We were married here on May 1st with 70 guests and could not have been happier! We heard from over half of our guests that it was the best wedding that they have ever attended. The garden was gorgeous and the staff was so incredible. Stephen and Mary were quite the duo in coordinating the timing, delicious cocktails, and perfectly prepared food. Jen in corporate helped me through every step of the planning. Their support helped with all of the details that can be overwhelming leading up to and on your big day. read more

I for one am extremely picky for where i choose to eat brunch, i try to have a variety and choose new places i am new to the area and have been a very big fan of the Del mar racetracks so i have been in and out of Del mar for couple weeks and for the first time i try the Del mar brigantine.. WOW!!! is all i have to say not only was i seated in my convenience i was greeted by such inviting staff which really kick started my morning, i was seated in the patio which was maybe the most incredible view i have experienced in my dining days i had the french toast which kicked ass my server was awesome and on point, The restaurant was so incredibly amazing that i decided to take my girlfriend there the following Tuesday and as expected i as well as my girlfriend were blown away.. The view was even better at night and the food was ridiculous i had the new york steak/ which was cooked to perfection my girlfriend has the halibut and as a woman she is very picky with her food and usually doesn't finish. she finished this meal and was very satisfied while the food was being prepared i was greeted by such amazing staff a buss boy who unlike other places actually asked me how my day was and we had a pleasant conversation about the racetracks my server was such a delight she made me laugh and just didn't give that "I'm only here to take your order vibe" which made me super happy because i like interacting with the people who serve me and to end the perfect night with my lady i finished it off with the tastiest creme brulee possible after i was presented the check and we took a walk along the beach which i should mention is with in feet of the brigantine. I love this place and they should expect me and my girlfriend to be regulars there from now on cause the food, the service, and the atmosphere was top of the line.. Favorite Restaurant Ive ever been to read more

Happy hour here is awesome. Love the fish tacos. This place is awesome in the summer after the horse races and sd fair. I recommend going all year long! read more

We made dinner reservations and when we arrived they gave us a table where the noise level was so loud that we could not hear each other talk. Service was okay and the food was average. We have been going there for brunch for many years which has been pretty good. As for dinner I don't think I will be going back there anymore. read more

If you can park here, It might be good. I've been turned away 2 times for lack of parking. Maybe summer is not the time to go. The food is good (when I have gotten parking). Great view. Decent service. You do pay for the location. read more

I enjoy the Brig for Happy Hour and for Sunday brunch, but wanted to post a note that the Chicken and Waffles is a big disappointment on the brunch menu. I had it today for the first time, never again. The waffle was overcooked to a crunchy dark brown and the most off putting was that the chicken pieces were wings. How on earth do you slice these to eat with the waffle? Suggest the chef try Chicken and Waffles at a Cheddars (mid-west chain). Champagne was a treat as always. read more

Sat in the covered patio. Great view of the race track. But once again, horrible service.. we sat at the table for a while before someone dropped off some water. We looked at menu and figured out what to eat and then just sat looking around as the wait staff buzzed around us, finally our waitress walked by letting us know she woukd be right with us.. she then stopped by to get our drink order (7 -10 minutes later) we promptly placed our entire order - for fear it would be another 10 minutes. The food came out in a reasonable time frame - probably due to the food runner. My fish tacos were great as well as my husband's seafood combo - except the veggies they were overcooked. In the beginning our waitress checked in on us 2 - 3 times..but then nothing.. at the last time she checked on us - my husband ordered another drink.. and then Nothing, she never came by again. . 15 - 20 minutes go by.. nothing. . I finally had to ask another waiter if he could get our bill.. Horrible Service... oh yea, all around us tables came and went, all because they had servers that were around. read more

