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Ventana Grill
Categories: Restaurants American (New) Restaurants Latin American American (New), Latin American [Edit]
2575 Price StPismo Beach, CA 93449
(805) 773-0000
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 11:30 am - 2 pm
Mon-Sun 2 pm - 4:30 pm
Mon-Thu, Sun 4:30 pm - 9 pm
Fri-Sat 4:30 pm - 10 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Romantic, Classy
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
121 reviews for Ventana Grill
Review Highlights
"As was the Crab Encrusted Mahi Mahi stuffed with red crab..."
(in 5 reviews)
"another awesome perk is that there is NO CORKAGE FEE."
(in 4 reviews)
"You MUST try the sea scallop salad--it was sauteed to..."
(in 4 reviews)
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121 reviews in English
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Review from Niko D.
Clayton, CA
11/10/2011
It's about time I reviewed this place.
Came here with my GF on our anniversary. Here's the quick summary:
Great view.
There is a wait, but you can get drinks and sit on their balcony overlooking the ocean.
The food, and service was wonderful.
The manager came out to greet us, and gave us dessert on the house.
Great place to take your loved ones. Beautiful location and a great time. -
Review from Jen H.
1/15/2012
We came here for the tapa menu (Everyday from 2- 4:30pm). The view of Pismo beach is GORGEOUS!!! You can go out to the balcony and take pictures!
Service was pretty slow even though they weren't busy!
We sat by the bar to watch the Raiders play. So i guess you can somewhat call it a quasi-sport bar.
Ordered their appetizers:
1) Carne Asada nacho: 3/5
2) Carne Apache: 3/5
3) Calamari: 3/5
4) Jumbo Shrimp Al Ajillo: 4/5
5) Sesame-Seared Ahi Tuna Salad: 3/5
Hmm, prob will be back if I am in the Pismo beach area; Otherwise, I wouldn't go out of my way to get food here. -
Review from Michelle L.
Los Angeles, CA
1/7/2012 1 Check-in Here
Kind of pricey for a lunch place in my book. Granted there is a beautiful view of the pacific ocean, the food isn't quite worth what we paid for it
Don't get me wrong, the food is good, just a little pricey.
The scallop salad was good, but I felt that my scallops could have been fresher.
Mahi mahi sandwich must have been one of my favorite items on the menu. The fish was succulent and tender, and the sandwich was paired with potato wedges.
Ahi tuna salad - The tuna I felt tasted better than the scallops. This one came with avocado and other veggies.
Penne pasta - Penne, seafood, and garlic bread served in a creamy chipotle sauce. Delicious and fatty!
Again, the food wasn't bad, but make sure you're preparing your wallet for a slightly pricier meal than expected! Their lunch goes until 2:00, and they have tapas after 2:00 until dinner. Try that out if you're interested in small dishes!! -
Review from andi w.
Los Angeles, CA
12/28/2011
This restaurant is amazing! We visited last night for our anniversary and had a great time. Our only issue was the clueless hostess who seemed like she's never worked in a restaurant before and how busy the bartender was (maybe hire two people??).
When we arrived, we checked in with the hostess who told us it would be a 30-45 minute wait. Since we had already planned on at least one round of drinks at the bar, we didn't mind the wait. They don't take reservations and seemed to be busier in the earlier part of the evening (it slowed down significantly when we were seated around 7:30). We asked the hostess if she could have our bottle of wine decanted while we waited but it seemed like she didn't even know what that meant and just directed us towards the bar. It took a while at the bar to get a drink but the bartender was nice enough to decant our wine there. We were literally in the bar for 10 minutes before a table was ready (reason #2 the hostess seemed a little clueless - 30-45 minutes turned into 10??).
After that, our meal was flawless. We were seated in an exceptional booth and the busser immediately brought water to our table. Our server, Mark, arrived next and welcomed us to the restaurant. We had him take a few pictures of us and he wished us a happy anniversary - very pleasant. He didn't seem to mind at all that we wanted to continue to have a drink before ordering and brought out the homemade tortillas, cinnamon butter and salsas. All of those items were amazing and you can see the woman making the tortillas from any seat in the main dinning area - plus they did corn and flour - so fun! It's also a nice touch that the salsas go from mild to spicy to fit any palate.
