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Bill & Carol's Sea Shanty
Category: Restaurants American (Traditional) American (Traditional) [Edit]
296 S Ocean AveCayucos, CA 93430
(805) 995-3272
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner, Breakfast
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
51 reviews for Bill & Carol's Sea Shanty
Review Highlights
"Strawberry shortcake dessert---YUM."
(in 5 reviews)
"Clam chowder is excellent."
(in 10 reviews)
"Simply the best breakfast in the sleepy town of Cayucos, Ca."
(in 3 reviews)
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51 reviews in English
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Review from Stephen C.
Santa Monica, CA
2/2/2012
My buddy Vlad the Mad Russian and I headed north on the coast to San Francisco on a whim. We grabbed some clothes, rented a car and hit the highway. After rolling into the quaint little seaside town of Cayucos CA via LA after driving eight hours on what should have been a three hour ride we rolled up in front of the Sea Shanty on Ocean Ave. It was a cool seaside cafe that was jumping with clientele complete with ten people shoved into an electric gold cart rolling up front. Just our style.
We hit up the Sea Shanty for what we hoped would be some fresh seafood and we're not disappointed.
The place itself is a simply decorated spot with a cool beachy vibe and some mad cool staff servers who gave us the straight dope on the goings on in town on a Tuesday night and the skinny on what cool spots lie ahead of us on the coastal highway.
The Mad Russian had the fresh, delivered daily Red Snapper with rice pilaf and some fresh veggies. It was as fresh as you get grilled with some extra virgin olive oil and fresh lemon in it's own juices. The fresh taste stand alone unlike so many places that attempt to disguise the fish with everything on the plate surrounding it. Not so here at the Shanty where the seafood jumps off the plate at you. Great and plentiful dish for 18 bucks.
I assassinated the fresh Red Snapper tacos. This delicacy consists of a pair of double corn tortilla tacos filled with Snapper chunks, not slivers but chinks of meat topped off with a light sauce and lightly covered in fresh Chihuahua cheese. It was accompanied by rice pilaf and some veggies. Fat tacos for 8.95.
We finished off with the mud pie. One desert will do any table of two or three. Rocky Road ice cream surrounded by a peanut butter and cookie crust topped with whipped cream. This did us in and we were ready to crash but not before the Mad Russian polished off three large glasses of dego red wine before he got back behind the wheel of the car LOL just kidding, we left the car and walked back to the hotel and passed out.
The real scoop is that you should hit up the the Sea Shanty if you're ever in this neck of the woods. -
Review from Karl B.
Fresno, CA
10/29/2011
Ate there last night, walked in at 9 pm, they close at 930......... the kid who was standing at the bar looked at his watch and made a sour face like he had better things to do, typical teenager type servers, loud, obnoxious, talking about personal business........ but when our server actually got down to it, he was attentive and very polite. As usual the food was very good, and I liked the fact the fish and chips comes large or small and you can elect to substitute the fries......
Clam Chowder was rather "tangy" and not really to my liking, Ive had better.... but the fish and chips were outstanding, the pieces were moist and "clean" meaning the fish was not falling apart, it was one single piece.
Side salad was decent, they use a mix of lettuce instead of the cheap romaine or head lettuce.......
As for the actual restaurant, its cozy, and has a nice selection of hats hanging from the rafters, but maybe instead of the kids who work there standing around talking about parties, and watching TV, maybe break out a duster and dust, the hats were covered in dust. -
Review from Cindy H.
San Leandro, CA
12/22/2011
My friend and I came in at 10:45, and we're expecting to dine from the lunch menu, but lunch doesn't start until 11:45, so we had to order breakfast. I ordered the crab hash, which was crab meat served on top of toasted english muffin. It was lacking some salt and pepper. It tasted really good with a piece of fried egg in every bite. My friend ordered the shrimp omlette, and again it was lacking salt and pepper. The big fried potato slices were pretty good. We ordered fish and chips to go, but it wasn't crunchy anymore after six hours. I think it would be delicious if eaten fresh.
The Sea Shanty looks like a living room. It's very family-oriented, and they probably have a lot of regulars/neighbors come in. It has the nicest or most unique restroom I have ever been to. It looked like a living room and smelled like coconut. -
Review from Lee D.
