Best coffee, cookies, pastries, and chai lattes on the island! We have been going here for 10+ years and still love it.
Quick service, courteous staff, and the location is perfect.
The cinnamon rolls are the best. I’m addicted to them! And the coffee is delicious!
Good service and selection!
Cookies and rice Krispy are good and soft.
Wish they had prices on the menu that you fill out… ended up paying so much more with all the add-Ons and it totaled $60 it was good but had no idea all the sides would cost $9 each!
Sunday May 2nd, 2021. We arrived and got in line at 9:10 and made the order around 9:25. It is well after 10am and still no food yet. Got coffee at 9:40 so its now cold. They stated that they had 50 online orders.. they need to figure out their service issues. Haven’t got food yet (10:09)so I know nothing about it.
The breakfast sandwiches were pretty bad and didn’t taste very fresh. Bagels were too soft and the bacon wasn’t crispy at all. The egg also had a rubbery texture. The coffee was fine and the cookie was also fine. Nothing close to spectacular though.
I wanted to like this place but the coffee was watery, the cookies were rock hard and stale, and everything very expensive. If the words “coffee” and “cookie” are in the business name, they should have good coffee and fresh cookies, but honestly—even Subway does it better.
On the other hand, the staff was pleasant, efficient and seemed unruffled by the long lines, which earned an extra star in this review.
2. White Buffalo Thrift Store
Address: 210 Metropole Ave D, Avalon, CA 90704 , Avalon , California , United States
great for if you forget sunscreenon the cruise orif you need a quick snack while walking along the shore.
For a small island they have a wide selection of grocery items you may need for a longer stay!
Nice clean store…new. Staff is great..prices are OUTRAGEOUS!!
But so is EVERTHING else in Catalina.
You will pay 3 to 5 times more for some items at this store.
Great location, easy find. Has everything you need
Always like shopping Vons, even if it costs a bit more.
Great to have at least one major chain of some sort there.
Worst grocery store ever. Staff are not knowledgeable of the products they sell – at all. Often times food is spoiled or past expiration date. Expect to wait a minimum of 15 minutes every single time you get in line. Don’t get in line unless you’re certain you have everything, because you will not want to go back if you forget something, the line is just too long.
Frighteningly intrusive. Used my member number at checkout, and was reminded how safeway tracks and archives every item i purchase, with this email prompt to rate the location I just walked out of.
Gwen has got to be the worst manager ive ever interacted with , i needed her assistance because of a failed transaction and she was rude , condescending and blamed me at several times during the conversation for the transaction failing . Good luck if something goes wrong with your transaction!
4. Catalina Divers Supply
Address: 1 Casino Way, Avalon, CA 90704 , Avalon , California , United States
My first time under the water. Staff very informative, patient, and helpful. Made the dive that much more enjoyable.
My son and I did a 2-tank guided tour dive at Casino Point with Chelsea / Catalina Divers Supply. Our experience with her and the shop was top notch. She was really helpful in getting us the best experience possible. We covered different sections of the park during the two dives. She highlighted tips and techniques for us to become better divers throughout. And yes, she helped us spot two giant Black Sea Bass during our dive. All in all, Chelsea is one of the best guides we have experienced, and the shop is a 5-star operation without a doubt. Tomorrow, we will do two boat dives with them, and feel positive about that experience also.
Great guide, great equipment, and a beautiful marine park steps away
Still get short fills when renting/filling HP tanks. This has been standard procedure for years, but I was hoping it would be remedied with the opening of the new store and compressor shack. If you rent an HP100, what your actually receive is about 90 cu. ft. of air. Also, the check in procedure is more laborious than when you checked in at the trailer. Now, even if you have reserved a tank, you must first check in at the store, then carry your paper over to the compressor shack. Don’t take this wrong, I like Catalina Diver’s Supply, but there is room for improvement before they warrant a 4-star or 5-star review.
Rented gear here for a couple of dives off Casino Point. It is very nice to be able to pick up rental gear right at (or at least very close to) the dive location. They had carts available which made is easier to transport to and from the steps. Staff was helpful and friendly.