Mark continued to check on us regularly and helped my boyfriend select a
tequila flight which, if you like tequila, you should definitely try - what fun! We then asked Mark for recommendations and not only was he extremely thorough in his descriptions but he was happy to spend quite a few moments with us answering questions about different items. We already knew we would get the cheviche since everyone raves about it and yes, it was fantastic. For entrees I ordered the crab crusted mahi mahi and my boyfriend ordered the ribeye. The mahi mahi was less crab crusted and more a piece of fish with a crab cake on top but Mark did describe this to me ahead of time and it was delicious. They had a couple specials that night that sounded so yummy and I appreciated that Mark mentioned the price in the description as well. There is nothing worse than having to ask and its good to be informed. The dinner was served with rice and beans - both yummy and added a little flavor to the entrees. Mark was also great about refilling the delicious tortillas throughout the meal. With most restaurants serving plain bread and sides that cost $10, you get a great value for the amazing food. The portions are large also and we took a lot home to munch on later (Mark also threw in forks and knives since we're at a hotel and don't have that in our room.)
At the end of the meal, Mark said he would like to get us a desert for our anniversary. We selected the cheesecake wrap as we also wanted to
take that to go to have a little later in the evening and he was more than happy to do that for us and asked if we would like the ice cream (glad he didn't assume we didn't) which we did because we do have a freezer in our room. That was packaged separately. I was pleased to receive the check and see it was only $120. Yes, this is a nice restaurant so don't go in expecting to pay $20 (although the burritos are not too expensive and we saw a few come out- huge!) but this was for our anniversary and we were expecting to spend money. For a cocktail, tequila flight, 2 bottles of water, an app and two entrees - I thought it was a reasonable price and don't forget everything we DIDN'T pay for - tortillas/salsas and butter, corkage, beans, rice and desert.
All in all, I was impressed by this place and it lived up to my expectations. We're a little harsh on restaurants being originally from the Napa Valley and now living in LA but Ventana Grill really lived up to some of those expectations for little Pismo Beach. I would definitely return. -
Review from George M.
San Diego, CA
2/3/2012 1 Check-in Here
Waitress NICOLE was terrible and rude... At first she was great, but when the cooks messed up our order twice, she was colder than ice on ice... The rest of the staff was awesome, especially our busser Marcus and the Manager Mike. The view was tremendous an when they cooked the food right, it was good. It definitely is one of those "great view so the food doesn't have to be great kinda places..." oh and stop trying to take my food or drinks away without me finishing. What's the rush??? Thanks!
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Review from andrea b.
Pismo Beach, CA
1/28/2012
There is no better place to dine and watch the sunset.
This was our first visit to the Ventana Grill, even though we live locally. But it certainly won't be our last.
We decided on an early dinner - timed to coincide with sunset. And, both the meal and the sunset couldn't have been better.
We started with a glass of wine and the house-made tortillas and salsa (OMG, I'm still dreaming about those tortillas). The selection of wines by the glass could have been better and the prices were a bit high compared to other restaurants in Pismo.
My husband chose the Crab Encrusted Mahi Mahi and he loved it so much I didn't even get a bite. My selection was the local Sea Bass with Pumpkin Seed Crust. It paired perfectly with the local Barbera we brough in (because there's no corkage fee). Everything about our meals was excellent and I am so going to be stealing the concept of tequila soaked apricots that were sauteed with the spinach!
It was a Wednesday evening and the restaurant was busy. The service was friendly and efficient. I can't believe the manager actually came over and introduced himself, then bussed our table!
Other than the wine by the glass, the prices were no different than any other GOOD restaurant in Pismo Beach - I'm sorry, you just have to expect to spend a bit more for fine dining that has that kind of view in front of it.
