Domenico's on the Wharf — Restaurant in Monterey

Domenico’s on the Wharf, founded in 1981, consistently provides a special, high quality dining experience on Old Fisherman’s Wharf! We have enjoyed dining at this restaurant in the past and as usual, upon entering Domenico's for lunch today , we were warmly greeted with an high level of professionalism and genuine hospitality, setting the tone for an exceptional fine dining experience. While we dined, we loved seeing the fascinating everchanging views of the harbor activity, enjoying the passing whale watching boats, sailboats, colorful skiffs, rowboats, adorable sea otters, pelicans and other seabirds and more, seen through the window right next to our table.

Our culinary journey at Domenico's was a true delight! Whether it is for lunch or dinner with family, friends, or a romantic date, we believe that this restaurant truly offers the perfect setting for any occasion, casual yet featuring fine high quality dining.

We savored every bite, starting with the delicious Caesar's salad with its tasty anchovies and crunchy croutons plus some great bread with softened garlic butter. We absolutely loved the mouthwatering Prawns Scampi Castroville which features many Pan-Seared large, delicious Prawns, Artichokes, Tomatoes, Fresh Garlic, Basil, and White Wine over a bed of Capellini in an attractive serving pan which kept it nice and warm. We also enjoyed the Free-Range Chicken Marsala Tenderized Chicken Breast topped with Mushrooms and their terrific House-Made Marsala Sauce, served over Linguini. Each dish was expertly prepared with high-quality ingredients and presented beautifully. We completed our lunch by splitting a generous portion of Chocolate Espresso Cheesecake which was unique, not overly sweet which we appreciated, and very flavorful.

We noted the huge array of fresh seafood on the menu we will want to try in the future including Wild Alaskan Red King Crab, Wild Alaskan Halibut, Cedar Plank Wild Sockeye Salmon caught by the owner, Sammy Mercurio in Alaska, plus Grilled Sand Dabs, Abalone and so much more!

Throughout our meal, we also appreciated the longtime passion and expertise of owners Sammy and Angeli Mercurio who run a great restaurant skillfully, whose commitment to sourcing the freshest seafood shone through in every dish while providing an outstanding dining experience.

Given his family history and personal passion for fishing, we acknowledge that Sammy Mercurio is a connoisseur of high quality seafood. We learned that he enjoys his frequent fishing trips to Alaska, including his past adventures with Captain Johnathan and Captain Andy Hillstrand from the Time Bandit, made famous on the Discovery Channel's Deadliest Catch. His extensive experience adds an extra layer of authenticity to our seafood dining experience with their wonderful selection of wild, sustainable local and Alaskan seafood.

Although we enjoyed a bottle of sparkling Pellegrino to complement our lunch, we saw the comfortable full bar and its offerings, providing a great selection of fine wines, cocktails, and spirits.

Our experience at Domenico's on the Wharf was truly memorable and relaxing. We highly recommend it! From the warm welcome to the delicious food, stunning views, and inviting ambiance, it was a perfect dining experience created by dedicated professionals who care about providing a great lunch or dinner. We look forward to returning to enjoy more of their culinary delights and gracious...

2/21/18

Time after time I've enjoyed my stops in at Domenico's on the Monterey Fisherman's Wharf. This weekend's visit was not a disappointment. Service really made the afternoon; Joaquin was our awesome food-server, but several other people checked in on our table to make sure we were happy and well-treated.

We started with two Bloody Marys ($25 total), followed by a clam chowder bread bowl ($14.95). We decided to share the bowl which the person taking our order seemed to imply wasn't enough for two, even making a hand single of the size which was half of what the true size was (which is a normal bread bowl serving). (Same bread bowls are available to-go in other wharf restaurants for $10.) Trying to upsell us an extra bread bowl was kind of a turn-off. We were on vacation and this was not our only food stop, so no need to fill up all in one place. But aside from that, service was stellar and food/drinks were as good as we expected.

