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Water Grill San Diego Dining Room - Water Grill - San Diego, San Diego, CA

Water Grill - San Diego

4.6 (3756)
$31 to $50
Seafood
615 J Street, San Diego, CA 92101

Make a reservation

2 people
9:00 PM
Booked 39 times today

About this restaurant

  • Good for special occasions
  • Good for business meals
  • Lively
Located steps away from Petco Park and the San Diego Convention Center in the heart of Gaslamp District in downtown San Diego, Water Grill San Diego is an iconic seafood destination to enjoy the first catch of the season and a deep variety of fish, lobsters, crabs, oysters and shellfish on a robust menu that changes daily. New product arrives from boat-to-table in a matter of hours from our exclusive seafood distribution company and our chef’s preparations allow the high-quality product to shine. Consistently rated as one of San Diego’s top seafood restaurants, Water Grill San Diego also offers multiple, customizable private dining options for business meetings and special events.

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Seafood, American, Fine cuts
  • Hours of operation
    Mon–Thu, Sun 11:30 am–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 11:30 am–11:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (619) 717-6992
  • Website
    http://www.watergrill.com/
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Executive chef
    Jason Gethin
  • Private party facilities
    Host your next private dining or special event in the heart of the Gaslamp District in downtown San Diego! Consistently rated as one of San Diego’s top seafood restaurants by locals, Water Grill San Diego offers multiple, customizable private dining options for your meetings and events.
  • Private party contact
    Arian James : (619) 402-5747
  • Location
    615 J Street, San Diego, CA 92101
  • Neighborhood
    Downtown
  • Cross street
    6th Avenue and J Street
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Cocktails, Full Bar, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

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Private dining

Menu

View menu on restaurant's website

What 3,756 people are saying

Water Grill - San Diego reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

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

4.6
4.6 based on recent ratings
  • 4.6Food
  • 4.6Service
  • 4.6Ambience
  • 4.2Value

Noise • Moderate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Water Grill in San Diego is a seafood lover's paradise, praised for its "fantastic, fresh seafood" and "best lobster roll ever." Diners rave about the attentive service, with standout servers like Joey and Richard enhancing the experience. The "ambiance is great," making it ideal for special occasions.
3,756 Reviews

  1. Ariah

    Atlanta1 review

    2.0

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    I hate to leave a review like this but our visit was extremely disappointing, overall. The service we recieved and the kind card congratulating us on our recent wedding was the highlight of the evening. They also gave us a really cute cookie dessert at the end of our dinner. However, that is the extent of the positives: - The lobster bisque that I ordered as an appetizer had two small pieces of lobster among three very large croutons - however, the presentation was beautiful and this was also the only dish that I had with any flavor. - We ordered broccolini as well and it came with "Chinese sausage". The broccolini was extremely bland and the sausage appeared to be a dried sausage, which you could tell wasn't cooked with the broccolini and it tasted like something that should be a part of a completely different dish - like charcuterie board? The broccolini was also sitting in a dark sauce that tasted like chocolate to me. It wasn't pleasant and again didn't feel appropriate for the dish. - For my entree, I ordered the Mexican sea bass. Again, it was flavorless and the dish was pretty dry. I also bit into a fish bone, sat it on the side of my plate to show the server, and was told by the server that they "don't fillet our fish here...". So that was the solution to that I guess. - My husband ordered his steak entree "medium" and it was overcooked. It was also unseasoned/bland. - The signature cocktails all seemed to have pineapple in them, which seemed more appropriate for a tiki bar but not a formal seafood restaurant. I tried two and the sweetness of the pineapple overpowered both. Our meal came to just under $200 total and we walked away extremely disappointed. Very over priced for the quality of food that we received.

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  2. Lee

    Washington, D.C. Area1 review

    5.0

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Service, location and food quality were outstanding

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  3. KIM

    Orange County1 review

    5.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The food was amazing! Our server, Melanie, was outstanding!! Great menu and drink selections. The only negative thing I would say would be our parking experience. Our bad for booking a dinner reservation around the time of the start of a Padres game. Water Grill is just down the street from Petco Park and parking was a challenge!! Despite that, our experience was Excellent!!

    Is this helpful?

  4. Kevin

    New York City1 review

    4.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    Took way to long for drinks, food was barely warm and server never checked on . For a $250 lunch for 2. Not worth it

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  5. Endolfo

    Unspecified1 review

    5.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Water Grill SD was absolutely amazing. They outperformed in every occasion. The seafood deluxe platter was spectacular with an incredible taste and freshness. The octopus was also equally amazing. And the staff altogether were incredible and attentive. We had an amazing dinner experience there. Would highly recommend and visit again 5/5.

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  6. Robert VIP

    Phoenix / Arizona3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Wonderful service, food and drinks. So tasty. Padres game night and still noise level was reasonable. Great place!

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  7. Percival

    San Francisco Bay Area1 review

    5.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Wonderful experience we had to celebrate my wife’s birthday. Our server Marilia is very nice and excellent in what she do. Definitely, I recommend this place not only because of the food. Also all the staff courteous attitude.

    1 person found this helpful

  8. philip VIP

    Chicago / Illinois2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We live downtown and this is our go to fish restaurant. Fish is always top quality and the servers are professional and friendly. Simply the best.

    1 person found this helpful

  9. Karen VIP

    Houston11 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on June 15, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The service was lovely. Some of the food was fabulous, but some of the entrees were disappointing. Fish and chips got raves, Mexican sea bass was dry and king salmon was meh.

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  10. Kristin VIP

    Southwest Florida115 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 15, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Our sincere thanks to Linsey for making out 'night out' so special! Outstanding service, great food and venue -- can't wait to return. Kris & Chris

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Water Grill - San Diego offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (619) 717-6992.

Water Grill - San Diego is rated 4.6 stars by 3756 OpenTable diners.

Water Grill - San Diego 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.

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. San Diego
  4. San Diego
  5. Downtown

Make a reservation

2 people
9:00 PM
Booked 39 times today
Google Map for Water Grill - San Diego

615 J Street, San Diego, CA 92101

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Cross street
    6th Avenue and J Street
  • Neighborhood
    Downtown
  • Hours of operation
    Mon–Thu, Sun 11:30 am–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 11:30 am–11:00 pm
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Seafood, American, Fine cuts
  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Jason Gethin
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Cocktails, Full Bar, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Website
    http://www.watergrill.com/
  • Phone number
    (619) 717-6992
  • Private party facilities
    Host your next private dining or special event in the heart of the Gaslamp District in downtown San Diego! Consistently rated as one of San Diego’s top seafood restaurants by locals, Water Grill San Diego offers multiple, customizable private dining options for your meetings and events.
  • Private party contact
    Arian James : (619) 402-5747

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