Salt Creek Grille Orange County

Review summary

1. b

   bryan

   Orange County1 review

   2.0

   Dined 2 days ago

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 2
   3. Service 2
   4. Ambience 1

   I wanted to go to Salt Creek Grill for a long time and try it out because it’s in a great location on PCH. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend it. The food is fair, not great. For those looking for value it’s overpriced for what it is—which is an expensive Chili’s or Islands restaurant. 
   

   Salt Creek Grille Orange CountyResponded today

   Hello Bryan, We are truly sorry to hear that your long-awaited visit to Salt Creek Grille in Dana Point, CA, did not meet your expectations. We appreciate your honest feedback and regret that you felt our dining experience resembled that of an "expensive Chili's or Islands restaurant." We strive to provide a unique and exceptional dining experience that justifies our pricing, and we are disappointed that we fell short in your case. We take your comments seriously and will use them to evaluate our menu and pricing to ensure we are delivering the quality and value our guests deserve. We hope you might consider giving us another chance in the future, as we are always working to improve and provide a more satisfying dining experience.
   

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2. J

   Jerry

   Orange County2 reviews

   4.0

   Dined 2 days ago

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 4

   Very loud and unpleasant music was played during the dinner hour, making conversation difficult.
   

   Salt Creek Grille Orange CountyResponded today

   Hi Jerry, We sincerely apologize that the music at Salt Creek Grille in Dana Point, CA, created a loud and unpleasant atmosphere during your dinner, making conversation difficult. We strive to create a warm and inviting atmosphere, and we will certainly address the music volume and selection with our team to ensure that it complements, rather than detracts from, the dining experience. We value your feedback and hope you will give us another opportunity to provide you with a more enjoyable dining experience in the future.
   

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3. H

   Heath VIP

   Orange County27 reviews

   5.0

   Dined 3 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   We have eaten here before and the last time a couple of years we found it to be sub par but we decided to try again and what a surprise!! New ownership, tweeked menu, new chef !! Yipee! Service was fantastic.. thank you Brian .. and the food was delish! Go there now
   

   Salt Creek Grille Orange CountyResponded today

   Hi Heath, We are absolutely thrilled to hear about your delightful surprise at Salt Creek Grille in Dana Point, CA! It brings us immense joy to know that your recent experience far exceeded your previous visit, thanks to our new ownership, tweaked menu, and talented new chef. We are particularly grateful for your glowing praise of Brian, our fantastic waiter, and we agree—we are indeed lucky to have him! Your enthusiasm and recommendation to "Go there now" are truly heartwarming, and we are delighted that you found our service and food to be "delish." We appreciate you giving us another chance, and we look forward to welcoming you back to Salt Creek Grille in Dana Point, CA, again soon.
   

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4. SM

   ScottM VIP

   Dallas4 reviews

   5.0

   Dined 3 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Having Ted as our server was the best part of the evening.
   

   Salt Creek Grille Orange CountyResponded today

   Hi ScottM, We are absolutely thrilled to hear that Ted was the best part of your evening at Salt Creek Grille in Dana Point, CA! It brings us immense joy to know that he provided you with exceptional service and made your dining experience memorable. We are incredibly proud of our team members who go above and beyond to ensure our guests have a wonderful time. We will be sure to pass along your kind words to Ted, as he truly embodies the hospitality and service we strive for. Thank you for taking the time to share your positive feedback; we hope to have the pleasure of serving you again soon, with Ted or another member of our fantastic team!
   

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5. D

   Denise

   Orange County4 reviews

   4.0

   Dined 4 days ago

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 5

   Food was very good. Love the updated colors as well as the new chairs in the bar area. Cocktails are very expensive. Service was okay. Not sure how management has the bar set up for brunch but it does not lend to good service. Once of the bus boys appeared to be irritated and not happy to be there. Glad I tried the "new" Salt Creek but I won't be going back any time soon.
   

