It was Saturday night and I felt alright. I needed dinner on the west side (of Park Boulevard, that is). I walked up without a reservation and typically, in a popular part of town, a well known eatery is going to have a long wait, but I lucked out this time and got seated right away. Between Park & Rec and the main sign for Madison is a long corridor. This entrance to Madison is both mysterious and exciting because when you get to the end it opens up into a place of fun. You can just hear the chatter and ambiance in the air. It's light, it's fun and the dim lighting gives the look and feel of a place you'd want to spend a couple of hours on a date, with friends, or just enjoying some drinks. For dinner, my server was Andrew. He has two things going for him. He's very knowledgeable about the menu and he's as tall as he is informed. You can't miss him! I decided on the Ribeye and damnnnnnn was it good. It was on the pricier side compared to other menu options, but it was worth every cent. It basically melted in my mouth. Beyond delicious. It came with asparagus and mashed potatoes. Both of these were cooked perfectly and I couldn't get enough. I can't wait to come back. Madison completely exceeded my expectations. I really thought since I was there close to closing time that it was going to be lackluster food and I couldn't have been more wrong. Madison was amazing!!! read more

I truly hate bashing a restaurant and even my wife the eternal optimist didn't have much positive to say. I don't mean to be hyperbolic but I wanted to ask the cooks to come and try this food because it wasn't evenly remotely close to restaurant quality. The meatballs were about the size of a ping pong ball and there were 5 for $20. I've seen plenty of similar places with 2-3 baseball sized meatballs for $15 so don't understand the need to be chintzy. The meatballs had a very odd texture almost like the meat had been squished when mixed if they were made in house. They also lacked any flavor. As far as the potatoes they looked great but had little seasoning. They had a sprinkle of finishing salt but that's about it. The disheartening feeling of biting into an unseasoned fluffy potato. The French fries were your standard frozen and fried fries which were fine but nothing special. For $4 with the sliders they were fine. The sliders similar to everything else were just bland. Again the hesitation to use enough salt and even a little pepper. Lastly, I ordered a soda and it was $6. I get rent and overhead cost money but come on. On top of the $6 the server didn't refill my soda once. She came to the table twice after taking our order. Once to check on us and once at the end. It was the bare minimum for a server. She didn't offer once to refill my soda or even bring one out with her. Having worked in restaurants for 20 years it is pretty standard for servers to refill water and soda quickly and offer numerous times. $80 for 3 appetizers, a coke, and 2 Happy Hour drinks at $12 a piece. The service was average as well which is unacceptable when the place is basically empty at 5:45 on a Friday. A truly unforgettable experience for my wife's birthday and we will never be back. read more

Madison - Potatoes, sliders, meatballs, fries - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

We went to Madison primarily for the entertainment -- a singer who sang a variety of songs. The restaurant is interesting -- kind of both indoors and outdoors at the same time. There is a ceiling, but it is also open at both the front and back at the restaurant. The food is largely Italian. I had the gnocchi, which is something that I don't always like. This was very good! My dad liked the ravioli Rossini, and my sister enjoyed the chicken piccata. But, the food seemed to come out a little too fast -- as if they had it all ready & just warmed it up. I don't think we waited even 10 minutes. And, they did not serve bread. We asked for some, and they brought us a few small pieces of toast -- and charged for it. And also surprising and disappointing was that they didn't serve coffee at all. Very strange. Still, it was pretty good, albeit expensive (as most San Diego restaurants seem to be). read more

Madison - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Before I describe my experience, I need to preface that the food was excellent, the location and ambiance was amazing! The staff was so wonderful!!! And everyone needs to come here! We were celebrating our daughter's graduation and they accommodated a large party(we called to book the table, nicest and most accommodating person ever) When we arrived everything was ready for us and was gorgeous. But we didn't realize that they had live music. So it was a little louder than we had anticipated. So if this is not your jam, check out their schedule. So we asked if there was any way to move further away from the music and they so quickly moved all 16 of us and made it so wonderful. The food came so quickly and we had the most amazing time. You will not be disappointed! Get the ravioli and the gnocchi!!! read more

Madison - Pinot Noir Dragonette Santa Rita Hills - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

