We come here to our birthdays and when we have special friends or family. The food is amazing, well priced for what you get. Service is outstanding. Still amazed on our second visit. Every table is packed and hard to get a same-day reservation. Started with the dinner rolls - wow. I enjoyed the half baked red snapper and shared the carrots and mussel toast. Delish! Barbara wine was so-so, I've had better. Overall wonderful experience, will be back on the next t event we celebrate. read more

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Arrived early so we could get a seat for the Adult Happy Meal - it's a great deal. Also, the hot sauce for the oysters is delicious (and I'm a hot sauce hater). You do have to arrive early as it gets packed almost immediately for happy hour! read more

Ambiance..its in thr corner but hard to see but so beautiful inside Seevixe..fast and friendly Food..very different and amazing flavours..got the pita with pickles..mashed potatoes..goat milk pasta and margaritas pizza. Pizza was okay but everything else was amazing. read more

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Phenomenal! Scallop aguachile, still thinking about the porkchop, and mocktails were delicious. I will definitely be back. Our waitress was awesome and she described the dishes really well. The vibes were great, we loved the playlist! read more

Great service and swanky ambiance. Food wise - The happy hour burger and oysters were excellent. Looking forward to coming back to try more of the menu! read more

Herb & Sea - Seafood Near Me - Encinitas, California

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Wow! I was recommended by a friend and was really happy with everything! Service was absolutely lovely and very attentive. The food was amazing and they had so many options for wine/cocktails. I love the way the inside is decorated, it can get a bit loud on a busy evening. Overall can't wait to visit again! I highly recommend their steak. read more

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Came for our anniversary, and the atmosphere is very modern American. The music is a bit loud, so it's not a first-date place, but a good place for dinner to celebrate an anniversary or catch up with friends. Started with the Ode to Swan, which was very good. It was a mix of salmon, tuna, and scallop crudo topped with capers. Our server also recommended getting the sumac tomatoes, which were a good vegetable starter. It is spicy, though, so if you aren't a spice person, I would stay away. Red Snapper is really soft and buttery. It is served as a fillet without bones but includes the head for presentation. I would stay away from the potatoes; a couple of them were flavorless. Also, I would not recommend the pork entree for the price. The service here was really good, but I feel the food does not justify the price. Had it not been for the Chase Sapphire Reserve OpenTable credit, I would say stay away, unless you're here to celebrate a special occasion. read more

Awesome happy hour, and everyone else seems to know as well, so if you're looking to get the happy meal for happy hour get there 10 min before they open because bar seating is limited and thats the only place they have happy hour. As for the happy meal, it's a banging burger, fries, and 3 oysters, what's not to love? Also ordered a glass of champagne and was very happy with it. Had good service too! This place won't blow your socks off with anything super unique, but it's not trying to. read more

