Avalon Grille

Celebrated my birthday here and the service was excellent. Hotel recommended this place as one of their partners and they did a great job of taking care of us for dinner. They have a good selection of cocktails, wines and drinks. They provide complimentary bottomless popcorn.

This is the best restaurant in all of Avalon. Every single dish we had was absolutely phenomenal. Starting with the fig & burrata salad, I was so impressed by the extra length they went to caramelize the figs. The burrata also tasted so fresh and cold, just the way I like it. The elote corn ribs had the right amount of each ingredient. It wasn’t overpowered by the cheese which usually can be the case when you order elote. I absolutely loved the chipotle aioli they used for this dish. Worked so well with the corn. The grilled octopus was cooked perfectly. I’ve been to restaurants where it was overdone and so the octopus was a little chewy. The chefs here cooked it flawlessly. If you’re a fan of octopus, I guarantee this will make the top of your list. The wagyu burger was very good and the ground beef was very juicy and flavorful. The absolute star of the night was definitely the peach tartlet. I’m not even a big dessert guy, but this blew my socks off. I have never had a better pastry/tartlet in my life. The crust was baked perfectly and had brown sugar coated around the outside. The peaches tasted so fresh and delicious. Mixing this with the scoop of Vanilla Bourbon Gelato was a fantastic combo. It was so good, we came back the next night to get it again. I HIGHLY recommend getting this dessert no matter what. I have officially found the restaurant I plan to come to the rest of my life when I visit the island. Could not recommend this place more. You will not be disappointed

Best meal of the trip and best service by far! Thank you James! A vegetarian diet can be a little tricky especially on an island known for seafood, but the cauliflower steak was delicious (would have loved more amazing curry with it!) Fried green beans were a more like a french fry then a tempura in terms of heaviness, but fantastic nonetheless. Desserts looked amazing but we were too stuffed. Will definitely be keeping room for next time

Sarah was our server and she suggested our meals. We ordered the lamb plate and Bison plate. We added the lobster mac and cheese. The food was amazing and melted in our mouth. Sara kept our drinks full and continued to check on us! She is amazing and so is the atmosphere. We sat outside with heaters. Everything was perfect.

One of the best dinners I’ve ever had! The pan seared scallops with truffle mashed potatoes and lemon garlic broccoli was so good we ordered another plate! 10/10 🔥Also loved our waitress! Can’t remember her name but she had an accent and is in one of the photos

We didn’t have enough time to eat everywhere but out of all the restaurants that we did visit, I would say Avalon Grille was my favorite! It was #1. I had the catch of the day which was a lovely swordfish, the cut was even like an actual fish (see photo - nice touch), with small, roasted potatoes and a lovely medley of vegetables. We also ordered the lobster Mac and cheese, and the filet mignon steak with mash potatoes and fresh asparagus. Complimentary popcorn in a bucket as an appetizer. Exquisitely plated dishes and very filling.

Great food with excellent presentation. Staff are cheerful and welcoming. The bartenders are skilled and knowledgeable. Shoutout to Mary, Stefanie, Angelina, and Sarah. Music playing on the speakers at a medium volume was a nice background noise. Food is on the expensive side, but worth it with the classy atmosphere. Perfect venue for a date night or just to treat yourself.

Rhiannon Chae

One of the best dinners I’ve ever had! The pan seared scallops with truffle mashed potatoes and lemon garlic broccoli was so good we ordered another plate! 10/10 🔥Also loved our waitress! Can’t remember her name but she had an accent and is in one of the photos

tiffany

We didn’t have enough time to eat everywhere but out of all the restaurants that we did visit, I would say Avalon Grille was my favorite! It was #1. I had the catch of the day which was a lovely swordfish, the cut was even like an actual fish (see photo - nice touch), with small, roasted potatoes and a lovely medley of vegetables. We also ordered the lobster Mac and cheese, and the filet mignon steak with mash potatoes and fresh asparagus. Complimentary popcorn in a bucket as an appetizer. Exquisitely plated dishes and very filling.

lippoe

Great food with excellent presentation. Staff are cheerful and welcoming. The bartenders are skilled and knowledgeable. Shoutout to Mary, Stefanie, Angelina, and Sarah. Music playing on the speakers at a medium volume was a nice background noise. Food is on the expensive side, but worth it with the classy atmosphere. Perfect venue for a date night or just to treat yourself.

Brad B

Amazing birthday dinner. It was truly a perfect night. The octopus, halibut, and steak were all superb. This restaurant took care of us so well. Shout out to bartender Aaron who was so attentive and met our energy tonight. We would highly recommend!

