Nice location, where you can sit inside and yet feel like outside with the open layout. Attentive service. The shrimp tacos were excellent, elevated taste, beyond the usual. read more

I came here on a Friday night for SDRW and upon arrival I was very impressed with the interior. The atmosphere was almost like a sports bar but with a touch more class. Towards the end of the night, a live band started playing, real cool vibes. I started with a bone marrow appetizer and I was impressed. Granted, I think it's pretty hard to mess up bone marrow.. Next came the beef cheeks which were perfectly tender, though I'd have preferred more of a sear. My favorite part of the dish was the cheddar polenta, but it started to get a bit heavy. Last came the lemon vanilla parfait. I'm usually not a dessert guy, but I was absolutely stunned by this parfait; it was the best part of the meal! The parfait had some fresh berries and pie crumbs and everything came together so well. I'd probably go back just to get the parfait again. Our server was very friendly and attentive. The food wasn't standout amazing (maybe 4.5/5) but the overall experience and atmosphere bumped my review up to 5. read more

See all

Enjoyed the atmosphere at Union Kitchen. Service was pretty good but our server was busy and didn't make it back to check on food in time for me to send back. Food was OK. I was disappointed with my grain bowl this time. They served me days old rice that was cold, dry, and clumped. The rest of the bowl was tasty though. read more

My husband and I have enjoyed many meals here for about over a year. We typically go on the weekends. The service is typically very nice, quick, and friendly, and we have had 0 complaints up until now. We had the day off work and decided to come in today (Thursday). When we got there we realized the menu was missing our typical brunch orders. My husband asked the waitress about it as we didn't realize the all day brunch menu was only for weekends. Her response was "If you have time I can suggest somewhere else for you to go". This caught us completely off guard and we explained we normally come on weekends and will just choose something from the menu infront of us. When serving other tables the waitress appeared very happy and talkative, while serving us she was short and cold. She passed by us a minimum of 12 times without checking in on us. The buss boy was kind enough to get what we needed when I explained to him we hadn't seen our server in awhile. When other tables were leaving or asking for things she served them with a smile and cheery demeanor. We received the complete opposite. I like to give people the benefit of the doubt and believe everyone has a kind heart and mind. However, her treatment did make us question if we were being discriminated against due to our skin color. We absolutely love this place and have brought many friends here. We have even celebrated birthdays and other events here. To have received the treatment we did today is absolutely heartbreaking and we are so disappointed. read more

Great food Casual atmosphere Fanatic selection oof beers We have been dining here for years - everything from a casual lunch, family meal to a business dinner. The food has been consistent good over the years, and I just love the laid back and relaxing environment they have created here. The menu is very eclectic in many ways, so whether it is a flatbread, salad, entree, appetizer to share or sandwich that you are looking for, you are likely to find something you will love. Yes it can get quite noisy, but that is part of the ambiance here that I love. read more

Union Kitchen and Tap Encinitas - Fig and goat cheese flatbread - New American Near Me - Encinitas, California

First off, let me just say that I've never left a Yelp review before. My experience here, however, compelled me to make an account just so I could write this review. When I looked on the menu and saw that they had a basket of truffle fries for $15 I thought to myself, "Those must be some damn good fries." So I bought them. At that price point, I was expected something gourmet: hand cut, crispy, perfectly seasoned. This is not what I received. Instead, I got a basket of fries with the following characteristics: -Thin, mass produced quality fries. The fries themselves were the type of fries you'd expect at a cheap beach snackbar. There's no way these were hand cut--they almost certainly came out of some bag they keep in their freezer. -Oily. These were probably the most oily fries I've ever eaten. I hand to wash my hands twice after eating them just to get the oil off. They were not crispy. Granted, I did take these fries to go. But, still, this is not what I was expected for $15. -Seasoning. These fries were WAY over salted. That, in addition to the fact that the fries are also sprinkled with salty Parmesan cheese, made them difficult to eat. This basket of fries was worth MAYBE 7 dollars. But, 15 dollars? No, that's an absolute rip off. They weren't the worst fries I've ever eaten. But, for $15, these fries should be something that I tell my grandkids about. They just simply were not very good. read more

Great food. Crab cakes were delicious. Friendly service. Brussels sprouts sauce was a bit thick for me but I asked them to hold the bacon so that obviously changes it. Overall great meals. read more

Had excellent service and delicious meal and cocktails! Went the Friday after Thanksgiving at 3:30 p.m - We had a reservation for a party of 6 and were sat right away in a round booth table toward the back. Unfortunately there was no Happy Hour (what we came for) due to the holiday because they did brunch instead and don't do both brunch and HH on the same days. However, our server was so sweet, knowledgable, and on top of it that it made up for the no HH option. I ordered the 2good 2be 4gotten cocktail (twice!) and for food got the Wild Mushroom flatbread, which was so yummy! Would recommend coming here with friends or family and look forward to returning read more

Union Kitchen and Tap Encinitas - 2good 2be 4gotten - New American Near Me - Encinitas, California

We came here for a late brunch on Saturday after a relaxing walk at Swamis beach. It was a gorgeous day to dine Al fresco and the Union Patio did not disappoint... We were a group of 6 so we were seated at the table with a fire pit ..while great for evenings and drinks, it becomes difficult to pass around things to try and even converse sometimes.. We all loved the brunch menu and really appreciated the Vegetarian and Vegan options for brunch...So many options compared to other brunch places...Our group tried the green omlet , Acai bowl, jackfruit and mushroom enchiladas, watermelon salad, beignets..The omlet was so well prepared and loaded with amazing veggies, served with a generous portion of breakfast potatoes and fruit. The beignets were soft and fluffy and the jam with it was delish ! The enchiladas were super tasty especially with the topping of the green sauce and beans...the Acai bowl was the best I have ever had, highly recommended...I mean how many places give you an Acai bowl with an actual young coconut..the only dish that was underwhelming was the watermelon salad - just too much Argula and hardly any watermelon . read more

