Moonstone Grill

Steph Lauer

After stumbling upon Trinidad on a roadtrip years ago, we knew we wanted to come back on our next visit. We were happy to find a last minute reservation at Moonstone Grill. We are big eaters and had a delicious and filling meal. The beets were great, especially the carrot chips. The scallops were on the smaller side but delicious -- loved the pea puree. The salmon nigiri has the fried rice sticks that are SO good. The tuna entree had a generous portion size, and my husband enjoyed the smoked tri-tip, and I was surprised how much he loved the tortellini. It's in a great location along the coast. It was foggy for most of the evening, and suddenly it lifted for an incredible sunset view. It turned more pink and lavender from this view.

Kylie McGinnis

The Moonstone Grill is magnificent! The views this restaurant has are mind-blowing. Every seat has a first class view of the ocean. We witnessed a sunset over the ocean that I will never forget. They offer a large selection of wines and a full bar. The food has a large selection of hors d'oeuvres, and a smaller selection of entrees. Every single dish is made with excellent quality. For our hors d'oeuvre we ordered the Chef's Board. It has 3 different types of cheese, strawberries and apples with an amazingly delicious side of honey to dip them in, various sugar glazed nuts, salami and toast. (Pictured) The Surf and Turf was mouth watering! You are able to get 4 different combinations of this dish. I chose the filet mignon with a whole deep fried blue crab, two scallops, and mashed potatoes with a glazed whole carrot. The steak was cooked to perfection and extremely tender. Everything was bursting with flavor. (Pictured) My boyfriend ordered the Seared Ahi, and he said it was also perfectly cooked with high quality cuts of fish. The rice noodles and 7 minute egg that came with it was a perfect compliment to the fish. The fish and chips was perfectly crunchy with plenty of fries. The beer batter is so yummy! Can't go wrong with this dish. (Pictured) The Chocolate Cheesecake and the Apple Galette were a perfect end to a perfect meal at the perfect restaurant. I'm not going to describe these desserts because you will have to come and taste them for yourself! The staff are so warm and friendly, and they are super knowledgeable about their dishes. Fresh roses were at every table with a romantic candle. I will never forget this place and if I am ever back in California, I will go out of my way to eat here again. 10/10!

Gabriela Cadena

Loved our first visit. Thanks Marques for your excellent tips and service. Best were the churros for dessert and the cioppino. the ginger beer and rum cocktail was delicious. Will definitely have to return.

Rebecca B.

Had the perfect dinner here! The view, food, the live music and service was wonderful. Definitely will be back and recommending. From the start to the end our food was delicious and nicely presented. Would love the next time we dine here to see the sun set. Moonstone is a definite hidden gem.

Diana Lustig

I attended Moonstone Grill as part of a wedding party. I was actually photographing the wedding, but the couple invited myself and my officiant/husband to join. The food was surprisingly good and the views were amazing. The staff was very accommodating for our larger party and even held and served the cake the couple cut at the end of the wedding celebration. I would definitely recommend this spot for groups both big and small!

Hugo Moctezuma

Had dinner at Moonstone Grill while driving towards Redwood national park. They have Happy Hour from 4-6pm, Mon-Sat, only with bar seating. We had the following: 1. Beets and Barrata (4.0/5) - tasty but too many beets in relation to barrata 2. Half dozen oysters (4.5/5) - flavorful and paired well with included garlic oil and other sides 3. Clam chowder bowl (4.6/5) - delicious and plenty to share between two 4. Octopus legs (4.7/5) - soft and well seasoned, not rubbery 5. Tri-tip & house salad w/ balsamic vinaigrette (4.6/5) - really enjoyed the salad and entree was filling 6. Orange soda (4.0/5) - no artificial color, and mild flavor We didn't have any alcoholic drinks but there was a full bar that everyone seemed to be enjoying. The prices were reasonable considering the quality/taste versus isolated location. The server was attentive and checked on us several times. They made sure we had everything we needed! View was a plus! Just know that it gets bright since the tables reflect the sunlight, if you're sitting closer to the beach area. Also there are flies next to the windows do to the vicinity to the beach (maybe only a summer thing?) but they are harmless and you forget after a few minutes. There is public beach access if you continue driving down the road used to get to the restaurant. Plenty of parking and very beautiful views, def recommend. If you have more spare time, also recommend driving up to Murphy's market through Scenic Dr. Lots of view points and views are stunning in the evening. Note that the road is a little unmaintained with some gravel sections but made it though in a prius so not too terrible.

