Absolutely delicious food. Great variety too! We had excellent and timely service. Ordered wine with the California Ling Cod (has curry twist- shrimp part was So Good) and Ora King Salmon (cooked perfect, tasty, and paired with excellent fresh vegetables all in a light broth) 🤤 Five stars!!

I am just talking about the bar. I stopped in after a bike ride along the shore for a beer and dome oysters - and I totally enjoyed the atmosphere along with the faire.

Wonderful location, friendly and knowledgeable staff, the food dishes we had, tasted yummy. Great Bloody Mary.

+6

In the Sanctuary resort - seafood, wine and beer

Saltwood is a beautiful restaurant with really flavorful food. We had the beets, brussels and their burger. Everything was cooked well and tasted great. Danny was our server and he took great care of us and made it special for my girlfriends birthday. We'll be back for sure.

Best meal I have had in the area! The flavors were incredible, delicate, burstful.... Just amazing and the setting is gorgeous. What a special time!! Staff was very nice and the chef even surprised us by answering a question we had. Highly recommend!!

The overall experience was great. Very friendly staff. We ate the grill trout and grill oysters, which, by the way, was one of the best we have had so far. The food was great, and drinks were on point. I had a Manhattan up. It was very good.

Went for my brother's wedding reception. The staff was wonderful all around, and were very helpful and accommodating setting up the reception. Dinner staff were polite and attentive, and the food was phenomenal. Absolutely amazing, would highly recommend.

The net York steak was fabulous and the multi musician playing saxophone and flute made a very nice atmosphere the service is very fast I will come back

Creative brunch menu, generous portions and attentive service. Al fresco dining was fantastic, with the views of water and the dunes.

Didnt have entrees becaise they looked sort of like all the other entrees around here, fish or steak. We had oysters, different kinds and they were all awesome. Didnt do the toppings which are an extra dollar an oyster but the oysters come with 2 different sauces that were delicious so glad we didnt. We also had the ceacar salad and strawberri salad, both were super fresh and tasted great. We will be back. Great experience.

+5

Great service from the bartender Key. Got there early for some small bites. Ordered the house margarita and the Monterey Clam Chowder. Everything was great!

Don't sit at the bar!!! Ok, ok, just KIDDING lol we make a res but usually opt to sit right at the grill and watch the magic these young chefs are so talented

+6

Perfect beachside restaurant, especially for sunset. Tammy and Alex made my experience very special.

We had our holiday party here and it was so much fun! The staff was very attentive, the food was absolutely delicious, and they were able to accommodate us all in a very private setting. Thank you so much to Salt Wood Kitchen for being so amazing! We will be back.

We were in search of a fancy brunch and Salt Wood did not disappoint. Wonderful atmosphere inside the building. Service for the most part was prompt and quick. Started with the monkey bread which just melts in your mouth. Followed by our duck hash and breakfast sandwich (not pictured). Both were super tasty and quite large portions. My only critique would be considering the small sunday crowd we waited a substantial amount of time to get our check. All in all considering the lack of high end or above ordinary brucnh destinations in the Monterey bay area Salt Wood should be your number one choice. Will have to return soon to sample the dinner service.

I’m not joking when I say I had the best short ribs in my 30+ years of life at Salt wood this weekend. Cooked for 24 hours, each bite literally melted in my mouth. Don’t even get me started with the smoked carrots. To top it off, great and knowledgeable waitstaff! If you’re visiting, I highly recommend checking them out!

Our entire experience was fantastic! We are big foodies, so our expectations were a bit low. But wowza! The roasted chicken was delectable, the roasted cheesy almondy cauliflower was super! The Cesar salad amaze! And their version of a mac and cheese? Chef’s kiss!!!!! The dessert (not sure what it was called) but it was vanilla ice cream over banana monkey bread…holy moly! De.lish.ous!!!!

How does this have only 4.1 stars at the time of those posts? Fabulous is my word for Salt Wood. I was not super hungry when I came in, but I wanted to try some of their signature cocktails and food. I started with the Blood Orange Old Fashioned. Super good, but a little on the sweet side. I had the seafood Pozole. AMAZING. I have never had a brothy Pozole before, but this was very tasty. I tried the signature Manhattan. Again, fabulous. A last small plate, I tried the Octopus tacos. It's interesting but full of the most amazing flavor. My bartender Ryan was the best and the food amazing. I highly recommend Salt Wood.

