Consistently very good food, cold beer and good service. Usual pre- concert at Belly Up hangout spot for me. Wings are always good, well cooked and meaty. Lemon Pepper is my favorite. Had the Tri Tip French Dip, Philly style with cheese, peppers, onions and mushrooms last night. First of all...HUGE sandwich. Second...really freaking good! Tater Tots on the side, nice and crispy. Couple of cold Embolden (great newish brewery) IPA's to wash it down. Server was real nice, got us in and out in under an hour to make it to concert on time. Thanks all! read more

The old bay wings were terrific. Nice staff, great location, good beer selection. Even the mai-tai was one of the better ones we've had recently. You can't go wrong here. read more

This place was both delicious and reasonably priced! Service was great and honestly couldn't have asked for a better place to eat. The tvs are a little loud, but i can see that they are trying to toe the line between bar and restaurant... Either way, great food, service, price, and location! read more

Pillbox Tavern - BBQ, so good!! Will order again! - American Near Me - Solana Beach, California

We were staying in solana beach for a few days and stopped in because our roommates sister works here. Unfortunately she was not working but we are so glad with our decision to come by anyways. I had the privilege of enjoying the pulled pork sandwich while the boy had the tri tip sandwich. The pulled pork was to die for. Sweet and tangy with homemade onion rings and coleslaw. It was enormous and delicious. I also got the tater tots. Tater tots are always good but these were perfectly crispy on the outside and soft inside. The tri tip special was also incredible however was a much more modest size. I would suggest this lunch spot to anyone coning through solana beach. read more

Pillbox Tavern - Tri tip special and pulled pork sandwich - American Near Me - Solana Beach, California

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This place is by far the most cozy and down to earth bar. Coming from a Vegas local visiting with my best friend who go to local bars in our area often, the staff blows it out of the water with their service and extra mile. We visited during fiesta del sol and bartenders made sure the women who were a little more intoxicated, got home safe those nights. In addition to the excellent customer service, Ryan and Adrian went out of their way to make us feel like locals. We came every night we were here and wish there was more bars like this back home. read more

Great food... Super friendly service and plenty of out door seating. Awesome Pina colada and strawberry daiquiri! Very short walk to the beach. read more

Been next door to the Saddle Bar a thousand times, but never the Pillbox. A buddy took me over and I was a bit surprised. Super cool place. A little small inside and they allow kids, so it can fill up pretty quick. We shared a high-top table with some other people and were greeted right away. Our server was great. We decided on the steak tips, egg roll and tot/fry basket. Steak tips were excellent (light on steak for the price - but super tasty). The chicken egg rolls were good, until you put the sauce on and they become GREAT. Delicious sauce. The fries and tots were a bit undercooked - hard to mess up fried potatoes. Good selection of beers on tap. Overall a good 3.5 star joint - the great server pushed it to a 4. read more

Always have a pleasant experience when I stop by. Staff is always extremely welcoming and treat you like you're part of the family, food is consistently good quality. Big fan of the taco plate personally, especially the carnitas. Gained my loyalty as a customer from my first visit. read more

I live in San Diego and decided to spend last Sunday the 8th in Solana Beach, just because. I picked the Pillbox for lunch somewhat randomly, and ordered their Grown-up Grilled Cheese. Well, I was thinking about that delicious sandwich all week long. So much so that I went back the following Sunday just to have the same! This time it was even better, because I asked the server if they could toast the bread just a tiny bit less, given that the last time it had scratched my palate. They were super sweet to grant me my request, and it was PERFECTION! Plus, service is friendly and fast, and the outdoor area where they sit you is very comfy and cozy. read more

We loved our experience at Pill Box! It was so quaint and small (which I guess we should've assumed from the name- but we didn't make the connection). We sat at the bar. The staff was really great and it was an easy low-key option for getting out of the house on a Sunday night. The wings were well cooked- crips and juicy. We tried the buffalo and the jerk. We definitely preferred the buffalo flavor. Fun place to try if youre just looking to step out of the house. read more

The Pillbox Tavern is lit! We got a combination of appetizers and entrees and really enjoyed the ambience that was waiting inside. The food was delicious and we had serving sizes that we couldn't come close to finishing. Overall a remarkable experience! read more

