Café Waterfront

This is my absolute favorite place to dine in Humboldt! My husband and I love it so much we come almost weekly and always bring guests here. Food is always great and consistent. The service is always homey and we love the views. We even got our engagement photos done inside/outside the restaurant! We love it so much and is a staple in the community.

Finally made it to Eureka, dropped off the gear at Goban's Pilothouse down on the pier and went straight to the Café Waterfront for an Amazing lunch. I couldn't decide between the Turkey Sandwich or the Salmon and said ..just surprise me. Well, ..What a surprise! Smoked Salmon with avocado and cream cheese wrapped in smoked turkey! It was Spectacular! ☆☆☆☆☆

Best veggie burger ever!!!! Usually any place we go to, we get disappointed because of how oily the food is and that too with the flavour of re-used oil. But this place was more than perfect. Ordered breakfast burrito and garden burger!

I have one issue with this place. The clam chowder actually needs to be a lot better. It’s very inconsistent and typically not very good by Humboldt standards. Sorry guys but Seascape and Jacks have much better chowder.. I do like those grilled fish sandies tho. Yum And Sun morn/lunch is always nice and I love the crab melt. Very decent service typically

Come here on a Sunday morning, the way it was around 20 minutes. They took your name down and Will call you. The waitresses are very nice and polite. They provide you all the sauce you need before you even need to ask. The famous Humboldt Bay oyster here it’s so fresh and delicious. Also ordered a chicken fried steak and prawn omelette. Everything was super delicious. Highly recommend

We were driving through and decided to stop for an early dinner, we loved it! No wait time since we arrived around 5pm. We were seated right away and our food got to us pretty quickly! My husband got the chicken parmesan linguine special and I got the chicken Caesar salad. We also got bread and clam chowder to warm up since it was pretty chilly out today! Great service and food, and such a cute location. We can’t wait to come back to Eureka and explore some more!

A hopping little bar for old time locals with a brothel upstairs. Oh wait, that was in the 1890s. Fabulous history for this old building. The ambiance in the bar and restaurant area maintains the historic feel. Cool. The food? Well, the local oysters are creamy and salty. Very good. The main menu consists of mostly deep fried food. I tried the specials board selections. Baked Halibut, over cooked and dry. Linguini with chicken, overcooked pasta with a few burnt chicken pieces, and a strange tasting mushroom sauce. These were specials not well executed. The service was friendly and quick. So quick that I had the salad, oysters, and main dishes served basically all at once. It was as if I was being told 'here, eat your food and get out.' In a friendly way though. This seems like a locals place. I don't want to intrude. If you're a local to Eureka and want to hang out, I get it. It works. If you want a dinning experience, this is not the place.

not bad it's pretty good. the price on some of the stuff is a little over the top. but I do like how fresh the oysters are I believe that the oysters are the fresh in the area. absolutely amazing.

Unfortunately very low rating for food quality . Oysters were bland and the baked mixtures on top with cheese or spinach had no flavor at all . Was hoping that my Ceasar salad would be better but it was limp or ole lettuce - the Ceasar dressing was thick . The croutons were like the cheap kinda you get in a bad at Costco . This please use to be so good for seafood Thumbs down Go to Humbolt bay Bistro at seagrill Overall was of money -

We were enjoying beautiful weather over the weekend so we did a stroll along the bay. Then decided to eat lunch at Cafe Waterfront. We've eaten breakfast here and it was very good. The service is consistently good. The lunch menu has several great offerings. We both wanted soup so I tried the spicy shrimp bisque and my husband got clam chowder. We decided to split a French Dip as well. Unfortunately for hubby the clam chowder wasn't as good as the spicy shrimp bisque. It was a bit thin and the potatoes not throughly cooked. The shrimp bisque on the other hand was really good . The French dip was mediocre but it filled us up. All in all, I think the fish and chips on other folks plates looked amazing. I would try that next time! There will be a next time to enjoy the view and the good service and try new things.

Food was great, everything was delicious, service was fast, friendly, good service, ambiance was nice, live music was nice. My family loved it, especially my grandsons.

After hearing positive reviews, I was excited to try this place. However the excitement didn't last long. The menu wasn't up to date, especially the bar menu. Everything took sooooooo long. In the end the drink was horrible and the food was just ok. While the staff was nice, it was hard to get anyone to actually help you. It wasn't the worst food, but not worth the price or wait. If I can choose somewhere else, I would.

This is a great little spot downtown by the waterfront. It's a small but classic classy. Great spot for fresh seafood, and a classic bar with a good selection of bourbons. It's a bit pricey, but our waitress took great care of us. I would come back.

