Extremely slow service order was incorrect very disappointed. View is spectacular that's all that has going for it right now

Well my first time here.. dnt know where to start. We were here initially for lobster rolls ( they NO LONGER HAVE EM). Ordered some Oysters and to my surprise they looked more like little clams. I was disappointed.. they did get us in right away and server was polite but not so attentive. I understand the view is great but prices are ridiculous n I'm not about faking just because everyone else trying to be fancy. I had to leave still hungry and left to Applebees. Their drinks were gd tho and just wasn't satisfied. read more

I came in at 7:00. I asked if we could have a drink and eat in the bar. The hostess (who was very nice) said yes. I sat for 18 minutes while other people came in after me and got served. Waving to get attention did nothing. I then asked to be seated in the restaurant. We were given the absolute worst seat in the house even though there were other non-reserved tables available. Another 10 minutes to put in a drink order and 15 more minutes for it to arrive. The food came less slowly but was lukewarm, unappetizing and overpriced. This is such a beautiful location. I wish a better restaurant group would take it over. A special night was ruined by sheer incompetence! read more

Well I paid for Uber because I was visiting for work. When I arrived they told me they were out of gas so the menu only consisted of cold items .. salad, sushi, and I turkey sandwich. I got the oyster, and a tuna roll. It was okay. It was extremely over priced for what it was but I guess I paid for the view. The service was mediocre. Save your money and go somewhere else! read more

Came here during Restaurant Week 2019 for the prix fixe lunch (3 courses for $25) after hearing about my boyfriend's mom raving about the salmon BLTA, even a year later. (She has quite a memory for food!) Went here as a group of 4 - ended up waiting about 1.5hrs total (time without food) here. Our server seemed a bit disinterested to be there, and each course took at least 20min (after we'd finished the previous course) before being served. We got here around 11:45a for a 12p reservation, left around 2:30p. I was initially excited about the views of the bay, but ended up being blinded by the light from my seating spot. Items I got to try: * ahi poke (appetizer) - rather salty, rather mediocre... I got tired of eating the poke. The avocado was scant and didn't look too fresh either. * clam chowder (appetizer) - probably my favorite thing here, though not the best clam chowder I've had. I liked the bits of clam and the flavorfulness of the soup, which was creamy but not too thick. * pork belly with grits and poached egg (entree) - I'm not sure if the combination was the best, but the grits with poached egg were a pretty tasty blend together. The pork belly was alright - a bit stringy and dry on the inside. It's less of the conventional pork belly chunks, more like a large slab of stringy pork with a layer of skin and fat. * salmon BLTA (entree) - the burger my boyfriend's mom kept raving about (from a year ago) that led us here. According to my boyfriend, it was pretty good with soft bread and avocado. This was devoured rather quickly. * key lime pie (dessert) - a whopping slice of pie, nearly a 90deg angle! But half of it is the cream on top, which is a bit overwhelming. The lemon-y layer is pretty good though. * burnt cream (creme brulee) (dessert) - I enjoyed it, though at this point I didn't have enough stomach room to consume the whole sugary thing. The layer of torched sugar on top was crisp and enjoyable. It's really large as well - served in a ramekin with maybe a 5" diameter. There's also a 5% living wage charge that gets appended to the bill that came as a surprise - we wish it was mentioned upfront or included in the prices. Overall, the food was decent but not sensational, the views nice, the wait unfortunate. read more

The calamari was fine but the halibut was perhaps the saltiest dish I've ever had. It was also on the dry side. A real disappointment. The waiter was also clearly trying to move our party of 11 along and at one point stopped by to say "goodbye" half an hour before we left circa 8:15. A strange experience other than the stunning view. read more

