Water Grill

We celebrated our anniversary here. Amazing atmosphere and service! They have an extensive Oyster Bar and top-notch quality seafood. Our waitress, Mikaela,was very knowledgeable and patient with it being our first time. We will definitely be back!

My wife and I had a wonderful experience at the Water Grill. We made reservations and arrived on time to make use of the valet service ($9). It was a busy reception, and we took time to lounge in the adjacent room while our table was prepared. I really enjoyed the design and atmosphere of the restaurant. They did a great job in capturing the essence of the nautical life. I felt as if I was on the wharf of San Francisco or Monterey. The servers were amazing and very attentive. Our server was sweet and professionally social. She offered up "off menu" suggestions of which we agreed to try. The food was served quickly and presented very well. It was a delicious meal and memorable evening for us.

I dropped in on a Saturday evening during peak dinner service and was seated almost immediately. The meal was very good overall, especially the Dover Sole - whole fish, expertly filleted. I ordered sauteed broccolini w/Chinese sausage and washed it all down with a fantastic Alabriño. The oysters are worth mentioning as well. Good meal, great service. Try Water Grill if you're ever in Costa Mesa and fancy some fish.

A really fancy restaurant, at least for me, the food was amazing, very tasty and fresh. The setup and the atmosphere are nice and elegant. A huge selection of wine and cocktails. Highly recommended specially for taking your other half on a date

Very impressed by this place!!! Food, service, atmosphere 10/10!!! They have two full bars in different sections of the restaurant that give two total different but vibey vibes…depending on what you’re into that day! I just loved the raw oyster bar! All the food was yummy as well as the drinks! Special shoutout out to the bartender because my girl was mixing it up behind that bar! The calamari was exceptional and I’m not easily impressed with calamari, and the croutons did just what needed to be done in that lobster bisque 😋🤌🏾10/10 will visit again.

The seafood here is excellent. Shell fish from the raw bar is always a hit. I recommend getting the mixed sampler if you haven't had any before. The clam chowder and lobster rolls 🤤 are also fantastic. Finish the evening with the bread pudding dessert. It's a water grill classic.

A wonderful experience! Delicious seafood entrees, great selection of raw oysters, and an extensive wine list. We throughly enjoyed our dining experience. I will think up a reason to go back.

Water Grill is an exceptional venue with outstanding service and incredible food! I’ve had the pleasure of photographing weddings here since 2021, and every experience has been seamless. The team, especially Angeline and Gina, goes above and beyond to ensure everything runs smoothly. As a photographer, I truly appreciate their professionalism and attention to detail, making it a fantastic place for both celebrations and memorable photos. Highly recommend!

Super chill atmosphere with an ultra friendly staff. Blaise was amazing, helpful, quick and thoughtful. The food was on point in flavor and taste. We were in and out swiftly yet not rushed as we were headed to a show at Segerstrom. Highly recommend .

This expansive restaurant can seat up to 500 guests, and yet, the curated nooks of dining spaces make it feel intimately cozy. The theme is nautical and for good reason; most of their menu is seafood-based. Reservations are highly recommended as peak dining hours can be a full house. THE FOOD. - Bread | Crisp top with sea salt and a soft, warm interior. - Oysters Rockefeller | Layers of plump oyster, spinach, fennel, and broiled melted Parmesan cheese. It's briny, earthy, and cheesy all at once. Highly recommend. - Grilled Broccolini with Chinese Sausage | Slightly firm broccolini and even firmer Chinese sausage. Didn't quite hit the mark for me as it was a little too tough to chew. - Crisp Calamari | Very tender squid and lightly crisp batter. - Wild Alaskan Black Cod (Sable Fish) | Extremely tender and flaky cod, swimming in a shallow pool of intensely seasoned (herby, zesty, briny) broth and firm soba noodles. It has an overall exotic flavor (lemongrass stood out for me). If you're looking for soup that warms the soul, here it is. - Wild Ross Sea Chilean Sea Bass | Incredibly soft and flaky, the sea bass exudes butteriness while maintaining its mildly fishy flavor. The butternut squash gnocchi is pillowy and softly chewy. HIGHLY RECOMMEND. THE DRUNK DRINKS. - Campfire Sling | Sweet and slightly citrusy with a smoky aftertaste. This cocktail is strong, so small sips! THE PARKING. Complimentary valet but $8 after 4PM. THE RETURN. Yes! Their seafood is fresh and prepared perfectly. I love the restaurant's vibe as well.

