I had been wanting to try this place for a while now and it did not disappoint. The wait staff were friendly and knowledgeable and the service was great. Good - The mussel toast appetizer was phenomenal. Thick grilled house made sourdough smothered in a creamy caper sauce with rich mussels. One of the best appetizers I've ever had. - Carpaccio was solid. - Fresh fish from local farms. Mid - A La carte sides lacked variety. - Filet was overly seasoned, taking away from the natural flavor of the cut but this is just personal preference. read more

There's a reason this place doesn't even have 4 stars, the food is just not good, period. Oh, and way overpriced, ambience is meh and incredibly loud. Service was decent. We tried a bunch of dishes: Pita, pickles & hummus- 2/10- pita was literally raw Beef Carpaccio- 9/10- only great dish here Mussel toast- 5/10 soggy and mussels just roll all over the place Oysters- 2/10 ZERO flavor, weird, tasted like nothing, and we got a dozen on 2 different kinds Potatoes- 3/10 no salt, dry, and not hot or crispy Pizza- 2/10 absolute train wreck, cheese was a weird texture, hot honey was overpowering Baja shrimp- 5/10 meh. Small and boring, also unseasoned Filet- 5/10 zero sear or grill marks, bland, like everything else, overpriced for what you get. Ragu- 5/10 pasta underdone Drinks were decent but took forever, and the place is so loud you can hardly hear the person seated next to you. Way too many great places around to bother dining here. About $130 per person, never again read more

Excellent food and service. I feel that the service is pretty close to some Michelin rated restaurants i have had the pleasure of attended... with a personal touch. The food is always excellent here and consistently so. read more

Herb & Sea - Seafood Near Me - Encinitas, California

Great happy hour Oysters and burgers were delicious Will be back next time in town read more

Nothing but fabulous things to say about this amazing restaurant. Chef Aidan has gone above and beyond with this menu. Still dreaming of the beef carpaccio and the delicious chocolate dessert (not pictured -- devoured too quickly). Perfect laidback atmosphere combined with knowledgeable staff. Highly recommend making the drive up to Encinitas for this delicious experience. read more

See all

went to for my husband's birthday last Friday night. It couldn't have been more fabulous. The food was amazing. We bone marrow. We loved the shrimp and the muscle toast is are very favorite. Everything was delicious. The drinks were fabulous. The waitress was wonderful. I can't say enough good things. Good job urban sea read more

My husband and I have been to Herb and Sea quite a few times, and always enjoyed it. Our last visit, on 3/7, was the exception to the rule. We showed up early for happy hour, and were near the front of the line. When we got in and tried to sit at the bar, we were told that the seats were reserved. We went to two other seats, and were told they were reserved too. A total of 5 bar seats were reserved. We then saw that a table of folks in the bar area had two seats open at the end. We asked our waiter if we could sit there. And were sternly told no, that was a reserved table. 3 minutes later two people approached them and asked if they could join that table, and were told yes. We ended up at the oyster bar, with another similarly annoyed couple, and there were only two seats, so the husbands had to stand. We asked how we could reserve bar seats in the future, and were told that bar seats cannot be reserved. If you're going to reserve a large portion of the bar, against your own rules, the least you could do is make sure that the folks in the front of the line are the ones who get seats. At a minimum, we should have received an apology and a comped drink. But nobody cared. read more

Fabulous cocktails- get the charred pineapple tequila drink. Wonderful veggie dishes - especially the blistered peas. Don't forget the butterscotch dessert. Excellent service. Great vibe. read more

