Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Pillbox Tavern

    4.3 (557 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 9:00 pm
    Updated 2 weeks ago

    Pillbox Tavern Photos

    Business Info

    PILLBOX TAVERN ATMOSPHERE

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

    You might also consider

    More like Pillbox Tavern

    Recommended Reviews - Pillbox Tavern

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Dog friendly patio and comfortable, covered seating

    Very small and busy but Ally was our server and we may have just gotten lucky, because she was one of the most organized servers we've ever had! She never lost pace refreshing our drinks, and making sure we had everything we needed. to grab a perfect table on the patio so we could bring our little fur baby:) The food is top of the line pub grub and we really enjoyed our time! As close to a 5 star experience as ever...

    Hank
    Jodi B.

    We love Pillbox, the staff and their dog friendly patio. We are happy to hear the patio will be permanent as well.

    Outside
    Dan M.

    Driven by this corner so many times and never noticed this little tavern tucked away at this busy intersection. Fortunately we decided to stop by after hiking nearby and wanting a snack. We found parking on the side streets in the back (probably not easy on a weekend since this is close to the beach). The menu is better than what you would expect for bar/tavern. We enjoyed a salad and a sandwich. They have a good craft beer menu that rotates as well with local selections. They have several TV screens so would make a good viewing place for the big game. Staff were friendly too.

    Wings + guac and chips!
    Daryl K.

    If you are catching a game.... this is the place! TVs everywhere, atmosphere is on fire , happy hour is lit, and great selection of food items! Ordered the wings to start and were absolutely some of the best wings we have ever had! Lemon pepper dry rub and buffalo were bomb.com. Server was on point and ready to bring a new drink / fill waters for the whole game. Bloody Mary and list of beers on tap were fantastic. Had a blast with the family and other fans cheering on our team!

    Baja chicken salad
    Binh P.

    Nice spot with a good amount of seating near the beach. Food was interesting. Got the baja chicken salad and although I did enjoy it, it could be a pretty strange flavor combo. It had tender chicken drenched in bbq sauce sitting on top of lettuce, corn, black beans, onions, and tortilla strips mixed with ranch. Initially the bbq sauce was overwhelming, but after mixing with the ranch it got tastier. Chicken was crazy tender, on some bites I thought I was eating canned tuna. Just wished there was more corn or beans added. The waitress was really friendly. And I enjoyed the tall glass of pineapple juice, very generous.

    June gloom
    Grace M.

    4.5! The food and service were amazing. The waitress was really helpful and attentive. I enjoyed the pillhouse burger and the Philly cheese steak. Lots of food for the price. They were out of the happy hour Mac and cheese though :(. The only issue I had was when eating outside there was no lighting. However, they do have heaters available if needed. The beers were also really yummy. Open seating available.

    Potato Skins with Ranch

    Really good food and great service! It's nice that this is a sports bar, but they have some healthier options (The Pillbox Plate, Chicken Tortilla Soup, House Made Chili, Tuna Sandwich, BBQ Chicken Salad) Their potato skins are (10/10)- crisp on the outside and soft in the middle. And, all of their dipping sauces are so, so good. The ranch, avocado Caesar, BBQ and honey mustard are my favorites. Small space, but it's perfect to watch the game and get some good food. I do recommend bringing a sweater or jacket, the doors/windows are usually open and it can be pretty breezy.

    Tri tip
    Nate A.

    Great location in solana beach, the tri tip sandwich was really good. Great service, nothing to complain about!

    Amanda J.

    My girlfriends and I stopped by for dinner. This tavern is super close to the beach (we had a short walk to the beach after dinner). They have indoor and outdoor seating. Our waiter was very funny and friendly. I tried their french fries and chicken teriyaki dish. The fries were delicious. They came out super hot and have a flavorful seasoning. The chicken teriyaki was okay. It came with macaroni salad which I felt was lacking flavor.

    Mango marg

    See all

    5 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of George Y.
    17
    100
    4

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Bella S.
    192
    51
    51

    5 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Andy C.
    27
    18
    3

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of David S.
    190
    89
    35

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of P S.
    0
    21
    8

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Mary L.
    0
    62
    60

    3 years ago

    Such good margaritas and chili! Seating outside and inside. Small parking lot in front.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 4
    Oh no 0
    Photo of JP P.
    0
    24
    3

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Ryan S.
    112
    25
    8

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    12 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 6
    Oh no 0

    12 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Brian B.
    1276
    132
    149

    12 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Alisa M.
    1570
    1194
    240

    11 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 4
    Oh no 0

    12 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Tina P.
    157
    424
    252

    11 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 4
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 12
    Thanks 0
    Love this 11
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Valerie M.
    1135
    1625
    4646

    11 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Bob B.
    0
    16
    3

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Page 6 of 14

    Ask the Community - Pillbox Tavern

    What are the prices?

    It’s not expensive.

    Do you have a trivia night?

    I’m sorry. We do not.

