Sets!! What are you doing? You're stitting on a potential gold mine. You're the only restaurant on the square with a liquor license. You have a patio that's great.. Hire a real chef who makes everything from scratch. Have some signature dishes, big real salads. Hire a professional bar tender. No offense to the current folks - but I think Sets tries to act like this is a side hussle - you could easily pay for better food/staff with increased revenue. read more

I really wanted this place to be great. Since it's so close to home. The food was pretty good but I will NOT be back. Our sever was terrible. She spoke to us like we were children when we asked questions about the menu, which I find the ironic since she spoke with this terrible high pitch sing talk that someone her age likes to speak In. She spent more time chatting with her coworkers then she cared to spend at our table. Sad, this place has great potential. Hopefully they get better employees read more

It's very frustrating how I called weeks in advance before Mother's Day to make a reservation and was told that my party and I can come in as a walk in. The day of, they turned us away because they said they only take reservations and was told that I had to call weeks in advance, which is exactly what I did. Make it make sense. read more

What a wonderful deck/patio to sit back and relax! Sets has a great location, good food and really friendly service. Will definite be back!

Good food, great for families, lots of parking all around. A perfect place to bring family for brunch if you live in the community.

After a school program on Wednesday we headed to SETS for dinner. We were warmly greeted and promptly brought to a set table for seven. It was just minutes when our server asked about beverages and water poured. After noticing the weekly specials Wednesdays burger $10 and wine $5 were the special of the day. We order different burgers and all were cooked perfectly and delicious. The server was attentive and personable. Looking forward to our next visit. read more

Great local restaurant! So nice to have a decent restaurant within walking distance! The steak salad never disappoints and the prices are reasonable.Wednesday wine specials are a good deal and Sunday brunch food/drinks are tasty. read more

went to check out this place for the first time to celebrate my husband's birthday and they did not disappoint at all. Our server was very friendly and helpful. Everything that we ordered were prepared and cooked to perfection and they gave generous servings as well and priced fairly. Our only wish was for them to have a visible sign or name of their restaurant. read more

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This is our favorite local restaurant and watering hole. Great staff, great happy hour, the owner Kevin is a super great guy who went to Carlsbad High and he has such a nice wife and kiddos. Their happy hour deals are awesome and the food is delicious. They change the menu frequently so we don't get bored. Just try it. read more

This review should be read and strongly considered by the owners of Sets Restaurant. The menu, the food and the service here was pretty good for a neighborhood place in San Elijo Hills. However, my wife and I, both retired foodservice reviewers, would strongly recommend that you: 1. Acquire comfortable seat cushions for each and every chair that you have in the restaurant, and 2. Outfit all of these wooden chairs with high-quality rubberized tips at their bottoms. The chairs are some of the most uncomfortable we have ever sat in at a restaurant because they are tilted slightly upwards in the front and the edges are annoyingly sharp on the upper back of your customers' legs. Color coordinated special seat cushions would ameliorate this issue. It was absolutely remarkable how LOUD the chairs can be when customers or your service staff moves them in any direction or distance. The harsh bottoms scrape the concrete floor and they do nothing but destroy enjoying your good food and pleasant waitresses with squealing, discordant barks. Best to muzzle them with quieting rubber tips. The good news is that you don't have to replace what probably should never have been purchased in the first place. Our proposed modifications will be modest in scope and dollars and will help make your revenue streams so much stronger for your future success and prosperity in San Elijo Hills! read more

Update: at first I gave them 5 stars (8months ago) , have been back 3 times since, all three were at hours when there were maybe 5 other patrons in there with myself and a guest (2-3pm-ish). So NOT busy. We would stand in the doorway ignored waiting to be seated for longer than necessary with an empty restaurant. EVERY-TIME the staff was messing around, having planking and push up contests on the floor in the middle of the restaurant, drinking, laughing loudly, talking and paying attention only to people they knew...who were not dining. Getting more water, or asking for a side of ketchup was impossible unless you got up and went to them. They completely ignored our attempts to get their attention while seated. Burgers have become over salted and plates with food sloppily slapped on. Majority of the time the food is good. But dining in and having to tip is a total turn off. Order out, and ask for no salt on your burgers. read more

My friend and I showed up here after an art class at 8:15 last night. We realized that they closed at 9, but we wanted a quick bite to eat because we were starving! Every one was so nice despite our late seating. Our server was Tanya and not only was she genuinely sweet, but also very knowledgeable and informative about the menu. When we asked, she gave us great food and drink recommendations. Thanks for being so nice and welcoming. We'll be back (a a decent hour) for more great food and awesome service! read more

It's always hit and miss here--I've been here when everything runs mostly solidly (we have decent service, food doesn't take too long, and drinks are okay). Then there's times like last night when it's just a mess. Our server was obviously frazzled, which I can forgive. Luckily we had the foresight to put our son's food in when we ordered drinks because that was the last time we saw her. My husband and I never got to order or eat dinner or order new drinks--she just never came back. We tried making eye contact and she'd just run by and avoid us. I eventually had to ask someone else to take our credit card to her because she never returned. Overall it was a mess and we probably won't be back for some time. read more

