Awesome seafood spot near the beach!…read more Fish and Chips again, who would have thought? Light and crispy, but this place uses the same batter on their fries, what a gamechanger! More surface area = more crunchy fish/fries! The line was super long, usually a good sign. Nice beach vibes, I'll definitely be back!

This place has great food but the service every time is basically non existent. We went for lunch…read moreand there was a large line that really didn't move quickly at all. The server/person at the register was in no rush to take an order. Someone sat at the bar area and she immediately went to take their order even though there was at least 20 people in line and we were at the register just waiting as she got these people their drinks. I think this place needs more staff at both of their locations. The attitude is lackadaisical and the person at the register at both locations often seems as though they are overwhelmed and upset that people are even there to order. Get more help!

M-F happy hour IS so bomb!…read more We got pretty much got everything on the happy hour menu. Edamame, fish tacos, burgers, poke nachos, ceviche, and wings. Reasonable price for all of this for just under $45 dollars. We sat outside, so inside we did not get to look all that well. But seemed cozy inside to eat too. The decor was pretty nice too. We had this spot saved on my list from 2 years ago and very happy we came when we did.

Service was very friendly when ordering and seating was self served. My husband and I ordered a…read moredozen oysters, the garlic noodles and the fisherman's catch. Oysters 10/10 perfectly shucked no broken shells and so fresh. Garlic Noodles 6/10 it was pretty good but I did not like the shell left on the shrimp and the excess oils pooled at the bottom of the dish, the arugula helped a lot to make the meal feel less heavy. Loved the parmesan on top. Fisherman's Catch 4/10 we chose the Cajun seasoning but it was very bland and very oily, it was presented as a fish boil selection but it was just so oily, and we couldn't really detect any Cajun flavor. The seafood itself was cooked well and so were the corn and potatoes. In my opinion for the price you pay the quality misses the mark by a few points. It was a good experience but I don't think I would go out of my way to come here again.

Sadly it's now permanently closed as of May 3, 2026, after over 46 years in business…read more Our family wanted to make sure that we went there today. To thank the very kind owner who loves the Dana point community for generations, and visitors, first time equally as much. We wanted to get their delicious clam chowder, and wonderful fried fish, on today, their final day. The service was always excellent. The chill Dana Point Harbor, was always relaxing, nurturing, all year. Thank you, once again, and blessings for all the decades of wonderful deliciously fresh seafood, an extremely affordable price as well. - That you provided all your customers. Hopefully that beautiful large realistic looking swordfish that's been hanging on the restaurant wall ever since I was 10 years old - Will find a wonderful new home! oh, and that huge shark! (this place has personality, and heart, and will be missed dearly)

Well, it's officially goodbye to this place. Ordered a four piece fish and chips to share and two…read morediet cokes. The bill was $37.07. The young man tending to us was hustling so he deserved his tip of $8.00 so I walked away with a bill of $45.07. You had the audacity of charging $11.00 for two little cups of Diet Coke??? Well, you made your choice and you lost a customer and your reputation. Good luck. DO NOT RECOMMEND EATING HERE!!!!!!

We've been to the other Hook & Anchor locations starting with Newport and then Costa Mesa, but this…read morewas our first time visiting the Dana Point location -- and it did not disappoint! Beautiful restaurant with great outdoor seating. My family and I sat outside and it was very peaceful and relaxing. The service was excellent, and Karina, our server, was awesome from start to finish. We ordered the Oysters Rockefeller, which were amazing, along with the Connecticut-style lobster roll and the lobster carbonara. Both were absolutely 5-star dishes. The lobster roll was cooked to perfection with the warm butter sauce, and the lobster carbonara had incredible flavor throughout. My kids got the cheeseburger and fries, and I have to say, for a kids meal the cheeseburger was surprisingly meaty and very tasty. The fries were perfectly crispy as well. Highly recommend stopping by if you're in the area!

Good place! Of course came for the seafood. I will say it is a little steeply priced for what you…read moreget. I ordered the Newport salad- it was great- but small portions of lobster, crab and got three shrimp for $27... The side of the parmesan fries were good- didn't expect the thicker pieces of cheese. Overall good spot to go to and the owner is so kind.

If you're looking for authentic, fantastic Mexican food in San Juan Capistrano, El Zabandeja is…read moreabsolutely worth your time. This is the kind of place where the food speaks for itself. As a local gringo, sure--I wouldn't mind a few pictures on the menu--but honestly, it doesn't matter. Just pick something and go for it. Everything I've tried has been excellent, and you really can't go wrong. What makes it even better is that it's truly family-owned and operated. And I mean that literally--you'll see them in the front, in the back, and serving tables. There's something special about that level of care and pride in what they're doing. It's incredibly important to support places like this, especially in South Orange County and particularly in San Juan Capistrano. Restaurants like this are what give the area its character. Take your time when you go--make it a date night or bring family when they're in town. If you want real, authentic, fantastic food, this is the spot.

The seafood was fresh and full of flavor, and everything tasted very well prepared. I highly…read morerecommend trying the agua chile con salsa negro -- it had great flavor and was one of my favorite dishes. The camarones a la diabla and camarones al ajillo were also both delicious, well seasoned, and cooked perfectly. If you enjoy seafood, this is definitely a place worth trying. I would gladly come back again.

