This review is based on the third time we have come to otter rock. This is one of the few places that doesn't close early and has live music. I will preface this review with the fact that loosing any personal belongings in a restaurant or bar is the sole responsibility of the customer and restaurant is not responsible for anything lost or stolen but the least they can do is give you a helping hand especially if you are a returning customer. That didn't happen here...
It's the night before the 4th of July and we were in town for the weekend so we hit up otter rock as our last stop of the night. The next morning my wallet is missing and so I back track to otter rock to see if anyone turned it in and I got the rudest customer service from the bartender the following morning (more on that in a bit). I called and went in first thing in the morning only to find out that it wasn't there BUT following the advice of the morning bartender (who I believe is Katelyn) I was told to come back at 4pm later that day when the bartender (Zoe) who was working the night before would come in and I could ask her if she put it anywhere other than the lost and found.
I went back in to talk to Zoe in person and Katelyn said she was "Slammed" in the back and the restaurant was by no means busy. I was willing to wait but at this point there was no getting through this Katelyn character. She obviously wasn't going to help me out at all and wouldn't let me talk to Zoe for 30 seconds to ask if she saw anything the night before. Then for her to totally dismissive and and giving me attitude for being concerned about my lost wallet just blew my mind. Â Granted loosing my wallet is my fault and my responsibility but show a little compassion and at least try to help a customer out!
I don't know if the staff was just pissed off for having to work on the 4th of July or what but I would never treat another person like that especially if someone lost something as important as their purse or wallet. I wasn't rude or disrespectful the night I lost it and even when I called in the morning they were joking that they did find the wallet and they spent all the money I had. Not really a time to joke with someone who is in a panic. No tact and no class.
The one star is for the fact that the drinks were good.
Had such an amazing time here last Wednesday. Â
We came for dinner and ended up staying till midnight.
The food was good, the clam chowder was ok, it tasted fresh made, would probably be a whole lot better the next day or a few hours later.
We ordered onion rings for an appetizer, they were great and tasted home-made.
Fried shrimp & fried halibut were great. they use a breading, not a beer batter. Â While slightly over cooked, the food still had a great flavor.
Other things to note: the drinks were awesome, especially the lemon drops & margaritas. Â
Around 7:30, as we were finishing up dinner, they started setting up for karaoke....and naturally we had to stay. Â
There was such a random & eclectic group of people, it was PERFECT for people watching. Â
We had such an amazing time, it's been months since we laughed that hard.
We ate, we drank, we danced, we sang...we were very Merry.
Love this place!!
It's amusing to read most of the reviews here which claim the restaurant serves frozen, not fresh foods... Â I was/am going to post the same thing. Â
My husband and I were in town yesterday and had breakfast at the ORC. Â The views were spectacular, the food and service NOT. Â I have had a drastic lifestyle change and have gone 80-85% plant-based. Â I haven't gone 100% because I want to be realistic and not deprive myself of something - if I really want it. Â I've done very well for the almost year since adopting said lifestyle and now I make choices. Â If I want a certain dish, I want it to be the best it can possibly be so I don't feel I've eaten something unhealthy that was just so-so, or in this fact just LAME.
Husband and I decided to share an order (thank the stars we didn't purchase two dishes here) of Eggs Benedict with hash browns. Â Our waiter certainly wasn't the brightest (whatever), our coffee mugs were imprinted with a campaign to bring back some tall ship and when we asked, he knew nothing about it. Also, it took FOREVER for our food to arrive. Â
When it finally did, we were presented with a dish where the EB looked ok, but the hash browns were clearly a previously frozen square of greasy, oily yuck - definitely NOT freshly prepared. Â The *hollandaise* on the EB also either came from a packaged (just add water) powder or jar, awful and flavorless doesn't even describe how bad it was. Â We ate what we could and waited FOREVER for our waiter (which my husband had to hunt down) to bring our check. Â
As I mentioned above, I felt  like I made an unhealthy choice for nothing - wanted that *nom nom* moment and was robbed.  Note to self, never try or assume something familiar will be tasty at an unfamiliar location!
