Eat, drink, space yourself out and repeat. Great food, drinks, customer service. My favourite restaurant in OC. read more

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I went to The Lab with a big party for dinner on a Friday night. The server was really great, she took our drink and food orders quickly, checked on our table, even offered to split the bill per person for a large table. The restaurant itself is really cute and we loved how the lab theme carried through on the menu and wallpaper. I think they could have even taken it a bit further the theme. I ordered the oaxacan sunset (mezcal cocktail) and fish tacos for dinner. I thought they both were good but not the best I've ever had. I tried some of the brussel sprouts and thought those were delicious, I'd definitely recommend the brussel sprouts! read more

The Lab Collaborative - Oaxacan sunset - New American Near Me - Oceanside, California

Honestly, I wasn't impressed. I sat at the bar and it took a while to get service and to place a food order. The food itself was bland and lacked flavor. I ordered the fish tacos, and they were tasteless--definitely needed more sauce. Maybe the experience is better if you sit at a table, but I wouldn't recommend sitting at the bar. The tacos spot across the street has way better tacos. Definitely go there instead of this place. read more

We used to love this place. We hadn't been there in over a year, but was wanting the famous "o side" chicken sandwich. Not sure what happened, cost cutting, or new chef. But it's nothing like it used to be. From the presentation to the serving size and it wasn't even browned crispy the same. Now just an expensive ok chicken sandwich. We even had the fig burger, asked medium rare, came overcooked and dry. Not sure what's going on, sad. Oh well. read more

It was my first time here. I can say it's worth the try. Parking isn't difficult. Everything we ate and drank was delicious especially the cheesecake. So good! The service was good. The wait time wasn't that long. I will definitely be back. read more

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Absolutely perfect location and their lunch menu during the week is amazing! Great food, prices, and service and a beachy vibe atmosphere. I prefer outdoor seating but inside has a great feel too. The cheeseburger was delicious and loved their margarita, too. Would definitely recommend when visiting the area. read more

The Lab Collaborative - Margarita - New American Near Me - Oceanside, California

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Hey, today I went into TLC as it's a well talked about spot in downtown Oside, so I went in to finally give it a try. The server was fine, and the restaurant has a very nice setting with large TVs playing sports, with a lovely bar area if your into drinks. I ordered the Jerk Marinated Pork Chops, which came with charred cabbage and mashed potatoes. The pork was really really flavorful and tasty, the flavor was great. Pork was cooked decently. The mashed potatoes alongside the cabbage were nice bites to take in company with the strong bold flavors of the marinated pork. Overall pretty darn delicious. I then got desert where the waitress offered me the strawberry cheesecake which is not present on the menu, and went with that. It had fruits and sauce on top that gave it a bitter tartness to go with the sweet flavor, and the fruits were very nice, a very good desert. Overall, I would give this place 4.5 stars, it was very delicious. I will give this place a 4 star review, but it's on its way to a 5, I will likely do a follow on review in the future and see if it tips my vote, but for now they will receive a very strong 4 stars read more

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Wow. Things have changed since Opened. Went tonight. One of our faves in Oceanside. Appetizer for $16 was worth probably $3. No joke. Pathetic serving. We sent back. Next round missing key items. What a decline. Unfortunately! Taste still Good but...! read more

Stopped in to watch the end of baseball game, grab a drink and a desert. Someone didn't come to our table, for like 15-20 min. Maybe longer.... That's INSANE!!!! Why?!?! Lots of waitresses walked by us and nothing. I also saw on multiple waitresses faces things they shouldn't do ... roll eyes, complaining about customers, etc...... Prob won't be back :( read more

Food (5/5 stars): The Lab Collective in Oceanside is a hip spot with delicious food! All of their dishes are beautiful and thankfully they taste as good as they look. Their fried chicken sandwich, the #1 seller "Oside or No Side" was a hefty meal! It came with two very well seasoned pieces of chicken, bourbon-habanero sauce, and coleslaw. Each component complemented each other so well. I just wished the chicken was a little juicer and the sauce was spicier. It's all about the appetizers here though. Their Brussels Sprouts are the best ones I've ever had because each bite was jam packed with flavor. I'm also not big on lettuce wraps but their Elote Lettuce Wraps got me craving more! Highly recommend this place for their science-y atmosphere and creative dishes! Experience (4/5 stars): * Price: it's quite expensive, but still worth trying * Wait Time: we made a reservation * Service: very good and friendly. Great recommendations! * Parking: street parking in downtown Oceanside can be tough * Ambiance: they do an amazing job with the ambiance here. Science is everywhere in the restaurant in such a subtle, elegant way. I love how the lights are shaped like molecules! read more