Exceptional dining. The oysters , fresh, our favorites were Cape Cod and Virginia, however, they have them from all over. Take your pick. I had a yummy cocktail from the menu, however I can't remember the name of it, but it had elderberry . Perfect perfection.. You must have the Parker house rolls with the sweet creamy butter . We enjoyed the limited time only salmon, however it was a little overcooked, served with delicious carrots. The chard octopus incredible. The service was five star all the way , in my opinion, a little bit beyond which we never object to. I recommend you make a reservation, especially if it's the weekend. It is an exceptionally large restaurant. They've got a huge bar area which I think we will sit next time. It looks so inviting. Parking is a little iffy. If you find it, take it various different lots around, including them all . They do have valet parking. Water Grill South Coast Plaza is yummy.

I can't believe I haven't been to this restaurant! The ambiance, crowd, service and the food were top notch. Clams with Chorizo appetizer was amazing, I could have just ordered that and would have been happy. Their bread was perfect. Their Chilean Seabass was wonderful too. Calamari was also good as well as their fish and chips, steak was pretty straightforward. I will definitely come back for their clams and hip vibe.

Second time here - and I keep forgetting how much I want to keep coming back. Great service, valet parking, I love the style, design and atmosphere of Water Grill. The menu is perfect size and the portions are as well. Only been for lunch twice - so I can't wait to hit it up for dinner. I didn't know what lobster roll is like better, so my boss and I split each version. What do you like? I prefer the traditional- but I'm not a mayonnaise girl. Fries were on point! The clam appetizer - I need to get my hands on that sauce and just soak it up with bread- that alone can be a meal. I believe last time I had scallops and they were cooked perfectly and absolutely delicious. It's so great to find a place like this, with everything on point- nice staff, comfortable and a shiek, yet homely ambiance. And a menu that you want to try everything and can't wait to come back and try more.

Another review! Water Grill never fails to disappoint us! We recently came back again and decided to try the sashimi ceviche special of the day that our server had mentioned to us. It was delicious! It wasn't what we excepted at all when it arrived, but it blew us away. Such a light and flavorful dish before getting our entrees :) As always, the service is just perfect! I couldn't ask for more

Great service, fun vibe and fantastic food!!! What more could one ask for after a day of shopping besides the best cOysters Rockefeller a stiff lemon drop martini!!!!

What can I say this place is one of my favorites food good service is great some of the freshest seafood around I like the sea bass & lobster roll my ribeye steak was full of flavor..if your in the area stop by here

This place was huge, the menu was huge, and the crabs were huge! Such a cool hip spot to celebrate special occasions. I was blown away by the seafood selection, literally everything you can ever imagine and then dozens of different choices of it! So many different oysters, different fish, live uni, live crabs, three types of sea bass. Oh my. I would def go back here again! Our server was great also. Save room for their banana pudding thing with the house made salted caramel ice cream wowwwww! Tip: parking is only valet which is $9, not bad. But can just park across the street for free and walk.

Always a pleasure. Service is attentive. Love the location right across the street from the mall. They do have valet parking. Clam chowder has real clams with their shells still. Nice not too rich. The salmon was excellent. The skin was so crisp.

Very charming spot for date night. We usually go to Water Grill in Santa Monica but this time we want to try at Costa Mesa. Food are perfect for my taste 10/10. Everything was 10/10. We cant complain. Service are super greats they making a convertation with us, and make sure we happy and welcome us as always and in any location of Water Grill.

My friend hosted her graduation dinner party here and it was exceptional. We had Ahi Tuna Poke, Oysters, and Dinner Rolls as the shared appetizers. Moving on to individual selection, I had Clam Chowder, Sea Bass, and Chocolate Mousse Cake. Everything was so good, I keep thinking about the Ahi Tuna Poke w/ crispy wonton chips and the Sea Bass. It is an expensive restaurant and you are paying for the ambiance and service. I don't love that their parking is valet only, costed $9. I will be coming back to try more items on the menu! ig: @cravingswithcat

Our reservation wasn't until later, so while we waited for our group, my husband and I decided to sit at the bar. We grabbed two drinks there while we waited. Once our entire group was seated, we took our drinks. The bartender, Water, was very friendly and informative. It was our first time there, and we arrived before sunset. The ambiance inside was great when the lights turned on, and it was even nicer when the sunsets. The food was amazing--everything was cooked to perfection. My taste buds were satisfied. They also make well-crafted drinks with a tasteful mix. I enjoyed all the different drinks they have. Needless to say was our first time coming here to celebrate a birthday of our family. Won't be our last.