Arroyo Grande, CA
12/21/2011
Do not consider for wedding catering!
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Review from Denise H.
Fresno, CA
12/2/2011
Great Pea Soup!
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Review from Carey W.
San Diego, CA
6/27/2011
We stayed in Cayucos for a tournament, and this was the only breakfast place we found in the sleepy town. It was also filled with locals and you could definitely tell we were not from the area.
The decor was interesting with tons of trucker hats lining the ceiling, although they looked really dusty. A special note to the bathroom, which was adorably decorated with tons of antiques (however the stuffed chicken staring at me was a little off-putting)...
As for the food, I got the corned beef hash breakfast which came with biscuits and something else I think... The biscuits were good, but too filling to eat at the time. The hash was also pretty good, but I took some issue to the corned beef, which wasn't in chunks but sort of a salty mush. It was decent at first but soon became hard to finish.
If I came to Cayucos again I would probably come here again, but probably only for the lack of other options. But I would try a different breakfast next time. -
Review from Alex H.
Los Angeles, CA
10/3/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Probably the best hamburger in Cayucos and the ONLY place that serves SUPER cold beers. The rustic decor and super friendly staff will definitely be a reason I return.
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Review from Jaye B.
Anaheim, CA
6/19/2011
This place was an unexpected pleasure. That it's a favorite with the locals was pretty apparent to me, but out-of-towners {like us} weren't treated like second-class citizens. Mi esposo had the Pescado Snapper dinner {loved it}; the portion size could've easily fed both of us. The salad was huge, too {and fresh}. We had no room for their tempting desserts....so we decided to return the next day. We ate lighter and shared a dessert. There are more menu items we'd like to try on a return trip. On our first visit, the young man who was our server and the young lady who was in training were particularly delightful. The entire experience made me feel somewhat like we were in the quaint town of Mayberry. I half expected to see Opie bussing tables and Andy packing in a slab of pie, followed by their really good coffee.
Loved our visits and look forward to returning. =) -
Review from James S.
Tulsa, OK
4/20/2011
Quaint little spot, half locals, half tourists. Service (and the FOOD) is good, they just dont treat tourists with false enthusiasm. Put yourself in the mindset that youve been here many times before, relax and enjoy yourself!
The clam chowder was out of this world. Thick with tons of clams and potatoes, this isn't the thin stuff sold down the street. Best I've had in a long long time. Just like mother never made...
Desserts? Huge. Amazing. Split one with someone, you can't go wrong. -
Review from Cindy C.
San Luis Obispo, CA
Nothing special about this place...was in Cayucos looking for some food and found this place on through Yelp.
The service was fast and friendly. We the crab melt sandwich and red snapper tacos. The sandwich was just okay but the tacos were pretty good. I sat right across the huge dessert menu hung up on the wall and kept telling myself I'd get the strawberry shortcake. Unfortunately, we were way too full to try it =(
Overall, not a bad place to go to if you're around, but I wouldn't make a trip just to eat here. -
Review from Piero B.
Cayucos, CA
3/22/2011
Local Cayucos food critic and bon vivant here again.
For starters, I can't handle the ball caps in the ceiling. I have to admit I'm into the cleanliness of eating establishments ... and looking above at caps that are never ever cleaned ... with dust stalagmites ready to drip into my food and/or drink? First thing I learned, as a youngster, when I first started working restaurants from the local immigrants who ran them: never sweep when food and customers are present: what gets kicked up can land in their food.
Otherwise, the food is okay. But ... when I go there all I hear is my mom saying :"Scheef" which is from the Italian 'schifo". -
Review from Tom M.
Bakersfield, CA
8/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
Gave the Sea Shanty a try and regreted it. Service was friendly but slow. My wife had scampi which she found flavorless. I had ribs that were tough--really chewy. Our xenophobic waiter was heard to loudly exclaim "No shit!" several times across the restaurant. We love to support local businesses but we won't return here.
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Review from Dorian H.
