This was our first time in Newport area. Billy’s at the Beach was a recommended restaurant. I made reservations for boat parade months before. I spoke with hostess to discuss our seating location. A few minutes later, Sam Huber, general manager, came over to make sure we were happy and offered to seat us In the best spot at the time. He also offered us a drink on the house. We appreciate him doing everything he could to make us happy. We sat at the bar right by the windows with a clear view of parade. Tim was our waiter/bar tender. It was great. Tim was personable and very nice. We received excellent service. He chatted with us and told us about the area. It was a a great dinner. We ordered the pupu platter for 2. We both enjoyed it I ordered the Chilean Sea Bass. It was cooked to perfection. Husband was happy with his swordfish. Although he probably would have liked the seabass more. We both enjoyed the boat parade. I would recommend this restaurant.

Oh my Gosh, I cannot say enough about this little quint Cafe. The service and people were amazing and the food was absolutely outstanding. We had the breakfast sandwich and eggs home fries and toast. You can tell they take great care with everything that they prepare. Next time we are in town we are 100% going here for breakfast. If you are in town this to must stop by.

Booked Christmas dinner. Billy's is on the bay in Newport Beach. Our booth had a wonderful view of Christmas lit boats all over the harbor. Prime location for a Hawaiian themed restaurant. Totally a 5 star. Special shout out to manager Sammy for his special treatment, the Burkes are humbled!

Mike S

Great seafood very fresh,service was amazing view of the water made it extra special

Brooke Atkinson

Every Dish we tried was outstanding and thoughtfully prepared. The salad was a pleasant surprise, with a subtle smoky note that added depth and made it especially enjoyable. The setting elevated the entire experience—sitting by the window with a view of the water created a calm and beautiful atmosphere. It was the perfect backdrop for a relaxed and Seafood, Fish, Jumbo Shrimp memorable meal. Between the excellent food and the scenic surroundings, everything came together seamlessly. This is the kind of place that makes you want to linger a little longer and truly savor the moment.

lila boche

Had the most amazing lunch today at the Rusty Pelican, Newport Beach today. Our server Eric was extremely knowledgeable and guided us through what i would say the best food experience we’ve had in quite some time. Eric went so far as to bring us a sample of a sauce of another entry we were thinking of trying on our next visit. We trusted Eric’s recommendations and he ordered for us. I had the Blackened Seared Scallops and my husband had the Black Cod Flagship….both amazing!!! For dessert we had the Cream Brûlées. Thank You, ERIC!!!! We will see you again Lila & Dave

Pete Rem

This review is solely for their Boat Parade dinner service. Make your reservations in advance. The busiest time of year and one of Newport Beach's most popular events spells disaster for last minute planners. We observed quite a few persons get turned away while waiting for our reservation.

+15

Barbara Mazeika

We were meeting up with an old friend and looked at the menu and thought that the rusty pelican would be a good choice for the evening. We were not wrong! The food was fantastic. The accommodation for for dietary needs was amazing and our server Jessica was a delight! We were sitting right on the water and boats decorated for a Christmas parade passed right by us. It was amazing!

Scott Alan Hardy

As usual when we go to the wealthy parts of Southern California it’s always less expensive Some of the least expensive gas is in La Jolla, California and some of the best restaurant dining for the least expensive experience is in Newport Beach oddly enough The Rusty pelican has incredible food but stick with their main menu. They’re foray into Turkey dinner for Thanksgiving was a little dry, but my wife ordered off their traditional menu. It was incredible and by the way tipping aggressively valet parking drinks, coffee, and too much food. It was like $150. I’m used to $400 for the experience in quality and location. We were right on the water.

+2

Nick G

What a beautiful location to enjoy the afternoon sunshine, sip delicious mixed cocktails, and indulge in culinary delights. We enjoyed a dozen fresh and briney oysters on the half shell, a wonderful goat cheese souffle with sun dried tomatoes, olives, and pickled onions on toast that was bright and refreshing, and for mains we enjoyed the grilled swordfish with sweet chili sauce and fish tacos on a very unique shell that I'm not really sure of the backstory there. As a side, we ordered the most perfectly roasted and crispy brussel sprouts laid on top of the same sweet chili sauce as the swordfish was in, but with a good kick of fresh garlic added in. All of the dishes were visually stunning, subconciously preparing the pallet for every bite. If you're looking to slow down, unwind, fuel up or self-induldge... Rusty Pelican's patio is the perfect option for lovers of fresh seafood and carefully crafted drinks. We almost chose a different location with slightly a slightly better overall rating but no ocean view... And we're happy we didn't. Rusty Pelican phenominal food, drinks, views, and attentive service. This was our first time visiting, and we'll definitely be back.

