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    Dobson's Bar & Restaurant

    4.0 (506 reviews)
    Closed 3:00 pm - 9:30 PM
    Updated over 3 months ago

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    DOBSON'S BAR & RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Classy
    Outdoor seating
    Good for groups

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    Bill

    I found this place since it was close to the theater and our parking. Our server was great until the very end when it came time to pay for our bill. In all the restaurants I've been, I've never had to face such a bill ordeal. I gave my card and noticed a notification on my phone that I was charged $140 before tip and was surprised because we only had happy hour items. When I pointed it out, they said "they would fix it" and give me my card back. They bring me a new bill that's not even my check and had again charged me $102.03 for some else's bill! They then admitted to switching bills with another table and said they would charge me the correct amount. Such a disaster! They blamed it on being busy but it's still important to be professional and careful. I still don't see the $140.87 returned and will be disputing it.

    Fish and Chipschips
    Gaby J.

    Amazing service and food! I've been wanting to try Dobsons since I've heard about it a few years ago from a foodie friend. She had given me a free mussel bisque soup coupon to use but I had never used it. I recently worked in the downtown convention center and to avoid the traffic going south, I stopped at Dobson's to eat what is probably the best mussel bisque soup and fish & chips I've ever eaten. From the bartender, Michael, I learned Dobson is the third oldest bar to have a liquor license besides Waterfront and Tivoli. I love the glass stained interiors and the vintage christmas music playing in the background. This French English inspired cuisine is a must if you're in the downtown area. Unfortunately, they are not open on Sundays. Parking: meter parking or park on the yellow loading line after 6 pm Recommendations: Their famous mussel bisque soup and happy hour menu from 5-7 Monday through Friday.

    Marcie L.

    I came here on a Friday afternoon with a 12:30 PM reservation I booked through OpenTable. They offer seating outdoors, at the bar, downstairs, and upstairs. We decided to sit at the bar, where the bartender was very friendly and gave us some great recommendations. What we ordered: *Halibut (fish of the day): Light, refreshing, served over mashed potatoes. Nicely done, but nothing that really stood out. *Burger with fries: Huge portion, but my friend thought it was pretty bland. The interior is really charming. The place has been around for 45 years and has gold plates with regulars' names engraved and added to the side of the bar - a unique and personal touch. It definitely gave me New York vibes. Overall, the atmosphere is adorable, the service was excellent, and I'd come back again, especially for dinner when they have a more extensive menu. I enjoyed my dish, but it didn't have that "wow" factor.

    Caroline K.

    Small restaurant but so delicious! The waitstaff are super attentive and quick Great place to go before a show

    jacob c.

    Dan is the absolute best. The food was amazing too. He makes a mean bourbon manhattan, not too sweet. The food is superb.

    Mushroom ravioli
    Hailey K.

    Food and drinks were delicious! Best espresso martini I've had, sourdough was amazing. Service was great (I think his name was Lino) and he recommended I try the mushroom ravioli and it was such a great choice! 10/10 date night spot

    Beet salad, Dobson's Mussels en Croute, Escargot, and Shrimp and Mushrooms Ajillo
    Kay C.

    We have always walked by Dobson's and wanted to give it a try. It reminded me of those bar eateries in the East Coast. Since we had a show at the Civic Centre, it is a short 5 mins walk from the theatre. Reservations are highly recommended as it is filled with pre-theatre patrons. We were escorted upstairs which had cozy tables in dark wood decor, with decorative wrought iron balcony overlooking the bar space below. The service was prompt and attentive. We ordered a beet salad, escargot, Dobson's Mussel Bisque En Croute and Shrimp and Mushroom Ajilo to share. The beet salad had more spinach than beets, and the escargot was lacking in garlic. But the Mussel Bisque and Shrimp and Mushroom Ajilo were simply delicious, full of flavor. Definitely will order again! We were shocked by the $5 charge for bread and butter. That was an unexpected charge, and we wished we were told that it was not complimentary. But as a whole, there were more hits than misses.

    Ed B.

    I did write a review. I had it delightful time. Nice history. The steak was fantastic. I cut it with a butter knife. Service was superior friendly fast. They knew their product. It took me back to many years ago when that was the location for making business deals Memories and I look forward to going back again

    Cara N.

    Dobson's s a classic tiny restaurant in Plaza Circle. There is bar seating on the main level and seating upstairs. The room upstairs is usually booked for parties. So make a reservation. Classic food, chicken skewers, French onion soup and a huge burger. They have a nice happy hour.

    Chilean sea bass
    Mabel B.

