We celebrated our anniversary here in 2024 and we were so impressed that we decided to celebrate it here again this year. Unfortunately, we were sorely disappointed. It felt and tasted like an entirely different restaurant. The "kung pao"calamari app was tough and over breaded and served with a sweet chili sauce on the side. The short rib was dry and tasteless with a sauce that tasted burnt. The other entrees we ordered were ok, but not worth the price we paid. Perhaps they were having an off night. Maybe their regular chef called in sick. We won't be returning for dinner again for a while. read more

Unfortunately, the experience and food wasn't really worth the amount of effort it took to get here. Tiny Ahi Taco - taco had a nice crunch, fish tasted fresh, liked the sizing of the fish Mini Brioche Lobster Rolls - classic appetizer, real lobster chunks , ratio between bread and lobster could have been better Kung Pao Calamari - dish didn't resemble traditional Kung Pao flavoring at all, calamari was bite sized and crunchy, sauce felt more like sweet and sour Shrimp Basil Pesto Pasta - favorite out of all the dishes, shrimp good size, subtle pesto sauce went well with pasta Braised Kobe Beef Short Ribs - sauce made dish unenjoyable, beef tender, ravioli with sauce tasted off While the service was attentive, the restaurant itself lacked cleanliness. It is located right on the beach with only has outdoor seating. The tables and chairs felt sticky so it was a bit uncomfortable eating here. Not to mention, you had to pay for parking and take the bus just to eat here. Overall, I wouldn't really recommend this place unless you were already at the beach and hungry. read more

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Had a great time! We booked a fire pit with the basic package that comes with smores and sodas. You get 4 chairs but you can have up to 10. There's a charge for extra chairs. You can also get hamburgers or hot dogs but we ate at the bar before we sat down. Trevor was our server for that area and he was so helpful! He checked on us a few times and he was very attentive and nice. He really made sure we had a good experience! read more

The Beachcomber - Smores - Seafood Near Me - Newport Beach, California

Beautiful ocean views, excellent service and the one thing that is worth the trip alone; the beignets! They are amazing!!! Don't tell anyone, but I ate about 6 pieces on my own. I had the skillet and it was very hearty/flavorful, large portions too. I also had family try other food items and they were all happy too. read more

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The staff is great. The food is great. The ambience is great. The only thing is you have to take a bus shuttle to get to the café. The bus shuttle is two dollars per person each way Before you take the bus, all you have to pay $20 for parking. read more

The Beachcomber - Birthday brunch! - Seafood Near Me - Newport Beach, California

Menu is limited. You come here for the view. It's also a bit pricey for what you get but again you come for the view. Handicap parking is limited. No bathrooms. You have to use the beach bathrooms. Service is great! read more

Been to this beach front restaurant before. This visit was on a eeek day and it was pretty busy. The casual atmosphere is very beach friendly, you are seated with views of the ocean, people swimming and walking on the beach. I ordered the vegetarian omelette and it was really good. The way an omelette should be done. Light, fluffy and very flavorful. Actually we started with beignets and they were light and crunchy. Yummy. Our server Hector was a very cheerful guy. It was our daughter's birthday and he surprised us with a chocolate brownie dessert. So sweet and thoughtful. Our experience here was very nice. Warm and welcoming. It's just my personal opinion, yes we like to dine out and experience different culinary styles however I feel at the end of the day what matters is not just the food, but the people who served you and made you feel special. That memory stays with you. We have lovely memories of this restaurant. Highly recommended. Hope your experience will be as good as ours. read more

Very nice yummy cafe. It is right on the beach. Beignets are amazing!!! Plus the service. Will definitely come again. read more

The Beachcomber - Beachcomber Beignets - Seafood Near Me - Newport Beach, California

The food was excellent, good portion sizes and the coffee is bold & smooth. Beignets are always a must when coming here! It's the beach so it's always relaxing & peaceful in my opinion. The service starting from the hostesses on to our server (Jesus E.) was excellent. They were friendly, professional and attentive. We will be back again for sure! read more