Herb & Sea - happy meal & brut - Seafood Near Me - Encinitas, California

I came here recently with some friends for a bite to eat, and to check out their North Pole bar they have for the holidays. I rounded my review up to a 3 star, but id say it was a bit less than that, maybe 2.5 Parking here can be a nightmare especially during a busy dinner time. They only have street parking, so you might have to walk a bit if you don't plan ahead. When we walked up there were two lines, one for dining reservations, and the other was walk-ins for the bar as they do not take reservations. The line for the bar was huge already, so we knew it was going to be busy. Upon entering, the bar is to the left and is decorated very heavily, and very nicely for the holidays. To the right is the restaurant dining area, which oddly to me is not decorated at all for the holidays. The first thing I noticed is it is extremely dark inside, enough to where some in our party had trouble reading the menu. I get that it is meant to be intimate, and it was nice for a date I'm sure, but in my opinion it was just a little bit too dark. I had read things about the service not being the fastest, so I was kind of prepared for that. I do have to say that was our experience as well. The dining room is not that big, and it did seem they have quite a few servers, so I'm not really sure where the issue lies. It wasn't the slowest I had but definitely noticeable, and we had to ask for a few things more than once on occasion. I also was very turned off that although we ordered several appetizers and dishes, they didn't clear away any plates and the table was a mess throughout our meal. We did check out the bar area, which was extremely crowded. They do have a seating along the entire bar area, so there really isn't anywhere to slip into a space and order a drink. I'm honestly not sure if they would let you order if you were not seated at one of the tables or the bar area. There are some tables with seating as well, but they were full. Luckily two people had left from the bar area so we were able to snag a seat to order a drink, and take it back to our table. You can only order the holiday drinks at the bar, and not from your server in the dining area unfortunately. I tried the boozy butterbeer, which was good, but I have had a similar drink other places that was better. The mug it was served in was adorable, and very big. It did have a lot of ice in it, so it wasn't too much alcohol. It did almost slip from my hand as the condensation had built up and it got slippery and was heavy. For the food we tried several dishes, some which were good and some of which were not very good at all. The parker house rolls were not on the menu, but they were good, although not the butter they serve with it. It's some weirdly infused butter that had an odd flavor and tasted too sweet, and they piled it on top of the rolls. Ask for the butter to the side if you order them. The seafood croquet appetizer was not what i expected and was a bit too over fried. The coconut sauce didn't really go with it either. The carrots we prdered had some that were undercooked, and the sauce they put on there did not go at all, it was just gross to all of us. When I read the reviews prior, several people mentioned the Tuscan Ragu as a good choice, so i went with that. It was definitely one of the better of the dishes we had. It was just the right amount of sauce, the meat wasn't chewy and the flavor was savory. We also had the Smashed Boardwalk Potatoes which were also very good. I'd reccomend both of those and the rolls. The sea bass was also ordered, but oddly there were parts of it that were overly salty, and not the biggest hit. The shisheido peppers were good, a bit spicy which wasn't bad. Overall id have to say its not somewhere I'd have to go back. I would possibly be interested in their happy hour for the happy meal, but not sure I'd make a special trip for it, since it's out of my way and parking is tough. Id skip the restaurant and just go early to get into the North Pole bar honestly. read more

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Such a great place! The food was delicious from the apps to dessert. Our service was wonderful. And the decor & vibe were just right. If you're in the area, definitely check them out! read more

Food was very decadent. The squid ink pasta was my favorite, but the shrimp linguini and goat milk cavatelli were also up there in taste. You can taste the quality. They're not on the saucy side; they're on the richer, 'oilier'-yet-dry-but-tasty side. I like the thin crust on the pizza, and the sauce on this was tasty. The ceviche was refreshing; I'd get that again. It's fun to eat with the plantain chips. The mussel toast was super tasty, wow. The sourdough toast soaked up all the goodness of the ingredients yet had that nice crunch on the crust. The roasted oysters and bone marrow dish was on the saltier side. The lamb meatballs weren't my favorite. The smashed boardwalk potatoes were good as were the roasted carrots from the kid's menu. The chocolate mousse pie wasn't really a pie. It was all right. Highly overpriced, and I would NOT get that again. Service was fine for a Wednesday night. Ambiance was fine. It's right by the beach, so that's nice. We had to park in a neighborhood a couple of blocks away because there were so many cars. We were here for a special occasion, but I am not dying to come back. read more

