The great: -The food. Sometimes you just want to eat seafood prepared in a way that sounds normal and delicious. I have an incredibly hard time choosing what I want to eat, because everything sounds amazing. If you want to go out to eat at at a place that is not going to scare away your dining companions with weird pretentious ingredients, this is your place. The brunch is also amazing. The french toast portion is HUGE. The not so great: -The $4 valet parking with no self park immediately next to the restaurant (you will have to find street parking for this, and most of it is metered) -The patio seating. Its really drafty if you sit near the windows, and sometimes unbearable even with the heat lamps. Also, the acoustics are HORRIBLE. You can hear everyone's conversation whether you want to or not, and its incredibly distracting and annoying. You can have a pleasant experience here if you sit in the dining room or the bar. Use the patio at your own risk. read more

Brigantine - Bread! We didn't even have to specifically ask for it! - Seafood Near Me - Del Mar, California

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Ordered a dozen oysters, the swordfish, the Sandabs. As you can see in the photo, there are large pieces of shell in the oysters. I removed what I saw but must have ingested parts of the shell unknowingly. I spent the rest of the evening in the restroom in extreme pain which lead to a trip to the ER. The swordfish was served with a cold glob of butter on top which never melted and was extremely unappetizing and the sanddabs had absolutely no flavor. Please hire someone who knows how to properly shuck an oyster! Not worth the money. read more

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We love that this place has such a lovely view below of the Del Mar Race Track, the rail line (with Amtrak and commuter trains frequently zooming past), and the San Dieguito River as it spills into the Pacific. Such a sun-soaked, sweeping vista pairs wonderfully with oyster shooters, their signature fish tacos, and a drink. We prefer their tiny side patio, but have also enjoyed perching on stools on the restaurant's backside veranda. So California! So San Diego! Valet or street-side metered parking. The Solana Beach and Del Mar dog beaches lie below the coastal bluff across PCH and make a fun après-lunch spectacle if you'd like to walk and enjoy this collision of California coastal bounty a bit longer. read more

What and amazing food and 5 starts service I was scared to try stake in a seafood place but oh my my meat was so soft and cook on point medium rare I was amazed and the oysters Jesus so fresh I don't even tasted the fishy I can say this place is legitimately amazing for a date make a reservation you will not regret to come to this place 5 stars on everything thank you so much!! read more

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Brigantine Del Mar $6 Happy Hr Mon 3pm- Closing, Tues-Fri 3pm-6pm Only in Bar Area Open Seating Best Clam Chowder Ordered Chowder, Korean Flatbread, Sand Dabs, Half Shrimp/Crab Louie & Creme Brulee read more

Brigantine - Brigantine Del Mar Happy Hour Mon 3pm- close, Tues- Fri 3pm-6pm Bar Only - Seafood Near Me - Del Mar, California

Great food even better service! Awesome view of the del mar racetrack and pretty much everything on the menu is delicious. I will definitely be back! read more

Tonight's visit to Brigantine was disgusting. From the moment upon walking up to the restaurant , there was the most heinous smell outside the front doors. Not sure what it was , but almost unbearable. The hostess was super nice and seated us even though we were early for our reservation. We were not offered bread , even though other tables around us were. I ordered a skinny jalapeño margarita and found out we were charged 3.00 extra to make it skinny!! I ordered the swordfish, when it arrived, it was so rubbery I had to use a knife to cut it. I told the waiter to could not eat it and asked to have blackened salmon instead. He complied and brought me the blackened salmon. It smelled foul and was dry and was sitting on a pile of garbanzos beans onions and mushrooms. I thought I was on show "Punked" because it was so unappetizing. I ate most of it because I didn't want to be difficult. It is one in the morning now and I am pretty sure I am going to be sick . I would never go here again. Completely disgusting. read more

It's really simple; Location and view = 5/5 Service = 3/5 Food =3/5 at best I wasn't impressed with a single item we ordered and I thought service was mediocre too. You are paying to eat by the bay. The view was beautiful. That's about the size of it. read more

We started with appetizers which was amazing super delicious! My husband had ordered the chicken breast but wasn't too pleased it was very flavorless, I order the crab stuff shrimp and honestly it was very small for its price didn't have too much flavor all I could taste was bacon, the dessert were both delicious! The restaurant had a nice atmosphere and such nice views of the beach it did feel a little squished to where we could hear our neighbors conversation word for word. At the beginning when we arrived our waiter was very nice and welcoming but then he would come around for refills and we had asked for more of the bread and he had forgotten about 5 times and it come to the point where we needed to ask someone else to bring us the bread, our waiter had also forgotten to had in my husband chicken breast where we had to wait another 30 mins for that so our experience with the service wasn't best. read more

