Our favorite restaurant at our favorite La Jolla Resort. Amazing specialty cocktails paired with decadent small plates make for the best combination. The decor is quaint, perfect for today's outdoor dining climate. The staff is respectful and safe, everyone wearing masks, and even a plex window at the front check in. I went for the sampler combo this past visit and fell in love with the Empanadas, my wife absolutely mowed her Cochinita Pibil. We love to snuggle in the booths and the lighting after dark is really fun and festive. We can't wait for our next visit to Mustangs + Burros!! The drink while you wait hack is satisfied by Blend only a few footsteps away where you can snag a quick drink if there's a small wait. read more

Mustangs & Burros - Lounges Near Me - La Jolla, California

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I can only imagine the better reviews are based on the atmosphere, which is lovely like all of the estancia hotel. This overblown taco shack is a stone cold ripoff though. $9 tacos (each) for a taco that any Mexican street vendor would crush for $0.75. No flavor at all. $9 draft beer. $16 guacamole. It was middlin at best. I ordered the tuna crudo and sent it back after one unswallowable bite. Inedible. What they did to that poor fish is a crime. After I sent it back service vanished. I will never go back. Writing this from the Bali Hai so I could get something to eat and a cocktail that doesn't break the bank. read more

Overprice for mediocre food. The setting is pleasant, outdoor patio with Mexican theme. Nothing overly special. Outside heaters were very good, and the fireplace was nice. Food was good, but overpriced. Brussel sprouts appetizer was nice, well-prepared, and a good size. I had the scallops; very nice sauce and garnish, but small portion for a lot of money. Others had vegetable mole and fish tacos, which they said were good (but not great). For dessert, we shared the flan, which was nice, and the chocolate coffee cake, which was not too sweet and quite good, but not at all a coffee cake. One of our group ordered the salmon, at which point the waiter said: "Oh, I probably should have mentioned that we don't have any salmon tonight." Hmmm. Later, with dessert, we ordered cappuccinos and were told that they don't make coffee drinks (other than regular drip coffee) after about 8pm. Hmmm. Wine list was okay, nothing to write home about. Several descent by-the-glass wines, and many bottles. Again, however, everything was quite overpriced. Overall, a descent place. Okay food, nothing too special. Descent atmosphere, nothing too special. Very overpriced. Note about parking: You can self park or use valet. Both are complimentary if you dine at the restaurant, but be sure to get a validation. read more

Came here a while back with my uncle before a show in La Jolla because it was close by and I'd read that they had a good happy hour. The moment we walked in we saw that there was a HUGE conference or something being hosted at the hotel so it was packed, it took a moment to get seated even with a reservation. I get that it was busy but even for busy the service was pretty bad. The wait staff was all very focused on the folks from the conference and we got like two drinks in for happy hour. This place is extremely overpriced - I know, I know, it's in a La Jolla hotel so what did I expect, but the food quality to me did not warrant the price tag. We got fish tacos that were okay at best, which is annoying when they're $17 a plate. Anyway, if you like expensive, average tasting food and want to pay $13 for a cocktail to feel bougie while the wait staff ignores you, this might be the place for you. read more

Henry was our server for both of the recent dinners we had here and he was fantastic! I honestly wasn't expecting much, thinking of past experiences with "hotel food", so I was extremely surprised and pleased to have some of our favorite meals here! The salmon dinner was fabulous as were the mussels! Thanks for a great time and for allowing our dog on the patio with us. Such beautiful atmosphere, live music on Fri/Sat - can't wait to come back! read more

We love this restaurant so much! It's a wonderful Hacienda ambiance with guitar music. We travel from out of state to come here especially for Mustangs and Burros and been doing so for over a decade. The last couple of times, we had the pleasure of meeting Henry, our server. Oh what a professional, fun, kind human being he is. Our evening was filled with life, great humor and enjoyment because of Henry! Thank you Mustangs and thank you Henry for a beautiful evening. We look forward to seeing you again! read more