Phil, the manager, actually took the time to show us the great meeting/banquet room and we are very seriously considering the Ventana Grill for an upcoming event.
Next time, I'm trying the Poblano Steamed Clams - which everyone raves about! -
Review from Jessica C.
Santa Maria, CA
1/26/2012
Brought my date here yesterday evening and it was awesome. Watched the sunset during happy hour so we had a few drinks outside on the balcony before we sat inside for dinner. It got pretty crowded around sunset. The food was really good. Ordered the Shrimp cocktail and Seafood with Penne pasta. The waiter was awesome! I'll be definitely be coming back to this spot for a date night.
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Review from Shuchi M.
Fremont, CA
1/7/2012 1 Check-in Here
Awesome place, upscale great service awesome drinks and tasty food. Also kid friendly. Great stop on the long drive from LA to San Jose area. Mexican food with a new twist.
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Review from Lucy P.
The "Latin" food here was so bad it would make the sweetest Latin abuela (grandma) shudder. IMHO, it was THAT bad!!! I should have known not to come here because any restaurant that mentions the word "fusion" means poser regional food. This is what we ordered:
* Halibut ceviche http://www.yelp.com/bi... : The presentation was beautiful but hubby said the flavor was good but there was not enough halibut in it. The pico de gallo/ fish ratio did appear "off" as I picked through it. I did not taste it because I do not eat fish.
* Chicken sopes http://www.yelp.com/bi... : These were "no bueno". The chicken strangely tasted like the chicken from "Pollo Loco" probably due to the citrus marinade. This was a decent dish but the corn tortillas were too dry and the sope filling was too wet.
* Seafood pasta http://www.yelp.com/bi... : My hubby ate most of it but he said he was not too crazy about it and the flavor was marginal.
* Beans and rice http://www.yelp.com/bi... : Strangely enough, this was the best item of all. The beans were house made in a tasty broth and the rice was butter-y and cheese-y. The beans and rice married perfectly in both flavor and texture. I could make a meal of this.
* Tortilla soup: This soup was plain nasty!!! The texture was thick and and the flavor was too spicy. It reminded me of lumpy enchilada sauce sprinkled with corn chips. Don't waste your $$ on this.
* Homemade tortillas with house made salsas: The homemade tortillas were too thick. There is a gal at the dining area that makes the tortillas by hand and heats them at the "comal". I did enjoy all the salsas but I've had better homemade tortillas.
* Tiramisu: This was so bad, it is not worth describing. The ladyfingers were too wet due to the abundance of liquer. We took a few bites and pushed it aside.
Our tab was $77.00ish before gratuity. We will not return and we will find a better place to dine on our next trip to the central coast.Listed in: Latin American Restaurants
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Review from Alexander v.
Danville, CA
1/1/2012 1 Check-in Here
Fabulous food, great service...
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Review from catie a.
San Jose, CA
10/18/2011
We came here to celebrate our anniversary and we loved it. The ambience is really nice and the food is super delicious.
Don't miss the halibut cerviche. We also ordered the shrimp cocktail, but I found it to be way too sweet to enjoy. The fresh made tortillas are delicious and the house salsas are very good. We had the flan for dessert and while the flavor was okay, the consistancy was a bit off. I would absolutely give it another try.
The service was PERFECT. Friendly without being assertive, just the right amount of attention and the views from this place are awesome. -
Review from Kristin K.
Santa Maria, CA
12/12/2011 2 photos
This is one of my favorite restaurants of all time. My husband took me here for my birthday in November, and we went again this past weekend when my in laws were visiting (they also said it's the best meal they've had in a while). Try the jalapeno margarita (sounds weird but it's amazing, and I usually don't like jalapeno). Also good are the fire roasted corn & pasilla quesadilla, veggie enchiladas, and ventana chopped salad. It's great for vegetarians, and also for those who like fish or meat. Can't wait to go back (especially around sunset- the view is unreal)!
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Review from Ashlea B.
