Yes, this place is great! We had fried chicken, salmon, the butternut squash soup, as well as various salads. Superb!! I dream about getting this daily as a to go meal, nightly. I have recommended so many friends that are not as close as I am to try them out. Let's just say, I haven't disappointed on the recommendation. Try them out! They follow protocol and are on point. People complaining, need to chill out! Things are different now! Instant attention Isn't as easy as 1-2-3! People should take a deep breathe and enjoy the fact, we can all dine out. read more

I rarely write these yelp reviews, so when I do... it means it was that good I want to make sure you all know!! Food... ALWAYS delicious and consistent. Service... GREAT!!! Ambiance... Perfect!! Whether it be date night, girls night out or even a solo sit at the bar and watch some sports, they cater to all. If you haven't been yet, GO! They also have a retail area, to purchase your favorite wine or Champagne... or even try something new and tasty! ENJOY- and when your done, hear my voice sayin "UR WELCOME" read more

I come here for the truffle popcorn. It's expensive but worth every penny. Everything about it is A+++ The parmesan cheese, the seasoning, the truffle oil like butter! OMG, I'm gonna head back over there right now, my mouth is watering.... read more

If you think you're going to get blue ribbon, think again. I called up and specifically asked "is your pizza the same as blue ribbon?" The response I got was "yes, same as blue ribbon, we just don't have the same selection" No mention that they aren't pizzas but more like flatbread appetizers. And even worse, they were like $15 each!!! So disappointed especially since we were told that they would be the same as blue ribbon. Never go here again! read more

The Craftsman - New American Near Me - Encinitas, California

One of THE best California Breakfast Burrito I've ever had! The side of potatoes...OMG...so crispy on the outside and soft and creamy on the inside. My husband had an English Muffin with his breakfast and even that was super yummy along with the whipped sweet butter! If you like pancakes, you HAVE to try them here! Soft and fluffy with syrup that is one of a kind. We were a party of 6 and everyone loved their food. read more

Timeline: 7:44-Walk in to Craftsman 7:47-Seated 7:55-Waitress walks by and says she'll be right with us 8:08-Up and leave We never even got waters for our table, and we had THREE different busers pass by our table! I didn't even want water, I wanted a cocktail (several) and dinner. I watched our waitress with low-rent jail house tats chat it up with a table that was clearly only going to tip 4%, while we of 20-25% tip variety waited without service. This place has a bourgeois wannabe hipster vibe and everyone there, clientele included, need to realize that they're sitting in an El Camino strip mall, it's a burger joint with dim lighting and dark stained plywood paneling that tries to glorify the establishment and give it an eclectic feel (goal: not achieved). The wait staff should be grateful they have people filling their seats and be somewhat attentive. The menu looked, ...ok? I kind of got the 'try hard' hipster vibe. Deep fried Brussels sprouts? That is crossing the line of culinary ingenuity and being a hipster try-hard. YOU ARE A BURGER JOINT. One where you can't get a cocktail or even a lousy cup of water in a reasonable amount of time. This experience makes me hate Blue Ribbon now (which I normally LOVE) because of the connection in ownership.... All I wanted was an overpriced cocktail and burger.... read more

Excellent quality of food. They DO forget to put in HH discount. So we paid $2 more for a salad. Steak is front cut. So it's really LEAN. Will try the bottomless brunch read more

This is a great spot for brunch! My aunt took us here on our visit for brunch. Great menu choices. They let us (for an opening fee) bring our own champagne and provided us with orange juice which was great! The truffle popcorn is the bomb! We ate outdoors and it was a nice way to spend our later morning. read more

This is a neighborhood gem. Great food, great ambiance, very friendly staff. Our "go to" place in Encinitas.

