I laughed aloud when I was comparing the menu with what I ate to, while writing a review for this location. When ordering, I had ordered the southern fried chicken sando, which I was super stoked about. It was forever since I last had a fried chicken sandwich! I got a sandwich which I didn't think of anything at the time but did think it was super flimsy for a southern fried chicken sando. I had questioned my other half and he told me that a sando is a sandwich, and maybe this was a different twist on it. New momma brain was on full and I didn't think of questioning it. Joke's on me as it turned out to be a completely different meat sandwich entirely. I ended up getting a Socal Turkey Club and didn't think anything of it. They did get my tater tots right. I guess the universe just wanted me to eat healthier. My other half got what he ordered and one year old got what they wanted. And surprisingly, my one year old ate a good amount of broccoli. They also were super sweet in providing a community coloring book for my one year old to scribble in. Drinks were refreshing and strong! Parking wasn't too bad and it was in a nice cute area that gave off ski town vibes. We probably would return, if not to satisfy the fried chicken sando I never got. read more

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Nice little spot, friendly staff, great location, clean. However, the food was really lacking. The ranch was super watery, so was the mac and cheese. I ordered a burger with jalapeños in it, and a drink infused with jalapeño but the drink was way spicier than the burger which I think is pretty backwards. The burger was bland, the most flavorful part of it was the smokiness. Go here for some basic drinks and some appetizers if you're in the area, but if you actually like food you're better off going to Chili's or something. Edit: Also notice the same person keeps padding the stats by copying and pasting the same 5 star review. I get that this is someone's livelihood. Like I said, great location in a nice neighborhood. I wouldn't want to see a business close, but if you mislead people with a bogus rating and don't start making decent food you're not going to get repeat customers in an already secluded area. Listen to the people saying your food is not good and be honest with yourselves. Simplify your menu with your best sellers to reduce costs and improve on those dishes or something, idk! I'm no business man but when your food is not enjoyable even after some drinks at the Lost Abbey it's literally a buzz kill. read more

Great place for happy hour, with a very nice patio and easy parking. 330 to 530 is happy hour specials Monday to Friday, and Wednesday is "wine Wednesday," with 30% off bottles, or seven dollar glasses of house wine. They also have several menu options for only $10 during this time. We had a great server on the patio. (I wish I got her name, but she had brown hair and was very friendly and had cool silver spiral earrings). I got the Caprese, which was delicious and beautifully presented. And my friend got the short rib sliders and said they were delicious. Tonight the house wine was Josh Chardonnay. Great deal, 30 and change for two dishes and a glass of wine. read more

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I had a nice evening at Sets. Everything was good, however, in my opinion nothing was great. I came here on a Friday night with a friend, and we were sat inside (live music was outside- and the artist was actually very good). There was no wait to be seated inside. My friend got the grilled salmon, I got the smoked salmon, pasta, and both dishes were just fine. My friend mentioned that her lemonade tasted like dishwater. The service was fairly slow, it took a while for our server to come take your order, a while for our food to be delivered (it was cold by the time it made it to us), and quite some time for her to come back to take our cards to pay the bill. We were hoping to make it up for Double Peak for the sunset, but because of the delay, we ended up missing it. I do really like the location of this restaurant, and would definitely be willing to try it again, although I was not overly impressed by my first go around read more

Sets Kitchen & Bar - Smoked Salmon Pasta - New American Near Me - San Marcos, California

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Tried the fries and wasn't' a fan!!! Also had the Caesar salad which I would not get again. The fries was breaded and whatever they fired it tasted like chicken so wasn't happy. read more

While I love SETS, it is a bit ridiculous when I'm sitting for over 20 minutes with an empty drink, card out ready to pay while the bartender proceeds to flirt with a customer, ignoring the rest of the restaurant. I know it is not the norm, but have to say, VERY poor service tonight. read more

I really love the food at this place, we had two of the salads and both were excellent and filling, well-composed with fresh ingredients. Service was also very good, the vibe is casual and friendly. They are open all afternoon, providing a nice option for late lunch in the area. Full bar, nice wine list, good local beers. I recommend the Poke Bowl, half & half rice and greens. We will be back and explore more of the menu! read more