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We have gone to a few recent Taco Tuesdays. The scene is fun and lively. Because the fish tacos are unfortunately consistently fishy, I cannot give the restaurant a better score. Wait staff is decent but spread rather thin. Not sure we will go again on Taco Tuesday. Non-Tuesdays seem to produce better quality. read more

Always been pleased with the service and food here. More so than the other locations. The Del Mar staff do things right! read more

Brigantine - Buffalo Cauliflower, spinach salad, 1/2 order crab Louie and a fish taco. - Seafood Near Me - Del Mar, California

We went to Solano Beach on a whim to stay overnight and have a little beach time. (This was Valentines Day 2021 so our family had been working from home and attending school online. We needed to get out of the house..) So we decided to just go to Brigantine without a reservation. We got a table in only 15 minutes. We were happy. I ordered a dozen oysters that I shared with my kid. Half Blue Point and half Kumiai served with mignonette and cocktail sauce. We hadn't had oysters in months and these were cold, briny and delicious! We both preferred the Kumiai but definitely enjoyed both. We also got a "Wagyu" burger with bacon, cheddar and mushrooms etc. It was nicely beefy, well cooked but not quite the medium rare we'd requested. Nevertheless, tasty and the fries were quite good. My wife felt they were just a bit over-salted. I'd recommend this place and we'll likely come back if we're back in the area. Nice. read more

I've been to this location many times and it's always a consistent restaurant with solid views of North County. Always bring visitors here because of the great atmosphere. You may need to make a reservation ahead of time to be able to get a window seat. Views are spectacular of the Del Mar racetrack, lagoon and ocean, evening hot air balloons with the occasional Amtrak passing by. Valet parking is available, but there are parallel parking along the street and parking in the surrounding neighborhood. Service is friendly and timely. Presentation is really good, however portion-size is not very large. For starters, I like to get the Herb & Lemon Grilled Octopus--just the right amount of seasoning and the octopus is not overcooked. The Crab and Shrimp Fondue had very little crab and shrimp... My favorite go-to entree is the Seafood Andouille Gumbo. Other dishes worth trying are the Coffee Rubbed Braised Beef Short Rib, Prime Steak Frites, Shrimp and Grits, and the Wok-Charred Ahi. Have never been to happy hour but it's on my list to come back and try. read more

Great food! Great staff. Great service. Great happy hour menu. Definitely a spot to grab a few drinks with friends.

We had a big group in town so we were looking for a place that served up some nice seafood and drinks near Del Mar/Solana Beach and the Brigantine came highly recommended, so we gave it a try. Walking in, even though we were there to eat, you can really just show up here and just to drink and socialize and that would be a pretty good way to spend a Friday night. Combined with the great view of Del Mar and the racetrack, the brig has a nice vibe, friendly staff, and some cool drink concoctions available on the menu to experiment (all the moscow mule variations were nice). It was a nice night out (are there ever bad nights in Del Mar?) and they had a large table set up for us on their expansive patio. They gave us a few free entrees due to the additional wait (we did make reservations and that is definitely recommended) and after a few more drinks we all put our orders in. I went with the Seared Scallops which did not disappoint, and the rest of our party of 12 also enjoyed their food as well. I definitely recommend the Brigantine for anyone looking to get in some good seafood all the while enjoying a social setting with a great view. read more

Brigantine - A splendid view - Seafood Near Me - Del Mar, California

This place has a beautiful view, the restaurant looks very nice, and it's in a great location. We were seated immediately on a Tuesday night. The service we received was awful. The waitress took my order for a drink and then walked away in the middle of my girlfriend ordering. Okay, simple mistake, not the end of the world. We order soup and appetizers. They came out 7-10 minutes apart. My soup had the "soup skin" on top so I could tell it had been sitting for awhile. Again, I'm not the type to make a big deal of something so I kind of let it go. We ordered our entrees, and they seemingly took forever to come out. The French fries were lukewarm on both of our plates. Once again, this shows that the plates had been sitting around for awhile with nobody attending it. We rarely saw our waitress, and when we did, she was usually doing a good job of ignoring us. Usually I let things like this go, but it was a clear pattern of our food probably sitting in the kitchen window waiting for somebody to deliver it. I had to get out of my seat and ask our waitress for the check because I wasn't sure what hour of the night it would be before we saw her again. I really hate complaining over petty things, but when it's constant it just shows a pattern of inattentiveness or just not caring. This is a nice place, but the food itself was pretty bland. The clam chowder that I ordered, I swear I've had better clam chowder at hometown buffet. And I ordered these bacon wrapped prawns that just tasted like pure salt. The atmosphere was epic but they really need better service. We can blame covid but I'm pretty sure restaurants are at limited capacity so we should have had more attention in that case. read more

