Back Bay Bistro

4 stars just because the view is lovely and calm!
3 stars for the food (sorry)! Overall mediocre in taste and boring in presentation.
Food selection was on the limited side but food was alright.
–Fish & chips were yummy and crispy.
–Calamari steak is an actual rectangular piece of thick squid paired with a few asparagus and mashed potatoes.
–Their salmon on spaghetti squash was delicious! The squash was very crunchy and tasty.
–Their crabs cakes made with blue lump crab were not bad. It came with asparagus and 2 strips of carrots. Instead of a lunch entrée, it should be an appetizer bc thand portion is really small
–Cobb salad was good without the shrimp. Their shrimp was so fishy it tasted & smelled like it went bad!
Definitely recommend eating outside on their patio. Great view, great weather, great atmosphere all around.

A great view, happy hour, and music– perfect place to watch a sunset on the quiet bay. I didn’t love the food enough to go frequently to be honest but the overall experience was cool.

My boyfriend and I went for their Valentine’s Day brunch. The hostess sat us on time and was nice enough to ask if we wanted to sit indoors or outdoors. We opted for outdoors to enjoy the beautiful weather. Our server Ricardo was helpful though a bit persistent on suggesting we order Champagne or Mimosas. I told him a few times I’ll stick with water then he suggested OJ or coffee. We’ve never been to this restaurant before thus weren’t sure how everything was setup. We asked a busser who told us the food was located inside the restaurant. There was plenty of food options. I opted for an omelette, potatoes, french toast and fruit. Of course we made our rounds to the dessert table too. The service was on par as I never had to ask for a water refill. My only suggestions: when going to the buffet for seconds, please provide me with clean utensils. I was kind of surprised to see my used utensils on the table without a napkin. We asked for a new set and they were brought out quickly. Also, the food could’ve been kept a bit warmer. Remember to bring your parking ticket with you as the server will validate it to avoid the fee at the gate. Great view of the water and boats though the fumes smelled poorly after awhile. Brunch is a bit on the expensive side so make sure you make the most of it.

Dine Newport menu was a great deal! The place itself looks like it needs décor upgrade, but the food &!outstanding service made up for that eye sore. I had the Caesar salad, which had way too much dressing on it. My friends had that also. I had the fabulous salmon which came with angel hair squash with sausage pieces in it, I didn’t eat that but my friends tasted it, they did not like it. Ricardo our bartender: waiter gave us outstanding service! My friends had sea bass which they loved, and crab cakes which were good. One friend had taco salad that looked like it came from El Pollo Loco! She didn’t like it. Seafood is the best here! We had loads of cocktails even thigh Dine menu comes with beer or wine, we passed. Too full to order desert:(

The Sunday brunch here is quite overpriced. $ 47 (w/​o champagne and mimosa) and $ 52 (w/​champagne/​mimosa); there is not as much variety as you would expect a Sunday brunch of that price to have. The quality is also just ok…
The setting is really nice and peaceful, and the restaurant itself feels quite open-​air and spacious. After brunch, you can walk around the back bay. I would recommend coming here for a cute girls’ day out brunch, but not for other occasions.

