Pardon the color of my photos. Due to a blue tarp over skylight above us, it caused a blue effect. Staff: Really happy with the service here. We were helped by Alex. He was attentive, friendly, and great all around. Quality/Quantity: Wow, the food was so good folks. I got the Lobster roll which was delicious. Nice bun and packed with delicious lobster. My wife got the poke which was really flavorful and tasty. One of our guests got the salmon which was really good. Another friend got the swordfish sandwich which he really liked. Another guest had the salmon with a bowl of Claim chowder which were tasty. Lastly, a friend had the fish and chips. Portions were a good size in my opinion. Value: Pricey compared to our normal price points that we frequent, but seafood is known to be inexpensive. All of the food above was a little of $200. Overall: I really liked this place and would return for sure. It had a nice ambiance and perfect for any event. Pro tip: The water cups are awesome and you can take them home as a souvenir. read more

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Local diner with a good variety of options on their menu. They have a lot of seafood and even chicken, pasta, and sandwiches. They even have Gluten Free options for those who have gluten allergies/sensitivity! I decided to order the blackened Mahi Mahi and my friend had the macadamia crusted sea bass. My fish was delish - flavorful, flaky and cooked perfectly. My friend enjoyed her sea bass although she said it was a bit on the dry side with the macadamia crust. Our server was great at refilling our glasses of water all night and I loved the vibe in the restaurant. Seems a lot of locals frequent here as the staff seems to know and chat with several customers during my visit. read more

The Lobster Trap - Mac crusted sea bass (above), and blackened mahi mahi (below). - Seafood Near Me - Avalon, California

We didn't get to try the lobster since it was priced above our budget but the seafood pasta (garlic butter sauce), oyster Rockefeller, and the clam chowder were all delicious. The oyster Rockefeller stood out. read more

Very tasty fish and chips. Reasonably priced for such a popular tourist location. Great bar with plethora of drink options.

The Lobster Trap is open all the time, pretty much every day. which is a big plus. That being said, the food isn't that great here even though it's a local favorite. Inside, it feels like a local casual seafood spot, which is a good thing. The servers are super busy, so there's not a lot of chitchat, and that's ok too. The reason why this is a 3-star place is the food, which is not that great for a place that's literally surrounded by water. The fried seafood tastes the same as a frozen equivalent from Costco, and the clam chowder tastes so much like milk. The fish tacos, however, are solid. Also, quick warning, the local spiny lobster can cost $70 at its market price, and they won't tell you beforehand. It's good, but that's gourmet lobster prices for a bar food like atmosphere and presentation. You'll go here because you're on Catalina and it's open, but don't expect to be blown away by the seafood like you want to be. read more

The Lobster Trap - Cod taco - Seafood Near Me - Avalon, California

A fun and lively restaurant with many fishing theme decorations. We walked in without a reservation and got seated at the bar table. If you have a large group, reservation is highly recommended. The atmosphere and service was good but the food is a bit hit or miss. We ordered the shrimp ceviche, lobster roll, and seafood pasta. The shrimp in the shrimp ceviche is overcooked and they served with a lot of pita chips for small amount of ceviche. The seafood pasta was delicious with the grilled bread and garlic source. The fries that came with the lobster roll was a big disappointment. They were soggy and dead and we had to ask the waiter to give us some fresh ones which they did. But even the new ones were not crispy - I'd say even worse than the fries in McDonald's. The atmosphere and food quality here is more on par with a bar than a restaurant. read more

The Lobster Trap - Seafood Near Me - Avalon, California

Solid food but expensive for what it is. Given what's available on the island, The Lobster Trap was a good choice, though. I ordered the lobster roll and was satisfied with it. Though the bun wasn't the crispiest and the lobster was average, the flavors melded together and turned out into an okay sandwich. The fries were soggy and the cole slaw was a little too heavy. Service was super friendly but slow. The prices were steep, however, I noticed that prices here are a bit more than on the mainland. read more

The Lobster Trap - Seafood Near Me - Avalon, California

That's what she said! This Lobster Roll was huge! Hit the spot after a 7 mile hike. This was my first trip to Catalina and first Lobster Roll. It was delicious! It was flavorful and filling. The portion will fill you up. I got it with the option of half fries half coleslaw. I don't know if the restaurant was remodeled recently, but it was very very sparkly and clean. The restrooms were super clean and fully stocked. The restrooms were properly walled without baseboards for easy cleaning and drainage without getting water behind a baseboard. The service was great. We only had to wait ten minutes to be seated. Could have sat at the bar where there's plenty of seating. Had a great first time experience at Catalina! Highly recommend giving this place a try! read more

