This place is really special, from its history, to its location, to the people who run the place. We traveled to Seal Beach with going to Walt's Wharf as part of our plan. It's on Main Street and has a warm, wooded interior. We noticed the wonderful smell of a wood fire burning in the kitchen where they cook the fish. The main focal point is the large mural on the wall showing Walt and his dogs on the Monterey Pier. The staff was warm and kind. We ordered clams and bread. The clams were incredible. What I notice right away was how large the clams were! Our other dishes were Mahi Mahi Sandwich and pasta. The food was incredible. Grilled over a wood fire. Flavorful and tasty. We were given a complimentary dessert. The entire experience was magical. read more

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Awesome place and amazing food. Found by chance and for sure will go bak again and again. Awesome food and service. Great ambience.

Wife and I went for lunch on our anniversary, arriving shorty after opening. Walt's had been closed for a while - apparently a fire. Wife just happened to see that they were reopened. Seal Beach Main Street was hoppin' on a Monday morning, every spot taken. We parked off Main and walked one block to Walt's. 2 hours (free) on surrounding streets (but be careful to read the signs where you park...terms vary the further you get from Main). The place is much the same as before the closure, with a beach town casual vibe that has a bit of sophistication. Seems like it'd be great for a beach day nosh, a romantic encounter, a celebration like ours, or, as with the folks one table over from us clearly articulating real estate machinations, a business lunch. Very friendly staff from front of house through to bus folks. The music is present, but not overwhelmingly loud. Tiffany was our server, and again, very friendly and welcoming. If there's one problem with Walt's, it's that everything on the menu sounds tempting. We started with Walt's very decent clam chowder. Not briny like some diffident efforts (you probably still have nightmares about some bad chowder you had once, too!), but savory with a touch of that unique umami that the clams add. Wife opted for the fish and chips, I went with the Creole shrimp and grits. I thought the shrimp were fantastic, plump and juicy, the grits OK, and the garnish elements on the plate, like bell peppers, were delicious and very complimentary to the meal. This definitely has a Creole flavor quality, but it's not particularly spicy (Walt's offers the blandard troika of SO Cal hot sauces, Tabasco, Cholula, and Tapatío). Wife loved her fish'n'chips, and we both enjoyed bites of each other's plates. It was a very pleasant lunch and, with extras, a beer and a soda, we came in for under $100 for two diners before tip. Can't beat that for a seafood place a block from a pretty beach in a quaint and homey town. read more

First time at Walt's Wharf and had an amazing experience! Wonderful and attentive staff and the food was soooo good!!!

I really wanted to give this new restaurant 5 stars considering I am a local. But, I just can't. Let's start with the positives. Cute beach/upscale vibes with an extremely friendly staff. No complaints there. Service was great. Lots of window seats and a nice bar. Very nicely redone. It's giving Saint and second vibes. Now the food. We started with the mango, crab and avocado stack. Crab seemed fresh, portion was small, nice flavors but the mangoes were hard and crunchy and not even ripe. Big mistake there. Fruit should be the easiest part of the dish. Not impressed. Then came the cioppino which was delicious! So was the bread, again a small portion but delicious flavors. This definitely was the smallest cioppino I've ever seen. The Caprese salad looked like it was made with dollar store tomatoes. I still ate it but the presentation wasn't great. And mozzarella was decent. Not the best. It should have been $12 not $16. This is seal beach, not LA. The clam appetizer was $29. I was expecting a lot of clams for that price, but I felt like there was less than 12 small clams. For these prices I was expecting more. The fresh bread was fantastic. We didn't have cocktails. I would go back and try something different in hopes they improve. It just opened a few days ago so I'm going a little easy on my fellow Seal Beachers. With all that being said -for the price and quality I could only give it 3 stars. read more

