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I went on a Friday night with a group of six. Of course parking was a pain in this area. No reservations are available for less than 8 people. Fortunately we did not have to wait very long for a table. Both indoor and outdoor seating is available. We chose first available, which turned out to be indoor with doors open to the outside. I tried the brussel sprouts appetizer. This was the best dish of the night. Although some of the pieces were not cut small enough so that it was a bit undercooked, the favor was amazing and the bits of bacon and crispy leeks really added that bit of extra punch. We also had the elote lettuce wrap which was good. Tater tots were also good. For my main, I ordered the halibut and that was a disappointment. Although the seasoning was okay, the fish was overcooked and dry. The butter helped cover up some of the dryness. It was served with potato wedges that had no color or flavor and a side of "Asian" style veggies. I guess Asian means shredded cabbage, bean sprouts and bell peppers that are sautéed. The sides just did not fit with the dish. The whole dish was just a beige mess. The three stars are mainly for the appetizer and service.
Delicious flavor and great presentation along with good service. What more could you need? Brussel sprouts were complimented very well with all the flavors mixed into the plate. Same goes for the cauliflower which I was very pleasantly surprised by. The wings were cooked to the perfect crisp which is so hard to find. The elote lettuce cups were lacking something to bring out the flavor, I personally found them a little bland but still good. The surf and turf plate was amazing! It's a thinner cut of meat but they were able to get a good medium rare cook on it. The halibut was a little bit disappointing unfortunately. The halibut itself was great but the sides were very much lacking in flavor. The establishment itself was classy with a nice layout for each section of inside, outside, and bar. Definitely enjoyed my experience and very much looking forward to going back for more!
A big beautiful space with a very comfortable patio. Open Kitchen and plenty of seats around the bar. This place gets packed. There are some Interesting cocktails on the menu and the food is good. The Pokey Bowl is small but plenty tasty. Our two favorite cocktails are the Hibiscus Rita - (Herradura Blanco, Hibiscus, Agave, Fresh Lime). and the Nunya Beeszwax - (Pier View Gin, Lemon, Honey). The vibe of this place is nice. It's good for families, date night, and anything casual. There's something here for everyone. The Lab Collective is worth a visit.
Have always wanted to try this place. A hip, modern restaurant with mid century ambiance and what appears to be a changing menu based on the previous reviews. Located in the renovated Oceanside stacked on the corner of Cleveland and Mission. Food was delicious! Tried the pork belly adobo appetizer, which was extremely tender. Also ordered the lab burger with Caesar salad. Lab burger was flavorful - meat was thick. Not well balanced though.Seemed like everyone was satisfied at our table. BIL said he enjoyed his jerk chicken and the waitress also endorsed it was a popular item. They offer a discount for active duty and veterans too I had a few grievances. For $18, the fried chicken appetizer was nothing special. Service was okay - unremarkable but the basic duties were met. Would have been nice to be told of hidden fees like if you opt for Caesar salad, it's a $3 charge. Same with Sweet Potato fries alternative. Also, they charge for extra condiments like ranch.
We have been here twice already; once for brunch and once for dinner (and we will be back as we forgot to bring a gift card we received haha). We shared the biscuits and gravy with a side of bacon; my only complaint is that I wish the biscuits were split or there was more gravy as the dish was a bit dry. The flavor of the gravy was fantastic! Our friend ordered a mimosa flight, and the bottle of bubbly wasn't chilled down properly- the waitress did run by and say they didn't have any ready... on a Saturday... yet they still served him smh. Anyway, we came back for dinner and we both ordered the surf and turf, and shared a creme brûlée. The steaks were cooked perfectly; albeit a bit spicy for his midwestern palate (we didn't know the heat level of the chimichurri until we got our plates). The dessert was delicious; I love coffee after dinner and this sated my desire as it had espresso dust. The ambience is confusing; it has a classy-meets-sports bar vibe. I liked everything but the large televisions on the wall (they have had basketball and football on, we'd prefer some sort of racing). Our servers have been friendly and attentive. We look forward to trying more of the menu! Pros: - always friendly - reasonable brunch prices - staff is familiar with the menu - bar, table and al fresco dining options - food presentation Cons: - parking sucks (park at the transit center) - low quality brunch juices
Food is REALLY good! HOWEVER!!!!! This is an overall review, and my biggest pet peeve is when establishments are not TRANSPARENT. It's not about the cost it's the PRINCIPAL. They add a surcharge, but it's nowhere to be found on the menu, nor any signs in the restaurant. Surcharge for What using my credit card which MAJORITY of people do not even McDonald's does that. Just be honest from the very beginning, and let the customer decide whether to move forward or not. The service wasn't very attentive after serving a customer check on them within 3 to 5 minutes to make sure everything's good, keep an eye out that the water glasses are full! When it came time to pay they bring you the machine and they stand right over your shoulder. I might as well have given them my Social Security number. Give me space let me do what I think is appropriate tipping instead of hounding me over my shoulder what I should be giving. This is VERY aggravating and you feel extremely pressured to give more. The food is excellent but again this is an overall review and amazing service should be TOP PRIORITY so I feel like it's money well spent. Advice: be honest and transparent!! Your customers will appreciate it!!! Also don't stand over them when they pay!!!
