Water Grill - South Coast Plaza

Name: Water Grill - South Coast Plaza
Address: 3300 Bristol St, Costa Mesa, CA, United States, 92626
Telephone: (949) 208-7060
Price range: $31 to $50
Rating: 4.7

4.7

7251 Reviews

$31 to $50

Seafood

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Located across from South Coast Plaza and steps from Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Water Grill is a true seafood destination. Family owned and operated, Water Grill focuses on first-of-the-season seafood and has delivered a superior dining experience for more than 30 years. Their devotion to quality seafood sourced in-house, is illustrated on their daily menus.

Sourcing from local fishermen, Water Grill’s seafood arrives from boat to table in a matter of hours. Water Grill Executive Chefs prepare the dishes with care, allowing the fresh seafood to shine, while using high-quality ingredients to elevate the recipe. From Spiny Lobsters in the fall to Wild Salmon in the spring, Water Grill’s focus is all about local, sustainable seafood and a one-of-a-kind experience.

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Party Size

2 people

DateTime

Dec 5, 2023

7:00 PM

Booked 227 times today

Experiences are available.

Order delivery or takeout

Private dining

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Additional information

Dining style
Casual Elegant
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Seafood, Fine cuts, American
Hours of operation
Mon–Thu, Sun 11:00 am–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 11:00 am–11:00 pm
Phone number
(949) 208-7060
Website
http://www.watergrill.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, JCB, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Smart Casual
Executive chef
Chef Peter Lai
Private party facilities
Water Grill has been Southern California's seafood destination since 1989. Located in the heart of Orange County, and with the Segerstrom Center for the Arts and the renowned South Coast Plaza within walking distance, Water Grill is the perfect location for any event.
Private party contact
Gina McDaniel: (949) 208-7061

Location
3300 Bristol St, Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Neighborhood
Costa Mesa
Parking details
Valet Only
Additional
Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Cocktails, Full Bar, Indoor Fireplace, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

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Gift card

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Experiences

Celebrate New Year's Eve at Water Grill
$135.00 per person
Dec 31, 2023 only
Come celebrate New Year's Eve at Water Grill South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa! Enjoy a four-course prix fixe menu ($135 per person) showcasing Guest favorites and chef-inspired creations, plus a champagne toast to bring in the New Year. An additional wine pairing enhancement is available ($50 per person). Please note that only the prix fixe menu will be available for New Year’s Eve dinner, starting at 3:00 p.m. Full menu coming soon.

What 7,251 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.7

4.7 based on recent ratings

4.6Food
4.7Service
4.7Ambience
4.2Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

Orange County
Seafood
Orange County
Most Booked
North Orange County
Seafood
North Orange County
Most Booked