Lot of haters on here - would have to assume they're not living in SEH. If they are, well that sucks if they're trashing this place. 3.9 score for this place is a travesty. This is the kind of neighborhood restaurant you really want to see succeed. The food is genuinely good. God knows they hustle in there to make it happen. Service has always been excellent for me. Lucky to have this spot in SEH. read more

​During my short stay, the systemic problems with table service were glaringly obvious: ​Server Absence & Refusal: Within a short period, three different patrons from the dining room approached the bar directly to order drinks. They were clearly tired of waiting for their assigned server, who was nowhere in sight. Astonishingly, they were refused service at the bar and told they must wait for their server. ​Lack of Professionalism: This situation was compounded by a shocking lack of professional courtesy. A few minutes later, the bartender and wait staff huddled together near the bar to openly complain and "talk trash" about these very customers, calling them "rude" for seeking service at the bar. ​It is clear that the staff views customer frustration--caused by their own neglect--as an inconvenience, and they actively resist providing basic service when the established (and failing) system is bypassed. read more

As we live near by, we wanted to try this restaurant for few years. As it's a holiday weekend, it wasn't too packed for brunch. So we finally decided to go for brunch. We were welcomed by the staff at the bar. Everyone was very friendly and welcoming. We ordered coffee first. It was great coffee and the cups are huge! I got the stuffed French toast plate which comes with Orange Vanilla Mascarpone stuffed (which they were out of) French Toast, bacon, eggs, hashbrowns and fruit plate. I got my plate without the bacon but after informing our waitress, we got the bacon soon after. The eggs were okay, the French toast without the stuffing was good, the bacon seemed to be swimming in fat. I had to pat it dry several times to give some to my dog. The hashbrowns weren't my cup of tea. It was dry crushed potato patties that were like eating a rubber band. The first fruit I tried to put in my mouth smelled like fish. I basically ate quarter of the toast, one egg and one bite of bacon as nothing really stood out. Quite honestly, I lost my appetite from the fish smelling fruit. My husband got the Cast iron skillet veggies. He enjoyed his food. As he loves potatoes, he doesn't mind how they're prepared. Our waitress and other staff were very pleasant and professional. I never told them about my dislikes as I had lost my appetite and they were rather busy. They may have been having an off day. I'll probably give it another try for dinner and see if it's any different from today's experience. I love the fact that they're dog friendly. read more

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Sets Kitchen & Bar is nestled in the little community of San Elijo,considered part of San Marcos. It's a great place to gather with friends but intimate enough for a date night. It's also family friendly with an extensive menu. There are numerous TV's to watch various sports and a full bar. The service is outstanding with super nice individuals who keep checking if you need anything. That's great customer service! Our favorite meals are the Philly Cheese Steak which gets my Philly husband's approval. The Caesar Salad is delicious and enough for two people. The Salmon is also very good and is served with rice, vegetables and a lemon aioli sauce. And everything comes out hot! The restaurant and bar area is spacious so you don't feel cramped at all. It's not loud but it can bustle with activity during Happy Hour and especially Wine Wednesday when wine is only $6. My husband had a Berenger Cab that he throughly enjoyed! Check out this fairly new restaurant/bar and take some friends with you! It's so much fun! read more

Nice place with very attentive wait staff and kitchen crew. We ate on the patio and overall a good general dining experience. The disappointment was the quality of the food. While the menu looked enticing the meals fell short. The "cedar steak salad" came with an adequate portion of meat, but the salad underneath looked like it had been chopped earlier in the day and was "lifeless". The "These Pretzels" came out as slices of different sized flat dough. So, for the money not really a great experience. read more

Sets is pretty good and centrally located at the San elijo square. Service was great and the food options were pretty good. There's street parking as well as parking in the back lot. If you pass through this area give it a try read more

Great place! Amazing food. Amazing staff and huge portions! Do it! You won't be disappointed! read more

Sets Kitchen & Bar - Now that's an honest portion! Great place! Staff and food are amazing! - New American Near Me - San Marcos, California

Tuesday night means Burger Night at SETS and that means excellent burgers (with a ton of fries or tots) for 9 bucks. It is a great deal. Now, word to the wise: you don't get to select one of their gourmet burgers off the regular menu and get it for $9. You get a "regular" burger with veggies on top (tomato, lettuce, and onion) along with fries or tots. However, the regular burger is EXCELLENT. It's big and juicy, the bun is nice and soft, and the veggies are incredibly fresh. And if you prefer tots, they are insanely crunchy and delicious. They've got live music certain nights of the week and plenty of TVs for sports viewing. They never lack for waitstaff, either. Really good food here. read more

