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    Herb & Sea

    4.0 (841 reviews)
    Closed 5:00 pm - 9:00 PM
    Updated 3 weeks ago

    Herb & Sea Photos

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    HERB & SEA ATMOSPHERE

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    Hipster
    Casual
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    Recommended Reviews - Herb & Sea

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    Alicia L.

    My family and I came here for dinner on a Sunday and it was pretty crowded! I'd definitely recommend making a reservation ahead of time. The atmosphere was coastal and rustic. Our waitress gave great recommendations! a For 3 people, we ordered the smashed boardwalk potatoes, blistered green beans, half baked red snapper, shrimp linguini, and the bone in pork tomahawk. Everything was so flavorful and decadent and we were so impressed with every dish!

    Oyster Bar
    Ron Q.

    Whenever a celebrity chef opens up a new location, you have to visit. I've seen Brian Mularky's work on Food Network regularly. Now that this restaurant had opened up right in my own backyard, had to give it a try. Luckily time on my schedule opened up while family were visiting. So glad it all worked out! It was extremely crowded on a Friday night during the holidays. There was a table available with an hour and a half wait. We decided to wait in the bar and grab a drink and appetizers while we waited. Seating was at a premium here as well. We grabbed space at a common table and ordered. In the mean time a table opened up in the bar, so we pounced on it quickly. Soon after our appetizers arrived. The mussel toast was both unique and delicious. The mussels were prepared in a butter and wine sauce that I'd drink a gallon of if I could! We also ordered a half dozen oysters. Half east coast, half west coast. Both were served with various sauces that superbly enhanced the flavors! We ended up staying at our table in the bar to complete our meal. We enjoyed the grilled half Peri Peri Chicken, Shrimp Linguini and the Chorizo Pizza! We added the Blistered Green Beans to add veggies to our meal. Everything was delicious! Lots of flavor in the pizza! Tender shrimp in the linguini. Little spice in the chicken. Our server was amazing! Sadly I didn't catch his name. The support team was great too. The restaurant was decked out for the holidays! If you missed it, definitely make plans to visit next year! Looks nothing like the restaurant during the year. Keep on Yelp'n!

    Mei T.

    This goes down in the books as my "Most Disappointing Restaurant of 2025." I've had 2 previous misses of visiting this restaurant and thought perhaps a 3rd attempt might be a charm. I should've just given up after 2 failed attempts of coming here. Those 2 failed attempts were disappointing but the experience here with my daughter and my friends were even more of a disappointment and a waste of money. We came here on 26Dec2025. The restaurant was packed and the line for the bar was long. Half of the restaurant (the bar side) was beautifully decorated with Christmas lights and ornaments. The restaurant side was ordinary. My daughter ordered an espresso martini and it was awful. It was very acidic. We each had one small sip and that was more than enough. Our group ordered the following: WC Fresh Catch $20.25 Parker House Rolls $10.33 Johnny Cake $28.67 Seabass $34.01 Tuscan Ragu $28.21 Carrots $15.27 Charred Peppers $18.63 Potatoes $15.11 The Fresh Catch were heavily crusted mussels that were over-baked to the point where they were crispy and stuck to their shells. The Parker House Rolls were good, but the garlic herb butter smothered on top was nasty. The Johnny Cake was one single pancake heavily drenched in honey and was overly sweet. There was probably half a teaspoon worth of caviar on top. This dish made us feel physically sick. The Seabass itself was nicely cooked, but the sauce was bad. The Carrots were not even fully roasted. Some were still raw, and the yogurt sauce that came with it, well, that should be banned from menu. It tasted like spoiled yogurt and did not pair well with the carrots at all. Seriously, the chef had a really off night because the dishes that I've mentioned so far were just awful. The Tuscan Ragu, Charred Peppers, and Potatoes were the only 3 dishes that were edible and decent. Service was bad. Our server took forever to take our order and it felt like an eternity before the horrible dishes were brought to our table. Our water glasses were empty, and he never once checked in on us. Such a disappointing restaurant! I want my Money back! This was a waste of $261.65 (before tip).

    Taufiq H.

    We come here to our birthdays and when we have special friends or family. The food is amazing, well priced for what you get. Service is outstanding. Still amazed on our second visit. Every table is packed and hard to get a same-day reservation. Started with the dinner rolls - wow. I enjoyed the half baked red snapper and shared the carrots and mussel toast. Delish! Barbara wine was so-so, I've had better. Overall wonderful experience, will be back on the next t event we celebrate.

    Carrots and chorizo pizza
    Sue M.