The Lab Collaborative - New American Near Me - Oceanside, California

Place was clean. Ambiance was good. Customer service was OK. Food highly recommend. Price is highly priced. I would still come out here since I'll be living out here. read more

The Lab Collaborative - Chimichurri Marinated Surf and Turf. - New American Near Me - Oceanside, California

Perfect location in the heart of the revitalized Downtown Oceanside. Pet friendly patio. Large platters, a few options could easily feed two people (for example the friend chicken platter). I thought the chicken could add another condiment or sauce to give it more of a kick. Sort of bland but still delicious. Friendly, quick service. read more

The Lab Collaborative - Fried chicken platter - New American Near Me - Oceanside, California

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The Lab Collaborative has it all: ambiance, delicious menu, full bar, and tasty food. As a bonus, it's in a great location. It checks all the boxes for an enjoyable experience of laying back and enjoying a tasty cocktail and/or drinks. With plenty of seating options ranging from the high top bar, indoor seating or outdoor seating, there's an available option for everyone. The food was enjoyable. The Lab Burger was recommended by the server and she did well with that recommendation. A hefty, juicy patty, crispy bacon, cheesy goodness....all ingredients for a fantastic burger! The battered fries were also cooked perfection. As for the Jamaican Jerk Chicken Sandwich, the flavors weren't as hearty and abundant but it was a good change in flavor profile. Subtle savoriness and sweetness along with a generous piece of chicken, I think it was a good change-up from the flavors of the glutinous burger. The tots though, gotta always love some crispy tots to complement any meal. Water was always topped off, frequent check-ins, and a friendly attitude...service was great. The remarkable location of this venue being by the ocean/pier and the Top Gun house makes it an ideal place to walk off the food coma =) read more

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Came here for Mother's Day brunch and my brother and I ordered the chilaquiles with birria, and my brother ordered the chilaquiles with steak and this is the best spot in all of SD for them. We were blown away. It's really hard to find amazing and proper chilaquiles, and the Lab delivered. The green sauce was extremely flavorful and had a nice kick too it but was not super hot. The steak and birria both were amazing as well. Highly recommend as I have had chilaquiles from a ton of different spots, but this one is the best! We were served quick as well for a busy Mother's Day! read more

Granted, we only ordered two dishes out of a wide variety on the menu, but we figured we'd stick with the simple pub-style foods - you know, the type that are hard to f up. With that said, while the burnt leek soup was comforting and outstanding in flavor, the pretzel was simultaneously somewhat dry and flavorless. We walked over to TLC because of the rave reviews, but I think my ultimate verdict is 3-4 stars. read more

The Lab Collaborative - (IG: @dawntc) - New American Near Me - Oceanside, California

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When I think lab, the first thing that comes to mind is experiment. My dish was lacking, but not just the protein, and served cold. I don't believe that was the intent. Staff was extremely friendly and knowledgeable about the menu. The dining area has a nice layout, especially the outdoor seating, which is where I chose to sit. They share the coffee pot(s) with the coffee shop next door, so I didn't get another cup of coffee. read more

