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James Place

3.3 (172 reviews)
Closed • 5:30 pm - 7:00 PM

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JAMES PLACE ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Trendy
Classy
Moderate noise
Outdoor seating

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Recommended Reviews - James Place

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Pre show meal
Chris R.

It's fine, but the service is forgetful. I got a reservation online but showed up 15 minutes early. I was seated right away. I had the Miso Soup, which I returned because it was over-salted. The Spicy Tuna on crispy rice was really good. I know it's an appetizer, but the portion size is perfect for one person. The truffle fries didn't have much truffle oil. And could have been presented better. It took me a while to flag down my waitress for the check. I was starting to get worried that I would be late for my show.

a long rectangular dish of food on a table
Carmen S.

Terrific food. Hidden in UCSD by the La Jolla Playhouse. The staff is friendly and helpful. Good variety of food from sushi to Kobe burgers. Everything we had was delicious.

Misoyaki sea bass with great rice and bland green beans
Alyssa S.

Three stars if you're coming to the Playhouse or UCSD anyway. I would not come here if I was not going to be on campus, though - two stars in that case. Why three stars and not two? Definitely convenient if you're going to the Playhouse. Some of the dishes were very good. Overall, our dishes ranged between 1 and 4 stars. Best things: excellent salted edamame. Rice that came with the sea bass misoyaki was excellent. In the middle: sea bass misoyaki was pretty good, big portion. The Garden cocktail is not something I'll dream about, but it was refreshing on a hot night. Not good at all: green salad, totally flavorless and unseasoned dressing. Some cherry tomatoes were fresh and delicious; others had turned and should never have made the plate. Green beans on both of our entrees (sweetie got beef) were totally bland and soft and not worth eating. Service was disorganized - it took them more than 10 minutes and our asking to figure out who was going to serve us. Once Valerie was assigned, she was very nice and is one of the main reasons I'm giving three stars and not two. She was very sweet and very apologetic about our having waited, and she got our orders just right. Certainly, this is downhill from past visits - but it was better (with the good dishes) than I might have hoped for seeing recent Yelp reviews. Yelpers have trashed it lately; OpenTab lers have still been giving high marks (though suspicious ones). So this was better than it might have been, but the low reviews still made sense. I am glad we came, as it was a good change of pace pre-theater than going to my other fave places in the area, but I probably won't go again. (My tastebuds were saved, though, from the delicious peanut butter chocolate chip cookie I ate after at the LJ Playhouse concession stand - now THAT was something worth dreaming of!)

Dining area behind the bar. My Open Table reservation was for 6:30 pm, but we arrived one hour early. Yay!
Elizabeth W.

A fusion Asian menu, loved the CRISPY RICE appetizer, which is a beautifully presented warmish bed of crispy rice "cake" topped a dollop of spicy tuna and a deep-fried jalepeno balanced on its edge -- an edible sculpture!! Beautiful AND tasty. I made my reservation for a party of two via OPEN TABLE for 6:30 PM, but we arrived one hour too early. But we were happily seated, and our previous reservation cancelled or changed, not sure which action was taken, only that we were seated without hesitation. Although I did ask for window seat, and was told they had all been reserved already. So next time, if you do want a window seat, reserve it. Since I clearly wanted the view to the trees, it might have been cleverer to clear the menus and two place settings opposite of the view. But no matter, I just rearranged the the place settings myself. Love the swivel chairs. This place has lots of windows to the outside, so brings the trees and Gregory Peck Park into an enjoyable view before sunset...there's also al fresco dining, but not on this chilly evening with threats of rain. There's a very pretty bar lit up in green, and a small tv screen that was playing a Diana documentary. PLUS it's next door to La Jolla Playhouse, so makes for a very convenient place to dine before the show. AND the wait staff know how to time things, so you are in your seat without a rush by curtain time. In fact, our waiter Sydney was lovely and helped to make our mother/daughter nite out a very special evening, just by being so welcoming and friendly. And later on, I loved that she asked me if I wanted a to-go cup for my coffee. I didn't, but awesome she offered. AND there was another waiter with a short dark beard, who needs a shoutout, because he kept a watchful eye from afar, and my water glass was filled multiple times. Very efficient friendly wait staff, impressive! We ordered the FLAT IRON STEAK Teppanyaki; mom asked for medium and the steak was a perfect medium. My BUNLESS WAYGU BURGER, also cooked to order. Bravo, chef. The GARLIC FRIED RICE that came on the side for the steak was fluffy, the garlic was mild -- very delicious. The steak came sizzling and steaming on a platter to our table - think fajitas. Very dramatic! And the waygu was topped with perfectly al dente asparagus stocks, and hiding on the bottom was a small square of a portobello mushroom cap. Both entrees were artfully presented. And a little playful. Wanted to try the PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE, but alas they were out of it by 7:15 pm. Bummer. Another time! OVERALL: A leisurely dinner in enjoyable surroundings. Only wished we had some light or a candle at our table, most of the perimeter tables along the window had a light tower, but the center tables didn't. I also enjoyed the triptych paintings on the far wall of Princess Diana. Since we were there in La Jolla to see the new musical DIANA, it was a thoughtful tasteful display of art.