Had an early dinner with my girlfriend after seeing a matinee at the segerstrom theater. We arrived about 10 minutes before our reservation and were seated a few minutes later. The Water Grill is always an upscale dining experience. We started with drinks and a crab cake appetizer. For our main courses i had the shrimp and my girlfriend ordered the cioppini. We enjoyed our meal, the server was attentive in spite of having a number of tables that were all seated at the same time. I love the ambiance, lots of fishing and ocean related decor. We will return.

We celebrated our Mother's Bday here, one of the Asian upscale restaurant. The Black Massachusetts Sea Bass is one of her favorite, we ordered that for her special day as it's considered as a healthy fish. The service is incredible, I don't remember my server's name but he is very sweet, he helps us with our personal cake. Very beautiful ambiance, we had a great time during the celebration. We are sure coming back again :)

Love coming here for the delicious food combined with the world class service. Our server Christian provided the absolute best world class service and I couldn't have been more pleased with my experience. The lighting in the main dining area is also very divine with the prestigious location across from south coast plaza. Most importantly Thank you Christian for taking care of my party and I and for treating us with up most respect and high class experience.

Service ~ STARS 5/5 Amazing service from Dina as we celebrated our engagement. Food ~ STARS 3/5 I went there thinking to order the large seared scallops and they didn't have them! The clam chowder was delicious but can be ordered at many restaurants throughout California. Others enjoyed the octopus (I refuse to eat a brilliant animal that I love!). The fish cheeks were unique but why have an appetizer that's the same as the meal???? The Mac and cheese was good but can be made at home. The ceviche was unique and made special to order, which is not an item on the menu. The beer was excellent. The oysters sample platter is the only reason why I would ever return to this restaurant because they are absolutely delicious. There are so many choices to select from when ordering oysters. Parking ~ Valet only YUCK! No thanks in this area. No needed! Get rid of only offering valet!!! I will return when I crave oysters. That's it!

Please ask the hostesses to smile and greet customers properly. No one knows how to make patrons feel welcome anymore, especially when we pull up to drop $$$ We come often either to celebrate special occasions or for a quick lunch date at the bar but lately, we haven't felt that special due to large party reservations not being confirmed (happened 2x) or walking up to the hostess giving you a blank stare. Yes, you can see we have children in our party and need kids menus please. It was on the reservation :) Ambiance: why is the music so loud in back section. So loud that I cant hear the server go through the specials. The servers are always on point, very accommodating! 5 stars to them. We love the live king crab but call ahead to make sure it is "in season"

Water Grill is one of those places that simply elevates seafood into a relaxed, upscale yet casual experience. The restaurant's nautical decor, open air, partially covered patio, and bar make dining a visually appealing endeavor. We enjoyed a citrus forward cocktail called the Rosewood, made with gin, limoncello, lime, rosemary and grapefruit. A perfectly sweet craft cocktail to cut the richness of the lobster roll I enjoyed. I have been here a few times over the years but this is my first review. I look forward to returning to try some of their delicious dessert offerings.

What a complete disappointment of an anniversary dinner! While the wait staff was on top of their game, I wish I could say the same about their food quality. My cioppino was beyond salty to the point where that piece of bread didn't help much, yet the seafood itself was terribly overcooked and completely tasteless - as if it'd been pre-boiled and then topped off with that salty tomato sauce (aka broth). There was no garlic, fennels, wine, or any of the usual herbs that would go into this dish! I think Red Lobster would've been better than that cioppino, to be honest. Not sure who ran the kitchen but experimenting with no seasoning on a classic dish was an epic fail. My family's meals weren't any better with their fish dishes! Our appetizers of Spanish octopus and sushi were neither good nor bad, and there was nothing exception about them in execution or tastes. We miss the old menus with fresh ingredients and consistency in the kitchen. Just as cheese typically doesn't go with fish, neither does curry powder, by the way! Ambiance used to be better lit, much more spacious with ample walking spaces between the tables, instead of everyone shouting and yelling across the space like earlier! Will stick to our usual South OC haunts in the future!

My boyfriend brought me here on our first date/joint-birthday celebration, about a year ago. We will be returning this year for our anniversary :) It is truly beautiful inside and it made the perfect date night! We started off with the AMAZING bread, unfortunately I forgot to picture it. Don't get full off the bread! Then, we ordered the Oysters Rockefeller. Which was such a delight. I love raw and cooked oysters so I knew it was going to be a hit! I had trouble deciding what I wanted and was guided towards the lobster roll (10/10 choice). The lobster was buttery and the bread was flakey! The fries were great as well. The roll exceeded my expectations. My partner had a surf and turf (forgot the exact name on the menu) with a steak with chimichurri sauce + lobster. He requested medium and it was cooked to his liking. The lobster was flavorful and buttery and was de-shelled for him. For dessert, we had two birthday desserts. Our birthdays are 3 days apart so we ordered the key-lime pie and I believe the caramel bread pudding. It was my first time there and the staff were helpful in recommending menu items and the valet service was very smooth.

