Had been waiting a long time for them to up culinary dropout here in SD! Been going to the one in Scottsdale for many years. Service is great and the gastropub food really hits the spot. Especially love the prime rib sandwich, the pretzel, and deviled eggs. Ambiance is great with a great vibe read more

The pretzels deserve a medal they are so delicious. Everything here is good, you really can't go wrong. Ask for Ariel as your server. She's on it and so friendly. Definitely planning on visiting again next time we're in the area. Vibes were good! read more

Visited last night for the first time. Very dark and southern/country ambience vibes. Menu was a little short, I wish there were more pasta/veggie options. I ordered the fried shrimp appetizer and house chips to start. Chips were good, a little too salty but the shrimp was tasty, although I wish there were more thicker cuts of zucchini. For my entree, I ordered the steak frites cooked medium rare. It was very chewy and not really melt in my mouth type of steak. For dessert I ordered the monkey bread. It took a while to get to our table and the portion was tiny, and more cut up apples than cinnamon bread. Overall okay vibes with a high price point. the server was very attentive and knowledgeable of the menu. read more

Ok, I've been here three times now and I've gotta say this place is awesome. I was a bit hesitant thinking it was another attempt at trendy fluff. Either I've started liking trendy stuff, or I was totally wrong in my impression. This place is warm, welcoming and fun. Service is super friendly and attentive. From the host stand to dessert they've got the service down. The food... I'm very excited I come here, each time my wife and I have tried something different. Everything has been delicious. We're looking forward to exploring the rest of the menu. Now, I'd be failing you if I didn't mention their pretzel bites with cheese fondue. These things are fluffy pillows of heaven. A must have! I recommend this place very highly. Oh and one of the managers, Chris, so awesome. We'll be back, a lot! read more

Loved this newly opened restaurant in Del Mar! They have an outdoor patio, and the decor inside is pretty nice. It's great for small and big parties. Food was good, and it was warm. According to our server, everything was made from scratch. From biscuits to tortillas. I ordered Fried Chicken and Buttermilk biscuit- it was delicious! The chicken was juicy and the gravy complimented both the taste of the chicken and biscuits. Will definitely go back! read more

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The atmosphere is really fun and the staff are all exceptionally friendly. The chopped Chicken salad is really great. It is served very cold so the lettuce is nice and crispy. They add one of their signature deviled eggs on top. Really tasty. read more

Culinary Dropout.... I don't think so! Let's start with location. Surrounded by some of our favorites in the One Paseo area so definitely has location in their favor. Out door patio Full bar . Location as discussed, heavy hitters all through that area.. Dog friendly patio was a plus! Shout out to Chris the manager, came and checked on us upon arrival, pleasant conversation to boot. Waitress was friendly, spoke well and described their menu and even had some recommendations. I had the Steak Frites... now I'm not mad at the meal, but let's actually give some fries. Flavor was great, portion as I mentioned was not quite to my approval. Then there was the "medium rare" (it wasn't ) Not burnt or anything, just not enough pink for me. And if we're talking price point... I would have been better off ordering the Korean New York.. better cut and only a couple bucks more. We will visit again, probably do a date night and leave the bitch at home.. lol ( female dog) . BTW.. Peroni on tap. read more

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Food was so good. I had the salmon with Bustamante rice and truffle fries. Service was great. Outdoor seating for dogs. Clean. Quiet. Elsa and Jenna were so sweet. read more

Culinary Dropout - Outdoor seating with heat lamps. - New American Near Me - San Diego, California

Reservations were smooth though maybe didn't need them. The place is open and I love how it connects to the outside making the place feel bright. The decor is unique and fun and odd all at the same time. The staff is superb but it's also hard to spot who is working which I get is the vibe. Started with drinks and the whipped feta which was delicious then ordered the fried chicken and biscuits. Turkey pastrami with fries and shared a salad. Everything was great. Surprisingly my favorite was the whipped feta tahini and my turkey pastrami. I honestly was not a fan of the fried chicken. It was a little thick on the breading and felt slightly burnt. But maybe that's just me read more