Martin Roberts

A very nice restaurant on the waterfront in Newport Beach. Excellent selection of seafood on the menu, with a couple of steaks too. I had a 12oz NY Strip which was nice. Jumbo shrimp cocktail was good too. Nice ambience but tables were quite tightly crammed in spoiling the ambience slightly. Had to wait 20 minutes for our table for two, despite having a reservation. Parking was valet only.

Teresa Tims

I cannot believe this is my first time here after all of these years. Let me tell you about all the things I love I love the upstairs bar area and being able to look out over the harbor and the sunset was so beautiful today. I love the bartender and his vibe And I really enjoyed sitting at the upstairs bar. I thought they had a pretty good wine list, but it was mostly like all the basic things that you would expect a fine dining restaurant on the water to have so there wasn’t anything super unexpected there. And I did like the food. I probably wouldn’t want to go here again and eat the food though lol like it wasn’t horrible, but it wasn’t like oh my God I have to come here again and have this particular dish. But I really like the vibe upstairs at the bar. I would definitely come back to this bar and hopefully Joel is working again because he was super cool to hang out with.!!

Nikolaos

We had dinner last night. The host was very kind and she sat us on a table on the upper floor overlooking the water. Our server Cameron was attentive and great overall. The food was very fresh and delicious. We were celebrating our anniversary. Will be coming back for more. Thank you Rusty Pelican crew for a wonderful experience.

Wy

Returned to Rusty Pelican for a birthday dinner. Valet parking ($10) only but makes for easy "in & out" of parking lot. Restaurant was clean and inviting. Hostess was very amicable, efficient, and seated us promptly. Server, Brenda, was "johnny-on-the-spot"...very friendly with lots of smiles, efficient & attentive, and service was great. Food was excellent (took some photos)...oysters, shrimp cocktail, mushrooms, scallops, swordfish, & salmon. In my opinion, the food was prepared properly and tasty. Overall experience for this birthday dinner was excellent and memorable.

+2

Victor-Luke Agbeibor

Great seafood restaurant in the Newport Beach area. Their prices are more reasonable than the surrounding dinner options. Highly recommend the salmon, cod, or seafood pasta. The portion sizes were surprisingly generous (relatively speaking). They also offer a very extensive wine menu and a variety of great cocktails. The only real menu limitation was their sides offering - Most of the good sides were considered “shareables” and, consequently, were much more expensive. Keep in mind that they only do valet parking but there’s street parking adjacent to the restaurant. We came 40 minutes before close but the service was excellent and the restaurant had an ambiance that made it great for any type of occasion (still slightly on the more formal side). Great views of the water so would definitely recommend that you request outdoor seating in advance if possible!

+9

Irene D

I almost never write reviews, but I felt compelled to after such a wonderful experience at this restaurant. We had made our reservation about three weeks in advance to celebrate my birthday, and although the night didn’t go exactly as planned at first, it ended up being incredible thanks to the amazing staff. When we arrived, we were told there were a few large banquets ahead of us. The hostess was initially a bit curt when explaining the delay and mentioned they'd try to honor our window seating request, which left me slightly concerned. However, we went upstairs for a cocktail while we waited, and that’s when everything turned around. Our bartender, Allison, was phenomenal. She made some of the best cocktails we’ve had and was so warm and professional. It really set the tone for the evening. Though we waited about 45 minutes past our reservation time, the hostess later apologized sincerely, and to our surprise, we were seated by the window as requested. Our server Jordan was equally amazing—so kind, attentive, and professional. Multiple staff members apologized for the delay and honestly, I wasn’t upset at all because they were so genuine and accommodating. Jordan went above and beyond to make the night special. He even took a significant amount off our bill as a gesture of goodwill. The service throughout was truly impeccable, and the food? Absolutely delicious. The lobster was juicy, flavorful, and cooked perfectly. I savored every bite. In a world where it’s easy to get frustrated, I was just grateful for a night out and truly impressed with how much the staff cared. Thank you all for making my birthday so memorable. We will definitely be coming back.

