We had dinner at Water Grill Santa Monica (Ocean Ave) on April 19, and overall it was an easy 5/5…read moreexperience. We started with the oyster sampler featuring selections from Hollywood, MD; Pope's Bay, VA; Buzzards Bay, MA; Chesapeake Bay, VA; and Wellfleet, MA. The oysters were exceptionally fresh and served with great accompaniments. We always order oysters when visiting seafood restaurants because freshness is so important to us, and Water Grill absolutely delivered. A must-order. The grilled Spanish octopus, served with fingerling potatoes, Niçoise olives, roasted tomato, pine nuts, and olive oil, was very good (3.5/5). We're fairly picky when it comes to octopus, and while we would have liked a bit more char, it was still among the better versions we've had. The New Zealand king salmon sushi with avocado, hazelnuts, papaya, and white soy-lime vinaigrette was fresh, clean, and delicious (5/5). While not particularly unique, it was executed perfectly. The crispy calamari with harissa aioli and cilantro-mint sweet chili sauce was also well done (4/5)--crispy, not oily, and very enjoyable. Calamari is another dish we frequently order, and this version met our standards, even if it wasn't especially memorable. The standout among the appetizers was the New Zealand pink bream ceviche with cilantro, red peppers, onions, lemon juice, and olive oil. The presentation was beautiful, and the flavors were incredibly fresh (5/5). We only added a touch of salt. This is another must-order dish. The Peruvian bay scallops with pistachio citrus pesto were somewhat underwhelming (3/5), and the Brussels sprouts with bacon and chestnuts (3/5) didn't leave much of an impression either. The lobster itself was excellent (5/5)--sweet, fresh, and perfectly prepared. The accompanying coleslaw wasn't our favorite, but we'd happily order the lobster again and probably go for a larger portion next time. The absolute star of the evening was the Massachusetts black sea bass. It was easily one of the best dishes of the night and possibly one of the best fish dishes we've ever had at a restaurant (5/5). Tender, juicy, flavorful, and cooked perfectly. To top it all off, the restaurant surprised us with a complimentary birthday dessert featuring chocolate cake, vanilla cake, oatmeal cake, and ice cream. It was thoughtful, delicious, and a wonderful ending to the meal (5/5). Overall, Water Grill earns a well-deserved 5/5. The quality and freshness of the seafood were outstanding, the beachfront ambiance was beautiful, and the service was friendly and attentive throughout the evening. Definitely a must-try seafood destination in Los Angeles. Thank you to the entire team for such a memorable experience--we truly appreciated it.

Visiting from New Mexico, I can confidently say this was one of the best experiences I've had in…read moreLA. David was an absolute gem!!! he was warm, charming, and incredibly attentive. He remembered my name, asked all the right questions, and gave thoughtful recommendations that made the entire experience feel personalized. He has a way of making you feel like a regular, even on your first visit. Great hospitality like this is rare and made my visit truly worthwhile. Seriously the most charming bartender in LA.

Line was long when we pulled up on a Thursday for lunch. Parked in the small lot - but not a lot of…read moreparking available. We got lucky. Waited in the 20 minute line and ordered a whole lot of everything so we could try everything. Everything was delicious. The guacamole - really well seasoned - preferred the regular tortilla chips vs the really crunchy other thing it came with. It almost broke my tooth trying to bite through it. LOL. LOVED the mixto ceviche, the octopus taco and the uni & scallop ceviche.. Loved the entire market it sat in and will definitely be back to try more. I would pass on the Baja fish taco next time.

Still wonderful after all these years! I finally tried something different as well as ordering old…read morefavorites like the octopus, fried fish and shrimp tacos. The gambas were amazing! I don't know how they made this incredible sauce that I could have literally eaten with a spoon. Perfectly barely cooked gambas, with plenty of head juices and sides!

Every dish we got was very yummy. Definitely one of my favorite restaurants we've had in LA…read more Ordered: - Chowdaaa - So yummy. Honestly my favorite chowder I've ever had. Saw them seasoning it with fish sauce. I wouldn't have guess to do that but it works very well. - Silican Crudo - I always love a crudo. Very Yummy - Scallop Tostada - The apple, yuzu, and scallop are paired so well with each other. - Hot Shoft Shell Crab Sando - Lobster Bisque Roll My favorite dishes we got were the chowdaaa, silican crudo, and scallop tostada. The restaurant is small, would recommend getting a reservation. The inside is basically one long bar with a few 2 seats tables along the long hallway/bar. They had a couple tables outside that could sit 4 people. We didn't have a reservation but got there about 20 minutes before opening on a Sunday on lunch. They ended up having probably 20 ish people in line by the time they opened. They had Cape Cod and Maine oysters the day we went. We decided not to get any since they were market price and we had other oysters in similar regions before so decided to focus on the other dishes.

