cut off line. The building was built in 1857 and has a great history. The plaza grill had a small plates happy hour appetizer menu. We ordered the tomato basil soup. Very delicious. We also ordered three small plates to share- the sweet potato fries with honey BBQ sauce, the Brussels sprouts with garlic, and the button mushrooms with spinach and butter beans. All the food was flavored right, and tasted really good. I wish they would have had more tables around the Christmas tree, but our table was still fine near the antique bar and close to the fireplace. All our food was vegetarian and reasonable. The actual dinner menu is much higher priced, so we were happy to score happy hour and try some delicious food.many choices to choose from. read more

Plaza Grill - 2013 Christmas Tree in Jacoby Historic Building - Plaza Grill on Second floor near tree - American Near Me - Arcata, California

I had dinner here for the first time last night, and I'm sure glad I did! I made reservations on the later side (8:00 pm) but this restaurant was still packed! Even though I was looking for a romantic night out, the crowded restaurant still provided an enjoyable time. My date and I ordered some appetizers to enjoy before our meal, an artisan cheese plate, crab cakes, and I ordered a single raw oyster on the half shell. The cheese plate had several delicious cheeses, and two that we found pretty unsavory, but the presentation was beautiful! The crab cakes were perfect, crispy on the outside, but not too dry, and drizzled with a pesto cream sauce that was absolutely delicious. For the oysters they have a variety of sauces available with them. I chose the wasabi reduction with tobiko caviar. I should have ordered more than one! For dinner, I ordered the grilled ahi, and my companion had the mini kboe steak burgers. The ahi was great, a huge portion of fish lightly seared atop a mountain of tasty basmati ginger rice. I also tried the kobe burgers and they were delicious! The only issue I took with the place was that our server was not terribly knowledgable about the menu. He didn't know the cheeses that came on the plate, and was unsure about a few other things. But he was a very friendly, nice guy and he did the best he could with such a crowded dining room. All in all, definitely a place I'd reccommend, and eat at again! read more

This place was recommended by the hotel clerk, so we decided to give it a try. We started with the fried calamari, which came with tarter and aioli sauces. It was lightly breaded, not greasy with a bit of a kick, probably some cayenne pepper. It was very good. I had the meatloaf and my boyfriend had a buffalo bleu burger, both of which were very yummy, tho his was messy. Service was good. A bit pricey but not out of the ordinary. A bit too loud and cold for my taste, however. Overall quite good and I'd definitely come back. read more

Went to the plaza grill 12-4-16. Place is very beautiful. Unfortunately my service and food quality were not. 1st - Our 1st waiter clocked out with out telling us. Then our second waitress was so caught up with her big table that she left our cocktails sitting at the bar for quite sometime, to the point where I just went to the bartender and asked for them myself. 2nd. Our blue cheese had a huge chunk of some kinda of plastic or cheese wrap. Not sure what it was but I sure definitely choked on it. We kindly mentioned it to our second waitress and she just stood there and said "okay". So we gladly asked for the check and left. Beautiful place. Good food, just a really bad night I guess. Feel free to contact me. Charliewarmling@gmail.com read more

The drinks I had there were great! They also have some bomb mac and cheese. If you are looking for good seafood/steak, and a range of other stuff, with a full bar in a classy environment, you should try out Plaza Grill. Plaza Grill is also on the Arcata Plaza which is a great unique thing on its own. read more

My review is specifically for the Late Night Happy Hour at the plaza grill which is the only thing I usually attend there. The bartender Cassidy is hands down the most awesome person at his job. The drinks are always strong as well as a good price, the music is fun and all around it is a nice and casual setting to hang out with some friends and drink up! Cassidy deserves a raise he makes the whole thing worth it. read more

Beautiful oak interior, gorgeous bar! Two of our party had the steak dinner, and I had the steelhead. Everything was super tasty, especially the steelhead dish. I sent my plate back clean! The moscow mule one of our party had was a little light on the alcohol, but tasty nonetheless. I'd recommend the bar invest in an ice tray that makes the big, solid cubes for those of us who like our liquor on the rocks; soda ice is not an ideal form for whiskey. All in all, we would definitely return for another meal! read more

This was recommended by the clerk at our hotel. It's downtown in a cool building. The food was just average. I wanted the halibut which they were sold out of. So I had a bowl of clam chowder and a salad which were good. My husband had the cheeseburger and he said it was okay. Our waitress was very nice. I would give it an average rating nothing spectacular. read more

