Where to Eat on Catalina Island

June 15, 2019

We will cover it all here, from coffee, to date night, and hangover breakfasts, where to eat in Santa Catalina Island. If you are looking for information on bars and drinking you can find a comprehensive guide here.

Bluewater Grill

This is a great restaurant. This would be a fine location for a romantic dinner overlooking the Harbor. The location and the views are fantastic. The selection of fish is incredible. I’ve never had a bad experience. BUT…there is also a Bluewater Grill in Newport Beach, and the menu is similar enough that I’m going to incorrectly claim that it’s exactly the same. Therefore I usually skip this restaurant and opt instead for the much more accessible location available to me back home. If you don’t live here, and have never been to Bluewater Grill, please go! It’s a lovely establishment that strives for, and meets very high expectations.

Maggie’s Blue Rose

This is my favorite spot. It warrants a romantic dinner every time we visit. Don’t misunderstand, it’s an upscale/casual establishment that might not even have a dress code, but when I come here I buy the dinners that are $30 and up. It’s great Mexican food, and as a Southern California native we know the good stuff. One my favorite dishes is the Rosa Azul Platter. Between Chile Rellano and Lobster Enchilada’s how could you go wrong? For lunch they serve a Black Bean Burger, that I can confidently proclaim to be the BEST black bean burger I’ve ever had. In the end, all of the taco’s are good. All of the enchiladas are flavorful and fresh. The steaks are beautiful, the salmon is delicate. This is a must-do.

Original Jack’s Country Kitchen

This is where you start your Catalina Island adventure. This is a no frills diner, that is always packed to the brim with families. It’s so busy that you can reasonably assume essentially everyone in Avalon, or arriving to Avalon will be packed into this single restaurant every day. When you get off the boat, everyone crosses paths with this breakfast restaurant first, and decides to put their name on the list. The entrance is chaotic, the walls lined with luggage as the walkway gets narrower and narrower. The hostess/waitresses are tired, with too much make-up on, and they flip through a notebook list that is pages long and scribbled on in pencil.

As you bump shoulders with others in this claustrophobic lobby, you can see a lot of comically exasperated facial expressions as people internally debate if this is going to be worth it. It is. The line moves fast, the drinks are strong, the omelettes are large, the food comes out suspiciously fast, but the food is good. I always start here and it wouldn’t be the same to miss it!

The Lobster Trap

If you pathologically insist on asking everyone you meet on Catalina, “what do the locals do, what do the locals like?” People will tell you that the locals eat at the Lobster Trap, and congregate here when they are off work. I don’t know how much I believe it anymore—because there’s an eerie consensus. That’s what everybody says. I think it’s a conspiracy.

They do have decent seafood, and a funky décor with a second floor that I think also looks like a ship. I almost always order the individual tacos which are $4-8 dollars a piece depending on the fish that you choose. Fish and Chips is also fun if you have an appetite for fried food. This is a great option if you are looking for a less expensive date night.

Luau Larry’s

I believe this is where you go to eat if you want to get plastered on Mai-Tai’s and Buffalo Milk. I have also rolled in here after a long hike and been so happy to eat a huge Luau Salad. It has the island vibe, with tacky decorations, it is right on the boardwalk with an ocean view. They serve the Buffalo Burgers that are not local buffalo’s, and you can of course get Buffalo Milk, an alcoholic drink with Kahlua, Creme de Banana, Creme de Chocolate, and Half and Half. It’s iconic, and you should definitely stop here if you are just on a day trip!

Catalina Coffee and Cookie

This place is right around the corner from our favorite hotel, and when you are not in the mood for the full on breakfast available at Country Jacks, this is a nice alternative. They have really enthusiastic young people working the counter, handing out punch loyalty cards, and upselling little cookie pastries so pleasantly that it’s not even annoying. They sell fully customized breakfast sandwiches that you order by selecting check boxes on an index card, vegan and vegetarian options and everything. I always lose the punch cards but I eat here all the time.