The Lobster Trap - That's what she said! Lobster Roll with half and Half - Seafood Near Me - Avalon, California

this place was fine- me and my boyfriend got dinner here the food was mid/bad. I got the angel hair pasta and it was disgusting, and he got an even worse raw uncooked steak but yet hard and gross at the same time. service was great though and the ceviche appetizer was good. read more

This place is amazing! Everything was fresh and delicious! Shout out to our waiter Omar for recommending the Sea Bass. They somehow know how to make grilled Sea Bass taste like bacon! We came here twice while on our trip. Had the Calamari Steak and the Seafood Pasta as well. Everything was great! They also were cautious of my food sensitivities read more

I prefer to eat outside, but this isn't that kind of place so I sat by the door. Had a great experience and a great server. I went with a friend seafood platter and my friend had a seared tuna sandwich, Both were excellent. A nice serving of fish, large scallops, calamari steaks, and shrimp for me. O was very satisfied, and the sandwich was excellent. I know because I stole a couple bites from my friend. All around a nice experience. read more

Loved the Lobster trap would take another boat ride just to eat here! th fish was fresh and the pasta delicious! It is cold in there take a sweater. read more

Good local vibe. Friendly and helpful service. Recommended by our great tour guide. Wife and I had the poki candy style, fish sandwich and lobster taco. All very good. Tuna chunks could have been bigger cut. Small size chunks got lost in the rice. Tast though! read more

Went here for a dinner on a Monday night. Place was pretty packed, first they tried to give us a table, but it ended up being reserved for someone else, so we had to sit at the bar, which was fine for us. We ordered some drinks and as entrees we got the sea bass with mango salsa and the local lobster with creamy bay shrimp filling. Unfortunately it took forever for an our food to arrive. Probably at least an hour. After we were sure we saw multiple people getting their food that arrived after us we asked them to check on our order. They probably lost the ticket, but said it would be ready shortly and the lobster needed time. Meanwhile I've seen a lot of other lobster orders leaving the kitchen. Sadly the food wasn't worth the long wait. The lobster wasn't great, didn't get the buttery texture I was looking for. It was a bit chewy and the filling only contained a few tiny shrimp. The sides also don't get a lot of love and seem to be just there to fill the plate. The sea bass and the salsa were ok, but nothing special either. Place is pretty loud, but has a nice casual vibe. Our waitress definitely should have checked on us after taking our order, we only saw her again at the end when we wanted to pay. Disappointed with the meal and the service. read more

The Lobster Trap - Sea bass with mango salsa topping - Seafood Near Me - Avalon, California

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One of the best restaurants in Catalina Island we are unfortunate that they are temporary close, but this was one of the oldest restaurants that you can enjoy a fresh fish, lobster, crabs, oysters you need any exotic seafood they have available the service, and this restaurant is super fast because there's a lot of moving crowd and they need to serve it soon as possible The drinks are marvelous but they're not top-notch. You can enjoy a nice beer but they don't have amazing cocktails ambience inside this restaurant is pretty, but it represents an old heritage hotel with the historic pictures and stuff like that it's definitely a must try if you are in Catalina island for sure, but we are unfortunate that they are closed read more

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It's called the Lobster Trap but the locals know it's really a trap for tourists. Don't get me wrong, the food is good, but I never see the locals in there. It's always us tourists packing the place. read more

Long wait after finally getting seated for our waiter to appear, and mediocre food, with completely inedible fries (tasted like they were a day old). Would not recommend. It was also freezing at night because they keep their giant doors wide open. read more

I don't understand why this place is so highly recommended by locals. It's "whatever" at best. We came around 5pm on a Friday and were seated right away. They sat us by the stairs going up to the elevated portion of tables and people walking down would accidentally hit me with their sleeves (as they were putting on their jackets) and other belongings. Very annoying. They should just remove this table completely. We got the clam chowder bread bowl which was decent but nothing out of this world. We've had much better along the California coast. The lobster taco was flavorless and the cioppino was laughable. It had a lot of dry fish, three shrimp, two scallops, and two clams. I usually love eating up all the soup with the bread but this was a tasteless tomato water of a soup. read more

The Lobster Trap - Clam chowder bread bowl - Seafood Near Me - Avalon, California

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Service was wonderful. Fresh lobster roll Shots were amazing! Great casual atmosphere. We celebrated my husband's birthday here & the staff sang Happy Birthday & brought him hot fudge with a candle Going back to try their breakfast options read more

Food was excellent and our waitress, Kellie, was really great. I look forward to coming back next time we're in Avalon.

