There are some restaurants that you go to simply because of the location, The Beach House in Pacific Grove, CA is one of them. That being said, the food and the service, based on what we received, would NOT be a reason to go there. As a matter of fact, they would be the reason why you would NOT go there. Read on for the details.When we first got to the restaurant we were a few minutes late for our 7pm reservation, on a Tuesday night, but the very friendly woman at the hostess stand said that if we could wait 10 minutes they would have a better table for us than what was currently available. We gladly waited and were seated on an outdoor patio with glass wind breaks, heaters and a very nice view. Excellent.While we had waited we had previewed the menu and were very excited about what we thought was to come.The cocktails were good. And, although our very pleasant server could not pronounce the one that my wife selected, that did not change the fact that it was well made. Also, the bread served before/with dinner was excellent and, without a doubt, the highlight of our meal. Everything that came and happened after that was a disappointment.The poke appetizer was over sauced with a sauce that was too thick and heavy to begin with. And, there was very little poke in it.The clam chowder was so thick that you could stand a spoon in it.The sand dab dish, for which the fish was not over cooked, was tasteless despite a beurre blanc sauce that was flavorless and left the fish greasy; the rice and green beans served with it were extremely overcooked, flavorless mush.The cioppino came out smelling so strongly of fish that all the tables in front, behind, and to the side of us were commenting on the odor - and we were outdoors on a breezy night! And, although the stew was served with a very generous portion of crab, in the shell, with one large claw, the shell and claw were not scored or pre-cracked, nor was it served with a way to crack the shell, a spoon, or a shell fish fork. We had to chase down a back waiter to ask for the proper silverware and method to remove the shell from the crab, then he had to chase down the server, who finally arrived to provide a lemon wedge and nut cracker for the now cold cioppino, then had to be asked [again] for the spoon and fork; she then brought the spoon and had to be asked again for the fork. There was also no bowl provided in which to place the removed shells.The staff was pleasant, and that certainly goes a long way, but pleasant cannot compensate for the fundamental failures experienced during a two hour meal that cost upwards of $150 for 2 adults and 1 child. After everything that was done, and not done, all we can say is that if you want to go to The Beach House at Lover’s Point in Pacific Grove, Enjoy the view, and the pleasant staff, have a cocktail and some bread, then go somewhere else for dinner.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 1
Sabrina
Probably one of the best meals we had on our Big Sur road trip. The Filet Mignon Beef Stroganoff is a must!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Filet of Beef Stroganoff
Brent Smedley
Cool place, the food was pretty good but not off the charts, portions were small, and the service that night was
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 3
Carol Lee
Our waiter was Rachael and she was outstanding. There was 8 of us and 4 of us were turning 70 so we were pretty rambunctious we'll say. Racheal was so much fun and patient. I shared the lamb chops and the bararta salad with my partner and they were great. The lamb was cooked perfectly. We will for sure come back next time we are down!!! Thank you Beach House & staff..
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We Ordered the scallop pot pie and fish and chips. It wasn't a pot pie, just a creamy “soup” with puff pastry on the side. Disappointing. The fish was overbreaded and the wine was so so.
Irene
Service was not the best. Not impressed with the ambiance which is unfortunate because it's a beautiful location. They need to make big changes to attract people. It was like eating at a pub. The beef stroganoff was terrible. Supposedly it was filet mignon but I can bet it wasn't. The meat was so tough! We sat in the patio which was so loud, I could hear everyone else's conversation but ours. Do not recommend especially if you want a quiet, romantic dinner.
ProseccoLover
Our meals were delicious and the service was friendly and efficient. They have some of the best bread on the Peninsula. The night-time views from our window seat, of Lovers Point all the way across the Bay to Seaside, were spectacular. We saw otters and sea lions, and a couple surfers.
Yuliya Bagaeva
I did reservation before my arrival but still needed to wait to be seated. Then, they had so many available tables with the view, but we were seated at the smallest table without the view to the kitchen:/The food overall was good and the server is nice.And we are not the tourists who us visiting the town! F they have that attitude towards locals how they treating the visitors of the city?
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 4
Service: 1
JulieS
Great quality food. Even though the online menu had a dinner item I was really looking forward to trying and the actual restaurant took it off their menu. So many options you can't go wrong.
Food was good. I order the jalapeño shrimp pasta but could not find or taste the jalapeño. It was still pretty yummy I just think it's a little misleading. Maybe the jalapeño was blended into the sauce. It was a slow night therefore it wasn't too loud. We were seated next to the kitchen and that's pretty much all the noise we heard. I do recommend this place and would come back again.
JMH12
Didn't feel like a unique restaurant experience. Since it was a large restaurant with many tables, I felt like I was eating at a chain restaurant. The service was fast paced, food was enjoyable, ambiance bland even though an incredible scenery outside. Just an ok place. I wasn't wowed by food, service or ambience. Total tourist place.
Alan K.
Lilly was amazing. Hostess was great. Salad and beef stroganoff was beyond my expectations. Good drink menu and great view with an ambiance.
They offered a chef's special and they didn't delivered what was on the special. Instead of risotto with Kim Chee we got white rice. They told us they were bringing a side of risotto and then they told us they ran out. The server apologized. Food was good but don't expect to get what you order and expect to pay the price of the chef's special
jeff
It was a very nice Valentines meal. I had the Mahi Maji and my wife the salmon fillet. Both were excellent. Server was very attentive. Can't beat the location at Lover's point on Valentines.
