Pleasantly surprised by Avalon Grille…read more Filet mignon was super tender, the red wine sauce was excellent, and the garlic mashed potatoes were VERY garlicky, which I loved. I ordered medium rare and it came out closer to rare, but the meat was such good quality that it was still delicious. The lobster mac & cheese was more my boyfriend's thing than mine, but the lobster itself was great. We did unfortunately get a small piece of shell in one bite. Great waterfront location, perfect for people watching, lovely staff, and a really nice atmosphere. Bonus points for unexpectedly nice restrooms too.

Service was bad. No waitress checked in on us, We ordered…read morebison hamburger took 30 minutes to receive our food. Keep in mind it's a cashless restaurant If you want that great customer service I don't recommend this place at all

Loved this place! Top tier chili dogs. The staff was friendly and got us our food pretty quick…read more It's a very casual spot and isn't a sit down restaurant (you order at a window and there's a small seating area), so is best for a quick lunch or you want a lowkey dinner. It's an extremely affordable option too.

Average hotdog and burger. I've never had Coney Island…read morehotdog, so I don't know what to compare it with Casual spot when you want to grab a quick bite

This classic Italian restaurant is definitely one of the better options if you're looking for good…read morefood on Catalina Island. We came here for a quick dinner before our ferry back and were seated right away. Here's what we got: Steamed Clams ($19) These clams were so tasty in the garlic butter sauce! The portion size was perfect for sharing and everyone loved them. Gnocchi Al Pesto ($22) The gnocchi was soft and pillowy and they were delicious in the creamy pesto sauce! Creamy Carbonara ($23) Solid carbonara with a good amount of bacon and parmesan slices on top. Spaghetti & Meatballs ($25) The spaghetti was good, but the meatballs tasted too herby and weren't as tender. Overall, this ended up being my favorite meal during my visit to Catalina Island. Our waiter was friendly and personable and the food came out fast. I would come back again.

Jack's Trattoria was a little confusing to find because it operates as a casual, family-friendly…read morediner for breakfast and lunch called Original Jack's Country Kitchen. So just a heads up, follow the signs for Original Jack's and you'll discover it transformed into an Italian restaurant for dinner after 5p. Jack's Trattoria had availability and we were warmly greeted when we arrived. There are booths for families, a counter for breakfast service during the day, and tables that can accommodate larger groups. The restaurant serves generous portions of food and I highly recommend splitting dishes if you can! We split the Gnocchi al Pesto ($23), which was plenty of food for the two of us with a side of Caesar salad ($17). The Caesar salad was a huge serving with toasted croutons, but the dressing had a strong lemon flavor that was not our favorite. My daughter ordered the Fettuccine Carbonara ($22) and barely made a dent in the HUGE plate of pasta. The Carbonara was rich and flavorful, but I'd again suggest either sharing the pasta or having kids order off of the kid's menu. Kid's Menu offerings include Spaghetti with Meatballs, Fettuccine al Fredo, or Buttered Noodles. Overall, this restaurant provides generous servings of solid Italian food with the "island markup" prices we come to accept in Catalina. Jack's Trattoria is a solid option if you're craving Italian cuisine, but just keep in mind this would likely be rated more like a 3.5 in comparison to other Italian restaurants back on the Main Land.

Probably the most "on the water" restaurant you can get. The restaurant is the furthest on the…read morepier, right next to the boats. It was a very nice setting because much of the seating area is covered under a shade. Service was good and quick. I would come back for a solid bowl of clam chowder, that is not insanely expensive.

This food shack is the perfect place to go for some fresh seafood while enjoying the ambiance of…read morethe pier. Rustic yet vibrant is the vibe and during the lunch hour, this place gets very busy. I loved sitting at the railing watching the boats go in and out of the harbour while spooning their fresh clam chowder into my mouth. I ordered and paid at the counter and as soon as my food was ready, they will call for my ticket. The fish platter was also super fresh. The grilled halibut was seasoned perfectly and the cocktail sauce and tartar sauce were a good compliment. They have a self service soda fountain with $1 refills. The views were great but you do have to watch out for the birds overhead. They have a sun shade to cover the eating area but the birds will steal your food if you are not attentive. The birds will also poop while flying so it is best to get a covered seat. Be prepared for communal seating and you also clear your food trash when you are done.