The equipment was good and the people were pleasant enough. But I got to the island early hoping to start diving early. Got out to the point and learned that they didn’t open for almost an hour after I arrived. I waited at their door so that I might be first to get equipment and get out of there…my buddies were waiting. They arrived right at the time they were to open and needed about 10 minutes to get ‘set up’ (put out displays and such) before they would deal with any of the people lined up waiting. THEN…the person giving out equipment wasn’t there until half hour late…and he decided to deal with several people who just wanted weights and a tank before me….because I had rented full gear. So I had been at Catalina nearly 2 hours before I had equipment to dive…and nearly an hour after they were supposed to open. I liked it better when they just had a trailer out front the casino and opened earlier.
I was very unhappy with the guide provided to us.She was rude, and I think she should’ve been more patient with divers like me who were snorkeling for the first time. I would also suggest allowing some time to practice breathing with the snorkel gear in shallow waters before diving into the ocean.
When we asked for prices, the verbal quote was half the price of what they rung up and wanted to charge us. When we returned the gear, one worker told us we were in the wrong doorway, but she was wrong. Another worker took part of the gear and put it away but failed to check it in. When another worker checked in our gear, he wanted to charge us for the gear the other worker had already put away. It was about to turn into a dispute where they were accusing us of not returning gear and charging us more but the second employee luckily walked by and we were able to get him to vouch for us. It was a souring end to the fun.
Very busy shop, most of the staff were nice but a few were quite rude and disorganized. A lot of their gear is well overdue for replacement. The BC was newer but the boots and gloves had holes and the octo they gave me must have been for a junior. Regulator hose was so short, I was unable to turn my head to the left and ended up switching to the back up. If I dive Catalina again I’ll rent gear from SSI and bring it with me.
5. Three Palms Avalon Arcade
Address: 205 Crescent Ave, Avalon, CA 90704 , Avalon , California , United States
Fun place for all ages bar right next to the arcade for the adults.
The biggest dippin’ dots EVER!!!
Small arcade. Miniature bowling. Average tasting food for above average pricing. $2 tacos are the best deal, however they tasted average (a little bland)
If you are on the island now or thinking about visiting the island, don’t forget to stop by here or take the kids here
The original was better
The food is horrible.
The wait time is more than the travel to island.
Avoid this place.
Very poor, overpriced games. Mostly for small children.. but then again you don’t come to Catalina island for an arcade.
Fun idea, but overall a fail.
More than half the games in the arcade were “out of order”. The basket balls for the Connect4 (fun game!) were torn & super old. Entire arcade was quite dirty & could use a bit of attention.
6. Marlin Club
Address: 108 Catalina Ave, Avalon, CA 90704 , Avalon , California , United States
Great local spot, one pool table, old school jukebox, and jello shots
Marlin Club … last of the true local bars.
They don;t even have peanuts or slim jims.
Best bar in Avalon. Perhaps in California ( or in the US )
No Frills, just good company. Great place to meet real people.
Great for regular visitors, not so hot for tourists perhaps.
Pervert Club, mentally retarded
So this is our first trip to catalina, and we just got kicked out of this bar because my friend was having a private conversation with my husband and someone else about how he voted for trump, and ALFREDO the bartender/manager/whatever he is, apparently didn’t like that, and started screaming at us to get out, and when we responded with, “what?” He threatened to call the sheriff on us, and demanded that the door security(who was just as confused as us) throw us out. Then he proceeded to rile up half the bar and encourage them to scream at and berate us. Great bar management decision. Encourage a bunch of drunk customers to gang up on one person because YOU dont agree with someones vote. I have never been so humiliated in my life. Like I haven’t had one drink and I’m getting kicked out of a bar. I’ve never been kicked out of anywhere in my entire life. This was supposed to be a fun, memorable birthday trip for my husband and these are the memories we’re going home with. There are so many bars on catalina. Please consider somewhere else. I underatand and absolutely support a business’s right to refuse service to anyone, but this was beyond that. This bartenders actions could have gotten one or all of us seriously hurt or worse. We moved on to a different bar. Hone fully our bought gets better.