I was shocked and amazed on all accounts at this restaurant. The best fish and chips I've ever had. I don't know how they did it, but the fish was absolutely perfectly breaded and crispy on the outside and moist and tender on the inside. It wasn't over season so you could experience the fresh fish and crispy breading. If you wanted a little extra something, dip it into their tartar sauce or cocktail sauce. Dinner salad and cup of clam chowder also excellent. Service could not have been better. It's so unusual to find a restaurant in such a perfect location with such amazing food. Usually the corner waterfront best property in town restaurant has the least exciting food. Not the case at all here. If you want a fantastic seafood dinner, Cafe Waterfront is a great choice.

Consider that I'm a traveler, who by good fortune had a Sunday afternoon free to myself with no obligations but to enjoy the day. I had no prior knowledge to the exact location or what the neighborhood had to offer. I had zero knowledge of the parking prior to my arrival. How'd I End Up Here? After a morning spent walking amongst the Redwoods and relaxing at Samoa Beach, the hunger kicked in and my fingers took to Yelp search for "oysters". The craving was real. LOL What Did I Order? Half Dozen Oysters On The Half Shell 4/5 Clam Chowder 3/5 Sauvignon Blanc (2 glasses) 4/5 Fish & Chips 5/5 So just as I wrapped up my day at Samoa Beach, I decided to call in and check on wait time. The call was answered promptly and the woman was kind, polite as she advised bar seating was certainly available and to come on down. Less than a 10 minute drive. This downtown Eureka neighborhood is great, so even if I had to walk a block, it's worth taking a stroll to get a sense of the vibe of this nice waterfront part of town. Parking? Street side wasn't hard to find, so when I drove up I found a space immediately just across the street. This same street, I saw a horse drawn carriage trotting down. That's a vibe. Entering in: I was greeted right away. I said, "Bar seat please" she's said, "right this way." Water was poured, menus were set down. Let the good times begin. Oysters to me, means "Wine please" and so the Sauvignon Blanc was ordered followed by the oysters. The flavors were all very fresh and the accompaniments were straight forward. If this were any indication of how the chef approaches the culinary art, I knew I had to try the clam chowder and the fish & chips. I put that order in and before I could get half way through my 2nd glass of wine, the hot food arrived. Great timing. Clam Chowder had a nice taste however with cities like SF, Crescent City, Portland and Seattle all in the Northwest, there's still some room for improvement for Clam chowder at Cafe Waterfront. Then again, maybe that's my problem, I happen to travel a lot and fine dine thus my Clam Chowder bar may be a little high. What I do know for certain though, is that the Fish & Chips here were FANTASTIC. Overall: My gut called for Oysters, and Cafe Waterfront delivered! There's nothing fancy about them, just fresh delicious and simple. Straight forward. I highly recommend for anyone looking for an oyster fix while in downtown Eureka. BONUS: While you're at it, try the Fish & Chips you will not be disappointed. When you finish, tip them well, then tap yourself on the back for doing a great job at treating your appetite to a satisfying meal. Go walk the town, smile, your life is good

Stopped by for dinner. The ambiance was nice. A historical Victorian style building with an interesting history. Locals told me to try the oysters on the half shell. They were out. So I tried oyster shooters instead. Definitely not as good. Ordered a calamari appetizer, it was okay. Tried a cup of clam chowder, it was okay. Had a local "blonde" beer, it was not very good. The entrees took forever to come out. I had the linguine and clams. It was okay. I went to use the restroom, passed by the tiny kitchen with one chef, and understood why it took so long for the food to come out. Other than the historic building, everything else was just mediocre.

Good food! Loved the coconut prawns. It is limited seating so be prepared. Definitely not a big group situation. Fun for a date. Good drinks and cool space. Easy parking.

Mediocre at best. Used to love this place but no personality in the wait-staff, and the food was disappointing this trip.

Cafe Waterfront is located in Old Town Eureka in a historic 1892 Weaver Building that once housed a saloon downstairs and a brothel upstairs. For that reason alone, Cafe Waterfront was worth a visit. Sadly, the food here does not justify the pricing. The oysters on the half shell was fresh and local which were the highlight of the meal with their New England Clam Chowder. Both were very good. The baked brie was passable but I didn't expect it to come in brie slices. The shrimp cocktail was served in a whiskey glass with cocktail sauce on the bottom and bay shrimp on top. (Never saw that before!!) Specializing in seafood, I had high hopes in their special Cajun Mix Grill that was advertised as Pacific Snapper, Prawns, and Oyster with fruit salsa. To my surprise at $35.95, the prawns were actually 2 small to medium sized shrimp. I got one oyster and the Pacific Snapper filet. I am not sure how they defined Cajun, but the entire seafood plate was blackened with too much cumin to make it enjoyable. The chef and owner need to rethink their entree choices and execution. My guess Cafe Waterfront was an exceptional restaurant in its heyday and pre-covid. It appears to be struggling possibly due to staffing during and post-covid and still needs a lot more work.

