33°north - Dana Point

Went here twice: once just for drinks and returned the next night for dinner with my family. For just getting drinks, this place was pretty good. The service was a little slow, but I sort of expect servers to make a lone guy having a few beers a lower priority. Tonight we found that the Waldorf's steakhouse was by reservation only, so we tried this place for dinner. First of all, we were waiting a long time for anyone to notice us. I finally told my wife that if no one takes our order after five minutes that we'd leave and go somewhere else. At the fourth minute a gentleman who looked like the manager approached us and said he'd get a server to get us going. A server appeared and took our order and about a half hour later our food came along. A plate with nothing else but a filet mignon, (no sprig of parsley, no ornamental red wine reduction smear; nothing but a filet on a plate), is $71. I asked for a side of fries for a little razzle dazzle and because I was absolutely starving after having skipped lunch. This filet mignon was purple, chewy, cold, and raw. I wolfed it down because the thought of waiting another 20 minutes to catch sight of my server to flag her down and have the kitchen try and make another one was too much and I have a two year old who needs to sleep and I don't have all night. I can cook a rare filet mignon. I know what rare is. It's dark red and juicy and it's hot; it's not so chewy that it takes forever to eat. My wife's crab cakes were too salty for her, and when I had a bite to taste for myself I tasted cheap salty store bought breadcrumbs. My daughter's chicken tenders had the largest serving size; I should've taken a picture of our three plates for a hilarious comparative illustration, but my frustration levels were maxing out by this point and I just wanted to fast forward myself out of this misery. So the check for three golf ball sized crab cakes, a raw filet mignon with a side of fries, and a gigantic kid's plate of french fries and chicken tenders came out to just over $150 before tip. I told the server about how bad the steak was but she said I already ate it so there was nothing she could do. All I can do is warn you, the intrepid google review reader: only go to this establishment if you want a few drinks and to watch a sunset. Don't go here if you want a server to be adequately attentive they don't speak that language here. If you go here for food, you may experience what I just went through, and I am absolutely livid. This was supposed to be the peak dinner experience for our vacation. I wouldn't wish this kind of nonsense on the devil himself.

My wife I are frequent visitors...Come here for the views, the patio, the fireplaces, and the ambiance...But the Service is HORRIBLE. There is not a better word to describe this. You will wait for a menu to start, then you will wait for a greeting, and then you will wait to place an order, so I suggest just GOING TO THE BAR and enjoying the Monarch.Cheers ;

We had an exceptional experience at 33 North, and the sunset views overlooking the Pacific were spectacular. Our server Natalie took wonderful care of us, and the food and drinks were all top-notch. Whether you're looking for a memorable dinner experience or just want to unwind with some drinks, I highly recommend 33 North.

It’s a great bar. But understaffed, so servers are always samurai.

This might be my favorite bar. Ryan. Ernest Benny took care of us for 3 nights while we sampled expertly crafted drinks (Chopin vodka martini was absolute perfection).This wasn't a sports bar, but we were able to enjoy the NBA playoffs (Go Denver). On Friday we also enjoyed live music with classic covers like the Eagles Springsteen.The food is amazing. My favorite was the spicy bluefin tuna. My husband's fave was the wagyu steak tartare. The bread pudding was spectacular!!They also have an excellent wine beer selection.