The Naughty Fox

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We're a couple of Dive Bar aficionados. Thus, in advance of our few day visit Avalon, we…read moreresearched the Best Dive Bars in Avalon. I was truly excited to visit the legendary Marlin Club. I'd read glowing reports. I'll confess we arrived before noon on a weekday, but my experience there's a degree of hospitality and camaraderie that pervades a good Dive no matter the time of day. Certainly our fellow patrons were engaging, whereas the bartender was nowhere to be found. We waited. Certainly our fellow patrons were getting beverages from somewhere. We waited some more. It was getting uncomfortable. Finally. Finally! (I was about to walk a person wearing a cowboy hat emerged from the back. No greeting. Just a very cold "What can I get you?" Someone was having a day and. not a good one. After this drink, we departed. However, on the plus side, I will say the fabulously artful UNDER THE SEA wall decor was worth the visit.

Weird, weird vibes. A local dive bar that doesn't seem to be the go-to place for locals, just…read moremisbehaved tourists. Prices are normal and there's a reasonable amount of seating, but the crowd the is just strange.

Entrance

Bar seating

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Mini beer shot!

Luau Larry's

3.7(782 reviews)

The beers are 22oz! The burgers all come with crispy fried onions on top of the meat…read more One of the few authentic tiki bars left- the staff is so nice! Don't miss this!

Bro what a joke, look at this serving I got. Anyway I'm here to rate the food. The fish was deep…read morefried to oblivion, pretty bland as well, not much kick to it and the tartar sauce didn't help. The fries were like frozen generic slop you get at a them park. Overall the meal was far below average. They charge a grip too. Fish: 5.0 Fries: 6.4

Inside

Delicious Coleslaw

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Bahama Mama and Spicy Mexican Lolli

Coyote Joe's

2.9(626 reviews)

This is a small Mexican restaurant located in the Avalon area of Catalina Island. Service is prompt…read moreand friendly. Place was clean. Outside tables available. Albóndiga Soup was delicious. The California Burrito was ok but needed extra flavor.

The service was extremely slow. We didn't receive chips, salsa, or drinks until we received our…read morefood, which took forever to prepare. We asked for chips and salsa a few times while waiting, but they didn't bring anything out until our food came out. This was confusing to us because the restaurant was empty! Still, it took nearly an hour for them to bring out our food. The enchiladas I ordered were a mix of mole and verde. What I received was verde and red sauce, which wasn't even an option on the menu. The enchiladas were extremely bland and required a lot of hot sauce. The kids ordered Beyond Burgers, and I asked for these to be made with cheese only. They did not include cheese but charged us for cheese. It just wasn't a good experience in any way. The restaurant was also freezing cold! It was worth a try, but we won't be going back.

Special burrito they are known for. Shredded beef for Jake. Superb! Size for three people!

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Happy hour Paloma

The Locker Room

4.0(106 reviews)

0.1 mi

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Was excited to try the local dive bar, but the minute we stepped through the door, there was no…read moremusic playing, dead quiet, and a white man at the bar shouted at his other white friend a racial slur that neither of them should be using... Immediately walked out. Bummed that this behavior is tolerated here! Terrible vibe due to the lack of music, but also terrible ethics it seems... This was 8pm on a Friday.

Chuck the bartender is a bit salty but worth the work ! Come…read morehere for a Ball game or a Lazy day of drinking

Watermelon Mint salad

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Bluewater Grill

3.9(2.7k reviews)

0.1 mi

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The host was very nice Great service and food…read moreI had the fish tacos My friend ordered the calamari We will be back

We went to Bluewater Grill on Catalina Island for my birthday at the end of April, and overall I…read morewould say it was a good experience. The atmosphere was probably my favorite part. We sat outside with a really nice view, the weather was warm and pleasant, and overall it just felt like a very relaxing birthday dinner by the water. We both ordered fish, and it was good. Nothing super unique or unforgettable, but definitely tasty. The oysters were also fresh and really enjoyable. The only thing that felt a little off was the service. The food took a while to come out, and different servers kept coming to the table, which made things a bit confusing at times and caused some mix-ups with our order. But overall, we still left with a good impression. They even brought out a birthday dessert for me at the end, which was a nice touch. I'd say it's a solid 4 stars for me. Not perfect, but definitely a nice spot if you're visiting Catalina.

Picturesque views of the Casino!

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Crab Cake perfection!