a plate of desserts on a table

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2 months ago

We recently had a party of 7 before a Sunday evening play.. everything was excellent. Food& Service was great

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2 years ago

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1 year ago

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11 months ago

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1 year ago

Food brought cold and poor service. Only wish there was a good alternative close to the playhouse.

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2 years ago

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2 years ago

Love this place great experience great food. Friendly staff. I'd recommend the crispy rice to start and the sea bass was amazing

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9 years ago

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3 years ago

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7 years ago

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6 years ago

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3 years ago

good food, good service. a bit overpriced but so incredibly easy when going to the La Jolla Playhouse.

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3 years ago

Fantastic food very good service Chilean Sea Bass excellent service fantastic Lobster Fried Rice excellent

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3 years ago

Servers and Chef are very considerate of Celiac issues.

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Ask the Community - James Place

Is there parking at the restaurant?

at the moment, no, because the entire area is under construction. There is a parking lot down the hill that has a shuttle up to the theater, which is right next to the restaurant.

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Blue Ocean/Harumama - BLUE OCEAN SUSHI

Blue Ocean/Harumama

4.0(1.2k reviews)
2.3 mi•La Jolla
•$$

Amazing view. Got to watch seals on the nearby beach while we waited for our dinner…read more Service is great. We asked for the server's recommendation, she was so stoked about all the options, it felt like she recommended the whole menu by the time she was done We went with the Sushi and some appetizer, it was great. The Cow Bun, I was skeptical at first but flavor was pretty good.

The view at this place is amazing. My friends and I watched the sunset by the window, and it was…read moreeverything. The atmosphere alone made the experience so special. We got our food in a timely manner, and our waiter was honestly the best. He was attentive, made jokes with us, and kept the conversation going, which made the whole night even more enjoyable. I really appreciate experiences where the people around you, including other guests, are kind and open to sharing recommendations. Our waiter also gave great suggestions and was very hospitable to me and my friends. We had a party of seven, and he still accommodated us really well. The food came out quickly, and the appetizers were amazing. I definitely recommend the calamari rings. The only thing I would note is that the wait was a little long, but that was mainly because of where we wanted to sit, and it is a pretty popular spot. We waited about 30 minutes, but it worked out because we walked down to the beach and had a really nice late night walk. Overall, it was such a great experience and definitely worth it.

Photos
Blue Ocean/Harumama - Oh my OMAKASE! Our Omakase box is now available for take-out!

Oh my OMAKASE! Our Omakase box is now available for take-out!