We love this place for Sunday Football. Bloody Mary is perfect! The service and food are great. read more

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

New restaurant in the neighborhood. The staff is so attentive and the food is delish! They're still figuring a couple things out so food took a bit long but the staff kept us updated. Can't wait to try more food here and for them to start brunch!!! read more

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My husband and I stopped by for a bite after being on the road for 6 hours. It was a perfect experience! Our waitress Tanya Z was top notch, super helpful in suggestions on the menu and very attentive to superior service. We sat on the back patio and enjoyed the outdoor dining. We will definitely be coming back! read more

Great food, nice outdoor patio. Short rib hash was amazing, I would definitely go back

Good food! The service is hit and miss. Depends on how busy they are. Nice happy hour, and $5 wine Wednesday!

Absolutely great!!! Service and food Cute little town too! I will definitely go again. read more

It's a fun place to be on a Friday night with live music outside. The food is ok, the service is not. Quinoa burger was really lacking in flavor, Caesar salad didn't have all the ingredients promised...but still pretty good. The service was really disappointing. We felt forgotten. They were out of the wine we ordered, but didn't let us know for about 20 minutes. There seems to be a communication problem between the staff. They either need more servers, or maybe some better training, especially for the prices! It's not a fancy place, it's casual, nice setting. Sit outside if you can. I'm not sure why it's so expensive. Bring all your money. read more

We had the honor of being the first guests for Sets weekend brunch starting at 9 am on Sat and Sun. The food was delicious! The menu items were interesting takes on traditional fare. We had their Crab Benny and Stuffed French toast and both were very tasty and generous portions. The bartender even created great customized mocktails to go with our brunch! Both times we have been to this restaurant, we have been impressed with the service. Super friendly, very helpful in customizing our orders, and just all around delightful. Even the owner/manager seemed engaged with the staff and attentive to our experience. This new eatery is obviously committed to offering a quality neighborhood dining experience. read more

Food was good. Service was great. Unfortunately, there were a lot of flies and a couple of bees. We were indoors not outdoors. We could not eat our food comfortably. I hope they can fix that issue. read more

REALLY want to like this place and I think we can but we've had bad experiences twice now. Sunday brunch hour and you only have 2 chefs cooking?! Food took well over 45min to get and came wrong, sent back to fix and then came half-assed. We are talking smoked salmon toast so no real cooking needed. We noticed other tables upset also and hope it gets figured out soon. Manager seems surprised when he asked us how it was and then no one even compensated us anything. read more

Great spot in the neighborhood. Friendly staff, quality food and drinks what more could you ask for?

We called in an order to be picked up. And I had ordered the same menu item a ton of times but our order for the turkey club the bread wasn't toasted at all. Not made the same way. The fries were soggy. Just because I'm picking up my order you still should cook my own the way you worked if I was there. :( so sad!!!! read more

I had a great experience here at this restaurant. The staff was great and welcoming. I had the Colorado burger and it was delicious. My wife had a salad and said it was great too. We each had drinks. I had an old fashioned and it was pretty good. The setting is great and I love how they have the doors open and garage doors on the side open. Gives it an open concept and makes it seem larger than it is. It's usually always packed on the weekends. read more

We have always been sadden by the fact that we bought a home to be walking distance to town center, yet in the 5 years of living here we rarely frequent the restaurants (except for Copper Kings) and find ourselves driving out of town time 1-2 times a week min to eat out. We tried Set 4 times since it opened and were always disappointed with food and service. We felt forced to try it a 5th time because our son had a 8pm soccer game in town and we needed to stay local. TANYA, was awesome!!!! With out her knowing about your past experience, she just jumped in with this conviction of things we should try. Service and food was so good that we decided... "Let's try desert". Again she guided us with this "will not disappoint" attitude. The next day, we all were like that was some good desert and thinking of when we should go back. read more

Pretty cool place with pretty good food. Although the inside of the restaurant was quite loud, it was pretty enjoyable to eat there. For an appetizer I ordered some soft pretzels with chili con queso sauce, and they were hard to put down! When I finally got my burger, it wasn't bad, but it did taste a little burnt. Another problem was that I ordered tater tots, but instead received fries. Not too big of a complaint there, but thought it might be useful to mention. Lastly, the service was nice, and the waiters were very cooperative and easy to talk to. Overall, a place I would really recommend. read more

This is a great place! Owner is attentive and present, walking throughout the restaurant checking in on tables and his staff. Maddie was great and got us sat quickly and even made sure we had shade! Alexus and Izzy are both so quick making drinks, while still checking in and making sure our food was good and our drinks were full. I had the new ahi stack and it was amazing ! Highly recommend coming and checking this place out, great drinks, great food , and great staff! Keep it up guys, we will be back to check out dinner, and upcoming football specials! read more