Amenita T

I love ocean/beach view restaurants. And this one located in Newport Beach, Ca. Love their garlic bread. And enjoy the ocean front view while sipping on the yummy cocktails. My fav place to go. Staffs were nice.

+1

Yassi Sadri

Love love loved this place. First the biggest shout out to Sam our waitress, she simply was AMAZING. Fast, responsive, and nice. The food was perfect, started with garlic bread: served warm, garlicky, buttery and simply yummy. We tried the seafood pasta and chicken piccata which both had the most delicious sauce (lick the plate deliciousness level), the grilled sea bass was simple yet cooked to perfection. We finished with a to-die-for warm flourless chocolate cake with raspberry coulis served with a giant scoop of vanilla ice cream. If I could come up with one complain that would be the kids burger was too plain and dry but good size.. The other downside is that you have to valet the car for $8 (no self parking) and the valet staff have a bit of attitude. Overall I cannot wait to go back and try more of their menu.

+3

Mary Ng

Incredible experience here. Our dinner was amazing from the shrimp starter to the fresh and delicious fish entrees (plus shared risotto and brussel sprouts) to the complimentary birthday cheese cake... everything was perfect. All topped off by the beautiful view of the marina and attentive and informative waiter. Highlight of our first trip to Newport Beach!

+1

Came here to have lunch with a friend visiting from NY. We had a reservation at 11:30 and were seated right away. Blake our server was very knowledgeable about the dishes and was super attentive! The…

Came here to have lunch with a friend visiting from NY. We had a reservation at 11:30 and were seated right away. Blake our server was very knowledgeable about the dishes and was super attentive! T…

Came here to have lunch with a friend visiting from NY. We had a reservation at 11:30 and were seated right away. Blake our server was very knowledgeable about the dishes and was super attentive! T…

We ordered the crab cakes, lobster mac and cheese, crab bisque, and the lobster tail with steak everything was absolutely delicious. The flavors were rich and perfectly prepared.\nThe service and amb…

We ordered the crab cakes, lobster mac and cheese, crab bisque, and the lobster tail with steak everything was absolutely delicious. The flavors were rich and perfectly prepared.\nThe…

Came here for lunch on a Monday. Beautiful ocean views. Mind you, patio seating may be in the sun and warm, even inside people were complaining of the direct sun heat.\n\nOur waitress was super fri…

Great food! Million dollar view reasonable prices. A great PCH restaurant that will not disappoint

I always have great time coming here. The food is great, price is reasonable, ambiance is nice day or night.

Food quality amazing. Was a bit pricey but worth it. Valet parking for like $8. Right on the ocean. Great date place. Had an upstairs bar with a huge floor but was occupied when we went there. Othe…

This was an excellent choice for great seafood and a sunset view. Highly recommend. I had salmon prepared perfectly as ordered and chocolate cake as dessert. The sunset view and sky was breathtaking

This was an excellent choice for great seafood and a sunset view. Highly recommend. I had salmon prepared perfectly as ordered and chocolate cake as dessert. The sunset view and sky was b…

This was an excellent choice for great seafood and a sunset view. Highly recommend. I had salmon prepared perfectly as ordered and chocolate cake as dessert. The sunset view and sky was breathtak…

This was an excellent choice for great seafood and a sunset view. Highly recommend. I had salmon prepared perfectly as ordered and chocolate cake as dessert. The sunset view and sky was breatht…

Our experience at the Rusty Pelican in Newport Beach was fabulous. We went to celebrate my nephew and his wife’s wedding anniversary. Bianca was our waitress and she was absolutely amazing. She got…

A lovely place with excellent cuisine and attentive, yet unobtrusive staff. We’ve come back several times already. Special thanks for the crème brûlée!

Excellent service, food and view! Special birthday dinner. scallops were amazing and the filet mignon was melt in your mouth! Plus they surprised us with complimentary birthday cheeseca…

Excellent service, food and view! Special birthday dinner. Scallops were amazing and the filet mignon was melt in your mouth! Plus they surprised us with complimentary birthday cheesecake!

Excellent service, food and view! Special birthday dinner. scallops were amazing and the filet mignon was melt in your mouth! Plus they surprised us with complimentary birthday cheesecake!