My husband and I decided to stop in after we finished our Sunday workouts. He a long bike ride and me a long run. We really just wanted to check out the restaurant because we've always heard great things about their brunch. It was well after 2pm so we knew brunch wasn't going to happen but decided to check them out for a really late lunch. He decided on the Natural Burger which had pepperjack cheese, carmelized onions, and chipotle aioli. I chose the Dungeness crab and shrimp enchiladas which was served with mexican rice and corn pudding, which looked more like corn bread than pudding. My hubby thought the burger was tasty but not as flavorful as he would've thought. He still managed to polish most of it off and all the fries the burger was served with. My entree on the other hand was out of this world amazing! The red sauce was so delicious, I pretty much licked my plate clean. The corn pudding and the mexican rice complimented the enchiladas perfectly. The corn pudding... OMG! So delicious! My only complaint was that they gave me very little rice. For $23, they could've given you a tad bit more. I'd certainly come here again just for this dish alone. We didn't order any cocktails with our meals but next time when we come for dinner, i'm ordering something off their menu. Their specialties drink, although pricey, looked delicious. Especially their sangria! Their prices are a bit high but it's to be expected in a hotel restaurant and the fact that it's in La Jolla. Nevertheless....I'll be back! read more

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This restaurant is located at Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa. We ate here because we were staying at the hotel. I'm not sure if you have to pay the $39 valet if you're just coming to dine. We ordered the Blackened Swordfish Tacos and they were just OK. The Seared Spanish Octopus was pretty good, but the Organic Baby Greens salad was pretty flavorless. The Roasted Veg Burger wasn't anything great. Service was friendly and food was served fast. The bar serves good drinks. I enjoyed my mojito. There is a nice fireplace in the outdoor seating area. I would come for drinks, but not really for the food. read more

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My friend chose to take me here as a late birthday dinner and naturally, I couldn't object a dinner invite! It was a bit hard to find. Mustangs & Burros is located across the street from Eleanor Roosevelt College at UCSD inside a hotel resort called the Estancia La Jolla. Walk through the gates and from there, it was hard to tell where to go next. You could easily miss the signs, so keep an eye out if you're thinking of going. We ended up ordering the black bean empanadas. I would recommend getting this if you go during their HH Monday-Friday 4-6pm. This was my favorite of the evening. We also ended up ordering their chicken nachos. Get ready for this one because the plate was of imaginable proportions. I enjoyed the nachos aside from the chicken turning cold 5 minutes after the plate was served to us... What also turned me off was the fact that my fork had gunk stuck to it, which I noticed immediately after being seated. Luckily our table was set up for four people so we had extra utensils so I switched out my dirty fork. It really set the wrong tune for me before I even opened the menu. read more

Went here for a date night with my boyfriend and it was amazing! I got the salmon filet, and it was probably one of the best salmon dishes I've ever had. The jasmine rice quinoa and carrot purée complimented the salmon very well. Also really great service from our server because it was our first time, and we were clueless about the menu. He recommended us "The Local" cocktail and it was super yummy! Will definitely be coming back! read more

Mustangs & Burros is a decent hotel bar. The ambiance with great! They have outdoor seating near a fireplace as well as indoor seating as well. The area was formerly a ranch and there are framed photos on the wall to show the ranch back in the day. My friend and I ordered drinks and the chicken nachos. The chicken nachos didn't disappoint, but they weren't the best around (meaning I wouldn't mind having them, but also I wouldn't drive from the farthest places in San Diego for these nachos). When our order of nachos came to the table, plates were not provided. We had to wait for our server to come back and request them from him. I had a martini and it was appropriately made with the right amount of "strong". At the end of it all, our server kept trying to rush us with the bill. We couldn't enjoy relaxing at the hotel bar. Ironic because all of the other areas of the hotel promote a slower-paced, relaxed time. It annoyed me because we were ordering food and drinks while sitting there. Aside from ambiance and convenience, I wouldn't really return to Mustangs & Burros. Good to check out if in the area, but even when staying at the hotel, I would get bored of the scene (and tired of the less than stellar service) after one night. read more

The patio is such a lovely spot to relax with friends when in the La Jolla Mesa area near Salk and UCSD. Just walking through the impeccably landscaped grounds of the Estancia Resort to arrive at Mustangs and Burros sets you immediately at ease. I have only been here for appetizers and drinks. This time my GF and I tried the Pita Bread with hummus, burrata and tomatoes, & the baba ghanouj - the perfect light appetizer. Ask for additional pita bread or chips should you run out before the dips :) Service is attentive and warm. Definitely a place to keep in mind when in the area! read more

