Horrible experience trying to order by phone. 20 mins trying to order 2 chicken breast with out sides. They gave me multiple pricing spoke with 3 different people. $26 for 2 breasts but they were going to save me 1 said 5 the other said 8. The price of the entree $26. Hello just say cant do. read more

I had such high hopes for this place given all the hype and friends from AZ rave about the locations there. I had a gift card to use from my bday so I wanted to check it out. We went on a Fri at 5 pm with our 4 year old son. Definitely a busy time and not really a kid place but that's ok. We did not even get water for a good 10 minutes. We always place our son's order first because he might get hangry but it took forever to arrive. We asked at least 3 times about his food and were told it was on its way. The waiter never really checked on us and we had to flag him down. The food was the saving grace and was tasty but not worth the service and extremely slow wait time. I know they are new and will hopefully work out the kinks but I don't think I'll be going back. I would save your money and time and go to One Paseo or Skydeck for an equally good meal with better service read more

House salad - awful dressing, fried chicken = salty. Korean short ribs-- salty. Service was fine. Generally nice feel inside. Way overpriced. Definitely not family friendly pricing. Will not be returning. I predict it will be out of business in this location within 18 months. read more

My partner and I came in Thursday evening to celebrate our 26th anniversary, and it was our first time giving Culinary Drop a try. I can guarantee it will not be our last. We had the fish and chips as well as the ribeye, and both dishes were absolutely fantastic, fresh, flavorful, and cooked perfectly. Sammy was our waiter and he went absolutely above and beyond for us. He was warm, attentive, and genuinely enthusiastic about making sure our evening was special. He took the time to walk us through the menu, offered thoughtful recommendations, and checked in often enough to make sure we had everything we needed without ever feeling intrusive. Sammy even surprised my wife Bonnie with a complimentary dessert to celebrate our anniversary, which was such a kind and memorable gesture. You can tell he takes great pride in his work and truly cares about his guests. Overall, it was a wonderful dining experience from start to finish. Thank you, Sammy and the entire team at Culinary Dropout for making our celebration so enjoyable. We can't wait to come back! read more

Ambiance is catchy! Receptionists ignored me while they chat away and giggled as if I did not arrive and I'm six feet tall! Were they pretending they look important and can snub newcomers? read more

Amazing food and service, food came out super quick and the inside was gorgeous, definitely and must try and Tory, was great

I was already a fan of the restaurant in Del Mar, and I liked it so well that I decided to cater a large dinner party. I was treated like a Queen from the very outset. Chris Greene and Manager Wes both went far beyond be the call of duty to make sure that my event was a complete success. They saved me a ton of money with their promo card program and my catering order was delivered hot and fresh and delicious at the precise moment I needed it. Their extensive menu allowed me to have a full meal service from lovely appetizers to the most yummy mud pie in town. My guests were impressed, to say the least, with one of them having four servings of the roast salmon! Thank you, Chris, for your assistance in making everything come together. I know where I will go for my next restaurant visit, and also for my next catering order! read more

Great ambiance!!! Great service and great food!!! Thankful to have a great upscale and yet casual restaurant in the Highlands!!

I've been here multiple times since they opened. Very impressed with consistency of execution in food and service. Fun place with a great vibe. read more

A new Del Mar staple. Great service and the food matched. We tried brunch and will definitely be back to sit at the bar.

What a great new spot to have a nice casual dinner with family and friends! Service was fantastic, and food was delicious! It felt like a fancy restaurant without the need for suit and tie! I'd definitely recommend this restaurant and I do plan to be a regular! read more

We have been wanting to get into this place for a while! It did not disappoint. The drinks were good and the food was solid. We ordered the fish and chips, steak and the crispy tuna rice! Shout out to Chris for making our first visit here extra special! He was very kind and welcoming. We can't wait to come back. read more

Culinary Dropout - Ambiance - New American Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

Tori was amazing! Great service and food was outstanding! love the ambiance. Wes the manager came out as well and was extremely professional! This place is my new favorite restaurant!!! read more

Great food and service! Place is very nice and the service was amazing! Our waitress Tori was amazing and very helpful And thoughtful! Would highly recommend! read more