Delicious food, great staff and beautiful view!Can't wait to return!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Sunset Firecracker Shrimp Appetizer, Pacific Coast Clam Chowder
There are some restaurants that you go to simply because of the location, The Beach House in Pacific Grove, CA is one of them. That being said, the food and the service, based on what we received, would NOT be a reason to go there. As a matter of fact, they would be the reason why you would NOT go there. Read on for the details.When we first got to the restaurant we were a few minutes late for our 7pm reservation, on a Tuesday night, but the very friendly woman at the hostess stand said that if we could wait 10 minutes they would have a better table for us than what was currently available. We gladly waited and were seated on an outdoor patio with glass wind breaks, heaters and a very nice view. Excellent.While we had waited we had previewed the menu and were very excited about what we thought was to come.The cocktails were good. And, although our very pleasant server could not pronounce the one that my wife selected, that did not change the fact that it was well made. Also, the bread served before/with dinner was excellent and, without a doubt, the highlight of our meal. Everything that came and happened after that was a disappointment.The poke appetizer was over sauced with a sauce that was too thick and heavy to begin with. And, there was very little poke in it.The clam chowder was so thick that you could stand a spoon in it.The sand dab dish, for which the fish was not over cooked, was tasteless despite a beurre blanc sauce that was flavorless and left the fish greasy; the rice and green beans served with it were extremely overcooked, flavorless mush.The cioppino came out smelling so strongly of fish that all the tables in front, behind, and to the side of us were commenting on the odor - and we were outdoors on a breezy night! And, although the stew was served with a very generous portion of crab, in the shell, with one large claw, the shell and claw were not scored or pre-cracked, nor was it served with a way to crack the shell, a spoon, or a shell fish fork. We had to chase down a back waiter to ask for the proper silverware and method to remove the shell from the crab, then he had to chase down the server, who finally arrived to provide a lemon wedge and nut cracker for the now cold cioppino, then had to be asked [again] for the spoon and fork; she then brought the spoon and had to be asked again for the fork. There was also no bowl provided in which to place the removed shells.The staff was pleasant, and that certainly goes a long way, but pleasant cannot compensate for the fundamental failures experienced during a two hour meal that cost upwards of $150 for 2 adults and 1 child. After everything that was done, and not done, all we can say is that if you want to go to The Beach House at Lover’s Point in Pacific Grove, Enjoy the view, and the pleasant staff, have a cocktail and some bread, then go somewhere else for dinner.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 1
Probably one of the best meals we had on our Big Sur road trip. The Filet Mignon Beef Stroganoff is a must!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Filet of Beef Stroganoff
Cool place, the food was pretty good but not off the charts, portions were small, and the service that night was
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 3
Our waiter was Rachael and she was outstanding. There was 8 of us and 4 of us were turning 70 so we were pretty rambunctious we'll say. Racheal was so much fun and patient. I shared the lamb chops and the bararta salad with my partner and they were great. The lamb was cooked perfectly. We will for sure come back next time we are down!!! Thank you Beach House & staff..
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We Ordered the scallop pot pie and fish and chips. It wasn't a pot pie, just a creamy “soup” with puff pastry on the side. Disappointing. The fish was overbreaded and the wine was so so.
Service was not the best. Not impressed with the ambiance which is unfortunate because it's a beautiful location. They need to make big changes to attract people. It was like eating at a pub. The beef stroganoff was terrible. Supposedly it was filet mignon but I can bet it wasn't. The meat was so tough! We sat in the patio which was so loud, I could hear everyone else's conversation but ours. Do not recommend especially if you want a quiet, romantic dinner.
Our meals were delicious and the service was friendly and efficient. They have some of the best bread on the Peninsula. The night-time views from our window seat, of Lovers Point all the way across the Bay to Seaside, were spectacular. We saw otters and sea lions, and a couple surfers.
I did reservation before my arrival but still needed to wait to be seated. Then, they had so many available tables with the view, but we were seated at the smallest table without the view to the kitchen:/The food overall was good and the server is nice.And we are not the tourists who us visiting the town! F they have that attitude towards locals how they treating the visitors of the city?
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 4
Service: 1
Great quality food. Even though the online menu had a dinner item I was really looking forward to trying and the actual restaurant took it off their menu. So many options you can't go wrong.
Restaurantji Recommends
Food was good. I order the jalapeño shrimp pasta but could not find or taste the jalapeño. It was still pretty yummy I just think it's a little misleading. Maybe the jalapeño was blended into the sauce. It was a slow night therefore it wasn't too loud. We were seated next to the kitchen and that's pretty much all the noise we heard. I do recommend this place and would come back again.
Didn't feel like a unique restaurant experience. Since it was a large restaurant with many tables, I felt like I was eating at a chain restaurant. The service was fast paced, food was enjoyable, ambiance bland even though an incredible scenery outside. Just an ok place. I wasn't wowed by food, service or ambience. Total tourist place.
Lilly was amazing. Hostess was great. Salad and beef stroganoff was beyond my expectations. Good drink menu and great view with an ambiance.
They offered a chef's special and they didn't delivered what was on the special. Instead of risotto with Kim Chee we got white rice. They told us they were bringing a side of risotto and then they told us they ran out. The server apologized. Food was good but don't expect to get what you order and expect to pay the price of the chef's special
It was a very nice Valentines meal. I had the Mahi Maji and my wife the salmon fillet. Both were excellent. Server was very attentive. Can't beat the location at Lover's point on Valentines.