Blue Wave Bar and Grill

Great waterfront view! The food is good and nicely presented. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable. Good bar and reasonable happy hour food choices.

This was probably the most unexpected favorite of my time in San Diego. I mean, it’s a restaurant in the Best Western on Shelter Island. How good could it be?
We stayed at the hotel (hello, San Diego on a budget) and had a few fantastic breakfasts and a lunch at the restaurant. The food was fantastic. Each morning, my sister and I shared a breakfast burrito and Belgian waffle topped with fresh fruit, and enjoyed some highly decent coffee while overlooking the marina. We also had lunch at Blue Wave one day — fabulous brie en croute, cobb salads, and a glass of wine poolside. Prices are reasonable, service is great, and the location is unbeatable!

Food was good, prices were reasonable, service was horrible. Refills never came unless we asked for it and it was 15 minutes later we waited forever for the bill and finally walk up to the front for it.

We stopped by for quick brunch and drinks. Great service with good food. Great spot!!!

Not bad for a hotel restaurant/​room service. Really quick service, for the most part friendly except for the evening delivery guy got bent out of shape when I used the free drink voucher given to me by the front desk of the hotel. He asked me where I got it??? Black market drink vouchers? Anyway the drink was so terrible I won’t be using my other vouchers. The food has been really surprisingly good. I haven’t actually dined in the restaurant yet– only room service because my room has such a fantastic view :)

Beautiful view from this restaurant onto the Marina. I ate the seafood salad as a entrée and It was just right for a light dinner. My parents had some sort of beef entrée, i don’t recall it’s name exactly but they really liked it. For dessert I had tasty crème brûlée. My parents had a dark chocolate torte which was to die for.
Big negative — the group of 50’s and 60’s something at the bar got sloppy drunk and there was a loud bar fight! Although it was contained quickly by security, kind of lost our appetite by the upset.

As I ate lunch at Blue Wave, I glanced around the dining room and noticed that my boyfriend and I were easily the youngest people in the restaurant by at least a couple decades but likely more. Nearly every other person looked like they were retired and out for a leisurely lunch by the water. Not that there’s anything wrong with that and the main clientele actually fit the vibe of the restaurant perfectly. There was an outdated feel to the restaurant that made me feel like I was back in the ‘80s. Despite the Miami Vice aura, the restaurant does offer a stunning view of the marina.
As for the food, I ordered the salmon caesar and my boyfriend got the zucchini tacos. The salmon tasted great and my only complaint is that it’s served with the skin on. Maybe it’s just me but salmon skin grosses me out and even more so on a salad instead of just sitting on the plate. I wasn’t sure where to discard the skin and it ended up sitting on my napkin.
My boyfriend didn’t care for his zucchini tacos but we both agreed that the tater tots were delicious, although it is difficult to mess tots up.
Our main issue though was the speed of service. It took longer than usual for our food to arrive, especially given that the restaurant was less than half full on a Sunday afternoon. But it seemed that it took even longer for the bill to arrive at our table. We were long past ready to go when our waitress finally showed up with the bill.
On the plus side, Blue Wave has a BOGO in the Entertainment Book.

I always enjoy a themed bar, especially an old fashioned Tiki style lounge that looks like it hasn’t changed much from the early 70’s. This place offered all the mildly cheesy but fun romance of pretending you are on a tropical island.
While vacationing in San Diego with my family, my sister and brother-​in-​law were also meeting friends who were vacationing here at the same time and staying at the nearby Best Western Hotel. This restaurant and lounge is conveniently located practically next door and was just a short walking distance from the hotel.
We all met in the bar area and wanted to relax and catch up by ordering drinks. I was the only one who was hungry and requested a menu of their bar food. During this time when we first walked in and sat down, we immediately could overhear a women sitting at the table next to us complaining rather loudly to her companions at how angry she was to have been served cold food. They seemed to be embarrassed and tried to calm her down. She got up and continued to scold the bartender whereas I assume they gave her a refund and she stormed out leaving her friends behind. Eventually they departed after apologizing for their friends behavior.
I proceeded to order a Mai Tai and a large bowl of Tomato Bisque soup with a side of onion rings, hoping that everyone would like to share them with me. In the back of my mind, I joking thought: I hope I don’t get cold food too! My sister and I enjoyed our Mai Tai’s, but her friend didn’t like it at all and thought it was too sweet. Oh well, I like sweet drinks and had no complaints… until the soup came! Yes, the soup was just luke warm at best! I didn’t know what to do. Should I be another «Negative Nancy» and complain? Finally, the onion rings arrived and they were at least piping hot! I quietly ate my soup all the while wondering if I should inform them that maybe one of their burners or the microwave is losing it’s power. The soup was still good, and since I’m not one to complain of a minor issue, I stayed quiet. Ever since then, I feel stupid for not speaking up, but my drink at least kept me in a mellow state of mind. The onion rings were pretty good, and I ended up eating them all like a pig because no one else was hungry!
Anyway, the lounge and adjoining restaurant had a nice romantic ambiance. The staff members were friendly, although not too attentive. If the bartender came over and asked me how my food was, I probably would have said something at that time. I guess I need to work on my shyness and assertiveness more! Maybe a second drink would have helped!

