Came here with a friend on Easter Sunday around 9:30 PM and had a great experience overall. It was…read morepretty mellow for a holiday night with just a handful of people there with plenty of seating both inside, outside, and at the bar. We ended up grabbing seats at the bar, which was a great choice. We ordered the: *Fig Burger with Brussels Sprouts: the Brussels sprouts were phenomenal. They had what tasted like pecans, some kind of glaze, and cheese... seriously so good. The Fig Burger itself was just as impressive with such a unique combo and absolutely delicious. *Steak Sandwich with Onion Rings: this was also a standout. Perfectly cooked, super flavorful, and came with a great dipping sauce that really tied it all together. The onion rings were crispy and on point too. First off, I love that they offer a variety of sides (sweet potato fries, truffle fries, mac & cheese, Brussels sprouts, etc.), though most come with a small upcharge. We had a few drinks and even grabbed a bottle of wine from the bar to take back to our Airbnb, which was a nice bonus. The vibe was relaxed with TVs playing highlights from a basketball game, and the bartender/server was awesome. Parking was easy with free street parking, though that might've been because it was late and a holiday. Only heads up: definitely call ahead about kitchen and closing times, especially on holidays. Online said they close at midnight, but they were actually closing at 11 PM. We were told over the phone the kitchen closed at 9:45 PM, but when we arrived at 9:30 PM, it had just switched to last call. Thankfully, they were kind enough to still get our order in. Overall, phenomenal food, great service, and a solid spot worth checking out. Would definitely come back.

My friend and I were doing a mini food crawl through downtown Encinitas and decided to stop by here…read morefor a quick snack and drink. I guess you could call it a bit of a girl dinner (or snack) - aperol spritz + onion rings. The vibes were great, especially the back patio area. The service was also pretty solid and we didn't feel like anyone was rushing us out, despite just ordering nibbles. Great spot overall!

We had fun visiting this brewery and trying many different unique beer flavors. They have a good…read moreamount of indoor and outside space, friendly service, and upbeat ambiance. I really enjoyed the prickly pear sour; yum! There was also live music while we were there. so fun!

Good beer. Casual…read morebrewery. Plenty of outdoor seating with street views to enjoy the weather. Merchandise for sale. Check the sales rack outside. I got a t-shirt for $10. Street parking. Only bar snacks are available for purchase. I'm not sure what the policy is if you wanted to order or bring food here. Beers in the can to go.

I've been to Modern Times a bunch in San Diego, and it's one of my favorite breweries, so I had to…read morestop in while visiting Encinitas. I'll admit it was a little bit of a culture shock when I walked in. Albums for sale, food, coffee, and more of a lounge feel than the classic San Diego brewery setup I'm used to. I guess that explains the fancier name. I liked it though. Good place to sit, people watch, and catch the traffic near the station. There were plenty of Padres fans rolling through that day, which added to the energy. The beer is still Modern Times, still cold, and still refreshing. Fun spot.

I was honestly blown away by Modern Times Bar. The atmosphere and overall vibe of the place were…read morefantastic--such a cool spot to hang out. When I visited there was a party happening, but the staff still made a point to take care of everyone. Multiple bartenders checked in with me throughout the night to see if I needed anything, which really stood out. I ordered the dry cider, which was the only cider available at the time. I would have loved to see a few more cider options, but the one they had was still really delicious. I also got a flatbread pizza and it was excellent--perfect as an appetizer or even a light dinner. There's plenty of seating and the ambiance makes it a great place to relax and spend some time. This will definitely be a must-stop spot for me anytime I'm back in the area.

SO. GOOD. I stopped by on a drive back from SD to LA and so glad I did!…read more The donuts are customized fresh to order, which means they come out warm and delicious. I love that they're a little smaller than standard donuts because it meant I could sample more flavors! The nitro cold brew was great, too. As for the donut flavors I tried... BRUNCH BROAD - 10/10 A perfect donut. I grabbed an extra one to go for my boyfriend (even though he's not a huge donut fan - I was sure he'd like it). He ate it the next day and loved it so much he took a picture of the packaging so we could come back, haha. The maple scent is strong and intoxicating! NANTUCKET - 9/10 Also amazing. The warm caramel and sea salt were absolutely delicious. CREAMSICLE - 8/10 A really unique and delicious donut! I'd order this one again for sure. CINNAMON SUGAR - 7/10 Classic and delicious. CHAI TOWN - 5/10 A little disappointed in this one. I got a lot of super sweet vanilla icing flavor and couldn't really taste the chai spices. ISLAND BROAD - 4/10 Not for me, unfortunately. I absolutely love lemon desserts but the lemon flavor tasted artificial :( Will absolutely be back next chance I get and can't wait to try more flavors!