Came here twice during our trip and loved it both times! The cheesy garlic bread is a must, and we…read morereally enjoyed the lobster linguini and seafood pasta. Caesar salad was not bad but I think I would skip next time. The restaurant has a really nice romantic atmosphere, so it's perfect for a date night, dinner with your loved ones, or a special occasion. It's also right by the main street with all the bars, so we walked around and grabbed drinks afterward. Service was amazing and the drinks were also great. I sat both inside and outside, and would recommend sitting outside if you want to enjoy the ocean more. Luckily they have heaters so it doesn't get too cold at night. Definitely recommend making a reservation since it can get busy. Would happily come back again!

overall solid food, but not super unique or the best Italian food I've had…read more Fried ravioli (8/10): loved how crispy & fresh it was Pear salad (7/10): nice combo of ingredients but not the best salad I've had Arrabiata pasta (7/10): good sauce + fresh basil + perfectly cooked penne. But again, nothing to write home about

We ate both dinner and then breakfast the next day here - because it was THAT GOOD. obviously…read morereviews are wonderful for a reason. The staff is great and the food is in my opinion best on the island. We were a group of 6 so the gratuities were added and worth it. For dinner we had just finished our eco tour so getting to watch All of the videos about conservation were so cool!! And in the morning being on the balcony watching the landing come to life while watching hurricane Rachel swell was a great start to the day! Another bonus there is a place to fill up a cup of water and not just have to buy a bottle that will end in a landfill or more debris in the ocean - so thank you thank you

Unfortunately, our experience at Topside by NDMK was extremely disappointing. We first waited 30…read moreminutes because the hostess missed our name on the list. Once we were finally seated, another 15 minutes passed without a server acknowledging us. We asked a busser for water, and he said he would get our waiter. We watched him speak to a male waiter, who looked directly at our table but returned to chatting with the bartender. Four other nearby tables that had been seated after us were also left without service. When the waiter eventually headed in our direction, he walked past all of the waiting tables and stopped to talk with guests who had already been served. After sitting for 35 minutes without even receiving water or being greeted by a server, we left. The couple at the table next to us left as well. It truly felt as though the waiting tables were being deliberately ignored. There are many wonderful places to eat on Catalina Island, but based on this experience, I would avoid Topside.

She had their signature wiki wacker rum drink with the free straw hat…read more Nice experience. We sat at the end table and looked out from inside.

We came to Luau Larry's with high hopes because we had heard so many great things about the…read moreatmosphere and drinks. Unfortunately, our experience was extremely disappointing... We were a large party of 14 adults and 2 children. Before entering, we specifically asked if children were allowed inside and were told they were, as long as they stayed seated at a table and did not sit at the bar. Based on that, we decided to come in. Some of our group had already ordered drinks at the bar, and we were given two tables.. Unfortunately, there was some kind of miscommunication with one of the servers. He apparently understood that part of our group was only going to sit at the table and not order anything. In reality, our entire group was there to order drinks; we simply weren't all ordering at the exact same time.. Instead of clarifying the misunderstanding, the server became extremely rude and kicked members of our party out while the rest of us were already ordering drinks. The way the situation was handled was completely unnecessary and unprofessional... It escalated so quickly that nobody wanted to argue or make a bigger scene, so the people who had not yet ordered simply left.. What makes this even more frustrating is that this was a large group of adults who were planning to drink.. With 14 adults and only two children, the restaurant easily lost hundreds of dollars in potential drink sales because of how the situation was handled... To be fair, the bartenders who helped us with our first round were actually nice and friendly.. Unfortunately, the interaction with the server completely ruined the experience for us. The drinks themselves also weren't anything particularly special... We probably should have asked to speak with a manager at the time, but everything happened so quickly that we just decided it wasn't worth the hassle.. We came in excited to check out a place we'd heard so much about, but unfortunately left extremely disappointed. Based on this experience, we won't be returning...