    This place is amazing! We were seated at a table in the bar area. Nice space and ambiance. Our waitress Andrea was great and gave us some wonderful recommendations. We started with the Ode to Swan which included tuna, scallops, salmon and yellowtail. It was fresh and flavorful! Next we had the mussel toast! Wow, what creamy delicious goodness! It's mussels on top of sourdough with an insanely good Brie and cream sauce! We had to ask for more bread to soak up the yummy flavors. For the entree I ordered the red snapper and hubby had the chorizo pizza. Both were very good. The carrots we ordered as the side were super delicious as well. I took a star off only because they added a 4% surcharge. Just roll it into the menu price instead of having a surcharge please. I do love the quality and uniqueness of the food so we will be back.

    Janna L.

    Got couple of appetizers and main to share along five of us. Appetizers come in good portion. I forgot to take a picture but the smashed potatoes were amazing!! Quick service as well. Food came out fast. Parking is a bit difficult as usual.

    Valerie C.

    I came here having read all the recent 3 star or lower reviews so I had my reservations when arriving. However, I was previously recommended by a friend and had enjoyed dinner at their sister restaurant Herb & Wood the year prior so wanted to try it out anyways. I had a reservation for 2 on a Friday night at 5:30pm. Street parking was easy due to the early dinner time. We were sat promptly by the hostess, but unfortunately waited 5 or so minutes before our waitress came with introductions and water. I have heard of the slow service here so we prepared with our full order including entrees when she came to ask for our drinks. Here's the review on what we've ordered: - Drinks (Sonoran Sunset & Tropic Thunder(?)) - delicious, mezcal forward - Ode to Swan: I wanted to order this because I personally went to Swan Oyster Depot a few years ago in SF and this was one of their more famous dishes. Fresh and simple, very tasty but can easily be duplicated at home. - Caesar Salad: this one was a bit odd for me - very fishy flavor likely due to the anchovies(?) in the dressing. The chicken skin was nice and crisp, but the salad was just too dressy for me. Could have lightened the sauce just a bit. It is u like a standard Caesar salad in my opinion. -Tuscan Ragu: Great! Perfectly al denté squid ink pasta with a beefy ragu sauce. Typically I like to order protein entrees à la carte like fish, or a steak. However, nothing jumped out for me on this menu for me to order. Overall, a decently pleasant experience but food was just good. Nothing exceptional and while I'm glad we tried it, I would not come back or recommend this to friends over other fine dining restaurants. Given this is a 'seafood' restaurant, they sure had limited options for fresh seafood here during the time I was here.

    Apricot jam and prosciutto pizza (they were out of fig)
    Amanda B.

    Sorry everyone but Herb & Sea is mid. If you have to eat here - get the filet or tomahawk. I did love the 90s R&B music (we heard all of Destiny's Child's greatest hits). We found easy street parking. Hostess and waitress were nice enough. Desserts didn't even sound good so we skipped it. Don't think I've ever done that!

    Parker house rolls
    Alison S.

    Started with a solid French martini. Ceviche appetizer was good - had a great kick and the taro chips were a great addition! Awesome parker house rolls (not on the menu). Caesar salad was a little heavy on the anchovies (boquerones), which I didn't love, personally. I ordered the ragu and it was tasty. Service was stellar - attentive but not annoying. Vibes and decor are on point! Everything was good, but didn't blow me away, so 4 stars.

    Fresh delicious oysters for our app
    Shawn S.

    I selfishly want to say don't go here so the next time I want to go I could get any table I want. Servers A+ Food A++ Ambience A- From the staff seating you to the ones clearing when you're finished with your meal, they were very inviting and helpful. My bone-in ribeye was even delicious the next day and tender enough to cut with a butter knife. The potatoes- fantastic, my wife's fish of the day- a treat for the taste buds. Even though we were both stuffed, the desert was gone before we could blink. Drinks were original and soooo good. Can't wait to eat here again

    Megan H.

    Wow! I was recommended by a friend and was really happy with everything! Service was absolutely lovely and very attentive. The food was amazing and they had so many options for wine/cocktails. I love the way the inside is decorated, it can get a bit loud on a busy evening. Overall can't wait to visit again! I highly recommend their steak.

    Interior bar
    Valerie S.

    My boss took us to dinner at Herb & Sea while we were recently in town. It's a super cute restaurant in Encinitas. The whole area is really fun! H&S was very busy with lots of people enjoying the bar area. Service was good, though not super attentive. Also, they were great in subbing some stuff most restaurants wouldn't during peak dinner hours. My ragu was good, had a little spice to it which I enjoyed. The drinks were really good though I wish I had gotten something else to go with what chose for an entree. Mezcal and ragu clashed a bit. Thoughtless on my part. It does get pretty noisy in the restaurant so at some point it felt like we were shouting at each other which was a bummer.

