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    The Bywater

    3.8 (808 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 9:00 pm

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    THE BYWATER ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - The Bywater

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    Manny G.

    Solid all around. The service was exceptional. The food was delicious. Fried chicken was on point. Shrimp po boy was dressed perfectly. The greens are something to try. The grits were meh. The front of the house could have been a bit more inviting. Great spot for brunch.

    House Old Fashion.
    James L.

    Bywater is an amazing by restaurant from the atmosphere, food and beverages. We ate the hush puppies, gumbo, the shrimp and the oyster Po Boys and the smoked game hen which was beyond amazing. Service sucked! I believe her name was Shawnda or something like that. She acted as if we were a burden from the moment she greeted us. For a dining establishment such as this I would expect more. My 5 stars are for the restaurant and the food.

    Alyssa R.

    Since we were in the area we decided to try this place for their brunch. Their selection was a little small to choose from and prices were a bit high for their portions. I had the breakfast plate with brisket and got a side of gravy. It was good and the brisket was tender but nothing too special, although the gravy was a bit salty for me. My husband had their smoked meat po boy with andouille sausage. We liked their bbq sauces though. We sat at their outdoor patio under a heater which was nice since we had our dog. So they're pet friendly! It was just odd to see the bill that they require a 4% surcharge to cover tipping even though it also asks for an additional tip? Which was new to us. Otherwise it was a cute establishment.

    Seafood Gumbo
    Jake B.

    We absolutely loved our meal at The Bywater. We had high hopes and were still blown away by everything. Our favorite was definitely the shrimp po boy, but the hush puppies and gumbo were both delicious as well. Will for sure be back!

    Front entrance
    Lily S.

    I'm working my way through my Michelin Bib Gourmand list, and The Bywater is next up. Upon entering, there's a vintage New Orleans vibe. There's 2 outdoor seating areas, both a bit rustic compared to the inside space. We came for lunch, and today the clientele were mostly seniors (which is cool with me). We had the lunch special, which includes a po boy of your choice, fries or salad, and a drink. We also tried a couple of other classic Nola dishes, which we really enjoyed. The food was more mild than I expected, except for the seafood gumbo which brought a little bit of heat. What we ordered: + Hot link sausage po boy with fries - surprisingly the sausage was not hot at all. It was a good sausage but not sure why they call it a hot link. The fries were incredible - super crispy with nice creole seasoning. + Catfish po boy with salad - nicely fried catfish with a cornmeal batter served on a roll that's wonderfully soft and fluffy. The only thing lacking was some pickles to give the sandwich another dimension. The salad was excellent with many different lettuces and herbs in a vinaigrette dressing. + Broiled oyster Musca - first time having oysters, and these were so smooth and juicy. The buttery crumb topping added a nice texture. + Seafood gumbo - finally something with some heat. This had great blacken flavor, lots of seafood, a little rice.

    Beignets
    Jessica L.

    Fun casual Louisiana style restaurant with high vibes and strong drinks! Indoors is lively bar vibes, and they have a large outdoor patio with plenty of heaters which is great for a large group or a dog. At nighttime, they have a smoker going which has really strong smoke smells, so don't wear anything nice. The menu has a wide price range from burgers/hot dog to prime rib, so there's something for everyone to enjoy. They also have a large drink menu that is reasonably priced.

    Menu
    Sayeeda A.

    The ambience is very cute, vintage Louisiana vibes, the staff was respectful and friendly. We ordered a few items from the menu: the hush puppies (came out a little too deep fried, was lacking flavor. Could've redeemed the missing flavor with the sauce that came with it, but it was just maple syrup type sauce), the broiled oysters were yummy, and the pot de creme, though a bit on the sweeter side was pretty yummy.

    Gumbo bowl
    Mitzy M.