This review has been stewing in me since September. I came back home to Encinitas with my wife to attend a celebration of life for the son of a dear friend and had wanted to try Chef Malarkey's restaurant since I lived down D street on the bluff forty five years ago. And I have to agree with another reviewer in that it was the worst dining experience I had in a few years ago. I've watched Chef Malarkey for years either competing or judging on the Food Network and always enjoyed his wild and fun approach to cooking. But eating here was the extreme opposite. We came in and the first impression was that the restaurant was very dark with poor to little lighting making reading the menu difficult for someone older. But I had already studied it on their website so my wife and I were ready for what we wanted. There were four of us and it was already busy at six pm with a huge party which seemed to command the attention of most of the servers leaving us with intermittent visits. I was going to have the sea bass and Sumac tomatoes, but they were sold out of the bass. So I switched to the steak tartare instead with the tomatoes. My wife ordered her usual of a Caesar salad and a dozen oysters. My brother had something called Swan and a Caesar with his wife ordering the Ragu. Meanwhile, service was quite slow and disjointed being that the server (who was nice but plastic fantastic and not very attentive) one dish would come out and we'd wait five minutes and another while we waited for the entire table to have something before we started eating, so hot dishes were getting cold while cold dishes the opposite. This continued with the entrees and waiting over twenty minutes for drinks. The break down of the food was: The Sumac tomatoes ended up being the best of everything, my tartare had a slimy film throughout it and they served it with a very large piece of Texas toast that was very over charred. Not to mention that Texas toast has to be the worst vehicle for what should be a delicate dish. I had three bites and couldn't eat anymore. My wife's Caesar's taste was off putting because the egg jam and she said that had she been able to actually read the menu, she would never had ordered it with the dry chunk of chicken skin on it. Her dozen oysters were beyond micro sized, you could have put three into a thimble they were so small. My brother's Swan came out a plate smaller than a bread plate and was disappointing considering the price. His wife's Ragu ended up tasting good she said, but Chef Malarkey always says on television "we first eat with our eyes" and this dish reminded me of the commercial for Farmers Pet food for dogs. When the server did show up, she asked if I was done with the Tartare and I mentioned how it tasted, all she said was "oh" and walked away. So after spending over four hundred dollars we went back to our hotel in Del Mar and within an hour I was experiencing food poisoning reactions for the entire night. Which caused me to drive back to Pasadena and missing the celebration of life on Sunday. I remember reading about Chef turning the reins over to a new executive director a while back and he totally failed. In contrast, we just came home from a long weekend at the Aviara and thoroughly enjoyed eating at Chef Richard Blais's Ember and Rye which deserves ten stars. The Tartare was fabulous, the Crab and Lobster bucatini matched it. Bottom line, we could have had better food that night had we gone to the Chart House, Pacific Grill or even the venerable Bully's in Del Mar. So anyone thinking of coming to Herb and Sea....don't and go to Ember and Rye instead. I now believe that Chef Malarkey got his nickname of Shenanigans" for creating incredible food on television and then getting you to eat something that he would judge harshly on television and pay a lot of money for it. Shenanigans....you owe me four hundred dollars! read more

This place had the vibe I absolutely adore! The lighting and table setting was great & the changing menu was a great experience! I absolutely loved the potatoes & the dessert. Service was great even for a big group. read more

Herb & Sea - Butterscotch Budino - Seafood Near Me - Encinitas, California

See all

Great food, service in a nice ambiance. Had a great time. We all had different entrees and enjoyed everything. read more

my friend told me about their happy hour deal and although this place was a 40 min drive for me, it was totally worth it! they offer happy hour at the bar from 5-6pm and it was packed! the happy meal comes with a smash burger, 3 oysters, fries, and a glass of bubbly, all for just $20! the smash burger was delicious, perfectly crispy and seasoned. the fries were so crispy and salted, and the oysters were so fresh! love the little squeeze bottle of hot sauce they give you on the side. note to management, make sure the bottles are actually refilled before you give them out. 2 of the 5 bottles we received were basically empty. my only small gripe is that you can't customize the burger. my friend and I asked for our burgers without onions or mustard respectively and our waiter said that wouldn't be possible bc those are both mixed into the burger dressing. understandable bc it was still delicious but they also didn't list that it included pickles on top of the cheese - and if I had known that, I 100% would have removed it. instead I was scraping out the pickles before I could eat. definitely make reservations bc they fill up for HH fast! read more

See all

Came here for anniversary dinner, what a disappointment! Cocktail was good and was the only reason this place got 2 starts. Fish was undercooked, shrimp was over done, sauce was over seasoned, so salty almost borderline inedible. As a seafood restaurant, they should be ashamed. Crossed off the list, never coming back again. read more