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Excellent food and service. Wait and bar staff extremely friendly. Highly recommended if you are in the San Elijo area of San Marcos. Jannelle, Logan, Jordan, Torrey, Hana, Anna and Kenzie all are outstanding! read more

Went and had a few happy hour dishes. Very slow service, the table was really sticky, and they only gave us one set of utensils and napkins. Food was extremely subpar. It was cold and tasted very cheap. I felt like I was eating at Chilis. Super cute atmosphere and the workers were very nice but I would not come back based on the quality of food being so low. I actually was surprised how bad it was. read more

Excellent service Excellent staffing Great knowledge of menu! Andy knows his drinks! read more

First time visiting here, even though we are San Elijo residents. The staff was super friendly, helpful, and attentive. Food, overall, was very good! We had the firecracker shrimp, fish & chips, and short ribs. Firecracker shrimp were really good with the sauce and crunch bits -- rice was a nice bonus as well. The short ribs were pretty good, although the mashed potato's (advertised as jalapeño and cheddar) were nice, but I didn't get ANY heat from the jalapeño's, nor any jalapeño flavor. They were good mashed potatoes, but just didn't live up to the "jalapeño and cheddar" as advertised on the menu. The short ribs themselves tasted nice with the sauce. They could have been a bit more tender, but still very good and I'd re-order again. The fish & chips were good as well; nice plump fish and the fries were good. The batter could have been a bit crisper on the first, but we would still order it again. Overall, good dinner and we'll be back for sure. read more

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Love this place! Great vibe, extensive menu and attentive staff. They have a great bar menu...the Paloma was delicious. As far as the food...we ordered the southern fried chicken sandwich and the fish and chips were divine. Will definitely be back! read more

Picked this place out for my birthday dinner recently with my mom. We were able to pick where we wanted to sit which was nice. The server was great, we did have to wait a little bit longer at the end but there were more tables seated by then so we weren't bothered by it. I ordered the ceviche tostada but received a chicken tinga tostada instead. The server realized the mistake and we were brought the correct tostada and we got to try the chicken tostada. Broth were really good almost hard to choose a favorite between the two. For my entree I ordered the short rib and was surprised by the amount of food on my plate. It tasted delicious too. The Monday night game was on but it wasn't too loud and I really enjoyed the music playlist that had in the background. Overall enjoy this place. read more

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The food here is delicious. The drinks have been hit or miss. Some cocktails have been great, while others were way too sweet. Been here a bunch of times so review is based off many visits. The staff is friendly. Wish they had a sign on their building to add to curb appeal. It's been here for years with no sign, which is a little odd to me. read more

This is a neat little bar and brunch spot. I had ordered the Don with tots. The Don is a sandwich with braised beef and cheddar cheese. Very tasty with the dipping sauce. The one thing to note is that the plate entrees aren't served until 4pm and the brunch menu seemed to stop at around 12 noon leaving the lunch menu kind of limited. Overall, pretty decent choice for a bar+food. read more

Sets Kitchen & Bar - The Don - New American Near Me - San Marcos, California

Always enjoy visiting Sets when I'm in the mood for pretzel sticks, chicken fingers & tater tots. Their salads are good too. But when at a neighborhood bar, who doesn't want to indulge in some fried classics? Don't miss their dueling piano nights. They are so much fun. read more

Friendly staff and the dining space is great for catching up with people (open & cozy). However, the food could have been better; not much seasoning & a little greasy. read more

This place was HORRIBLE. The host took forever to acknowledge us which was red flag #1. We were never offered water even after our food and drinks came, we had to ask for water after being at the table for an hour. Our drinks took 35 minutes to come out. Our food took an hour and ten minutes to come and it was cold. We didn't have napkins nor utensils on the table. This was a horrible horrible experience and I wouldn't recommend anyone to come here . The service was terrible, food was cold, and the drinks were weak. AVOID HERE IF POSSIBLE. read more