A very classy and beautiful restaurant. We came here for a financial seminar and the food experience was excellent. Servers were very good at taking orders and serving food during the seminar. They would fulfill requests while being indiscreet while the seminar was happening. From the menu for the seminar, I got the clam chowder soup and filet migon. The meal also came with freshly baked sourdough bread rolls, creamy mash potatoes, and broccolini. Everything was super delish. The soutdough bread rolls were freshly baked and had sea salt in top - it was addictive. The clam chowder was chunky and hot. The creamy mash potatoes were buttery and smooth. The broccolini added a nice balance. The filet migon was cooked perfectly and was delicious. It's a beautiful restaurant, especially for a date night. I definitely want to come back for another meal.

Water Grill, is located across the street from South Coast Plaza mall. It looks beautiful outside. It seems to always be packed. A place to go for wonderful date nights filled with amazing food and drinks. It's just a dream. A burst bubble. A fantasy. It's more like it's just a beautiful place to be and that's it. For Mother's Day this year, the husband finally decided to take me, after I had been begging to dine here for many years. He surprised me when we drove into the valet parking. I was super excited with my jaw to the floor as I walked around and looked at the indoor decor. It is beautiful, absolutely beautiful inside. You can tell it is a high-end/classy/expensive restaurant. They have salt water tanks for the live seafood, a separate oyster bar where they shuck the shelled seafood. Nice, just very nice. Decor is perfect and one to leave you in awe at just how well the interior designer did. My head was on a swivel almost the entire time we were there. They had plenty of tables inside. To the left behind the valet, next to the entrance, there was also a dining area. This section I am talking about is the part you can see from the street. This dining space is more like a covered indoor patio, but you get the air from the outside and it's a cool place to sit. I wish we could have sat there with our group, but we were seated inside in one of the rooms that could be closed as private dining. We were a party of nine. Our reservation was at 4:30 and although it was super packed, we were seated after maybe 10 minutes of waiting, so not terrible. There doesn't seem to be a dress code which was great. I already figured this was going to be quite pricey, so I was hoping the portions would make up for it. We were served flat water with no ice. I had to specifically request for ice water. We were given fresh bread with butter, which is of course always welcome. What we ordered: 1) lobster bisque - too bad I didn't get a video of this presentation because it was hilarious. They put down a bowl with a few really small pieces of lobster and croutons. That was it. My daughter and I literally looked at each other and said "uh...whaaaat? That's it?" Then they poured the warm NOT hot soup into the bowl. We laughed about it afterwards. That bowl was more like a cup serving at other restaurants. The bisque was good but more on the sweet side. Some heat would have perfected the flavor. 2) spiny lobster - came with cole slaw and clarified butter. The lobster was dry...although my daughter enjoyed it. 3) lobster sandwich - per my other kid, this was tasty, but as you can see, the serving was very small for the price. 4) 8 oz filet mignon - juicy 5) pan seared halibut - on morels, gnocchi and edamame. Let me tell you, after seeing the other food items right above on my list here, I did not realize portion sizes were really THAT bad until the halibut came out. This was freaking small. Not only was it small, the fish was very dry. It was also very bland. I don't remember how much this dish was, but I was not happy. I was extremely disappointed, like you could hear my heart breaking. 6) sea bass - hubby ordered this. The serving size was also quite shocking but the fish was cooked much better. Also bland. 7) kids mac n cheese - nothing special but the serving was bigger than my own meal! I was jealous. 8) scampi - not pictured here. MIL ordered this. She is tiny and she barely eats. She was able to finish it and she never finishes a meal. - we had two other dishes for the other two at our table but I don't recall what they ordered. I wasn't able to take a photo either. We were still hungry after leaving Water Grill. The wait time for our food, even for the soup, or to get our fountain beverages took a long time. I know that it wasn't our server, because he was very attentive. It just seems to be a theme with everyone's reviews that food or anything else takes a long time to come to your table. Conclusion; I tried to make it look like I really enjoyed everything here because I didn't want to hurt my husband's feelings AND I had been hounding him about this place for years. He spent about 600-700 with tip for all of our food. I definitely would not come back. You pay for the location. I don't think the food is worth the price due to portion size and due to flavor. This was our first and last time dining here. I personally feel it's not worth it. I've been to other seafood restaurants that are way cheaper or even moderately expensive, that was worth my money and worth the calories. I would give one star, but because of our wonderful server, I'll just give two. -signed, a sad and disappointed foodie