I live just across the alley, and after putting up with a lot of noise, and being in anticipation of all the improvements, we were excited to come to Walt's once again. I really want to give them a five star but I just can't. First, the good news: the new decor is top notch. Our server, Tawny, is the reason that the review is as high as it is. She is a perfect fit for an upscale restaurant. Also, the food concepts were amazing, but fell short in the execution. For example, the lobster bisque was super salty. I asked my dining companions for their unsolicited opinion, and we all came to the same conclusion independently. Next, came the appetizer. It was a tower with avocado, crab, topped with mango. It would have been great if the avocado and the mango were ripe, but they were unripe and not ready to be served. My fish dish was supposed to have a chutney sauce which was omitted. My dining companions were equally uninspired with their choices, with the exception of the clam chowder, which was up to Walt's high standards. All this being said, in fairness, it was only their second week of being open. I am sorry to leave such a negative review. Most of the time I leave reviews it's because I've had such a positive experience. (Like at Finbars last week-wow!) I'm guessing it was because it was a Monday and Walt's did not have their A-Team in the kitchen. I will continue to cheer for the success of our Seal Beach iconic restaurant. We will give them a few months to get it together and then we will come back, ready to dish out 5 stars! read more

This place is on main st. Looks like your typical outdoor Sunday restaurant. But I have to say, the ambiance and food was outstanding!! Good Seafood with a slight touch of fancy. Good place for seafood. $$ Parking is a little difficult you either have to park a block or 2. Main St is usually busy by noon time. read more

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the restaurant is very crowded and with good reason the fish and meat are cooked on an open wood fire we ate there several times while in Seal Beach every meal was excellent not to mention there artichoke appetizers one of the best restaurant we've eaten at read more

The worst service I ever had sat at the bar table not one person asked if we needed anything or even asked if we wanted anything not bread or another drink can't believe how this place has become so horrible read more

Superb, sumptuous, outstanding, the superlatives could go on. First time back since the fire and it was just wonderful..

Food was good. Service wasn't great. The waitress was short from the very beginning. We did bring 3 kiddos with us who are very used to eating out. All three ordered normal meals because they don't offer a child menu anymore. Which is totally fine and they used to doing so. It clearly irritated her that we brought kids to the restaurant. My husband and I have been going to Walt's since we were kids ourselves. We ordered 3 appetizers, 3 fulls meals, 2 soup cups, and 3 desserts. My husband and I had ordered 4 margaritas. When we ordered our 5th for our dessert before we walked home, we were told they don't serve anymore after 4 drinks per person. This must be a new policy as we'd never encountered this problem Prior. We went for a celebratory holiday lunch and walked home. We are LOCALS!!! The place had several tables empty... I hope they realize their locals are a huge part of return business and the attitude changes regarding children and drinks. The remodel looks wonderful but we will not be back. read more

Just a quick update. I went again just to be sure I wasn't overshooting my analysis. When we arrived it took 12 minutes for the front desk/hostess(es) to make an appearance. You can see over a short divider opposite the desk and at least six tables were empty. Two women came to the desk and exchanged glances, giving each other some silent permission... then told the woman ahead of us in line there would be a 20-30 minute wait, as there were no available tables. This may have been true due to the potential of staff shortages. So when we checked in not only did the two women seem disinterested, they came across as purposefully slow and disengaged. You know how restaurant staff might smile, welcome you in and tell you pleasantly about whatever potential wait? Not here. They are mildly disgruntled that someone is asking to check in. We noticed this with the table server last time, but shrugged it off. This time the attitude was undeniable. But we hoped it might improve after we got seated (not sure why we were in such denial). As we made our way deeper inside the restaurant, we started smelling two things: burning of food and strong bathroom odors. We sat (again waiting for a server to "decide" to help) for another ten minutes when we just gave up. Not sure we're down for all the apathy and unpleasantness. read more

I had an amazing experience!! Joey was my server and she was very attentive and had such a great personality! I will definitely be coming back to see her! read more

What went well??? LISA, our server, was absolute gem!! The food here is always amazing but she made our experience even better!

