everything on the menu is amazing. family owned restaurant with a beautiful view. service was good everyone's friendly and helpful. read more

Topside by NDMK - blta and shrimp tacos - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Avalon, California

The food is amazing...when you finally get it. The servers are friendly but the restaurant is severely understaffed for dinner. We were with a group of 6; 3 meals came out after about 25 minutes, then 10 minutes later another meal, then as everyone is just about finished we were able to flag the server down for ketchup and find out where the appetizer and last two meals were. He came back and said they were having to make the sauce and it would be up shortly...we ordered 3 of the same pasta dishes so why would one come out and the other two not? He was very apologetic and comped the kids meal and gave us 2 desserts for free. We ended up talking to a couple on the ferry and they said the restaurant is know for poor service. It is unfortunate because the view, location and food is amazing. The food was great and definitely worth it but patience is a virtue. read more

Today we had the pleasure of dinning for a quick bite at Topside! The views are amazing and the service even better. Can we say the crispy chicken in honey Sriracha sauce is simply the best thing I've had in a long time with regard to any type of saucy chicken . That spicy prickly pear margaritas is simply delicious! My only complaint was that darn bird/pelican that was hawking our food.he was walking along the top of the wall where we were sitting. Other than that, this will be our go to spot when visiting Catalina Island! read more

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Location is great. We came in around 1pm on a Thursday. It was hard to find anyone who works here. Once employees came out, we were told there was not service on the roof top deck and we needed to order drinks and food at the bar and then the food would be delivered to us. Bartender was nice and my margarita was good. Food started coming out and that's where it went downhill. Burger was listed on the menu that it comes with caramelized onion, but there wasn't any on it. The food runner seemed irritated but said he would check on it. He brought out a plate of grilled onion about 15 minutes later. Salmon on the menu said it comes with risotto. It was delivered with rice. I asked the food runner and he said they don't have risotto anymore. Caprese salad didn't have basil it was listed on the menu to have. Took 10 minutes to get it. Asked for more balsamic glaze. It's never came. My daughter had to run downstairs to get it. We needed salt and asked for it. It never came. A friend ran downstairs and got some. It was a solid lump in the shaker. We ran down to get another salt. Even though the food was wrong and service wasn't great, my salmon tasted good. Overall the food was an 8 out of 10. Around the corner, NDMK has a sushi place that was packed. Maybe they need to move the sushi concept to this location. Topside is a large space and it was pretty empty. read more

Topside by NDMK - View from the rooftop deck. - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Avalon, California

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This new-ish spot opened in July 2023, replacing Toyon Grill in the space above the Catalina Island Conservancy Trailhead Visitor Center (where their Eco Tours start), pretty close to the ferry dock. Toyon was a fast-casual place where you place your order at the bar, find a table and your order is brought to you. Topside has table service indoors and out, and probably serves food on the rooftop observation deck in-season. The original NDMK Fish House is around the corner on Clarissa. The menu at Topside is different and the view is better, plus it had a full bar (versus beer and wine). By the way, NDMK means, (and is pronounced) "endemic"; i.e. locally-sourced. I enjoyed a very nice dinner here on their outdoor deck. I recognized the server (and bartender) Omar from a meal last year at Naughty Fox. Topside is open daily for lunch, 6 days for dinner and for breakfast Sat. and Sun. Before my visit, the online menu at the time listed a multi-course prix fixe menu option I would have ordered, but this was only offered in-season. I instead ordered a la carte: Fig and Honey Mule cocktail, shrimp empanadas and Dark Seas pasta (squid ink pasta with lobster, scallops and shrimp in a cream sauce). Everything was quite tasty, with a great view to boot. This was the only restaurant I ate at in Avalon that offered free water (vs. paying for bottled water). Toyon Grill was good, but Topside is a notch above in terms of variety and quality. I plan to return on my next Catalina trip. read more