My first time here to try for my birthday, and I was disappointed on the main entrees. We came in an hour earlier than our reservation in hopes that they can seat us earlier because we didn't want to end dinner too late. Unfortunately, the host didn't try to get us in early, we were seated 20 minutes after our rsvp, but we waited over an hour there. We sat next to the fireplace next to the bar to wait for our table. We got served bread and butter, and I was confused because we were just waiting to be seated. The server was trying to get us to order an entrée, not knowing we were just waiting in that area. We ordered drinks, and oysters while we waited and she gave us the check after we told her we were waiting for our table. Giving this place a 3 star because all the entrées all needed seasoning. Not sure if that's the point so we could taste the fish? Bristol Street cocktail : 10/10 Refreshing drink Bread and butter: 6/10 nice salted crust, soft inside. Gotta eat it while it's warm. Oyster Sampler: 10/10 Came with 3 oysters from the East coast and 3 from the pacific. All were really good and fresh Clam Chowder: 9/10 tasty, just disappointed that it only had 2 pieces of clams. Expected at least some more clams inside the chowder. Wild Pacific Halibut: 2/10 The vegetables weren't anything special. All tasted bland. I wish the fish was seasoned, but maybe that's why there's salt and pepper on the table? Fish was cooked perfectly though. Chilean Sea Bass: 6/10 Fish was buttery and almost tasted like scallops and had the texture of scallops, in my opinion. Not that big of a fan of the sage flavor. Fish also needed to be seasoned Kids New Zealand King Salmon: 5/10. Perfectly cooked, but everything was unfortunately bland. Came with sliced grilled zucchini. Dessert: 10/10. Not sure what it was, but it was delicious! It had 3 flavors. I love the one that tasted like oatmeal and had raisins.

We ventured to the Water Grill a few weeks back our teammates hosted us for a dinner. What an awesome space with so much going on - from the time we arrived until the departure the place was absolutely packed. We started with a few drinks - I sampled the Allygash White Ale which I had never tried and it did not disappoint! For an appetizer, we sampled the raw oyster plate and others tried the calamari. The oysters were amazing and were ice cold. For my main course, I ordered the black cod and it was served over soba noodles and a fish broth. I admit I regretted not trying the sea bass that my coworker ordered. I think I expected my cod to be sitting on a bed of noodles versus kind of floating. Overall, the food and service were great. The room we were in was a bit warm not a lot of ventilation. Looking forward to another trip to the grill!

The service and ambiance were absolutely top-tier. I started at the bar with Draden, who made me one of the best extra dirty martinis I've ever had--perfectly chilled and garnished with delicious blue cheese olives. When he stepped away, Angela took over and introduced me to the unforgettable Bristol Street Cocktail--also a hit. For lunch, I ordered the shrimp scampi, and let me just say, it was to die for. Even after devouring half, there were still plenty of shrimp left--generous portions and incredible flavor. I finished with the banana split, and all I can say is... mmmmmm, it was f*ing good. From start to finish, everything was on point. Food, drinks, service, atmosphere--Water Grill nailed it. I was full, happy, and already planning my next visit as I stumbled out of my bar seat. Can't wait to be back!

This Water Grill is a massive fine dining seafood restaurant experience with warm spaces, comfortable areas and a welcoming ambiance. The covered bar patio is up front and can accommodate many groups of all sizes. The service was very friendly, incredibly helpful and very attentive. Caleb, our waiter, was exceptionally magnificent and took care of our every request and need. He made some outstanding suggestions we followed and absolutely loved! The variety of oysters here are some of the best in Orange County. The shrimp scampi with hand crafted flat noodles were superb. It was very flavorful and buttery. The crustaceans offered here are some of the freshest and best you can find in southern CA. We have been to other Water Grills in southern CA but this BY FAR was the best. It's now one of our most favorite restaurants in the country. Well done Caleb and the Water Grill team.

