Love this spot in encinitas! It's lively, lots of seating and a large menu. You can sit inside or outside depending on the vibe you're looking for. The breakfast burrito was phenomenal with lots of flavor and very filling. Definitely could be split depending on how hungry you are. The cornbread skillet was super rich and the sausage had a nice heat to it. A great option if you are looking for hearty comfort food. The service was great, will definitely be back. read more

Union Kitchen and Tap Encinitas - SHORT RIB BREAKFAST BURRITO - New American Near Me - Encinitas, California

Easy spot to get to after a day at the beach. We found street parking but there's a small lot behind the restaurant too. Its a cool vibe inside. Open air flow with a nice outdoor patio. Unfortunately, we did have to swing at gnats several times while sitting at our booth inside. There's a good amount of TVs on the walls for entertainment. Our waitress was cool but never asked if we wanted a refill or new drinks for our empty glasses. The menu had several things that sounded good to me but I went for the fig flatbread. It let me down. The figs were too big for the tiny slices and not enough cheese. My daughters kid cheeseburger was very bland. I know its for kids but my kids have standards. The beer was delicious and I appreciate the variety they offer. The ranch was also very good. read more

See all

Very spacious restaurant. We were seated right away in the patio area. Service was friendly and efficient and they were kind to replace the kid's meal as my son didn't like it. It's a pretty broad menu and they have a sizable drink selection. read more

I usually don't have very high expectations for pub food, but this spot consistently sets the bar. Great beer selections on tap, and their food has high quality ingredients that really make a difference. The chickpeas on the kale salad I ordered were perfectly crispy, and my husband really enjoyed the executive burger with the thick cut bacon. The live music also adds a great touch on the weekends. A top contender of all the breweries along the 101. read more

Union Kitchen and Tap Encinitas - The Executive Burger - New American Near Me - Encinitas, California

See all

Celebrated my sister's birthday (17 friends!) in the beautifully lit back patio of Union. The service was efficient and friendly especially for a large group. I ordered the short rib ragu and it was so flavorful and delicious. I finished the whole thing! Great value too. My husband got the gumbo and he enjoyed it. Everyone was so pleased with their choices. There was live entertainment indoors too. They let us bring in a cake and provided plates which was so nice. A fun night was had by all! Looking forward to returning soon. read more

Union Kitchen and Tap Encinitas - Short rib ragu!! Sooooo delicious! - New American Near Me - Encinitas, California

The short brown haired man behind the bar is in the wrong business. A bit rude and rushes you. Also over charging for a shot of a drink mixer. Weird not friendly at all. The food is great that's why there's 2 stars but overpriced. Too bad I enjoy the location too. Bartenders need to be more friendly. That guy needs to go. Tattoos and all. read more

Went here twice. Once for a late night dinner and then "brunch" a few days later. I can absolutely say go for dinner. I had the fisherman's stew. Essentially a version of ciopoanno. It was amazing. Fresh seafood, amazing slightly spicy broth. Perfect. Nothing overcooked and clearly fresh ever ordering close to closing. Also ordered a ceaser salad- the fried capers LEGIT PERFECT. My husband had the union burger with truffle fries. He said was good. I was too distracted by my dinner to try. "Brunch" on the other hand, was a little disappointing. Hoping it was just a limited menu because it was Father's Day but food was mediocre. Service here is great. Not overly attentive but very great recommendations. Will definitely visit again when I'm back in town. read more

Union Kitchen and Tap Encinitas - Fisherman's stew - New American Near Me - Encinitas, California

Delicious brunch menu with well made drinks. We enjoyed the green veggie omelet & skillet cornbread benedict. The service is friendly & the ambiance is industrial & laidback. read more

Union Kitchen and Tap Encinitas - Bar seating - New American Near Me - Encinitas, California

This spot is definitely going to be a go to brunch spot when in the area. The Christmas vibes were super cute gave it such a warm and welcoming ambiance. Service and food were great! Would highly recommend it if you're in the area. Has a bunch of seating inside and outside. read more

See all

Tonight I got the Moroccan quinoa salad. It was fantastic!! I got it with dressing on the side, which was perfect because I could go lighter on the dressing. Next time I might add additional shrimp (I like a lot of shrimp) and I'll get it with no fried garbanzo beans to make it lower calorie. Louise our server was fantastic: friendly and helpful! Perfect meal read more

