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Bob Morris' Paradise Cove Beach Café
Categories: Restaurants Breakfast & Brunch Restaurants American (Traditional) Breakfast & Brunch, American (Traditional) [Edit]
28128 Pacific Coast HwyMalibu, CA 90265
(310) 457-2503
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 8 am - 10 pm
Sat-Sun 7 am - 10 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
491 reviews for Bob Morris' Paradise Cove Beach Café
Review Highlights
"and I don't even like clam chowder."
(in 56 reviews)
"loved the wood loung chairs on the sand."
(in 116 reviews)
"The fruit in the salad bar was sweet and ripe."
(in 13 reviews)
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491 reviews in English
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Review from Rebecca P.
Monterey Park, CA
2/7/2012 Seated via OpenTable
If you are ready to have a lovely morning by the beach and want to enjoy a wonderful view, delicious food and great drinks then this is the place to be. We have to agree with others that it's a little pricey for brunch.
My Finance decided to go with the "Lobster Eggs Benedict" and loved it. We would definitely go back to try other specialty plates and also share this location with others. And of course we would warn our friends and family to be prepared because it isn't inexpensive. However, we did enjoy every part of our day at Paradise Cove, the hostess, servers, waiters, and of course the food and drinks. I do recommend that if you want to make breakfast you have to arrive before 10:30a.
Therefore, in agreement with a previous review, I would have given it 5 stars but the price really set back one star. -
Review from Zach A.
Camarillo, CA
2/1/2012
This place has the best location- it's literally in the sand on the beach; it almost feels like a resort. The clam chowder is some of the best I've head, albeit a bit overpriced. Food quantity is definitely to excess so share with a friend or get something small else you'll be taking a doggy back home. The wait staff was very friendly and quick, the drinks were good; I definitely cannot wait to go back.
Would love to have given 5 stars, but the high price made me knock one down. However, it is to be expected for being such a nice venue. -
Review from Roy P.
West Hollywood, CA
1/25/2012 4 photos
I'm impartial to Paradise Cove so if you're looking for a review based on the Food and menu, drinks etc, then let me give you the 411 in the first few paragraphs because it won't be all that great.
A lot of reviews say that the food is overpriced. I would have to agree. It's good bar food for sure, but definitely overpriced, although anyone could argue that the atmosphere is absolutely worth the pricing, and I would have to also agree.
The drinks are pricey well and not very strong. Average pours of liquor at above average prices.
But what I come here for is the setting. It goes unmatched in my eyes, although catching the sunset over at Moonshadows down the road is quite stunning as well.
Come here to enjoy a beautiful sunny day with a loved one. It is magical, and just a very beautiful place with very good energy :) -
Review from Melle A.
Tarzana, CA
2/9/2012
If you want to feel like you're sitting in Italy and relaxing on the beach, this is the perfect place to do it. The food is very average American cafe food, but it's perfect for this setting. We love to come here on the weekends for lunch or an early dinner and sit with our feet in the sand, eating french fries and the cold seafood plate and watching the sailboats drift lazily by. This is one of those places in L.A. that we all ways take visitors.
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Review from Michelle B.
West Los Angeles, CA
1/22/2012
We arrived around 11:40 on a Saturday morning for a birthday brunch. Breakfast ends at 11:30; we juust missed it. Our friends had arrived earlier, and had apparently really enjoyed their chilaquiles and other breakfasty dishes. That fact, plus the nice view, is saving this place from one star.
1) The service was extremely bad. Our server was rude and inattentive.
2) The food was overpriced and fast food quality. I got a tuna melt and my companion got a burger. The burger was better than the disgusting tuna melt, but it was over $14 and tasted like something from Carl's Jr. The fries were good, however. Our total bill, for 2 non-alcoholic drinks and 2 lunch dishes, came to over $50. They tacked on an 18% gratuity because we had greater than 6 people in our party. Maybe that's why the server couldn't care less?
After 11:30am, AVOID! -
Review from Kristen K.
Bay Area
1/4/2012 4 photos
My sister lives in Malibu and I love coming to Paradise Cove when we visit! We always eat outside...after all, eating on the sand with gorgeous views of the beach is one the main selling points of this restaurant.
We've come here a few times for breakfast and always really enjoy it. It doesn't get much better than having your OJ and eggs in the morning surrounded by fresh air and the ocean breeze! My favorite is the seafood omelet...nom nom nom!