As I'm sitting here waiting for my food and drinks I decided to write a review. I've been here for almost an hour and have hardly had any service. I was extremely excited to try this place since I live up the street and heard good things from friends. I thought we were forgotten due to the lack of service. I should probably wait to write a review till after I've received my food but I am so bored and upset over the lack of service I had to write one before. Our waiter is very nice but I most likely will not return due to this becoming a whole afternoon event just for a casual brunch. I will retuning back to my trusty breakfast republic. read more

This was the first visit to Craftmans and while the food was fair the service was lacking. We were shown our table and standing next to us at a different table, was a server who was talking to the people sitting there. They were talking about many things, about life, government and other general items. From our view they must of been old friends and were trying to catch up. After about 10 minutes she must of noticed us and took their order than turned to us and took ours. I am sure if she had not turned her head and noticed us it would of been longer for us to be served. read more

The food was amazing. Service was friendly and very quick. I'd highly recommend The Craftsman for its amazing comfort food. Yum!!

"Used Yelp to find a sandwich place close by the RV park as we are from out of town and so happy Port of Subs was recommended." in 2 reviews "The people here are super friendly and my girlfriend and I enjoyed every bite of the sandwich they have listed as the "Dominator!"" in 13 reviews Felicia G. "As the heavens of sub shops open their doors the rays of sunlight shine through and lead me back to Port of Subs and WOOOOHOOOOO!!!" in 8 reviews read more

Four of us went there for brunch today and it was very good. Bottomless Bloody Marys and mimosas were excellent as were the deviled eggs as an appetizer. The hamburgers are special as was all of the other dishes including the butterscotch pudding. The service was excellent. This is a very casual restaurant and we had a great time. Although we had a reservation at 1pm, we didn't need it. read more

We went out with a few other couples to finally try this place-I'm late to this party! I meant to try it last year-think of all the Lobster Corn Dogs I could have eaten?! (before they took then off the menu: Boo!) Sorry Craftsman, I'm in the game now and descended with my crew. First off kudos to the staff for changing my reservation for me on the fly-we went from 6 to 8 without a headache. Who writes these Yelp reviews anyways? Well! my party consisted of moi, 1 chef, 1 wedding planner, a bunch of boys and gals in sales and one guy in nuclear weapons detection. A diverse bunch, all of us hungry! The Brussel Sprouts were melt in my mouth deep fried veggie goodness. All the goodness was probably gone actually, due to the deep fried part-but hey? Look Ma! Brussel Sprouts! We snacked on the the Jalapeno poppers too, with goat cheese and ai yi yi, spicy they were indeed. Also started with the sliders, and my Boyfriend thought they were tasty. I was so excited to order the Prime Rib... and did so. Only to find out that they only had one lone end cut left which isn't my cut of choice-I switched to the chicken. The broccolini it came with and the mac and cheese were solid but only one of my pieces of chicken (it came with two) was cooked all the way. By boyfriend raved over his burger (Yeah, he got sliders AND a burger, don't judge) and I was sandwiched between friend's orders of divine Albacore crudo and perfect filet... I felt like I had the short end of the stick at the table over all-and then again over all it was pretty fantatsic for everyone so I can't dock stars. Cocktails abounded, we had a couple desserts (one sent over by our servers, so nice! Thanks!) The Blue Ribbon Butterscotch Pudding with Sea Salted Caramel was my favorite, and we also enjoyed a peanut butter chocolate pudding concoction. Although we didn't order it, there's a pretty impressive dessert station making the maple bourbon dessert I think-we saw the flames practically lick the ceiling a bit at one point-woo hoo! Overall a solid and delicious choice in Encinitas-located in a shopping center but once you find it, you'll have the Craftsman homing beacon calling you on nights out-I sure do! read more

Excellent Gastropub! Came here with The Hubzz, a friend, and our puppies. Though we would have loved to sit in their hip little dining room, but the patio suited us just fine. Start with the Heirloom Black Seed Popcorn with Black Truffle Salt and Parmigiano Reggiano. Wholly Crap...these are addictive!!! So in love! Next up, the deep fried Brussels sprouts with bacon, capers, and apple cider vinaigrette. I might have not shared with the group. Don't judge! Crispy Kalua Pork Belly with Purple Sweet Potatoes and Sweet Soy Glaze.... um....duh!! Clams with chorizo...to die!! Pair all these with the great beers, wines, and cocktails they serve and you are good to go! Enjoy! TIP: They are super pet friendly on their patio, so feel free to bring the poochies. read more

