First time at this location. We've been to the one in Maui 2x before. I was underwhelmed to be sure. The decor didn't feel like the Maui one tho there were similarities. This felt like corporate trying to go Hawaiian. If felt colder. My main reason for the 2 is the service. When we checked in for our Rezoat 8:15pm our server and hostess were actively speaking about her not wanting our table. No one wants a table w kids, I get it, I used to work in a swanky restaurant in wine country. But you're not supposed to talk about it in front of your guest!! We got seated. Our waitress came back. She was smiling enough but you could tell she didn't want to be there. We told her we needed a min. She came back again and asked what we wanted for dinner. We ordered & she was about to leave I asked if we could order drinks she said yes, smiled and took that part of the order too. Didn't ask about apps / salads / anything else. Wasn't personable. Just didn't want to be there. The food came quickly and looked nice. Everything tasted good too. My daughters got the kids fish w fruit & Mac & cheese w fries. (Mac & cheese isn't like Kraft. It a richer cheese sauce, more to an adult's palette if you have a picky eater like we do). It came. The fish came W only pineapple. My daughter said "oh no not pineapple!! I'm allergic!" I grab it off her plate. The waitress says "oh is she really allergic?" (Felt kinda rude) I said yes, not deadly but she does have issues w it. Some swelling & scratching her throat and causing discomfort. No epiPen needed." The lady smiled and left. I thought wow, that was kinda cold and why wouldn't she take it away, offer a different fruit or side?? Oh well moving on - we ordered hula pie. Again no dessert was offered to us. We just thought the kids would enjoy it. Which they did. They hadn't had one before. Got the bill and left. It wasn't terrible. But I've Definitely had better meals & service at other restaurants in La Jolla & the San Diego area. Maybe don't go here w kiddos. ‍ The sign they have posted was a reminder to be nice to their wait staff. I found it humorous because the wait staff wasn't particularly nice. I don't know the servers name, she never shared it. ‍ I don't like doing that on Yelp unless if was great service anyways. But she did have some beautiful tattoos! read more

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I've been here a handful of times. My most recent experience was with a group of 10 for lunch with colleagues. While they couldn't take reservations and we didn't get a chance to sit on the outdoor patio, the service was great, the food was delicious, it seemed to come out very fast. We were seated immediately at 11:30AM. I ordered the SAUTÉED MACNUT & HERB CRUSTED FRESH FISH. The flavor was great. The only comment I'd make (but I understand it's the hawaiian style) was that the macaroni salad and rice was a bit of carb overkill. I would have loved double bok choi or veggies or a choice/combo instead. We ordered dessert which we split, the key lime pie and the Hula Pie, both great and good for sharing. I'll come back again. It's a neighborhood favorite. read more

The views from this place cannot be beat, so beautiful! This is a great spot for the girls to get together on a patio on a Saturday afternoon. Everyone seemed to enjoy their meals and one of my friends ordered the Lavender Colada and really enjoyed it. I wished I had ordered the Mai Tai since that seems to be the drink to get at this place. I ordered the crab and shrimp salad which was fresh, delicious and healthy. It was my friends birthday so we shared the Hula Pie which is very impressive to look at and was delcious as well (I really enjoyed the macadamia nuts incorporated in this dessert. They even have special metal sporks and plate that it is served on. If you are a local or in town this is a great place to go! read more

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Duke's La Jolla has been a favorite of mine for weekend brunch in La Jolla. Whenever I have friends visiting town, I always try to take them here. You usually do not need a reservation, and it's not as crowded as the other brunch places in La Jolla. You're able to dine upstairs on the patio outside enjoying the nice breeze with a view that overlooks the ocean. It's wonderful. Staff are great here and so is the food. My favorite dish has always been the BBQ chicken and ribs plate with the macaroni salad. It's delicious and very filling. If I'm going with a friend, we split two different dishes and get to sample more. Can't wait to stop by again in the future. read more

Duke's La Jolla - BBQ chicken and ribs plate - New American Near Me - La Jolla, California

