Our family recently visited Catalina for my birthday and as we walked down Crescent Avenue and hit the boardwalk, a very friendly maitre d' at the Avalon Grille offered to help me with a family photo op. Hmmmm, now where to eat dinner? How about this classy restaurant right in front of us with an amazing view and super helpful and friendly staff?! Our server Jimmy was fantastic, very friendly, attentive, professional, and he even took time to answer some of my stupid questions in great detail, cheers Jimmy! My wife and I loved the patio experience, all the food was great, even our five year old daughter ate everything on her plate (shout out to the kid's menu) and she enjoyed Jimmy's extra attention too! The upscale yet casual and comfortable dining experience was a treat. All the folks working at the Avalon Grille were very nice and attentive. I am glad to see "Customer Service" is still alive and well here, I highly recommend Avalon Grille for your next dining experience on the island. read more

The food was good--but let me put it this way: compared to Las Vegas standards? Not really. But for the island, it was decent. What actually made the dining experience feel special wasn't the food itself--it was the way it was presented and served. Our server described everything so beautifully that it made the whole moment more enjoyable. The appetizer was genuinely delicious--flavorful and well-prepared. The drink was excellent, too. As for the steak I ordered--I was almost satisfied, but it didn't quite hit that 100% mark for me. read more

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The ambience was really nice and the service was great. The food was mediocre. I did not care for the popcorn which has some sort of ranch flavoring on it. Maybe it's just me, but I like popcorn to taste like popcorn , not some dressed up version. The sashimi appetizer was bland and the veggie ramen was under seasoned. The dumplings were fried. I thought they would be plain. My husband and son enjoyed the dinner more than I did. read more

Aaron-the bartender-was awesome. Highly recommend him. The food menu, on the other hand, isn't that great. The fries were nothing special and $11 for a side is insane, even on the island. The decor is great and all the staff were super friendly, but better food can be found. read more

Great dinner spot right on the corner by the water! We got a nice patio table with a beautiful view. Food was excellent! Tried the Old Fashioned and Life's a Peach -- Old Fashioned was good but that Life's a Peach is dangerously special! Started with the Burrata Salad and Grilled Octopus -- both were excellent! Enjoyed the Bison Steak Frites (exceptional!) and Filet (pretty good). Highly recommend the Bison Steak Frites. Service was superb from hostess to main server. Would love to go here again someday. read more

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It was Friday night and our last night in Catalina, so we were walking up and down the main street trying to find a place to eat. On a busy weekend night, we were surprised that there was no wait even though the restaurant was busy. The food was standard American food-burgers, sandwiches, appetizers. My husband and daughter both ordered burgers which they fully finished. I ordered the opened face pastrami sandwich which was huge! The meat was really juicy and tender, it fell right apart without much effort. Our server came around and checked on us often, almost way too much at times. It was a good experience overall. read more

Avalon Grille - Opened faced Pastrami sandwich - New American Near Me - Avalon, California

Dinner was OK, apps were much better than main meal. Staff was great. Has someone who likes to cook and bake I was disappointed with their fish as I could tell it had been frozen and was not cooked well. Great location. Unfortunately we won't be back. read more

The food was great I had a full stomach after I have to say this was the best food experience I've ever had ! Our server Dan was really great and he offered another drink to everyone and he was also really nice too! The restaurant felt really cozy and felt very warm! I give it five stars!!!- 9 yr old daughter Honestly no lie here. Everything was great from the moment we walked in. Went to several restaurants and this by far topped them all. We've been here almost a whole week and it's been wonderful! Also, no pictures of food as we were hungry and everything was great and smelled delicious!! Apologies!! read more

Good service, we had a good conversation with our waiter where he told us a little bit about the Catalina and its uniqueness. There are about 4,000 permanent residents on the island. The food and wine were great as well. Great atmosphere and service from our waiter. read more

Avalon Grille - February 2024 prices cabernet sauvignon wine - New American Near Me - Avalon, California

Very nicely remodeled restaurant. Incredible wine cellar.. nice menu somewhat limited but good choices. Very good service. read more

Avalon Grille - Brussels sprouts appetizer - New American Near Me - Avalon, California

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We came here during my birthday celebration weekend in Catalina Island, my husband, myself and our 3 kids. I thoroughly enjoyed the food and the service was impeccable. read more

4-1/2 stars for the beautiful restaurant interior-- has a swanky, old-timey feel of the 1920's! Came here for our last dinner in town. Service was attentive and courteous, and we sat by the window for views of the water and people-watching. The complementary popcorn was a nice touch. The scallops I got were buttery and delicious, and the sides (broccolini and roasted potatoes) were lovely. Paired that with a glass of Riesling, and it was solid! Price was steep, but a nice, fancy way to end our stay in Catalina. read more

Avalon Grille - Scallops with Riesling for dinner - New American Near Me - Avalon, California

Nothing better than dinner at the bar. Please order the signature popcorn and ahi as an appetizer! Just wow!

