A super fun spot! My friends and I swung by The Salty Seal for a night out and had a great time. One thing to note, if you are 22 and under and try to come in, you will need two forms of ID. I came with just my drivers license and was almost not let in because I did not have two IDs on me. Luckily, I had a photo of my passport which sufficed. The bouncer was definitely not the friendliest. He was super stern and not the most understanding. Once you're inside, you will be greeted by a dive bar type area. There are some pool tables and seating. It is a very lowkey and casual vibe in this area. The back area of this bar is very different. There is another bar, booths, and a dance floor where there is a bit more of a club vibe. We came the Friday night before the 4th of July. The music was fantastic. The DJ this night was playing absolute banger after banger. He was playing some great throwback hits. It had to have been the best local DJ I have ever seen. The dance floor was packed with everyone dancing and we totally caught a vibe. There is also an outdoor area with tables and stools. It is much quieter and lowkey back there. We had such a great time that we decided to come back the following night. I was prepared with my two forms of ID! As expected, the crowd was much smaller (it was the Fourth of July). The music wasn't my favorite this time around but it was still fun. The only thing that bugged me a little was that their Green Tea Shots were premade. We ordered about four of them and they were poured straight out of a jug. Other than that, this place is a great time. I will definitely be back. read more

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Salty Seal Brew was an okay stop during a busy travel day. We stopped in mainly to take a quick break, have a beer, and grab something to eat. The beer was cold, so that part was good. We ordered the chicken nachos, but they took forever to come out. When they finally arrived, they were okay, not bad, but nothing special either. It was fine for a brief stop and a little reset from the day, but I would probably keep expectations casual. read more

The Salty Seal - American Near Me - Monterey, California

Checked this place out on a Friday night and it was fun. Wife and I were going to sit at the front area bar but the host said there was a band about to play in back and we went to the back and found 2 seats on the back bar. We order drinks and a patty melt to share. It was good, nothing special stood out bit it wasn't bad. Fries were cooked and seasoned well and very crispy! Bartenders were great and the live band made it fun. read more

The Salty Seal - Patty Melt - American Near Me - Monterey, California

The food was beyond amazing! We had calamari and honey garlic wings with many beers! Ignacio was a superb server!!! read more

The Salty Seal - Mai Tai IPA and Moose Drool Brown Ale! - American Near Me - Monterey, California

Thank you Nacho!!! He was such a thoughtful server and very considerate. One of the greatest dining experiences I've ever had.

Great spot to grab a drink and watch the game! Make sure to bring some cash for the pool table!

our service was incredible on football Sunday! such a fun atmosphere. had the chili and chicken tenders with garlic fries, it was delicious!

The service is TOP NOTCH, and our Waitress Bri waited on us hand and foot. My Wagyu smash burger was to die for. I will definitely be. read more

The Salty Seal - This the Fish Tank Drink - American Near Me - Monterey, California

Ignacio was our server and was very accommodating and pleasant. Every one in our party enjoyed their food. Our drinks were delicious. We look forward to returning on our next visit to Monterey. read more

Ok this is going to be a the good, the bad and the ugly review. There is no good. The bad is security scanning ID's at the door. I wasn't paying close attention when he wanted to see IDs and the next thing I know the back of our IDs are scanned. Dude look at the picture and date and if you think it's fake we will go elsewhere The ugly. A bunch of obnoxious loud young drunks. I know its a bar late at night but come on. The only bright spot was the bartender jamming on the drinks. This guy was handling everything on his own. We had 1 drink and bounced. Maybe during the day it's a different experience. read more

It was ok. Drinks weren't wonderful...kinda weak. Fish and chips were kind of blah...(actually the chips were good!) but the wings were killer. Vibe is interesting in the front bar. Odd music...faint smell of marijuana. Not my favorite place! Service was pretty good. read more

I had to post immediately because the service was so great! Brooke has great energy, very helpful, and was very communicative. The beer was I've cold and crisp and the cocktails are an absolute hit. read more