It's been too long I didn't post how wonderful the "brig" is, as a traveling regular tied to regulars,'the place puts best foot forward no matter what'. From 1800 miles away, Eric handled my family I couldn't be there for, manager Eric is amazing and caters to the best. The food is always amazing: the service tends to be the best, ask and you receive both in food, service and true hospitality. Eric is one to go to to customize experience and to date has never left more than great experience or leaves instructions to make every visit memorable. My deepest thanks to "Brig" for making memory after memory with great food, better bartenders and the night of perfection every time. I make it a priority every time I land before horses at del mar: I'd do brig over jakes anyday! Thanks to staff for memorable moments, everytime. read more

This place has changed a bit over the 20+ years we've been going there. While the bar is still a very fun place to go for happy hour, we're going to pass on dinner in the future. The last two times we had dinner here, we walked away thinking it has gotten way too expensive for what you get. Food portions have become pretty small, even the salads. With 20% tip, I think we paid $145 with very little alcohol on the bill - and three of the people in our party just had salads. The view and atmosphere are both really nice, so I think that's what you're paying for. The staff was very pleasant and we were treated nicely, but my two cents, I would just go for the happy hour, which has remained solid in my opinion. read more

Great place, nice happy hour, great staff. This will be a go-to place for family and meetings. Its a great casual atmosphere and can't wait for race season. read more

Boyfriend and I ate here before heading to the horse races. We ordered the Napa valley nachos (with crab meat), the blackened ahi sashimi, and the crab meat sandwich. All were delicious! I highly recommend the nachos. Also he had a mojito and I had the mango mojito. They were so yummy. I will come back again. read more

Update. My previous review was a five star, but something has changed at this restaurant. My wife and I went for dinner last night. The Brig Margarita's had almost no tequila in them, we're assuming because they were at a "special" happy hour price, but the quality was degraded. We both noticed it and this is a change from their previous practices. They also don't seem to staff appropriately and one server needs to cover too much space, so the service is S-L-O-W. My wife asked for sauce for her fish taco and by the time it came, we were done so she didn't really enjoy her food. The server apologized but that of course doesn't fix the meal. The food itself was good (other than no sauce), drinks were poor, service is slow but friendly. With so many other good choices in the area, you may want to try other places. The location keeps the place afloat but the overall experience is not what we used to see. Bummer. read more

Last Wednesday we went to Del Mar Brigantine on my daughter's 25-th birthday (her choice), and I have mixed feelings about this visit. It was only 5 of us, and overall we liked the dinner and my daughter was happy because she is just an easy and happy girl. But - 4 out of 5 from our family have been working at restaurants or still work in hospitality industry, and we all know that great food will not be enjoyable without great service. Apparently we were not lucky that night, our server was gorgeous looking but way too distant and not happy young lady. We brought a bouquet of roses with us, and being a server in the past I would offer at least not a vase but some container with water to put them in and to save a room on the table. No, the huge flower bouquet was laying down on the table during our dinner till the end. Lack of personality, no smile, a little irritation about who knows what - all of that was kind of disturbing. Food was good though. read more

This review is soley based on the tacos. During a work outing, I had an opportunity to try what I've been told are "the best fish tacos ever". And you know what? They totally are! Now, I'm not a big fan of seafood, but I've had my share of fish tacos around San Diego, and I must say....Brigantine makes the best fish tacos. Of course, this is just my opinion, so others may think differently. But every person I've gone with or taken to Brigantine to try the tacos have expressed the same thing. Anyway, during another work outing, we visited Brigantine for their Taco Tuesday happy hour. This occurred a few months back and I'm just now getting to write a review....so some of the items may not be available anymore... But I tried their carne asadataco , and buffalo chicken taco, along with the fish tacos...and they were all incredibly good. This is the place to go to for Taco Tuesdays, so you can try a variety of tacos for an extremely great price. But if you happen to stop in any other day, I highly recommend their fish tacos! #1 in my book. read more