Parking: plenty of free parking around the area and in the neighborhoods. If you're lucky, you can park on the Main Street but you do have to pay for it Food: from starting off with the Hawaiian pizza and oysters as appetizers, I was very pleased. We did have one bad oyster to which the server was nice to give us another one to make up for it. When the main course of the rib eye with sides of Brussels sprouts and baby carrots along with salad came out, my family and I were impressed by how delicious everything was. Our favorite sides was the Brussels sprouts and the endive salad! So I highly suggest others to order as well Overall, I would dine at this restaurant again whether it's for a date or family dinner. Reservations are easy to be made and the servers/host are nice! read more

See all

Surprisingly mediocre ... no real welcoming vibe .... Just arrived in town & had Sat night reservations for a bday celebration ... was truly looking forward to trying Herb & Sea as their sister restaurant, Herb & Wood, was extraordinary! Arrived at Herb & Sea a bit early & had to stand around despite the table that we were eventually seated at being empty from the time we walked in. At the reco of the distracted & disinterested hostess who suggested we wait at the bar, we headed over there & snagged seats only to be told that there was a line for said seats despite the hostess just saying seating at the bar was first come first serve ... hmmm - not the greatest first imptession. Once we were seated at table, the waiter was fine & tried to be helpful. The highlight of the meal was the mussel toast appetizer - great flavors & decent presentation. Unfortunately the restaurant had already run out of the blue fin tuna that the waiter had strongly recommended by 8:30 pm on a Saturday night ... too bad. The yellow fin that was subsequently ordered instead was good & nicely plated. The sea bass, however, was unusually seasoned, sat in a sea of rice doused in some sort of unflavorful sauce & was mediocre at best which is a hard thing to achieve when serving such a wonderful fish - not at all the level expected . Despite the waiter knowing a birthday was being celebrated, no complimentary dessert or champagne was offered. Nada ... again quite surprising ... perhaps he forgot ... Overall, a somewhat flat experience with less than stellar food & service ... definitely did not live up to expectations read more

See all

Great place for delicious food, fast service and great location. Parking maybe difficult but it is well worth it. read more

Herb & Sea - Seafood Near Me - Encinitas, California

We made a reservation a few weeks in advance and that was the right move. This place gets packed! We each got the $20 happy meal, it includes a burger, oysters, fries and a glass of bubbly. The burger was really goo read more

Herb & Sea - Seafood Near Me - Encinitas, California

Ambiance was beautiful!! We sat outside and the patio had luscious plants and ample heaters. Nicole was our server and she was incredibly friendly and thoughtful. We ordered carrot hummus, spicy margarita, kids pasta with roasted carrots, and blue fin tuna. Everything was flavored perfectly! Would definitely recommend and return. read more

Herb & Sea - Guavamente Bessame spicy margarita - Seafood Near Me - Encinitas, California

I highly recommend this place. I got the sea bass, the ceviche, the mussel & bone marrow plus a bunch of other stuff and everything was phenomenal. I really have no complaints at all. Our waiter was so chill and nice too. The ambiance was just right. The music wasn't too loud, it smelt nice/neutral and everyone looked like they were enjoying themselves. It was my birthday so they gave me a banana pudding type ice cream on the house with a little candle, so that was very cool of them. Overall a wonderful experience and I will dine here again in the future. read more

Oh my my! What a night. This was truly an experience and not just a meal. Our server was the best and we were so glad we trusted his recommendations. The hush puppies and potatoes are outstanding. My wife had the pesto and I got the swordfish. I can't even describe how fantastic my dish was, amazing texture and flavor. A fun vibe inside and great for a spendy upscale date night. read more

See all

Food was yummy but nothing out of this world and the valentines prefix dinner for two (plus two cocktails and two oysters) costed us $435 so I would choose a different option if I were you read more

