Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    The Kitchen MCASD

    4.1 (95 reviews)
    Closed • 9:00 am - 2:30 pm
    Updated 3 months ago

    The Kitchen MCASD Photos

    Business Info

    THE KITCHEN MCASD ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Dogs allowed
    Outdoor seating
    Happy hour specials

    You might also consider

    More like The Kitchen MCASD

    Recommended Reviews - The Kitchen MCASD

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Salmon sandwich with goat cheese and arugula
    Jean-Paul D.

    Food. Awesome. I had the smoked salmon sandwich with fries and a Arnold Palmer. Service awesome. Ambiance. Sensational. The view of casa cove is insane. The onshore wind cools on the hottest days. Not too close to the seals to notice the smell.

    Salmon salad
    Taura G.

    Absolutely wonderful experience here. This restaurant is attached to the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego and is located in La Jolla. I contacted the manager to discuss having a group of women (14-15) for brunch on a Saturday at 1p. They responded to me and we were able to finalize a reservation for a 13 ladies. They offer a wonderful family style Prix Fixe meal and the pricing is pretty good. On the day of our reservation, we had some RSVPs that had conflicts so we had to pivot our finalized party of 13 and let the restaurant know that it would be 11 attendees. They adjusted so well and still accommodated us! From the moment I walked up to the moment that our party departed, the customer service here was phenomenal. Our hostess had brown curly hair and she was VERY CUSTOMER SERVICE ORIENTED. She smiled and was very welcoming. The party had not all arrived on time, so she was very patient with us as we filed in. The Concourse D'Elegance was happening on this date so La Jolla was PACKED, and parking was a challenge. Our server was Dakota. He was VERY CUSTOMER SERVICE ORIENTED AND a natural people person. Dakota took care of all of our needs. He even answered any questions that we had about the menu with a smile. He took our drink orders and then came back for our food orders. Dakota even took a photo of us at the dining table and also one outside on the restaurant patio overlooking the beautiful ocean! Our food came out and was DELICIOUS! Everything was made perfectly and no one had any complaints. The serving staff brought out a salt and pepper shaker set and some of the ladies in our party used it. I thought that this was a very considerate thing to do by the serving staff. Our time here was spent well! We absolutely will return! We worked on our reservation with Varisa and she was EXCELLENT! Thank you! This is a truly special place to have brunch in La Jolla. Upon our departure to go to the museum, the Instagram Famous "Cake Picnic" was setting up in the restaurant courtyard. It was AWESOME! I highly recommend this location for dining in La Jolla.

    Shakira E.

    The Kitchen at MCASD is a gem! This restaurant is a perfect way to start your visit to the Museum. The food is fresh, vibrant and delicious. Inside seating or outdoor whatever you like both are great!

    Cara N.

    We did not go to the Kitchen but there doesn't seem to be a way to leave a review for the museum. We saw the Giants exhibition partly sponsored by Alicia Keys. It was amazingly well done. Everything laid out beautifully. Staff was helpful. Art was beautiful. Maybe we will get a chance to eat there next time.

    Mozerella and peach sandwich with hibiscus tea.
    Lori D.

    Expensive but worth it. The view was amazing. I had the mozzarella and peach sandwich. So unusual and yummy. I think it was a nectarine tho. Service was great. I also had a $7 hibiscus tea. Tasty but not worth the money.

    Kids breakfast selection - eggs, potatoes and sourdough bread

    Yum! And what a beautiful view of La Jolla Shores! We came here for a mommy-daughter date and had such a lovely experience. My daughter ordered the kids' egg scramble with potatoes and sourdough bread, while I had the smoked salmon latkes. Everything was delicious, and the service was great. I especially loved dining outdoors while overlooking beautiful La Jolla Shores. Great food, gorgeous views, and quality time with my daughter, it was the perfect reminder of how lucky we are to call San Diego home!

    Bevies and cold goodies
    Jane L.

    After our lovely museum tour we were in need of a refreshment. My friend ordered a latte and I got an Aqua Panna. It was quite busy for early Thursday afternoon. Lots of healthy offerings and snack Heaven. We got our drinks and enjoyed them on the patio as we people watched. Space was clean and service was good. Cute cafe, will try food next time.

