Stateroom - Laguna Beach

I was pleasantly surprised after reading some of the reviews—I wasn't sure what to expect. We had a lovely table inside, right by the door, which gave us a nice breeze. The food was excellent, and the service was great as well. We'll definitely be coming back!

After ordering an appetizer and our main courses, we decided to get dessert and another glass of wine. We finished our dessert before I even finished my wine, and I still had about half a glass left when the waiter approached us and said I needed to hurry up because there were other diners waiting for a table. I was taken aback, especially since he hadn't mentioned anything about people waiting when I placed my order for dessert and wine. I told him I would finish my drink before we left. Immediately after he left, the hostess came over and said the same thing. By then, I was furious! What kind of restaurant asks guests to rush and leave? I requested to speak with the manager, but she never came over to address my concerns. I even tried calling the restaurant and only reached a recorded message. I left a message for the manager to return my call, but it’s been over 24 hours, and no one has reached out to me. This experience was unbelievable. This restaurant is supposed to be one of the nicer dining spots in Laguna Beach, yet the food was mediocre and the service was horrible. I would recommend not wasting your time or money here.

The drinks were disappointing as well; the Mexican lager was flat, the cocktails were overloaded with ice, and the glass of wine was only filled to 25%. It made us wonder if they were short on measurement standards. We had to pressure the waiter to take our food order due to our lengthy wait. Although the food did arrive well-presented and on time, one dish—spaghetti carbonara with lobster—was a letdown. It sounded enticing, but it came with a large fried egg covering the entire plate. The carbonara itself seemed unrecognizable, lacking the essential egg yolk and bacon. As an Italian, I found this preparation deeply insulting to our culinary heritage. The seared salmon, while visually appealing, was overly salty and dry. It's unfortunate that this restaurant marred our special occasion. I sincerely hope they can improve in the future by treating their customers with the respect and courtesy they deserve, and by addressing their mistakes appropriately.

The food is very good here. we had the grilled octopus and the butternut squash ragu. Both outstanding. oysters on the half shell very good also... Beautiful spot

We had reservations at Driftwood to celebrate my best friends 40th birthday, this past Friday. Meal was amazing, but service was exemplary! My husband requested a specific scotch and they actually had it! Ryan the manager on duty kept checking on us to make sure everything was good, and kept the scotch's coming! Overall just an amazing experience. Sea Bass was the BEST I have ever had! Ryan, come visit us in Nashville!