Terrible experience. Staff and guests were awful. Bar tender wouldn’t serve us unless we threw our “tourist hats” away. Guests told us we weren’t welcome as this is a “locals only” bar.
7. Pavilion Hotel
Address: 513 Crescent Ave, Avalon, CA 90704 , Avalon , California , United States
Nice healthy options and fast service. Juice menu can include simple options like orange juice.
AMAZING. Just moved to the island temporary, & cafe metropole is one of my favorites on the islands. Outstanding other restaurants. Great selection of foods & juices. I love their smoothie smoothies, I had their veggie wrap & another time their breakfast burrito. Everything is always fresh & delicious. Thank you for great food.
Avocado toast was really good here. Lot’s of options.
Nothing really spectacular, but still quite good. The lady at the register was very friendly. There’s a couple vegan sandwich options, the pita sandwich was pretty tasty
One of the best salads on the Island
such a cute place.. heard the coffee wasn’t the best so i tried the pina colada smoothie instead and it was delicious! staff here are super nice and great at their job they always make the customers their priority. love the aesthetic! and the sign in the front is toooo cutee
Next in line at the counterafter a group of 3 who did not order. The Young woman at the counter did not acknowledge us and even turned her back on us to go to the back room.
If you’re thirsty don’t miss the açaí bowl here. It’s so watered down it’ll quench all thirst. Pressed sandwich sadly worst than random subway.
Bad coffee
No WiFi
Serving food in this terrible paper boxes
9. El Galleon
Address: 411 Crescent Ave, Avalon, CA 90704 , Avalon , California , United States
Went as a port excursion as part of carnival cruise. Got to take a part of their happy hour. Got their onion rings and calamari, both excellent. Great prices on drinks and friendly staff. Couldn’t ask for more.
We’ve been coming to this place every year when we come to the Catalina Island Jazz Festival mainly for their lobster specials. This year’s local lobster was exceptional! A two pound lobster with shrimp stuffing dressing, just yum!
Steaks not as good as I hoped
Looked like the only happening place on the st. during a Friday night. The staff was friendly enough at first but then I noticed smirking while approaching our table. Note; if you want a water they will bring you bottled water. Our server said it was due to the water in Catalina not being safe yet our hotel staff said it was fine? The food was typical of a TGI Friday’s or Dennys. Without even asking or assuming they had served me coleslaw without the fries. I had asked if it were feasible to make my chicken sandwich a Buffalo (just add Buffalo sauce on top???) chicken sandwich, which even seemed to be an issue? When I finally caught our servers attention to let him know I actually wanted fries with my sandwich (as a majority of Americans would), he did NOT apologize and said okay, went to the kitchen as I literally heard them laughing. Soooo hilarious? Brought me my fries and walked away. The restaurant was getting busy towards the end of our meal and I was enjoying my sandwich until I almost choked on a small chicken tendon. So between this factor and unprofessional behaviors by Mexican staff, I feel a 3 is being generous.
Supuestamente servían el desayuno hasta las 11, llegamos a las 10, y nos dijeron que ya solo servían almuerzo.
Went there today for dinner with my wife. We got there around 6 or 7. Not the best customer service. I ordered the new york steak because they were all out of prime rib (The waitress said they dont sell it on weekdays) while my wife ordered the chicken alfredo. We got our food within 15-20 minutes. I had asked for my steak medium rare and when you cut into it it had the color of medium rare but it was so so so dry. I had ordered some mashed potatos on the side and it literally look as if they smashed a potato flat and thre it on a plate. My wife took three bites and she was done with her meal because of how bland it was. No flavor, you could seriously make better pasta in the microwave. Being pretty fed up we asked for the check pretty soon and our meal came out to around 80$ for steak, pasta, and some onion rings. We complained to the owner and he took the recipt and just gave us a look of annoyance. This place was HORRIBLE. I think the people of this place own a couple of restaurants on the island and you can just tell horrible customer service and even worse food…. and oh! You cant forget the tacky atmosphere!!!! They have then name of a Spanish restaurant, serve the food of an american steakhouse/tavern and have the atmosphere of New Orleans in Hawaii. Yeah. Save your money and try somewhere else.
