Discover GOOD EATS in Contra Costa County
Every week, ContraCostaLive.com Spotlight newsletter subscribers discover RESTAURANT GOOD EATS in their email inboxes free. It features signature dishes, happy hour specials, and local dining gems worth your time and money. These offers are curated from ContraCostaLive.com’s website, reader recommendations, and local chefs. Enjoy reviewing each week’s SPOTLIGHT newsletter – it makes dining out fun and special in Contra Costa.
“The dog days of summer are HERE – time to give your kitchen a bloody break and eat like you mean it!” – Gordon R.
🦀Sizzling Iron Skillet: Mussels, Shrimp, & Crab — $59.99
Fresh seafood combo served on a proper iron skillet with spectacular waterfront views
“Fresh seafood on a proper iron skillet with spectacular waterfront views. This isn’t just dinner – this is what happens when you RESPECT the Bay.” Gordon R.
Deadfish – Crockett
When Deadfish brings out their iron skillet seafood combo, they’re not messing about. Fresh mussels, plump shrimp, and real crab meat arrive sizzling on cast iron that keeps everything perfectly hot while you savor each bite. The spectacular San Pablo Bay views create the perfect backdrop for this $59.99 indulgence that combines Italian seafood expertise with California waterfront dining. This is what proper seafood service looks like – no shortcuts, no compromises, just brilliant ingredients treated with respect.
Details
- 20050 San Pablo Avenue, Crockett, CA 94525
- (510) 787-3323
- Daily: Seating 12:00pm–8:00pm; Serving till 9:30pm
- Price Range: $20–$80
- Free Parking
- Spectacular Bay Views – Indoor/Outdoor Seating
🥩Veal smothered with prosciutto, mozzarella & Marsala wine — $36.95
Tender veal with Italian prosciutto and cheese in proper Marsala wine sauce
“This is how you treat veal PROPERLY – with Italian respect and wine that actually matters!” Gordon R.
Cap’s Restaurant – Brentwood
Cap’s doesn’t mess around when they prepare veal – this is Italian technique done right. Tender veal gets smothered with quality prosciutto and melted mozzarella, then finished with a proper Marsala wine reduction that brings everything together beautifully. At $36.95, you’re getting restaurant-quality execution that respects both the ingredients and the classic Italian preparation. This is what happens when a kitchen understands that great veal deserves great treatment.
Details
- 144 Oak St, Brentwood, CA 94513
- (925) 634-1025
- Mon & Tue 4-9pm, Wed-Sat 11-3 Lunch & 4-9pm Dinner, Sun 4-9 Dinner
- Price Range: $15–$80
- Free Parking
- Classic Italian Preparations
🦐Baby shrimp & real crab with lettuce, tomatoes, avocado & jack cheese — $17.55
Fresh seafood salad with proper vegetables and quality cheese
“REAL crab and fresh shrimp with proper vegetables and quality cheese – this is how you build a salad with SUBSTANCE!” Gordon R.
Celia’s Mexican Restaurant – Antioch
Celia’s seafood salad isn’t playing games – this is real crab meat and fresh baby shrimp combined with crisp lettuce, ripe tomatoes, creamy avocado slices, and quality jack cheese. At $17.55, you’re getting genuine seafood that most places would charge twice for, plus fresh vegetables that actually taste like something. This is how you build a salad with substance – no shortcuts, no fake crab, just proper ingredients combined with Mexican flair.
Details
- 523 W. 10th St, Antioch, CA 94509
- (925) 754-1355
- Sun-Thr 11am-9pm; Fri & Sat 11am-10pm
- Price Range: $10–$30
- Free Parking
- Thursday Mariachi Nights
🍕Wood-fired pizza with pesto, shrimp, honey drizzle & Italian cheeses — $15
Pesto, shrimp, honey drizzle, arugula, Pecorino Romano, Parmigiano-Reggiano on wood-fired crust
“Proper wood-fired crust with Mediterranean flavors that actually WORK together. This is pizza with PASSION!” Gordon R.
