Review Water Grill - San Diego

This is a great place to dine and get away from the fast food restaurant near the San diego Convention Center. It's not cheap and you need to be to spend some money without second guessing your budget. Lots of seating and well lit. Big bar and very clean. Easy menu if you know what you want. Good portions. However, it's not a big feast. Enough to get you full, though. Well decorated, and you will go back Highly recommended

A sophisticated yet rustic seafood restaurant with a wide assortment of menu options. I ordered the fish n chips and got a small but filling portion served on a platter with a lemon, ketchup and some creamy tartar sauce. The food was good but the setting was definitely the highlight with high ceilings and booths with great views out of the floor to ceiling windows. Well worth a try while in San Diego!

Wow! The food was amazing! I had the Chilean Sea Bass and it was great, solid 9/10. My husband had the New York strip (who gets steak at a seafood restaurant, right?) and I didn’t expect it to be be prepared so well, easily a 9.5/10. We received complimentary desert to-go (we were already beyond full from the meal). The music choices were top notch with a blend of new and classic hits, but not too loud to bother anyone from enjoying their meal at a normal volume. The place is a bit pricy, but you get what you pay for because they do not disappoint.

All of the food was very good and had a great presentation on all fronts. The Halibut had roasted corn on a bed with chilies that complicated the Halibut really well. Only reason I did not give 5 stars was the entire draft beer selection ( which is rather large ) was not working. The hostess should have told my party that before we sat down and got situated. Also they had a fantastic warm bread with creamy butter, however after a few pieces we wanted to order more, but the restaurant ran out of it. And they ran out of something else we asked about. Not a huge deal, but not worthy of 5 stars because of these issues.

There were a couple missed drink orders but we were a big group to be fair. Service people would come by often enough. Food was cooked well. Atmosphere was good but could tell it'd get better as the night went on (we left just after 8pm as a group).

We had a great dinner here. They offer a variety of oysters and other fresh seafood. I had the cioppino and my husband had the Alaskan Sea Bass. Both were delicious although I think the cioppino was better. I will also say that the wait staff were excellent. Our server was very knowledgeable and attentive.

The Water Grill is a favorite spot to hit up before catching a Padres game! We love their selection of beverages and the variety of east coast and west coast oysters! The presentation is exquisite and the service is impeccable. I have loved EVERY meal I ever selected. The octopus was delicious. The clams in chorizo broth wonderful. Even their sourdough bread rolls and butter is magnificent. MOn two occasions, my partner got the fish tacos. Each time he said they were lacking for him. They needed seasoning and/or a heartier sauce.

Great food, great service, great atmosphere! Been to Water Grill a few times now, this was my first stopping into this location. By far my favorite one yet. Nothing but great things to say, and definitely worth the stop if your in downtown San Diego… you won’t be disappointed!

The atmosphere is beautiful and the food is Delicious! I ordered the grilled organic chicken and it was the most tender and tasty grilled chicken! Their mashed potatoes are fantastic! Customer service is great!

Went there for Thanksgiving dinner. We were in town prior to taking a cruise. This place was hopping. Despite the large crowds, the service and food was outstanding.

The first time here and my experience was 5 star beginning to end. We started with fried calamari that was accompanied by a spicy aolie dipping sauce along with a sweet chili sauce. We moved to the entree, which included a 12oz Charcoal grilled Filet mignon that was cooked to perfection. We also ordered the scallop dinner and the lobster with Yukon yellow mashed potatoes. The mashed were out of this world! So creamy with the perfect balance of butter topped with fresh chives. Ended the night with a maple cheese cake and icecream plated on a bed of chocolate sauce and pine nuts. Final thoughts: The server was extremely knowledgeable of the entire menu and had great suggestions. The overall experience was top-notch. I take my hat off to both the FOH and BOH staff. Thank you for an unforgettable experience.

I had the lobster roll, specifically the Connecticut, which is served warm in a giant soft loaf. It was delicious

I recently dined at Water Grill in San Diego for dinner and had a mixed experience overall. The appetizers, including the calamari and beets salad, were delightful and left a positive impression. The fried calamari was a standout. Crispy and perfectly seasoned, each bite provided a satisfying crunch and a burst of flavor. It was an excellent start to the meal, and I would highly recommend it to anyone visiting Water Grill. The beets salad was also delicious, offering a refreshing combination of earthy beets, vibrant greens, and a well-balanced dressing. However, my experience took a slight downturn with the shrimp scampi, which was my chosen entree. While the flavors were acceptable, I was disappointed by the quality of the shrimp. They had an unpleasant smell that detracted from the overall enjoyment of the dish. It was unfortunate considering the high expectations I had based on the appetizers. In terms of service, I found it to be decent. The staff was attentive and responsive, ensuring that our needs were met throughout the evening. However, I felt that the service lacked the personal touch that can make a dining experience truly exceptional. Despite the mixed experience, Water Grill in San Diego offers an inviting and upscale atmosphere that sets the stage for an enjoyable evening. The restaurant's elegant decor and comfortable seating create a pleasant ambiance for guests to relax and enjoy their meal. If you decide to visit Water Grill, I would recommend trying their delicious appetizers, particularly the fried calamari. However, I would exercise caution when it comes to the shrimp dishes, as my experience with the shrimp scampi was not as favorable. Ultimately, the overall experience at Water Grill in San Diego was a bit of a mixed bag. While the appetizers shined, the quality of the shrimp and the lackluster service left something to be desired. It might be worth exploring other dining options in the area for a more consistent and satisfying experience.