Excellent service with Habib. The food was mouth watering good. I enjoyed the Rusty Mai Tai and salmon with lobster sauce, delicious! The view of the water is perfect.

Excellent service with Habib. The food was mouth watering good. I enjoyed the Rusty Mai Tai and salmon with lobster sauce, delicious! The view of the water is perfect.

Excellent service with Habib. The food was mouth watering good. I enjoyed the Rusty Mai Tai and salmon with lobster sauce, delicious! The view of the water is perfect.

Great family dinner we had this past week, we ate outside on the patio . Perfect weather and amazing service ! Can’t wait to come back

Great place for seafood! We had chipotle shrimp, salmon, and sea bass. Everything was delicious! The service was great! Right on the water with wonderful views.

Enjoy stopping here once in a while. The staff is always very attentive and the food is very good. It’s expensive, but for a restaurant on the water on PCH I guess that’s what you would expect.

The food, service, ambiance and view are all phenomenal! Paige was our server and was very accommodating and knowledgeable. We can’t wait to go back again!

Had a dinner reservation for two last Saturday. This restaurant is very popular and was extremely busy. We were lucky as first time visitors and were seated outside over the water with a view of …

Jordan greeted us right away and with a genuine smile! He was attentive and helpful but not overbearing. The food was absolutely delicious, we didn't have to wait long and it was fresh! We will def…

What a memorable dining experience from beginning to end! A welcoming smile from Grace at the front desk, confirming our reservation and providing her personal attention to secure our table prefer…

Overall it was a good time. Seating was a little cramped and chairs were old and wobbly. Live music was really loud especially if you’re seated close like we were. Even though we had a reservation and the restaurant wasn’t at capacity we still waited to be seated for about 10 minutes. Street parking is minimal and hard to get so I always resort to valet parking!

I'll give the food 3 1/2 *s. Mai Tai is good. I like their clam chowder, a little different than others but tasty and a good portion. The fish tacos are a meh for me who have had many great fish tacos. The atmosphere is great - casual, friendly employees, fast service and you can just sit and relax with the harbor view and seals. Noise levels may be a little high but doesn't bother me. Parking valet (not sure if they have regular parking) is $10. Not a big parking shared with 2 restaurants so valet parking will be better if you don't mind paying the $10.

So there’s a whole row of these restaurants along the bay and we ended up at Billy’s. We came bc of the tiki vibes and reasonable pricing. So my complaints are the drinks were too sugary and not boozy enough and the food was decent but I thought the ribs were overcooked. The service was very attentive with perfect timing. As a whole, it was good but I probably won’t be back anytime soon. There’s better options for tiki.

Rode our bikes here for happy hour food. It was quite busy on the bar patio since the sun finally came out and it’s the first weekend of summer. We grabbed a nice big corner spot. The boys ordered mai tai’s, I got a glass of wine and my friend got an espresso martini. The martini was SO good. We ordered chowder fries, fried green beans, calamari, sausage & peppers and chicken skewers. Personal, Not a fan of the chowder fries. I don’t like soggy fries. The green beans were the bomb! They had 3 sauces served with them but the ranch was the best. Calamari was also delicious as well as the sausage & peppers. The chicken skewers were pathetic. They were the size of my pinky finger, barely any chicken. And for $12?!? They should be embarrassed to serve it. I’d take it off the menu or try to increase the size! Ambiance is amazing here, serving staff is great. Always a fun place to hang out!

Billy’s was pretty good, a little pricey for the quality but you’re paying for the atmosphere. Overall recommend for a chill date spot, or a good hangout. Coconut shrimp were bomb, and the tacos were solid.

They had parking for the Duffy. Food and service was good. Happy hour food is not great. Has an outside bar and outdoor seating for meals. They also have a brunch menu.

Crystal Anderson

Oysters were amazing, calamari decadent and fish was unfortunately overcooked. We got the swordfish and seabass which both were dry. The crème brûlée cheesecake was also dry but flavorful. The view was beautiful on the harbor. It was overpriced for the quantity.