    Love this place. Dobson's reminds me of being back on the East coast. The restaurant has character and charm. You walk into a narrow space with the bar while upstairs has extra seating for dining. We've been here numerous times and each visit has been consistent with service and food. We recently dined here and brought the kids before our show at the civic theater. Ordered fish and chips, escargot, ravioli and Chilean sea bass and pizza. Had to order extra bread to wipe up the extra garlic butter sauce from our escargot. Delicious. This is the perfect spot. We love coming back here. So convenient to the civic theater just a block away. Go check it out.

    Salmon plate
    Tammy J.

    Our server was very attentive and kind, sadly, that's the only thing that gave this review any stars at all. What happened to this once amazing restaurant/bar? Granted, this was the place to go back in the late 90s and early 2000s to grab something to eat and have a drink at their intimate bar. I did not have their famous soup this time around. So, can't review something I have had many times in the past. I dined here for dinner just before heading to a play at the civic center, because it's walking distance, and this used to be a great place. I'm hoping this was a just an off evening. The hostess us sat my friend and I in this cramped corner, it was just too close for two girls to enjoy our food and wine. Perfect for a close intimate date. And def not a first or even second date. (Seating was directly behind the hostess stand fyi) We ordered their charcuterie board and the entire board was just a mess. The cheese was dry, the bread was so stale, the one choice of meat was so salty we just couldn't eat it. My friend ordered the salmon, and it was way too dry. I really cannot recall the last time I've had such a horrible food experience. Def won't be returning, and I used to come here all the time. The inside is still intimate and I love the aesthetics and bar. Maybe just a place now for some cocktails and head out somewhere else for the rest of the evening. I did see a few bartenders come in for a pre work drink before starting their shift.

    Sour dough bread
    Ron W.

    I needed to dine within walking distance of the Civic Center Theater without getting mugged going to and fro. Pass through the cute little patio on the street and step into the cute little vestibule. Move to the cute little hostee podium and the cute little hostee will check you in and guide you through the cute little bar and upstairs to the cute little dining room and your own cute little table. If you lean forward one elbow will be on the next table. The normal sized menu covered the entire 2 Top, top. The place is totally tricked out in Bistro chic and looks more like a Bistro than any Bistro on Boulevard St. Germain in Paris. Carved wood bar, subway tile floor, carved crown molding, textured ceiling, walls and corbels Bottom line, it's a cool spot to bring a hot date. The whole resto is essentially a two story Shotgun Shack that has been Frenchified. The Staff: Both those dudes must have thunderous thighs from hiking up and down the steep stairs from the kitchen below to bring more butter. Cheaper than going to the gym, so everyone wins. Those kitchen mules come and go without much interaction or maybe it was just my aftershave. No matter, they are efficient. The Bar: The Bar takes up the entire ground floor. The buzzin' bar slings whatever a buzzin' bar slings. Cocktails, Mocktails, Beer, and Wine from a nice list which is a PhD Thesis on the subject. The substantial list and the food portions are the only things in Dobson's that may still be cute but certainly not little. Who's in the House (and the Senate)? Dobson's has long been the watering hole and dining trough for the City's makers and shakers. I perfect go to place for politicians that need to be watered or who want to hole up. Add to the chronies, phonies, nepo-babies and politicians there is a smattering of tourists who wandered over from the U. S. Grant Hotel, a few tables for first dates and the odd silver haired, gold chained charmer, who is out on the town with his "niece", nice. The Food: Yeoman like classics that flirts with true Bistro fare. Note: The portions are heroic. The Crab Cake opened the show and was the size of a shoe box and filled with filler (Bread Crumbs), Carrots, Celery, Onion, and lots and lots of real Crab. It was fried until kinda crisp. There are a few Baby Arugula draped on the top and after dragging those off it was down to some serious Crab business. Perfect. A thin watery Lobster Sauce in a cute little cup doesn't add much to the Crab party. Eat it neat. In all fairness, the Crab Cake was very good. It stands on it's own and supplies a distant linger of gentle heat. I'd return just to get the Crabs. A huge wedge of warm house made Sour Dough Bread appeared with a cute little cup of recently defrosted Butter. The bread crust is crispy even being as thin as it is. The interior crumb was spongy but carried that delightful sour tang we bread eaters enjoy and appreciate. If you order something with sauce, that spongy bread is just what you need for moppin' and soppin'. The Black Mussels came in a contraption that was designed just for this dish. A steel domed pot looked like the Tiffin Wallah dropped off your lunch. The top turns upside down and holds the empty shells, maybe 30 or more, as each layer of Mussels revealed the next layer of Mussels. And I ate every damn one of them and would've eaten more as they were delicious. The Mussels are submerged in a Coconut Curry, Garlic, White Wine Broth which was terrific. Now, where is my spongy bread? Note: This is the same broth that supports the famous Dobson's Mussel Bisque. For almost the same price you get a full bucket of Mussels instead of a shallow bowl. So just order the Mussels and be happy. The Lamb Chops were three double cut monsters that came with a tablespoon of Demi/Wine Reduction Sauce on each one and were stacked on a platoon of Roast Potatoes, sans crunch, but then who cares if you like Potatoes? Vegetables du jour come along for the ride. Baby Carrots, String Beans, and whatever the kitchen picked from the just picked. All good and cooked exactly the right way. The Lamb was a hair rare but the kitchen would have fixed it if I asked. I didn't. Dessert involved the ususal suspects. Creme Brulee, Chocolate Mousse, Pistachio Cake and Tiramisu. (French? Hmmm...) Dobson's presents a Hobson's Choice. Whatever you order will be pleasant enough. Note: There is a cool bar menu available only at the Bar which is always crowded. Which if only I had known. Oh well, next time.