We also came once in a big group for dinner to celebrate my sister's graduation. A really great setting for a big group visiting from out of town. We were able to be a little loud and not worry about bothering the rest of the restaurant. The food was great and I just really think it's a great place to bring out of towners visiting Malibu, you just can't beat the setting! -
Review from Donna F.
Encino, Los Angeles, CA
1/2/2012
I've been to the cafe several times and have had great experiences when sitting in the restaurant. The food is completely overpriced but is expected since I know I'm paying for the view as well.
Today however, I decided to bring a friend and our kids. We played in the sand and decided to order the take out. The staff member serving us was so extremely rude that I may consider never going back! I paid 30 bucks for a salad and kid's meal and was refused a glass of water! Seriously?!?!? I was appalled, they really need to better train their staff members! -
Review from Nancy L.
Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, CA
1/16/2012
I really hate this place when it's busy because its just a bunch of bratty kids running around. The food is overpriced and the water isn't even that great. But it is "private".
It's obscenely expensive, and I enjoyed it a lot more 2-3 years ago when we first discovered this once-hidden gem than today, where everyone now goes.
Heads up, go to the beach a little north of Venice Beach. Its generally really quiet and enjoyable water. But that's me! -
Review from Lauren K.
1/2/2012
I love Paradise Cove! There is this great deal for a platter that can easily be split between 3 people... only $25 and it's delicious.
I love the seating outside in the sand... really gives you the beach experience. The parking is $3, which stinks but I think it is worth it.
I came here for my Graduation party and I had a group of 15 or so people. It was the perfect place for a big group... you could be loud, move around, and share food!
Other options on the menu are a bit pricier... but hey, it's Malibu and you should expect that -
Review from Kristin C.
West Los Angeles, CA
1/8/2012 3 photos
This truly is Paradise.
It seems to always be sunny here and relaxing as ever. The beach is beautiful and pretty private. I enjoy this place for the scenery, fun tropical drinks and famous fish tacos! Not surprising that paradise comes with a price.
Things to know:
- Parking is $3 w/ validation ($20 without)
- If the wait is too long, head to the beachside To-Go service and order a bucket of Calamari, fries are buried at the bottom
- Beware of Seagulls
- There are bottle openers on the Tiki huts by the lounge chairs -
Review from Derek A.
Los Angeles, CA
Updated - 12/12/2011
Just brought my patient here for his 84th birthday and his wife who is wheelchair bound. Easy place to get into with a wheelchair.
A little bittersweet as I used to bring my other charge here 2 years ago. He has since committed suicide due to health problems, so it did remind me of him.
The food here is still AMAZING! HUGE portions made for three people. The Shrimp Cocktail you can almost bathe in like Dita Von Teese in a Champagne glass!
The Nachos were so big I felt like a Walrus after eating them. Good thing I was near the sand I should have just wallowed back in the water.
The salads are unbelieveable, I've never seen that much lettuce & seafood. It looked like a produce truck overturned on PCH.
Beautiful location and prices are really reasonable considering where you are and the portion size.
5 stars for everything, service, food and location.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/19/2009
Loved it...I hate seafood, thank heavens they had Nacho's. What I wasn't prepared for was a plate… Read more »
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Review from Jean P.
Oak Park, CA
1/3/2012
What is the old real estate saying: "Location location location". That's the very best thing about Paradise Cove. 1 star.
We went to lunch around 1:30 on Monday 1/2. As usual the place was packed and the wait time was 1 hour. The plastic lobster buzzed pretty much at 1 hour. 1 star.
Service was slow because they were so busy. But they have free WiFi. 1 star.
The menu lays out what appears to be a pretty tasty variety of food. Prices are steep, you're paying for the location, location, location.
I ordered the Ahu Sahimi Tuna salad. My mouth was all set for it until I was told they ran out. Boo. I resorted to the BBQ shrimp Quesadilla which has a decent flavor but came out super messy. No stars.
My BF ordered Fish and Chips. Fish hot, Chips cool. By the time we got the waiter's attention they were ice cold. Minus 1 star. The manager discounted 20%.
After eating there several times and realizing I've never had anything that blew me away, I've decided to nix the PC Beach Cafe. It's a hassle, it's expensive, and the food is marginal.