    Gail C.

    A pleasant restaurant for lunch, food and fine ambiance. The hamburger was slightly over cooked and the Artichoke and Chicken Salad is a misnomer. It was very good, but you needed a microscope to find the itsy bitsy artichoke pieces. It should be called Chicken salad lightly tossed with a few artichoke pieces.

    Panisse
    Demi N.

    Is this a hidden gem??? Friday morning I really wanted to have a nice dinner somewhere in La Jolla. But my problem was that any good place in La Jolla will either have a long wait for walk-ins or have no reservations available on the day of. But then I discovered The Kitchen MCASD, and they had dinner reservations available for the same day!! We arrived around 6:30pm for our dinner reservation, and it was the perfect time of the day to see an amazing view of the ocean. We sat outside, and they offered blankets in addition to heat lamps! We were very comfy. Panisse -- 8/10 We ordered the panisse because I've never heard of this dish before. From my internet search, panisse is a dish from Italy/France that is mash chickpeas that are fried. Imagine if you shaped mashed potatoes into a square and then deep fried it so that the outside is nice and crispy, and the inside is soft and mushy. So the chickpeas in the panisse were enjoyable because they remind me of mash potatoes, while the outside was nice and crispy. I loved it!! Definitely a fun and enjoyable dish. Chicken schnitzel - 8/10 A good portion of chicken with a refreshing salad Salmon - 7/10 - a standard salmon dish Overall, this place is great for that seaside ambiance. Any other location that has this kind of view of the ocean would be BOOKED or very expensive. I don't know why this place isn't more crowded!

    Selection of salads at a party they catered, from grilled eggplant to nectarine and burrata
    Alyssa S.

    Came to a party at the museum which was catered on the patio by the kitchen. I can't speak to the price value proposition for catering or for the menu prices in the restaurant, but I loved the selection of vegetarian and pescatarian salads. Really delicious grilled eggplant, quinoa salad, nectarine and burrata, and salmon in lettuce cups. The only note would be that the nectarines needed to be a little riper. But everything was delicious and beautifully presented. They also had four mini desserts, of which the best was the chocolate cookie. Definitely a great venue for a party with a great in-house caterer.

    patio
    kira l.

    I really enjoyed a nice dinner here at the Kitchen. the view is just stunning, and the service was very kind. the burger was pretty good in my opinion, and massive!! There was a 3% service fee on the burger which I thought was interesting. overall a nice place to eat if you are going for a nicer dinner.

    Churro French toast - 5 stars
    Colby D.

    I hesitate to write this review because I don't want this place to get any more crowded than it is currently, but I also want to recognize this restaurant as being one of my favorites in San Diego. This restaurant is perfect for a La Jolla art museum. The architecture and layout blends nature with industry, and with the retracting window doors and almost universal natural lighting, begs the question, "Where does the beach end and the restaurant begin?" Just kidding, but it does work really well in this area. We first came here for brunch earlier this year, as it's become my partner's and my mission to try all the brunch spots in La Jolla. For brunch, this spot is my #1 in San Diego. We ordered their salmon Benedict and churro French toast, and tried a latte and a cocktail. If I had to describe everything we've tried here in one word, it would be fresh. The hot food is piping, the fruits and vegetables are bright and crisp, the dressings and sauces are light and complement the dishes well, and even the cocktails feel...somehow healthy? I especially want to highlight their churro French toast, which is one of the best dishes I had in 2024. Cinnamon sugar bread topped with mandarin oranges and mint is a combination I never knew I needed. Sweet, tart, and herbal, both crunchy and juicy, it satisfied most of my brunch cravings. So we've been back a couple times, once for brunch with friends and another time more recently for their happy hour menu, where we ordered one of everything. Although I was impressed with their happy hour items and found them all to be delicious and satisfying, I do still prefer this place for brunch (though the sunset views were choice). I love that their menu changes frequently, and that they periodically have special menu nights where they highlight an ingredient to be used in every dish. Recently they had a squash night, and a few months ago they had a tomato night. I can't wait to go to one!

    Artichoke chicken salad sandwich
    Zana K.

