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    Nate's Garden Grill

    4.4 (706 reviews)
    Closed • 11:00 am - 9:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Nate's Garden Grill Photos

    Business Info

    NATE'S GARDEN GRILL ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Dogs allowed
    Good for kids

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    Stephanie R.

    This place is amazing! Service is quick, you order at the cash register and take your number, easy! The place has such a good old feel to it, I really enjoyed myself here. The food was delicious and I wasn't expecting those flavors but the Carnitas tacos are a must try. I will definitely be coming back to hear some music with a Mimosa.

    Grilled cheese and Mac & cheese
    Corina A.

    House made soda and kombucha?? Yes!! I love that they are farm to table so everything tasted fresh and delicious. I ordered a chicken breast sandwich. The bread was so good and the chicken was cooked perfect. My husband ordered the grilled cheese sandwich and the bread on his was so good with a bit of garlic. The Mac and cheese was cheesy with different cheeses in it and also delicious. We sat out on the patio where they had live music which was nice. They will post their bands that will be playing for that month on the wall. You don't really have a server as this is an order at the counter and pick a seat kinda place. I enjoyed our lunch at Nate's and would definitely come back again.

    Their idea of "medium evenly cut" steak...
    Maria O.

    This place used to be so good. Always a bit pricey but worth it until now. 20+ dollars for a cob salad that we added steak to. Requested medium as suggested and the steak came out cold, unevenly cut, and medium well/ well done. Also the egg was completely over cooked. $30 dollars after tip for ONE salad that was not worth it. Incredibly disappointing and won't be returning any time soon.

    Glass of Sauvignon Blanc
    Leslie B.

    A couple weeks ago, I went to Nate's Garden Grill with a couple of friends as a birthday celebration for one of them, and just to spend an afternoon together. I was drawn to Nate's Garden Grill because they have an extensive music calendar, and because they have outdoor seating. It was an unexpected surprise when I found they were attached to a nursery. We ended up spending a long, leisurely afternoon/evening at Nate's. We were probably there from 2:30 until almost 8:00, though made a short shopping trip to the nursery partway through. When I walked in, the first thing I noticed was that it was very rustic, almost like a log cabin. The outdoor area is small with a very small stage. It was dog and family friendly. The indoor area is also quaint, but with bright murals. Staff was really friendly and had no problem with us hanging around all day. It was cool to see that they had a variety of mimosas and sangrias by the carafe. However, we chose to drink wine. They had decent bottles that were only $20, which is very reasonable for a restaurant. My friends and I shared the pesto flatbread. My friend and I also shared the black bean burger and a side of potato salad. My other friend ordered grilled cheese. She wanted fries, but unfortunately they don't have a fryer. So, she also had the potato salad. My favorite thing I ate there was the black bean burger. I would definitely order that again. I enjoyed the band that played from 6-8. They were entertaining, but also were not so loud that we couldn't have a conversation. Also, the staff brought my friend a free brownie sundae for her birthday which was very kind. It was really a great time!

    Caitlin D.

    This place is a hidden gem! I live nearby and decided to try something new for breakfast with my husband. The breakfast was pretty good. I had biscuits and gravy. They use Torque's Coffee and it was a nice brew. The atmosphere is amazing. It's got a cute little country vibe with a beautiful patio. It was a beautiful morning so we sat on their patio. They also have love music out there. It's a quick service style restaurant, so you order at the front and then they bring the food out to you. There is a self serve coffee bar inside. The staff were friendly. It's also right next to City Farmers Nursery, but that will have to be a different review. Perfect spot to get a bite and then wander through the massive nursery. Will definitely go back and bring my friends.

    Belgium's mimosa
    Michelle P.

    * great service * casual ambiance * great food *outside seating Sweet gem in city heights! Live music playing while you enjoy your drinks and food. A self-service you order at register and food gets delivered to your table. We tried the Belgium's mimosas must say this was surprisingly satisfying and great for price. We also had the pulled pork Benedict and Nate's burger highly recommend both pretty tasty didn't disappoint definitely coming back to spend more time here. Glanced at the nursery next door was not expecting it to be that big they have a cute set up to walk around and admire the scenery.

    Biscuits and gravy with eggs
    Maurice A.

    Went here again this past weekend and it was still great. I had the avo toast with and added scrambled eggs and bacon. It was on a pretzel bread which was a nice twist! It was so good. Coffee is good and service is great. The lady in the front works really hard and is so nice! I appreciate her.