When restaurants just plain make me mad they get one star. This place achieved that with me. The food is ok - sort of try to hard and miss on execution type of restaurant experience, then charge way to much so when you leave you feel a little taken advantage of. We ordered the shushito peppers which is a dish we have ordered a ton of times before. Typically these peppers are mild and once in a blue moon you get a hot one. Our order consistently delivered burning hot peppers with every bite. We voiced our concern clearly to our waitress, told her they were unenjoyable to eat and left a ton of them uneaten. She didn't ask if we wanted anything else, bill comes and she charged us for them to top it off. Minus a star for the underwhelming heirloom tomato salad. Minus a star for a bad old fashioned Minus another star for not accepting American Express - seriously? I can understand certain restaurants taking this stance but at this caliber and expensive of a restaurant your going to get a certain customer - "the Amex customer", and to not take Amex is seriously just being cheap and even cheapens the restaurant. read more

Short rib Mac and cheese = delicious Pear and prosciutto salad = delicious Fried Brussels sprouts = delicious (although a bit greasy) Butterscotch pudding = insanely delicious Overall? Delicious!!!! read more

After an appointment around this area, I stopped here on a whim to avoid evening rush hour traffic back to El Cajon. At first I wasn't wildly impressed. The venue was decent in appearance, but no different than what you'd expect from anything else in Encinitas. After looking over the menu's item prices, it only confirmed my grumbles. I ordered just the day's soup (cauliflower-something-or-other) and Butterscotch pudding. I figured that would be enough for traffic to calm and to quell my old man grumbling. When I finally tasted my light meal -- I think clouds parted and angels sung that fine, overcast day. Anyway, it's a pricey but a delightful place with splendid service. I shall definitely be returning, for many delicious things are expected again now. read more

My wife and I are fans of Blue Ribbon Artisan Pizzeria. So, we were interested in trying Wade and Kristi Hageman's newest restaurant in Encinitas. We were also fans of the previous restaurant at this location (Savory), so we had high hopes and expectations. We took my mom and our two children with us as well so in all fairness, we had a large party and no reservation. It was a Saturday night and the place was incredibly busy which is always a good sign. However, our 15 minute wait for a table was more like 45 minutes and with two hungry dudes in tow, it got a little hectic as we waited to be seated. The hostess did come out front and at least offer us some bread while we were waiting which was nice even though we politely declined. Overall, the food was tasty. We started with the Sishito Peppers as well as the Heirloom Black Seed Popcorn w/Black Truffle Salt, Parmigiano Reggiano which my kids totally loved. They boys each got the Wade's Mac 'n' Cheese Trio of Cheeses, Scallions, and Breadcrumbs which was tasty and seasoned just enough to give it a nice flavor without being too weighty. Both of them nearly finished their portions (which were really side dishes on the menu). So, even though there was technically no children's menu, this side really fit the bill. My wife ordered the Center Cut Hangar Steak "Steak Frites" Béarnaise Compound Butter, Watercress Salad Served with Duck Fat Fries. It was well cooked and the salad was flavorful. I tried the Porcini Crusted Pacific Cod Mushroom Gravy, Potato Puree, and Onion-Mushroom Medley. The portion was medium-sized but decent. It was very light and well prepared and the pureed potatoes were fluffy and delicious. I shared it with my kids who both seemed to really love it as well. The cocktails were made of fresh ingredients and the wine and beer selection was pretty good in my opinion. The prices were a little on the high side, however, that's somewhat expected at a farm-to-table establishment where the ingredients are very fresh and locally grown. You can really taste the freshness in every bite. The only reason I'm not giving it 5 stars is the noise level and the lack of personal space in the restaurant. The previous establishment (Savory) had the same issues in many ways as does Wade's other restaurant (Blue Ribbon) in the Lumberyard. I get the idea of starting small and expanding as needed, but going out to dinner shouldn't be so stressful especially when you are paying relatively premium prices. And, when you finally are seated you shouldn't have to yell to a person sitting two feet away in order for them to hear you. We had our two boys with us, so the noise wasn't a big deal, but I can't imagine my wife and me going here for a romantic date night any time soon. I'm sure they'll work out the kinks here since it just opened. If you're looking for some very tasty fresh food for slightly above medium prices, this is an excellent choice. Just bring your megaphone and/or Miracle Ear because you'd probably have a quieter dining experience at the Downtown Encinitas Train Station than at The Craftsman. read more

