Tommy Bahama Island Grille – Newport Beach

Very disappointed. Awful service and bad food. The slaw was inedible, and the combination of mashed potato with cauliflower didn’t work. I make mashed cauliflower at home that’s great. The server was unprofessional and way too slow. We won’t be back!

Appetizers are good but service is not good. Very slow despite the restaurant being not busy. We waited more than two hours for our food.
The manager send me a message within two hours from my post. He listened to my concerns. Chad who in his response to concerns thrives to provide good service and food to his customer.
The food was was very good. Loved the appetizers and the arugla salad.
Thank you Chad

We went for dinner there last weekend. It’s our second visit and we like the food better than the first time. We had the tuna poke and coconut shrimps as appetizers and they both were very yummy! Then we ordered the mahi mahi and Bronzino, both were made perfectly! Then we had the pina coleda layers cake– to die for! Highly recommended!!! Oh almost forgot my drink– Tahiian limade– soooo good!!! Everything was delicious, definitely will come back for sure!

Not impressed with the service at this place. We had an 815 reservation. We waited 20 extra min and they insisted we were next and then sat other people ahead of us. No apology offered. As a former restaurant GM. This is not acceptable. I will not be back.

We always enjoy Tommy Bahamas Newport Beach restaurant. Their outdoor patio is beautiful and peaceful and our favorite place to dine. Excellent staff always ready to help. Delicious food options that you really can’t go wrong in your decision. On a recent visit we had the grilled artichoke appetizer which was outstanding. This particular restaurant has a crab bisque soup option which is also a family favorite. The soup options vary per restaurant location. My mom had the fish sandwich and it had a giant piece of fish grilled on a beautiful brioche bun. Thanks Tommy B’s for an always delicious meal!

I love a restaurant that offers bread and butter and Tommy’s bread was delicious. The chef gave out a sample of some Poke & that was smokey & very flavorful.
I had a damn good meal & a damn good time. I had the fish tacos & they were pretty good. I was really feelin’ the plantain that came with it. It came in some coconut yogurt that was amazing.
My boyfriend had a burger that he really enjoyed, he said it was tender and juicy. Our waiter damn– near insisted that we order dessert so we did and that was amazing. The chocolate cake is so rich. I haven’t had cake that good in a long time. I’m glad I didn’t pass on dessert. It was my boyfriend’s birthday so they gave it to us with a candle & it ended up being on the house. He loved it!
We also enjoyed the live music. The musician sang «By your side» by Sade. My boyfriend LOVES Sade. It was a great night. This was our first time hanging out in Newport. It was a great time for both of us. We will be coming back to Tommy Bahamas. I want to try the lobster grilled cheese. Thanks for the lovely experience. :-)

I enjoyed the ambience, drinks, dinner and fantastic service. We had a large party of 14 and we were served like a party of 4. The drinks were tasty and the dinner was fresh, lite, and full of flavor. I enjoyed the crab salad, it was full of crab in every bite with fresh tomatoes and avocado on a bed of shredded lettuce and the vinaigrette was lite and tasty. My husband enjoyed the scallops and shrimp in a spicy Thai sauce that was mouth watering good. I happened to have a bite of the dessert and it was divine. I highly recommend this restaurant.

I have always been curious about this restaurant and finally got a chance to check it out. Upon entering, you immediately feel like your your on some tropical island. The table we were sitting at had these really comfortable padded chairs. To start the night out, we started off with:
Ahi poke tower: was really good, with avocado base stacked with poke.
Grilled artichokes were pretty good but I still like Houstons better
Pork quesadillas which were good but a little spicy.
For our mains we ordered
Grilled shrimp pappardelle which had a lot of flavor and the pappardelle was perfectly cooked.
Fish and chips, which was probably one of the best fish and chips I have ever tasted. The fish was nice and flaky with light tasty batter. Wasn’t a big fan of the chips as they were big fat fries.
Macadamia nut red snapper was also a big hit.
Lastly we ended the night with a nice pineapple crème brûlée. This was my favorite. It was so refreshing and the pineapple chunks added so much flavor.
Pros
Great food at reasonable price
Corkage is only $ 15
Very relaxed and comfortable atmosphere.
Their happy hour menu looks pretty good and would love to come back and try it out.
Cons
I am sure this is probably atypical but service wasn’t that great as we had to remind our server to get us water, forks, plates etc.
Overall:
I highly recommend, the food is great and the atmosphere is so nice and relaxing.

Enjoyed a great meal last night at TB .
The barbecued ribs were outstanding .
We had seven people in our party and everyone raved about their meal .
The only negative was that it was a little loud.