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Solid Spot with Great Vibes, but Fried Chicken Fell Short Stopped by Culinary Dropout in Del Mar Highlands and overall had a great experience! The vibe is super cool, the staff were friendly and on top of everything, and the service was excellent from start to finish. We started with the deviled eggs--highly recommend! Creamy, flavorful, and a great way to kick off the meal. The fish and chips were another winner--crispy, golden, and perfectly cooked with a great flaky texture inside. Now for the reason I'm giving 4 stars instead of 5: the fried chicken. It was a bit underwhelming, both in flavor and presentation. It just didn't match the standard of the other dishes, and the plating felt like an afterthought. Still, with great service and some standout items, it's definitely worth checking out. I'd come back--but I'll probably skip the fried chicken next time. read more

Culinary Dropout - These were awesome!!! - New American Near Me - San Diego, California

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Went here for lunch with a friend and was blown away. We sat at the bar with Carley (sp?) and she was amazing! Gave us solid recommendations and she didn't disappoint, we got the crispy rice spicy tuna, shrimp salad, and I got the turkey pastrami sandwich on a pretzel bun (remembering it is making me drool)! The open air environment has a very chill vibe and you don't feel enclosed at any point! Great experience and we will be back!!! read more

The food was great, but what I'm really blown away by was the service! Lilly was such wonderful server and so attentive. Her bubbly attitude and knowledge of the menu was the cherry on top of our experience. Can't wait to come back! The prime rib dip sandwich was 10/10 read more

Nice atmosphere, but food is just ok. The Mongolian Short Rib has tender cubes of meat, but it was drowning in a sauce that was too sweet. I couldn't finish eating the sticky rice because it was just soaking in the sweet tangy sauce. The fried chicken was tender inside, but the outside had an overcooked dark crust. The pretzels were just ok. read more

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This place was crowded. We arrived a bit early for our reservation and the hostess was able to still get us seated. The pork Nachos were sooo good. I also loved the setting and how large the restaurant was. Overall great experience and will be back. read more

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I absolutely adore the decor of this restaurant. Chandeliers have impressed me my entire life and they have many of them. They're so beautiful. The bar with the large TVs is so nice as well. The food selection is extensive and the food quality is exceptional. I loved, loved, loved my salad. Definitely pop in whenever you can. read more

Culinary Dropout - Awesome King size Salad - New American Near Me - San Diego, California

This was our second time here (and many more to come!). We love the food, atmosphere, and general vibe. Most of all, the service (all employees) is top notch! VICTORIA STANDS OUT ABOVE THE CROWD!! Thank you! read more

We came on a Wednesday night. It was cold and dreary evening, but as soon as we walked in the front door of this restaurant, the fun atmosphere hit us. It was so lively on a Wednesday night at 6 o'clock. The place was packed. We asked for a booth seat with our reservation but sadly we sat next to the bar (we did ask to move to other booths we saw was told someone else had reserved those tables). Next time we will ask for a booth seating not near the bar. Besides that, the rest of the night was fun. We loved the music. Our waitress was amazing and the food was good. We will definitely come back. And we especially want to try the happy hour next time. read more

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Tried it. Food was good. A lot of choices on menu. Service was on mark. Cool vibe. Will go back.

Tori was really helpful recommending the yummiest options and drinks, and was really knowledgeable about the restaurant and how everything was made it was wonderful!! Definitely coming back read more

Took myself for happy hour. Nice bar area, good quality food, ok portion sizes for the happy hour dishes. Will need to go try some more dishes read more

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Great service. The food was really delicious. The cocktails were also good. Great ambiance. Would recommend 5/5. read more

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The steak frites was the most perfect balance between wanting a fancy steak dinner and a casual bite. The steak was cooked perfectly and the sauce paired with it really stole the show! Highly recommend the steak frites and definitely get the garlic fries!! My boyfriend and I sat at the bar as it is open seating and we loved being able to watch the sun set between the buildings outside the patio area. The pretzels were also super good, but definitely only get them if you're with a group so you don't fill up quite as much on bread before your meal comes out since there were a lot of bites! read more