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Thank goodness the world is opening up again and we can support our wonderful restaurants! Tonight we ate at Mustangs & Burros while staying at Estancia La Jolla hotel. We sat outside on their beautifully designed patio. The restaurant is close to the beach so be prepared with a sweater after the sun goes down in the summer. The landscaping on property is beautiful and you can enjoy a lovely stroll around the property either before or after your meal. We felt very safe while dining and food was delicious. We ordered the burger, the ceasar salad and the pork tacos and Hess Chardonnay. I recommend squeezing lemons on the ceasar salad. I asked for a side of avocado which was disappointingly small but is what I have come to expect from most restaurants. Our servers were super friendly and attentive. The hotel and patio are both very upscale and dog friendly. Because we are dog people we loved having the cuties to entertain us while we enjoyed our food and conversation. There is also dining inside and a beautiful bar however I don't know if it was open right now since everyone was outside. Thank you for a lovely evening. We expect to be back during our stay. read more

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Extremely overpriced food of mediocre quality. Very disappointing because the venue is nice.

Way way over priced for quality and quantity you receive. Staff was very friendly and attentive though. I had a romaine Salad and he them add grilled shrimp. So I got 3 shrimp and it's was a very plain salad. They charged me $8 for the shrimp which made my salad $23... it was like maybe a dollars worth lettuce with dressing and cheese sprinkles on it. The crispy Brussels sprouts I ordered were not cooked all the way either. $15 for those lol. Guess hotel restaurants feel they can over charge when there is not any options really around the hotel. Thumbs down! read more

We love this place. Super down to earth in a pretty setting. We especially love the Baja fish and the vegetarian tacos, the salads and shrimp dish. Our server was super warm. We will definitely come back. read more

Mustangs & Burros - Lounges Near Me - La Jolla, California

I was looking for a fun and new, but nice place to take my husband for his 31st birthday. A friend suggested Mustangs and Burros. I checked out the website and thought we'd give it a try. I used the online reservation to make reservations. In the comment box, I mentioned we'd be celebrating my hubby's birthday and I was excited to try their restaurant. It was a little difficult to find but it was a fun adventure walking around their beautiful land. The restaurant is actually toward the center of the hotel/resort. We parked, $12 for 0-3 hrs, inside the hotel grounds and eventually found our way following the signs for restaurants. I recognized its exterior from their website. We walked in and were seated immediately. Our server wished my husband happy birthday and started us off with a cocktail and "mocktail", as I'm pregnant, and took our order. We didn't feel rushed between appetizer, entree, and the wonderful surprise birthday desert. I was blown away with how wonderful this place is!! We will definitely be returning. Their outdoor space is stunning and perfect in our SoCal weather!! read more

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5 Stars is all I have to say for the Mustangs and Burros restaurant in the beautiful Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa. July 4th, we had made last minutes reservations and were accepted, we sat in the more casual outside dining area with the heaters (Mustangs and Burros), Our server was fantastic. Food and drinks came out with perfect timing. We ordered: - Open Faced Ravioli (Sea Scallops, Prawns, Herb Brie Sauce, Tomato Confit, Grilled Radicchio, Broccolini), - Mustang Angus Burger (Caramelized Onions, Choice of Cheese, Fries with Cilantro Aioli), and - Cumin Crusted Skirt Steak (Fingerling Skins, Cheese, Jalapeno, Guanciale). Not one complaint and the food was delicious and service was great! read more

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We ordered the baja and vegetarian tacos and salads , which were delicious. The service was excellent and the outdoor seating area is beautiful. read more

I stopped in for a drink by myself and ended up getting the vegetarian tortilla soup. I sat outside and watched a wedding, which was fun. I got a Woodford Reserve old fashioned. It was fine. Nothing super special. My soup was very tasty. Nice and warm. I'd like to come back for brunch or a full. Happy hour. The outside seating is cute. read more

Horribly inept kitchen, bad cook and chef, and service. Served cold dried out $62 bass, a $130 piece of beef that was almost all fat and bone plus about 800% of daily salt intake. Quite a dirty environment to eat in outdoors. I will never return. read more

Best bartender of trip thus far award. Nice atmosphere in or outside. Live music and great drinks. Good selections.

