Monterey Bay Fish Grotto

Great food, great service, great view! I highly recommend this place for the best dining experience in town! more

Monterey bay has great food and good service (but not top noch). my fish/seafood is always well prepared. Their wine list is pretty good. Traditional decor. Get the crab cakes. Pros: Best crab cakes in the city, view Cons: expensive, could use some updated menu items more

Showing up on a Monday evening after 8 pm, who knew we would need a reservation, but thankfully another couple didn't show so we slipped into their spot. What a great view of the city, and even though the hostess was less than friendly, our server, Sherrie, was fantastic. She explained all the specials for the evening and even showed us some of them as she brought them out for other customers. My boyfriend chose the crab stuffed sea scallops, while I had the Barramundi...outstanding! Sherrie highly recommended it. As an appetizer, we tried the combo platter, which included a fabulous crab cake, a skewer of ahi tuna, swordfish and salmon...the ahi was to die for...and 2 cajun shrimp...very spicy. To end the meal; however, you cannot miss the Steaming Chocolate Latte...it's warm chocolate cake souffle in a coffee cup covered with whipped cream and lightly dusted with cinnamon. Three chocolate sticks made to look like steam are coming out the top...it just takes your breath away...but if you don't like chocolate...what's wrong with you? The chocolate truffle cake was okay, but nothing special. The atmosphere, while a bit noisy was very nice. They were very busy so we weren't surprised by the noisy atmosphere. The only problem with the whole evening was waiting for cabs...hey, Pittsburgh, where are the cabs? You have to call for cabs? Pros: Great food and service Cons: No cabs available without calling more

wow, what a disappointment. Went back to pittsburgh on a visit, and we went up to Monterey Bay to see how it was. The decor is kitschy at best-- with weird gigantic palm tree paintings adorning the fixtures leading to the lights, and dirty windows in the tiny waiting area. Pros: the view Cons: the servers, the food, very noisy more

I am a travel agent and tour guide and whenever I have guests in from out of town, we always begin at sunset with a drink in the bar. A killer view especially if there is a game and they have fireworks. The bar is also a great alternative for dinner if the window seats are all taken upstairs - the only caveat being Pittsburgh still allows smoking in their bars! Pros: many fresh fish options, great view Cons: smokey bar more

I took my father here when he visited for the first time. Firstly, the waitress forgot our drinks, after we sat there for 15 minutes without any service. We were seated next to the kitchen, even though I made reservations 3 days prior. When our food was brought, it was served to us cold. They offered us a dessert for our troubles, but why would we subject ourselves to further disappointment?! Avoid this place. Prices are high, parking can be difficult to find if you don't want to pay for valet, and the food is poor. Many other great restaurants in the Pittsburgh area. I'd rather go to Mitchell's Fish Market for much better food at a better price. Cons: Poor service, expensive, and difficult parking situations more

The four of us had really high hopes for the Fish Grotto. Sadly, the best part of the meal was the service. Followed by the Mango Cosmopolitan. Each fillet of fish was hidden underneath a pile of various garnishes which easily overpowered the delicate flavors of the fish. We ordered the Black Cod Sale Fish, Grouper, and both versions listed under Boston Scrod. The Grouper was the worst as far as being able to find the fillet under the garnish. With the average dish being $22+ (some as much as $30) and our tab just over $130 (with cocktails) for four people, I'd have to say that we were all a little underwhelmed with the experience. The view is amazing, though. If you ride the incline up to Mt. Washington, turn right and head up the hill when you leave the station. Be sure to take a camera. Pros: The view. The service. Cons: Fillets are served under the garnish. more

Forget the national chains in town. If you want upscale seafood, head to MB Fish Grotto. The food is excellent and the view is classic 'Burgh. If you've got clients in town, this is the place to take them. My only issue with the place is the dated feel of the dining room decor. Hopefully, they'll remodel soon to an interior that suits the impeccable food and service found here on a nightly basis. Pros: food , service, view Cons: decor more

On a recent trip to Pittsburgh, a group of 10 of us dined here. I cannot say enough good things. The food was fantastic, the service was wonderful, and the view was spectacular, there's not a bad seat in the place. The price was not bad either for this quality of restaurant. If I ever get back to Pitt, this will be my first dining spot. more

this has to be the best restaurant in pittsburgh. we went there for our anniversary and keep going back regularly. the view is wonderful. the wine list is extensive and excellent. the crab cakes are awesome. more