Topside by NDMK

4.1(208 reviews)

0.3 mi

Amazing restaurant!!!!! Not kidding when I say it's like Michelin star food and I have had some…read moretheir chicken bites on happy hour were amazing so were their empanadas. The sliders weren't the best just because they felt a bit dry but honestly staff was absolutely amazing and food was amazing. Genuinely recommend it and want to know the best part it was cheap!!!!! 100% must go I almost didn't wanna leave a review because I'm scared that next time I go it will be filled to the top. Hahaha

Stood at the front, was ignored for a while by every staff. There was a total of 6ish parties in…read morethe establishment so not that busy at all. We asked someone if we could sit anywhere, he said yes. We grabbed our own menus from the hostess stand and sat outside where MAJORITY of the parties were sitting. a party that came after us, received water/drinks and were able to order. After 20 mins, no one came over and we were able to call over a person who said they would get a server. We waited a little while longer and realized no one was coming. We got up and left. It wasn't just us. Other tables were unable to get their servers as well, just awkwardly sitting around with their finished food and no one to close out tab or take additional orders. Laughable.

Lobster ravioli - local lobster caught near Catalina

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Rooftop at night with lights and ambiance

Catalina Charlie's

3.6(73 reviews)

0.1 mi

Seriously, the BEST Mai Tai I've ever had and I'm pretty much an expert. Run don't walk to Catalina…read moreCharlie's and get your Mai Tai and top-notch Mexican food.! The service is amazing and extremely friendly. It's home away from home.

We had lunch (party of 5, 2 children) on Saturday. It was off season and the place was empty…read more Service was prompt and friendly. Prices are reasonable. The food was abundant and pretty good. the loaded fries were a big hit. The biggest drawback IMO is the noisy "sports bar" atmosphere. Even though we were the only customers, the TVs were loud and chairs scraping and other noises echoed. I would get their food again, but order to go.

Catalina Street dog (Polish sausage) on a toasted hoagie bun

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El Galleon

The best smash burger I've ever had I love it…read more Tha Cadillac margarita was missing Grand Marnea. Wife loved the fish tacos. Daughter liked the shrimp scampi

Nice restaurant on the main walkway by the beach. We got sat down pretty fast and the servers were…read morevery good. Always came by and asked if we needed anything. The food was just as fast. Got our appetizer, the spinach artichoke dip, then our entrees, ahi tuna Poké bowl and classic smash burger. All the food was delicious! A few things to note. The bathrooms are on the 2nd floor of the restaurant, which we thought was interesting. Their menu doesn't list their non alcoholic beverages, like sodas or teas. Just ask the server and they'll list them. Also doesn't serve tap water, only bottled. I'd recommend everyone go to this place for sure when visiting Catalina Island!

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The Lobster Trap

3.8(2.6k reviews)

Food is good but drinks are expensive and they put too much ice on the drinks…read more We went and told the waitress she just gave a generic excuse

Local place to get some good local catch lobster. Unfortunately the season for catching fresh…read morelobster was Oct-March. But they still have some frozen catch from the season. Food: * coconut shrimp *lobster-good but was drench in some cream/butter, wish I knew,I like it just steamed. *clam chowder - very good, very filling. *sea bass- fresh and tasty (lemon and garlic) * halibut- fresh and yummy (garlic and caper sauce) The seafood is very fresh, maybe not the healthiest prepared..., but a ll very tasty and casual atmosphere. Service is really good. Seems to be a local spot.

Bread bowl

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Oysters Rockafeller $26

Sunset Bar & Grill

4.6(42 reviews)

0.4 mi

Loved this place!! I have came here twice and both times the service was excellent…read more Place is clean and the vibe is very chill. Food is great!! I really enjoy it here and hope to come again my next time in Avalon.

After a long day exploring the island, my husband and I figured we'd try the restaurant inside our…read morehotel. Pretty good reviews, close by, saves us from driving down the hill... sounded perfect. Yeah... wrong decision. Drinks: My husband ordered a margarita and instantly pulled an ant off the rim of the glass. Okay... it happens. He tried to let it go. Then he noticed a dark winged critter sitting at the bottom of his drink... it was a fly. I told him to bring it to the server's attention. When he did, the server looked confused, like he didn't see anything. Then he said, "I can make you a new one or you can just finish drinking this..." Finish drinking a margarita with a fly in it. That should have told us everything. Food: I ordered the carne asada plate. Seasoning was fine... honestly passable... but the cut of meat was the cheapest, chewiest carne asada I've ever been served. My husband ordered the tri tip plate. It was just bad: * Bland meat * Raw broccoli * Bland mash * Thick, chewy slices of bland "tri tip" To be fair: Our server checked on us when he could. He seemed genuinely trying... but it looked like he was playing chef, bartender, and server all at once. Total recipe for disaster. No one can pull that off. I ate what I could because trying to navigate the island late at night for food isn't ideal... but this meal was a letdown from start to finish. Bottom line: Steer clear. Convenience or not... we won't be back. Not for dinner, and definitely not to give breakfast a chance.