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Had a great date night birthday dinner here with my wife. Started with their old fashioned which had Montenegro and cynar, it leaned on the Montenegro as the dominant flavor. Really nice apertivo old fashioned. For food we shared a bunch of things. Started with the ceviche, which was prepared in a very light citrus mix. Light but substantial, paired beautifully with the slightly sweet taro chips. Next we had the johnnycake. Not sure what I was expecting but this wasn't it but it was outstanding. A fluffy cornmeal pancake that was also slightlly browned from the skillet. It had a honey butter, fish spread, and caviar. This was the highlight of dinner. Hits every tastebud and the occasional pop of caviar was a treat. I wish it had a bit more caviar as you didn't get it in every bite. That said, amazing dish. Next we had the peppers, which were our least favorite dish of the night. They were nicely roasted poblano chiles topped with parsley and cilantro and slices of Fresno chile. They were served on a bed of a green dressing that didn't have much flavor but added to the texture of the dish. We finished with the duck and apricot pizza. It had arugula and a balsamic reduction . Very good flavors on a nice crust with a bit of give. Quite decadent, only had one piece. Looking forward to Sunday lunch. Yes it's loud and dark but it all works. 6pm on a Saturday and there were quite a few street spots closer to the ocean on D St. come from the north if practical so you can turn right on D. Sat through multiple cycles of the light to turn left on D coming from the south. The left lane is also the left turn lane and it's a yielding light on a very busy street. Service was great, very attentive, friendly, and knowledgeable yet kept a good distance. read more

TLDR: food was great, service was terribly lacking. This was one of the odder experiences I've had in awhile. It started off on the wrong foot because my friend and I had made our reservation thinking we'd be enjoying the festive holiday decor, not realizing it was limited to only the bar area, not standard seating. No biggie, we went to grab a cocktail before getting seated, but the bar was so packed we couldn't even get a bartenders attention to do so. We reluctantly gave up and went back to the host stand to get seated- oh well. It took awhile for our server to greet us and take our drink order- long enough that we decided to order a bunch of apps to start with, letting the server know we'd order entrees later. Our appetizers arrived timely enough- we started with: -bluefin crudo, delicious -ode to swan, also delicious -pita & pickles, pita- good, pickles were not pickled at all.. It was like they dipped them in water instead of vinegar- should have just labeled it crudite instead, very disappointing because we love pickled things. the baba ganoush for this dish did not taste at all like baba ganoush, nor did it have the texture of baba ganoush, but it was really tasty regardless -Caesar salad, good We were halfway through all of this before our drinks arrived, which was pretty annoying. Our server checked on us once to see how things were going, but then didn't return until well after we had finished and even lazily stacked and sorted our plates waiting for him to return. It was getting late at this point so we were worried we'd be told the kitchen was closed and we wouldn't be able to put our final order in. We ended up having to flag someone else down to get our server for us. We ended up ordering another round of drinks, another crudo, and another ode to swan. The server came back with the wrong drink for me unfortunately but we were ready to go so I just asked him to take it away. All in all we enjoyed the food but the terrible service would make us hesitant to return. read more

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I've been to Herb & Sea twice now--once with a group of friends and once with my husband for date night--and both experiences were genuinely lovely. The first time, there were four of us and we were seated right next to the kitchen/expo station. It was very loud and busy, which wasn't my favorite, but it was also a packed night and we didn't want to wait longer to switch tables, so we just rolled with it. Despite that, the service was great and all of our meals were good. Highly recommend the duck pizza--it was the standout. The pastas were solid but nothing extraordinary, and the steak was good as well, just not mind-blowing. The second visit with my husband was similar overall: great service, great ambience, and good food. Not food that completely blew me away, but definitely enjoyable. I'm a little on the fence about whether it's fully worth the price tag, but the experience as a whole makes it feel worth it--especially for a fun night out or date night. One thing that absolutely deserves its own moment: the off-menu bread. We ordered it both times and it was hands down the highlight of the meal each visit. Truly so delicious that I wish ordering it as an entrée was socially acceptable. Would I go back? Yes. The ambience is fantastic, the service is consistently great, and the food is good enough to keep me coming back. read more

This is one of my top 3 restaurants of all time. Been here a few times now and the food is incredible. Every time I'm in Encinitas, I HAVE TO go. The restaurant has a nice vibe to it, making great for date night. They have a great cocktail menu, and the food is just out of this world good. read more

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The food was okay. I ordered the sea bass it was a bit salty. The potatoes were pretty good and so were the carrots. I didn't feel like the sauce on the carrots went with the carrots. A lot of the flavors didn't seem to go together with the dishes. The service wasn't the best as we had to keep flagging our server down. The restaurant was very pretty inside and the bar was nicely decorated for the holidays. Overall I don't think I'd go back as nothing stood out to me for me to want to eat there again. read more