We had 5:45pm dinner reservations on a Saturday night for a table for 2 near the fireplace or a heater. Arrived 30 minutes early and they had put a large party in front of the fireplace and then seated us at a table with a non-working heater. We left and went to Piatti's which had a cancellation and we had a truly excellent dinner there. read more

There isn't a big menu, but what we ordered was just right! What was fantastic was the heaters on the patio and live music on Friday and Saturday nights. Really great talent the hotel/restaurant picks! Loved the ceviche and the big serving of chips. Mustang burger was cooked perfectly. It's pretty big to feed 2 of you aren't that hungry. Great hotel restaurant. read more

Ambiance is nice and the servers were kind but seemed to check in with us not as often as we'd like. The food felt like it was lazily made, the fish tacos were bland and my " medium rare " burger was on the well done side. Wish we had a better experience we looked forward to this place. read more

My friend and I met here for dinner on a Saturday night. The draw here is the atmosphere. The grounds of the Estancia are absolutely gorgeous. It's like a tropical getaway hidden away from the world! Complimentary valet is nice too. We sat outside on the patio looking at the fireplace and could see the beautiful sunset colors on the horizon. We could have sat out here for hours, it was so nice! The food was delicious, we had the mango tuna appetizer, and I had the salmon for dinner and my friend had the chicken. We both loved everything. Good wine selection and all around a great place to spend a leisurely night. The only con was the service, as other people have mentioned. It was terribly slow and inconsistent. We had about 3 different servers during our 2 hours there, and most of the time we had to flag someone down to order another drink, get more water, or to follow up when what we ordered was not brought out. This was odd to me because there seemed to be a lot of servers/staff just standing around with nothing to do and I also saw what looked like a manager making the rounds, although he never came to our table. All in all, the atmosphere and food made the slow service tolerable for us, and we would go back again (and hope the service improves). read more

Last night I ordered a Whiskey Sour and 45 minutes have passed, I told my server he doesn't have to drink because I'm done with WAITING (for eternity). He forced me to keep waiting fir the drink given my lack of enthusiasm and I was very frustrated- adding that IT TAKES THIS LONG TO MAKE THE WHISKEY SOUR!!!!!!! Ugh not coming back read more

The vegetarian tacos are my favorite tacos I've ever had! The flavors are amazing and even though the ingredients are so simple it tastes wonderful. The service here is super friendly and fast. The guacamole and churros are also to die for!! Highly recommend this restaurant. read more

This place is a great restaurant, not just a great hotel restaurant. First off, as everyone mentions, the ambience is adorable and will make your date happy. The cocktails were unique, flavorful and not overly sweet. But we're here for the food: Sampler plate - the quesadillas were meh, but everything else was 10/10 would eat again, especially the beef in the empanadas Fish tacos - fantastic and juicy, but just an FYI that you only get 2 tacos for $20, so not the best bang for your buck Churros - whimsical, crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside, and even better after the cocktails read more

The nachos are a meal and not you football game nachos. Tasty chicken, fresh Guac and tomatoes, sour cream and good cheese top these freshly fried chips. Get them to share. Also the fish tacos are unreal. I was full and ate them anyway. That's a big deal for a small eater like myself. Had the chile relleno. Omg! So good. Peach cobbler. Excellent. Fireplace is romantic and lovely. Great ambiance. read more

Mustangs & Burros - Great fireplace outside. - Lounges Near Me - La Jolla, California

Since it was late already and we didn't feel like driving around to find something to eat, we decided to give this place a try. According to the 4 stars review, there was little chance of us having a bad meal/experience. Walking to the restaurant from our room was very nice. The hotel grounds are kept very clean and groomed and the lights added a very romantic feel. Upon arriving to the restaurnant, you could already feel a very relaxed yet romantic feel about the place. There was a spanish guitarist outside on the patio area. The fireplace is lit, the lights are dimmed, people sipping wine and enjoying their meal. A great place to wind down and just enjoy the ambiance. Ok, now to dinner. I ordered the 16oz bone in rib eye steak with a balsamic vinegar glaze. There were some mixed greens on top with slices of red onions. All for $28. The steak was cooked a little more than I would have liked, but the glaze and mixed greens made up for it. The only complaint I have and why I only gave this place a 4 star instead of 5 is that they do not provide you with a steak knife. How can you serve a steak like this and not provide a steak knife. It might just be me, but you can not cut into a steak with a knife you find in cafeterias. I thought that was lame. The steak was great and all, but it kind of kills the mood when you have to work hard to cut your meat. The wifey ordered the seared sea scallops with rissotto. I have to say, the rissotto was very tasty and the the sea scallops were jumbo sized. They give you 5 pieces. She paired it with a glass of wine for $31. Not a bad price. The scallops were cooked perfectly. Soft and velvety in the middle. I can taste the pepper and salt that was seared with the scallops. That was all that was needed. Nothing fancy, just simple s&p. After dinner we had the chocolate lava cake. It wasn't that great. I've had better on a cruise ship. The cake was a little bit dry and there was barely any lava. But the gelato ice cream they put on top was pretty good though. All this for $10. Next time I will pass on dessert. read more

