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Bluewater Bistro & Bar
Categories: Restaurants American (New) Nightlife Bars Restaurants Seafood American (New), Bars, Seafood [Edit]
21301 Heron DrBodega Bay, CA 94923
(707) 875-3513
- Hours:
Mon-Wed 11 am - 5:30 pm
Thu-Fri 11 am - 9 pm
Sat 8:30 am - 9 pm
Sun 8:30 am - 5:30 pm
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Music:
- Live
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Thu, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
21 reviews for Bluewater Bistro & Bar
Review Highlights
"I highly recommend the fish and chips."
(in 6 reviews)
"The basil mashed potatoes were yummy."
(in 3 reviews)
"We came here for lunch and enjoyed the awesome views."
(in 4 reviews)
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21 reviews in English
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Review from Davis K.
San Rafael, CA
1/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
Went up to Bodega bay with the girlfriend, and once there decided we needed to find something to eat. Went onto yelp to see what most people had to say about the local establishments, and this place came up with somewhat favorable reviews.
Was very easy to find since it's in the golf club house, however going in the off season it felt somewhat deserted. Entered the bistro and found a nice table near the window with an great view of the ocean and some of the bay. The menu was small, but everything on it looked appetizing. Girlfriend had the fish tacos, and I had the french dip along with mimosas (which ended up being the weight of out bill). The single bartender/waitress was very attentive and friendly. Overall, a good meal and setting. Would recommend it to anyone that isn't in for the tourist trap kind of place in Bodega. -
Review from Nick S.
Petaluma, CA
11/14/2011
Quick review: Food OK, service OK, wine was best part of the meal.
Split the Cesar, and it was pretty good (except the croutons -- guessing they were store bought).
Their rib-eye is a sorry excuse for a steak. About a 1/4 inch thick , if that. The potatoes that they served with it were a complete joke. My kids could roast better potatoes.
The scallops were delicious, as was the fish special. (See, not all bad).
Brought the kids along and the waitress was kind enough to ask the kitchen to make them the Hardy Pizza (minus the sausage and onions). Pretty sure it's just a frozen Tony's Pizza ... make that a $14 Tony's Pizza. The boys ate it, so chalk it up to eating out.
Another guest at the table had the Harbour Burger. Said it was OK too, BUT it arrived a good 15 minutes after everyone else had received their food. Not the waitresses fault, probably an incompetent kitchen. It was her fault (or the managers) that it remained on out bill, though.
Bottom line-- probably won't be back. Far superior restaurants in and around Bodega Bay. -
Review from Sasha R.
11/1/2011
this is for lunch, only, which is in the little bar area on the top floor. there are a few 2 tops next to the windows for the view, and a few next to the fireplace on chillier days.
food is decent. the curried pumpkin soup was fine. sandwiches are well done, as are the burgers and fries, to a level possibly above what you would expect for typical golf-side dining.
service, however, is sloooooooooow. advice: if your tee-time is at 1p, get there at least 2 hours beforehand. you will be running to your cart. -
Review from Abby S.
Tracy, CA
Where to start... if you are looking for a great view this is a good place to go. The view was splendid I'm sure it would be even better at sunset.
We entered and weren't sure quite where to go, there was an upstairs and downstairs dining area. We were greeted by the hostess with a monotone uninterested "looking for lunch" but hey, at least we were greeted.. some places they totally ignore you. We stated we were and she took us upstairs into a small lounge area with only one other couple. (their website calls it The Fireside Lounge) Stating we could sit where we liked. I won't say much about the couple except they ruined our dining experience and vacation bliss by fighting loudly about something pretty much the whole time we were there. If you want to fight LEAVE I'm paying to enjoy myself!
We both ordered the iced tea. It came quickly but tasted strange.. a bit smoky. As I drank it I started to get a headache. I wonder what was wrong with it since we both got a headache by the end of the meal and we THINK it was the iced tea. I felt like I had drank scotch not iced tea. (Dizzy, etc.)