Food 4/5 Service 5/5 Ambiance 4.5/5 As far as fine dining goes in Avalon, there are not a ton of options. In my opinion, Avalon Grille is the best all around pick. A corner location right along the waterfront, dim lighting around an intimate wrap-around bar, and cozy corner booth options are a few reasons why AG feels among the nicest restaurants in the town. They serve complimentary popcorn before your meal. It was freshly popped and well seasoned (this ain't your movie theater style buttered popcorn...). There were also decent options for pescatarians and vegetarians. I had the fig and burrata salad which was large enough for an entree and included a generous amount of figs and persimmons. There was a small mixup with my Brussels sprouts which I had requested without the pork belly; however, it was quickly fixed and we were generously comp'd a discount on the meal. My boyfriend enjoyed the filet mignon which was cooked perfectly to a medium rare. For dessert we got the peach tartlet which was lacking in the filling but had a well baked pie crust. What sets this restaurant apart from the other "island vibe" restaurants is the service. Our server, Jimmy (James M), was super helpful, respectful of our space and time, and engaged in just the right amount of small talk IMO. We've tried most of the restaurants on the island at this point, and I can safely that while other servers are very friendly, the "island vibe" mentality sometimes translates to slower service and a laidback attitude when it comes to getting the check promptly or forgetting something we ordered. All of the other wait staff that brought out our dishes were professional and knowledgeable, and our dishes were always cleared promptly. This is definitely the restaurant I'd pick for a "nice" dinner in Avalon. read more

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The wait for the food was freaking crazy like almost one hours and still don't have it I'm starving I wanna eat plz and the table was sticky water taste bad it taste like Clorox read more

Avalon Grille - No food - New American Near Me - Avalon, California

One of the few places open until 9pm during the week. Patio is cozy and warm. Service was incredible. We only came for drinks but the free bowl of popcorn was a delicious touch. Can't wait to try the food next time! read more

The happy hour items are super tasty! Sergei is an extremely efficient and friendly bartender. Another plus is that they serve free tap water, while most places in Avalon only serve paid bottled water. We liked it so much we went there 3 times in our 2 day trip! read more

The service was exceptional and the food was delicious! We really enjoyed the tasty gourmet popcorn they served before the meal. Our entrees were prepared perfectly and the three of us ate every last bite! read more

I am so glad I chose this restaurant. My boyfriend and I had our weekend trip to Catalina for our anniversary. I was so so so stuck on where to eat for our anniversary dinner. I kept going back and forth. For some reason I was drawn to here. First off, Compliments to the free habanero popcorn. It was honestly so fresh and delicious. Server was so nice and kept refilling it! I got the steak and frites, Brussels spouts and the ahi poke as appetizers! Steak was cook to perfection. Medium rare. Some places don't get medium rare right but they definitely did! Food is phenomenal. I definitely want to take my family to this restaurant. Brussels sprouts is also my favorite. It was savory salty and crispy. Just the way I like it. Definitely enjoyed the atmosphere and how romantic it is. It was a wonderful experience. I definitely wish to go here again when I get the chance!! read more

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Staff: Very impressive service here, though all we did was get dessert to go. We were helped by Anna who was so sweet. Another woman asked if we were being helped. Great job! Quality/Quantity: Really tasty dessert. The chocolate mousse is sweet, the lower cake is moist, and the addition of fruit greatly enhanced the flavor. Value: Free as our hotel gives a credit at various restaurants. I want to say it was $14. Overall: Seems like a really nice place. Nice relaxing ambience and some really comfy looking outdoor seating. read more

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Was recommended to come here for dinner (only open for 3 hours from 5pm to 8pm) by a local and it was a hit! The atmosphere was lively and everyone is friendly. Hubby and I started off with our drinks... dragonberry mojito for me and an old fashion with cherry bitter and crispy bacon garnish for him. We ordered the grilled octopus which was slow cooked and finished on the grill for a crisp. I normally don't like the overly chewy texture of octopus, but this one was excellent with lots of flavors from the aioli and pickled onions with a light spicy kick. My husband got the pork porterhouse with sides of fall veggies succotash and truffle mash. OMG this was cooked to perfection! Pork was juicy and moist with lots of flavor, especially with the apple compote AND not overly salty. I got the short rib pappardelle pasta and that was full of flavor. Short ribs were tender and melt in your mouth and the pasta was fresh and not your typical dried and then cooked. Rich, flavorful and delicious! Kiddo got miso soy crispy pork belly ramen, which was the Wednesday special. Perfect for this chilly evening weather and rich in umami flavor. Dessert was lemon and coconut sorbet with berries and bread pudding. Put us over into a food coma, but an excellent way to end the night! James the GM was awesome and came checked on us throughout our meal. Sarah our server made some delicious recommendations and Muhammad was cheery and helpful. Everyone there was friendly and nice. Definitely a place to come to for a romantic meal or a gathering with family and friends. read more

