If you're looking for a delicious weekend brunch spot in San Diego, add Encontro to your foodie…read morelist! Their weekend brunch is served from 10 AM-2 PM, and trust me, there's plenty to love on the menu! The Loco Moco is a must-try, bringing those comforting, savory flavors that hit the spot! And if you're craving something sweet and savory, the Chicken & Waffles is another winner. Crispy, flavorful, and the perfect brunch indulgence! And let's talk mimosas! Whether you're celebrating a special occasion or just enjoying a weekend outing with friends, Encontro has mimosa options ranging from $3-$12, plus an unlimited mimosa option for $22. Now that's a reason to make your weekend plans! Huge shoutout to Chef Jason for showcasing his amazing culinary talent! ‍ You can taste the creativity and passion that goes into the dishes, making brunch here such a delicious experience. From the first bite to the last sip, Encontro knows how to make brunch memorable! So grab your brunch crew, bring your appetite, and get ready to sip, savor, and enjoy a fantastic weekend meal in North Park! Because at Encontro, brunch isn't just a meal... it's an ENCOUNTER with deliciousness!

Stopped by here because I saw it was one of the best spots to go to in SD. When I walked in I…read morethought. "Wow what a cute place" they only serve beer and wine so I did not get a drink. My partner got a Mexican beer and said it was delicious. We started off with the poke tacos and brussel sprouts. The poke was extremely good. The Brussels were not. They were cooked well but the was no seasoning. I barely ate them. We tried to order a couple sauces to see if it would make it better and I did not. We pushed those aside. We then ordered 2 burgers. The lamb burger with fries and the patty melt with tots. I requested no Cole slaw add pickles. The pickles were an upcharge and they were sweet! Yuck! Pushed those to the side. When our food got delivered they had put slaw on my burger I didn't care I took it off and just ate it anyways. Both of our burgers were dry tasteless and not hot. The waitress came by and saw the Cole slaw on the plate and offered to make it over for me but I didn't want to wait so I refused. We ended up not eating the burger and just ate the fries and tots. I spent over 100 dollars for potatoes and beer.. and all the waitress said was I'm sorry. I will never come back here and would never recommend this spot.

I stop here from time to time to watch a football or hockey game, but typically enjoy brunch…read more I was sad yesterday when I was told they were out of the pickle beer I normally get with my michelada. Luckily, Hayley was super helpful and suggested the strawberry blonde fruited lager instead of a michelada. It was pretty tasty!

With so much turnover in the North Park neighborhood, I would consider Working Class as one of the…read moreolder establishments along 30th St. It's an extremely canine friendly business with a section on the menu featuring edibles for dogs. There's a covered front patio, a bar with countertop seating and several high-top tables inside, and then a back patio. I recently came for breakfast as they open at 9 am daily which is not that common for a bar and grill. Paper menus used to be available, however like many eateries, they have moved to a QR code provided at each table to scan and view the online version. Breakfast fare was served until 2 pm. What caught my attention was the Shrimp and Cheddar Grits ($17). The dish consisted of two eggs any style, chili-rub shrimp, diced bacon, and tomato in a bed of cheddar laced grits. I asked for the eggs to be scrambled. The bowl came with a decent serving of the above contents. I liked the addition of the bacon and tomato that gave a salty and acidic flavor profile, respectively. The disappointment was only three medium sized shrimp were included. I had expected double that number because shrimp was the first word in the name of the item so it should have been featured more. The service from the waitress was pleasant. I gave a 3.5 rating for this visit to Working Class.