Culinary Dropout - Soft Pretzels & Provolone Fondue - New American Near Me - San Diego, California

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Made it in to check out the new culinary dropout location by my house. It took over the old Tilly's which my kids were really sad to see go. The space is enormous with an indoor and outdoor bar space. The lighting hanging from the ceilings was stunning. Everything about the space was really welcoming and fun! surprisingly it was still a nice volume, even with all the people. I imagine they did something to dampen the noise, which is amazing. My sister and I came in and each had a drink. The server was very friendly and helpful and was able to answer questions about the drinks on the menu. The soup of the day was sausage and kale, which is my favorite so I definitely ordered that. We also ordered the Brussels and The whipped feta tahini dip with berries. The server returned and informed us that they had switched over the soup to beef barley. He asked if I'd like to try it and he would comp it so naturally, I agreed to take a free bowl of soup. The soup was delicious but now I have to go back to get that sausage and kale Everything we had was super delicious. The Brussels had a nice spicy sauce on it, and the whipped feta was so refreshing. I imagine I'll be spending quite a bit more time here since it's walking distance from my home and the food and drinks are delicious. read more

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Good food and atmosphere, I liked the live entertainment good experience. Staff was good but hard tell them apart from customers other than coming to table from time to time. I recommend this eating experience and we will be coming back. read more

Me and my bestie had THE best dinner and BEST service of our lives tonight. Chris was so accommodating, he came multiple time to make sure we had everything we needed and went above and beyond. The servers and managers truly bring this restaurant to the next level. We love CDO! read more

I came by on a Friday around 12:30 PM. There was plenty of seating available both inside and outside, and I really liked the playful artwork throughout the space. Parking was a bit of a challenge since the restaurant is in a busy shopping center. As soon as we walked in, our waitress greeted us and brought us water right away. She recommended the brussels sprouts to start, but unfortunately, they were probably the least enjoyable I've had--slightly burnt with a bit of a kick that didn't quite work for me. Normally, brussels sprouts are a favorite, but this version missed the mark. I ordered the rainbow sushi roll, which was decent, though nothing memorable. It's not a sushi spot, so I wasn't expecting much. My friend had the skirt steak with fries. The fries were somewhere between thin cut and steak fries--good, but I personally prefer mine crispier. The steak itself was well-seasoned and tasty. Overall, the service was excellent, but the food felt pretty average. It leaned more toward sports bar fare than a quality lunch spot. read more

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Ok honest review here. Great restaurant concept but the food is nothing special. Got the fried chicken and it was dry. Servers were very friendly, restaurant is very clean and no issues. I just thought from a food quality standpoint it would be more pop. For $28 a plate, I could get pretty equal fried chicken most anywhere. read more

Ariel was a fantastic server this evening. Double thumbs up, very attentive and personal, remembered my double limes for all my beers. Would love to have her again! read more

I've been to Culinary Dropout in Tucson and Scottsdale and so keeping the amazing food in mind I had to try it out here as well. Here are my two cents Ambiance and decor is fun as expected. Service was amazing and quick. However the happy hour menu was not good with all food items with pork. Wings which are usually the staple for happy hour was missing. Since we don't eat port the only thing options we had were Brussels sprouts or chips. I think they should fix that menu. Otherwise on the regular menu options are decent and food was delicious as always but sushi was bad. I think they should take it off the menu.. hence the 4 stars. Would I come again probably if going for typical American food with a price tag otherwise the chances are less. read more

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We have been to two locations in Arizona so we were excited that one opened up just down the street from us in Del Mar! The hostess was super friendly and got us seated right away. The server was really helpful with helping us determine what to get to eat and very knowledgeable of the menu. This is an upscale bar/brewery. The food is really good, fast service and the ambiance was nice. It seems like a slightly less party atmosphere than the Phoenix one I have been to which I like. We will be back! Great service, reasonable prices and tasty food! read more

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Great experience. First time and the decor was great. Staff (server was angel I believe) was amazing. Nice manager table touch as well. Food and drinks of high quality. Will def be back. read more