Great service, food and ambiance . From the appetizing starters to the mouthwatering main courses and the irresistible desserts, this culinary experience was a symphony of flavors that left me thoroughly impressed. The skilled craftsmanship of the chef and the attention to detail in each of our dishes were evident at every bite. I wholeheartedly recommend this dining experience to all food enthusiasts seeking a remarkable journey through the realm of taste. Bon appétit! Our order: Drink : Prosecco and non alcoholic beverage made with tumeric ( OML refreshing ) ! Appetizer : Hoecake, oysters and bone marrow Main dish : baked potatoes and fresh catch of the day ( absolutely delicious fish - large serving perfect for two) Dessert: forgot name ; it was a lemon flavor type of dessert :) loved it and wish it had more lemon tart drops - I would request extra lemon tart drips and make sure to spread toppings evenly and enjoy . * oysters and bone marrow was my favorite from the two appetizers ordered. I highly recommend you order the fresh catch of the day for main coarse and potatoes !! read more

Herb & Sea - Lemon type of dessert : delicious , just ask for extra lemon drops- thank me later :) spread toppings evenly and enjoy . - Seafood Near Me - Encinitas, California

I've been here once for dinner and once for happy hour and I LOVED both times. The food is fresh and delicious. My friend who isn't a big fan of raw seafood even loved their dishes. Everything is well seasoned and thought out. The cocktails are great too! This is becoming one of our favorite spots to bring friends to because we know it'll be a hit. Definitely make reservations though because the wait could take a while. read more

Would not recommend for special holiday dinners. Went Christmas Eve last year and the meal was terrible. The chef made all dishes with a common Hawaiian theme with a sauce made from store bought ketchup, which my wife was allergic to. All she could eat was cauliflower. We checked the menu before reserving, but who would have expected the steak to be cooked with ketchup in advance? read more

If you want to try some delicious food, have great service and ambiance you've come to the right place! We tried the mussel toast appetizer, tuscan Ragu, chorizo pizza and caramel budino for dessert! Delicious!! The mussel toast was to die for!! It had pillows of fresh mussels, brie, white wine butter sauce, fennel onion capers and a squeeze of lime on top of sourdough bread. It was the star of the show. I wish they had an option to have it on a bed of pasta too! Wow that would be a winning dish! But it was perfect on the thick slice of sourdough bread!! I honestly could have it as an entree. Then the Tuscan Ragu! Mama Mia! Squid ink gemelli, angus beef, peads & barnetts pork. Carrot, basil and parmigiano reggiano. Very flavorful and delicious! Then the chorizo pizza! Wow! One of the best pizzas I've ever tasted! The pizza was new york style chorizo pepperoni, green apple, hot honey, chive, pomodoro, and mozzarella! I devoured it!! Love the sweetness of the honey! The combination was such a perfect match of flavors! There's absolutely no other restaurant that would ever have this combination of flavors and hit it outta the park! Definitely going back before they change their menu! Finally the piece de resistance! The caramel budino with whip cream infused with lavender with a cinnamon cookie!! That was the perfect dessert which wasn't too sweet! The lavender was fragrant but not overpowering at all! It eas a class act! Brian Malarkey really knew what he was doing! I'm hoping to try his other restaurants soon! Had such a great experience all around! I would absolutely order the same items again! You cant go wrong with any of these choices! read more

See all

It was our first date night in nearly 5 years and this place did not disappoint. Tosh was incredibly kind and helped us decide what to have for the evening. Absolutely killed it with the mocktails, the Blue Fin Tuna, the desserts and everything else we got. I'm so full I'm literally in a food coma as a I write this. Thank you Tosh for taking care of us tonight! read more

I love Herb & Wood and was excited to try Herb & Sea. We came on Valentine's Day, which had a prix fixe menu. Despite being a holiday, tables were turning fast and we didn't have to wait too long to be seated. We had a 7:45 res and were seated by 7:55. Our server Tosh was great! There were 5 courses. The first was Parker house rolls with a honey herb butter. The 2nd, 3rd and 4th courses gave you the option of 3 items. The 5th and final dessert course gave you the option of 2 items. I opted for the kanpachi crudo, prawns, salmon, and citrus tart. My wife opted for the kale salad, prawns, mushroom risotto, and chocolate lava cake. Parker house rolls - 4/5. Wish they were warmer and the herb butter needed salt. Kanpachi - 3/5. Tasty, but could have used some more texture and salt. Kale salad - 4/5. (Not pictured) Prawns - 1/5. My prawns were lukewarm warm and over cooked. My wife's prawns were also like warm and under cooked. Just way too inconsistent. The sauce was good though. Salmon - 4/5. Really enjoyed it. Wish the skin was a little crispier. Mushroom risotto- 3/5. Liked the flavor, was too way too thick. Some of the crispy mushrooms on top were bitter (burnt) (not pictured) Chocolate lava cake - 3/5. Not warm. Still cold. Cake was dry on the edges. (Not pictured) Citrus tart - 3/5. Very very sweet. Overall not amazing or terrible. I'd like to come back and try the full menu on a less busy night. read more