What a neat little place. Interior is gorgeously decorated ; there's plenty of patio seating and…read morethere are also TVs outside so a good space for game days. We came on a day that was quite sweltering hot and they do have large fans that kind of helped. The food that you order comes out and quite generous portion sizes! And several of the hot plates are definitely piping hot when they arrive! My friend got the Spicy Rita drink which was refreshing like Agua Fresca. Its base is Watermelon juice. She also ordered the Dutch pancake was delicious like custard and flan. It appears like a Thin layer crepe but fluffy filling on a hot skillet. Crumpets are kinda like an English muffin sliced with side of butter and two berry jams. Fresh hot tasty and crunchy. Not crumbly or dry. Short rib crumpet was like this delicious breakfast sandwich with thin sliced short rib well marinated! Service was awesome. Dog friendly patio and they offered our sweet Rosie some water, and scrambled eggs if desired. Awww My favorite was The Galaxy lavender lemonade. It was not too citrus heavy and you actually get a delicate infusion of lavender. It comes in a kettle shaped pitcher you can share among friend in cute little shot-sized glass cups. I tried the strawberry salad since I wanted something light and cold on a faltering hot day. Again portions were very generous. Staff was very friendly and checked on us frequently. I'm curious to try the happy hour wings at a different time. We came here for brunch and it was great despite the hot weather. Would love to try their food at different meal times.

I made a reservation for my parents who came down from OC!…read more Pros: - Easy reservation through Yelp! It looks like they have more seating outside than inside. - There's a variety of brunch items that are not your typical brunch items! We ordered shrimp corncake and short rib omelet. The omelet came in a little personal skillet. Very cute food presentation! - Service was nothing to write about, but not in a bad way! We didn't really interact with our server much. Cons: - The ceiling fan was crazy intense. Pretty fair considering it was hot, but I kind of wished that we were seated inside instead with AC. - Shrimp corncake needed some crunch IMO. I'm curious to try to try the other food items and it seems that people like this place for HH.

The food is delicious here and the place is cute, however, they are consistently understaffed and…read moreit's a problem. If you need a job waiting tables maybe hit them up. If this were the first time, we might understand, things happen and sometimes you have to work shorthanded, but this wasn't the first time, more like 4th or 5th time over a period of several months and every time we come they are clearly understaffed and this place gets packed so it's not like they don't need more people. An entire restaurant is run by 2 servers, seems like maybe the owner and her son, and we could only see 2 kitchen staff working their asses off behind the glassed in kitchen, which likely means no breaks for any staff and everything takes forever. If you don't mind sitting and waiting for your food and drinks, by all means go here. The first time we were almost late for a show because dinner for 4 of us took almost 2 hours. We hope this review might inspire them to expand their staff because the food is delish and we want to keep coming back!

This is probably the longest overdue review I have ever written, but at this point, not writing it…read morealmost feels selfish because I would very much like to always be able to get a table here. But alas, Carbon Angela's Kitchen deserves every flower, every reservation, every "you have to try this place" text thread, and every bit of love. This place has become one of my absolute favorite hidden gems in San Diego. Easily top five for me, and as someone who dines out a lot for a living, that is not a casual statement. There are places you like, places you recommend, and then there are places that start to feel woven into your actual life. Carbon Angela's Kitchen is that for me. Angela is truly the heart of this place. She has this way of making you feel like you are not just coming in for dinner, but being welcomed into something she deeply cares about. And Emanuele is absolutely part of that magic too. Together, they have built something that feels warm, generous, soulful, and so special. They feel like long-lost friends and family now, and I am honestly just so proud of them and all they are creating. The food is the kind that makes you want to order with the whole table in mind. The griglia mista is hands down one of the best investments you can make if you are dining with a group. It is the meat platter, it is the moment, and it is absolutely worth ordering. Four to five people can split it, especially if you are also doing appetizers, salad, wine, and a few extra things for the table. It is such a perfect nod to what Carbon was before Angela took over, when the space leaned more BBQ, but now it feels beautifully married with Angela's warmth, Italian influence, and the kind of hospitality that makes the whole meal feel like an experience. And please do not sleep on the rest of the menu. The short rib is fire. The arancino trio is always a yes. The eggplant croquette? Obsessed. The crespelle? So good. The Everything Salad is my favorite salad on the menu, and the street corn should never, under any circumstances, be skipped. I said what I said. The wine selection is top tier, the appetizers are memorable, and the whole place has that rare magic of feeling cozy, intentional, and completely unpretentious. You can come for a low-key dinner, a girls' night, a celebration, or one of those "we just need a really good meal and a really good glass of wine" kind of evenings. And the back patio? Perfect for an evening under twinkling lights. It is one of those spaces that just begs for a long table, good conversation, clinking glasses, and the kind of night that accidentally turns into a core memory. They also have catering menus available, which is very important information to keep in your back pocket if you are hosting anything soon. What Angela has built is honestly something to behold. One of the hardest-working restaurateurs doing the dang thing in a city like San Diego, and now opening Bedda across the way too? I am in awe and wonder watching it all unfold. It takes so much courage, grit, taste, excellence, and heart to build what they are building, and you can feel all of it in the room. Carbon Angela's Kitchen is a true labor of love, a hidden gem, and one of those places I will keep cheering for again and again. Go hungry. Order the griglia mista. Get the Everything Salad. Do not skip the street corn. Share Share Share, so you can try a little bit of everything and do a tried and true family style meal, you won't regret it.

