KaiXi Z.
Yelp
Big Sur has some great qualities to it--the staff were all very attentive, friendly, and provided prompt service. And the menu had a lot of different, general options. However, I came to what I thought was an "oyster bar" but left feeling as though I were in a quaint neighborhood seafood shack.
First, let me say Humberto provided amazing service up at the host stand. He greeted me with a big smile, and got our party of two sat quicker than expected! Our servers, Jun and Beth, were also very friendly and gave us all the time we needed to look through the menu.
The oyster options were underwhelming, to say the least. I absolutely love oysters--especially West Coast--and I was very disappointed that the only options available were "Gross"-Coast and Blue Point. Is this assessment a tad harsh? Perhaps for a general seafood restaurant...but shame, shame when it's an "oyster bar"! The wine list was also very short--(potentially even shorter than my patience for oyster-lacking oyster bars???)
Luckily, the shrimp cocktail had delightfully plump AND BIG shrimp! These were very good--they were juicy and cooked just right. The halibut, clams, and shrimp entree (pictured) was also pretty good, but the fish itself seemed like it may have been frozen, thawed, and then cooked. Overall, I can't complain about these items though--I still ate them! I should also mention the crab cakes seemed very good...they were visibly of real crabmeat, which who doesn't love that?!
Ambiance of the restaurant was nothing spectacular. This restaurant is situated smack dab in the middle of a locals casino in Vegas...it's not going to be reminiscent of a Michelin star dining experience--not the restaurant's fault though, of course. Considering it is next to a busy buffet, the noise level seemed reasonable still.
Again, if you're a seafood and/or oyster connoisseur, I'd keep "swimming" to the next spot if I were you. However, if you're not too particular and you're looking to spend a reasonable amount, Big Sur will still get the job done. At minimum, you'll get good service and leave with a full tummy.