    Pulled Pork Benedict
    Felina V.

    Nate's Garden Grill is a long-time favorite, and I'm so excited to be living closer to it nowadays. Excellent garden-fresh ingredients and truly flavorful dishes, paired with an amazing ambiance and great service make this a perfect option for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner! Live music can be enjoyed on most days, PLUS you can stroll around the grounds and enjoy browsing plants for sale while gazing at donkeys, goats, chickens, and turtles!

    Mac & cheese
    Jennifer M.

    Came here after checking out the nursery next door. Good size menu. Had lunch with friends and ordered the BLT sandwich. Everything we had was all good . Would come back again .

    Terry R.

    Nate's achieves the trifecta gold with delicious food, friendly service and entertaining live music. We visited on a busy Sunday (late) morning. We were a party of 10 and though we were not able to sit together we were able to split up among two tables. Hamburgers were amazing and my hamburger loving teen was beyond impressed. I also found the non alcoholic kombucha smooth and delightful! Live music was lovely and we were still able to have a conversation while musicians were performing.

    Avocado toast

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    1 month ago

    Great food with live music sometimes. Friendly staff and there's a super cute nursery next door.

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    13 days ago

    Super cool vibe and great food! Brunch time on a Saturday is steady flow of people but no waiting. Perfect.

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    2 months ago

    Whe family loved the food, vibes and service here. Will return next time we are here!

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    10 months ago

    So happy about this hidden gem... just a few minutes from my home. Delicious food, fast and friendly service 10/10

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    Nate's Garden Grill Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Nate's Garden Grill

    Is there plenty of shade to sit outdoors?

    Yes there is a covered porch

    Hi, do you have any plans to open earlier for breakfast? I used to come at 8 most Saturdays because my kids are always up by 7 and now we have soccer games at 10. Thanks

    Yes! Last weekend was our first weekend we opened back up at 8am. See you soon.

    Is outdoor seating reopened?

    Yes it is! It is reduced and socially distanced. Hope to see you soon and thanks for thinking of us.

    View All 8 Questions

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    Mike's Red Tacos - Clairemont Mesa

    Mike's Red Tacos - Clairemont Mesa

    4.6(1.7k reviews)
    7.8 mi•Clairemont
    •$$
    Halal
    Vegetarian friendly

    Got the Red Quesadilla and it was so good!!…read more Super large portion size, the birria was amazing and the quesadilla was packed with so much flavor. A solid 10/10, will order again. First time at this establisment and had a very pleasant experience. I really loved the vibe of the place. Casual, yet hip (the splashes of red color really pops!) Service was friendly and there is a salsa bar too with lots of options. Will definitely be back!

    I was really excited to try Mike's Red Tacos. The website bragged about all of the different…read moreflavors of homemade salsa. But I didn't realize that just about every dish was based on birria. But okay. I love a good, flavorful birria taco. I guess I just didn't order right. I grabbed the Mikes Meal Special, but I was really craving some nice crunchy, cheesy and Jalapeno-hot Nachos. So I thought I would try a half-order of Mike's Nachos. Man! They were horrible. The huge pile of shredded beef tasted okay, but the red gravy got all of the chips that it came into contact with really soggy and unpleasant to eat. Maybe it would have been better if I had eaten it in the restaurant, but it should not have degraded that quickly. And to claim to be Nachos? Why? What was Nacho about this messy, uninteresting dish? The only suggestion of cheese that I got was one stray pipe of yellow processed cheese that could have been mustard for all that I know. There were NO Jalapenos whatsoever. The guacamole was just one spoonful plopped down in the middle of the order. There was really nothing red hot about the food at all. So the sour cream just made it taste incredibly bland. My advice? Always go with as authentic to real Mexican food as you can find. If you really want "Gringo Sonora," I would heartily recommend Del Taco over this restaurant.

