M Restaurant & Events — Restaurant in Avalon

Do not recommend making a reservation at this restaurant or attempting to dine here. We had an incredibly rude and frustrating experience that was not handled in a professional manner.

For those who want the details, I made a reservation 2 months in advance for a large group. The reservation was discussed over the phone with the restaurant owner Jen, and confirmed via email. The restaurant had me fill out a credit card form to hold the reservation, which I was happy to do for a large group. I confirmed the reservation the week of the planned visit by both phone and email again - I wanted everything to go smoothly for the large group. We arrived at the restaurant on time for our reservation and was told our reservation had been cancelled. When I explained I didn’t cancel, I received no apology and no offer to attempt to remedy the situation. I asked to speak to the manager. The manager told me they had called the number associated with my reservation earlier that day, and when I hadn’t answered they cancelled the reservation (I have never heard of such a practice). I asked what number they called, and he recited a phone number I had never heard of and wasn’t associated with me or anyone in my party (and they had my phone number on the credit card form they made me fill out). I explained that wasn’t my number and we had confirmed the reservation with the restaurant owner via email and by phone. I was given no apology. When asked if they could still seat us, I was told they would get a table together but it would take 20 minutes. They asked for my phone number and said they would call when it was ready. 30 minutes later we went back to the restaurant to check in. We were informed that they had not set up a table for us. They said the table they were going to use for us hadn’t been vacated yet, that they couldn’t make that table leave, and that they couldn’t give us an ETA (and still offered no apology for the delay or their mistake). At that point it was after 9pm (our reservation had been for 8:30 pm) and we didn’t want to wait further and managed to find food elsewhere (not an easy feat with a large group last minute!). We still were not offered any sort of apology and the restaurant continued to tell us our reservation had been cancelled. When I emailed the restaurant owner she did apologize, but that of course did us no good at that point. We had nothing but great experiences elsewhere on this Island, so from my point of view no reason to rely on this...

Beware! This restaurant consistently doesn't honor the reservations that people make so be prepared to wait in line and take whatever tables they need to fill instead of the ones you booked.

Our family made multiple reservations for outdoor seating because of numerous 85-90 year olds in our party and their concerns for covid. The reservations were confirmed and our family was excited to get together there. Then, the restaurant reached out to us and said we'd have to pay $1500 if we wanted the outdoor seating for our large party! Totally ridiculous so I didn't respond as we already had our confirmed reservations. The restaurant then sends us messages stating that they'll not grant us outdoor seating and that all outdoor seating will be first come first serve. They also indicated their staff gets overwhelmed with large numbers of people... and as you can see in other reviews, many people have experienced lengthy wait times for service and many not even acknowledged at all.

Bottom line - the management and customer service are truly horrible here which explains why no one signs any of their "shakedown" and retaliatory emails & messages...no accountability.

Words of advice for this restaurant: 1.) If you can't accommodate the reservations you make, do not make them. Super simple. 2.) A little integrity when dealing with your customers goes a long way. You...

Our experience at M was a mixed bag. To begin: the service was very good and the views from the patio are nice. The restaurant looked clean but the bathroom was a bit dingy. As for the food - we began with the fried ravioli, which were amazing; I could have eaten that alone for dinner. For entrees, my companion had the swordfish and I had the filet. The swordfish was a bit overcooked and dry, but the flavor was good. However, my filet mignon, which I ordered medium, came to me well done - the steak was completely grey. I sent it back, and the waitress was friendly about it. When the new steak came to me, it was VERY rare - I'm talking black and blue. I kind of nibbled around the edges but ultimately left it uneaten. I just didn't want to send it back a second time. The filet was served with mashed potatoes, which were not great - they were too peppery and stiff/dry. The asparagus was a bit stringy - which is to be expected, given the season - but well seasoned. The standout was the bleu cheese sauce - it was absolutely delicious. I may end up going back, in spite of the middling experience, because Catalina dining options are few. However, if and when I return, I'll be sticking to appetizers and/or...