Before we went here, we noticed another breakfast house, the Coffee Pot (?), which had a very long line to get in, so thinking it was probably MUCH better than this place. Â We also, after the fact, discovered the Shine cafe on Morro Bay Ave. Â Although Shine isn't for everyone, it would have suited us just fine and will definitely be going there next time. Â
Good luck, Otter Rock Cafe...
Amazingly this place is consistent, however, the on our last trip, my husband was asked to leave a credit to open a tab.... Â come on, we're locals. Â We never leave our card anywhere. Â They have great Shrimp Cocktails and Bloody Mary's. Â The view is always great.... it will take another 100 degree day in Paso for us to return any time soon. Â The business in front gives locals a 10% for loyalty so that is always fun.
Review Source:Great place to relax and just hang out have something to eat and a drink. This bar is right on the bay with fantastic views. Had the clam chowder bread bowl and it was to perfection toasted just right and the chowder was amazing. Give the cowboy burger a try I have heard once you pick it up you won't put it down until you have finished it all.
Review Source:I really LOVE Morro Bay with all my heart.
I came here for a laid back dinner with my boyfriend on Saturday night. This place was so lively! There was a band playing music, people were dancing, drinks were flowing. Otter Rock sure knows how to throw a party.
The oysters were AMAZING and sooooooooo fresh.
Note: The only thing i disliked about this place is that the restrooms were out back around a little dark corner. I know Morro Bay is a safe town, but it's just a little unsettling walking to a public restroom in the dark after a few drinks.
Great place - our experience was all positive. Â Food was good, service was excellent & attentive, we had everything we needed & then some. Â We even had our 7-yr old son with us, who ate his dinner & enjoyed the music, and then he got VIP treatment from the waiter with a homemade piece of pumpkin pie & extra whip cream!
Good music, too, we happened upon a night there was a foursome playing of 50-ish/60-ish guys, and they were awesome. Â Had to get the kiddo to bed or we would've stayed and danced!
Have seen some other questionable reviews, however our experience was opposite - I'm happy to say we had a good time, good food, and great service. Â Will definitely stop in again when in Morro.
Food was absolutely disgusting!! My son got a waffle and you can clearly tell it was frozen. I got potatoes and gravy, husband and mom got an omelette, and my dad got eggs and sausage. We each got a soda as well. The total was 67 dollars and the food was cold, bland, and made us all nauseous after. When my mom nicely commented on our cold food the manager was completely snotty and pretty much told her "too bad". I will never eat here again!
Review Source:Great food and great service! Â Good old fashioned eggs, sausage and hash browns with coffee and a fantastic Bloody Mary...what a great way to start a lazy vacation day...our doxy pups also got to join us on the patio (in their doggie stroller). Â We will definitely be coming back. Â Oh and the view was wonderful too!
Review Source:I was concerned after selecting this place and THEN looking at the reviews, many of which were low....I am happy to report that the food, service and pricing were all excellent. Fish tacos were great.
There are alot of places to dine in Morro Bay, but this one certainly did NOT disappoint.
We were looking for some night life in Morro Bay on a Saturday night, and it looked like this might have been it! Â We just had drinks and a brownie sundae, so I can't comment on the menu as a whole. Â The brownie sundae was drowning in whipped cream, which is good if you like whipped cream. Â The nightlife was a cover band playing a wide variety of rock hits, with quite a bit of dancing. Â It was a mixed crowd--locals, tourists, older/younger, and everyone seemed to be having a good time.
Review Source:Almost good. My wife and I selected two specials, Shrimp Alfredo and Lemon Chicken. My wife liked her lemon chicken. The pilaf was good, and the broccoli was good but cooked beyond crisp. My Shrimp were blackened and tough, and the Alfredo sauce was bland. I expect more for just south of $20 per plate.
The service was good and the wait staff were pleasant and attentive.
Will I go back? Not likely. We have too many really good restaurants in Morro Bay  to accept this quality of food. For a total tab of $50, I demand more.
Too bad, the view and staff are great!