This is probably the 4th or 5th time we've dined here - and today was... not the best. The biggest…read moreissue was that the kitchen was clearly in the weeds, and our outdoor table took the brunt of that. People indoors seemed to be receiving their food just fine, but the larger tables outside suffered. For hours. We got pretty much zero communication on what was happening; it took almost 2+ hours to receive any cooked food whatsoever. The raw items came out 15-20 minutes into the meal, which meant that we sat for the majority of the time with no entrees and no updates. Keep in mind that one of the hot items we ordered was the clams and mussels - a steamed dish that was literally dumped into a bowl with a pile of raw garlic and fries on top. The broth had a strong alcohol taste that did not cook off. Super underwhelming and disappointing after the 2 hour wait. Moreover, dishes came out seemingly at random, so our table of 4 people ate at different times, with no coordination (I realize some items are family style here, but sandwiches are clearly not). It's not fun/convivial for everyone when some have already completed their meal, and others have not even taken a first bite of their entrees. Ultimately they did offer to take the bread and one tostada off or our bill. A concession, but by no means an acknowledgment of the unpleasant overall experience. I think we're going to give this place a long break. And maybe only come back on a weekday when they're hopefully less busy.

Amazing service , amazing food , the ambiance was amazing , this is a must go especially with…read morefamily , friends or even a corporate outing , Food 5/5 Drinks 5/5 Service 5/5 Definitely coming back for more

amazing atmosphere and hospitality for a family gathering and special event. The food was delish…read more Shoutout Gigi she was such a charm to our group!

Delicious shrimp tacos (tacos de camarones) here! Among some of the best shrimp tacos I've ever had…read morethus far. The shell was nice and crispy with a meaty shrimp filling. The shrimp was plump and flavorful. What amped up the flavor was the salsa on top which was super flavorful and fresh and not too salty for me. I also liked the creamy avocado on top. Everything held together well and it wasn't too messy to eat. I would keep coming back here for these alone. This is a food truck, but they actually have a designated indoor seating with ample tables and chairs and even bathrooms! Parking is street parking. I would highly recommend this spot among LA's best tacos spots.

Mariscos Jaliscos has been on my list for a while now. This lint season i have been on a Mariscos…read morejourney trying out new spots in the ELA/BH area, especially on Friday's. Mariscos Jaliscos is a simple, humble and easy going food truck that easily beats any sit in boujee restaurant. Their menu is simple and easy to understand. Mariscos Jalisco is best known for their Fried shrimp tacos however, they have one of the best aguachiles I've tasted hands down. Their shrimp tacos are absolutely amazing with the right crunchiness and soft fried shrimp inside. The sauce that comes with these tacos are jam packed with flavor adding to the overall flavors/texture of the shrimp taco. Hurts to say it but this might be my new favorite shrimp taco in ELA/Boyle Heights area. The service here is quick and friendly. I went on a Friday afternoon and did not find busy crowds at this food truck. Street parking is available and the times that i've visited other food trucks nearby i was able to find quick parking. Its a busy street so you will find people coming in and out of parking spots most of the time. I enjoyed my experience here at Mariscos Jalisco and will be coming back very soon. You all need to come to this place.

Bookmarked this spot a while ago and finally was close enough to visit! It was best first meal…read morecoming from out of town. We forgot how difficult it can be to find parking in LA, but we managed to find one on the side of the road, just to find out... this restaurant has their own parking lot. Hehe. Went around 5pm and saw we were the first ones seated while a handful of people came and gone for to go orders. I immediately ordered the soy marinated crab and live uni. There is a combo order of both, but it includes the American marinated crab and an extra small live uni. With their recommendation, we opted for the Korean marinated crab and small uni to share with 2 adults and one kid. When the food came out, they gave us another live uni on the house and I was so happy because I didn't want to share mine! The food was so homey and delicious. The seafood pajeon was so loaded with all the seafood bits and the soy bean soup was the perfect palette cleanser. Service was great and they were so helpful to answer any questions we had. They gave us extra water for our little one and refilled our tea when it was a fourth full. They were so tentative and asked how we liked the food. We loved it. We also enjoyed the banchan!

Definitely recommend this place!…read more Service was very warm and welcoming, had such a pleasant dinner. We got the set menu A Combo and the portion was very generous. The marinated crab was very delicious, and spicy crab was even better, but the marinated crab is definitely higher quality, so if you want to get the best of both worlds order both or get the combo. When we finished ordering, appetizers came immediately and basically covered the whole table, and as a Korean restaurant with such warm hospitality I assume you can get more side dishes if you want, but we didn't want to waste any food. All dishes tasted great. The uni wasn't very surprising but it's still good, so if you are doing à la carte you can skip it. All in all a 5+ for the restaurant, also the restroom seems pretty clean so it's another plus for this smallish restaurant.

One of my favorites. Menu changes often but I have loved everything I've tried. The seafood…read morechowder is bomb, the lobster trio, shrimp cocktail, steak dishes never disappoint. We love Lila! We have her as a server often!!

I've been wanting to try this place for ages, so I finally stopped in for lunch this week. I had my…read moredog with me, so we sat outside. It was perfectly pleasant, though be warned: foot traffic passes just a few feet away. I kicked things off with a martini, which was excellent--surprisingly generous by today's standards and a real deal at $12. For starters, I had the Caesar salad. Think tuxedo at a pool party: definitely overdressed. But it was delicious, and I'd order it again--just with light dressing. The fish sandwich was fine, nothing more. I couldn't help thinking McDonald's might edge them out on the Filet-O-Fish (though it's been decades, so who knows). It wasn't bad; I'd just try something different next time.

Its our first time eat here,Good Area,Clean,excellent service,Good Food,we like the garlic noodles…read moretotally delicious,Nice Area!

Was gonna go to boiling crab but they were closed. So glad i found this place the SUACE IS SO GOOD…read morethe $1 oysters is a a great deal. Service was wonderful. The SUACE!!!