We had reservations at 6:30 and were told that our server will be right with us. The menu is quite small so we were quick to make a decision. There were two servers that we noticed serving tables. A girl whose attention was only in the middle row. Then there was a dude who was attending the most left row and the most right row (ours). Two tables that were seated after us (right in front of us) had their orders taken before us. The dude also refilled their waters then would cut away from our corner table and go back to the most left row. It was infuriating to see them pass our table multiple times. We were so close to leaving after waiting 30 minutes. We flagged down one of the staff members who has been attentive to our water and asked if we can get someone to take our orders. He had a talk with the waiter who looked confused. The dude finally came over and took our order but there was no apology and a clear lack of enthusiasm compared to how he talked to the table on my left. After our orders were taken, the girl from the middle row came over and introduced herself as our waitress. It was confusing. We didn't want to throw in the race card but we couldn't help but notice that we were the only minorities eating there. Were we overlooked because of that or was it was a miscommunication amongst staff members? Idk but we could've had a dessert comped at least. Honestly, the food wasn't even worth the wait. The best thing was the fries which were probably frozen. The chicken was so dry that it took forever to cut and it took an effortful swallow. Sure the vibes were nice but the whole experience was soured by the lack of service initially. We ate our food faster than the wait to get our orders taken. Shout out to the water boys though for making sure our waters were refilled and getting a waiter to finally pay attention to us. read more

Madison - The best thing in this photo were the fries. - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

My friends and I came here for one of my friend's birthdays. We all got different drinks and food and tried each others. The drinks are strong. One of my friends and I shared the greek fries and gnocchi. The tahini sauce for the fried was just ok. I wish it was tzatziki instead. The gnocchi was nice and light, not too heavy even though it's a cream based sauce. I tried my friend's Mediterranean Milanese and the chicken was nice and crispy. The ravioli Rossini sauce was very rich and tasty. We told our server it was one of my friend's birthday and they brought us a chocolate marquise cake. Everything tasted delicious and service was great. A little pricy but nice for special occasions! read more

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Had dinner here for Valentine's day. They had a prix-fixe menu for the evening--$99/person. They also offered wine pairings for an extra charge, but I don't drink so we opted out. I would say that the prix-fixe menu and price paired together get a solid 4. Out of everything I tried, my favorite was the portobello (mushroom) "fries." Nothing else really stood out as special. Cute ambiance and good service, will have to try their regular menu some time. read more

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This place is so cute! The vibes are cozy and modern. We were only there for drinks this time but would definitely come back to try the food. We also came during their happy hour from 5-6. We got the motorbike and the heavyset honeybee. The motorbike comes with tequila, watermelon, aperol, ginger and lime but I could only really taste the watermelon and tequila. Refreshing but a little underwhelming. The honeybee was delicious though. It was sweet but also complex. Service was super friendly and welcoming. I would definitely come back! read more

Madison - Happy hour cocktail options as of 1/18/26 - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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My parner and I went here during happy hour and were able to get seat the bar immediately. (Happy hour is only available at the bar or patio). We lived the vibe of the place! Also on certain days they have live jazz music which is really cool. Service was really good! Our bartender Jenny was amazing. We got the Motor Bike and Heavyset HoneyBee. I preferred the HoneyBee over the Motor Bike but I'm a sucker for honey lol Overall will definitely come back to try the food and live jazz music. read more

Madison - Motor Bike (left) and Heavyset Honeybee - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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Came here for a quick breakfast/ lunch. I ordered their breakfast burrito and I got to say it was delicious. I order it to go because it was a quick stop. However as we waited we sat outside. As we waited for my food they brought us water, my friends and I drank water and talked so the wait didn't seem long. read more

Madison - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

This was my second time at Madison, and unfortunately, it'll probably be my last. The first time I went with my best friend, and it was just okay -- good service, but the flies were pretty annoying. I decided to give it another chance, this time with a group of seven of us, and sadly, the same fly problem continued. The service this time was honestly strange. We got our food and drinks fairly quickly, but no utensils. We couldn't find our server anywhere, so we had to flag down another staff member just to get forks and knives. Then, when it came time to pay, we waited what felt like forever for someone to come by. Food-wise, it was pretty hit or miss. Some people at the table got salads, others got the breakfast burrito , bowls, classic breakfast -- everything was just fine, nothing memorable. The one standout item was the churro waffle sticks with jalapeño jam -- those were actually really good and the only thing we all agreed on. The space itself is cute -- very aesthetic -- but the flies, the uneven service, and the underwhelming food make it hard to justify another visit. read more

