Service and atmosphere were on point--warm, welcoming, and the kind of place that makes you want to linger over another drink. The seafood was impressively fresh, and the fish was cooked perfectly. But the real MVP of the night was the bone marrow. Rich, buttery, and decadent, it was so good I briefly considered ordering a second round and calling it dinner. Slathered on bread, it was pure happiness. Then came the pizza... and unfortunately, it felt like it showed up to a different restaurant. The crust was undercooked, the sauce was bland, and each bite left me wondering if the chef had accidentally forgotten the seasoning and the oven timer. With so many delicious dishes on the menu, this is one pie I'd pass on. read more

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I had a great experience here and shared a lot of plates with my group! Ceviche (6/10) Beef carpaccio (10/10 amazing I could've eaten the entire dish) Bluefin crudo (7/10 good but I've had better) Half baked red snapper (10/10 this was amazing) Seared swordfish (8/10 decent but not as good as the snapper) Smashed potatoes (9/10 great flavor) Roasted baby carrots (8/10) read more

We found this place by chance. We came in on a Thursday evening which was the night the started the summer prefix menu as an option. The menu was focused around a fresh bluefin tuna the restaurant obtained that day. The way chef prepared the different courses was unique and really let the blue fin be the star of the show. The sauces paired with the fish were exquisite. To start we had a Cesar salad which was served with fresh house dressing made the traditional way. Probably the best I've ever had. Robert was a fantastic server for the evening. I'll ask to sit in his section every time we come back. read more

Very spacious arrangement, and spread out seatings. Way above dining room noise. Good for group parties. Challenging street parking. No valet parking at this high price, subtract 1 star. Good service but doesn't feel personal. Just like robots. Limited draft beer options in San Diego. We ordered "Ode to Swan" and Beef carpaccio for appetizers. The raw fillet mignon is right on. The raw fish is underwhelming in tiny portions. Then we shared the mussel toast, half baked red snapper, blackened salmon, grilled half peri peri chicken, roasted oysters and bone marrow, and shrimp linguine. They are on the salty side, especially the signature mussel toast. Very nice prepared half red snapper. Recommended the peri peri chicken for the spice and moist meat. Everything else is just ok not standout. read more

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Staff is always very professional and friendly. I always appreciate good service- main reason for stars. Food is good but not amazing. Every dish feels like it's missing a little something whether it's a small piece of crusty bread or a bit more flavor. Also, food is typically lukewarm at best. read more

Herb & Sea - The pork belly pizza and the shrimp linguini. Both only ok. Pizza needs more flavor and more arugula. Sparse. - Seafood Near Me - Encinitas, California

What a great experience. Before the Resturant opened; you see a line out the door waiting for the dining experience. The appetizers were amazing with. Ton of seafood options. Oysters; sashimi options. Loved them all and didn't have a bad dish. Try the Caesar salad; very different than your traditional Caesar's and was one of the best I've had! Good variety on entree options from land to sea! We opted for one of each! Did not disappoint; the Resturant dining experience was fabulous. A great place to bring a date too! read more

Located in one of my fave little beach towns, Herb and Sea in Encinitas was delicious! We were seated in a long table with ample room for our party of 7. Cocktails (well done), appetizers of spicy shrimp, oysters, and bread, then we shared a delish chicken, steak and salmon. The roasted carrots also, get them!! Interior aesthetic is beautiful and our server was very considerate and helpful! read more

Herb & Sea - Seafood Near Me - Encinitas, California

We ate here for dinner tonight and had such a wonderful time. Ordered: 1) scallop aguachile - love the flavors and scallop was fresh! 2) half dozen oysters - so fresh and love the tangy sauces they provide 3) sourdough bread service - free but must ask for this 4) chocolate mousse pistachio pie for dessert 5) half baked red snapper - OMG, a must get and was surprised by the succulent texture! Delicious, might be the best snapper I've had in terms of how it's cooked 6) pork chop -- so good, husband loved this and sauce was great. He would recommend and no wonder it's always on the menu 7) spicy Baja shrimp - decent but nothing too extraordinary 8) margherita pizza - kids loved this 9) chorizo pepperoni pizza - kids loved this Food came out pretty quick. Service was attentive and friendly. It's also nice that this place is a Chase Sapphire Reserve Table Exclusive! read more