    This spot has a beautiful patio outlooking la jolla shores. It was a bit gloomy when we arrived but on a sunny day this would be killer. The staff is friendly but not very attentive. I ordered the artichoke chicken salad with side salad. I requested sourdough as a substitution but was sadly given the multigrain which didnt settle with my stomach. Otherwise, this sandwich was good but bread was far too thick for my liking. My friend had the breakfast sandwich which had good flavors (in her words). Overall , i would come back and probably try other items. Took off a star because it wasnt amazing (the food) but other items looked a lot better.

    Hamachi crudo Corn Fritters

    See all

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Hee Y.
    272
    473
    3047

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 7
    Thanks 1
    Love this 8
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 2

    10 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    10 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    1 year ago

    Helpful 6
    Thanks 3
    Love this 4
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    21 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Colby D.
    632
    1077
    15712

    2 years ago

    Helpful 12
    Thanks 3
    Love this 11
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Zana K.
    188
    287
    1104

    2 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    2 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 2
    Love this 3
    Oh no 1

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    4 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 3

    Ask the Community - The Kitchen MCASD

    Is the sea view terrace the best seats?

    It depends on what you're looking for--the ocean view dining room provides roof cover with two walls of floor-to-ceiling windows, one wall being fully retractable, and you get a ~135° view of the water from an elevated position. The terrace is… 

    Do you access the restaurant via the front doors of the museum (Prospect Street) or through the back of the building? (ocean side) Thanks in advance!

    You can find the restaurant on Prospect St. The entrance to the cafe is to the right of the front door (you will see the cafe patio to the right of the museum entrance), and if you walk around to the back side of the cafe you will find the… 

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    You might also consider

    Pamir Kabob House - Chicken shish kabob. Boneless.

    Pamir Kabob House

    4.7(450 reviews)
    0.4 mi•La Jolla
    •$$

    Truly a hidden gem in the San Diego area! The restaurant is very homey and quaint. The lady who…read moregreets you at the door and serves as the waitress is incredibly kind and attentive. I ordered the zardaloo chalow (stewed apricots) with lamb and the yaqoot chalow (stewed cherries) with lamb. The sweetness of the fruits paired with the savory meat created an incredible balance of sweet and salty. Who knew cooked fruit could taste so good! Such a unique combination of flavors. Both dishes were served with a generous portion of basmati rice. I'll definitely be back every time I'm in La Jolla!

    The best lunch ever. I had the Zardaloo chalow with the lamb. It was stewed in fresh apricots and…read moreserved next to fluffy basmati rice. It felt very fancy and was one of the most exotic things I have eaten in a long time. We also got the dolmas (grapes leaves) and the Bolani (turnover stuffed with leek and potatoes) as an appetizer. The dolmas were ok, but the bolani was exceptional, like a leek and potato quesadilla but lighter. It was hard to put into words. Just order it and enjoy! Lastly, for drinks we got a Cherry Blossom Tea (Sheer Chai). Again, it tasted like nothing I have ever ordered before, which is hard to do because we are adventurous eaters. It tasted like cream straight from the cow mixed with a cherry blossom-y and strawberry-ish Chai flavor+ black tea flavor. One of the best drinks that I have experienced in 2025 by far. For the La Jolla neighborhood and how fancy the inside feels, the prices were similar to any regular sit down restaurant. Quite the bargain for the bouquet of flavors and beautifully executed dishes that we had. I would definitely recommend them.

    Photos
    Pamir Kabob House - The seating and the view is so beautiful  Open windows and amazing breeze.

    The seating and the view is so beautiful Open windows and amazing breeze.