If anyone knows a beach restaurant with truly yummy food, please give me a shout out! Thanks y'all! -
Review from Jessica d.
Sausalito, CA
12/26/2011 1 Check-in Here
I flew down to SoCal for the day just for a friend's wedding. I felt like such a jetsetter, SFO to BUR to SFO in the same day. Managed to elude the paparazzi the whole day. Imagine that.
We were early for the wedding in Malibu, so we grabbed lunch at Paradise Cove. It was a nice little find on the beach and while it would have been nice to sit outside in the sand for brunch, the only outdoor tables available were nearer the parking lot and kitchen's back door. Not very scenic.
So, we sat inside and watched a gorgeous male model pose in a booth for some project. Drinks were fantastic, food was kind of standard diner fare. I had fish and chips and a few cocktails. It was a nice atmosphere and I think I would've given this a better review if we'd been able to sit outside. -
Review from Sarah K.
San Diego, CA
12/19/2011
We wanted to go to the beach, hubby had always wanted to go this particular beach and the options were to eat or pay for parking and get it validated.
The service when we went there was kind of slow and the staff seemed snotty with us. I guess they could tell we were not going to spend big bucks and were only eating because we wanted to at least get something for our money rather than just the chance to go to the beach!
The food was ok, I dont think I would return to eat here unless we decided to go to the beach again. -
Review from Randy N.
Irvine, CA
1/15/2012
We had to listen to the staff complain about each other as we waited for our overpriced average quality bar food. Meh.
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Review from Dahlia S.
Santa Monica, CA
Updated - 1/4/2012
REALLY TACKY!
food - average. Servers encourage you to stay and enjoy the ocean view for as long as you'd like, as long as you buy, which we did... Thinking this was acceptable, we visited this restaurant again for our Thanksgiving Day Brunch. Yes, validated parking - however, the parking sign does not state a rate if you stay over the validation period, with validated restaurant receipt. Party of two, enjoying our annual Thanksgiving brunch at Paradise Cove Beach Cafe, which we've done for 4 consecutive years. This year, and the only year that we were encourage to enjoy seating on the wooden chairs overlooking the ocean for how ever long we'd like, and actually took the advise. Food and drink cost, just slightly over $215.00. Parking fee $25.00 which is the specified posted fee without patronizing the cafe, just to vistit the beach. $25.00 is what we were still required to pay because we were exactly 3 minutes over their unadvertised (not listed on their posted sign) amount with validation.
REALLY TACKY? - YES
WILLTHIS BE PART OF OUR YEARLY TRADITION? NO
EXTREMELY DISGUSTED? YES
GOOD RIDDANCE? YES1 Previous Review:
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5/26/2011
Okay. Not great. The wait staff likes to complain about everything ... all is within ears reach.
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Review from Adam S.
Granada Hills, Los Angeles, CA
1/20/2012
Love this place. Gotta try the burgers and Calamari. They have it all, they have great food and awesome drinks. You can drink on the beach and you can even bring your own drinks to the beach. This place is great for dates, parties, or a saturday at the beach with your friends. Always fun.
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Review from Emily R.
Northridge, CA
12/14/2011
I love this place reguardless of the slightly steep prices. People have to realize they're also paying for the ambiance and if you're planning to surprise you significant other this would be the place to go. That is if they don't mind putting their feet in the sand.
I was taken here one valentines day for dinner and felt that the environment was very romantic. We did have to wait a couple of minutes despite having reservations, but I'm not one to fuss, especially on a busy day like V day. We were seated outside on the beach and it was a bit nippy but luckily there were enough heat lamps around us to keep us warm enough to still enjoy the beach. You can dig your feet into the sand while you eat which I thought was exciting considering the good food that we were about to eat.
I ordered the shrimp scampi which came with 6 huge shrimp and a delicious scampi sauce. My boyfriend ordered a platter that i would say was well worth it because of the portion size. Calamari came in an over sized margarita glass and surrounding it on a platter were some bbq wings and other delicious things.
They even had a nice gesture of offering all the ladies at the tables stuffed teddy bears that said I love you in honor of the hallmark holiday.
I certainly liked it. But as i said, only in honor of a special occasion. -
Review from Natalie M.