Always good, always consistent with the best calamari tacos anywhere. Also , they have a fantastic happy hour read more

Fun Friday night spot after the race track. This place has a pulse and the food was great. Bar was busy and lots of friendly people. We ordered oysters and discovered the Blue Point which have now become my favorite. We also had the poke appetizer with the fried wontons. It was very tasty and reasonably priced. Will be back next time we visit Del Mar read more

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This place is usually busy. The parking sucks. And I hate they charge you to park. Food is decent to good. Amazing views. We return often for taco Tuesday. Good place. read more

Fantastic seafood, great beer & the atmosphere with the view is unrivaled. Staff is super attentive. Love this place and will definitely be back read more

I've liked the Brigantine since day one. The fish tacos (and carne asada tacos) are the best you can have and the margaritas are delish - careful with the shaker, as the caps are a bit lose and there's always someone spilling their drink... feels like they get loser the more you drink ;) The view is unbeatable and photos speak for themselves so I won't waste characters on it. We've had tons of meals there throughout the years: happy hours with friends, dates with my husband before kids, during pregnancy (their carne asada taco was always a craving...), with kids since they were babies, when family is in town, when friends are in town... But yesterday, when I stopped by for an informal business dinner with my bosses from Japan, I had the best experience and I felt awful for not ever having praised them on a review. Needless to say, both Japanese guests loved the place, the oysters, the tacos, the desserts and the draft beer list. But the service was the best. I called ahead and asked for a patio table, which we got. As it was a business dinner it was amazing to get one that has a great view but still is on the side and somewhat private. And we were incredibly lucky to be assigned to Johnny. He was patient (when we got a bit lost in translation) accommodating (to get our taco combinations as we requested, with things from restaurant and others from the bar) and, above all, fun. We had a great meeting, a great meal and felt welcome and wonderfully taken care of. Thanks so much to Johnny (my fifth star is directed to him), the Hostess and the Brigantine for yesterday and for always being there, for never disappointing and for being such a great part of our lives. read more

Not worthy of a star rating. On the phone the girl said " oh there is no wait because there is only 1 person ahead of you and yes we have ciopino. " we arrived 5 minutes after my call and mysteriously 52 people showed up within that 5 minutes, now there is a 20-25 minute wait. Finally seated at a half held together table that wobbled. I requested to be moved and was moved to another table. We waited for over 20 minutes and finally a server came over to ask " Have you been helped" We said no. The server ran off and came back to tell us " oh I did not know I was suppose to service your table " finally and hour into waiting the server came back to take our order. I asked for ciopino and this was the response " oh no ciopino " on top of being misinformed, ignored for over an hour the food was tasteless and horrible. read more

What a great meal and experience. Service was excellent and our waiter a really effective salesman for the restaurant as well solid in his recommendations. I had the swordfish and done perfectly, not dry. Great view as we were at a window table. Enthusiastically recommend read more

Still greatest fish taco ever but thats it and a nice view sorry but it needs a lift

Have been wanting to try Brigantine in Del Mar for some time. The restaurant looks inviting from the outside and does the same inside as it's open and welcoming. Had dinner tonight and frankly we all were disappointed. From the appetizers to the main course there was nothing that we thought was above average. For starters we ordered the Calamari strips which were underwhelming almost a lack of taste. We also had the Brussel sprouts which were better than the calamari but not anything special. For entrees we had the seasonal scallops which were really large but didn't taste incredibly fresh. Also had a side Brig salad which was probably the best thing we ordered. We also ordered the ahi which was just not great, lacked taste. On the positive side they do give large portions. Overall, we were disappointed with the meal(s). This is a one and done for me. read more

Excited to be back! The view is still amazing, the restaurant looks great and the tacos are still to die for ! Only complaint though is when sitting outside there seemed to be no working heaters! Our server did their best in helping our situation, but couldn't prevail. You'd think with the new renovation you wouldn't be having these problems especially bc we love sitting outside! Hope this is fixed soon! read more

Just had a very disappointing lunch at the brig. Went for the view and fish tacos. Ended up in the back with a surly waiter who brought my friends food out first and finally brought mine. The food was less than what we expected and the service poor...and the restaurant wasn't even busy! Won't be going back there anytime soon read more

Brigantine is a local favorite for dinners. Outdoor dining or near the bar are the best. Wonderful staff and terrific food.