Blue Ocean/Harumama - RICE CRUNCH SPICY TUNA
 3pc |rice crunch and spicy tuna with chef blend, jalapeño, spicy aioli, lemon miso

RICE CRUNCH SPICY TUNA 3pc |rice crunch and spicy tuna with chef blend, jalapeño, spicy aioli, lemon miso

Blue Ocean/Harumama

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Gen Korean BBQ House

Gen Korean BBQ House

4.0(302 reviews)
1.7 mi•University City
•$$$

Amazing service, employees (especially Alex) are super friendly and efficient!! been here so many…read moretimes and will def be coming back

I've been disappointed by Gen so many times at other locations so I wasn't expecting much when they…read moreopened at UTC La Jolla. There's usually crazy, long waits and the portions of each meat order were so small. However, we arrived at peak dinner hours and there was no wait and so many open tables inside! Once seated, we scanned a QR code on the table to access the menu. We went with the regular dinner menu, which is actually cheaper than other KBBQ restaurants in San Diego, and they have marinated galbi and pork jowl without any limits! This was a good sign for me since I love eating these cuts but they're usually on a more premium tier. Four meats can be ordered at a time and there's no limit for the sides. Highlights: - Signature Pork Cheek: a little too salted but the quality was pretty good. I would try asking for unseasoned if possible. - Premium Short Plate Beef Belly: each order comes with a lot but they're thinly sliced and look kind of weird when it's rolled up and frozen. Cooks fine and tastes fine though! - Marinated Beef Finger Short Rib: I believe it's the same marinade as the bone-in short rib so it's sweet and savory! Meat is super tender and it's very similar to the bone-in short rib, just a different cut. - Marinated Beef Bone-In Short Rib: Great marinade, maybe just a tad too salty but the caramelization after cooking is so good! - Pork Belly marinated with a rich Garlic Sauce: I was surprised by the thick slab they gave! Very good quality and would highly recommend. Unfortunately, there's no half orders of this since it's just the slab so it works better if you have a larger group. I also really liked their grill. I believe it's a ceramic grill (?) but we didn't have to change it out through the entire meal, even with the marinated meats! There's a chunk of radish on the side you can use to scrape off all the crusties and it'll be as good as new! Will definitely be back, at least to this location. The service was fast, the meat quality was pretty good, and it's one of the cheaper options in San Diego, especially if you come for lunch! Unfortunately, even with the updated mall parking fees, there's no parking validations so unless you can eat KBBQ in less than an hour, you'll most likely have to pay for parking.

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Gen Korean BBQ House
Gen Korean BBQ House
Gen Korean BBQ House

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Pacific Catch - Macadamia nut crusted Kanpachi | Kona, Hawaii

Pacific Catch

4.1(692 reviews)
1.9 mi•University City
•$$

I have reviewed Pacific Catch in Tustin and as always this place is up to its great standard…read more Place is located inside La Jolla Mall. Lots of parking at the entance of the restaurant, but it is paid parking. Ordered the Coconut Shrimp as usual, it was good today although they over fried a bit the Coconut. Had the Blood Orange Margarita for the first time. Spicy, sweet and tarty at the same time. Loved it since I don't like se For entrees we had the Chicken Tinga Bowl and the Sashimi Bowl. Both were an explosion of flavors in your mouth. The Sashimi Plate was very big and complete. Relaxed ambiance. Service was good and fast.

I left a bad review 3 years ago and they reached out to send them an email. I didn't see the email…read moreuntil this month of march 2026. When I emailed them they gave me 500 points to use on their app. I got the cabo calamari, poke & ceviche trio (original ahi Poké, serrano ahi poke, and Baja shrimp ceviche) shrimp tempura roll, and Thai tea. Food ratings: Calamari was a 7/10 it could be more fried/ crispier. The original ahi poke was 10/10! Serrano ahi poke is a 7/10 Baja shrimp ceviche 9/10! Shrimp tempura roll 9/10 Thai tea is 11/10! It was so delicious and it's only $6 unlimited drink ! What I didn't like is that you don't have the option to dine in when you order with the points. Also right when I placed the order I told the hostess and server that I wanted everything for dine in which I guess they said they told the kitchen, the wait time was fast only like 25 minutes. But I was disappointed when my order was to go in a bag. I will definitely come back here again.

Photos
Pacific Catch - Stunning interior

Stunning interior

Pacific Catch - Original Ahi Poke. Mildly fishy, but still clean and tender. Comes with crunchy wonton chips.

Original Ahi Poke. Mildly fishy, but still clean and tender. Comes with crunchy wonton chips.

Pacific Catch - Wagyu Cheeseburger

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Wagyu Cheeseburger

James Place - asianfusion - Updated May 2026

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