Great vibe and great service in a different concept than I am used to. When arriving to Fernside there is a line outside with a server who immediately takes your order, which is then completed by the bar or kitchen staff. You then proceed to your table and wait for your order to be made so you can retrieve it. It a self-service concept in a cool neighborhood spot in South Park San Diego. The staff was very helpful and friendly in supporting our maiden voyage at Fernside. They were also very responsive and extremely friendly. We enjoyed the place so much we went back for a night cap the next night. We indulged in wings, which were spicy and the Not a Philly Cheesesteak, that was a tasty sando. Really enjoyed the vibe, staff and treats at Fernside and plan on returning on my next trip to San Diego! read more

PANDEMIC EDITION REVIEW My lady had another burger craving. She saw that Fernside came up in her search results. They happened to recently win the award for Best Burger in San Diego. We've had our go-to's such as In-N-Out, Burger Lounge, and The Balboa, but we've never had the one from Fernside. They are located at the old South Park Abbey location, at the corner of Fern & Grape, across the street from Piacere Mio. The main condition I'd mention about their burger is that it seems to be best eaten fresh off the grill. When I showed up to pick up our order, I showed up about a few minutes after the it had been ready. I brought it back home and we dug right in. We definitely enjoyed it, and I honestly felt it was prepared just right for me. It's hard for me to determine if this would have won the award for best burger in San Diego, but it's definitely in the running. Aside from that, I was glad to take home a nice bottle of draft beer to go with my food. It came in a glass bottle that holds the equivalent of about 2 beers. Parking: Street. Since the pandemic closures started, parking has been fairly easy to find. I even claim that it had been simple to find it during "ordinary" times. FYI: - Call the businesses directly to place orders rather than use Yelp or GrubHub. That way, they avoid paying extra fees for those services when they deserve to keep as much of their revenue as possible. - Pick-up orders tend to be prepared fairly quickly, so if you live close to them, don't wait before heading there. Not to put pressure on them in this aspect, but they're really on it! One of these days, we will dine-in when the occasion comes up. read more

We just wanted to write Fernside a long overdue review for their love and hospitality they've provided to all their South Park patrons who have dined at their restaurant bar. Despite the fact that this area of town has a ton of great eatery and drinking spots, Fernside's our absolute FAVORITE! We have known the main guy who brought this place to South Park in the first place and are super duper happy to see all the success and following his place has gotten since opening. Their drinks are THE BEST, their food is a very close second to their cocktails, and there's a pretty good mix of vegetarian/vegan options for those with plant based diets as well. The staff is always wonderful and it's South Park's neighborhood version of Cheer's. They've got a very good selection of high quality distilled spirits, an awesome outdoor patio, their restrooms are one of the cleanest ones for a bar/restaurant we've ever used, and you'll definitely be a repeat patron of theirs if you're trying them for the very first time. As will all businesses, especially the small mom and pop businesses which aren't corporate franchise locations, the COVID-19 has really hit this restaurant hard. They're open for take-out and their limited food & alcoholic beverage to-go menus are good enough to go out of your way to 'almost' get the full Fernside experience as if you were to dine there bar side or in their dining room. Despite the low sales caused by the worldwide Coronavirus pandemic, this hard working ownership and staff continue to give their best effort and do so with happy faces, so much so, you wouldn't think they're struggling to survive in this economic crisis. Please give them some love, and all the other small businesses who are probably making a fraction of their sales during this very difficult time. They sure would appreciate it. read more

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I tried Fernside for the first time a few weeks ago. I liked the diverse menu, offering a nice range of options along with the ambiance. However, the experience was overshadowed by the prompting for a gratuity despite it being a complete self-service setup. The food was good, but tip fatigue detracted from the overall dining satisfaction ($20 for a party of 3). I ordered and paid first including a tip. Given a buzzer by the person who took my order, we seated ourselves. When the buzzer lit up, we had to go to the bar and pickup our food and beverages to bring back to the table. We also had to get our own water and refills at a water station. All of this is a fine model, but asking for a tip when I'm the server and have to go get my food and drinks is frustrating. read more

