Got together here last night for dinner with friends. I wish I'd known ahead of time that this isn't the best spot to do that on a Thursday night if you want to chat (small place, very loud), but overall it was fun and the food was good. The dining area is small, so if you have a large group you could be waiting on table space, but we were able to find seating for 4 at 6:30pm no problem. I had the Pillbox plate (teriyaki chicken and rice) and substituted tater tots for the macaroni salad it comes with. Let's be honest, you can't go wrong with tots. I thought it was odd that my dinner came with a salad but it was smashed in on the same plate with my chicken, rice and tots. Shouldn't salad be separate? It kind of turned into a rice and tot salad by the end of the meal. The rice had a coconut flavor to it that was interesting... I can't say it was awesome, but it wasn't bad? I don't know. My mouth was a little confused by it. I would come back, but probably not with a chatty group on a busy evening. Everyone else seemed to really enjoy the food. read more

Pillbox Tavern - Pillbox plate with tots - American Near Me - Solana Beach, California

First impressions, Great music Friendly staff Cool lighting Small venue I ordered sweet chili chicken wings to go, they came with carrots, celery and ranch. They also gave me tons of napkins and baby wipes, thank you. The wings were good, not dry or overdone. Cute lil place, whos suffering a bit of a identity crisis I feel. Its not sure if it wants to serve food or booze. Since it couldn't make up its mind it settled for a bit of both. Good chicken wings though! read more

See all

When my work buddies and I are craving wings (which is just about every other week) we mean Pillbox Tavern. Two favorites are the Old Bay and the Sriracha Ranch. The Old Bay is one of the most flavorful dry rubs you'll ever have the pleasure of eating, while the Sriracha Ranch is as tasty as it sounds. Honorable mention for the Maple Bourbon Bacon wings, sweet and savory, pretty much meat candy. Get it with a side of tater tots or fries, craft beer on tap, or a cocktail from the full bar. #blessed read more

Pillbox Tavern - American Near Me - Solana Beach, California

Went here with a girlfriend about a year ago for happy hour and wings. I'm from philly and am a wing connoisseur, if you will, and this place has the BEST wings in San Diego county I've encountered. I actually was just looking this place up because we don't live in north county anymore but want to take my philly born and raised husband here so he can experience the delight of these wings. Also, it's in solana beach with outdoor seating, less than a block from the beach. It's a great environment and I remember the staff being really friendly and accommodating. Planning to go here and combine it with a day trip to the beach and some exploring of the area. Highly recommend! read more

Chill spot to pound beers, good eats and catch a game. They have TV's all over and nice outside seating. Really chill bartenders and worker peeps. Highly recommend checking this place out along the path of drunkeness. read more

Had the lemon chicken wings, famous bbq wings and the teriyaki. Come for wed nights to get 20% off!! Was fun to eat during the trivia night. The choice beer on tap was the grapefruit sculpin, we had 5 even though we only ordered 4. The waitress assumed we wanted another even though we didn't ask. Venue is not that big but there was no wait. Could get a little loud during trivia night, but that's expected since everyone is having a good time. Indoor and patio searing is nice with decent parking but not a lot. They have a special to choose from every night so be sure to check the board so u can plan for next time. Will definitely come back for wing nights! read more

Pillbox Tavern - Lemon, bbq, and teriyaki wings with grapefruit sculpin ipa - American Near Me - Solana Beach, California

Their burgers are fine, but what makes Pillbox truly great is their wings - we got some sort of spicy honey mustard sauce that is the stuff of dreams. So good. Service was absolutely lovely, and it's a great place to stop before heading over to the beach! read more

some of the best food and service in solana , the wings are amazing so it the mexican caesar , and the mezcal shrimp amazing , everything is amazing here so are the emoloy read more

I stopped in with my sister and a friend on the night of Fiesta Del Sol and it was packed, so we didn't get the greatest impression. Beers were ~ $7, and were served in plastic cups instead of pint glasses, also probably due to the volume of customers. Margaritas were also served in plastic cups - however they were awful. 100% cheap mix and low alcohol. Not worth the money. The place itself is small, but the atmosphere is pleasant and I would consider coming back for a drink to check it out again when it's not so crazy. read more

