BIERGARDEN @ ENCINITAS…read more Parking can be a little difficult since this spot is located right on the main strip in Encinitas. There's parallel street parking throughout the area, so you might get lucky and find a spot nearby. I ended up parking on one of the side streets, which worked out perfectly. I came here on a Sunday afternoon, and it was definitely busy. We had to wait a little while for a table because several tables still needed to be cleaned before they could seat new guests. The staff was incredibly friendly, though, and we were seated as soon as they could. It did take about 15 minutes before a server was able to come over and take our order, but the restaurant was completely packed, so it's something to keep in mind if you're in a hurry. After spending the day at the beach, we were really just in the mood for drinks. I ordered the Blood Orange Margarita, which can be served with Tajín, sea salt, or no rim at all. It was really good and definitely on the stronger side, which I appreciated. My only complaint was that there was a bit too much ice, but the flavor itself was great. The atmosphere is what really makes this place stand out. They have both indoor and outdoor seating, large open windows that let in plenty of fresh air, and a fun, lively vibe that makes it a great place to relax after a beach day. Overall, I'd definitely come back for the ambiance and cocktails, just be prepared for a little wait if you visit during peak hours.

My mother and I came here for lunch on a Tuesday in June. We both received burgers, she asked for…read moreonion rings instead of fries and I asked for a Caesar salad instead of fries. My burger had very little flavor. The meat was dry, it was still edible just wouldn't order it again. The Caesar salad was fantastic!!!! The lettuce was amazing and the dressing was absolutely delicious. My mother ordered the fig burger with a side of onion rings and instead she got fries and there was no goat cheese on the burger. However she still loved the burger. Also all the pictures online show that they have WAFFLE FRIES - THEY DO NOT. The service was good and they were helpful in fixing the issues with the onion rings. Ambiance is very loud being right on the 101 but it's not terrible.

Wonderful friendly staff. Can't say anything but fabulous service. Trivia by Mary was also super…read morefun. Great selection of beers.

Fun place! We love the beer selection and staff! Great for date night! Sometimes the bathroom…read moresmells and gets kind of muggy in there, but other than that it's awesome!!

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.

Really fun spot to hang out during the day. Prices aren't awful for location and portions are…read moregreat. I tried the sabo vegan noodles and I paid an extra add on for the beyond meat on top Absolutely delicious!! So light and refreshing so so good. Id get this meal again.. Bathroom was clean. The service was great. You order at the bar then they bring you your food. The gentleman who took my order was a really genuine person

A friend brought us to Broad Street Dough Co and it was definitely an experience to get a made to…read moreorder donut freshly glazed. At first, a lot of flavors seemed run of the mill and not quite to my preferences but eventually I saw the dreamsicle which was absolutely up my alley. The citrusy glaze was really tasty and the bit of vanilla drizzle was just enough to give it that creamy undertone to check the dreamsicle box. I personally think it was still a bit too sweet for my liking overall but that hot crispy donut texture was...*chefs kiss*! Would recommend as a $3 treat!

Super cute donut shop in the heart of downtown Encinitas! We were in search of a North County donut…read moreshop that serves vegan donuts as we were bringing them to a friend's house for dinner. They make the donuts fresh for you which is a unique touch. Service was very friendly. Vegan Flavors we tried. Nantucket, Strawberry Fields, Funky Monkey, Blueberry Bliss, the Aztec, and Island Bread. Would definitely come back to try their non vegan flavors next!

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.

Good food I enjoy the outdoor seating. I had the union burger with avocado and it was deliciousread more

Love this spot in encinitas! It's lively, lots of seating and a large menu. You can sit inside or…read moreoutside depending on the vibe you're looking for. The breakfast burrito was phenomenal with lots of flavor and very filling. Definitely could be split depending on how hungry you are. The cornbread skillet was super rich and the sausage had a nice heat to it. A great option if you are looking for hearty comfort food. The service was great, will definitely be back.