The Lab Collaborative - New American Near Me - Oceanside, California

I came here with a friend who's been here before and has a varied experience. This time our experience was good overall. I recommend sitting at the bar if you are a small group as we initially sat at a table and service was slower there. For two fairly small girls, we ordered a lot of food and drinks. We started with the Mexican Mule and the Lilikoi Mojito. I didn't like the Mule because it was more cranberry and chili than ginger beer and vodka. In hindsight, I should've stuck to my Moscow Mule. My friend's Mojito was good but very passion fruit heavy. For appetizers, we ordered the Cauliflower with Agave Ponzu Sauce and the Pretzel and Sausage Plate. I loved both. I am obsessed with cauliflower so I am a little more biased towards that dish. It was tart, spicy, soft, fried and delicious. The leeks on the plate were delicious. The Sausage and onions in the Pretzel plate were top class. I'm not a big fan of Pretzels but my friend enjoyed it a lot. The sauces that came with the Pretzel plate were delicious. I highly recommend getting both. The portions are huge so we only managed to finish one app and my friend took the leftovers from the other one home. For the mains (because we over ordered), we got the jerk chicken sandwich and the birria sandwich to share. Jerk chicken came with tots and the Birria came with salad. Between the two, the Birria won hands down. The shredded beef with peppers onions and cheese with the spicy side sauce was mouthwatering. The hoagie was soft and perfect. On the other hand, I expect jerk chicken to burst with flavor and take me back to the Caribbean. I expect vibrant colors, a flowing gravy, just a lot of abundance. This sandwich was not that. It did not have the color and vibrancy. On taste, it was definitely bland with no hard hitting flavors. The chicken itself was good but it could've been called a grilled chicken sandwich, which felt more apt. We ended the meal with two more drinks, this time from their Mixologist menu. I got the Summer Rehab with vodka (the original has gin). My friend got the Oaxacan Sunset. These drinks were delicious and exactly what we wanted. We spent almost 5 hours at the restaurant and nobody kicked us out. All in all, the experience was good and we will be back. read more

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The atmosphere was great on the patio. Our drinks were tasty and our server was attentive. I could have eaten the cauliflower again and again. The flavor was amazing! read more

The Lab Collaborative - Nunya Beezwax (gin/lemon/honey) - New American Near Me - Oceanside, California

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The Lab is right off Mission Avenue in Cleveland. It is very close to Mission Pacific Hotel where I am staying. I saw this place on Yelp. It looks modern and hip on the outside and inside. The place was busy, not full around 530p.m. on a Saturday. We wanted the outside tables with the fire pit, but she said it was a hot commodity. We opted to sit inside so that we didn't have to wait. Our waitress was fantastic. I forgot her name. She gave some great suggestions. Beef cheeks was one of them, but I didn't want beef tonight. She was helpful and suggested other things. I went with the poke bowl, pretzel and sausage, and lettuce wrap elotes. The lettuce wraps were very good. The corn, black beans, cilantro with cotija cheese and crema worked together. Even better was the avocado slices. 9/10. The pretzel and sausage is something I've never had before. The pretzel was so big. It came with 3 different sauces. I'm not sure they were but I loved them all. The pretzel was crunchy on the outside and soft inside. It was served warm. Yum. 9/10. The poke bowl was my favorite of all the dishes that I had. The chunks of tuna were plenty and fresh. There were fresh avocado and edamame. My favorite was the jasmine rice with coconut and cilantro was amazing! It beats boring plain jasmine rice. 10/10. read more

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Sunday brunch: Friends visited me this Sunday and we went to The Lab for brunch. We were five but only chose two different dishes, , the avocado toast, and the everything bagel. We were very pleased. I loved my avocado toast. The pickled onions and splash of balsamic vinegar, made an unbelievable difference in this simple dish. I took half home. Those who chose the bagel were equally as happy as me, but, finished every bite there. Our waitress was very attentive and served us with a smile. read more

The Lab Collaborative - Avocado toast with tomatoes and pickled onions - New American Near Me - Oceanside, California

Don't drink alcohol, but their food is great, unique, fresh, and was served amazingly fast. Our server was great and provided good tips on food choices. There were many different places to sit. Inside, outside in a patio area, and outside with a fire pit. We would have to be on a waiting list for the fire pit so we chose a table inside. The pretzel sausage platter was great with great dipping sauces. The Elotes wraps were unique, served cold, and tasted great. My wife really liked the poke bowl with the rice quite flavorful. read more

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Indoor and outdoor seating; spacious. We were a party of 10 seated outdoor. I had a feeling of spaciousness . Service was very good. Our server was attentive and knowledgeable . Serving size was generous and enough for leftovers. I had the wedge salad with shrimp . This was delicious !! And filling . Having the shrimp was a nice add-on for protein. Delicious food, good service and a great place to dine especially with large groups! read more