This was a friends recommendation of going for seafood. I am seafood lover so I can't pass this up. This place is in downtown Seal beach so be prepared to look for parking. Inside is very inviting like a seafood place. We were greeted friendly by the hostess and were seated right away. Because this place is by the beach, there is even a sign of "shirt and shoes are required" before entering the place. Menu has two sides: one is dinner menu and it's huge of ranging from appetizers, burgers, pasta, salads and fishes. Other side are the drinks For first timers, it feels like this place is like the Watergrill of South Coast Plaza. We had to look at the Yelp photos to see what is worth it. We order the house smoked fish platter and the coconut shrimp. Coconut shrimp is not jumbo but it is very coconutty. Fish platter is very disappointing because the salmon and albacore tastes like can fish. For the main dish: I order the San Fran cappiano and my friend got the halibut. San Fran cappiano gives a healthy portion of favorite catches with a good seafood soup. The halibut is very good and it's highly recommend by my friend. For desert, I got the cookies and cream and my friend got the mud pie. I only got cookies and cream because it is their version of pazookie. Because there is no picture, I had to see for myself. Yep. It is much smaller than BJ's Pazookie but oh well. Mud pie is huge. Overall, I highly recommend this place over the watergrill of south coast plaza because it is affordable. Service is friendly and attentive. read more

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First time back after remodeling. The hostess was not too friendly. She needs to smile. I didn't get her name but had blonde hair. We waited 20 minutes until the waitress took our drink orders. I had to ask for someone to take our orders. It could've been a longer wait. Ugh. We ordered the fried calamari and the Rainbow Trout . The food was amazing and of course the sour dough bread. It was the best! I strongly believe they need to improve the front desk and service. We went around 4:00pm before the heavy crowd for dinner, no excuses. :-( read more

Superb experience. McKayla and Savannah took excellent care of our 4-top. We arrived just in time for happy hour (runs 'til 5pm) and I r joyed the fried fish tacos and a rye manhattan with grilled artichokes as a side dish. Everything was prepared exquisitely and I really recommend dining in the bar area downstairs as the view of Main St can't be beat. My friends had similar positive reviews about the macadamia nut crusted halibut and Cajun catfish. Very relaxed and approachable cuisine that captures the neighborhood locals-spot perfectly. read more

I've been back multiple times since they've reopened and have enjoyed myself more and more every time. Admittedly the first time the food was not great. Since then I've had better luck. The staff has been extremely gracious and friendly. I've read other reviews stating things that just don't add up, by the way. For example, there hasn't been self seating in the bar for many years--even prior to Covid, so people that call themselves "regulars" and complaining about seating issues in the bar are not telling the whole truth. I think people need to remember to check with staff first before you sit anywhere (obviously)unless you're sitting by yourself at the bar! I will definitely be back soon! It's always a fun experience. read more

Came here for my birthday and I should have noticed it was gonna be bad when we were told we would be seated immediately, then that turned 15 minute wait for an open table. Then our server took another 15 minutes to take our order, by this time we had two tables sat after us who she always took orders for. By the time she took our order the people sat after us got their food. It was not busy so I'm not sure why we were ignored. We got our food and sadly the grilled fish has no flavor. The clam chowder and fish and chips were really good and if you go I recommend you try. Lastly to mention our waitress never checked up on us or anything during our time, the bussers and kitchen food runners were the only staff who assisted us. I'm sure this was a fluke experience but the poor service and lack of flavor was to beyond disappointing. I don't feel like I need to give them a second chance especially since this isn't a cheap restaurant. read more

It's not open right now. They had a fire and it's under repair. Once it's back open you should try

Excellent service the food was delicious and well seasoned ambience was great lots of windows so you can watch people walk by. I ordered a shrimp linguine off the menu, which was the best I've had since I moved to California from New Orleans I would highly recommend walt 's wharf for a good meal when you're visiting old town seal beach. read more

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Food, atmosphere and service all spot on. Love the new design. So glad they reopened. They are a big part of the community. And of course they have a big selection of Babcock wines! read more

Wow I'm so happy I stumbled into this place after a perfect beach day. If you're craving seafood, then this place will hit the spot! I was so surprised at how delicious every dish is - it exceeded my expectations and more! The fresh ceviche is so good, the fish and chips were perfectly crisp and the meat falls off so tenderly, and the clam linguini had the perfect texture and amazing light flavors. The best part of the meal was the clam chowder - it must be the most delicious, savory and authentic chowder I've had in California yet. I can't wait to come back again! read more

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Came here for dinner after renovations the food was sub par the fish was mushy and fishy I had a stomach ache after dinner. The chowder was like gravy. It was one of the worst meals I have had at a restaurant and there is only two restroom for the whole places including the staff so there was long wait times would not recommend eating here read more