We came down to Encinitas to grab a bite to eat. Unfortunately, the streets were closed off for a…read moreFarmers Market event. Luckily, we found a parking spot nearby and we were able to explore around the area. This time, we were able to walk around to see what else was located nearby. While walking down Coast Highway, we saw some large advertisements for Broad Street Doughnuts. The photos were colorful and we were in the mood to try something new. We had never heard of Broad Street Doughnuts, so we were hoping that these would be delicious. Broad Street Doughnuts is located off of PCH, in the city of Encinitas. This is their only location on the west coast. They have 3 other locations in New Jersey, so it's great that they opened up a shop out here. They share a parking lot with other businesses, so parking is relatively easy. Their doughnuts are made to order. You will not get that stale, day old taste when you take your first bite.They are fried up after you place your order and then the toppings are applied. It beats staring are doughnuts through a case and ordering what may have been sitting there for hours on end. The menu is on the wall and it's totally visual. Each combo is displayed in a vivid photo. You can select from those or from the doughnuts that are near the register. The doughnuts at the front counter are not featured on the visual menu, so you may need to ask about their toppings/combos. I got a classic rainbow sprinkled doughnuts, along with a half glazed and half chocolate sprinkled doughnut. We also ordered a cotton candy doughnut that had what looked like dried out cotton candy. Delicious!!!! These doughnuts were light and fluffy. They were warm to the touch and incredibly fresh. They are a bit smaller in size, when compared to an average size doughnut. They seem prefect in size because you could walk the calories off while exploring around Encinitas. Broad Street Doughnuts was a pleasant surprise. Sometimes the visual representation isn't always an indicator of how good the product will be. In this case, the product lived up to the visual representation. We have passed by Broad Street Doughnuts many times, and finally had an opportunity to stop by. We were pleasantly surprised with both the product and how friendly the staff were with all of the customers. We will definitely be back when we are back in the area!

One of the great spots in Encinitas for lunch or dinner, if you love beer or ale this is your…read moreplace. They have an entire menu of six pages of different Beers. They know their stuff. If you go try to get Matt and hear our matt's famous phrases It's almost done Just a second Yours is next Almost ready I'm getting it now He was as fantastic as the burger! Glad to go back after a few years it is now back on her list. Thanks to matt

Santana Burger medium rare was 5 stars all the way, and the fruits that accompanied it were damn…read moregood as well. The Kern brewing Chuuuch IPA was also 5 stars for my taste buds. And our server was fantastic. So why, you might ask, only 4 stars in my review. Two reasons: 1). Management has prohibited giving a splash of a beer for someone to sample. Bottom line is that I wanted to order a pint of beer, but I wanted a splash of a couple of beers to try to make my decision. They refused, saying that one must buy a 5oz taster if one wants to taste the beer. I find that policy offensive. In the end I bought a taster to taste the Chuuurch, and then bought an additional pint after. It just seems nickel and dimey, and would be asking to an ice cream place not allowing one to sample their ice creams before buying a cone. I hope management reconsiders this policy. 2. My wife got the Hot Mess Fries and was disappointed not only in the flavor, but also in the misleading advertising. On the menu it specifically said that there was bacon in the fries, but in fact what they put on the fries was either chunks of ham or "Canadian bacon" (which as we all know is a very different thing from "bacon"). If they were or of regular bacon, the kitchen should have told the server this so he could have asked her if she wanted ham as a substitute. And, of they always use ham instead of bacon, them the menu needs to be changed to reflect that.

Tonight I got the Moroccan quinoa salad. It was fantastic!!…read more I got it with dressing on the side, which was perfect because I could go lighter on the dressing. Next time I might add additional shrimp (I like a lot of shrimp) and I'll get it with no fried garbanzo beans to make it lower calorie. Louise our server was fantastic: friendly and helpful! Perfect meal

Wow. Our experience here was great. The food was very good. We tried the Honey Roasted Fig…read moreflatbread and the Executive burger and both were delicious. The fries and bacon from The Executive Burger, and the goat cheese and balsamic from the Honey Roasted Fig flatbread were my personal favorite touches. I found that the figs on the flatbread tasted refrigerated unfortunately. Our server, Brooke S, treated us very kindly and was quick on refills. We came at a slow time in the day, 15:00 on a Friday, but regardless, the ambiance is fun, comfortable, and the restaurant is comfortable and beautifully designed in an elevated rustic manner.

After a really emotional day (I had just lost my job), I found myself fully leaning into comfort…read morefood mode, and wow... this was exactly the kind of therapy I needed. Kia was incredibly kind, patient, and genuinely sweet. She gracefully listened while I shared a little of my story, offered compassion, and then proceeded to create what may have been the most ridiculously delicious dessert I've ever had. We did a gluten-free double chocolate + chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwich with toasted marshmallow ice cream, drizzled with hot fudge, and they heated it up... I am not exaggerating when I say I nearly cried. Actually, I did cry (just lost my job and It was that good ). Warm gooey cookie + cold melty toasted marshmallow + hot fudge magic = absolute perfection. Thank you, Kia, for your kindness on a hard day and for making a dessert I will absolutely be dreaming about.

The angle here is the ice cream sandwich, your choice of ice cream sandwiched between your choice…read moreof cookies (they can be the same type or different). They offer many varieties of ice cream and many varieties of cookies so go crazy, why don't you. I don't personally have a sweet tooth but I find their cookies better than their ice cream. And put them all together, it is a decadent ice cream sandwich. The employees were all very friendly. Parking in downtown Encinitas is extremely difficult but if you know where the train parking lot is located, there is a ton of free parking almost always available.