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Came here for Happy Hour, and our "pre" 20th wedding anniversary. Made reservations for happy hour at 5pm. When we arrived there was a line out around the corner. I think this is a regular occurrence. When the doors open, everyone rushes to get bar seating, which is first come, first served. At the front desk, we checked-in and they sat us at a table in the main dining room. I let it slide since we didn't want to get the Happy Meal anyway, but also wouldn't get any happy hour drink prices. We ordered: * Berry Hot & Bothered - $18 * Societe Bulbous Hazy IPA - $10 * Beef Carpaccio - $29 * Ode-to-Swan - $34 * Johnny Cake & Caviar - $29 * Half-Baked Red Snapper - $48 * Peaches, Peaches, Peaches - $18 * Butter Me Up - $17 The cocktails were fine. Butter Me Up was the best (an espresso martini). The beer was good. The Peaches and Berry drink were very mediocre. Server did get us two small glasses of champagne for our anniversary which was a nice touch. The Beef Carpaccio was amazing. There is a TON of breadcrumbs so if you inhaled, you'll choke. But the flavor was fantastic. Would order again. The Ode-To-Swan reminded me of the Spanish Sashimi at Valentina. Only they put a metric TON of chives on it so you can't even see the fish. This is a huge mistake. The dish was okay but all I tasted was chives. I love sashimi but would not order this again. The Johnny Cake was good but way too sweet! It's basically a thick pancake with caviar on top. The caviar was very savory and the sea bass rillete underneath was smoky. I loved the flavor combination but we could not finish the dish. The half-baked fish was phenomenal. A stunner. Even with the foggy eyeball staring at you. Soo good, I only wished there was more of that sauce on the plate. Even at $50, I would order this again. Total was $270 after tip. They add a 4% surcharge on the bill which is not great. I would come here again but skip the cocktails. Go to SAGO across the street instead for some banger cocktails. Parking was sparse. Street level only. We had to park a block away but the walk was not bad. It was 69° so the weather was perfect. Service was good but our server was clearly trying to get us to order more food. We did not need a second entree or a plate of carrots or potatoes. I would come back, mostly to try new dishes. The food is expensive but interesting in a way you don't know what something will taste like. Please ditch the chives on the sashimi! read more

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Came here for date night and enjoyed most of the food! The standout was the Berkshire pork, so tender and flavor of the grilled meat with the citrus salad was amazing! The red snapper which was tender and delicious with the creamy sauce was a nice light balance. The Tuscan ragu was pretty standard. The smacked boardwalk potatoes were so good! The charred cabbage wasn't our favorite, so would recommend the potatoes as a more crispy yet hearty side. It was a busy night so service wasn't super quick, but it was cool to see the open kitchen. The restaurant was beautiful and fun to see the art pieces on the wall that go with the theme near the sea. read more

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Herb & Sea has become our default spot for a special occasion meal. We've brought out of town guests here, celebrated birthdays and anniversaries, and even visited for Thanksgiving dinner. The menu changes through the year which keeps our visits interesting and we always leave happy with our meals. Recent standouts from our 2026 visits include a duck pizza, a spring pea appetizer, and the chocolate tart. I appreciate the mocktail and kids menu! If you visit during the holidays, the bar area is decked out like the Santa himself oversaw the decorations. Street parking has been fairly easy to find within a couple blocks. read more

My boyfriend and I were craving ceviche. Herb & Sea really delivered with the scallop aguachile and tuna topped with fresno chili and a bunch of sauces. The fish was fresh but had these perfect juices and toppings. Our waiter had true opinions on the food, which I appreciated. He recommended the chicken which was perfectly roasted with crispy skin. The wait staff looked crazy busy, but the food came out in a timely manner. I'm interested to come back here and try more. The food is creative and well cooked! read more

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! read more

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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). read more

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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! read more

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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. read more

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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. read more

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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. read more

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Really debated on how to rate this place. On when hand, the food is incredible. On the other, the service is not. Things take really long to come out, even when your reservation is at 9 PM. I was not expecting them to be this crowded at this hour What's good!! - The food is really flavorful and high quality - Lamb meatballs, sea bass, and the ragu squid ink pasta were delicious - The bar of the restaurant is decorated in christmas decor - very vibey energetic environment. Kind of loud but not too loud Improvement areas - Wait can be long, even with a reservation. Theres alot of really big groups and a small kitchen slow things down - Service isn't super attentive, especially when the restaurant is busy - Birthday was indicated on the res, but bday dessert wasn't offered to us even though other tables got it, which was disappointing - Half chicken skin came out very burnt It was hard to rate this place bc the food is good but other parts need impovement. I would come here again if i didnt mind the wait read more

