Reviews of Moonstone Beach Bar & Grill (Restaurant)

Andy Olsen

very cool outdoor seating area. great ocean view. bar has good drinks. stopped here for drinks and appetizers and left full and happy. great table bread.

Christina Williams

My husband and I took our 4 kids (ages 12, 10, 4, and 2) here today. They gave us their "big booth" inside (we requested inside). The service was absolutely wonderful. We got there around 6 and were seated in under 10 min. After ordering our food for everyone, we had our orders within 15 min. It was SPECTACULAR! My husband's only complaint was that there wasn't more sea bass because it was so good! He ended up finishing the kids' food (kid portions were large). Before we left, our server brought little stuffed animals for all of the kids. It was a nice way to celebrate our anniversary. We will come back another time. Thank you very much.

Shelly Thompson

Excellent food and service. Eat here every time we are in Cambria!

TEF

A little pricey, but the view and the service are second to none.

Perla Tinajero

Love the location, loved the food and prices were reasonable. Best clam chowder I've had!!

Paul O

Great view. Great food. Cioppino is excellent. Wine list could be a little more varied.

brian henriksen

Moonstone Beach Bar &Grill was by far the best restaurant I have eaten at in awhile. Nancy was very polite and accommodating. We had a group of 14 and she was able to sit us at tables close enough together; all in less than 20 mins. My friend had the fresh catch of the day (Sea Bass) and I had the seared scallops with tomato basil pasta. Many places often overcook scallops and fish. Both dishes tasted AMAZING and cooked to PERFECTION!!

Cherri Metzger

I have only eaten here once, but it was fantastic. Great seafood, delicious clam chowder. Sat out on the porch on a cold night so I wouldn't have to wait too long for a table. They have heaters on part of the porch and a big stack of blankets for those who sit further out from the heaters. Service was good. I will go back

Liana McFarland

This was an average fancy place with good food that is a wee bit pricey. In my opinion you are paying too much for a pretty view. The staff was very nice, an the food was ok.

Taylor Rabe

The service was excellent, the food amazingly tasty, and the views and vibe were beautiful. A lot pricier than I was expecting ($50 for 6 oysters, a small bowl of soup, a glass of their cheapest wine, and lava cake), BUT considering it was my birthday and it all tasted so delicious, I’d say it was worth it. Probably the best lava cake I’ve had in a long time.

Vividora14

They have a great view of the ocean and the food was good but it was NOT worth the money! My husband, son and I went for lunch thinking that with the menu being mostly sandwiches, burgers and things of that nature, it would cost too much. Our bill was $95! We ordered a kids meal, fish and chips, and a cheeseburger! Neither one of us ordered alcohol or a dessert. We have a hard time spending $80 at any other restaurant having ordered all of the above with the dinner rush! The food may have been good but the prices will keep us away forever! I'd hate to know how much we would have spent if this wasn't lunch!

Tess Dobnerová

Nice place. We drove around and stopped for lunch. It was nice. Liked the food and the view

terri haddock

Service was excellent. View was beautiful. We only had appetizers, but all were very tasty

Neal Breton

Great views, good food and great service. Not a lot of options for vegetarian types but the seafood is excellent. Parking isn't great, best to find a spot on the street somewhere.

Debbie Livingstone

Amazing. Service and food.

Kirby Harris

I had the crab salad sandwich. The crab was fresh and the service was very good.

rory gilmore

Great food, cool vibes. Clam chowder was really good.

Sue Best

It was great. Good food and excellent service!

Earl Van Fleet

Truely a killer place over looking the ocean and excellant food indoors or out, you will love it :-)

Alexandru Stefan

Great atmosphere and an amazing waiter. Food was really good and the margarita was excellent.

Micasha DeSilva

Cute little stop in Cambria for ocean view dining. We stopped for lunch on the way to big sur. Lunch menu is a bit limited on seafood options but appetizers were yummy. The spicy mussels and calendar are delicious!

David Dolnick

I'm really surprised this place doesn't get glowing reviews on Yelp. As one of the only games in town amoung all the hotels at Moonstone Beach it was way better than I expected. We had takeout twice and went for lunch once, it's not cheap but everything we had was solid, freshly prepared, hot and delicious. Maybe people are upset about the wait, or that they lock the door at 9pm but I was pleasantly surprised, and I am a tough grader. Sure it's on the pricier side, but at least they put out a good product. This was not the tourist trap I was expecting given their location.

