I have never written a review about a restaurant before, but felt compiled to do one tonight. We have lived in Oceanside for 4 years and have always driven by Hunters Steak House but tonight I pulled in and am I glad I did. The staff was outstanding and professional. I never heard any clanging of dishes, no raised voices from the back of the house, Mark our server was great, the level of service from him was beyond any that I have received from anyone of late. The meal was perfectly cooked and perfectly proportioned. The prime rib was outstanding, the calamari was the best I have had in a very long time, the dinner salad is to die for, (hint eat it without dressing, it is that good). And for dessert, try the Bailey's Irish Cream pie, it gave me goosebumps. In short this was the best restaurant meal I have had in a while, it was that good and will returning again soon. read more

This is one of the worst experiences I have had in a long time! Got a gift certificate so went to try this place, not only was I there for an hour before I got my food but it was the wrong order and was bland and disgusting. After waiting a hr for our soup and apps we waited another 20 min for our meal another 20 min for our desert and never got refills on drinks. Our waiter was horriable rude and inpatient. Seriously save yourself the 50 bucks your service is better and the food is probably better at chilis. Oh and by the way the manager was there and totally ignored us, not sure how this place is even in bis. Seriously I have no idea it's a run down pos. read more

I love this place. My friends and I have been going there for years. The food is always hot and very good. I love their salad. Prime rib is great also. This place reminds me of The great restaurant Langes Lounge that was in Lansing Illinois. Warm and cozy with no harsh lighting. You feel like you are in a very homey atmosphere. We are going tonight and I can't wait. read more

Came here last night and had a terrible experience. We sat down and ordered our drinks and appetizer okay but it went downhill from there. Our server asked us if we were ready to order and when we tried to say yes, she was too busy walking away from our table to hear what we said. She passed by several times attending to her other tables before finally returning to ours to get our order. Once we got our food, we found that the steaks were all over cooked. I ordered medium rare but got a medium instead which wouldn't have been so bad but my sister ordered a medium steak but got a burnt steak instead. Luckily our server didn't take that long in between treating her other tables right to come back to find out there was a problem. After that, she disappeared to her other tables and was about to ask another server if we could get refills for our drinks when she finally emerged. The biggest sign of disrespect however was when we asked for a refill for my eight-year-old brother, after we asked she proceeded to go to another table and attend to them as if clearing the empty plates off a table was more important than a thirsty child. Whoever the server was in the room with a fireplace tending to the tables nearest to the entryway around 6 pm, retrain her on treating all customers equally. read more

It's a dump. No flare. Food is bland and overpriced. Anyone who thinks this place is great would be indicative of their taste and class level. It pains me a great deal to say that I would have rather gone to the Olive Garden. read more

Excellent quality meat, I usually get the prime rib and its always delicious. I really love the tableside salad bar. My only complaint is I wish they had more low carb side and appetizer options. read more

We love this restaurant! We come here often, and our waitress is usually Celia. The food is delicious and the service is great. I would recommend this to anybody who's interested in a fine meal. Celia is a great waitress! read more

I wanted a nice, thick, juicy Filet Mignon so I went to Hunter. Never tried this place before, never will again. They gave me a thin steak and called it a filet mignon. The steak was dry and unevenly cooked. For $28, I expected something better. On top of all that the restaurant was dingy and dark. I hardly ever write yelp reviews, but when I do it's because I have strong feelings one way or another. In this case it was a waste of money. read more

Food was great! Clam chowder was delicious. Probably THE most tender steak I've had. Very reasonably priced. Waitress did make a couple mistakes, but in the end took care of us and gave us a free dessert. Would reccommend to others. read more

Hunter has gone down hill. We took advantage of the extended restaurant week that stated on 13-Jan. We didn't expect to get served week old dessert. The crusts were all dried out and hard. Bread was dry and stale. Steak was mediocre. The best part was the table side salad bar. read more

went to hunter last night to have the peppercorn loin which my wife's loves only to be disappointed. we asked to be seated in a booth away from the service station after we were seated initially at a table by the service station. as we waited near the hostess station we overheard the young hostess ask an incoming group if they wanted a child's menu. the hostess evidently wasn't paying attention and thought the little person, that was clearly an adult, was a kid. wow.we were then seated in a booth ........next to the service station. we left and recommended to the hostess that she pay attention to her guests and to requests. went to west bistro instead. little more pricey but delicious. read more