Cayucos, CA
9/10/2011
Bad service. The teenager waiting on me screwed up our order than forgot about us completely which seems hard to do in such a small space. Then the "owner " came out and insulted us because we were not satisfied with the service. The fish and chips were pretty good I have to admit but that's the best part, nothing worth stopping for again. Plus, WAY TOO EXPENSIVE!
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Review from freida l.
Morro Bay, CA
5/21/2011
I've eaten here a few times. The food is okay and usually the service is also. However tonight at dinner the wait staff must have been having a party and we diners were not invited. We just had to listen to them all hooting and hollering. One was even beating his fists on the counter. I looked his way and he yelled out that he was playing the drums.
Let the drums roll for other diners. I won't be back. -
Review from C M.
Petaluma, CA
8/7/2011
Love the staff here! Friendly and quick for a busy little place. Always a smile and lits of bustling around. Food is good and dessert is AMAZING!! Yum!
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Review from Dave S.
Livermore, CA
8/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
Not bad actually. It's a strong "Yay! I'm a fan". Beer selection is kinda limited, at least it seemed to me. Food was great, as was the service.
Deserts are over the top...... -
Review from Dawn B.
Morro Bay, CA
Updated - 6/26/2011
Okay I went here for a second time today and still very good. But this time I sat inside (outside seating is very nice, but it was cold) and I must say the extremely dusty/dirty hats hanging from the ceiling is quite bothersome. NO JOKE, there is dust hanging from the tips of the hats and at any moment could fall off into your food or drinks. GROSS. It would be cute decor, if they cleaned them, but the hats are sooo disgusting they either need to full on wash them or toss them. I go for toss them. Otherwise I will sit outside now and try the blueberry muffins and mimosas, sooooo good!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/29/2011
I give this place 10 stars! They had really good service and I enjoyed the outdoor seating (no ocean… Read more »
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Review from Chase A.
Provo, UT
7/28/2010
We come here yearly. My fish and chips were a little off. My wife said it was the best salad she's had the entire trip. My boys loved their chowder.
As always the mud pie dessert was to die for. Don't leave without dessert. -
Review from Jake J.
Fremont, CA
4/20/2010
My parents' recent experience at the Sea Shanty was not so wonderful.
They both ordered the Clam Chowder as they have in prior visits; however, this time their meals were cold, gritty and inedible. When they mentioned it to the waitress, she politely took both bowls, and without being requested to do so, returned with one replacement bowl and the check with one bowl having been credited. When my parents mentioned that they were not interested in trying the replacement bowl of chowder and just wanted them both taken off the bill, the waitress refused saying she could instead get them a free dessert. They both just wanted to leave, so they just paid the bill and went about their day.
When they returned from vacation, my dad sent a letter to the manager at the Sea Shanty with a copy of the receipt and a request for the refund of the second bowl of chowder. Weeks went by with no response. So, he sent a second letter, and again, no response.
My poor rating is certainly due to their poor experience during their visit, but most importantly due to the inexcusable lack of reply afterwards.
If you have a poor experience here, be certain it's resolved immediately. -
Review from Christina G.
San Luis Obispo, CA
Updated - 2/26/2010 4 photos
Hands-down fantastic desserts and food- 4 stars in my book.
Where do they excel? Their catering is FANTASTIC- 5 stars. I can personally attest to it, as we used Sea Shanty for our wedding reception (see photos). Their service, professionalism and quality of food was superb (well, so I heard... I never got to eat anything because I was so busy!).
Sea Shanty, thank you for pulling off a fantastic event and making our day special. I've highly recommended your catering services to several people.Listed in: CAYUCOS, Whut whut...
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/7/2009
We all know that Sea Shanty has fantastic food (especially the breakfast, as someone mentioned).… Read more »
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Review from Bob C.
Cayucos, CA
5/15/2011
Great Local Owned, Local run Cafe with outside sitting for you and your dog. Fish-n-chips, Veggie sandwich are my favorites. Good service, good American style food in a great small town of Cayucos.
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Review from Lucy D.
San Francisco, CA
6/11/2010
2.5 stars
After I read some Yelp reviews, I decided to give their clam chowder a try. It was so gross - over salted and kind of old. I think I like Boudin's clam chowder more, or even canned clam chowder. What they lacked in taste, they didn't in serving size. A bowl was actually a large shallow bowl that required many, many scoops to finish. Too bad it didn't taste good otherwise I would have been a much happier camper.