I went for the PLT based on all the great Unilocal photos, FYI it is no longer on the menu :(
The fried fish sandwich was crunchy and mediocre, but very large in serving.
My filet mignon steak salad was cooked perfectly and tender. I enjoyed the tomato slices and the dressing is good but may order it on the side next time since it comes heavy.

Tommy Bahama’s has been one of my top restaurants for lunch in Newport for years now. There was a time when we knew details of the personal lives of several of our regular servers. So what’s kept me coming back here time and time again. Consistently excellent food and wonderful service. That and an amazing pulled pork sandwich. It really is incredible.
This place jumps during lunch, so plan accordingly. The parking lot, while it looks spacious, is jammed unless you come after 2pm. Between Gulfstream next door and the variety of other shops in the plaza, you’ll have to circle the lot a few times before you can find a spot. And once you do, be prepared to wait for a table.
Having eaten here so much over the last few years, you’d think I’ve tried a lot of the food. And I have. Some of my old favorites aren’t on the menu any more, but some tried and true options remain. The best is the Pulled Pork Sandwich. But if pork isn’t your game, the Bungalow Burger, Lobster Grilled Cheese, Fish Sandwich, and Fish Tacos are all winners.

Always a great place, especially for business meetings. Crab bisque, filet mignon salad, crab and avocado salad are my personal favorites. Tried the scallop sliders today — phenomenal.
They changed their table chairs to these unattractive, white, low back chairs — hate them. Uncomfortable, unattractive, just really do not like them. But the booths don’t have cushioned benches, so they’re still preferable to the booths. Please bring back the old chairs.
Desserts are also amazing even if you’re too full, get the piña colada cake to go. It really is the most beautiful flavor in your mouth.
The atmosphere and music are always nice — like being on vacation. If you become a regular, you’ll receive promotions for $ 20 dollars off every now and then. I love those.
I look forward to the next vacation business meeting here.

The last 3 or 4 times we have made reservations here we ended up waiting 20 – 40 minutes after our reservation time. Isn’t that why you make reservations, so you don’t have to wait?
This last Saturday we had a reservation at 7:30 with a note via Open Table that said «prefer booth seating». At 7:45 the hostess tells us that the table we were to be seated at has had people sitting at it for 3 hours and has had their bill for 2 hours. Then asks if we would be ok sitting at a half booth. No I want to keep waiting until that one party leaves and I die of hunger and annoyance! The hostess should have asked if a non booth was ok right when we got there, I’d rather sit at a table right away than wait. And why has management allowed a party to sit at a table for 2 hours and not order anything, your costing that restaurant money.
The new chairs… God they are awful and do not match the décor at all — it looks half-​assed. They are incredibly uncomfortable and look like they were purchased in a bulk order from Ikea. For a company that pimps their furniture thought the restaurant and store I would not expect this. Normally I would not comment on something as stupid as a chair but they were so uncomfortable and stood out so bad that I kept staring at them the whole time.
As for the food the menu has changed again. Please stop. The Peri Peri dusted fish my husband always ordered has been replaced by some Euro sustainable trout. I dunno but $ 20 something for trout is a little over priced, so pass and please bring back the Peri Peri. I ordered the filet, which has been a bit disappointing the last few times not because of flavor or how it is cooked but because of the sides. Please bring back vegetables, real ones not this weedish arugula lemon salad. $ 38 for a filet, mediocre cauliflower potato mash with no flavor and cheap arugula don’t add up to $ 38. At least make a real salad an option, this is just exaggerated plate decoration. The usually tasty artichoke was ice cold in spots and warm in others, it also lacked flavor this time which sucked because there is no salt or pepper on the tables. Is this a new chef I’m sensing???
The Mai Tai was excellent and so as the Pineapple Crème Brûlée, thank god.
I have no idea what happened to this place, we came here a lot but after this last visit we might not be back for a long time. It was really a let down.