Food was pretty bad. Like cheap frozen food out of a bag. Calamari was rubbery. Fettuccine was probably from a mix and frozen 3 days ago..burger was just some reheated frozen patty.
Was here at the start of June for my birthday. Ordered a Halibut from their daily specials and got very very sick from it. When I told the waitress I wasn’t feeling well she got some guy (manager?) who told me I was fine and then they hurried me out with the check. Became incredibly ill after for days. Awful place. Awful management. Their food poisoned me and they shrugged it off. Won’t be returning here and I caution others who consider this place. Surely there are better establishments in Avalon. I’ll find them next visit. I’d only ever go back in here to pee all over their bathroom door handles and paper dispensers.
10. Antonio’s
Address: 230 Crescent Ave, Avalon, CA 90704 , Avalon , California , United States
Delicious lunch spot with great views!! Veggie calzone and pesto ziti were dank
Very good place to eat
the Catalina club sandwich and fries are super yummy!
We came here for breakfast (right after their covid opening) and service was very sluggish. I hope to try it again soon! The atmosphere was great.
By the way, the “chicken fried steak” is just fried chicken. It was good, just unexpected.
Very good restaurant by the shore recommend
The worse place we’ve eaten here at Avalon. Came with my family in this restaurant around 10:40am. Order was taken 5 minutes after. Food was serve after 50 MINUTES!!!Thats horrible. Our breakfast order turned into brunch which we didn’t even finish it because we already lost our appetite since we waited for too long. Bill comes, and another error. Charged for the egg that we ordered but never received. OMG. Been in a food service and hospitality business, and these place needs a lot of improvement. Bwfore i forgot, the place is swamped by bees and I suggest they should at least do something about it coz you never know, maybe some of their customers is allergic with bee’s sting.
went for a vacation and encountered this food which was not good and bad customer service.
Stopped in because it was not crowded at 2PM on a Saturday. I had the Italian Sub. The roll was fresh, the cold cuts used to make this sandwich were nothing special. Simply thick sliced and layered on the roll. Nothing bad about the sub, just nothing great either.
Fries were the coated with something. This variety of french fries are what many restaurants seem to be using these days because I think it helps them appear crispy and golden or cook faster. But I prefer fresh (or frozen) french fries from real potatoes. So, obviously I can’t say how the other dishes like the special of the day Fish N Chips are, but I can’t say I would get too excited that you may be wowed by the food. Great view of the harbor, dockside seating available as long as you don’t mind the birds sitting on the bench across from you while you eat your food. Service was great when I arrived, but deteriorated quickly as the tables began to fill up. Long wait for the check.
11. Bistro at the Atwater
Address: 119 Sumner Ave, Avalon, CA 90704 , Avalon , California , United States
We stayed at the Atwater and ate here daily. The coffee was superb. Food was fresh and hot! We actually walked out of another establishment to come back here because the service was so poor at the other establishment. The music piped in creates a wonderful atmosphere. We love the Atwater and the bistro!
Nice place to get a cup of coffee and a snack. Available seating right there in the Atwater lobby. We were staying at a sister hotel (Pavilion) and they offered credits ($20 daily, out of their resort fee) when using this location.
Would love to see more vegan options other than fruit, avocado toast, cereal with several alternative milks, and drinks. Great service and friendly staff. Avocado toast was great!
Quick Summary
Given a $20 daily breakfast credit for staying at one of the Catalina Island Company’s hotels, the Bistro at the Atwater was surprisingly good despite the usual letdown of cafes that usually provide this benefit. Solid food and good service: The Bistro at the Atwater was a great start of the day for everyday of our Catalina adventure
Food- 4 stars
We ordered the egg sandwich, the breakfast wrap, the parfait, a cheese and tomato croissant, and the drip coffee (they use illy). Everything was solid, but I would recommend grabbing the egg sandwich or the croissant.
