Tonight we had family dinner here at Common Theory Chula Vista. This place is so great. When we arrived, Happy Hour (3p-6p) was ending but the place was so packed. This is always a great sign. The manager, Ben, is awesome. He greeted us and added us to the waitlist. We were seated after 10mins of waiting in a great spot. Our favorite server, Nathan, is a lead now. We were seated in Matt's area and he was our server. Nathan came by to say hi and greet us, this is excellent customer service here. Matt was also great and customer service oriented and he took our order for table apps and drinks. The ambiance here is fun, family friendly, cool, and good vibes all around. They have a DJ some Saturdays. There are also very cool theme nights. Tonight was "Wing Wednesday". I posted a photo of the theme nights. For example, Thursday is Teachers 15% Discount Day and Karaoke. The walls, seating, and table decor is very nice. The design element here is wonderful. Our food: Bulgogi Fries App for the table starter, Fish and Chips, Chicken Katsu Plate, Side Order of Garlic Fried Rice, And 10 (4 Salted Pepper, 2 BBQ, 2 Sweet Chili, 2 Buffalo) of the $2 each wings. The food was great! The vibe is awesome, and the overall experience was great. We also got a chance to talk to Ben the Manager, Nathan the lead server, and Matt our server tonight. They all came to check on us to make sure that everything was going well in our dining experience. We HIGHLY recommend stopping here to enjoy a great dining experience. read more

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We went here twice. The ambiance is nice though we found the music a bit on the loud side. Service was good. The first time we went I ordered the garlic green beans which were actually no longer on the menu. They were quite tasty. I also ordered a side of fried chicken which was also good. The second time we went I got the chicken wings and the side ceaser salad. The wings were not crispy enough and there was zero flavor in the breading. The salad was boring. Hubby got the cobb salad which was a large portion but otherwise just ok. note that there is no outdoor seating so leave Fido home. Probably would not bother coming back here. read more

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This place made our latest "Old Friends, New Places" dinner amazing!! Food was really good! Of what we ordered the Pancit was our tables favorite. Great flavor!! We took advantage of the Happy Hr drink specials. The vibe inside was really cool. We plan to now try their other locations. read more

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Came in last minute for the first time to check out their happy hour and was happily greeted by a young man. He was friendly and made us feel welcome right away. The ambiance is just what you need at a tavern style restaurant and the beer choice is sensational. Now, we were excited to try out the food, but it took our waitress 20 minutes to acknowledge us. When she finally came over we felt like we were bothering her by ordering. Not a pleasant feeling, but we still were wiling to give our food a try. It took another 30 minutes for wings. Yikes. While they were good, we were unsure if it was worth the wait. We were not even asked if we wanted a second drink. . It's a maybe for us to return. read more

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Decided to come here for a mother's day brunch. Although they said you don't need reservations, my spouse was adamant in making one. And good thing he did. When we arrived to the venue, walk in wait times were about an hour. I liked seeing Filipino insipired entrees on the menu. We decided that to try the pork sisig rice bowl, the katsu and ube pancakes, and the Wagyu burger (added fried egg). Pork sisig bowl - this isnt sisig. Its basically just fried pork belly with rice. I was disappointed but it tasted fine. Instead of calling it sisig, should have just called it lechon kawali bowl or something along those lines. Katsu and pancakes - this was just ok. The katsu was overdone so it tasted burnt. Pancakes were just ok. It would have been nice to have a coconut glaze or something to compliment the ube. Wagyu burger - we enjoyed this the most. Burger was cooked medium well. Bread was goos. Fries were good. Trying to get a menu and get our order taken awhile since there was only one person at the host stand and one person bussing tables/taking orders. The food was just ok. Staff were nice and apologetic. Parking is free and theres a dirt lot you can park at or some spaces in front. Probably not a place i would return to as nothing really stood out to me unfortunately read more

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Cool place! Located in a housing complex area, and there is a road that leads to parking right out front of the restaurant which was nice. Servers were great and shared all their favorite recommendations to help us decide on meals. We enjoyed the food! read more

