The Beachcomber at Crystal Cove

The food is tasty — that’s it, that’s the only positive.
Getting there
Paid parking + 10 min walk in the heat. Not mentioned anywhere.
Arrival & waiting
Booked for 3:45 via OpenTable. Two guests arrived at 4:10 — staff refused to seat anyone until the full group was there. We waited outside in 30°C heat with no shade, no AC, no restroom. None of this is disclosed on OpenTable.
The hostess
At 4:29 we asked to be seated. Refused — dinner starts at 4:30. One hostess said: “I like to seat people slowly…” Genuinely unbelievable.
The venue
No AC, poor restrooms, and the patio tables are simply awful.
Bottom line
Good food surrounded by bad everything else. Until they fix their policies, communication, and attitude — save yourself the stress.

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 5

Service: 1

Reservations needed

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

The best!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

My favorite place when I come to Southern CA!! Can't beat the view and direct beach access, and the food it delicious! Get reservations and go during the middle of the week for less of a wait!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Our family of five recently dined at Beachcomber in Newport Beach, and the experience was disappointing from start to finish.

Upon arrival, we were seated at a table intended for four people despite clearly being a party of five that booked a reservation over a week in advance. As a result, three members of our family had to squeeze into the booth area, making the seating extremely cramped and uncomfortable. This should have been addressed by the host staff before seating us.

Service throughout the meal was poorly managed. Our main courses were brought out before we had even finished our appetizers, which disrupted the flow of the meal and made the dining experience feel rushed and uncoordinated. Additionally, one of the beers we ordered was brought out incorrectly, which further reflected a lack of attention to detail.

Unfortunately, the food itself did not make up for these issues. The lobster bisque in particular was very disappointing — it was extremely thick and had a paste-like texture rather than the smooth, balanced consistency that a proper bisque should have. Overall, the food was mediocre at best and did not meet the standard one would expect from a restaurant with Beachcomber’s reputation and location.

Our total bill came out to roughly $300 for the meal, which made the quality even more frustrating. The food felt significantly overpriced for what we actually received. It felt as though the restaurant relies heavily on its oceanfront location rather than maintaining the level of food quality that the pricing suggests.

After we finished our meals, it took an unusually long time for staff to clear the table before we could even consider ordering dessert. Throughout the evening, the service was inattentive, and it was often difficult to get the attention of our server or other staff members when we needed assistance.

To conclude the meal, we waited an excessive amount of time just to receive the bill. At that point we were simply waiting to leave, yet the process still took far longer than it should have.

Given Beachcomber’s well-known location and reputation, we expected a far more organized and attentive dining experience. The combination of improper seating, disorganized service, incorrect orders, mediocre and overpriced food, and slow response from staff made this a very frustrating visit. Management should seriously review both their seating procedures and service standards to prevent other guests from having a similar experience.

I cannot recommend this establishment and would suggest looking elsewhere.

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 1

Service: 1

I have to be honest here about this place. My boyfriend has been wanting to take me here for awhile now. So yesterday he took me here hoping we could grab lunch, maybe get some fish and chips and some clam chowder. However when we arrived and asked for a table for two as a walk in. We had to wait about 10 minutes which is not bad, because they were transitioning from lunch to dinner at 4pm. We thought we would be able to grab lunch but we couldn’t. So we finally got sat felt forced to have to get dinner now, which was not the plan. But nothing we could do, had a busy day with life, errands, and doctor appointments. So did our best to make lunch! Anyway we waited our ten minutes then got sat at a middle table, when the entire restaurant at the time was empty. So wished for a better seat with the view. Then we get greeted by our server. We were starving so we started with just two waters a coke, and I have been wanting yummy clam chowder. So I ordered a bowl instead of a cup. Then we got these buffalo rolls. We were waiting for those appetizers to come out, then our waitress came back like 4 more times asked us if we wanted drinks. We didn’t want any at the time. So just kept saying no. She was trying hard to make that drink sale. But we decided we weren’t feeling it. So we continued to wait for our appetizers, still pretty empty restaurant. Then it got super busy. We had not seen or heard from our waitress. Then our appetizers came out 20 minutes later. Ridiculous. My clam chowder was so small, barely any clams in it and I got one tiny piece of potato in it. It was delicious but barely anything in it. So I was not happy. Then the expensive god awful dry buffalo rolls made things worse. They were tiny and just not good. But we ate it anyways. Then as the restaurant kept getting busy, now we were waiting even longer for our entrees. Insane. We were like the second table in there before the dinner rush. And another table got there dinner order first before us. We were pissed. Everything took so long waitress barely checked on us. Then we got our meals. I got the shrimp pesto pasta and it was not great on top of the fact it came out cold before the cold breeze even hit it. And way to much pesto on it. My boyfriend got the ribs which came with broccolini and cream of corn. Not that great either. Ribs overly saucy, veggies not good. Overall we were not pleased with this place. Everything took forever floors were gross, and the food was not great. The service was just awful. The view was gorgeous on Crystal Cove Beach. However this is not a place I would go back to. He just wanted to make my afternoon and experience nice considering going through a difficult time. However we were disappointed. I wish I could say it was better. But it wasn’t. I really don’t like making reviews like this because I have been in the restaurant industry before. But I just don’t like to waste good money on awful food and service. Spending $150.00 on a dinner not lunch with no drinks is ridiculous. Especially when it wasn’t even great. I guess next time I will just go across the street to Javier’s or just go to the Shake Shack. I wish I had better things to say. But I don’t. I hated that the experience was not what we thought. I hope they fix some things to make it more pleasant for people. I cook a lot and have eaten at great places and give honest reviews and criticism if needed. So it’s unfortunate we had to feel this way about this place. Also felt bad my boyfriend spent so much for a bad experience. But who knows maybe they will work on it more!! But I don’t really recommend this place. I don’t plan on going back.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 2

Service: 1

Ordered mahi mahi tacos and I was served with overcooked cold old Mahi which did not touch.They charged full price plus added %18 tip.We were party of six and no one really enjoyed the food.The manager did not even bother to come to our table.
This was Tuesday and not crowded.
Never go to this place.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 1

Service: 1

Now that I’ve had their beignets, I can die and go to heaven happily. Amazing!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Beachcomber Beignets

One of my favorite spots on PCH👍

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Went with work colleagues and the atmosphere and the food and the location made work so much fun! Highly recommend.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Great atmosphere, great views, nice food. Clam chowder recommended

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

The pinnacle cake is delicious. Salmon cooked perfect!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 5

AWAYS a favorite of mine and my family and friends so delicious 😋 😍

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

The food wasn't bad but the view was awesome.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 5

Very good food. Friendly staff. Would recommend.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5