La Crescenta-Montrose, CA
10/31/2011 1 Check-in Here
Never had Opah (aka Moonfish) in my life until I came to Bob Morris'. They have a coconut macadamia nut encrusted Opah filet that is outta this world! If you've never had Opah before, it's a milder version of tuna that's a bit sweet. It's a HUGE piece of fish and perfect for sharing!
I'm not a fan of clam chowder but when I was reading the menu, and saw that it won a bunch of awards, how could I not try it?!?? And I'm so glad I did! The clam chowder was like BUTTTTAH! Creamy. Rich. BUTTAHHH! It came piping hot with three homemade mini oyster biscuits sitting on top, not like the Nabisco stuff outta the box. Personal touch. Gotta love it!
A tad bit expensive but I guess that's to be expected considering it's right on the beach. Crashing waves, dim outdoor lighting, lit tiki torches. Perfect setting for a romantic date or a night out with the girlfriends! -
Review from Colin A.
1/28/2012
So we were really excited to try this place. I had heard about a "cove spot" where you could eat right by the water and these guys have it! They also have some tasty fish tacos. Now that the pleasantries are outta the way let me get to the nitty gritty. They charge a $3 min for parking w/ validation! We waited between 20-30 min for an order of 3 tacos and a side salad. The tacos were the wrong types the first time out. Then the salad came after the entree. The second time the tacos came out all 3 of them were much improved but, they were missing a side item. We couldn't get our waiters attention until we had eaten 2 of the tacos because we were pretty hungry at this point. Paying $24 for 3 tacos and a side salad leaves no room for these kinds of errors. The only reason we gave a decent tip is because we both work(ed) in restaurants for way too long & know the deal. It was just bad service! The owner started Gladstones down the road so expect a similar experience. The only reason that I believe these guys are in business is because the locals can afford to not look at prices. The atmosphere is truly beachy but not worth the hassle.
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Review from Sean C.
South Pasadena, CA
1/2/2012
Nasty food. Very oily, grease and full of fat.
Everything is overly priced, similar to all tourist attractions.
Basically food pays for parking.
Service was what earned the two starts. -
Review from Brian C.
Fullerton, CA
11/27/2011
Well, place is fun, but seems more like a tourist trap. Not as classy as Dukes up the street but the beach access is 5 stars.
On a Sunday at 12 PM with perfect weather we were sited inside immediately in the middle of the dining area. Service was 4 out of 5 stars but my Angus Burger was $15 and was not as juicy as I hoped it to be. moreover, the buns was semi dry and flaky but the sour dough bread they gave us before our meal was hot and right out of the oven. You can also get peanuts at the bar and if you are craving fried food this place is for you.
The seared Ahi sandwich the GF ordered looked pretty good... The GF gave it a 4 out of 5 and the coleslaw they served with was really tasty.
Here is my summary... If you are looking to take a beautiful drive through the Mountains and a walk along the beach in Malibu, and don't mind a bit of a crowd, Paradise Cove is a great destination.
Expect to pay a few bucs for the perks but you will have a great time. you might even spot a movie star as we did! -
Review from Marissa B.
Marina del Rey, CA
10/17/2011
As usual, my friend has taken me to another amazing place to eat! We waited at the cozy chairs and people watched on the sand looking at the ocean. It just doesn't get any better than this!! The lobster buzzer is a cute touch to wait for our table. The only thing that's more tempting than waiting outside is sitting by the fireplace in the front---Wow, romantic and hot!
After being seated, we split this DELICIOUS & AMAZING appetizer shrimp platter with cheese on it. I don't recall the specific name, but because my friend and I were arguing over calamari versus shrimp cocktail, this was the middle ground. Thank God for compromise because this was better than what we both wanted!! LOL ;-) I think the appetizer really hit the spot, definitely more than the entree, but that is just my take on it!
We ordered Hawaiian fish (OMG forgot the name already!) with a Macademia Nut crust and butter. I had asparagus on the side and he had the mashed potato. It was yummy, but darn it, my fish had the so-called blood line, so had to eat around that. I loved it except it was a
bit sweet, so going to try something else new next time, but overall
it was a sweet dish.
For dessert, we split this ice cream covered in Oreo. Wasnt too crazy about that, but hey, everything else was cool including that cute little shop where they serve alcohol. I tried this Tahitian beer, which was interesting! Happy I tried a new drink for a change...
