Avalon Restaurants

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Eric's on the Pier is a beach food joint and that is not being derogatory. A great hunger comes over you in Avalon as you walk the almost 100 year old green Pleasure Pier. Eric's on the Pier has been around almost as long satisfying the human food frenzy that takes place above the water as the fish have their food frenzy under the water. You take your boat tours from the pier and after the tours you have this hum for a hamburger and beer or maybe fish & chips with that beer. Eric's is right on the pier near the sand and street. Just don't cross over the white line on the pier planks, as that's the edge of the food joints beer drinking allowable space. So, you walk the white line while your drinking, not afterwards. Cool. Hey, show up in shorts or a bikini and no one will blink an eye. Beach Casual is the dress code. Grab a stool and grab some grub. You're at Avalon's Green Pleasure Pier.

Favorite Dish: I am a sucker for any buffalo burger I can find, no matter where and Eric's on the Pier has the buffalo burger I enjoy. Something about the ocean air makes it taste so great. Remember that Santa Catalina Island has their own herd of buffalo and they must be culled to keep the buffalo healthy as a species. But, if you don't eat red meat then the fish & chips are a winner at Eric's on the Pier. It is a popular eating location and very casual.

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Mexican food at it's fun, best. Enjoy the atmosphere as well as the food. The waitstaff at Coyote Joe's really care about their patrons and when you sit down, they stand up and bring you the best service on the island. Very seldom do I go on about the people that make up the waitstaff, but at Coyote Joe's there are two exceptions. Rosy and Judy. Sounds like a title to a TV show. Well, they could make up a great duo, "The Jalapeno Girls". They are a barrel of fun with food service excellence, a part of their makeup. I will return just for their smiles. True to my word, I returned in May, 2009 and "The Jalapeno Girls" are still making the customers happy.

Coyote Joe's has a varied menu of Mexican dishes and also bar items. The outdoor patio is right on the side street with a view of tourists wandering about near the harbor beach. When it is warm out, this is the place to be. Inside is your Mexican Hat Dance decor, but a side note is the many old photos of Santa Catalina on the walls that will have you checking them out. The bar is cozy and just the right size for your island visit with a toast to the blue bird of happiness. If you go, say hi to the Jalapeno Girls, Rosy and Judy, from travelgourmet. Ole!

Favorite Dish: When you get hungry in a tourist locale that is in Southern California, I always look for a Mexican Restaurant. If you imbibe in a refreshing beer or Margarita concoction while in Avalon, then Coyote Joe's Mexican Restaurant/Bar should be your watering hole. The food is very tasty and my favorite snacks, cheese quesadilla with roasted jalapeno peppers, are muy delicioso.

Avalon Seafood is the name but most just call it the green building Fish & Chip location on Pleasure Pier in Avalon. This is an eat under the sky, the sound of sea gulls and boats, the fresh smell of the sea and I'm out at the end of a pier in the water, seafood restaurant. Rosie has been serving fresh seafood for almost 30 years (with her late husband, Earl) from this location with a fresh fish market on the side of the building. Take one of the water tours from the pier and come back hungry for some fish & chips. Walk right up and enjoy some of the best fish & chips you will ever eat.

Favorite Dish: I been saying it for a few times already, but my favorite dish at Avalon Seafood is the Fish & Chips. Done to perfection.

Ristorante Villa Portofino Features a superb menu of the finest in Italian and continental cuisine.

Favorite Dish: As a major bread lover, I thought the garlic bread they served while we ordered was absolutely delicious. Their pasta dishes are great.

Antonio's Pizzeria and Cabaret
They have two facilities: the original restaurant on Sumner and the new one on the water on Crescent (the main street in Avalon). The floors are covered with peanut shells and their walls are wallpapered with dollar bills on which patrons have immortalized (and immoralized) themselves. Once seated, you will have a bucked of peanuts dumped on your table while you eat and you are welcomed to add your shells to the collection on the floor. The server will bring you a heavy-duty stapler to place a dollar bill on the walls if you choose. The food is good and the ambiance is great. (It's a bit chilly outside on the water at night.)

Favorite Dish: Pizza, pizza, pizza

We had a great time having dessert at Lloyd's of Avalon. We ate gourmet candied apples in the street on a park style bench. A sea gull was very interested in the nuts that fell off as we ate. It was very charming.

Excellent. Half a tail of lobster here is more like a whole lobster tail caught in the Atlantic. Great service, and, like all Avalon restaurants, it has a great view.

Favorite Dish: Half lobster tail. It's worth the price, because of its size, and it's all good.