I noticed on the specials sign on the way into The Fireside Lounge that they had lamb sliders. I love lamb and thought of nice little ground lamb patties so I ordered it. When it arrived it was sliced lamb I thought "OH! What a wonderful treat!" Until I bit into my slider... lamb jerky, I think a piece actually cut my throat on the way down. The flavor was OK, but not great. I was very sad.. I moved on to my spring greens salad. I'm not sure what the dressing was it LOOKED like ranch and was very tasty. The greens were a bit to bitter to be extremely fresh but they weren't wilting yet either.. and the sweet potato fries were pretty tasty. If it were just the salad and the fries I would give it three stars, the lamb really was bad though so two stars for this meal.
The handsome man ordered the "Fish and Chips Fresh snapper, battered and fried, served with coleslaw, tartar sauce and French fries". The fish was NASTY it was very greasy and moderately fishy. We shared it and still couldn't finish it. The coleslaw was your average semi-sweet mayoish mix, not bad, but not memorable either. The fries weren't particularly memorable either. One, maybe two stars.
The service was "tolerant" like we were bad children but we had money to pay for our meal so we were being tolerated until they could get rid of us. It's a good thing we hated our tea because the person who seated us is the person who served us and she never checked to see if we needed anything...
I don't think we will be back, Yelp let us down on this one. I don't know how this place got four stars. Maybe they were dinner reviews and the dinners are better. -
Review from Scott S.
Coarsegold, CA
8/20/2011
Salmon and chips were good. Very pricey for the offering but that's about par for Bodega Bay. Wife had their pizza en fuego which advertised sausage but turned out to be literally one slice of sausage on each piece of pizza. Not worth it for the money. Nice view though.
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Review from Elaine B.
Foster City, CA
1/2/2011
Beautiful views!!
Didn't expect much coming here as we just wanted to have a quick dinner before heading back to our B&B. Was pleasantly surprised by the food quality and the friendly service. And yes, the views were just breathtaking! We happened to be there around sunset so we feasted on the beautiful views of the beach, ocean, and sunset!
The most memorable dish we got was the mushroom risotto! There were probably 4-5 different kinds of gourmet mushrooms in the dish, and the flavors blended so well together! Overall a very nice meal! Will definitely come back. -
Review from Garry T.
San Francisco, CA
9/8/2010
Dropped in after a nice appetite inducing hike at Shell Beach just north of Bodega Bay. The atmosphere was relaxed and inviting, the exact opposite of what I expected as we pulled into what I feared would be a cold, high-fallutin' golf course restaurant.
The fish and chips and prawn ommelette were superb, fresh and tasty. We will be coming back. -
Review from Noelle H.
Rohnert Park, CA
2/12/2011
Stopped in tonight with boyfriend and roommate for dinner after taking in the day at Bodega.
Ambiance- The weather was gorgeous. The sunset view from the bar upstairs was great.
Food- Bread and butter came to the table late but was warm and delicious. Originally came based off of reviews from fellow yelpers and their menu online only to be given Valentine's day menus with more limited fare. Boyfriend was dying for a burger but no such luck. He settled for a Cesar salad with grilled chicken from the appetizer section. Chicken was dry, roommate and I could tell just from a glance. Boyfriend didn't touch it and prodded at the spears of lettuce instead. I had the filet ordered medium that came wayyyyyy overdone. Not a spot of pink on that bad boy. The basil mashed potatoes were yummy. Light with a fresh finish from the basil. Mushrooms were sparse but good. Loved the greens with bacon. Roommate got a Cesar salad and the saffron fettuccine. He seemed satisfied. It was all average. No one felt compelled to
Service- The service was atrocious. The waitress had a really hard calculating our ages when the boys were ordering their drinks. Roommate complained his gin and tonic was weak. He remedied that by ordering three. Didn't really appreciate being treated like we were underage after helping her figure out how old we were. Otherwise, service was generally pretty slow. She had a pretty hard time figuring out how to break up our bill to pay it.
We won't sit in her section again but otherwise I'd love to go back.
The view is incredible. -
Review from Scott A.
Palm Desert, CA
8/22/2010
It's been so long since we've had dinner here thought we would give it a try. Very pleased. Our server was Dixie - she's been serving here for at least 15 years and always provides cheery and professional service. We started with the special steamed mussels for $9. Lots of mussels, white wine, garlic, broth, and crusty french bread. 5 stars. We both had the Oven Roasted Alaskan Halibut $19
Lemon, chive and panko crust, mashed potatoes, basil cream sauce and fresh heirloom tomatoes. Very well done - although the cream sauce was a tad bland as were the potatoes - 3.5 stars. -
Review from Steve E.