Disappointing in many regards, yet not terrible. We had a reservation for a group of 14 last night. Craftsman set us up for 10 and we had to wait another 30 minutes for the adjacent table to finish up so we could seat the rest of us. I felt bad for the people at that table as they clearly knew they were given a table that was part of our reservation. Burgers were by no means worth $15. My Prohibition burger was pretty good, but small and would be blown away by one from Burger Lounge (at $9). Servers screwed up orders (got salad instead of fries with mine) and didn't know who ordered what when bringing food and drinks to the table or settling up later. However, food and drinks did come out quickly, albeit in a roundabout way. And one big problem: this place is extremely LOUD. Not background music loud -- I'm not even sure if any was on -- the room is screaming-people loud. Steel ceilings, concrete floors, and hard wood tables reflect sound dramatically, resulting in an increasingly amped-up shouting match among everyone there just to get in a word. It looked like Craftsman tried putting some burlap sacks on the ceiling to absorb some sound, but guys, you're going to need to cover that entire ceiling to make it tolerable. The butcher-shop-pig logo and overhipsterized menu fonts are getting tiresome, as everybody uses that same hipster-cred graphics set. C'mon... you're being far from ironic with that now, although the irony might be that some overused irony is ironic. Redeeming quality: Lightning Brew's Thunderweisen on tap, the best non-imported Hef I know, and coming from a local brewhouse too. Other redeeming quality: someone in our group had cold beer in her trunk, so we were able to finish up our event in the parking lot, where we could noisily carry on in relative quiet. read more

Craftsman New American Tavern; It's ok all the way around. I ordered the burger, wasn't crazy about the mushy cheese or whatever was on it, meat was good. Fries were average if not below. Organic green salad was regular, could have made it at home for $1.00. Beer was good. The interior (design) is dark and fun. One big room, w/ vignette seating, bar seating and one long group table seating. It's noisy but didn't bother me.... Feels like a tavern, good job there. The restaurant's in a small strip mall parking lot, not crazy about spending money to eat in this type of location but because of the owners other restaurant, Blue Ribbon, was hoping to be happily surprised. Just ok. read more

Alexander Pope once made a surprisingly Buddhist observation: "Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed." But should diners (and Yelpers) have high expectations? Does a dish name create dish expectations? I think the answer to both questions is: yes, which is why Craftsman Tavern is so disappointing. And THAT is disappointing, because Craftsman Tavern is original and clever. Too clever. From its resourceful decorum to its cocktails and dishes, there's a lot of creativity here. But I would like to see that originality taken all the way, which would include a whole different name for their dishes. The "Deviled Eggs" really did not possess the evil creamy essence of Deviled Eggs. They were too firm and confused with chili oil and bacon. When one craves a Deviled Egg, one is not satisfied eating this, which should probably renamed "Quail's Nest." The "Chicken & Waffles" was also hugely misleading. The chicken is barely breaded or fried and hence not crispy. What appears are two goose bumped wings sandwiching a soggy sliced tomato. Wait. That sliced tomato is actually a soggy waffle. The entire dish is drenched in a Chinese sweet-and-sour-like glaze that contains pickled jalapeño and not spicy jalapeño as advertised. I'd rename this one "General Roscoe's Chicken." The "Shrimp Poor Boy" is about the size of a hotdog in a bun. About five regular shrimp heavily battered fall out of the bread, which is not fused for holding . It has no flavor except for maybe the sliced tomato. The "Remoulade" sauce was more of a watery horse radish in Champaign Dijon mustard. No matter how much I dunked the sandwich in the sauce, it didn't do anything. I'd rename this one "Shrimpy Sub." Perhaps Craftsman Tavern makes better pizza and serves better beer. I'll defer to other Yelpers on that front. read more

