Location was great with a beautiful view! We ate here for breakfast and the food was tasty. My husband had the biscuits and gravy and I had the huevos ranchero. The proportions were just right, as were the prices. Service was… Okay. We were able to completely finish our meals before the waitress even came back to check on us. We also had to hint to have our water or coffee glasses refilled. We do give her credit though for being the only waitress with 5 or so tables. Overall, it wasn’t bad, we would return.
Raul V.
Classificação do local: 1 Fresno, CA
I got seriously ill right after eating here, I had the seafood pasta. My food finally came back out the same way it went in 4 hours later. Service was horrible. I will never come here again.
Jen S.
Classificação do local: 1 Citrus Heights, CA
Got fish and chips which had barely any flavor and fish tacos that had so much pickled cabbage and guacamole on it I almost threw up with the first bite. That is not an exaggeration! The service is mediocre but the view is good and the fries were good.
Jacob O.
Classificação do local: 3 Dallas, TX
The staff is friendly and quick. The view is great when sitting inside or outside. The w prices are reasonable and the food is okay. The clam chowder is lacking clam, the fish and chips are do not have the usual type of light batter, the bacon cheeseburger was a fairly good.
Chelsea D.
Classificação do local: 5 Coralville, IA
Seriously delicious California Po-boy! They have got it right. Please go there now and have one for me because I live in Iowa and I’m not sure when I’ll be back, but I will be back. My husband had the clam chowder, best he had of the 3 places he tried it while in the Bay Area. My 3 year old had the spaghetti which was pretty good, however, he begged to try the shrimp from my Po-boy and then declared that his favorite food was shrimp and talked about shrimp for quite sometime after that. I will add that we sat inside because we didn’t want to deal with the seagulls. If you want to dine inside don’t order at the window, there’s a different menu and wait staff. Now go eat a Po-boy for me!
Michele P.
Classificação do local: 3 Gilroy, CA
Fried shrimp and fried clams are frozen. You would think being next to the ocean it would be fresh… Please owners DONOTSELLFROZENFOOD… I will come back if that changes… On a good note the view is beautiful…
Sheri And John P.
Classificação do local: 5 Felton, CA
My wife and I love this place. Fantastic location at the end of the wharf. You can see surfers at Steamer’s lane and also watch the abundant sea lions and other aquatic wildlife. Food is great, our favorite place to have breakfast. But the best part of the Dolphin is one of its employees. I believe her name is Rosie. What a gem. Always friendly and interested in her customers. Very accommodating. I don’t know what her salary is but they should double it. We return as often as we can because of this employee.
Jon Y.
Classificação do local: 5 Portland, OR
This review is really to highlight the great service we received today. We just happened upon this place like many tourists surely do. What struck us today was just how kind and helpful our server and the others who were working were. Everyone was extra kind and prompt despite being at capacity. We couldn’t have been more pleased. We understand it can be draining to work in a touristy place where there may be only a few people who will make it back, and we appreciated the positivity. The food was pretty much exactly what I wanted, a standard American plate. Thanks!
Steve R.
Classificação do local: 4 Draper, UT
Food is decent, but the claim chowder is out of this world. I first had the chowder on vacation four months ago and have been craving it ever since, please jar it and offer it for shipping otherwise I’m going to have to plan another vacation solely around coming here to get more chowder, and I guess being in Santa Cruz is pretty cool too
Susan M.
Classificação do local: 4 Sunnyvale, CA
Dolphin Restaurant has a sit down dining area and a separate spot where they only serve to go. The to go food is more limited, however, it’s a lot cheaper than sitting in the actual restaurant. There are a bunch of benches and tables where you can enjoy your food right outside too which is nice. We got the clam chowder(2), fish and chips(2) and the fish sandwich. Prices are very reasonable with the fish and chips costing the most at like $ 9. Good size portions. Clam chowder did not have very many clams, but it was nice and creamy. The fish and chips which came with 3 pieces of freshly battered fish. The fish sandwich was also very good and quite filling. Loved the tartar sauce. Fed four of us for less than $ 40 which I think was quite a steal for dining on the wharf. Next time I’d want to try dining inside and trying out some of their fresh fish entrees.
Tom Y.
Classificação do local: 1 Felton, CA
I eat here regularly. But today I decided to use the take out window. Because it’s just such a beautiful day. The food was good, what there was of it. I find it absurdly disgusting that the exact same hamburger they sell inside with fries doesn’t come with fries on the take out window. Seriously, it costs $.50 less at the take out window. Everything else I’ve eaten from the take out window comes with fries, just like inside the restaurant. No fries, gimmie a freakin break. All the«from the fryer» stuff cost less, it comes with fries. Why not the burgers … I feel like I’ve been the victim of a mugging
Tanya C.