Currently they are not taking people that are not staying at the hotel so the bar is the only thing they can offer if you drive by. If you do I do not recommend weekends as it gets full and you may have a long wait. A limited menu is available but perfect for someone just taking in the sunset! We ordered a bottle of champagne tea and a chocolate dessert! Excellent for watching the sun set! ( We have stayed here in the past a few times and I always recomend the hotel as a super Peaceful place to take in the sea and delicious food! If you can stay at the club level! Simply worth it all! )

Salt Wood is a great place to stop after doing 17-mile drive. Their seafood was really fresh and all of the food was very flavorful! The patio looks out towards the beach so you can watch the sunset while eating.

+4

I had one dinner here, but my parents spent almost two weeks at The Sanctuary and became regulars at Salt Wood in that time. The food and drink selections were top notch, and the staff was friendly and helpful, and had recognized my parents as repeat customers in a very short time.

Atmosphere was very pleasant. The service was great. The food was exceptional. I would have lunch there again in future.

Located at the Sanctuary/Worldmark Resort at Marina Dunes. High-end menu of steamed mussels, shrimp and grits, dungeness crab & mac and cheese, grilled octopus, salmon, even pork belly! Enjoyed the beet and apple tartini. Lots of desserts. Large outside patio. Highly recommend!

+6

I’ve seen like three iterations of this place in the last few years. We came in for a late brunch/early lunch. I ordered the chilaquiles and was not disappointed. It was covered in a green sauce with white crumbled cheese. Very tasty. My wife ordered one of the egg Benedict dishes. It had ham on top. She loved it as well. We ordered a yummy Prosecco with elderberry syrup. Really good and refreshing. The service was attentive and pleasant. They also had live music which made the whole even better.

We initially decided to stop in at Salt Wood because we were staying at the resort and planned for a couple drinks and a cheese platter. We sat on the patio on a windy day and the glass screens and patio heaters made it super comfortable even at 60 degrees or so outside. We were blown away by the service and decided to stay for dinner, which was surprisingly affordable (~$25 to ~$35 per entree - remember you’re on the California coastline after all). It is a lá carte, so sides are extra FYI. But when the entrees came out… wow. Amazing flavor combinations, perfectly cooked, really thoughtful design and presentation. 12 out of 10. After being (again) blown away by the food we had to get dessert. Dang y’all… the pavlova (which is SO hard to master) was unbelievable. The Lemon Olive Oil cake was out of this world. Cannot recommend this place enough. A+++

Oysters are always fresh and delicious! Lots of wonderful and yummy choices for small plates for one or two to share! Great bar, atmosphere and service has always been wonderful!

+6

This was a great restaurant. I loved the look, and the food was delicious (we went for brunch). It's a little more on the pricey side (especially doing the mimosas for two), but not overwhelmingly so, and it's definitely worth it.

+1

Over the last four years, I have visited Salt Wood with friends and loved ones and I continue to be amazed by their service and quality of food. The flavors, the ambiance and dedication to serve amazing dishes continues to surprise me in a delightful way. The staff (front and back) are clearly passionate about giving everyone a lasting impression. keep up the great work!

+3

I loved this place. The food was very tasty and fresh. Really good service and atmosphere. I highly recommend it

Been here so many times. The last time Justin and Nestor took such good care of us and went the extra mile. We've definitely had some creative stuff here. Passionfruit hot sauce? What?! We've really enjoyed the oysters, trout, and duck. Sit at the bar to watch the grill! It smells so good because of the wood fire. The cocktails are quite nice and it's a really pretty restaurant. Brunch here is also awesome. I love the breakfast burrito and the burger. And they have a puppy menu and treat them like VIPs. So incredibly sweet. It's a special restaurant in a special resort. Thank you for being so dog-friendly.

Daphne Engelken

From start to finish the evening was splendid! The perfect place to celebrate our daughter’s 28 birthday. Fresh Nova Scotia oysters, aromatic cocktails, new on the menu, steamed mussels served with artisan incredible Otto bread. The piece de resistance was the service delivered by Shannon! From her descriptions and terminology to her passion of her trade and the space in which she is able to share her knowledge. Thank you all!

+1

Kenny

Went for our anniversary dinner with some friends and had an amazing time. The food was spectacular, cocktails were on point, and a very nice cozy vibe.

+2

Cameron Oelsen

Definitely on the pricey side but worth it for a nice dinner out. The Cauliflower was phenomenal and the servers were so accommodating. Recommend a try!

Veronica Martinez

I had the clam chowder, it had bacon in it, absolutely delicious. I’ll be back for that! I only gave a 4/5 because the oysters were so small, I really expected them to be at least bigger than mussels. I could have driven down to Safeway and had bigger. The place is lovely and chill. The drinks and service were another reason to check this place out.

Nick Evans

Went with a group of friends for a special occasion. I had never heard of the place, honestly was reluctant at first but the menu was diverse, everything was real yummy, staff was friendly and would come by to see if we needed anything. 100% if you're looking for a nice restaurant you should try this place!