    What a fabulous little find! I had walked by here a handful of times and the name stuck out, but it wasn't until it was suggested to go here for lunch on Valentine's Day that I was pleasantly surprised to find a New Orleans restaurant in the heart of Los Gatos. We started with mediocre coffee but it's coffee. Would like to see an improvement on that but otherwise zero complaints. Fried oysters had a great breading. The cocktail sauce had a surprising kick of horseradish and was delightful The po boy was HUGE with so much shrimp, it was never ending ! Crisped to perfection and the ratios of ingredients was exactly what I wanted. Husband got the gumbo bowl and ate it all up! I'm pretty sure he would've licked the bowl if he wouldn't have been stared at. Can't wait to go back again !

    Bywater Beignets
    Gabe Y.

    Okay so now my newest experience at the Bywater was fantastic. My ideal meal anytime I go here now would be the starter of shishito peppers, the muffuletta, finished by the butterscotch pudding as dessert. The new item of shishito peppers are predominantly seasoned with mam nem which is like a fish sauce. Pairing this mam nem with subtle lemongrass gave vibes of Vietnamese cuisine. The large chunks of sweet pineapple that gave a nice acid touch to cut through the savoriness. The muffuletta is really a delight to eat. The meats, cheese and olive spread is such a flavor bomb. It has crispy crunchy outside due to being a pressed sandwich and a super moist interior. This is definitely something that's uncommon to find elsewhere at any sandwich places and thus a must try/have. Lastly the butterscotch pudding is great because it gives you the deep roasty flavor, not too sweet, and with the flaky salt makes it that much better. Fantastic music and friendly laid back staff that give a buddy buddy vibe. I would come back for specifically these items.

    Beignets
    Julie S.

    2nd time to Bywater- this time for brunch with our daughter. Everything was tasty a our favorites are seafood gumbo, shrimp salad, biscuit, andouille sausage and the beignets. Service was great! We really like the ambiance.

    Crawdad eggs Benedict, mind blowing delicious!
    Pamela Z.

    For this tiny little place, the food was absolute perfection! This might seem like a little hole in the wall in Los Gatos, but boy does the food scream, New Orleans. Everything we had was absolute perfection. We ended up ordering the beignets without the powdered sugar or chocolate sauce, just because we didn't want the extra sugar. They were so delicious all by themselves. It came with three and that was more than enough to share. We highly recommend this place! We will definitely be back over and over again. The staff was attentive and very friendly. I loved their iced tea. Our server brought the box out for me to see, so that I could order some myself if I ever wanted it at home.

    Shrimp and grits
    Lexi R.

    I'm pretty torn about this place! I'm such a sucker for shrimp and grits, but I did not enjoy the one from here. The grit had a nice texture, but I didn't really like the flavor of the sauce and the shrimp were a bit overcooked. On the flipside, the brisket was pretty good! Some pieces were more tender than others but overall I enjoyed it and the biscuit is delicious here! It's so soft and melts in your mouth! The crawfish Benedict was OK. Nothing too special about it and it doesn't even come with a side. Service was great! There's both indoor and outdoor seating which is nice . Definitely a mixed experience for me.

    Todays specials! (26April 2025)

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    27 days ago

    We love the happy hour, it's all week long ! Great oysters and grilled cheese the BBQ brisket is killer!

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    4 months ago

    I love this place has fantastic food and service! Is a great place to have an nice sit down lunch or dinner

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    Good food and service, but super overpriced. The patio out back is really nice for summer days.

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    Page 1 of 21

    Ask the Community - The Bywater

    Can i bring my pup to the patio?

    Is HH menu only served at the bar or at the table as well?

    i think its served at both.

    Is the brunch menu served on Saturdays? What hours?

    Yes Sat & Sun 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. per their Insta

    Is there any vegan options or things that can be made vegan :)?

    No, not really. My husband looked into that for a team lunch in the Before Times, and was told that they might be able to put together one dish after they had the reservation. But no, you won't be able to walk in and get something vegan. That's not… Read more

    Happy hour? What time?