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Absolutely one of our favorite spots. Great for cocktails and dinner or just cocktails and appetizers. My favorite is the crab and corn gnocchi is absolutely to die for not too heavy such amazing flavors. The gin and cucumber cooler cocktail is also so light and fresh literally taste like a spa. I've been here with my parents. I've gone on a date night and as a girls night such a great spot for any occasion. It is a little loud but great atmosphere with a lot of wood very earthy and natural . The service is good. I would say they're a little overbooked that the waitress doesn't come to your table 2 too often but there's also people around that can help you if you need something. read more

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Service was mediocre and we often had empty glasses. The atmosphere is always amazing thangs to the decor, but the indoor music was really loud and made it hard to hear each other talk over the table. The food here is always just okay.! had the poke starter and it was nothing special and l've had much more flavorful and filling for the same price read more

Madison - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

1 star! Note to Management - Restaurants should be forthright and add fees into the menu prices rather than just adding a bs disclaimer in fine print. 5% hospitality fee was added but it's not fair to the consumer (or the staff since the money doesn't really go to them). read more

This adorable restaurant offers both indoor and outdoor seating. Service was really good. I ordered the Mediterranean Breakfast to go. It was delicious! The salad was fresh and came with a yummy vinaigrette. They did forget to include the pita and avocado initially, but when I went back for the pita, they provided it warm, and it paired perfectly with the hummus. I unfortunately forgot to ask about the avocado, but overall the meal was still great. read more

Madison - Mediterranean Breakfast - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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Had been wanting to try this place for a while and finally did. I recommend it for its jazz music / ambience and beverages . Out order: Tuna tartare: tasted bland - I added the salad dressing to make it a little tastier. Avocado Salad with ahi tuna : ask for an additional side of dressing . Pistachio pasta : best from the two pastas we ordered. Clam linguine: bland - waiter kindly took this off the bill. Drinks : Mr good guy natural wine: Sauvignon -- tasty Natural Chardonnay- okay Jazz music : Great . Customer service is excellent. read more

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Madison on Park had great vibes for brunch, but the service left a lot to be desired. I made a reservation for weekend brunch and the place was lively during peak hours. Our server greeted us quickly at first but unfortunately never checked in afterward. Some of the items on the seasonal menu were unavailable. The food took quite a while to arrive, though the drinks came out fast. *Cucumber Honey Mimosa: we ordered the pitcher, which was supposed to fill six glasses. We were satisfied with the amount and got multiple refills. Ordering the pitcher also saved us about twenty dollars compared to getting individual glasses. Unfortunately, our server accidentally spilled some of our drinks on the floor. The cucumber flavor was refreshing and the honey added a nice sweetness and warmth. *Peach French Toast: this was their seasonal specialty. The toast was nicely soaked in a sweet eggy mixture and the fruit topping was not overly sweet. The cinnamon was a little strong, but it added a cozy autumn touch. *White Bean Shakshuka: the tomato base could have used a bit more time to develop its flavors. The white beans were mild, so the dish needed a bit more spice. The small bits of carnitas were tasty, though the dish leaned more toward the vegetable side. *Mediterranean Breakfast: this dish was light and acidic. I wished the Mediterranean flavors stood out a bit more. The hummus was garlicky and tangy and paired nicely with the grilled pita, though the portion was small compared to the rest of the plate. The vinegary salad was perfect for my taste, and the avocado was fresh and creamy. The poached eggs were a little bland, so it would have benefited from more hummus. Overall, the food had decent flavors and the atmosphere was definitely my favorite part of Madison on Park. However, the slow service made the experience dampened our brunch experience. read more