When I moved to OC and found out they had dineNB, I figured I’d check it out because I was missing out on dineLA. I did a search through all the restaurants and decided I liked Back Bay’s dinner option because it gives you so much freedom… you basically get to pick anything off their menu. So, without checking Unilocal,we made reservations and soon enough, we were there. Worst mistake.
It was super empty on a Saturday, almost to the point of sad. If the food were better it would be amazing because the view is great and it’s a nice getaway in the middle of nowhere.
We shared so that we could try all the appetizers. We got the shrimp cocktail, crab cake, seafood ceviche, and steamed clams. Everything was so horribly salty. The shrimp cocktail was so basic that it was essentially what I could buy at Ralphs. The seafood ceviche was decent but it came with nothing to eat it with, such as chips, and ended up just being somewhat like poke. The steamed clams were left untouched because it was so incredibly salty and came with a lot of crunch: rocks. The crab cakes were actually good — perhaps because they remained unsalted — but that was the only dish we bothered to take home as leftovers. If you eat here– that’s basically the only appetizer you should order unless you plan to try dumplings in a place that can’t even perfect their speciality.
The seafood chowder was a-​ok in that nothing was wrong with it, but it was extremely mediocre. I would not order this separately off the menu if I were to come back, and my guess is that there is no special attention given to this chowder from the kitchen, which is sad because everybody loves seafood chowder.
Finally: we all got the filet beef because who wouldn’t? It’s the most bang for the buck, we thought, and we were getting some grade-​A meat. Wrong. The meat was tender… but that’s all I can say in terms of compliments. It was practically a meatloaf and the sauce was drenched all over the meat… perhaps to mask the quality? It was also WAY too salty, which was unanimously agreed upon by all 4 of us. All of us did not bother to finish and we had to convince ourselves to take them home for leftovers. to feed the dogs. It might sound harsh but I was seriously so disappointed with this restaurant that had it not been for the great service and personnel, this place is definitely a 1 star for food.

Avg to worse Sun brunch buffet for ~$ 40/​head. Service was polite but inconsistent. Elderly, wealthy «yacht» clientele. Hostess had a bit of an attitude. In no way worth the money spent.

Came here for a birthday brunch. Was hoping for more variety and better quality. The restaurant is in a semi-​secluded area. Huge parking lot, immediate parking is for valet, self parking is about a quarter mile away.
There’s a nice open seating area where all the food is, small party room and outdoor patio area. The view was okay, nothing to be amused about.
Our large and fun, obvious loud, group was seated inter small party room. It didn’t make much sense since we’re there to enjoy ourselves and enjoy the food, and we had an older woman from another table ask us to quiet down a couple of times. I guess that’s what happens when you come down to Newport. But hey, we were there to have a good time.
I was looking forward to the king crab legs and oysters, which they had, but were very poor quality. The crab legs were small and cut into tiny pieces. The oysters were not properly cleaned, the outer shells were covered in sea debris.
The selection was very minimal: salad, muffins, smoked salmon, eggs, eggs Benedict, egg omelettes, shrimp, small crab legs, dirty oysters, baked salmon, mashed potatoes, teriyaki pork, waffles, French toast, rice, small prime rib, small cakes, a sad looking fondue pot, and fruit.
Since I didn’t feel like drinking myself, I asked for water… My glass never got refilled. My friend had to ask for soft drink refills. One of the guys in the group got a Bloody Mary, and he was disappointed with it.
For $ 52 a person for champagne brunch, I rather go somewhere else! Don’t come here unless you want to feel good about spending money and not caring about your food selection and quality!

Back Bay bistro is a great spot by the Newport Beach Dunes bay. Plenty of parking. If you get the patio tables, you get a fantastic view of the waterfront with the yachts and the boats being launched. The champagne brunch buffet was around 37 bucks. The buffet consists of breakfast, carvery, omelette station, seafood, deserts and even chocolate fondue. The quality of the food was very good, which is had to find at a buffet place these days.

Great place to watch a sunset and have happy hour drinks and a yummy diner. New drink menu we have tried and a must is the Chupacabra (Oh my!!) and another must is the new Blueberry bliss!

This review is to give good shots where they are deserved. Stopped at sunset for drink on the way to dinner some other place. Sunset views at the bar are great.
Better view if they didn’t have the big screen TVs above the view brightly distracting from the natural view. And I don’t think anyone was watching the games.
Is this just going to be unavoidable in all restaurants now?
HH price on house wine was very reasonable.
The bartender was a ton o fun. Nice guy, great memory and attentive.
PS: They will validate your parking so don’t forget to take the parking pass in with you.