    On their website it says Every Day 3-5

    View All 6 Questions

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    Anchors Fish & Chips and Seafood Grill - Fish and chips

    Anchors Fish & Chips and Seafood Grill

    4.3(240 reviews)
    3.5 mi
    $$

    What can I say about The Anchors Team, Carlos and their amazing gracious care for their guests?…read more Nothing but PURE perfection! Tonight was my first time to the Saratoga location. We live in Downtown San Jose and remember when Anchors opened at San Pedro Square. We so love that place. Great Food and perfect service. Carlos was working there and was always so pleasant and made sure we were always well taken care of. Life gets in the way so we spent less time out at San Pedro so the last few times we went we went to get our favorite seafood we did not see Carlos. A few months ago I was caring for a client's pups and we needed dinner. So my husband Wayne went into Saratoga to go to Anchors to pick up some dinner for us. He gave me the best news that Carlos was at the Saratoga location. I was so excited because I had missed seeing "our friend". He always made us feel some comfortable. Wayne wanted to go to Anchors Saratoga to celebrate his birthday tonight! Who am I to say no? When we walked thru the door I was so happy to see Carlos ! He welcomed us with such a warm smile and was attentive to every detail including welcoming Wayne by his name! We had the most delicious calamari appetizer I have ever had followed by Creamy Lemon Garlic Seafood Pasta - TOTAL PERFECTION!!!!!!! *side note! They have one of the best Happy Hours we have experienced. We knew we were more than just "customers". We were welcomed as "returning friends". We recommend this AMAZING restaurant for PERFECT food and MORE THAN PERFECT Customer relations! This is a re-review from M Nunez...

    Not good food. Not fresh. The tuna melt was too dry…read more The tacos were not fresh. When the plate arrived itself it did not look appetizing. Also there was zero pineapple flavor when it claimed there was pineapple salsa. Added a star because the food was not terrible, we could finish it.

    Photos
    Anchors Fish & Chips and Seafood Grill - Inside

    Inside

    Anchors Fish & Chips and Seafood Grill - Blackened shrimp taquitos with fresh guacamole.

    Blackened shrimp taquitos with fresh guacamole.

    Anchors Fish & Chips and Seafood Grill - Blackened Shrimp Taquitos ($16)

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    Pacific Catch

    Pacific Catch

    3.9(2.1k reviews)
    4.6 mi
    $$

    In a world where everything but your salary keeps going up and you keep getting less for more,…read morePacific Catch is giving people what they want: a break. Their daily HH, aka Aloha Hour, offers one of the best values I've seen in years. We're taking $9 cocktails, $10 ceviche, and $7 tacos. Almost everything on that menu is at least $4 off regular menu prices; their pupu platter takes the crown with a whopping $7.50 discount. It's not just the prices. Their recently renovated dining area is bright, inviting, and comfortable. And all of the staff who worked on 3/20 were an absolute delight. Thank you, Pacific Catch Campbell, for being a shining pillar and sustaining the community. We appreciate you!

    Great service - attentive servers who paid attention to details when taking our order…read more Unfortunately, the food was not prepared as server had taken my order. Ordered fish tacos with salsa on the side but actual order came with fish on top of the salsa and slaw. Disappointed but didn't comment about that since I didn't notice until I'd already taken a bite of each taco. Wished it had been served on the side as it made the tacos soggy and a little spicier than I would have liked. Fried Baja fish tacos had batter similar to fish and chips batter. Wished it was a lighter batter to make it easier on the stomach. It was hard to eat the corn tortilla on both tacos because the salsa was on the bottom of the fish versus being on top of the fish. Accompanying salad was dressed just right with the vinaigrette I requested. Black beans were nicely seasoned. Ordered a nojito which was not very flavorful. Thought it would be mintier, citrusy mocktail but honestly it just tasted like ginger ale with two quartered limes and sprigs of mint. Not worth the $6 I paid for it. Very disappointing.. Would have been better off saving that money spent to buy a pint of ice cream from a local retailer. Don't think I'll go out of my way to return unless I'm sure that my order will be more aligned to my order and if I'm in the neighborhood..