Herb & Sea - Seafood Near Me - Encinitas, California

Great service, vibrant atmosphere & outstanding food. We definitely recommend Herb & Sea!

Such a good happy hour spot! Definitely get there atleast 10 min before they open. $20 for a burger, drink and fries is a steal!

Great staff at this Herb & Sea with the trendy crowd. We were seated right away, with reservations. The noise level was high, but luckily we were seated in a corner of the restaurant and it was less noisy. The staff was so friendly and professional. She guided us, and knew the way everything we asked about was made, in detail. That is the sign of a good restaurant. Order the Secret Rolls. They are not on the menu, but you will see them in yelp reviews. Delicious but filling. The Smoked tuna donuts are very fishy, so remember to dip them in the sauce. It cuts down the fishiness. They were something we wanted to try. The menu changes often, so who knows what will be on the menu next time we come. My boyfriend ordered the Tuna which came with a light dressing salad. It was delicious. He ate every bite. I ordered something heavy, the Seabass served on top of Orzo Chorizo risotto and fennel and tomatoes, which was heavy with what tasted like tomato paste, and it was salty. It was overwhelmingly flavorful. I could not finish the Risotto. Then we ordered desserts. That was a delight! Oh I love sweets, and they are light and fluffy and sweet. Yum. Light like a mouse, sweet and the semifreddo was also salty. read more

See all

Arrived with a party of 6. Seated at a table with a broken chair. Took waiter over 15 minutes to initiate service at our table. Drinks, food and service was underwhelming. read more

Came here a Sunday evening for the three course seafood special and to see how it was after many years. Ambience great! Beautiful space with so many windows...felt like an East Coast seafood restaurant with an upscale modern vibe. So happy to see they have sound panels now you can hear the person across from you. And at this point we were excited. Beverage service was great. Delicious drinks served very quickly and they have a very delicious non alcoholic cocktail selection as well. Much appreciated. Service was abysmal. Specifically our server and we probably had the same one someone described in a review a few days earlier. She was totally unengaged and almost apathetic. She didn't seem to understand our questions about the tasting menu. It took over 30 minutes to get a half dozen of the oysters, which were delicious with 3 east coast PEI and 3 west coast Washington state. They had a nice mignonette and smoky cocktail sauce as sides. Server couldn't answer anything about them other than what she read off a piece of paper. Eventually the tasting app came. It was an Asian noodle salad with shrimp. The tastes were great but the mini shrimp in it were outstanding! Some of the sweetest, tastiest shrimp I have had. Loved that one. Almost 45 minutes AFTER that, our main courses came out. Yes, I was checking the time by then. The whole time we were waiting she never once came over to ask how we were or say she'd check on the kitchen or anything. One of the bussers asked if we would like another drink. She actually appeared to be actively ignoring us when she attended to people at tables next to us. People around us who came there when we did were leaving and paying checks when our food finally came out. She showed up with a check after dessert and never asked how it was or attempted any service recovery. Can't totally blame her because while all this was going on, someone who looked like a manager or someone in a supervisory position stopped by and sat down and chatted with couple next to us multiple times and served them their wine from the bottle on the table. Also never looking around the room. Food was variable. Oysters were great. The tasting menu Asian shrimp dish was also great. The halibut tasting menu main had a sauce that really didn't match: cream and butter with trumpet or oyster mushrooms. That kind of fish needs something zesty with some acid to liven it up. But worst was the halibut was overcooked. To me, that's a cardinal sin of a seafood place or a steak place. The other entree of sea bass, however, was excellent. The tasting menu lemon tart was a pretty small slice (that's ok) but the crust was hard and it was just ok. Did I let our server know about the halibut? No I couldn't. She never asked and just dropped the check off and left. So the ambience was great and they fixed the noise problem, the bar does fine with drinks. The food was very good but also uneven. The tasting menu was a no for me with only one hit. The awful service from the server, however, means we won't be returning. Plenty of people in there though, so they will do fine. read more