Most «well endowed» (talkin’ well-​fed stomach muscles, OK?) baby boomer guys should definitely relate…
I have no choice… like a moth drawn to a flame… I’m drawn to anything that implies «casual»… most especially when talking about clothing. I think it’s because I grew up believing, because of Mom… that I was «BIG BONED…» :-) That was an actual condition when I was a kid, back in the early 50s. I later found out that by cutting back on mayonnaise and white bread sandwiches… (we were poor at the time)… that my bones could shrink! By the time I enlisted in ’66, my bones had shrunk enough for me to actually make it through basic training! (huge smile on my thin and aged face right now!) I wish we had Tommy Bahama during my childhood!
I’ve preface this review with anatomical references because when I think of Tommy Bahama «anything»… I think of casual clothing… and I think of how I always felt I could wear a «large or extra large shirt»… and look like I was at least twenty pounds less… Well, eating rich food, I found out later, was the cause for «big bone disorder.» Yet I think I’ve found a place close enough to home where I can come right up on the fringe, eat some decent and maybe rich food, and also have a source for «large and extra large shirts»… to appear more petite! :-) They even have pants that «officially» match those XL shirts! But enough about the store next to the restaurant… (actually a nice place to visit after your meal… should you need a «slightly larger than your dinner» casual shirt???
My wife and I joined our eldest daughter, husband and grand girls for dinner last Friday night. We were visiting them near Fashion Island. And around 630pm ventured out, locally for a simple dinner. The first stop was at a popular «meeting place» next door to TB’s. But they had a one hour wait, and we weren’t up to standing-​room-​only, with drinks in hand. TB’s was sooo close, and as it turned out, had no wait. I thought it was because the food or whatever wasn’t that good. I was wrong. I’m glad we made the «trade.»
Our table orders included the chicken tortilla soup, artichoke app’, cheese & mushroom flatbread, fish and chips, a breaded chicken entrée and ahi tacos. Let me just say that everything was very good. I noted quality ingredients. And I couldn’t find fault with any of the dishes. They also serve a complimentary «Pillsbury Doughboy» kinda’ hot bread-​roll thing. That with their cinnamon sweetened butter, (not my thing), was very «pre-​dinner» satisfying. While not ordered at our table, my son in law and I were transfixed on a «Pork Chop» on top of the sweet potato mash! Again, we didn’t order it… just watched a neighbor diner at the table next to us dive into her’s. If nothing else, it was a generous portion. But I’m venturing that it was an enjoyable dish. I’m ordering it on our next visit.

I came for OCRW and my Dad’s birthday lunch, so that I could treat him out. We were seated promptly after checking in — I told the hostess it was my Dad’s birthday and I also wrote it on my reservation. She said she would tell our waiter, but there was never a mention or celebration for my dad throughout the whole meal. This was quite disappointing because I wanted him to have a nice celebratory meal.
To get started, the waiter took our drink orders, then we ordered off the OCRW lunch menu. He brought out fresh bread and butter. For our appetizers, we ordered three macadamia nut encrusted goat cheese and one tortilla soup. The tortilla soup was definitely not to our liking, but the macadamia nut encrusted goat cheese was pretty good. The goat cheese was very soft and creamy, but since it was encrusted with macadamia nuts, garnished with mangoes, and sauce, it was very sweet. They gave quite a good amount for one serving — definitely something you can share.
For our entrée, my mother and I ordered the filet mignon salad which comes with filet mignon sliced, salad, crispy dried mushrooms, fresh cut tomatoes, and sliced, roasted potatoes. The filet was very good, but lacked flavor. The whole meal itself was quite salty throughout, so we had to drink a lot of water. My dad ordered the bbq pork ribs, which came with only 5 small ribs, mashed potatoes and a coleslaw. The ribs were good, but my dad didn’t like the coleslaw at all (He wouldn’t order it again for the amount they give you, and measly sides). The mashed potatoes weren’t salty, so he was happy with that. My BF ordered the burger which had a beef patty, bacon, avocado, tomatoes, and onions, with a large amount of french fries. He said the burger was good, but not anything special.
Lastly, as our dessert, we ordered three piña colada cakes and one key lime pie. The piña colada cakes were amazing, definitely one of the best cakes that we have had before. The key lime pie (recommended by our waiter) was not to our liking, since it was too sour.
Overall, the dining experience was good, since for the most part, the food was good. It was unfortunate that my dad did not get the celebration he deserves, but what more can I do, after notifying them twice before our meal, without ruining the surprise.

Tommy Bahama is my go-​to celebratory work lunch spot. Casual, but high-​end at the same time. Always clean and the restaurant is very spacious. High backed booths give you a sense of privacy too.
The filet salad is where it’s at. Anytime I get anything different I regret it. The crispy mushrooms on top are so good! The filet is always well cooked, to order, and the dressing has just the right amount to sweetness. Prepare to work for your salad though — the steak comes in large slices, and the tomato in wedges, so you’ll have to do about 5 minutes of prep before eating. So worth it though! A must try!
Free piña colada cake to celebrate a birthday! It was a huge slice, too big for even four of us to split! Service was above average — our waitress was incredibly friendly, and very attentive.
The bathroom was clean and smelled like piña colada!!!