    Kevin T.

    What a great vibe to enjoy such a fun fresh seafood-forward menu - paired with the great service and the staff at Herb&Sea are doing something right! Impressed with the attention to detail and the well-balanced flavors! We got to share a bunch of dishes between friends and our favorites were definitely the whole fish, the cavatelli, and roasted oysters w bone marrow and toast The drinks were a little underwhelming but everything did their job The staff was all so friendly and helpful, as well We'll definitely be back to celebrate again! Cheers, H&S!

    Ceviche comes with Banana Chips | Fries

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    Herb & Sea Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Herb & Sea

    Can a diner with a food allergy to onions be accommodated?

    Yes, I believe they will accommodate.

    Is there any corkage fee?

    YES. $35/bottle. Ridiculous when the high at most upscale restaurants across the country is $25. They also charge a 4% surcharge for the cooks and back room staff like we're still in COVID era. Those tips should come from a share with the wait… Read more

    What is the noise level in here? Last time we visited it was deafening

    Both times I've been, our entire large party was NOT happy about the unnecessary volume of music...and no, we were not all over 40.

    Any vegan options?

    yes they can do vegan dishes

    Are dogs allowed on the outside patio dining area?

    Yes- we saw a couple of dogs on the patio the last time we were there.

    Do you allow us to bring our own wine? If so, what's the corkage fee?

    I went to dinner with friends in February and the birthday girl brought in a bottle of champagne and they were fine with it. I have no idea if they charged us a corkage fee.

    Has the restaurant fixed the noise level yet? Also do they still have that you need to leave in 90 minutes policy? Thanks!

    Yes!! Go back, you're missing out.

    View All 10 Questions

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    4.3(933 reviews)
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    Our team lunch for January was held in Encinitas at Buona Forchetta. It's the last one for me as I…read moream laid off at the end of the week and retiring. There was lots of parking on the other side of the street and we were greeted by a friendly waitress. I tried the gelato. Vanilla gelato was creamy with a rich, sweet vanilla flavor. I loved the smooth texture and bold vanilla notes. Lemon sorbet was icy with tons of sour lemon flavor. Best in small quantities. I'm glad I got one scoop of each. Service was friendly and efficient. I will miss our monthly adventures to places I have not visited before.

    i have to say, i was so disappointed in my experience. i used to live in san diego (& work at buona…read moreforchetta, different location) and this was my favorite restaurant, especially for their gluten free offerings. the food used to be so fresh & i don't think you could order anything bad on the menu. i dined in on a monday night & ordered my favorite pasta - the buona forchetta sauce wit chicken - the chicken looked questionable, the sauce was flavorless (the server even brought over additional marinara without me asking because he even thought the color was off...) and i was so sad! all of the gluten free dessert options have also been removed from the menu. i was so disappointed but i did go back to see if the gluten free pizza was still amazing. the crust is still fantastic but the pizza looked like it was created in a rush and the proportions were off, minimal sauce/cheese, a lot of crust.

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    Buona Forchetta - Pretty good gluten free crust on Sofia pizza

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    Blue Ribbon Artisan Pizzeria - My Fathers Pizza

    Blue Ribbon Artisan Pizzeria

    4.0(999 reviews)
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    I wish I could write a negative 5 star review. Please read this thoroughly to understand the…read moreexperience. First, let's start with empathy, it appeared that they were severely understaffed with just one busser and one waitress. For that, I feel bad for them. For our experience, they can go ef off. Read below. We visited them on Saturday, December 27th in a group of 8: - Stood at the check in for 10 minutes while the one waitress wouldn't make eye contact with us - Finally sat down, took 20 minutes to get the waitress. However, she did walk by 10 times and ignored us. - I ordered a diet coke. She came back and said they were out of diet coke. - I ordered a tea. It was 1/2 filled and full of tea leaves. I asked for a different pour and she said they were out of tea. - Our meal took nearly an hour to show up. During this time, 8 other tables who ordered after us, got their food prior to us. Clearly, our order was never put in. Here's why the experience is a negative 5 stars. Again, I'm empathetic that they were understaffed. With that... - They could have told us at check in - There was no reason to ignore us - If she had just said, "I'm sorry, we're understaffed, I appreciate your patience", that would have been a decent human thing to do - No reason for her to be rude to us for asking for ketchup for my kids While the waitress was rude, I clearly blame management. If you own this place and you had people not show up, don't put your establishment in the hands of a single server.

