The best dinner we had while visiting Encinitas! Loved the atmosphere and next time we visit, we will be sure to eat here again! A must try: the mussels and sour dough appetizer. We are still talking about it. The shrimp and pasta was best I've ever eaten.
We saw that there were over 2,000 reviews on Yelp and that the rating was 4.7. We were excited to try this restaurant. The service was good, but we had issues with the food. I have never written a review about a restaurant before, but the experience wasn't up to the price that we paid. Appetizer: The shrimp appetizer arrived at room temperature. They apologized and brought another shrimp appetizer, but it was nearly the same temperature and not nearly hot enough. Entrees: The server advised that the branzino fish was deboned, but it had several bones, including a large 1-inch piece. The server specifically told us that the entree portions were quite large. I rarely see barramundi ($42+) on a menu, and I was excited to try the fish. As it turned out, it was the smallest portion of fish that I have ever received at a restaurant. One third of the fish was skin and I estimated the actual fish portion to be approximately 3 ounces. Sadly, I easily ate the fish in four bites. The flavors of the food were very good, but we expected a hot appetizer, no bones in the fish and a larger portion for my entree. In all fairness to the restaurant, it was a busy Friday evening, and they appeared to be hosting a large party, but we were just expecting so much more.
SteffaniS
Such small portions for the price. Left hungry and ate street tacos from the cart right across the street immediately after. My fish was also drowned in an overpowering cream sauce.
Tam Phan
I'll just start off by saying that these kinds of restaurants are always too noisy for me. The slick floors and high ceilings always create more noise than is reasonable for any sort of conversation.Having said that, the food was quite good and the service was excellent. Nicki is an excellent server. My group of friends came for a late lunch and then came back for a late dinner after a movie across the street. Both times were a pleasant experience.For lunch, I tried the mushroom pizza, pita, roasted oysters and bone marrow, and a vodka gimlet and never have I heather. For dinner I tried the caulilini, margherita pizza, Tuscan ragu, and glazed pork brisket.The mushrooms on the pizza were roasted and flavorful. I enjoy a variety of mushrooms and I was hoping that there would be more than just one type, but maitake are always enjoyable. It's more mild than shitake which lends itself to blending well with other flavors on a pizza. It's earthy and savory and is easily balanced by the pesto. The goat cheese will cut through just about anything so it stands out but there isn't so much of it that it doesn't balance out with the other flavors.The pita was hot and fresh and was a great vehicle for the baba ganoush. The baba ganoush was rich and was balanced by what I think might have been currants, but I don't know for sure. It was sweet and cut some of the dense savory flavors and ended up being a pleasant precursor.The roasted oysters and bone marrow was a coin flip for me. I knew going into it that I don't enjoy oysters, but I really wanted the bone marrow. The oysters were briney and pungent. The gruyere didn't help at all. The breadcrumbs were great, but by themselves, they aren't capable of saving the dish. I tried it with and without the lemon and it didn't change anything. I learned that I still don't like oysters. The bone marrow was bone marrow. I love bone marrow. This dish was an exercise in expressing my biases and love/hate relationship with what I know is fundamentally true about my palate. If you like bone marrow, you'll find that it's not enough. I always leave unsatiated by due to the bone to marrow ratio. This was no exception. I still loved it.The vodka gimlet tasted a little watery. Not that it was weak, but it tasted watery. I got one with a different vodka (Grey Goose) to see if it changed anything and it was clearly a different flavor profile, but the watery taste didn't go away. Grey Goose tends to be a little peppery and I didn't like it as much as the other one. I wish I could remember what vodka was used, but I promptly forgot after I was told. The Never Have I Heather was a fun mocktail. Sweet and floral and pleasantly presented.I was skeptical about the caulilini but I like broccolini, so I gave it a go. The smokeyness was very forward and the dressing was tangy to cut through. I only had a few bites because I don't particularly enjoy the burnt flavor.I have to say that the margherita pizza was standard and the Tuscan ragu was underwhelming. I was hoping the pizza was going to be better than most, but it was merely a decent pizza. The ragu was a big let down. It was a bit bland and I only took a few bites.The braised pork was the highlight of the night for me. I have never had a more delicious braised pork. It was rich and savory. The sauce that it came with was fantastic. It was sweet and tart and cut through the salty and savory of the pork. It was easily the most enjoyable item on the menu. The pork was tender and juicy. Utterly impactful. I'd come back just for this.Overall, this was a pleasant experience with a lot of great food and fantastic service.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Roasted Oysters & Bone Marrow
DianeS
Truly divine dining experience! The sumac salad, the barramundi were the stand out dishes, yet all were 5 star. So these two must be 10 star! Really enjoyable evening with the niece and nephew. Thanks so much!!