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Came here with my friends. This Mediterranean restaurant is cute and has a modern vibe. Their salad was fresh and tasty, and the vinaigrette was delicious. They offer both indoor and outdoor seating. Sheyanne was a joy and did a great job taking care of us. As for parking, street parking is available. read more

Madison - Modern Mediterranean Restaurant | Outdoor Seating | Indoor Seating - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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So the food was OK. Everyone raved about the watermelon stack, but I thought it was just OK. The best dishes were the stuffed ravioli. Linguine with clam sauce was delicious . Everyone raved about the pork chops, but I thought they were a little too bready. The drink selections were pretty creative and delicious. We tried everything from the old-fashioned to many other specialty drinks. Service was better than other reviews indicated . The would tables are extremely gross and sticky . I would recommend that the management put butcher paper over the tables and change this after every guest is done. The Latin jazz music was good . read more

Madison - Drink - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

What a cute brunch spot in the heart of University Heights! It definitely gives off modern chic vibes with an airy interior that flows well with its exterior dining. Although the Mediterranean menu lacks variety, it makes up for it with interesting, colorful dishes. Portions are on the smaller side, so plan to add appetizers or sides. Overall, a fine spot to brunch w/friends or a date. Not kid-friendly but dog friendly. Reservations highly recommended! read more

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I came here for brunch with a couple of friends on a Sunday around noon. We had made reservations in advance and it was pretty busy when we got there, but we were seated right away upon arriving. The restaurant is so cute and nicely decorated! The space itself is gorgeous and very well thought out. I got the cold brew to drink and the avocado scramble as my meal. The cold brew was just OK and I would probably try something different next time. The avocado scramble, however, was delicious! There were plenty of avocados and the potatoes that came with the perfect amount of crispy. I would definitely come back here again for either lunch or dinner. read more

Madison - Cold brew - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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I regret to inform you of the bad experience that my family and I had at the Madison restaurant due to the rude attitude, arrogance and entitlement of our server Rhiannon. We sat down excited to order our food after the greeter told us of the happy hour pricing that was available because we were there at 5pm. We ordered our food which was okay. It tasted fine and portions were pretty small, but was definitely over priced for what it was. What really ruined the experience was Rhiannon. The entire time we were ordering, Rhiannon was snarky and condescending. A family member asked her some simple questions about items on the menu and her dry, short responses made our entire group feel like we were dumb and "unworthy" of being served by her. We told Rhiannon that we would be splitting the checks before ordering anything since we had a group of family, but she still put everything on one check and forgot to apply the happy hour pricing. We politely reminded her that we would like to split our checks and reminded her of the happy hour pricing, to which she told us to "add it up ourselves and let her know." Okay... We all told her what we were paying for and as I was grabbing my card she said "soooo is anyone else ready to payyy" and I paid. Due to the attitude and poor service throughout, I chose not to tip her. She then asked "so you're paying without any gratuity?" To which I said "without the attitude would have been nice." She grabbed my receipt from the table and crumpled it up before storming off. Tips are meant as an addition for great service or even average service, but Rhiannon was plain rude. Hate to call out the bad, but thought you may want to know of Rhiannon's behavior. Happy dining! read more

The food here was so yummy! Went for brunch and got the g.o.a.t. points which was absolutely incredible (i'll be coming back just for this) and the white bean shakshuka was yummy, I don't think I would order that one again but it was nice to try something different. The vibes inside are unique and perfect for a date or bringing the fam. Service was a little rushed but they were attentive and friendly. read more

Madison - GOAT points & White Bean Shakshuka - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Not bad - but wouldn't come back. - SLIDERS - basic sliders. You get what you get - GNOCCHI - the sauce and lump crab/shrimp was a hearty portion. The cheese filled gnocchi had way too much cheese considering its a cream sauce. - BRUSCHETTA - not bad. - FRIED MUSHROOMS - the mushroom itself was flavorless, you need the sauce. - LEMON CHICKEN - not pictured; only order if you enjoy a LOT of lemon. The person who ordered it couldn't finish because it was way too sour and tangy. read more