Parking was brutal but I guess that isn't the fault of the biz. I heard the burgers were good from my friends. Unfortunately, my burger meat was dry and not very flavorful. The bun was soggy from the grease, yuck. The server didn't seem very attentive. I kept trying to make eye contact but nope. They did have a bit of a rush though. For the high prices I'll probably take my money elsewhere for burgers. read more

We heard this place had good food. Our server took forever as she was handling a large party. Eventually, she greeted us and took our drink order. Again I saw her dealing with her big party as we waited and waited for our drinks. Finally, our drinks came and then she disappeared for a long time. Finally she got our order and we continued to wait for a LONG time. However, the big party got lots of attention. Our food came and it was cold! Not cool. I asked to speak to a manager and she said he wasn't there...? read more

The service was great, food and drinks were incredible. We will definitely be returning to try other items.

If I could give 0 stars I would. The drinks were the most pathetic over priced thing I've ever experienced. I asked for a strong cocktail because our wine pours were half of what they should be. The cocktail came out with zero alcohol so we returned it and then they remade it and it was okay. The chicken wings were half cooked, still red/pink in the middle, we told the waiter and they showed the chef who said "it was just a blood line" LOL. The manager is just a straight up joke, called me an asshole to my face jokingly (not funny) for asking my salmon to be well-done. Meanwhile the chef comes out and gets 3 beers to bring back. NO wonder our food was undercooked and mediocre. From a local couple, never again. Not a chance. So overpriced it's not even funny. DO NOT COME HERE read more

How disappointing! San Elijo community is overdue for a great restaurant/bar. SET has the potential but execution was simply not there for our first experience. Immediate intervention is required if they are to make it for the long haul. - beyond 1 hour for a "15-20" minute phone in order -complete lack of a process...I literally had to recall my order piece by piece for them to locate it and package it -and it was incomplete and wrong 2x Ultimately, we spoke with the manager and he had a lot of practical/reasonable explanations (I've been in retail so empathize). He also refunded and apologized etc. Bottom line, I would have paid more for the experience to be right...the refund was appropriate, but doesn't erase the wasted time. We'll give it another shot and suggest others try them out as well. Just don't go back a 2nd time if you experience anything similar to this. read more

Would give 5 for the food and 1 for service, thus the 3 is for the middle ground. We visited Sets twice: the first time the experience was great for both food and service. The second time, not so much. Long story short: we had our puppy thus were seated outside. We waited for about 15 minutes and nobody approached us, although what appeared to be a bus-boy checked a couple of time the service table on the terrace. Needless to say we left and sent a text message to the number on their site. There had been no reply for over a week, thus we proceeded to express our disappointment via email on their site: still no acknowledgment. We are local, thus could bring repeated business, but seen their not caring, we'd spend our $ elsewhere: there is an eatery just across the street from them which we would definitely recommend (its name is Vine & Tap). read more

Finally got my drink just for it to be spilt because the table was unstable and I wanted to clean it up since I felt embarrassed, So I asked for help from the staff just to get told by the owner that it's my fault my beer spilt when really I just wanted it cleaned up so my arms didn't get wet. I feel he was only commenting so we didn't ask for refills. .. just posted today, if you're trying to have fun but don't feel like they care. read more

I live in the neighborhood and had been looking forward to trying this new place out. My husband and I sat down to an unclean table in the bar area, after waiting a while our order was taken, iced teas were brought out but no one came to clean the table. Waited 40 minutes to get our food, never got iced tea refills, husband had to go to the bar to get one, I had to request silverware, no one came to check on us once! The place was mostly empty with plenty of staff, needless to say very disappointing and will not be back. read more

After hiking around San Elijo, my husband and I stopped here for a Sunday afternoon lunch, and we were not disappointed. Go here. Get the Don, the Banh Mi Sliders, and a cocktail (or two). You won't regret it. read more

First dining experience at SETS. Went early, had great service, split a Caesar salad, Halibut and Beef Short Ribs entrees. All of it was excellent and reasonable prices. read more

Sets Kitchen & Bar - Short Ribs. Nice array of veggies over mashed potatoes along with 3 ribs. - New American Near Me - San Marcos, California

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We came here on a Friday night with our kids. I had a veggie burger and my husband had a burger. They both were okay not what it should be for the price and we are foodies so we will pay good money for food. They have a limited kids menu with your usual and with my kids they are pretty particular with even cheese pizza which my son got and it tasted like a jar tomato sauce with cheese on top. Let's just say he didn't eat it. My daughter ordered fish taco but they were okay. Our drinks were not good. The service was sub par as we never had waters refilled and our waitress only checked on us twice. We actually had to get up to get water. I hope this place figures food quality matters now a days and service matters especially with families that come since we can't linger with children but want enjoy eating out. Had high hopes for a new place. read more