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I like this place pretty well! I appreciate the menu being labeled with gluten free options, and the staff is overall pretty knowledgeable and friendly. They handle the pacing well during the tourist season and keep things moving. The poke bowl is fantastic, it's my favorite thing. Biggest thing I wish they'd do is cut the veggies finer, the cucumbers are super chunky and I like the shaved veggies better. The flavor is great and they have gluten free tamari (but it doesn't need it). I've had the skirt steak before and was underwhelmed. It was just ok, pretty tough but the flavor was good. The location is right downtown Oceanside by the new hotels. The decor is super nice and their drinks are fantastic. I go here frequently. read more

The Lab Collaborative - Chimichurri skirt steak - New American Near Me - Oceanside, California

You know it's a good restaurant when you get an appetizer for dinner We have now come to The Lab two years in a row to celebrate the families "December Birthday's"! The service is great, and the set up is very welcoming. Good vibes all around! read more

The Lab Collaborative - Beef Cheek Poutine - New American Near Me - Oceanside, California

Finally got around to trying this place out and it did not disappoint! We arrived without a reservation a little after 7 and were seated immediately at a table outside. It wasn't too loud or chilly which was nice! Our server was super friendly and everything came out quickly. We ordered the Lab Cadillac and the Water My Garden cocktails, which were refreshing. We then tried the Elote Lettuce Wraps for an appetizer, which were yummy! Our entrees were the Lab Poke Bowl and the Citrus Cilantro Halibut, both tasty with a decent serving of fish. The coconut cilantro jasmine rice in the poke bowl and the cilantro butter on the halibut were the standout components that we wish we had more of. As a local, I'd come back! read more

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I gave this place one star for the ambience which is cool and a great location. The other star is for the fact that this place seems eco friendly. Compostable straws, cloth napkins, and to-go containers are recyclable and has paper to go bags. Other than that, this place is so blah. The food is bland! I even had to ask for salt an pepper which didn't improve things much. We got the pretzel for an appetizer and the texture was on point, but so little favor! Even the cheese sauce. For entrees, my husband got the chicken sandwich which he said was "decent". It was a nice portion, but came without any sides. I got the white pasta. The most flavorful thing in it was the mushrooms and there weren't many in it. The crispy prosciutto tasted burnt. The chicken was full of gristle, like they used the discarded pieces from other dishes. And it needed to be chopped up more. Also, they served it in a deep bowl which made it hard to eat. The service was pretty mediocre too. She never came to check in on us and came to refill our waters when we were ready for the check. I recommend going to another restaurant in the area. read more

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You HAVE to try The Lab Collaborative! Soooo good!! Great outdoor atmosphere, quieter than the inside. Really enjoyed our dinner. Our waitress Alisha was very nice and very knowledgeable when we asked her about the menu and she gave us excellent recommendations! The Jerk chicken sandwich, Thai flavored wings, and the pineapple glazed pork chops were all very flavorful and delicious! Out drinks were also great! Can't say enough good things about this place! We'll be back! read more

The Lab Collaborative - New American Near Me - Oceanside, California

Honestly can't believe this was our first time here. Super rad spot in downtown O'side. The vibe is chill. The service is great (great drink recs too!) and the food is gooood. Looking forward to coming back soon! read more

The burger with fig jam and goat cheese is so good. Usually when bacon is on a burger I pass but add all of that together and you are in for a treat. The wedge salad was delightful. Do not skip the carrot cake. read more

Have always loved the Lab-my son craves their burgers! Husband I ventured over for lunch and were surprised at their Monday through Friday lunch deals. I had the pick two with salad and 1/2 a flatbread and hubby had a regular salad. Delicious! Great prices too. The Lab also has great happy hour deals. Love the outdoor seating vibe and service as always was great. read more