    A very cool place. The waitress was very friendly even though I just went to have a glass of wine…read moreto kill some time. She was to very polite and gave great service. The wine was on happy hour and very delicious and even better a great price. Next time would definitely need to try the pizza.

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    Best Pizza & Brew Cardiff By The Sea

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    4.5(642 reviews)
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    I love Best Pizza & Brew. Moved to Cardiff -by-the-sea over…read more4 years ago, but lived my summers of 1970-80s in San Diego N. Coastal. Since moving back to Cardiff in 2022 as a 50+ adult, Best P&B had been my local hang. Their Manager Joe Ramsey had befriended me in 2022 as a local. He still remembers my name like Cheers on TV, call my name when I arrive. It's not just Joe, the staff remembers my name too. Over several years, the staff keeps up with what I do and where I am in life. I've noticed it's not just me, they extend the relationship to all repeat customers and recognized locals as if it's a special badge of honor. If you want the neighborhood experience, even if you're not from the neighborhood, they will treat you as such. Did I mention their food is great? Meatball Sandwich is my usual order. Wings for sure when I need the Buffalo Sauce fix (bone in), and Detroit with hot honey is a must. If you're from Detroit, at least verify it's worthy of Detroit style slice by giving it a try. NY style is their usual, by-the-slice and is always a safe bet. Order the whole pie if you're a family. Can't go wrong. But as a Dad of adult children, they like to order their favorites from the by-the-slice to get their favorites. Or, option for another item, salad, fries, sandwich beverage combo. Can't go wrong with their bar food. Can I just say?...You can't go wrong with Best Pizza & Brew for a beach lunch and evening dinner. Add a pint for brew if you want a good local favorite. And if you want a local hang out, this is the place that will remember your name.

    Came into Best Pizza & Brew on a whim and ended up having one of those nights that reminds you why…read moregreat local spots matter. The pizza was unreal, perfectly cooked crust, generous toppings, and clearly made with care. We tried a couple different pies and every single one hit. Solid beer selection too, which always helps. What really made the night, though, was the service. Joe took care of us and genuinely elevated the entire experience. Friendly without being overbearing, dialed in, and clearly someone who actually enjoys what he does. He checked in at all the right moments, made great recommendations, and just brought a great vibe to the table. You can have good food anywhere, but service like that is what makes you want to come back. If you're in Cardiff and looking for great pizza, cold beer, and people who actually care about your experience, this place delivers. We'll definitely be back

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    Best Pizza & Brew Cardiff By The Sea - Entry. Nice open air space near the beach.

    Entry. Nice open air space near the beach.

    Best Pizza & Brew Cardiff By The Sea
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    East Coast Pizza - Spicy Chicken and the weekly special.

    East Coast Pizza

    4.3(495 reviews)
    1.8 mi
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    There's a place where the dough rises like a promise and…read moreevery visit feels like coming home-- East Coast Pizza. For years, we've walked in greeted not just with smiles, but with genuine warmth-- the kind of customer service that remembers you, that makes you feel like you belong. The slices? Pure poetry. Crisp, golden edges giving way to a perfect distribution of cheese and sauce, with each bite - a perfect harmony of flavor and comfort! And then... the garlic knots. Oh, the garlic knots!! Dripping in rich garlic butter, showered with parmesan, sprinkled with fresh parsley-- they don't just arrive at the table; they make an entrance. DECADENCE is the only word that fits! We've watched this place grow-- transforming into a larger, more inviting space, without ever losing its heart. It's still the same soul, just with more room to gather, more space to savor. And now, with new pasta dishes on the horizon, we're already counting the days-- because if they're anything like the pizza, we're in for something truly special! Here's to East Coast Pizza-- a place we'll keep returning to, a business we're proud to support, and flavors - out of this world!

    I absolutely love this place!! Their pizza slices are reasonably priced, but more importantly it's…read moreincredibly delicious. The perfect amount of flavor and crispiness without being overcooked or burnt on the bottom. Also, they have a bar and, in my opinion, what more could you ask for after a day at the beach than a great slice and a good beer. If you're in the area, this easily the best pizza slice you can get! As a bonus the service is friendly and the restaurant is very well maintained with good seating option both inside and outside.

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    East Coast Pizza
    East Coast Pizza - Stromboli. I've never had it, but it looks so good. My best friend enjoyed it. He recommended this place and so do I.

    Stromboli. I've never had it, but it looks so good. My best friend enjoyed it. He recommended this place and so do I.

    East Coast Pizza - Pizza and beer (next door)   chilling

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    Herb & Sea - seafood - Updated May 2026

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