Nathaniel Larson

What a phenomenal experience salt wood was. Andrew our server was absolutely top notch. We came here off a past employee and colleagues recommendation; Derek did not steer us wrong and salt wood definitely did not disappoint, oysters were amazing, the duck was to die for, and the chicken was incredible. I would have worked my way through the whole menu if we were in town longer. Incredible staff , awesome ambiance, the guys shucking oysters and cooking over an open flame right in front of you was a seriously next level connoisseur experience. 10/10 recommend. Go out of your way if you’re not in the immediate area and definitely make a reservation beforehand, this place was packed.

E L

Updated review: Several years later, Salt Wood just keeps getting better. Their service and wait staff are so welcoming and they were incredibly dog friendly. The ambiance outside is delightful and their heaters are so strong there was no chance of being chilly even at night in December. We were there for our anniversary and received the kindest wishes and most delicious meals.

+3

Gabrielle Bates

I thought I was going to pop in for a burger. The menu had me questioning my choice. I asked the waitress and went with her suggestion. I'm so glad I did! The scallops were perfectly cooked. The risotto was very flavorful. You could taste the fresh pea greens and the lardo. It worked well together. I can't wait to try more of the menu.

+5

Dee Tee

Dined in for my hunnys birthday dinner on 6/23 honestly we were kind of worried to dine here based on the reviews. However I am so so happy we gave it a shot . Reservations recommended, We were seated when we arrived our hostess Shannon was amazing took very good care of us . So here is what we ordered.. Started w the Oysters as our appetizers tried all four dressed oysters favorite were the Gilroy Garlic butter & truffle butter oysters .. didn't care for the kimchi or passion fruit oysters.. On to our main course we we with the Tomahawk bone marrow bordeiaise garlic butter & herb This thing was massive !! 4 people can eat this huge portion! Our sides were the smoked coriander carrots, Country mashed potatoes, and the Heirloom bean cassoulet ( Which the beans are a meal in itself packed w steak ends ) yummy .. Ok now back to the star of our night / meal thee Tomahawk!!! Which we selected as soon as we walked in to our right was an amazing display or dry aged meat ( You will see the pics of that beauty ) Huge thanks to the Chef Koa I hope I spelled that right . This young man is truly a grill master 🙌🏻 nailed grilling that to perfection we asked for medium rare we love our steaks this way . Also let me add we have dined at lots of fine steak houses throughout northern / southern California even Nevada but this one will be our best by far ! It put all the others to shame ! The flavor, The sear, The markings, The cut was absolutely spot on ! Thank you Salt Wood and thank you Chef Koa for the spectacular Tomahawk! Now let us bless you with our photos ! If you haven't dined in here DO IT DO IT NOW !! Also the drinks were great as well you absolutely have to try the cherry lime Rickey & the peartini!!

+7

Jesse

Such a beautiful restaurant! We came here right at opening during happy hour, so we had the place all to ourselves. We got some apps at the bar and enjoyed the decor and conversations with the staff. The oysters were delicious and elegantly prepared. We taste tested all the various preparations, and the Gilroy Garlic was our favorite. The margaritas are super good!

+4

Zeke Cao

Amazing service even during dinner rush. Waiters were attentive, gave good recommendations based on our preferences, and the view outside was spectacular. The bonus was a dog friendly menu, which we really appreciate.

+10

Laurie Albanese

I've had the pleasure of having dinner here a few times and it keeps getting better each time I come. I was a little worried a while ago but it really seems that since Valentine's Day they are getting better. We came in Father's Day and shared a beautiful steak for two. I just had dinner again and the staff is very attentive. The drinks are delicious and the oyster chef is great on the grill. I'm very fond of the beet and quinoa salad and the new watermelon salad looked delicious. We shared shrimp and coconut grits- delicious! BBQ RIBS- Amazing! I took a burger home and they were happy to accommodate to any of my allergies. The drinks are delicious. I cannot wait to see what else they add. I would love to see some more steaks on the menu and hopefully the bar adds averna to their menu. I'd love a wonderfully full paper plane maybe have drinks with more volume but no other complaints Good job to the new manager and the staff. I am so happy to see wonderful changes

Sridhar Guthula

The flavors were great, nice ambiance, good service…the oysters were tiny. We ordered a lot of dishes (as you can see from the photos) and spent a lot of time enjoying the place. The scallops dish was nice but I would have liked just the simple plain scallops, instead of the charred flavor of coffee crust. The fresh oysters, even though tiny, tasted great. Wouldn’t recommended the grilled oysters.