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I arrived around opening time for a decent breakfast with a nice view and this place did not disappoint. It was the first good restaurant I've gone to the entire day and a half. The service was solid, the entire staff made sure we were taken care of and our meals were satisfactory. I completely recommend this place to anyone visiting the portions are great and the food is tasty. I can't quite remember my server/bartender name but it was either James or Jacob., and also shoutout to the table runners they were great too. I will for sure be back next time I visit Avalon. 4 stars because service was a bit rocky in the beginning when I first entered- not a lot of communication at first. But once I asked where I could sit and found a spot to be seated, things started flowing better read more

My niece and I had the best experience at this restaurant. The breakfast was delicious and the ambiance terrific. We met (Barone) who served us and treated us like queens! A definite place I will come back to. read more

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So glad I picked this place in Avalon!! It's super close to the ferries, and you get quite a nice view of Avalon. The top deck was closed during lunch, but their patio had nice views too. Dark Seas Seafood Pasta $34 - Definitely get this!! No wonder it's super popular. The sauce is very creamy and the SEAFOOD, there's a lot of lobster, crab, and shrimp here. Spotted a few scallops too. Delicious. Summer Salad $16 - refreshing salad! Liked the watermelons, but croutons felt a bit out of place. It just needed a few more ingredients to make it more interesting. read more

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Good food, friendly service, awesome view from the patio!!! It was hot on the patio since we went just before sunset in June, but it was still worth it. Would go back for sure. read more

Topside by NDMK - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Avalon, California

nice alcohol & food selection at reasonable prices. servers were nice & even held my jacket for me that i left at the bar. cool little spot w stunning views from our outdoor seats. also nice art decor. would recommend to anyone vacationing in catalina! read more

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Great service with Omar. Food was great. Service was wonderful. Great views and great location near the ferry port. My mojito mocktail was excellent and I felt included with everyone else who was drinking with my pretty drink read more

Subtle, but very different, is their name: Topside by NDMK. We've been here before but recently there has been a change in ownership. This restaurant was purchased by the owner of NDMK during the last year. Check out my pic of their view. While they are a block south of the boardwalk and out of the fray, they can see straight down the boardwalk, the entire harbor and yet NOT be in the tourist hustle and bustle. It's a nice refuge, in plain sight. Our waitress, Kate, was very professional and quick. We started with their Fig & Honey Mule. We aren't really signature drink people, and found this drink to be just okay. While we noted the subtly of the ginger beer, the flavor of the mottled figs didn't make it through (BTW we have a fig tree and really enjoy the fruit). Our starter was, a gamble, their Local Catch Tartare, see my pic. And we won the bet: it was quite good. The locally caught tuna was very fresh, the flesh was firm and the flavor was deep without being fishy. The avocado added a small bit of creaminess with pops of flavor and crunch from the seeds. We finished with the Dark Seas Pasta. The seafood (lobster, scallops and shrimp) were all fair sized, and each flavorful in and of themselves. You can see the seafood in my pic. The black ink pasta was cooked al dente. The cream was creamier and richer than it looks in the pic. It held to the pasta quite well. We look forward to trying more of their dishes. read more

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*CHOOSE TOPSIDE! You won't be disappointed!* TOPSIDE by NDMK is the TOP restaurant in Avalon/Catalina. This place has everything. Gorg views, delicious bites, affordable pricing, kind staff, and unique cocktails that really make you solidify that vacation feeling! We started with an expresso martini and I dream about his martini ever since visiting Avalon. Next, we had the Avalon Spritz (diff take on the Aperol Spritz)... okay this cocktail was delectable!!! I am so glad we chose it... (we had a hard time choosing since so many delights!) and it was refreshing, boozy and went well with every bite we ordered. We sat outside and admired the woodpeckers, people watching, and perfect breeze. Avalon is a gorgeous town and you can really soak it up when you're chillin at Topside by NDMK. My friend Sonny ordered the salad and realized he was way hungrier than that. Their staff member overheard this and offered to take the salad back and bring out the burger (this kinda service is unheard of!) and the burger was so juicy and the balanced amount of toppings/burg/bread. I had the shrimp empanadas and will probably have them over and over again. The crunch was delightful. The sauce balance was remarkable - it's an art to get a good ratio here... and truly the whole experience was perfect. The restaurant was very clean, felt very new and seemed like they took the time to think about who they want working here because everyone was happy and chill just like Catalina vibes. Next time we plan to sit on the Topside deck. Just FYI: It was September... there were a lot of bees here but it's freakin' nature and they controlled them really well. But if you're allergic, maybe steer clear until bee season is over. read more