Food: 4* (small portions for the price) Service: 5* Ambiance: 5* Value: 3* Location: 4* I attended a small event for dinner. We had shrimp cocktail and poke for appetizers (not pictured). I actually forgot to take a picture as it was so good. The shrimp was plump and sweet, and the poke was excellent. I had the filet mignon which came with a half a tomato and watercress dressed with a light dressing. The tomato was already salted and actually nice and ripe (in February) and the water cress 'salad' was really good. The filet was small but very well cooked and the perfect temperature. The Mac and cheese was delicious, cheesy and creamy made with Cavatapi. The dessert was an expresso chocolate ganache cake and house made vanilla ice cream. The cake was decadent, dense, rich, and chocolate-y. Ice cream was very good. I will return.

Water Grill helped bring a smile to my Dad's face that day. We had a late lunch here after having some Escape Room fun. Dad was extremely upset because he lost his favorite cap there, and none of us including the staff could find it. We brought Dad to Water Grill because he loves eating seafood. Water Grill had plenty of seafood to make him happy!! He ate to his heart's delight!! Actually, all 7 of us enjoyed all the yummy seafood we ate at Water Grill in Costa Mesa. Yummy food plus great service plus a cool sophisticated ambiance made for a fine time! The best part, though, was that my Dad's day was so much better after eating at the Water Grill.

I love coming to water grill, especially for some oysters and cocktails! My favorite cocktail is the Bristol street. I will usually order the oyster sampler, clam chowder and the Trojan roll or Chilean sea bass. I absolutely love the bread here. From my experience, the service has always been wonderful here; the servers stay on top of their game providing you with an excellent meal. The ambiance here is trendy and inviting, with fireplaces and beautiful decor. Can't wait to come back for another Bristol street and some more oysters!

Fabulous electric atmosphere. Seriously good service they pride themselves for attentive service. The food is always fresh and expertly cooked. I recommend their seafood dishes. They're always fresh as they have a seafood bar. Incredible wine list full bar you cannot ask for anything more.

If you're looking for an elevated seafood experience in Orange County, Water Grill at South Coast Plaza absolutely delivers. I came here recently and was thoroughly impressed--not just with the food, but also the outstanding service. The star of the evening was the Chilean Sea Bass--hands down one of the best I've ever had. It was super buttery, flaky, and perfectly cooked. You could tell it was prepared with care and precision. Every bite melted in my mouth. What really made the night memorable though was our server, Vanessa. She was incredibly knowledgeable about the menu, answered all our questions with ease, and made excellent recommendations. Her attention to detail and friendly demeanor elevated the whole experience. You can tell she takes pride in what she does. Highly suggest this place if you're a seafood lover--or even if you're just in the mood for a great meal and service. And do yourself a favor: ask for Vanessa. You won't regret it.

I loved the Water Grill! I had been wanting to come here for a number of years and finally made it over with a couple of friends. It was a first for all of us. We were welcomed upon arrival and were told to sit in the lounge area. It was a nice area to wait and the hostess comes to you when they are ready. We were seated at a nice booth. The business was at full capacity. Our server Emily was amazing throughout our whole visit. She answered any questions we had and checked on us frequently. Two of us decided not to drink this time and one of our friends asked if they could make a strawberry version of a mojito. They did make one, although it looked like a regular mojito with some strawberries. We did not order any appetizers. They brought us sourdough bread. One gentleman brought some over before our server appeared with some, so we immediately had double. That was good because it was tasty. One of our friends ordered a few a la carte scallops/oysters and really enjoyed them. Despite only getting three, it came on a large plate of ice and various cups of sauces. I was going to go with the swordfish since I like it and hadn't had it in a while, but due to some various recent frustrating moments, I decided to treat myself and I ordered the Chilean sea bass with butternut squash gnocchi. It was delicious. My friends each ordered a different type of lobster, one being the spiney kind. They were both around a pound and a half each (those guys are pricey!) It took quite some time to get our food but it could have been the live (eep) lobster and the fact that my friends asked for them to be deshelled. I didn't realize any place would do that but there were no issues here. One of my friends let me taste the lobster and it was delicious. We ordered a few desserts. I was excited to try the banana sundae with homemade banana ice cream. I liked the ice cream a lot but it had too much cake in it. Between that, and being full, I didn't finish it. One of my friends ordered the maple cheesecake and was not the most impressed and my other friend had a birthday dessert which was very cute, but I don't remember what it was. Our server Emily had recommended the bread pudding but none of us ordered that. We all decided that we absolutely loved the food but were not too "wow'd" with the desserts so we may skip that if we come back. The manager Alejandro stopped by as we were getting ready to leave and asked about our visit. I really loved the Water Grill. I loved the food and service and I hope to return soon.

Wow, what a great restaurant, food and service! All 5 stars and a great ambiance from the oyster bar to the dining area. We ate our favorite kushi and shigoku with a great wine selection. Our food was perfect and service was amazing! We will be back again and again!!