San Luis Obispo, CA
10/4/2011
Being the current President of the Rotary Club of Pismo Beach/Five Cities that has met for a decade in the beautiful banquet room downstairs at the now Ventana Grill, our little group of 60+ members had the unusual opportunity to watch the current management go through an extensive remodel of what had become a slightly shabby establishment.
While it always had the breathtaking views, now the restaurant is of a caliber to aptly frame that view in a beautiful atmosphere. Natural woods, stone walls with niches for candles and glass bars that seem to glow all create an entrance worthy of the location.
And you might be wondering if the food lives up to the display -- which very often is not the case. The answer is a resounding yes! Amazing Latin-inspired concoctions paired with fresh seafood and the most amazing hand-made tortillas.
The fact that they don't charge a corkage fee tops my list of positive points. However if you are in the mood for cocktail, the Ventini or Ventana View are both fun and inventive "specialty" drinks that are fresh and yummy. Don't worry, there is a fully stocked bar.
From the appetizer menu you absolutely cannot miss the Shrimp Cocktail, Poblano Steamed Clams or the new "Corn Dusted Crisp Calamari" that doesn't have the greasy, bland taste of many calamari dishes.
A fantastic, fresh salad that is perfect for lunch is the Sauteed Sea Scallop Salad with sliced diver scallops, chipotle (fresh) tortilla strips, lemon-cotija cheese, romaine lettuce and a light red-caesar dressing.
Now let's tuck in to the main course: My husband and I would argue our favorites on this front. Mine would be the Crab Encrusted Mahi Mahi with a red crab and potato crust, carrot ribbons, creamed spinach and apple bacon. His would be the 8 oz. Natural Flat Iron Chimichurri Steak with a Cilantro Chimichurri Sauce and Summer Squash Assortment -- although truth be told, he would take any of their steak or pork chop options as they are all scrumptious.
To be quite honest, between client lunches and dinners or drinks with friends we have not been disappointed after Compass Health deftly took the reins and transformed this tired restaurant in a premier location into the current wonderful culinary experience worthy of this perch over the Pacific.
Last but not least, as the icing on this proverbial cake, the staff are lovely, warm and just the right amount of attentive. And don't let them get away without offering you at taste of the divine "ending" -- the Ibarra Chocolate Fondue featuring churros, passion fruit, bananas, strawberries and -- yes folks -- marshmallows! -
Review from Jeff D.
Burbank, CA
11/24/2011
Nice view and decor but service disappointing and food terrible. Had clam chowder that lacked flavor and looked more like paste. Had seafood that was overlooked. Rice/beans ok. My date had tortilla soup and spit it out it was so bad. Second time here and LAST.
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Review from Nicole D.
Monterey, CA
9/16/2011 9 photos
It doesn't get much better than this. Perched right over the Pacific in beautiful Pismo Beach, the vistas are priceless. Soothing, modern decor with the beautfiul ocean as your backdrop. Ecletic and electric menu with so many wonderful options...seafood, steaks, tapas, desserts and specialty cocktails. Full bar with breathtaking views, spectacular service and exotic menu items - all come together for the perfect venue for groups, dates and meetings.
We arrived in between lunch and dinner (2:00-4:30), where the featured menu is the tapas menu. Good time to come dine...right as we were wrapping up this place really started packing 'em in and every spot in the parking lot was snagged.
Tantilizing Tapas:
Carne Asada Nachos x 2
Sea Scallop Salad
Jumbo Shrimp Al Ajillo x 2
Carne Apache
Crispy Calamari
Plantain Strawberry Cheesecake Wrap
The Shrimp Al Ajillo was outstanding! Jumbo juicy prawns in a garlic sauce served with Poblano rice. I had to order another one because it was so delicious. The Carne Asada Nachos were tasty with all my favorite toppings (oaxacan cheese, guac, sour cream and salsa) . The Carne Apache was an interesting concoction...lime-infused ground beef, pico de gallo served over crispy corn tortillas.
The Plantain Wrap was so incredibly good. Think of creamy vanilla ice cream and strawberries encased in a warm churro, finished with caramel sauce and whipped cream.