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This was a great find in the city of Avalon. A group of us stopped in for lunch on a day visit from our cruise ship. I had the Cuban sandwich, excellent. 2 others had the smashburgers and one of the other party member had the fish tacos. All the food was excellent. Our server James was very friendly and talked about his time growing up on the island and the local lifestyle during tour season and off season. Great experience would highly recommend and we will eat there the next time we visit the island. read more

The good: Beautiful views of Avalon, great music, and a friendly server. We split a delicious bottle of wine. The bad: My seafood risotto was quite firm and more of a porridge-like consistency. The lobster was chewy, and the scallops were rubbery. My partner's chicken parm was watery and lacking in flavor as well. read more

Topside by NDMK - View - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Avalon, California

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I got there on a Saturday morning around 11 in the morning. It was not busy at all and there was a very nice attentive bartender/host that greeted me and offered me to sit where I'm comfortable. With the reviews that you see from Catalina it is concerning to see good quality food. I ordered steak and eggs and I cannot say enough good things about it. It was delicious. It was fresh and they delivered the food fast enough even though I was starving I am very, very satisfied with everything and I definitely recommend this place. read more

Topside by NDMK - Steak fried and eggs. Delicious and fresh. - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Avalon, California

Paid a visit to Topside upon the recommendation of our Eco Tour guide Lindsey, and had a very tasty lunch with some beautiful views! Omar the bartender is super personable and knows his stuff! He gave us great drink suggestions and even demo'd how he makes one of his fav drinks at home! Cheers to his doggo named Cat! read more

Topside by NDMK - Buffalo milk - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Avalon, California

Disappointed and Confused by the Service I had heard great things about this place, so I was genuinely looking forward to checking it out. Unfortunately, my experience was anything but positive -- and honestly, I've been stewing over it ever since. I sat at the bar with a friend, who was promptly served a drink. I was still deciding, but oddly, the bartender never once acknowledged me or asked what I'd like. When I finally said I was ready to order, I watched him take care of a few guys who had just sat down before eventually making my drink. But even then, he left it sitting in his well without a word or garnish and walked away to serve others. I was left wondering if I was supposed to grab it myself or wait -- it was just...awkward. After a few minutes, I went ahead and took it to join my party at a table. What really surprised me was what happened next. The bartender came over several times to check on others at the table, offering refills, but each time he completely ignored me. Not a glance, not a "How's your drink?" -- nothing. It felt very intentional, and honestly, uncomfortable. Eventually, I went back to the bar for another drink and, trying to make sense of it, asked him directly if I had done something to upset him. His response? "Whatever you're feeling is on you; I haven't done anything." That was it. No attempt at understanding or accountability -- just dismissal. I don't expect over-the-top service, but I do expect basic respect and some level of awareness from a bartender in a place with a good reputation. I left feeling disrespected and genuinely baffled by the lack of professionalism. I really wanted to like this place. But based on this experience, I'm not sure I'd come back. read more

There are two NDMK restaurants in Avalon. One place is the Fish House but I chose this one because it had an outside deck. I prefer to sit outside at most restaurants for my post-Covid dining experiences. When I went to choose a table I saw that they didn't have umbrellas for all of the tables. Too hot outside. I was disappointed, but decided to try the place anyway. The service was good, but the server was doing triple duty as server, hostess, and cashier. The server did great at holding down the fort, but I'd imagine the server would have appreciated one less hat to wear. The food was OK. Started with fried pickles which were crunchy but lifeless. We had swordfish sandwiches which were OK- with lots of arugula which was a nice change up from iceberg lettuce. Served with fries which was the highlight of my meal. . read more

Came here for a couple of drinks to hang out and enjoy the view before our boat ride. It was a great place to hang out, and their drinks were good. Service was prompt as well. read more

Topside by NDMK - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Avalon, California

The breakfast burrito was massive. I could have easily split it and still been full. I would come here for the view alone-- one of the best in town! read more