    View All 3 Questions

    You might also consider

    Viewpoint Brewing

    Viewpoint Brewing

    4.2
    (1.3k reviews)
    1.6 mi
    $$

    We had a weekday late lunch, the restaurant was quiet and we had our choice of tables. After…read morechanging tables to avoid sitting under a speaker we sat outside with a view of the fairgrounds and San Dieguito Lagoon.The staff was friendly and we were very pleased with fish tacos both broiled and fried. The salad and fries sides were generous. Parking in front of the restaurant is limited and shared with car repair but there is a pay lot on the corner. I have a feeling evenings are more raucous. There is a club that provides mini lockers with a plaque for personal beer mugs. The city of DelMar needs to trim some plants partially blocking the lagoon view.

    A group of us went last night to celebrate a birthday. The food was very good but our waitress was…read morenot. She mostly avoided us. We saw her take food orders for other people even though we let her know that we were ready. She finally came to take our order. Never came back after our food arrived. We asked other waiters for missing food items or drink refills. One male waiter was very nice and helpful. We were very disappointed at our waitress. We finally figured out that she knew the gratuity was automatically added to our bill so she could offer us minimal assistance. The views are great and we had a nice time despite her bad service.

    Photos
    The bar area with the TV
    The bar area with the TV
    Burger - came with their homemade sauce that has mayonnaise so we had it on the side.
    Burger - came with their homemade sauce that has mayonnaise so we had it on the side.
    Outdoor seating with heaters

    See all

    Outdoor seating with heaters
    Monarch Ocean Pub

    Monarch Ocean Pub

    3.9
    (952 reviews)
    2.2 mi
    $$

    Freshly arrived and checked in to our hotel in Del Mar, we asked the front desk for a…read morerecommendation and she said this was a good upscale sports bar. I saw I had already bookmarked it for their highly rated fish and chips, and it was only half a mile away so we decided to walk. It was a beautiful walk along the beach, surfers everywhere reminded me of my college days at UCSD and how big the surfing culture is here. After we passed the train tracks we took a left and had a quarter mile walk straight up the hill! It was definitely a tough little hike for us out of shapers, but it was just enough to get some exercise and work up our appetites and thirst. We put our name down for window seats and stood at the bar while watching the NBA finals. We ordered a couple aperol spritz and were throughly enjoying the vibe and view. Everyone here was super friendly, great customer service and was surprised to see how packed it was late afternoon on a Tuesday. Our server later told us it's like that every night. We had to wait about 15-20 mins for our table but we were fine, then got seated right by the window. The view was amazing, drinks were strong, and some excellent fish and chips and appetizers. The bar even gave a little speech, where the bartender read a poem, apparently a nightly tradition. Cool touch. Great place for families, groups or couples. Recommend!

    Dear Senior Management Team,…read more My family I visited Monarch Ocean Pub on mother day, expecting to have a pleasant experience. Unfortunately, we were very disappointed by the behavior of one of your managers, Hope. My mother was on the phone with my sister through FaceTime, simply talking and enjoying herself. Hope approached my mother in a very aggressive and unprofessional manner, standing extremely close to her and angrily telling her to hang up the phone and stop recording, even though my mother was not recording anyone. I tried to explain that my mother does not speak English very well, but instead of handling the situation professionally, Hope accused me of being rude, told us to leave, and threatened to call the police. Her behavior made both my mother and me feel very upset, uncomfortable, and unwelcome. She also stood very close to us and made physical contact by touching me, which made me feel extremely uncomfortable. No customer should be treated this way. We came to your business hoping to enjoy ourselves and receive good service, but instead we experienced rude, aggressive, and unacceptable treatment from a manager. I hope senior management will address this situation seriously so that no other customers have to go through the same experience. Because of this incident, we do not feel comfortable returning to that location.

    Photos
    Monarch Ocean Pub
    Applewood bacon burger
    Applewood bacon burger
    Sunset views over the ocean

    See all

    Sunset views over the ocean
    Salt  + Lime

    Salt + Lime

    4.3
    (623 reviews)
    2.4 mi
    $$
    Locally owned & operated
    Vegan friendly

    Husband and I came here for the first time to have lunch and were amazed at how wonderful it was!…read moreOur server was prompt and so polite. We got seated quickly in their beautiful outdoor patio area with our 2 pups! The food was absolutely delicious! The wonton tostada, DEFINTELY my favorite!! I wish we got more orders! I was apprehensive about the tangerine in it at first, but it brought such a delicious sweet flavor to the tostada, literally devoured it so fast lol 20/10! The bone marrow quesadillas were good. The bone marrow was juicy, melt in your mouth flavor! I like to add a squeeze of lime on the marrow as well, tastes so good that way. The quesadilla itself was okay, tbh I could've done without it as it wasn't anything amazing. The bulgogi burger is on their monthly special menu! It's listed as sliders but when we came, our server informed us they only have it as a regular burger for the time being which wasn't an issue for us! It was delicious & filled with so much flavor! I loved the crunch from all the veggies inside as well. The fries it came with had some sort of sugar salt which wasn't my favorite, but still good. Overall we had an amazing first experience and will definitely be back & bring our family/friends!