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Came here with mom after the fit expo. Found this gem on yelp - and I am sure glad that i did. The food was DELICIOUS. Food: Poke Tacos The flavor was AMAZING. The creme friache was so good - i shouldve asked for a side to take home :P Ceviche Was also really good. The only thing i wish was a larger portion. They give you more than enough tortilla chips - i wish there was more ceviche to compliment all those chips. But nonetheless, very good and full of flavor. Coconut Shrimp To be honest, i have had better coconut shrimp. I think it lacked the coconut taste. But it was not horrible either. Something I probably wouldn't order again (personal preference) Miso Grilled King Salmon YUMMY ! Nothing makes me happier than having my salmon served with brocollini. I think those are the perfect pair. Banana Leaf steamed fish and shrimp Mom ordered this and said it was delicious! Customer Service nothing less than perfect. Always made sure we were ok and most importantly ... always made sure there was water in my cup 10/10 experience and i would definitely come back here if i am ever in the area again read more

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Extremely bad experience with hostess and manager on 12/29 noon. We were turned away although they were accepting walk ins. We are 4 parties of 5 and willing to wait. We said we can just walk in as different families so different tables. But they just plainly said they cannot accept 20 people walk ins even though different tables. Does not make any sense. It felt like they did not want to accommodate us since we are non- white people. What made it worse was they accepted a group of 5 walk in after us. Disappointing!!! read more

No Star at all. Such a bad experience with the manager and the host in front. They didn't accommodate our family of 20 even though we told them they can break it to what ever they want. And right after that we left and my brother in law tried party of 5 and they accept it. What?!! what a jerk! we are going there to celebrate my nephew passing the bar exam instead we felt so bad. We go to different Dukes like Waikiki and Huntington beach but this is the first time I heard this coming from a staff turning down costumers. read more

This place is the epitome of atmosphere and ambiance over quality of food. There is clearly more of an emphasis on the environment than the food which is most likely why this place is still able to retain customers. The live music was pleasant as well as the service, however, when it comes to the food I was most definitely disappointed. If you relatively have any idea what Hawaiian food is and what it's supposed to taste like you would be surely disappointed as well especially for the egregious price. With my family being from Hawaii it appears that there are major quality discrepancies among Hawaiian food from the islands and the mainland. Dukes at the Outrigger along Waikiki was exceptional while the La Jolla location was beyond sub par. I ordered the Huli chicken / Rip plate which both meats were abnormally dry which is why they used excessive amounts of sauce to overcompensate for the texture. My mother ordered the crusted macadamia nut fish that was proclaimed as fresh yet it was quite the contrary. It is easy to decipher fresh fish due to both its flakey and soft texture rather the fish served to us at Dukes was moreso sponge like and clearly frozen. Although Dukes is considered a tourist destination, doesn't mean the food has to stoop down to their ignorance. With that being said, looks can be deceiving and despite how nice this place appears only the price will reflect that and unfortunately not the food. read more

My initial reason for trying this place was the view. I didn't put much stock in the food as all I wanted was a nice outdoor scenery near the water. I decided to feast on appetizers instead of a full meal. I ordered Korean Sticky Ribs and Coconut Shrimp. The Korean Sticky Ribs were a hit, additionally the portion was substantial. The Coconut Shrimp, was mediocre. No flavor in the shrimp and it lacked the coconut flavor as well. I had an opportunity to try the Crab Cake appetizers and they were delicious! I will be certain to order those next time. Service was efficient and the atmosphere was welcoming. Our waitress forgot hubbies beer (2nd round) and it took a bit to get our check but the place was extremely busy and she was apologetic. So still a 5 star for me. Initially, I thought I would be a hassle to find parking. But thankfully we were able to find free street parking. Additionally there's a parking garage adjacent to the restaurant. Considering i made this trip on a Saturday and drove 2 hrs, I think this one was a hit! Scenery was beautiful, and the food was a bonus. read more

Duke's La Jolla - Beautiful View - New American Near Me - La Jolla, California

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It's a nice view, but about what one might expect of a a low-end, ocean-side college bar otherwise. Hey, it was open between lunch and dinner when others weren't. That was the best part. read more