Best server EVER... We found a 1 top on the patio. She stopped by within 2 minutes on a busy…read moreSunday, got us set with menus and described the Sunday smashburher specials. We opted for a chopped cheese and the Caesar salad wrap. Both were delicious and LARGE (bought the second half home!!) We completed it with the fries (heads up they are the coated French freis..I'm not a fan bit they were seasoned well) We enjoyed the bubble, a perfectly dry Cava! We look forward to going back and working our way throigh the sandwiches (made by neighboring Loi's Deli)

Located next to Lou's Deli (in partnership with). Street parking only, some metered. Located across…read morefrom Saigon coffee. Lots of seating inside and out. Sat at the bar so service was quick. Tried their breakfast hoagie - Tots were good but egg mix was meh. I wouldn't recommend this one. The drink I ordered was super bitter.

We had such an amazing experience at Gravity Heights in Mission Valley! From the delicious food and…read moredrinks to the exceptional service, everything was wonderful. When I called to make a reservation for Happy Hour, Jacob let me know that the Happy Hour section was first come, first served. However, he was kind enough to make an exception and reserve a table for us. That meant so much! Even more special, Jacob came over to our table to introduce himself and make sure we were enjoying everything. What an amazing personal touch! And our waitress, Juliana, was absolutely fantastic! She KNOWS what's good! Her recommendations were spot-on. We ordered the cauliflower, patatas, and birria quesadilla, and everything was delicious. And the Spring Fling Spritz drinks were AMAZING! One of my sisters is vegan, and the vegan Mezze Platter was unbelievably delicious. She loved it! A huge thank you to Jacob, Juliana, and the entire Gravity Heights team for making our visit such a wonderful experience. Great food, amazing drinks, excellent service, and such thoughtful hospitality. We will definitely be back!

Perfect place for brunch as long as you can find parking! We always luck out in the underground…read moreparking, so that'll be your best bet. There's plenty of outdoor seating, but highly recommend making a reservation if you prefer to sit inside. The staff are so nice, the drinks and food are delicious, and we love how local it is in the valley!

This place was amazing! We had a party of 16, and our waitress, Alexxis, was incredibly kind,…read morepatient, and accommodating the entire night. She handled our large group so well and was especially attentive when it came to allergies, which we really appreciated. The food and drinks were also wonderful! We ordered a variety of appetizers, entrees, and drinks, and everything was delicious. Can't wait to be back and try different items on the menu!

it was not the best for a hot day- no ac. slow to be seated. slow to take orders, food came out…read moreslow. new zealand meat pie - fine chilaquiles- pretty good.

First of all, shout out to our very attentive server Dylan, you're the best!…read moreThe ambiance is so cozy! From outside the place looks like a regular square small restaurant but you go inside, you feel like you are in different dimensions. Kudos to the concept designer! Classy inside! Now let's talk about food. We went there for a brunch. Started with refreshing iced tea. The tea has a refreshing burst of somewhat guava like flavor. Not strong guava flavor just a hint... really refreshing. Good choice of drinks. Truffle fries is so good... lots of cheese! I ordered the breakfast sandwich it has bacon, egg avocado aoili, and urugula. First bite? whoa! different ... not your usual bacon egg sandwich. Note im not a sandwich person but this one is light. It doesn't feel that it will fill you up. Oh, and don't forget the house potato... omg, really tasty. My husband ordered the caesar's salad with chicken, he was satisfied too! We'll surely come back for dinner!