My family regularly visits Morro Bay, Cambira, and Atascadero to visit family. Â We've not visited every place, but we tend to know the good spots and where to avoid. Â This last trip, desparate to find a new place to eat breakfast, we came here.
Warning: I'm picky, and I used to work in the food service industry, so I have a little more knowledge regarding the topic.
First off, we get in there, and the first thing that greets us is a dog. Â He's sitting to the right on the cushioned seats along the wall, but it's a big dog. Â In my book, dogs have no place INSIDE a restaurant. Â Outside on the sidewalk in the al-fresco dining area, maybe, but NOT INSIDE the restaurant. Â Later, we realized it was the dog of the woman serving us when it tried to walk into the kitchen and she stopped it. Â It was a well behaved dog, but a DOG INSIDE THE RESTAURANT nonetheless.
Second, serving time. Â We literally waited 30 minutes for an order that should have taken all of 10 to make, tops. Â The place was mildly busy, but you know service is shit when a guy that walks in 10 minutes after you gets his order a whole 10 minutes before you do. Â Whats more, collctivly, my family ordered 6 eggs, 3 hash browns, and 2 slices of french toast. Â Should not take 30 minutes.
Finally, the cost. Â When I read the menu, I was looking for something filling but affordable ($12 for an eggs benedict? Â Really?!), and zeroed in on the french toast. Â It said, "French toast (4) $6.95". Â Sounds like a deal to me, 4 sliced of french toast for $7. Â Not the best deal in town, but might be good.
30 minutes later, the waitress comes out with 2 sliced of french toast that have been cut in half, making it a grand total of 4 pieces or 4 halves. Â 4 halves for $7? Â I don't normally complain if a misunderstanding was probably my fault, but as far as I'm concerned, the whole "4 halves" thing is BS. Â Especially at that price. Â
The food tastes good, I'll give them that; my mother said there was something about the eggs that made them taste better (probably dog hair), and overall the flavor was excellent.
But for the price, service, and dog, it's totally not worth it.
Fun, laid-back place to hang out in Morro Bay! Â Live music and dancing most nights can't be beat! Â The food is good, the drinks are great, the view is beautiful, the service is ok. Â If you're looking for fancy, look elsewhere; but if you don't mind plastic chairs and a casual atmosphere, then this is your place!
Review Source:Love the Otter Rock! Â We visit every time we're in the area. Â We're always there in the evening because they offer live music most nights, karaoke a couple nights - and a great bar. Â Since the new(ish) chef is in control of the kitchen, the food is tasty coastal basic and the specials are really quite good. Â I'm a big fan of well-prepared calamari and I'm always pleased with that choice at the Otter Rock. Â The service has been friendly and attentive and I enjoy being there - sunset on the ocean behind Morro Rock with a Capt and coke just makes it perfect!
Review Source:I was here back in 2008....with a group of friends. Â The food was ok then, the service...well, I wasn't impressed.
Last year, same group of friends, but some of us went elsewhere.
This year....we were back at the Otter Rock Cafe....
In 2008, the place was packed by 11 am (lots of NFL games). Â Today? Â Ghost town....during the entire visit, which our party of 15 was their business.
The food? Â Pathetic. Â Talk about downhill! Â Had the Denver omelette which tasted like it was run over with a Denver boot. Â The bagel and cream cheese, which I paid $4 for....was microwaved, badly.
The service? Â Seems the staff here thinks their view of Morro Rock is SOOO good, that they don't have to be.
I won't be back.
Went here when passing through Morro Bay for lunch.
I had the Halibut fish and chips which were edible, nothing special but not terrible. I really expected better from a place that has access to such fresh fish.
My dad had the cod fish and chips, which he said were terrible. He said the fish was frozen and he barely ate his lunch.
Being this close to the ocean, there are probably much better choices along the water than Otter Rock Cafe.
After a wonderful night at Stax wine bar my friend and I decided to walk around a bit. We wanted a drink and decided to stop here. There drinks were horrible (mind you we stood there forever as the bartender talked it up with her friends for over 15 minutes) and the place was dirty. They have some white plastic tables that are so old they have turned black. Did I mention how nasty the drinks were!!! I will never eat here, because I could only imagine how the food is. It's kinda sad though because this place could have alot of potential, especially with the immaculate views it has.