I got scalded for not finishing the entire drink, but made up for it getting buzzed with a recommended white Russian (by our server who said it's his favorite). I was very buzzed so it was nicely made.
Walking on the beach and eventually dipped into the refreshing ocean there. LOVE this place & can't wait to come back soon!
It's super fun to eat on the beach & you just don't get to do that too often because most restaurants do not have that casual vibe, which this one is perfect for! I literally felt like I was on vacation. -
Review from Kathy L.
Ontario, CA
1/9/2012
This place is awesome! Fast service, good food and then a walk on the beach! I made reservations to sit outside but it was too cold (=( to bad) there were heaters though. I'd recommend going for lunch so you can see the view of the ocean though. It's kind of pricey though. All in all it was good.
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Review from Michael D.
Panorama City, CA
1/31/2012
Go on a weekday with 3 other people and order the giant iced seafood tower which you can share. Weekends are a ridiulous wait. Other entrees are kinda pricey.
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Review from Hernano L.
Marina del Rey, CA
10/3/2011
Paradise Cove change the name to "Pirate's Cove" last weekend, when they tried to charge me $5 dollars per person to access the beach.
Of course I'm trying to access the beach and not the restaurant to enjoy their delicuous Crispy "dripping burned oil" Calamari that we had last month or the Beach "bland" Burger that I coudn't finish.
All a great ripoff, if you like the grease food from Johnny Rockets, this is Johnny on crack.
The food is terrible!
If you want to access the Paradise Cove beach (without paying one cent) you can do it through Escondido Beach access (between 27420-27400 PCH) -
Review from Michelle B.
Long Beach, CA
9/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
**Disclaimer: this review is for the take out restaurant**
This is the worst place EVER. Came for a friend's birthday party on the beach. Had to park way down on PCH. Paid $5 each just to walk in to the place!! Man, the things you forget you use to do just to live in LA. Long Beach has me spoiled with no cover charges and plenty of parking.
The beach was fine, crazy busy, but what do you expect when there is only a small strip of sand that you are actually allowed to bring alcohol on to.
But the food... I almost can't even bear to think about it. My boyfriend and I split a fish and chips "bucket" for $26 which the guy at the counter who took our order said was "more than enough for two people." What he should have said was "this is 2 pieces of the lowest quality white fish we could find "battered" in some kind of soggy brown stuff and more than enough soggy french fries to feed a whole family." God, it was awful. We also got a cup of clam chowder, 1 drink, a water, and a bag of chips for a grand total of $50 something dollars. The only thing edible was the bag of chips. The clam chowder tasted like they used a vat of mayonnaise to make it creamy... and oh, they forgot to add clams.
Come to the beach if you can handle the parking and the crowds, but PLEASE bring your own food to spare your stomach - and your wallet - what I put mine through! -
Review from Randy B.
10/5/2011
If you are lucky enough to grab a table on the sand, the experience is lovely. The food, not so much. It's really greasy fried stuff, casual, and just overall not as a good as you might expect - not for the foodies.
Knowing that it is meant to be more like a casual beach bar, expect to have a nice fun time, relaxed service, and overpay for what you get...because you are in Malibu at the freakin' beach! -
Review from Dominique M.
Beverly Hills, CA
9/19/2011
Loved it and have since dreamed about coming back to this place.
I would love to come for breakfast/brunch the menu and all the reviews on here sound amazing!
This place is romantic should you come on a date or can be a fun hangout sitting under umbrellas sipping on alcohol beverages with your friends :)
I had the swordfish sandwich and it was expensive but cooked very well and I shared a shrimp caesar salad that just hit the spot I wanted to fall asleep...
A saw lots of children here so it appears to be a fun place bring your family to as well.
The parking was pricey, but hell this place ROCKED MY SOAKS OFF ;) -
Review from Rick L.
Thousand Oaks, CA
1/2/2012
Great breakfast with friends this morning. Truly customized Bloody Mary's, great eggs and everyone love the Coconut Macadamia Pancakes!!!!!! A new, day after New Years Day tradition!
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Review from Tom R.
Newbury Park, CA
10/2/2011
Havent been here in over 4 years and I dont know what happen to the place but it has gone way down on my list of neet places to go.