+4

Happy to say it exceeded my expectations on this visit! The staff was great and the food was excellent

The star of the show was the octopus. The whole fish and marinated olives were also highlights. Our initial bar experience was lackluster, but once seated at our table, the service was attentive. Daniel was amazing!

We stayed at the Sanctuary Beach Resort and ate at Salt Wood Kitchen a few times and ordered room-service breakfast. First off, what are they putting in that olive bread to make it so addictive? This was a cozy restaurant inside the Sanctuary Beach Resort that does regular dinner and brunch on weekends. They also provide room service breakfast for resort guests. We had minimal breakfast issues and enjoyed it. You leave a card on your door the evening before and the next morning they drop it off during a selected time you choose. The food came warm and the delivery person pleasant and courteous. I ordered the large breakfast because it came with a pot of coffee. We dined-in for dinner twice. The aroma of a fresh wood-burning grill fills the place. Servers were friendly and food/drinks were prompt. The menu felt limited, and my only real issue was the lack of vegetables accompanying meals. Don’t get me wrong, they have salads, but other entrees didn’t seem to include variety of vegetables. I ordered the burger on my first trip, and it was cooked exactly like I asked. The fries were great. The second trip, I ordered the grilled fish and was somewhat disappointed to basically get a piece of fish on a puree. Maybe serve it with rice or a starch? It was tasty and a generous portion – don’t get me wrong. I’m fasting alcohol so I can’t comment on the wines but my wife had a few glasses and did not have any complaints. The fresh olive bread was a highlight though. Overall, a convenient place to dine if you are staying at the Sanctuary Beach Resort. It did feel overpriced, but the service and food was great for the most part.

Service was a tad on the slow side but they were competent. The cioppino was a solid B-, not amazing but good enough to order again.

Wonderful atmosphere. Can't see the shore but can see the ocean between buildings. Their patio section is great. Inside is clean and well presented. Their pricing for food and drinks is extreme to me but I am from out of town. May be on par for the area / location.

Great food that was tasty and creative. Subtract a star for seating placement. We asked for warmer seating on arrival because of the weather and one of the hostesses put us in the coldest part of the restaurant with no heater. Had to move after the cold got unbearable. Thanks to the other hostess helping us out. Server Gio was excellent! Very friendly and attentive. Not bad overall I think I will come back.

Come for the kitchen, stay for the Oysterette. She dances, she twitters, she’ll steal your heart and your tastebuds and your tongue buds. She’s a real jiggler, if you know what I mean. Never underestimate the jiggle of a Oysterette. Jingle, jangle, jumbo. Slurp! Off she goes, down deep in the nethers of your gastrocean floors. Have you ever hooked a worm? I once heard a sea woman ask that of a gent. You would do well to order a double dose of the ad astra bread and never look back. It doesn’t pay to dwell on what might have been a whole loaf, Sonny.

+1

We've eaten here twice. Both times, the bar was the busier section of the restaurant. They have good happy hour prices and unique small bites in addition to oysters. On our first visit, we enjoyed the whole fish and corn pudding dessert. On our return visit, we ate at the bar -- after enjoying sparkling wine and oysters -- to watch the action at the grill. Highlights included the sweet potato poutine (with queso!) and the squid ink linguine with chorizo, calamari and clams (it's not on their online menu). The latter didn't call to me while reading the menu but my husband encouraged me to try it and I'm glad I did. Trust the chef. The flavors were incredible and I'd return for either dish. Their rolls are served with warming rocks. It's been too chilly to explore the outdoor seating areas but I'm sure it'd be a great place to enjoy cocktails. The atmosphere has a relaxed, coastal farmhouse vibe. It's nice to have a "fancy" restaurant in Marina.

A really wonderful and inviting space. Bright and beach themed. The food is good, albiet pricey. Be prepared to spend 50 per person. A great addition to the Monterey Bay.

+6

Some of the food was great, some of it was surprisingly bad. I don’t know how one restaurant’s kitchen could output quality from both sides of the spectrum from the same chef… also, they basically have no vegan options besides a salad - Surprising for a pet-friendly coastal hotel in California. Also half the outside heaters were not working. Maybe fix them? I doubt they all “broke” at the same time. The availability of blankets somewhat makes up for this (that said, this is the first time I’ve had a blanket on me during a restaurant dinner).

Food was good, ribs came to table a bit cold but still yummy. Servers were very nice and helpful. Do not expect a fast in and out experience, it’s not that kind of restaurant. For folks complaining about the prices…. You’re on the coast in CA so being shocked by high prices seems a bit silly. Having dinner from the “starter” menu works for us and it’s all very good food. Can’t really go wrong.