Great place to chill and catch up with friends. Enjoyed the sliders, "diet" burger, and buffalo wings. The b&b pickles were the absolute BEST! Lots of cute doggos, families, and groups of various ages enjoying their Friday. This is a self service establishment that was clean and relaxing. Will definitely come back! read more

We stumbled upon this spot while waiting for our order from Shawarma Guys across the street. We decided to just kill time & order drinks & wow, were their cocktails tasty! Friendly bartenders. Some of their cocktails are on nitro so we got to sample before ordering, good thing because I was not a fan of their Thai Tea or whatever it was cocktail. Strong & tasty drinks, mmm! read more

Decided to veer away from our normal Station Tavern rotation to try Fernside out. Happy that we stopped and tried this place. When you approach it, the great music vibe and busy customer base is inviting. It's a comfortable and open space. We opted to sit in bar dining, which was perfect. Food was great. Ordered the Fernside Nachos, All That Pizzazz, Mufaletta, and the Fernside Burger. All were super good except for The Mufaletta, which was okay, but still pleasing. Their take on an Old Fashioned is super yummy. The Lush IPA is not as hoppy as described in the name but still refreshing. Lemonade was a hit and tasted fresh and flavorful. Emily was our server and she was great. The host who greeted us at the door was also great. We will go back. The vibe was legit with the awesome Motown and 60s soul & rock that they had on. Thanks for a great meal and fun night at your new establishment. read more

Fernside - Nachos - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

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I had the best time at Fernside yesterday for lunch. I was at Target right across from there and told myself I'd stay if I found parking fast. I did so I stayed. Parking seems to be limited but it's not you just have check the side streets. You order first and then sit down so I decided to have a glass of wine and decide on food later. I had the Callia Malbec. So good. For lunch I had the pulled pork sandwich which was delicious. The flavor of the meat was so tasty. It was exactly what I was hoping for in a pulled pork sandwich. I wanted the waffle fries but got the leafy green salad. The dressing blew me away. It was the best side salad ever and only for a $1 up charge. Steal. So worth it. On top of the great food, the atmosphere was lively and fun. The music wasn't too loud and there were cute dogs around. The service was impeccable. McClain at the bar was so friendly and hospitable. I can easily become a regular here. All around A+ for Fernside. I'll be back :). read more

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Have picked up a few dishes from Fernside. Really recommend their shrimp fried rice, but I have the sauce on side since they use quite a bit and I like to monitor my sauce input. Delicious! read more

A visit to Fernside is a must when we are in town. Always a great experience! The hostess greeted us at the door and was so helpful in helping us plan our order. I got the BBQ sliders this time and they were amazing! I am already looking forward to our next visit! read more

Great neighborhood spot for upscale pub food. We loved the wedge salad, sliders and wings. Fun bar scene with great staff! No table when we got there but they opened a tab and we got seating pretty soon after ordering drinks. Also, super great fan site for the Padres game on a Wildcard night. We will definitely be back! read more

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The best nacho fries i have ever had. HUGE portion, cheap, a TON of guac, crispy. Sooooo insanely good, i barely even wanna write because I'm greedy and wanna keep it to myself but hey. The slushies were extremely strong which i don't prefer but if you want to get drunk then they are really great for that! I just will compare these fries to every other fries for the rest of my life. read more

Happy hour starts at 3pm! And they have a healthy selection of food, beer, and cocktails on happy hour. We ordered the vegan beet hash with a sunny side up egg and it was so bomb. The pickled beets with seitan and pita bread was a perfect shared plate. Our waitress was also perfectly attentive although I think she was the only sever working. I would definitely come back! read more