    Filet Mignon Chez Martin

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    4 months ago

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    7 months ago

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    Marcos L.

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    4 months ago

    Sat at the bar and had the charcuterie plate with a glass of wine. Great atmosphere. Friendly staff.

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    9 months ago

    Excellent food, everything here is fabulous, especially their bisque, steaks and wonderful service.

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    1 year ago

    Honestly the best cheddar burger and fries anywhere for lunch. It cannot be any better. Friendly staff and old school vibe. Love it!

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    Page 1 of 13

    Dobson's Bar & Restaurant Reviews in Other Languages

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    Do they still have outside dining?

    Yea

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    Gravity Heights - Mission Valley - Interior Vibes

    Gravity Heights - Mission Valley

    4.5(544 reviews)
    3.5 miMission Valley
    $$
    Sports on TV
    Outdoor seating

    Amazing!! We recently stumbled upon Gravity Heights and are so glad we did! The atmosphere is…read moreabsolutely adorable, with a fun, welcoming vibe that makes you want to stay awhile. Their in house beers were fantastic, especially the hazy IPAs but what really surprised us was how incredible the cocktails were. Every dish we ordered, from the salad to the pizza, was fresh, flavorful, and beautifully prepared. The service was truly top notch. Everyone, from the hosts to the bartenders (Carla was the only name we got & she was outstanding) everyone was warm, friendly and super knowledgeable, which made the experience even better! Great food, amazing drinks, outstanding service, and a super cute aesthetic, this will be our new go to spot. Can't wait to come back!

    Came here after work with coworkers and was seated in the outdoor area because we had a large…read moreparty. I got a few cocktails Guava Afterglow- nice guava flavor without being overly sweet. A nice tropical drink thats not over the top tropical. Brew-nana Buzz- Very delicious, what mostly caught my eye was Liquor 43 which i love and was the perfect mixture with espresso. The banana liquor was subtle but a nice addition. My coworker initially couldn't taste the banana, but i clearly tasted it. We got a few pizzas which were great, thin neapolitan style pizza but not soggy in the middle. Im not usually a fan of real Neapolitan style pizza cause they are ususally wet and soggy in the middle these were perfect! I like the Diablo pizza the best because it was quite spicy. The potato pierogi were nicely grilled on the flat top and had a nice crisp exterior texture and placed on a bed of dill sour cream. Very delicious! We also got it with the side of spicy kielbasa, it was also nicely charred and spicy a great addition to the pierogi. The mezze plate was also a big hit. Freshly baked pita, smooth and creamy hummus with some toppings and crispy falafel. The pita bread and hummus were really good, the hummus was also topped with lentels and tasty eggplant puree. Highly recommend this dish! The dirty fries came with freshly fried homemade fries, and topped with pulled pork. I thought this dish was just OK. i guess i prefer a drier meat not the wet BBQ pulled pork. But thats just me. Tuna Tosdada was also pretty good, crispy tortilla with seared albacore and avacado, the peanut salsa matcha added a lot to it. People loved the chicken tikka masala pot pie. The crust was nice and flakey. My coworkers loved it. It was too strong a flavor for me. When I usually eat it, there's a lot of buffer with the rice, with just the crust it was too strong for me. We got a few desserts, they were both excellent! The butterscotch budino was very smooth, the butterscotch pudding was tasty and the salted caramel took it over the top. I liked it mostly because of the caramel topping. Reminded me of frozen butter beer from Harry Potter at Universal studios. The cast iron cookie was most similar to the pazooki, a cookie cooked in a cast iron pan topped with vanilla gelato cookie crumbles and chocolate sauce. There's overflow parking in the lot but I just usually park on Camino De La Reina. They no longer add the 20% tip to larger parties, service was excellent and friendly.

