Dorn's Original Breakers Cafe

City: Morro Bay

Food type: Seafood, American.

Restaurant link: http://www.dornscafe.com/

Price range/person: $25-40/dinner

Wait time: 30 mins - 1+ hour

Service: Friendly, professional.

Ambiance: Elegant, inviting, classy.

Dish Focus on:

Clam Chowder award-winning recipe enjoyed for over 50 years, Served with homebaked sourdough bread & butter













Creamy and fulfilling chowder, with plenty of fresh clams. Bread is deliciously fresh and warm.

Petrale Sole delicate filets lightly floured & sauteed in butter & wine.













Fish is definitely fresh, but "poached" option leaves the filet slightly tasteless. Side of veges and rice are flavorful.

Scallop Saute butter, parsley, garlic, & a splash of white wine.













Possibly the best scallops ever. Succulent, fresh, and meaty chunks that slowly melt in your mouth. A true seafood winner.

Yummmy factor: 4/5

YummmyRambles: Wait is long, but the food is delicious, especially the scallops. Gorgeous views of the bay and Morro rock from the restaurant. A bit pricey, but nice for a romantic evening out.

Sam's Chowder House

City: Half Moon Bay

Food type: Seafood

Restaurant link: http://www.samschowderhouse.com/

Price range/person: $25-35

Wait time: 20 mins-1 hour+

Service: Professional, nice, but slow paced. Waiter assigned to too many tables and was not able to check in regularly.

Ambiance: Casual, elegant. Exquisite beach front views from the restaurant.

Dish Focus on:

Manhattan Clam Chowder - Tomato-based little neck clam chowder with potatoes, vegetables, and herbs.

This is a hearty soup with plenty of thick clams and fresh vegetables. Broth is tasty, but not too thick and filling like typical chowders. Served with your favorite soup crackers. Bowl is large enough for two.

Escolar with herb roasted new potatoes, lemon, fresh herbs, and baby spinach.

Light, healthy selection of fresh, tender fish served on top of tasty potatoes and lightly cooked spinach. The lemon is not too strong and helps to bring out the flavor of the fish. Combination with the "mango salsa sauce" keeps the dish fresh and cool. While escolar is commonly associated with gastrointestinal problems, no problems resulted from this entree.

Sea bass with vegetable medley and chickpeas.

Fish was meatier and tougher than most sea bass selections. The vegetables were tasty, but the chickpeas overwhelmed the entree. Combination with the "black olives, capers and tomato sauce" made the dish too heavy on a hot summer evening. Going with a lighter sauce choice might make the entree more enjoyable.

Yummmy factor: 4/5

YummmyRambles: The estimated hour long wait was less than one hour. The bar and gorgeous beach side views kept customers entertained. Bread served before the meal was flavorful, but not warm. The waiter also forgot to charge us for the clam chowder, so our bill was less $$$ than expected.