My fiancé and I had our very first date here 7 years ago, we've celebrated many other life milestones here so when we got engaged we had to come back to where it started. Or host Joel was phenomenal and really made our dining experience top notch. He shared the story of how he and his wife met and had their wedding reception at Skates which made our date even more special. Joel seated us by the window and sent over glasses of champagne even before we got our menus. The food was absolutely wonderful - the crispy and delicate French toast, perfectly cooked seared ahi tuna and duck chilaquiles was unique and packed with flavor. read more

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What was amazing: 1. The view!!!!! You could see all three bridges 2. Food was delicious! We got the California roll with real snow crab. You can definitely tell the difference. Sea bass was okay...but the risotto was amazing. I have not had such creamy delicious risotto before! No uncooked grains here! The bread is excellent! What was great: 1. Service was great! Very friendly and wasn't uppity, since we were extremely underdressed. What needs improvement: 1. The smell in this place ruins the entire experience. This place reeks! They need to seriously air out the place or put out some intense baking soda when they close at night. My husband says it smells like pee, but I think it's a combo of a lot of things. No restaurant should smell like a bathroom. This the reason why I gave it a 3 star and won't be back. 2. Floors were very sticky!!!! My shoes literally stuck to the floor and made plop sounds!!!! Reminded me of being in an all you can eat Korean bbq joint!!!!!! Management, if you're reading this, please air out or use some sort of air purifier or even simple vinegar water!!!! It'll deodorize the restaurant with a few applications! Overall, I would love to come back, but the smell.... I can not...... read more

Be ready to tolerate at least a small LOUD crowd of noisy, uneducated and ugly diners (I'm talking butt ugly and fat) who loiter an hour after their meals are done - really a mixed bag. Don't bother getting the small plate of scallops or you'll only get two medium scallops (not a small plate). Drinks are HUGE - $6 mojito will last you at least 1/2 hour unless you're an alcoholic or those immature types that likes to down a 20 oz drink in 5 seconds flat. Try to sit where ever Jeff is serving. The other waitstaff has his energy, but will ignore you or forget about you. Jeff is one of the few that checks-in, tells you what's up and tries to ensure you have a good time. There's one bitchy lady that serves near the corner by the bar & pier who will spend her entire night nursing one or two tables. Great views. Sitting at the bar can save you the hassle of waiting 30 minutes for a table next to a bunch of overweight, rowdy, entitled, weirdos. Food tastes great and can accomodate picky eaters like my husband. read more

Skates On The Bay - Seafood Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Hi my name is lyla and I am 9, I was here with my family and we were waiting for the food for 45 minutes just for the starters and then I took 1 hour for the real food. The service wasn't the very good but I think our server was nice. Ps. the food was good read more

Fond memories of this place, but returning after 10 years was disappointing. Food was not fresh. My chicken and rice was stale. Decor is old and dirty. View remains awesome. read more

The food is not good and it's over priced and the waiters aka servers don't wear clean clothes. DON'T GO!!!

Booked our reservation same day thru open table for 7 pm. Since it was our anniversary, we requested a window seat. We got there half an hour early, but had to wait until 7 anyway to be seated. We were told we can hang out at the bar, but since we have our little one, we decided to just wait in the lobby. We were seated promptly at 7pm, next to the window which had an amazing view of the bay. It felt almost like we were dining on a cruise. Ordered a number of items, but my favorite were the crab & shrimp pasta & half dozen oysters on 1/2 shell. The rest were okay, nothing special. Overall great experience! The view made it great. I would recommend booking this place half hour early before sunset. When it gets dark, you won't see the view anymore. read more

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The view is wonderful; I love having a table by the windows where the waves just flow under you. The food is a bit uneven, but overall of good quality and tasty. There were a few obvious problems, like soggy shredded lettuce in the Louie. The REAL PROBLEM is the desserts. We had 2: the molten chocolate cake and the creme brulee. Both were spectacularly subpar, the kind that make your heart sink the moment you see them. There was absolutely no "molten" about this cake; it was a poor, and remarkably dinky, version of the real thing. If I were the chef, I'd be embarrassed. The fact that this dessert is served in a restaurant in the Bay Area, where most people dining in a restaurant are familiar with molten chocolate cake and would never see this as acceptable, points to corporate control of the food. And the creme brulee had no hard caramelized top and was tiny. My dining partner kept asking "don't you want to go out for ice cream instead"? Skates, please fix your desserts. We left with the sense of disappointment created by the last thing you served us. Bad bad policy. read more