Service- 5 stars
Fast and attentive. Everything you need for this sort of cafe
Value- 3 stars
It is a bit pricy if you are paying out of pocket, but it’s nice to have the $20 voucher from our hotel
Bottom Line
Really solid cafe that did impress, since it seemed like a trap, being a hotel cafe and all. It was quite an enjoyable experience to start out with Bistro at the Atwater everyday for breakfast during our Catalina getaway
Service was good but the food uninspired. A small selection of options that for into a relatively compact space.
I love the wide variety of juices and breakfast options. The veggie breakfast burrito is just okay. I had to put hot sauce on mine. But great big portion size for the price. The cold pressed juices are amazing. Fast service! There are little tables nearby to eat. You get a discount if you stay at the hotel atwater. Staff is very professional.
How on Earth does this place have good reviews????? First off they didn’t even make the oatmeal….. You have to make it yourself.
Then they didn’t give me my drink!!!, in fact I found out what I thought was my drink was hot water to make the oatmeal myself. Which was “eiw” by the words of my 6yo child. I am now out 30$ because I have no drink and the oatmeal is disgusting AND I HAD TO MAKE IT MYSELF. WHY??? It’s almost $8 and I have to make myself and didn’t get my almost $8 drink? The entire total was $25
Tell me how.
And I came back to my room with fruit milk A STORE BOUGHT OATMEAL UNOPENED and HOT WATER.
HOW.
WHY DOES THIS PLACE HAVE GOOD REVIEWS????
really really beautiful place. i love the aesthetic and decoration but their coffee isn’t the best.. service is really great though and the employees are super sweet
Worst food I’ve had in a long time. Old, staleD undercooked and overpriced.
12. Island Water Charters/Parasail
Address: 20 Green Pleasure Pier, Avalon, CA 90704 , Avalon , California , United States
Jeanie gave me the best birthday present. I reserved with the other company and they canceled on me. I came to this company instead… they were all booked but Jeanie called me for a open spot. I had an amazing time and it was amazing experience. Jeanie deserves a nice xmas new year bonus.
Oh man, where to start? Hostess, she was a charm. Captain Mike. He read the room so to say and played music for the occasion. Tye, he was very helpful as a deck hand. And made my wife feel comfortable doing something that was… Scary. But he joked and kept it light hearted. She loved it. Heights and all. Got our feet wet and our bottoms dry. Amazing experience. Just ahhh!
We originally had reservations with their competitor over memorial weekend, which also happened to me my birthday weekend. Last minute the company canceled on me. I had called this place and they got me in right away, that same day as a matter of fact. They were so nice over the phone and even nicer in person. The crew was amazing and they made the ride/trip enjoyable and fun! They were so cool and down to earth. I had the best time ever!! Definitely will book through them again (they’re cheaper too)!
Ok
The guy’s in the boat are awesome super funny and helpful!!!!!!!!! BUT the young lady that helped us out (she had nose piercings and a leg tattoo) is extremely rude, she showed no customer service it seemed like she didn’t want to work or be there she was on her phone most of the time. Extremely rude person, so sad for this company. Came here on 4th of July weekend too. She shouldn’t work here anymore. Horrible person. I would like to give 5 stars because of the guy’s in the boat. But the young lady has no customer service.
We didn’t even end up parasailing with this company but our experience with the staff while trying to book was dispicable enough to write this review. The girl was simply awful. She was rude and unhelpful and when I respectfully asked her to repeat something she said, she blew up and said I should work on my manners and I shouldn’t be rude to people who are nice to me. I was beyond horrified. Reading previous comments I see this is not just me. Still nauseated by the experience.