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Always a great meal and fantastic service. One of the best views in Newport with a solid menu. Andrew, the manager, and his team are very attentive and welcoming. Sara, our server, did a great job with every question on ingredients and special requests. Always great service. We try to get reservations but if we can't we put our names on the list and take a walk to check out the cottages along the beach or grab an cocktail and/or appetizer at Bootlegger while we wait. Best way to enjoy a meal at the beach! (If you have reservations give yourself plenty of time to park across the PCH, take the shuttle and walk down to the beachfront entrance) read more

honestly everyone needs to try this place, some of the best poke i've ever had. The views were incredible and then the service was top notch. read more

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I want to minimize this, but there was a seating issue with our party of six and after waiting an hour 15 min we were seated apart inside for my husband's birthday. I was trying to appeal to the host about a possible move because we were so unhappy. The manager, Greg, stepped in. asking if everything was ok. I said "no" and after unloading my frustration upon him, he told me to give him a few minutes and he'd see what he could do. In just a few minutes, we were led back to the patio and given a table to accommodate our entire party! Problem solved. Great customer service skills by this man. I'm glad I spoke up, but he gets the credit for handling what could have been a change in how we viewed The Beachcomber for future special occasions. I was so pleased and grateful for how he simply took care of things as a great manager should always do. Well done! By the way, food as usual was excellent. Ambiance didn't disappoint either-quintessential old beachy California vibe. My husband had a perfect birthday celebration! read more

My favorite poke bowl I've had in all of Orange County. The fish is fresh, and the ingredients all complement each other perfectly. My grandma ordered the lobster roll which was perfectly made. With the pricing though, it wasn't as much lobster as we had hoped. Still though, it was delicious. Beautiful place to have lunch right on the sand. read more

The Beachcomber - Poke bowl - Seafood Near Me - Newport Beach, California

The service was excellent: we walked up without a reservation and were seated inside at a quaint little table, which was perfect. The bells were rung with all of the staff saluting towards the sunset. We had an awesome meal! I look forward to returning again soon. read more

The Beachcomber - Scallops on top of risotto 5/5 STARS sweet and savory in balance - Seafood Near Me - Newport Beach, California

5 star location and very friendly waitress who was great at recommending items on the menu. I ordered the seafood salad and it was ok. I think I'll order the tacos like my 2 other guests did next time, as those looked delicious! Plenty of outdoor empty tables but hostess told us it will be a 40 min wait for those, but we could be seated inside immediately. Those outdoor tables remained empty the entire time we were inside. Interesting? read more

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California treasure! On the beach, great fresh food and excellent service. Park across the street ($15) and take the shuttle for$2 and enjoy music from the 30's and 40's or walk down. We were there in the morning and loved it, I'm sure being there at sunset is magical. Organic egg breakfast, chilaquiles, classic omelet and ranch skillet were all enjoyed. Also...Don't miss the beignets. read more

Good views and service. It's cool because it's on the beach and connected to a bar that's on the beach. Was a little disappointed because you pay to park and take a walk that's 8-10 min (not bad) to be greeted by stairs you have to take to then walk on partially sandy pavement. Don't wear expensive tennis shoes. So consider all these factors when going out with a group that might not be in the physical shape to do that walk or take those stairs. If you eat inside it's pretty small area. The food was ok it wasn't super great I noticed there was chives on practically every dish. We also waited an hour and a 1/2 . Like I said great attitudes with the service and cool cause it's on the beach. That's all. read more

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Rustic, charming beach-side restaurant.... Perfect place for breakfast lunch or dinner. We came for breakfast and it was delish. The ranch scramble with egg, cheese and generous amounts of meat. They kindly made mine without the peppers and onions, but my son thoroughly enjoyed his with the veggies. My husband had the crab cake Bennie.... So good! We finished with the must have shareable beignets. Mmmmm so good! We will return next vacation !! read more

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The food is fabulous and the service is always excellent. If that's not enough, it's right on the beach, so watch the birds and the children frolic in the water as you enjoy your cocktails, roasted artichokes and beignets. No typical crappy beach food here - this is fine dining done informally and memorably. Do make reservations. It's not a big place and walk-ins can't always be accommodated, or face long waits. Parking is in the park's pay lot across Pacific Coast Highway. You can walk from there under the highway, or take a frequent park shuttle bus (actual cash required). read more

Great food and because it's on the beach this place is popular. So best to make a reservation well in advance or risk waiting hours. Decent amount of seating. Good service. read more