Common Theory Chula Vista - Gastropubs Near Me - Chula Vista, California

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Located in the middle of a community in Eastlake are of Chula Vista. Parking can be scarce. Customer service was good, food was ok and wasn't too much of a fan for their cocktails. Dre was our server and gave great service! We ordered: Pretzel balls - delish with cheese sauce Crispy calamari - just ok Regular fries Crispy chicken wings (salt & pepper and sweet chili) - salt & pepper a bit on the salty side. Crispy and moist, so good flavor. Coleslaw - just ok read more

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Ive been here twice already and this time around I came to try out their brunch, which was featured on their Instagram page. I love that Common Theory has Happy Hour drink specials for $6 dollars until 6pm everyday! I was able to partake in this while enjoying their brunch menu. POG Cider on $6 on HH menu - This was pretty good, crisp and refreshing. Ube Pancakes with Chicken Katsu- Absolutely loved the Ube pancakes! So moist and flavorful. You also get a good amount of crispy chicken. Pork Sisig Rice Bowl - Big chunks of browned pork cubes with garlic rice. The Hash Smash - I had a taste of this and it's a very filling meal! Generously sized portions. Definitely will check out their HH menu during the weekdays to try out their HH food specials! Service was good and staff are friendly. read more

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Came here for an amazing live performance from Jalea while we got some food. The fried calamari was my favorite thing on the menu, the sauce and the banana pepper was an amazing touch to it. The burger was good but it was not spicy at all and the chips, which the server told us is made fresh, was really salty. It took a while for the food to come out, it didn't feel too long since we had a live performance. I loved the vibe of the restaurant! read more

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The Scottish Salmon with Beer-Battered Fries and Coleslaw was delish. I just wish the salmon slice was a little larger (I ate half of it in photo). Always outstanding service here! read more

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Great local place to hangout grab a cocktail and some eats outside of the chain restaurants in the area. Service is hit & miss but for the most part they are pretty attentive. It just depends on where you sit in the restaurant. Great place for families & date nights too. I recommend getting the buffalo cauliflower & otay fish fry (enough as a meal for two!) read more

Such a fun location tucked behind Millenia. I didn't even know they had developed this area until I went for a trivia night. I am beyond picky with my cocktails and the Bloody Chance is the only cocktail I've ever been genuinely impressed by. They do have a happy hour and I HIGHLY recommend the burger. It tastes really similar to in n out. I definitely plan on returning! Good vibes and honestly the friendly staff I've ever encountered at a restaurant. read more

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So glad they're starting to do fun food deals. Taco Tuesday includes tacos a la carte for $3.50 or 4 taco combo (mix and match) for $13 ($3.25 each). Friendly service, great flavors and good spice on their tacos. Flavors offered are chipotle shrimp, pollo asado, carnitas, fried fish, and carne asada. This includes free chips and salsa taquera, encurtidos, and chiles toreados. Looking forward to joining them again. Great ambiance with bumping music on a Tuesday night. read more

Common Theory Chula Vista - Taco Tuesday! $13 for 4 tacos - Gastropubs Near Me - Chula Vista, California

They have a great beer selection here and they serve more than just "bar food." I love that they serve Asian-fusion dishes here too. Perfect spot to go to with a big party or to watch the game. Plus points for being dog friendly! read more

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Decent spot to grab a quick bite. Stopped in for a beer, however was underwhelmed with the beer selection this week. The hazy we received was knowingly tapped out/watered down by the one pouring however they were served still. Luckily, we were able to get a replacement thanks to the server for asking!! No offense at all, however if they knew the beer was flat then why serve it? Food was good, got taco Tuesday deal: 4 tacos and chips n salsa. Solid. Inside is nice, a bit smaller than the convoy location. Parking looks to be tight at times also. Would I come back? Only if I'm down here in the area. read more

Common Theory Chula Vista - Fried Beer-Battered Fish Tacos, shrimp, Barbacoa - Gastropubs Near Me - Chula Vista, California

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Great addition to the area! Loved that their menu had a great variety of Filipino/Asian - Fusion. All the food we ordered was DELICIOUS! We got their Fish Fry appetizer (which was huge and more than enough to share) & their WAGYU burger. Everything came out fresh and hot! Their $6 happy hour had a great selection and service from the staff was awesome. They were so accommodating with our big party of 12 and let us add a couple more last minute guests to our party! Ambiance was my kind of place to go for good food and good vibes (loved their throwback playlist the whole time we were there LOL) Will definitely be back with the whole family for their Brunch on the weekends! read more