Went there for breakfast and had the Lobster Benedict, it was fantastic! Also had the Topside Bloody Mary, that came loaded with goodies and was very delicious. Service was great and the view was amazing. read more

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So we hit up this spot after a long day on the island, waiting to head back to LB. Didn't want any of the busier spots, just more mellow vibes. For starters, the Bartender was super nice and welcoming. That's where things kinda stop. We asked for water and it tasted funky, kind of like chemicals. Not sure if it's just island water, but didn't notice it anywhere else. We work in restaurants and bars so I thought maybe the lines weren't clean (if the water came from the gun) or the glasses rinsed after cleaning? Either way, couldn't drink it. Got a couple espresso martinis. They were good. Bartender had a nice shake and they had a nice crema on top. Also ordered a side of Broccolini. Something boring & simple. While waiting for the broc, at some point the bartender stepped off (guessing to check on it -- it seemed like it was a while). Some guy at the bar started calling out to me. We didn't know what he was saying. Eventually it escalated to him telling me to step outside. His friends intervened and asked us to ignore him and tried to calm him down, but he continued. We also noticed the staff there seemed to know him. I'm guessing he's friends with the staff or is a regular. Dude was definitely trashed, and I guess I'm glad he had friends there because not sure what would've happened if he was solo, or if it he had done it to someone who would've escalated it. When the bartender came back (with the Broc) we said we wanted to close out and leave before this guy gets worse. No comment was made about the other guy. We closed out but then sat there waiting to get a box because as we said, we wanted to leave. We felt a little unsafe. Keep in mind this spot doesn't give off dive bar vibes where someone gets so sloppy they wanna start a fight, so wtf... ?! Not sure what NDMK is but if TopSide is any indication of the clientele they permit and enable, then it's an easy pass... plenty of spots on the island to visit to try next time. read more

I came here with my friends and we were really happy to try the food. The fish tacos with avocado were really good. The service was also great, our waiter made sure to check on us for drinks. The place was nice and clean. read more

My girlfriend and I were excited to eat lunch and grab some drinks here. There were about three tables currently sat in the entire place. After 20 minutes, I stood up to find the waiter who had never returned to take our order. Twenty minutes later, he brought one of the two drinks. At the one hour mark, having received one of two drinks and never having the ability to order food, we got up to leave. I had to once again track down the waiter who to pay for the drink. I walked to the bar to politely ask the bartender if there was a manager around. His exact response was "nope. Not that I've seen." He didn't ask if something was wrong or how he could help. I've waited tables at six different restaurants and this is a great example of poor customer service. I can't comment on the food, as I'm not sure what it takes to actually obtain any. read more

The view was great and the service was average, they just didn't know much of what they can do or not. It must be a newer restaurant. That being said, the seafood was terrible, frozen wet soggy King Crab legs, worst I've ever had at market pricing! you'd think they would have spectacular food. Stick to Avalon, Steve's, or Lobster Trap for higher end food n dining! RR read more

Service is substandard food is ok, but not many options. Nice view, ambience is casual and quiet.

Nice, casual, newer restaurant. This place could easily become my new favorite eating spot in Avalon! We ordered the lobster ravioli from the tapas menu section, a smash burger and two bloody topsides. I have zero complaints. The food and drinks were amazing! The lobster ravioli in creamy tomato vermouth sauce was superb! Hubby thoroughly enjoyed his smash burger and fries. I wish that I would have taken a photo of our food. I did get a photo of our delicious drinks. Although our service was fine, I can safely say that customer service could very easily be improved. We will definitely be back! read more

Topside by NDMK - Our delicious Bloody Topsides!!! Yummy - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Avalon, California

The service was not good. I came in on a Saturday, and stood in the doorway waiting but no host came. The bartender ignored us. We had to go to the counter to ask what we should do since the sign said wait to be seated and we were just standing there. The bartender sat us at a bar table, and then we had to get up again and go to the counter to order. Really terrible service bc it doesn't look busy at all. Kind of ruined the vibe before we could even taste the food. The truffle fries were just fries with powder parm and dried chive seasoning. read more

Topside by NDMK - Truffle Fries - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Avalon, California