I used to love this place . Every now and again I would come here to meet with my bestie to catch up and let of some steam. Taco Tuesday is great and the tacos are delicious. However, tonight as my friend and I were leaving we were stoped by the bartender who was implying we didn't pay our bill. We left cash in our bill holder + a tip on the bar. We had no idea what he was talking about and he kept went one reading our check out loud saying "oh so you didn't order "this,this and this" " yeah we did and WE PAID. He didn't stop until another bar man came and pulled him away. Dude. We paid our bill. I don't know if someone took the money or he just didn't see it. I would never ever walk out on a bill let alone go use the bathroom then hang around out front waiting for my car. I guess moral of the story is , don't leave cash out in your bill without seeing the bartender/waiter take it on taco Tuesday ‍ it was very embarrassing being accused of not paying our bill when we in fact did and left a decent tip. read more

good food and nice views of the race track. nothing fancy or outstanding.

i guess there is a reason why i only come here every few years ... because the food is (i'm sorry!) really bad! clearly, it takes me only about 2 years to forget this fact because my husband and i came in for dinner last night and we will not be returning. the view is BEAUTIFUL and that atmosphere is lively but the food is just blah! we started with the crab cakes and their house salad -- in all fairness, these were not bad but they weren't amazing either. My husband had 2 grilled Mah iMahi tacos and 2 Swordfish -- he said that they were okay as well, but that he has had better. i had the Macadamia Nut crusted Mahi Mahi -- first off, the nuts are sooooo crushed and i'm pretty sure heavily mixed with something else (cornmeal maybe?) that you can't even taste them. the 2 sides that i ordered were brussel sprouts (seasonal veggie of the day) and steamed asparagus -- the brussel sprouts are soaked in butter (ewwwwww) and actually didn't even come out on my plate because the kitchen decided to give me mashed potatoes instead; i was done eating by the time the correction was made (kind of annoying). overall, i was soooo disappointed by everything besides the gorgeous view which i believe is their only saving grace. i hate to say it, but i will not be back and i do not know how this restaurant has so many locations open! best of luck to anyone who is brave enough to eat here .... you clearly do not have taste buds. read more

This Brigantine is a pretty nice place. Upon arriving, I noticed that parking is scarce though, so we paid for valet since there really wasn't any available parking. Upon entering the restaurant, you'll notice there is a very SoCal relaxed yet upscale vibe. You can view the Del Mar race track/fairgrounds and there's a great outdoor space and bar. We ate in the dining area to the left when facing the outdoors. We ordered oyster shooters & crab fondue (both were ) and shrimp & grits which was ok. The best thing about this place was the service. Overall, I'd say that the atmosphere was cool, but I'd personally recommend the Brigantine on Shelter Island. Their food was a lot better despite the fact that we ordered some of the same things and the service was great also. I guess it's more the parking and taste of the food at the Del Mar location that threw me off but it is definitely above average. read more

If I were to judge this restaurant based on our meal this evening, I would nominate it for one of those restaurant nightmare shows. The sangria was the absolute WORST I have ever tasted. And I've had a lot of sangria, good, bad and in between. My dad took one sip and never tasted it again. There was not the slightest hint of wine. It was colored soda water with cherry flavor (very odd). It was actually refreshing but could never be mistaken for sangria. I had the swordfish tacos with side of vegetables and potato salad. The fish was extremely dry, the vegetables (carrots and green beans) were lukewarm and the potato salad was very wet and runny. My dad had the classic fish tacos. Underwhelmed, he ate half of one and that was the end of his Brigantine experience. I've had fish tacos at the Brigantine in Point Loma and they were so much better. I just hope the bartender at the Del Mar location stops serving that concoction he calls Sangria; it's embarrassing. read more