Awesome atmosphere, friendly staff, and good food. The prices are moderate, $15 for a fritatta with fancy delicious mushrooms you can taste, toast and a some fingerling potatoes. You are paying for the quality and homemade ingredients. They made the salsa, which was great and spicy. You can tell the food was NOT pre-frozen. The kids meals were substantial for $8. The drinks are killer :)

The pictures of the food is exactly what you get. Nice atmosphere. First thing you smell is the oak fire pits when you walk in. We sat at the bar next to the indoor grill and felt the warmth. Major contrast from the cold beach. We had very good service start to finish. Normally we have to go through a few drinks before being sever the main course, but this place was snapping and we only had one drink the entire service. I will eat there again without a doubt. If there was anything to mention that I didn't like was the size of the oysters. Compared to other places selling the same oysters (Tomales blue points) SW served about the smallest size I've ever had. I also did not really care for the pre-cooked side dishes. They are just reheated and served, not cooked fresh. Next visit I will order the Sea Food Broil. Man... it looked so so good. I looked at others eating it and my mouth was watering. Back to the side, the brussel sprouts are on point, carrots and potatoes were mushy (again... pre-cooked and reheated). The asparagus appetizer with the quail egg was to die for.

+2

Love the ambience and service. We only ordered snacks but they were all very good. I don't understand why the rating is so low... Would love to return.

We had a two yo with us so we sat on the patio for the oyster and drinks offering. It was nice to sit outside but a little chilly so they offered blankets, which made it cozy. We had some wine, oysters, clam chowder and garlic fries. This menu was enjoyed by all and the bill was a little over $100. The experience was fun and the service good. Around 9 pm we called in a pick up for dessert and the only thing offered was a lemon cake and gelato. The cake was so so but the gelato was good. However my grandbaby and I had to wait awhile for the pickup order to be ready. It wasn't the best service.

We choose Salt Wood for our annual Christmas Dinner. Let me start with what I did not like. I'm 5'10" and 260 lbs. We sat at a table for 10-12 and I was extremely uncomfortable. The chairs are WAY TOO SMALL (narrow) for anyone that is even slightly larger than average. Seriously....get some decent width chairs! And please, clear the table off a little quicker. Maybe they were short staffed for Christmas but our used plates were literally stacking up. Now...the food. Absolutely wonderful. Everything we had was fantastic. Especially the choice of deserts. Wow! Wonderful! Our server was a young lady and she was extremely nice. She had a wonderful personality and should be managing the place in a year or so. She made it fun and enjoyable for all of us. Without question, Salt Wood is one of the nicest places in the Monterey/Marina area. Beautiful setting, plenty of parking and really good quality food. Pricey....but worth it when you want something special. Thank you Salt Wood!

Jennifer H

Really pretty set up, both inside and outside. Been here three times now and have sat outside each time and it's been really nice each time. The menu is seasonal, which is nice, to try some new things, and it's a generous amount of food. We've enjoyed our food each time but really hoping the dessert options and quality picks up in the future, that was unfortunately a miss for us on both counts.

rodolfo ramirez

This is our 3rd time coming here for the thanksgiving buffet, all food was delicious except for the calamari ceviche which was very under seasoned. Our server was great but the bartender was not so great, she did not want to make a drink from their menu because it had to be done a certain way and loudly stated that "they should just order something else". Our table was close to the bar so we heard her displeasure about making the drink that we ordered. Other than that it was great. I had the driftwood old fashion (seasonal drink).

Rebecca Rose

Beautiful inside. Good food but too expensive. Happy hour still equates to 16 dollar cocktail and 16 dollar burger. However, they do offer a sample of the lavender hand scrub in the bathroom. Watch out for the backwards faucet, right is HOT. Bar tender and hostesses are nice.

Ari

We're tourists and didn't know dinner started at 530. They shoved 6 of us at a hot bar where they were going to grill the food for the night. We decided to order a charcuterie board while we waited for 54$. IT TOOK 35 MINUTES by the time we got our board we were "allowed" to sit at our table. The board had 3 pieces of bread and no cheese for 54 dollars and 6 people! They were really forceful about us not getting a table until 530 and it was uncomfortable and awkward for us as a group to communicate. On to the food, everything was absolutely delicious.

+1

While the food was good, the service was horrendous. We had to ask for an oyster menu twice. After our waiter took our order (after sitting there for 20 min), we did not see him again until he dropped off a dessert menu (no thanks - check please) over an hour later. Our grilled oysters were fantastic but from there, it went downhill. The crab artichoke dip we ordered was burnt and served with olive bread instead of seeded bread (I hate olives. Later in the meal we were told they were out of seeded bread when we asked for different bread from the person who dropped off the entrees). We had cioppino which was good but wow so little food and again olive bread (soggy from being in the bowl) and mussels which were good served with potato wedges (also soggy from being in the bowl). Our waters were refilled once in 1.5 hours that this meal took and we had to flag multiple people down for that. We weren't asked if we wanted to order another drink after our welcome glass of sparkling wine. I regret eating here and definitely will not again.