   Salt Creek Grille Orange CountyResponded today

   Hi Denise, We are glad to hear that you enjoyed the food and appreciated the updated colors and new bar chairs at Salt Creek Grille in Dana Point, CA! However, we are truly sorry to learn that your overall experience was marred by the expensive cocktails, okay service, and the apparent issues with the bar setup and busboy attitude. We understand your disappointment, and we sincerely apologize for falling short of your expectations. We value your honest feedback and will be addressing the service and bar setup concerns with our management team to ensure we provide a more consistently positive experience. We are saddened that you won't be returning soon, but we hope that in the future, we can earn back your trust and provide you with the exceptional dining experience you deserve.
   

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6. R

   Ryan VIP

   San Diego2 reviews

   5.0

   Dined 4 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Incredible steak, views, and service !!!!!!!!!!!!!
   

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7. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   Orange County1 review

   5.0

   Dined 6 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Everything was good. Had the braised short ribs with mashed potatoes. Comfort food on a rainy day. Wifey had clam chowder and bread. No one there at 430. Highly recommend.
   

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8. b

   brettm

   Dallas2 reviews

   2.0

   Dined 6 days ago

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 2
   3. Service 2
   4. Ambience 4

   This is our first time back since the reopening of the restaurant. We were very disappointed. When we got to the table there were crumbs all over the booth bench that i had to wipe off myself. For an appetizer we ordered the grilled artichoke and sourdough. The artichoke was so overcooked there was no meat left on the leaves. The bread was warm on the outside and cold/not cooked through on the inside. The waiter did not clear our dirty dishes and just let them sit there on the table. Very pricey for the quality of food. There are many more restaurants nearby that have better food and prices. Wish we liked it more.
   

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9. K

   Kathleen

   New York City13 reviews

   5.0

   Dined 6 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   We are long time customers of Salt Creek Grill, but our first time going to the restaurant after new owners took over. Four of us went for dinner, early on a Thursday night. My mother-in-law, one of the four of us, was surprised by a delicious decorated birthday dessert, enough for the four of us to enjoy. A thoughtful surprise! We ordered the following: Creek burger, beef stroganoff, short ribs, and a filet. All as good as the old Salt Creek. My only complaint is, if you’re going to charge $58 for a filet, it needs to include a side of baked potato or fries—not a small, out of season Tomato. Almost insulting. A potato cost about $1, and makes the meal more substantial for the $58 price.
   

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10. J

    Jackie

    Los Angeles12 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on March 9, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 5

    I had a reservation for a party of 4 for brunch on 03/09/2025. Once we arrived we asked to be seated outdoors as it was a beautiful day and we were seated quickly. We were given menus and told someone would be with us quickly. Our server Nick came and introduced himself, very friendly. We placed our orders for the Champscuterie with prosecco. We also placed our food order at this time. Nearly 30 minutes passed when Nick came to tell us that they were out of prosecco (not a big deal, but surprised that they're out at the beginning of brunch and that it took 30 minutes to tell us). We ordered a different champagne and waited. Our drinks arrived 40 minutes after the order was placed. 50 minutes after our meal order was placed, I was asked if I wanted bacon or sausage for my burrito (which was stated at the time the order was placed, Nick stated the orders were in, but how is that possible if he didn't even know my full order? It took an hour to get our food. We had to ask for silverware and continually asked for refills of water. The bus boy that was working that day seemed put out by our request for silverware and literally, dumped it all in a clump at one side of the table. Nick was apologetic for the lack of service and I appreciate that, but I feel the manager(s) should have seen this and stepped in and assisted him. I saw the manager walk by our table but at this point it would have been awkward to say anything to her. I reached out directly to Salt Creek Grille to give them a chance to respond on 03/10, but since I got no response, I feel it necessary to report it here. Good food, beautiful atmosphere, horrible service. We won't be back.
    

    Salt Creek Grille Orange CountyResponded today

    Hi Jackie, We are so deeply sorry to hear about your brunch experience at Salt Creek Grille in Dana Point, CA. Reading your review, we understand your frustration with the extended wait times, the issues with your drink and food orders, and the lack of attentive service. We sincerely apologize that your experience did not meet our usual standards, and we are disappointed that we missed the opportunity to address your concerns when you contacted us directly. We value your feedback and will be addressing these issues with our team to ensure that such lapses in service do not occur again. We always aim to provide a memorable and enjoyable dining experience, and we hope you'll give us another chance to serve you.
    

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