7,251 Reviews

KS
KathereneS
Los Angeles
21 reviews
vip
5.0
21 reviews
Dined 2 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience5
Food was delicious. This is my go to restaurant for lunch or dinner on any day. Service was great.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Orange County
36 reviews
vip
3.0
36 reviews
Dined 3 days ago
overall3food3service4ambience2
Service was great… food were cold, very noisy from the street
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Orange County
1 review
vip
5.0
1 review
Dined 3 days ago
overall5food3service5ambience5
Tim our server awesome. The food did not come out very hot. The sea bass was not very tender and flaky like it should be. The purée under the sea bass really didn't have any taste. The lobster sushi rolls and drinks were great.
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AR
ARTHURG
Las Vegas
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined 3 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience5
Fantastic. The food was excellent. The ambience was great and the service was high caliber. Our waitress provided us with such excellent service I would hope to have her again upon our return to the Water Grille.
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AL
ALdiner
San Diego
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined 3 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience5
Never been before, was a nice place to have dinner before seeing a theater show at South Coast Repertory. Definitely make reservations on a weekend evening, gets pretty busy. Service was excellent, ambiance was a little on the livelier side, might be turnoff for some who want more quiet but it wasn't super nosy.
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MK
MarkK
Orange County
28 reviews
vip
4.0
28 reviews
Dined 3 days ago
overall4food1service4ambience5
Asked for my burger medium it was well done. Had it sent back. My burger came out again this time it was a little better, but still probably medium well, not medium. Manager offered a free desert, but declined. Service is always good and the ambience can’t be beat.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Orange County
1 review
vip
1.0
1 review
Dined 4 days ago
overall1food1service1ambience1
Waited an hour and a half for our reservation, was told they were “cleaning up” our table when we checked in which turned out to be a lie.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Los Angeles
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined 4 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience5
Server Kayla and hosts were attentive, professional, and polite. Fun experience choosing our king crab from the tank. Food was all amazing. It was a memorable birthday dinner. Thank you Water Grill.
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S
Samantha
Orange County
19 reviews
vip
5.0
19 reviews
Dined 4 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience5
We had an excellent experience for our anniversary! Nikki was incredible with her timing, her suggestions & her menu knowledge! She was personable, kind, and absolutely on top of everything. Her table maintenance was perfect & we never had an empty wine glass. Managers Tim, Nitin, Alex & James came around several times to make sure we were enjoying our celebration. Everything was amazing and we will most certainly be coming back to see Nikki!
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PK
PamelaK
Orange County
2 reviews
4.0
2 reviews
Dined 5 days ago
overall4food4service2ambience5
The room is lovely! The food was good, though not particularly memorable. The worst part of our experience was at the front desk, where we were treated rudely. It's not the first time this has happened. The staff have more "attitude" than I remember in the past. This makes the experience less enjoyable. We did like our server.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Los Angeles
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 5 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience5
I ordered the filet mignon and lobster. The meat was perfectly cooked how I wanted (medium rare). Lobster melted in my mouth. Our waiter Andrew was phenomenal. When I initially made the reservation, I had noted that I am Sober. Our waiter Andrew made it a point to actually read the notes because he offered all the non-alcoholic drinks that Water Grill offers. The fact that he took the time to actually pay attention to a small detail like that is huge for someone like me who is sober. It speaks volumes of the customer service that this individual had. As for dessert, I had the maple cheesecake and the bread pudding and both were amazing. I will definitely be coming back and hopefully I will run into Andrew because he was great!
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S
Scotty
Orange County
21 reviews
vip
5.0
21 reviews
Dined 6 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience5
Great food great service great environment, big portions, very expensive
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Orange County
1 review
3.0
1 review
Dined 6 days ago
overall3food5service5ambience5
MARK was an excellent server. Attentive and funny. Will ask for his section next time.
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TB
TomB
Los Angeles
8 reviews
vip
5.0
8 reviews
Dined 6 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience5
Excellent service and food. Very professional. Great time. Thank you !
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MB
MBechay
Los Angeles
54 reviews
vip
5.0
54 reviews
Dined 7 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience5
All was great feom the minute walking in Hostess friendly greating with smiles Management very attending to all guests Server very awesome job everything was perfect Food was delicious special my 6.25 pounds king crab. All that it really show how this beautiful restaurant is operating under the GM ..i think his name Natin ... great job Mr Nitan And Thank you
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B
Bryant
Los Angeles
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on November 27, 2023
overall5food4service5ambience4
First time been there, need valid parking ($8/per vehicle) all the time, reception was easy and personnel were friendly. the food is good, might be little over price, Jessica, the waitress was friendly and knowledgeable. Thank you !
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KM
KimberlyM
Cancun
5 reviews
2.0
5 reviews
Dined on November 27, 2023
overall2food1service5ambience5
My husband and I wanted a nice meal for our anniversary, food was extremely dry, the spiny lobster was over cooked and the Mac and cheese was dry and tasteless. Emily our server was great, the ambience was nice I really wanted to love this place for a $400 meal but either the chef had an off day or this is the standard. Very disappointed.
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L
Lisabum
Las Vegas
7 reviews
5.0
7 reviews
Dined on November 26, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
All was great as usual. Service was perfection. Will be back with friends.
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s
sensiblediner
Los Angeles
19 reviews
vip
5.0
19 reviews
Dined on November 26, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Ian, our server was very attentive and patient with our big group. Would also like to give a shout out to the manager who worked to keep our 2 tables next to each other. We will definitely make Water Grill our go to restaurant for our annual after Thanksgiving dinner with friends and family.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Orange County
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on November 26, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
A great place for seafood - always a memorable and delicious evening!
