Harborside Restaurant and Grand Ballroom

Been coming here for decades, live on Balboa Island and it does have a great view. The bar menu started out as a very good deal, all items were $ 4. Now there are 3 tiers, $ 4, $ 5, $ 6, which adds up very quickly, not such a great deal anymore and it seems to show, less crowded now.

We really liked this place. I rarely give a 5 but in this case it was truly deserved. The waiter was super nice and helpful, but not intrusive. The place was quiet but with a great view. The food was great. We had the crab salad, sandwiches, tempura, fish and it was all great. They have a 50s bar with great drinks. We are definitely coming back!

Friendly service, nice view, good food. Sign up for their email and they will send you coupons.

If you are a person of color, african american, brown skin, etc. Do not visit this establishment, the management will treat you as if segregation was still enforced. Matter of fact stay away from the city in general, for you and your loved ones safety.

Great food, staff, and view. I came for a bday party and would recommend this place for a small party under 30 people.

The best happy hour ends at 7 PM! They also have a genuine friendly staff I frequent this place during the summer and I look forward to coming back when the weather warms. I always sit near the window to see the seals play and boats riding along the ocean’s waves.

I was fortunate to sit at a table, where I can enjoyed a beautiful view of the Sea, it is the perfect restaurant to enjoy a delicious fresh seafood dinner, food was excellent as you expect for such a wonderful location!!! ;)
The view from the window was wonderful, viewing boats, seals, pelicans, one of my favorites escaped !!!
This is the place, that once you visit, changes something inside of you!;)
I could spend my life right here. This is paradise. ;)

Omg why have I not been here sooner? They have the best happy hour! 11−7pm everyday! We went a little crazy because everything is $ 4 and we assumed sizes would be small. Not really
Burger $ 4, small but delicious with fries and coleslaw!
Ahi nachos! I will be coming back for that alone. So good $ 4
Beef skewers $ 4 tasty with a bit off rice.
Mussels and fries$ 4, we offered two
Two oysters on half shell $ 4, we ordered 2
Salmon cake $ 4, like a work of art it was
Caesar salad $ 4 bigger then expected and good. Believe it or not there was still several more menu options that we did not order. The atmosphere is great, the staff is friendly. Service is a bit slow but the vibe of the restaurant is kind of lax so it didn’t bother us at all. And our server was very friendly. I think she may be the only one at the time. The thing that most impressed me was every order looked like something out of a food magazine. The attention to detail and care for presentation on a $ 4 dish is truly exceptional. It just goes to show you pride in what you do and your product. Bring your friends, I’ll meet you there!

Came here with my family after a Christmas light boat tour and absolutely loved it! Its definitely a touristy spot but it wasnt that busy for a saturday night and the food was amazing! I had the seabass special and my husband had the orange coconut crusted salmon which definitely lives up to the hype. The warm sourdough rolls are fantastic and we all loved the hint of orange flavor to the crème brûlée! I highly recommend this restaurant if you are spending the day on balboa

This was my first visit to Harborside and it won’t be my last. Somehow we always end up at Newport Landing but I’ve wanted to try this place for a while. The food, the view & the service were outstanding. I had the Coconut Orange Crusted Salmon & it was awesome, cooked to perfection with a yummy sweet tasting crunchy crust. There were two huge filets on my plate so hubs got to enjoy the salmon along with the Mahi Mahi that he had ordered. I snagged a bite of his fish and it was also yummy tasting. He tasted both the salmon & the Mahi Mahi & he said both were good but he thought the Mahi Mahi was really delicious. The warm bread with a garlic spread that they brought to the table was addicting. Please… take it away for my own good!
We were lucky enough to get a table along the window that offered a great view of the harbor. There were boats going by all night long that were decked out for the holidays in preparation for the Christmas boat parade. We had a great preview of the boat parade along with our delicious food. Bonus!
Our waiter was friendly, quick and fast on our drink refills. The girl at the front was busy but welcoming. The restaurant offers valet parking or you can park in the lot nearby and take a short walk to the restaurant. The building is old and historic, it’s the tall building decked out in white lights that are clearly visible from across the harbor. My hubby and I had a delightful date night here and we will be back.

