The Lion's Share -- 5 Stars Across the Board! 5 stars for late-night dining! 5 stars for making one seriously satisfying burger! 5 stars for exceptional service! After the Padres game and what felt like an eternity stuck in traffic, we arrived at The Lion's Share just 10 minutes before the kitchen closed. Now, anyone familiar with San Diego's so-called "late-night dining" scene knows that most places would have greeted us with, "Sorry, the kitchen is closing." Not The Lion's Share. We were welcomed graciously, our order was taken without hesitation, and what followed was one of the best Wagyu burgers I've had in quite some time! Perfectly medium, juicy, saucy, fresh, gloriously messy -- everything a great burger should be. And the truffle Parmesan fries? Absolutely did not disappoint. But what really deserves recognition is the hospitality. A special shout-out to JB, whose outstanding attitude and genuine service made the experience even better. Not a hint of rushing us out the door. This is what late-night dining should look like. Great food, gracious hospitality, and a kitchen that delivers even when the clock is ticking. The Lion's Share, you earned every one of those five stars. We'll be back! read more

This is the vibest dark and moody date spot. It felt like such a treat for a last minute dinner. Their drink menu was quite flirty and punny so reading that set the tone for the meal. Had a very grape forward gin fruit loop cocktail and then a 11/10 burger and a roast chicken. I wish every burger tasted like that burger. We didn't come during happy hour but I would make my way back during it to have that burger again. The roast chicken was so elevated. It was rolled and wrapped in its own skin. The sauce on the side was unctuous and apparently the chefs favorite dish. read more

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Food - 5 Service - 4 Ambiance - 4 Parking - hard to find Such a cool and unique spot in San Diego! I picked up my husband from the airport and we came here for a date night and it ended up being such a memorable evening. They gave us a fortune cookie and inside it read, "A reunion with a loved one awaits you tonight." How perfect was that?! It couldn't have been more fitting for our night together. I absolutely loved the dark, moody ambiance and all the eclectic decor. The space has so much personality and such an intimate, fun atmosphere. The food was excellent, and the drinks were just as amazing. Everything came together to make it the perfect date night. We had such a great experience and would definitely come back! read more

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Another flavor banger and a first-timer alert!! I gotta say the service was exceptional and I picked a darn good restaurant for my birthday this evening!! Everything ordered was delicious bite by bite!! Don't worry I got names of what I ate and photos coming right up. Trust me go here!! My server David did his thang for my birthday tonight and that dessert I forget the name of it but it had cereal flakes in it I believe that was 1,000/10 itself can I get the name of that and what was all in it!! A perfect night to add to my day full of birthday festivities and I will be back!! The decor was a sight to see as well!! Thanks for the awesome food & service this evening THE LION'S SHARE!! Saving this in my favs files on here most definitely. read more

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We came in with a group around 11:45 PM on a Friday night, hoping to grab a few drinks before the night ended. The drinks were decent and relatively strong, but unfortunately the service completely ruined the experience. Our server, David (the one with the tattoos and mustache), came across as rude, dismissive, and seemed annoyed that we were there. Throughout the night, it appeared he was spending more time hanging out and chatting with what looked like a group of his friends or regular customers than checking on our table. Every interaction with him felt uncomfortable, and his attitude made us feel unwelcome. Good customer service goes a long way in the hospitality industry, and this was one of the worst service experiences I've had. The drinks were fine, but they weren't enough to make up for how we were treated. There are plenty of other places in the area where you can enjoy a good cocktail without feeling like you're inconveniencing the staff. Would not recommend. read more

The Lion's Share - Lounges Near Me - San Diego, California

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This is our family's favorite downtown spot for years. We heard there was a change of ownership, but the food was still delicious. The inside was dark and intimate, perfect for a date night. Service was quick and friendly too! Definitely try all of their more gamey meats! They are delicious! read more

The Lion's Share - Wild Boar Carbonara - Lounges Near Me - San Diego, California

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Went for their HH, because why not. ;) $10 cocktails is a pretty great deal. But from their regular drink menu, they have a new clarified cocktail (taco punch) - of which I'm a big fan! Beef cheek tacos were pretty tasty. The meat was really tender, and it came with 4 tacos. Wagyu fat fries weren't bad either. Skip the duck wings, it was very salty imo. Decor and vibes are always on point! They have neighborhood street parking ($2.50 per hour) nearby, which is a plus for downtown. read more