THE BAKED BEAR ENCINITAS…read more Parking is mostly street parking, and you may be able to find a few spots nearby. Since it is located on the main strip of Encinitas, it can get pretty busy depending on the day and time. I came on a Sunday afternoon with one of my friends because we were craving a little sweet treat. There are so many dessert spots along the main street in Encinitas, but I had only been to The Baked Bear in Pacific Beach before, so I wanted to try this location. When you walk in, you can order a scoop of ice cream, cookies, brownies, or create your own custom ice cream sandwich by mixing and matching your choice of cookies, brownies, and ice cream flavors. I decided to go all out and made an ice cream sandwich with a brownie on one side and a Cookies and Cream cookie on the other, filled with Cookies and Cream ice cream. It was so delicious. The cookies were warm, soft, and paired perfectly with the cold ice cream. I would definitely recommend this combination. The staff was super friendly and welcoming, which made the experience even better. It is a little on the pricey side since my custom ice cream sandwich came out to about $10. Personally, it is one of those desserts that you could probably recreate at home with store bought ingredients, but it is still a fun experience that everyone should try at least once. If I had one suggestion, I wish they made their ice cream in house or offered more unique flavors. Most of the flavors were pretty classic, so I would have loved to see some more creative options. The shop itself is nice, but there is not much indoor seating. There are a few standing tables outside along with some chairs right in front of the shop, which is where my friend and I ended up sitting. Overall, it was a great experience, and I would definitely come back whenever I am in the mood for a sweet treat.

Really interesting concept. And thankfully there isn't one near where I live as it would be too…read moretempting. Came here with my kids while on vacation. They got a brownie bowl and a chocolate chip bowl. The bowls come with ample ice cream. I got a cookie sandwich with the yellow butter cookie and cookies and cream cookie. It was great that they warmed it up. In terms of ice cream flavors, we really loved the strawberry shortcake, and also liked the cookies & cream and milk & cookie. They offer a punch card, and a water station which comes in handy. Just a really chill place. Not cheap whatsoever but it's worth the splurge if you're on vacation.

The restaurant was busy on a Friday night, definitely recommend having reservations (via…read moreopentable). I got the Sonoran Sunset cocktail (mezcal based) which was really good. My hubby got the Tropic Thunder which reminded me of spicy marg, also really good! Both were topped with Tajin rims. We got the half dozen oysters which came with 3 east coast and 3 west coast oysters. The east coast ones were more creamy while the west coast ones were more briny. For mains, I got the Tuscan Ragu which was so flavorful! My hubby got the 8 oz filet which was cooked perfectly and so good. The sauce it came with was a little on the saltier side but still good. Overall, we were impressed with the food and drinks here!

3.5/5 Pros:…read more- each week the restaurants menu is based off of the fresh catch from the local seafood markets - our waiter really knew his stuff and was very friendly and polite - the scallops were fresh and large, cleaned well, definitely recommend - the grilled red snapper was very fresh i can tell it was not frozen or put on ice for very long since it was caught. You probably cant find a place that can do this very easily at this size. cons: - we came due to it was a michelin rec for this area but i thought it was a little overhyped - it was a birthday dinner, and we didn't get seated until 25 min after our reservation and theres no waiting area so it was kinda awkward. Other guests also told me they also had been waiting for a while. - the pork was rlly dry and not that flavorful - a shame bc it seemed like a nice cut of meat - the potatoes sides were dry - the mussle toast is way too salty and so the bread and saltiness drowns out the mussle flavor neutral: - it's really loud, great for party vibes with some girlfriends but hard to hear in general - it's expensive for the vibes. we ordered on the heavy side for 2 people and it was $300. But if you're visiting just wanna experience fresh fish it's worth it

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...

I really was looking forward to checking this out. While navigating the map, I made my way through…read moreas much of the places as I could. I was rather disappointed in how there wasn't that many vegan options available considering that Encinitas literally has a whole bunch of vegan places. Even restaurants I know to serve vegan didn't even offer a sample choice. So I was bummed by that. I did however, love how there was a lot of kombucha stops so that kinda helped improve my mood. Overall, still a cute idea.

Really wanted to stay and get some work done but it was just way too hot in the cafe. If I couldn't…read morehandle it for 10 minutes I can't imagine how the workers manage. Coffee was great as per usual.

I went into the store today to order iced coffee and the worker Layla was the best to my partner…read moreand I. Without people in line she talked to us about our day and was extremely communicative. It felt like she went out of her way to both assist us and give us a good experience at the store. Wanted to make sure she was commemorated for her exceptional service.