We visited on Monday the 16th of January during Happy Hour. The waitress we had was extremely rude and the burgers were terrible and over cooked. The drinks were fine and the other food was pretty good but it's difficult to enjoy when the service is so bad. We came with a group of 8 friendly, polite people and it was uncomfortable how rude the waitress was. Anything we asked her for, she sighed and acted like it was a nuisance. She brought burgers ordered medium rare out that were waaay beyond well done. No apology--just annoyed that it was pointed out. We asked her for separate checks among the four couple's and she blatantly refused. She was just awful and shouldn't be in the customer service industry. We planned on hanging out there for a few drinks and good company but we left as soon as we could. read more

My absolute FAAAAAAAVORITE spot in all of SD County! It perfectly embodies the beach community vibe, has plenty of huge HDTVs for all us sports nuts but at the same offers an intimate and family-friendly atmosphere, gets a nice glow and warmth from the sunshine through the garage-door style patio seating, and is literally seconds from Fletcher Cove. The staff is awesome and SUPER cool, the food is outSTANDING (the ceviche and Bacon Bourbon Wings are my personal faves), and their craft brew selection and full bar will keep you well-hydrated. Even when I have plenty of food at home, I find myself drawn to Pillbox -- the atmosphere is absolutely on point and you simply can't beat it!!! Look out for their second location in La Jolla -- Nautilus Tavern in Summer 2017!!! read more

Pillbox Tavern - Ohhhhh, Pillbox ceviche. How I've missed you. Nom nom nom... - American Near Me - Solana Beach, California

Great place.The people are friendly and the food is delicious. There are at least many really fun items, including the kettle chips and jalapeno sauce, the blackened chicken sandwich, oh and then the steak tips. Barry was a great server, very personable, and it's nice to be made to feel at home and welcome. Un-rushed and attentive. We tend to go out for late lunch/early dinner, and it's one of the few places open in the 3-4:30 P.M. window. read more

Good food. Homemade salsa and BBQ sauces were great. Had the Seafood PO Boy and it was great. Everyone enjoyed their food. I would eat here again. read more

This is a great place! Check out the sunset and then swing by. The food is terrific! Try the grilled cheese. Wow...

Fun spot for quick dinner before a concert. It was Wing Wednesday so wings were 20% off. Standard bar food, nothing fancy. I would go again. read more

We went here tonight for a low-key date night. I love Solana Beach but I haven't done much restaurant exploration. So glad we chose to go here tonight because it was quite good. It's pretty small, but it's a bar-type restaurant so it's kind of what you expect. They didn't have the specific beers we wanted, but our waitress, Aileen, offered comparable alternatives, which were perfect. She was an awesome server, checked on us just the right amount and was really nice. Thursday is BBQ night so I got the pulled pork and it was delicious, with a slight kick that wasn't to overpowering. Fries were cooked and seasoned perfectly. We got to sit in the open window giving us a great view of the beautiful evening sky and palm trees. We'll definitely be back. read more

Pillbox Tavern - Pretty hearty pulled pork and fries - American Near Me - Solana Beach, California

This place is a gem. Nice staff, good food, good beer. Right by the beach. I had the burger which was excellent and cooked perfectly. Nice vibe inside the place, good music and not too loud. A+ read more

Great little place. As a local I may be biased, but so be it. It's nice to have a place where everyone knows your name. Norm!!!! I digress... Smaller outside seating area is nice on warm days and/or if you bring a 4-legged friend. Old bay wings are clutch, good selection of interesting salads and their burgers and burger specials are good. The menu is big enough to be there almost weekly and not get bored and their beers rotate often as Ryan tries to bring in interesting taps. read more

Great little place. Plenty of tv's to watch whatever. Good beer selection and good food. read more

Pillbox Tavern - American Near Me - Solana Beach, California

Limited menu, indifferent service and noisy. Stopped by for lunch last week and host was occupied on her phone for 5 minutes while we stood by. 3 TV s blaring in the background. Finally we just left. Not a good impression. read more

I just walked in to have a drink and I stayed for some incredible dry rub jerk chicken wings and an even more impressive shrimp etoufee that they call shrimp gumbo Mezcal. The chef has a refined palate and knows how to bring out the essence of every flavor he's incorporated in the dish and I was totally impressed especially since I traveled to 28 countries and travel 160 nights a year to different states and eat out every night at the best restaurants. This is a bar with very friendly employees and an exceptional chef and a very intriguing menu so I would recommend you try it. read more