Monterey Bay knowledgable, friendly staff serves up wonderful food in a romantic setting with some of the most breath taking views of the city. From start to finish, it was one of the best meals I've ever had. My boyfriend oreder the ahi tuna and I got the crabcakes. Being from southern Maryland, I've had a lot of crabcakes in my time. Monterey Bay's were the best, hands down. I highly recommend this restaurant. It's worth every penny. Pros: Excellent View, Wonderful Service, Crabcakes, crabcakes! more

great restaraunt for seafood lover, and the breathtaking view that you get of the point alone makes it worth coming to. very reasonably priced espcially considering the value you get. Pros: view, atmosphere more

This is by far the best restaurant in Pittsburgh. Everything about Monterrey Bay is superb: food, service, ambience, view, romantic dining, etc. They even have an excellent martini menu. In my opinion, for the quality of food that is served, I think that the price is very reasonable; the portions are generous; side dishes and salad are included. If you like seafood, try the crab cakes; they are wonderful. If you don't like seafood, the filet stuffed with spinach and feta cheese is SUPERB!! Pros: food, service, ambience more

Fantastic view, great fish and seafood! Their crabcakes are wonderful, probably the best I've ever had except for one other restaurant in Maryland. And I lived in New England for many years! Reading some other reviews, I could not believe some people were complaining about the crabcakes: they must like their crabcakes with fake crab and deep-fried for 30 minutes :-) Two tips: - If you want a table near the window to admire the fantastic view, come in early (around 5pm on Saturday or earlier). They give the best tables on a first come first serve basis. - If you want to save a couple dollars on valet parking and can walk a block or two, there is usually parking available in the side street next to the restaurant. Pros: View, Food more

I'd heard great things about this place and was thrilled when we were invited to dine there (not on our tab!). Bottom line, the food's nothing special. Okay they have a billion types of fish there, but if you don't prepare them in a way that tastes good, what good is it? There were 8 people in our group, 7 different dishes. 4 of us ended up picking at our food. 2 of the remaining 4 in our party ate theirs, but described as ""just okay"". The two people who ordered the crab cakes, which the server touted as ""their specialty"", didn't even make it through half of one. The mixed vegetables looked like they were from one of those frozen mixes. The view is beautiful, but you could have seen that view on the Duquesne Incline for $1.75. Save your money, this place just isn't worth all the hype. Pros: Excellent Service, Extensive wine list, many types of fish Cons: , Pricey $18-28 entree more

During my numerous trips to this fantastic restaurant I have never been dissappointed. From the crab cakes to the wine list we are always happy to eat here. The great part with Monterey is if you are not a big fish & seafood eater there steaks are out of this world. Service has always been top notch. Please enjoy this resteraunt the way may family and freinds do. more

From beginning to end, this is the very best in Pittsburgh! Pros: valet parking, terrific view, beautiful gourmet more

The food was great, the view was great, and the service was excellent. I have to add that I went to this restaurant on the second day after I quit smoking, so I was PRETTY tense. However, the combination of the view, the food, and the pleasant service put me at ease and I left the restaurant in a less frazzled condition than when I walked in. The only con- I would recommend asking someone else to take you to this restaurant for dinner (it's a bit pricey) so you can enjoy the great food and view without the wallet drain. Pros: great food, great service, great atmosphere Cons: wee bit pricey more

Argueably the best in The 'Burgh. Even reasonably priced considering the quality, atmosphere, and service. Pros: View, Food, Service Cons: Parking more

I usually hate places like these....tourist traps cashing in on a view or a local landmark. Food is usually boring and bad, service is condescending, and prices are way too high. I went to Monterey..reluctantly. I was wrong, very wrong. Our lovely waitress was lovely and authentic...and good. She was attentive, knew her product, and got help when we asked about the wine...she gets an A+. I had ahi tuna...wonderfully prepared and cooked perfectly. My wife had sole which she loved. Appetizers were very good, salad good, and desserts were quite good. Here is a little secret...the best bar in Pgh in located here. well priced wine and the perfect view of the city. I used to hate it when I was wrong...not anymore Pros: great view, fish, fish, fish, Great bar Cons: parking more