Walking in, I felt great about the place. Eating right around sunset provided a cozy atmosphere and it was fun to watch the sea lions and birds hang out by the dock.
Beyond that though, the service was slow and the food was below mediocre. It could’ve been because we were using the Wine event menu that was a deal from upstairs, but everything on that menu were popular items and I ordered the orange coconut salmon at the suggestion of Unilocal and our server. The salmon was burnt so much on the outside that all I ended up doing was eating the salmon on the inside that wasn’t stuck to the exterior. The clam chowder was good but everything else, including the crème brûlée (which is my favorite dessert of all time), was not.
Despite being the only one sitting on the side that we were seated, the waitress always had to be flagged down, and once more parties came to sit in our section, they didn’t add any more staff. Still, on several occasions, groups of staff would chat by the kitchen.
Although a 2-​star experience, we were charged more than the intended amount of the prix fixe menu, despite there being no up charges. Before I could even mention it, the waitress swooped up the check and dropped it off without a chance to say anything.
Better luck to you, the restaurant’s view is great, and I advice parking anywhere other than the valet, as they were even more terrible than my experience here.

I happen to love this place. I live across the water on Balboa Island so it’s convenient. Even if it wasn’t I would still drive to eat here and enjoy the atmosphere. The happy hour from 11am-​7pm every day is amazing. All apps are $ 4 each. I recommend the salmon cakes, ahi tuna nachos, fish tacos, wedge salad and mac and cheese but it’s all yummy! The food is presented in gourmet fashion and well underpriced for the quality.
I can’t say enough about this wonderful restaurant. I am surprised at some of the negative reviews because I’ve had nothing but great experiences here. I noted that someone complained about the air inside. I live on the island, as I said, and when it’s hot, we are all out of our houses and trying to stay cool. It is just the way it is in our area. Sometimes it just gets bloody hot even in restaurants.
Also I have had nothing but nice servers so the woman who complained about service when she had a party of 17 should have realized she had a large party and perhaps it might take a bit longer to get served. I generally go alone or with a small group and I’ve never encountered a single rude staff member.
You know when locals go to a restaurant it must be good. I would take the negative comments with a grain of salt. This is a great spot to go to. Trust me

Prices are great for a view and lunch or dinner. Great customer service and great tasting food everything is fresh. For me I always choose a booth by the window where we might be able to (and usually always do) see at least one or two sea lions and. It’s nice to look over the water and watch the sail boats go by all around fantastic experience every time.

Ordered their famous king crab. much better than Fleming’s that’s all I need to say! See the photo yourself. fresh, tender, juicy… 5 star! Another advice, get there early so you can enjoy the harbor view. it’s awesome.

So I have been to Harborside twice, and I’ve tried both the traditional restaurant side and the Happy Hour/​bar side. Both are great, but for different reasons.
The Happy Hour is advertised as the longest Happy Hour in Newport. Even that is under-​selling it. This is the longest Happy Hour I have ever heard of, and it goes from 11AM-​7PM Daily. The Saloon is a great spot, no matter the hour you are stopping by. They have some tasty dishes that are all affordably priced at $ 4 a pop, and the drink menu is likewise full of delectable concoctions. You can spend $ 12 a person and get a sizable meal and a drink each, it’s just an absolute steal.
The only drawback to the saloon is that it isn’t air conditioned, so prepare yourself for a wee bit of discomfort :)
The views are nice too, with big windows looking out onto the marina. Watch boats, yachts, and seals drift lazily by as you munch on some delicious food.
On the other side of the restaurant is the beach, surf, and bike paths — which makes for a perfect evening. My advice? Begin on the Balboa Island side, take the ferry across and stop by Harborside for lunch. That way you avoid the long traffic that can back up on the Peninsula (where Harborside is located).
The Restaurant side is solid too, with an ample collection of different flavors to satisfy everyone’s taste buds. It is definitely more pricey, but you get what you pay for, as it is air conditioned, has great views, and the food and drinks are great.

Probably the best way to describe this place is «it used to be great». Now it’s just the shadow of the ballroom place that is really just an old restaurant with a nice view of fishing boats and sea lions. It’s hard to get over that old wood décor that is outdated and lost it’s shine and just smells like a humid fishing boat now. The happy hour is good but it’s only in the bar area, that’s why the actual restaurant is almost empty till late. Customers are mostly loyal locals (who probably got married here) and tourists with kids, and that’s on a Friday night. Had the Mac N Cheese and the Foot of onion rings, beef skewers and Brussels sprouts, good to share. Cocktails are strong and the service is great, that saves this place from falling into the «avoid it» pit.