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We really like our weekend brunch at Madison. It's a beautiful restaurant and I suggest requesting the back patio or restaurant. It's very cute and the decor is beautiful. The outdoor seating in front is not as nice and you're basically sitting on the sidewalk on a busy street. Reservations are highly recommended because they can get quite busy. I ordered the chilaquiles and it was good, but wish I ordered the eggs either fried or scrambled instead of poached. The egg yolk just mellowed the other flavors out and I was just tasting egg yolk all over the dish. And I usually like poached eggs too. It just didn't work for me on this dish. My friend did say that she liked her breakfast sandwich and chai latte very much. Parking is a big deterrent for us from coming back more often. It's hard finding parking on the streets. We drove around for almost 30 mins. read more

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Disappointed. Service was poor - server was borderline unfriendly; tried repeatedly to get her attention. Place is too loud and cold - breezes kept my putting coat on. Hard to hear when music played. Food mixed. Drinks were highlight. Burrata decent, lamb meatballs lacked spice, whipped feta was decent. Only worth a second trip for drinks. read more

For $18, the cocktails were so tiny. It was definitely very spirit forward. The tiramisu cream top was very sweet and creamy. read more

Madison - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Ok this place is everything! The menu is stellar with SEVERAL espresso martinis to choose from, delicious brunch and lunch items (they are also open for dinner but we when for brunch), mouthwatering specials, and good classics as well. Our server was fantastic. She made great suggestions and tended to us while also letting us take our time. The ambiance is WOW. Insta this place asap! It's too darling. It's so well done. The only thing I could not figure out was why I haven't been coming here more often. Cheers! read more

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Only came in for happy hour drinks. They were delicious! H&H is what I would recommend. Sat at the bar with a few friends and the ambiance was relaxing and chill and helped set the mood for the rest of our evening. read more

Madison - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Love this place! Great food and ambiance, but note it does matter where you sit here, makes a big difference to your experience

I went here for a birthday dinner last month. I loved the vibes, aesthetics, and lights. I had a chicken pesto pasta dish with an espresso martini. All the espresso martinis were calling my name!! There was a live jazz band playing that night. Good vibes! read more

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It was neither good or bad. We had reservations for Sunday night Latin jazz. The place was busy, but service was timely and friendly. I had the watermelon stack, cioppino, waffle churro sticks, and Ibarra espresso martini. The watermelon was not sweet and this would be a better as a summer menu choice when it's in season. The cioppino was tolerable, but lacked depth and richness. The churro and martini were my favorites. The churro was crisp and full of cinnamon. This paired well with the espresso martini which had a twist of chocolate. The women's bathroom was messy. There was no toilet seat covers and there was trash on the floor. This is not a hole in the wall establishment and I anticipated a clean and well stocked bathroom. read more

Madison - Cioppino - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

My husband and I had a date night here and it was great! Easy to obtain reservations, vibes are so spot on, menu had great options. We were seated immediately and food came out very very quickly. We tend to eat quickly cuz we have a young kid so we were basically in and out within 45 minutes. Super happy we had time to grab dessert down the street. I would say the portions were fair but not generous. We left full, not stuffed and that's fine! read more

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I'm just going to say it. Madison is one of the best restaurants in San Diego. I am always blown away by the amazing food, drinks, and service. Madison definitely has a very trendy aesthetic that makes a great backdrop for pictures. Madison is a San Diego must! read more

Madison - Queen of Crowns - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

My friend brought me here. It's in a really nice area. The place is very clean. Well maintained. They have some really good food options available. I would say it can get pricey, but you really get what you pay for. Really good quality food. They also have alcohol and coffee available besides other regular drinks. I will say as far as customer service goes I wasn't crazy about the waitress that served my table but, the rest of the staff was great. Parking isn't really to much of an issue here you can park on the street. It's in a residential area. read more

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I've been here plenty of times for brunch, but this was my first time I sat inside to order (I got them for dinner once during covid so I had to get it to go)--and it was killer. Was in the area for a Primus show and dropped in with my brother Adam. I got the pistachio pesto pasta with chicken and the Madison Old Fashioned. He went with the sea bass. We split the waffle churro sticks for dessert. Everything was legit. Pasta was rich and flavorful--9/10. The sea bass was cooked just right and packed with flavor. Waffle churro sticks hit the spot and satisfied my sweet tooth, and that jalapeño blackberry sauce? GNARLY, in the best way! The Old Fashioned was simple, smoky, and honestly one of the best I've had. This place always crushes it at brunch, but now I know dinner's just as strong. If I lived closer, I'd probably be here way too often.I LOVE THIS PLACE! read more