SueG
I usually don't do this but Our reservation was 6:45 and got there a little early. The restaurant was half empty and not sure why but we were seated half empty side of the restaurant, nobody was seated our side (empty side) near the front entrance, every time the door was open we were freezing. Also those who came after us was seated better tables. We just moved from Chicago to here and we were so excited to explore our new town but our experience of this restaurant was not good at all. The waiters are so stack up and needs more training, some how they think they are better than the customers. Foods was mediocre and really over priced. I would not recommended if you have high end restaurant experiences, we were so disappointed and We will never going back.
Would give a 5 if the quantity of kanpachi crudo be more than wet the appetite. The Branzino and cod entrees are excellent. The choice of white wine are good. 4% employee benefit add plus tip. For two people expect to spend over $200 at least
Rastratton
We had an amazing experience at the Wildcoast Fundraiser dinner with Chef Owen. the Roasted Fish was incredible along with the salad, veggies and dessert. Glad to attend the event and will be back again soon.
jazz
This is definitely a mixed review. My wife and I both had the seared Baramundi and we agree that it was one of the best fish preparations we have ever had. The lemon tart desert was also excellent. We were disappointed that the Parker house rolls had not been completely baked, the bottom was still doey and needed several more minutes in the oven before they were served. The vegetable dish we ordered was not very good and we left most of that. The problem was with the wine. It seems like all the Brian Malarky restaurants have wine prices starting at around $60 but primarily focus on wines of $100/bottle and up to hundreds of dollars a bottle. My wife and I dine out three to four times a week and there are hundreds of restaurants in San Diego that offer good wines in the $30 to $50 range. Last night I decided to splurge and try French Fume for $74 a bottle, but was very surprised that it had a very unpleasant acidic taste. My wife agreed and this was the first time in the last 50 years that we have ever sent a bottle of wine back. We had a discussion with the server how outrageous the wines are priced and I told her that I have never paid $100 for a bottle of wine and never will. I chose a Spanish white wine that was overpriced at $71/bottle but we love a good wine with our meal and let it pass. We were very surprised when we received our bill that we were charged $99 for the bottle of wine . Our server had switched the bottle from the one we had ordered to a more expensive bottle despite the fact that I had already told her that I would never pay $100 for a bottle of wine. the manager refused to make any adjustment and told us to pay for the $99 bottly of wine. Fortunately the amount that we were overcharged was roughly equal to the 20% tip I would normally have left so that worked out ok. Possibly our server will learn to make certain that the wine she serves is the one that the customer ordered. In a restaurant where the wine prices go up to the hundre
Curtis M
I don't know if it was an off day but the dish I ordered was so bad I couldn't even finish it. I ordered the Seared Barramundi withtoasted orzo chorizo risotto....the barramundi was extremely under cooked and mushy and the orzo chorizo risotto tasted like tomato sauce and that's the only thing I could taste, overwhelming any sort of flavor of the fish (which again was severely undercooked and mushy). The orzo didn't compliment the fish at all and really ruined the dish....and the fact it was $42 and I didn't even eat half was frustrating. Live and learn I guess but the Old Fashion was good.
My wife and I had an excellent dinner last night! The oysters were extraordinary. I loved the hot sauce in the dropper bottle. The mackerel special and the duck pizza were also wonderful. Only the tomato appetizer was disappointing, with overwhelming flavor or sesame seeds. Great service and a lively atmosphere, but it was pretty loud to hold normal conversations. Overall Herb & Sea is a winner for dinner!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Karen Yeung
We enjoyed and highly recommend the oysters with bone marrow, barramundi fish dish with orzo, and carrots.
Every time I have been here the food is terrific! Great service, interesting and unique menu and the cocktails are ooohh so yummy! I can't recommend this place more for a special date night or gathering with friends or family.
Food was outstanding, dishes had lots of complex and dynamic flavors. Our server Miguel was awesome, incredibly helpful with the menu and attentive all evening. We had a lovely time!
Very good as celiac I didn't experience any setbacks. Food was clean and cooked well. Service was good, place was busy so making sure we got GF food was top priority just busy night waited to long in between appetizers and main courses. To all the places that see me not ordering booze lol my CC monthly statements are more than your rent... my reviews are all positive and 100% tru... now I have pics but typically I eat half the food before I snap a pic because I'm not a loser
The best dinner we had while visiting Encinitas! Loved the atmosphere and next time we visit, we will be sure to eat here again! A must try: the mussels and sour dough appetizer. We are still talking about it. The shrimp and pasta was best I've ever eaten.