Came here with a friend who want to eat on the beach and I was taken back by first the pay for parking even if your dining, that was a bit much but when we saw the menus and a hamburger with fries is $13+ I was beside myself. Prices were way out of line but the service is absolutely the worst I have seen around. 1.5 hrs to get 2 burgers and a coke Wow!
Never again -
Review from Erik V.
Covina, CA
10/2/2011
The Beach Café at Paradise Cove in Malibu.
My wife heard this place was pretty good from some friends of hers, who were on a trip up the coast and had stopped off here. So when we similarly were driving down the 1 back towards LA after a weekend away, and saw the sign for this place, we thought we'd give it a try.
After eating at this place the credibility of those "friends" as food critics is all but gone.
I can only surmise that, being from Kansas and new to California, they had been awed into such a state of bliss by the Pacific splendor that is Malibu, that they were in an "It's all so wonderful" state of mind, because you would otherwise have to be starving in order to eat the food from this place and afterwards award it the label "Good".
The only thing good about this place, is the place itself. It has an amazing location on the beach in Paradise Cove in Malibu, and you can literally eat on the beach. That's it.
For this privilege you will pay Malibu Beach prices for food that is mediocre at best. $24 for fish and chips; $15 for a hamburger (which my wife had and was not impressive). Granted the portions are big, but... no, what we had was so not worth it.
Seeing a couple of different choices on the menu that looked interesting, I asked our server what was good, and was told the tacos were "amazing". If what was meant by "amazing" was the ability of the tacos to also act as a laxative, then yes they were indeed impressive. Otherwise, they were sort of blah. I've had much better tacos from some of the tacos trucks for much less money, and without the colonic like side effects.
The best thing we had was the Mac and Cheese, which my kids ordered. It wasn't Kraft Mac and Cheese, but a creamy cheddary homemade that wasn't bad at all. It might be that this is more of a seafood place, there was a lot of it on the menu, and we didn't order any of that, but mostly I'm thinking this is a tourist trap that serves up booze on a beautiful beach.
The service was very friendly, and generally attentive, but overall there was a slowness to it. Of course having worked as a server myself, I know the wait staff is very rarely to blame for a slow kitchen. This place was very busy, and/or maybe it was the laid back atmosphere of the beach, but if you come hungry, you still be hungry 20 minutes later, and more like an hour and 20 minutes if you actually want to eat at one of the outside tables.
It's a shame really because the location truly is awesome. If the quality of the food ever even came close to matching that of the location, then this place would be a legitimate destination for locals and tourists instead of just being a tourist trap. -
Review from Svetlana S.
Los Angeles, CA
9/10/2011
Even though this place is listed as a must on a Southern California places to visit, we were SO not impressed. Horrible parking (and you still have to pay even if you dine in), careless service, but the most important - BAD food!
There is not much on the menu, food is really overprices, and the quality is terrible! SO greasy that eating there is a shortcut to a coronary artery bypass surgery!
I don't think I'm coming back. -
Review from Sara G.
Glendale, CA
This place is ok, nothing special. The food looks better than it tastes. Ordered calamari and it was soggy,and the ribs were cold.
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Review from Geoff R.
Camarillo, CA
8/29/2011
First thing's first. It's nearly impossible to beat the location. You are right on the beach if you sit outside. You tables are literally on the beach. Your feet are in the sand. It's great for Sunday Brunch...usually.
The food is ok, I've had the fish Po'boy sandwich a few times and it's good. This last time I went didn't really turn out as well as other times. I made reservations for my birthday for 7 people at noon on a Sunday. HUGE mistake. As we were about to pull up, there was a worker with a stop sign that turned us away. Apparently the lot was full and they weren't allowing any more cars in. It was 110 in the valley and 80 at the beach so it was PACKED with cars all along PCH. After trying to find parking for 15 minutes I realized we were late for our reservation so we all got dropped off at the parking guy and started walking where another Paradise Cove worker that wanted to charge us $5 per person to enter the area.
"But I have reservations, why do I need to pay a beach usage fee, I'm already going to blow a few hundred at Brunch!"
"I'm sorry sir, everybody has to pay"
At that point, starvation was beginning to set in and the level of bloody mary mix in my blood stream was getting dangerously low so I made an executive decision to ditch the reservation and go some place else. I'll be back, but not on a Sunday without calling ahead to see what the parking lot is like regardless of reservations. -
Review from Lauren M.