Ni Xin

I like it. It is very good.

Steven Hackman

Best dining experience in a long time. Our server, Ray, was excellent. Great sense of humor attentive but not over attentive. Very clean place very clean and right off the grill food, even the desert was hot, cake, Ice cream was... Ice. Highly recommend.

paul spybey

Nice place to eat,drink and watch the sun go down

MrBinnskinny .

Super Nice! Great food. Fantastic views. Romance overflows here! Ideal place for a date, anniversary or special occasion. Cheers!

Tyson Atwood

Fun, low key, spot right along the beach. They make good cocktails, but they are fairly basic. They always have a good selection of seafood at a reasonable price. Brunch is the best meal that they serve there. Great Bloody Mary's.

Zak Doiron

I'm thinking that most of these bad reviews are just coming from lousy, snooty people. I've been here everytime I've visited California. And the service, and food, is phenomenal. I wish I could give more than 5 stars. I've had the Seared Sea Scallops twice and it was the best entree I've had in my life. Recently I tried the Strip and Lobster and it was just marvelous. Steak had good flavor cooked to a perfect medium rare. Lobster was just as delicious as could be. You cant ask for a better restaurant. Well worth the price, especially with the view! Eat outside if you have the chance.

judith heck

Moonstone came highly recommended. So on a recent trip to the area, we decided to give it a try. Arriving at approximately 5:15, I put my name in and waited...and waited...and waited. As we sat, now alone in the waiting area and no one showing any interest in us, I approached the the host and discovered my name had been crossed off. We were finally seated. At that time, we were told that “Lou” the manager would be stopping by during our meal. I watched asLou approached and spoke with everyone around us...he actually looked over at us and walked away. If we hadn’t been told that the manager would be stopping by, I probably wouldn’t have thought anything about it. But we were blatantly ignored. Food was ok, but not great. I had linguine and clams. My friend had the pork chop. I would like to go back some day and give it another try...Moonstone has a great reputation and I think worth giving it a second chance!

Delphina Clark

Delicious food, good service. Def. visiting again next time we're in Cambria

Richard Patterson

Excellent food and service!! Shrimp Tacos and Clam Chowder were da bomb! Rp

Katie McColoch

From the moment we walked in to the moment we left, we were well taken care of. Service was great and fast. We have a 2 year old and a 4 year old which makes it hard to go out to dinner but our server was so patient with them and brought them out a treat at the end. We had a lovely experience and the food was great and was reasonable in price. The clam chowder bowl was amazing and I loved my seared scallops. I highly recommend Moonstone Bar and Grill!

Jasmine Magana

Awesome!!! Right in front of the beach the outdoor seating provides amazing views of the ocean. Heat monitors so the chilly breeze isn't bothersome. Only a 15 minute wait today, Saturday. The food was delicious! Lots of seafood options. I was pleasantly surprised to find various vegetarian options like these jalapeno cheese corn fritters. Parking lot was full but there was easy streetside parking. Definitely recommend definitely would eat there again.

Andrew Heine

Good service, killer view, full bar, decent food

Andrea A

Came in with my two young children. Even though there was a bit of a wait, it was very much worth it like their cute sign says! Tried the Bloody Mary, it was delightful! The special was a swordfish, very healthy and tasty which is hard to find. Very pleased with the kids menu and ice cream as well. Plus free WiFi!

jim musante

Come for the delicious food, and enjoy the wonderful ocean views. Located on motel row, along Moonstone Beach outside of Cambria. Open for lunch, and dinner. Choose to dine inside, or outside on their charming deck watching an occasional whale, dolphins or sea lions swim by. A full bar is offered, serving local wines and cocktails. I enjoy their Bloody Maria (made with tequila) served with pickled asparagus and olives. They call it a side salad. Wonderful selection of appetizers, salads, sandwiches, pasta, and seafood. My go to is the smokey grilled chicken breast salad, or grilled hamburger with gorgonzola cheese and grilled onions with sweet potatoes fries. *traveler hint, great place to dine with a sunset. Also before or after your meal, take a walk on the boardwalk, along the untamed shoreline.