I can't wait to try out the lunch and dinner menus next time. -
Review from Diane C.
Lompoc, CA
12/6/2011 1 photo
This restaurant has everything. Great food, great atmosphere indoors as well as view of the ocean(not so much at night). I ordered the Ventana burger(added avocado). Was one of the best burgers I've eaten. Also had the Halibut Ceveche for appetizer and that was BOMB as well. A bit pricey but so well worth it. Will definitely come back anytime.
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Review from Katie Z.
Chicago, IL
7/29/2011
So many amazing things about this restaurant!
Offers one of the best views of Pismo Beach and has a delicious menu! The wait was pretty long when we got there, but there is an amazing balcony area to enjoy the view and make the time go by fast (take advantage)! The prices were very reasonable and the tequila list was amazing (like 3 pages worth!) Great friendly service- everyone says hi and thanks you for waiting, pleasant casual, but classy atmosphere.
Oh and the fresh tortillas are SO amazing! Just found out a friend of mine is having her wedding reception there in October and I can't wait to go back!
I HIGHLY recommend Ventana Grill :) -
Review from Alisa J.
Los Angeles, CA
7/14/2011
I can honestly say that Ventana Grill is one of the best ocean view restaurants I've ever been to. A couple of girlfriends and I took a short trip to the Central Coast and stayed for a night in Pismo Beach. I'm sure there are many great local places to eat around here, but if you're looking for something beyond a tri-tip sandwich (which seems to be popular around here/SLO) come to Ventana Grill. I would consider it somewhere between a casual/classy dining atmosphere. There were people here enjoying a regular night, and others were celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, etc. Apparently they do weddings here too.
They have live music on Monday and Wednesday evenings. When the host told me this over the phone, I thought "Great, more jazzy elevator music." But the musician they had wasn't bad. He sang songs on his acoustic guitar ranging from John Mayer, to Norah Jones, to Blues Traveler. I was actually impressed.
Now onto the most important part, THE FOOD. You MUST try the sea scallop salad--it was sauteed to perfection and lightly dressed with red caesar dressing, chipotle tortilla strips and a touch of lemon. The carne asada nachos were MASSIVE and perfect for sharing. Once I started eating the nachos, I contemplated canceling my entree cause I got so darn full! I got the Milanesa chicken sandwich, which was probably my least favorite of the night. My friends had the Seafood and Chipotle Penne Pasta which was AMAZING. The white wine chipotle cream sauce was a bit spicy, but not overwhelming. It comes with yellow fin tuna, clams, prawns and blue knuckle crab.
Must haves: VENTANA MUD PIE. Delicious! If you love icecream cake and mocha almond fudge, you have met your soulmate. As for a drink, I'm more of a beer girl, but the jalepeno margarita was pretty damn sexy. Cilantro in my drink? Why not?
Last but not least, our server Amanda was a sweetheart! Very kind and attentive. Actually, all of the staff here were great and seemed to work together cohesively. I love service with a smile (and a sunset!) -
Review from Lynn S.
Woodland Hills, CA
12/31/2011
I gave this place 3 stars, One for the great atmosphere, one for the most amazing raspberry margarita I've ever had, and one for the delicious mud pie dessert. it doesn't get 5 stars because the food was mediocre and the service was poor. Our waitress was kind enough BUT we sat at about 8pm with a group of 6. Our food finally arrived close to 10pm and one entree was missing altogether! After 5 of us were halfway through our entrees, they finally brought out the sixth one. Our friend was tired and pissed by that point and refused it. When we arrived the place was jam packed but by the time we were served we were literally the last people there! very disappointing.
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Review from David M.
San Diego, CA
11/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
Little neck clams and view were great! Amaretto flan was very good. Prices reasonable.
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Review from Jenny Z.
