A Waterside Meal That Wasn’t Worth the Wait

Arestaurant can be on the coast long enough to build a reputation--or, a restaurant that has been around long enough can learn to coast on its reputation.

Monterey Bay Canners, a chain with restaurants in several California and Hawaii cities, has occupied a location on the Oceanside harbor long enough to build a steady clientele of locals and visitors. This seafood and beef house must, in fact, enjoy an enviable degree of consumer loyalty, since there was a lengthy wait on a recent week night, even though the food wasn’t really worth waiting for.

The style is that of the theme eateries that proliferated in the mid-1970s, and the intent in this case is for the place to memorialize the Monterey fish canning sheds from the “Cannery Row” era celebrated in John Steinbeck’s novel. The aged-looking wood walls, ceiling fans and legion of colorful period artifacts offer a pleasant look, and the forced antiquity certainly dovetails with the waterside location. Karaoke singing takes place in the bar some nights and drifts into the dining room; some singers do fairly well, but you have to wonder if the bartenders hum “New York, New York” in their sleep after listening to a slew of would-be Sinatras through the evening.

A daily list of mesquite-broiled fresh fish centers a standing menu that never attempts to innovate but thoroughly lists all the favorites of Southern California waterside dining, including the inevitable shrimp “scampi,” stuffed mushrooms, fried potato skins, teriyaki-style mahi mahi, king crab legs, prime rib, and the usual steak or prime rib and lobster combinations.

The presence of clam chowder is as inevitable as it is predictable, although in this case it happens to be a reasonably good brew, well-flavored and not too thick. By adding $1.50 to the price of any entree, you gain the choice between this soup or the house salad, an average mix of greens garnished with a few tasteless bay shrimp. Should you choose the salad, the house honey-mustard dressing isn’t bad.

Although the basic ingredients for an enjoyable evening out--a pleasant setting and a simple but inclusive menu--are in place, the kitchen largely negates the experience by treating most foods with indifference. The appetizer of the “oyster bar sampler platter,” advertised as sized for two and definitely not a bargain at $10.95, might have been acceptable had the crab-stuffed mushrooms and oysters Rockefeller been hot, rather than lukewarm. The pair of raw clams, untouched by kitchen artifice, were good enough, as were the chunks of cheese. The shrimp “scampi” appetizer was a collection of small specimens in a greasy garlic sauce (the menu specified Gulf shrimp; if so, these were among the smallest on record)--again, no bargain at $7.95.

The strength of the menu would seem to be the daily fresh fish, or at least it would be if the fish were cooked with greater care. In fact, even moderate attention to the process would be an improvement. Local yellowtail is one of San Diego County’s few seasonal treats and can be exquisite, but Monterey Bay slapped a couple of sloppily hewn hunks on the mesquite grill and cooked the moisture and flavor right out of them. (The fish tasted not of pure mesquite smoke, but also of a grill that needed cleaning.)

The same problems applied to several other items, including a thin slice of swordfish.

An order of prime rib, served with a few more of the same diminutive “scampi” mentioned earlier, was juicy enough, but pretty dull in terms of flavor. The grilled calamari, very lightly breaded and rather out of the way for a menu of this sort, was a step in the right direction, although pounding would have rendered the steaks more tender. The assorted side dishes, from among which guests may choose two--boiled or baked potatoes, rice “pilaf,” cole slaw, the day’s fresh vegetables--all were sampled, and were perfunctory and acceptable, if nothing more than that.

Monterey Bay Canners

1325 Harbor Drive North, Oceanside

Calls: 722-3474

Hours: Lunch and dinner daily

Cost: Entrees $7.95 to $18.45; dinner for two, including a glass of wine each, tax and tip, about $30 to $70.