WIND & SEA RESTAURANT, Dana Point - Restaurant Reviews, Photos & Reservations - Tripadvisor
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2
Sat, 4/20
8:00 PM
About
We are a Southern California's premier restaurant destination for Pacific Rim Fusion Cuisine. We are located on the water in the beautiful Dana Point Harbor. We devote each day to the purpose of providing the best and freshest foods available. We provide a comfortable ambiance of casual elegance enhance by one-of-a kind waterfront views.
PRICE RANGE
$20 - $49
Special Diets
Vegetarian Friendly, Vegan Options, Gluten Free Options
Meals
Lunch, Dinner, Late Night, Drinks
CUISINES
American, Seafood
FEATURES
Takeout, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Parking Available, Television, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Free Wifi, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service, Waterfront, Gift Cards Available
Reviews (705)
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Traveler rating
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LanguageEnglish
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Traveler rating
262
249
121
30
23
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All reviews fish and chips calamari sliders salad burger dana point harbor fire pit whale watching great happy hour outside patio the wait staff views mai seals
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Reviewed February 18, 2020

This very, very popular restaurant is quite large but also packed most of the time, as it sits directly on the harbor. Plan your visit accordingly. We were in between main meals and just needed a light snack so, we ordered the calamari strips and...clam chowder soup. Both were outstanding and incredibly fresh. The rest of the main menu looked enticing but be aware that you are paying for the experience of dining on the ocean.More

Date of visit: February 2020
Helpful?2  
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Reviewed July 15, 2020 via mobile

This was our first time eating here and we really enjoyed our experience! Outdoor seating right on the harbor. Short wait time... no reservations. We ordered charbroiled salmon, seafood bisque and clam chowder. Everything was delicious plus friendly staff.

Date of visit: July 2020
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Reviewed February 23, 2023

We didn't realize we needed reservations as this "dinner-hour" meal was impromptu after a whale watching trip. We ended up at a small, bar-sized table in a very busy and noisy area, Service and food over shadowed the party atmosphere. The fish was so mild...tasting and had a wonderful light, non-greasy, batter that was a genuine delight. Served with wonderful cole slaw and fries prepared with care, lemon and plenty of tarter sauce. I also enjoyed a nice BLT Wedge Salad beforehand. Pricing was very reasonable for the meal we received.More

Date of visit: February 2023
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Reviewed December 25, 2020

The Prime Rib Roast Was Cold.Too Chewy And No Flavor Follow By Tasteless, Not Cooked All The Way Veggies.The Turkey Was Cold,Chewy,And No Flavor. The veggies was not cooked all the way and no flavor. The Hawaiian Chicken. The Chicken Taste Like Ash And The...Sauce Was To Salty. The Blue Eye tune Poke was so good. i order 2 more. the restroom smell and dirty. It Has a Small sport bar. The staff was great.there is plenty of parking spaces and get very cold at night even thought it was hot during the day.More

Date of visit: December 2020
Helpful?1  
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Reviewed March 1, 2020

3 of 4 ordered the Fish & Chips ($23.00 ea). All 3 of us said it was flavourless and watery. We also all felt it had been frozen before and was undercooked, lukewarm, greasy and was sparsely battered . The fries were also barely cooked,...but were hot. The coleslaw looked delicious, but also was bland. The tartar sauce was honestly the star of the plate in all three of our opinions. The 4th member ordered a chicken club sandwich and was pleased with his order. We had been on a tour earlier in the day and had seen people eating the fish and chips. The fish portions were large and had a deep golden brown coating. That was what brought us there for supper. So, so disappointed with our experience. (There was a very large group that was served right before us, so for the benefit of the doubt, they may have ordered the last of the fresh fish, and the oil temperature could’ve dipped and not returned to proper temp before cooking our order 🤷‍♀️).More

Date of visit: February 2020
Helpful?1  
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Reviewed January 24, 2021

Our favorite breakfast spot was closed today and this restaurant was open so we went, even though they are no known for their food, only the view. We ordered the Fish and Chips, artichoke dip appetizer, and turkey burger. The dip was super greasy and...just not that flavorful. The fish had no flavor whatsoever. The turkey burger was such a thick hard lump I couldn’t cut it with the cheap silverware. And somehow the French fries seemed fake. That sounds strange but take it from me, not worth the calories. One young lady ordered the poke and she did like that. We also had one dessert and one drink each. The bill came to $200. This place is so bad I doubt we will ever go back and if we do, it will only be for the atmosphere (on the water) and a drink. Super rip off.More

Date of visit: January 2021
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Reviewed May 3, 2022 via mobile

I was looking forward to a nice dinner out during a long road trip. I ordered a beverage, a hot appetizer and a hot entree. Oddly, my entree came before my appetizer and when I questioned that, my waiter said he’d talk to his manager....My appetizer showed up midway thru my meal, so I was trying to eat both at the same time as both my appetizer & entree were hot dishes. There was no follow up regarding the snafu and no offer of a complimentary dessert or anything. The waiter was nice, but it was not a good experience. On the plus side, the restaurant has a nice location. The food was fine.More

