I stopped by The Lion's Share after an event and was immediately drawn in by the atmosphere. The space is dimly lit, moody, and sophisticated, with a unique, exotic vibe that perfectly matches the menu. I sat at the bar and was taken care of by an incredibly knowledgeable bartender. After letting him know I was gluten-free, he guided me through the menu and recommended appetizers, drinks, and an entrée that I could safely enjoy. Every single recommendation was spectacular. It's always refreshing to find a place where the staff is knowledgeable about dietary restrictions without sacrificing flavor or creativity. The food, cocktails, and service were all exceptional. If you're looking for a memorable dining experience with great service and adventurous flavors, The Lion's Share is definitely worth a visit. read more

Went for their HH, because why not. ;) $10 cocktails is a pretty great deal. But from their regular drink menu, they have a new clarified cocktail (taco punch) - of which I'm a big fan! Beef cheek tacos were pretty tasty. The meat was really tender, and it came with 4 tacos. Wagyu fat fries weren't bad either. Skip the duck wings, it was very salty imo. Decor and vibes are always on point! They have neighborhood street parking ($2.50 per hour) nearby, which is a plus for downtown. read more

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Yo, the vibe in this place is off the charts from that game Head on the wall to the dark lighting to the leather seating to the intimate setting. It is a complete vibe and it's quiet it's hidden and you really have to be seeking it out to enjoy this place. I encourage you to seek it out Happy hour is from 4 to 6 and they do have phenomenal choices. We ordered the Wagyu fries. The aïoli that is served with them. It's like a mustard aïoli is phenomenal. Definitely try that and that's all we had tonight. A mule which is not ginger beer but fresh ginger is always top of the list. This everyone from the servers to the bartender are top-notch. read more

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Still the best spot for Happy Hour!! We met up with some friends for dinner. We arrived bit early to get some happy hour libations in before dinner. Loving the new items on the menu. Missed the fabulous fried chicken & caviar again, will definitely have to try again next time. Same great service, food (if wild game is your thing) & drinks. One of our favorite spots. read more

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Absolutely love the vibe and atmosphere! Happy hour menu is superb! Chicken caviar was delicious! Service was excellent we had a party of 15! Super busy Sunday afternoon, but the food was worth every penny! read more

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Four years later, was back with some coworkers and this place didn't disappoint! Glad to see they're doing so well! The food was absolutely delicious. Thank you! This time I got many things to share. The star of the meal was the BISON STEAK TARTARE. Easily one of my favourite places in downtown San Diego. I'm sure I'll be back! read more

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Very cool place with an adventurous menu! Great craft cocktails and edgy decor make this place an excellent place to meet up with friends. All the staff were excellent, answering questions and giving suggestions. I tried the wild boar bolognese and it was delicious! I also had the pavlova dessert which had an excellent flavor profile! Would recommend grabbing a cocktail at the bar if you're in the area and want to try more original mixes! read more

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2026 San Diego. Dinner review. American & specialty meats. FRESH BAJA OYSTERS hibiscus & grapefruit gel, fermented fresno mignonette, cilantro SALT & PEPPER FROGS LEGS tempura, fried garlic, chili sauce, scallion BISON STEAK TARTARE bone marrow, potato puree, meyer lemon vin, capers, wagyu fat toast VENISON SLIDERS boar bacon & onion jam, havarti, garlic aioli BONE IN ELK CHOPS barbacoa marinade, masa dumpling, frisee, radish, pickled red onion, salsa verde, jus Overall, mostly good, but the bison tartare is "as good as it gets." read more

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Great atmosphere. Terrific service. Amazing food from Start to Finish. Oysters were the best I've had. The fish tacos on special were delicious. All the flavors in every dish were balanced. So impressed with this place. read more

We went here for happy hour on a Saturday. We ordered the old fashioned and the federal buffalo stamp- which was similar to penicillin without the floater of Smokey whiskey. Both drinks were well made and a bargain at happy hour prices! Great and attentive bartenders as well. Highly recommend! read more

The Lion's Share - Old fashioned and Federal Buffalo Stamp - Lounges Near Me - San Diego, California