+1

I came here years ago, and came back again last year. I have to say I am pleasantly surprised by those little restaurant. Beautiful views which you can't beat. The parking lot, though is only balle…

I came here years ago, and came back again last year. I have to say I am pleasantly surprised by those little restaurant. Beautiful views which you can't beat. The parking lot, though is only balle…

We came here to celebrate a birthday dinner and unfortunately left very disappointed.\n\nFrom the start, our waitress (tall, short brown hair with highlights) felt very aloof and robotic, with litt…

We came here to celebrate a birthday dinner and unfortunately left very disappointed.\n\nFrom the start, our waitress (tall, short brown hair with highlights) felt very aloof and robotic, with li…

Still one of my absolute places to eat. The view, the food and staff is also nice. Can't ask for more. \n\nThe fish is usually my go to and the garlic bread is also good- not extra crispy but good …

Still one of my absolute places to eat. The view, the food and staff is also nice. Can't ask for more. \n\nThe fish is usually my go to and the garlic bread is also good- not extra crispy but good …

Still one of my absolute places to eat. The view, the food and staff is also nice. Can't ask for more. \n\nThe fish is usually my go to and the garlic bread is also good- not extra crispy but goo…

Still one of my absolute places to eat. The view, the food and staff is also nice. Can't ask for more. \n\nThe fish is usually my go to and the garlic bread is also good- not extra crispy but good …

Food was fantastic, we had a calamari appetizer and garlic bread followed by the halibut special and scallops. The service was mediocre at best. Very slow service to start the meal, we also ordered…

I had made a reservation for a party of 12 several weeks in advance. When we arrived, we were told we could only stay approximately one hour 15 minutes because they had a special menu starting at 6…

This two star review is based solely on the management's inability to properly manage reservations and guest expectations. We booked a 4:45 PM reservation, and upon our arrival we were promptly t…

Food never disappoints here ! My friend had the Cod and I had the Chicken Picatta , it was the best I've had ! We were not aware you do not bring a bread basket any longer . It was only 12:30 pm, s…

After another Duffy boat adventure, we hosted a large family dinner of 12 at the restaurant. First, Valet was very busy so it was a little slow to get into the parking lot. There was a small wait w…

We had an outdoor table and the view was spectacular. Our server was great and mostly attentive. Our food was delicious but when I explained it had arrived cool vs hot their action was less than I …

Our reservation was honored and we were seated quickly on a Monday evening at 6:00PM. The decor is tasteful and warm but tables are close together and conversations are easily overheard. Views are mo…

Our reservation was honored and we were seated quickly on a Monday evening at 6:00PM. The decor is tasteful and warm but tables are close together and conversations are easily overheard. Views are …

The food was tasty but the service was way off. Specifically issues: 1) I felt our server tried to upsell us at every opportunity. When I asked her about her favorite dishes, she picked the three m…

The food was tasty but the service was way off. Specifically issues: 1) I felt our server tried to upsell us at every opportunity. When I asked her about her favorite dishes, she picked the three…

Kara Norris

Small restaurant with covered patio that looks over water. Started off with great and efficient service, however they got a bit of a rush an only appeared to have one server. We got our appetizers before the rush but then were quickly forgotten when it came to ordering main entres. Finally ordered entres and then main food came out except for my nephews kids Mac and cheese. We had to flag down the server to resolve and it took close to 10min of everyone having their food except for my 10 year old nephew. Server did offer to buy us dessert but at that point we were ready to be done with the experience

the food was eh, i was expecting more for the price. shrimp were extremely tough and you could tell they didn't marinate it/care about flavor profiling in this dish. clams and mussels are amazing o…

Ceri Nelmes

Food was meh. We expected some great flavors. The seafood pasta had weird pasta in it. There was no smokey flavour as advertised. It had gooey, stringy cheese not parm. Brussel Sprouts were good.

+1

I came with a bike park on the side ( didn’t take any full spot for a car) and they trying to charge me for valet, ridicules I was go eat and drink next door it was awesome. I add some pictures of the bike where it’s stand.. bad experience from the parking lot I can’t imagine how bad gonna be the service there.

David Mai

Worst dining experience by far. Our waiter Jistine greeted my table 20 minutes after sitting down. She passed by our table multiple times without saying one word. We still had no water or anything. So my girlfriend and I had to wave her down and she told us “give me a sec”. She did not check up on our table throughout the dining experience except once when the entrees came out. On top of that when being seated our host tossed the menus on the table and didn’t say one word to us. My girlfriend and I enjoy eating out and trying new places often. I recommend you not to go to this place based on a service perspective.