Very disappointed. My food left a lot to be desired. This was the first place I ever had sand dabs decades ago and they were small tender pieces spread nicely in a lovely creamy lemon sauce - a dish I've remembered over the years. I recently had the same meal again for my birthday. Sadly, it was barely edible and presentation was very unappealing. 2-3 fillets were bottom side up stacked on top of each other like, well, a pile of dead fish. The sauce was almost nonexistent. My broccolini tasted like it had only been quickly boiled and was not even properly drained - was completely watery and flavorless - how hard is it to make decent tasting broccolini? The whole meal was so bad, we just quickly paid and left. read more

Came here for dinner the day before Thanksgiving. It was super packed! Everyone was on the prowl for self-seating since they were no longer taking reservations for the night. Thankfully, the hostesses were really helpful and we were able to find seats fairly quickly. One complaint I have is the silverware didn't seem properly cleaned. My knife and fork had disgusting stains on them and when I asked for replacement ones, I was handed other dirty silverware. I just cleaned it myself with my napkins and water. I mean, I understand the place was packed and everyone was so busy. But. Please clean your silverware! It makes contact with our food and eventually goes in our mouths! Anyway. We finally decided on the steak frites and the scallops. The portions were pretty small but the dishes are loaded with carbs so you will leave full (but maybe not satisfied). The food was nothing special, though I did enjoy the scallops (but then again, I was craving scallops for THREE months so anything that resembled a scallop would've satisfied :p). I expected the scallops to be more fresh since this place was known for its seafood. I guess that was our mistake in ordered the steak lol. But the steak was decent. Very small. I didn't like the fat fries that came with the steak frites. I've put up some photos to show you the food! All in all, I wouldn't come here again because I don't think the prices are worth it, but I'm glad I tried it once! read more

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I was at the racetrack for the day with family. We made reservations with the yelp app and it was easy to make the reservations. The restaurant at this time had valet parking and the parking line was long so we parked on a street near by. We were sat right away and the booth was comfortable and you can see the track from here. Our waiter came by in a short time and took our drink orders. I ordered the fish and chips it comes with coleslaw. He sat bread on the table with so butter. There were two types of bread one was white and the other was brown. I tried the brown bread and it didn't have much flavor. Our meal came and the presentation was nice. The coleslaw was good it wasn't the vinager type. Which I would have thought being a side for fish and chips. The chips (fries) where shoestrings. The chips were limp but did teast good. The fish didn't have much flavor to them and they were a little mushie. The others in my party did think the food was good. Its a very nice restaurant and I found the bathroom clean too read more

Brigantine - Seafood Near Me - Del Mar, California

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Visited during Christmas from Chicago and the people hosting my family said this was the place to get fish tacos. And after a 3-hour hike at Torrey Pine, I was ready. Much to our surprise, it was still happy hour. I ordered three tacos. And out they came. Corn tortillas with deep fried filets, pico de gallo, ranch, and shredded cheddar cheese...with a little fresh lime juice and hot sauce. I wolfed down those three and promptly ordered a fourth! The batter tasted great, it was crispy, it wasn't overly battered, and the fish inside was moist and flavorful. The service was fine in my book, everyone was pretty friendly. A little loud and crowded in the bar area, but isn't that a clue that a restaurant is good? Bottom line: I loved this place and will return whenever I visit the San Diego area. read more

Brigantine - Fish tacos! - Seafood Near Me - Del Mar, California

It took over an hour for a house salad . Takes one minute to make . Shit service . They said there were no reservations and a bunch of empty tables were present so we sat at the bar counter . Never go here with out a reservation. Salad was ok . Shouldn't take that long . Also people that got here one hour after us got their food in 5 minutes read more

Brigantine - Salad took a one hour wait - Seafood Near Me - Del Mar, California

The best happy hour in town from 4-6pm. Incredible beers and tacos with the best scenery of the Del Mar racetrack and the beach. read more

Brigantine - Mahi mahi taco on the left Surf and turf taco on the right Latitude 33 beer in the back! Happy hour from 4-6 pm on weekdays! - Seafood Near Me - Del Mar, California