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Orange County
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on November 25, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Great overall no complaints in any aspect food & service
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s
samy
Orange County
5 reviews
vip
5.0
5 reviews
Dined on November 24, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Been here many times.. food is always consistent and taste great!
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VB
VincentB
Phoenix
6 reviews
5.0
6 reviews
Dined on November 24, 2023
overall5food4service5ambience5
AMAZING service! Manager is on top of it all. Impressive. Our server was amazing too.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Portland
7 reviews
3.0
7 reviews
Dined on November 24, 2023
overall3food3service5ambience3
Wedge salad had brown pieces of lettuce mixed in already and starting to go bad. Dressing was watery and lacking any real taste. Pieces of bacon sprinkled very sparingly on top, was hard, overcooked and inedible. $16.00…the opposite of good value, tasty and fresh. Wife ordered Cioppino. She thought it was good. They served an Italian type roll for dipping that was burned and hard as a rock. We asked for another order of the regular bread rolls that you receive when you first sit down to use with the Cioppino instead. Those rolls were delicious paired with the salted butter the gave. I got the 12oz Filet Mignon, which was good, with french fries. Fries were oily and over fried. Server was excellent, professional, timely and still as busy as he was refilled our beverages without us having to ask him. Overall, not worth the money.
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NY
NYGeorge
San Diego
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on November 24, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Loved the setting of indoor with a breeze. Sean is a master of his craft, he's been there for 6yrs and fluent in the cuisine. Perfect Birthday/Thanksgiving dinner.
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g
ginger
Portland
2 reviews
vip
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on November 24, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Our server was amazing and the management staff was on it! Great evening Thank you!!!
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DQ
DanielQ
San Francisco
7 reviews
5.0
7 reviews
Dined on November 24, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Everything was Fantastic, the food-Wow! The ambiance-Amazing! Best of all-The service-Tim was fun, attentive and most importantly…Genuine!!! A Great Thanksgiving!
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RH
RobertH
Orange County
5 reviews
vip
5.0
5 reviews
Dined on November 24, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Food and service on Thanksgiving were exceptional.
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SM
SquirrelMaster
Orange County
7 reviews
5.0
7 reviews
Dined on November 23, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Our holiday dining experience was Phenomenal!!! Our waiter, Pete was EXCELLENT in all aspects of our dining experience!! He took care of guiding us; giving us suggestions, direction & guidance through the evening.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Las Vegas
5 reviews
1.0
5 reviews
Dined on November 23, 2023
overall1food1service5ambience4
Great service! Great staff! Wife’s spiny lobster was perfect. My sea bass was dry and way overcooked. The maple carrots were hard and flavorless the cauliflower purée was runny, watery at best. Very disappointed. It was Thanksgiving and the rap on this place is that the food quality goes to zero when it’s crowded / busy. I would agree. Many reviews indicate luke warm food, dry fish etc. they are accurate. So the food quality is terrible for the price. I understand it was busy and the place was full. If you can’t handle volume you need to rethink how things are being done in the kitchen ands who is doing them….
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NN
NatNat
Los Angeles
2 reviews
3.0
2 reviews
Dined on November 23, 2023
overall3food4service1ambience4
Came with family for Thanksgiving around noon. The restaurant was very busy at this time. We had a great table and loved the breeze that flowed through the open window. The food and drinks were delicious. The service on the other hand was terrible, our server who also said he was a bartender had terrible attitude, rarely checked in throughout our meal, and it felt like we were overstepping on his toes if we asked for something. Luckily, we made the best of it, but given that it was a holiday with family, we spent a lot of money between the appetizers, entrees, dessert, and bottle of wine, I would have hoped for a better experience.
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JA
JulietA
Orange County
3 reviews
4.0
3 reviews
Dined on November 23, 2023
overall4food4service5ambience4
The Thanksgiving dinner was a good price. But the gravy was bland. They ought to have added one vegetable side. That wouldn't cost much, and would be more traditional. The service was amazingly attentive and quick. I would definitely return.
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Y
Yasa
Los Angeles
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on November 23, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Great Thanksgiving lunch. Thanksgiving special 3 course meal was very good, turkey was moist and well seasoned. I just wish that they had options for sides. I wanted to eat turkey and I am allergic to sugar and flour, so I could not eat two out of three sides.
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GC
GregoryC
Orange County
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on November 23, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
This is not an inexpensive restaurant, but you get what you pay for. We enjoyed excellent food, incredible service and beautiful surroundings!
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C
Cyndy
Los Angeles
9 reviews
5.0
9 reviews
Dined on November 23, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Server was absolutely amazing and so on top of everything. We missed our starter plate with the calamari but we were able to get that comp'd from our bill. Would definitely go back. The bread pudding dessert was amazing.
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MH
MatthewH
Phoenix
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on November 23, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
This restaurant is excellent! Niles was a great server. Will be back!
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Orange County
64 reviews
vip
5.0
64 reviews
Dined on November 23, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Food, service, and ambience was great as usual! Will be back soon!
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Orange County
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on November 22, 2023
overall5food5service4ambience5
Jason was our man and he was excellent. Food was out of this world,amazing 💙🙏🏻
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AH
AmandaH
Orange County
25 reviews
vip
5.0
25 reviews
Dined on November 20, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
One of my favorite places. Service is great and the food is amazing. My recommendations…the Peruvian scallops, clam chowder, Toro tartare, hamachi nachos, fish and chips, sea bass and the key lime pie.
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N
Neglected
Orange County
11 reviews
vip
5.0
11 reviews
Dined on November 20, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Server was great! Food was excellent. Made reservation and waited a little longer than expected.
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FAQs