Such a fun, cool spot! Had the best waitress, Karina, at sunset with a nice hard kombucha and some chips and salsa! Online menu had it at $4 for the app, but bill rang up as $6 - totally fine! Stuff happens but I let her know and she immediately took off the $2. Alllll the other food looked delicious as well and I'll for sure be back! read more

I have only had their wings but they are the best wings I have ever had. With that being said, their wings are thick with meat and cooked to perfection. They need to stop being stingy with the sauce tho. Dante's Inferno are fire flames. Highly recommend. read more

Kylie, Allie and adrian are some of the best servers I have ever had! I love coming into the pillbox when they are working. They really make me feel at home! They recognize customers and have such great energy. Also the food is great - wings are amazing . If you want a chill place to eat in solana beach, go here, such great energy ! read more

This place is awesome. First, beach side quaint ambiance is authentic and everything you might just be hoping for. Second, the service is caring and prompt. Last and most certainly not least - quality of food (ingredients to presentation) is so great. Great for date, friends, solo, fam, biz. Come here and enjoy whole supporting what they are doing here. read more

Pillbox Tavern - Foood - American Near Me - Solana Beach, California

Great craft beer selection and friendly staff. Had a burger with fries along with a couple wing orders - dry rub and the honey teriyaki (which was reminiscent of eel sauce with some kick)! read more

Pillbox Tavern - American Near Me - Solana Beach, California

See all

I love that there is another bar in the neighborhood, but I'm yet sold on Pillbox Tavern. The food was good....good enough. I had the fish & chips, which were tasty, but nothing special. I had to ask for tartar sauce, as it was an after though to actually serve it with the meal. The beer selection is decent. Prices are okay too. But I feel like if I wanted to just go & drink, I'd prefer Saddle Bar next door and if I wanted to take my kids with me to a bar (they have a kids menu here), I'd go down the street to Tide Water. Pillbox is really small & really really loud (it's a bright loud -- which could probably be fixed with some acoustic paneling on the ceiling, but until then it's an onslaught of other people's chatter). The seats and tables are smooshed together too. It's not comfortable for a long hang-out. When it's crowded, it's almost unbearable to sit and eat. The small patio area is nice, but it's tiny and it basically puts you in the parking lot. I hate being so negative, because the staff was great. I imagine that on a less crowded time, it might be more relaxing and enjoyable. It has everything else you'd want for a local drink spot....except space. read more

Pillbox Tavern - Sunday afternoon @ Pillbox. - American Near Me - Solana Beach, California

Solid food for a bar! Happy hour tacos are super good, not dried out. Chicken tenders and tots were suuuuper crispy. Bartender was really nice and super attentive. read more

Really cool spot to grab a drink and some food. We got a few kinds of wings, but the bourbon-maple-bacon wings were delicious. Less sweet than you'd think and really great layers of flavors. The siracha honey mustard wings were awesome too. My sister (a regular) told me to get the tots and she was right on that one. Super delicious. Even though we just got wings the people next to us got various items and they all looked delicious. The burgers, sandwiches and other appetizers were making my mouth water. I just had room for either beer or food and chose beer. Place was spotless, service awesome, prices were reasonable, easy public parking close by. Will 100% be back next time I'm in San Diego. Apologize for no pictures, but I was having too good of a time with some friends and family to think about it! read more

Food is incredible, outdoor dining set up is great. Come support this local spot. The staff is awesome.

Absolutely delicious and fantastic service. Got food from here tonight. Service and food was so good I figured I would leave a review instantly. Got the grilled cheese and burrito. Will be back when I am in town. read more

Best chicken sandwich in Minnesota. To add to that, the staff were great and very welcoming, especially the young busser with a pedo stache. He was about 4'11. He definitely made my stay 10 times better. Promote this guy! Overall, great service- would come again. read more

Really solid fish and chips. Corn dogs were also a great hit among the kids! Great that they have outdoor seating too.