Loved the outdoor seating and the service was great! The napa nachos were so incredible but the rest of the food was average- not bad by any means just kinda *shrug*. Pricing was good too especially for the area. I definitely recommend outdoor seating where you have track and ocean views in some spots- the inside here was on the dark, loud side with very random old music playing. read more

Brigantine - Napa nachos - Seafood Near Me - Del Mar, California

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I've had fond memories at this place. Before covid I would come here with my family, overlooking Del Mar, staying here from happy hour to dinner hour. After we each finished our entree we still longed for more, then we would share a plate of fish and chips. Who would expect the fish and chips to be so good, that even after having an entree I still wanted that fish and chips. Oysters are also very fresh and the rockefeller shooter was a good experience. The Baja oysters are sweet and tender. Cocktails are generally on the sweet side. I came here once during covid and all the tables were super far away from each other, food is still up to par. I simply miss that fish and chips too much. read more

Came here to have a nice saturday lunch with my friends and husband because the weather was really nice. The husband also really wanted to come here due to the good reviews. Yelp again haven't fail us! I was satisfied with all the food we ate and the service. **Note of caution regarding the $$ signs: We originally made reservations for 2:30 at the restaurant because we didn't know about the oyster bar section. When we got seated and looked at the menu, the dishes were pretty pricey and definitely more expensive then just two $ signs. The restaurant section should get more like three $ signs because dishes ranged from $10 to $40ish.. mainly most of the dishes were in the $25 - $30 range... Lucky our friends didn't come until 3:30ish due to traffic and we had to be seated in the oyster bar section as the kitchen to the restaurant closes at 3:00. ***If you want the more affordable prices that everyone on yelp is raving about, go to the oyster bar section and not the restaurant~ *** So here's my review: Parking - there's either street parking or valet. Street Parking can be super hard to find especially when the weather is perfect. I was lucky enough to find a street parking. Valet cost $4, which isn't bad at all and would definitely recommend it if you can't find parking your first try. Decor - The restaurant definitely has the beach classy theme going with a wooden decor. The inside is nice and has a typical bar like setting. The outside portion of the restaurant is a deck area that is covered that overlooks all of the del mar track. Next to the restaurant deck, there's a green grass section that is beautiful. Right when I saw this place, I thought that this place would be perfect for a bridal shower or baby shower! Oyster bar section is on the right hand side of the restaurant. There are a lot of inside seating with large windows. There's an outside area where you can sit along the porch and there are 4 patio tables that can fit 8 people each. The oyster bar section is a "seat yourself" concept. I was able to snatch the outside table and the weather was PERFECT! Service - Our waitresses were very accommodating and nice! The service was wonderful! FOOD - we ordered at the OYSTER BAR: *Fish Tacos (1 for $3.50 w/o chips or three for $9.50 w/ chips). - The fish tacos are huge and delicious! I highly recommend at least getting one of these! *Shrimp Tacos - ($4.50 each) - the shrimp tacos were GOOD! I liked it a lot. * Brigantine classic calamari strips (cocktail sauce and jalapeño white sauce) ...$8. The Calamari Strips are good and definitely fresh. I also enjoyed these! * Monterey Artichoke Fritters (crispy golden artichoke hearts, parmesan and lemon aioli) ..$8. I had to get these because of the reviews. After eating them, they were good but not as good as what I was expecting. However, I would still get them if you never tried them before. * Clam Chowder - cup $4.50 - This was good! I enjoyed it! Overall, I would come here again to try the rest of their food ! I definitely want to come here for their happy hour and taco Tuesday! read more

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Great happy hour and food and nice views close to beach Delmar Solona love tacos on Tues

This is one of our favorite happy hours! They have valet parking, great food, great staff, and the views of both the dog beach and the Del Mar racetrack are so amazing! read more

Brigantine continues to be a great place for a tasty and enjoyable meal in Solana Beach. Still a great place to enjoy fresh air along with wide vistas of the racetrack, trains, hills, and ocean! The menu continues to feature classic seafood items along with what seems to be a growing number of beef and chicken dishes. Some confusion was created in our party by the restaurant's providing slightly different menus marked "lunch" and "oyster bar". Unfortunately, there is no more cioppino soup being served, and (if memory serves) the warm rolls greeting diners are a thing of the past. Service during a recent weekday lunch in October 2021 was friendly and prompt. The calamari strips proved excellent. The clam chowder is New England style, with a healthy taste (without excessive cream or salt). The swordfish fish tacos were delicious but a bit dry. read more