The poke bowl and calamari were both amazing fresh, flavorful, and perfectly prepared. Unfortunately, the service was pretty slow, and our waiter hardly checked on us despite it not being a busy time. Had to hunt down the bus boys to as for anything while she sat around talking to other employees or guests. It was really odd.
We had a really enjoyable dinner at The Lab Collaborative in Oceanside! The food is absolutely the star of the show here--everything we tried was really good (except the fish tacos, the texture was weird) The overall service was okay and friendly when our waiter was present. The atmosphere of the place is great, very much in line with the cool, relaxed vibe Oceanside is known for. The reason for the four instead of five stars was a noticeable lapse in service. Our waiter disappeared for a pretty long stretch in the middle of our meal. We could see the bar was completely swamped, and it became clear he had been pulled away to help over there. While we totally understand that restaurants get busy and need to support all areas, it left us waiting for drink refills and checking in on us. We'll definitely be back for the excellent food, but hopefully next time the front-of-house staffing is a little more balanced to handle a full house
We arrived around 7:30pm on Wednesday evening, Feb. 5th. The posted closing time was at 9:00pm. I called beforehand to check if we needed a reservation to which I was told that it was probably going to be a slow night and that we would not need one. FYI: Reservations are only made for parties of 5 or more. This night was supposed to be a special night, because we were celebrating my 45th birthday. We are not local to this area and were staying in our timeshare in O'side for a few days. As I'll explain in detail later, it turned out to be a very lackluster celebration. We were seated promptly, our server was Ashley and she took our drink and appetizer orders first. Our wait was minimal from being seated to when Ashley introduced herself. Menu: We noticed right away that the menu that is advertised on their website and also the most recent menus shown on Yelp were different than the menu they placed in front of us. Items that drew us to this restaurant were not on the new menu, such as the Creamy Potato and Burnt Leek Soup and the Elote Lettuce Wrap. The fish of the day for the fish tacos we found out were swordfish, which we could not eat due to religious reasons. Sadly, we were a little disappointed straight out the gate. Drinks: I ordered the mocktail, Equinox, which was a blackberry, lemon sparkling drink. Very tasty, I would order it again. Appetizers: Bourbon Maple Bacon Brussels Sprouts (minus the bacon)...this was our favorite of the night. Cauliflower with Agave Ponzu Sauce...wow! Our table's second favorite dish of the night. So many levels of deliciousness that fire up your tastebuds and explodes into a whirlwind of flavors in your mouth. Biscuits...4 crunchy, dense, dry biscuits. Not fluffy and delicious. Came with whipped salted butter and whipped cinnamon? salted butter. Would never EVER order again. Food: Fried Chicken...after ordering was told that they were out of mashed potatoes and that they would sub tater tots and comp the meal, to which I accepted. Also, the gravy contains pork sausage and since I don't eat pork, Ashley was very accommodating and offered to bring a side of their cheese sauce instead. The batter on the chicken was pleasantly very light and not over battered, but it could have used more seasoning. The chicken was pounded thin and still had a lot of moisture. The tater tots were seasoned well and were perfectly crunchy. Loaded Baked Potato Soup...asked if there was bacon inside the soup and was told no that it was only on top as garnish, so my family member ordered it without bacon, but there was definitely bacon inside. This was the same person who wanted the Creamy potato and leek soup, so now their second choice of soup was unavailable. What a disappointment. They decided on just getting another order of the Fried Cauliflower appetizer for their dinner. Fried Cauliflower Sandwich (vegan)...Person eating this said that it was good until they got to the middle of the sandwich and the cauliflower got hard to bite into (assumed that it was the stem that wasn't fully cooked). Another disappointing dish. Would have been good if executed properly. Chicken Tortilla Soup...average broth soup with vegetables, shredded chicken, and fried tortilla strips. Person eating this said that they liked