Awesome food and drinks our server Jojo was amazing very nice and attentive. She suggested we try the Tijuana spa water & espresso martini, both ended up being absolutely delicious. We will be visiting again :). Thanks JoJo ! read more

We came in for our first Sunday brunch at Culinary Dropout and it was everything we didn't know we needed. The food, the atmosphere, the drinks -- all top notch. But what really set the tone was our server, Joey. From the start, Joey walked us through the menu like a pro. He gave amazing recommendations, all of which we took -- and not a single one disappointed. We started with the BBQ Pork Belly Nachos, which were loaded, smoky, and full of bold flavor. For entrées, we split the Fried Chicken, and Joey let us know we could upgrade it with brussels sprouts and their mac & cheese -- total game changer. The biscuit it came with? Perfectly golden and buttery. For drinks, the Sangria was refreshing and vibrant -- such a great brunch addition. And even though we were full, we had to try the Monkey Bread (another Joey suggestion), and it was worth every bite. Warm, gooey, and the perfect finish. On top of the food, Joey made the whole experience feel personal. He was friendly, genuine, and we had some truly wonderful conversation throughout our meal. You can tell he cares about making your time there memorable. This won't be our last time here -- and when we come back, we're asking for Joey. read more

The people who work here are very friendly. Not pretentious. The food we had was excellent. Not many healthy choices on the menu for a place in Del Mar however. Lots of greasy options. Most of the menu is literally the alcohol. I guess that is where they'll make their money. Do not come here for people-watching. You may be disappointed. read more

Came here for my birthday dinner and had the best time! They had live music that was enjoyable throughout dinner, and the food was even better. Our server Jojo went above and beyond to make the evening special with recommending delicious cocktails and appetizers. Her energy was vibrant & attentive which made the evening lovely as it was very busy to begin with. Will definitely be back soon! read more

saw this place pop up when we were looking for somewhere new to try, and thought it looked interesting. we weren't disappointed! they were busy and still had great service at the bar seating. we ordered the sicilian lemonade, the pigs in a blanket, and the fried chicken. we got the fried chicken to share and our server had the kitchen put it on separate plates without our asking!!! so kind and thoughtful! all the food was super yummy and flavorful. there was even a live musician in the outside seating that was quite good! read more

Culinary Dropout - Wagyu Pigs in a Blanket - New American Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

So good! Live music and such a good atmosphere. The whole staff was a great vibe. Great food, very attentive staff and can't wait to go back. Jaque was a great server and personable and my kids even commented how much they loved her. So happy we have this in CV. read more

We came for sunday brunch and the food drinks were so good. The service was quick and our server Jojo was extremely friendly and attentive!

Went to the soft opening. It was so so good! Staff is very friendly and helpful. Extremely impressed with them. Atmosphere is awesome. Big, open, lots of bar space with a great breeze. Drinks were incredible! Sushi was very good. Need to try the pretzels next time! Highly, highly recommend. I hear they have a great happy hour too!! read more

Delicious food and great service! I tried ordering a healthy green drink and didn't love it...the server offered to replace it and I was very appreciative! read more

Love this place! It has a nice variety on the menu, the staff is super friendly and everything I had was tasty. Will def go back!

AMAZING!!! EXPERIENCE!!! Our server Jojo gave us genuinely one of the best dining experiences I've ever had. Delicious food, drinks, and a wonderful live music set. 10/10 will be coming back! read more

Jojo was one of the best servers I've ever had. The service was amazing, she had great recommendations, and gave the best help! Thanks, Jojo! read more

Jojo was a fantastic server! So kind, patient, and she made sure we all had everything we needed (and we were a large party). I would definitely go back! read more

This place never disappoints. We've been here 4 times for happy hour and always sit at the bar. The bartenders are always friendly, attentive and amazing. The drinks are very light on the alcohol but they taste really good. The food is not great but pretty good. Definitely warrants 5 stars. read more

Denis and the food were awesome! Great service and food. Sometimes my family can be harsh on servers and he handled it well! Ambiance is great too! read more

