A morning glimpse of Glorietta Bay and Bluewater Boathouse. Photo by Naomi Lan.
Restaurant Has Re-opened For Lunch and Dinner
CORONADO – Bluewater Boathouse Seafood Grill, located in the historic 1887 Boathouse, re-opened January 22nd after extensive restoration of floors and plumbing.
The building is unique for many reasons, the least of which is that it sits over the water on Glorietta Bay. The floor area in the kitchen section of the restaurant had been weakening for years and has finally been replaced.
KUSI TV’s Leslie Lopez (left) and Brandi Williams are frequent visitors to Bluewater Boathouse – seen here checking out the view from the 1887 building’s cupola.
When the 20-foot section of flooring was torn up it revealed much of the original 1887 superstructure and the elaborate plumbing system for the building.
During construction, one employee suggested they glass over the floor, giving visitors a glass-bottom boat feel. Another grabbed a fishing pole and a straw hat and posed for a photo, hanging her legs over the side of the construction hole, offering new meaning to the company’s promise to serve fresh and sustainable seafood.
The old Boathouse has been sitting over Glorietta Bay since 1887. It’s been headquarters for a myriad or organizations and uses that included two yacht clubs, Scripps Institute of Oceanography, half a dozen families, boat rentals and a series of restaurants.
Bluewater Boathouse manager Frankie Iannone couldn’t resist trying her luck at fishing once contractors removed the flooring in the historic building revealing Glorietta Bay. She called this, “A spontaneous Huck Finn moment.”
In 1969 the structure was moved 90 feet closer to shore, while remaining over the waters of Glorietta Bay, and became the fourth Chart House in a very successful chain of restaurants that defined the 60s beach lifestyle of sailing and surfing.
Boathouse 1887 replaced the Chart House, which then became 1887 on the Bay. In June, Bluewater Boathouse Seafood Grill took over the building and has quickly set new benchmarks for quality and affordable lunches and dinners on the island, while providing a wide variety of sustainable seafood.
“It was amazing to see the strength of the original structure,” said general manager Steve Ewing. “A building this old, over the water, takes a beating just by virtue of its location. Once the surface tiles were removed, and we began to look at the damage, we were pleasantly surprised to find that, in 1887, they built this structure to last. We are grateful to the City of Coronado for doing such a professional job of repairing the damage, and doing it so quickly.”
Bluewater Boathouse Seafood Grill, finished with reconstructive surgery on the main deck floor, is once again serving lunch and dinner on a daily basis.
Coronado’s Bluewater Boathouse is located at 1701 Strand Way, across from the historic Hotel del Coronado. For more information call (619) 435-0155, or visit www.bluewatergrill.com. You can also follow Bluewater Grill on Facebook. The restaurant is open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. (winter hours), serving lunch, brunch and dinner.