San Francisco, CA
7/8/2011
I had the daily special fillet mignon and omg it was the most tender/juicy piece I've had in a while... =9 swordfish special had great flavor but was a bit dry in my opinion
the ceviche was delish and as was their mud pie. chocolate fondue was a bit disappointing cuz we were expecting a fountain but only got a egg-custard-crust-ful of chocolate dip. was still yummy tho, esp the marshmallows~
love the deco (native/oceanic/sculpture-type) and great view esp around sunset.
They dont take reservation under 8 people, we almost didn't get in but we got lucky and a table cleared up just as we were about to leave. -
Review from Mike M.
Fort Worth, TX
7/9/2011
Wow! Fantastic dinner, too many great taste to remember. We had a party of 5 everyone had something different everyone very happy. from the bar I had a great Mojito, they brought out homemade tortillas and homemade salsa trays and flavored butters, appetizer we had calamari with a Latin spice flavor, very tender. the swordfish special was perfect, my wife had sea bass that she fell in love with. Our friends had the Fillet and they found it perfect. My son had the best taco plate .
Very beautiful ocean view from many tables, these guys got it right! -
Review from Sidney S.
6/30/2011
Barely misses 4 stars...
My son and I went here for dinner on the last night of our mini-Pismo Beach excursion. The views are indeed spectacular and we had a window seat overlooking the ocean.
And props to the restaurant for having somewhat innovative, Latin-inspired dishes (seafood predominate). With the views, they probably could succeed with just basic steak, chops and fish but they tried something different and the food was very good; better than most "view" restaurants. My local sea bass with jumbo prawns had a very nice spicy sauce and the accompaniments, especially the rice, were prepared perfectly. I also enjoyed the starter of tortillas and salsa although the honeybutter was better than any of the salsas. And the guitarist in the lounge, nice touch.
However the service was a total let down. We only ordered one course plus two glasses of wine - I drank my son's glass of wine :) with desserts to go and we were there for 1 hour and twenty minutes! 80 minutes for one course! They must have just killed the cow that my son's burger came from and had to filet it in the back. Plus, the fries with the burger were not really fries; they were potato wedges. C'mon, how many kids out there are happy with potato wedges when they were expecting fries! This is where a restaurant can get too cute...my son would have loved some spanish rice but all they had was the spicy version they serve adults. In this tourist area, they need to upgrade the children's menu and offer more choices...
There of course was the requisite gorgeous blonde manager walking around asking how the food was. She needs to not focus so much on chatting up the customers and focus on speeding up the kitchen a bit. One course should not take that long. Other people were more visibly annoyed at the slow food service and I'd hate to have seen what would happen if you order multiple courses...
Oh, and those desserts to go...Cinnamon Churros with fresh fruit and a chocolate sauce...to die for...so we will come back...but please let's hope the chinese waterboarding torturous like service has improved. -
Review from J W.
Laguna Beach, CA
9/21/2011
Ventana Grill is superb. Rarely does a restaurant do EVERYTHING right. At Ventana Grill they do..... The decor is beautiful, the service is phenomenal, the atmosphere is sublime, the food is incredible, and the view is one of the best I have ever seen. To top it all off the price is very reasonable for this level of dining experience. You can really tell that whomever own and runs this restaurant does it with love and attention.
IF YOU ARE IN THE AREA YOU MUST GO HERE!!!!!! Hands down the best restaurant in the area.... -
Review from Yasmine T.
Brentwood, CA
8/15/2011
This place was recommended by our hotel so we decided to give it a go even though they do not accept reservations for parties of 2.
When we arrived there was an hour wait, usually I would have gone elsewhere but since they handed us two complimentary glasses of champagne and a beautiful view while waiting we decided to stay. We had a wonderful time, our waiter Sloane was a sweetheart. We had the ceviche lettuce wraps to start, which were great. The hubby had some sort of meat with scallops, and I had the Ahi Tuna which was grilled to perfection. Great food and ambiance. If you are looking for a nice place to have dinner this is a fantastic choice. -
Review from Mike A.