My friend's Dad was the builder on this place. I remember as he was building, he told me it was basically 4 dining rooms in one location. It's a beautiful space. The first thing we noticed was what a happening place Water Grill is. The entire restaurant is a buzz and every table is full of cocktails and amazing looking food. You can't deny when you see a tower of seafood on table that you are in the presence of an incredible restaurant. First off the bread and butter. Wow! Best bread and butter in the game. The calamari was fire too. For main's, we got the lobster which didn't blow me away and the salmon. The salmon was solid but farm raised. Solid food, amazing dining room, I would return.

Want a great, attentive, knowledgeable server? Sit in Brandon's station. He had wonderful recommendations that did not disappoint. We started with the grilled octopus (which was a bit chewy) while Brandon offered to get a new order made, It was Mother's Day and the restaurant deserved a bit of grace. Service was impeccable. Bowl of delicious clam chowder, two light fried fish tacos and a small chilled seafood platter was a perfect meal for Mother's Day. I took half my chilled seafood home. And don't forget to indulge on the rolls!! A couple of old fashions (by suggestion) incredible French pressed coffee and chocolate Ganache dessert rounded out one very delish meal. Kudos to the kitchen team, chef and wait staff! Would I come back? Heck ya!! The bonus? Complimentary valet before 4p.

Came here twice so far. Once for dinner after watching Hamilton @ the Segerstrom theater and then for lunch for Mother's Day. Both times, the service was great and the food was Muah! Chef's Kiss! We were seated very quickly and waited on promptly. We started with the Crab Cake appetizer (large enough for two people to share) and we also had the Cioppino (Fisherman's Stew) and Shrimp Scampi with Pasta. Oh! The hot freshly baked dinner rolls and softened butter was awesome, as well. For Mother's Day, we had ordered what's tried and true except the I got the Halibut. I had a good feeling about it. Most places, when I've gotten Halibut, it's dry or fishy - but not here! It was moist, fresh and it had a nice crisp from pan searing. Delicious! The decor is all sea and fishing related and very interesting. I liked the bar area, the decor and how all the bottles of alcohol is arranged.

This is probably one of my favorite place for fresh upscale seafood. Service is nothing but exceptional-given this type of restaurant. Make sure you have a reserve for weekends and during prime hours. Bar seating is based on first-come-first-serve but it can be challenging finding a seat. I usually get their lobster roll, king crab legs and whatever is fresh that's not on the menu. Portion is decent. Most are here for celebration or some type of business meeting.

One of the most relaxing places for a nice dine out with family and friends in Costa Mesa . The atmosphere is cozy with lounge seating near the fire place . Full service bar serving cocktails and drinks along with a flavorful menu . Try their Black cod and you will keep linking your fingers . Additionally they have the whole lobster served on a platter which was pricey but definitely worth the buttery taste .

Good place for date night or special event. But stay away from the patio bar as the bartender tends to be very rude and makes inappropriate comments the customers (see my edit below). The prices here are higher but they can charge it because of where they are, atmosphere, and the quality of the food. The bar area is super nice and so is the raw bar. On this visit the bar tender had a very bad attitude. He made several comments that were very uncalled for and rude. Update: After sharing my experience, I had the opportunity to speak with Elke at the Water Grill. I truly appreciate their prompt and thoughtful response, as well as their commitment to addressing the issue. It's clear that they value guest feedback and are taking steps to ensure a better experience for future visitors. While my initial experience was disappointing in terms of service, I do appreciate the excellent food and atmosphere, and I look forward to giving the restaurant another chance in the future. Based on their response, I have changed the rating to 4-Stars from my original rating 3-Stars.

When we arrived here everything was delightful and delicious. We came for my birthday celebration party with friends and family table of 4 by the big beautiful windows. The sixteen different selection of oysters were really fresh and tasted delightful like the ocean. Then we had the jumbo shrimp salad and grilled octopus which was equally tasty. Next was their Amazing clam chowder which was on point and didn't disappoint at all. Next up is the famous lobster sandwich with fresh cut French fries. Lobster sandwich is excellent but French fries were burnt and hard as a rock had to return for new French fries. The main complaint is with Raleigh our Asian server who didn't want to refund the Alaska black miso cod with soba noodles which was nasty and disgusting. So many things wrong with this dish. If you need to bring the manager then bring her. Don't speak behind our backs with other guests next to our table. We expect excellent service and attitude and attention to details and of course if your customer is not happy then refund their food. We have been here countless times on many occasions and this is the first time with a new hire from Maestro. Don't worry and everything it. Just call the manager on Duty and she will be happy to refund the customer. Very busy location on Saturday night at 18h00 pm and I get that you are slammed with full House Restaurant. However your service and attitude has to be 5 stars all the way with everyone you encounter tonight.