We celebrated my gf’s birthday brunch here with a large (rather boisterous) party. Since I knew the noise would be a possible disturbance to other guests I had made the reservation 3 weeks in advance with a request for the patio/​outdoor dining. The hostess said patio was first come/​first served so go a bit earlier if you want to secure your spot.
After having checked in with the host at the time of our reservation, we opted to be seated inside instead since it was closer to the Sunday Brunch spread. The staff was so accommodating as they rushed to set up another table for us.
Having dined at MANY other brunch spots in the coastal areas I can say that I was NOT impressed by the selections as crab legs were probably the best thing at this AYCE buffet. I barely touched my 1 and only plate of freshly prepared omelette since it was overcooked and super dry. So not impressed with the food, but a solid B for ambience and A for customer service.

Saturday brunch! who says that you have to wait for unlimited champagne/​mimosas and brunch until sunday haha. came here for a group birthday brunch celebration and was pleasantly surprised with my experience here. i had no idea that Bay Bay Bistro existed but glad that i know about it now haha. for $ 33, its a buffet lunch set up with bottomless mimosas or just straight up champagne. the food was good — nothing amazing and they dont have any fresh seafood or anything like that… but there is a prime rib carving station and hot omelette station in addition to hot foods like breakfast-​y items, some lunch salads, pastas, and desserts. oh and non-​alcoholic beverages are also included in the brunch like sodas or coffee. the main attraction here though is the champagne haha. our servers made sure that everyone’s glass was never more than halfway done. even after i had taken 1 sip of my glass, he was there right away to top it off haha. service was great for the entire afternoon! the place was practically empty for saturday brunch which we didnt mind since we were having our own fun! haah
also complimentary parking on saturday which is another plus!

We come here often for brunch. I’ve had their shrimp, crab, prime rib, turkey, eggs benedict, waffles and desserts… no complaints from me!
The service is impeccable. The dress is casual. One of my favorite places for brunch. Oh… and the bottomless champagne is pretty fab.
I always need a nap soon after… dunno if it’s because I’ve stuffed my belly or the effects of the bubbly. Perhaps a little of both?

I’ve been here twice, for brunch, once on Sat and once on Sun. The Sunday brunch is more expensive than the Saturday brunch.
Parking is in a private lot, but you do get a ticket that you can get validated at the restaurant (after asking). Once inside, the view can’t be beat. The buffet is set up against the back, and has granola, yogurt, breads, crab legs, oysters, soups, breakfast items and a carving station. It is a good selection of food.
I don’t see the value in the cost. Service is very hit or miss. I know the restaurant is used to handling large parties and water glasses and other service items are not addressed regularly. You have to flag someone down to help. And while the food is good, the buffet is regularly out of items. Without any indication of when they’ll be replenished.
Having been twice, I don’t recommend a return visit. Everything is very slow.
Check it out once, for sure, but hopefully you’ll get a better experience than me.

I had a great brunch today with excellent service from Ish. We came in today after seeing the level of service from Ish. The food is pretty good considering they have king crab legs and oysters. The view is great. I enjoyed the ambiance here.
I have been to a few brunches and the service here truly stands out. Thanks Ish.

Happy Hour! Wooooo-​hoo! Whether you’re about to attend a concert or go kayaking/​boating/​etc. This is a great proximal place to be.
Ambiance
Parking: You either have street parking or generally you can go inside the gates and they valet it for you.
Seating:
* You have the choice of outside or inside. It can seat about 100 people. Happy hour folks may sit at the bar. Great for groups, couples, or singles.
Feels:
* Pretty high end like. There are televisions for sports if you’re into that kind of stuff. In the background, they were on this Justin Timberlake playlist which was pretty soothing. Staring at the water or the boats is pretty soothing, it definitely makes you feel like you’re not in Irvine.
Food:
Tuna Tower (A-​OK)
Good but not the best in my opinion. If you’re in the mood for something light then this is a good dish to go with.
Calamari (Meh-I’ve expected better)
Generally there’s a good crunch with calamari unfortunately it wasn’t as crispy.
Chicken Wings (A-​OK)
Nothing special just a standard happy hour dish with standard sauce.
Customer Service:
Pretty standard. Our orders came at a reasonable time and our servers were polite.
Overall:
3.5 stars. The ambiance was pleasant, price was reasonable, and food was good. Perhaps I expected a bit more but generally I can’t complain. I wouldn’t mind checking this place out especially with their live music. I look forward to see those one of these days.
TL;DR Tips:
* Parking is FREE.99!
* Come early like when it opens if you want to beat the line on foods
* Do research so you can have room for your budget and your stomach.