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Went to the Beachcomber for an evening dinner with friends. We enjoyed some wine and cocktails, appetizers, and each got an entree. I had the watermelon mojito (a huge drink with plenty of alcohol), the grilled shrimp appetizer (DELICIOUS!), and their sea bass special. The sea bass was kind of underwhelming... there was a ton of seafood, about three asparagus, and some mashed potatoes. I just wish there would have been more variety on the plate! The meal was kind of salty overall, but the service was decent and the dessert beignets were fire. It was quiet at the restaurant and a little bit cool, but overall the experience was good! read more

The ambiance at Beachcomber is always good I mean you're right on the beach! The service can be a bit boogie and at times I have felt like I was talked down too. The good this time was par. The appetizers were the shining stars! Artichokes and calamari are what I will order in the future. The chicken dish, sea bass and house salad were fair at best. I was not impressed this go around but likely will return and go for just apps! Maybe another bowl of the claw chowder... it was pretty tasty! read more

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Incredible ambiance if beachfront ocean views are your thing. The quality of the food was very good. Fresh ingredients displayed in a stylish manner. We tried two starters- meatballs and also the one of the sushi rolls. Good sized portions that were served quickly. The service was great! Friendly and knowledgeable staff that appeared when needed. read more

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Spectacular location. Dress warmly, as it can get windy. Salad was excellent. Tunisian pizza was very good -- thin crust. Fish tacos OK but a bit dry. Service was excellent. Don't follow Google Maps. Must go up the hill (East) off of pch for parking. Then take the shuttle. read more

Always enjoy our meals here. Great ambiance - where else can you eat at a restaurant on the beach. Service is good and the food is consistently well prepared. You can tell they have been cutting back on some of the servings as the proportion's have come down in size. read more

Cute historic spot, highly recommend breakfast. Got to have a great view of dolphins having breakfast as well. Highly recommend and reasonable read more

The Beachcomber - Breakfast soooo good - Seafood Near Me - Newport Beach, California

Googled "most delicious family friendly restaurants" in Newport and this was a the top of the list. Yelp confirmed. The patrons seem wise to what I wasn't... This beachside café delivers excellent food and service at the edge of the lovely Crystal Cove Beach. Any closer to the water, and you'd have to dine in your jammers or bikinis. The views are spectacular, and the people watching is top notch. And the food is super delicious... I recommend the ceviche, which will put the one at the Northgate deli to shame. You get what you pay for, and the quality is apparent. The pastas and fish are also excellent and carefully prepared to bring out the best in the ingredients. Bring a special someone or group of someones and enjoy the ambiance. read more

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My girlfriend selected this restaurant as her birthday choice for dinner and it was a very special occasion obviously. The drive from Rancho Cucamonga was a trek but once there it's a very unique place. You park across the street in a state park parking lot for 15 bucks. You can trolly or walk to the restaurant via a paved trail going underneath PCH. The walk to restaurant is much easier than returning. Once there it's a by the beach rustic collection of smaller town-like buildings. We checked in at hostess desk and decided to go to adjacent bar for drinks and an appetizer. Drinks were tasty and we had Kobe skewers for an appetizer, then sat down for dinner. My girlfriend had a Kobe short rib with a tasty cream sauce and I had Kobe meatballs and Spaghetti. The appetizer substituted for a salad but you won't get a side so that's my only slight complaint if you call it that. The atmosphere is wonderful with the ocean around 50 yards away. Spectacular! You can get out as we did for 200.00 or less excluding parking. read more