Water Grill - South Coast Plaza offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (949) 208-7060.

Water Grill - South Coast Plaza is rated 4.7 stars by 7251 OpenTable diners.

Water Grill - South Coast Plaza does offer gift cards which you can purchase here.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

Party Size

2 people

DateTime

Dec 5, 2023

7:00 PM

Booked 227 times today

Experiences are available.

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for Water Grill - South Coast Plaza

3300 Bristol St, Costa Mesa, CA 92626

Additional information

Neighborhood
Costa Mesa
Hours of operation
Mon–Thu, Sun 11:00 am–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 11:00 am–11:00 pm
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Seafood, Fine cuts, American
Dining style
Casual Elegant
Dress code
Smart Casual
Parking details
Valet Only
Payment options
AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, JCB, Mastercard, Visa
Executive chef
Chef Peter Lai
Additional
Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Cocktails, Full Bar, Indoor Fireplace, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
http://www.watergrill.com/
Phone number
(949) 208-7060
Private party facilities
Water Grill has been Southern California's seafood destination since 1989. Located in the heart of Orange County, and with the Segerstrom Center for the Arts and the renowned South Coast Plaza within walking distance, Water Grill is the perfect location for any event.
Private party contact
Gina McDaniel: (949) 208-7061

Featured in

Gift card

Send gift cards instantly by email or print to present in person.

Send a gift card

Water Grill - South Coast Plaza

Make a reservation

Order delivery or takeout

Private dining

Additional information

Featured in

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Gift card

Experiences

Celebrate New Year's Eve at Water Grill

Menu

What 7,251 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Loved For

FAQs

Does Water Grill - South Coast Plaza offer delivery through OpenTable or takeout?

How is Water Grill - South Coast Plaza restaurant rated?

Does Water Grill - South Coast Plaza offer gift cards?

Is Water Grill - South Coast Plaza currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

Featured in

100 Orange County Restaurants to Love This Valentine's Day

50 Orange County Restaurants to Connect In For Mother's Day

Gift card