The Harbor Grill

The Harbor Grill Restaurant Review:

Locals keep coming back to The Harbor Grill for several reasons: the fresh seafood, strong cocktails, gregarious atmosphere and view of the water. Sparkling blue Dana Point Harbor sits right outside the window, while you order up strong house-made cocktails like the fresh ruby red grapefruit martini. To pair with the drinks, try a starter like the fried oysters served with a spicy cornichon tartar sauce. Other winners are the tangy sea bass ceviche and steamed littleneck clams. Soups, salads, tacos and burgers make an appearance on the menu, but most guests stick to executive chef Angel Fabian's mesquite-grilled seafood entrées, many of which feature ingredients pulled directly from the venue's herb garden. We enjoy the tender Chilean sea bass with a smoked tomato broth. Other items like the sautéed scallops with red Thai curry glaze show a nice balance of flavor. Filet mignon is tender, and the just-grilled Australian lobster tail has a surprising smoky taste. A three-course prix-fixe menu is offered at dinner and is a pretty good deal for the big portion sizes. Desserts include bread pudding with bourbon sauce, creamy carrot cake and civilized mocha mud pie. Sunday brunch offers Belgian waffles, several variations on eggs Benedict, a number of seafood omelets, and bottomless Champagne. Most of the offerings on the wine list are reasonably priced, although there are a few expensive, high-end labels available should you wish to splurge.