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Incredible service, enthusiastic staff, unique dishes and cocktails wrapped up in a very whimsical setting. You couldn't ask for more. Taco punch may be the best cocktail I've stumbled across this year. The elk was coooked to perfection, sauce beautiful done. Deep rich flavors and no split, nice sheen. Frog legs full of flavor, light breading and fall off the bone tender. When I am in town, I'll definitely be back. read more

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Shawn was awesome, he made my favorite drink the "water Lilly" and was super helpful and super kind. He never heard of it, but somehow made the best version by far of it. Thank you so much for your kind hospitality. We did arrive late so we didn't really get to try the food, however we plan to return and try all the delicious mouth-watering food items I found while browsing the menu. Thank you again Shawn! read more

The Lion's Share - Water Lilly made by Shawn :) - Lounges Near Me - San Diego, California

Yo, the vibe in this place is off the charts from that game Head on the wall to the dark lighting to the leather seating to the intimate setting. It is a complete vibe and it's quiet it's hidden and you really have to be seeking it out to enjoy this place. I encourage you to seek it out Happy hour is from 4 to 6 and they do have phenomenal choices. We ordered the Wagyu fries. The aïoli that is served with them. It's like a mustard aïoli is phenomenal. Definitely try that and that's all we had tonight. A mule which is not ginger beer but fresh ginger is always top of the list. This everyone from the servers to the bartender are top-notch. read more

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Walked in after a long day at a conference at the San Diego convention center. Needless to say I was hungry and tired. I asked a dear friend of mine if he knew any places close by to my hotel to get a good meal and drink. He recommended Lion's Share. As soon as I walked in, I could tell the staff was extremely hospitable and kind. I sat at the bar and ordered one of their signature cocktails. It was absolutely delicious and ordered the sourdough appetizer. It was amazing. I also ordered a burger and my favorite cocktail Last Word. Cassie and Joe the bartenders were tentative and very welcoming. I would recommend this place to anyone looking for amazing food and great people! read more

The Lion's Share - One of their signature cocktails - Lounges Near Me - San Diego, California

Four years later, was back with some coworkers and this place didn't disappoint! Glad to see they're doing so well! The food was absolutely delicious. Thank you! This time I got many things to share. The star of the meal was the BISON STEAK TARTARE. Easily one of my favourite places in downtown San Diego. I'm sure I'll be back! read more

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Still the best spot for Happy Hour!! We met up with some friends for dinner. We arrived bit early to get some happy hour libations in before dinner. Loving the new items on the menu. Missed the fabulous fried chicken & caviar again, will definitely have to try again next time. Same great service, food (if wild game is your thing) & drinks. One of our favorite spots. read more

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This place was incredible It was advertised as an " exotic meats" place, that is only partially true. But! They did wild boar incredibly well. The bison steak was so so But both the corn drink, and The reverse cowboy were amazing. I will be coming back here on future San Diego trips. read more

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Absolutely love the vibe and atmosphere! Happy hour menu is superb! Chicken caviar was delicious! Service was excellent we had a party of 15! Super busy Sunday afternoon, but the food was worth every penny! read more

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2026 San Diego. Dinner review. American & specialty meats. FRESH BAJA OYSTERS hibiscus & grapefruit gel, fermented fresno mignonette, cilantro SALT & PEPPER FROGS LEGS tempura, fried garlic, chili sauce, scallion BISON STEAK TARTARE bone marrow, potato puree, meyer lemon vin, capers, wagyu fat toast VENISON SLIDERS boar bacon & onion jam, havarti, garlic aioli BONE IN ELK CHOPS barbacoa marinade, masa dumpling, frisee, radish, pickled red onion, salsa verde, jus Overall, mostly good, but the bison tartare is "as good as it gets." read more