Finally got to try Madison after hearing so many great things. It was pretty busy at 6pm on a Sunday, and for good reason! This place is absolutely stunning with a solid menu to match. My friends enjoyed the flavors of their Chicken Milanese and the Steak dish, but were a bit disappointed in the serving size - quite small for the price. However I enjoyed my pesto pasta thoroughly and would definitely come back for it again! This is a solid restaurant with fantastic ambiance and great service. read more

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Madison is uniquely good and uniquely bad at the same time. For starters, the service wasn't what you would expect for the pricing at $18 dollar cocktails and $25 dollar chicken entrees. It took 10 minutes to get a hello or a notice in the bar seating which is crazy because there were two bartenders, a bar back and an additional server in the small bar area of the restaurant. Here's where it becomes unique: the hostess and one of the bartenders were also drinking at the bar and sitting down at times while also working at other times. Look I'm a GM of a restaurant in San Diego, I get that some dive bars or lower end restaurants and our industry work this way, that's chill and can be a vibe. But this was supposed to be high end with San Francisco pricing so why is it happening here? With that being said, here are some good notes: the decor is well put together. The food is curated even if a bit minimal (the Milanese was dry with no additional sauce which was unique.) Cocktails were good. I know I'm griping about the service but seriously it's only because you all look a certain way and are priced a certain way. The service should reflect that a bit more than not otherwise it's hard to swallow the costs of things when my hostess is drinking at a bar then gets up to let me know they are doing last call for food then goes and sits back down and starts to drink again. ‍ read more

Madison - Watermelon Stack and Whipped Feta - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Came in fr brunch on Mother's Day weekend with my besties and our moms. It is soo cute and beautiful in there. Love the aesthetic. It was a bit warm in there, wish more air flow was available. The menu looked great. One of my besties comes often and loves it here. For me, the food was kind of basic/bland. It was fun for the vibes and spending time together but I don't think the food was all that great. My lemonade was pricey, cute, but ok. Got my mom the special horchata iced latte, she didn't like it either (we had to add simple syrup for her). She got the quesadilla special with bacon and other items. She said it was also ok. My papas lo as were prob a 4/10 for me. The eggs were firm but no flavor idk how to explain it. The potato's were too hard. The sauces were ok so not very helpful to elevate the food for me. Presentation was beautiful but flavor was not there for me. Also for one of the other mamas, her food got messed up twice. So that was not good. She got her second error plate late into our meal and didn't ask for a new correction because we were almost done eating. Luckily they removed it from the bill but now she didn't really get to enjoy her meal. The other mama, she did not like her chilaquiles, she added salt and sauce. I didn't know she didn't like it until the end when she had majority of it left over and she mentioned even the sauces didn't make it better. My bestie got the avocado toast plate and liked it! Maybe I should've stuck to a more normal breakfast. She paid extra for two slices of bacon and they provided 1 strip and like 1/4 of another strip. She had to ask for another strip.... Overall, I still had a ton of fun and staff were friendly. But meal wise, I don't think it was for me. read more

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Have been here for brunch a few times and enjoyed it, but went tonight for dinner with our dog for the Wednesday doggie dine in, and were super disappointed with the service. The food was good, not amazing, but good. We had the avocado and grapefruit salad, which was nice and refreshing, as well as the pesto pasta and gnocchi. Pesto sauce was good but that pasta was nothing special. Gnocchi was very good and pillowy. Despite the food being overall pretty good, everything took forever which was frustrating. Us and the table next to us had to wave down someone to take orders after being neglected for over half an hour. The dog menu is cute and our dog enjoyed, but it's definitely geared towards bigger dogs (very large chunks of veggies). Also the dog menu says it includes a doggie dessert cookie, but we asked about it and they said they didn't have it, which was another disappointment. Not sure if the service tonight was a staffing issue or what, but probably will not bother coming back after tonight's experience. read more

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