Worst menu ever, nothing was even remotely appetizing. Plus everything is WAY overpriced. And if that's not bad enough, they also charged a "corkage fee" for a bottle of wine we bought FROM THEM. If you're not a wine drinker, just FYI you don't typically have to pay a corkage fee unless it's your own bottle that you bring into the restaurant... So their corkage fee on top of our purchase from them was completely ridiculous. Such a rip off for average (if not below average) food. Don't go here! read more

I've now been to brunch twice at Craftsman, and found it to be a great experience both times. To start, they have the best burger in Encinitas - hands down. Their hangover burger has tomato jam that puts Union Kitchen's to shame, a fried egg, and delicious bacon, along with a perfect brioche bun. Paired with duck fat fries, it is the best burger you can get around here. I tried the Encinitas Cheesesteak as well, and found the steak to be delightfully tender, although the verde sauce on it was a little too grassy for my taste. I was very jealous of my wife's choice of the burger. Luckily, I was enjoying the unlimited bloody mary/mimosa for $9 deal, so I was able to drown my jealousy in booze. The bloody mary mix was surprisingly tasty with the right amount of horseradish, although the amount of vodka seemed a bit light. The atmosphere of Craftsman at brunch is wonderful with some extremely talented guitarists. The bartender is incredibly friendly, and has in the past made some great beer recommendations for us. They do offer quite a few local brews on tap, including my new favorite, Stumblefoot. I am excited to come back soon and try their dinner. For now, I will keep coming back for the cheap booze and the top notch Hangover Burger. read more

Just brought my family here last night, and we were all super impressed! It's the same high-quality ingredients and thoughtful preparation that goes into their other restaurant (Blue Ribbon). Was stoked to try moonshine for the first time ever! I think these guys have cornered the market on moonshine in North County, so far as I can tell. My wife & I tried an albacore crudo that differs slightly but nicely from what they offer at the other location (this one has blood orange, avocado and radish instead of grapefruit and guac). My son had a burger and was floored. Daughter had mac & cheese; walked away happy. My wife had soup & salad and loved it. I had the hanger steak - yum. We also liked that they have an assortment of great desserts (unlike Blue Ribbon), although of course we still had to get one of the butterscotch pot-de-creme puddings. Check out the root beer cake with vanilla ice cream, and the "milk and cookies" - what a sweet idea (pun intended). Place was packed as it was only their second night of business. We got placed at a communal table which turned out to be a blast! Great food, great atmosphere, great people! read more

Bad service right from the get go. My boyfriend and I came here for a friend's going away party. When our friend's table was already full, one waiter told us we could sit at the communal table across the way. After sitting here for a few minutes, a waitress told us we couldn't sit here because it's reserved. Then a different waiter told us to sit at a random table that was free. After sitting down, the hostess kicked us out of the table because they have reservations and a wait list. She then told us to go back to the communal table (where the one waitress told us it was reserved). After telling the hostess the situation, she didn't event apologize, take responsibility or say she'll try to handle the situation. Overall, bad communication and not good service, and we haven't even ordered our food yet! read more

Everything that I wanted to say (good and bad) has already been said but I'll contribute by saying that his ia place for burgers n beer. read more