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We wanted to go to at least one holiday bar before heading to Thailand and decided to head to Herb and Sea's holiday pop up bar The North Pole. They heavily decorate the normal bar area and offer a holiday drink menu. The ceiling is gorgeous and it definitely feels very festive. It's first come first serve though and difficult to actually find a table. We settled at the communal standing table in the middle of the room which has its own service who was very nice and helpful but I assume he must have other tables as well as he was in an out a lot. Trying to order a drink from the bar was like being in a club. My husband liked the chestnut and sage old fashioned but the Not My Gumdrops was to sweet. The rizz and fizz was light and refreshing. And of course we had to get the date cake which is their best dessert. read more

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What an amazing experience. More than just an incredible meal Herb & Sea is an experience. The ambiance of the restaurant is cool, happening but still with a romantic edge that is perfect for a date night. The service is top notch and the serving staff really understand the menu and how option play off each other. The serving are surprisingly large for an upscale restaurant like this. The wine list is comprehensive without being ridiculous and overpriced. Looking forward to our next visit and sampling even more of the amazing menu. read more

Herb & Sea - Crispy Boardwalk Potatoes - Seafood Near Me - Encinitas, California

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Of course I was enticed to make the drive after seeing they created a Xmas themed bar this year. Showed up around 8.30 pm on a Thursday hoping it would not be packed ..... Wrong. It was PACKED! i felt for the bartenders as they were working like crazy. I was able to squeeze in and find a solo seat at the bar. I ordered the Sleigh Baby Sleigh drink and the crispy boardwalk potatoes. Drink was good! It was sweet so if you are not a fan of sweet I would look at other drinks. Potatoes were delish with a nice crisp and a lemon aioli. Vibes were busy and lively. Bartenders were busy, but lovely and attentive. Plan to come back for the happy meal for their happy hour. read more

Herb & Sea - Seafood Near Me - Encinitas, California

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I selfishly want to say don't go here so the next time I want to go I could get any table I want. Servers A+ Food A++ Ambience A- From the staff seating you to the ones clearing when you're finished with your meal, they were very inviting and helpful. My bone-in ribeye was even delicious the next day and tender enough to cut with a butter knife. The potatoes- fantastic, my wife's fish of the day- a treat for the taste buds. Even though we were both stuffed, the desert was gone before we could blink. Drinks were original and soooo good. Can't wait to eat here again read more

Herb & Sea - Fresh delicious oysters for our app - Seafood Near Me - Encinitas, California