Underwhelming. We've dined at Duke's in Maui several times but never the La Jolla location. So, we figured we'd take the kids and try to recreate the Dukes experience. Unfortunately, it fell flat. We had an 8:15 appointment on a Tuesday evening. Upon entering, we approached the hostess stand to let them know we had arrived. There were three young ladies there who then proceeded to have a somewhat quiet conversation about where to seat us and who would be stuck serving us. One of the drew the short straw and showed us to our table, which still had the last customer's check on it. She left it there. No menus. No silverware. We just used the QR code on the table because I guess that's how they're still doing it? That's fine but a little communication goes a long way. Our server arrived with waters and said she'd give us a moment to look over the menu. Did not offer to get us anything else to drink. At this point, we figured this would be a "get in, get out" experience. Let's just get it over with. She came back to take our order so we ordered food and asked if we could order additional drinks because it was clear they weren't going to be offered. My daughter ordered the kids fish snd chips with fruit. When it arrived, the side of fruit was just a bowl of pineapple. My daughter blurts out "I'm allergic to pineapple..." The server says "oh, you're allergic?" My wife explains that it's not a deadly allergy but enough of a problem that my daughter avoids eating it. Our server says "oh, ok. So, is there anything else I can get for the table?" I suppose it's our fault for not knowing the side of "fruit" was just going to be pineapple but it would have been nice if she had offered to swap it for one of the other available sides after learning of the allergy or at least taken it away instead of leaving it on the table. I ordered the sautéed mac nut and herb crusted "fresh fish" (our server never told us about any specials or what the fresh fish was). My wife ordered the burger. The food was ok. Not bad but nothing to write home about. Never got any drink refills. It's funny, there was a sign on the wall right behind our table asking patrons to be nice to the staff during this difficult time. I'm all for that. But there were some very basic aspects of customer service missing. We're not overly demanding customers. Felt like they just wanted us to be done so they could go home. Well, we're home. They don't have to worry about seeing us again. read more

Duke's La Jolla has been on my "to try" list for over 5 years. For some reasons, I never found a time or occasion to visit until recently. We went to La Jolla Shore on a Saturday, then thought of visiting here around late afternoon. I remember this place is always very busy with lines outside, which probably was the reason I didn't think to visit without a reservation. We got lucky when we came that no wait time and we got seated at their outdoor patio area. We were on the second row of tables which mean we had direct view of the gorgeous La Jolla cove and La Jolla Shore. We just couldn't get enough of the view! Totally understand why people love this place! We ordered off their brunch menu. I had their Fish and chips, which was unfortunately disappointing. Fish was not breaded well. The beer batter kept falling off the fish. The tartar sauce and fries were typical. However, the slaw was amazing. That was the highlight of the lunch. Another dish we had was steak and fries, which was good, acceptable. It was clearly not as good as the steak house, but it was good enough for a Saturday brunch. The service was slow and could be better. We had to wait for long time for the waiter to provide us the check and close out the bill to leave. Overall, I recommend coming for the view, the vibe, and relaxing weekend brunch. read more

Duke's La Jolla - Fish & Chips - New American Near Me - La Jolla, California

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We love dukes! The view, the food, the service- love it all. Whenever I'm in La Jolla I make sure to grab a bite here.

Stunning view if you are seated outside on the patio! Food and service are both very good. This is probably one of my favorite locations. Came here for lunch one day with couple of friends and it was a very nice experience. We did have to wait a little bit in order for one of the tables right next to the edge of the patio to open up. There's about five or six tables that has an obstructed view of the ocean from the top of the cliff. It is an open patio with heat lamps which is nice especially in the winter when the temperature gets a little cold. We ordered a couple of appetizers and entrées to share amongst us. The food was very beautifully presented, and very delicious. Service was very good. The prices are high but to be expected especially your paying for the view. The restaurant is tastefully decorated, modern, very clean and so are the bathrooms. We had a wonderful experience. Parking is either valet or in the parking structure next door. Definitely recommend! read more

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Just went back into Duke's for the first time since COVID and it was so nice to be back! Appreciated the precautions they are taking. The view from patio is one of the best in all of San Diego county of the cliffs down the coast. The food is stellar, fish tacos and any of the fish dishes are always my go-to. Service is always friendly and attentive, great for a nice meal out or for a special celebration. If you go you MUST get a mai tai and a hula pie, you will thank me later. read more

Duke's La Jolla - Fish tacos ... get in my belllllly - New American Near Me - La Jolla, California

Right on the coast with an outdoor roof top. So nice to be able to see the water and enjoy the food. Loved their salad with grapefruit and shrimp. Had an amazing dressing. Overall a nice quick place read more

Duke's La Jolla - Delicious grapefruit shrimp salad - New American Near Me - La Jolla, California

Great food and atmosphere. We have been here a few times and it's been great every time. Be prepared you will wait so make a reservation. As with most places they are understaffed so be patient. read more

bad service ! the hostes for pattio , impolite not willing to help with moving an ubrela , not change the table ! the patio manager even worst ! the water glasses very dirty ,lipstick on .... awful experience ! never coming back ! not recommended ! read more

Duke's La Jolla - Lipstick on ! - New American Near Me - La Jolla, California

Such an amazing view! The burgers you can't leave without it's a MUST order. The staff are super nice and friendly. Can't wait to go back! read more