Best place to eat on Catalina in my opinion. Food good - atmosphere fun. Expensive dinner for 7 (5 of us had drinks - 1each) $500 with tip. read more

First place we stopped to grab food off the ferry. The outside menus indicated this place had eggs, bacon, and a typical breakfast. However, when we got inside, the menu looked drastically different (all seafood and lunch items). Ended up getting the swordfish! They describe it as a mini special that was locally caught because you can see the chefs prepare the dish from afar. I enjoyed the ambiance in the restaurant and the food, would come again. read more

We all had the fish and chips for lunch, amazing!! Great staff, great remodel since being there last time. Check out the sand and fish in the flooring...cool! read more

The Lobster Trap - Seafood Near Me - Avalon, California

I visited The Lobster Trap because it was recommended by the Avalon golf cart rental people, but was disappointed with the food and service unfortunately. We ended up sitting at the side bar because waiting for a table would've taken 30 minutes since it was packed. I felt because we sat at the side bar, the servers forgot about us despite being next to the kitchen. I had to flag for someone since no one came for a while to take our order. Then, it still took forever for our food to come, at LEAST 40 minutes. Part of it was they were feeding a party of 10+ people but it seemed like the other people at the tables were also getting their food before us. At this point, I was hangry and starving. I ordered the lobster roll while my friends ordered the linguine with littleneck clams and seafood combo. When our food finally did come, it ended up being pretty average and pricey. The lobster roll was set at Market Price so I paid $30 for my meal not including the tip. They offer different options for the bread and if the sandwich should be served chilled or warmed. The roll tasted fine, but I've had better and cheaper lobster rolls in the past. The portion of lobster meat served was kind of small and it came with ingredients usually included in hamburgers, which I thought was kind of strange. In regard to ambiance, the decorations inside of the restaurant look pretty cool. My friends and I liked the funny signs on the wall and the partial ship. Since we were seated at the side bar, we also got to watch the worker cut the fish and it was quite entertaining. They also sell their own merch at this place if you want a souvenir. Overall, the food was alright but the pricing and service were not. If I were to come back to Catalina Island, I'd try another spot to get my seafood fix. read more

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The host was very rude from the beginning, which already set a terrible tone. We ordered four seafood dishes and every single one was a disappointment. The clam chowder tasted like canned soup and was absolutely disgusting. The fish and chips were dripping in oil, mostly just greasy tempura batter with barely any fish inside. The little fish that was there was dry and tasted old. To make matters worse, we actually saw the server grabbing ice with their bare hands -- completely unsanitary. The food was awful, the service was rude, and the prices were extremely high for such low quality. If I could give this place 0 stars, I would. Never coming back read more

The Lobster Trap - Seafood Near Me - Avalon, California

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Love the atmosphere and vibe. Restaurant seating and bar. It's not a quite restaurant so if you have small children or infants they might have a hard time being inside. The menu is big and has many different pescaterian options. We were short on time but manage to get a meal in before heading back. I tried the lobster roll. It was in a bun line sandwich. It was good. Would definitely taste better in a sourdough roll. Our servers were great both Nancy and Jose. read more

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Just went to the Lobster Trap this afternoon. Service was great - originally gave us a 30 minute wait time and called at the 15 minute mark. When I ordered, I asked the waitress for what fish was most fresh and local at the time, and she suggested the Sea Bass. I took her recommendation and it was delicious. Totally tasted the freshness. The ambiance is local, casual, but elevated. Very much a "fisherman" and "seafood" theme. I would go back! read more

Lobster trap or tourist trap? Don't be fooled by the reviews. The food is subpar at best and left me feeling questionable for the rest of the day. The shrimp ceviche was a watery soupy mess with a strong sour and spicy aftertaste to mask the quality of the shrimp. The oysters on half shell was very disappointing with little to no meat. The oyster was also not shucked properly as most of the oysters had sand and shell in it. The only positive thing I can recommend is the service and fried seafood combo. Our server was helpful and attentive but her recommendation of the shrimp ceviche were misplaced. The fried seafood combo was good with the batter being fried lightly which didn't make the dish too greasy. (Food 2/5) (service 3/5) Order: shrimp ceviche, oyster on half shell, fried seafood combo, swordfish (fish of the day) (also not worth it) Comments: not worth it unless you want the fried seafood combo read more

The Lobster Trap - Seafood Near Me - Avalon, California

The food was delicious lobster tail was fresh and amazing. Service was so nice even so busy and lines out side. Ambiance is accelerant sport tv wall decorations so nice. Love them all. Recommended. read more