Great outdoor service during the covid restrictions. The waitresses were all very attentive and kind and checked on us frequently. I appreciated that they had tv's outside to accommodate the outdoor seating! Monday burger deal is hard to beat: $15 for a delicious burger and beer. Definitely will come back for the daily specials and happy hour. Easy 3 minute walk to the beach too! read more

Enjoyed a walk to this place for tacos and pizza with wine. Place is open for outdoors and I liked the atmosphere. I was with my family and we all shared our food. Food was delicious read more

Shrimp and Mahi Ceviche is delicious! My husband had the fish and chips and said it was good. Our server was the absolute kindness. Towards the end of our meal he offered to fill my water bottle and even poured me another glass of water. Would recommend read more

Chicken Wings! Wednesday wing night is where its at. If you love chicken wings you have to give this place a gander. The winds are deep friend but not breaded. So its perfect for chicken wing enthusiasts like myself. I went for the traditional "buffalo" but they have 14 different sauces to choose from. Lemon, pepper, sweet chili, Sriracha Ranch to name a few. *Free chips and salsa w/ check in* They have house made salsa that half decent. Not he best I've ever had but had a smokey spicy flavor that didn't leave me disappointed. read more

Glad this place is finally open again during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Awesome chicken wings! And the drinks are on point as well! The small patio is set up for social distancing, but I went down to the park at Fletcher Cove with my order (including "to-go" mixed drink) and was able to enjoy a nice time by the water/park. Felt good to get out, thanks for allowing Pillbox for allowing me to eat some tasty wings with an epic drink! read more

Customer service sucked. Lena and Adrienne were some of the worst servers I have EVER had. Extremely disrespectful and rude, will not be coming back purely do to their lack of respect for customers. It tells me a lot about who this company wants working for them. read more

Our go to place for weekly specials, sports viewing, great neighborhood feel. Lots of tvs. Bring your dog and sit outside! Favorites are burger and beer specials, wings, fish and chips, tacos - everything is good. Super casual fun. read more

Solid Stopped in for early dinner with my teenagers. Ordered a chips and salsa (freebie with yelp check in) burger, mahi salad, and pulled pork sandwich. Everyone was full and happy. Salad was pretty, large, and had good flavors. Burger cooked to order and looked great. Pulled pork got high reviews , sweet and with a small kick from the slaw. Tater tots always a hit. The brunch menu looked really good, but serving starts at 10 am, would like earlier option. Not sure if seating can be a problem in prime hours, but will try to come back for brunch. read more

This place is great! Walking distance to the ocean and super close to the Cedros Avenue Design District. We stopped here for drinks and unlocked the free chips and salsa deal! We even got a chip refill! The Guac was super tasty too. The server was so nice! I would definitely recommend this place! read more

Good spot if you want American food like a sandwich, Tater tots and chicken wings with a beer while watching sports. Parking available. Chill spot. read more

Fish n chips, Pillbox Burger, Wings, Coconut Shrimp, all super good. This joint is a local favorite and I can see why. Delicious pub food. We sat on their little wood patio outside because we had our dog with us. Outside is dog friendly:0) great friendly service. Will definitely return! read more

See all

Service was very friendly, quantities were outstanding, and our order arrived much more quickly than I expected. We didn't order from the bar, but definitely unique selections. read more

Stopped in here after seeing it for years and coming from a few spots before. It's a cool little spot, the food was good (taco tuesday), the service was good. Not a great selection of beer but a good hangout and food spot, close to Fletcher Cove which is always a positive. read more

A cute little dive that has specials every night. It is a little loud and small but it is a bar. The food is good and the beer is cold. read more

Pillbox Tavern - American Near Me - Solana Beach, California

The food was absolutely amazing-- I am even dreaming about the next time I can get there for another one of their Pillbox burgers, but the reason for only three stars is due to the lack of service. We rarely saw our waitress and had to go find another server to help us a few times. Maybe it was because we sat outside? If the service improves next time we go there, definitely would love to give this place more stars. read more

Don't go here expecting to get food if the bar is dead. Even if their hours say till 10pm don't go. Rude staff. Big mistake coming here.

I am in North County for a week. I have been to a lot of places for diner. The ARUGULA GRILLED STEAK SALAD has surprised me. Worth to check out ! read more

Pillbox Tavern - ARUGULA GRILLED STEAK SALAD - American Near Me - Solana Beach, California

A great little find. Great food and drinks and tons of TVs. Its small so grab a seat early! Great service as well.

Excellent service and good food! The whole family loved it! Ribs are a little spicy- Thank you!