Arrived early so we could get a seat for the Adult Happy Meal - it's a great deal. Also, the hot sauce for the oysters is delicious (and I'm a hot sauce hater). You do have to arrive early as it gets packed almost immediately for happy hour! read more

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! read more

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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! read more

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Such a great place! The food was delicious from the apps to dessert. Our service was wonderful. And the decor & vibe were just right. If you're in the area, definitely check them out! read more

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. read more

Herb & Sea - Interior bar - Seafood Near Me - Encinitas, California

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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. read more

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Great happy hour! The $20 Happy meal is definitely worth the wait in line to get in for a seat for the happy hour in the bar. The burger and fries and delicious and the prosecco from France is very tasty and pairs well with the oysters. A 5 star meal! read more

Herb & Sea - Happy meal - Seafood Near Me - Encinitas, California

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Came here for The Summer I Turned Pretty Watch Party and my friends and I had a great time at the Herb & Sea event. The menu was smaller, but we all found something we enjoyed and it was hosted in the back patio. The staff did a great job taking care of us. I ordered Ceviche and Fries. My girlfriends ordered 1/2 a burger and a Happy Meal, which consisted of 1/2 a Burger,Fries, Bubbles, and 3 Oysters. We all enjoyed our food. I'll definitely visit again to try their daily menu. read more

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This spot has quickly become one of our favorite places to eat in Encinitas. Their happy hour is unbelievable.....I mean where else can you get a Smashburger, crispy fries, oysters and a glass of champagne all in one place? Every time we come, the food is consistently delicious and the cocktails are always on point. The bartenders are among some the best!! Jared and Ael can make some incredible drinks and their service is over the top! I will come back just for them! The rest of the staff is friendly, attentive, and genuinely makes you feel welcome. The ambience is beautiful....the perfect mix of relaxed coastal vibe and elevated dining. We've tried several dishes off the regular menu too and everything has been amazing. If you're looking for great food, great drinks, and a happy hour that feels like a steal, this is your spot. Can't recommend it enough! read more

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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. read more

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Came for our anniversary, and the atmosphere is very modern American. The music is a bit loud, so it's not a first-date place, but a good place for dinner to celebrate an anniversary or catch up with friends. Started with the Ode to Swan, which was very good. It was a mix of salmon, tuna, and scallop crudo topped with capers. Our server also recommended getting the sumac tomatoes, which were a good vegetable starter. It is spicy, though, so if you aren't a spice person, I would stay away. Red Snapper is really soft and buttery. It is served as a fillet without bones but includes the head for presentation. I would stay away from the potatoes; a couple of them were flavorless. Also, I would not recommend the pork entree for the price. The service here was really good, but I feel the food does not justify the price. Had it not been for the Chase Sapphire Reserve OpenTable credit, I would say stay away, unless you're here to celebrate a special occasion. read more

Ambiance..its in thr corner but hard to see but so beautiful inside Seevixe..fast and friendly Food..very different and amazing flavours..got the pita with pickles..mashed potatoes..goat milk pasta and margaritas pizza. Pizza was okay but everything else was amazing. read more

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We came with a pretty big group but they accommodated us well. The cocktails were refreshing and good quality. We enjoyed some shared plates and the steak. Would recommend sharing so that you can try more. read more

Awesome happy hour, and everyone else seems to know as well, so if you're looking to get the happy meal for happy hour get there 10 min before they open because bar seating is limited and thats the only place they have happy hour. As for the happy meal, it's a banging burger, fries, and 3 oysters, what's not to love? Also ordered a glass of champagne and was very happy with it. Had good service too! This place won't blow your socks off with anything super unique, but it's not trying to. read more