My waitress was terrific. The New York steak is a big portion And tasty. Staff is very friendly overall. Nice atmosphere. My girlfriend and I sat by the fire. read more

Out of all the times I have gone to Hunter Steakhouse, I had one awful experience on a Saturday afternoon shift. Cold, overcooked food, wilted salad. I have since communicated with the General Manager (John) and truly feel this was a one time occurance (out of over three dozen visits) over a period of 25 years. I do love this place and I love the atmosphere. It means a lot to me that their manager does care if the customers are satisfied. Hats off to John. They're lucky to have him!! read more

My family and I had a late lunch at Hunter on Sunday and were pretty disappointed. My daughter's cheeseburger was cold and way over cooked, croutons on the salads were bottom-of-box crumbs and the fries were old. Now let's talk about the service...HORRIBLE! We were greeted (if you want to call it that) by a very cold girl who acted like we were interrupting her sleep time or something and our server, was even worse! Can you say inattentive? She stopped at our table four times: took order, delivered food, dropped off check, and picked up payment. I could understand the lack of attentiveness if they were busy, but seriously, there were less than 10 customers in the whole restaurant! Will I be back? Hmmmm, unlikely. read more

My husband and I first discovered Hunters at the Temecula Wine Festival. We both had their tri-tip and it was amazing so we vowed to check out the actual restaurant. We went to Hunters today for lunch and we were both very disappointed. The interior is very dirty! The walls are just plain disgusting, food and drink stains everywhere and the table was very sticky. I ordered the cesear salad with tenderloin tips and the clam chowder and my husband ordered a full rack of ribs. As I waited for my soup to be brought out, I noticed the table next to us get my cesear salad. As the table wondered whose food this was, my husband politely let them know that it was mine. The waiter took the salad back to the kitchen. We waited a bit, then our food came out but my soup was no where to be seen. This frustrated me a bit as I like to enjoy my soup as an appetizer. I asked the food runner to bring my soup and he ran to the kitchen. Our waitress finally came out and I asked again for my soup and my husband asked her if the ribs he recieved was a full rack as it looked a bit short. She told him that it was a half rack and that was what he ordered. My husband then told the waitress that he ordered a full rack and explained that when we ordered the full rack he told her it would be too much food but he would take the leftovers home. The waitress then remembered that my husband ordered a full rack and asked him if he wanted the other half. My husband tried the ribs and decided not to get the full rack as the ribs tasted old and weren't even hot. He had also gotten the french fries which also tasted old and not even warm. The waitress then came back with my soup and I asked her if I could get a fresh salad as my tenderloin tips were cold and this salad had been all over the restaurant. Two mins later she returned with the same salad, cold tenderloin tips and all. I told her to take the salad back and I would just eat my soup. After we were done with our meal, the food runner brings us a loaf of bread! I have never had bread brought after a meal. This restaurant is a hot mess!! We really wanted to like this place but we will never be going back. Just plain awful! read more

We love this place! We come here every now and then for the prime rib for a date night. I have tried the chicken dish with mushrooms but wasn't really a fan, and the shrimp cocktail has been consistently dry every time we have ordered so we don't order it anymore. But the prime rib is where it's at! I tried the filet minon the last visit which was pretty good too. Nice place overall. read more

Hunter Steakhouse was my no longer Grandad's Favorite Spot.. so I have fond memories from that aspect.. I haven't been back since he passed about 4 years ago (even though it is 5 minutes from my home) I don't ever hear great things about it. Me and my husband were asked to attend a birthday celebration there the night before halloween. The festiveness of all the workers was pretty neat. However, 1 of our waitresses (dressed as snooky) was horrible! She made us feel unwelcome and that she was Soo put out by or socializing. She raised her voice at us 2x while in mid sentence with a friend to get our attention and then was soo bothered by questions. Never once had a smile on her face either. Our guy waiter was quick and efficient and helpful when needed. The food was OKAY but nothing special for the price.. We definately don't go out enough to be treated like we were just an inconvenience.. To All the unhappy waiters and waitresses in this industry... FIND ANOTHER JOB! Because you are not cut out for this one... Disappointed:( read more