it. Dessert: Crème Brûlée...This was made with jet fuel coffee and it was so creamy, lightly sweetened, and delicious. He really liked it. There were so many vanilla bean flecks inside, we were amazed. It was very tasty. Would order it again. Carrot Cake...not what the person who ordered it expected. There were no nuts and tasted more like a spice cake than a carrot cake. Cheesecake with Berries...the cheesecake was also very creamy, a little denser than Cheesecake Factory, but just as flavorful if not more. The berries on top were a nice addition and the graham cracker crust was light and soft and complemented the filling very well. So, my birthday dinner did not go as well as we had hoped. There were some mishaps on the restaurant's part, but our server was quick to remedy the situation and made up for them well. Unfortunately, although we informed our server Ashley that we were celebrating a birthday, there was no birthday song and dance. I wasn't offered a dessert, ice cream sundae, nor a slice of cake. Nothing. At the least, they could have placed a candle on any one of the three desserts we ordered ourselves. My thoughts for the owner/restaurant manager, please make sure to update your website with the most current menu being offered at the time. It was very disappointing to find that the dishes that we wanted, which was our reason for selecting this restaurant, were not available. We would have definitely walked out and ate at another restaurant if it hadn't already been so late in the evening.
We stopped here because I saw vegan sloppy joes. It was delicious. Even my hubby who had a delicious looking burger said," Damn" when he took a bite. My hibiscus margarita was refreshing and my hubby was happy with the beer selection. The service was excellent. I was sad to learn that they will be closing their doors at the end of the month. However I was happy to learn that all the employees would be given first dibs at the new establishment if they applied. I thought that was decent of the new owners. Hope their food was be as good as the Lab Collaborative.
By the looks of the food served to everyone else around is, I could tell the food was going to be good. It looked awesome! Party of 4 and it was all of ours first time here. My bf and I are the locals and we'll certainly come back. My bf ordered a caprese salad and added halibut. He enjoyed it very much. The fish was well cooked, nice and buttery. I ordered the Thai salmon without coconut rice, extra Asian veggies. The veggie slaw (shredded veggies) was not what I ended expecting, but it still tasted good. What else could "Asian veggies" be except stir fried bok choy, shiitake mushrooms, maybe some green beans.. the shredded veggies were cooked and paired nicely with the salmon. My in-laws got a chicken sandwich and gnocci and they cleaned it up! We got seated pretty quickly. The front entrance is a bit awkward because you step into a walkway. There's no real waiting area so you feel like you're in the way. The fire pit tables outside look like a nice spot to eat next time.
This is a fun place in coastal Oceanside. Have been a few times, usually for birthday celebrations, and never disappointed with my visits. Pros: the food is good. I had their poke bowl and it was very filling, fresh, and at a good price. Not pictured is their margherita pizza which we had as a starter appetizer, which was also very good. Cons: we did come in on a Friday night, so the staff was busy in the restaurant the entire time, and this lead to our table having to consistently flag down someone for drinks. Someone in our party had to send their food back because it wasn't prepared fully and wasn't edible, however, the waitress was very understanding and took his replacement order without issue and got it out right away. Their menu is not overly complicated, however, their drinks menu doesn't really match the design and could be mistaken for part of the decor. Not really my thing, but not a complaint either. They were dog friendly for someone at the bar with their small lap dog, which can be a plus if you have one. Happy with my visit and will be back.
Food was great and the atmosphere was relaxed sitting just outside on the patio at 2p. Adobo pork belly - amazing I shall old have had 2 Local Fish Tacos(swordfish) - excellent I would get again Lab burger- medium rare and a decent cheeseburger Service was a bit confusing at times. I didn't like the use of the Toast POS to pay with the server holding the device while you pay and add a tip. Felt intrusive.