I have to say this place was actually better than I thought it would be. They have a basic menu but what comes out the kitchen will definitely wow you. The flavored are on point. Our waitress Heidi was very attentive to our needs constantly checking on us. If you make it this way try the Corned Beef Hash you won’t be disappointed. Now view of the Marina as well.

Tonight. So we made reservations for our wedding anniversary bc we had our honeymoon there. And have spent our anniversary there before. They had a nice table reserved for us outside like we had requested. But prior to our arrival they had seated an obnoxious party of four next to us. «Mr. Me So Important» his wife and another couple hanging on their every word. We told them when my husband made the reservation it was our anniversary and we had honeymooned there. Ok, she said, we will make sure you get a nice table. Cool. Thanks. So we get through the dinner and towards the end they bring the obnoxious four a free dessert and say «happy anniversary». Oh. Whoa. Seriously? Uh huh. Thanks for ducking that one up, waitress that didn’t give a fuck. Love ya. Jk. Won’t be back.

We have been staying at this hotel for two years now and this was our first time eating here. Mainly we came for drinks and desserts. We wanted to enjoy our drinks outside but our server was this older gentleman who was rude as heck! He didn’t want to see us because we just wanted drinks but come on, we wanted to enjoy our vacation by the marina. He was looking at our IDs as if they were false like hello, we are past 21 sorry dude. It took him a good 15 minutes to come with our drinks while he attended his other tables quick. So we left to the bar area and he said that someone else will take over which is fine. The bartender was very nice to us and attended us attentively. I wish their service was much better. Worse stay ever and I don’t think we plan on coming here anymore and we will tell our family and friends who come here to never come eat inside the hotel. Just HORRIBLE!!!
Update: Ashley the manager helped my family and I! She helped us by giving us certificate and it sincerely helped! Thank you!

My fiancé and I went here Friday night and loved it so much that we came back for lunch the next day. The service was really good and the food was amazing! Friday I ordered a cup of clam chowder and a crab cake, then on Saturday I got an Irish coffee and the Chorizo shrimp Mac N Cheese. My fiancé of Friday got the linguine and clams, then on Saturday he too got an Irish Coffee and lobster Nachos. All of our food was better than expected from reading other reviews. The Irish coffee was made with French vanilla whipped cream! Best whipped cream I’ve ever had!

The only reason I am giving Blue Wave 2 stars is for the service. If it were based on the food and quality of the food it would have to be zero stars. We went there for Fathers Day and it would be a great place to go if you were trying to kill your father because the food… It really is God awful. Had the Medallion steak dinner. Thought I was on a nursing home with the bland taste. The garlic potatoes… stiff like it had been sitting for hours and again… no taste! Where is the garlic?
Would I go back? Not even if it were free.
The only redeeming factor was the view from the dining room. That was spectacular. Have a cup of coffee… enjoy the view… just don’t eat the food.

Came here for an early dinner before heading home. Hubby had a coupon from the Entertainment book for buy one get one free. There was even happy hour at the bar but we decide to dine inside. We sat ourselves near the window with a view.
The waiter was very nice and took our drink orders. I just got iced water. It came with a lemon on the side of the glass. I look through the menu and saw lobster nachos. What a different take on nachos so I decide to order that. My daughter got a corn dog with French fries. They have a kid’s menu which is great for those of us who have kids.
While we wait, we look out the window which shows boats and make conversation. We even see people on their kayaks. Very cool!
When my lobster nachos come, I was impressed. The lobster pieces were buried under the cheese, sour cream and black beans. The chips were toasted and very crunchy. The lobster pieces were fairly big. They were soft and delicious as I took a bite into them. There was also guacamole in the nachos. I actually finished my whole plate. It was that good!
The waiter refilled our waters. He was super nice and kept checking up on us. The restaurant was not busy. There is even seating outside near the pool. The restaurant is inside a hotel. I definitely enjoyed my lobster nachos and the service was excellent! I highly recommend this place!