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The vibe! The cocktails! The food! The service!They have one of the most inventive menus I have come across in a while, and the flavor hit on every single drink and dish. We visited two evenings in a row so we could try more of the menu. The Taco cocktail is a must try as well as the elk chops. Something else I really appreciated was their attention to my food allergies. It's hard to not feel like a pain in the a$$ when you live with food allergies, and they were extremely helpful and patient to answer my questions and offer alternatives. John was our bartender both nights, and he was knowledgeable and friendly, in spite of being really busy. Highly recommend this restaurant. I wish we lived closer so we could visit often. read more

Super eclectic spot, yes no other word could describe this better than eclectic. Maybe exotic? The food here is quite off the beaten path, boar, venison, elk, all to be expected. The menu can be pretty pricey and definitely a bit on the experimental side. I did not branch out too far, just going for steak frites. The fries were super crispy and perfect. The steak was cooked beautifully but honestly extremely tough. It was very hard to cut and chew. For the price and for this being wagyu, I was disappointed. I'm not sure what kind of cut they used, but it probably needed to be prepared differently than as a steak. The Bordelaise sauce was out of this world though. Scraped up every last drop of that with the fries. The cocktail selection is very cool with classics plus custom offerings. I don't think you can really go wrong. This is the type of place where the bartenders care about their craft. I enjoy trying drinks that are more creative like this, mixing ingredients not often seen together to create something truly inventive but still tasty. Definitely would come here again for drinks. Maybe check the food menu for something to your liking before coming for dinner. read more

The Lion's Share - Steak frites - Lounges Near Me - San Diego, California

Came to Lion's Share at 7:30 with an 8pm reservation and was seated early! Our drink orders were taken pretty quickly after being seated. After getting our drinks, my sister and I were ready to order, however, our server was almost no where to be found. We waited another 20 minutes before ordering our food, and while he was helping out other tables overlooking us, so that was a bit frustrating. Nonetheless, when we finally ordered we both got the Steak Frites with the sauce on the side. I asked for my steak cooked medium, and it was cooked to perfection! It was super tender, and it paired really well with the sauce! The fries were perfectly crispy, but they were too salty. I'd recommend asking for them to be lightly salted. Despite the initial slow service, we really enjoyed the food and drinks at Lion's Share. The music inside is extremely loud and there's a more casual bar area that makes the place super loud, so if you're looking for a quiet dinner, this definitely isn't your spot. read more

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Very cool place with an adventurous menu! Great craft cocktails and edgy decor make this place an excellent place to meet up with friends. All the staff were excellent, answering questions and giving suggestions. I tried the wild boar bolognese and it was delicious! I also had the pavlova dessert which had an excellent flavor profile! Would recommend grabbing a cocktail at the bar if you're in the area and want to try more original mixes! read more

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If you like unique food and even more unique vibes, this spot's a must. Dark, moody lighting, taxidermy on the walls -- it's giving adventurous and classy at the same time. Came for happy hour (great deal ) and tried the bison tartare -- perfectly balanced with capers, bone marrow, and Wagyu fat. So rich and umami. Then had the Wild Style Burger -- juicy Wagyu, boar bacon jam, shallots, and BBQ sauce with truffle fries + aioli. I'm not even a burger person, but I'd eat this again. Drinks were also well-balanced and creative. Perfect for pre-concert or date night vibes near The Rady Shell, Seaport Village, or Gaslamp. Bold flavors, cool atmosphere -- definitely coming back. read more

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The Lion's Share is a restaurant and bar serving exotic game and familiar tame. AMBIANCE Eccentric taxidermy vibes and portraits featuring anthropomorphism. SERVICE attentive, knowledgeable, and a little dismissive FOOD 5/5 TACOS: tender wagyu cheek, salsa verde, slivered onions, cilantro, moderately spicy and acidic fermented fresno chilis on a soft corn tortilla 4.5/5 CHICHARRONES (room temp, crisp): Mild ancho chile and spicy vinegar read more

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We went here for happy hour on a Saturday. We ordered the old fashioned and the federal buffalo stamp- which was similar to penicillin without the floater of Smokey whiskey. Both drinks were well made and a bargain at happy hour prices! Great and attentive bartenders as well. Highly recommend! read more