Jeff Spellman

Best spot for sunset dinner Food was good portions large expect to spend $$$ but worth it for a special night out

Remote Adjusting Services

This place was FAN-FLIPPIN'TASTIC!!!! I came in for a glass of wine and a beautiful place to drink it. I ended up having a lovely glass of wine, the best poke bowl I've had outside of Hawaii (that might be an exaggeration, but it was really good), and the clam chowder. I didn't, but I wanted to lick the bowl. It was that good. In addition to that, the hostess was my waitress. (Bella - how appropriately named was she?!) She was such an attentive young lady. Very sweet and made informed recommendations. I hope to visit again and if I have an experience even half as good, it would still rate 5🌟s!!

Bryan Agan

What a treat! We stumbled on this looking for a place to eat after hiking all day in the National Redwood Forest and already going to Moonstone Beach to end the day. We were seated at a corner table overlooking the beach and WHAT a view. The food was first rate. We started with the beets and burrata and the coconut prawns. Next was a perfectly executed beef carpaccio and seared Ahi tuna (the mint in the rice noodles and the 7 minute egg paired with the sauce is inspired...) The excellent food paired with a first rate cocktail and excellent service made for a superb dining experience.

Great service and food! The fish & chips was the best we found in the area! The clam chowder was also excellent. It was rock fish, not the typical cod. I had the beet & buratta salad too. YUM! And to top it off, on our 3rd visit, we shared and amazing creme brulee! The ocean view could not have been more beautiful!

The server seemed a bit reluctant to serve us at first. But then warmed up as we ordered. Then also... When I chose something to order, that's what they were out of. But we finally got it taken care of. Most of the food was great. Nice seeing the Ocean as we ate. The interior of the place was not all that impressive and the food was pricey BUT very nicely done. A large dinner for me, but not that many options were gluten free. They also were not marked on the menu. Seemed my options were on the pricey side, except for the Cippiono, and I'd had that the two days before so didn't really want that again. But we ended up having a great time, and mostly good food. I had the Surf and Turf with the Truffle risotto. For the Surf they had run out of the item on the menu and substituted some tiny shrimp they called prawns...a small scallop on each end of the skewer ...all that was cold, tiny and disappointing. However, the steak was perfectly done, the asparagus was also very nicely done. The Risotto was SO good. The drink I ordered was changed because they were out of an ingredient. When it came out was only 2/3 full and sloppy looking. But all in all, a good dinner. Live music was also nice.. We were there on a Saturday.

Gorgeous views. Decent food. The mains are pricey for what you get, but it's still worth it to have dinner here. Nice pinot noir by the glass. Good sides and salads. Bread could have been fresher or spent less time in the oven. Great beetroot salad. I recommend not putting the balsamic glaze under the shaved carrots so it's not too sweet or soggy. Friendly staff.

Yes the food is overpriced, and the building is weathered. The service is very quick and professional. The fillet and lobster was a 5, the New York was a 4, and the Cioppino was inedible. The draft beer was nice and specialty cocktails delicious. Not many high end restaurants in the area, but I am glad I experienced this restaurant once.

Beautiful views. Overall great food. Citrus martini and jalapeño margaritas were amazing.

It twas My girlfriend’s birthday. I had a reservation on the patio but it was windy a bit chilly and the host was kind enough to find us a beautiful view on the inside “We do have to cut the bush down blocking the view by the water and coffee station.” We asked for a certain bottle of white wine but they were out and marcis our waiter suggested this Sancerre. Thank you Marcis for the wine experience. The lobster and making a few app substitute for us. We spent 221 before tipping. We are so happy with the experience. 4 stars because the decor needs to be updated unless there’s history in that carpet.

Salmon and desert were fabulous. Chicken parmigiana was overcooked and tough. Excellent service and amazing sunset views.

Robin K.