Fiona Hinde

I understand it was a busy night but awful service and awful food with a ridiculous price tag

Robin Bakke

Moonstone is fantastic. I dined there last night with my 2 kids and sat outside overlooking the ocean. The food was incredible although I am not sure how I feel about all of the rules of engagement with regard to ordering sides or second courses. The food is pricey enough that people should be able to order whatever they want. The manager stopped by and checked on everyone which was a delight. Our server was very nice and took great care of us. The seafood pasta was amazing. They don't have happy hour which is a bummer, especially since the wine list was a bit pricey. We'll absolutely be back and it's worth enjoying this spot over heading into town!

Seth Howard

Great service, wonderful view, good food.

Kelly Black

Great service & excellent food and drinks! Great view right on the water! Would highly recommend this restaurant for lunch or dinner.

Christy Megalo

Beautiful spot with views of the ocean. Great drinks and yummy seafood. The crab salad sandwich was great, as were the crab cake and calamari appetizers. Can't wait to go back!

Jenny Hernandez

Stopped by just because it was the closest restaurant and we were hungry and we definitely don't regrey it! Food was good and not that expensive!!

Guy Smith

My wife and I loved our meals. Their roasted chicken is the best chicken I’ve ever eaten. (Sorry mom) For desert I had coffee with Baileys and Kahlúa, the perfect end to the perfect meal.

Deborah Cocking

The food was awesome, but what really made our evening meal, was our server Becky. Her smile and attention to a food allergy I have made our experience at the restaurant a delight. We will go back!

Haley Mackenzie

Insanely good warm bread and butter with beautiful views of the ocean, but all the other appetizers and sides we ordered were just ok and didn't have enough flavor to warrant the great reviews this place got (which we the reason we came here). Mostly seafood with expensive entrees and nothing too simple like a burger if you're with picky eaters.

Marija Zaric

Nice beach, close to very nice small town of Cambria. Not dog friendly, and also not so many Moon Stones can be actually found there.

Frederick Bustillos

Moonstone Beach Bar is a A+ place to go to. The service and friendliness of this establishment is outstanding. The food is beyond expectations. We tried the Caesar Salad and Clam Chowder and for desert had a I Irish coffee. Thank you for being so pleasant.

Jesslyn Koh

Tasty clam chowder. Must try the moonstone coffee!

Alberto Anton

Really good service, the waiter was helpful and cheerful. Good food we tried different burgers and they were pretty good, we specially liked the sauce they put on it.

Jeff Happoldt

Good food but weak beer selection. Watched the sunset from our table. How cool is that.

Richard Shemaka

Typical vacation town steakhouse fare. Paid $22 for a pork chop that was somewhere between unoffending and decent. The views over the beach were nice. There were better restaurants in town. *Edited to correctly represent the price of the meal.

D Hi

Friendly staff. Nice views. Attentive - great food. Mixed drinks are wonderful. We enjoyed calamari - pork loin with spicy apple chutney. Took home carrot cake and it was outstanding.

stacey perrone

Relaxing outdoor dining. Super impressed with the linguine & clams. Tons of clams. Very yummy. Bottle of sparkling was a wonderful touch. Calamari appetizer was perfect.

Renee King

My new favorite lunch place for clam chowder! Wow, so good! Awesome Ruben too! Nice patio seating with lovely ocean views. Friendly attentive staff.

Rohan Sudhir

Everything they served us was excellent. Highly recommend the carnitas tacos

Kathryn Elgin

The seafood pasta was very good however the clam chowder tasted like it had too much flour in it. The staff was curt and the restrooms where disgusting. Our waiter was short and wouldn't take our order bc one person from our party wasn't at the table even though I did know what the person wanted to order. There was poop on the back of the toilet with empty toilet paper rolls. Replacement rolls were just set inside the stalls which consequently fell onto the dirty floor- very unsanitary; trash and toilet liners all over the floor. When I notified the staff I received a very indifferent response. For a restaurant that serves several courses and is in the higher price range I would expect kinder wait staff and clean restrooms. I wouldn't go back to this place and spend that kind of money for this poor of customer service.

Terrie Cardoza

Food awesome. Service was great. Andy greeted our party and seated us. Our waitress Claudia went above and beyond for service. Thank you Moonstone Beach.