Just sitting here waiting for the check ....but I think the staff would Rather talk to their friends instead of helping us...I get it, it's slow like 2 tables but at least do your job? And they're just straight up laughing at us while we just stare at them, When we already asked for the check but instead she wanted to jump on the counter and look at hats instead of giving us the check....Come on dude. We could've easily walked away without paying. Food is great but service , come on if you don't wanna work then don't? read more

Sets Kitchen & Bar - New American Near Me - San Marcos, California

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Always a nice atmosphere and good food. Plenty of space and a large outdoor area for larger parties as well.

food was good! had the hot honey wing they were Delish. Service& ambience were horrendous. I wasn't at the table when our sever introduced herself, walked over and sensed the vibe change immediately. the smile faded from our servers face and didn't come back. felt stares throughout the restaurant as if everyone there knew we were from out of town. Wouldnt suggest if service is important to you, otherwise good eats! read more

There is a wide variety of food options. Good for a nice dinner, but sometimes can just take a while to take out. Definitely not the place for a quick bite, but for a long dinner this could make for a nice peaceful evening. Very nice area and has great seating arrangement. There service has greatly improved in recent months. Overall a nice restaurant read more

I love the outdoor dining space because it has ample umbrellas. The service was great! The food is good but not great. A little too greasy, a little less flavorful, a little just something that doesn't make it delicious but it's a great atmosphere and perfect spot to be with friends! read more

Happy hour is good here. We like to do a local hike (need to earn those beers!) and end up in town square Fridays, with a stop at Sets during happy hour. Their house cab and chardonnay are great (Josh). The braised short rib sliders are juicy and to die for. Poke bowl is another good one. I also have a bad weakness for pretzel bread. This is a great neighborhood hangout. read more

Came in on a Friday night for the first time in a while and the bartender was so on point! She greeted us right away, gave us amazing service with a beautiful smile and attitude. She definitely made us wanna come back again. My drinks were so good probably the best I've had in a while. We love Sabrina and can't wait to come back to see her! read more

Came here for a relaxing lunch and loved it! Very quiet, nice atmosphere. And the food and drinks were fantastic. Would definitely recommend! read more

Cute neighborhood restaurant and bar in San Elijo, with a good happy hour until 6pm M-F, but I was not impressed with the food. The service, however, was really great. Our server was very friendly and attentive. I'd ordered the Hokey Pokey Bowl, which actually looked really good, but the ahi tuna just didn't taste right. Not only was the color kinda off, but it didn't taste like ahi tuna either, it was very fishy. Would not recommend. We'd ordered chicken tenders for the kiddos, which were overcooked and really hard, they didn't even eat them. We'd also ordered a couple of Smokehouse Burgers, both medium rare. They came out looking really tasty, but unfortunately closer to medium well with no pink inside. The maple bacon on the burgers was delicious though! Probably won't eat here again. read more

Good food. The last two times I have been here they have really improved. The happy hour deals are great. In a great part of town.

This is a totally hidden gem n San Marcos. The staff are amazing, the food is delicious and I love the cozy beach vibe. Great for brunch, happy hour and watching sports. read more

We came for an early lunch while vacationing. The restaurant was empty with one other table occupied. Our waitress seemed like she just woke up or something. She definitely needed some caffeine or just a smile on her face. The interior was really open and airy. I was blown away when my entree arrived. This little unassuming restaurant has one of the best Ruben sandwiches I've ever tasted! It was stuffed with tender juicy meat and warm cheese oozing out from the sides. The marbled rye bread was the perfect choice for this sandwich. Their fries were amazing as well. My husband wasn't that hungry so he ordered a cobb salad - thinking that would be a small simple lunch. He was also blown away by his meal - the presentation, freshness, and flavors. I don't think my photos do them justice. If you're in the area, definitely make a lunch stop here to fuel up! read more

How is this place anything under four stars? We go here on occasion and the service is always friendly and excellent. The food is great and the drinks are the best in our town. Well I guess that's the only place you can get a real drink in this town but all said, it's a great place to go. Come on people. Let's support local! read more

We had a great 40th birthday party thank you to SETS! We are, drank and danced the night away. The food was amazing and so were the drinks. We love this local restaurant and come all the time. They have an amazing brunch menu too Kevin the owner helped us every step of the way to make this an amazing party. read more

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