My husband & I have been going to Walt's Warf for 50 years. We are looking forward to the reopening They always have had the best fresh seafood They invented Grilled artichokes Excellent wine selection Great happy hapest hours S.Carr read more

First time back since Walt's reopened. What a disappointment! Had family in from out of town who have fond memories of years of going to Walt's. They don't take reservations so we made sure to arrive early - 4:15 pm. We were a party of six and were told by the extremely rude hostess that it would be one hour to one and 1/2 hours. No greeting, no smile. Just attitude from the two people at the front desk. Hoping this was a one-off, we decided to wait. At the one hour mark, I checked back in and was told that the party at THE large table was still there and may have dessert. At the hour and a half mark, I asked again and was told they may "put a couple of tables together for us in the front." Sounded like a reasonable plan. Then we watched while they seated those tables and also seated a party of five. No manager to be found and the front desk had no idea of how to manage seating. Then some guy walked by us and said "if you're the party of six, they're getting a table ready." And he walked away. No idea who this guy was. Later we saw him in the restaurant, I'm guessing he was the manager? Food was good, but timing was way off - appetizer arrived, two dinner salads arrived and then the meals - all at about the same time. Had we not had family visiting from out of town and looking forward to going to Walt's, we would have left. DON'T GO - this isn't the Walt's Wharf we all remember... read more

We visited on 12/7/25 for the first time to celebrate a birthday with a group of eight. The food was delicious, and our server, Karlie, was amazing, warm, attentive, and truly made the evening feel special. Unfortunately, the night ended on a negative note. As we were wrapping up, Stephanie, the manager, approached the birthday celebrant and said, "Excuse me, I know you guys have been here for two hours, but I have a guy in the front who is really mad and yelling. Can you guys leave? Sorry." We had already paid the bill and were simply waiting for a couple of our group members who were using the restroom. And to be clear, we had not been there for two hours. The way the situation was handled felt unnecessarily rude and completely shifted the tone of what had been a fun celebration. We left feeling uncomfortable and rushed, which was really disappointing after such great food and service from Karlie. I truly hope management considers approaching situations like this with more professionalism and tact in the future. My one-star rating reflects only the manager's conduct. The food and service were excellent. read more

I visited this restaurant a whilex back when I visited Seal Beach. The food and service are excellent. I ordered the clams pasta and I really enjoyed it. The clams were fresh, and the sauce was extremely buttery and flavorful. The menu had plenty of choices on it, which is nice too. The steamed clams appetizer is also good. The only con is that the decor inside is outdated. read more

Walt's Wharf - Pastas - Seafood Near Me - Seal Beach, California

We've loved Walt's for years. We were excited it was open again and to try it again after missing it for so long. We sure miss the old rustic style and food. Tonight was good but way too pricey for us to come back again. Still love the grilled artichoke and steamed mussels but not worth the price. The wine poor was sad. What the heck. Looked like a half drank glass of wine for $15. Decor was beautiful and service was good. Not sure I would come back for the price and portion size. read more

service was good . food was not great . scallops raw / translucent, mashed potatoes were dry no flavor . literally worst meal I have eaten.

I hadn't been back since Walt's reopened. The food is still awesom. The service was not. The bartender had to bring a menu saying she wasn't my server but she offered a drink. Which was good. The actual server- the ticket say Joey C, barely paused to ask 'do I know what I want' no hello, and she had a pile of dirty plates as she talked to me. The ice tea came out warm and I had to ask for more ice, but instead of taking it back she just brought a glass of ice for me to pour a full, now watery iced tea into. When she bright the box, she dropped a check- no offer of dessert. When I asked for a manage, her response was oh so sorry. I am the hospitality industry- I often dine out. Potentially she was in the weeds- but a tiny bit of personality and sorry for your wait goes a long way. read more

Went out with some coworkers as we were in town for a seminar. Food was amazing. Everyone cleared their plates. The service was also great and our waitress handled our request for separate checks and separate tabs for drinks without any fuss. Didn't feel rushed at anytime by the staff. I had the baked snapper with asparagus and mashed potatoes and it was delicious. The restaurant was very comfy, no loud music so we were easily able to talk amongst our table of 6. I only snagged a photo of my meal but everything was so delicious looking and the chef took care to plate everything intentionally not just thrown on the plate. read more