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I stumbled upon an artist in their kitchen. From me, this restaurant is about an hour and a half away. I've now been three times in the span of four months. Yeah, it's that good. I'm still early in my food exploration, but it's easily some of the best food I've ever had--outside of my momma's cooking, of course. The ambiance? Pretty dope. My first walk up to the restaurant revealed a modest, maybe even unassuming, building. Once those doors closed behind me, I knew I was in for some shit. Herb & Sea is one big room. Bar area to the left, an open kitchen directly ahead, and a large dining area to fill the rest. Smooth music playing. Staff on top of everything. This place is cool as hell. This time, we were here for my fiancée's birthday dinner. The vibe was as good as before, and we already had our game plan ready to go. The two of us had come alone before, so we were on a mission to impress our family with our new found gem. Now for the meal. We approached this family style, so everyone could taste everything. Highly recommend this tactic. Our game plan: Tropic Thunder We have to start with drinks, of course. My fiancée's go-to? A spicy margarita, and Herb & Sea takes their cocktails (and mocktails) as an opportunity to provide their first impression--they didn't miss. This chili infused Santo tequila beverage is a perfect start to your dining experience. It provides the perfect amount of spice and tartness, with a refreshingly sweet finish that forces you to keep the glass in hand. We've gotten this each time we've come. The charred pineapple garnish isn't just for looks, I promise. Beef Carpaccio Damn. Just damn. We knew the family would love this, but we forgot how much we did. Fine, thinly-sliced filet mignon sitting on a plate of this fragrant, caramelized onion spread. The waitress literally said, "make sure you scrape the plate, the show is under the meat." She wasn't lying. On top of the filet mignon was a fresh handful of arugula that was dressed up beautifully with freshly grated pecorino, crispy breadcrumbs, and pine nuts. Nutty, buttery, cheesy, fresh. You can add an "as hell" to each one of those. To me, this is a perfect starter. Not too heavy, big enough to share, and sets you up for what's to come. Mussel Toast I, historically, am not a big fan of mussels--any bivalve mollusk really--but this shit right here is ridiculous. They bring you this plate with a big piece of pre-sliced sourdough that maintains its desirable crunchy exterior. It's laid in a bed of this creamy white wine sauce. The sauce uses brie to bring the creaminess with onion, fennel, and capers setting it TF off. It looks like the mussels are cooked directly in the sauce, then poured over the big piece of sourdough, and it's just exactly what you'd imagine paired with explosive flavors you've likely never tried before. The crunchy exterior allows for the soft, moist interior to be a surprise. It literally sops up the creamy sauce creating a pristine bite that will have the table collectively questioning if you should order another. "OH SHIT" is the only correct way to react to this, so feel free to let it out, everyone will understand. Fig & Prosciutto Pizza Another one of my personal favorites. This thin crust pizza offers that perfect charcuterie combo of salty and sweet. The salty: prosciutto and humboldt fog cheese. The sweet: fig and balsamic vinegar reduction. I wasn't aware of this combo, and now I'll never forget it. Will surely try to recreate it at home. The pizza is finished with some fresh arugula which gives a nice cut of slightly bitter freshness to the richer ingredients. The pizza has that sought after crispy bottom and crust. The cheese melts beautifully to create an ideal texture combo for each bite. Easily my favorite pizza they have. Our family consists of self-proclaimed foodies, so everyone did their research before coming and had a few things they wanted to try. The new stuff: Goat Milk Cavatelli Not for me, or anyone at the table, really. This just wasn't a great dish, concept, and execution. The cacio e pepe sauce wasn't as flavorful as I'd have liked and it was topped with truffle breadcrumbs that were almost...distracting? I usually love the addition of a good crunch, but no. Cavatelli just also wasn't the right pasta choice, in my humble, young opinion. Wouldn't even bother trying that dish again. Smashed Boardwalk Potatoes I'm the guy that orders fries any and everywhere I go. I just do. These were a ridiculously good substitute for my fries addiction. The crisp, the salt, the aromatics were all perfect. What really stood out to me was the... Read the rest of my review for free on my Substack: Still Chewing https://stillchewing.substack.com/p/herb-and-sea read more

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Popped in here unplanned driving back to LA from San Diego because I needed to stop and charge my car (peep the EV charger diagonal from the intersection. And this place was a wonderfully pleasant surprise. They were very easily able to accommodate my dairy allergy and provide recommendations. I had an absolutely delectable mocktail with shrimp pasta (can't remember the menu name) and green beans. The food was TOP TIER, with delicious flavor and high quality ingredients. I told my local friend about this spot and she said it's one of her favorites as well. The staff was super friendly and thoughtful, super cute and well designed interior with tons of nearby parking along the street. I will absolutely be popping in her again next time I head down to San Diego. read more

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We had wanted to check out this place for a while, and we finally did so we made a reservation for dinner, hoping to also check their Xmas Experience. First the restaurant. Overall, it is a nice restaurant, I love the industrial/minimalist/clean look. The food is overpriced for what it is. We were pleasantly surprised by the mussel toast (a must!) and the butterscotch budino (!!!!). The pasta was ok and the fig and prosciutto pizza wasn't great. And believe me, I love figs and prosciutto combo! The sauvignon blanc was good. The server forgot about us for most of the night, but was really quick to collect our cards! The Xmas experience: it is small, covers the bar side. It is nicely decorated, the lamp posts and the snowed windows are a nice touch! We had the peppermintini: it was strong, but delicious, I could have used less vodka and more baileys! The bartender was nice once the crowd got easier! Overall I nice experience. read more