The Lion's Share - Old fashioned and Federal Buffalo Stamp - Lounges Near Me - San Diego, California

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Wife and I had a great time at The Lion's Share. There were already people waiting to get in before it opened at 5pm. I loved the decor and atmosphere right away. We each got our standard Old Fashioned to start the night and it didn't disappoint. I prefer 1 solid big ice cube but the classic flavors of an Old Fashioned shined through and made up for this multi-cubed version. We didn't bring a huge appetite which is why we only ordered the Wagyu cheek tacos and Bison sliders - and boy were they delicious! I savored every bite of each of these 2 items. Wifey had the same opinion. We will definitely come back for more!! read more

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Food tasty and unique meats. Service steady , helpful and humorous. Dark dive bar hidden inside and busy weekday afternoon. read more

Came here on a Tuesday for dinner with a party of 5. I could only make a max reservation of 4 online, so I just called once they opened to add another person and it wasn't an issue. For my drink I ordered the Don't Be Jealous. It truly was refreshing, fruity and very tasty. We ordered few appetizers and main dishes to share with the table: fresh Baja oysters, salt and pepper frog legs, bison tartare, venison sliders, boar bolognese, our burger, and the white fish. The oysters were great, we ended up ordering a second plate. I also enjoyed the bison tartare, it was a hefty serving and was very savory. The venison sliders were pretty decent along with the white fish as well, but nothing crazy to note about them. I had a small bite of the burger but did really enjoy the Parmesan truffle fries that came with it. I didn't get a chance to try the frog legs but the table did enjoy it. Overall, I would recommend a try here. Service was super friendly and helpful and the atmosphere is fun and unique. I would definitely like to come back and try more on the menu. read more

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When in San Diego last week, I was so excited to be able to eat here, and bring friends with me to enjoy the experience. Reservations are easily made online, and we were greeted and seated fairly quickly. The cocktail menu here continues to impress - we all ordered different drinks to try more of the menu. I went with the sneaky suitcase - Japanese whiskey, green chile vodka, corn, mole, shiitake-chapulin, and cream soda. I've never tasted anything like it - it was truly special, dynamic, and flavorful. For dinner, I had the bone in elk chops - which were very flavorful (and filling). See you next time I'm back in San Diego! read more

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Dark and moody, yet quirky and modern, The Lion's Share is a great locals' spot seemingly on an island surrounded by a tourist moat. Culturally it's a galaxy away from the schlocky t-shirt shops of Seaport Village and the Embarcadero, if only a short par four away as the crow flies. I have gone many times for happy hour, which is appropriately popular, with specials on their well done cocktails, decadent burgers, and several other worthwhile menu items, including their always delicious home-made sausage. Outside of happy hour, they are known for their game meats, but alas, I have not explored that pricier side of the menu yet. From what have experienced, though, The Lion's Share does have one of my favorite happy hours downtown, and that alone will being me back again and again. read more

Pretty cool spot for a quick drink. Everyone was friendly and attentive. We ordered some type of bone marrow that was pretty good also. read more

The Lion's Share - Lounges Near Me - San Diego, California

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I love this place! It's the second time I've been here and it does not disappoint. I had something new, which was the duck carpaccio as an appetizer. It was a little spicy, but boy was it tasty it comes with some plantain chips, and that salty sweet of the plantain really helps accent the flavors. For main course I had elk chops that were cooked to perfection. This place is worth the stop. I sat at the bar in Dawson was very helpful, very kind and is a true professional. I highly suggest getting a reservation if you're wanting to sit at a table. It is busy all the time and for good reason. read more

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Stopped in for a quick happy hour after a long day at a conference and was able to snag a spot at the bar. Super unique vibe with a dark and moody atmosphere. Lots of interesting decor including taxidermy and framed portraits. Bartender was very sweet and attentive. The happy hour deals are great and include tons of food options (my fav!). Enjoyed a well balanced Tom Collins and some flavorful venison sliders. read more