Classificação do local: 3 Hayward, CA
The oysters were great. Everything else was mediocre. It was definitely a place that served the tourists and really had no care in the world for quality dining or service experience of their customers. I have had worse, so I am not giving them a 2 star ratings, but seriously, act like you actually care when you have locals in there wanting to share the Santa Cruz vibe with their friends from out of town. I was embarrassed to have my friends there. We were going to go to Shadowbrook, but they wanted to go to somewhere casual on the pier. We should have probably hit up one of the other places along the pier, but Dolphin was the furthest out on the water and we wanted a close ocean experience to watch the sailboats. Unfortunately, I do not think we will be back to Dolphin anytime soon.
Martin C.
Classificação do local: 3 San Francisco, CA
I’ve been driving to the end of the pier and having some beer and fried calamari at Dolphin’s for YEARS!!! It ain’t great but there are no other choices at the end of Pier. Drove out to Santa Cruz the other day and, for the 1st time, decided to sit down and have breakfast there. Again, it wasn’t great but it was ok. The cost wasn’t too high and the service was acceptable. You don’t really go to the Dolphin for the food or service. It’s all about the location, which can’t be beat. Fortunately, Dolphin’s is a good enough place to eat while you’re there.
Benny H.
Classificação do local: 4 San Jose, CA
I think 3.5 stars is perfect for this place, but since that’s not an option I’ll be generous and give it four even though I’m a bit on the hesitant side on it. There was no wait which was great. They asked us if we preferred to sit either inside or out and we said it didn’t matter. So they brought us indoors where it was freaking hot! So we changed our minds and they made it pretty easy for us to be able to sit on the outside. Took awhile to be greeted after that by our waitress, but hey it happens. Ordered the Po’ Boy which was adequate enough. Not the best one I’ve had, but no the worst either. Also had some oysters where were pretty good overall. Nothing really special which pretty much describes this place. Nothing overly special. In the past we thought of eating here, and always passed it over, so it’s a great feeling getting it out of my system to have finally tried this place. Again, nothing special, but great to have tried it at least once.
Raina P.
Classificação do local: 5 San Jose, CA
Best damn Clam Chowder I’ve ever had ! Better than Pier 39. It’s homemade, saw them making it myself. Also great service from the Take-Out window from Cashier Tano and cook Regino. We had a minor issue with the food and they gladly took care of it and made sure we were content. Can’t come to the boardwalk without checking in here!
Andy H.
Classificação do local: 4 San Jose, CA
I finally got to try this place after seeing it from a distance every time I came to the wharf. It’s at the far end of the wharf, so you may miss it if you don’t walk far enough. All I have to say is, I don’t know why I waited so long. The food is really good and inexpensive. We ordered the fish n chips and the fish tacos. Only thing is that the wait to get your food seemed a bit too long for such simple orders. Anyway, I will definitely be returning.
Julie O.
Classificação do local: 5 San Jose, CA
This is the ONLY place in the Bay Area where I will get clam chowder… The restaurant isn’t fancy, but OHMAN… that clam chowder in a bread bowl is the most scrum-diddily-umshish thing! I live on the other side of the hill, but I regularly drive up just to eat there. A lot of places boast about their clam chowder, but seriously, once you try it here you won’t go anywhere else. Best thing? Prices are reasonable, they usually always have seating, and it’s a nice spot on the end of the Pier so you get to see the sea lions, and watch the ocean as you eat!
Sean H.
Classificação do local: 1 San Jose, CA
We went here two weeks ago, and everything was great! However yesterday, the second time was absolutely awful! With four people we went to the place we had recently been, and that was our first mistake. The server was friendly, and seemed to know her stuff. The chowder came out, and It just tasted a bit off, either old or weird cream or something. Then here’s where it went bad, my 20 $ steak and shrimp. My steak was supposed to me medium rare, came out tough and well well done. And the shrimp, I got 2, small prawns. Yay! Not. I sent the food back, and the second round my steak was raw. Not rare, raw. I’m pretty sure the cook did that for me sending it back. The server clearly saw we were pissed at that point. Ended up not eating anything, spent 50 for the 3 others food. And we left. I definitely won’t be in there any time soon, don’t recommend it at all.
Carmen V.
Classificação do local: 2 San Jose, CA
Perfect location, perfect sunny day, attentive service and flowers at the table. Very cute for 2 girly girls like my friend and I, but the sampler dish was so disappointing! We order that to share plus a couple of clam chowders(those were good, no complain in size, texture and flavor). However the fish in the sampler plate did not seem to be fresh(which was a surprise being the pier just right there, we spent our time eating watching them from our window with a view) and everything was over fried and super dried. Only edible with the salsas provided to masquerade the non existing flavor.
Felecia F.
Classificação do local: 4 Sacramento, CA
My boyfriend and I stopped here to grab a beer and have a light lunch before we tackled the boardwalk. And it was worth it. Cheap beers and decent greasy food to help absorb the beer. Grab a seat in the outdoor patio and just relax! The only downfall watch how for birds, those darn curious creatures are sneaky