I got the Shanty Shrimp Hot & Nasty. It was not hot, nor was it really nasty. It was 5 large shrimps dipped in some batter and deep fried with some seasoning sprinkled all over. The batter wasn't bad but the clam chowder just made my stomach queasy.
The boyfriend's fish tacos were not bad. But they weren't super either. There's not much to talk about.
I didn't think the shrimp and tacos were really worth the price. We skipped out on the dessert everyone else raved about because we wanted to go to Ruddell's. Another table ordered the SLO Crunch I think and it looked pretty good. The slice was definitely big and topped with lots of whipped cream. Service was decent too.
Overall, I probably wouldn't come here again for the food. Maybe I'll come back for the desserts but I'll most likely go to Ruddell's first since it's only a minute away. -
Review from Tim D.
Fairfax, VA
6/30/2009
My wife and I both ordered the "best of the west" clam chowder which was mediocre at best. The soup was a bit bland. Only beer and wine...we didn't get a dessert but several are available in family size portions. The mushroom burger and Chinese chicken salad were also nothing to write home about...
The service was terrible...we waited for about thirty minutes for our waiter to spoon the soup into the bread bowl and then he told us, "sorry for the wait, I had to wait in line for the microwave"...there are probably better choices in this town and we would suggest seeking them out! -
Review from Mark H.
5/16/2009
First the positives: lively atmosphere, feels family-run. Service is prompt. Lots of locals eating here. Clam chowder is excellent.
However, the rest of the food was fair at best. I had a mushroom burger which was forgettable, overcooked with a sweet bun. She had a large Greek chicken salad which didn't match the menu description and was, again, fair at best.
Overall, liked the place and the people, didn't like the food. Seemed expensive. -
Review from T A.
Redondo Beach, CA
5/12/2011
Pretty basic fare here. The food is decent, and we were grateful to have it, particularly on Mon/Tues, when many of the other restaurants in this quiet beach town are closed. We also love that the patio area is dog-friendly.
The desserts are excellent, and I regret not having one during our last visit to Cayucos. My family did, however share a cinnamon roll with breakfast one morning. Would have been great had they not stuck it in the microwave, which not only ruins the texture, but overheats the center - and burned my mouth. Same deal with the blueberry muffins the following morning - great muffins, marred by the microwave.
We had the same waitress on both days that we came for breakfast. Service could definitely use some improvement. -
Review from paul k.
Beverly Hills, CA
11/29/2010
Cozy and really good service. Everything is pretty tasty with great dessert menu.
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Review from Clare T.
Ventura, CA
9/18/2010
I was in Cayucos with my dogs, so I was scoping for a dog friendly restaurant to dine in. The waitress was very friendly to both me and the mutts. I sat outside on the patio, sipped a beer, and people-watched. Nice selection of beer and wine, and a good standard menu. I had the charbroiled red snapper with fries and a salad, and a whole apple dumpling for dessert. I'm not making a point of saying that I ATE the whole dumpling (I did); I mean that there's a whole baked apple inside of it, which I've never seen before. All the food was good, the vibe was relaxing, and I didn't feel rushed by the staff to clear out, even though my dogs were laid out flat in the main aisle.
Four stars because I've only eaten here once. If the food and experience is again as nice as my one time here, I'll add a star. Also, it would have been cool if the patio was in the back, with the ocean view, rather than facing the street. But that may be in deference to the neighbors, so I can't fault them for it. -
Review from Saturday night a to Z.
Pismo Beach, CA
7/15/2010
The great thing about the Sea Shanty is that the portions are huge and there couldn't be a better place to walk off your meal than the town of Cayucos.
The Sea Shanty is one of those places that you have to choose--will it be dinner or will it be dessert? Everything is good and everything is large so it's almost impossible to have both. That said, I was kind of disappointed when we went recently. I ordered a cobb salad that was pretty skimpy on top. It was okay, but it was mostly lettuce. That gave me the courage I needed though to order their chocolate mousse pie. It was so good!!! -
Review from Diana G.