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Super eclectic spot, yes no other word could describe this better than eclectic. Maybe exotic? The food here is quite off the beaten path, boar, venison, elk, all to be expected. The menu can be pretty pricey and definitely a bit on the experimental side. I did not branch out too far, just going for steak frites. The fries were super crispy and perfect. The steak was cooked beautifully but honestly extremely tough. It was very hard to cut and chew. For the price and for this being wagyu, I was disappointed. I'm not sure what kind of cut they used, but it probably needed to be prepared differently than as a steak. The Bordelaise sauce was out of this world though. Scraped up every last drop of that with the fries. The cocktail selection is very cool with classics plus custom offerings. I don't think you can really go wrong. This is the type of place where the bartenders care about their craft. I enjoy trying drinks that are more creative like this, mixing ingredients not often seen together to create something truly inventive but still tasty. Definitely would come here again for drinks. Maybe check the food menu for something to your liking before coming for dinner. read more

The Lion's Share - Steak frites - Lounges Near Me - San Diego, California

Came to Lion's Share at 7:30 with an 8pm reservation and was seated early! Our drink orders were taken pretty quickly after being seated. After getting our drinks, my sister and I were ready to order, however, our server was almost no where to be found. We waited another 20 minutes before ordering our food, and while he was helping out other tables overlooking us, so that was a bit frustrating. Nonetheless, when we finally ordered we both got the Steak Frites with the sauce on the side. I asked for my steak cooked medium, and it was cooked to perfection! It was super tender, and it paired really well with the sauce! The fries were perfectly crispy, but they were too salty. I'd recommend asking for them to be lightly salted. Despite the initial slow service, we really enjoyed the food and drinks at Lion's Share. The music inside is extremely loud and there's a more casual bar area that makes the place super loud, so if you're looking for a quiet dinner, this definitely isn't your spot. read more

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Wife and I had a great time at The Lion's Share. There were already people waiting to get in before it opened at 5pm. I loved the decor and atmosphere right away. We each got our standard Old Fashioned to start the night and it didn't disappoint. I prefer 1 solid big ice cube but the classic flavors of an Old Fashioned shined through and made up for this multi-cubed version. We didn't bring a huge appetite which is why we only ordered the Wagyu cheek tacos and Bison sliders - and boy were they delicious! I savored every bite of each of these 2 items. Wifey had the same opinion. We will definitely come back for more!! read more

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If you like unique food and even more unique vibes, this spot's a must. Dark, moody lighting, taxidermy on the walls -- it's giving adventurous and classy at the same time. Came for happy hour (great deal ) and tried the bison tartare -- perfectly balanced with capers, bone marrow, and Wagyu fat. So rich and umami. Then had the Wild Style Burger -- juicy Wagyu, boar bacon jam, shallots, and BBQ sauce with truffle fries + aioli. I'm not even a burger person, but I'd eat this again. Drinks were also well-balanced and creative. Perfect for pre-concert or date night vibes near The Rady Shell, Seaport Village, or Gaslamp. Bold flavors, cool atmosphere -- definitely coming back. read more

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The Lion's Share is a restaurant and bar serving exotic game and familiar tame. AMBIANCE Eccentric taxidermy vibes and portraits featuring anthropomorphism. SERVICE attentive, knowledgeable, and a little dismissive FOOD 5/5 TACOS: tender wagyu cheek, salsa verde, slivered onions, cilantro, moderately spicy and acidic fermented fresno chilis on a soft corn tortilla 4.5/5 CHICHARRONES (room temp, crisp): Mild ancho chile and spicy vinegar read more

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It was a super experience. Great food, service and ambiance. Loved the Bolognese! And their specialty cocktail's!!!

