Island Smokehouse BBQ in Catalina Island

Last year I would have given a five star review. Location is still 5 star. We visit several times a month in warm weather as we take our boat to Catalina. This visit we noticed the $13 cocktails have been significantly reduced in size, then filled completely with ice so there's maybe four ounces of beverage. Also ordered the spinach Cobb salad. Spinach was yellow, sign of old age, and toppings were minimal. Realized they omitted chicken. Server was great, apologized and comped the salad. But come on Catalina island company, youre better than this! Bring back quality to this venue! I always so looked forward to this venue. Don't mind paying your prices if quality is good. But no one likes to be ripped off by a monopoly.

This fun zone at the north end of Avalon has something aquatic for everyone. Kayak tours. Snorkeling. Stand up paddle boards -- I didn't fall on my first ever attempt but I didn't get standing up much either -- lots of fun. Very pleasant ocean swimming shore. Clean sunning beach. Outside cafe with full bar.

Wonderful excursion through carnival Cruise. Staff is extremely attentive, never overbearing or insistent. Very nice place to spend the afternoon.

Stayed here for a work beach day. Absolutely loved it! Cabana service is amazing! Food and drink selections are good. Love having semi private access to the beach too.

The second day of our trip was to visit Descanso Beach Club bar. We rented a golf cart and went there. The Staff was very friendly and really made us feel welcomed! So much that we rented some chaise lounges for the next day and spent several hours in the sun. So much fun! We met Chuck who works the gift shop so sweet. My two friends and I would definitely come back. We made wonderful memories. Thank you

Very limited free sand or sand in general. I grew up in So Cal so use to a lot of both when I went to the beach. Although, if your willing to pay for the Beach Club rserved seating it is 100% worth it. Cabanas available, the chaise lounges were very clean, sturdy and comfortable. The service was excellent (thank you Angel) and the view is absolutely amazing. The water is one of cleanest and pristine I have seen. I have spent almost every summer at my aunt and uncle's in Hawaii Kai on O'ahu and the clarity is very much the same. They have restaurant but it closes early during the week and is open until 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday evenings. Great place to snorkel, swim, SUP and kayak. No waves a lot of rocks so I would wear watershoes some sand but still beautiful.

Excellent service I will definitely go back

Great fresh food at a nice secluded beach. Pricey but absolutely worth it. Just go and get their shrimp tacos. You wont be disappointed.

By mainland standards, pretty pricey for drinks in small plastic cups. But tasty, and we are on an island, so guess I can't complain too much. Better values and we would spend a lot more time there, but always make at least one trip to the Beach Club each trip to Catalina.

The waiter didn't bother him self to let us know that the restaurant is close from 4 to 5 pm! After 90 minutes we got wrong, cold food!

Points for the views and setting, and three points off for the service and food poisoning. This beach is gorgeous and I would visit again, however, the service staff (while friendly) were very slow and forgot orders all day. My group ordered 4 extra chairs for our cabana (we paid extra) and they only brought 2 over even after we reminded them. I had to ask for a bucket of water three times, and ended up having to go to the bar to ask the last time.Most disappointing was the food poisoning that I got from the shrimp tacos. They were decent but several hours later I found myself very ill. Still having some issues so I will never order shrimp there again.Go for the views and the drinks, but be mindful of service and menu!

If you stay at a Catalina Co. Hotel, it's free access, otherwise it's $2. You can bring your own chair, umbrella, and towels, which are provided by your hotel, and relax away! Since it's a "private" beach, you can order alcohol and drink it there. They do not allow outside food or drink here. But, large grass areas, attentive waiters...and fun times.

I was here last week for a music festival and we had the whole place booked out. This place is wonderful! It was laid out beautifully and was very clean despite the chaos of the event. Views are incredible. I would definitely go back, but please note you will not have phone service over here!

The location is amazing. You have a beautiful beach and depending on the day and hour you will have live music. The entire area turns into a beach party. Drinks are delicious and food is ok. The waiters could be a little bit friendlier and it seems some of them don’t really want to work their. All in all it’s one of the best places on the island to enjoy a cold drink and an amazing view. Definitely worth visiting!!

A must for Catalina. You feel like you are in a different country drinking cocktails on the beach.... people watching and relaxing.

Lovely place on a beautiful Island, fantastic getaway spot or cruise stop.Recommended.

Chill vibes, cold drinks, and good food. Can't go wrong here guys. We got some lounge chairs ocean front for $40 a pair, steps from the water. Service was attentive and super nice. Jose was our host and made our stay one to remember!

This beach club is really fun! We rented chaise lounges which sit on a nice sandy area. Our server was Jacob who was very attentive with food and drinks. It was fun people watching and meeting other beach-goers. We ordered a bottle of the house champagne which mixes perfectly with the complimentary strawberry smoothie. For lunch we ordered the prime rib sandwich which was quite good, although it needed a couple more slices of beef, the potato salad was tasty. Don't forget to bring sunblock and aqua socks if you want to swim, the beach is quite rocky. There are some cabanas available if you have a larger group, but they are expensive. The DJ was on! All the fun party tunes and the mixing was really well done. We will be back!!