This is one of those places where they keep bringing out the food and you keep expecting one of the dishes just isn't going to be as good as the others because, well, that usually happens, right? At some point there is something that is a bit of a let down. Not here. Dish after dish was absolutely fantastic. The appetizers, the entrees. All super. And when people at the table start commenting on how great it is then it validates how much I enjoyed it. And there are places with really good servers. It isn't often you get one of those who also has the perfect personality, laid back and fun, yet very much on top of everything. In addition to the amazing food she was really perfect in this setting. All around, a wonderful experience I wouldn't mind having again. read more

This place has potential, but the service is lacking. The food was decent to good, but the service was slow. I had to ask for plates, knifes, and water multiple times. Drinks tool a very long time and water was not refilled without asking multiple time. These are things that should be automatic at any resturant. Hope they get the service straitened out. read more

Decided last minute to stop in and try this place out, and so happy we did! It has a great atmosphere being such an open space with comfortable patio seating. Overall, the service was great, and all of the food was amazing. We started with a horchata coffee type cocktail called The Morning After and it was so delish! Next moved on to some fresh biscuits with butter and honey - they were dense, but in the best way possible; so good we ordered a second batch. Then we were onto the LAB Burger - cooked perfectly and stacked nicely with all of perfect compliments, and we rounded out our brunch with the Swine and Egg Skillet - simple, but done right. They also some great local beers on tap - like the Harland Hazy IPA and the Prohibition Blonde - both of which I'd recommend. read more

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The vegan pasta is so flavorful but only at night. The day staff does not make it well. The staff is very friendly and accommodating read more

The Lab Collaborative - Vegan pasta - New American Near Me - Oceanside, California

The food was terrible, if you know how to cook do not go here. The fish tacos were disgusting. I ordered a cheese pasta for my daughter and it had no flavor just watered down noodles. I have never eaten at such a terrible place. Almost felt like asking if they wanted a fast and delicious fish taco recipe! How hard is it to make noodles taste good? Customer service was great but honestly I hope the rest of the menu is better. read more

My hubby and I had dinner here during our stay in Oceanside for our anniversary. I'm glad we landed in this spot after scoping out the local restaurant options and loved our experience (especially because they were able to accommodate my dietary restrictions). The food is not cheap, but it is delicious and service was good. They have a large screen where they show sports games, but the overall vibe is fairly classy and chill. There is indoor and outdoor seating options. read more

The Lab Collaborative - Grilled Asparagus - New American Near Me - Oceanside, California

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the idea of the space is great, but idk about the execution. i get a bit confused if it's trying to be a nicer restraint collective or a nicer sports bar. Have come here twice now l and am never thrilled by what we get. stopped here after dinner just for dessert seeing they had a brownie sundae, which was just alright considering for $15 i expected a nicer brownies. we described the texture as more like "cosmic brownie" being dense and chewy. the ice cream seemed very generic so we were a bit underwhelmed. getting to the bathroom is also super awkward as you have to walk in front of the large tv screen where everyone is watching and weave through everyone's tables. the bathroom has a shared sink area that nobody seems to clean very often. service wise everything was okay. the hostess was sitting on her phone and looked a little lost when we walked in. Our server was also kind of short spoken especially after we mentioned we would only be getting dessert. read more

The Lab Collaborative - dessert (brownie sundae) - New American Near Me - Oceanside, California

The food & service were great. My wedge salad was unbelievably delicious. However the lighting is so bad! It's too bright...it's literally like a lab lol They've got to turn the lights down or something. It's not relaxing and made us want to leave. It was like 'last call' lighting the entire time. Ambience is so important. Unless you need to take out your spleen nobody needs lights this bright. read more

This is a solid spot! They have a nice patio with heaters, and some tables with fire pits so it's still really nice to enjoy in the winter. The patio is also dog friendly. Food was also pretty good (not mind blowing but good). I tried the Grilled Chicken Salad with Honey Mustard. I saw that the fried chicken was popular, so I substituted the grilled chicken for it, and let me say that was a wonderful choice, very satisfying! The dessert waffle was good too but could have been a little crispier. read more

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Alize was an awesome server. She recommended a bunch of a good options of which we decided on the wings and burger. I thought the burger was good, but I think I liked the wings more. The patio seating was clean and spacious; they even had a few heaters on for those interested. Overall, I was happy with the food and drink options and great service. read more

The Lab Collaborative - New American Near Me - Oceanside, California

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