Zubie’s: There’s great variety

By John M. Borack/Orange County Tribune

In a recent quest to try to find a local restaurant serving a decent steak dinner that would not force me to mortgage my home, I took to Yelp and began searching. And searching.

There were a few places that looked like good choices but were not suitablefor everyone in our party for one reason or another. Then an old friend suddenly popped into my head: Zubie’s Dry Dock in Huntington Beach.Zubie’s has been an Orange County staple for decades, serving reasonably priced seafood, sandwiches, pizza, prime rib, burgers, chicken, ribs, steak and more for lunch and dinner. (They also serve breakfast on Sundays.) Our party of five stopped in on a Sunday evening and the crowd was decent-sized, but not overwhelming. Zubie’s is anything but fancy: you order at the counter, take a seat on one of the long benches that line the restaurant, and wait for your food while watching sporting events on one of the several large-screen TVs. It’s definitely family-friendly.

Sadly, a few of the things that once made Zubie’s so special are now history: first off, the aquariums—and there were several—that were once a part of their décor are now gone. Also MIA is the large salad bar, a victim of COVID that has never returned.

Our orders were prepared very quickly. I decided to splurge and order the large cut of the ribeye steak and when it arrived, I was somewhat shocked at the thickness of the cut—it was enormous. Since my entrée also came with the house salad (very good, particularly the bleu cheese dressing) and a baked potato, I was unable to finish the behemoth that was my ribeye. It was tasty, although not the most tender cut of steak I’ve ever had.

Another in my party ordered the pizza, which is a thick crust pie that includes your choice of up to three toppings; it was fresh-tasting and very flavorful. Be forewarned, though: the pizzas only come in one size (large, 16-inch) so if you’re the only one ordering what my editor once dubbed “nature’s most perfect food,” you’ll no doubt have some to take home.
A half-pound cheeseburger and the grilled salmon were also sampled; the burger was tender, juicy and filling, while the salmon is available with your choice of lemon pepper, Cajun, or blackened seasoning.

All in all, Zubie’s was pretty much what the doctor ordered. It’s nothing extraordinary, but it has large portions of very good food at a reasonable price with a little something for everyone.

They also have a full bar as well as an oyster bar, along with daily specials.

Zubie’s Dry Dock is located at 9059 Adams Ave. in Huntington Beach (at Magnolia), next door to Ace Hardware. Call (714) 963-6362 or visit zubiesdrydock.com for more information.