Herb & Sea - happy meal & brut - Seafood Near Me - Encinitas, California

Had a great date night birthday dinner here with my wife. Started with their old fashioned which had Montenegro and cynar, it leaned on the Montenegro as the dominant flavor. Really nice apertivo old fashioned. For food we shared a bunch of things. Started with the ceviche, which was prepared in a very light citrus mix. Light but substantial, paired beautifully with the slightly sweet taro chips. Next we had the johnnycake. Not sure what I was expecting but this wasn't it but it was outstanding. A fluffy cornmeal pancake that was also slightlly browned from the skillet. It had a honey butter, fish spread, and caviar. This was the highlight of dinner. Hits every tastebud and the occasional pop of caviar was a treat. I wish it had a bit more caviar as you didn't get it in every bite. That said, amazing dish. Next we had the peppers, which were our least favorite dish of the night. They were nicely roasted poblano chiles topped with parsley and cilantro and slices of Fresno chile. They were served on a bed of a green dressing that didn't have much flavor but added to the texture of the dish. We finished with the duck and apricot pizza. It had arugula and a balsamic reduction . Very good flavors on a nice crust with a bit of give. Quite decadent, only had one piece. Looking forward to Sunday lunch. Yes it's loud and dark but it all works. 6pm on a Saturday and there were quite a few street spots closer to the ocean on D St. come from the north if practical so you can turn right on D. Sat through multiple cycles of the light to turn left on D coming from the south. The left lane is also the left turn lane and it's a yielding light on a very busy street. Service was great, very attentive, friendly, and knowledgeable yet kept a good distance. read more

Disappointing. Several of the plates felt like the chef was just trying to make money and not trying to build a great food experience. The bone marrow and oysters appetizer for example. Large pieces of bread served with tiny portion of bone marrow and roasted oysters with a ton of bread crumbs on top. Bread crumbs on bread- who created this, tried it and then said- this is great! People gonna love this...? I'm thinking no one. The rest of the meal was similarly disjointed. Also, it's really loud. There's nothing in the place to absorb any sound and they play discordant music- so, on top of the lackluster food, enjoying the conversation of your table mates is difficult. Service wasn't bad but also wasn't personable. Wouldn't recommend. Won't be back. read more

Food was very decadent. The squid ink pasta was my favorite, but the shrimp linguini and goat milk cavatelli were also up there in taste. You can taste the quality. They're not on the saucy side; they're on the richer, 'oilier'-yet-dry-but-tasty side. I like the thin crust on the pizza, and the sauce on this was tasty. The ceviche was refreshing; I'd get that again. It's fun to eat with the plantain chips. The mussel toast was super tasty, wow. The sourdough toast soaked up all the goodness of the ingredients yet had that nice crunch on the crust. The roasted oysters and bone marrow dish was on the saltier side. The lamb meatballs weren't my favorite. The smashed boardwalk potatoes were good as were the roasted carrots from the kid's menu. The chocolate mousse pie wasn't really a pie. It was all right. Highly overpriced, and I would NOT get that again. Service was fine for a Wednesday night. Ambiance was fine. It's right by the beach, so that's nice. We had to park in a neighborhood a couple of blocks away because there were so many cars. We were here for a special occasion, but I am not dying to come back. read more

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I came here recently with some friends for a bite to eat, and to check out their North Pole bar they have for the holidays. I rounded my review up to a 3 star, but id say it was a bit less than that, maybe 2.5 Parking here can be a nightmare especially during a busy dinner time. They only have street parking, so you might have to walk a bit if you don't plan ahead. When we walked up there were two lines, one for dining reservations, and the other was walk-ins for the bar as they do not take reservations. The line for the bar was huge already, so we knew it was going to be busy. Upon entering, the bar is to the left and is decorated very heavily, and very nicely for the holidays. To the right is the restaurant dining area, which oddly to me is not decorated at all for the holidays. The first thing I noticed is it is extremely dark inside, enough to where some in our party had trouble reading the menu. I get that it is meant to be intimate, and it was nice for a date I'm sure, but in my opinion it was just a little bit too dark. I had read things about the service not being the fastest, so I was kind of prepared for that. I do have to say that was our experience as well. The dining room is not that big, and it did seem they have quite a few servers, so I'm not really sure where the issue lies. It wasn't the slowest I had but definitely noticeable, and we had to ask for a few things more than once on occasion. I also was very turned off that although we ordered several appetizers and dishes, they didn't clear away any plates and the table was a mess throughout our meal. We did check out the bar area, which was extremely crowded. They do have a seating along the entire bar area, so there really isn't anywhere to slip into a space and order a drink. I'm honestly not sure if they would let you order if you were not seated at one of the tables or the bar area. There are some tables with seating as well, but they were full. Luckily two people had left from the bar area so we were able to snag a seat to order a drink, and take it back to our table. You can only order the holiday drinks at the bar, and not from your server in the dining area unfortunately. I tried the boozy butterbeer, which was good, but I have had a similar drink other places that was better. The mug it was served in was adorable, and very big. It did have a lot of ice in it, so it wasn't too much alcohol. It did almost slip from my hand as the condensation had built up and it got slippery and was heavy. For the food we tried several dishes, some which were good and some of which were not very good at all. The parker house rolls were not on the menu, but they were good, although not the butter they serve with it. It's some weirdly infused butter that had an odd flavor and tasted too sweet, and they piled it on top of the rolls. Ask for the butter to the side if you order them. The seafood croquet appetizer was not what i expected and was a bit too over fried. The coconut sauce didn't really go with it either. The carrots we prdered had some that were undercooked, and the sauce they put on there did not go at all, it was just gross to all of us. When I read the reviews prior, several people mentioned the Tuscan Ragu as a good choice, so i went with that. It was definitely one of the better of the dishes we had. It was just the right amount of sauce, the meat wasn't chewy and the flavor was savory. We also had the Smashed Boardwalk Potatoes which were also very good. I'd reccomend both of those and the rolls. The sea bass was also ordered, but oddly there were parts of it that were overly salty, and not the biggest hit. The shisheido peppers were good, a bit spicy which wasn't bad. Overall id have to say its not somewhere I'd have to go back. I would possibly be interested in their happy hour for the happy meal, but not sure I'd make a special trip for it, since it's out of my way and parking is tough. Id skip the restaurant and just go early to get into the North Pole bar honestly. read more