Fantastic service and delicious food. I got the smash burger and it was a 10/10. Ignacio was also amazing! read more

The Salty Seal - Smash burger - American Near Me - Monterey, California

great atmosphere, great drinks. Kenzie was wonderful and a pleasure to talk to. happy to have stopped by while enjoying Monterey. read more

Fairly unexpecting place in the cannery row area of Monterey. Not quite dingy enough to call it a dive bar, but it still gives off those "vibes". The live music on a Friday night was nice. Decent amount of food and drink options to come for a full meal, as long as you're in the mood for pub food, but also nice to come just for a couple drinks with friends. The outdoor area is small so if there's live music, it may get tight back there. The service is friendly but they get fairly busy on weekends so things may feel slow as you wait for your drink order. Kitchen stays open fairly late (I think around 10?). Pro tip: bring cash. They do accept cards but there will be a "non cash adjustment" of 3% added to your total if you chose to use plastic. read more

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Went for my birthday and had terrible service and drinks!! Ordered two cocktails (la ida and another one can't remember the name) and an IPA. The cocktails were awful! One of them was supposed to have muddled strawberries and mint but it was like a WHOLE MINT PLANT and chunky old strawberries. Very inedible and gross, a straw was provided but impossible to drink. When asked for a it to be remade to replace at the beginning after looking at it and attempting to drink the waitress got very defensive and rude but we were so polite. So disheartening. There was also like flakes of what looked like eggshells at the bottom of my IPA. Really ruined our entire visit. The other cocktail was just so nasty. I will attach pictures. The bald bartender man with glasses was also so rude. Terrible customer service skills. DO NOT GO HERE. so outdated and gross. read more

The Salty Seal - Mai Thai IPA - American Near Me - Monterey, California

Convenient location in Cannery Row with lots of seating, TV's, pool tables, a patio and even dancing! The food was okay, bar food. Seems like a great place to watch games. read more

We stopped in to the Salty Seal in the middle of a Monterey Aquarium trip. We were on a family tourism trip. The Salty Seal is a timeless seafood and other fare restaurant with outdoor seating. The food was excellent. I had fish and chips which I never order but did because it's the place to get it. Delicious. Kids had chicken and fries. Wife had them make a vegetarian dish with potato wedges. Service was excellent too. Ambiance is probably considered outdated by some. Gordon Ramsey may have them redo the furniture. But you want this. You need this in a cannery row traditional restaurant. read more

The Salty Seal - Fish and Chips - American Near Me - Monterey, California

The total experience at Salty Seal -- live music Thanks to Arie and Hunter for taking care of us the whole night! Greatest place west of the Mississippi! read more

Went to Salty last night, love sitting at the back bar when Arie is working! Her customer service is amazing and she makes you feel so welcome. Not to mention she keeps the drinks flowing! She is the reason we keep coming back!! read more

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The food was really good the mozzarella sticks were good and the marinara sauce. My bread bowl was really good. And the Dark and stormy burger was ok. I wouldn't say worth that much money.. The service was good kind of quick and standoff he never even said what his name was. Would ask a question and then just leave. Kinda strange not very personnel or professional. The restaurant is cool has a nice feel the ambiance is good like a bar but the dining are is cozy love the seats. read more

The Salty Seal - Clam chowder bread bowl. - American Near Me - Monterey, California

Service was quick and friendly. We just stopped in for a quick snack & drinks. Food & drinks were very good. read more

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worst experience ever. food was burnt so horrible and the second one i got was brick cold it was such a horrible experience read more

The Salty Seal - waiter was nice and but the food was horrible first one was burnt so bad and the second one was brick cold. do not recommend coming here - American Near Me - Monterey, California

Came here after the Monterey Half Marathon with some friends. We drank, played pool, hung out, and had some appetizers. Service was good, drinks were strong, and we loved the vibes. read more

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Love the ambiance here. Drinks are great and beer is cold. Live music is always a plus as well. read more