Fernside - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

Fun time for almost any relaxed occasion. We visited twice, and each time was enjoyable for different reasons. Firstly, their 3-hour long happy hour is legit: drinks and apps are reasonably priced and enough to be an actual meal. If you're going that route, I'd recommend their Moscow Mule drink and the nacho waffle fries. Their burger was also really good, albeit large. On our first visit, we hung out with friends and sat around the bar area, near their outdoor area, which set such a chill, stereotypical California vibe. The second visit we sat at the bar to watch the game (FYI, it's a Milwaukee Bucks bar), and that was just as fun, especially chatting with the bartenders when they weren't busy. I did appreciate that customers had to put in an order before seating, which was the first time I've ever seen a bar do such. All in all, definitely worth a visit, especially during happy hour! read more

My friends and I all got food poisoning from the fried chicken sando. We have been having diarrhea and throwing up every day since we were in. I had it so bad that I went to urgent care and then to the emergency room for an IV. Stay away from this place! read more

This is what their $7 cup of chili looks like. Almost a joke in my opinion. Won't ever order this again.

Great local place for good food and hang out. The service can be quite slow during busy time. I got my kid her FRESH squeezed orange juice- very delicious and healthy. The crusty cauliflower is quite good as a starter dish. The fried chicken, I have to say is very delicious. It comes w/ kale salad underneath and some slicked of cucumber pickles. The chicken is fried w/ a delicious and tasty corn bread/ biscuit on the side. I love the syrup they give to drizzle over the chicken and corn bread/ biscuit. read more

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Hallelujah - Very surprisingly today I noticed $8 back from Fernside to my CC - All good, thank you Mr. Manager, for keeping your word. Good luck, and don't worry you won't see me again! read more

One of my go-to places to have a late dinner and a few drinks! The servers are friendly and fast. The layout of the restaurant is intimate and cozy. I love their alcoholic slushies on a warm day and their fried chicken sandwich is hefty and delicious. My party also ordered some appetizers like fries and cauliflower which the table seemed to enjoy as well. read more

This place came highly recommended by many of my friends so I was excited to check it out. I won't be back because I was pretty disappointed. I really don't like that everything is self serve and you're expected to tip. For what? I wiped down my own table, I picked up my own food from the pick up area, and I refilled my own water. there is zero service to speak of. The food was mediocre and the slushy you order is in a child's cup that's quite small. I can see why the place was pretty quiet. read more

Great little spot in South Park. Food was excellent and all of the staff was really friendly.

Front of house employee was rude and unhelpful. Have to order in advance before you can sit at the bar. Just wanted to see the selection they had behind the bar and grab a drink. What happens when you want a second drink, do they require you to walk out front and wait in line or do the rules change and you can order from your the bar where you are drinking. read more

The bar itself beautifully tiled - after renovating my bathrooms, I'm a sucker for nice tiling. I will note that I got stood up for a date the first time I sat at this very nicely designed bar, so I had some extra time admiring the fine work done, haha! At least during this time, you order at the entrance, are given a buzzer, and then you choose your own seat. Just remember to pick up your drinks directly at the bar after your order. You'll also be able to order additional drinks directly from the bar after the initial order at the front window. Don't worry, the nice people at the window will also go over this process if you forget! Their fried chicken sandwich is pretty drool-worthy, and their sandwich/burger and beer special for $18.50 is a great value, as the sandwiches are $15 on their own, so you're getting a beer for $3 off essentially. This order also comes with a nice portion of perfectly cooked waffle fries too. I'm a sucker for waffle fries. I've also had their summer salad that came with strawberries and burrata that was tasty and fresh too. Really nice date spot (don't worry, I had subsequent dates that actually showed up) that doesn't break the bank. Their cocktails are also quite nice and draft beer selection usually has a couple of surprises. They've consistently had a Japanese lager that I almost always order. This is probably my favorite spot in South Park. read more

Thursday at 730 pm lady at the front was obnoxious they don't even serve you and have the juevos to automatically have 20% gratuity Selected at the self serve line lmao.. Now for the food and drink extremely quick but to keep this short, way way way overpriced high school college food over salted cheap ingredients and do not get the slushee i never get hangovers anymore because I buy nicer alcohol haven't felt like this since college (cheap AF) and really overpriced for a tiny cup of this C. read more

Overpriced for the quality and my husband got food poisoning from the Cuban Sandwich.