Came here with a party of 8 and booked one of the "Friday & Saturday" Tent Experiences for a fun…read moregroup night out. The restaurant itself has a casual outdoorsy vibe with lots of smaller tables, but they also had two tent setups for larger groups which made our dinner feel a little more private and special. We were seated promptly and Madison took great care of us throughout the evening. We started with a bunch of shared appetizers and flatbreads for the table. Favorites of the night were definitely the Elote-Style Cauliflower (so flavorful and delicious!!) and the Wildflower Cornbread Muffins which were honestly fantastic. The Forager's Truffle Flatbread was also really good -- nice truffle flavor without being overpowering. The Award-Winning Truffle Fries were decent, and the Lodge Pretzel Board was okay too; the mustard butter was great but the alpine cheese dip didn't really wow us. We also tried the Artichoke and BBQ Chicken Flatbreads which were both solid choices for sharing with a group. One thing we noted though was that besides the flatbreads, the "Basecamp Mains" section was completely non-vegetarian, which was why we ended up doing only shared appetizers instead of trying out the entrees as half our group was vegetarian and did not have any options to choose from. We ended up skipping dessert since none of the options really stood out to us and headed elsewhere for sweets afterward. Overall, a really fun atmosphere for a group dinner with good service, great vibes, and several standout dishes. I definitely want to return with my family to try out some of the entrees as well.

We were in the area looking for a brunch spot and striking out, and everyone was getting to the "we…read moreneed food NOW" stage, so we ended up at Common Stock. When we sat down, we were a little surprised that the brunch menu was pretty limited compared to the photos that originally caught our attention. I'm guessing those were from the dinner menu. Our server was actually so great about it--he told us to take our time looking it over and that if we weren't excited about anything, we were welcome to leave and he wouldn't take it personally. That honestly won us over. Even our kids were impressed by how straightforward and nice he was and decided we should stay. And I'm glad we did. The Crispy Brussels were delicious--seriously, one of the highlights. My daughter loved the Strawberry Shortcake French Toast. My son liked the Japanese Potato Hash, although he wished there was another way to add more protein besides bacon. I had the Hot Chicken + Waffle and really enjoyed it, and my husband had the Nashville Crispy Chicken Sandwich. The food took a little longer than expected, but the service more than made up for it. Our server was genuinely kind, honest, and attentive, which can make such a difference. We came in mostly because we were hungry and running out of options, but left really happy we gave Common Stock a chance. Great food and, more importantly, really great service.

We were visiting from out of state and staying in the area, and came across this place on Yelp…read more I'll start by saying the service was good. Our server was friendly and answered our questions, we had no complaints there. However the menu was very limited and the food was okay. We may have had to do more research but it didn't seem very family or kid friendly (menu wise). We ended up getting the pizza rolls, rotisserie chicken, crispy Brussels and chicken sandwich. The pizza rolls I was picturing something like a Totino's pizza roll or a savory cinnamon roll, so I asked about it and our server described it similar to an "empanada". It ended up being closer to a wonton than anything. It wasn't bad but was fairly oily. Wouldn't order again. The rotisserie chicken was really good and I liked the sauce it came with. The chicken was pretty tender as well. The chicken sandwich was okay. There was a lot of mayo/creamy sauce. Combined with the fried chicken it felt a bit heavy. The bun was really good though. We really liked the Brussels sprouts. It has a great citrusy taste and was cooked well.

We had an amazing experience at Trust for a birthday brunch! We made a reservation for 10:45 and…read morewere seated very prompted. All of the staff including the host, our server, and the food runners were incredibly kind. The sticky bun was deliciousssss -- definitely a must have! We enjoyed a few cocktails and order the skillet, rolled tacos, and chilaquiles. We all enjoyed our dishes! I will definitely be coming back to enjoy a brunch and likely to try out the dinner menu as well.