Paul Milano

Delicious chowder! And eating it while watching the sunset over the ocean from their patio was even better. Great stop on the way down highway one. The beach has a nice board walk as well to walk around in.

Jeni Brill

Awesome restaurant! They cook up the best steak. Try the rib eye for two, you won't be disappointed.

charlie lindberg

Lovely area. Great place for dinner. Food was excellent!

Sandy B

Moonstone is a fantastic casual restaurant right across the street from the ocean in Cambria. Great place to stop and eat and if you enjoy eating outside the patio is the place to dine. Well maintained patio with clean varnished tables and umbrellas with a okay view. You don't have a clear view of the ocean because it is set back a little on a bluff with the street in front. The plus side is that it is right across the street from the boardwalk and you can just go outside and enjoy a mile walk along the bluff with spectacular ocean views. I had the Crab Salad sandwich and it was the best Crab Salad sandwich I have ever had and I mean from San Francisco to the Chesapeake Bay, so the food is really good here.

Ziad Ch. Ibrahim

Must visit place. Food, view and nice staff.

Debbie Ricker

This place has incredible food!!! The best upscale food in Cambria!!! The view was so beautiful and I got to watch the sun set. The manager was incredibly friendly, and stopped at EVERY table. The server was also friendly and very prompt. If you want to splurge on a meal, this is the place to go!!!!

J.J

Definitely try the grilled chicken sandwich, it's so good

Terry BIshop

Great sea bass!! And the view is as awesome!!

Sabrina Negre

If I could give this place more stars, I would! Everything from the food to the service was out of this world! I highly recommend you try this place, you will not be disappointed!!!

Runze Huang

Nice sandwich place. Didn’t have much other than sandwiches though

Nicolas Dextraze

Good food nice patio a bit pricey

Jason Saunders

I really didn't care for the steak. Service was subpar in my opinion. On the plus side it was a nice atmosphere with a good view of the coast. Just bring a sweater or light coat!

Stephen Eccleston

Beautiful sunset (and seasonal Swordfish catch of the day).

Ed Hale

Beautiful outside patio for seaside dining... well prepared entrees and great bloody marys!

Nathan Chapman

Everything was outstanding, slightly pricy but worth a stop to treat yourself

Hem H

Walked in yesterday with 3 adults 2 kids in the mid afternoon the front patio was a out 20% occupied and the inside had maybe 2 tables. We asked for a table for 5 to have a few drinks and was denied as you are mandatory to purchase a appetizer or dessert. Since we had kids the only option was to walk up to the bar purchase our drink and sit in the waiting area and drink. The host was adamant about we can't sit outside or on a table. I would assume selling overpriced alcoholic beverages is way more profitable than an appetizer. In turn we left and went to another establishment. Definitely don't recommend this place. HORRIBLE SERVICE!!!

Joe Joe

Very long wait, food good, but overrated. Not a fine dining experience. Portions on the small side.

rhonda lillington

Excellent food, excellent views, excellent service! You can't go wrong with this place! Winner winner winner!!!!!!

Walker Shaw

Popular location for a meal with wide windows looking across the street to the beach. Convenient parking on the side. Bar service with a crisp service. Recommend with slightly higher prices expected for a location with a view.

Innkeeper Trinidadbaybnb

Moonstone Grill is easy to recommend for their great service, fantastic food, fun bar, and romantic location. Consistently one of the best and most favorite restaurants in Humboldt County, and indeed, in all of Northern California. Whether you're celebrating with a group, a special someone, or just grabbing appetizers and a drink at the bar, you will love it.

Bola Grande

Absolutely delicious! Drinks, appetizers, dinner and service is 10 stars! And the bill is beyond inexpensive. The ocean view is hard to beat anywhere. I’ll definitely be back. ❤️

Maxim Hodge

The place serves large portions and for fair pricing. super nice staff. Kudos.

Naz Stobe-Kirst

No reservations, but easy brief wait at the bar. The seafood and other delicacies are locally sourced. Our table had clamstrips (exceptional), calamari (ok), the white fish tacos (bursting with flavor, juicy and crunchy) and their famous clam chowder in the sourdough bread bowl (plenty of clam chunks, just a bit too salty, but restaurants do love their salt). Friendly and fast service.