The server seemed a bit reluctant to serve us at first. But then warmed up as we ordered. Then also... When I chose something to order, that's what they were out of. But we finally got it taken care of. Most of the food was great. Nice seeing the Ocean as we ate. The interior of the place was not all that impressive and the food was pricey BUT very nicely done. A large dinner for me, but not that many options were gluten free. They also were not marked on the menu. Seemed my options were on the pricey side, except for the Cippiono, and I'd had that the two days before so didn't really want that again. But we ended up having a great time, and mostly good food. I had the Surf and Turf with the Truffle risotto. For the Surf they had run out of the item on the menu and substituted some tiny shrimp they called prawns...a small scallop on each end of the skewer ...all that was cold, tiny and disappointing. However, the steak was perfectly done, the asparagus was also very nicely done. The Risotto was SO good. The drink I ordered was changed because they were out of an ingredient. When it came out was only 2/3 full and sloppy looking. But all in all, a good dinner. Live music was also nice.. We were there on a Saturday.

Dianna Weaver

Beautiful views. Overall great food. Citrus martini and jalapeño margaritas were amazing.

Michael Westphal

It twas My girlfriend’s birthday. I had a reservation on the patio but it was windy a bit chilly and the host was kind enough to find us a beautiful view on the inside “We do have to cut the bush down blocking the view by the water and coffee station.” We asked for a certain bottle of white wine but they were out and marcis our waiter suggested this Sancerre. Thank you Marcis for the wine experience. The lobster and making a few app substitute for us. We spent 221 before tipping. We are so happy with the experience. 4 stars because the decor needs to be updated unless there’s history in that carpet.

Alison M C

Gorgeous views. Decent food. The mains are pricey for what you get, but it's still worth it to have dinner here. Nice pinot noir by the glass. Good sides and salads. Bread could have been fresher or spent less time in the oven. Great beetroot salad. I recommend not putting the balsamic glaze under the shaved carrots so it's not too sweet or soggy. Friendly staff.

Rick

Yes the food is overpriced, and the building is weathered. The service is very quick and professional. The fillet and lobster was a 5, the New York was a 4, and the Cioppino was inedible. The draft beer was nice and specialty cocktails delicious. Not many high end restaurants in the area, but I am glad I experienced this restaurant once.

Michael Carney

Salmon and desert were fabulous. Chicken parmigiana was overcooked and tough. Excellent service and amazing sunset views.

Went for a friend for dinner. The place was empty as it's off season. The spring rolls were good but very average. Poke bowl was well made. For main course I had the cioppino. The sauce was very very thick and slightly bitter. Four slices of bread came with the dish. It would be nice to be offered a vegetable for the price. My friend had a chicken pie that was very good. Again, lacking any sides for a high price. It has a great location, the food was better last time I was there 2 years,ago. But, I will come back again. $165 for two people to have two courses w 2 beers and 2 hot chocolates.

It was ok. The service was ok. The food was so so. Nothing really stood out about the place except the view. The view was 5 stars for sure. I am leaving 4 stars over all. I didn't feel the quality of food was worth the money. The food quality was lacking. The service was just ok not over the top not the worst. It was very noisy in the restaurant. I feel the restaurant needs a deep clean and a reorganization. This place had more of a bar vibe to it. I believe this place could be top notch with a few adjustments.

Fast Eddie

It was ok. The service was ok. The food was so so. Nothing really stood out about the place except the view. The view was 5 stars for sure. I am leaving 4 stars over all. I didn't feel the quality of food was worth the money. The food quality was lacking. The service was just ok not over the top not the worst. It was very noisy in the restaurant. I feel the restaurant needs a deep clean and a reorganization. This place had more of a bar vibe to it. I believe this place could be top notch with a few adjustments.

In my opinion this place is not worth the high prices or hype. Food was decent but nothing to write home about. Happy hour prices only apply when you sit at the bar so you have to pay $3 more to get a glass of house wine at your table during that time. The service was excellent however! Smoked salmon cream cheese wontons were excellent. Everything else lacked flavor and was not well paired in my personal opinion. I would probably go again for their happy hour drinks and separate happy hour menu which is decently priced and looked as good, if not better than their regular menu.