Discovered this gem after taking a long overdue trip to visit some good friends. We were hungry and this place stood out to us as a cool little dive to have a few beers and some grub. We walked in and took a seat at the booth next to the bar and the waitress gave us our menus and took our drink orders. The vibe of the place is nice, clean and makes you feel like you're at some hidden gem where only locals go. They had a few TV's playing the golf game and a few others playing some music videos. Very interesting mix of music (mostly 90's/80's stuff if I remember correctly). Once we got our Grapefruit Sculpins on deck, we decided to order some coconut shrimp and some wings. We went with the Teriyaki wings and the Lemon Pepper wings. (They have about a dozen wing flavors to choose from, which made it a little difficult to decide) Both were delicious, but the coconut shrimp was the star of the show. Nice huge shrimp and a light coconut coating made these puppies stand out. If you're looking for a place to kick it with a few friends and have a cocktail or beer, I suggest you get your ass over there. read more

The Pill is a great addition to North County based on the food alone. Finally a new place that is decently priced, really good food, and a fun place. Wings are slamming. Went back again to try some of the apps, ceviche was good, fundido was great with drinks, and the coconut shrimp are huge and really good. Add to that some friendly and attentive staff and it should be a staple of Solana for a long time. Salud! read more

Cute little bar inside, but service sucks at this place. Hardly any customers in the joint, and no one comes over to the table to take my order, despite 2 or 3 staff trying to look busy. Moved to bar and was able to procure a drink. Got a free chips & salsa at a snail's pace with a Yelp check-in. Female bartender and another staff sat and conversed about the drunk people that were there the previous night and how stupid they were. Find another time and place to gossip you drips. Stale chips, bad energy, yawn. I'd pass on this one guys unless there are no other options. read more

Pillbox Tavern - This is where I sat, but no one came over to take my order. - American Near Me - Solana Beach, California

Not a bad place if you are running early to the AMTRAK Station a short 5 minute walk across PCH. Friendly prompt service, with windows that open up to the ocean air. Not directly across from the beach as per another review, but really close though. We just had drinks and a more than decent guac/chips to munch along with. Several TV's, and it appeared to be mostly locals camped out in the small space. Yeppers, in Yelp speak......A-OK. read more

I go to Pillbox semi-recently. The food is always great, the patio is dog friendly which is awesome- I like watching football here- they have a lot of TVs and will turn one to the game you want to watch. Tater tots are really good. Also- I'm from Buffalo (the home of the chicken wing) and I must say their wings are some of the best I had in San Diego. Good drinks, Good beer selection, friendly and fun staff! The only drawback is some of the items are a little pricey for what they are (places in Solana generally are)- But they have good daily specials like $10 for a burger and beer on Mondays! Definitely worth checking out! :-) read more

Wings have the reputation of being the best thing to order on the menu. Well, I ordered the Bourbon maple wings and I thought they were merely okay. The sauce didn't adhere to the wings, thus making it barely sauced. My husband ordered wings with a different sauce and he had the same issue. The tater tots are good but a restaurant can't rely on tater tots to tow the line on its menu. I ordered a side salad and it was a bust. Barely any flavor. There is no such thing as a beer list. The beers are written on a chalkboard that cannot be seen from where you are sitting in the restaurant. And don't ask for a printer version of the list because the server will roll her eyes and tell you the restaurant doesn't have one. Would I go back? No. read more

If you take nothing else away from this review, take this: GO. You will not be disappointed. If you're looking for a bar to watch the game, have a drink with the boys, or even get a dinner with family, the Pillbox Tavern can do it all. My wife and I cruised in here after hearing it was their grand opening today. We weren't the only ones because this place was comfortably packed. Not only were there plenty of other people having a good time, but there were plenty of attentive servers fulfilling our every need. We got the coconut shrimp, ceviche, Pillbox Plate (Teriyaki Chicken with jalapeño lime white rice and Mac salad) and the Pillbox Burger with fries. Everything came out hot, on time and even more importantly tasting fantastic. I will have dreams of the Pillbox Plate and that Mac salad. YUM. All in all I want to thank Leigh and the entire staff for a great experience and humbling hospitality. We will definitely be back! Good luck with everything, this place deserves it. read more

The Pillbox has a great local feel. The staff is super friendly and make you feel at home. I love the wings, but there are lots of other tasty items on the menu - from salads to burgers. Enjoy the sunset at Fletcher Cove and then stop by the Pillbox for a beer! read more

I come here occasionally for quick bar food and a beer. They have several draft options that always rotates. Food is always good. I try to get a different meal everytime I come and I am never disappointed. French fries are super battered and crispy! read more