Fun and safe during Covid-19 You need reservations but it is a lovely spot to hang out

Stunning resort even in the winter! Rented a kayak they were so nice, helpful, views were stunning!!!

The best place in the world 🌎 just try it you'll see

Food is okay yet over priced, service was mediocre & it wasn't that busy to warrant such. The view is nice but the way this place monopolized the beach is shameful

Descanso is a great way to relax and get away. It feels like you are in a different country. Stick your toes in the sand and enjoy a swim in the water. During summer they have a DJ on weekends bumping the jams. Servers are excellent and the facility is nice and new. Great experience that I'd recommend to anyone wanting to do a day trip to Catalina

Lovely family owned company. Great service and made my trip super fun! Thank you!

We LOVE this place! Kids can play and so can the adults.

The view is the only good thing about this place. Had one of 4 menu item's due to the covid restrictions. The bugers were dry and salty. But the views made up for the awful food. Come here when this covid crazy is over.

Best beach on the island! Good drinks and fantastic staff! Rentals easy access and great view of the harbor

Super strong drinks that aren’t crazy overpriced for the amazing view and vibes! Will return next time in Catalina!!

Great atmosphere. Food is terrible. Come for a drink. Eat elsewhere.

Best spot in the island to hang out! Great food and great spot to relax! Try out the Mango Margarita for sure! Food is amazing! Picturesque spot indeed! Get your tripod and make sure to take memorable pictures! If the water is not that cold, you get to enjoy a good swim!Do not miss this place on the island ! It is perfect during the day and evenings ..

Such a lovely small beach and when the weather is good a great place for snorkeling and swimming.

Having a drink on the beach is the best. Bartenders are awesome. And they bring your drink to you!

Really great place. It was a lot of fun here today. Perfect vantage point to watch boaters and beachgoers too.

Best Summer Getaway. Awesome atmosphere. Won't ever forget my first time experience here.

Catalina island was awesome. Can't wait to go back. There is free seating area for dining and drinks. But you have to pay for the cabanas and beach loungers. Loved swimming in the nice clear clean ocean water. The rocks in the shore and in the water weren't so comfy on the feet. I definitely recommend having floaties to wade around. Bathrooms are clean with plenty of stalls as well as outside changing rooms. Worth checking out😊

This place feels like a tropical get away! Love the beautiful gardens and the beach life. Just be careful if you're allergic to bees, they are everywhere!

Paradise awaits at Descanso Beach club! On our trip to Catalina we went zip lining in the canyon above the club and then had lunch there. The club is impeccably decorated and manicured, everything is bright, beautiful and clean. The whole area has this awesome vibe that is relaxing and exciting at the same time. My only caution would be to be aware of their hours. They vary drastically from day to day and between the amenities offered. (We never caught the ice cream parlor open) I’m sure it is coordinated with cruise ship schedules, but it is definitely something you’ll need to plan for.

Perfect getaway, and a great place to relax. Beach access is simple, swimming... You need a floaty as sharp rocks cover the ground long before it's drop enough to swim. Hard to have sure footing with the waves. But the service is great, the chairs are comfy, and the location is beautiful.

One of the best beaches I've been to. The day we were there was perfect, the waves were big enough to be fun for the kids but not dangerous. There was a good amount of sand but lots of rocks. Water socks would be good for the kids. The music, food and drinks from the bar made it a great day. A big bonus was clean restrooms and nice showers.

Amazing little spot on Catalina Island. This was our favorite spot to stop for a drink and a snack. A great place to take in the views and get in some great people watching. The service was fantastic. We recommend a stop here to relax during your visit. You can rent a beach chair or a cabana if you really want to relax.

Nice place but overcrowded and the service was not great.

For a weekend get away.. try Catalina Island.. many activities to enjoy! Love it

Perfect spot! Where else can you have alcohol served to you right on the beach in California? This is the only spot we know of. Well worth the fee. Make sure to tip your waiter/waitress very well. They served us food and drinks all day long!

So clean, good food and drinks.

Outstanding service. Great location.

Great service, awesome view, tasty salsas (green and red) and fair pricing for all the above. We ordered chips and salsa plus the hummus trio. I loved the red pepper one.

Amazing place! During holidays and busy weekends make sure you order you bed some time ahead otherwise you in trouble. Delicious drinks and great food. The staff is accommodating and there is always someone there for you.

Absolutely gorgeous and quiet spot to hang out and relax or swim, rent kayaks, play on the beach or drink. Such a wonderful memory.

The staff was amazing and very attentive and the cabanas are amazing. Absolutely amazing way to enjoy some volleyball and the beach just chilling and relaxing. Food and drinks service great as well.