5/19/14 - Four stars

My husband and I are semi-regular visitors of the Wharf in Monterey. By no means are we tourists, but by all means we do enjoy playing the "let's try every free sample of chowder we can" game.

The person representing each restaurant, standing outside offering clam chowder samples, has the task of bringing the customers inside. Yesterday I felt like we walked past robot after robot, until we came to the adorable face outside Domenico's. I'll be honest, we were going to stop in here anyhow for a $3 Happy Hour drink in the lounge, but we stood out front for a minute first savoring some delicious hot chowder. Lo and behold, the guy out front wasn't just repeating himself over and over about chowder and drink specials. He was telling potential customers about the restaurant's owner, and how he personally catches the fish he serves and is also friends with the nearby crabbers, to ensure freshness in every dish. This is the type of person you want standing out front!

We cozied up to the bar and I was happy to see a new face. Often times we've had service from an older gentleman who talks sports with my husband, but today it was a younger bartender who included me in the conversation too. Trevor was very personable and told us about the lounge renovations, talked about types of tequila, explained the pineapple-infusion I noticed behind him, and more. How lucky were we! Two employees so far who were both outgoing AND easy on the eyes! There are tons of nice places on the Wharf with great views and fresh fish. The staff are what keep us coming back to this one.

The views through the window-wall here really are spectacular. The women's restroom is in the very back so you walk past the gorgeous dining room to get to it. Walk to the back and enjoy the view! It's such an outstanding location. (Note: women's restroom had classy, beach-themed decorations and was very clean.)

We did see a manager-type individual walking around through the lounge, dining area, and even up to the bar. It goes a long way when a higher-up stops to personally interact with customers. Asking if they're enjoying their food/drinks, or casually thanking them for coming in doesn't take much time - especially when youre already walking past them over and over. That's such a nice touch, but this one only interacted with his staff.

Overall this is a great place to stop: for food, drinks, and if youre lucky, perhaps a little eye...

Having lived in the Monterey Bay Area for a majority of my life. The experience I had on November 3rd, 2023 around 1745-1815 was not just disappointing but gut wrenching.

November 3rd was our famous Battle of the Bay game for Seaside High vs Monterey High. And typically before any football games I attend in the area, with either my friends or my family or family and friends (like this case), will go to the Wharf and get some food.

Well on November 3rd, 2023; the experience I had solidified why my family, friends and I will NEVER be eating a Domenico’s again.

My family has been living in the Monterey Bay for over 50 years and the Wharf and its many restaurant treasures, including Domenico’s (until November 3rd, 2023) were/are a weekly visit for us, especially during birthdays where we will traditionally have between 7-15 people seated).

On this day, my sister, my friend and myself had been on the wharf and due to driving from the San Leandro Area directly after work (Bay Area ~ near Oakland), I really needed to eat something as I was lightheaded due to being anemic and my back was terrible due to my bulging disc in my lower lumbar.

I needed to eat something right away. So we stopped at a different store front restaurant at the wharf. My sister didn’t choose to eat at this restaurant and had stated she wanted Domenico’s for her and her partner which I was all for. When we got the Domenico’s store front my sister ordered her food, and I and my friend sat down and began to eat while we waited for my sister.

The lady (who is unnamed due to not wearing any form of name tag), after taking my sisters order, very rudely told us we would be unable to eat here since it was for customers only (even though there was 0 people sitting down or in line). I told her that my sister is a customer, and it’s not like she just ordered a soda. She ordered 2 full meals, but she still said no. I then said, no problem, when my sister gets her food we will get up and leave. At this point her tone persisted and she continued to be absolutely rude, and even said that what we had was too much (we had 2 clam chowder bowls that didn’t even taken up the table we tried to use). Although my back was feeling terrible, I stood up, and waited by the table for my sister ~ and even during this time she decided to stare me down until our party of 3 left.

After this interaction, our party of 3 was forced to find seating else where and we sat on a bench on the other side by the boat tours.

It is needless to say that we will NEVER be eating here again for the POOR SERVICE. The food is okay, but if you want GOOD SERVICE AND GREAT FOOD GO...