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We stopped on the way to the ferry for expresso martinis as my friend highly recommended them. Our bartender, Omar, did not disappoint! The atmosphere is open and welcoming with fantastic views of Avalon and the bay through floor to ceiling windows. For a real treat, Ask Omar to make you a mini beer and tell him Laurie and Lynda sent you!! read more

This was our first trip to Catalina Island. Decided to get one last drink before going back on the boat at this establishment. Upon ordering a couple drinks and water.. drinks were great. Waters had a chemical taste.. having ordered broccolini as well, it took quite a bit of time and all while waiting the bar patrons next to us were rather intoxicated. Around 6:10-6:25pm. One leaning his head on the bar struggling to eat his burger. One glance at us and he immediately started rambling nonsense and escalated into "taking it outside." What's worse is that the other friends and the staff seemed to know each other and did little to nothing about the situation. The over served man was beyond comprehension. Friends just told us to ignore the over served man. We asked for the food to go as we felt unsafe. Lack of acknowledgment from the staff towards a dangerous situation. read more

Maybe it was the time we ate, 5:30pm Friday, but both the service and food were poor. There were 6 workers standing around trying to figure out our drink orders. Drinks orders took forever even though there was one other table. Food was poor, chicken parm was watery with no parm. We didn't even bother complaining because it looked like that staff would not even care. read more

Had a great breakfast here this morning. The food was delicious and well plated, and the service was wonderful. Great omelettes and an amazing view of the harbor read more

Seriously the best sushi I've had in a while. My six and seven year old had the salmon bowls and inhaled them! Staff is super down to earth and friendly. Will be back and highly recommend! Incredible read more

-- seating -- inside is spacious and has a balcony area. Good for all types of sized parties imo. -- menu -- American basically, and seafood We got the scallop cold tapas, crudo (yellowfin available), and dark sea pasta The tapas were light and fresh. The pasta was creamy and had shrimp, lobster, and scallops. They did not have red pepper flakes when asked. My friends got the "smash burger" and it was not good, unfortunately. The patty (2) were thick. Not at all like a smash burger, super plump. The first red flag was when they asked us how well they wanted the beef to be lol buns were not toasted. Fries were standard. According to another friend, the summer salad was a disappointment, Sadly. Like it was fine, but they could have actually put fresh cheese in the salad (it didn't seem fresh to them). The beer mug seems like the better choice compared to pint. -- service -- very friendly, nice lady. Adored her warm and chipper personality. They took awhile to get our drinks and take our orders though. -- overall -- maybe a 3.5 but I have to give the 3. I really do wish I could give a 4 especially with how nice our server was. The seafood options are the better items to select. Overall, ok! Like a few good, mostly meh, some sad. read more

Food was eh. This was one of the only places that could accommodate 20 of us for my sister's birthday lunch and let us make reservations ahead of time, but the food was disappointing. Our server was nice, though! read more

fab views. amazing happy hour. great menu. added to our catalina rotation. and, if you're into it, the wine list is not boring. at all.

Had the Smashburger! Best I've had! I recommend this place. Be here before , but this was a stop on our cruise so we dropped in. What a treat! Great place to people watch from the windows. Patio also very nice. read more

Breakfast this morning was made even better today at Topside. The food was simple, yet tasty. Our server, Javier, offered to switch out the meat in my sandwich for avocado. The sandwich was amazing, and the tots were perfect. I opted for the bottomless mimosas, and was not upset they come with a sparkling wine which tastes amazing, in my opinion. My party also got the tiramisu french toast and that was delicious too. You're able to sit outside or inside. The outside was very nice with a few tables with a beautiful view of the bay. read more

Topside by NDMK - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Avalon, California

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STAY AWAY CRUISE GOERS!!! We made reservations for 10:00 and were met with a closed door and empty restaurant. They had an open sign on the window turned on and a back door open. Some random guy walks through the back door, opens the front door and asks us what we want. We told him of our circumstance, and just told us he didn't even work there. Leaving the front door open as well. Not only does this seem unsafe, but inconsistent with posted hours why allow some to make a reservation when you're not even open!!! read more