4 years ago
The ambiance and location for this place for parking and beach access is outstanding. The staff were hand picked by the chef. The food is fresh and perfect seasoning.. The salad is so big and should be in a bowl but for presentation I understand.. The negative of thus place is the FLYS. The doors to resturant are wide open. read more
2 years ago
With so many options and being able to see the food coming out of the kitchen we had a very tough choice. We went with some classics but I would need and will be coming back to try more dishes. The bartenders were so informative and outgoing. We definitely had a great time. read more
2 years ago
Went for the first time tonight. Inviting atmosphere. I was alone so I sat at the bar. Brian the bartender gave me the menus. Asked what I like, told him I had been into tequila lately. He asked if I like Prosecco. When I affirmed he came back with a "French 55". Was terrific mix of Prosecco, tequila and lemon juice. For dinner I was conflicted as the menu had a lot of items l liked from a half-pound burger to a jerk chicken sandwich to seafood pasta and fried chicken. I settled on pork jerk seasoned meatloaf over mashed potatoes. Best meatloaf I have ever had. Nice little spice burn cooked perfectly. Great staff, drink, and food. Go! read more
The first time we came was just for drinks (although we did order the Bone Marrow). This time we came for dinner. After reading all or most of the reviews here on Yelp, I knew the Beef Cheeks was the de facto thing to order off the menu, so I did as well as my buddy. My wife ordered the Seafood Linguini and another wife ordered the Elote Lettuce Wraps. The Beef Cheeks are other-worldly...insane flavor, so tender. Imagine pot roast or slow braised short ribs, but better. The fingerling potatoes and roasted carrots were perfect sides, all served in one iron pot with microgreens as a garnish. My wife has already pre-ordered this dish for the next time we visit The Seafood Linguini was good, although it was served piping HOT, like super hot. And the bowl was huge. It was good, but it resembled too much of the type of dishes I make at home so it didn't seem special enough to order again. We heard the Elote Lettuce Wraps were amazing...and a definite order-again possibility. To cap off the food, we had the Creme Brulee. The flavor changes I think over time, but the version we had this time was quite possibly the best creme brulee custard I have ever had. Seriously. It was that good. Granted it was $15, which is a bit steep for a creme brulee but at least it was mighty tasty. For drinks, we orderd: * Pineapple Mule * Up Late Coffee Martini * The Cure All * Mexican Martini * Eppig Amber (beer) * Botanist's Basket * Barrel-Aged Margarita The only thing I wouldn't order again was the Eppig Amber. It lacked sweetness, not that I like sweet beer but it was pretty flat. Some ambers are awesome, and some are not...that's for sure. I would ditch this one off the menu unless you have some die-hard fans out there. Thanks again TLC for an awesome time. Service was great. The food and drinks were great. Can't ask for much more. read more
Business owner information
Raschelle E.
This review is amazing! Thank you for taking the time to leave such…
We finally made it back in here for dinner and so glad we did! The first time in we just had cocktails and the bartender let us sample the potato leek soup. My husband would not stop talking about that soup for months! We ordered the prosciutto and artichoke flatbread with a bibb wedge salad. Also, the house white pasta and of course potato leek soup. The flatbread had a sweet flavor to it that was not my favorite, but I can see how it pairs with the prosciutto. The atmosphere is nice, and service was excellent. This is definitely a nice spot for date night! read more
Business owner information
Raschelle E.
