We hadn’t been to Sea Grill at 316 E Street in Eureka for a LONG time so headed there for something different for a birthday dinner.

Let me start by saying that this restaurant has been in business for quite some time now. Per their website, they opened in 1988.  The owners were a server and a cook from Whaler’s Inn (Field Landing) that wanted to start their own place.  (This tidbit I know since they were neighbors of mine at the time).

With a 5 pm dinner reservation and because the bar opens at 4 pm, we decided to head in early from Arcata for a pre-dinner cocktail to help relax us into our evening.

We had a much needed vodka/rocks and a raspberry lemon drop which both arrived promptly. The bar had a few regulars enjoying beer and tequila shots along with some manly conversation.  After a bit a big bowl of chicken strips with two sauces came out to be shared, which is apparently a happy hour thing.  We had a couple, not wanting to spoil our dinner, and they were good.  Now this is a watering hole I could visit more often!

Since we were obviously the first ones for dinner we were seated promptly at 5:00.

They have a specials menu and a regular menu.  I have to say the regular menu really hasn’t changed a lot over the years, but with the specials, the same menu can be appealing to  those who always want the same thing at their particular restaurants.  You can still get Scampi, beer battered prawns, prime rib and much more.  It was really hard to decide what to have which is always a good thing.

We both picked specials for dinner.  Crab fettuccine and halibut in a creamy basil sauce. The halibut included salad bar or soup, choice of baked potato, pilaf, twice baked tater or french fries. The pasta doesn’t include the starch side dish, of course, but salad bar and bread for everyone.

We ordered a bottle of Grgrich Hills Chardonnay to accompany our meal because it’s a favorite of ours and we knew it would be a good pairing.  They have a decent wine list and the price by the glass is super reasonable.

Now the salad bar at Sea Grill is something you do NOT want to ignore. This is what I miss about them closing for lunch—being able to go in and enjoy a big pile of salads.  Of course there is your usual green salad with the toppings you like and then the other salads. Each one is carefully prepared and flavorful so I had to just do a little sampling of a few that looked appealing so there would be room for dinner (and that wine)!  There was a broccoli salad, potato salad and not that gross kind that comes out of a plastic tub either! I’m talkin’, this is the kind of potato salad my mama used to make.  There are a  couple pasta salads, cous cous salad and just an overall interesting array to choose from.  My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

After slowly savoring each bite of the salad our entrees arrived.  The crab fettuccine was quite a large portion of creamy, cheesy, crabby deliciousness.  The man is a big fan of crab and this was hitting the right notes for him.  The halibut dish was beautifully plated and also plenty to eat. The fish dish also had a lovely side of vegetables cooked perfectly with butter.  Everything’s better with butter.

Now for the only negative thing but it ends well.  I put my fork into the fish for the first bite and immediately could tell it was overcooked.  Halibut usually glistens and is super moist when properly prepared.  Darn!  I was going to have to let the server know which I did when she checked in with us.  She went back to the kitchen and then returned to let me know they were making a new one.  A re-do of the fish arrived pretty quickly and this time—oh la la!  Perfect.  I enjoyed every last bite but let me say it was a chore to clear my plate because I was SO full.

No birthday dessert for us.  An ice cream sundae was offered for the birthday girl and if we had any room we would have instead gone for something off the dessert menu.

Lastly, I want to say the restaurant is super clean.  Some people say the decor is outdated.  Maybe.  It wouldn’t be a bad idea to make some changes.  The paintings have been there since I first started dining at Sea Grill, but the ambiance is still lovely and warm.

Our server Amanda was great and the bartender was great.  Our overall experience was very good and we’ve decided we really need to go again.  We are super picky about our dining experience and would very much recommend Sea Grill. Over the years they have been consistently good with a comfortable dining experience.