I’ve been here twice, the first time was AWESOME!
The 2^nd time was not awesome. Now keep in mind that the first time we sat outside and had great service and an awesome menu. The 2^nd time was Father’s Day. The service sucked, the food was cold and even over cooked. I think they were expecting a big ground and unfortunately the place was empty. I personally feel they didn’t rotate the food out after it sat in the pans for possibly longer then it would of and things like the waffles, pancakes, bacon and ever the Eggs Benedict was again cold and old. There was 8 of us and the check was like $ 400.00 and when we got home we started talking about the fact that our brunch was very disappointing to say the least.

We were on a vacation and wanted a good brunch with a view and thought this place would be great. The weather was fantastic and the view was just what we were looking for. To start off the parking situation was terrible, boats everywhere no parking close by the restaurant and nobody or signs to direct you where you should or should not be. We ended up parking all the was by the entrance to the bay and walking.
When we arrived we were greeted promptly and seated right away outside like we asked. Our server was good but could be more attentive. The food was good not great, although some items were really really good. Overall we all thought the food was a strong point and found something we loved.
The only major negative (and it’s a big one for me) is the price. The Sunday brunch is advertised in their parenting lot with huge banners hanging from light polls. The price is $ 45 with champagne and $ 40 without. But when the bill came the price was $ 52 with and $ 47 without. A $ 28 swing and when I approached the hostess she just confirmed the price and when I told her the price was different outside (hoping she would prove me wrong with the fine print, maybe I was there on the wrong day for that price) she again just said no the price is right.
This left a bad taste in my mouth and going forward I hope the address this issue.

What an amazing brunch experience! A friend of mine recommended Back Bay Bistro for my birthday brunch and I’m so glad she did. First of all, they’re open at 8AM on Saturdays which was perfect because my birthday was Saturday and I had a full day of events planned.
When I first pulled up to the gate I found that it was locked and didn’t appear as if it would be open any time soon. I called the restaurant and was directed to go through another gate. So if this happens to you, don’t leave! Find the other gate because the food is well worth it.
The venue itself is gorgeous. It’s surrounded by giant windows that look out on the water so even if it’s cold and you don’t feel like sitting outside you still get a great view from the inside. It makes for a great place for a celebration but also just for a more casual early morning brunch. As nice as the place is, it still feels very inviting and doesn’t have an ounce of snobbery that might be anticipated from such a nice place.
The hostess and staff greeted us in a very friendly manner and our server Aileen immediately took our drink orders of water, coffee and mimosas. The all you can eat brunch is $ 28 and the added bottomless mimosas are $ 3 more. The first mimosas was perfect. It didn’t have too much orange juice and Aileen was extremely attentive and came back to fill our champagne whenever we were running even a little bit low. She also provided a small beaker of orange juice for us to use at our leisure.
On to the food: my friend was right in letting me know that the food was quality. Everything I had was amazing. You definitely get your money’s worth! My favorite part of everything I ate was the seafood chowder. It had so much seafood and the broth was super tasty. I also had sausage, eggs benedict, salmon, chicken parm, shrimp penne pasta, French toast with fruit toppings, pancakes shaped like Mickey mouse, mash potatoes and tri tip with a spicy, delicious hollandaise sauce. For dessert I shared a lemon tart, cheesecake bite, amazing ad bread pudding with my friend. There’s also a build your own omelet station if you have the room for it.
My only wish would have been to have an extra stomach to continue eating all the other deliciousness that I didn’t get to. Overall really friendly and attentive service and a professional, clean presentation of the restaurant and the good itself.
Definitely recommend this place for brunch or even for a drink because their bar set up is really nice, overlooks the water and has a couple tvs to catch the games!