I had a horrible experience there, and will not go back. We made reservations for 12/31/2008 at 9pm thinking we could go and relax and ring in the New Year with a steak and bottle of wine. We arrived prior to the rest of our party, and we were seated a little after 9pm. We ordered a cocktail and the waitress asked if we would like to get an order in for an appetizer. We ordered the stuffed mushrooms... they came out raw and undercooked. Not good. We sent them back, then we found out that the rest of our party was on their way... And then the sh*t hit the fan. The manager came to our table, it was about 9:30 and said, the kitchen was closing and we should put our order in for dinner. WHAT?!?!? We asked why they were closing, and they said they didn't have extended hours for the evening... THEN WHY TAKE A 9PM RESERVATION? I still don't get it. We paid for the appetizer, which was ok tasting once it was cooked, but not worth ordering again. I can't believe they did that. On a busy night like New Years Eve, you would think they would tell people their hours and not suprise you at 9:30ish with "The kitchen is closing in a bit." I will not be going back, ever. We ended up leaving there and going to Shogun in San Marcos. read more

We hadn't been here in years and used to love it. So, made reservations for four people, 5:00pm on Monday. We were given the single worse table in the room (with only a few tables taken)...located by a water closet (ugly) and very small. We requested a new table (met grudgingly by the hostess). The busser cleaning and setting up tables, was the single LOUDEST thing I have ever heard in a restaurant. He was oblivious to people eating nearby, slamming down silverware, and throwing down plates. The server a few tables over from us was loud as well, talking with her table guests. Our server was nice, but did not follow our requests to hold drinks til the meal. I ordered the Hunter Trio. The meat was outstanding. The rice underneath was skimpy and scattered (like a quarter of a cup placed under the skewers made to look like a bed of rice). Having said all of that, the meat is delicious. Outstanding cuts of meat and cooked to perfection. The potato skins are wonderful. The hot and spicy shrimp were so-so. Our bill of $100 for three adults and one child seems fair. But, the meal was NOT elegant. More like a roadhouse event. Lacking a manager, maybe? read more

Nice steakhouse and really affordable. I too take advantage of the early bird specials. The steaks are great and I love the custom salad trays they bring to your table. read more

Make sure they aren't having plumbing problems before going in. We have been going to hunter over the last 2 years and never had it be this terrible. We go in and order food. When I go to use restroom the hostess says all bathrooms are our of order, so I asked what am I supposed to do? She says I don't know. So there are no restrooms to use for any customers, but of course no one informs you of that when you enter. Then our food food came out wrong and cold. Definitely taking a break from this place read more

We dine here quite regularly. Tonight I ordered beef tips of filet or something similar. It tasted like filet of chuck. Does the chef think we are so stupid we don't know what we are given to eat? The server comped my meal, but still left a bad taste in my mouth. Salad was great as usual except the ground up ham that was the bacon substitute I guess. And now, no bread with dinner???? Thank goodness we have plenty of other eateries in the area. read more

Food was great. Prices reasonable. Atmosphere was relaxed. Waitstaff was knowledgeable, professional and kind. Will definitely eat there again. read more

My friend and I went there last night to try their restaurant week menu. I'll be totally honest, I didn't even know it was there. It is kind of hidden on Vista way just after the 78 ends. So I walked in, I will say their parking lot is too dark but oh well, I walked in and was instantly transported back to 1977. Wood everywhere, but it totally felt like an old school steak house. The bar is downstairs in their basementish thing. I went down to meet my friend and was pleasantly surprised with the amazing service. They were super attentive and eager to tell you their opinion on the order options. The menu had two options, a two course meal with either an appetizer or dessert and choice of a few entrees. The other option was the three course with both a dessert and appetizer. The two course was $25 bucks and the three course was $35. So we both chose the three course. I had their potato skins for my appetizer and they were delicious, perfectly crips skins and tender insides covered with deliciousness (cheese, chives and bacon... mmmm bacon) they came with ranch. They were a perfect small plate appetizer (don't expect a huge one because it's a single serving, and it was the right amount). I ordered the prime rib which was...oh AWESOME... it was perfectly cooked (I like mine medium), tender and just delicious. I got garlic mashed potatoes as my side which were not overly garlicky and were red potatoes. (I just realized I ate a lot of potatoes last night) It also came with fresh steamed vegetables. They were pretty awesome too. (They had cauliflower in them, which seems to be rare in Carlsbad but is awesome to me.) For dessert I got their carrot cake (they had two options, some chocolate thingy and the one I got), which was moist and delicious. To top it all off we both got amazing vodka martinis, several of them. Anyhow, I highly suggest you give them a try if you haven't. Get over the cheesy decor and enjoy the service and food. I checked their regular menu and it's not cheap but it is reasonable based on the food and quality you get. This isn't a go with the guys kind of place, but it certainly is a great place to go. Enjoy. read more