I've heard the wings are good so we decided to check this place out. Had the Buffalo, Siracha Ranch and Dante's Inferno, all were savory and delicious! Buffalo was my fave, my friend really liked the Siracha. Also had a drink, and the "My Boy Blue" was excellent. Very smooth and fruity, but not too sweet, and it even had fresh bluberries. Definitely coming back for wings and drinks. read more

Pillbox Tavern - "My Boy Blue" and it was delicious! Very smooth, and strong. - American Near Me - Solana Beach, California

We stopped here with our pups after taking them to dog beach. Who doesn't love a place that allows your dogs to enjoy a meal with you? We sat outside, and were here mid afternoon which was awesome because there was only one other party sitting outside. We had a couple of rounds of Bloody Mary's - spicy and delicious, apparently they use Ballast Point Bloody Mary mix was just my kinda spicy! If it is too spicy for you, they will make you one with no Tabasco which takes it down a few notches. My girlfriends and I ordered a bunch of appetizers to split... all of which were really fresh and REALLY good. Humus, Chicken Eggrolls, Tots and the Queso dip. It was really enough for about 5 or 6 people. For tavern food, I must say it was pretty awesome. read more

Pretty cool spot, very small, serving food later then most places. Friendly staff and owner. I had the wings (old bay and Buffalo) both were really good, and a few of the local beers. Would go back again. read more

This restaurant has the rudest and sassiest waitress in the Solana Beach area! I didn't get the biotch's name, but she was so mean! We all wanted to watch the Chargers game and we asked her a few times to put it on. She responded by yelling, "IT WILL BE ON NEXT!!!" My grandma, confused, said that it was on at her house and it was already 2nd quarter. The waitress responded, "I KNOW THAT, BUT WE NEED TO FINISH THE PACKERS GAME!!! NOW, CAN I PLEASE TAKE YOUR ORDERS?!?! GOSH!!" She was screaming so loud in my ear. My dad mocked her a few minutes later by screaming his order, lol. Anyways, the food was really good. My brother, a chicken wings junkie, said the wings (he ordered lemon pepper and buffalo) were awesome but a little pricey. My grandma and I both enjoyed the Mahi Mahi tacos. The fish was very sweet-tasting. The tater tots were the bomb also. Food great, but the service bad. I probably won't come back just because of her. read more

Pillbox Tavern - Mahi Mahi tacos - American Near Me - Solana Beach, California

Great spot in Solana Beach, few blocks from the beach! I went there with some friends on a Sunday Morning and I had a very good lunch in the patio! I got the Spinach Salad with shrimps, gota cheese and eggs, I loved it! We also got the coconut buttered shrimps for appetizer, AMAZING! My friends had the Pillbox Plate and the Chicken Wings, delicious! Also the atmosphere is very chill, staff is nice and they have good beers! Highly recommended if you go one day to Solana, open also for happy hour and dinner! read more

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Love these guys! I was having a super shitty day and the bartender took a moment to talk to me and turned my day around. The food is delusions too! read more

So excited to have a new local bar and restaurant! Loved the food, service, and decor! Definitely going to be my husband and my new hangout! And it's open late! read more

I wanted to try something new in Solana Beach area since I work in Del Mar. So I found this place which ive never heard of. Showed up at around 10am BRIGHT & EARLY!!! I only expected to come in and have a beer or two, and I normally dont ever drink this early but the name of the restaurant made me do it! ;) Their located right off the 101 and the closest business to the beach. Parking is very limited so I advise if you do visit this establishment, to show up 20 minuets before so you can find parking. Once you walk into here, you immediately notice the huge open windows the let in the ocean breeze, and the wonderful artwork from wall to wall. Even though its a bit small and capacity is at about 50 people...I can see this place poppin on the weekends/holidays for sure! They have a handful of craft on tap and they serve breakfast for a very cheap and reasonable price!! That there had me SOLD! I ordered their breakfast with scrambled eggs, sausages and a side of health fruits. How could I forget to wash it down with some of their delicious beers:) The whole time I was here, I noticed how friendly all the locals were to the staff here and it seems like this place is very much well respected in the community. Because of that, this place has won my heart and respect as well. Prices are on point and wont burn a hole in your pocket, and you get a nice big view out into the 101 & parts of beaches. I highly recommend this place for a nice date or even if you need alone time like myself;) read more

Pillbox Tavern - The bar at Pill Tavern :) - American Near Me - Solana Beach, California