It used to be a good restaurant with delicious food and friendly service. Alas, Covid killed it. Today, I ordered a take out, their chicken. Chicken was not freshly made, it was dry like California weather; rice that came with it was dry, and a few wrinkled green peas, with a 4 pieces of boiled carrot, completed the meal; I was charged 27 $. You thank me for supporting you,- look, I am not paying big money for bad meals. Another restaurant bit the dust,- thanks to Covid. I will not order from them. Very disappointed customer who went to this place for 25 years. read more

Such a beautiful place for a romantic dinner or a drink with that special someone. This restaurant has amazing views of the bay and if you are lucky enough to get seated by a window you get to enjoy the beautiful view and sunset along with the delicious dinner. Came here for a romantic evening with my honey and I was so impressed. I never heard of this place until this. Its kind of hidden away in the back. The food is really good. Pricey but yummy.We tried their Kung Pao Calamari and it was sooo good. The sauce they put on it was amazing. Never had calamari like this before. Also,t heir Moscow mule is really good! The service we received this day was awesome as well. Very professional and upscale place. When walking in you can walk to the left where there is a lounge/bar area. A great place for happy hour with friends or loved ones. To the right is a private room that can be rented. This was rented the day we came in and it looked private and secluded which is perfect for a private event. The center is the restaurant area that has plenty of tables and seating. The tables are linen covered and have such a romantic setting. I really loved this place and cannot wait to come back. read more

Skates On The Bay - Gorgeous view - Seafood Near Me - Berkeley, California

Skates on the bay is not what it seems like ! It's only good for the view and the management is very unprofessional! I recently ate there and the lobster was chewy overcooked and wasn't cleaned properly. Definitely do not recommend ! read more

The view here is amazing and this is clearly a tourist spot. I came here for a work event so my review will not be reflective of dining a'la cart. Food: It was OK. For the amount of food options around, it was fine. They seemed to have trouble with dressing on the side for my salad or having my salmon cooked medium. I get that they were making a lot, but don't pretend to listen to me then. Service: Again, I was here for a work event so service was OK. They were not really attentive and it took forever to get drinks. Definitely undestaffed. 2 servers for 75 people is a badly managed team. Decor: The place is nice and the view is amazing. Price: I did take a look at their regular menu and for the items I ate, its way overpriced. You're paying for the view honestly. Notable extras: There is a parking long and it's easy to get to. And it is a nice date spot because of the ambiance. read more

Went here tonight for a friend birthday and really liked the look of the place. How can you beat having dinner right next to the bay at sunset?! The drinks were pretty good but the food was def subpar for the price point (most entrees are $26+) I had the braised short ribs which were a bit dry and to be honest the meal tasted and looked like cheap mall food while my gf had the filet with the crab meat on top which she thought had a great taste to it except for the potatoes which were a bit on the salty side.. over all I'd only come here again for drinks and the ambiance. read more

Skates On The Bay - Grilled filet Oscar - Seafood Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Came here on a Saturday Night with reservations for 6. First thing I noticed was the strange smell of the restaurant. It was not super unpleasant but it definitely wasn't pleasant either. The place had a bit of a dirty dish water smell to it. However, I think after a few minutes it goes away as you get use to it. The restaurant itself actually sits on pillars and has a 270 degree view of the water. Unfortunately, since we came at night there wasn't much of a view. I could only imagine how nice it would've been if we can right at sunset or even in the afternoon when you can see the bay. Our reservations were for 7:45 but we were not seated at our table until about 8:15pm. Didn't mind it too much as there was a bar area where our party was able to grab something to drink while waiting for our table. The restaurant was very accommodating of our 7th guest, a 4 month old baby, and provided a hammock like chair to place the babies car seat in, which was actually pretty cool! Our server was also very patient with us and very kind :) Definitely an A+. The food was good but, it honestly did not meet my expectations... as many of my friends raved about the place. Portions were nice and big and everyone enjoyed their meal. I had the pork shank and enjoyed it very much except for the sweet potato and carrot purée (I think that's what it was). Overall, I would try this place again but definitely coming again when the sun is up to enjoy the view. read more