Great service!!! Was going to try yen twenty prime in San Marcos but read some bad reviews so we decided to stick with hunter steakhouse cause this place is great. read more

Went here because of reviews. Restaurant could use updating. Hostesses were friendly, and waitress was attentive. There was food on floor. Calamari was not crispy, prime rib over cooked. Mashed potatoes were sour. Don't know if they were having an off night, don't know if we will try again. read more

This place is GROSS!The service is terrible and the food is worse. The place smells when you walk in and please dont ever go into the bathrooms. I was afraid to eat the food cuz the place is so GROSS. Stay far away. Go to any other place, just not here. read more

My boyfriend and I stopped by on Tuesday night and had a really good time. I ordered the sundried chicken which was tasty although my boyfriend's huge bone-in prime rib was soooo goood. All the sides were tasty as well. Would definitely recommend trying this place out. read more

LOVE LOVE the Hunter. Lunch or dinner. doesn't matter. Salads are good at lunch also the bbq san. Prime Rib mirrors Coco Beach in Carlsbad, but pricier. Salad bar experience is at least 30 years old. Still good though. Wine list is OK, but price points are off and so is the selection. The bar downstairs is adequate and friendly. My wife is a big fan of their NYStrips. Never varies from them. All in all, great value and easy to get to. read more

Went here with friends during restaurant week, the deals were too good to pass up and although I sort of expected a more fast paced high turnover experience, I was wrong. It was just like other times I've been there without a budget and didn't hold back on size, cut or wine! Obviously the restaurant week special was more cost effective however the service and quality did not reflect that at all. Absolutely love me a good steak and when I get a great steak, I need to yelp about it!!!! read more

Where to begin? The place needs a major face lift inside and out. It has been around for a while so I expected to be pretty impressed. The meat tastes horrible. Dry and tasted like it was frozen. Maybe they freeze their meat? The vegetables I got with the meal were also frozen? The glasses were dirty the service was bad. The only thing that was semi decent was the salad I ordered before the meal. Other than that I would never step foot in that place again. read more

I've lived in this area most of my life and the Hunter Steak House (Hungry Hunter) was a place we went to for years to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, etc. Their food has aways been so delicious, especially the prime rib! The reason I rarely go anymore is the service is sooooooo slow! Also, the decor seems a bit out of date). It's really too bad because we used have family gatherings there, work lunches, etc. Now, I would only go here for the delish food especially the prime rib, if I have no time constraints and not with a group of people, maybe just two or three of us. I think Hunter Steak House misses out on large gatherings (work Christmas luncheons, celebrations, baby showers ....) because of the slow service. Our company has been taking us here for our Christmas luncheons for years but this last visit will probably be our last. We agreed although the food was so delicious, the service was just unacceptably slow. A few years ago, we had a pretty large party for our Christmas luncheon (on our lunch break) and after sitting for over an hour we asked the manager to check on our order only to find out our server forgot to put in our order. Almost 3 hours later, we finally finished our food. Please figure this out because we love your food and would love to come back! read more