The Craftsman - Happy hour menu - New American Near Me - Encinitas, California

We came here on the back of literally dozens of great experiences at their sister restaurant Blue Ribbon Pizza. Also, we were at Jorge's tacos and my son had to pee, so while he ran into Craftsman, I read the menu. We decided to give it a try the next day. Drinks--you may be familiar with the 10-minute period right before happy hour ends, when you absolutely cannot find any wait staff to bring you a drink before time expires. That happens here too. Salad--I ordered the Blue Ribbon salad, which is really a Caesar salad with roasted garlic. I like this salad at Blue Ribbon and at Craftsman. Service--We were brought someone else's food. We didn't realize this at first, and ate an onion ring, and touched the burger (that's when we realized it wasn't ours) and put our fork and knife on the plate. We kept the rings but the plate was taken away. Onion Rings--have absolutely no flavor. They are just fried dough and onions and they don't taste like anything. They are huge--4 rings stacked up measure about 6 inches high. But this is no consolation. Burger--has absolutely no flavor. The only flavor came from the sautéed mushrooms. (When I cook and when I eat, typically I don't put any salt on anything. I was looking for the salt and pepper shakers to try to jazz it up. There aren't any salt and pepper shakers on any tables.) Condiments--did I mention no salt and pepper? Also, we asked for ketchup and mustard and we were brought these tiny little steel cups. Given how big the onion rings are, this is simply not enough. Would it be too much to ask for you to bring me the whole bottle? Plates--have this little bump on the bottom. So they rattle when you cut up your food. TAT-tat-TAT-tat-TAT-tat-TAT-tat. General--beers and water are placed right on the table; no napkins or coasters. As a result, condensation puddles up and runs everywhere. As well-run as Blue Ribbon is, Craftsman is the antithesis. read more

I made the mistake of giving this place a second chance. The food is actually pretty good, which is the only reason why this review isn't 1 star. This place is overpriced and the service is world-endingly terrible. On our most recent visit we called in an order for take out. We were told 45 minutes and so we showed up exactly 45 minutes later. We went in and were sat by the bar while we waited and were told that our food would be right out. After 20 minutes we said something to the nearest employee and they went and checked on our food. They seriously botched something because it took another 30 minutes to finally get our food. At this point we had been waiting in the restaurant for about an hour and it had been almost 2 hours since we originally ordered the food. No discount on the check, no apology, just pathetic. Good food. Way too expensive. Terrible service. Go at own risk! read more

I love this restaurant. The truffle popcorn, chopped salad with blackened salmon and a Ruby Slipper is my recommendation for a perfect dinner. Enjoy! read more

Awesome service, great beer selection and the food is very good with a wide variety of selection.. would like to see an entree besides a burger that is under $20 but little else would I change! I'm a repeat customer many times over, thanks Craftsman! read more

Based on Yelp reviews, I came for the Burger and that's what I ordered, though I was tempted by the very appealing menu which is full of rich comfort foods. The burger did not disappoint. Decadent - with a yummy bacon-sauteed onion marmelade slathered on and just the right amount of Pt. Reyes Blue Cheese. The beef is grass fed and delicious. Mac and Cheese was not bad, but nothing special. Fried Brussels Sprouts with bacon and capers delivers! The servers REALLY know their food. Be careful when you ask how's the lamb or any menu item, 'cuz you're gonna get a answer that takes a couple of minutes. And it's always nice, too, when the manager comes over to say hello... Others have complained about it being very loud - thankfully, we didn't have that experience, even though when we left, the restaurant was full. read more

I've dined here about a year and a half ago and the quality is just not the same any longer. Still busy and bustling throughout the entire service but the food is just about as bland and similar to what you can get at most fast food joints (just with a bit more funkiness to it) that I don't really believe it justified the prices that they charged. The beer selection is superb though. read more

Had a lovely dinner last night at Craftsman with the family. Menu was unique so we had a sampling of many items. Lamb, Burger, Pork Belly, Brussel sprouts, duck fat fries were awesome. Had a nice kids friendly menu and they felt very welcome. Our waiter Charlie was really nice and couldn't have been more helpful or attentive. Although this was a great spot to take kids, the décor and cozy feel would make this a great date night joint as well. Our rating system gave this restaurant 29 out of 10! (they got extra bonus points and minimal deductions). Gotta try it! read more