i took my lady here for her birthday and i loved it! we had a great experience and the food was delicious. i don't understand the bad reviews because we had a fantastic time. i know this doesn't help anyone and i'm the worst for waiting so long before writing my review, but i forgot what we ordered. we both ordered something off the specials list. i believe she got the pork and i think i ordered the salmon. you know what would help? if i took a picture of it, but again, i didn't think to do that either. i can say that they offer free dessert for your birthday. but the view was magnificent. i only wish we got there about an hour earlier to enjoy the view before sunset. the sun had mostly set by the time we made our reservation for. enjoy the view and someone please tell me how the sushi is. read more

Saktes on the Bay is exactly the kind of place where you need to go in with the right attitude of what to expect, do so and you'll enjoy yourself, expect too much and you probably will regret it. It's a restaurant with a great view (5 star view on a clear day). Thats why you go here. I like coming here for lunch actually because you really can take in the view. The food is "ok" (3 stars at least what I've had), nothing mind blowing , but nothing bad. However clam chowder is not something I would recommend. The Poke, is pretty nice, again nothing special. The service leaves something to be desired for sure (2 stars). Everybody is nice, but seemingly a little clueless. The first time I went in there wanting the "poke bowl", and even though I thought I very carefully confirmed my order was brought the poke plate instead. The second time I went in, again determined to get the Poke Bowl, I was first brought a Lobster Roll. Which I thought was funny, because it sort of rhymed and I thought the universe was trying to tell me something. Finally, if you plan to go on a nice day, maybe get a reservation. It seems like if they get swamped, they don't have the waiters to keep up, and even if you see open tables, they will ask you to wait. I guess one could always sit at the bar in this case. I'm curious to go back and try their happy hour. read more

I called the restaurant to tell them we were running 15 minutes late for our Christmas dinner and the female on the phone said we are fine. She was so lovely and understanding. However, 10 minutes after, I received a call from a man saying that we had a reservation time for 10 minutes ago. I told him I had already called prior to explain my tardiness. He said that they only held tables for 15 minutes and that it was the last reservation time. They wouldn't take us anymore, even though we weren't past 15 minutes yet. I asked, "So, we can't come in?" He replied "No, we're closed." Which was technically not true. He was super rude. I'm glad we didn't eat our Christmas dinner there anyway because they probably would've tried to rush us out. I get that it's Christmas but cancelling a reservation for you to get out ASAP is unacceptable. We were super excited as I had family visiting from out of town. Instead, we spent our night quickly scrambling to find a restaurant that's open for Christmas Day at the last minute. Not cool at all. Note that I worked in the restaurant biz for 7 years, usually on Christmas Eve/Day and NY Eve/Day. Never have I turned patrons away at 7:10pm just so I can leave work early. And I only write Yelp reviews when I'm very satisfied. THIS was an exception. read more

CLEARLY uninterested in keeping a long time customer!!! EASTER DINNER WAS A DISASTER THANKS TO YOU FOLKS!! (I've tried to reach out via FB for over a week, but got ZERO response, so am posting this now!) I specifically chose to order your Family Dinner so I didn't have to cook! And yet, when I picked up the order EVERYTHING WAS COLD AND HAD TO BE COOKED!! Your Easter dinner flyer said, "Easter with us and choose from our brunch & dinner options for only $80. Family meal orders ..... Available for TAKEOUT!" Clearly your idea of take out is different from EVERY OTHER RESTAURANT during the pandemic. Add to this the Ham was not GLAZED and the brussell sprouts were hard even after cooking for the recommended time. Not a peep from customer service when I FB messaged or when I replied to a post with a request to have the FB message read. We have been coming there for family events for over 20 years, but NO MORE! read more