See all

Would say this is a solid 4 star establishment, nothing too special. I would order the Cesar wrap again, the blt was good, liked the bread. Would never get the Mac n cheese , it was straight watery milk pasta. Service was great and the drink are delicious. read more

Service is hit or miss here. Last time we came in, our waitress rubbed 80 percent of our table wrong and we had 10 people. Food is good here though. Price is fine. I think the layout of the patio doesn't make sense and is pretty inconvenient for getting people served. Ambience is fine, nothing to write home about. read more

Great ambiance and good food! I came here with my family for my dad's birthday recently. I ordered the honey roasted fig flatbread. It was good, but the fries my sister ordered were delicious. Our server was nice and even brought out a little chocolate cake to celebrate my dad's birthday. read more

See all

Come here for the vibes not the food~ it was such a cute place near the beach, I sat next to the open windows and the fresh air was so nice with the games on the bar TVs. The food was decent but not great. The autumn salad was nice and refreshing but flatbreads were lacking. The honey roasted fig flatbread sounded so good but was such an odd flavor we couldn't take more than two bites; thankfully they have great service and swapped it out for the mushroom arugula flatbread instead which was much better but still not of the better ones I've tried. Short rib fries were so flavorful and delicious - they are more of a poutine which I loved, but my partner did not. Overall would recommend the salad and short rib fries but maybe avoid the flatbreads unfortunately! read more

See all

Wow. Our experience here was great. The food was very good. We tried the Honey Roasted Fig flatbread and the Executive burger and both were delicious. The fries and bacon from The Executive Burger, and the goat cheese and balsamic from the Honey Roasted Fig flatbread were my personal favorite touches. I found that the figs on the flatbread tasted refrigerated unfortunately. Our server, Brooke S, treated us very kindly and was quick on refills. We came at a slow time in the day, 15:00 on a Friday, but regardless, the ambiance is fun, comfortable, and the restaurant is comfortable and beautifully designed in an elevated rustic manner. read more

See all

We came here to have lunch and watch the world cup. I got a union burger and it was more on the plain side but still good and filling. My boyfriend got the short rib breakfast burrito and he said that was tasty. The service and atmosphere was really welcoming and friendly. There are lots of TVs so that was nice too. read more

Place was large and they had Halloween decorations up which made it feel festive. We were there on Friday so they had live music (ad toppers say live music 8-11p but went until 10p), the guitarist was really good. Menu had a good variety, we ordered the executive burger and a Moroccan bowl, both were tasty. Our server was good, only thing to call out is the bussers were fast to pick up plates when we're still eating, should ask before taking away plates and drinks. read more

See all

Excellent executive burger. Juicy, perfectly rare with delicious bacon, soft bun, crunch fries. Husband has fresh strawberry salad which he loved. Great service. Nice people watching from garage roll up windows in heart of trendy downtown Encinitas. Have been going here for years. Local favorite. Great bar. read more

The food was delicious. The service was questionable. Once food was delivered it was a ghost town. No check ins, no refills, no more drinks. Waited awhile for check and boxes. Food was top tier though. read more

Union Kitchen and Tap Encinitas - Shrimp & Grits - New American Near Me - Encinitas, California

This was yummy. I had a few drinks and some gumbo. It isn't Louisiana gumbo, but with some salt pepper and Louisiana sauce (they didn't have Tabasco) it tasted ok. I would go back again. The sandwiches and share plates looked amazing. read more

Union Kitchen and Tap Encinitas - Freebies - New American Near Me - Encinitas, California

See all

Love the atmosphere and vibe of this restaurant. Food was delicious and satisfying. Tgey have a great menu; evetything sounding good! We had great service! The only negative was the long wait for food. But... the food was definitely worth the wait. Next time we are in the area, we will come back! read more