Date of visit: May 2022
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Reviewed July 31, 2022

The place was rated highly so we decided to have dinner there. But what a mistake. The food was just food, nothing special and lacking in flavor. The place was busy but looking around it seemed to cater to an older crowd who probably didn't...care that nothing had seasoning. We ordered the two Chef Specialties of fish for the day. Thinking they were probably fresh (considering this is a seaside port), both the sword fish and the Halibut were obviously frozen. They were both overcooked and had absolutely no seasoning at all. The mashed potatoes were cold and the only thing they were good for was giving moisture to the fish to swallow it. The Wedge Salad was decent but even that needed some better seasoning. The Clam Chowder was just a glutinous bowl of crap. The server (Bree) didn't have any sense of urgency at all and rarely came over to check on us or her other tables. This was just food, and too expensive for what you got.More

Date of visit: July 2022
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Reviewed June 10, 2023

These guys used to have the best champagne brunch buffet in town, but sadly discontinued it during the pandemic and have not restarted it. When I went at night, they had also discontinued having the acoustic guitar artists come to the bar area. With no...bar entertainment at night and no champagne brunch buffet on the weekend, it is now more hum drum, and part of a crowd of decent restaurants with no particular reason to pick them over another.More

Date of visit: May 2023
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Reviewed January 3, 2024

We had a lovely afternoon lunch with friends at window table looking out over the water. Our server Danny was helpful and attentive even though he was very busy. This is an older property but has the location, service and food to bring us back....Our group had salads, clam chowder, calamari steak, and swordfish all excellent. Reservations are a good idea for lunch and dinner but if you want to sit on the patio, you go to different host outside and it is first come first served.More

Date of visit: December 2023
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Reviewed August 23, 2021

My friend and I dined at the Wind &Sea Restaurant for Lunch. It was my first visit which was very enjoyable. Lucky for us, we were able to enjoy the restaurant's outdoor patio. The service was great. Covid protocols were in place. The food was...delicious. Prices were reasonable. If you are in the Dana Point area and would enjoy dining outside on the pier, then I would suggest a visit to the Wind & Sea Restaurant.More

Date of visit: August 2021
Helpful?1  
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Reviewed March 24, 2023

Great calamari and Mai Tai's. We've pretty much stopped going here for dinner which we have done for several years. Not much changes on the menu and I can't get past their rice pilaf with noodles in it. I guess it's an Armenian recipe for...pilaf but I think it misses the mark. But for cocktails and sliders or calamari, you can't beat it. The lounge and bar area are comfortable with great views.More

Date of visit: March 2023
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Reviewed December 28, 2023

This restaurant was recommended to us by our Front Desk manager at the Inn at the Mission (San Juan Capistrano). It was a fantastic indoor/outdoor restaurant right on the harbor/marina. Luke, our waiter, was fantastic. He had some great suggestions and was even able to...exchange our son's order at the last minute for some freshly arrived fish that he had wanted. The food was wonderful and Luke made our experience FANTASTIC.More

Date of visit: December 2023
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Reviewed December 27, 2021

Visited on 12/16 1:30 in the afternoon. Been coming here for over 25 years, service was horrible, salad did not include chicken as ordered, calamari was tough which has always been amazing. Overall experience felt like there was no management leadership, no training for wait...staff and no care for patrons except the few sitting at the bar, which is where the waitstaff hung out rather than taking care of diners.More

Date of visit: December 2021
Helpful?2  
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Reviewed July 14, 2023

An anachronism. Even the menu and product from the kitchen was remarkably dated, right down to the canned pineapple wheel on the Hawaiian chicken our non fish eater at the table ordered. Cream sauce on most all of the fish. Chips and Guacamole as a...starter along with a 42.00 thin slice of Halibut? The dining room never filled up. The regular crowd is becoming extinct. All that said, great, personable service. Friendly welcome at the door. Pretty good wine by the glass prices. Not much of a wine list. An excellent view of what we all came for. I'd visit again, but early, and head straight for the outdoor bar patio which was packed for Happy Hour and early menu where those in the know go.More

Date of visit: July 2023
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Questions & Answers
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111005
May 10, 2017|
AnswerShow all 7 answers
Response from Angelica S | Reviewed this property |
Yes it is fine. It is casual and you can eat al fresco.
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111005
May 10, 2017|
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Response from LuckyMeLady | Reviewed this property |
Yes they do!
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Siobhan B
March 3, 2017|
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Response from GregB251 | Reviewed this property |
Sorry such a late answer but here goes anyway. Yes it can get loud inside and out. But that will depend on what time you go also. It's a big restaurant so it there's a lot of folks inside and everyone is talking. If your... More
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WIND & SEA RESTAURANT, Dana Point - Restaurant Reviews, Photos & Reservations - Tripadvisor

Frequently Asked Questions about Wind & Sea Restaurant

Yes, Wind & Sea Restaurant offers takeout services.

Wind & Sea Restaurant is rated accordingly in the following categories by Tripadvisor travelers:
  • Food: 4
  • Service: 4
  • Value: 4
  • Atmosphere: 4.5