Rae Zachary

We liked this place so much we went two days in a row! They don't take reservations but even on a busy night the wait was only 30 minutes. The staff are all friendly and very welcoming. The manager checks in with every table. The food was delicious. The first night we had the calamari, porterhouse pork chop and seared scallops with the spinach bake (amazing) ; the second night the jalapeño and corn fritters, seared scallops and strip steak.

Victor Roman

Excellent atmosphere,bloody Mary's, surf n turf,shrimp scampi, would have taken pics of inside but too busy eating! Manager came out to greet us-nice touch of class. Will return. Soon.

Aileen G

This is one of my favorite restaurants. I love the location (right across the street from the ocean). Patio seating gives you a great view of the ocean while you eat while listening to the crash of the waves. Cold? There are heaters and blankets available upon request. This was my first time there for brunch and you can get two glasses of champagne (complimentary) with the purchase of an entree. My favorite dish is the Candied Walnuts and Gorgonzola salad. Wonderful dining experience.

Bruno Gagliano

Wow! What a place for enjoying seafood, and they are so kid-friendly. The swordfish just melted away in my mouth - delicious. And the pasta sauce was one that really deserved its name. Not so self-evident at all in this corner of the planet

Iris Nicholas

Lovely place with absolutey great good. Can highly recommend it. No reservation, First come first serve. Have to wait for a table but its well worth it

Moe Moeson

The food was decent, but overpriced for what you get. Conversely, , the drinks were OK, and at only $7.50 actually pretty good value. Service was slow, but it was busy, so that's OK too. Where this place lost me is with the weird rules on their menu. There are three "courses", and you can only order some of them in conjunction with others. Sharing an entree costs an extra $8, and so forth. This all seems pretty customer unfriendly and really put me off going there again.

Fillipe Lopes

One of the best places i ever came in my life. Pinot noir is the best wyne of the house, and try the pork T-Bone

Brad Ritzema

Restaurant with a great view, great food, but somewhat high of a price

Mark Noack

Great view of the ocean. Excellent service. Great food. Plenty of parking around or near the restaurant.

Amber Saelee

Food was great, but the ocean view was the best part. Great for date night, had a romantic setting outside over looking the beach.

Graca Vitoria-Azevedo

I was in the mood for fish & chips. They were super fresh. The batter was delicious. The view is great and so is the atmosphere.

T Ralph

35-45 minute wait when there were 10 tables empty. I asked the hist what was up and he was a young kid but so rude. Told me if I wanted to eat I'd just have to wait. If I wasn't so hungry and there would have been a place close I would have left. Food is not worth the wait. We sat outside and there were 5 tables around us and 7-10 parties just still waiting to sit. Even my guy who is so nice and never gets annoyed was irratated.

Gonçalo Vale

Very nice place with a great view to the beach. Staff is very friendly and helpfull. The owner is also very nice and come often to check at the tables.

Steve Glennan

We absolutely love Moonstone Beach Bar & Grill. The food is always excellent and the staff is always fabulous! The manager is very attentive to the customers and goes out his way to make you feel welcome. We always make the time to dine here whenever we are in town for a visit.

Kobi Malka

Great food, even greater service.

Kristopher Swanson

I was disappointed. The view was spectacular. The food left me longing for more. The salad was tiny and could have possibly been made way in advance of our order to speed service. The strip steak dish felt incomplete for $32. It would have been nice to see a side vegetable at that price. I could have added a side but chose not to. I get adding sides at fine dining steakhouses where the meat is the star but when there is one steak option it doesn't make sense to me especially when the other mains come as complete dishes. The service was nice but didn't feel genuine The whole experience at this place left me feeling jaded.

Peter L

Hit the spot on a cold March day. Fresh seafood prepared quickly and well, cocktails with just the right amount of booze. Staff pleasant and great! Yum!

Jake Emitte

I have been coming to Moonstone since I was a teenager and it has always been my favorite place in cambria. From a clam chowder bread bowl to a steak dinner it's always delicious. On nice days it's awesome to sit on the deck and listen to the ocean while eating. They aren't shy about staffing so each server isn't juggling 15 tables. Over the years the staff seems to be well trained to be attentive when you need it and not bug you a million times when you don't. love this place and stop here everytime I'm in Cambria.