Amazing experience. Excellent tasty food. Rare opportunity to try wild boar, and other wild game read more

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Came here on a Tuesday for dinner with a party of 5. I could only make a max reservation of 4 online, so I just called once they opened to add another person and it wasn't an issue. For my drink I ordered the Don't Be Jealous. It truly was refreshing, fruity and very tasty. We ordered few appetizers and main dishes to share with the table: fresh Baja oysters, salt and pepper frog legs, bison tartare, venison sliders, boar bolognese, our burger, and the white fish. The oysters were great, we ended up ordering a second plate. I also enjoyed the bison tartare, it was a hefty serving and was very savory. The venison sliders were pretty decent along with the white fish as well, but nothing crazy to note about them. I had a small bite of the burger but did really enjoy the Parmesan truffle fries that came with it. I didn't get a chance to try the frog legs but the table did enjoy it. Overall, I would recommend a try here. Service was super friendly and helpful and the atmosphere is fun and unique. I would definitely like to come back and try more on the menu. read more

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Pretty cool spot for a quick drink. Everyone was friendly and attentive. We ordered some type of bone marrow that was pretty good also. read more

The Lion's Share - Lounges Near Me - San Diego, California

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When in San Diego last week, I was so excited to be able to eat here, and bring friends with me to enjoy the experience. Reservations are easily made online, and we were greeted and seated fairly quickly. The cocktail menu here continues to impress - we all ordered different drinks to try more of the menu. I went with the sneaky suitcase - Japanese whiskey, green chile vodka, corn, mole, shiitake-chapulin, and cream soda. I've never tasted anything like it - it was truly special, dynamic, and flavorful. For dinner, I had the bone in elk chops - which were very flavorful (and filling). See you next time I'm back in San Diego! read more

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I love this place! It's the second time I've been here and it does not disappoint. I had something new, which was the duck carpaccio as an appetizer. It was a little spicy, but boy was it tasty it comes with some plantain chips, and that salty sweet of the plantain really helps accent the flavors. For main course I had elk chops that were cooked to perfection. This place is worth the stop. I sat at the bar in Dawson was very helpful, very kind and is a true professional. I highly suggest getting a reservation if you're wanting to sit at a table. It is busy all the time and for good reason. read more

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Dark and moody, yet quirky and modern, The Lion's Share is a great locals' spot seemingly on an island surrounded by a tourist moat. Culturally it's a galaxy away from the schlocky t-shirt shops of Seaport Village and the Embarcadero, if only a short par four away as the crow flies. I have gone many times for happy hour, which is appropriately popular, with specials on their well done cocktails, decadent burgers, and several other worthwhile menu items, including their always delicious home-made sausage. Outside of happy hour, they are known for their game meats, but alas, I have not explored that pricier side of the menu yet. From what have experienced, though, The Lion's Share does have one of my favorite happy hours downtown, and that alone will being me back again and again. read more

Went here for my friends birthday dinner and everyone was really happy with the food and drinks they ordered! They have some unique options like the bison tartar as their take on beef tartar. I loved the bison tartar and the stranger danger drink that I had was refreshing and tasty. My friend had the reverse cowboy drink which was interesting it was basically their take on an espresso martini. The "our" burger with fries was juicy and delicious. The service was good, when we got there it wasn't too busy but it did pick up as the night went on and people started popping in to have drinks. Our server was really nice and checked in on us enough. They didn't allow us to bring my friend's birthday cake early but did store it for us in the fridge when we got there. They do also charge a fee per person if you want to eat the cake at the restaurant so we didn't end up eating the cake there. The ambiance is kinda like a dark mysterious vibe, kinda like woodsy cabin meets trendy alternative. The decor in the restaurant includes taxidermy animals in scene like I think there was a squirrel with a rifle wearing clothes above the door? And the artwork on the walls is a similar niche but honestly I didn't even notice how niche the decor was until we had been sitting for awhile so it's not overtly out there. Overall the food and service was good, the decor wasn't my style but I didn't mind it. I would come back, I did see that they have a happy hour menu so am curious about that. read more

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Stopped in for a quick happy hour after a long day at a conference and was able to snag a spot at the bar. Super unique vibe with a dark and moody atmosphere. Lots of interesting decor including taxidermy and framed portraits. Bartender was very sweet and attentive. The happy hour deals are great and include tons of food options (my fav!). Enjoyed a well balanced Tom Collins and some flavorful venison sliders. read more