Super cool addition to the area! Loved the ambiance, high ceilings with modern decor. Awesome playlist + sound system. Very clean. Service was attentive and friendly. We shared two brunch specials: the burrito and croissant. We really enjoyed the former. Piping hot and fresh. Super crispy chips. Tasty homemade salsa. There's now a large gravel parking lot to the side of the business. Enjoy! read more

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We came here on Halloween for a smash bros tournament. Their other location in Mira Mesa/convoy has a speakeasy in it that we've been to and really enjoyed. At the Chula Vista location, it has a very open concept and a lot of seating areas. The ambiance is lovely and has great decor. The Ruby Dove cocktail tasted primarily of sparkling water and just some sweet grapefruit flavors which was a bummer and not what I wanted. The mangonade was good, but too sweet for my liking. The pretzels with fondue and mustard was very good. The pretzels had a perfect outer shell and were nice and warm when it arrived. The fondue was very tasty and I enjoyed that as an appetizer. I also got the chicken katsu which was very good and had a perfect crisp on the outside of it. The mac salad was surprisingly good as well and tasted homemade with a mayo and vinegar base. The rice was sad and tasted old and wasn't good. Hubs ordered the bulgogi cheesesteak and he really enjoyed it and thought the flavors were great. It was a unique sandwich! The servers were kind and the manager was very friendly with everyone! I would recommend coming here. read more

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Super stoked that something like this opened up in the area. Eastlake needed more variety and unique things and this contributes to the variety. I also enjoyed the Convoy location a lot so that added to my excitement in this place. It's located in the growing community if Millenia, in what I'd say is the heart of it. Next to Sura BBQ as well. Parking wise, its ok but not the best. Actual paved parking lot is bad. Not quality, quantity. There's not a lot. But they did open up the dirt lots on the side. Not the best but its an option. If not, you can have a gamble at looking for street parking. The restaurant itself was nice and clean. A decent amount of seating. They are dog friendly too as long as your dog is nice. I had no issues with service. I thought staff was doing just fine. They were super friendly, patient and attentive. I got the vibe that they were trying to get to know their local crowd and I enjoyed that. Food was pretty good but a little on the pricier end. I don't blame them though, rent in that area is heavy. But the food was yummy and flavorful. They had a lot on the menu that I still want to try and I know that I will definitely be back for it. I highly suggest that you give this place a try. It's supporting local and its good food. They also own Sura BBQ next door I believe. But if you're also near the convoy location, give them a shot as well. read more

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Avoid at all costs . People are rude and they don't care about people . We went to Chilis and had a blast . Nathan was very rude to my wife and daughter . Parking was terrible too Go to Chilis read more

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We had a huge group, 5 adults and 5 teenagers. The food was delicious and the drinks strong. All our orders were correct and the service was prompt Only thing that was bad was parking read more

I wanted something different for my birthday so I decided to walk here since it's close by. Walked in and the host/waiter was welcoming unpon entering and helpful. I ordered a Wagyu burger with fries and ordered my son chicken tenders and fries to-go. The food was good. The restaurant is nice on the inside and I believe they were setting up with for live music or DJ. I will go back to dine in soon to try something different. read more

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We went to see nightline band play live and it's a nice area! Theres a dirt parking lot on the farther left which has plenty of space. We checked in and got seated wishing 30 minutes. We really enjoyed the staff, they were kind and gave such positive energy especially during a busy night! I started with their Calamansi Runner, which I enjoyed. It didn't taste alcoholic but definitely hit me in the middle of the night. The calamansi flavor was distinguishable! Since we're here to see the band, we went for their shareable appetizer Otay Fish Fry! For $26 it definitely fed my boyfriend and I throughout the night. It's a good shareable meal over drinks! Their Smoked maple bbq was saucy and I love it, it's tasty and well fried! read more

Common Theory Chula Vista - Otay Fish Fry and Smoked maple bbq chicken wings - Gastropubs Near Me - Chula Vista, California

I've been here a few times (my husband has been here various times I can't possibly count haha) but it's a great hang out spot with a great happy hour and rotating drinks!! Sometimes they have live bands on the weekends so that's a plus. The service is so attentive and friendly. read more