Service is wonderful, and the restaurant is beautiful. I don't love seafood, but I can say that their drinks are amazing. Whoever curated these cocktails is a genius. Not only are they strong, but they are also amazing tasting. I hate when I have a drink and it taste like liquor. Ew! They do a great job here.

I came here for a meeting so we were served a set menu with choice of appetizers, main, and dessert. Coming from the east coast I should've know better than to order clam chowder but I keep trying no matter how many times I'm disappointed. I showed my family the photo and my sister was appalled and immediately went on a tirade about how the clams are wrong and there are many different strange things in the soup. For starters, the soup was served barely lukewarm, which is a bad mistake, especially for a dense soup that tends to congeal. There were barely any clams and no clam flavor. Every bite of the soup also brought forth unidentifiable ingredients (veggies?) that didn't belong. Definitely do not recommend this clam chowder. The salad other people got looked quite nice. Moving on to the steak- it also came out barely warm and was overcooked. The meat was also gamey. The scallops someone else got looked delicious. The side dishes were pretty good though. The chocolate was definitely the best part of the meal. I don't usually like flour less cake but this one had a lovely fudge consistency and flavor. If I were to come back here again, I would definitely go for one of the seafood mains instead of steak.

Amazing date spot. On the pricey side. Water Grill is located in walking distance to segerstrom and is perfect for a pre-musical date. We tried the fish tacos, sea bass, and lobster roll. The sea bass was hands down my favorite dish! It came with cheesy gnocchi and the table comes with a nice bread.

Literally my Fav. Restaurant. The ambiance, the service and the food. Never have I ever had a bad experience here. Darren was an amazing server at the bar, actually all the servers were exceptional. Thank you WG for another amazing experience. You never fail.

We got the dozen oyster sampler, the sea bass, fish and chips, and shrimp scampi. Everything was very fresh and tasted really good. The service was also great as expected. The restaurant was very spacious and beautiful. The bathrooms were clean. I have zero complaints about this restaurant.

We went to WaterGrill before the American Ballet performance of Giselle. Restaurant has such a great reputation and they didn't disappoint. Service was excellent and always attentive. We had grilled octopus which was so tender and accompanied with olives,tomatoes and tomatoes. Two different types of sea bass (local and Chilean) asparagus. Everything was cooked to perfection. Dessert was chocolate ganache cake and key lime pie.

Establishment is classy, clean and comfortable. Staff was very professional and attentive. They provide bread rolls with easily spreadable butter. I chose the clam chowder and the farmed New Zealand King Salmon. For sides I had their Yukon gold mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables. The bread rolls were warm and fluffy, served with easily spreadable butter. The Clam Chowder was excellent, very fresh, and you could see all the ingredients used. The salmon was also excellent with crispy skin and tender, paired with an excellent risotto and sauce. Mashed potatoes were creamy and rich, one of the best mashed potatoes I've had. Seasonal vegetables were roasted and well seasoned, also excellent. Presentation for all of the dishes was exemplary. While I wouldn't recommend coming here frequently, this restaurant has amazing value for the ambiance and quality of food provided. This is certainly one of those "treat yourself" restaurants, so be prepared to spend some money here. TLDR: Excellent service, excellent food, excellent establishment, good value. Would recommend!

10/10 one of the best seafood spots I've been to in a while! From service to the food, I had a great experience here at the Water Grill. I came by last month to celebrate my MIL's birthday and we were so happy we went with this restaurant. :) We all shared the oyster platter and I'd definitely recommend it. It was refreshing to have a taste of different oysters from various regions in the world. I ordered the sea bass while everyone else ordered the sea scallops, whole fish dinner options, and a filet mignon (not pictured). Everything tasted great! From being cooked well to being flavored perfectly, our party was very satisfied with our meals. The ambiance and atmosphere was warm and welcoming. It's definitely a nice place to hang out over dinner! One thing I'd like to give this Water Grill location a shoutout for is their service! We dropped a birthday cake before entering the restaurant, and the pastry team was able to fix it up for us. I was so bummed that we'd potentially ruin a birthday cake, but was surprised and happy to see that the staff at Water Grill went out of their way to beautify it and ensure that my MIL's birthday celebration wasn't dampened. Thank you once again!!!