I wanted to find an unique place for a nice dinner. This place has met my expectations. The decor and ambiance were elegant and fun. The menu is simple. We were not hungry so we got two dishes to share. The bison tartare was served on a bed of mashed potatoes and bone marrow. The flavor was great and it was good on the roasted sourdough bread. We also ordered elk chops. When it first came out, it wasn't hot. It seems like it's been sitting on the counter for a bit. It tasted more like medium instead of medium rare. We spoke to the waiter about it and he immediately offered to make us another one. When the new one came out, it was steaming hot and it's medium rare like what we expected. The sauce was a bit too salty for my taste. I wasn't a fan of corn gnocchi (i think). I was too full so I didn't get to try their bread pudding but it sounded amazing. Overall, the service was great. The price was a bit expensive but not too expensive for the kind of food you get. read more

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Lucked out at Lion's Share on a very packed late Sunday night! Managed to grab a table just before the kitchen closed, but what really made the experience was the amazing hostess who went above and beyond--she took our food order while we waited for a table (about 15 minutes), making sure we didn't miss out. The vibe inside is really cool--dark, moody, and unique, though it did feel a bit stuffy temperature-wise. Still, the atmosphere was perfect for a chill night out. Can't wait to come back for a proper date night and try more of the menu! read more

The Lion's Share - Lounges Near Me - San Diego, California

The interior is definitely decorated appropriately from the wall to the ceiling to the chair and dining table. I had an early lunch weekend reservation but it wasn't necessary as most of the tables were empty when I arrived. The Duck breast was great with a perfect cook and nice balance of flavors on the plate. I had to get the truffle fries since needed a nice carb to supplement. Nothing out of the ordinary. The sticky toffee bread pudding definitely hit my sweet tooth the breading wasn't dry or hard at all. read more

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My third time here it was incredible! The food was very tasty, the service was perfect, the atmosphere was beautiful, and there were various drink options. read more

Oh God, this place has my heart, soul, and wallet. Lion's Share boasts an exotic meat forward menu with a well executed cocktail program. Let's start with the Venison sliders. Juicy, smooth, and creamy. A wonderful concoction that hits home for a country boy from MIssouri. Some folk may see this menu and think it is country, or red neck. But, every item is executed with elegance and suave. I currently have the truffle fries #2 on my all time list of truffle fries (if you are ever in St. louis go to Truffles). Superb truffle flavor with a healthy shaving of parmesan. Every cocktail i had was great. A lot of mezcal cocktails on the menu which was a sight for sore eyes. The interior? beautiful. Seamless elegance with a good balance of whimsy. It is cozy, romantic, serious, whimsical, stoic, eclectic. A diverse interior that is just so beautiful. The service? once again superb. There is not one negative thing to say about Lions Share. In incredible spot t imbibe, eat, and spend time with those most important to you read more

The Lion's Share - Menus - Lounges Near Me - San Diego, California

Don't let the 5-star rating fool you. The "premium" Wagyu tacos were just a mouthful of fat, and the Wagyu steak didn't justify the price tag. The service was bottom-tier--forgetful and surprisingly rude. Honestly, if Denny's is open, go there instead. You'll get better service and food that's actually edible. Disappointing experience all around. read more

Life changing!!! We went to a fancy restaurant in the pier while visiting. It sucked so we asked our super awesome waitress where we should go. She said Lion's Share and to get the oysters. To be honest when we came in the hostess was not welcoming at all. We didn't have a reservation but she said we could wait. We decided to squeeze in at the bar. They also weren't too welcoming. The vibe was locals only. But I wasn't going to leave without trying the oysters. Gosh I am glad we stayed. We talk about this place all the time and can't wait to go back. Our waitress was right the oysters were a flavor bomb of perfection. We finally got a seat and ordered the onion rings. They come with patte and raspberry reserve. Flavor explosion. My husband calls the onion rings adult donuts! lol Still glad we stayed we ended up sitting by super friendly locals who told us all the spots and asked how we found this place! lol! Then a woman bartender came in who was stunning and so friendly and fun. She recommended venison sliders. What freakin flavor! So yummy and filling. We plan to make a reservation on our next visit and hope to try more on the menu. Despite the rocky start we are a fan. read more