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Improving everything. Noisy, Dirty, Terrible food. Chili was " blood red", gross. The pretzel bites with cheese sauce were ok,because of the pretzels. The cheese sauce was curdled. Now for the Clam chowder. No clams mostly Potatoes and carrot, the broth was like wall paper paste. Very disappointed and never going again. read more

Had a beer at this pub on Cannery Row. Had a black and tan. It was ok. It was the middle of the day, so I can't really speak for the food or nightlife. The bartender was nice, checked on us a couple of times. The bar itself was dated, but it adds to the charm. read more

The clam chowder was a perfect way to judge the establishment...I had a flora woods to compliment my meal. They had malt vinegar for my fish n chips...sold. read more

Visiting Monterey near Cannery Row looking for a dog friendly place to eat. Right on the street was the entrance. As we entered and asked if we could bring the dog and got the answer, of course! There is inside dining as well as a courtyard with fire pits and live music. The pup was happy. A server brought her water before we got menus! Gotta love dog people. From the people menu we chose quesadillas, margaritas and a high noon seltzer. Oh that's just the first day. The next day we had chicken wings and margaritas. They offer a nice selection of brews and several margarita variations. Lots of options for food. The Chuck Brewer band was belting out the tunes and the weather was perfect. Good food, drink and entertainment made for us a repeat visit. Definitely on our list for next time. read more

We Happened to be across the street at Ghirardelli and needed to find some dinner before heading back to our hotel. A lot of the restaurants seemed to be more "sit down" and we were looking for something to-go at the time and we both happened to be very indecisive at the moment; in came this place. Jess wanted a Burger, this place happened to have burgers, then she saw the Feta and Tomato Sandwich; she was instantly SOLD! Note: this place doesn't show prices on the menu outside the doors, neither do several of the other restaurants. Now i know why. Because if more people saw the price point out front, they would keep walking. This is the true definition of a Pub. To the right once you walk in is the pool tables a bar and hang out spot, to the left is a self serve seating area where there's a bar, outside patio and some seating. Was a little confusing at first, signs are there but to out of town people like us, was hard to understand where to go. Definitely has the feel of an old school dive bar that also sells food. Waitress was super nice and very attentive when we sat down. Yes, we went from to-go to dine in, because the restaurant was quiet. At first. Then we saw the menu. $19 dollars for my burger and fries, extra $4 for cheese. Soft Drinks were $5 and they didn't say if they give "free refills" but it also didn't say no either. But i played it safe and opted not for a refill, so i nursed my Diet Coke. We placed our order and didn't wait long for the food to arrive. Jess got the clam chowder and it was just "ok", i am not one for seafood but she had me try it anyway. It was more reminiscent of a creamy chicken and rice soup but with clams instead of chicken. But even with adding pepper and some Tabasco, it still lacked flavor. I'm sure "even as a non seafood lover" there's definitely better in town. She said the clams were tough and chewy. She also ordered the Feta and Tomato sandwich with a side of fries, the sandwich was true to the name and certainly didn't disappoint for someone who loves the two equally between two slices of bread. So she was certainly happy with her meal. I on the other hand not so much. I asked for my burger medium. It was more well done. Plus side for them still making it juicy, but the size was rather small for $19 and the bun, although brioche, I love brioche, was burnt on the top and bottom. The veggies inside were rather plain and really didn't need to be there. The fries definitely tasted store bought, reminded me of the fries they used to serve with the old K-Mart burgers. Plus charging $4 for cheese and any other addition toppings seems outrageous to me. Close to $30 for myself and another $30 for jess, our bill came out to $65. What!? I feel like i just got robbed! lol.' This town really does feel like it over prices everything! Not even because its on a tourist part of town, the whole town at this point feels like its price gouging everyone when it comes to eating out. With tip we paid $75 and change. Could've went to Chick Fil A and had a better experience for half the price. Heck even In n Out would've been a 4th of the cost for better quality. I'm Glad Jess enjoyed herself, but now i definitely see why nobody eats on Cannery Row. I personally would not come here again, nor would I recommend it to anyone else coming to Monterey. Jess even said the beers that a table behind us got, were super small and they're charging a hefty price for those also. If you're in a pinch, have at least $100 on you and don't want to travel out for food, then i guess this place or one of the other restaurants down here will have to do. But save yourself a HUGE chunk of money and go somewhere else. Update: THANK YOU to Rebecca the Owner of this establishment for reaching out. As you will read down below, she was super informative and addressed all of my issues and concerns. Unfortunately I didn't see the HUGE sign until we walked down the hallway to the left, but there are signs stating seating to the left once you walk inside. Although I do feel for the owners having to pay high sums of money to keep people employed as well as rent and utilities, I do still stand by the fact that (not) just this location, but others in this town, should and could provide better food for the price point, no matter what the situation may be on the financial aspect. Yes you can go somewhere across the street and pay an extra $3 dollars for a burger and fries, but you can also find other mom and pop spots and pay way less. Don't take away from the fact that this location might be great for your tastes, but unfortunately for my own personal opinion, it was just not for me. But again HUGE Thank You for the quick response! read more