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My husband and I walked in at Herb and Sea on a Thursday evening around 8. We brought our baby as well. It had been a few years since we went here. It was great. The service was great. The food hit the spot. The atmosphere was great. We shared the lamb meatballs, shrimp, roasted carrots, ceviche. We finished with the mussel toast- it was phenomenal. Super rich, but such an amazing dish. Highly recommend dinner here. The cocktails were just as good. read more

Herb & Sea - Seafood Near Me - Encinitas, California

The vibe and ambiance are incredible, service is outstanding as is the food! The menu is different, but so delicious and everything is well paired and complimentary flavors. We had the Caesar salad, carrots, peri peri chicken, shrimp linguine and the roasted peppers. I'd get them all again and would love to come back and try more things for sure. Caught the very end of happy hour for a couple discounted glasses of wine too and the burger looked really good. Will be back again next time I'm visiting! read more

Herb & Sea - Peri Peri Chicken, Roasted Baby Carrots, Shrimp linguini - Seafood Near Me - Encinitas, California

My first time here! My girlfriends and I came for a Watch Party ($5 entry). The restaurant itself is really nice and clean inside, and the patio area where the Watch Party was held had TVs, tables, and chairs. The regular menu looked great, but the Watch Party menu was pretty limited. Ordering was a bit of a wait--the line moved slowly--but once we got our food, it was worth it. I had the 1/2 lb burger and loved it! Super fresh and tasty. read more

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came here for a friend's birthday dinner and was left feeling very underwhelmed. we had a reservation for 7:45 and we had to wait ~25 min to be sat. when we finally got our table, the service was slow, it took about 30 minutes to get our drinks we ordered and we hadn't even put in our food yet. i had high hopes for the food but it was very pricy and not worth it in my opinion. i ordered the cavatelli cacio e pepe and it was SUPER dry sadly. when i think cacio e pepe, i think creamy, saucy, velvety-- but there was basically no sauce. it kind of felt like a $30 plate of buttered noodles. i do want to say that our server was very nice and the atmosphere is great. but the food and efficiency were not up to par especially for the price. read more

Neighborhood place slightly off the 101 in downtown Encinitas. Parking is limited to street availability so plan accordingly. Went at sunset. Darker interior with bold and compelling artwork reflecting the restaurant's commitment to local seafood and produce. Robert was our server and he was attentive without ever making us feel rushed. Knew his stuff. We started with the beef carpaccio. Melt in your mouth good if raw beef is your thing. Next we had the mixed crudo. Three types of sashimi with finely diced white onion, capers, chives, and a bright vinaigrette. This was a good contrast to the richness of the carpaccio. We finished with the chorizo pizza. Only had a piece and it had a very light, airy crust with house-made chorizo pepperoni. This was great the next day. A must try when in Encinitas, which, thankfully, is frequently for us. read more

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Go during their happy hour $20 for burger, fires, oysters and champagne. 1st come 1st serve tho and only seating at the bar read more

Herb & Sea - Happy hour - Seafood Near Me - Encinitas, California

Started with a solid French martini. Ceviche appetizer was good - had a great kick and the taro chips were a great addition! Awesome parker house rolls (not on the menu). Caesar salad was a little heavy on the anchovies (boquerones), which I didn't love, personally. I ordered the ragu and it was tasty. Service was stellar - attentive but not annoying. Vibes and decor are on point! Everything was good, but didn't blow me away, so 4 stars. read more