Walt's Wharf - Baked snapper - Seafood Near Me - Seal Beach, California

First time trying Walt's Wharf and I must say it lived up to the hype! The place was busy, but we were able to be seated within 10 minutes and the hosts and servers were very friendly and caring. We started with some warm sourdough bread which you can request for free and dunked it in our clam chowder. The chowder was so rich in flavor and had us guessing with each bite as to what it was that was making it so delicious (we think maybe white pepper??). The Babcock salad was a great option as well very fresh and light with nice big chunks of avocado to pair with the salad perfectly. The half dozen oysters were fresh as can be and very meaty, really getting your moneys worth there. Finally the cioppino was excellent and very hearty, I personally wish there was less fish in it and more shrimp, clams, and scallops, but still it was great nonetheless. The prices were a bit on the expensive side, but I think the location being right near the beach and also its reputation could be a factor there. For everything pictured we paid about $107. I would love to come back and try the lobster, or the shrimp linguini. read more

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Something was really wrong with the food I ate. Both me and my wife have been sitting on the toilet for the past hour after eating here. We ordered the pasta pescatore and I immediately knew something was wrong with this pasta after eating a piece of the fish. When you are the fish, the first few seconds tasted like nothing but then this bitterness and almost spicy tingly sensation would hit your tongue. Maybe like creosote, but something was really wrong. I didn't want to make a big deal so I didn't tell our waitress but in hindsight I should have. As soon as my kids tried it they spit it out saying something was wrong with the fish. The clam chowder was different but nice. Bread was soft and fresh. If I hadn't been sitting in the porcelain thrown for the past hour then maybe 3 stars. Not fresh. read more

So glad Walt's is open again. Love their classic oak grilled artichoke appetizer and grilled salmon entree. Babcock wines are the best. Professional servers and bartenders. Comfortable ambiance. Highly recommend. read more

We actually found this place on Yelp. It did not disappoint for sure! Be prepared to enjoy it all. And the sourdough bread was some of the best I've had! I even asked if it were house made so I could buy a starter if so read more

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Hello, came today to celebrate our 49th anniversary. Told the receptionist and was told they don't provide a celebration desert, just a candle. My wife ordered the lobster and it didn't taste like expected. She asked me to taste it and I tipped into the butter, it had the texture of lobster but no flavor. She was bummed, me too! I remember lobster having a sweet flavor. Not sure if we'll be back. read more

This is my second time here in the past 4 years, and I'm banging my head against the wall, wondering why! First off, we got seated instantly even though the place was slammed with people. Our waitress was awesome, very friendly and attentive. The ambiance was good. We were sat in the corner by the kitchen, so it was loud, but that's only because everyone was hustling, pumping out the food. And the food was perfect, although I do wish the salad would have come out first instead of everything all at once. We ordered oysters in the half shell, a Cesar's salad, which could feed 4 people, crab cakes which had an amazing sauce. Oh, and a bottle of wine. It was my wife's first time and she loved it, in fact we both did. We couldn't have asked for a better meal or night. Everything was perfect, and we look forward to our next visit. read more

Walt's Wharf - Yum, crab cakes, oysters, and Ceasars salad. - Seafood Near Me - Seal Beach, California

Came mid day on a Friday and was able to get seated right away, place was filled but not overcrowded. Staff/service was on point even when we asked for last minute changes. At the end of the day, it all comes down to the food and it was delicious. Had the salmon tacos with mango salsa. read more

Walt's Wharf - Alaskan tacos w/ Mango salsa - Seafood Near Me - Seal Beach, California

Been a few years since we were in Seal Beach, just happened to be in the area at lunch time, and decided to give Walt's Wharf a try, no wait for a table makes it even better, decide to give the clam chowder, oysters and fish and chips a try. Clam chowder was very good, packed with clams, bowl is enough for two to share, six oysters were next, nice and fresh, finally fish and chips with coleslaw, chips were nice and crispy fish was perfectly done with a perfect amount of batter. Food was reasonably priced for the area and quality, $50 including tax for the wife and I. Our server Fallon was on top of everything, everything came quickly, was hot and flavorful. Fallon, was attentive and checked on us after each course arrived to make sure it was satisfactory. Food is above average, service was exceptional, highly recommended. read more

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