Where to Eat in Morro Bay

Morro Bay still lands its own fish and grows its own oysters, and the food is best when it leans into that rather than away from it.

The Embarcadero carries most of the town's restaurants, and the range runs from counter-service fish-and-chips to proper sit-down dining. The common thread worth chasing is the local catch — rockfish, halibut, sand dabs, black cod and Dungeness crab in season.

Morro Bay oysters are the other local speciality, farmed in the estuary itself. They turn up on menus all over town and are worth ordering wherever you see them.

Reggie's Place, our own restaurant on the property, is a small 480-square-foot room opening onto the pocket park and the water — built around the same idea. Opening details will follow once construction is complete.

The short version

• Order the local catch — rockfish, halibut, sand dabs and black cod are landed here.
• Morro Bay oysters are farmed in the estuary; order them wherever you see them.
• Dungeness crab is seasonal — typically winter — and worth planning around.
• The Embarcadero has the highest concentration of restaurants in town.
• Weekends and summer evenings get busy; go early or expect to wait.