Opal — Restaurant in Santa Barbara

We chose Opal Restaurant for our Thanksgiving dinner, as we wanted a restaurant that had a traditional option, plus options for more picky family members and kids. After looking at a few options, Opal seemed to have the best options without gouging our budget. And Opal did not disappoint.

We had a 1:30pm reservation, and everyone that was waiting was seated efficiently. Of course there is always that one guy who tries to cut the line with everyone waiting... However, another customer and the Manager did a good job of putting him behind those ahead of him. Some people are clueless.

The Thanksgiving meal was awesome. We shared the Turkey Roast, Salmon Encroute, and Filet Mignon. All excellent with generous vegetables and garnish also. The drinks were tasty with the Blackberry Jalapeno Margarita and Passion Flower being favorites.

Our service was excellent. The young lady who served us was always present, and other servers always around to refill waters, take away plates, and ask if we needed anything. There were a few locals in Opal also, and the way they were treated (as other customers) was always with smiles and recognition.

We highly recommend Opal, and will be coming back when we revisit Santa Barbara.

W walking by the ocean in Morro Bay, we saw Dorn's up on the hill overlooking the shops. Looking for a dinner place, we pulled up the menu, and decided from the reviews it would be good for the family. When we went in for a Monday dinner, the place was very busy. Our host was nice, and said we would be seated in 10 minutes. 6 minutes later we were, with a table overlooking Morro Bay. Nice job!

The Service was very good, as our waters came quickly as did our waitress. She explained the menu and specials and took our drink orders. There was always someone nearby to refill our waters, or clear away plates without being intrusive.

The clam chowder was very good. We also had the Sole which was poached, and blackened Salmon. Both came with mashed potatoes and various vegetables. We were both full after, and satisfied with the fantastic meal.

Thank you for a great...

Was in town for a few days and read that locals love Opal, but the whole time I couldn’t figure out why. Mocktail of the day was unfortunately an absolute scam. Lime juice and ice at best for $12. $15 caesar salad was about as good as one from a grocery store. Lettuce was incredibly cold and it became evident throughout the night that most of the garnish items are being stored too cold. For our mains, my partner and I ordered the salmon and sea bass ($35 and $45 respectively), and both were confusing dishes overall. Cook on everything was immaculate but somehow each dish had so much going on and yet was simultaneously bland. Kudos to the chefs for trying something creative, but unfortunately it was a miss on both. As mentioned, the garnishes are ice cold and sitting on top of a piping hot fish which created an unpleasant eating experience.

Didn’t have the heart to tell the kind staff the food was subpar nor would ever send back food, but hopefully the owner will take this into consideration. Unfortunately I would not recommend this place because of their egregious prices for mediocre food. It was an unfortunate way to end our trip in SB and sadly the worst of the restaurants we ate at, but would give it another chance if they get...

I never write reviews, but felt it important to do so because Opal is definitely in the 5+ category. We had a fantastic 2015 Valentines evening dinner. Got their at 5:00pm, received immediate service, the restaurant filled quickly within the hour and the great service continued throughout our dinner. Excellent menu - from the appetizers to the deserts. Each with a unique presentation and flavors. The appetizer was bacon-wrapped prawns, then a tasty salad, followed by filet mignon and a lobster special, then for desert we ordered a chocolate torte and strawberry cheesecake. As a cheesecake fan I'm picky, but this cheesecake was different and delicious. So, the best parts of the evening: 1) The lobster was presented with claws and all over a bed of delicious linguini ... Certainly more than just small lobster tail with butter and lemon. 2). The service was excellent. So many restaurants fail at multiple levels by having immature, untrained, uninterested employees. Even great food can be ruined as a result of poor help. Im very picky about service, and Opals employees delivered service was that was/is no less than fantastic.

Keep it up Opal team! Thank you for an evening we won't soon forget. Will...