Matt is amazin waiter @ fresco cocina if you are ever in Carlsbad the whole restaurant is a vibe…read morevery attentive. Matt has the perfect personality to be the waiter. 1st time and i will be back. Oh the food and drinks are great as well

Came here for the first time tonight. My wife and I don't go out a lot any more.. I'm really glad…read morewe came to Cocina tonight. Our server Nikki did a great job!! She was super helpful. I have a lot of food allergies, and she accommodated all of them. This is so hard to find.. Thankful for you for hiring the right staff. Food was also amazing. Definitely coming back.

I ordered takeout online. I got the oxtail; it was succulent and juicy. I got plantains (nice and…read moresweet!) and greens. The plate worked so well with the rice and beans. I also got the jerk chicken. I wasn't a fan of the spices (too spicy) and the chicken was dry. I wish the chicken was on the bone. Lastly, I tried the beef patty. The crust could have been flakier but the beef was well-spiced and worked with the spicy but fruity hot sauce. Jamaican/Carribbean food is very hard to come by in CA, so I would certainly do another takeout for this special food.

Excellent Food I loved it…read more I will be back and order extra food to go I told all my friends and family

My original post was 8 yrs ago so I've been coming here for a long time. I always get the same…read morething!! ALWAYSSS!! & it is ALWAYSSS consistently good. You know when you have a hyper fixation on a meal and you keep eating it until you hate it, well it's been 8 yrs and still til this day I love it. It's hard finding a place where your favorite dish taste the exact same every time. Most places change the recipe or cut corners but here you get quality. Back to my O.G order: Large Oxtail Plate w/no veggies and extra plantain with 2 beef patties and a Malt. It comes with rice of course and if you're lucky, ask for some extra gravy! 10/10 recommend

Yesterday I had the pleasure of trying some amazing Caribbean/Jamaican food, and everything from…read morethe oxtail, goat, rice, plantains, curry chicken, and jerk chicken was absolutely delicious. The atmosphere was welcoming, and the ladies there felt so authentic and reminded me of my great grandparents, aunts, and uncles coming together to make a home-cooked meal full of love. The only downside is that I live so far away, or I'd be there all the time. Truly a 10/10 experience and I will definitely be coming back!

VAGA restaurant is located on the first floor of Alila Marea Beach Resort Encinitas…read more It's a spacious ocean-view restaurant, beautifully set within the hotel. We stopped by during an in-between hour for a few small bites. I was surprised to see kimchi fried rice on the menu. I had only tried it once before, at a place in Torrance, and had been happy with it. So I ordered it with some anticipation--though, in hindsight, maybe I was expecting too much. A refined, oceanfront restaurant serving a very typical Korean comfort dish felt a bit unexpected to begin with. The result was disappointing. Parts of the rice weren't warm enough, and there wasn't much kimchi to speak of. It lacked that bold, satisfying flavor the dish is known for. I suppose I was asking a bit much--ordering authentic kimchi fried rice at a polished beachside hotel restaurant.

Do not let the "luxury" label fool you. Our Mother's Day at VAGA (at Alila Marea) was a total…read morerobbery. Prices at over $150 per person (plus extra for coffee and tea!), you expect excellence but ha! Instead, we received: Ambiance: Sticky tables, dead insects on the windows, and "clean" plates with food "film" on them. The bread station was a mess--unattended, with unappealing, messy presentations of butter and jams. Food: The tri-tip was overcooked, the omelets were incredibly dry, and the deviled eggs were actually hardening and discolored from sitting out. Incompetent Service: We waited 30 minutes for coffee while watching our server make herself a plate at the buffet - as it was closing down. We sat with nine dirty dishes piled on our table because no one bothered to clear them. We also never received clean utensils between visits to the buffet or any spoons. This establishment took advantage of my husband and son's desire to make the day special. Avoid this place--it's a high-end price tag for a low-rent, unfavorable experience. Yes, I reached out to management. They wanted us to return with a dining credit that was about a third of what we already paid for a dismal experience. I'd rather have a refund and all I had heard since, is crickets.

I've been wanting to come here since I first heard about it last year. Well, I'm happy to say, it…read moredid not disappoint! My husband and I came on Monday night to enjoy a couple of drinks at sunset, and lemme tell you, it was the perfect spot. It's a few blocks from the beach, but you can see the ocean. And watching the gorgeous sunset with a well-made cocktail in hand was the perfect end to our day. We ordered at the bar and had the Mango Guava Spritz and the Miami Pound Machine. They both came in large glasses and were well worth the price. Nice presentation and both were delicious and not too sweet. Just the right amount of alcohol, too, in my opinion. I loved the vibe up there. They had heaters on and cute umbrellas and lighting. It's just a fabulous spot on top of the Brick Hotel. I will definitely be back when I'm in Oceanside again.

