Coyote Joe's Bar and Restaurant — Restaurant in Avalon

A Delightful Return to Avalon: Lunch at Coyote Joe’s Bar and Restaurant

After nearly two decades, I returned to Avalon on Catalina Island, eager to see how the charming town had evolved. While much had changed, with Avalon transforming from a sleepy cruise port into a bustling resort destination filled with numerous restaurants, bars, and shops, the island’s unique charm remained intact. The influx of cruise ships has undoubtedly infused the area with new energy and opportunities.

My wife, visiting Catalina for the first time, and I decided to explore the town and enjoy a leisurely lunch. As a veteran, I have a penchant for supporting veteran-owned establishments, so Coyote Joe’s Bar and Restaurant caught my eye. Upon arrival, we were warmly greeted and promptly seated.

We learned that the restaurant, a local favorite since 1982, had recently changed ownership, and the new proprietors hadn’t yet updated their online information. Nonetheless, we were eager to sample their renowned Mexican cuisine. 

To start, we ordered chips and salsa. Unlike many Mexican restaurants where these are complimentary, here they come at a modest charge. However, the quality justified the cost: the chips were freshly made, light, crispy, and warm, and the salsa was flavorful and delicious.

For our main courses, I opted for the Chile Relleno, and my wife chose the Chicken Fajitas. The portions were generous, and the presentation was inviting. My Chile Relleno was expertly prepared, ranking among the best I’ve tasted. My wife thoroughly enjoyed her sizzling Chicken Fajitas, noting the freshness and seasoning of the ingredients.

While the prices leaned toward the higher side, the ample portions and quality of the dishes provided good value. In hindsight, sharing an entrée would have sufficed for a satisfying lunch. Our meal was so fulfilling that we skipped dinner on the ship that evening.

A Few Tips for Future Visitors: • Chips and Salsa: These are not complimentary but are worth the extra charge for their freshness and taste. • Portion Sizes: Consider sharing an entrée, especially for lunch, to fully enjoy the generous servings without overindulging.

Overall, our experience at Coyote Joe’s was delightful. The combination of friendly service, delectable food, and the vibrant atmosphere of Avalon made for a memorable visit. Whether you’re a returning visitor or it’s your first time on the island, I highly recommend stopping by Coyote Joe’s for a...

overall, Bad experience. As we first walked in, no one greeted us not even looked at us. we stood there waiting confused not knowing if we just sit anywhere or we wait or what. we were there confused a while until we decided to just sit at whatever table we liked.They took forever to even give us the menu. When finally someone handed us the menus, The waitress took so long to come back to take our order and when she did she gave us attitude! then she would stand at the bar talking and laughing with the waiter there. the waiter literally did nothing but stand there. The food took so long to get to our table, the fries we ordered were so cold! the burritos were nasty. Then to pay we noticed how expensive it was! a wet burrito $20? the cheese burger was small and the lettuce looked old and the fries cold $15!!!! other food we ordered was just plain horrible! bad food. the pina colada was ok. but the strawberry smoothie was similar to the 7eleven slirpees! those were like $10 each. We finished paying and then as we walked out one of the waitresses yelled out in spanish if we had paid and we all turned back including other people. they yelled that out a couple times "did you pay? did you pay?" i was like yes! the other waitress said "oh yes she did" But i guess the one who yelled thought it was funny to put us on the spot she asked again!? but this time she was laughing. am I wrong to feel upset for this? anyways...........

We are avid cruisers and Catalina Island is a regular stop when porting out of Long Beach. It has become a tradition to have drinks and appetizers at Coyote Joe’s. During our last visit we had a party of 6 sit down had drinks and some eats. I settled the main tab and the others would leave their own tip. After signing the tab we left and went shopping.

About 25 minutes after leaving I was chased down by our server from Coyote Joes stating that my payment was only for $8 and the manager asked for her to find us. I walked about two blocks back to the restaurant and they asked me to pay again.. I used my mobile application and showed that I already paid and explained that I had signed for the receipt that processed my credit card. The manager looked at my phone and stated that it only said pending.. I again explained that ALL transactions are pending until they post. They asked if I could resign the receipt which I complied. I continued to monitor my credit card and the original transaction posted.

I was embarrassed as I was tracked down in the street when I was with friends and family due to an establishment not understanding their POS system or attempting to have me pay twice. The manager did apologize once but never told me for what and still insisted I resign the receipt I already signed.

We will not be returning to Coyote Joes after 9 years and hope this does not happen to...