Awful customer service. The girl was short and rude while answering the questions I had. I never parasail before so I was curious to know how everything worked but the customer service was just awful. She answered few of my questions as if she was giving me a favor. I knew I would truly regret spending my money with this company, so I didn’t. Good Customer service is the base of every business and this company has a seriously lack of that. Don’t waist your time or money!
do NOT go parasailing with this company! waste of money and time. my friends and I went together and both bought the photo package. Keep in mind, i’ve gone parasailing many times and this time my boyfriend and I only went to get the professional pictures taken of us. we get on the boat and start, the photo man, Carson starts taking photos of others while parasailing and I ask him to get these certain pictures of my boyfriend and I. His response, ” i’ve been doing this for years, don’t doubt me.” The WHOLE time we are in the air, he is flirting with a girl on the boat and did not get ANY good pictures of my boyfriend and i, all of which were blurry and could be taken by iphone quality rather than the professional quality. I asked him if he got pictures of us dipping in the ocean, and he replies no so i ask if they can just put us back to dip us really quick? would seem fair as it was my birthday AND we had bought the photo package however his answer was no. when i called this company to complain, the girl who answered provided no help nor compensation for the trouble, she said she would have the owner call me back however he never did. this shows the lack of care the owner has for his customers. i highly advise you to steer clear of this “establishment” that is lodged into a fish shack restaurant.
13. Pete’s Avalon’s Plaza Cafe
Address: 128 Sumner Ave # D, Avalon, CA 90704 , Avalon , California , United States
Loved the margaritas. Happy hour chicken tacos for $1 ok.
Very nice place
We had the tacos. 4 of them to be specific. They weren’t the best tacos I’ve ever had, but they were fairly descent and overpriced at approximately $6.00 per taco but it is on a very remote island and I’ll blame it on the additional cost of importing food. I personally wouldn’t do it again but to each their own.
Awesome Breakfast Burritos
Mexican food to enjoy a quick meal.
Food is average! Beer is not cold. Advertise free delivery, but only when they choose. Then I saw they have a C rating!! Not good
Need improvement with margarita
$16.95 for a two egg breakfast.
14. Kenny’s Music School and Shop
Address: 24731 La Plaza, Dana Point, CA 92629 , Avalon , California , United States
Kenny & Kimberly are awesome! Thanks again for the guitar strap and I look forward to seeing you again!
We have been going to Kenny’s Music for years and we absolutely love it! Kimberly is a real sweetheart, always there to greet us with a friendly smile. Kenny’s lessons are engaging and comprehensive, and now our whole family goes to Kenny’s for bass, piano, guitar and drum lessons. Whether you’re a classically trained seasoned musician or just getting started, Kenny’s is the place to go!
Love these guys! Have purchased instruments for the kids, as well as music books. They are fair, honest, and family run! Love having them in our town!
15. Metropole Market Place
Address: Metropole Ave, Avalon, CA 90704 , Avalon , California , United States
Nice place with some unique shops and grab leisure bites.
My room is straight in from the street. I can hear golf carts going by and people starting their’s up. Because we I booked on Expedia the front desk person said they couldn’t change room. Right outside my door are the employee restrooms! I am paying $1,021 for 4 nights.
16. Video Store
Address: 131 Metropole Ave # D2, Avalon, CA 90704 , Avalon , California , United States
This place has great good for the island, a true diner! The service was fast and the servers were friendly. There is a lunch cheeseburger combo where you get a burger, fries, and pie a la mode! The have very good pie!
Great breakfast and lunch spot! Food comes out quick and hot. They do require that you have your full party there before they will seat you.
At there most mornings we were on vacation. Good food. Great attentive staff!
The food is alright, I gave it 3 stars because it’s not delicious good food but it’s not bad tasteless food also. It’s just whatever
good place for brakfast
Good feed had
Disappointing that they refuse to give you water. I get that there is a drought, but is that really the best way to save?
Overpriced for what you get and our waiter was slow and forgetful.
This place is not clean (disgusting is probably an understatement) and the food was absolutely terrible. I would strongly recommend avoiding this place at all costs.