I've been here a handful of times and the food's always good and the service is friendly. It's a good place to go for a casual, relatively quick meal. It can get a bit loud when it's busy so it's not a good place if you're looking for an intimate date spot. I recently tried their cornbread French toast on their brunch menu and it was amazing! It didn't taste exactly like cornbread, it's more dense, but it's worth a try! read more

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I'm so glad that Shane responded. But it doesn't give me or anyone else that knows my character any reason to return to that place. My dissatisfaction was with the managers behavior with the remaining 4 people. We had a large group initially and half of the people had gone home an hour earlier. Our small group is being characterized like a bachelorette party. As far as your diverse staff, I respect the bartenders interactions. One of them apologized to a few of us. But thanks for reminding me that because you have BIPOC employed at your bar that your business is exempt for racist behavior. #thisisamerica read more

As a resident of San Diego for over 14 years, I've looked forward to finding a new neighborhood bar in South Park. My first visit was short, but left a hope for this place to become my regular "spot" after a long day of work, or perhaps even to introduce a friend to a new local bar in a neighborhood they might not regularly explore. Not only has Fernside embarrassed themselves, but they've made me regret my recommendation 100 times over. Post pandemic, a group of medical first-responders wanted to let off some steam and enjoy a Sunday out together (post-pandemic) to catch up. They started their day in North Park for lunch and made the decision to take me up on my recommendation for Fernside in South Park. All seemed to be going well as I met up with the group at the first table inside the main entrance. The group was chatting and having a good time (as a group of work friends would during a fun day out). Unfortunately, that didn't last. As the evening went on, some of our crew made the decision to leave. Being that some make sudden exits (as older folks do), I asked someone to check for one of my crew in particular to ensure she was still in the building or perhaps the restroom. I didn't notice that the staff overheard and took that as a notice to make an exaggeration of it for their future reference. About an hour in, I realized no one around us was eating food and being a counter service establishment, I didn't think to ask for a food menu. I offered a bag of snack sized Doritos to my table and a couple of friends ate chips as we continued our conversations. As a couple of us decided to approach the counter for another round (my first round of the night), the staff made it known that the manager had notified her staff that we were not to be served any longer. In short: "Sorry, my manager says we can no longer serve your table." Being that I hadn't ordered my first drink yet, I calmly asked to speak to the manger based on what I had personally experienced. Three of the four of us at the table were non-white. There was no reason for us to be refused service at that point - no one was being unruly or a problem. If we were being rude or disruptive, I certainly would not have stuck around the table. I believe the owner of the dog was asked to keep him off of the table after being petted (understandable), but there was nothing rowdy about our party by normal standards. The handling of the small 6 pound Yorkie dog was corrected, after which we mingled with the table behind and their three small dogs to exchange dog names and greet them (all patrons at the table next to us were white). In the end, the manager was out of line in the way she approached the table to discuss her personal issue with our party. She stated [without any prior warning] that we were being rude and aggressive to her servers and that one of our friends "had been passed out in the bathroom for 25 minutes" - she conveniently timed a false incident without anyone's knowledge but her own. No one ever approached the table to discuss any of this with us directly. Sure, the dog should have not been near the table, but it was a very well-behaved dog. As we were refused service at the counter, we naturally questioned why in an attempt to be fair. Tonight, the manager on duty at Fernside, 6/6/2021, had another angle on our experience and showed a blatant disrespect and lack of experience. It may come to be our word against hers, but I even felt the need to record the interaction tonight. The manager went as far as to threaten to call the cops on three local minority women for a simple question of racist refusal of service. Shame on you! [I'm attaching a photo of the dog who we had at our table this evening.] read more

Fernside - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

Full bar and food! So I start it this way bc it's so hard to tell if a place has a full bar or not. It does. The menu is what I'd call diverse bar food. Burgers, wings, sandwiches but all with a flair hipsters would love read more