The food and service were awful! I ordered grilled oysters (lunch menu). Oysters weren't even grilled, breading or whatever it was mushy, waiter didn't bring bread with it and salad was a joke with a slice of cucumber. My son and husband had burgers, just plain, it was ok but fries that was served with it was as they ran out... Waiter hardly spoke to us, never checked on us...had to flag down for another drink and to get a check. It wasn't that busy. Atmosphere is very nice, that's pretty much it.

We wanted to try some of the dining in the downtown area and stopped by. We were seated upon entering the restaurant as the space was not full. Unfortunately, it took 15-20 minutes for a waiter to pass by our table and ask us for our order. The servers did not seem in the best of moods. We left and did not want to order food as we felt very uncomfortable.

Ordered Shirley Temple drink and was flat. Waitress said carbonation was not working and has not been working for some time. They served a flat drink and said nothing until brought to their attention. Given another flat drink and when asked for a straw another waitress came with an unwrapped straw and placed it in my soda with her fingers. Was not a good experience.

Cafe Waterfront has been my parents' favorite place for decades. It is just as charming as could be, with wonderful staff, gorgeous art, a great location, excellent drinks and nice food. It is a classic and classy (but casual) place with so much history, and lots of people are regulars here. The seafood is fresh and delicious, but if you don't want seafood, they have something for everyone. I highly recommend coming here for a special experience!

As a resident of this area for 15 years, I brought my dad who was visiting from out of state to old town for his favorite fish, halibut. Service was great, and the view of the bay was really top notch. The reason why I am only giving 3 stars is because the basic, bland, half-assed kitchen performance. I ordered the Halibut special along with my dad, and when it came out he had the top fillet and it was the head of the fillet, not the tail. As was expected. I was served the belly fillet, tail end. If I pay over $35 for a Halibut special, I expect the prime cut. I do not expect the belly side & tail end half of the whole fillet. Which is the part you're supposed to use for fish cakes. Boo! Also, try putting some seasoning on the fish next time. Amateur hour.

Food is not good! Halibut cakes were mostly breadcrumbs and not cooked through! Kids had a chicken burger that was like rubber. Seafood is mid at best. Service was ok. Not worth $200 for 2 kids and 2 adults. Location was ok , across from bay but no view except for a couple tables. Really surprised people have higher ratings for this place. Much better places in Eureka to eat.

Don't miss this place. It is the premier restaurant in Eureka California. Five stars all day long and all night too.

Interior: Very nice, spacious, vintage, classy. Food: Good Service: Good Music: Thankfully, there was a live jazz duo that started at around 11 a.m., but prior to that, awful generic oppressive "pop" music. Why not some classic jazz or rhythm and blues?

Other than the location this place was bad. Terrible food and service. There are way better options in the area.

New owners need to hire better chef. Scampi without pasta made from farmed shrimp in a watery sauce was mediocre. Halibut was overcooked. Would not recommend.

The service was great. They were very attentive and friendly. The food was okay. We had the ribeye which was cooked perfectly medium well. The clam chowder did not taste home made. The salad was okay. The grilled snapper was under seasoned and the vegetables were very plain steamed vegetables and baked potatoes came with no butter, sour cream or anything. The oysters did taste fresh, we had both raw and grilled and both were delicious.

In spite of the negative reviews, we decided to try this restaurant. And it did not disappoint! The service was excellent. The food was excellent. The ambience was quaint and cultural to the area. We started with Bloody Mary's! Hubby really enjoyed the Chicken Fried Chicken and said the chicken was cooked to perfection! I had the Seafood Scramble which I thoroughly enjoyed! Don't pass this place up

I have enjoyed this establishment for almost 15 years now and was so pleased to return to it on a recent visit. I've been away since before covid and couldn't be more pleased to find it as remembered. Staff and quality were top shelf!! The standards on the menu & the specials were superb. We were a party of 6, so we had it all. Appetizers and entrees and dessert with coffee. A fantastic and marvelous evening with friends at the finest in Old Town.

