Ocean Grill Vallarta — Restaurant in Jalisco

A friend of ours found this place, so off we went. The restaurant is a 25 minute cab ride and 5 minute boat ride south of old PV. The cab ride cost about $20 USD, very affordable to what we're used to, and the boat ride is free if you're dining at Ocean Grill, which is open only for lunch.

Once at the pier in Boca de Tomatlan, you jump into a small boat that takes you to the restaurant which is one cove over. The ride was smooth. We arrived 18 minutes past our 1pm reservation, but was warmly welcomed to our corner, oceanfront table. We didn't experience any problems with tardiness, which wasn't our fault anyway, as the first shuttle boat was full.

ATMOSPHERE: The restaurant is built on a deck and into the cliff side. The onwer's huge dog greets guests with a friendly bark hello. There's an open-air grass hut and umbrella-protected seating, with killer views and calming ocean music. A relaxing lounge area with sofas look out onto the beautiful Pacific next door. The single, unisex toilet is up a flight of steps and totally outdoors. It's fairly private with foliage, and as long as you lower the parking lot-like "occupied" arm, that'll keep traffic down a few steps. Very cool, but difficult for those with walking disabilities.

MENU: Salad, seafood apps, chicken, fish, burgers, lobster, octopus, ribs. They were out of lobster, scallops, and oysters for the 1pm seating.

BEVERAGE: 2 in our party thoroughly enjoyed the green margaritas.

FOOD: Shrimp Aguachile I've never eaten raw shrimp before, but it was surprisingly good, and not "shrimpy" tasting at all. A generous amount of shrimp were bathed in a green lime sauce that had a smooth, savory and tart flavor, mixed with cucumbers, and topped with red onions & cilantro. Very refreshing app to start with.

Ocean Grill Guacamole Yummy, chunky, and creamy guac! The best yet we've had in PV. The chips were on the thicker side.

Caesar Salad Whole baby romaine leaves were coated in a fairly good caesar dressing, sprinkled with soap box cheese (AKA Kraft,) and topped with croutons. Mainstream but good.

Shrimp Wow, these 4 buggers were huge! Cooked perfectly in a light butter-garlic sauce with a slight hint of coconut. I'm not a coconut fan but could tolerate it in this dish. Highly recommended.

Octopus The partial mollusca sported 3 fairly thick suction cup legs, over 3 small breakfast-style potatoes, topped with a kalamata olive tapenada, and a plate side drizzle of a tomato-pineapple-onion-like salsa. The texture of the octopus was good, tender yet slightly chewy, but overall had zero taste. I come from Hawaii where we make octopus in several different styles with tons of flavor. Not here. Pass.

Ocean Grill BBQ Ribs My spouse's dish. The meat was super tender and fell off the bone, and was basted in a traditional BBQ sauce. Very mainstream but good. He opted for a side of fried plantains which I didn't try.

DESSERT: We declined any after being told that all the desserts are from Costco sans for one item. Bleh.

SERVICE: Our local male server was friendly but not all together there. He hardly checked on us, so my spouse's request for more BBQ sauce for his ribs wasn't met. Dishes got dropped off to the wrong person at the table, and he plainly didn't seem into being there. There as another male server or bus boy, who I think was American that was helping him out, was very friendly and professional. Another guy, I'm presuming who is the owner, checked on us during our apps session.

TIPS: Children under 14 are not allowed, which is great for a relaxing experience, but could also be a safety issue due to the boat ride and access to the restaurant.

Open for lunch only.

Reservations via credit card are required.

Not handicapped accessible.

There are a lot of house rules, so check out the website before committing.

No cell reception.

OVERALL: It was almost a half day journey to eat here from where we stayed in PV. Cool restaurant with a great ambiance, okay...

I took my husband here for his birthday as a surprise. He was overjoyed! We took an Uber from the Marina area to Boca de Tomatlan and our driver had called ahead to have a woman guide us to a panga. We got to Boca at 11am, which gave us plenty of time to enjoy the scenery and beach at Playa Colomitos. I told the guide my max price and she negotiated with a couple of guys. The restaurant offers a round trip panga but it wasn't at Boca yet to take riders. The panga ride goes along the cliffside a short distance allowing you to admire the dream homes where you might want to retire. When you arrive at the beach, it is a small slice of heaven. We arrived at the perfect time to see butterflies fluttering around the fresh water of a small waterfall. I'm sure you'd see more waterfalls if you kept hiking upstream. There were private boats and pangas arriving for folks to set up their camp for the day. I imagine it gets crowded quickly. We swam in the clear, cool water that sparkled with some kind of gold mineral. I saw a tour boat dropping people off to snorkel along the rock cliffs, surely you can bring your own gear and do the same. We climbed over the rock face and dilapidated walkway on the right side to get to the restaurant. I'm not sure if there was any other path - it just looked like the easiest way to go. We took a leisurely afternoon eating and drinking. I ordered the whole octupus (for my first time) and it was delicious. My husband had the Mahi Mahi and he gave it good reviews. The staff was friendly and did not rush us at all. We took their panga back and the waiter offered it for free for the one way trip. This restaurant is a destination experience you will love! It is a lifetime memory we...

Some of the negative reviews on this place are from Karens who did not read the rules of engagement and are upset that they did not bend the rules for them. Quite frankly I find some of these reviews to be unfair.

The resturant requires you take a very long hike or a water taxi. I like the water taxi. If you dont like to ride on a boat, this place is not for you, it is also not for children. First it is not safe for a child and secondly we all have seen those parents who can't manage their children, because, well they are children and could careless if the other patrons are enjoying their expensive dinner. This is not a place for children, period.

This is not a Forbes Five Star Restaurant, this is a grill owned by one man and a dog. It is a small business, If you are in need of 5 star service, go elsewhere, here you ge stellar service, from a great staff. Everything needs to be brought in, so if something is out, then it's out pick something else instead of complaining out it online.

Enjoy the view, the food, the tequila and your company. Make good memories here.

I highly reccomend.

If you know when you are going in and are celebrating a special day, reach out to the restaurant and ask if you can order and pay for your meal before hand that way your octopus or whatever dish desire is available for you.

Please read the houserules.

Five Stars! Best views...