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Bayside Cafe

4.3 (746 reviews)
Closed • 11:00 am - 8:00 pm

Bayside Cafe Photos

BAYSIDE CAFE ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Moderate noise
Outdoor seating
Good for kids

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Recommended Reviews - Bayside Cafe

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Bayside Cafe:  The incredibly yummy California Chowder
Lorri D.

Ahh, what a wonderful place to sit out and enjoy the beautiful Morro Bay weather and scenery! Located at the state park marina near the golf course, campground, and nature walks. Perfect way to end a kayaking excursion or a walk through nature... or just a nice place to dine any day for any reason. Very laid back atmosphere with delicious food and fantastic service! Even dog friendly, which makes me happy. :) One of my favorite dishes is actually one of their specialties! The California Chowder! So perfect! It is a combo of their fantastic clam chowder mixed with their delicious spicy green chili soup. The marriage of flavors is so delicious! I opt for this on just about every visit. The menu is pretty diverse (is that the word I'm looking for?) with friend green tomatoes, crab cakes, brie salad, fish and chips, pasta, Mexican dishes, and sammies and burgers too! Their onion rings are out of this world. Bayside Cafe is one of my favorite dining places while in Morro Bay. We don't head there often because it is not a casual walking distance from the house, but it is worth the little jaunt to get to it. Besides great food and views, they offer beer and wine plus some yum-o desserts! I suggest the Boysenberry Crisp or the Chocolate Oblivion (that berry sauce... mmmm) Prices are reasonable and run you mostly under $20 with a few pops of dishes that are slightly higher. Service is so friendly and attentive. Dishes have typically been served without much of a wait. The only real wait here is to get in.... if you time it just right, you will have a wait as this place is pretty popular. Parking is nearby and can get a bit full since it is right there by the marina. Definitely a place you do not want to skip! Thank you and CHEERS!!

Kenny J.

Ordered: - Clam Chowder - Sourdough Bowl (4/5): No frills delicious bowl of chowder. Pairs great with the sourdough, although it does help to have another dish break up the flavor since it can feel one dimensional after a while. - Fish Lunch - Grilled Swordfish topped with Mango Salsa with fries and California Chowder (3.5/5): Having never tried swordfish I knew I had to try this. The cut of fish was smaller than expected and would have been pretty fishy without the mango salsa and lemon to cut through the flavors. Fries were perfectly done and were crispy without being greasy. The chowder was spicier than expected but I really enjoyed it. Overall I'm glad I tried this dish but it's pretty expensive for what you get and I would still have been hungry without some of my gf's chowder. Overall (4/5): We had just finished kayaking and since Bayside Cafe was conveniently at the same location it was a no brainer. We waited about 15-20 minutes on a Saturday afternoon before getting seated by the window which offered an amazing view of the water. Service was quick and friendly. If we're in the area we'll be sure to return!

We would be regulars if we lived here.

After half the day on the road, we were looking for a quiet, local spot with amazing seafood. The cafe sits between campgrounds and boats docked on the bay. There are no reservations, so walk up, place your name and party number on the list, and you'll be called. The views, peace, and stillness will make time stop, so no need to worry about when your name will be called because it will. Garrett is a delightful human, who welcomed us to part of our state we hadn't visited before. We shared the fish and chips platter, as well as the shrimp and side salad with vinaigrette. (You can sub a salad/slaw for chips on certain dishes.) My husband had a side of clam chowder. Since the desserts were made in house and we were full, we made the sensible decision of taking two to go . Boy, did they hit the spot when we had room in our tummy! This charming place has the ambiance and food, but it also has attentive and friendly folk. It's already on the list of go-back-asap!

Tuna Salad Sandwich
Crystal P.

Bayside Cafe is always one of our favorite stops when visiting Morro Bay. We come to the area several times a year and have eaten here many times, and it never disappoints. The food is consistently delicious, the staff is friendly, and the beautiful marina setting makes it even better. We always look forward to coming back!

Fish & chips
Robert H.

I thought we'd try a different place to eat lunch from our regular go to restaurant. Well the fish and chips were good, however the batter was a little too greasy for our taste. Even the seafood sampler platter was greasy.Next time we'll stay with what we know is good.

Fish and Chips
Leo G.

Bayside Cafe was our lunch choice after having a nice paddle out to the sand dunes with the kayaks we rented (shoutout to A Kayak Shack) and what a great choice that turned out to be. Service was welcoming and friendly, the clam chowder is a must, our drinks stayed filled, and the ambience complimented the calm, cool, friday morning we had earlier on the water. California clam chowder - As described on their menu, it is a mix of their clam chowder and their spicy green chile soup. We absolutely loved this. I appreciate that it was not too salty, something that tends to be for a lot of places that serves clam chowder. There was plenty of clams, as you would expect but I come to find out later on my trip to a fish house in Monterey that this isn't always the case. We will come back to Bayside Cafe just for this. Fish & Chips - This one could have been a lot better. The fries and fish were fried to perfection but would have liked more seasoning since I did not get much from the fish. Drinks: Iced Tea - Sure, Iced tea not sweetened can be the same anywhere else but I don't know what it is but the brew that day was on point. The best part was that our servers made sure we didn't see the bottom. Overall, if they improved upon the flavor on the fish and chips and increased the portion of fries, I think Bayside Cafe would be a solid 5/5. Regardless, their location, clam chowder, and friendly service, is enough for me to return if we go kayaking again!

Large clam chowder
Tia T.