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This used to be such an amazing place, a destination, and a hidden gem. I like to give it the benefit of the doubt, but my recent experiences have shown me different. Let me start with the changes to the menu, not sure if it's a change to the ingredients or a change in chef's, but the calamari used to be spectacular. The batter was delicious, light, flaky, and crispy. Now, the batter is super thick super deep fried for a long time so it's like eating really over fried fried chicken. It's lost its flavor and now it tastes more like the grease it is fried in. Now let's cover the beignets. Still delicious but for some unknown reason no longer comes with the signature vanilla bean ice cream and instead it's served with whipped cream. Is it financial troubles, I don't think so, did they make the change to finance the expansion, I don't think so, was it a change in management... Well, only the beachcomber would know. However, from my standpoint, this is ahuge missed step. It's the little things like this that keep people coming back again and again and what sets it apart from so many other establishments in the area. It's not easy to get to parking as a hassle waiting for a table is ridiculous and yet it's full is it the view, could be it used to be the food which now that's in question. These are just two examples there are more. Now let me get to the staff. On checking in the staff isn't really helpful. When asking a question sometimes it's receive with a bit of attitude. I feel bad for people. Who've never been there and have traveled to have this experience only to be received with a little bit of Attitude like they're looking down their nose at you for not knowing what's obvious to them as employees. We didn't wanna wait the almost 2 hour wait time for a table outside and a table inside was still an hour and 45 minutes so we went over to the bar where it's first come first served. The bar back were nice pleasant efficient, however, ceiling is extremely limited, and the smell of raw sewage along the veranda is overwhelming. We move to love Aranda right in front of the bar, the odor was tolerable. As people left, they obviously left all of their dirty dishes, glasses half full of the beverages, but I guess because of shortage and staff that just remained on the tables and on the veranda. I asked one of the staff if they could clean off a section so that I may sit with my family and I was surprised at the response. Instead of cleaning off an area where we could all sit together, they essentially cleaned up two spots, and left the dirty dishes on either side. This was a very disappointing experience and one of many disappointing experiences that I've had over the past several months. I keep wishing and hoping that these experiences would change however, I guess guest experiences don't really matter. For me this has gone from being a go to place for the food for the ambience for the view to....are you sure you want to go there again? I can't say to their credit that when it's slow season, the service is amazing, the food is well as described.. read more

The Beachcomber - Beignets minus the signature vanilla bean ice cream. Unfortunately. - Seafood Near Me - Newport Beach, California

Great for a sunset dinner in a casual, family friendly environment! Food & service are good! Go have a cocktail, talk eat and leave happy ( its not a quiet spot and is dog friendly) read more

Andrew and staff couldn't have made today better! We appreciate you all so much! What a wonderful way to celebrate our son's engagement thank you Beachcomber! She said yes! read more

The Beachcomber - Seafood Near Me - Newport Beach, California

Such a gem. Right on the sand at beautiful Crystal Cove. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner daily, 7 am - 9:30 pm. I stopped by last night and had the tomato soup topped with puff pastry (very good), and this morning, ordered the Savory Spinach and Mushroom crepe filled with sautéed garlic baby spinach, roasted shiitake mushrooms, smoked Gouda and Parmesan cheese scrambled eggs and topped w/ Hollandaise sauce, and served with a lovely mixed greens salad w/ a light vinaigrette. Very tasty, and VERY generous portion - wish I had someone here to share it with me! Great, friendly service by Oscar. Lovely atmosphere, with old style jazz playing, and sounds of the waves crashing; but comfortably warm with the clear plastic "blinds" on this chilly spring morning. A definitely must visit spot. read more

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The plus is that the restaurant is in a beautiful location right on the beach with a gorgeous view of the ocean. The not so plus is getting there. Read the directions on the website. We parked at Crystal Cove State Park and paid $10 for two hours. The site doesn't tell you that you have to pay $2 per person one way in the shuttle so we handed over another $16 for the four of us round trip. We couldn't do the 10 minute walk because the path was flooded. There is handicap parking closer to the restaurant. We had reservations and were seated right away. The food was ok. We had fish (too undercooked for me) and over seasoned, teriyaki beef skewers, salad and pasta with cocktails. Service was friendly. I guess after all the work to get there I was expecting more. read more

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Food was decent . Steak over done . Pasta and seafood didn't have much flavor . I would recommend for drinks and views or if you have a friend visiting. Service was good but not my favorite for food in the area. read more

The Beachcomber - View from the patio . - Seafood Near Me - Newport Beach, California

food 50/50 service 25/25 ambience 25/25 total 100!!! love love love this place, great ocean views as the establishment in directly on the beach. the food and service phenomenal! strong yummy drinks and delicious beignets!!! read more

The Beachcomber - Tiny Ahi Tacos and Kung Pao Calamari - Seafood Near Me - Newport Beach, California

great spot! you have to park across the street and it's a quick walk or they also offer a shuttle. but it's a super cute area in crystal cove. wait wasn't too bad and we came around lunch on a friday. but even if you do wait, its right on the beach so it's a nice wait. the food was amazing! they have really great cocktails and I highly recommend the lobster roll! 10/10 would recommend read more