Riggers Loft – Richmond Shipyards
Riggers Loft’s wood-fired pizza game is absolutely brilliant. The crust gets that perfect char and texture that only real wood fire can deliver, topped with vibrant pesto, properly cooked shrimp, and a honey drizzle that brings unexpected sweetness. Add peppery arugula and quality Italian cheeses, and you’ve got Mediterranean flavors that actually work together instead of fighting each other. At $15, this is pizza made with passion and proper technique.
Details
- 1325 Canal Boulevard, Richmond, CA 94804
- (510) 233-2065
- Fri 5-9pm, Sat 1-8pm, Sun 1-7pm
- Price Range: $12–$35
- Free Parking
- Bay Views & Live Music
🐟Salmon, halibut, Alaskan cod & prawns with shallots, brandy & demi-glaze — $36.95
Four beautiful pieces of fish sautéed with proper technique and classic French sauce
“Four beautiful pieces of fish treated like ROYALTY with proper technique. This is restaurant excellence!” Gordon R.
Smiths Landing – Antioch
Smith’s Landing treats fish like royalty, and this four-fish combination proves it. Salmon, halibut, Alaskan cod, and prawns get sautéed with aromatic shallots, deglazed with quality brandy, and finished with a proper demi-glaze that brings everything together beautifully. At $36.95, you’re getting restaurant-level technique applied to premium fish with Delta views as your backdrop. This is what happens when a kitchen respects both the ingredients and the craft.
Details
- 1 Marina Plaza, Antioch, CA 94509
- (925) 775-4862
- Mon-Thr 11am-9pm, Fri-Sat 11am-10pm, Sun 11-8pm
- Price Range: $15–$50
- Free Parking
- Waterfront Delta Views
🌮Fish Taco and side salad — $10
Fresh fish taco with proper accompaniments and quality side salad
“Ten dollars for fresh fish done RIGHT with a proper salad? That’s not cheap – that’s SMART!” Gordon R.
Vinnie’s Bar & Grill – Concord
Vinnie’s fish taco and salad combo proves that smart dining doesn’t require big spending. Fresh fish gets prepared properly in a quality tortilla with the right accompaniments, paired with a side salad that’s actually worth eating. At $10, this isn’t about being cheap – it’s about being smart and getting real value for your money. Sometimes the best meals come from places that understand good food doesn’t need to break the bank.
Details
- 2045 Mount Diablo St, Concord, CA 94520
- (925) 685-9515
- Everyday 11am-2am
- Price Range: $3–$25
- Free Parking
- Fresh Fish Daily
🃏Sit-and-Go Texas Hold’em Tournament Every Sat & Sun @ 12pm — $60
Weekend tournaments with proper air conditioning and cold drinks
“Too bloody hot to cook? Perfect! Spend your weekend where the AC is cranking and the cards are HOT!” Gordon R.
19th Hole Casino & Sports Bar – Antioch
When it’s blazing hot outside and your kitchen feels like a furnace, the 19th Hole’s weekend tournaments are brilliant. Every Saturday and Sunday at noon, sit-and-go Texas Hold’em tournaments give you the perfect excuse to escape the heat for some serious card action. At $60 entry, you’re buying into weekend entertainment where the air conditioning runs strong and the competition runs hotter. This is how you spend summer weekends when you’re smart enough to let someone else handle the cooking.
Details
- 2746 W. Tregallas Rd, Antioch, CA 94509
- (925) 757-6545
- Mon-Thr 11am-2am, Sat-Sun 10am-2am
- Tournament Entry: $60
- Free Parking
- Weekend Tournaments Sat & Sun @ 12pm
🔥 Final Service
Whether you’re savoring iron skillet seafood with waterfront views or escaping the heat at weekend poker tournaments, one thing’s bloody certain — Contra Costa’s got the PASSION and the PROPER technique.
We’ve done the hard work so you don’t have to sweat it.
Thanks for reading, clicking, sharing — and most importantly, for being smart enough to let the PROFESSIONALS handle the cooking when it’s too damn hot!
Stay cool, eat brilliantly.