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    The Pocket

    4.3 (20 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 6:00 pm

    By appointment only

    Updated a few days ago

    The Pocket Cocktail Bars Photos

    THE POCKET ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Romantic
    Classy
    Happy hour specials

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    Recommended Reviews - The Pocket

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    Reviews With Photos

    View from inside the Pocket
    Lily J.

    The Pocket is deep inside the Alila Marea Beach Resort, right on the Coast at La Costa and PCH. You will have to valet your car if you are not a hotel guest. It is a restaurant with food perfect for pool side eating. Then expect long walk down many hallways to find the restaurant, and you even need a key to get there. The restaurant has perfect food for poolside eating, like salads, tacos, and chicken that look like chicken tenders. I personally did not order well, as I got the Buffalo chicken Bites, which reminded me of a kids meal. I will have to try some other items next time I go. The staff was attentive and friendly. The place is clean and well run. The resort is beautiful and everyone working there seems super happy.

    Lettuce cup with mushroom - Tasty
    Maral C.

    I enjoyed this lovely poolside bar at Alila Marea Beach during my stay! I tried the Watermelon Wave drink, which was refreshing and delicious, and for food, I ordered the mushroom lettuce cup--so tasty and a generous portion, definitely enough for one! I savored my drink and meal by the pool at sunset. Great staff also! It was dreamy!

    Megan C.

    As a guest at the Alila Marea Beach Resort, of course I had to experience this poolside restaurant! First off, the servers are all exceptional. Very professional, as they are expected to be, working at such a high-end resort. They make one feel special and pampered, no matter what. The menu selection is excellent, too! The carne asada tacos were delicious, and so was my tropical cocktail, 'The Antidote'. There is a large, beautiful indoor space, as well as the entire outdoor area, including all around the pool. You mustn't be a hotel guest to enjoy this restaurant; there were some women next to the pool area, where there is seating around two huge firepits, who were local. Of course they couldn't use the pool, but I liked that they could enjoy the outdoor area, despite that. The firepits look gorgeous at night, too!

    Drink Menu- Cocktails, Wine, Drafts, Cans, Non-Alcoholic (September 2022)
    Melissa F.

    Good drinks and light food for hotel guests at the Alila Marea Beach Resort Service It seemed to me that The Pocket was short staffed when I went. I sat at the bar and I had to wait a bit to be greeted and get a menu/water with the bartenders/waiters being busy filling other drinks/orders. After I ordered, the drinks and food did come out at a reasonable time. Drinks/Food The drinks were strong and descent size for the price ($14). The Watermelon Wave was sweet and tasted as expected. The Sassy Sangrita I learned was not sangria, so I did not enjoy it as much as I thought I would, but that's my own fault. The Adobo Quesadilla was delicious! Overall, this is your only option for food or drink if you're poolside so either plan ahead or order here!

    Lucia C.

    Ordered a few things from here during our stay at the Alila Marea and it was definitely hit or miss. The nachos and salsa were delicious and so was the mocktail that I enjoyed by the pool, but the steak frites and burger that my husband and I ordered for dinner were so overly salty that they were borderline inedible (even the fries were too salty). This was disappointing as I think our meal would have tasted pretty good if the salt was not overdone. Prices were as expected ($$$). Overall this is a convenient spot to get food and drinks if you're staying at the resort, but we would definitely choose to drive out and try somewhere else in the area next time.

    Getting some easy lunch at the pool
    Richard L.

    It was a layback morning/noon. After enjoying pool and jacuzzi we decided to grab some quick lunch with The Pocket. Hostess took our order at our resting chairs. Menu was simple. We've ordered following items: -Baja Caesar Salad added chicken(Great) -Oaxaca Quesadilla(Great) just a little oily -Baja Fish Taco (ok it will be better if they added the hot sauce that goes with Oaxaca Quesadilla) -wild mushroom ceviche (Great) -Guacamole -Coffee, Cocktail, Water You have to wait a little bit but food come out together one afternoon another since we only have one hostess serving us. The Baja Caesar Salad had grilled romaine which give it extra flavor with the normal but lighter Caesar sauce. The bread crumbs were crispy and fresh. Oaxaca was nice with it's unique hot sauce. I believe they should use this hot Auvergne for the fish taco also to enhance the flavor. Wild mushroom ceviche was first for me. I had many types of ceviche but mushroom was the first and it was tasty with some Mexican beans. If you are in the resort this is a good quick finger food that can easily fill.