Fantastic. Popped in during a work trip and had an amazing experience. Our server, Brian, brought us delicious meals. We didn’t even look at the menu, asked him to pick stuff for the table. Some of the fish was a little over cooked but still delicious. Highly recommend dining here. The bread pudding and key lime pie were perfect and delicious.

What a night! Excellent whisky sours, untouchable oysters, succulent scallops, and perfectly cooked clams. A great bar tender made it a very special evening.

Very cool open air vibe at this restaurant. Food was decent, but not necessarily worth the cost. Our server basically disappeared after taking our order, only coming back once. We had to ask the host for our check after waiting at least 10-15 minutes once we were done. Tried the lobster roll and shrimp louie salad.

This restaurant is run like a well oiled machine! From the atmosphere, to the staff, the food and drinks. I can't praise The Water Grill enough! This place is impeccable! We liked it so much I went twice in a week. Their cocktails are to die for, literally. Try for a date night and your date will be impressed. Our waitresses were AMAZING, they even took my 5yr old and 8yr old to the kitchen to see the live seafood and even their kitchen is top notch. I live in Temecula and will continue to make the drive down. If you are looking for the best of the best look no further!

Can’t say enough about how much we enjoyed this restaurant, the drinks were amazing and made properly, including the egg whites in the whiskey sour! The salmon was cooked perfectly and the scallops were also amazing and well prepared. I will most certainly be grabbing a drink here in the future when I am in the area.

Great place and service! Our waiter Matt was awesome! We definitely recommend this place.

We went for you Birthday earlier this year and it was wonderful! We knew we had to bring my Dad. We had the King seafood platter and the Poke appetizer! It was a wonder time with even better food. Our sever Bob was not only knowledgeable but entertaining as well! I recommend this restaurant for True seafood lovers!!!

Great service! Yes; anticipate a pricey meal, however, the food is delicious! My Moscow Mule was well-made, much appreciated! Their wine list is amazingly extensive, so one should not have a problem in finding something to drink. I would recommend this restaurant, definitely!

Flat out the worst service I’ve found in Gaslamp. Barely saw our server, never received drink refills until I was asking for the check. I asked three passing servers to bring us bread and it took a manager to deliver it. The food was good but the experience was so bad that I would have been happier to spend $130 at Subway.

Literally everything we had was great BUT it was a tad pricey... Dozen oysters and mussels for an appetizer; Lobster roll, dungenous crab, fish n chips for entrees, bread pudding for dessert and some cocktails ended up around $300 with a decent tip. Service was great as well, maybe I’m just a cheapo! Lol I’d def come back again tho 😬

Great place and even better service. Big thanks to raw bar chef David. We will be back!

Food- just ok, had the Halibut, flavorless. If your looking for marginal overpriced food with an indifferent server- this place is for you. If you're looking for a great meal with a fun or comfortable atmosphere, keep looking/ this isn't it. I travel frequently to this area for business and would not come back to this restaurant.

This was an amazing experience. Started at the bar with the best oysters, then on to a quaint little table for two... Shared a ribeye and halibut, both cooked to perfection. The Water Grill gets all of the stars, highly recommend.

Food was fabulous. However, one hour and 40 minutes to get our dinner was ridiculous. The server’s excuse was that it takes a long time to cook 2 1/4 pound lobster. Wrong. I cooked many 2 1/4 pound lobsters in my life it takes about eight minutes. Very very disappointed.

Best bar drinks best food best ambiance. Love everything about this place. I could drink their Kentucky Preacher out of a pitcher.

This place has the slowest service. It took 30 minutes for an order of fish and chips and one kids cheeseburger to come out. The fries arrived cold. It took another 15 minutes to get warm fries. They offered a free dessert. We agreed after much thought of how long it would take to get the dessert. We were right. We waited 20 minutes and no dessert. I got change from the bartender and dropped enough to cash to cover the bill. We walked out and the supervisor and our server said bye without blinking an eyelash. The place was not even close to busy.

Besides the fact that the window edging was really dirty and food got cold fast cause window remained open (after weather cooled down) it was good service and lobster was � delish. Would go back �

Black cod, or sable fish #delish, don't skip the Willamette Pinot.......!

We ordered the King Crab dinner yesterday after telling our waiter we were looking for something light like oysters. He obliged and upsold us the King Crab and said it would be an excellent choice and could feed 3 people. We ordered it and he briefly showed us the menu of what it came with. When we ordered it, it was a beautiful dish and congratulated us. We asked for the bill because we had to eat and leave soon. We ate a claw each and stopped when we noticed a $600 charge and immediately thought it was a mistake. We asked the waiter and he said that was the price of the meal with several other dishes arriving, clearly not what we were expecting. We complained to the manager who fortunately took it off the bill and made clear that the upsell from oysters to a $600 meal item was disingenuous. To be fair they were accommodating for the refund but a $600 menu item needs to be underscored especially when it was only three of us sitting at a shared bar and not table service.

Fantastic steak and king crab. Our server was fantastic. He had great suggestions and basically made sure we had a great time. I think his name was Javier, he has been there for over 4 years he said. He defiantly deserves a shout out, he’s why we would love to visit again next time visiting San Diego