Duke's La Jolla - Duke's Classic Burger* - New American Near Me - La Jolla, California

First time out since quarantine! They have masks at the desk if you forget yours, which I did! Love downtown La Jolla and was craving a steak and man did I pick the right place! My friend and I always order different things we both want to share and she got the Ahi Tuna Steak! Pricey but worth it! My steak melted in my mouth and don't get me started on the crab cakes! Also never even heard of a Lavender Colada but probably going to be my new go-to because it was so refreshing! read more

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The food was delicious. The ambience was absolutely beautiful. The employees were professional and friendly

Lovely place for lunch! We went around 1:00pm and got sat at a nice table on the deck, which had an amazing view of the water below. The service was prompt and friendly. We ordered the crab wontons, fish and chips, hurricane chicken and ended with hula pie. The crab wontons were crispy and definitely more crab than cream cheese. They really don't skimp on the filling, which is rare these days at some restaurants. The fish and chips was tasty but a little on the oily side. Not bad though. The hurricane chicken dish had a nice variety of flavors. The chicken itself was a little dry, but mixed with the sauce and other items on the plate it wasn't noticeable. You can never go wrong with hula pie, it's a treat every time. read more

Duke's La Jolla - Hurricane Chicken - New American Near Me - La Jolla, California

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Came her per a recommendation from my friends cousin. It was a nice place with cool vibes. We got put on the second floor which I didn't find the deck very impressive. A big part of the view is the roof of the first floor of the building lol. Maybe the view and deck is better on the first floor. But anyway we got seated outside on a cloudy day. Food was pretty good although my friend didn't love her Macnut and herb fish lunch that much. I thought the crab wontons were super super yummy. And the fish taco dish was nice. Place is very pricey for what you get but that's La Jolla for ya ! Tourist trap kind of but what do I know? Felt kind of tacky to be there (found out it's a chain so) . I don't think I'd recommend this place just because of that... but service was nice and it was a decent meal. Too expensive, not a cool restaurant feel: felt touristy. I typically don't love chain restaurants. But we didn't really care at the time so go or don't! read more

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What a beautiful view to have with a delicious brunch and hula pie for dessert! Service was awesome too!!

Beautiful ocean view on the patio, but food was salty and overpriced. Service was good.

We stopped by Duke's around noon and were able to get in pretty quickly. We were enticed by the promise of a Hawaiian inspired restaurant. We were seated inside which is why it was faster. It's way darker inside but nothing bad about that. Interior is pretty too! Service: our server was very attentive. Made sure our waters were always filled and table was clear. She just had a flat affect. Not irritable but probably tired with having to serve so many people! So I understand. Now the hosts in the front... There was one in particular. Some ladies who had just finished their meal kindly brought their check to the front and asked if they can pay up there (which is a valid question! Some restaurants allow that) and the host said "no you'll have to pay with your server" and then proceeds to roll her eyes and make a "wtf" face right in front of us! Like what the heck! So judgy and rude. The food: the poke tacos were soooooooooo salty. But the shell was crunchy so that was good. The Kalua Pork Sandwich: it was ok. Not super saucy so it was kind of bland. Dukes Classic Burger: my fiancé didn't finish it. This man finishes nearly everything. And then we asked for it to go but ended up throwing it out Urrr wouldn't go back!! read more

Duke's La Jolla is amazing!! I've been to the one in Waikiki and the one in La Jolla does not disappoint! Luckily we arrived earlier than the crowd and got a seat outside overlooking the cove and the view was breathtaking! Jen took care of us and she really made the experience memorable. We ordered the poke tacos and sautéed macnut & herb crusted fish.. both were INCREDIBLE. Perfect start to our 4th of July! We cannot wait to come back!! read more

Duke's La Jolla - Poke Tacos - New American Near Me - La Jolla, California

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Yummy, Yummy, Yummy! This is a place for any and all occasions. My 17 yo granddaughter visited and requested that we go to Dukes for food, view, surfing history! And we did. Loved the seafood pot, but my granddaughter did not. No problem. They comped her meal as well as gave a replacement meal. She loved the Sashimi and Coconut Shrimp. And the view of LaJolla Cove is breathtaking any time of day or night! read more