Complaint-6/3/22 SKATES On receipt given 307.94 subtotal 15.40 City tax 33.14 sales tax 356.48 Total Gratuity $70.00 The sales tax was based on the total of 307.94 and 15.40 when it should have been based on 307.94 only and the gratuity was based on total bill not subtotal as it should be.  Secondly, the 15.40 is not a City tax but a living wage charge as stated on the bottom of the menu in small print and should not be taxed by state taxes as it was above. ( We include a living wage charge in your bill to offset the cost of California's minimum wage. This is not a charge for services provided.)  Lastly, gratuity is based on subtotal not total including other charges. The receipt should have read 307.94 subtotal 31.56 sales tax 15.40 living wage charge 354.90 Total Gratuity would be 62.00 When asking the waiter (Leo) what the charge was he said it was a charge like San Francisco and other cities charge.  When asked how it was determined a flat rate or percentage he said he would get the manager. The manager came to us standing back from the table with an attitude wanting to know how she could help us.  We asked her what the City tax was and how it was determined.  She proceeded to tell us that it is a City requirement and she could do the math for me if that's what we want.  We said, no that's not what I'm asking.  Again we asked how the amount was determined by percentage or flat rate.  She then got loud waiving the receipt raising her arms, talking over me saying that we can figure it out she can't do the math.  Then she said I'll just take it off your bill and left. Manager was rude, disrespectful, trying to get loud and embarrass us because We were asking about the check charges. She took the check to remove the City tax but never came back with the check.  When the waiter came back to check on everything we told him she never came back with the check.  The waiter came back with the check and we proceeded to pay the check. Manager's name is Andrea.. After changes to the receipt 307.94 stubtotal 31.56 sales tax 339.50 Total We gave a gratuity of 62.00 read more

Little over rated and over priced for my liking. Was expecting a little more flavor and pizazz from this place based on location, menu, pricing and legacy. Drinks are average as well. read more

Horribly cooked shrimp, they were like rubber. The linguine was cold. Our server was nice, but visibly upset. I felt she knew she was serving us very ilprepared food. read more

Last night I drove almost 2 hours to come to the restaurant for my birthday dinner with my sister that flew in from Hawaii and our experience was disappointing. This trip marks my 5th time here and every other time was pleasant. Right at the entrance the restaurant smelled like sewage. It wasn't the bathrooms it was right at the door way. Our reservation was at 5 pm but we were a little early so we waited 15 min and couldn't bear the smell. I requested a window seat on my reservation but was seated on the side with a big table blocking our view in front and another table directly behind us so we were crammed in the middle of 2 tables which I couldn't even face the water as my chair wouldn't fit since we were so crammed. There was sooooo many tables open and about 10 along the window. I asked if we could move and our server told us they had reservations for those tables. I wasn't aware you can make reservations for exact tables. I did request it but not sure why it was turned down. Our whole meal that lasted over an hour, no one sat at those tables which made me even more annoyed. The whole time we were talking about how we were uncomfortable and with a bill of over $200 for 2 people we should have been treated better. For us to have such an early scheduled dinner and plenty of tables to accommodate Us really made us feel like we didn't matter or we were in the punished table. The food and drinks were good so that's why I put 3 stars but overall experience was disappointing. read more

I would give an actual review if I would have been served. I sat in open seating for 20 minutes as I watched countless staff ignore me. Horrible. read more

