Back to Ontario
Via-Mar Grill & Bar - Cantina - Steakhouse in Ontario, California

Via-Mar Grill & Bar - Cantina

4.1 (456 reviews)

201 N Vineyard Ave, Ontario, CA 91764

Restaurant
Mexican restaurant
Seafood restaurant

About Via-Mar Grill & Bar - Cantina - steak house in Ontario, California

Relaxed restaurant offering Mexican-inspired seafood & meat dishes, plus a nautical-themed bar.

Customer Review Summary

Via-Mar Grill & Bar offers delicious food and well-crafted drinks. Valerie, an attentive bartender, enhances the experience with her proactive service. The ambiance is friendly and inviting, with opportunities for engaging conversations and enjoyable karaoke nights. Highlights include tasty ceviche, fish tacos, and excellent cocktails. Many reviewers recommend the burritos and roasted octopus as standout dishes. However, some customers reported bland food and poor service during their visits, with certain dishes considered overpriced. Overall, the restaurant is seen as a hidden gem worth revisiting, with both enthusiastic and mixed reviews.

Key Features

Service options

  • Outdoor seating
  • Curbside pickup
  • Delivery
  • Takeout
  • Dine-in

Highlights

  • Fast service
  • Fireplace
  • Great beer selection
  • Great cocktails
  • Live music
  • Sports

Popular for

  • Lunch
  • Dinner
  • Solo dining

Accessibility

  • Wheelchair accessible entrance
  • Wheelchair accessible parking lot
  • Wheelchair accessible restroom
  • Wheelchair accessible seating

Offerings

  • Alcohol
  • Beer
  • Cocktails
  • Coffee
  • Comfort food
  • Happy hour drinks
  • Happy hour food
  • Hard liquor
  • Healthy options
  • Late-night food
  • Quick bite
  • Small plates
  • Vegetarian options
  • Wine

Dining options

  • Breakfast
  • Brunch
  • Lunch
  • Dinner
  • Dessert
  • Seating

Amenities

  • Bar onsite
  • Restroom
  • Wi-Fi

Atmosphere

  • Casual
  • Cozy
  • Trendy

Crowd

  • Family-friendly
  • Groups
  • Tourists

Planning

  • Accepts reservations

Payments

  • Credit cards
  • Debit cards
  • NFC mobile payments

Children

  • Good for kids
  • High chairs
  • Kids' menu

Parking

  • Free parking lot
  • Free street parking

Pets

  • Dogs allowed outside

Customer Reviews

Rating Distribution

4.1 out of 5
5
272
4
84
3
35
2
16
1
49
Based on 456 reviews

Mauricio Polanco

3 months ago

Delicious food and the drinks are well made. Valerie is the best! She makes awesome drinks and is conscientious of customer needs. She is proactive, almost like she knows what we need next. Just for her service would be worth the trip.

JND Industrial Services

5 months ago

My car broke down. Buying a used car with 87k miles on a motor from Detroit known for developing a warped engine block made me exhausted, tired from delays of Uber driving home every day. A friend realized how frustrated I was and volunteered to pick me up from work and drive me home with a short stop at a local steak house to get some food and brews. Turned out the steakhouse was closed, 30-minute wait...? Well... bye! Asked Google for a local place that had a bar and grill to parch my thirst and soothe my lugubrious heart about the purchase I made on a car with a notorious record. Arrived here at Via-Mar Grill and Bar. Not bad. Not bad at all. Lots of room, tables, booze, brews, and food. Friendly atmosphere, lots of locals waiting to engage in great conversation, and share food with you to show how good it is. Lots of bragging and cheering when the Karaoke bar opens up and the staff is friendly and ready to get you another brew or burrito. I will definitely stop by again to enjoy the $7 tall glasses of beer and lobster. I encourage you to come by and enjoy.

Kayla W

4 months ago

Wonderfully delicious food!! We went during a very slow lunch in the middle of the week while visiting for a convention because it was cnveniently located. The service was attentive and didn't mind that we ask to sit outside even though no one else was out there. The ceviche was so tasty and the tomatillo salsa on the cheese enchiladas was amazing. The fish taco was the star though. Tasty tortilla with perfectly portioned and breaded fish. Will definitely be back if we're back in the area!

Andrew Kightlinger

2 months ago

This place is a gem. Fabulous cocktails (TRY the Coronorita!) and quite possibly the best burrito I’ve ever tasted. I finished it because it was too good. The service was breezy and staff friendly. A GEM.

Melinda Malone

5 months ago

The food was bland and WAY overpriced. There was no seasoning. Queso is not a dip, it's just melted cheese. Zero flavor. Salsa was hot with no flavor. The sour cream wasn't even good, it was a liquid. Save yourself, EAT SOMEWHERE ELSE!

Concourse Travel Group

11 months ago

Ordered the Salmon which came vegetable rice and seasonal mixed vegetables. Also got the creamy mushroom sauce to top the fish. Was delicious. House margarita was great and well mixed.

Victor Gonzalez

2 years ago

Enjoyed this place but lacks what it takes to love this place. Food was good, had molcajete 5 stars, purpose tacos 3 stars (bland and sauce wasn't complementing), oysters preparatory 5 stars. What I didn't like was the service. This review was based on my 2nd trip here. 1st time I went the waiters where arguing with one another and only managed to bring me 2 drinks. 2nd time the waitress only came by once after the food was brought out and acted like she didn't want to be there. Really feel like this place would be great with some great servers.

Tlatoanimeh

Their roasted octopus (over coal) is the best I've ever had. Their asada plate is generous with juicy beef, seasoned just right and cooked to a tender perfection, and served with delicious beans is worth the trip. The service is friendly, fast, and courteous. I recommend the fin karaoke nights on Wednesdays as the DJ is excellent; too bad I can't say the same for the DJ on Fridays and Sundays who tends to be rough and rude and has no sense of diplomacy.

Location

Contact Information

Hours of Operation

Friday 11 AM–1:30 AM
Monday 11 AM–11 PM
Saturday 11 AM–12 AM
Sunday 11 AM–12 AM
Thursday 11 AM–11 PM
Tuesday 11 AM–11 PM
Wednesday 11 AM–1 AM

Price Range

$20–30