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I've been to Herb & Sea twice now--once with a group of friends and once with my husband for date night--and both experiences were genuinely lovely. The first time, there were four of us and we were seated right next to the kitchen/expo station. It was very loud and busy, which wasn't my favorite, but it was also a packed night and we didn't want to wait longer to switch tables, so we just rolled with it. Despite that, the service was great and all of our meals were good. Highly recommend the duck pizza--it was the standout. The pastas were solid but nothing extraordinary, and the steak was good as well, just not mind-blowing. The second visit with my husband was similar overall: great service, great ambience, and good food. Not food that completely blew me away, but definitely enjoyable. I'm a little on the fence about whether it's fully worth the price tag, but the experience as a whole makes it feel worth it--especially for a fun night out or date night. One thing that absolutely deserves its own moment: the off-menu bread. We ordered it both times and it was hands down the highlight of the meal each visit. Truly so delicious that I wish ordering it as an entrée was socially acceptable. Would I go back? Yes. The ambience is fantastic, the service is consistently great, and the food is good enough to keep me coming back. read more

TLDR: food was great, service was terribly lacking. This was one of the odder experiences I've had in awhile. It started off on the wrong foot because my friend and I had made our reservation thinking we'd be enjoying the festive holiday decor, not realizing it was limited to only the bar area, not standard seating. No biggie, we went to grab a cocktail before getting seated, but the bar was so packed we couldn't even get a bartenders attention to do so. We reluctantly gave up and went back to the host stand to get seated- oh well. It took awhile for our server to greet us and take our drink order- long enough that we decided to order a bunch of apps to start with, letting the server know we'd order entrees later. Our appetizers arrived timely enough- we started with: -bluefin crudo, delicious -ode to swan, also delicious -pita & pickles, pita- good, pickles were not pickled at all.. It was like they dipped them in water instead of vinegar- should have just labeled it crudite instead, very disappointing because we love pickled things. the baba ganoush for this dish did not taste at all like baba ganoush, nor did it have the texture of baba ganoush, but it was really tasty regardless -Caesar salad, good We were halfway through all of this before our drinks arrived, which was pretty annoying. Our server checked on us once to see how things were going, but then didn't return until well after we had finished and even lazily stacked and sorted our plates waiting for him to return. It was getting late at this point so we were worried we'd be told the kitchen was closed and we wouldn't be able to put our final order in. We ended up having to flag someone else down to get our server for us. We ended up ordering another round of drinks, another crudo, and another ode to swan. The server came back with the wrong drink for me unfortunately but we were ready to go so I just asked him to take it away. All in all we enjoyed the food but the terrible service would make us hesitant to return. read more

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This is one of my top 3 restaurants of all time. Been here a few times now and the food is incredible. Every time I'm in Encinitas, I HAVE TO go. The restaurant has a nice vibe to it, making great for date night. They have a great cocktail menu, and the food is just out of this world good. read more

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