Herb & Sea has become our default spot for a special occasion meal. We've brought out of town…read moreguests here, celebrated birthdays and anniversaries, and even visited for Thanksgiving dinner. The menu changes through the year which keeps our visits interesting and we always leave happy with our meals. Recent standouts from our 2026 visits include a duck pizza, a spring pea appetizer, and the chocolate tart. I appreciate the mocktail and kids menu! If you visit during the holidays, the bar area is decked out like the Santa himself oversaw the decorations. Street parking has been fairly easy to find within a couple blocks.

My boyfriend and I were craving ceviche. Herb & Sea really delivered with the scallop aguachile and…read moretuna topped with fresno chili and a bunch of sauces. The fish was fresh but had these perfect juices and toppings. Our waiter had true opinions on the food, which I appreciated. He recommended the chicken which was perfectly roasted with crispy skin. The wait staff looked crazy busy, but the food came out in a timely manner. I'm interested to come back here and try more. The food is creative and well cooked!

EATING MY WAY THRU ENCINITAS (5 stars)…read more - EVENT: awesome; worth it - FOOD: variety - VIBES: mainly 45+ (in age)... Encinitas crowd What a chill and delicious event. I found this event well put together. The Main Street office opened up all day for people to get their tickets to avoid the line around 5 which helps the decluttering of people and that cutting into the 3hrs to enjoy food and drinks. Staff of event, residence, and restaurant staff of Encinitas are SO KIND. Every person I've engaged with were welcoming and open. I've been to many of these "Taste of..." in different cities and states and by far this one was very much liked. This event had Mexican, Filipino, Italian, American, Pizza, desserts. Variety! :: PRE-EVENT :: The day the tickets went on sale I secured the goods as I heard this always gets sold out. Months in advance. The map is also your ticket that you wear around your neck for shops to cross off you visited. Also received a small cup with 10 tickets for 10 sips. Don't have to one at each stop, can use all 10 at one stop if you like. I used one drink ticket and ended up giving my tickets away to others - because I don't really drink-drink. :: WALKING ON A HWY :: 33 stops. Food at the restaurant stops and shops serving the sips. Plan strategically to where you park! Started out at the furthest restaurant (PINA) and worked all the way to the most southern restaurant (UNION), head back north to the center and tackled all the other places. Most people would reverse this order - so it was nice to avoid people clutter. :: EATS :: Can't list them all but will try to sun it up. I love how there was a mix of restaurants and a variety of foods. Unlike Taste of Leucadia there were 3 restaurants serving pasta. This event only one Italian restaurant on the list and the only one serving pasta. This event was serving Mexican, Filipino, Italian, American, Pizza, desserts. :: FAVORITES :: CARIN DI RIA - serving pancit, lumpia, adobo, rice. Of course I'm Filipino and I've ate here many times and it's my favorite Filipino restaurant in SD. The amount of "non-Filipino" walking away saying "this is really delicious" "so good I never had Filipino food before" made my heart happy. PINA - serving street taco + churro waffle. I've ate here before when the restaurant opened up and it wasn't great. They def improved! Came back and was blown away. Staff here were SO FRIENDLY and I've enjoyed out conversations at the bar before the event even started. The good they served for the event was AMAZING. That street taco was so flavorful and so good it was one of my favorite bites of the night. The churro waffle was also very taste. Who is this chef? Compliments to the Chef! BROAD STREET DOUGH - serving mini donuts. Many flavors to choose from only 2 can be picked. These donuts were delicious af. I went for blue berry and Oreo. Longest line but worth the long wait. :: LEAST FAVORITE :: THE FISH SHOP - serving grilled shrimp. Not sure what ingredients they used but it was not as good sounded. Their bite was 3 shrimps. But 1 would have been decent or plenty enough. 3 sounds nice only if the taste was good but it really wasn't. I saw in the trash near by so many people were throwing their shrimps away. How sad, I didn't even take a picture of it. :: MISSED :: It is always my goal to complete all but either I'm full or things ran out. I did well! - ECHALE WINE BAR AND KITCHEN: long line and slow. A lot of people passed this up. - THE NASA SHOP/LOCAL SCOOP: 1hr left of 3hr event and there was nothing to serve (how weak!) JABA APPROVED. Until the next review...

This was good fun even after showing up around 6 instead of right at 5:30. It would be much easier…read moreif you didn't have to physically check in on 101 to get your tickets, as the line took a while, but it was a fun mix of old favorites like Trattoria Trulli, Qero and Lobster Shack, and some new venues we didn't know existed. The organizers should demand that participating establishments plan for enough food to last until 8:30 - at 7:45 the tequila place (DXT?) was all out and none too friendly about it. All in all I am not sure we got $50 worth of food and drinks - we wound up having dinner at Qero, whereas when you go to for ex Taste of North Park you feel stuffed to the gills!