The Lion's Share - Lounges Near Me - San Diego, California

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Unique, incredible restaurant. There's nothing like it! Craft cocktails and wild game meat. I don't think I've ever had something I did not like. I loooove bison, venison, lamb tacos, the oyster shooters, steak tartare. They do vegetables incredibly well. I love this place!! read more

One of my favorite places to eat. I managed to score a table of six people late on Saturday and we had such a phenomenal meal. The service was on point, the burger was absolutely delicious and perfectly cooked. I can't even recall which cocktails I have because they were all so good and well balanced. Between all of us I think we ordered 10 different drinks. Can't wait to go back. I usually go here for happy hour so it was nice to just enjoy a dinner read more

The Lion's Share - Lounges Near Me - San Diego, California

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Put my more than full drink down, turned my back and an employee picked it up. I told the bartender what happened and though they admitted it happened they made it my problem for "turning my back" on my drink and they would not replace my pricey scotch. They literally told me it was on me and they have to be careful because of underaged customers which they obviously don't have under control. They would not replace my drink (even though they were aware of what they did) and I was told if I wanted a new one I would have to pay for it!! Horrible customer service. Who admits fault and doesn't make it right??? The Lion's Share does just that. If you visit, hold your drink for dear life! No picture to post since my drink was taken by the employees! read more

The Lion's Share is a San Diego gem forever after my own heart. I haven't had a meal here in years (my pre-Yelp years!) but my friend and I popped in for a drink after an event recently, and the ambiance still leaves me breathless. I need to return soon to re-experience the game-forward menu and drink many more cocktails! Everyone here is lovely and provides great service. See you soon! :) read more

The Lion's Share - Lounges Near Me - San Diego, California

Great early & late night happy hours. Boar pasta, tacos, and good drinks. Alice in Wonderland meets Gentlemen's club. Good service. read more

The Lion's Share - Waygu cheek tacos - Lounges Near Me - San Diego, California

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Great ambiance, food and service. However as with all bars, the biggest difference maker is the mixologist. Chrysta...by far is the most creative and talented mixologist we've ever had the pleasure of meeting. Her ability to put together cocktails "off-cuff", spoke volumes to her true talent. Amazing drinks both on and off menu. She's definitely a keeper! We will come back because of her! Thank you Chrysta! read more

The Lion's Share - Bison tartare - Lounges Near Me - San Diego, California

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Holy cow! No I mean the elk! The food! I thought the cocktails were spectacular but the food takes it to another level! We had bison tartare A++ perfectly executed The Salt and pepper frog legs remind me of the batter style of Chinese prawns, very large and tender not chewy at all My husband had the elk chops which were excellent, better than the steakhouse the night before. But the standout was the duck and rabbit terrine! Oh my gosh so good and the arugula and fruit salad was so delicious with a crunchy textural component that I couldn't quite place. I asked the server and she said it was puffed quinoa! Brilliant! Nothing but compliments to the chef! Excellent execution and vision and creativity. Oh ambiance-a little tight, a little loud. I would just come with your SO read more

My friends and I wanted to grab some cocktails and food in the Marina District downtown and ended up finding this gem. I ordered the burger and Leather Jacket at The Lion's Share and was not disappointed. The burger was cooked to perfection and the fries were delicious topped with parmesan cheese. The Leather Jacket was very spirit forward very similar to an old fashioned with a hint of pecan. The bartender was awesome and answered all our questions. As for the ambiance, this establishment is swanky with the dim lighting and animal art spread throughout this place. read more

The Lion's Share - Leather Jacket - Lounges Near Me - San Diego, California

Love love love this place. I've been here before but took the coworkers here after a disastrous dinner elsewhere. The service here is amazing. The bartenders are even better! They made some amazing drinks after you give them a little info about what you like! The best strawberry gin & tonic too! The food was good, great for sharing. The kitchen is open late too! Highly recommend this place! We all had such a good time and great experience! read more