The Beachcomber - Maine Lobster Rolls - Seafood Near Me - Newport Beach, California

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What an absolute gem! How often do you get to eat a delicious dinner with friendly, knowledgeable wait staff, located right on a beach in a state park that's reasonably priced? And since 70% of the tables are first come first serve, we were in good shape on an October evening with no reservation! One unexpected, but pleasant surprise was that you park at the state park lot and either take a 10 minute walk down a lit path and through a tunnel that is covered in charming murals or take a convenient shuttle ($2/person) down to the beach and restaurant. All of it adds to a memorable, unique, and yummy dining experience! read more

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Came here with my BFF on a whim. Took us a minute to figure out where it was. You have to park across the fwy and walk down a trail (not too far. About 8 minutes) or take the shuttle. Its summer so as expected it was absolutely packed as was the beach. Patio dining had a wait of 1.5 hours so we opted to sit inside. We found out later we could have just sat at the bar outside. No beach view but I love dining outside. I also found out You can make reservations, but during the summer months... good luck! Service was excellent! Our server (I wish I remembered her name) was phenomenal! She offered great suggestions as everything on the menus sounded scrumptious. Also, we were both starving. We ordered cocktails first. A cucumber martini that was pretty good and refreshing. I ordered the Cadillac Margarita. It tasted like they used orange juice instead of Gran Marnier. Not my favorite margi but it was fine. I won't order it again. We decided to order the cup of chowder, ahi poke nachos and the seared ahi salad. I love a good clam chowder and theirs definitely makes the cut! My friend thought it could be thicker while I found the consistency and flavor were amazing! My only knock was that I wish it had more clams and taters precious. But we only got a small cup so that one ladle may not represent the chowder as a whole. Even so, I would most definitely order this again! The seared ahi salad was as beautiful as it was delectable! Generous portions of fresh ahi, veggies and avocado. I light and bright dressing compliments the whole dish and the crispy wontons provide a nice crunch. Its a little pricey, but would definitely order again. Now for the star of our table... the ahi poke nachos!!! They are slap your grammy good!! I have been craving them ever since. Super fresh tuna, fresh crispy wonton chips, avocado, and OHHH THE SAUCES! Mmmmm. Generously portioned perfect to share, but you may not want to!! I wish I could do 4.5 for the underwhelming margarita and $33 salad, but no way is it a 4 so 5 star review it is. Overall we had a great experience and vowed to come back again. However, I will probably wait until offseason. read more

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I made a res for 4 people about 5 days ago. The menu and the location drew me to this restaurant. We arrived 15 minutes before our reservation time and there were no tables available. I was quite upset. I am handicapped, and no place on their website did I see any reference to any issues for people who are physically challenged. We parked in the parking lot outside the restaurant grounds. Took the shuttle over and when I saw the sandy paths I had to traverse with my walker, I wasn't sure if I was going to make it to the restaurant deck. It was slow and go and I made it, but not without a great expended effort. After a wait for our table, we were seated and placed our order. The staff was friendly and efficient. And the food and ambiance watching the waves roll in was wonderful. I was so happy that I made the trek. However after a great lunch with lots of laughs, I had to make my weak legs and my walker traverse the uneven sandy path back to the shuttle pickup. No small feat! As a service to all those who would love to enjoy your food and atmosphere, but are disabled, can you please do some kind of work around to make it more easily accessible? read more

"Beautiful view, terrible experience." Despite several empty tables, the hostess told us to "eat at the bar." It was 2:30 p.m., and when I pointed out five open tables, her only reply was the same... We seated ourselves at the adjacent bar, ordered, and even set our own table -- only to find the plates weren't clean. The clam chowder was thin, watery, and tasted of raw flour with not a clam in sight. No potatoes, celery, or onions either -- disappointing at $14 a bowl. The Blue Cheese chicken roll was child-sized, and there was no actual service beyond someone dropping off food. Embarrassing experience, especially while hosting out-of-town guests. The historic location itself is lovely -- 1940s beach cottages, a charming boardwalk, and sometimes a local historian. But access through the state park shuttle ($3 per person) adds hassle, and sadly, the food and service don't live up to the setting. In short: overpriced, indifferent service, and not worth the inconvenience. read more