I met my family here for a nice get together dinner since my Aunt was in town from up north. We had a reservation and met my family in the back. Our server, Dave, was very nice. To drink I got the blue berry lemonade. It was really refreshing, sweet and tart. It even had a couple fresh blue berries in it. We started with the grilled artichoke. I love their artichoke here because it’s seasoned with fresh garlic and herbs. After we finished our appetizer we ordered our entrees. I split a bowl of crab bisque and the filet mignon for dinner with my Mom. We were excited about our entrée because the menu said came with cauliflower mash, which is very paleo friendly, and I did want to stick somewhat to my diet tonight.
The soup came first, it was creamy, yet had a nice bite. We both ate the whole bowl. Not too long after we finished our soup our entrée came. The filet was cooked to a perfect medium rare, it was delicious and meaty. I loved the sauce that came with it. The «cauliflower mash» wasn’t exactly what we thought. I tasted it and it seemed more like mashed potatoes. Our server said that their «cauliflower mash» is 40% cauliflower and 60% potato which was very misleading. I didn’t eat the rest of the «cauliflower mash» My Dad had some broccolini with his meal and he shared it with us. The broccolini was fresh, crisp and seasoned well. Pretty good entrée.
I wasn’t planning on dessert, but when the dessert cart came out I knew I had to get the pineapple brûlée. It turned out to be a good decision not to skip out on dessert. It was served in a bowl made from the pineapple itself. The crust of the brûlée cracked like glass and the inside was smooth and velvety. I loved that they added chunks of pineapple into the custard.
My Aunt had two $ 50 gift cards from a Tommy Bahamas promotional. If you bought clothes from there you got a $ 50 gift card depending on how much you spent. You could use the cards at their restaurant or store and my Aunt was intent to using them for our meal. Our server, Dave, said you could only use one gift card at a time so he split the bill for us so she could use both. That was very nice of him. I had a nice dinner here and always do.

Islands Tommy Bahama Island Grille brings an island kitch without coming off as cheesy.
I should hate this place. It is themed. Island themed even. Oh — and is even co-​branded for a clothing line that my father’s generation fawns between the aisles in. Yes, I should definitely hate this place.
But, the problem is I don’t. In-​between the smarmy customers and clueless tourists there are some great bartenders and fantastic happy hour specials. I started with a Ballast Point Grapefruit Scupin IPA and an order of their Poke. The tuna was fresh, the avocado was not mushy and they didn’t overseason the plate. In fact, all I could recognize outside of the regular suspects was a pinch of salt and a bit of sesame oil.
Wait, that was only $ 7.00?! Then I will try that House Roasted Pulled Pork Quesadilla, thanks. A perfectly browned tortilla acts as a delivery mechanism for savory pulled pork and a warm and tangy goat cheese glazed with soy and served with mango salsa… $ 7.00!!!
2 craft beers, 2 appetizers and I was out the door for less than $ 25.00 including tip. «Yay, I am a fan» indeed.

A group of us came here my uncle’s birthday celebration. We started off on the patio where we had wine, beer, mai tais and mojitos. We ordered some appetizers of coconut shrimp and a pulled pork quesadilla… and of course some bread. The drinks and appetizers were really good and got us ready to have dinner.
We were seated on the back patio and the ambiance was really nice and relaxing. For dinner I ordered the parmesan crusted sanibel chicken and it was excellent. Moist and bursting with flavor. Others ordered the filet mingon, salmon, shrimp and scallops and the mahi mahi. Everyone loved their food and we all finished our plates.
To top it off we we ordered pina coloda cake which was complimentary for the birthday celebration. The service was amazing and he was one of the best waiters that I’ve ever had. Afterwards we wandered over to the actual store and made some purchases there too. Overall, a very fun and inviting atmosphere with great food. I’ll be coming here again.

Even though it’s bizarre that Tommy Bahamas (which means Hawaiian men’s shirts for me) is a restaurant, I’m feeling their food vibe for sure.
This place is in a great location, in the shopping center with Bristol Farms. Their island-​inspired cuisine definitely hits the spot, especially their Happy Hour, which is a great deal.
Favorite small dishes:
COCONUT SHRIMP: Just delicious
AHI TUNA POKE: Normally, I wouldn’t go for this, but I’m so glad I did! Underneath the tuna was a sort of guacamole, which tasted fresh
PULLED PORK QUESADILLA: Pulled pork is always a good choice
I had a mojito, which was a little sweeter than I typically like. But other than that, I was pleased.