Thank you very much for the great review. Looking forward to having…
1 year ago
We stopped by for a late dinner after finding this place on Yelp while on vacation, and I loved the themed decor and spacious seating indoors & outdoors. The menu is unique and modern and they have a good kid's menu as well. I'm obsessed with their giant pretzel appetizer! Service was friendly and food was fresh and yummy! read more
2 years ago
2 years ago
They are super pet friendly which scored 100 points, I got their shrimp salad which was amaaaazing they have a generous portion and the environment is really nice they have a big screen TV read more
Such a cute place with plenty of outside area. Its in the main area of o.side. one of the best vegan chilli soup. So much flavour. I also got the potato leek..that was amazing as well. I also got the elote lettuce wraps..that was totally diff and good. Last was biscuits and there qas four and so good and soft. Amazing staff too. I loved how the kitchwn was see through ans the lights reminded me of organic chem. read more
3 years ago
Love the outdoor tables with individual fire pits; great ambiance and the food was amazing. The burger with fried leeks......DELICIOUS!! Great service too. read more
1 year ago
4 years ago
I didn't have a clue about what I wanted to eat, all I knew was I was hungry and wanted to go someplace good. Fortunately, my friend (who's lived locally for years) knew exactly what he wanted. I decided to put myself in his hands; he chose The Lab as our dinner venue, and I was NOT disappointed! When we walked in, I saw that the atmosphere was nice and inviting. There were both outdoor and indoor seating options available. As we went right after work on a weeknight, the place was only about 1/3 full, and we had our pick of the available tables. There were a lot of dishes that seemed appetizing on the menu, so we decided to order family style and got several different selections to try. It turned out that EVERYTHING we ordered was not only deliciously, but nicely presented as well :-) Tip: If you're just looking for a nice place to get in out of the heat and order a drink or four, there's a bar in the middle of the venue that looks perfect for that purpose. read more
3 years ago
Great Food and Service. We had the pretzel plate with Sausage and grilled onions. The salad was also very good. read more
Came here for a late lunch on a Thursday with our pup. They told us we had the option to sit either inside or outside even with our dog. We sat outside and we were immediately greeted by our waiter, Jeff. My boyfriend got the Oside or No side and he asked for fries on the side with it. Jeff told him that the sandwich was huge so he may not need the fries which was very nice of him to tell him beforehand. The sandwich was HUGE, it came with 2 fried chicken fillets. He said the sandwich was delicious and he really enjoyed the sauce it had on it. I got the berry and burrata salad. The dressing on it was super yummy and the portion size of my salad was large as well. The restaurant also had a bar area and had a very open concept. The ambiance was laid back and casual and the decor was really sleek. Overall, we reallly enjoyed our experience here. Jeff was really nice and attentive. Thanks! read more
Business owner information
Raschelle E.
Thank you for the wonderful review and we can’t wait to share with…
Really excellent Brussel Sprouts- the best I have had in a long time! Great vibe in Downtown Oceanside. Really friendly service & they validate parking in their building garage read more
Business owner information
Raschelle E.
Esther, thank you!…
3 years ago
We checked this nice restaurant for lunch on a Saturday around 1:30pm and we enjoyed our lunch! We tried the Birria Sandwich, the O side or no side and the Lab Burger. My favorite was the birria sandwich, hoagie roll was so soft and braised beef was so good, loved all the flavors, onions and bell peppers. The lab burger was so good,great size,my son loved the fries and bacon. The o side or no side was lightly breaded and perfectly crispy. Service was good with a full restaurant. Ambiance was great love when we get to see the kitchen and bar area is really pretty. Nice place to watch football(games) with that nice screen!! We can wait to come back! read more
4 years ago
Pros: - Nice location - Friendly staff - Quick service - Pretty food/drinks - Alcoholic beverage flavor Cons: - Too pricey - The presentation of food seems to be more important than flavor. I got the berry salad, add chicken, and my girlfriend got the Halibut. All of it was plated super well, and was quick to come out. But honestly it doesn't taste any better than anything I could get at Applebee's for 1/2 the price. Had the flavor been really good, the price point would have made more sense. However, I'll give credit where credit is due. Their cocktails are VERY tasty, even the strong ones are done well. So in short, keep the bartender and wait staff as is, maybe focus on adding some better flavor into your meals. read more
2 years ago
3 years ago