Sorry. The three stars must go to the ambiance and being able to dig your toes in the sand while you eat. I had a bad experience here partly because I have major motion sickness issues, on top of that this place was extremely hard to get to (being in Malibu!). They should offer ginger ale at the bar because I was, God help me, sick to my effin stomach.
Grilled Ono plate I ordered didn't taste as good as the other people in my party said it tasted. The menu was very extensive, though I couldn't decide on what to eat. Plus, it's dark and fairly hard to read while you're on a dark beach at night.
Call me high maintenance, but can I please have a flashlight? -
Review from Elizabeth S.
Pacific Palisades, CA
1/4/2012
We made a reservation ahead of time on New Years Eve 2011 for 12:45 p.m. and still had to wait 45 mins. The people at the front check in desk are mildly tolerant of customers. The food is typical tourist trap food; inedible and expensive. I ordered the salad bar (expensive!); limp lettuce, some of the broccoli was turning black at the stems, dressing was disgusting, corn nuts (I know, weird salad bar item, right?) were stale. The restaurant feels pretty dirty. The only reason this place exists is because of the beautiful location. My advice would be to make a sandwich at home or pick one up somewhere else, eat if first so you're not hungry, then go to Paradise Cove and order a drink, sit outside and enjoy the beautiful surroundings. Be aware that it can get extremely crowded with tourists on their once in a lifetime dream vacations to Malibu, so be prepared. Sometimes it's hard to enjoy a beautiful location when it's crammed with people.
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Review from STEVE M.
PORTER RANCH, CA
8/15/2011
tried only one item (thank God) and didnt pay (thank God) because buddy bought some and brought over the plate.
It was the calamari and fries. Worst quality of food I have ever tasted in my life.
Calamari is disgusting, 100% frozen rubber bands in a gross-slop heavy oil. I couldnt tell if I was eating KFC extra crispy chicken crumbs, ZERO taste of calamari, all you taste if 3-4th day oil and nastyness. The fries, not 2b outdone, are limp, heavily greased and miserably horrific.
$15 gets you one huuuge plate that 2 people can fill up on, if suicide is your appetite, then enjoy.
Maybe other stuff good, but I aint payin $30 bucks a human to find out.
My cavaretta's sandwiches from the valley were good enuff.
Great beach, and its clear they take advantages of not-to-blame first timers try this pukey slop of fried hell. -
Review from Marissa B.
La Mirada, CA
9/26/2011 1 Check-in Here
View and ambience is 5 stars
Service is 2 stars
Food is 3 stars
Came here this past weekend after a hike at Escondido Falls which is close by. Because my friend and I were dirty from the hike we opted to sit outside which was better since it gave us a great view of the water.
The service was mediocre at best, I was irritated that there seem to be no team work amongst the servers there. Our server was slammed and was having an issue with a table and there was another guy just standing there watching her run around like a chicken with her head cut off and didn't even bother to help her out, even after I went up to him and asked if someone could at least take our drink order. He just said that our server would be right with us and continued to hold the wall up. I was a server for years while in college and he obviously doesn't know the golden rule of "If you have time to lean then you have time to clean." The least he could have done was help his co-worker.
What we ordered:
The Best Chiliequeles which were good, I would not say they were the best but decent.
Egg-White Veggie scramble with potatoes and wheat toast- very tasty.
I think the prices are reasonable for location and also the breakfast servings are very generous.
Overall despite the hiccups I would go back and try other items on the menu. -
Review from Chris H.
Los Angeles, CA
11/21/2011
Right ON the beach.
$3 for parking/entry for 4 hours w/ purchase of at $20 worth of food.
$25 for parking/entry if not eating.
Gorgeous beach with stunning sea cliff views, secluded, clean, idyllic. The beach itself has pretty shells, hermit crabs, caves, and tide pools w/ anemone's and starfish. You could easily wile a very delightful afternoon on this beach.
We had the clam chowder, calamari, tuna salad, hot plate for two. Clam chowder was delicious but pricey- $5.95 for a small bowl. The coconut shrimp was tasty. Otherwise, the food was very greasy, salty, low quality, and not pleasant to eat. Immediately afterwards, the food sat heavily and uncomfortable in our stomach. Now 4 hours later, I feel sick and nauseous. Maybe the lighter foods, aside from the tuna salad, are better? Or maybe just have drinks here.