Elk Grove, CA
4/18/2010
Sometimes, especially in our scenic part of the world, a restaurant can be more about the overall experience than the quality of the food. That's the impression I got when I stopped in for lunch at the Bluewater Bistro and Bar--the country club restaurant at the Links at Bodega Harbour.
ATMOSPHERE: This is where the "experience" part comes in. BB&B is located on a hill overlooking Bodega Bay, and the view is spectacular. To make the experience even better, their designer did a magnificent job of creating near perfect environments for enjoying that spectacular view. The Fireside Lounge (where lunch is served) is a loft-like room above the main dining area, and its décor consists of rock walls and a cozy fireplace. The Ocean Front Dining Room is a large airy room with rich wood paneling surrounding large windows full of ocean and sky.
SERVICE: To be entirely fair, I must point out that I've only been to he BB&B for lunch, and I suspect that the dinner wait staff is probably less harried than the young woman bartender who does an admirable, albeit slow, job of pouring drinks and serving lunches that come from some location far removed from the bar.
FOOD: Sadly, the quality of the food is the least attractive part of the BB&B experience. The lunch menu consists of salads and sandwiches, along with a pasta dish and daily specials. The dinner menu is, of course, more extensive and befits the upscale image this restaurant is trying to attain. (When the Executive Chef's name appears on the menu, you can reasonably assume image is a major concern.)
I started off my most recent visit with a bowl of "white" chowder that was as short on flavor as it was full of chewy pieces of rubber bands masquerading as clams. To be fair, the bartender/server did ask how the chowder was, and when I told her I wasn't pleased, she removed the soup from my bill. Next came my French dip sandwich, and with it, the realization that the aforementioned Executive Chef has some unusual ideas about upscale food. Mayo on a French dip???
Overall, my impression is that the Chef is exercising creativity, but needs to better learn the art of blending flavors in support of a primary ingredient, rather than using flavors that clash. If I've offended anyone's delicate sensitivities, my apologies--I'm not an expert chef, just an expert eater.
VALUE: I expect country club prices at a country club (i.e. $13 for a smallish French dip with fries), but I also expect good grub at those prices. That combination isn't happening at BB&B.
BOTTOM LINE: As I've said in previous reviews, if I were reviewing an overall experience, BB&B's ambiance and view would earn four stars hands down. This is, however, a restaurant review, and the quality of their food barely squeaks in at three stars. -
Review from B. G.
Bodega Bay, CA
Updated - 10/20/2011
We still like it here, but, although the steak is tasty, it's not a great steak by any means but it has nice flavor (I do think they try to keep their prices down which is nice)...however, the basil mashed potatoes are terrific. They need to change up their menu a bit more often. Funny, the one thing I loved (guava cheesecake) is no longer on the menu. I think this is a 3.5 star restaurant with a killer view! It's best to make reservations.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/14/2011
My husband and I recently moved to Bodega Bay. There aren't a lot of choices in Bodega Bay and we… Read more »
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Review from Julia O.
Sacramento, CA
11/2/2010
This restaurant was a bit of a let down. My husband and I went for a very early dinner (5:00ish) and to watch the World Series, therefore, we sat in the bar. The view was wonderful but the restaurant/bar area itself was extremely dated and not in any way charming. I didn't find the atmosphere warm or inviting in any way (accept for the view). The staff was pleasant enough. As for the food, we ordered an appetizer of calamari. The calamari itself was extremely bland though accompanied by a couple good sauces to liven it up. Next, I had a salad which was quite average and drowned in dressing. Finally, we split an order of fish and chips. The fish was very good and fresh, chips, again extremely average. The restaurant has great potential. Perhaps we caught it at an off time. At any rate, I will not be rushing back.
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Review from Lizete S.
San Francisco, CA
2/15/2010
We came here for lunch and enjoyed the awesome views!
We had the fish and chips (hubby thought the snapper was very tasty) but i thought the shrimp louis salad was just ok. I was a little disappointed with the clam chowder because they left a shell in the soup... not a good feeling biting into that. But the salmon was an interesting touch to the chowder. I've never had salmon in a clam chowder before...possibly a local custom? We enjoyed some beers to wash it all down.