Common Theory Chula Vista - Gastropubs Near Me - Chula Vista, California

Amazing we have a super dog-loving place in Chula! Come for the food, beers, ambience & super friendly staff. read more

Common Theory Chula Vista - Our wirehaired pointer enjoying his michelada...not! - Gastropubs Near Me - Chula Vista, California

Such a great new location! There were tons of families here since the Otay Ranch community is really growing. All the food was good, just excepting the Bulgogi Bowl was pretty bland since there was no sauce except for the marinated meat. I LOVED the banana pudding the most. Perfect size to share with the fam too. If you get the wings please order their ranch it is so good! Also the guava lemonade is probably my favorite thing in the world and their guava flavor was so refreshing. Kind service, they do get busy but there were a lot of them walking around to snag. read more

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First time here. Greeted with a big smile, staff are very friendly. Nice open space , Lots of seating space, outdoor and indoor. There were 7 of us. We got our orders pretty quick except for 1. I liked the MARGHERITA FLATBREAD $16. Shared BUFFALO CAULIFLOWER $15 CRISPY CALAMARI $18 ( was overcooked), HUMMUS PLATTER $15. One of my friends ordered CALAMANSI-ADE $5 ( he said it's nothing like the filipino kalamansi drink. It doesn't have the kalamansi taste to it ). Was not too happy about the flies though Lots of it. Nothing can be done about it. Not sure if it is always like this, or just that day. (Giving it a 2 star bec of this) Parking : well, the turn into actual parking space in front of the restaurant was a bit tricky. Went around twice. Easy to miss the turn. The driveway seems like more of a U- shape. There is an unpaved parking space at the left of restaurant. Parking can be a little challenging . read more

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Great space for a team meeting, but parking is like finding a unicorn in rush hour traffic. The service was great. Super friendly staff, and gave great recommendations for drinks. The ambiance is nice, pretty basic but nice. Food was good, but not 'write-home-about' good. Drinks? Well, they'll have you feeling like a local in Chula Vista. Just bring your walking shoes and a sense of humor for the parking ordeal! read more

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Common Theory is such a cool spot and I have been to the original Kearny Mesa location a few times, so it's great that they expanded and opened a location closer to me. I think the next step for Otay Ranch is to also open up a speakeasy, but I'll be patient, seeing as they're still pretty new to the area. I have been to this location a handful of times and the service and food has been pretty consistent. I think I have tried a good amount of items on their menu (at this specific location). Calamari as an appetizer is almost always a bit, and Common Theory's definitely is. For an entree, the chicken katsu plate is my favorite (but the first time I ordered it we got A LOT of chicken and the next two times it was half the amount), kimchi fried rice (and I add the fried chicken), and the pork sisig bowl (that could also use a bit more pork). My boyfriend has gotten the bulgogi cheesesteak, which was also good! I would say the burgers are also good, a standard enjoyable dish, but the menu is so good to limit yourself to a burger. I will say the crispy chicken wings appetizer was my least favorite. Maybe it was the flavor (I got salt and pepper) and it was not what my boyfriend and I expected. It didn't taste like anything, so we added the katsu sauce on it, which added extra flavor. Also, my boyfriend and I were not a fan of the lemonades. The slushy cocktail is a must! They don't have a liquor license yet so they serve beer and wine currently, as well as sabe (60% sake/40% distilled spirits). There have been times where the wait has been bearable, as well as times where it felt like I waited an absurd amount of time. Specifically, when I went here for my birthday, the drinks took a very long time (as well as the food) and unfortunately my sister and her husband's entree (burger) was not prepared correctly and we had to send it back and wait an extra amount of time. Regardless, I thoroughly love Common Theory and will keep coming back! The restaurant itself is also very aesthetically pleasing with a bar, high top seating on one side, and regular tables/booths on the other side. Also! Shout out to Matt + the waiter who wears glasses and a hat. I can't remember his name but he has been my waiter at least twice (and he was my boyfriend's parents' waiter when they went) and has a very positive and energetic personality! read more

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We came here to meet up with a group of friends, there was about 10 of us. This place did not disappoint!!!! Omg each dish more delicious than the last. We had the best service also! Happy hour is great w $6 drink! What? The Brussels sprouts are amazing Literally everything we had was super yummy read more