Everything was great! My meal was tasted so fresh and well seasoned. This will be a go to spot every time I come to Avalon. read more

The Lobster Trap - Blackened seasoned sea bass with rice pilaf and mixed vegetables - Seafood Near Me - Avalon, California

I know that the locals love this place, but not sure why. The food was over salted and over seasoned. My baked potato wasn't fully cooked and my veggies were cold. The lobster roll wasn't warm and was disappointing. read more

Lobster was overrated, overpriced and was as soft as my leather shoe. Honestly all the food tasted and had the consistency and being made/ warmed up in the microwave. The seasoning on absolutely anything. Would not recommend. Staff was nice but the food was NASTY. read more

Food is a bit on the greasy side, but besides that, this place is top knotch and one of our favorite meals of our trip to the island! We enjoyed the monkey balls, clam chowder, swordfish taco, and the fried fish taco. Service was excellent and prices were fair compared to the island! Would definitely recommend this spot and would request to sit in the boat section that's just up the staircase with a view overlooking the restaurant. read more

The Lobster Trap - Swordfish taco - Seafood Near Me - Avalon, California

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We came here for lunch after taking the golf cart around the island for two hours. Very family friendly. The food is amazing! We had the cheese curds, fish and chips (nice light batter) shrimp and chips, crab salad. The kids had the macaroni and cheese- this needs to be sold everywhere! It has 7 different cheeses. The service was so very good. read more

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What a amazing place, the service runs like a well oiled machine. We seat in the bar and it was bless seeing they working hard to get the food into customers tables. We had the greatest pleasure of having Jessie and this guy had the best smile and attitude. Seriously just stop by at this place and order anything really everything looks amazing read more

One of worst food/ service experiences ive ever had . You think being in the middle of ocean they would have amazing seafood think again it's Terrible Clam chowder,ahi, ceviche all get thumbs down best thing was a slice of tomato with salt and pepper and that's saying a lot waiter was ok however we got food with no utensils or napkins, so I got up and got my own read more

The Lobster Trap has been around forever, and can be found straight off the Green Pleasure Pier. When we asked the locals where to eat, the Lobster Trap was consistently recommended. You can see from the pics the vibe of this place: old school, local, nautical and a favorite of many. Our service was quick and helpful. Like most island restaurants, they don't accept reservations. We were set for lobster (its name says it's a lobster place) but unfortunately local lobster is seasonal (October through March). Bummer ............. So we had the local swordfish. You can see from my pic the grill marks on this swordfish steak. But what you can't see is the soft, velvety meat texture. It was simply prepared which let the true swordfish flavor through - it was quite good. The veggies were cooked just right with the correct amount of crunch. The potato was baked well. They offered several ways to enhance the swordfish - I chose the mango chutney. It was fresh with a bit of heat kick. But I didn't use it - I liked the natural swordfish as it was. If I have a desire for swordfish - this is the place. But next time I'll be here to try the lobster between October and March. read more

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This restraint has been here for years. It use to be great. It always had local caught fish. It was old and not to modern. But the food was great. It. The locals and tout eat at this place. This year was different. The place was remodeled and looked great. The worst was the food. I ordered the halibut fish. It was the worst ever. It must of been frozen for years. I had to smear it with tartar sauce just to get it down. By the way the tartar sauce just mayo. The the fresh vegetables must of been frozen the same year. I think all there food is old frozen. Whet a shame, it use to be a great place to eat. My wife had there frozen ceab cakes. I don,t know what happened. Maybe it has sold and new owners ruined it. I don,think it will be here long. I will be back next summer. May it may be gone by then. How sad! read more

The hostess was just... Mean. We waited over 45 minutes for a table. We told her that we are willing to wait for a table where we could watch the baseball game. She said she would call us when a table was available where we could do that. Almost an hour later we get a call, and are promptly seated in a spot in a corner where the only visible TV does not have a remote and can't be changed. We see a table within view of the game, and ask the hostess to be seated there, and she says that basically we have to wait another 45 minutes. She honestly seemed to be on some kind of strange power trip, and had no compassion for the fact that we had waited over an hour, or that she said she would seat us where we could see the game. I get that it's a popular place but cmon...that's just mean. read more

The clam chowder was overly thick and bland. The fish/shrimp tacos were gross. Fishy meat topped with plain cabbage and jar salsa. This is California, you should know how to make a proper taco. 3 crab legs cost us $100 ("market price"). Service was ok. It's nice they allow dogs and brought ours a water bowl. read more