Delicious food and impeccable service in a beautiful outdoor setting on the flagstone patio. I contacted the Brigantine, along with several other restaurants in the Del Mar area, on a Sunday to (sadly) make a reservation for 25 guests following a funeral service on Wednesday. Not only was the Assistant General Manager Eric the first to respond, but he was also extremely helpful in creating a set menu at a time when I was overwhelmed with so many other details. Our guests raved about the food and the variety of choices Eric put together and the servers were attentive to our every need. Where other restaurants were slow to respond, or simply said they didn't have anyone available in "group sales" on a Sunday to speak with me, the Brigantine provided everything I needed within a couple hours of contacting them. Combine that level of customer service with fantastic food in a beautiful setting and you have a winner. read more

This restaurant was very disappointing in many respects. It certainly does not merit the rating of 4 stars. The experience was terrible from a customer service standpoint. My wife and I were seated at a small cramped table next to a pole and two gentlemen who were having a loud business discussion. We asked to be moved to a larger table but were told that it was being saved for a large party who were about to be seated. As we sat and suffered with the terrible seating we had , we noticed that the larger table remained empty. Finally another couple came in and they were promptly seated at that larger table. They blatantly lied to us about this and we were almost at the point of leaving and would have walked out if we hadn't already ordered food. In terms of the food, the calamari was quit disappointing. It was to be calamari steaks. However, they came out as thin limp slices. My salad was actually delicious and my halibut entree was tasty as well. Although, the halibut was a bit undercooked and was not warm in temperature. My wife ordered the Halibut fish and chips. It was awful. In fact, I don't think the fish was halibut at all. It appeared to be pollock which if that mistake was made, it was at our expense as it was an upcharge for the halibut. Her fries were cold and the cold slaw was bland and tasteless. Overall, this was a dreadful experience. We will not be going back to this establishment. read more

We just had dinner at the Brigantine. We love the food and the drinks. However we were so flabbergasted by the treatment that we received at the end once we were about to pay our bill. Right before paying our bill, we had asked to get a last round of drinks for two people out of our party of four. We had a designated driver who had only had one drink. However the manager came and told us that we were not allowed to have any more drinks! We proceeded by asking why would no longer serve us more drinks since we were not disrespectful to the waitress or were any louder than any of the other patrons there. Nobody was able to give a reason as to why they would no longer serve us! I am so disappointed in this place because I have been recommending it to my friends for years and my friends were even considering having their wedding there. Needless to say, we will not be returning. Horrible service and bad customer service. read more

Our daughter was getting married, and we found this restaurant online. (The Brigantine restaurant group also had been recommended by another person as well.) Online it appeared to suit our purposes - outdoors, okay for kids, good for groups. So, we booked the outdoor, flagstone patio for the occasion. In reality it exceeded our expectations! The setting was spectacular (the racetrack in one view, the beach in another, and an infrequent commuter train on the tracks below). An added benefit was the unoccupied grassy area next to it, which served us well - it offered the 4 children attending the event with something to do other than sitting at the table. The food was simply delicious, and the wait staff extra attentive. All in all, it proved to be a very special evening, and I would do it all over again just as we did it. One of the couples of our group, who is in the process of moving to San Dielgo, vowed to spend their next anniversary at this restaurant - WITHOUT children. read more

absolute best fish tacos in San Diego, no other version compares. very welcoming to families with children. could eat here five days a week.

I've been to many other Brigantine's and never experienced bad service from the moment we got there. I made dinner reservations for 6 ppl DINING ROOM. It was my boyfriend's birthday. We all get there and the hostess seats us in the patio with the ceiling heaters. The moment we walked in, it was like a sauna. The hostess said that the reason why the heaters are on that certain temperature is because an elderly woman is coming and wanted it at that temperature. Well that is fine but we did not want to dine sweating like a pig. I told her that when I made this reservation, I requested the DINING ROOM. She said that there was a banquet going to be in there and that we can't be seated there. Not that the patio was unacceptable, it was just too HOT. Can't enjoy dinner while we're sweating like pigs. Anyways, I asked to speak to the manager. She offered this and that, but it was still unacceptable. We were very disappointed and ended up going to the Fish Market which was excellent. read more