If you like this kind of menu (I will explain), you will love this restaurant. The problem is, there's not enough variety to accommodate those who don't like that kind of menu. The menu is heavy - duck fat fries, deep fried Brussells sprouts, sausage, charcuterie, sliders - I eat healthy and I always look for a lean protein/vegetable option on a menu and this was near impossible to find on this menu (unless I just opted for a salad). Waitress was awkward - never knew when we were speaking to her - did a poor job in describing menu items. I was inquiring about the steak frites (sliced and fried, I still don't know), but she strongly recommended I get the porquette instead. Her description made it sound like a "prime rib" piece of pork and it apparently sells out every night. I was quite surprised when it arrived - 3" in diameter piece of edible pork surrounded by about 4" thick fried fat and crispy skin. Indeed, the textures were nice and something this heavy would have been nicely accommodated by some fresh greens or vegetables. Rather, it came with a side of stodgy boiled potatoes and about three baby carrots. Three bites of the pork was about all I could handle. Duck fat fries were very nice. My husband had a sausage trio, intending on sharing with the rest of the group, but he ended up with three Jimmy Dean size sausages. Rest of the table indulged in mac and cheese, pork sliders, oyster sliders, lobster corn dogs and the lovely truffle parmesan popcorn carried over from Blue Ribbon. The other reviews are correct in that it gets insanely loud. We had dinner at 5:00 PM and had about an hour of peace and quiet. Once the restaurant was near capacity, it was almost impossible to speak to our guests. In sum, heavy menu, small portions, very loud. read more

Meh. I've experienced better. The cocktail was good but food was just okay. We're big into service but when there are only two tables in the restaurant, do you really have to sit us RIGHT next to the other table. They were within arms reach of us. Maybe it'd be cool if it were a singles bar but we were here to enjoy food alone....yes, kind of exclusive :) Ironically, i usually comment on how inattentive service is...but here, omg. We had about 5 different people, waiters, bussers, whatever, check on us literally every 3 minutes. We've never said, "we're okay" so many times hahaa. So Kudos (i guess?) on the service but in terms of food, and return ability, 2 stars... read more

I have been wanting to try the Craftsman for a long time as I love Blue Ribbon. I also love brunch so I was excited to try their Sunday Brunch. It was lively the day of the league championship NFL games, but not overly packed. I was the only one sitting at the bar and had to ask the bartender to put the game on. I know it is not a sports bar, but come on... He wasn't all that great, seeming to be a little overwhelmed throughout the day. The live music was cool though. I didn't come for the service or to watch the games though, I was there for the food. The omelette bar looked pretty good, but if I'm gonna dine there, I want a bit more than eggs. I started with the lobster corndogs and enjoyed them quite a bit. They weren't the best thing I have ever had, but they were unique and tasty. Next up was the breakfast burger with duck fat fries. It was definitely worth the price of admission. Great quality meat and awesome additions like white cheddar, bacon, tomato jam and a fried egg. I love a fried egg on a burger. It is just so right! I finished with the always delicious butterscotch pudding with carmel and rock salt. Oddly enough they forgot the rock salt in mine. Maybe it was because I ordered it for brunch. All in all it was very good and I'm excited to try some of their other menu options in the future! read more

Ok this place is amazing!! Great local hang out with a special shout out to Shane, Charlie, Shannon, and Daniel for their high maintenance requests (light butter on the awesome popcorn ) and always making sure we are taken care of! Sad the spinach salad is taken off the menu (hint hint menu manager) however have never had a bite I didn't dislike and although I haven't brought my kids,have seen children in there and they all seemed happy. I highly recommend a visit!! read more

The Craftsman - Ok the photo is a joke HOWEVER the restaurant is legit!! Check it out....you will not be disappointed!! - New American Near Me - Encinitas, California

I've been to The Craftsman a few times now and each time my opinion of the place has improved. The first time I went my initial reaction was, "Great, another overpriced 'trendy' restaurant." They serve you water in jam jars and I ordered the cheapest item on the menu (the burger) which was good but not great. The subsequent times I dined at this restaurant I ended up splurging a bit more. I tried their more expensive, less standard dishes, and another time I ordered off of the specials menu. Spending the big bucks ended up being well worth it because each time the food was fantastic. The steak that I ordered off the specials menu was possibly the most perfectly prepared piece of meat I've ever consumed. Another plus for this restaurant is their tasteful wine and beer selection. All their wines are above average for the standard restaurant and I appreciate the fact that they serve a number local brews other than just Stone IPA. They don't take reservations for parties smaller than six but I've never had to wait more than twenty minutes for a table. The out-of-the-way location makes it crowded but not ridiculously so. So if you're in the mood to be spendy and want a nice night out, The Craftsman is not at all a bad way to go. read more