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Great drinks, great food, what more could you ask for? The Humboldt Fog Burger is one of the best burgers I've had - local goat cheese, crispy kale, balsamic onions, bacon and some sort of a garlic sauce. I ordered it approximately five times before my boyfriend convinced me to try something else on the menu. The bacon mac and cheese was pretty good, I've just had better macaroni and cheese. Plus it just didn't hold a candle to the Humboldt Fog Burger. The Caesar salad, while simple, was well-made, as were the sauteed Brussels sprouts. As far as appetizers go however the calamari is amazing. Tender, practically melts in your mouth, well-seasoned, with yummy dipping sauces - the green one is great! I'm not really a cocktail drinker, but the Meet the Press cocktail with black cherry vodka is excellent. I've heard their happy hour is great, but I haven't checked it out yet! read more

As usual here is hit or miss. At the bar it's great during weekends consistently. Anything from the kitchen can be a gamble. Service is poor but smiley. read more

We ate here last night thanks to a Google recommendation. We loved the food and calamari appetizer. They were having some company holiday parties so it was extremely loud when we arrived for our 8:30pm reservation but it quieted down immensely when a few of the larger tables left shortly after our arrival. Our server, Amy, was awesome! She had great recommendations and was on the ball! It was obvious she was very busy but she was always friendly and had a smile. Two thumbs up from this couple. read more

The service was wonderful, the waitress who took care of my table was great, but the food was disappointing. My boyfriend had the wrong plate brought to him and he got his plate just fine afterwards. I will say that I am a picky eater and mistakes do happen, but with that being said my burger came burned and there was things on it that wasn't listed on menu, I replaced that with what my boyfriend had ordered, but mine came with tomatoes on top (and no, he didn't order his without) and when I asked about it she said thats just how it comes. I wish the menu was more transparent. read more

We stopped for dinner on an overnight stay in Arcata and had a good meal. The restaurant has a grill atmosphere and the folks there at the time looked like they were all having a good time. We dressed casual and didn't feel out of place, and there were others in the dining room who were dressed for a Friday night out. The food was great. The menu stray much from typical grill fare, but the dishes my husband and I ordered tasted great with fresh ingredients. Our waiter was fast, attentive, and very friendly. We has a confusing exchange with the gentleman seating patrons because we didn't come with reservations. He looked for an available table for us and came back saying the tables near the door were open. That was ok with us, but the way he said it I wasn't sure if he meant we probably didn't want to stay. He realized how confusing that sounded and ended up seating us at a great table in the back of the room near a window. Simple miscommunication, but he was quick for make us feel welcome and we left very happy. read more

All I can say about this place is: meh. And that's pretty much all I've ever told anyone who's asked about it. How's the food? Meh. How are the drinks? Meh. How's the service? Meh. If I could give it exactly 2 and a half stars, I would. The food isn't great, but it's edible. The drinks are drinkable, but usually kinda weak. The service is alright, nothing special. The prices are...alright. It's just a regular old, run of the mill, postured as a slightly higher end restaurant. You go, you eat, you get a drink, you go home and forget it immediately. The more memorable times I've gone there have been with the SO and some friends after we'd gotten drinks somewhere else and shown up a little loaded. Other than that? Meh. read more

Service was very slow when I say at the bar. Had to wave down the bartender after 5-7 minutes of sitting there. I ordered a bowl of the clam chowder and a large house salad with chicken. The portion of the large salad was super small. I may have to get fast food later due to hunger. The clam chowder was bland, thin , and almost no vegetables/clams. It was basically cream. I had to add salt and pepper just to give it taste and oyster crackers to thicken it up. The bartender did make a come back after not acknowledging me in the beginning. He was friendly and got my food out in a timely manner. read more