This restaurant is extremely uniquely themed and well decorated! There are many places to sit and a large variety of foods to choose from. Our server was extremely timely, professional, and knowledgeable on the menu and ingredients used in each dish. Being someone with severe allergies, this was extremely comforting to see. The wait time for our food was about 10-15 minutes which was amazing considering how busy they were. The food came out (I ordered their poke bowl) and it was perfectly ratioed and fresh. My party members agreed that the chicken was good but nothing spectacular. Normal, typical wings. The ceaser salad's crab was on the salty end, but they were very generous with the crab (real!) meat. The burger was reported to be satisfactory. Well seasoned, buttery & toasted bun, very flavorful and the meat was juicy. The presentation for all the foods were 10/10. Definitely recommend coming here! :) read more
3 years ago
Well, I used to work in a lab but this is nothing that I concocted! Yum yum yum! I really liked this place. The ginormous pretzel was delicious with tasty beer cheese. My poke bowl was the perfect combo of poke and greens. I didn't try the burger but it certainly looked tasty and huge portions. I would definitely go back again for my stomach to "experiment" with some menu items. read more
Excellent service. All staff seemed happy and friendly. Restrooms were clean. Food was great! I loved the tater tots more than my husband enjoyed his french fries. Burger was yummy. Might suggest a larger plate, it was a knife and fork kind of burger at times, and more space would've been nice. Look forward to returning! read more
2 years ago
host super nice, I spoke to one of the chefs Ivan about how food is cooked they made it the way we wanted. Place is a VIBE love the music. read more
1 year ago
Nestled in the heart of a revitalized downtown Oceanside sits The Lab Collective - an indoor / outdoor, modern and inviting restaurant. Taking its name and menu from the bio field is a playful way to add something atypical to the table. There's a giant screen for sports in the dining area, so it's a cool hangout spot with friends or a date. Onto the food. I've come here twice - once with my coworkers for a team building lunch and once with my wife. With work, we basically ordered every appetizer and shared. So here's a combo of both trips: - Pork wings were tender meaty riblets that are glazed in a flavorful, but not spicy sauce. 4/5 - Elote lettuce wraps, as much as I like elote, were uneventful. Lacked texture and seasoning. 1/5 - bourbon maple bacon Brüssel sprouts were cooked flawlessly and bacon is always a nice pairing to sprouts. 5/5 - wedge salad. Cold lettuce doused with the right amount of dressing and toppings. This is so refreshing. 5/5 - jerk chicken wings - didn't pack enough heat but were meaty and cooked well. 4/5 - pork belly - wow. The pork belly is treated with such love. It's tender, and the sauce it's braised in is incredibly rich, but doesn't over power the meat. The charred cabbage is a nice palate cleanser to break up the richness. 5/5 It's really a great place. Oh yeah, the drinks are really awesome too with good variety. read more
1 year ago
4 years ago
I had an awesome experience here and will certainly return the next time I'm in the area. Here's everything that I ordered: - Pork wings - Roasted brussel sprouts - Spicy shrimp salad - Beef cheek * FOOD * Everything was SO delicious! This was my first time trying beef cheek and it is, hands down, better than pot roast. It's absolutely tender and juicy and flavorful. It comes in a cute iron pot that'll keep the meat nice and warm. The spicy shrimp salad was refreshing and it'll make a great pallet cleanser. The pork wings are so big that you wouldn't even think they were an appetizer. I highly recommend asking for extra sauce or a garlic aioli to eat the wings with because as flavorful as they are, they are a bit dry. But still great! The brussel sprouts are yummy but I definitely prefer them a bit crispier. If that's your preference, make sure you let them know. They come out more tender, if anything. * LOCATION * The restaurant is located walking distance from the beach and pier. They offer indoor and outdoor seating and the place is beautiful. Whether you're with the family, friends, or your significant other, this spot offers a fun and relaxing ambiance. I highly recommend it while in the area! read more
2 years ago
This place is awesome! Bar none the best brussel sprouts I've ever had. The Birria sandwich was off the charts and our server was top-shelf. I'm definitely coming back!! read more
4 years ago
First time in Oceanside, first restaurant we visited Oceanside, and I think we chose well. Brian, our waiter, was amazing! He was super friendly and funny and made our experience there that much better. I got the hibuscus rita with rum - very easy to drink. Our table got the bone marrow to split. Brian also brought us extra crostinis, very thoughtful. Our group of 5 all happened to order the same thing: the lab burger. It came with a choice of tater tots or fries. The burger was perfectly cooked per each of our specifications and although there are lots of things added in the burger, but it wasn't so big that it had to be eaten in layers. It was a large portion though, I took half of it for later. We came on a Sunday afternoon and got lucky with street parking. It's a really nice place to walk around before/after you eat too. We did make a reservation a few days in advance although it looked like there were a few open tables that could fit our party. read more
Business owner information
Raschelle E.