See all

Blending coastal charm with a lively, beach-adjacent atmosphere, this spot feels like Encinitas at its best. For all the time I've spent in this town, I have no idea how I'd never stopped by before. The vibe is fun and open, with comfortable seating and fire pits that make the outdoor space especially inviting. The food leans into elevated comfort, familiar but done with real care. We ended up here on Thanksgiving and were so grateful they were open, as most Encinitas was not. We decided to try the special Thanksgiving dinner, and it was fabulous. The roasted turkey was moist, the homemade gravy rich and decadent, and the cranberry purée struck that perfect balance of sweet, tart, and citrusy. The roasted Brussels sprouts were cooked beautifully, but the standout was the jalapeño cornbread stuffing, so flavorful and unforgettable. I'm already planning to return after the holidays, and the Executive Burger has my full attention: brie, cowboy bacon, roasted mushrooms and garlic hummus, avocado, all on a pretzel bun. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who worked on one of the busiest holidays of the year. We're truly grateful you opened your doors for us on Thanksgiving. read more

See all

​The absolute worst way to end an evening is driving out to a restaurant that claims to be fully open, only to arrive and be told the kitchen is already closed. ​If your kitchen closes early, your listed hours need to reflect that. It is completely unacceptable to bait customers in with the promise of a meal, let them waste their time and gas to get there, and then turn them away empty-handed. ​Fix your operations and update your hours online. Turning hungry customers away at the door because of poor management is a guaranteed way to ensure they never come back. read more

A solid spot in Encinitas with good drinks and food and fun vibes for sports and the occasional live music option! We have been coming here for years and this place has consistently been good and one of our go to's - I *love* the purple haze cocktail and their shrimp and grits and burger options are consistently in my rotation (both of which are/can be gluten free with the bun swapped for GF). They also do a fun shot on the brunch menu with bacon & OJ that tastes like a full breakfast (just try it, trust me!). Staff is friendly and professional and this is overall a great stop in downtown Encinitas! read more

Union Kitchen and Tap Encinitas - The Executive Burger - New American Near Me - Encinitas, California

See all

We came here last year for a birthday dinner hosted by high West and we got a nice taste of a sampling menu finger chef which was really awesome. What a cool event and an introduction in this restaurant now a year later it's a go to brunch spot for us. We love walking around and seeing Encinitas on the weekend mornings with our dog we end our morning walks here right around when they open. Their patio is super dog friendly, and everybody is really kind. One of the waitresses usually comes by in the mornings with little pieces of bacon for all of the dog sitting out on the patio, which I really love The food Here is also phenomenal. Steak and eggs is my go to breakfast with the mustard Hollandaise as a great touch. My husband loves their cornbread skillet with andouille sausage. If we come with multiple people we usually get a sticky bun for the table as well. They serve cafe moto coffee which I think is the best coffee in San Diego so I appreciate that. I can't wait to come back for dinner as well this place is so cute and I love their back semi covered patio as my husband is a ginger and would perish in the sun lol. read more

See all

Solid spot with large patio. Great place to grab a drink for reasonable prices, but the food menu was definitely on the pricey side for what it was. Nothing tasted bad, just standard salty bar restaurant food. Service was hit or miss, some were friendly and attentive, others seemed bored to be there. read more

See all

We discovered UNION when we were looking for a place to try a bite with our bit older than 2 month old at the time outdoors on the weekends. Parking was not bad, as they have their own lot - small, or there's plentiful street parking. UNION itself is a pretty spacious place, and we really enjoy their shaded outdoor seating. We've have only gone three times and will continue going as we have enjoyed our time there as a family of three or with friends. Service has been fast or decent the times we went and always friendly. A few of our favorites: - Short Rib Breakfast Burrito - generous serving, not skimping out on the meat. Tasty for a brunch selection. - Union Gumbo - tasty and delicious. - Blueberry Yum Yum - refreshing Changing table available in the womens' bathroom. I haven't had an opportunity to try the weekday menu, only the brunch menu. read more

Union was one of the three restaurants in Encinitas we could find that was open on Christmas Day, and for that, we give it 5 stars. The food was pretty good. There was a long wait for the food but there was great service, and I chalk it up to it being literally Christmas Day. It was packed in there! Super fun ambiance too. Dog friendly and had a dog menu!! I'd come back. read more

Union Kitchen and Tap Encinitas - Steak Frites and Charred Lemon Broccolini and Baby Gem Caesar - New American Near Me - Encinitas, California

See all

Absolutely incredible, personalized service - LOUISE IS THE BEST - you'll get timely drinks and refills in her section and she had great energy the whole time we were there! Highly recommend if you're looking for a laid back evening with friends. Alan, the manager, made sure our large group was accommodated and sincerely made us feel welcome. 10/10! read more