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    Gravity Heights - Mission Valley - Outdoor Bar View

    Outdoor Bar View

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    Indoor Bar

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    Beer Garden

    Corvette Diner

    Corvette Diner

    4.0(3.2k reviews)
    3.3 miLoma Portal, Liberty Station, Point Loma
    $$

    What a great experience! If you're looking for a slightly touristy, upbeat atmosphere, this is the…read moreplace to be. The dance breaks on the hour were silly and fun, and the hats for the table were a cute touch. The kids loved the arcade too, and it's a perfect place to wait while getting a table. The music was a little loud and the space can be a lot of stimulation, but it never detracted from the food or flow of the evening. You kind of know what you're getting in to when you go there, and the lively environment fits with the "50's sock hop" theme. Biff, the manager, really made sure we were taken care of and any concerns were listened to. And Buddy, our waiter, kept his enthusiasm throughout the night and effortlessly handled a table with multiple kids and a baby. So happy we came and definitely left a goofy smile on my face. Will be back!

    NOW THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT !!! [insert 3 silhouette yelling emojis, a 100, and fire and…read moreexclamation marks emojis] After being THOROUGHLY disappointed by the other diner we went to (*cough*Beginner'sDiner*cough*), we had to cleanse ourselves with a TRUE diner and the Corvette Diner didn't disappoint! It's located at Liberty Station, which is, what seems to be a historical park. So there's a giant shopping area, several restaurants, people playing croquet, and much more. We were able to find parking and it's free. Even during the holiday season and it being a tad crowded, we had no issue. The cafe is extremely well themed and there is so much to look at in here! Service was super welcoming and our waitress had a such a great extroverted, entertaining personality. I didn't get her name but if she ever wanted to be a maid at a maid cafe, she'd be one of the top favorites for sure, she was so fun and personable! We had straws tossed at us, silly jokes, there were cards in the ceiling, there was a live radio station DJ right next to our booth. It was awesome! This place is so FUN! It's very retro 50's-60's themed with each section and room having completely different themes as well? Super cool. There was one that looked like you were in a moving train car, one where it was neon and hippy themed, etc. Lots of photo opportunities and I recommend, maybe when waiting for your food just walk around and take a gander. Portions were MASSIVE. I thought I was going to be able to share an appetizer sampler (Garbage Plate) with everyone but everyone ended up ordering their own entrees making a huge massive amount of food that had to be taken home in like 4-5 to go boxes. So keep in mind your portions are gonna be larger than life. All of the food is very classic American fast food diner fare. You got your burgers, fries, sandwiches, and of course milkshakes. I also had to get an outrageous milk shake here and it was the chocolate chip brownie decadence which wasn't horribly sweet as I'd imagine and it's not as daunting as something you'd get from Black Tap. Easy to take to go too and not too thick and coagulated. For my regular drink, I got the Green River which is a nice green soda with lots of cherries on top. They also had seasonal cocktail drinks too, which is always fun. There's an arcade off to the side, you get complimentary food server hats, and even though the penny press machine gave me something off center and silly they let me have another one for free with their own coinage. Definitely worth the visit since these type of places don't really exist in SoCal anymore and I definitely will come back with friends!

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    Corvette Diner
    Corvette Diner - Gamers Garage Arcade

    Gamers Garage Arcade

    Corvette Diner - Gamers Garage Arcade

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    Gamers Garage Arcade

    Del's Hideout

    Del's Hideout

    4.3(1.2k reviews)
    6.5 mi
    $$

    BBQ Month @delshideout @dinecrg welcomes the flavors of the Philippines created by Chef Martin…read more@chef_ecruz featured this weekend From chicken insal, smoked lechon pork belly, tri tip bistek, shrimp & pork lumpia, pancit, fried potatoes, steamed rice, and comforting tamarind pork soup... this BBQ feast brings smoky Texas BBQ together with Filipino comfort food for the ultimate fusion plate Family-friendly vibes, ice cold drinks, sports on every screen, and that low & slow BBQ goodness make this spot a must try in San Diego.

    Ate here today with the family. To start off, parking is a problem. They have a tiny parking lot…read morebordered by 2 hotels. We parked down the road, about a 10 minute walk. We did not have a reservation, so we stood outside in the sun for about 30 minutes or so waiting for a table that could accommodate 8 people. I didn't plan the event myself, so I don't know if they even take reservations. If they do, then that's our fault. It is an open air concept, so it's very hot in the restaurant. You sit on hard chairs with a bicycle under the table that limits leg room. There is no shortage of hillbilly music to listen too as you dine on the ill seasoned subpar food. The beer menu sucks. Thankfully I didn't need to use the restroom. Who knows what I would have encountered there. The only positive thing I can think of is that the employees are friendly and accommodating. I would not recommend this place to anyone, nor would I return. If the restaurant offered to pay for a meal with drinks for our family, I still would not return.

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    Del's Hideout - Main dining area

    Main dining area

    Del's Hideout - Bar

    Bar

    Del's Hideout - The best mac & cheese

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    The best mac & cheese

    Dobson's Bar & Restaurant - french - Updated June 2026

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