Herb & Sea - Halibut special. Overcooked and in a creamy buttery mushroom sauce which didn't match the fish. - Seafood Near Me - Encinitas, California

See all

Our server was not only almost absent but also treated us different. We were celebrating an anniversary. The receptionist didn't acknowledge or even wish. Our server also didn't. The server only emerged to serve another couple seated by us. She didn't tend to us at all.. we were asking other wait staff for assistance. Food is alright, nothing to write home about. Absolute let down. read more

Unfortunately this was disappointed, some of my colleagues went out for a burger afterwards. The branzino was OK that is what I had. We tried several appetizers and everything I hear was that they were not satisfying. read more

See all

Herb & Sea was a big disappointment for me which is a shame since I am such a huge fan of Herb & Wood. The majority of the dishes were very salty and service was slow and it was difficult to get their attention as we sat outside in the patio. The oysters were fresh and delicious. The broiled scallops were a mess of saltiness. The roasted oysters & bone marrow tasted pretty good and came out piping hot which is what I like. The roasted cauliflower was lukewarm but very flavorful. The Oak grilled pork chop was actually cooked well and delicious but it reminded me a lot like chinese char sieu in taste. The fennel sausage pizza was actually my favorite dish of the night. Loved the mixture of flavors. We ended the night with creme brulee which was rich and creamy and the Butterscotch Budino which was very decadent. read more

See all

Came here for a work dinner and left very impressed! Began with a local IPA - did think that their beer selection was weak given the location! Three draft beers and the IPA I had was just okay! They do have cocktails, full bar and wine. I had their ceviche which was incredible and their tartare - that was underwhelming and lacked flavor! Oddly enough the true standouts where the sides - beat mushrooms I have ever had with an incredible smoked flavor and delicious carrots and Brussel sprouts. Service was friendly throughout the night and a great atmosphere! Delicious good and fun location! read more

This place is run by teeangers who dont know anything about customer service. Thrir bar tight and they were turning away ppl for HH who didnt make the "right" kind of table reservation which was a 1st for us and we routinely dine in NY and LA. Go only if you can stomach poor customer service and surprise rules with your meal. read more

Today is my sister's birthday and we were in the area and thought we should give Herb and Sea a try for a walk in. 2/3 of the restaurant was completely empty and when we went up to the hostess, her body language looked like she was bothered by me and my four person party. I first asked about happy hour, what was on the menu and then followed up with if it's only served in bar area. She said only in the bar area and it's first come serve seating. So I said no worries. THEN I asked, do you have any open seating for four people tonight? She started clicking on her iPad and said, nope, she's fully booked for today and that she can get in me another day. So I said, no thanks and then left. And behold! Looking at the available Yelp reservations, there's open spots all night.. especially within the next 15 mins. I have no idea what the hosts problem was but that's terrible service. read more

See all

My fiancé and I had a fantastic dinner here! Hayden (our server) did a great job with recommendations! We had the oysters, linguine, tuna tar tar, and some other goodies. We never felt rushed once and really enjoyed the atmosphere around us. We are glad we made a reservation, because it was definitely full. Will be back! read more

Absolutely loved this place! It has been getting a lot of attraction on Sundays for their local catch tasting menu only on Sundays. We were lucky to get a last minute reservation at 5pm for 4 people. The menu for this changes every Sunday. I have got to say the tasting menu did not disappoint it was so good ! It was a 3 course meal with appetizer, entree and dessert. We got a few other items on the menu like: Brussel sprouts- 9/10 Beef carpaccio- 8/10 Braised pork- 7/10 Focaccia bread- 10/10 Sea Bass- 7-10 The ambiance of the restaurant was a vibe and our waiter was great! He was very informative with the menu and was able to give us some recommendations on what to try. Definitely recommend to try this place I will be back! read more

See all