Nicole A

We went to Avalon Grill for a birthday dinner, we were there for extended birthday weekend. The place was busy, likely due to the race the following morning but we were sat right away. Our waitress, Sara, was absolutely amazing. She was very friendly, gave us some history of Catalina Island, some recommendations on where to visit and offered recommendations from the menu. We had such a lovely experience, we absolutely loved Sara and nearly went back just to get that service again. We will definitely come back next visit to the island, Sara is an absolute gem, wonderful location right on the Main Street with ocean views. Couldn’t have asked for a better place or service. Also, complimentary popcorn is pretty darn good!

GABRIEL JESÚS HERRERA

The food was incredible! The service was excellent, with a great atmosphere all around. The steak was cooked to perfection, and the staff’s recommendations were spot on. The drinks were simply amazing! Highly recommended.

Zan Lee

Visiting Avalon for an extended weekend for my birthday so we decided to give Avalon Grille a try for dinner and had a very nice experience. They don’t take reservations, like most restaurants on Catalina, but there was no wait when we arrived at 5:30 and were able to be seated right away. All the staff that we encountered, including our server, were very polite and everything that we ordered came out pretty fast. You can tell the inside has been recently remodeled, and there is a large oval bar in the middle of the restaurant with TVs around it so this would be really nice place to have dinner and/or drinks. As a few reviews mentioned, it is a bit pricey, but not overly so. It’s less than you would spend at a lot of restaurants in West LA so I feel that it is fair, especially given it’s proximity to the water. They have a lot of great dishes on the menu so it took a minute to decide what I wanted to order. For my meal, I decided to start with the Watermelon Feta Salad and really enjoyed it. It was a good size portion and would be easy to split between two people, but it’s also the perfect amount for one person if you’re hungry. For my entrée, I chose the Whole Branzino and really liked it. I get Branzino often so I’ve tried it all over California, and beyond, and I can say that this is a good version. It did have quite a few bones in it, but that’s what you get when you do a Whole Branzino. The side succotash was really nice and overall it was very good. Given the limited options in Avalon, I would say this is one of the best places to grab dinner and certainly has an amazing location. I would recommend and would try it again next time I’m on the island.

Maureen Jennings

This was the best restaurant that we found in Avalon! The happy hour is fantastic and the food and drinks were delicious. It was interesting that nobody mentioned it when we asked for recommendations, but we were so happy to find it.

Brenda Young

We couldn’t find any place open to eat the first night we arrived at Catalina, so we were thrilled when Avalon Grille was open! Then we just continued to be delighted - Jimmy was our server and was amazing ! He recommended the gnocchi and it was chuck full of healthy vegetables and the noodles were made from scratch and were so fresh and delicious ! He also recommended the Sunny day which was a light and fresh summery sparkling drink that I absolutely loved ! The kitchen had made a wrong drink for someone so he graciously gave that to my husband as well! We loved the desserts Jimmy recommended as well ! He also had some fun drone tips to tell my husband about and was great to talk to! We highly recommend Jimmy and Avalon Grille :)

Sarah Yee

Great restaurant located right on the main walkway. The food was delicious, service was top notch, atmosphere was great. We actually enjoyed the branzino even more than the steak!

Chris Manning

We stopped into the Avalon Grill as another restaurant had a 45 minute wait and we just didn't want to wait that long. I am glad that happened because we all enjoyed the lovely atmosphere, impeccable service, and the delicious entrees that were available. It was also very interesting to get habinaro seasoned popcorn while we waited for our main courses. Pro tip: they do not take reservations so get there a tad bit early for your evening meal. Overall great experience and loved feeling the fresh ocean breeze flowing through the restaurant.

Fernanda Ventura

Came here on a small getaway and food was amazing! The aguachile quattro was divine, small serving but packed with flavor! If you come here you need to get that as an appetizer. The meats were very delicious and juicy, vegetables roasted beautifully and flavorful. Service was outstanding, very attentive. The ambience was amazing as well. Definitely coming back! Would recommend.

Angela Lin

Celebrated my birthday here and the service was excellent. Hotel recommended this place as one of their partners and they did a great job of taking care of us for dinner. They have a good selection of cocktails, wines and drinks. They provide complimentary bottomless popcorn.