Plaza Grill - American Near Me - Arcata, California

After being a Plaza Grill (along with Abruzzi's and Moonstone Grill) customer for 20+ years, this will be the last time we patronize here. Two adults and 2 teenagers ordered 3 meatloaf dinners, 1 Cajun Chicken Alfredo, 1 prawn appetizers, 2 cocktails, and 2 juices. All were inedible with the exception of the tomato basil soup - and even that arrived with a layer of thick crust on top of it. The meatloaf was something apparently from a plastic tube - perhaps Spam or some other processed compacted product. The gravy was in a thimble-size container and thick, tasteless glue. The mashed potatoes were probably from yesterday and the small handful of vegetables overcooked mush. The Alfredo was at least marginally better than the other 3 meals. So, three dinners were inedible and sent back, uneaten. Our server, Danni, was excellent - no issue with the service. But serving customers this sort of awful food is inexcusable. What a disappointment as the three restaurants named above are owned by the same people (at least I think that's still the case) and to see Plaza Grill deteriorate is disheartening. It should have been an indication when we arrived around 7:00 for dinner and found the place nearly empty. Perhaps others had already learned what we were about to. And when the hostess brought water to the table and spilled it across the table and made no attempt to clean it up, leaving the middle of the table a puddle of water, that was a further indication that things had changed. But the food was the final straw. This is the first time we've ever been unable to eat anything that was served, and sent it all back. The manager offered us 15% off our meatloaf meals, meaning inedible food would be a bargain at 85% of the cost. After protesting that our entire plates (minus small taste bites) were uneaten, the offer was increased to 30% off - or we could pay 70% for an uneatable dinner. What a ripoff!!! Time to wake up and take a look at the quality of the food and staff/management training. We won't be going back. read more

The resteraunt is nice with friendly staff who make good conversation if at the bar. I had the meatloaf and it was very good but a little salty. I don't eat gluten and the bartender was nice enough to go out of his way to replace the bread with an excellent cup of tomato basil soup. They were very friendly and told me about the staffs favorite dishes. I will go back soon and have a steak. read more

Great drinks, wonderful bartenders, delicious food and the best creme brûlée in Humboldt County. Triple thumbs up!!!

very good food here but extremely expensive. i'd love to box my own food tho. staff are pretty nice

A nice roomy restaurant, with a nice view of Arcata and glimpse of the bay. Right on the plaza in the center of town on the third floor of a historic building with old time elevator (and stairs). Fine dishes and interesting salads, sometimes very imagination cruise. but always "sandwiches, burgers, fish platters, chicken specialties, steaks". Great locals hangout for artist and professionals alike. Another Humboldt County place with aways great artwork gracing the walls. A very good wine selection by the bottle or the glass as well as a full bar...The Plaza Grill has one of those long classic oak bars. An extremely large sitting and entertaining area for all, away from the bar & restaurant. Definitely a good place to stop by for a drink & conversation. Though the carpets (on the stairs) needs replacing. Everyone always seems to be having a good time...interesting people and good 'vibes'....There should be some nice jazz or blues playing in the background to top it off but there's not...Oh well, you might mention it read more

Wasn't worth the price. My NY Steak was cold. Slow service and mediocre food. Great building and ambience. I would like to give more stars, but as I watch everyone around me wait over an hour + for the so so over priced food. ** it is!! read more

Good place to eat. Food is always good, drinks are stiff and service is prompt. The Humboldt Fog Burger with sweet potato fries is a must. I enjoy going here at least 2 times a month if not more! read more

I came to plaza grill for the first time tonight and everything was great. We have a vegan in our family, light eaters and seafood lovers and there was something for everyone. Drinks and food were excellent. One thing that I think can make or break an experience is the service and it was excellent. Dani was so helpful with all our annoying questions and super attentive! I'm from out of town but would definitely make sure to stop here next time we're in town. Thank you for a wonderful experience. read more

We had our wedding reception here and I'm so glad we did!! Olivia the event/catering organizer is a rockstar. We live across the country so one could imagine it's not the easiest task but Olivia was easy to get in touch with and was patient with all our random emails about the little details. The space over looking the plaza is perfect. She let us do whatever we wished with the space and was so flexible with set up/break down. The food was delicious and there was plenty to take care of everyone. I couldn't have asked for a better reception. Thank you Plaza & Olivia! :) read more

So me and the wife went to Plaza Grill for dinner tonight and I ordered the ribeye steak with twice baked potato let me start off by saying when I tasted my steak it was lukewarm and not very tasty at all along with having the twice baked potato, all it really was was mash potato put in a potato with some cheese put on top no chives no seasoning very boring especially for $34 you would expect better. I won't be going back or recommending this place to anyone. To be honest I make a better steak then this place. read more

A more upscale restaurant if you want to escape the hippies and hobos of Arcata. A great location in the Plaza on the top floor of Jacoby's Storehouse. Haven't been here in a while but from what I remember the food was really good, even if it was just a little pricey. read more

