Water Grill San Diego Claim this business

Marcie Lemieuxon Google

a month ago

A close friend took me here to celebrate my brother’s life on the 10-year anniversary of his passing. It was a special evening, and this restaurant provided a beautiful setting to spend it. The atmosphere is always gorgeous, and every time I visit, the place seems to be packed. Despite the crowd, we were fortunate enough to get seated right away. Our server was phenomenal. She was incredibly friendly and attentive. She offered recommendations and seemed to have a great sense of timing throughout the meal. When we finished our cocktails, she was already bringing over the bottle of wine we had ordered without us having to ask. She even left a thoughtful handwritten note with our check, which was a very sweet touch. We started with the bread service, and honestly, it’s one of my favorite parts of dining here. The warm rolls and butter are absolutely phenomenal and make for a perfect start to the meal. We also ordered the: •Salmon Roll: their sushi rolls are consistently fresh and well prepared. While this particular roll wasn’t a standout or “wow” dish, it was still very enjoyable. •Salmon Special: we split this as our entree. It was a special that our server explained had been freshly caught in Washington. The restaurant kindly split the dish into separate plates for us, which I appreciated. Unfortunately, this was where the meal fell flat. The salmon itself lacked taste, and the risotto lacked seasoning and flavor. The dish was just extremely bland. •Old Fashioned: this was excellent. Smooth and made just right. They definitely know how to craft a great cocktail. We also ordered a bottle of Malbec, but I can’t remember which one we ordered. Overall, this is a fun place with beautiful atmosphere, great energy, and exceptional service. Unfortunately, the food was a disappointment this visit. The bread, drinks, and service were fantastic, but the entrée simply didn’t deliver, which was very disappointing for the price. I’ll likely return for the atmosphere alone and hope the kitchen is back on its game next time.

Harry Higginson Google

7 months ago

Every visit here is a wonderful experience thanks to the consistently great food and attentive service. The restaurant has a beautiful and inviting atmosphere, and the second floor adds a nice touch to the overall vibe. Their oysters are absolutely delicious and always feel fresh. Being located downtown, parking can be a bit challenging, but the quality of the experience more than makes up for it. Highly recommended.

Salim Ali Khanon Google

6 months ago

Water Grill delivered a wonderful dining experience from start to finish. We were greeted by warm hosts and seated promptly, which set the tone for a great evening. Bob deserves a special shoutout for being an exceptional host. He spent time with us answering our questions, explaining ingredients (like the difference between spiny lobster and Maine lobster), and helped us make great choices for our dinner. He never once made us feel rushed, always attentive, always kind, and truly made us feel at home. The meal began with their homemade bread and butter, which was easily the best complimentary bread and butter we’ve ever had, so good that we asked for more, even though the initial portion was already generous for two. We ordered: Calamari with mint maploy sauce, pepper, and aioli Spiny lobster served with coleslaw and melted butter Lobster( served with Maine lobster ( tail and claw meat) roll on a brioche bun with butter dressing, served with fries Everything was fresh, flavorful, and beautifully prepared. We ended the meal with the key lime pie. The filling was enjoyable, though we felt the oatmeal crust could have been even better with something like a graham cracker crust. It was also wonderful to see how cheerful and attentive the entire staff was across the dining room, lots of smiles, positive energy, and never a dull moment. Overall, a fantastic experience, elevated even further by Bob’s outstanding hospitality. We would absolutely return

Esteban Tizaon Google

4 months ago

Dinner started with the bread service, which was fantastic. I could have eaten a tub of their homemade butter if they would have let me. So good. We were having an early dinner before a show so we ate a little lighter. My wife had the crab cake appetizer as a meal, which she liked. Not the best crab cake we’ve ever had but definitely not the worst. I had the sea bass and it was quite good. Very tender and flaky. I gave the “atmosphere” 5-stars because the restaurant is beautiful but my only complaint is that with the open window seating, there was a man dancing around on the sidewalk talking to people trying to eat. He didn’t talk to us, but it was a little jarring. Overall a really nice meal.

Vivian Edisison Google

2 months ago

This is my go to place as soon as I land in San Diego. Always start with the oyster dozen sampler. I've had the clam shower soup, the sea bass, swordfish. Honestly everything is top notch here. Great service and atmosphere! Definitely a must try!