ARTHUR:
We continue our food review series for the Pond with Daniel's take on the Bluewater Grill in Section 226, a new Ponda Center location for the Orange County restaurant group. Again, feel free to ask Daniel questions about the food in the comments.
It's worth noting that Daniel observed the 'dibs' system by calling Urban Wok well ahead of time, then he completely reneged to review Bluewater Grill even though he doesn't like seafood. Why? I'll let him tell you.
DANIEL:
On opening night, I decided to go to the Bluewater Grill. I say 'decided,' but my girlfriend's a vegetarian and this place had a veggie burger [Editor's Note: wha-pshhhhhh...]. I was very excited when I saw the menu. It's composed of various amounts of fried happiness augmented with soup and burgers. Rachel, my girlfriend, and I got a pair of burgers, veggie and normal respectively, and shared a side of fries. My burger was solid. It came with lettuce, tomato and onion, as well as a couple of pickles. I topped it with a little mustard and was satisfied. The best description would be to say it's like a Six Dollar burger. The veggie burger has the exact same toppings, but Rachel confessed that it didn't have a lot of flavor. I was unaware that some veggie burgers have flavor; I digress.
Initially, I was very pleased. Feeding two people for $20 at a sporting event is a win, especially if both of you feel full. However, a complete look at the menu reveals what might be one of the worst deals in the entire arena, if not all of sports culinary history. For $11, Anaheim Ducks fans can enjoy a basket full of fries and a few average sized shrimp. When I saw the basket handed to a fellow fan, I couldn't even count all the shrimp; they were lost somewhere in the fries. It was underwhelming to say the least. Throw in a 3-4 oz cup of clam chowder for $9.50, and the fare at the Bluewater Grill gets a little disappointing in comparison to its price. Still, the beer battered fish and chips looked like they were worth the $10.50. It's two sizable fillets with a hearty amount of fries.
If you like fish and chips, you could do a lot worse than checking out the Bluewater Grill. The burger alternative is worth your time if you're looking for something affordable that isn't a hot dog. Although, I think they'd have been better off just keeping Carl's Jr. If you have a specific craving, you should head to the Bluewater Grill. However, if you aren't a fan of food from the ocean, and I'm not, it's probably not the place for you.
I applaud the Ducks for increasing the variety. The place was pretty crowded, and a few people had to wait for all 3 of their shrimp. I think more than a few fans will be happy with the addition...at least with the fish and chips.