VIBEEEEZZZZZZ went on a Friday late afternoon and it was a dream! Minimal people.. amazing weather…read moreand FANTASTIC PLAYLIST. You can take the stairs or elevator to the top level. I got the espresso drink thing .. it was interesting haha my fiancé got an old fashion and he loved it. Definitely would go back!

The ambiance was great, staff was friendly and welcoming. We liked that they offered samples…read more They had 2 fusion dishes that we tried, Jerk Chicken Adobo and although their Pancit Bihon wasn't billed as such, it was different than the usual style and it was GREAT! Their Ginilang was tasty, and their portions were generous, enough for my boyfriend and I to share and still have leftovers. Will definitely be back!

Love the Jamaican/Filipino fusion! I was pretty excited to try it since I love both cuisines. I…read morecame here specifically for the oxtails, they were very tender and fell right off the bone. I also loved how saucy they were, although I felt they could've used a tad more seasoning. Thankfully, they have condiments up front, so I just added some fish sauce. Their pancit was also very good. I also got to try the curry empanada, although it was a little dry and didn't have much flavor. Their laing (coconut taro leaves) was bomb--so rich and flavorful. So good with white rice. My husband also enjoyed the lumpia's. Service was nice and friendly. I was excited to see they sold Betapac Curry Powder for under $4. I can't wait to make my own Jamaican curry at home with it! There's plenty of indoor seating, along with some outdoor seating, and lots of parking. Looking forward to coming back to try more of their dishes.

I was in town for work and I always plot my meals ahead of time. I was thrilled to find a Haitian…read morerestaurant as it's rare to find here in the west coast. I ordered a chicken dish, pikliz, and something else. I should have known by how empty it was. I had to climb stairs to get to the restaurant and there was no elevator present. I took the food to go...I got to my hotel room and opened the food and tasted it. It was a hard no...there was way too much salt. The pikliz was just okay but not what I was expecting. Luckily I'd stopped at another place to pick up dinner and ended up eating that early. It's hard when you've had outstanding Haitian food and go somewhere and it's not what it should be.

My review is based on take out. I'm from Haitian-Brooklyn…read more So I was nervous coming here thinking it wouldn't be good. But the food was delicious. The staff is friendly and service was smooth. I ordered Griot and diri djon djon (fried pork and mushroom rice ) paid $30. It's a lot of food. You won't be mad I love the fact they fry the griot when you order and it's not just siting in warmer. It tasted nice and fresh. They give a nice amount of sauce which was real tasty. The rice was full of flavor. They definitely have a the Haitian flavors. They have seating for those who wants to dine in. Looks quiet and clean. You have to go up the stairs to get into the restaurant. So if you drive by and don't see much activity in front just keep that in mind. I will definitely be back.

This was all recommended by the cashier who did amazing and giving me the low down on what's the…read morebest and honestly everything here was so amazing even a really great place to relax and do some work in there comfy chairs and nice big pillows. Really a 10 atmosphere and vibes as well You need to try this place. The entire meal was less than $40!! The plate was only like $22 which is a steal

As someone with Cuban heritage, Havana Grill has always been a place that felt comforting and…read morefamiliar to me. In the past, I've had some really great meals and experiences there, which is why this review is difficult to write. Unfortunately, during my most recent visit to the Clairemont Mesa location, the food quality was noticeably different from what I remembered. Several items tasted stale, cold, and as though they had been reheated. The beans were mushy and lacked flavor, and the plantains seemed old and not freshly prepared. Overall, the meal felt below the standard I had experienced there before. I'm sharing this not to criticize harshly, but because I genuinely remember this restaurant being much better and I hope they can return to the quality and freshness that made the place special in the past. I truly want to see them succeed and improve because there is a lot of potential there.

YES YES YES!!!! If…read moreyou have not been to Havana Grill, get in the car right now. I'm serious - grab your keys and DRIVE! My family is Cuban and we have struggled some to find true authentic Cuban Food recently, but we struck absolute gold with this place. Their drinks are so wonderful - the margaritas, the Havana mojitos & the Old Cuban are top contenders. You really can't go wrong with any drink order though. I definitely have my favorites when it comes to their food items - the vaca frita (#1 oh my gosh I could eat it daily) and the fricase de pollo are so wonderful. The baked empanadas along with anything from their bakery section is going to be a win as well. Whatever you order just ask for more mojo! Make sure before you leave you get a Cuban coffee to end the meal paired with a slice of flan!

Attractive restaurant located in the Mission Valley mall…read more We stopped in for a quick lunch, trying 3 different empanadas and a beer. It took a while to be served the empanadas at the 'bakery' counter and right before we paid, the server went to serve someone at the outside walk-up window. Uh, hello...?! We sat at at the bar where the service as well as the empanadas were luke warm. The bar tender was wearing one earphone and obviously taking a phone call while 'working'. It was difficult to get her attention between her prepping limes, her phone call and her disappearing every so often. We could have easily walked out and not paid for our drink, but we were honest. She didn't get a tip. She also needs to learn to cut limes more efficiently. We wouldn't rush back.