    Father's Day brunch at Salt + Lime Del Mar--such a great vibe. Fresh, lively spot with a beautiful…read morestreet view and even a peek of the ocean. Service was super friendly and made the whole experience even better. The starters absolutely stole the show--bone marrow quesadillas were fire, and the aguachile negro was next level, easily the standout. My kid loved the Mexican French toast (really tasty), and my wife's enfrijoladas were also a hit. For my main, ordered the chilaquiles verdes with birria. The meat was solid, but the chilaquiles themselves were a bit flat on flavor. I ordered the chilaquiles verdes with birria. I really wanted to love it, but it just didn't hit. That said, I'd definitely give this place another shot. It's a great spot with a lot going for it--I'd just try something different next time.

    Photos
    Dining area
    Dining area
    Won Tostada:
 Marinated Tune/Chipotle Mayo/Avocado/Pickled Onion/Sesame Seeds/Chives/Masago
    Won Tostada: Marinated Tune/Chipotle Mayo/Avocado/Pickled Onion/Sesame Seeds/Chives/Masago
    Potato Taquitos:
 Mashed Potato/Shredded Lettuce/Crema/Cotija Cheese/Pickled Onions/Green Salsa

    See all

    Potato Taquitos: Mashed Potato/Shredded Lettuce/Crema/Cotija Cheese/Pickled Onions/Green Salsa
    Solana Beach Kitchen

    Solana Beach Kitchen

    4.2
    (316 reviews)
    0.4 mi
    $$

    I recently visited Solana Beach Kitchen and honestly had such a great experience that I had to…read moreshare. From the moment we arrived, the service really stood out. The manager, Andrea, along with Tara, took amazing care of me and my friends. They were attentive without being overbearing, super friendly, and made us feel genuinely welcome the whole time, which is something you don't always get. I ordered an Aperol Spritz, (if you ever ordered, please get it with campari. we also got a margarita, both were perfectly made. The spritz was refreshing and well-balanced, and the margarita was just as good, not too sweet and really smooth. Definitely a great start to the night. The food was just as impressive. Everything came out surprisingly fast, especially considering how good it was. You can tell there's real attention to quality and flavor. The ambiance is another highlight. It has this relaxed, chill vibe but still feels put together and a little bit "cute" in the best way. It's the kind of place that works perfectly whether you're going on a date, catching up with friends, or just want a nice casual dinner without it feeling basic. Overall, great service, delicious food, quick turnaround, and a really enjoyable atmosphere. I'll definitely be coming back

    Tried SB Kitchen for lunch. Sat outside under an umbrella. Plenty of parking during lunch and the…read moreshopping center this is part of had a parking garage at the back. Service was okay. I had to remind the waitress I hadn't gotten my drink and had to ask for the check at the end. The food was just okay. I got the Hot Chick chicken sandwich and my friend got the classic burger and we split them. Neither had much flavor, which really surprised me with the chicken sandwich as it's supposed to be Cajun spiced. We both paid the extra $4 to change the fries to truffle fries. That had the most flavor of anything.

    Photos
    Awesome food enjoyed on a great Friday night.
    Awesome food enjoyed on a great Friday night.
    Beef skewers
    Beef skewers
    Flowers for Baby and Bourbon Banger. Delicious cocktails.

    See all

    Flowers for Baby and Bourbon Banger. Delicious cocktails.
    Rustic Root

    Rustic Root

    4.1
    (385 reviews)
    0.3 mi

    I give rustic root five stars because tonight is probably not indicative of what this restaurant…read moretruly is. Samantha and Cat at the front desk are truly accommodating and wonderful. We started at the bar and then wanted to table inside and they did their best on the incredible soccer night to accommodate us which they did and we thank them for that. The happy hour menu is truly fabulous and a whole bunch of ways. Sandy was our server and I just have to say she was as overwhelmed as the rest of the restaurant. She had 11 tables to look over and we were just happy that she took our order and it came out and it was great. I really can't comment on the food because we only had our table for a half an hour. But what we had was delicious and we will certainly come back on a non-soccer night to get the best of the rustic..

    I made a reservation on OpenTable for 3 people at 6pm, requesting an outdoor table. My group…read morearrived early and we hung out at the outdoor bar till our table was available prior to 6pm. We got a beautiful outdoor seat along the walkway. My friends took advantage of the happy hour bites still offered but I was committed to the chicken pot pie which came with a side salad. It took awhile for the food to arrive but that was ok because I was catching up with old friends. Everyone thought their food was pretty good. My chicken pot pie was on the salty side but the chunks of chicken were nice and the flaky crust was delicious. The vibe was upscale yet approachable. Even better was a free underground parking garage under the restaurant! Bathrooms were outside, shared with other businesses. They were keypad locked and a bit messy, but sufficient. I look forward to visiting again!

    Photos
    Inside dining area
    Inside dining area
    Rustic Burger
    Rustic Burger
    Margarita and kiwi sangrias

    See all

    Margarita and kiwi sangrias

    Pillbox Tavern - tradamerican - Updated July 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...