Our server was absolutely outstanding! From the moment we sat down, they were warm, attentive, and genuinely welcoming. They anticipated our needs without hovering, checked in at just the right times, and made sure everything from drinks to entrées came out perfectly. Their knowledge of the menu and thoughtful recommendations really elevated our dining experience. You can tell they truly care about their guests and take pride in their work. Easily one of the best servers I've had in years, ask for Janae! read more

Solid option! Found this place on Yelp and previous descriptions r spot on. Server was Janae(?). Super friendly and very positive. Will definitely b back. read more

First of all, my family don't really go out to eat because I and even our teen daughter like to cook. So when we go out to eat, it's a big deal. We want something worth it, and we love finding places that meets or exceed our expectations. Sad to say, Culinary Dropout was not it. :( Ambiance and service were great. I loved the decoration, live music, hostess and server were all polite, friendly and very accommodating. But we were very disappointed with the food. We ordered some sushi for an appetizer and friend chicken with gravy and biscuits. Sushi was good, but like some others mentioned, chicken with gravy was REALLY salty. I can tell it had good, deep flavors when you first eat it but salty flavor quickly took over and it was so hard to taste anything past it after few bites. I actually had to scrape off the gravy just to be able to eat the chicken. Chicken itself was very moist and soft, nice and crispy fried, although it was also on the salty side. Some part of the biscuit, if it did not have the gravy on it was good. It's unfortunate that it had so much good quality potential but it was all masked in salt. I thought maybe it was just me and my family, that we don't salt our food enough at home? But some other people in our group also said that their food was really salty, so I guess it wasn't just us. I'm actually surprised with all the good reviews on the food. Maybe we just did not make the right choice? Seems like other reviewers who mentioned their food was salty, all seemed to have ordered the chicken with biscuits and gravy. Would I come back? It wouldn't be my pick, but if my friends want to try, I'll go...and maybe just stick to sushi. read more

Our Bartender Christian was amazing, so sweet and the service was flawless. 10/10 recommend the wings- come for the food, stay for the service. read more

Great food, service and happy hour specials. This was a pleasant surprise. Looking forward to many more visits.

Had an amazing experience with my family today at Culinary Dropout. More people should be coming here and trying it out! The service is amazing- shoutout Ashley and JP! So friendly and always thinking one step ahead for what you need. I highly recommend the pretzels and cheese, strawberry lemonade mocktail and watermelon spritz mocktail. So good! read more

Food was great. The pretzels and fondue were a highlight. Friendly service and a fun atmosphere - a little loud but certainly didn't spoil the meal. read more

My wife and I use to think this was the spot in Del Mar, IT'S NOT. We ordered their fried chicken and mashed potatoes plate on a Thursday during the day with maybe 10 people in the whole place. The mashed potatoes had a piece of paper in it the size of a small post-it note. I normally never say anything, but my wife was grossed out we stopped eating. I told the waitress and she took it to the kitchen to show them the piece paper covered in mashed potatoes. The waitress came back to tell us that the kitchen says, "That didn't come from the kitchen". Then she dropped our check on the table even though we wanted another beer. So we ordered another beer, food is gone cuz waitress took it back to the kitchen. Waitress drops off beer and leaves for 30 minutes plus. Then she comes and drops off the check, nothing was compensated, not apology for "PAPER" in my food. Full check and walked away. Basically, the kitchen staff thinks I spent my Thursday coming to their restaurant to sabotage their food to get something out of it! I honestly am disgusted with this place and they are lucky I didn't blow up their manager and kitchen staff right there. Place is disgusting, disrespectful, and down right filthy. I will NEVER EAT HERE AGAIN. Worst service and experience I have seen from a place that prides themselves on their culture. Shit! read more

Love this new place!!! Vibe is cool and they have live music too. Our waitress Summer was awesome!!!

Great meal, Summer, our waitress, was top-notch. Can't wait to come back and will make sure to request Summer's section!

I just wanted to update my last notation. Apparently, I was sent a gift card as promised and it was my email account that was not working. Debbie U. Contacted me immediately and made sure that a gift card was sent to me that I could access. I am really appreciative of the customer service and immediate followup that I received and am looking forward to having a much better experience next time and will update you. read more