It’s a bummer to write this- but I would give zero stars if possible. We ordered moonstone grill to-go over the phone for my boyfriend’s birthday on 7/5. To start with, the very kind hostess helped us place our order which we arranged for USVetsdeliver to pick up. We were given a 35 min wait time and sent our driver to go get the food…. 35 min go by and I get a call from the hostess. They “got busy” and wanted me to tell her again what we ordered. I had to repeat the order to her again and our poor driver had to wait there an additional 45 min for the order to be ready (we tipped him handsomely for the inconvenience of waiting more than double what was quoted to us). We were so excited when our food finally arrived…. Except for the food was just horrible. Cioppino in a cardboard box that spilled all over our bag. 4 “prawns” that were actually smaller shrimp than the frozen option at Safeway. Bay scallops instead of “scallops” advertised. A few clams and a chunk of unknown white fish. Then the $40 chicken pot pie- I literally counted 5 one inch cubes of chicken on completely raw puff pastry…. Crab cakes were fishy and so were the soggy fishy fries. To top off this experience, I was charged THREE TIMES for my meal. OVER 400 DOLLARS instead of $144 I was expecting. I called back and asked to speak to the manager and was told he was busy bartending and would call me after close…. Lo and behold 30 minutes after closing I still hadn’t received a call. I called and spoke to Ari who literally had no interest in finding out what went wrong and told me “we were busy we shouldn’t have taken your order in the first place. Text this number your order total and we will refund you” 2 days later it finally refunded, but not all of it. I texted the same number following up stating the other two charges had not been reversed, no response. AGAIN I called today only to be told the manager wasn’t there and he could see on his end I was charged multiple times, but couldn’t refund me because he didn’t want to get in trouble. What a bummer. Honestly horrendous service and grossly overpriced. Such a shame. Still waiting on my refunds. Photos attached

Olivia Bin

It’s a bummer to write this- but I would give zero stars if possible. We ordered moonstone grill to-go over the phone for my boyfriend’s birthday on 7/5. To start with, the very kind hostess helped us place our order which we arranged for USVetsdeliver to pick up. We were given a 35 min wait time and sent our driver to go get the food…. 35 min go by and I get a call from the hostess. They “got busy” and wanted me to tell her again what we ordered. I had to repeat the order to her again and our poor driver had to wait there an additional 45 min for the order to be ready (we tipped him handsomely for the inconvenience of waiting more than double what was quoted to us). We were so excited when our food finally arrived…. Except for the food was just horrible. Cioppino in a cardboard box that spilled all over our bag. 4 “prawns” that were actually smaller shrimp than the frozen option at Safeway. Bay scallops instead of “scallops” advertised. A few clams and a chunk of unknown white fish. Then the $40 chicken pot pie- I literally counted 5 one inch cubes of chicken on completely raw puff pastry…. Crab cakes were fishy and so were the soggy fishy fries. To top off this experience, I was charged THREE TIMES for my meal. OVER 400 DOLLARS instead of $144 I was expecting. I called back and asked to speak to the manager and was told he was busy bartending and would call me after close…. Lo and behold 30 minutes after closing I still hadn’t received a call. I called and spoke to Ari who literally had no interest in finding out what went wrong and told me “we were busy we shouldn’t have taken your order in the first place. Text this number your order total and we will refund you” 2 days later it finally refunded, but not all of it. I texted the same number following up stating the other two charges had not been reversed, no response. AGAIN I called today only to be told the manager wasn’t there and he could see on his end I was charged multiple times, but couldn’t refund me because he didn’t want to get in trouble. What a bummer. Honestly horrendous service and grossly overpriced. Such a shame. Still waiting on my refunds. Photos attached

Yvonne Hollingworth

Cioppino $50 for a bowl of empty tiny clam shells. Two shrimp and one small scallop. The sauce was like eating out of a can of tomato paste. No manager on site , I left a message for the manager to call me and guess what? Not even a call back which really shows how much he cares. Our total bill was $320 for three people (no drinks). These locals will not be returning.

Gurtrude Mambusian

Mediocre food, crazy prices. Super rude bartender tonight told my wife I don't know what the house wine is called, I can't pronounce it, it's German. Here you go: geh-VURTS-trah-mee-nur. You're a bartender and it's your house white, its kind of your job to know. And, uh, the grape name is german, Husch is from Mendo. We asked the other bartender what the panini was, he said tri tip and looked at us like we were crazy when we asked if there was anything else in it. This is the third time we have given them another shot recently. Also, there is not much "locally driven" on the menu, green-washing. Always underwhelming, sometimes rude and idiotic. Location, location, location...