Herb & Sea - Parker house rolls - Seafood Near Me - Encinitas, California

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Went for the ever popular happy hour and was not disappointed. Theirs is truly a happy hour - 5p-6p - one hour to get a seat at the bar or have a reservation and order the famous 'Happy Meal'. And what a very happy meal it was! A full size cheeseburger, fries, three large oysters and a glass of sparkling wine - all for only $20. The cheeseburger had a large and juicy patty with grilled onions, cheese on a brioche bun, the fries were crispy with fluffy centers and the oysters (!!) were large, perfectly fresh, briny and paired with their house hot sauce - amazing!!! Also, they paired with the bubbles so very nicely. The place is large, noisy and what you would expect when adults eat happy meals! Service is quick and friendly. Strongly recommend making a reservation or plan to come super early and stand in line before the restaurant opens. Of course they have other food options with a full drink menu to choose from if you're not in the mood for surf and turf. read more

Herb & Sea - Happy Meal - Seafood Near Me - Encinitas, California

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We came with a pretty big group but they accommodated us well. The cocktails were refreshing and good quality. We enjoyed some shared plates and the steak. Would recommend sharing so that you can try more. read more

While there was nothing inherently bad about my visit here, I just wasn't as impressed as I was expecting I would be. I've been waiting years to try this restaurant, and it's was just good. Nothing was bad, the food was good, it just wasn't great. I did make reservations ahead of time just because they are always so busy! Anytime I have tried to do walk-ins they have always been booked. I arrived a few minutes early to check in for my reservation and I was seated right away. I will say the hosts practically whispered to me the whole time and didn't really communicate well, but I just followed them to our table. Service was great throughout our whole experience it just felt like no one wanted to be there. I fully understand why but it definitely put a damper on our dining experience. At one point we were served our appetizer and the person delivering it to us wasn't a server and she whispered to us so quietly that sound didn't come out of her mouth. We cleared space for her to set the plate down but she just kept looking at us while holding the plate. It turns out she must have whispered what the appetizer was as I heard her last few words were ingredients of the dish. We started with the ceviche for our app as the other apps didn't seem that enticing and/or were more salads than apps. I will say the vegetables did look and all sound delicious! The ceviche was delicious especially due to their avocado and cilantro spread. The entree options just didn't seem that appetizing but maybe they were better than described. A lot of the menu felt like they were trying to be trendy and do a lot of fusion meals, but it didn't appeal to us. I love to try new things but again nothing really caught our eyes. I had the Tuscan ragú and my friend had the shrimp linguini. Again both were good, but nothing great and definitely not worth the price. The Tuscan ragú had a good sauce but it was stronger than anything else so the meat was only noticed by being a different texture. The shrimp linguini was a little watered down, but had a good flavor. Would rather go to a full Italian restaurant than order this here. The pizzas didn't sound good and the other pasta option was just gnocchi. Overall I'm sure they change up their menu often, but I just was not impressed overall. To each their own though! read more

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I really don't want to leave a review. Lol I can't believe we didn't find this place much sooner. Food is always fresh to table. Every produce and seafood are farm fresh or just caught. Reservation is definitely a must. Everything is good. We will be coming back to try the rest! read more

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Herb & Sea is a restaurant inspired by both East Coast and West Coast traditions and is founded by the same owner as Herb & Wood in Little Italy. We made reservations online and found parking on the street. LOCAL CEVICHE ($24.95) - the fish was cooked which resulted in a different texture from ceviche with raw fish. The sauce was bright but I wasn't a biggest fan of the plantains as the chips. 3/5 MUSSEL TOAST ($22.14) - the sauce soaked into the toast which made it soft but juicy and flavorful. It was a nice texture contrast between soft and crunchy. This was one of my favorite dishes. 4.5/5 CRISPY BOARDWALK POTATOES ($15.11) - we thought these needed more crispiness or flavor on the exterior. 3/5 GRILLED LOCAL SWORDFISH ($40.95) - the fish was soft and the dish really highlighted the freshness of the fish. We were told that fishermen come directly to the restaurant with the fish and they're broken down in-house. This was my other favorite dish. 4.5/5 GRILLED HALF PERI PERI CHICKEN ($33.67) - the chicken was really blackened but was not burnt. It was flavorful and not dry; it was complemented well with the two sauces. 4/5 For drinks we got the I get my peaches in Georgia ($16) and the negroni blanco ($16) which were both decent. The service was really good and our server (I think her name was Aël?) took the time to go through the dishes and her recommendations. Note that they have a 4% surcharge on all their checks. read more