Review Source:Can't say anything about the food. Â DH and I went there during the day on a Tuesday after Labor Day for an afternoon refreshment. Â The drinks were rocking, Jenna the bartender was totally on top of it, and if you wanted you could drink on the patio while watching the sunset. On top of that, there were a number of locals there who gave us some really good steers to fun activities.
Review Source:They would get 4 stars  for their food, it was really tasty, however their service was the WORST!! We had 3 couples and 4 kids in our party. When we asked to separate the tickets they said they could but they would still need to charge the 15% tip, that should have been our first sign to walk away.
It took them 20 mins to take our order - we have 4 kids at the table mind you. After waiting 30 mins we asked if they could bring the kids grilled cheese sandwiches out as soon as possible. After another 20 mins they final brought 2 entrees out, 10 mins later another 2 entrees, etc.... They final brought the grilled cheese which was one of the last things to be served... The excuse was that we separated and it made it hard for the kitchen.
We asked to talk to the manager who didnt offer much help as we had to ask twice for our bill - again it was delayed because we split our ticket and they don't have a computer.
You have a lot of dining options in Morro so don't choice this place with their lackluster service!!
Took a walk down to the Embarcadero this morning to play tourist and to grab some breakfast.
Getting hungry, a friend and I stopped by the first place we came to that was still serving breakfast at noon. The Otter Rock Cafe.
The setup seems more like a club or bar but I guess it's at night when all the fun starts. When we walked in, there were a few people at the bar and a few other parties grabbing a bite.
Service was great. Our server was friendly, helpful with suggestions and very attentive.
I went for the Morro Scramble which basically was scrambled eggs with linguica, peppers, tomatoes covered with cheese. Side of toast and hash browns. My friend went for a Cowboy Burger - onion rings with barbecue sauce and a side of fries.
My scramble was great. The flavor of the linguica meshed well with the eggs and veggies and my hash was crispy on the out, but still tender inside. I opted for sourdough bread for my toast which was lightly toasted, just like I like.
My friend's burger was dry which you wouldn't be able to tell because of the barbecue sauce and the onion rings. It's like the other toppings masked it but on the half that my friend gave me, she swiped the onion ring which had most of the sauce leaving me with a dry patty and the bun. It was ok - just dry.
The place looks like it'll be fun at night as ads for live bands/music can be found throughout and there's all types of drink specials.
We did not have the food here or even see any so I can't really comment on that. Â We went to Morro Bay mid week and the otter cafe was right next to our hotel. Â We spent most evenings at legends up the street, but did pop in to the Otter for a nightcap before calling it a night. Â Wednesday we heard some very interesting and somewhat entertaining karaoke and then Friday we saw a little of the live band. Â Overall it was entertaining and the people watching was good. Â Not sure if I would make it my top destination of the night, but it was cool for a drink or 2.
Review Source:Food has really gotten better in the last year - I understand they have a new chef. Pasta dishes are really tasty and the seafood is very good. Food is prepared well and presentation is nice. Service is excellent, young guy on Friday very friendly and helpful. Very funky ambience and the tables and chairs are cheap plastic affairs. The views are great and you can sit and eat, watching the sea lions go by in the bay. I'm glad that they don't allow smoking anymore, that definitely kept me away before. Overall, this is a good value (with good food) for the Embarcadero.
Review Source:Quite frankly, I don't know what more you could want. A perfect view of the Rock, the bay at your fingertips, a definite communion with "the locals," a staff that makes you feel like it was YOU they have been waiting for, the best local music around, sassy bar drinks and new chefs who make stellar creations. Did I mention how good-looking the staff is? ;)
If you are only able to choose one spot in Morro Bay, and want to hit all of the key points on your "awesome trip checklist," then this is it.
I recommend it highly.
Monday night--live solo music
Tuesday night--karaoke
Wednesday night--karaoke
Thursday night--local musicians' jam night
Friday night--live  band
Saturday night--live band
Sunday night--live band
For years I've walked by this place and had never eaten there. However, we were looking for a quick bite with the kids and this place was semi-empty on a Friday night in summer (red flag).