This establishment has friendly service & the ambiance was delightful. Talented gentleman entertaining definitely set the mood to what could be a wonderful evening out with family, friends, or a romantic date. Unfortunately, our prepared food didn't live up to the standards of such fine dining. The variety of raw oysters was fabulous, though.

I tend to be a little more critical of places like these because my expectations are higher. Unfortunately, the food does a bit of a disservice to the exceptional wait staff and atmosphere. First, the staff is the star here. They are extremely professional and were exceptionally accomodating. Absolute 5 stars. Second, the atmosphere is great. It's really inviting while still showing off some upscale class. It would be a really enjoyable place to recommend as a date night if the food wasn't so disappointing. Food: Let me say upfront the food was NOT nasty. It was, more or less, tasty but really just disappointing given the price and class of the place. Appetizer - Shrimp and Grits I'm from the South and so any time I see shrimp and grits I tend to get very excited. However, while the flavors were new and nice tasting, it was the basic things that turned me off on this one. The shrimp was well over done and chewy and the grits still had bits of husk in them (I was dealing with this the rest of the night) Entree - Monterey Bay Black Cod If you're from the area you'd be surprised by how non-prolific the seafood scene is. There are definitely good restaurants but surprisingly less than expected from a place with so many coastal towns. So when I see locally procured seafood I jump on it. Long story short. The cod was great, however, the rice was underdone and hard (like bad microwave rice), the bok choy was NOT seasoned... Like at all. I mean a dash of sesame oil even and some salt would've gone a long way. The buerre blanc was the star here. It definitely added to the rest of the meal bc it was pretty understated. Dessert - Blood Orange Creme Brulee The saving grace. It was delicious and I really enjoyed it. In summary, the food detracts from the otherwise great experience. The simple things, over cooking and undercooking the food really took away from the meal. I'll likely return and try more on the menu so I'll potentially post an update if anything changes. 🤙🏾

I had high hopes but was disappointed. The oysters and drinks were great but the rest of the meal was very mediocre. Especially for the price of my $42 sea bass. It looked like the sea bass was shaped into a patty and coated in a curry like paste. Very ugly and not very tasty. We got the garden salad and the Caesar salad. Both were poor. And an olive oil cake for dessert was tasty but oh so dry! Service was lovely. Thank you Andrew! But not enough to get me back 🙁

I was there with a group. Appetizers, drinks, service - amazing. Entree - pork - was horrible. I ate less than half of my plate. Others looked like they enjoyed their food - just don’t order pork.

Completely different menu than what is posted on their webpage. We ordered cocktails and an appetizer, they came along with our wine we ordered to be served with ‘dinner’ and then dinner showed up and we hadn’t even started our appetizer! Atmosphere is a step up from a Dennys, food was just ‘ok’. We will not be back!

I wish I could give this place 4 or 5 stars. Our cuts of meat were delicious and amazing. The problem is that this place is expensive and everything else we got was bland and very little. With high prices and small portions I feel in those cases, you get less food but it's soooo good, it ends up being rich with flavor and works out. That's not the case here. The shrimp and grits with XO sauce was bland, the potato au gratin was bland and like 5 slices of potato. The fries were fries, the asparagus was bland, the chimichurri sauce was bland. Again, the meat was cooked perfectly and tasted really good, I think we just expected more flavor from everything else for the price.

We came here for my birthday and my chicken, although tasty, was undercooked. First time ordering. Felt strange through dinner and brought the leftovers home.. where a war eventually broke out in my stomach. Cutting the leftovers we saw the entire inside red, I guess in the restaurant I didn't notice with the sauce and seasoning. Sick for days 😢

+1

I ordered an omelet, the chef forgot the cheese. My daughter ordered a Cesar salad, the chef forgot the Parmesan cheese and sour dough croutons. The other two plates were "ok" . Expected much better.😔