Bayside is a cute little cafe that is tucked away behind the golf course. There is a nice walking trail directly across from the restaurant. It is perfect for walking off your meal! The fish and chips were solid. The batter was crispy and light. The pieces of fish were a little on the smaller side, so I would get the 5 pieces if you're hungry or sharing . The clam chowder was creamy and had a decent amount of clams. The special of the day was pan fried petrole. It was well seasoned and tender. It came with your choice of 2 sides, so it was a pretty hearty meal. Service was good, the workers were very friendly and nice. I would return if I was back in the area.

Clams with Linguine

My parents are camp hosting at Morro Beach State Park Campground so we wandered over here for dinner. A cute establishment right on the water. We didn't have to wait very long for our table of 6 to be seated. We were promptly offered beverages and ordered an appetizer. Crab cakes to start were excellent! A perfect bite before our main entrees. My mom ordered their seafood steamer. Everything was cooked excellently, and was absolutely delicious. My 6 year old daughter got their black bean burrito. I didn't have any of this, but my 1 year old shared it with her and there were no complaints from either. My step father ordered the baja fih tacos. These were absolutely delicious as well! My boyfriend got their fish and chips, zero complaints. Also incredibly tasty. I ordered the clams and linguine noodles. I have to say... These were one of the most delicious preparations of clams I have EVER had. The most flavorful broth. Garlicky, tomato-y, phenomenal. We inhaled every bite and asked for some bread to soak up the goodness at the end. 10 outta 10, reccomend!! Finished dinner with their house made carrot cake, flourless chocolate torte, and their mud pie. Also reccomend all of these, but their flourless chocolate torte was one of the best I've ever had. I wish I could eat this every single day. Lol. Anyway... Do yourself a favor and come here to eat!!! Also, editing to add: our server Garrett was amazing!

Nachos
Julia B.

While I was in town visiting relatives we stopped here for lunch. We ordered a club sandwich to share and I also had a cup of clam chowder. I wish I would have ordered the California chowder as the regular clam chowder had very little flavor and was not anything I would re-order. The club sandwich was typical club sandwich it was large and presented nicely. We sat on the patio to eat and it was a relaxing lunch even though the place was obviously very busy. A week or so later we ordered food to pick up in the late evening. Upon arriving there was another man waiting for his to-go order and there were several employees standing off to the side chatting. We stood there for quite a long time without being acknowledged. The man ahead of us finally stopped a different employee that was on their way to the kitchen and asked if we could get some help. Our food was already bagged and had been waiting and after standing there and waiting to be helped for 15 minutes, by the time we got the food home it was barely warm. Very disappointing! We had ordered nachos and fish and chips and the nachos had sat so long that they were soggy and needed to be eaten with a fork. Fish and chips really had no flavor and again it was so long in getting the order from the counter to us that it was not hot or crispy so super disappointing. All in all I don't think I would choose to come here again but I know my family who lives in town likes to eat here so I may try again on another visit but the two times eating here this visit were pretty disappointing. Nothing really stood out as far as taste and the poor service the second time really made a negative impression.

View from inside corner table
Kellie C.

We were a group of three friends meeting for lunch on a Tuesday. We arrived at 11:30, which on this particular Tuesday was just the right timing to be seated right away (there were still a few tables inside and outside). Every time I come here I feel welcome, and this visit was no exception - no matter how busy they are. We scored a corner table inside with an excellent view of the marina. Super pro and friendly service. I had the large bowl of California Chowder (their excellent clam chowder with a ladle of their green chile soup in the middle), served with oyster crackers, $11.95. I love this dish and almost always order it either as my entree or as a side. Today it wasn't perfectly warm but I was having too nice a time to interrupt my friends' lunch -- I'm sure they would have remedied this quickly, I just didn't ask. One friend got the grilled salmon sandwich ($23), which is a pretty basic presentation but fresh. My other friend had the tri tip salad, which was fresh and had plenty of beef. It's a very lively and lovely spot - a true gem for our Central Coast locals and visitors.

The view from our table
Kristin Q.

What an amazing way to start my husband's birthday trip! Bayside cafe was our first stop and the wait wasn't too long. We were greeted with a smile and were sat by the window overlooking boats. What a gorgeous view! Shortly after, I panicked and spotted a hornet next to me. I informed staff right away and was pretty impressed watching how they handled the situation haha. She got a cup to catch it against the window and used a menu to slowly prop it in with such ease! After that, we settled down and ordered the shrimp and chips as well as the chicken tenders with fries. Our server was so kind and friendly. Food came out in a timely manner and she continued to check up on us throughout our meal. After that, I paid the check and had quietly mentioned happy birthday to my husband. Our server returned and asked if she heard me correctly haha and offered him a birthday mud pie! How sweet and how could we resist? It was so delicious and we had such an amazing time!

Tostada salad

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7 months ago

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Dawn B.

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4 months ago

Ordered the clam chowder and I must say it was delicious Service was great, food was great. Eat here!

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6 months ago

Everything here is delicious. I especially love their ranch and California chowder. Fresh ingredients and everything is homemade.

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2 years ago

So good. Entire family loved this place. Felt nice and cozy on a cold windy day. Everyone was welcoming and helpful from beginning to end.

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Page 2 of 19

Ask the Community - Bayside Cafe

Are they dog friendly?

Yes

We will be in Morro Bay this week. Is the construction finished. Will you be open?

They are open!

Will they be open again. Is the construction done?

We were there last week during the construction. Yes it was loud, but we still enjoyed our meals. From the looks of it, it believe the construction on the road is done or will be done in a few days.

How long will the Bayside be closed? We were so excited to have lunch today and when we arrived we saw closed and they are doing construction.?

Call them or ask the Chamber of Commerce.

Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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4.0(762 reviews)
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3.6(78 reviews)
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