Great spot to visit with a group, great variety of options on the menu. I tried the moroccan quinoa bowl and was very happy. It was without hummus, even though the picture had it but the flavors were great and it was a nice meal that didn't leave me feeling too heavy. The rest of our table had the union burger, meat balls, the carne nacho fries and a prosciutto flatbread. No one was disappointed, we all said we would return. read more

We're local Encinitans and stopped coming here because the food quality went down as their prices skyrocketed! Come on, $25 for a burger, it better be wagyu, salads and flatbread are decent. Brunch menu of crab cakes, shrimp and grits - meh, gumbo my rice was undercooked and raw - could not eat. I think this place is focused on tourists as are their prices and service. Local vibe is nice, open environment bar and restaurant. read more

See all

Walked in and was greeted so kindly by the blonde hostess, but every server walked past our table with no update on who would be helping us.

Our server was Shay seasoned vet. On point with service and even better good food with great weather close to the beach. Outside seating with heaters to keep warm while enjoying a good meal. read more

I really, really love their Roasted Brussel Sprout & Sweet Potato. Flavors are so well balanced that it went very well with my Chicken and Waffle dish. Great service, love the ambiance and the atmosphere of the restaurant---it gives you a fun bar vibes! read more

Union Kitchen and Tap Encinitas - Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Sweet Potato - New American Near Me - Encinitas, California

Perfect food stop after a day at the beach! Shared the wings and mushroom pizza and everything was delicious! We sat down right away on a Saturday afternoon (came in around 5pm). Service was pretty quick with no complaints. There is both indoor and outdoor seating, both kid and pet friendly! There's also TVs, heaters, booths, and high top tables. Overall, had a great experience! read more

Menu has lots of options, including vegan. Wish that removing meat products from a salad would result in them offering alternatives, but alas no such luck! Ordered the corn bread appetizer - it came warm and had a good texture and taste. Ordered the Cobb minus the bacon and chicken. It was fresh and the blue cheese dressing had the right amount of flavor. Fries are seasoned nicely. Coffee was a nice end to the meal. Service was attentive and helpful. Location is on the coast so expect to pay more than expected for all items. read more

The food was bland and beyond overpriced. We ordered the flat bread, wings, and salad. The wings were underwhelming at best, the flat bread was basically microwaved, and the salad I could've bought at Von's for less. Our waitress was super nice and attentive, this review is not directed towards her at all. They had live music but I felt bad for the band, they looked stuffed into a corner. There's better places to go in Encinitas if you're looking for good food and a drink. read more

Great service, great live music, good food, friendly staff, what more can you ask for? Plenty of seating options inside and out, street parking was easy to find, good menu selections and reasonable prices. Good vibes, good food, will definitely be back. read more

See all

Dillon was our waiter. He's good at his job. Tempo was proper on a celebratory day for our family. I had the Caesar gem salad add white anchovies and grilled chicken. Well executed. You can sit in or out, in the shade or in the sun, and the menu offers a wide range of homemade cocktails and mocktails. I was told the grain bowl and the bacon Mac 'n Cheese are tasty (add buffalo sauce to the latter I'm told). Again, bravo to Dillon. read more

See all

This is a wonderful gem in downtown Encinitas. Came here with co-workers for a happy hour and was very impressed with the food and service. Street parking can be limited but I was lucky to find a spot in the small parking lot behind the restaurant. We had a reservation for a large group of 12+ and were seated immediately at the patio. Our waitress was very friendly and took time to breakdown the whole drinks menu to us. I started with a California Soul cocktail ($16) which consisted of Tito's, Guava, house made lavender and coconut syrup, and lemon. It was delicious with just the right fruitiness and sweetness. For starters I ordered the sesame seared ahi Yumi ($22.95) and the Creole BBQ shrimp ($18.95). Highly recommend the shrimp which was juicy and well seasoned with bread that was perfect for soaking up the delicious sauce. The star of the show was the steak frites ($32.95). My prime sirloin was cooked as requested to medium rare and had decent marbling. I enjoyed the accompanying Chimichurri sauce with both my fries and steak. Highly recommend this fine Encinitas establishment! read more

See all