Common Theory Chula Vista - The bar has tons on tap! - Gastropubs Near Me - Chula Vista, California

We live close by and this is our first time. Customer service, excellent! Our server was very attentive. Good? oh wow, love their duck fat fries!!!!! I've never tasted a really good duck fat fries like this. Love love the loco moco. The serving size is huge for me. Fish and chips really good! Everything was really good. I'm glad we went by and tried. Highly recommended! read more

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Wow. Common Theory is impressive. The evening started off with the host who prepared our table . He was kind before seating us. My toddler spilled water on the table and the host and another gentleman who worked there cleaned it up. What a good team. They have QR codes to order your food. My husband and I ordered the Wagyu burger. It was really good. My husband preferred more sauce. The fries that came with it were also delicious! They have a kids menu too. My daughter had the cheese quesadilla. Not bad, not great. We ordered orange slices with her quesadilla, but got fries instead. We didn't complain about it because our food already took a little longer than we liked. The ambiance is beautiful. I love the open concept . It's super clean and spacious. read more

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Docked a star as they got me excited they would open a speakeasy like 52 Realms in their Convoy location but this one doesn't have that. I'm not a beer drinker so I'm not as excited as others who have visited here. I came in August with a group of 5 to celebrate a birthday. We tried several dishes, averaging around a 3.5/4 star. The burger was a hit with 2 of the guests. All in all, it's a great addition to the area. Finding the restaurant might be challenging without GPS. When we went they had an overflow gravel parking lot, not sure of the current situation. Acoustics are loud even when the restaurant is not full. It seemed like people were having a good time and it was family friendly. read more

Common Theory Chula Vista - Interior photo - Gastropubs Near Me - Chula Vista, California

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Food was solid, matched the vibe to go with the good drinks. Servers were very attentive, helped out with whatever we needed. read more

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Beautiful place with delicious food. Artist Jalea was performing and she was such a great performer. read more

Common Theory Chula Vista - Fried chicken sandwich - Gastropubs Near Me - Chula Vista, California

Our first time here... we have been looking for a close place to home for good drinks, good food and good service... well, let me tell you: this place is the bomb! Spectacular service as soon as we stepped in , MIKO our server, was simply fantastic ! So friendly, courteous, helpful and professional. Superb service :). We had 2 more staff member checked on us asking how everything was. :) This place is very nice, spacious, inviting and also has a great beer selection+ delicious food. Yay! Great Job Common Theory. We will come back for sure! Plenty of daily and weekend specials too! read more

Common Theory Chula Vista - Guava kombucha and Bottle Logic price of glory IPA - Gastropubs Near Me - Chula Vista, California

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Terrible Service! I waited to leave this review to revisit my experiences with a more clear mind since the experiences have been so terrible. First time we visited here, sitting at the bar, the bartenders were very inattentive. Several customers were waiting for a drink while the bartenders were standing back talking amongst themselves. I noticed the same thing with the servers at the tables. This was when this location was newer. We decided to give this place another try. Oftentimes when a place is newer, staff are being trained and learning processes, etc. sadly, it was the exact same experience! My recommendation is for the owners this place to properly train their servers and bartenders on what good service looks like. Standing around shooting the shit when you have customers waiting for drinks is way to ruin your business. I've heard similar comments from others who have visited this location. Particularly bartenders and servers from other well established restaurants and sports bars. Common Theory Chula Vista, you can do better! read more

The food here is way better than one would expect from a beer house. Especially the Wagyu burger... Yummy. The owner can occasionally be seen bouncing around between tables checking in and making sure all is good. Super nice owner and staff is also pretty friendly. Great beer selection and rotation. Definitely a regular hangout especially during baseball season. read more

this place is amazing. From the moment you walk in the staff is so and so helpful, you automatically feel like friends. The service was impeccable. The owner Chris came over and introduced and we chatted for a bit, he was so very, very nice. The atmosphere was open and light and bright. The bar area was very comfortable. We sat in there and had some happy hour food and $6 dollar beers until 6 PM which was really nice, such a great deal. My husband and I had a great time and we will definitely be back soon and often read more

I've been there 3 times now and every time the service gets worst. Waited 20 minutes for a beer while the bartender is just standing around talking to coworkers. It wasn't just me several customers were waiting. There won't be a 4th visit. read more