We were on our way back from an awesome weekend getaway on Catalina Island. We had launched the Nordic out of Newport Harbor and became hungry on our journey back from the island. We decided to stop for a cocktail and something to fill our tummies for a bit. My boyfriend already knew of this awesome place so we parked the boat in their boat parking (which I love when places make it so convenient) and went in… SCORE!!! Its HAPPY HOUR!!! Probably the best HH I’ve encountered, and I’ve encountered a lot of happy hours… well here, its not happy hour, it’s HAPPY DAY!!! And almost ALL day :)
Food: we ordered the calamari tempura which was amazing. It was so great that I can honesty say its the second best one I think I’ve ever had. It was also so great that we ordered two… for the two of us. We also got the coconut shrimps, they were excellent and large with a great tasting dipping sauce. The cocktail shrimps were large and cooked perfectly, good amount of horseradish in the cocktail sauce… perfect. The lettuce wraps were extremely good too. HH apps are all four bucks, yup, four whoppin’ measly dollars for awesome food.
Service was on point and the bartender we had since we sat at the bar was quick, friendly and very attentive.
The drinks to wet your whistle are poured strong and also cheap. I mean, beyond the money, we would have paid more for this awesome encounter and I would have honesty gave the same rave review… but lets be honest, Catalina and boat petrol ain’t cheap so a score like this was not only worthwhile but our new spot to stop on our way back from now on.
SEE YOU ALL SEPTEMBER 21ST HARBORSIDE!!!
Thanks for the excellent hospitality, great food, beautiful atmosphere and killer prices :)

This is a review of the bar at the Harborside Restaurant. My girlfriend and I were in Newport Beach for the day, celebrating her birthday. We ventured to Balboa and were wandering through the shops there when we decided to go to the Harborside for their Happy Hour. A couple we met mentioned they had good happy hour specials which turned out to be true.
We lucked out by getting a table in the middle of the bar and sat side by side facing the harbor so we had a great view of the fishing boats coming and going, and a sea lion swimming by and the pelicans and sea gulls following the fishing boats. They had a pretty limited happy hour drink menu so I chose a Mai Tai and we ordered some really tasty french fries with a pepper corn cheese sauce that were delicious. The service was OK. My drink was so sweet I almost couldn’t drink it, so when it came time to order another round I discussed this with our server. He told me it was a mix and seemed kind of defensive about it, but when I asked if a shot of sweet & sour might cut the sweetness he gave that a try and it worked. My girlfriend also got a complimentary desert for her birthday, with a candle, which was nice. It was a delicious peanut butter chocolate desert and was OMG delicious!
The issue with this place is there seems to be no air conditioning or air movement in the bar. It was an extremely hot, sticky day and we had hoped to escape into an air conditioned bar for some relief but sadly this was not the case. We had to use our fans (we weren’t the only ones) to keep from sweating. That is NOT good and I almost dropped it to 2 stars because of that. I would not return in warm weather.

This was an extremely hard review to write as our experience was a little difficult on both sides.
We went to harbor side for lunch to celebrate my graduation. The first hard part was that we were a party of eight with two ladies over the age of 80 (one has an extremely hard time hearing which makes it difficult for her to communicate with the servers). In addition, two of our party arrived late. Harbor side was very kind in seating the members present which I know can be frowned upon.
With this being said, our server got most of our orders wrong. Sandwiches with mayo that weren’t supposed to have mayo, fries instead of onion rings, sweet potato fries rather than regular fries. The biggest issue for me was that when we said something she copped and attitude like it was our fault. I do know my group was difficult; however that doesn’t excuse rudeness.
Finally, the food was alright. Nothing super special. The best part of the experience was the view of the harbor and watching the ferries — quite the experience for the out of towners.

Happy Hour done right!
They have a huge menu dedicated solely to pleasing people looking for tasty food and cold drinks! The Mai Tai was amazing and despite the discounted price was full of rum! All the food ordered at the table came out quick, fresh and yummy!
Recommendations:
Clam chowder
Ahi poke salad
Burger slider
Lettuce Wraps
Caesar salad w house made dressing! Yum!
Our waitress was cute, fun and helpful! She was very knowledgable about the food and drinks and made the experience awesome! We will be back soon!