Schooners Coastal Kitchen & Bar

We had an incredible booth with a gorgeous view. We tried many things from the menu, hoping to have an excellent seafood dinner, but found those items to be average. The one outstanding dish was the Brussel Sprouts! They are a must try! $5 is well worth it-- served with toasted almonds-- they are perfect in every way!

Ugh, take me back here! This place is absolutely incredible and magical! Hubby and I went here a couple weeks ago when visiting Monterey for a mini getaway. The restaurant is right inside of the Monterey Plaza Hotel and Spa. We went here for dinner and asked for a seat outside, as their patio overlooks the ocean. Before the hostess took us there, she asked if we wanted any blankets, which I agreed I did since it was chilly outside. I was impressed by this gesture! She grabbed the blankets and ushered us outside to the deck and seated us at a table that was right on the edge, with a perfect ocean view. It was so peaceful waiting for dinner, just listening and washing the waves wash along the shore. There were large towers hovering above us, too, with fire blazing and dancing inside, which also helped keep us warm.

Before ordering, we asked our waiter a few questions about some menu items that caught our eye and he was very knowledgeable. He was also extremely nice! We ordered their roasted whole stuffed lobster -- spiced shrimp and scallop Peruvian mole, which was to die for! The meat was so succulent and sweet. We devoured it all. For the price, $47, you really don't get an awful lot but we expected that since seafood, especially lobster, is always expensive. We then ordered wood baked oysters which had baby spinach, lemon, garlic, and bacon butter inside. The price was much more reasonable, $8, and we got 4 oysters but I didn't like how there wasn't too much meat (I guess that's to be expected with regular sized oysters, though.)

The entire time, the waiter came back to the table to make sure we had everything we needed and kept refiling our cups. He definitely followed the "half empty" rule where he always made sure to refill our drinks before it reached the half empty mark.  

We loved this place so much, that we went back for breakfast the next morning. By then, my husband's and mine's phrase for this place was, "You can't be mad!" because they just don't give you a reason to be mad. Their service is phenomenal. I've never experienced customer service better than theirs. Every employee has obviously been trained to treat customers with the utmost respect and courtesy. They just make you feel at home here! We loved it, especially since this was our first experience at Monterey! So, we came here for breakfast in the early morning and sat inside this time, since it was way too cold to be seated outside. I ordered their grilled shrimp scramble that came with green onions and Monterey Jack cheese; it came with cheese naan bread, too, which I passed on. I also ordered their mango and papaya with limes and berries fruit bowl. Hubby ordered their broiled New York steak that came with two eggs. Get ready:

OMG. My breakfast was was INCREDIBLE. I'm not a huge egg fan, especially at restaurants since they seem to use that fake egg stuff, but these eggs were out of this world! Totally creamy and gooey with that melted Monterey Jack cheese, not to mention they sure as heck didn't go skimpy with the shrimp -- it was to die for! I couldn't finish my plate! Also, they used REAL eggs! My husband also loved his breakfast! As for the fruit, that was delish, too. I loved how they weren't skimpy with the mango!

We left this place, on both occasions, as extremely happy customers. I give this place my highest recommendation! Believe me, you can't be mad when coming here. It's just not possible!

Did my research before going to Monterey and since I was only on an overnight trip, I wanted to make my one dinner there a good one!

My boyfriend and I came here for a 630 PM dinner and were able to get an elevated booth that had killer views. I ordered the "Patio Boss" cocktail (w/tequila), a burrata salad and Halibut while he had a martini, oysters, and the braised short ribs... heaven, I tell you. I don't know if we really got lucky but all of our food was excellent, our water kept getting re-filled automatically, and somebody was constantly checking up on us (which we didn't mind at all).

It was really an overall great experience because it wasn't just about the food, but also about the service and the ambiance of the restaurant -- so even though it's a little pricey, you really get what you paid for and I thought it was all worth it. I will definitely be returning whenever I come back to Monterey.