We came for their Australian lobster and it was atrocious. It smelled too tasted like it wasn’t fresh. Their service is great though. The server and front desk greeters were super professional and sweet. I just don’t recommend the food

The food was delicious! Our waitress was exceptional! I enjoy dining at Water Grill.

Servers are always pleasant and the food is delicious. I always look forward to going back!

Jason’s wonderful personality complimented our party well! We were celebrating an anniversary and all of his recommendations for dinner were spot on. I love Water Grill and have been to multiple locations but the South Coast location holds a special piece of my heart. If you are looking for phenomenal food, service and a beautiful environment then Water Grill is the perfect place to celebrate any occasion.

If you love seafood, exceptional cocktails, even beautifully aged steaks, Water Grill is the place for you. I hardly know where to begin. Originally, I had been brought to the Water Grill for my birthday last year, and it was so lovely, so delicious, with such outstanding service, I knew I had to return. My husband is a former east-coaster, and with that comes the snobbish attitude about seafood. I mean, I can't blame him, because I now understand - there's nothing like east coast seafood, particularly crab cakes. So when I took him for his birthday recently, we forewarned our waitress, Brittanie, that he's a tough one to please in this arena. She was SO attentive, confirmed ingredients and preparations with the chef, and made our little lunch together a beautiful experience. True lump blue crab in an exceptionally delicious presentation made his day. As for myself? I love their manila clams, and their Chilean Sea Bass is a thing of beauty. OH and Accidental Crossing? Best cocktail ever. Yes, this is undoubtedly an upscale restaurant. The quality of everything demonstrates that. And yes, Brittanie should receive an award for making our afternoon a lovely experience.

Now, about their protocols for keeping guests and their own staff safe. This is an unprecedented time, and the restaurant has been vigorous about assuring safety. Our household has been extremely reluctant to eat out during this time. The outdoor dining is certainly an option, but we opted for the dining room that is essentially open-air. Partitions are everywhere, masks are required - and yes, over the nose thank you - cleaning standards are fantastic, spacing is completely adjusted to accommodate social distancing. We felt safe. We felt grateful. And for that brief moment in time, we were able to let go of the stress, the worry, the anxiety, and just be fully present to all the deliciousness and care.

Always a fun classy time

Great fish as usual

Daughters Birthday 🎉

Excellent food as always. Ordered the whole crab, oysters, crab cakes, mashed potatoes, Brussel sprouts and a couple desserts. It was all delicious.

Great seafood restaurant with wonderful ambiance.

I love the ambiance of water grill! The service is always good but the food is not as good as it used to be! My husband got a rib eye that was so thin that it wasnt worth the money and did not meet our expectations! As well,we told waiter of dairy allergy but steak came out with butter! I ordered the sea bass which was delicious! The butternut squash and broccolini sides were very tasty.so if you go,stick with fish!

Birthday and was hoping to be seated at better area like last time.
Otherwise it’s a nice place and pretty busy.

Beautiful dining patio, the prettiest one I’ve seen in a while. The food is always amazing, there are never any complaints there. I don’t remember our server’s name, I think Jackie or something, she was fantastic and helped my friend find the wine she liked best. Thank you for the care and focus you put into making the experience like this for me every time!

Javier was fantastic and very knowledgeable on the menu and wine pairings! I will absolutely request him next time I visit. Joy, the manager, made sure we had a wonderful experience! She was extremely attentive!

aMAZING / GOOD food and service ... will definily go back , thank you steven

Food and service was great!

Mike was the best server ever, I will definitely be back!

My favorite place! Love everything, food, drinks and ambiance.
Hostess made me feel so special at my last visit! She went above and beyond and I so appreciate it!

My husband and I celebrated our 1 year wedding anniversary at Water Grill. We ordered a whole crab and it was amazing. The crab is alive before we ordered so it’s as fresh as it gets. The crab is sweet and very soft. Very delicious, I will definitely come back here with my husband.

Service was great! Only complaint was items added to the bill that we didn’t order/didn’t receive, but it was a huge bill so I can understand things getting mixed up. Overall, amazing dinner and had an awesome time. Will come back for sure.

Exquisite food! Definitely one of my favorite places to eat with good company.

We are weekly customers that enjoys this dining spot.

The server was excellent and no one rushed us. The food was great , as usual.

Wonderful food and service. Please keep your Garlic Noodles on your menu all year round please!

Had an amazing time! Our server was funny and on top of everything! Will definitely be going back

I went to water grill many times in Santa Monica and down town. But this is not the great experience.
The food is not fresh. I ordered a cioppino. The crab meat was almost black. The food portion is very small.
In general, the food did not worth the amount that I paid.

Amazing place to dine and come to have a great time.

Time to get out and smell the fresh air, dine on seafood and enjoy good company. Water Grill answers all of these in one beautiful lunch seating. Our server, Brandon was extraordinary in recommendations, timing and overall service.

COVID-19 protocols followed and I felt safe and at ease to enjoy dining.

There are few restaurants that you look for reasons to return soon, but Water Grill is by far the one to make for a memorable afternoon.

Went for a birthday meal. Everything was great. With the portable divider screens, we felt safe and our area was very private. The food was wonderful.

The food was delicious as usual. Servers are very friendly

great food and drinks, they were fast and good service they also accommodated 12 people very nicely

Food was a bit salty

Friendly, helpful staff and great food whether dining inside or out in the patio area.

Amazing! Will definitely be my new monthly seafood spot.

My experience at the Water Grill in Costa Mesa was absolutely fabulous. The ambiance was great as was the service and the good. This was my third time there and I have never been disappointed. I would most certainly recommend it to anyone looking for a place to celebrate anything.

great food and service. did family style so we could try various items and they all were delicious

thank you all it was great
I definitely would return to try more dishes.

Sat at the bar. Great service ...

Nice "outdoor" place for guests. Some areas of the floor are less appealing.

Best service and food