Riverside, CA
11/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
Can't say enough good things about this place. The set up is done very nice, including an absolutely amazing view of ocean. Our waiter was very professional and friendly. We did not have to wait long at all. My wife got an order of carne asada nachos, while I got a carne asada sandwich with potato wedges. Best carne I've ever had! Anyone coming down here for a romantic getaway I highly recommend it!
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Review from Sandra C.
Santa Rosa, CA
11/19/2011 1 Check-in Here
Decided to try Ventana Grill on our Anniversary trip to Pismo Beach. We were there on a weeknight at happy hour and it worked out to our advantage! No waiting and superb friendly service. We had a fantastic view of a beautiful sunset in their amazingly gorgeous dinning room. Enjoyed great "well drinks" and shared the Skirt Steak Nachos, Shrimp Cocktail, and Chicken Wings! WOW! We topped that off with the most superb Mud Pie on the planet !! Our bill for all this was a great value too concidering our current economy. We visit this area every 3 or 4 months and only hope it doesn't change before we can return!!
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Review from L G.
Pismo Beach, CA
6/3/2011
Ventana Grill is amazing! We hadn't tried it because we have so many great restaurants within walking distance, but when my dad comes to town he likes us to go to a new place each time. So Ventana Grill it was after the Tour of California.
Amazing service- I love when a waiter is able to go toe to toe with my sarcastic dad (without crossing over into mean territory!). Mark was entertaining and fun. We got there ten minutes before happy hour ended, and he rushed to put in our drink orders in time, which was appreciated. Very attentive without hovering, which is the ideal in service for me.
The food was absolutely amazing, and there was a lot of it. My dad and boyfriend both ordered the sopes, and were really happy with the carnitas in them. There are three large sopes in each order, and both of them only made it through one- although my boyfriend was really happy to have them as leftovers throughout the week. I tried the seafood penne, and it was really well done. Creamy and flavorful without being overwhelmingly spicy. My brother had the mahi mahi crusted with crab and said that it tasted like fish covered in a really good crab cake. We thought we were stuffed but when the mud pie came we were practically fighting over the last bites. Next time we go here, I think it will be possible to just order one burrito for the entire table. We saw someone with one and it was the size of her head. We are still talking about how that woman ate the whole thing!
We went big and tried whatever we wanted, but it is also possible to do a more economic dinner at Ventana- the entrees are definitely large enough to share, and they have good happy hour specials as well. It's not inexpensive, but it was one of the best meals any of us had experienced in a while. Well worth it, and even the leftovers were really great! -
Review from Marisa D.
South San Francisco, CA
10/20/2011 3 photos
My husband & I stayed in Pismo for a few days for our anniversary and stopped in at the Ventana Grill for lunch. We drove by and saw how it was perched over the ocean with amazing views. The day was overcast but still a nice experience. The food was fantastic. I loved the latin flair. My husband had the chimmichanga (HUGE) and I had the halibut tacos. I had ordered tortilla soup, but our server had forgot it, by the time I finished the tacos I was pretty stuffed, so he apologized and allowed me to select something off of the dessert menu at no charge. That was very impressive to me. Would definitely dine here again on future trips to Pismo.
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Review from Heather M.
San Francisco, CA
4/23/2011
We had a great dinner at Ventana Grill in Pismo Beach. I had the
Tequila Mango Yellow Fin Ahi Tuna: sesame cilantro crust, tequila mango vinaigrette, citrus dressed iceberg wedge and my fiance had the Alaskan Halibut & Chips: dos equis battered, potato wedges, horseradish cocktail, lemon caper tartar sauce, chamoy vinaigrette dressed greens.
Everything was so delicious and we had a great table overlooking the water!
I think this is one of the nicer restaurants in Pismo! -
Review from Ricardo U.
Oceano, CA
7/9/2011
Delicious food, every time I've been in the service was great even as busy as it has been.
The last time I was in the special was a lamb dish, great flavor and very tender! -
Review from Jim S.
Arroyo Grande, CA
4/16/2011
Intelligent service - they've been trained well. Wait people who know when to refill glasses and when to just the folks enjoy themselves. Friendly without being swarmy or shluming for tips.
