Driftwood Kitchen

I was really disappointed with Driftwood Kitchen. We checked in for our reservation and still had to wait an additional 15 minutes, even though the restaurant was nearly empty.

This was a birthday trip for my daughter, and it was noted in the reservation, but there was a happy birthday but —no dessert, no small gesture, nothing. That was pretty disappointing.

We were especially excited about the seafood tower, So when we sat down we knew what we wanted but our servers offered no insight to the menu or suggestions- could have made a up-sale here. The tower did not live up to the photos at all. It was basically just a few crab claws—not even full legs—and there was no option to swap out oysters, which meant I didn’t even eat most of it.

Service was also lacking. We were checked on 1 time during the whole meal. After finishing, we waited about 10 minutes and couldn’t find our server, so I had to ask someone else just to get the check.

The views are great, but overall it was not worth the price. Definitely expected a lot better service and food for the cost and the setting.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 2

Service: 2

I came in from traveling from Iowa for a visit and the attentiveness was amazing from our waitress. Our food came promptly and was hot and amazing. You could tell they made their food from whole ingredients. I never get dessert and I decided to get dessert. Highly recommend this place to anyone. There were not many people here and my friends and I thought this was the best place we had eaten at for a week on our visit.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Sand in our salad. Believe it was on purpose. Possibly racially motivated. Food was under portioned and not good. Grey haired manager very unfriendly seemed hostile
Go to Finney's white house instead.
Female bartender was excellent. Don't mess up her tip with your Possible bias.

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 1

Service: 5

Beachside spot, is so spot on really. The ambience is cool and the sounds of the wave was peaceful music to the soul.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Went to Driftwood Kitchen last minute for brunch. They used to have a great vegan hash on the menu, but unfortunately there are no real vegan options anymore.

I am not a fan of places where you simply remove the cheese from a dish to make it vegan, don’t replace it with anything else, and still charge the same price. It just feels like an afterthought rather than a true option.

I did have a watermelon mocktail which was actually pretty good. The inside was really loud though, and it was hard for our table of four to hear each other. There were also no tables available outside when we arrived.

That said, the location really is beautiful and the ocean view is great. One thing to note is that it is valet only, and we ended up waiting quite a while to get the car back.

Overall: great location and views, but I wish they still offered a thoughtful vegan dish like they used to.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 5

We went here to celebrate a birthday and it ended up being the cutest little restaurant. We actually timed it pretty well with the sunset which was so beautiful because it is a beach front restaurant. The service was great and quick. But I’ll be honest I wasn’t the biggest fan of the food. We got the lobster carbonara and the Parmesan potatoes. The potatoes were actually super yummy, it had lemon zest and an aioli!! I would order that again. But the pasta was very underwhelming. :( maybe I just ordered wrong? A lot of people had the seafood tower on their tables. Definitely a place to try out if you like seafood!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 2

Service: 5

Austin was great and made our experience exceptional.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

The food was just average and shocking the sushi was just ok and in Cali it’s usually great! My wife had a sandwich and it was good.
You can’t beat the beachside location and views. Overpriced for the good. It’s certainly a great place for drinks Oceanside.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 3

Service: 4

On a weekday evening, I drove down to Laguna Beach with my family to catch the sunset and finally try Driftwood Kitchen. We’ve been to its sister restaurant, The Deck, a few times before, so this time we wanted to see how DK compares. Since we didn’t have a reservation, we were seated a bit further inside. We could still see the horizon, but I’d definitely recommend booking in advance and asking for a patio table—watching the sun slowly dip into the ocean with the sound of waves right below you really elevates the whole experience. It’s an ideal spot for date nights or special occasions.

I ordered the Surf and Turf, which comes with a 6oz filet mignon and a shelled lobster tail. I requested medium rare, but it came out closer to medium. That said, the filet was still tender and juicy, with a fine texture and no chewiness. The lobster tail was fresh and nicely bouncy. The real standout of the night was the seared scallops—beautiful crust on the outside, perfectly tender inside. Paired with a mushroom medley and smooth mashed potatoes, the dish had great depth and balance. On the other hand, the lobster carbonara was underwhelming. The seasoning felt flat; it was dominated by a heavy Parmesan flavor without enough black pepper or complexity. The complimentary rolls were very good though—topped with sea salt and rosemary, lightly crisp outside and soft inside.

For three people, the total came to a little over $220 including tip. Service was professional and friendly throughout—water refills were prompt and pacing between courses was well managed. Flavor-wise, I’d say it’s slightly behind The Deck next door, but the ambiance here feels more refined and better suited for a romantic evening.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 5

The food is ok but the valet is $24 for lunch lol. Sort of highway robbery rates. Just a PSA.

ESPRESSO MARTINI MUST STOP! I stopped in with my wife to share one drink after dinner, but the espresso martini Casey made us was absolutely the best one I’ve ever had (made with fresh brewed espresso) 1 shared drink turned into 3. She truly cares about her work and craft that’s for sure. She was attentive, and very kind. We will be back for sure and we’ll definitely be at the bar next time.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

We went for our anniversary and it was incredible, the food was delicious and the service very nice... the drinks are very good too... I totally recommend everything for an incredible price...

Wow! We've eaten at Driftwood a bunch but tonight was the best yet! Everything was spot on from our favorite the octopus appetizer, to the sea bass, scallops, lamb chops, and a side of brussels all cooked to perfection. Always great but this was elevated! We introduced friends to the restaurant tonight and you have 2 new fans. Great night!!

I'm a local. I see this restaurant as being one and done. They give you 2 hours at 1 price to park to finish dinner and then it goes up to over $24.00 for parking to have dinner at the driftwood. With the service that was there, there was no way we were going to have dinner in two hours. The food is mediocre and they've never done anything to adjust for the noise level of this restaurant and I'll last 30 years I've been there. Te parking charge is outrageous.

Great food and drinks.
Will go again

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5