We saw that there were over 2,000 reviews on Yelp and that the rating was 4.7. We were excited to try this restaurant. The service was good, but we had issues with the food. I have never written a review about a restaurant before, but the experience wasn't up to the price that we paid. Appetizer: The shrimp appetizer arrived at room temperature. They apologized and brought another shrimp appetizer, but it was nearly the same temperature and not nearly hot enough. Entrees: The server advised that the branzino fish was deboned, but it had several bones, including a large 1-inch piece. The server specifically told us that the entree portions were quite large. I rarely see barramundi ($42+) on a menu, and I was excited to try the fish. As it turned out, it was the smallest portion of fish that I have ever received at a restaurant. One third of the fish was skin and I estimated the actual fish portion to be approximately 3 ounces. Sadly, I easily ate the fish in four bites. The flavors of the food were very good, but we expected a hot appetizer, no bones in the fish and a larger portion for my entree. In all fairness to the restaurant, it was a busy Friday evening, and they appeared to be hosting a large party, but we were just expecting so much more.
Such small portions for the price. Left hungry and ate street tacos from the cart right across the street immediately after. My fish was also drowned in an overpowering cream sauce.
I'll just start off by saying that these kinds of restaurants are always too noisy for me. The slick floors and high ceilings always create more noise than is reasonable for any sort of conversation.Having said that, the food was quite good and the service was excellent. Nicki is an excellent server. My group of friends came for a late lunch and then came back for a late dinner after a movie across the street. Both times were a pleasant experience.For lunch, I tried the mushroom pizza, pita, roasted oysters and bone marrow, and a vodka gimlet and never have I heather. For dinner I tried the caulilini, margherita pizza, Tuscan ragu, and glazed pork brisket.The mushrooms on the pizza were roasted and flavorful. I enjoy a variety of mushrooms and I was hoping that there would be more than just one type, but maitake are always enjoyable. It's more mild than shitake which lends itself to blending well with other flavors on a pizza. It's earthy and savory and is easily balanced by the pesto. The goat cheese will cut through just about anything so it stands out but there isn't so much of it that it doesn't balance out with the other flavors.The pita was hot and fresh and was a great vehicle for the baba ganoush. The baba ganoush was rich and was balanced by what I think might have been currants, but I don't know for sure. It was sweet and cut some of the dense savory flavors and ended up being a pleasant precursor.The roasted oysters and bone marrow was a coin flip for me. I knew going into it that I don't enjoy oysters, but I really wanted the bone marrow. The oysters were briney and pungent. The gruyere didn't help at all. The breadcrumbs were great, but by themselves, they aren't capable of saving the dish. I tried it with and without the lemon and it didn't change anything. I learned that I still don't like oysters. The bone marrow was bone marrow. I love bone marrow. This dish was an exercise in expressing my biases and love/hate relationship with what I know is fundamentally true about my palate. If you like bone marrow, you'll find that it's not enough. I always leave unsatiated by due to the bone to marrow ratio. This was no exception. I still loved it.The vodka gimlet tasted a little watery. Not that it was weak, but it tasted watery. I got one with a different vodka (Grey Goose) to see if it changed anything and it was clearly a different flavor profile, but the watery taste didn't go away. Grey Goose tends to be a little peppery and I didn't like it as much as the other one. I wish I could remember what vodka was used, but I promptly forgot after I was told. The Never Have I Heather was a fun mocktail. Sweet and floral and pleasantly presented.I was skeptical about the caulilini but I like broccolini, so I gave it a go. The smokeyness was very forward and the dressing was tangy to cut through. I only had a few bites because I don't particularly enjoy the burnt flavor.I have to say that the margherita pizza was standard and the Tuscan ragu was underwhelming. I was hoping the pizza was going to be better than most, but it was merely a decent pizza. The ragu was a big let down. It was a bit bland and I only took a few bites.The braised pork was the highlight of the night for me. I have never had a more delicious braised pork. It was rich and savory. The sauce that it came with was fantastic. It was sweet and tart and cut through the salty and savory of the pork. It was easily the most enjoyable item on the menu. The pork was tender and juicy. Utterly impactful. I'd come back just for this.Overall, this was a pleasant experience with a lot of great food and fantastic service.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Roasted Oysters & Bone Marrow
Truly divine dining experience! The sumac salad, the barramundi were the stand out dishes, yet all were 5 star. So these two must be 10 star! Really enjoyable evening with the niece and nephew. Thanks so much!!