    Photos
    Mike's Red Tacos - Clairemont Mesa
    Mike's Red Tacos - Clairemont Mesa
    Mike's Red Tacos - Clairemont Mesa

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    Mike's Red Tacos - Point Loma

    Mike's Red Tacos - Point Loma

    4.8(1.2k reviews)
    6.7 mi•Loma Portal
    •$$
    Halal
    Vegetarian friendly

    Friendly service and food came out pretty fast. They have a kiosk, you can order from or directly…read moreat the counter. Plenty of parking spaces and very easy to find. Bathrooms were very clean. One of the best tasting birria stops I've ever had. The birria is super flavorful and not dry at all. The consome that comes with the birria had a good flavor and not salty or greasy like other places. The chips had really good flavor but some pieces were super salty. The fries in the birra fries could have been a bit crispier. They have a self serve salad bar with every type of salsa possible. You can't skip the loaded churros!!! It's the best!!!

    Seeing several Mike's Red Tacos pop up recently, I decided to stop in for a late dinner at the…read morePoint Loma location. It's located within the large shopping complex close to the freeway. There's ample free parking so no issues there. Great customer service. The workers were friendly and helpful when you need something. It's a casual Mexican restaurant that specializes in birria. They have one vegetarian taco, otherwise this is definitely for the meat lovers. They have both indoor and patio seating. You can order at the self-serve kiosk or at the register. While you wait for your order, you can pick out your complimentary salsas. Overall, the food was good. It leans on the heavy side so come with your stretchy pants on! Surprisingly, the best thing we ate was the mini churros! Seriously the best churros I've had in a while and I dare say, it may be better than the ones at Disneyland!! It's perfectly chewy, crispy, and light, comes out hot, and just melts in your mouth. I felt the prices were a little high. You will definitely end up spending around $20-25 with a drink per person. Therefore this won't be a regular food spot for me but worth a try for sure.

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    Mike's Red Tacos - Point Loma
    Mike's Red Tacos - Point Loma
    Mike's Red Tacos - Point Loma

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    The Waves Taco Club

    The Waves Taco Club

    4.7(393 reviews)
    4.3 mi•Gaslamp
    •$$

    Wanted to try some tacos while out here and this one had good reviews. It was also near our hotel…read morewe were staying at in Gaslamp. They have drawings all over their walls which was fun to look at. They have a few specials which are a good deal if you're going to get a drink anyway. I love c that c they had a self serve salsa bar. Must get the chipotle shrimp taco! 10/10 with flavor. Battered fish taco was ah ok.... Salmon taco was great too 10/10. Service was prompt. We had chips and salsa while we waited so it was cool. Overall, I recommend checking this out and trying the chipotle shrimp and salmon taco!

    I feel that I was misled by the 4.7 rating. We had a 20 minute walk to get here in the heat. Then…read morethere was no air conditioning at the place. I had a grilled fish burrito. It looked good, and I liked the chilled and covered salsa bar, but the burrito had no cabbage or pico de gallo. It tasted like a kind of salty egg burrito. The flavor was off. My son had a few tacos. He liked the Birria taco. I purchased a horchata for him, a small water bottle for myself. After our meal in the heat, we both wanted more water. The cashier said that the small water bottles were $3.90 each. (Something I missed the first time around) We left without the water bottles to walk blocks in the heat with a weird taste in my mouth from the fish burrito. The prices were the same as a nicer place with decor and air conditioning.

    Photos
    The Waves Taco Club
    The Waves Taco Club - Shrimp Burrito

    Shrimp Burrito

    The Waves Taco Club - Surf Turf Burrito

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    Surf Turf Burrito

    Chula Tacos - Asada vampiro

    Chula Tacos

    3.8(302 reviews)
    10.7 mi•Nestor
    •$$

    Sometimes, there are nights when only tacos can fix me. It's no secret that San Diego has tacos in…read morespades and being so close to the border, you'd think that a quest to find the perfect taco would be as simple as rolling down to the nearest taqueria. Except, it's not quite that simple. Many beloved staples have gone downhill, while some newer spots that might boast things like a Michelin mention or multiple locations ranging from TJ to Vegas contain more hype and gristle than tender meat and substance. Enter Chula Tacos. Chula is, and always was, the type of place that makes you forget that you're not actually in Tijuana. While part of me misses their OG Market Street location, seeing them with brick-and-mortars feels hard-earned and well-deserved. This location on Palm in IB is relatively easy to access from the freeway, but parking can be tricky. You can safely assume that it will be busy and you will either have to be very lucky or be willing to find a spot on the street. Out of all the times I've been here, it's always been crowded enough that I've never been able to find a table inside, but I enjoy sitting out on the patio next to the ahumederos. The first thing that hits you walking through the door is how amazing everything smells. The queue to the cashier takes you near a window showing the kitchen where you can see the Chula Tacos team making fresh tortillas, slicing meat from the trompos, grilling up jalapenos, nopales, onions, labio, and tripa. For me, it's not so much a challenge to decide what I want, it's more a challenge to keep myself from ordering everything. My usual is four tacos: two asada, two al pastor (but I've heard that I should also try their world famous keka). The tacos though? Perfection. Every time, the asada is the juiciest and most tender I've ever eaten, the al pastor is succulent and flavorful, and no taco in front of me is long for the world. At $3.50 each, every one of them is absolutely loaded. Three would honestly fill me up, but I always want four. After getting burned by spots that ask around 75% more and deliver anywhere between 25-50% less, Chula Tacos feels like an absolute godsend of a Tijuana-style taqueria and I can't see any other contenders being my go-to. So, when I say "Tacos will fix me," what I mean nowadays is "Chula Tacos will fix me."