Jason Hoffer

Had a great meal here our last night in Catalina. Our server (forgot her name) was very sweet and personable and engaging with our two kids. It was my daughter's 10th birthday and she surprised her with cake and a candle. The food was very good as well and the vibe is upscale but not stuffy.

emily halperin

Best meal of the trip and best service by far! Thank you James! A vegetarian diet can be a little tricky especially on an island known for seafood, but the cauliflower steak was delicious (would have loved more amazing curry with it!) Fried green beans were a more like a french fry then a tempura in terms of heaviness, but fantastic nonetheless. Desserts looked amazing but we were too stuffed. Will definitely be keeping room for next time

Sean Johnson

This is the best restaurant in all of Avalon. Every single dish we had was absolutely phenomenal. Starting with the fig & burrata salad, I was so impressed by the extra length they went to caramelize the figs. The burrata also tasted so fresh and cold, just the way I like it. The elote corn ribs had the right amount of each ingredient. It wasn’t overpowered by the cheese which usually can be the case when you order elote. I absolutely loved the chipotle aioli they used for this dish. Worked so well with the corn. The grilled octopus was cooked perfectly. I’ve been to restaurants where it was overdone and so the octopus was a little chewy. The chefs here cooked it flawlessly. If you’re a fan of octopus, I guarantee this will make the top of your list. The wagyu burger was very good and the ground beef was very juicy and flavorful. The absolute star of the night was definitely the peach tartlet. I’m not even a big dessert guy, but this blew my socks off. I have never had a better pastry/tartlet in my life. The crust was baked perfectly and had brown sugar coated around the outside. The peaches tasted so fresh and delicious. Mixing this with the scoop of Vanilla Bourbon Gelato was a fantastic combo. It was so good, we came back the next night to get it again. I HIGHLY recommend getting this dessert no matter what. I have officially found the restaurant I plan to come to the rest of my life when I visit the island. Could not recommend this place more. You will not be disappointed

Joni Goodwin

Sarah was our server and she suggested our meals. We ordered the lamb plate and Bison plate. We added the lobster mac and cheese. The food was amazing and melted in our mouth. Sara kept our drinks full and continued to check on us! She is amazing and so is the atmosphere. We sat outside with heaters. Everything was perfect.

We visited to celebrate our anniversary and had such a lovely experience. I really liked that it’s part of the Avalon Hotel, so we were able to use our daily hotel credit toward our meal, such a nice perk. The Brazilian frites were our favorite dish, so flavorful and perfectly cooked. Service was friendly and attentive, and the overall atmosphere made it a really special evening. A great spot for a nice dinner while staying in Avalon.

Betssy Diaz

We visited to celebrate our anniversary and had such a lovely experience. I really liked that it’s part of the Avalon Hotel, so we were able to use our daily hotel credit toward our meal, such a nice perk. The Brazilian frites were our favorite dish, so flavorful and perfectly cooked. Service was friendly and attentive, and the overall atmosphere made it a really special evening. A great spot for a nice dinner while staying in Avalon.

The ambiance, the atmosphere, and food. They all tie in together to contribute to the cohesiveness of the restaurant. I was pleasantly surprised with the popcorn while you wait. The grilled Octopus is a must try, succulent, juicy, and flavorful. Although I wish they had a bone in steak the food was on point.

Osric Randolph

The ambiance, the atmosphere, and food. They all tie in together to contribute to the cohesiveness of the restaurant. I was pleasantly surprised with the popcorn while you wait. The grilled Octopus is a must try, succulent, juicy, and flavorful. Although I wish they had a bone in steak the food was on point.

Just want to preface this comment by saying, I know the seafood would be the specialty… however I was not counting on unseasoned chicken/bland…. The scallops were delicious, a bit rubbery but the sides were pretty good. The chicken on the other hand… it’s $36 for unseasoned chicken, friend rice, & a grilled onion. Nothing special about it. I was expecting ALL their dishes to be served with the same level of quality & taste, but was extremely disappointed at the quality. The service…. Our server didn’t check on us once after we ordered our food.. we waited for over 30/40 mins.. he didn’t ask if we wanted water or another drink… just left us there until the food came out. The one thing saving this place is the gorgeous views, which I could have gotten with take out pizza & sitting at the beach. If you have your credit from the hotel.. just take your money somewhere else or just order seafood.

Yamell Balcazar

Just want to preface this comment by saying, I know the seafood would be the specialty… however I was not counting on unseasoned chicken/bland…. The scallops were delicious, a bit rubbery but the sides were pretty good. The chicken on the other hand… it’s $36 for unseasoned chicken, friend rice, & a grilled onion. Nothing special about it. I was expecting ALL their dishes to be served with the same level of quality & taste, but was extremely disappointed at the quality. The service…. Our server didn’t check on us once after we ordered our food.. we waited for over 30/40 mins.. he didn’t ask if we wanted water or another drink… just left us there until the food came out. The one thing saving this place is the gorgeous views, which I could have gotten with take out pizza & sitting at the beach. If you have your credit from the hotel.. just take your money somewhere else or just order seafood.