The service was excellent and attentive and when in the area we'd definitely return. -
Review from Sacramento M.
Sacramento, CA
12/11/2010
My husband and I had a great lunch here. I highly recommend the fish and chips. The prices were very reasonable, the food quality was high, and the staff was very friendly.
Minus one star due to aesthetics. The building is undergoing some major construction. Some portions of the stairways were open to the air. I'd give it a five for lunch after the construction is finished. -
Review from Joshua T.
Tucson, AZ
4/20/2011
We rented a beach house in the neighborhood above this place and went here the first night out of convenience. We were pretty disappointed. First of all after we were seated it took about 15 minutes for our waitress to come over and even take our drink orders. Our waitress helped out another table before us even though we were the first to arrive. This apparently was because they were locals and we were "just tourists." After our drinks came it took about another 15 minutes for her to come back and take our dinner order. Mind you there was only one other table of about 6 people in our entire section. About 30 minutes later we finally got our dinner and by this time we were really hungry seeing as we had been here for an hour already. The portions were really small. The food was prepared well and pretty good but when I say small portions I mean smaaallllll. We had an apple crisp for desert which was decent as well. Then the check came. This place was so overpriced. For the small portions and the bad service our total for 2 people including tip was 70 dollars. We spent about 15 dollars more for way more food and wayyyy better service at the Terrapin Creek Cafe 2 nights later. I definitely recommend skipping this place and heading over there if you have the choice and are from out of town.
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Review from James L.
Venice, CA
8/8/2007
This restaurant is at the golfcourse "The Links at Bodega Harbour". The staff was nice and helpful. It has a view of the ocean. The price for the entrees is on the more expensive side, but my order, the salmon, was flaky and tasty.
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Review from Sailor M.
San Francisco, CA
5/2/2010
Good place for dinner. Fish and chips was good, their special last Friday was an ok (It was a fish breaded in panko with lime tamarind balsamic sauce underneath it served with asparagus and basmati rice). Calamari was really good, just a perfect texture. Minus 1star because the original table that we were seated at had bunch of ants. Waitresses are pretty quiet except Linda (our waitress), super bubbly and friendly, made our night spectacular. Thanks Linda! Oh BTW my husband is in love with their cheese platter :)
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Review from Jason P.
Benicia, CA
9/29/2009
Good food and wonderful service not to mention unbelievable views! What more does anyone need? Tiffany made the best bloody Mary!
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Review from kimberly t.
San Francisco, CA
7/1/2009
We love this place and try to go atleast one night when we are up in Bodega Bay. It is located right on the golf course and overlooks the coast. The bar is upstairs and the restaurant is below that. Both have lots of windows. The decor is simple and warm, with a fireplace in the bar. The menu is extremely well priced. They bring in local, live music most Thursday and Friday evenings. We like going to the bar as the sun sets, having a few drinks and ordering off their bar menu (yummy truffle fries + pizza's)!.
Comment from Amanda V. of Bluewater Bistro & Bar 8/27/2009
LIVE Music continues Thursday Nights with drink specials and… More » -
Review from Kathlene C.
Bodega Bay, CA
2/18/2010
We dine here frequently and love it. The views are incredible, it's the only Bodega Bay restaurant that's really on the bay, above the crashing waves, the others are only on the harbor. Bluewater Bistro has a new menu, nothing over $20, and everything we've tried has been delicious. I love the casual selections like the chicken caesar salad, the burger, and crab cakes. My husband always orders their fresh seafood specials and the kids love their handmade pizzas. They have quality food for everyone in the family. And a wonderful wine selection for the adults. We've brought out of town guests here for lunch, dinner, and Sunday breakfast. Never been disappointed.
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Review from Anna S.
Santa Rosa, CA
11/3/2009
1st time for dinner at the Bluewater Bistro. I have had many lunches in the bar, but wanted to experience the dining room. The staff was perfect, and the food was everything I thought it would be, I had the risotto with wild mushrooms, and my husband had the ribeye. Wow! The dessert, well I'm speechless! Creme Brulee, perfect, and the apple/berry crisp with Vanilla Bean ice cream, could not have been any better! All in all, a wonderful dinner/dessert/sunset evening, in a perfect setting. Very peaceful and romantic evening, and we will come again!