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I ate at Mustangs & Burros with friends for the first time last night. The food (all 5 dishes) was mediocre at best and quite pricey. I saw "Crudo" on the online menu. That looked good. When we got to restaurant 2 of the 4 menus had that item, while 2 of them didn't! The waiter didn't know if they were available, so he went back to the kitchen and found out that dish was not available. Later I asked for an iced tea fill up, he said "we've run out of iced tea but I could have hot tea." Wha-a-at? At least the décor was neat! read more

This place is crap. They sat us down and forgot about us. Staff walking past not one ask to take a drink order. I had to find someone ro wait on us. They don't care!. The food was awful. The chicken was dry. Awful.... avoid read more

This restaurant used to be a nice place to come get a happy hour drink and appetizer, but they've changed quite a bit in recent years. It is extremely overpriced and the food is not very good. The service is poor -- we requested that they shut the door multiple times because it was quite cold outside and they essentially refused. It's insane to pay $16 for a drink and $40 for a meal and sit in a freezing room! read more

I had not eaten here before, although I have been to the resort. I went on a Thursday night to see Keni Yarbro perform and decided to try out the restaurant. My server, Alberto B, was great. He was helpful with wine recommendations and very attentive throughout the evening, always checking to see if I needed anything. When he offered the chocolate chili gelato for dessert, I couldn't resist. read more

We were staying at the hotel for Valentine's weekend and were really looking forward to a nice meal Sunday evening after we'd had a nice time during happy hour on Saturday with friends. Wait staff were friendly and courteous, though food left something to be desired. Ordered a sangria and there was something off about it to the point where we sent it back (apparently they'd thrown some sort of bitter/peach(?) thing in as well). Tasted licorice-y. Main course didn't fair much better with the burger being fairly dry/oily, no truffle/coating on the fries, and just a generally disappointing cut of steak. Dessert followed with a fluffy dry coffee cake devoid of much tangible flavor. Not to mention that it was just set on our table before the other empty dishes were cleared, and without any cutlery to eat with. It also didn't help that they set a very chatty couple of friends right next to us (with their 100lb lab) when the whole patio was quite open (they were also having the weirdest conversations which were quite audible with very little background noise and being at the next table). For the reputation of the Estancia (and the price of the food), I would have expected much better tonight. read more

Pleasantly surprised with the authenticity of the American Mexican cuisine. I liked the vibrant atmosphere even though we had dinner on a crowded Friday evening. They did not disappoint. If you go as a group know that they will not be able to charge your card individually. Servers were very helpful anyway. read more

Ambiance 10+ Music 10+ Romantic 10+ Drinks 10+ Wine selection 10 Prices 10 Food 9 The food here it is really good. I didn't give it a 10 because I've been to real gourmet restaurants that obviously take the 10. But the food here still amazing. Fish tacos are obscene. And the whole package it is perfect. Something I realized in this area of La Jolla/San Diego area is that some fast food restaurants gets 5 stars which I think it is ridiculous if you know about good food. So this place should be a 5 stars. Only ignorant people that doesn't know about food gives bad reviews in places like this. Trust me on this one. Look for Michelle. She is awesome!!! read more

Mustangs & Burros - Romantic. Perfect to be with a great companions do drink your night away. - Lounges Near Me - La Jolla, California

What a joke!!! Way overpriced food! This place hands down has the poorest customer service EVER!!! Our waiter kept forgetting to put in our order and we only ordered 3 items on the menu...I mean come on if your going to hire servers at least hire ones that can keep up with the Saturday night dinner rush! Oh and the selection of food was ridiculous...whomever is in charge of running this place really needs to get out to a real restaurant and see the type of food that is being served and popular!!! read more

Very nice environment and great outdoor patio seating to enjoy on a sunny day but food and service left little to desire. Staying at the Estancia and came in for lunch as a convenient option. Service was extremely slow and would not have been bearable if not for the couple rounds of drinks we had during the wait. Good variety of meal options but did not deliver as much in flavor. We tried the Baja style cod tacos, duck empanadas, mojo marinated chicken torta, and short rib tacos. All were just okay; they had pretty muted flavors and lacked any sort of punch or kick. Maybe next time just relax outside and enjoy some drinks and appetizers but find a more satisfying meal elsewhere. read more

Mustangs & Burros - Lounges Near Me - La Jolla, California