    Photos
    Pacific Catch
    Pacific Catch
    Pacific Catch

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    EMC Seafood & Raw Bar - Yellowtail Ceviche | @whaevaeats

    EMC Seafood & Raw Bar

    3.6(1.8k reviews)
    6.3 miWest San Jose
    $$$

    I have visited this restaurant multiple times, and their food was consistently great! Depending on…read morewhen you go, there is plenty of seating inside and outdoors. 4.5/5 Uni Pasta: I almost always order this dish whenever I come to EMC. It was very creamy, and you could taste the uni flavor with each bite. I highly recommend this pasta dish! Of course, I wish there was more uni, but it was a fair portion. It's worth it if you go during Happy Hour! 4.5/5 Garlic Noodles: It seemed very basic, so I didn't expect to like it as much as I did. It was absolutely delicious! It was super flavorful and I think this is my new favorite dish here. 3/5 Santana Roll (Sushi): It was good, but nothing to rave about. I would recommend going with another dish, as you could order sushi at any good sushi restaurant too. I don't think it's worth it for the price. I have also ordered their oysters on separate occasions, and it's amazing and high quality!

    Stopped by Saturday afternoon. Happy hour is every day from 3-6 pm with a good amount of choices…read more Ordered the salmon carpaccio, Manila clams, sashimi sampler and cucumber salad. Everything was pretty tasty, especially the clams. It would have been nice to have more bread to soak up the broth. I liked the carpaccio more than the sashimi as a way to present the seafood, but the sashimi was still pretty good.

    Photos
    EMC Seafood & Raw Bar - Bar

    Bar

    EMC Seafood & Raw Bar - Cucumber Salad

    Cucumber Salad

    EMC Seafood & Raw Bar - Hamachi Onion Carpaccio

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    Chick N' Bros

    Chick N' Bros

    4.2(1.3k reviews)
    19.3 mi
    $$

    I keep seeing this truck everywhere I go so I decided to give it a try. Their chicken sandwich is…read moreplentiful and great tasting. There is a nice spiciness to their sauce. Just wish it was spicier.

    I came across this food truck at an Off the grid event and while a food truck specializing in fried…read morechicken is not my first choice, I had tried all the other trucks present and so I wanted to try something new. I hate to be THAT person but if I am going to splurge on a takeout meal and that too, a not-so-healthy meal, then I expect it to be fairly decent and not a complete flop. First of all, there was literally no variety to the menu. The different menu items literally consisted of the same fried chicken sandwich only with a different sauce or additional condiments. Nevertheless, I got the Nashville Fire, which had the most variety of sauces/condiments and the only way I could describe it while being honest was that it was a complete mess. The sandwich was completely doused with sauce and resulted in a totally soggy sandwich. The fried chicken itself tasted overcooked, which is literally the one thing you don't want in fried chicken. If someone is desperate for fried chicken then I can maybe understand why they would turn to this truck to satisfy their craving. However, I think there are better places out there such as Starbird (yes, a chain restaurant) to get a decent fried chicken sandwich.

    Photos
    Chick N' Bros - Self Order Area

    Self Order Area

    Chick N' Bros - Nashville. So spicy!

    Nashville. So spicy!

    Chick N' Bros - Chuck Norris w/ Cheese (Level 2)

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    Chuck Norris w/ Cheese (Level 2)

    Épernay Bistro - Cassoulet Avec Confit de Canard maple leaf duck leg, white navy beans, bacon, arugula salad, pickled onions, breadcrumbs