Our server Lexi was amazing!! She was so sweet and gave great service! Food was great and loved the…read moreview. Vibe was very welcoming

A true local favorite right on the iconic pier with amazing ocean views and the perfect sunset…read moreatmosphere. Their Sunset Hour specials daily all week are definitely worth checking out. Don't skip the smoked fish appetizer -- absolutely incredible. And whatever the giant chocolate dessert is in the photo... order it. Totally over-the-top and worth every bite. Great food, friendly service, and classic beach-town vibes. Always a great experience

It was our first time visiting this restaurant and overall we had a great experience. The…read morerestaurant was clean, nice, and had a welcoming atmosphere. Service was good throughout the evening, and the drinks menu offered a decent variety -- some options were on the pricier side while others were more reasonable. The food was also very good. Pricing was consistent with what you'd expect from a higher-end steak and seafood restaurant, though the portions were on the smaller side. We definitely needed an appetizer, soup, and entrée to feel full. Overall, we enjoyed our visit and would definitely come back.

I was really looking forward to trying this restaurant, but it was kind of a miss. We went with a…read moreof the party of six to celebrate a birthday. My biggest problem was that the food was inconsistent. The grilled octopus and the Crudo were delicious. My husband said the pork chop was one of the best ones he's ever had. The rest of our entrées were severely underseasoned. Everything from the fish, the filet, the mashed potatoes, and the vegetables needed salt. This was especially disappointing since the place is a bit pricey. We had to ask for salt to properly season our meals. I would definitely try it again to see if it's better.

Had an amazing time with great service and food. Greg was so knowledgeable and patient in…read moreexplaining all our options. The food was fresh. It was super busy when we were here since there was a baseball tournament going on (and we weren't here for that) but they were able to accommodate and help us in a timely fashion. Will definitely come back.

We had checked into the hotel kinda late, so decided just to eat here instead of leaving to find…read moresomething else for dinner. We got seated immediately but it was right next to the hostess stand.. which felt like the lobby of the restaurant. Honestly felt like the reject zone. Especially when the pictures in Yelp of the interior looked so nice and had a great view. We had no view. The server asked if we wanted sparkling or still water, I got sparkling and he got still. Turns out they were $8 each.. had I known that, I prob would have gotten an actual drink. The bread was complimentary and that was great, especially since our toddler loved the sun dried tomato tapenade. He also got the kids Mac and cheese, I got lobster risotto, & husband got the seafood orecchiette. Mac and cheese was just average, risotto was a little salty and a bit undercooked. Seafood orecchiette was tasty but nothing I'd crave again. Overall just an okay experience. When we got the check, noticed a 20% service charge and wasn't that happy about it since we only had 3 people, the food was just alright, and we had to sit in the weird lobby-like area of the restaurant. Would only ever come back for convenience, nothing else.

Love coming here whenever I have a chance. Came with a group and we decided to split the small…read moreplate and three entrees. We came for a birthday and everyone was so kind and wished them a happy birthday. I've been here before and everything I've ever had was delicious. The artichoke and kale dip was perfect. The chips were light and crispy and was the perfect vessel for piling on loads of the dip. Out table inhaled the chips in under five minutes. Out of the baby back ribs, pork chop and rib eye I have to say that the rib eye was so tender, so moist and so flavorful. I might have to order it every time I come back. We were so full we didn't get any dessert but they still have the butter cake on their menu. So I'll definitely have to get it again next time

I've been here many times and I love everything on their menu. I would recommend making a…read morereservation especially on the busy weekends. Restaurant is nice with some booth seating in the back and even some outdoor seating. Parking itself-there's a small lot next to it but it's almost always full so you can do some street parking in the surrounding neighborhoods. When I last came here, we ordered the red pepper hummus to share and I ordered the French dip! It was excellent as per usual and the service was good. One critique I would have though is that one of the people in my party was a vegetarian and had ordered a veggie burger. The people bringing out the food accidentally swapped the plates of someone else in the party who had ordered a chicken blt when placing the dishes in front of each person. Unfortunately the vegetarian did take a bite of the chicken blt before realizing it was not the veggie burger and spit it out. It is what it is and was an honest mistake. But, maybe confirming the dishes before placing it in front of the person would be good. First time it's happened but we hope it doesn't happen again because we love this place!

Our first time trying lobster shack and we already can't wait to go back! The seafood is fresh, and…read morethe sides have unique twists. Highly recommend the slaw with blue cheese and the sweet beans. The lobster rolls are packed with meat and tons of flavor, on a perfect brioche bun. Dan is also a friendly owner who puts a lot of love into his business. Can't wait to try the deviled eggs next!

came here for a quick bite on valentines day. rating would've been ~3 stars, but the service really…read moremessed it up for me and my partner one of the owners (i'm assuming) took our order, but he repeated the same things many times, to the point where i asked for the receipt at the end to make sure everything was correct (and good thing i did, too). they then gave what i'm assuming was our order to another couple, and also served people who arrived after us. i had to get up and hang out by the cashier for them to notice me, and they didn't know whose order was tied to who since they almost gave away our order to someone else again. the cashier man even said "was i the one who took your order?" when he did literally 15 minutes ago. then, when they finally called our name, they gave us a packaged to-go order when we wanted to dine in, and the order was completely wrong. the other owner (i'm assuming his wife), went back and forth to the kitchen 3 more times to either correct our order or bring back things they forgot that we had to remind them to bring. even when we gave her the receipt i kept, the order would still come back wrong. the other parties served had finished eating and left by the time we finally got all of our food the staff was generally nice. they apologized a lot, thanked us for our patience, checked up on us, & offered 1 free coleslaw (~$3.50) and 2 little chocolates. but they didn't offer us any sort of real compensation and after messing up our order 3+ times, and being understanding about it, we were pretty surprised i am strict with lobster rolls since i'm always comparing it to what i've had during my time in boston (impossible to beat), and i thought the food was just alright. boyfriend thought it was pretty dry and not that tasty for $100+, i'd expect much better service and better food