Every time I go to San Diego, I stay at the Island Palms and eat breakfast at Blue Wave. For a hotel breakfast, it’s pretty good, especially since most of the restaurants on Shelter Island are connected to hotels.
Everything here is solidly four stars. The chicken fried steak is actually good here and not too oily. Not a super heavy sauce, either, which is nice. I always get a virgin bloody mary here because they have one of the best ones that I’ve had. However, I’m docking a star because the French toast has always been soggier than I would have liked.

The food was delicious with great service. The setting was romantic with dim lighting, a very nice scenario of the boats and marina view. The menu had great selection of food and drinks for dinner. Service was fast or maybe because there werent many people there for dinner which made the experiance alot better. Would recommend for dinner service

For a restaurant in a hotel, the Blue Wave Bar and Grill is a nice choice for dining. It’s in a great location with a nice view and ambiance. I had been there a few years ago and was very impressed but not so much this time.
While our waiter was really nice, the service was a bit slow. The menu selection is small enough to not overwhelm you and the wine pour is the best in town! I think the prices are a bit high but it is a hotel restaurant. I had the seafood risotto and it was just ok.
I ate outside on the deck where it was a lot quieter than inside, with the exception of a few kids running up from the pool to go into the dining area inside. Parents can sit on the deck and enjoy a meal or a drink while watching their kids in the pool down below.
I would go back for appetizers and a couple of glasses of wine but not sure I’d pay for a full meal. It could be a better and there is room for improvement.

Went for a quick lunch and it took almost 1 ½ hours to see our food. It was super windy and another couple finally after waiting their due diligence, wind blew their umbrella up into the air plunging their untouched meal cascading to the deck.
This of course wasn’t the restaurants fault, but the man from the table had to hold on to the umbrella while nary a sole came outside to help.
Finally and slowly the staff strolled out to assist with the urgency of a sloth.
All but one couple came inside to shelter ourselves from any further umbrellas of mass destruction.
Another 15 mins and finally our food arrived. I received no offers to refill my drink but thankfully saved my precious water!
Food was good. I had the burger and my lovely wife had fish tacos (their fryer was down).
In all a strange 2 ½ hour experience from a simple attempt at lunch.

I was looking around for breakfast on the day we had to head home, and almost picked Marvelous Muffins, but decided to take a chance on Blue Wave Bar & Grill since it is located on the property of the Best Western. Hot food sounded better than a room temperature muffin, no matter how good the muffin.
The hostess & waitress were very friendly, and the ordering from the menu is astonishingly easy. Simple things like yogurt with fruit & granola, or a waffle with berries are $ 8, and a breakfast croissant sandwich, 2-​egg breakfast or omelet are $ 12 each. Mrs. C got the 2-​egg breakfast with ham, English muffin, potatoes & a small orange juice. I got a make-​your-​own scramble with mushrooms, spinach, potatoes & rye toast. Honestly, the food was really good. The kitchen was fast, the food was served at the proper temperature, and nothing was too salty or overseasoned. I would have liked some tabasco with my eggs, but Baby C is so curious about trying everything on the table that he probably would have licked the bottle.
A lot of the complaints around Blue Wave seem to be about bad service or a slow kitchen, but luckily neither were problems for us. If you are here for breakfast, I’ve had a lot worse. Totally worth a try!

Got totally delped by Unilocal’s 4-​Star rating on this one! Whoops!
Lesson learned. I didn’t notice how all the super-​positive reviews were only from hotel and wedding guests. Oy! Where to begin. The Best Western doesn’t allow you to park in its lot. You have to park across the street, and this is a low-​class move for a menu whose prices portend a quality dining experience.
The wait staff here is very friendly. Very. So friendly I almost feel bad writing this review. But it takes forever to get anything. We had a 70-​minute meal, and we opted against dessert.
Not even the bread was good. It was a very quiet and rather senior dining room for a Friday (for any day actually) and each time I bit my bread, I felt like the entire room could hear it carrrRRRUNCH without turning up their hearing aids. It was literally an uncomfortable chewing experience. Usually I don’t remark on table bread. But Blue Wave hasn’t even mastered TABLE BREAD.
For whatever reason, the waitress served me before my wife. I have never seen that happen in a restaurant, ever. Not even a chain. Not even in an airport. But, they are friendly. Very friendly. Wife loved her salmon/​quinoa dish. I ordered Steak & Frites, which had an 8-​oz. hangar steak I requested medium-​well:
Does that look like medium-​well? It was charred. Oh! THAT’s why it took so long — they were burning the steak. And, by the way, that meal costs $ 22.
This falls into the category of restaurants which look appealing the first time you visit a city, but once you live there you’re like, «Remember that crappy hotel restaurant we went to by the yacht dealer?» Yeah, we won’t be back. Especially not for those prices.