11/20/2009
DESSERT DESSERT DESSERT and SHAKES!!! MMMMMM!! This has always been a family favorite for special outings. Their helpings are farm-hand approved and even simple meals like grilled-cheese sandwiches have fantastic cheeses in them. I second the catering comment, they are great party planners and are outstanding caterers. After attending a number of weddings that they had catered, my sister asked them cater her reception at our ranch. Tt was wonderful and the staff was so efficient that everything was set up in a manner of minutes. The owner is very personable and very organized - it was one of the easiest parts of the reception.
For 4th of July, this group is always great competition when it comes to floats!! They are way over the top and fit the theme every year. Quite a spectacle. There only competition is usually the Cayucos Surfers... now you know it's a small town! -
Review from Robert S.
San Mateo, CA
4/27/2009
I still have the Army had that I received when I traded my little league A's hat that sits high above the ceiling covered in hats galore.
Bill and Carol have a nice shop, I love coming here for Breakfast, grab some good eats or one of their delicious handmade cinnamon roles. oh so good!!!! They also make a tasty burger and I love me a tasty burger. I miss those mornings with my mom and brothers here.
They have done a nice job as they have renovated the place and added some nice seating all around. -
Review from Kelly F.
San Diego, CA
12/28/2010
Ok restaurant if you are in town and would like to go out. Big servings with so-so food.
I would recommend going for breakfast or dessert. They have homemade cinnamon rolls and lots of pies.
Fun and entertaining decorations throughout the place. -
Review from Bijan K.
Los Angeles, CA
1/26/2011
We go to Cayucos alot and eat at this place each time.
Food is affordable and location is good. You can just walk towards the beach after you eat :-) -
Review from Twohomes G.
Fresno, CA
7/19/2011
A must place to eat! It was so good that we went back for breakfast the next morning. The kids loved the park right next door and allowed the adults to linger a little longer! We ate out on the patio both meals and it was very nice. The only thing we should have done was get dessert...next time!
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Review from andrea m.
San Ramon, CA
6/12/2011
I did not like this restaurant at all. The food was too greasy and I asked for toast without butter and it was served with butter. My husband ordered the cinnamon roll and was really excited, however was quickly disappointed with the quality. Too much sugar and butter on the side to cover a not very great tasting cinnamon roll. If you are one who likes greasy food, then I recommend it; however I think not.
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Review from Cyn W.
Arlington, VA
3/23/2010
Hit up the Sea Shanty for brunch on our drive home to San Francisco from a weekend in Morro Bay. I was disappointed to find that the seafood was not very fresh. I ordered the crab hash and the crab meat had definitely been frozen for a LONG time and then reheated. Service was not particularly friendly either. There seemed to be many locals around and I was the only person of color in the restaurant, which gave me a weird feeling. The food was otherwise just fair.
Listed in: Morro Bay
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Review from Nicole F.
Stockton, CA
12/16/2008 1 photo
Cute little stop in Cayucos. My boyfriend and I came here for lunch. I tried the clam chowder in a bread bowl and he had the fish tacos. Both items were good. We also shared the mudd pie: chocolate cookie crust, butter pecan ice cream, topped with lots of whipped cream and a cherry. So yummy! I want to come back for breakfast.
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Review from Jaime L.
Clovis, CA
4/2/2010
I love this place, and it has turned into a tradition to visit the Sea Shanty during every visit to Cayucos. The food is good, and there is a lot of it. And if you are a desert lover, they can more than accommodate you. The waiters can be a little standoffish, but other than that this place is great.
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Review from Richard M.
Santa Monica, CA
11/25/2007
Good breakfast burrito, pretty good coffee. Portions are a good size, ample but not belt-busting ridiculous.
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Review from Mike M.
Fresno, CA
7/15/2006
Simply the best breakfast in the sleepy town of Cayucos, Ca. Dozens of hats tacked to the ceiling gives is a homey charm and the food is great.
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Review from Carrie F.
Atascadero, CA
6/3/2010
The food is good, or you can just eat dessert! OMG! The different ice cream pie delights are so good! Don't miss out.