    Mojito and lemonade

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    6 months ago

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    9 months ago

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    2 months ago

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    1 year ago

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    8 months ago

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    8 months ago

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    2 years ago

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    1 year ago

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    4 years ago

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    2 years ago

    The shrimp ceviche tostada hit the spot! Definitely recommend it! Service was fast and ambience was comfortable casual.

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    2 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    1 year ago

    Awesome atmosphere and great service but the food is not very good. We will just have drinks next time.

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    3 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

    We loved the tacos at our stay in the resort. It was really fresh and highly recommended them. The service was great as well.

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    4 years ago

    Great atmosphere, food and delicious drinks inside of the Alila Marea resort! We had multiple meals here and enjoyed drinks by the pool!

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    Review Highlights - The Pocket

    The Watermelon Wave was sweet and tasted as expected.

    Mentioned in 2 reviews

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    Leu Leu - Leu Leu's Fabergé Egg

    Leu Leu

    3.8(80 reviews)
    1.8 mi

    I'm not normally an octopus or lemon bar person but the chef here changed my mind. That alone says…read moreeverything you need to know. This place has a wonderful intimate energy, perfect for sharing tapas and settling into a relaxed unhurried evening. The ambiance is warm and inviting, service was attentive and the food is genuinely adventurous in the best way- each small plate a little surprise for the palate. And yes order the crispy chicken. The seasonal menu has me excited to go back and see what they'll do next. Good wine, on site chill background dj, a true encinitas experience. Highly recommend for anyone looking for something a little different. This one is special.

    First time going after hearing mixed reviews. We definitely enjoyed our experience there. Food had…read moregreat flavors, our waitress was really good at walking us through everything and making sure we were ordering enough for the table but not going overboard. We love that they use local foods like Prager brothers bread and Little Fox ice cream! We had a fun time celebrating our friend's birthday there and would definitely recommend this place as a cute date spot too. On the flip side, I will say for every dish we got, even though we enjoyed them, there was always one spice that would overpower the balance of the dish. The flat bread with burrata had too much salt in the spice mix on the flatbread. The beef tartar was good but slightly strong with the mustard flavor on the beef. The crispy chicken was also a little too salty. The Muhammara dip though, no notes. It was so good! This could all be personal preference, and we did enjoy everything! Those were just small things I noted about the food. Pricing for everything was reasonable and we left feeling full, which is super important

    Photos
    Leu Leu - Bar area

    Bar area

    Leu Leu - 50/50 Dips

    50/50 Dips

    Leu Leu - Spicy Pan with anchovy

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    Spicy Pan with anchovy

    Hamburger Hut

    Hamburger Hut

    4.2(395 reviews)
    1.7 mi
    $$

    We love this place! Super chill Encinitas vibe and great food. I only wish they would bring the…read morechicken Caesar salad back as my kids want to eat there every week, but I don't always want a burger and would love a salad. If they brought it back we would legitimately eat there 2x more every month. Great place though!

    I had high hopes for this place, especially since it's a cool looking corner shack on the North…read moreCoast Highway 101 in Leucadia. However, it was an odd experience on a few levels... The music was blasting and it was rather dark inside with an interesting crowd. There is a chill vibe here with a small bar area that caters to just a few locals who brought their dogs and even their babies. I could tell that everyone knew each other. When I ordered, Colin tried to upsell me on some chicken nuggets in addition to the burger and fries that I requested. He was a cool guy, but that was a first for me in a burger joint as a native San Diego. Then, I asked for the meal to be packaged to go, and we had some discussion about it, so I was surprised when it was delivered on a tray for here. I got the sense that business was slow here, and that he was trying to bring in some more business. Now for the food... The Classic Hut Burger was more like a smashburger (1/4"), which was a dissapointment. If I would have known that the burger patty would be so small, then I would have ordered the double burger. The fries were similar to shoestring fries, and they were a bit over salted for my taste. Overall, the food was good, but nothing special... This was a one-time visit, but I'm sure if I lived in Encinitas, then I would stop by for a beer and those chicken nuggets that they raved about. This place has so much potential, but it's going to take some serious dedication to making it a special visit for each and every one of their customers, not just the people who live around the corner.

    Photos
    Hamburger Hut - Happy Halloween check in!!

    Happy Halloween check in!!

    Hamburger Hut - Double Hut Burger, Fries, and beer.

    Double Hut Burger, Fries, and beer.

    Hamburger Hut - Single cheeseburger

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    Single cheeseburger

    The Pocket - cocktailbars - Updated May 2026

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