I usually don't do this but Our reservation was 6:45 and got there a little early. The restaurant was half empty and not sure why but we were seated half empty side of the restaurant, nobody was seated our side (empty side) near the front entrance, every time the door was open we were freezing. Also those who came after us was seated better tables. We just moved from Chicago to here and we were so excited to explore our new town but our experience of this restaurant was not good at all. The waiters are so stack up and needs more training, some how they think they are better than the customers. Foods was mediocre and really over priced. I would not recommended if you have high end restaurant experiences, we were so disappointed and We will never going back.
Would give a 5 if the quantity of kanpachi crudo be more than wet the appetite. The Branzino and cod entrees are excellent. The choice of white wine are good. 4% employee benefit add plus tip. For two people expect to spend over $200 at least
We had an amazing experience at the Wildcoast Fundraiser dinner with Chef Owen. the Roasted Fish was incredible along with the salad, veggies and dessert. Glad to attend the event and will be back again soon.
This is definitely a mixed review. My wife and I both had the seared Baramundi and we agree that it was one of the best fish preparations we have ever had. The lemon tart desert was also excellent. We were disappointed that the Parker house rolls had not been completely baked, the bottom was still doey and needed several more minutes in the oven before they were served. The vegetable dish we ordered was not very good and we left most of that. The problem was with the wine. It seems like all the Brian Malarky restaurants have wine prices starting at around $60 but primarily focus on wines of $100/bottle and up to hundreds of dollars a bottle. My wife and I dine out three to four times a week and there are hundreds of restaurants in San Diego that offer good wines in the $30 to $50 range. Last night I decided to splurge and try French Fume for $74 a bottle, but was very surprised that it had a very unpleasant acidic taste. My wife agreed and this was the first time in the last 50 years that we have ever sent a bottle of wine back. We had a discussion with the server how outrageous the wines are priced and I told her that I have never paid $100 for a bottle of wine and never will. I chose a Spanish white wine that was overpriced at $71/bottle but we love a good wine with our meal and let it pass. We were very surprised when we received our bill that we were charged $99 for the bottle of wine . Our server had switched the bottle from the one we had ordered to a more expensive bottle despite the fact that I had already told her that I would never pay $100 for a bottle of wine. the manager refused to make any adjustment and told us to pay for the $99 bottly of wine. Fortunately the amount that we were overcharged was roughly equal to the 20% tip I would normally have left so that worked out ok. Possibly our server will learn to make certain that the wine she serves is the one that the customer ordered. In a restaurant where the wine prices go up to the hundre
I don't know if it was an off day but the dish I ordered was so bad I couldn't even finish it. I ordered the Seared Barramundi withtoasted orzo chorizo risotto....the barramundi was extremely under cooked and mushy and the orzo chorizo risotto tasted like tomato sauce and that's the only thing I could taste, overwhelming any sort of flavor of the fish (which again was severely undercooked and mushy). The orzo didn't compliment the fish at all and really ruined the dish....and the fact it was $42 and I didn't even eat half was frustrating. Live and learn I guess but the Old Fashion was good.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 4
Restaurantji Recommends
My wife and I had an excellent dinner last night! The oysters were extraordinary. I loved the hot sauce in the dropper bottle. The mackerel special and the duck pizza were also wonderful. Only the tomato appetizer was disappointing, with overwhelming flavor or sesame seeds. Great service and a lively atmosphere, but it was pretty loud to hold normal conversations. Overall Herb & Sea is a winner for dinner!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
We enjoyed and highly recommend the oysters with bone marrow, barramundi fish dish with orzo, and carrots.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Roasted Oysters & Bone Marrow, Roasted Baby Carrots, Barramundi
Every time I have been here the food is terrific! Great service, interesting and unique menu and the cocktails are ooohh so yummy! I can't recommend this place more for a special date night or gathering with friends or family.
Food was outstanding, dishes had lots of complex and dynamic flavors. Our server Miguel was awesome, incredibly helpful with the menu and attentive all evening. We had a lovely time!
Very good as celiac I didn't experience any setbacks. Food was clean and cooked well. Service was good, place was busy so making sure we got GF food was top priority just busy night waited to long in between appetizers and main courses. To all the places that see me not ordering booze lol my CC monthly statements are more than your rent... my reviews are all positive and 100% tru... now I have pics but typically I eat half the food before I snap a pic because I'm not a loser