This is the first review I've ever written but I feel compelled after the dinner we had tonight. I had the rib eye, wife had the southern bbq (brisket), kids shared a fish and chips. Not sure how the fries were that came with the fish but they looked like plain ole fries. As for the rest; horrible, her brisket was very dry and not flavorful at all, my steak came cold in the middle (I ordered it medium rare), once it came back I was very disappointed, tough and just didn't taste good. If I pay almost $40 for a steak plate I expect something special or close to it. The kids didn't even eat their fish, I tried it and don't blame them a bit. I've read that this place is hit or miss. For a hundred bucks (what we paid for this dinner) it better be a hit every time! sorry guys but I will never eat here again. Oh, the server and other wait people were just fine. read more

every year i make my way up to Arcata. Every year i make my way to the Plaza Grill. this place is delicious! from the crab cakes to the hot wings to the chicken sautee skewers. You can't go wrong. i highly recommend this place if you are in the area. you will not be disappointed. read more

There aren't many people here and it feels a little like the forgotten cousin restaurant of Olive Garden. I mean, it's okay but one of us didn't even tip the bartender because it took so long she could have gone to the store and bought her own alcohol and made my her own drink. I mean...I could do that in 10 minutes. Especially considering it was a draft beer, the wait was simply inexcusable. The bathrooms weren't best either but the view was lovely. read more

Fancy place w mediocre food that is way over priced. I think all their food comes from Sysco. We ordered the root vegetable salad, Mac and cheese w bacon and the sweet potato fries. The sweet potato fries were good but cost ten dollars. The root salad was 11 dollars and left us feeling disappointed. The description was way more exciting then the small pile of spinach that came to the table. What perked our interest about this salad was the roasted root vegetables but they were just tiny chopped bits of unidentifiable overcooked vegetables that possibly came from a can. The candied walnuts on the salad were definitely pre packaged Sysco food. The Mac and cheese w bacon was 16 dollars. Really? All it was is pasta w a cheese sauce and bacon bits. It wasn't even baked. The bacon wasn't fresh or crunchy and didn't add the flavor that real bacon should. Our server was kind, fast and enthusiastic and was the best part of the experience. Sorry but we won't go back. If you want Mac and cheese w bacon go to Three Foods cafe. They use real bacon made fresh daily, and they have amazing salads and the bill won't be so expensive. read more

Why would you even consider this as an option. 11$ for a "goat cheese and beat Salad".... what comes iceberg lettuce with a piece of cheese and beat. Probably the worst burger in town. I would only go there for a drink.. Stay away from the food read more

Food was good enough but everyone got their meat based appetizers at least 1/2 before me. I'm vegetarian and it was obvious the waiter was not happy about having to answer my questions about the food. I ordered a margarita and it came in a tumbler. Need I say more. read more

Overall this is a solid restaurant to visit -- the food is good, service is friendly and prices are reasonable. If you are not in the mood for the Hum Brews crowd but not feeling like you are dressed up enough for Abruzzi, then this is the place for you. Great place to take out of town guests because you don't feel rushed and the atmosphere is welcoming. Sometimes it can be a bit loud when it gets crowded. read more

WAY overpriced, always dirty floors. Seems to be family friendly. not impressed.

I hate the food here, but I LOVE the Bar and atmosphere. I would never go here for dinner by itself again, but the appetizers and mixed drinks are great. I really like the strawberry mojito and the basil mojito. The Sweet potato fries and peanut sauce are amazing! They do a graduation buffet dinner that is spectacular and you get usually get a late reservation to it. read more

I went here for drinks so I don't know how the food is. The ambiance was nice and laid back. I like that they have a late night happy hour. My beer was only $4. We ordered at the bar and service was good. The bartender was quick and polite. I'd definitely go back and try their food. read more

As tourist we found this place on yelp, beautiful building and restaurant, got our entrees and after 1 hour and 15 minutes our main entree never arrived, we tried to be patient and asked several times for our food! Couldn't wait more so we decided to leave and pay for the drinks and appetizers! We walked by the kitchen and our food was ready? What? Fish and chips and it took 1 hour and 15 minutes!!!! We refused to take the food to go ....Are you kidding me? No thank you! read more

Our server was outstanding. He kept our drink glasses full with out being asked and recommended the garlic cheese fries which by the way are absolutely delicious. I has the fish tacos. They sounded better than it tasted to be honest. They were big-you get two-however, they just didn't seem like authentic tacos. They were good, but I wouldn't order them again. My husband had a steak and said it was very good. There were lots of Mmmmmmss coming from his side of the table. All in all, I will go back. read more

Rick. Best bartender in Humboldt. Go get a drink from him. Right now! Rick is an artist wielding bottles as well as tranquility but seriously who was Beethoven with out his piano? The 5 stars are for the bar go get a cocktail! read more