Went here for my friends birthday dinner and everyone was really happy with the food and drinks they ordered! They have some unique options like the bison tartar as their take on beef tartar. I loved the bison tartar and the stranger danger drink that I had was refreshing and tasty. My friend had the reverse cowboy drink which was interesting it was basically their take on an espresso martini. The "our" burger with fries was juicy and delicious. The service was good, when we got there it wasn't too busy but it did pick up as the night went on and people started popping in to have drinks. Our server was really nice and checked in on us enough. They didn't allow us to bring my friend's birthday cake early but did store it for us in the fridge when we got there. They do also charge a fee per person if you want to eat the cake at the restaurant so we didn't end up eating the cake there. The ambiance is kinda like a dark mysterious vibe, kinda like woodsy cabin meets trendy alternative. The decor in the restaurant includes taxidermy animals in scene like I think there was a squirrel with a rifle wearing clothes above the door? And the artwork on the walls is a similar niche but honestly I didn't even notice how niche the decor was until we had been sitting for awhile so it's not overtly out there. Overall the food and service was good, the decor wasn't my style but I didn't mind it. I would come back, I did see that they have a happy hour menu so am curious about that. read more

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I wanted to find an unique place for a nice dinner. This place has met my expectations. The decor and ambiance were elegant and fun. The menu is simple. We were not hungry so we got two dishes to share. The bison tartare was served on a bed of mashed potatoes and bone marrow. The flavor was great and it was good on the roasted sourdough bread. We also ordered elk chops. When it first came out, it wasn't hot. It seems like it's been sitting on the counter for a bit. It tasted more like medium instead of medium rare. We spoke to the waiter about it and he immediately offered to make us another one. When the new one came out, it was steaming hot and it's medium rare like what we expected. The sauce was a bit too salty for my taste. I wasn't a fan of corn gnocchi (i think). I was too full so I didn't get to try their bread pudding but it sounded amazing. Overall, the service was great. The price was a bit expensive but not too expensive for the kind of food you get. read more

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I stopped by The Lion's Share after an event and was immediately drawn in by the atmosphere. The space is dimly lit, moody, and sophisticated, with a unique, exotic vibe that perfectly matches the menu. I sat at the bar and was taken care of by an incredibly knowledgeable bartender. After letting him know I was gluten-free, he guided me through the menu and recommended appetizers, drinks, and an entrée that I could safely enjoy. Every single recommendation was spectacular. It's always refreshing to find a place where the staff is knowledgeable about dietary restrictions without sacrificing flavor or creativity. The food, cocktails, and service were all exceptional. If you're looking for a memorable dining experience with great service and adventurous flavors, The Lion's Share is definitely worth a visit. read more

Lucked out at Lion's Share on a very packed late Sunday night! Managed to grab a table just before the kitchen closed, but what really made the experience was the amazing hostess who went above and beyond--she took our food order while we waited for a table (about 15 minutes), making sure we didn't miss out. The vibe inside is really cool--dark, moody, and unique, though it did feel a bit stuffy temperature-wise. Still, the atmosphere was perfect for a chill night out. Can't wait to come back for a proper date night and try more of the menu! read more

The Lion's Share - Lounges Near Me - San Diego, California

The interior is definitely decorated appropriately from the wall to the ceiling to the chair and dining table. I had an early lunch weekend reservation but it wasn't necessary as most of the tables were empty when I arrived. The Duck breast was great with a perfect cook and nice balance of flavors on the plate. I had to get the truffle fries since needed a nice carb to supplement. Nothing out of the ordinary. The sticky toffee bread pudding definitely hit my sweet tooth the breading wasn't dry or hard at all. read more

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Amazing experience. Excellent tasty food. Rare opportunity to try wild boar, and other wild game read more

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Very dark but appropriate lighting. Workers were super nice and could carry a conversation. They were accommodating of my wife and I without reservations. Food was delicious. We ordered the duck with the plantain chips, wagyu tacos and the elk chops. Elk chops were freakin amazing. 100% recommend. read more

The food is great and the drinks phenomenal. It's great place to eat before catching the Padres.

Great atmosphere. Terrific service. Amazing food from Start to Finish. Oysters were the best I've had. The fish tacos on special were delicious. All the flavors in every dish were balanced. So impressed with this place. read more