My husband and I have visited here numerous times and each time has always been a pleasant experience. What I love most about this place is the view of the ocean and San Francisco. It's easy to get to, plenty of parking and it's nice to get a view of the Bay Area without having to drive into San Francisco. It is a bit pricey but we normally come here on special occasions. Food and service is alway great. Best time to go is right before sunset. read more

Waited few mins for our table overall attentive waitress to mind our table. Time frame for food now that is another story. No lack of personnel though they had enough people to serve the customers. No warmth on the waitress upon taking on our orders . Advice to management hire people who like interactions with people. Served lukewarm coffee which tasted more like water..comeon good coffee is a must. It tells a lot about the care and attention of the manager of the restaurant. Bread arrived like ten minutes later .. Bread and coffee should be serve stimulantously together..and sushi was mediocre to say the least. Breakfast sausage was dried to say the least and omelette was greasy and over cooked . Only grace was the sauce of the potatoes .. Lobster sandwich took two bites and it was missing something to bring it to the next level.. So wont be ordering that anymore.. The only thing I gave the stars were for the view and nothing else. read more

Skates On The Bay - Seafood Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I'd like to start by staying I was there for a corporate holiday event, and I understand the nuances between the special event catering side and the restaurant side, that being said I was very disappointed in the meal and service we experienced. We were given 4 entree choices and were asked to make a selection 2 weeks prior. When we were served they were short on selected entrees. One guest at our table sat with nothing in front of her for almost 10 minutes with no explanation. The food was mediocre. It seems the salmon was the best of the 4 choices as the chicken was dry, and people didn't really care for the short rib or the prime rib. The sides were all cold. When the owner of our company was addressing all of us the music in the private room and the overflow noise from the restaurant made it very difficult to hear him. As staff was in and out I am surprised they didn't notice this and make adjustments to accommodate his speech. Doubt I will go back. read more

I'll give it 2 stars just for old times sake. This was a once great restaurant. Food, service and view. At the view remains. Nice the hostess accommodated our early arrival but after that our server couldn't have been more disinterested in our table. Walked by several times without glancing at our empty glasses. Long wait for our food, cold fries, dirty wine glassware and no silverware. Even after our food eventually arrived. Definitely needs a boost or will go the way of Spengers read more

Just had my birthday dinner there last week and the view was spectacular and the food was very very good. Skates is *Old School* in a very good way. The cocktails were wonderful and it seemed like they put a lot of thought into those as wel as the wine list. My only quibble would be to add more veggie options. Make sure to come early enough to enjoy the view! read more

3 of us came on a thurs night for happy hour Waitress was just ok missed a few things Manager was good Food was great except sushi all fell apart but tasty View SPECTACULAR !!! read more

Good service and the food was great. If you have any valuable belongings, bring them inside with you. Our car window was smashed and all of our valuables were stolen while we enjoyed dinner. read more

My friend and I came here spontaneously after leaving the horse races for a late lunch/ early dinner. I was a bit worried walking in because I thought we may of needed to make a reservation but the gentleman in the front directed us to the left sitting area and said that it was open seating. What a beautiful view! We had a wonderful waitress Stephanie service was absolutely impeccable. We ordered the calamari and crab artichoke dip for appetizer. The calamari was very good just the right about of sweet. It is a very large appetizer! Crab artichoke dip also good. We got the pork entree and sea bass both highly recommend both they had some very nice combination of flavors. Overall good experience and stunning restaurant. read more

Skates On The Bay - Seafood Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Great, great, great, ugh. We had never eaten here before. It was a great surprise inside with a beautiful view, delicious food and attentive service. Stopped by the restroom on the way out because we had a long drive and unfortunately that's where the compliments stop. Totally disgusting. read more

Drove 45 minutes today to get to a 315 reservation to get seated at 325 and not get greeted. We left because of the hold up. The restaurant wasn't even busy. And people were just standing around! read more

Had dinner with the family to celebrate our son's birthday. This place never fails to please. The service was great, the food was delicious, and the location can't be beat. Will be coming again soon. read more