Thank you for the fantastic review and beautiful photos.…
4 years ago
This place was really a surprised find. We had huge breakfast and decided to skip lunch and do early dinner. We have decided go to Carte Blanch Bistro & Bar a block away, but they only have short happy hour menu. We decided to explore the Yelp for nearby restaurant and The Lab Collaborative show up with excellent reviews. We are party of 5 and was able to be seated quickly at a large bench like table. Our server approached us and handed our menu and ask for our drinks. While he prepares drinks we were exploring thru the menu. Below are the items we decided to get - Good Old Buffalo Wings - Great - Pretzel and Sausage Platter - Interesting Good - 2 cups of Chicken and Veggie Soup - Great - The Lab Burger - Great - Red Wine Braised Beef Cheeks - Great - Citrus Garlic Chicken - Great - Bourbon and Tamarind Pork Belly - Good - Mocha Mole - Great - 2 x Arnold Palmer, 1 tea, and 1 Beer Their wings were excellent and tender and Buffalo wings sauce made just right not too salty or sour. Pretzel and Sausage Platter was rather interesting, a super huge pretzel and at its empty are fill with sausage and onion. It is every well put together. The chicken soup was a cup and I thought was a bowl. The soup warms the stomach and prepare us for our course. The Lab Burger was huge it really is size of my friend's face. He ordered medium rare and they come with medium rare. Despite the size of that burger, he finished all and its salad and tell us it was good. You can see food coma written across his face. Red wine Braised Beef Cheeks braised the sauce into the beef cheeks meat. It was really good. Bourbon and Tamarind Pork Belly was tasty but some area a little dry. Mocha Mole comes with missing tamalitos and was quickly added by our serve once we tell him. I almost forgot my Citrus Garlic Chicken. The serving was big with a breast and an entire thigh and leg. At first it looks dry but after cutting and tasting it was tender and juicy. The flavor was well marinated. Our server was nice and made a few jokes with us. Overall, we have excellent experience and will return once we are in the area again. read more
Business owner information
Raschelle E.
Thanks you for the rad review and wonderful photos. We love the…
2 years ago
2 years ago
This is my favorite spot in downtown Oceanside at this point. I love their food and the atmosphere is so fun! I always sit in the outdoor area, with the nice fires makes the vibe just so comfortable. The staff are usually super friendly and helpful. I would recommend making a reservation during weekends over summer or holidays although it's not required. I absolutely love their burger and recommend it 1000%! Not to mention the waffle dessert with ice cream is insanely good! read more
This place is super dog friendly and the wait staff is friendly. Ordered some soup, a burger and a Philly with my husband and of course grilled chicken for my pup. I had a pineapple juice mock tail and my husband a Manhattan. Everything was tasty and lovely. The patio was shady in the afternoon. Loved it. read more
Business owner information
Raschelle E.
Thank you for the kind words and taking the time to leave us a 5…
So glad we Yelped this place before vacation! We saw the great reviews and decided to give it a go while we were visiting and Yelpers got it right! The atmosphere is great and the service is friendly. We came in without a reservation so ended up getting seated on the patio- the weather was cooler so inside might have been a tiny bit better but the heaters were on and we had our kids so it all worked out great. The food was so good and the drinks were tasty too. Drinks were a bit pricy but it is expected when on vacation I feel. We had the Chicken sandwich which was probably one of the best things I've eaten ever! and the barilla sandwich which was also really good. The kids love their meals and the fries were done perfectly. Highly recommend and will 100% come again next time we are in town. read more
More info about The Lab Collaborative
201 N Cleveland St
Ste 109
Oceanside, CA 92054
Directions
(442) 266-2436
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https://thelabcollaborative.com/the-lab-oceanside/
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Ask the Community - The Lab Collaborative
Is happy hour only "at the bar", or is the main dining room and/or patio also included?
I've had happy hour items at the tables on the patio.
Do you have a any vegan options ? And can a accommodate a party of 13
Yes and yes, but recommend getting a reservation
Dog friendly?? Do they allow 8n the outdoor area?
Yes, and you can eat on the patio.
You might also consider
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26 reviews that are not currently recommended
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The Lab Collaborative - newamerican - Updated May 2026
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