We've been to a lot of great restaurants on the island but never had the premium service received tonight while dinning at Avalon grille. Jimmy was on point along with all the other staff. Food 10/10 read more

The first time I came here I was a little nonplussed. The second time I was in love. Service took really good care of us, it was warm and cozy when I was chilled to the bone, staff was conscientious, friendly and attentive and the food was quite good. Vibe great. We had the burrata and fig salad which was very tasty (but they cheated as they stuck tomatoes in there, uck, with figs and persimmons!) The salmon on mash with succotash. Succotash great, salmon perfectly cooked - mash had the truffle oil which was okay but not actual truffle oil, 'twas flavored truffle oil (if you know, you know). I had scallops and they were really delicious. Tomato soup with crostini- just okay. Lava cake - once heated was pretty good. The food is good, but the service was great, I will be happy to come back and would love to host a group here sometime. read more

The host was rude and pretentious. Just avoid this place if you're here to enjoy yourself.

3 of us went to Avalon Grille due to staying at the Hotel Atwater and having a $20 credit to the restaurant. We weren't sure if we wanted drinks or dinner too. We're told that drinks were at the bar and dinner at the tables. We opted for the table for dinner. We ordered a bottle of the Rusack wine and it was a 2019 vintage that was super yummy. We got the Brussels sprouts app and thay was amazing - 10/10 recommend. Friend got the lamb meatloaf and said it was amazing, that the tzaziki sauce worked perfectly, though unexpected. My husband and I split the hook of the day (pacific northwest wild caught salmon) with braised pork belly and truffle mashed potatoes. Went to cut the first salmon and it was well cooked on the outside and it was raw on the inside. They did take it back to cook a new one, which was just fine though a bit overcooked this time. The overall atmosphere is high class, and they welcomed us in our less-than-classy outfits. Service was average on the attentive scale for the quality of restaurant. While it was a delightful restaurant, for the prices charged I found it average versus above and beyond. The raw salmon was unacceptable to me as well. It is in easy walking distance to any hotel around town. read more

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The food and service were Wonderful ! Best restaurant in town ! Enjoyed my conversation with Stephon ! Great Experience !

The staff is so friendly! They also have amazing drinks and their steak is the best on the island! This is a must try spot when you're in the area. read more

Horrible restaurant/bar compared to the other ones around these people discriminate you for your color and harass you. I'm a part-time streamer on twitch.tv and I was on live stream talking and they literally kicked me out just cause I was talking to my live. Keep in mind I wasn't bothering anybody. I wasn't breaking the law and I was the only color guy in there. Some weird dude came up to me when I was minding my own business he started talking to me. I wasn't paying attention. Then the second time he said he was a general manager and I gotta go. I wasn't disrespecting anyone in there. I wasn't bothering anybody in there and their heads. They probably will say that, but I literally have it on livestream of me literally not bothering anyone in there and being good. Never coming back here again if I ever come back to Catalina Island. read more

What a find .......... and Avalon Grille is up front and center on Crescent Ave (the boardwalk along the harbor). It has won many awards in the past few years from Taste Around Avalon, and deservedly so. Its overall style is California coastal cuisine, and the vibe is the upscale version. The physical center piece is its large bar and bar seating - although we really enjoyed the inside window table overlooking the boardwalk. They, similar to most island restaurants, don't take reservations So we gave our name and cell number to the hostess for the next available table along the boardwalk. She was incredibly diligent in reaching out to me - good job! We started with drinks. One of their signature drinks either wasn't prepared as has been shown or was delivered incorrectly. Additionally, my Old Fashion was one of the sweetest I've ever had - FYI. Our service was slow and a bit disjointed. The food was quite good. We started with the Small Bites, AG Grilled Octopus. The octopus was slow cooked and grilled. The charring, that you can see in my pic, added a great texture component to the succulent white meat. Normally the veggies are an after-thought on most dishes, but this isn't your normal fare. There seemed to be 3 types of white beans, but not boring white beans. The beans had good texture and flavor, in and of, themselves. This was enhanced by the tartness of the pickled pearl onions, the richness of the roasted eggplant puree and the kick of the aioli. Our main dish was the Huli Marinated Chicken with Huli Huli sauce. Huli means to turn or reverse. In Hawaii, the grill or grilled chicken is turned or rotated several times during the cooking process. As you can see in my pic, our half chicken has been nicely grilled. The outside was nice and crunchy and the inside was still moist and juicy. The marinade still shined through and made it into the meat. Our 2 choices of sides were: caramelized carrots and summer succotash. Both sets of veggies were cooked just right and had the sweet flavor of fresh, young veggies. We'll be back. read more