I struggled to give this restaurant two stars! Before I rip this place apart let's start with the good and only good in my eyes was the service. Our servers name was Jeanine. She was very attentive and she pretty much gave us everything we needed before we even had to ask for it. She was also very friendly and personable. At these prices I might as well go to Outback for the same quality at a fraction of the price! We ordered the potato skins for starter. Parts of the potato skins were just hammered over cooked. Aside from the bacon bits, cheese, scallions, and ranch there really was no seasoning on these potato skins. I'm going to skip the salad as I feel reviewing a salad is ridiculous. I ordered the porterhouse medium rare. I got the steak and cut into it and found that it was more medium than medium rare. Not only was the steak over cooked but extremely under seasoned. I'm not a chef by no means but the first thing I learned when it comes to cooking a steak is salt lots of salt like more salt than you think you need! Also at these prices I would like some Rosemary garlic infused butter to baste the steak. We got none of that just very flat mundane steak which is a shame the porter is one of the best cuts and they totally botched it in execution. My side was the mash. Unfortunately I took one bite of the mash and didn't return for a second bite for the rest of the meal. Much like the steak it just fell flat extremely under seasoned and in my opinion a little too much heavy cream added to the mash. Just overall the whole entire meal was just flat uninspiring and mundane. When I go to a restaurant especially one with expectations I had of hunters I'm looking for an experience and I'm looking to be a returning customer. Needless to say I won't be coming back unless management changes. Overall I can sum up my experience at hunters with one word...disappointing. read more

I'm more of a 2.5 star here. I really loved our server. She was amazing in every sense of the word. The tableside salad was inventive and unique. And my long island ice tea had tons of actual alcohol in it, which I was stoked about. But there's a bad side too....the food. The potato skins were flat and burned. I'm definitely not a fan. I ordered the filet mignon with au gratin potatoes. The filet was cooked to my liking (unlike my husband's overcooked steak) but it was criminally under seasoned. When I'm eating a filet I rarely use A1 sauce...I used it every bite with this filet. The potatoes were trying to be seasoned but all they did was overuse cream and under use any actual seasoning. I had two bites and was done. I also left half my steak. I'm definitely never going back. I'm especially disappointed because it was my one year wedding anniversary. I mean we still had an amazing night...just with mediocre food and intense prices. read more

Went to the Carlsbad street fair today, found the Hunter steak house cart selling tri tip sandwiches, I ordered one and a Pepsi, was fantastic, but really small. For $8, could be a little bigger. So I ordered another one, bad idea, The guy making the sandwiches gave me all the ends, all the over cooked burnt ends! I tried, but I couldn't eat it! I don't have horse teeth, I showed my serving to the girl that takes the orders, just got the shoulder shrug? No offer for a new freshly cooked sandwich, no offer to refund my money? I threw the food away right in front of all who were working there! they didn't give a rats ass! Done with Hunter steak house! By the way, best prime rib in town is at Koko beach! read more

Very serviceable, middle America food. The martinis are not great (need a lemon). The service is very good, though, and cheerful. I prefer the flavor of grass fed beef, but the choices in the Carlsbad area are limited. Because of the service I would return. We also like that they don't blast out obnoxious sound. read more

Delish!!!!! We love everything about the hunter. Great lunch crew as well as a great dinner crew. The pepper top sirloin is perfect. Also have had the filet cooked well. And they know how to cook it well and still have flavor. Everyone else should give the hunter steakhouse a shot. You won't be disappointed read more

A great Saturday dinner! Not too loud, very personable service, great dinner with my dad here. He had the porterhouse and I had prime rib -both were cooked to our liking and had great flavor. The salad made tableside is also a great feature! read more

We used Hunter Steakhouse to cater our wedding. They were so professional throughout the process. They showed up early the day of our event, had more than enough staff, and were so professional. The BBQ was delicious and the catering manager was so easy to work with. I couldn't decide between mac and cheese or mashed potatoes for a side so he let me do both for a little extra. My only complaint would be that the mac and cheese was cold when the guests got it in the buffet line. Otherwise I would have given five starts. Great wedding catering! read more

My husband and I chose Hunters Steakhouse to be our caterer for our wedding in Encinitas this last October. We had a friend refer us to them for their great food and pricing for catering! We did quite a bit of research, and they are very reasonable!! If you are looking for good steak and chicken (bbq style) for your event, this is place to use! We chose their Santa Maria buffet style with upgraded sides (2 salads, potatoes, vegetables, and rolls). I was so worried about running out. What if everyone wanted steak and chicken? What if people go back for seconds? They assured me that have never run out, they make more than enough, and everyone can have both steak and chicken if they like. Whew! We also hired 2 bartenders through them too. We brought all our own alcohol and had them serve it. I didn't get to talk to the staff at all, but they all seemed great. Everyone kept saying how great the food was! The managers were extremely helpful and I would recommend them to anything if that is the style you're going for! read more