Our waiter learned it was our first visit to the eatery, and recommended we try their…read more"off-the-menu" tasting menu. "2 dishes per person," he promised--we were game. He mentioned they'd course the dishes out, 2 at a time, ensuring each of the dishes were paired intentionally. Beet Salad From someone who's not easily impressed with vegetable-led dishes, this was delicious. This dish was visually vibrant, and the flavor mirrored that vibrancy. The beets themselves were stunningly soft, even juicy I'd say. It's root-y flavor was ever-present, but it never became unwelcome on the dish. "Fragrant" is another word we all used to describe the plate, with the fresh mint and succulent citrus fruit widening each our eyes. Sweet, savory, fresh and...creamy. This salad sat on top of a delightful carrot labneh, which provided a creamy element further elevating the dish. It brought a bit of tang to the salad that I appreciated. Finally, there was a crunchy detail (which we know I love) from intelligently included pieces of pastelli--a Greek treat made from sesame seeds and honey, and that sweet crunch fostered the table's excitement. Trust was firing on cylinders early, strong start. Hamachi Crudo Insane. I'm a big fan of the amount of flavor that's packed in such a delicate dish. Off rip, you're met with a visually exciting dish. Red, green, and purple from the thinly sliced pepper, cucumber, and radish pop right off the dish. Bright colors and exquisite execution, placed in a circle to match the shape of the dish, had each of us salivating. With the first taste, the crisp bite of fresh cucumber catches your senses immediately, and then subtly spicy, cream sauce. It was aguachile blanco--my first time having the blanco variant. The flavor was stupid, I struggled to describe it's uniqueness. The Mexican flavor profile was proliferated by fresh cilantro and thinly sliced radish, followed with a textured salsa seca. The light nature of the dish paired pristinely with the beet salad. Now, these next two dishes were an exciting 1-2 punch in showing you exactly what Chef is all about--that signature wood fire Wood Grilled Cauliflower I always eat my vegetables, but I rarely enjoy them. They're two for two in accomplishing that feat. In a bowl lined with curry, they served up a healthy helping of cauliflower that showcases its smokiness first. With that first bite, you taste the fire quickly, but what surprised me most was how soft each piece of the veg was. The curry and smoky flavor from the wood fire paired deliciously. Though, my favorite aspect of this delivery was the inclusion of raisins and fresh mint. This was a new combo for me, and it delivered. The sourness from the raisins and the cool, herbaceous qualities of the mint cut right through the charred flavor. A beautiful contrast. As we continued to dismantle the plate, there was a familiar flavor that we all recognized but couldn't identify. Maybe it was the serrano aioli or the black lentils. Either way, we all enjoyed this one. Wood Grilled Octopus This was a favorite of mine, but I was alone in that regard. While nobody disliked the dish, the table had mixed reviews. For me, this was perfectly cooked. The texture of the octopus was ridiculous with a cooking technique that created a crispy exterior while maintaining a tender bite. The smokiness didn't shy away here either. I mean damn. Most weren't a fan of the pepperoni, but fresh, ground meat added a rustic flavor pop that satiated my palate. It held that beloved pepperoni flavor, but this style allowed for it's flavor to spread across each bite. What made this dish unique from any other octopus I've had was the addition of castelvetrano olives and legumes. They both brought an interesting flavor and texture element that surprised me. Lastly, the salsa verde served as a perfect sauce, providing an element of moisture that complimented the charred features. Well done. After round two is when shit got real. Crab Fried Rice OH SHIT. WTF. One of the best rice dishes I've ever had. This is one we all wished was much much bigger. Despite the name, this dish includes chunks of incredibly juicy, wood-roasted lobster that there was never going to be enough of. The crab was shredded and could be found in each bite of plump rice, providing a pleasing flavor. Both a lemongrass emulsion and Thai chili were included, offering a wonderful duality of zest and spice. I thoroughly enjoyed the basil and cashew elements as they created some extra variety in flavor and texture. Not much else is needed for me to say, it's a must order. Char Sui Glazed Brisket OH SHIT. Back to back hitters, and they paired... There's sadly a character limit, but tap in and read the rest of my review for free on my Substack: Still Chewing https://stillchewing.substack.com/p/herb-and-sea