I was excited to try this restaurant because I've been to the Waikiki location multiple times. The views are beautiful in La Jolla. I made a reservation for 5pm on a Saturday. The second story is a bar with indoor and outdoor seating. We were quoted a 45-60 minute wait for an outdoor seat so we sat inside and had cocktails. The mai tai was strong and delicious. The waiter was terrific. We were seated on the first level for dinner and were able to get a great seat outside. The heaters were on so it was very comfortable outside. There were four of us. One ordered a fish dish that he enjoyed but his rice pilaf was just warm. Another got the burger and fries. He enjoyed the burger but the fries were a mediocre warm. I requested hot French fries and he got them. Two of us got the huli chicken. It's a large portion and delicious but again the mashed potatoes were just warm. Our waiter was slow and nothing special. I saw another table with rolls so I requested some as well but they were never offered to us. I will return and try a brunch. The views are gorgeous. read more

Duke's La Jolla - New American Near Me - La Jolla, California

We went to Duke's for the view - had drinks. Wonderful craft beers and mixed drinks. Small plate apps were delicious, including the unique take on fried and crusted calamari & the fried wontons - both different and delicious. Sitting at the table overlooking to cove as the sun set was as enjoyable as the company. I'd go back in a heartbeat, and try more and varied foods. read more

So restaurant week. The bane of my Weight Watchers coach's existence. We treat this week as a 'staycation' and eat out every night. We picked Duke's because we had never been here. I'm so happy we did! Korean short ribs were succulent and spicy. My filet was perfectly cooked and my boyfriend's ahi steak amazing. The key lime pie was the best of the best. Our server helped us choose our menu and gave us great tips on drinks. I'm only sorry I forgot to take pictures. Casual, fresh and beautiful food. Try it. You won't be disappointed! read more

Incredible place!!! Beautiful views, delicious food. One of the best places I've ever been to. Can't wait to return. We got the salmon and pork. Both were delicious. read more

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You won't be disappointed, this place has a beautiful setting on the water. It offers great food that leaves you full for days. Despite the cost of the food, it's a worth while visit. read more

Duke's La Jolla - New American Near Me - La Jolla, California

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This is a lovely restaurant, located in a beautiful spot that has decent food. I have eaten there twice. Both times I had fish--which they do well. Their fish tacos are pricey, but tasty. Their mahi with macadamia nut crust was tasty and fresh. The problem I have with them is, for the price, there is no effort to make the dish look attractive. For over $30 you get beige rice under beige fish on an off- white plate. It looks a bit like a school lunch! Add some greenery to the plate. Or maybe green beans with red peppers. Something that makes it look like the plate is worthy of the view... read more

Definitely worth the Wait! My only gripe with this place is we consider ourselves to be whiskey snobs...and when my husband got his double Macallan on the rocks, it was very clear to us that the alcohol was watered down. Macallan packs a punch in the first sip, and even if it had sat out for a minute, it shouldn't have tasted so incredibly watered down--especially for a double. Aside from that, food was consistent, service was great, atmosphere was the best. read more

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This is not anything close to as good as the one in Maui. None of the food is the same and it is way over priced.

When quality talksssssssss....It doesn't mayter which branch you go, its in Hawaii or New port beach or even the other locations they are always shining...The quality of food and their customer service is always on spotlight. There is no doubt their views are always the most beautiful one in the area... read more

Duke's La Jolla - New American Near Me - La Jolla, California

Oh well, I hate to give this place a low review but I'm really not impressed of this restaurant especially for its location, my expectations are so high! My first dining experience here was good..... we went for dinner and ordered the very same entree-- fish ( not sure if it was sea bass or mahi-mahi ) but that was so good! Drinks was also great.... But unfortunately, the next two visits were unsatisfactorily! Both visits was for friends bdays ---- it was okay but not what I expected. We ordered the ribs which is over cooked and served in a very messy plate---- lots of cabbages, it just looked unappetizing.... I don't know what's the hype of all the cabbages around it... Most dishes has cabbages as part of their plating... Uh uh! Presentation is not pretty.. it looked messy to me. The foods were also not that good. I don't know if we just ordered the wrong food but I was not happy of everything we ordered. The cocktails were good tho. But, it's not something I would crave to visit again. read more

Duke's La Jolla - New American Near Me - La Jolla, California

Came to Duke's on a Sunday morning and had the best seat overlooking the water at beautiful La Jolla. I love any island themed restaurant and this did not disappoint. Excellent POG mimosa and the eggs Benedict was outstanding. The loco moco was excellent and I really enjoyed the island inspired rice. Great service too. I'll be visiting you in Maui this summer!! read more

Food, service, and ambiance is amazing. The prices aren't super crazy either. Highly recommend this place!