My favorite place to eat when visiting family in Eureka. Quaint restaurant in Old Town. Great staff-yummy food. Favorites are the clam strips, chowder, and fish and chips. Don't sleep on the Bloody Marys. You won't be dissapointed.

Awesome and friendly service and treats you like a neighbor. The specials were delicious and the dessert was decadent. Definitely recommend the local wine it was par excellence. The owner was born and raised in Eureka, will definitely be coming back every time we visit.

This one star review makes me really sad. My family has been eating at Cafe Waterfront for 30 years. Yes there have been ups and downs, but mostly ups and this was a go to restaurant we could always count on for consistent great food. Well.... No longer. It is under new ownership. Over an hour wait for our meals. Fish and chips were cold, clam chowder was out of a can and salad was warm and watery. My sons steak sandwich was tough, cold and soggy. The servers really didn't pay any attention to us. This is not the Cafe Waterfront of years past. I let the server know we were unhappy, she said, thats unfortunate. I even called and asked to leave a message for the owner, she said they are under new owner ship, no apologies. Did not offer to have them phone me. The end of what used to be a wonderful restaurant. So sad.

This is an historic building. There is a lot to see here with the great renovation. Really nice. The service was pleasant and attentive. The food was hit and miss. Not cheap either. My wife and I choose halibut specials. Very well prepared and fresh. The sides were not. The menu said rice pilaf, but we were served dry long grain wild brown rice. Oysters are fresh, but there is a big difference in taste between the coasts with these. The shrimp was loaded with garlic. My real rating was a 3.5, but the servers deserved extra credit for being so pleasant.

Located on the waterfront in "Historic Old Town Eureka" at 102 F Street and 1st St a corner store. Beautiful brick architecture which blends in with the "Old Town" feel of this district. There was both bar seating, round tables to sit around six people, and square tables to sit up to four. Despite being more dimly lit when we arrived for supper, the large windows facing the waterfront supplied ample light. The place was pretty packed but fortunate we were accommodated with a table in short order. We ordered the the following: - Baked Brie appetizer - Dinner Salad with a vinaigrette dressing - Fish and Chips with a side Chili soup. Everything was very sumptuous and satisfying. I admit that my Fish and Chips were the best I have tasted in a long while. A crisp coating on the fish, which was freshly made and flaky. The Baked Brie is melted and gooey in the best way Brie can be. There were apple slices, a sweet honey sauce on one side and a chili sauce on the opposite side of the dish, offering a nice choice of sweet and savory. Because the room was packed, the noise level was a bit louder than I preferred but I can attribute the animation of the patrons to the events of graduation tomorrow. I was so glad we found this restaurant when our first choice fumbled our walk-in business. I would definitely patronize this restaurant again. Support your local businesses.

We stumbled upon this place by accident after the restaurant we had set out for was by reservation only. We headed towards the water with our appetites hoping to find something delicious and we found that for sure! Tucked away on the waterfront. Dawning large glass windows overlooking docked yachts. Crown molding, old stamped wall paper, dark wood, rich carpets. This place was very clean, especially for the tight quarters... We ordered the baked Brie appetizer with fresh bread, honey, chili flakes, and sliced apples. (Not pictured). It was absolutely delicious and the perfect way to start our meal! My mother ordered the prawns and chips. Very meaty prawns. Breaded perfectly. I had the seafood linguine...absolutely perfect down to the seer on my scallops...soooo good! I would surely return and leave happy!!

Sat quickly but waited over 15 minutes before leaving on our own. Was "looked over" 3 separate times and still our order was not taken and it wasn't busy.

I took my son here for Breakfast when I was up Parents weekend. Great location near the waterfront. The food was excellent with great service. The coffee cake that came with my omelette was absolutely fantastic. Good coffee too. Highly recommend this breakfast spot.

Stopped along the way to see The Redwoods in search for clam chowder. Perfect for a foggy overcast day. Ordered 2 cups of clam chowder and shared the fish and chips plate with daughter. The waitress was knowledgeable as I asked what kind of fish and she said it was a snapper. I am a fish snob thanks to my Dad and he would most likely approve if he was with us today. Went during lunch on Thursday 12/21/23 and it was a full house so host asked for my # to be put on the waitlist and had time to walk over to the local bookstore on the same block. Wait time was probably 15 min. Fish was fresh and standard fries but the tarter tasted homemade. Clam chowder was good just not the go to for a 5 hour drive. Friendly but not overbearing service. Overall experience was a nice lunch spot for tourists with a local vibe. We would definitely be back if in the area.