    Épernay Bistro

    4.2(197 reviews)
    0.8 mi
    $$$

    I had bookmarked Épernay Bistro for a while, and finally came here for dinner with my husband on…read moreWednesday. We came here a couple of times when it was still Billy's Boston Chowder House. The brick walls and blackboards looked familiar. There's still a long table in the middle. With the new chairs and tablecloths, the place looked more classy than before. The floating shelves at the top of the walls were all lined with wine bottles. There're some gigantic bottles towards the back as well. It's quite a nice place to have a quiet, intimate dinner with the causal, yet upscale vibe. There're about eight tables (1-2 persons@) while we're there, and service was attentive, despite having only one server. For the $80 dinner for 2 special, we got to pick one item from each of the first two selections to share, two entrees, and one beignet each. We also added a beet salad to share, and my husband had the wine pairing. For our first course, the two baked oysters were cheesy and rich. It would be better if they were bigger, though. Our second course, the caramelized onion soup was perfectly prepared, one of the best I had ever had. The beet salad was refreshing, and the dressing was so tasty that it made arugula tasted good. I had the sole as my entree; it was cooked well, light and delicious. I took a bite of my husband's slow braised short ribs; it was tender and flavorful. The beignets were delightful, and paired really well with the dark chocolate and salted caramel sauce. I really appreciated that all their hot dishes came out really hot. Overall, it was a really enjoyable dinner. Would be back to have the onion soup again and try other items on the menu.

    This used to be one of my wife's and my favorite places--a charming French bistro with great food…read moreand an atmosphere that always made us feel welcome. Unfortunately, our most recent visit completely changed that. We had reservations for a Saturday evening and were seated promptly. That's where the positive experience ended. After being seated, we waited 20 minutes without a single acknowledgment from staff--no greeting, no water, nothing. Meanwhile, other parties who arrived after us were attended to right away, which made the situation even more frustrating. After more than 30 minutes of being completely ignored, we decided to leave. It was honestly one of the most uncomfortable and disappointing dining experiences we've had. As strong supporters of local restaurants, this was especially disheartening given how much we used to enjoy coming here. Sadly, this experience has permanently changed how we feel about this place, and we won't be returning. I hope the staff takes this as a reminder that every customer deserves the same level of attention and respect.

    Photos
    Épernay Bistro
    Épernay Bistro - Chef's Bouillabaisse

    Chef's Bouillabaisse

    Épernay Bistro - Duck confit

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    Duck confit

    La Fondue - Marshmallow over flame

    La Fondue

    3.8(2.6k reviews)
    3.5 mi
    $$$$

    We had an amazing time! Food is incredible! Many different choices and meats from all over the…read morecountry. All fresh and tasty! Juan made our experience even more memorable with his attentiveness and knowledge of the menu. Thank you Juan for making this birthday dinner that much more special!

    My friends and I went to La Fondue earlier this month as a birthday dinner. The restaurant has a…read morevery eclectic interior design style, with bold wallpaper in the check in area, and large statues throughout the dining area. We booked a reservation and arrived about 5 minutes before our reservation time, however we were not seated until almost 20 minutes after our reservation had started. If you go to La Fondue, I would plan for about 2 hours for your meal if you choose one of the coursed meals. While the restaurant was slow to seat us, the team was attentive once we were seated. Most of us ordered the fondue feast, and since we were a party of 8 we got the choice of 2 types of cheeses. We chose the stinking rose and four cheese, both of which were delicious. A selection of bread, potatoes, pickles, and fruits are brought out to dip in the cheese, and the staff will bring out more on request. Most of our party got the fondue feast, so there was lots of variety in the types of meats we were served. Some of the standouts were the duck and the boar. The spatulas given were a little difficult to use when flipping the meats, but other than that our grilling experience went smoothly. Our meal ended with chocolate fondue, served with a wide variety of desserts to dip in it. We chose the decadent one and chocotastic flavors, both of which were delicious. My favorites to dip in the fondue were the fruits, but they offer everything from strawberries to pound cake to cream puffs to cookie dough bites! Overall, I would definitely come back, but likely during a less busy time to avoid waiting so long before being seated.

    Photos
    La Fondue - $65 dozen roses that only came with 10 roses

    $65 dozen roses that only came with 10 roses

    La Fondue - Tuna Saku

    Tuna Saku

    La Fondue - Ginger beer

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    Ginger beer

    The Bywater - cajun - Updated May 2026

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