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The Salty Seal always delivers amazing music -- huge thanks to all the DJs and bands because without them, the vibe just wouldn't be the same. The bartenders are always attentive, security keeps everyone safe while doing their job professionally, and the owners and management truly care about the business and their customers by constantly asking for feedback. Running a bar and restaurant isn't easy, but every staff member goes above and beyond to make everyone feel welcome the moment they walk through the doors. Great atmosphere, great people, great experience -- every time. Thank you! read more

The Salty Seal - American Near Me - Monterey, California

Every time I try this place it's always a disappointment , front guy with the grey hair ruins the club. Bartenders are cool tho

Oversauced wings, and I mean drowned, that I couldn't eat. Server was not helpful. Didn't offer to get a new item or remove from the bill. Just basically said, oh. read more

When we walked in, we were greeted like family. Bri met us at our table and was absolutely delightful. I asked her to surprise me with a beer and choose my dinner. She brought me Moose Drool and a Dark and Stormy burger. Amazing!! My wife got the fish tacos and was equally happy! Thank you, Bri! We will be back! read more

Great spot, I only go for the dance floor but they've got pool tables, darts, and multiple outdoor fireplaces.

I've been going to The Salty Seal since they opened, and they've remained one of my go-to spots for a good time. The new ownership is doing an awesome job of getting the locals' input and providing a variety of activities for everyone. From open mic and live music to themed nights like Y2K Night, Magic Hunks, and Burlesque, there's always something happening -- even if some events aren't totally my thing, I love that there's truly something for everyone. The bartenders I've met so far -- Chris, Dan, Andrew, Kyle, Kenzie, Hunter(i think there's two?), Scott and Arie -- know exactly how to keep the crowd happy and the party going. Huge shoutout to the manager, Frank (aka DJ Edison Tesla), and the bouncers for keeping the vibes high, the crowd contained, and always anticipating any trouble to keep everyone safe. Their dog-friendly patio with fire pits -- and the fact that they're open all day -- is perfect for bringing your pup, grabbing a drink, and hanging out! The Monterey bike path from Lovers Point to Casa Verde runs right past the Salty Seal, try it out for your next hot girl walk The management team and owners are doing an amazing job of making sure they really give the people what they want, and you can feel the forward momentum & energy every time you walk in. If you're looking for a place that actually listens to its crowd and brings the energy every day & night, The Salty Seal is it. Can't wait to see how they keep leveling things up and turning Monterey nights into something special!! read more

The bartender i had was awesome, her name was kenzie. She took my order right away and got my drinks out fast and mixed to perfection! Very pleasant experience. read more

Bad service, double lip ringed bartender has a jukebox called TouchTunes here and we played country music while having some drinks and that bartender went and skipped it. We may not like the same music my friend but I paid to hear that song. Pretty lame since it was Ella Langley playing too read more

Ignacio was amazing, so attentive and welcoming! He deserves the prize for real. Seriously made our birthday night out feel very special.

Erin is awesome! She made my brother and I feel like family. Thank you so much for your hospitality!