This was my first time here and I have to say staff was amazing and food was delicious. We had the halibut and oysters on the half shell. They bring all the sauces you need with the meal. I highly recommend this place if you visit Eureka.

Nice, quaint family owned restaurant. Very nice people but food lacked flavor and the burger was undercooked when asked for well done. Cook it more and was still pink on inside.

Our go to spot for Sunday brunch when we are in Arcara/Eureka. Great location with nice view of the water. Pretty good food with ample servings. Friendly service and the best music duo. Such a relaxing way to spend a Sunday morning.

Okay food, expensive prices, the manager is ridiculous. We had a party of 8, and they were accommodating at first (it's a small space and they pulled two tables together to seat us), but when the bill came we were told "one table one bill" out of the blue. I went to talk to the manager because it's just crazy to expect one person to cover all 8 people, and he took the check (after getting upset with me) and it seemed like he was going to split the bill for us. Then he came back and said he couldn't because he didn't know who ordered what. That leaves us too figure out the shorthand, divide this up later and have 7 people to the one guy who covered the bill. He says we were told before we were seated that this was the case, but he's the guy who seated us, and never mentioned it. The waitress was very nice, but she never mentioned this either. On trip of that, the "Monday Special" was meatloaf for $25. The other "specials" were $35. Not with the money or the headache.

Very good. Great service. Ordered off the special menu. It was delicious. Beautiful atmosphere. Very relaxing. I enjoyed my lunch with a friend

Instead of correctly battering and frying the fish for Fish & Chips, they bread their fish in little cubes and, I think, pan-sear or bake it. The breadcrumbs were soggy, making the fish slimy. The french fries weren't fresh (limp and chewy). The French Dip, which my partner had, tasted like cheap deli roast beef on a stale roll. The food was seriously disappointing, and we left without being full because we stopped eating it since it was so bad. In addition, they do all receipts by hand, which is fine, except the staff does them on the bar right in front of people trying to eat at the bar, literally taking up space meant for dining patrons. The staff was indifferent and unfriendly.

Best clam chowder I've ever had! Super friendly bartender named John and right by the waterfront and a lot of cute stores. Also the oysters were very tasty as well!

Come here on a Sunday morning, the way it was around 20 minutes. They took your name down and Will call you. The waitresses are very nice and polite. They provide you all the sauce you need before you even need to ask. The famous Humboldt Bay oyster here it's so fresh and delicious. Also ordered a chicken fried steak and prawn omelette. Everything was super delicious. Highly recommend

Arrived in Eureka late in the day and starving. This place was open on a Monday--yay! Sat at the bar and received excellent service. We had a shrimp louie & a steak sandwich. They were both excellent! Definitely worth a visit.

Man! Such a great spot for brunch!! Nice open area for seating, food is amazing and mimosas are heavy handed!!!

Would give zero stars if i could. 200 feet from the water and they can't do clam chowder. No claims no celery no potatoes no flavor. They literally served my wife some warm tapioca garbage. We won't be going back.

Should be closed until they clean their kitchen, a hazard to your health, so much grease it could burn down on its own.

Ate here for mother's day and absolutely loved it. I ordered the crab sandwich special with the spicy shrimp bisque soup. I recommend listening to the server when they talk about the specials. My only thing was the pricing was a bit higher than I would've liked, but the food was great and I will most likely revisit!

Consistent quality. Consistent service, Consistent food quality. Prices are average. Fish is excellent. We've never had less than excellent service. We live in Central California, so when we're in Eureka this specific restaurant is a destination for lunch. The food is just really good---without fail. The servers/host/hostess are friendly, helpful, and don't squeak when they talk (sorry girls, can't stand high pitched voices.) I recommend this restaurant.

Came on the recommendation of an old friend, who lived here years ago, but still visits town. Was worried by the lackluster star rating, but the dinner was excellent. Dining room is not too big, with attractive wall decorations and a bar. Wife started with a salad and 1/2 dozen oysters in the half shell. They weee local Kumamoto Oysters, and delicious. Salad was good as well. Entrees we're Scallops and the half pound waterfront burger. Had the cabbage instead of fries to reduce the combo footprint. Burger Wes excellent, and perfectly done, pink and juicy inside. Bun was toasted and complimented the burger well. Purple cabbage was zesty and delicious. Scallops and vegetables were done just right. Local IPA topped off the meal perfectly. Our server John was courteous and knowledgeable, without being intrusive. Excellent dinner, would r definitely ecommend

Well if you like getting your food a half hour after you ordered ,eat shrimp that is old and bad, and under cooked fries, pay $ 65.00 for lunch, then you should go here. One star is being generous