    Chula Tacos in Nestor is definitely worth a visit if you're looking for authentic, flavorful tacos…read morewith generous portions. Every item we ordered was packed with delicious flavors and made fresh. One thing that stood out was their attention to detail with to-go orders--they provided plenty of condiments, including a variety of salsas, cucumbers, radishes, and peppers, which really elevated the meal. The highlight of the menu is the Keka Taco. It is incredibly delicious, loaded with flavor, and so filling that it can easily satisfy even the biggest appetite. The only downside to this establishment is the limited parking, which can make picking up your order a bit challenging during busy times. However, the amazing food and generous portions more than make up for the parking inconvenience. If you're in the area, the Keka Taco is a must-try!

    Photos
    Chula Tacos
    Chula Tacos - Keka (carne)

    Keka (carne)

    Chula Tacos - Outdoor seating

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    Outdoor seating

    La Puerta - Combo Tacos

    La Puerta

    4.2(4.8k reviews)
    4.4 mi•Gaslamp
    •$$

    We had a great experience at La Puerta! The service was excellent, and the atmosphere had that…read moreperfect mix of chill and lively -- definitely a popular spot without feeling too hectic. They also had some really great vegetarian options. The tostadas, veggie tacos, and flautas were all awesome and full of flavor. The margaritas were reasonably strong, which was nice. And definitely save room for the churros -- they were so good! The only thing that wasn't quite our preference was the queso fundido. It was a little more solid than we like; we prefer ours to be extra melty and gooey. Otherwise, everything was fantastic. Great food, drinks, service, and vibes!

    I'm so mad about this place!! Hubby and I headed down to SD…read moreto get away from the heat in the OC. On the drive, I decided I wanted Mexican food. I picked a place off Google but when we landed there we were not comfortable stopping to park, so we looked again and decided to check out La Puerta not realizing it was in the Gaslight District. I am not a fan of the Gaslight District, which is why I am so mad!! I'm going to HAVE to go back to the Gaslight District!! The food was AMAZING!! I HIGHLY recommend the Potato Flautitas. It's the kind of dish I'm going to dream about, I'm salivating now just thinking about them. I also did the Pick 3 Street Tacos (and actually ordered a 4th). The Ranchero Shrimp and Grilled Veggie were top notch. The Conchinita was recommended by our waiter, and it was interesting, tasty but different. It could have used a little more pickled onion. The only one I would not recommend (shockingly, I thought it would be the easy pass) was the carne asada. It was too greasy. My husband ordered a carne asada quesadilla and said the same, it was too wet and soaked through the tortilla. But there were no many other delightful options, I would say just don't go traditional. But honestly my favorite thing on the plate was the side dish rajas con crema, seriously, that alone is going to drag me down to the Gaslight District. I'm even considering going to a Padres game just for the excuse. I'm salivating again! As for our waiter, Colin, he was fantastic. Very informative, made great suggestions and seemed genuinely pleased by our satisfaction. He was smiling the whole time, friendly and stayed very present. I highly recommend you get yourself through the door at La Puerta and sit down for a meal ASAP. (We ate the food so fast I forgot to take pictures.)

    Photos
    La Puerta - Restaurant

    Restaurant

    La Puerta - Chicken with fried cheese tacos

    Chicken with fried cheese tacos

    La Puerta - Harland Hazy IPA

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    Harland Hazy IPA

    Nate's Garden Grill - tradamerican - Updated September 2026

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