The furniture was filthy and the chairs they use are those plastic furniture patio garbage you buy at Wal Mart and use for a season. The floor really slanted which was interesting; at least I knew where to retrieve my beer bottle if it fell onto the floor and didnt break.
Sensing this place was not where you wanted to have a large meal, I simply ordered the clam chowder. How could a coastal waterfront restaurant get that wrong? What they brought out to me was astonishing. It was clam jello; thicker than anything that could pass for chowder. They actually overfilled the bowl and it didnt spill; it just jiggled excitedly, waiting for me to dig in. I took one bite out of desperation and threw in the towel. The texture was disgusting and the taste was of white gravy with no seasoning. Â The server took my bowl and asked if it was ok. I said no, it wasn't, and explained the problem. Instead of doing the right thing and knocking off $5 for the soup, she charged me for that bowl of garbage. That was fine, I simply took it out of her tip.
My bad for falling for a Morro Bay waterfront tourist trap, but you can believe I'll never set foot in this place again, and will advise anyone I can to do the same.
Yes, the best thing about Otter Rock Cafe is the gorgeous view of Morro Bay and Rock. The friendly bartender comes in a very close second though. Hubby and I stopped for some libations. Strong, strong drinks. We shared an order of the nachos and though they looked kind of disgusting, they were pretty tasty. No issues with service. Clean enough place. Seems pretty touristy, but no real complaints.
Review Source:This is an update of my previous review. Â They no longer allow smoking inside and this is a great improvement! Â They're still going strong with the live music and that's really cool for Morro Bay. Â Although a bit pricey, we enjoy the food here. Â You might try the Mexican Shrimp cocktail with a margarita... YUM!
Review Source:There were two good things about this place, the coffee was good and the view was fantastic. Â Otherwise, don't waste your time.
We had breakfast here, and the food was awful. My eggs were barely cooked, and half the potatoes were hard as a rock. My husband ordered the eggs benedict and spent the rest of the day sick to his stomach.
The wait staff didn't communicate with each other and seemed very confused. Â All of them asked us individually for our order.
Don't bother with this place.
Decided to come here on a Saturday night because we didn't know any better. They get 2.5 stars for these 2.5 reasons:
- 1 Star for the really stiff drinks
- 1 Star for the cool as bartender
- .50 Star for the band that played - all blues/funk- it was aiite
They close by midnight depending on the crowd, might be earlier (per the bartender) and the crowd is a little suspect.
You can find other bars in this town. And the cool thing, is all the hotels and bars are centrally located...so you can walk to everything.
I really don't like leaving bad reviews and try to just put out reviews when I am having a good food experience. Â However, sometimes you gotta warn others of bad situations.
Here it was bad service.
We were dealing with a woman that was extremely rude. She took our drink order and walked away in the middle of a question. I ordered clam cowder and a salad. Half an hour later it came to the table. Upon first bite my girlfriend asked me if it had bacon on it. I felt gross immediately. Since I photographed in a slaughter house this last spring - I can not eat pork - I will throw up. I asked the waitress if the clam chowder had ham she responded with "no"
me "oh ok good... tasted like there was"
her "well there's bacon in it "
I told her I needed to send of back, I don't eat pork and it doesn't say on the menu that there is pork product in the soup. She was insulted and attempted to educate me that clam chowder usually has bacon. I thank her for the info and now know for when ordering in the future but I still can't eat the soup and I would like to send it back. Â She stormed off with the soup. She came back and asked what I wanted instead. I ordered. When the bill came she told us she charged us for half the soup because we ate one piece of bread when the soup came. I again explained that the menu did not state that there was pork in the soup or did she tell me. She again lectured me about the recipes of clam chowder.
This is not how you run a place someone is coming to dine. Maybe if I was a contestant on Hells Kitchen and I signed up to be lectured at by a jerk..... this dining experience would make sense. But I was paying for food cooked for me not a lecture on how to cook it.
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