Sarah Kingston

We did not enjoy the dining experience at the Salt Wood Kitchen. We were staying at the hotel (reviewed separately - it was great) had partly booked as the restaurant looked great and we knew we wouldn't want to drive to go out for food. We saved going for our second night when we heard the Jazz was on in the restaurant. We were looking forward to what we thought would be a lovely, elevated evening of oysters, drinks, good food and music. What we found was a VERY busy open plan restaurant with way too much going on. The jazz was on but the poor man was completely drowned out by the wedding happening in the next room. We weren't informed that this was happening when we called to book and it was completely disruptive to our evening. They had a loud DJ and there was no door separating the space, just a curtain. We also had a group of about 20 guys directly next to us and the door was constantly opening and we were directly in the draft. We shared food and only had three glasses of wine between us and the bill came to nearly $200. The food was decent but hard to enjoy in the chaos. We also weren't informed that the main we both wanted was sold out until we went to order (and they had checked in several times). They did throw in a very tasty ice cream as we were celebrating, which was appreciated. But the experience left a lot to be desired and given it was the only restaurant on site, ever so slightly tainted our otherwise very positive experience at the hotel.

Oysters were delectable...back kitchen had some problems. My experience...many folks orders and mine were not complete...even if there are new hires...a seasoned staffer should monitor what is coming out of the kitchen. The fish was done well...but had as much meat as a minnow. Bartenders...where I usually sit to watch sports updates and games...were impeccable! The manager seemed not to be concerned with the discrepancies...kinda just lile someone walking through an art museum looking at paintings. I feel the food pricing is 35% too much. They may trying to be someplace they are not staffed for.

Way overpriced for what we got. The food tasted good but it was not worth $27 for fish and chips. Drinks are $20 a pop and are average. They forgot one of our entrees, apologized and supposedly put the order back in, but we never got it. The bacon whiskey cocktail tasted like hotdog water. I'm definitely not coming back when I can get better service from the Denny's down the street.

We’ve been going to Salt Wood since it first opened, and it used to be one of the best restaurants on the Peninsula, especially during the period when Chef Paul Corsentino was in charge. Over the past few years, though, the quality has slipped noticeably. We went for brunch today, our first visit since a disappointing dinner about a year ago, hoping things had improved. Unfortunately, our experience was even worse. We were a party of four and, sadly, not one of us was happy with our meal. The menu still reads beautifully and sounds creative, but the food itself was bland and poorly executed, and the service felt inattentive. For a $130 brunch, it felt like a real miss. We truly want to see Salt Wood return to what it once was, but unless there’s a renewed focus on quality and consistency, we’re unlikely to go back.

The place was really pretty but the food was bad we got oysters and they tasted like the ocean and way to much garlic. The fish tacos were not very good either . We got biscuits and gravy the gravy had no flavor, the breakfast burrito was ok ish.

First with the good; I had reservations here for Thanksgiving dinner. The decor is lovely, and the food is okay. However, dinner was buffet style, and for some reason each course was located in a different part of the restaurant, so dinner felt like a scavenger hunt. About half the items on the advertised menu weren't available, and when it came out portions were small and sub-par. Some dishes were cold. Entrees were served directly to the table but took over an hour to reach us. Live entertainment was advertised but not present, dogs wander the restaurant freely. Bathroom floors are sticky... The restaurant was far, far from crowded, but still our experience was sub-par, especially for the money involved. The staff was courteous and tried to help, but clearly the whole evening was poorly managed. I definitely do not recommend this experience. I would have left if I thought there was any chance of finding another open restaurant.

We had an overpriced prix fixe meal for NYE here. Understaffed / rude service and not tasty food. Unfortunate, because we had really been looking forward to the meal. Stay at the resort was great and the oysters ordered to the room were the only bright spot.

Been there 3 times, 3 strikes their out! Bar service lousy, Place is real smokey to the point out cloths smelled smokey after we left. Over priced. Unfortunately all 3 time we tried this restaurant it has been a bad experience. We would not have given it a 3rd time but we met some friends there and gave it a shot. Stay clear of this tourist trap, Denny's down the street would be a better choice.

Unless you want to get sick stay away from this place. While this place had a very nice interior. The food is absolutely horrible. While the Oysters (they were out of bluepoints on Christmas eve, how do you let that happen?) may be good they gave three family members food poisoning. Their overuse of tarragon is many of their dishes makes most of it inedible, including, their mac and cheese, and some of their sauces, as well as ON A DESSERT a apple cake dessert. Their server was poorly trained, we had to ask repeatedly for the special, and he did not mention the daily catch, and did not describe how it was prepared. I had the Red Snapper, for two and shared it. It was the most disgusting fish I've ever had, ( I eat fish regularly). The presentation was absolutely horrible. They make you take out the own meat and serve it whole. They put COLD veggies on top of the fish which just makes the fish cold it self. The fish had no flavor and just tasted absolutely not fresh at all, I am unaware how anyone could enjoy it especially trying to dig through all the bones themselves just to have a tiny fish feed two. The polenta was bland and boring. the side of squash was the only edible thing. While the server was nice, he couldn't listen when after I ordered just to get some food, Was Mac and Cheese no crab no seafood with it, couldn't bring me what I asked for (They have just regular mac and cheese.) The Mac and Cheese with the crab was just gross, with heaps of tarragon on the top trying to hide their poor crab. As well as the dish I had a few others were served and crafted poorly, such as the cioppino, which wasn't set in any kind of sauce, and the steak asked for Med. Rare, came out extremely rare. I honestly don't know how any chef could serve what they gave us, I wonder if had even tasted what they had made. They chef may be trying to be creative but all the creations were absolutely disgusting, if this restaurant wants to survive they need to hire a whole new set of chef's including a new head chef because clearly none of them know what they are doing.