Combine that with a great view and imaginative, tasty food and you have a real winner. We're locals and this is one of our new favorites. -
Review from Denny G.
Canoga Park, CA
5/24/2011
in reading most yelp reviews, i have come to the conclusion that either people need to take their freakin meds, or lighten up a bit. My God, is living so hard for you that you can't enjoy the finer things in life???
ok, with that said, THE VENTANA grill is excellent!!!
our server (peter) made our meal a good time and not just a meal out. He had great suggestions and really made our dinner that much more enjoyable. Our food was amazing. I had the rib eye (which was bucks ) that was incredible. I am a salt freak and this thing needed no added flavor what so ever!! pure goodness. (now i have eatin at mastros and other high end steak houses and this is a little smaller but but damn good !!!
my wife had some palenta thing and made me think twice that maybe being a vegetarian wouldn't be all bad, until i took another bite of the rib eye and all bets were off. The view, the service, and the food were all well done here at the ventana grill. thanks mom and dad for the recommendation.!!!! -
Review from Jane D.
Santa Maria, CA
8/1/2011
Awesome location, friendly staff, and delicious food!
Bit on the pricey side and have to wait a while if you don't have reservations, but it's well worth it. -
Review from Bret y.
Aptos, CA
12/23/2011
The food is as spectacular as the view!!!
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Review from Weezer G.
Ojai, CA
7/12/2011
Had a great dinner here, four of us. Carne Asada nachos were great as an appetizer. Sopes (especially the carnitas sopes) were very tasty - meat was perfectly seasoned and tender. Crab encrusted mahi mahi got rave reviews, as did the seafood pasta.
Service was perfect and there are great happy hour prices on appetizers and drinks.
They take reservations only for parties of 8 or more, so get here early otherwise there may be quite a wait - it's always full. -
Review from Michael H.
Templeton, CA
7/12/2011
Great food, service, scenery, decor, and friendly atmosphere.
Come early, it fills up fast no matter what day of the week it seems.
Another thing, very reasonable prices. Most prices on menu compare to Denny's (and that is all that compares, happily)
Hit it, and save room for dessert. -
Review from Katie J.
San Luis Obispo, CA
Updated - 10/26/2011
Returned to enjoy the sunset with our out of town friends. The place was packed, so we waited in the bar to be seated.
There was great live music which made our wait very enjoyable. We were able to get the window booth on the left, which we had requested. It is the best view of the sunset over the coastline.
Dinner was delicious. Our friends mentioned that they had only once before had tiger prawns as delicious as here, and that was at the source in Mexico. Food Delicious, service great..... our waitress was able to save us having to translate by speaking to them directly in Spanish. This is our favorite place to watch the sunset over the coast. Definitely recommend. Come early to avoid missing the sunset in the bar.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/29/2011
Delicious food;
clams are an amazing app.
The Rib Eye and Filet Mignon Special were killer!
We loved… Read more »
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Review from K S.
Pleasanton, CA
5/16/2011
Wonderful!
I thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of VG. The servers were very friendly and helpful, the food was amazing, and the view was spectacular!
I had the tortilla soup and the chicken sandwich. Both were delicious and were presented very nicely. -
Review from Tina M.
Aptos, CA
10/22/2011
AMAZING view! My husband and I went to Ventana Grill for dinner with our 4 year old son. They gave us a huge warm greeting and didn't treat us bad because we had brought a child. We arrived at around 5:30 and were seated near a window. The view is one of the best I've seen at a restaurant. Watching the sunset was incredible.
We started with the carne asada nachos. Since we arrived early they were on happy hour and only $8. The plate of nachos was huge and we all found something we like in them. I then had the Ventana salad for dinner. Not sure what dressing they use but it was a perfect combination of flavors. It had chicken, beans, apple and a lot of other goodies. Might just be the best salad I've ever had. My husband had the steak and said it was really good as well.
If you are staying in Pismo or just stopping through, it is totally worth it!!