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Fabulous dinner last night! Jimmy was our waiter and provided excellent service! The food was outstanding and we had a fabulous table as well! read more

Never tried Bison before and it was such a treat! Everything on the menu was so good including the Short Rib Papardelle, Fig & Burrata Salad, and the Tomato Soup. Definitely will be coming back as soon as I'm on Catalina again! read more

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I was glad that I decided to stop by and had dinner at Avalon Grille. It was a nice classic environment inside. I ordered: LOBSTER CROSTINI / $19 Fresh Lobster Meat Poached in an Aromatic Broth, served on Toasted Country Bread, Squid Ink Aioli, Pickled Peppers and Heirloom Beet Slaw Lobster Crostini was a light flavor small bites, the pickled peppers and heirloom beet slaw were not pickled enough maybe. I did not taste any pickled flavor. I love that there were good amount of lobster meats. STEAK FRITES / $39 Truffled Crispy Potato Nest Topped with Chef's Spiced Blend Manger Steak and a Tomato Chimichurri Sauce Steak Frites was delicious and tasty. However, the Truffled Crispy Potato Nest was good, but was kinda messy to tried to put in my mouth. Prepare for the oily mouth and hand if you decide to try it. Beside crush them and use a folk/spoon; not sure if there's any other way of eating those without a bunch of oil all over mouth/face and hand haha.... I was surprised when one of the staffs placed a complimentary popcorn on the table. It was savory seasoned flavor popcorn.....So addictively good. Overall, I did enjoyed dining at this place. The ambience was really nice & the staff are friendly and attentive. Was glad those two dishes I ordered turn out to be delicious and satisfied. read more

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I ordered a halibut entree that was superb as it is locally caught fish. For dessert, I had the raspberry tart and it was delicious. The service was great and I would highly recommend this restaurant as it has great food and service. You can't go wrong dining at this restaurant as it is the best one in Avalon in my opinion. read more

I was looking for places to eat at for dinner. I was recommended to Steve's Steak house. I happen to come across the Avalon Grill, I spoke with the hostages and she was very kind and friendly kudos. We decided to sit at the bar for dinner since we enjoy interacting with the bar tenders. Mary was our bartender and she was amazing. Went down the list of specialty drinks and recommended the expreso martini. I explained I'm more on the tequila side and she made it with a fantastic. Over all she is an amazing bartender and I will definitely be back next time I come visit the island. read more

BEST FOOD IN CATALINA!! By far. How is this place not packed around the block is beyond me. The pasta obviously hand made was insane. Lobster Mac and cheese soooooooo good. Buffalo steak Fritas will melt your face Service was over the top. Rushton is maybe the best server I've ever experienced. Thank you thank you . read more

Avalon Grille - New American Near Me - Avalon, California

So I came to the restaurant for my birthday solo trip. It started out good. Got good customer service and appetizers and a beautiful drink. Then shortly after I received my meal. I forked the chicken and started to slice pieces to eat. After a short while I noticed it was a little pink and was alarmed!! I sliced more and more and discovered I was served raw chicken and was seared on the outside. I immediately called over the waiter and asked for the manager! Mind you again I was celebrating my birthday. They came over and apologized and asked can they do anything and then slide me the check!! I was so frighten regarding the raw chicken I need to get out back to my room where my emergency kit was. I stupidly paid for my meal which SHOULD HAVE BEEN ON THE HOUSE!!! I was so sick that night and the next I had to get to urgent care to make sure I was ok. Please check your food at this place. I also took pics for proof. read more

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The food is bland & small portions. The service wasn't the best either but the view was great. read more

The Host definitely knows customer service- he settled us comfortably while we waited for a table for 6. The ambiance is classy and warm, and there's a satisfying variety of drinks, including mocktails. Once seated, the waiter was friendly, knowledgeable and efficient. We had delicious appetizers and entrees as well as dessert. Overall it was a positive and memorable experience! read more

Our host was Rushton, and he was amazing. We sat down just to order drinks, but wound up getting the fried green beans and per Rushton we had to try the grilled corn ribs. They start you with paprika popcorn - delish! The green beans come with a garlic aoli and a spicy Mayo sauce. They were both great. My favorite was the garlic aoli. The grilled corn ribs were amazing! So fresh and juicy. We had some drinks and they were great the popping boba really was amazing in the beach colada and the wandering bison was a twist on a mule, both were spectacular drinks. Rushton was such a great server. Very attentive and was cool answering any questions that we had. One of the two best services we received on the island. Thank you Rushton! read more

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Great location, nice decor, attentive service, and the food was okay. Like most restaurants on Catalina, they do not take reservations. And when we tried to go there another evening at 9:30 for a cocktail and the manager told us they were closed. read more