Breakfast Sandwich Part Deux. Take my word for it - Breakfast Sandwich Part Deux. The service is great. I don't even know what the other food tastes like cos I tried this once and I don't even want to try anything else, this is so damn good. Also, you can't go wrong with a place that has alcoholic slushies. Staff is awesome. Location is great. My friend had been telling me since before the start of the pandemic that we should go and we never got around to it. I've been there 3 times the last couple months alone and it's one of my favourite places. Don't even mind leaving Pacific Beach for this read more

Very good water! There is a self serve station easily accessible. The water is cold, with no ice. The glasses are moderate sized. Good experience, read more

Fernside - Water - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

My friends and I tried this cute restaurant for brunch a few weeks ago. The service was amazing and I really liked the indoor/outdoor concept. We started off with their coconut aperol spritz which is not just delicious but pretty too! For food we went with the burger, French fries and citrus salad. All were great and the excellent service definitely has me wanting to come back for more. read more

Fernside - Aperol Spritz - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

Good portions and good ambience...food and cocktails were just ok. Cocktails were very sweet. I would give it another shot though!

Super disappointed of our to go order last night. The lemonade was slightly flavored water that my GD did not drink. (She normally loves it). And my vegan burger tasted like it was a week old and slightly reheated. Completely cold. The biggest bummer is that I didn't tip. (We walked up to order outside and picked up 10 minutes later) and I feel like they "stick it to us because of not tipping) read more

This neighborhood gem is a regular go to for drinks and food. Whether you're just catching up with friends or want somewhere to watch a game (it's not officially a sports bar but they have a good number of TVs), it has a friendly, locals vibe, great drinks, and good food. Try the Mexican Firing squad if you're into tequila slushees (warning: you only need one for a decent buzz), the Fernside Old Fashioned, or Whiskey Smash. Happy Hour is Mon-Fri 4-6 pm. I enjoy the fried chicken sandwich with its slaw and jalapeños for some kick (comes with yummy waffle fries) or Chinese chicken salad when I want a full meal. Don't be intimidated by the line outside to order - it goes fast - but you might have to wait for a table on a crowded day or night. The bartenders are always friendly and fast too. read more

Great neighborhood vibe, tasty food (love the burger and the wedge salad), friendly service and great cocktails. Always a go-to favorite.

I am going to premise this by saying I like Fernside. I have been quite a few times, their boozy slushies are great and food is alright, not fantastic but decent. However, today they disappointed me. Long story short: DO NOT COME HERE TO WATCH SPORTING EVENTS. The staff told us they would be showing the Copa America final, we waited 45 minutes for the game to start, an event that only happens once every 4 years bear in mind. As the game was about to start, the sound still wasn't on so I politely asked if it would be possible to put the audio from the game and was immediately shot down. The majority of people were there to watch this game but no, how could you possibly turn off the usual classic rock Spotify playlist for this one off special sporting event everybody wanted to hear. I asked if I could somehow prove that most people would be happy to hear the audio from the game but was shot down again. We moved on and ended up happily watching the game elsewhere, a fantastic game by the way. We likely won't be going back to Fernside. read more

They've switched to ordering outside then selecting your own seat, collecting your own drinks, and collecting your own food... The food, drink, and ambiance aren't good enough to make me do all that work when I go out to eat. If they cut the prices back it may be worthwhile. read more

Fernside is my home away from home. All of the servers and bartenders have been nothing but wonderful human beings. I love this place so much that I decided to donate a piece of furniture I built (the red bar cart upstairs). After the massive approval of my bar cart, their amazing management hired me to install a shelf. They support small business and rad times. There's not a better bar out there! P.S I'm here more than anyone. Therefore, my opinion matters the most. read more

After moving and unpacking for days on end, my husband and I were really craving burgers. We ordered on the Toast app and chose the burger combo which came with a choice of burger and a cocktail or growler. We both went with the Fernside burgers and a pineapple daiquiri and a growler. The burgers were so delicious, stacked with a delicious sauce with two juicy patties, and the waffle fries were crispy and seasoned perfectly. The daiquiri had a nice strong punch and tasted great! The staff was friendly and our order was ready very quickly. I'll definitely be back again to satisfy my burger craving! read more

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