Lumberyard: A New American - Seafood Experience in Laguna Beach, CA

It's been more than a year since my last visit: I'll based this rating on the food only: BEST SALMON I EVER HAD. Obviously the chef has skill. Thank you, But the noise level in the room and the garish light at the entry hurt the atmosphere. I'd be inclined to do take-out next time, just to get more of that outstanding salmon, and eat it in the tranquil warmly-lit comfort of my condo.

The Lumberyard located in beautiful downtown Laguna Beach is a great place to have lunch or dinner. There is a new $16 lunch menu and I decided to try the fish tacos. There was a choice between salmon or halibut for the tacos which included shredded cabbage with a pink cream sauce and a side of black bean and corn salad. I chose the halibut for my taco and it was cooked perfectly. It was a generous portion of fish in each of the tacos so it could easily be split with a friend. The service was excellent. Our orders were taken within about five minutes of sitting down and the food came out quickly after we ordered. I would recommend the Lumberyard if you are visiting Laguna Beach. You will need to have reservations during the Art Festivals or when there is a play at the Playhouse.

Had a great dinner last night with family from out of town before the Pageant of the Masters. Everyone loved their meal. We started with the corn bread that I have seen rave reviews about and it was spot on. They also have dishes called tinned fish with 45 varieties of fish from all over the world, served in a tin with crackers, marinated vegetables, etc. I ordered the white anchovies, and they were amazing. Not fishy at all. The owner, Cary, went out of his way to explain the whole idea behind the tinned fish, and we really enjoyed meeting him. We will be back!!

My husband and I came here based on a recommendation from someone who used to live in OC. We were catching a show in the area and needed to find a place for dinner. We booked reservations for the evening and I'm glad we did. It was pretty busy! We arrived and were taken to a booth to be seated w/no wait. We ordered the Lumberyard sticks (basically fried zucchini) with aioli dip. It was crispy and a bit greasy. The crispiness was good though. We both ordered the halibut sandwich but I had mine with a GF bun instead of the ciabatta bread. It was good and the flavor was light. We both had sweet potato fries. Unfortunately, they brought my husband spinach by mistake but corrected it. The sweet potato fries were perfectly cooked. There's street parking if you are lucky to get a spot.

Colleague recommended this and I figure let's book this for Father's Day dinner. Made reservation and scheduled a few weeks before and was easy to make. The parking was convenient with it near the restaurant and walking distant away($4 for pretty much the night ) It looks like the name : lumberyard and wooden planks everywhere with the bricks with multiple shapes and sizes. We ordered the following 0) hamachi carpaccio (5/5): refreshing and vinaigrette on the slices 1) Filet Mignon (4/5) medium and done perfectly to Dad's tasting and clobbered it within minutes. 2) salmon sandwich (3/5) bread was too dry. Salmon is a bit too well done but the spinach platter was done deliciously. 3) Short Rib (3/5). The short rib definitely fell apart and melted into the plate. Portion was small and the massive amount of potatoes mash was alarming. Though the mash potato was delicious, the short rib literally was SHORT. Overall delicious but I think we could have had a better meat and seafood portion elsewhere down the street. Still beautiful place with its decor and the bar in the central of the yard is nice.

We love Lumberyard! Especially when there's live music with Bob Hawkins! Food and drinks are incredible. It's one of those spots you just have to go to. Locals definitely come here, very relaxed here and service is amazing! Highly recommend the chicken pot pie!