Great experience here! From the moment we walked in, Diego was warm and welcoming. He took excellent care of our party of six - patience, knowledge and eagerly accommodated all the gluten free allergy demands. Brussels sprouts were fantastic. Ambience, food, service. Best experience I have had in a long time. Thank you! read more

It was our first time dining in. I really enjoyed my watermelon spritzer - super refreshing, and would be the perfect drink on a hot summer day. It seemed the kitchen was a bit heavy handed on the salt, however. We ordered the whipped feta and tahini dip, spicy tuna crispy rice (huge fan), and the steak frites. The steak and the tahini dip were too salty for our tastes, but we had a nice time here nonetheless. Thank you Spencer for the recommendations! read more

Culinary Dropout - Whipped Feta & Tahini Dip and Spicy Tuna Crispy Rice* - New American Near Me - San Diego, California

This is the new Culinary Dropout in the Highlands Mall in Carmel Valley. Open less than one month. The decor was nice with a bar upfront and a nice outdoor section that was shaded and separated from the sidewalk. The bar also has the indoor-outdoor seats that seem to be popping up everywhere lately. Plenty of TVs playing sports channels. We took two seats at the bar during happy hour. Prices for happy hour were about three fourths the regular menu prices, for selected dishes. Had a coupon for free pretzels and provolone fondue. There are eight 'snacks' on the HH menu but the portions are pretty large and two snacks is easily enough for one person. All of the dishes here were excellent. In addition to the pretzels we had potato chips and dip. Also had the BBQ pork belly nachos and the house salad. The nachos is a very big plate and we couldn't finish it. JP took very good care of us. His service was very professional and friendly. As were the other bartenders who served us. Highly recommended! read more

Service here was very attentive and they were very helpful in accommodating any specific requests we had. The nachos were a nice blend of sweet and spicy and they let me sub a Caesar salad with my burger instead of their house salad. read more

Culinary Dropout - BBQ Pork Belly Nachos - New American Near Me - San Diego, California

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The ambiance is perfect for date night. The whipped feta was my favorite. The service was great and the decor is nice.

I've been seeing ads all over my Instagram about this new spot so when I stumbled upon it, I decided to give it a try. Culinary Dropout is a huge restaurant in the Del Mar Highland neighborhood, with trendy decor and an elevated bar food menu. I got the bbq nachos to split with my table and they were really good! I would definitely recommend if you like sweet and savory, the bbq sauce added a unique sweet and smokey flavor that you don't find in classic nachos. We also tried the popcorn shrimp which came with fried zucchini as well and it was super flavorful and paired really well with the aioli. The service was great as well, our server was frequently coming to check on us and she was on top of drink refills. All in all it was a great time and they seemed to be running very efficiently despite being a new restaurant. read more

Culinary Dropout - Crispy Popcorn Shrimp - New American Near Me - San Diego, California

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Service was friendly, atmosphere was nice, and food was great. My favorite beverage is the non-alcoholic watermelon spritzer!! The pretzel balls were yummy, the fried chicken was crispy on the outside and tender/juicy on the inside and the mud pie dessert was so rich and decadent. I ate so much and slept like a rock. I will be back! read more

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Tried Culinary Dropout for their opening night in San Diego and ordered the 36-hour ribs, so glad I did! Definitely some of the best barbecue ribs I've had ever. Coleslaw could have been a little better but everything else was delicious. Can't wait to come back and try more things here. But definitely going to have the ribs again next time I'm in the mood! read more

Culinary Dropout - Yesterday's soup - New American Near Me - San Diego, California

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5 star on the service alone. Chris, the manager, was incredibly engaging and ensured that our server, Joe, was attentive to our needs. Joe is so personable and delivered great attention to our needs. We thoroughly enjoyed our food and appreciated the social and kind demeanor of the staff. The space itself is impressive--it's large yet manages to feel very inviting. I hope the business continues to thrive and becomes a frequent destination for San Diegans. It is a great place to take the family, watch sports, or meet a friend. We enjoyed everything we ordered: Ribs, burger, salads, and more. read more