Dined there last night. Had the grilled oysters, aged beef burger and half a chicken. The food was delicious, location gorgeous, service was great, but my date and I both got food poisoning and have been in and out of the bathroom for the last 12 hours. Kind of ruined it for me.

The Salt Wood Restaurant is associated with The Sanctuary Beach Resort in Monterey. You will notice that there aren't any pictures of the Restaurant which is due to the fact that no sooner had we sat down and perused the menu I was dragged out by the Missus who'd seen the prices 💸💸💵💵 Mega bucks. I would imagine it's a very nice meal but charging what would equate to over £25 for a Burger is lunacy. We had a Burger King instead and all four of us ate for the price of one of their Burgers..

We had a good server but it took 2 hours to receive mediocre and unseasoned foods. A complete disappointment on execution of food. The risotto was closer to wet porridge with no seasoning, not even salt. Orders took ages to come while folks around us seated later were served sooner. I would recommend the resort but not the food.

I never complain because cooks are human, mistakes are made, but this whole meal was a disaster. EVERYTHING was over salted to the point of borderline inedible. I had the halibut and that was extremely overcooked and rubbery, the rice was undercooked, and way over salted. Girlfriend had the burger which came out raw and cold in the center, patty seasoning was just salt. The waiter tried to upsell us on everything, and offered us bread without telling us it was a $17 charge or whatever it was. Worst food we’ve had in the area, don’t waste your time

Came in this evening to enjoy a meal for our 20 th anniversary, we made reservations on open table and no one acknowledged our special day. I ordered a petite filet medium plus and not sure what they tryed to serve me it was like an end of pot roast dryer up and stringy, I tryed sending it back and the chef sent it back to me and said that’s what you asked for , never had that happen to me in my life very disappointed in the quality of the food and the chef lack of concern for the guest. Worst steak I’ve ever eaten . Manager did nothing. Replied to manger never recieved a response!!

Had very high hopes of eating here after checking their online menu & pictures. Was looking forward to trying the grilled octopus and crab Mac-n-cheese. Drove a long way just to wait at the front for about 10 minutes to be seated. Nobody was there. Finally I decided to go past the front desk and ask one of the cooks if anyone can help us get a table. After that a lady came and gave us a menu with about 5 food items (which were basically only pork) and told us that “if it’s ok” that’s all they are serving right now and she can sit us. VERY disappointing! Terrible service and staff. Looked like an upscale restaurant but they need to work on their professionalism. The restaurant was empty, I’m not sure why nobody could greet us and get us a table without us asking. And the menu is very deceiving. You will not know what you can order u till you go there and they tell you what they are serving at the moment. ☹️

Addy Dunbar

I was very unpleased with my experience here! I had high hopes coming here because the reviews were good and my friends said it was great. I got to the restaurant and it looked nice but when we got our food the oysters were raw when we asked for them to be fully cooked. We ordered biscuits and gravy and the biscuit was burnt and the gravy tasted like plastic. We got fish tacos and they were horrible!! They were very clearly uncooked and was not the kind of fish we ordered made everybody stomach hurt. The only Pleasant thing we had there was the burrito. Overall horrible experience will not be going back.

lucy mora

Beware of the false google menu. They haven’t updated their menu. They have cut down on their food options. Food was horrible and very expensive for the quality and portions of food. They have your main dish without any sides , you have to buy sides to SHARE!!! People the side is for basically 1 person. Drinks are very expensive. Cadillac margarita was 18.50 for a small drink. Had dinner yesterday, party of 3. Dad had the salmon , portion was very small, husband had the ciopino, taste was bland not enough broth . I had their fillet steak, it was very tough not very flavorful. Our food was cold!!!!! We got the grilled veggies and a loaded potato, let me tell you the loaded potato $14 was a small portion for 1. I was disappointed in the food quality outdated menu in line, false advertisement. I hope this helps. Total Disappointment to have paid $200 for mediocre food.