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Have a chance to try Herb and Sea at last week's Dockside Night Market. Their fish was fresh and flavorful with a beautiful pairing of Capri and herbs on top. What a great representation of the restaurant. I haven't been to their full restaurant yet but definitely high on my list! read more

Herb & Sea - Seafood Near Me - Encinitas, California

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Overall I had a good experience at Herb & Sea. The vibe is modern and trendy. They have an open dining area and a separate bar area. A great location for date night or get together with friends. It was busy during the dinner rush. Our server was kind and professional. The food was tasty, fresh, and filling. My friend and I chose to get a few items and share which was great so I could try more items on the menu. I loved the house made pita and plantain chips. The potatoes were delicious as well. Parking is a bit tricky, as it's all street parking. I would definitely stop by again to try more items on the menu and possibly run into the cute guy who was sitting at the table next to us ;) read more

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THANKSGIVING: THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS Today is Thanksgiving Day. So many treasured memories. Grandma back-flipping over the dog, inventing a new genre of cusswords. Dad frantically searching for the tiny piece of paper with the WiFi password. And who doesn't enjoy a good fist-fight between a 28 year old and a 56 year old? There's something special about these forced family get-togethers, when we all take a break from arguing with strangers online to do it IRL. Roasting each other mercilessly over politics, culture, the Bolshevik Revolution... and that's just the kid's table! No subject is more controversial than Thanksgiving side dishes. Sometimes they're only bad because you don't trust the person in the stretchy pants who made it. But more likely you have a personal list of your own WORST THANKSGIVING SIDES. Here are mine: * Creamed Spinach. A gelatinous mélange of indiscernible green ingredients baked in a Pyrex dish, unmistakably salty and artificial in flavor. * Candied yams. An overly mushy mess created by the criminal overuse of butter, nutmeg, brown sugar, and heavy cream. I'd like a plain baked sweet potato please. * Canned cranberry sauce. A tube of purple gunk packed with weird chemical preservatives. We should immediately ban this from Thanksgiving. And the planet. * Honorable mentions: banana/coconut ambrosia, turkey flavored ice cream, ginormous Costco pies. Pro tip: if you can escape the family dinner with the sub-par sides and discount Costco feed, head over to Herb & Sea's Coastal Californian Feast. You'll start with a caramelized leek soup followed by your choice of salad. The main course is truffle buttered turkey or tender short ribs. Accompanying the meal are buttery mashed potatoes, crunchy greens and a savory sage stuffing. A homemade cranberry sauce adds the right amount of sweet and tart. Finish with a normal-sized slice of pecan pie or apple cake. The downside is you won't see a single fist-fight. Christmas can't come soon enough... read more

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I'd like to start off by saying our waiter Tosh was amazing, he was attentive the entire time we were eating, and made some great suggestions based on our preferences. As for the food, I'm not a seafood person so I got the chicken, and it was some of the best chicken I've had at a restaurant in a very long time, the flavor profile was just great, with just a little bit of spice but not too much. My wife got the tuna and said it was very good. She also got the caviar appetizer and said it was very good. We split the side order of peas, and that was a showstopper, just amazing. One of the other waiters there mentioned that it was her favorite and she thought it didn't get the recognition it should because the carrots get ordered a lot, but if you like peas this is a no-brainer. Overall everything was totally five star! read more

Herb & Sea - Chicken - Seafood Near Me - Encinitas, California

The drink "I get my peaches in Georgia " is light and tart and goes really well if you chase it with the "Luke, I did it again" the non alcoholic drink. And my hubby loved the squirtle squad drink read more

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