The service was amazing and it was very relaxing. The servers checked in on us multiple times to…read moreensure we had enough food drink and shade. They moved out umbrellas for us a few times and we're always so kind. First time on catalina island but we will def be back

My review is going to be thurough and mixed, but very honest.Our group was porting for the day from…read morea cruise. Calling to schedule and reserve was done with complete ease. During the call I greatly appreciated the fact that the date was clarified more than one time due to the no refund policy, I verified through my app and we secured the date. It was also brought to my attention that the beach was quite rocky and that water shoes were a must, we had just purchased water sneakers and opted for one pair of shoes. I did warn our group, some chose not to listen and it definitely was a miserable time for them. Unfortunately I do not recall the woman's name that secured the booking but definitely LOVED AND APPRECIATED her valuable insight and making sure the date was correct. Walk from the port, was beautiful we used Apple Map to avoid hills. Our party consists of several individuals with disabilities and we had to move slow. As huge "boats and hoes" fans we were absolutely delighted to see the big blue sign that said Catalina Wine Mixer. That really was a cool greeting. As you entered under it, it was lined with stunning palm trees on the left and the gorgeous ocean on the right. We could see all the cabanas and knew we were headed in the right direction. The views just kept getting prettier and prettier. We saw lots of people bustling around in yellow shirts, and seen different buildings. I walked up to one and asked where we checked in at. I was guided to a yellow hut over there. Checked in with ease and walked across the super thick sand to our Presidential cabana. It was very comfortable and cozy looking and the view was absolutely breathtaking taking. During my booking I asked for best view. We secured the cabana in the front on the corner. WOW!!! We noticed Evian bottled water on ice in a bucket. Towels were brought, one for each person. We had enough seating including two loungers. We were brought our two "smoothies". Which were never tasted, We only showed up with two people to start because our port day happened to require reservations to get off, which is no fault of the beach club, the rest of our party couldn't get off until noon. They arrived about 1 pm. When they arrived, we had to wait for a long time for Julian to circle back. We ordered 14 Coronas to start, everyone was ready for some drinks and some water due to the heat before eating. We walked down to the beach and hit the water. BOY WERE WE EVER SO GRATEFUL FOR OUR WATER SHOES!! The water was super refreshing, but due to the waves it was unsafe for myself, I only have use of one arm, and the waves were pretty big, coupled with the drop off under the water I was not able to get in, I knew I wouldn't have been able to get out. Again NO FAULT OF THE CLUB. The rest of our party was definitely able to enjoy it! Julian circled back with our bucket of beers and we ordered two drinks for my daughter in law, I don't recall what they were, but she loved them and sucked them down, stating they were very tasty with a good pour! We did wait for a long time to be brought our drinks and for the circling back. Our first conversation with Julian was that it was too far of a walk for several of party to get back and how do we get a taxi or a ride, our service wasn't working and we were told about the WiFi, but that was hit and miss. Our carrier is AT&T and we found it difficult to get out. We were offered to have a taxi called or he told us he could call his girlfriend. NO PROBLEM, we were never told about the free shuttle back to town. We were up in the circle area waiting for our ride when the free shuttle pulled up and we hopped in because we waited for half an hour. During our walk up to the area to be picked up we noticed an area with showers, which we used to clean the sand out of our shoes and to wash the salt water off. The restrooms were clean. There was also an area to rent tubes, shop, purchase gifts.. it was very nice! At 3 pm we asked for the platter that came with our booking, which I felt like should have been brought and not asked for before we leave. Would we return? Most likely yes, just hoping for speedier service without having to ask for what comes with the booking and definitely making use of the free shuttle or actually being able to get ahold of a taxi to get to and from. The rest of our party noticed the free shuttle sign and waited for approximately half hour and it never came so they walked it. Service booking 5/5 Service on site 3/5 Views 10/5 Property and amenities 5/5 Drinks 5/5 Free water with our booking 5/5 Seating 5/5 Vibe 10/5 Free shuttle 10/5 The service on site is very important to us! The rest AMAZING!