    Pamir Kabob House - Chicken Shish Kebab

    Chicken Shish Kebab

    Pamir Kabob House - Beautiful Afghanistan decor

    See all

    Beautiful Afghanistan decor

    Spiro's Mediterranean Cuisine - Chicken Kabob Platter

    Spiro's Mediterranean Cuisine

    3.7(185 reviews)
    0.2 mi•La Jolla
    •$$

    I was in Coronado with my Mom and sister to support my Dad getting hip surgery at Sharp Coronado…read more Because it was going to be a long wait, we all decided to grab lunch at Spiro's Greek cuisine. I ordered a chicken Greek salad with pita bread, my Mom ordered Lemon soup and a small salad, and my sister ordered a Gyro sandwich. We all really enjoyed our food. My salad tasted fresh and delicious. The chicken was grilled to perfection juicy bursting with flavor. I also enjoyed the dressing on my salad as well . I noticed they had cookies and brownies so my weakness is a delicious chocolate brownie, but I shared with my Mom and sister. The service was also great as the girls behind the counter were friendly and professional. I really appreciated the experiencing the renovation because I had not been here for so long. It was very impressive, a large area that reminded me of being in a restaurant instead of a cafe. If you are a tourist or local San Diegan, Spiro's Greek Cafe is mandatory for great Greek food, ambiance, and friendly/professional service .

    I could give this place zero stars, I would. Now I understand why the restaurant wasn't packed in…read moreLa Jolla. The shrimp smelled extremely fishy, which is never a good sign with seafood. The gyro was dry and lacked flavor, the rice was bland, and the salad barely had any dressing on it. I literally did not eat my meal at all. My boyfriend only finished his because he was starving. On top of the food being terrible, the service left a lot to be desired- she was there by herself though so I can't really blame her. Hands down one of the worst Mediterranean restaurants I've ever been to. Extremely disappointing. I didn't even touch it this was at the end of the meal.

    Photos
    Spiro's Mediterranean Cuisine - Inside!

    Inside!

    Spiro's Mediterranean Cuisine - Filet Mignon Kabob Platter

    Filet Mignon Kabob Platter

    Spiro's Mediterranean Cuisine - Falafel Platter

    See all

    Falafel Platter

    Beeside Balcony

    Beeside Balcony

    3.8(229 reviews)
    0.3 mi•La Jolla
    •$$$
    Family-owned & operated
    Outdoor seating

    Came here for buzzy hour after finding out about this place on social media. Parking was a…read morechallenge since it's deep in La Jolla but the place itself has a fantastic view of the beach. We were seated immediately and service was excellent throughout the whole experience. The real reason that got our attention was the $1 oysters as part of their buzzy (happy) hour. We originally thought it was a joke but we were so glad to be proven wrong. The oysters were excellent. We also tried the mini crab cakes and truffle fries. The crab cakes were delicious but the size did not justify the price but I would get again. The truffle fries were excellent. Crispy and a generous portion which I love. We paired the food with some buzzy hour drinks as well, the spritz and sensory overload. Both are a must in my opinion. Overall, great experience and and excellent happy hour. Would do again!

    Really disappointing experience, especially because I was looking forward to trying this place…read more We ordered the 10 oysters ($10), meatballs ($9), slider ($7), truffle fries ($6), mini crab cakes ($9) The biggest issue was the portion sizes and value. The $7 slider is tiny. At that price and given the size, you would hope to get two. The mini crab cakes were honestly the most insulting portion I have ever seen at a restaurant. For $9, the portion was almost comical. At a minimum, you should be getting 4 or 5 pieces. The meatballs were actually decent sized and tasted good, but for $9 you should get a third. The fries were okay, but came out lukewarm. Then they charge another $2 for a very small amount of garlic aioli. I understand this is La Jolla, but the value just isn't there. Either increase the portion sizes or cut the prices in half so they actually match what you're getting. I really wanted to like this place, but I left feeling dirty and ripped off. Hopefully they make some adjustments because I can't imagine coming back and paying these prices for these portions.

    Photos
    Beeside Balcony
    Beeside Balcony - Gyro - lamb, arugula, cherry tomatoes, red onions, and tzatziki.

    Gyro - lamb, arugula, cherry tomatoes, red onions, and tzatziki.

    Beeside Balcony - Grilled Rockfish Tacos - sautéed, mango jicama slaw, avocado, lemon remoulade, micro cilantro all on two corn tortillas.

    See all

    Grilled Rockfish Tacos - sautéed, mango jicama slaw, avocado, lemon remoulade, micro cilantro all on two corn tortillas.

    The Kitchen MCASD - cafes - Updated October 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...