See all

We had brunch at the Encinitas location. Food was just ok. One of those places where it's one and done. Probably won't be going back. The thing we did like was our seating. We sat on the deck that is closest to the Main Street. Food was very underwhelming. read more

I've had dinner here before but never been in for brunch. When I read the chicken and waffle description I knew I had to have it. We had a group of 5 and sat outside in their expanded seating. It was very nice. Service was good. Food was great. Definitely recommend. read more

Union Kitchen and Tap Encinitas - Chicken & Waffle - New American Near Me - Encinitas, California

I have to say I was impressed with the food and drinks here! I came here with a friend for a late night post workout meal & drink! Trying to be healthy I ordered the salad from the late night menu (not the wedge but the other one) there's only 2 and I forget what it was called lol. It had a fried boiled egg on top though which I've never experience and maaaaaan do I tell you, it was delicious. Fuego fuegooooo. I also added chicken to the salad and I got it extra grilled. Gotta get my protein in there. Overall the salad was well balanced and it was a pretty big portion so I actually shared it with my friend and was still very full. As far as drinks, I got 2 Moscow Mules. I love love love ginger beer and pretty much everything that has ginger in it. They were made very welllll, I drank them pretty fast. The salad did take kind of a long time considering there wasn't a lot of guest in the restaurant at this time, but it was worth the wait. I'd definitely recommend this place as well as come back! read more

Union Kitchen and Tap Encinitas - New American Near Me - Encinitas, California

Josh our server was amazing! Thank you Josh! The shrimp and grits were to die for and I'm from New Orleans-OMG, hmm. I had the Union Sangria, house strawberry margarita and wipe out (bartender has a nice hand on the drinks no skimping). My honey had the Wolf Among Weeds beer, the purple IPA and the the amazing Space Dust! We had the Union smoked wings, old bay peel and eat shrimps and the flat bread pizza bacon tomato. Everything was delicious. You will not be disappointed. Amazing birthday dinner for my hubby. Price is a little high but so worth it and so is the service. Nice job Team Encinitas Union Kitchen + Tap! We will be back with friends. Happy almost 10 year Anniversary! Love The Colemans! read more

See all

We came in on a Friday evening strictly for cocktails and, while the drinks were great, unfortunately we had horrible service. This is totally our type of place and we wanted to love it, but the service left a bad taste in our mouths. Every aspect was unreasonably slow - waiting to be greeted, waiting on our drinks, waiting to close the check. Neighboring tables were complaining about the same thing. This was early on a Friday when they were not particularly busy. On the plus side, the cocktails are unique and well-made (and have cheeky names!), the space is really cool, and the patio is dog friendly. read more

Union Kitchen and Tap Encinitas - Super cute spot in downtown Encinitas. Love that the patio is dog friendly! - New American Near Me - Encinitas, California

I like Union Kitchen. Nothing amazing on the menu, but always consistently good with excellent service and fun ambiance.

I had such high hopes for Union Kitchen and Tap! As part of a great family of restaurants, I thought we'd picked an easy winner for brunch. However, our experience wasn't great. The staff was super friendly and service was wonderful, but the food was just okay. I ordered the mac and cheese, but it came out like more of a soup. It was way too liquidy and the noodles were overcooked. The consistency was almost glue like. I didn't enjoy it very much. My co-worker ordered the chilaquiles and there was a pretty large plastic piece in it. They were nice enough to take the order back and didn't charge her, but it was gross. One of our coworkers got the BLT and that did look good. It was a very large portion! Overall, I was disappointed by the food. The service and ambiance were great and it'd be a fun place for a drink, but I don't think I'd come back for a meal. read more

I went to UNION Kitchen with a group of about ten friends and we had reservations to ensure that we could all be seated. Finding parking was not too difficult for me, but it was a little bit harder for some of my other friends, so be prepared for that if you choose to dine here. There was a big booth where all of us got very comfortably fit and the staff was very kind and accommodating. I have Celiac and I was not sure if I was going to be able to eat here, but the staff ensured me that the Union Burger could not only be made gluten-free, but that they also have a gluten-free burger bun as well. The burger was delicious, I felt great after eating it, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who has Celiac. UNION also told me that the Shrimp and Grits are gluten-free, so if you're tired of burgers, there's an alternative for those who have Celiac Disease! read more

My wife and I decided to have an easy St. Patrick's Day dinner yesterday and spare her working in the kitchen for a couple of hours. We decided to order a couple of Corned Beef & Cabbage dinners along with a Kids Chicken Tenders & Fries for the lil' guy. I asked my wife, who is of Irish decent, if this is why there was a famine in Ireland? Because the food is so bloody awful that people would rather starve than eat that garbage? Sorry, but all jokes aside, my corned beef tasted like salt licks. There was no way to possibly eat that meat and enjoy it. I ended up eating the mashed potatoes that *she* made to serve alongside the meals instead. Even my kid thought that the chicken and fries were soggy. Yeah, I suppose his might be due to the fact that we ordered take-out and the chicken & fries "steamed" in the packaging, but still... 60 bucks to populate my garbage can... I don't think I can possibly try this restaurant again when things open up. That was just way too disappointing. read more

Sat outside for lunch recently. Felt great to be out and better to eat here. Chicken and waffles were not as inspired as they sounded but still tasty. Truffle fries were a fun food to share at start. BLTA bread was a little dry as reported by my wife but she compares it to one I made at home with fresh Bread and Cie loaf and lots of butter so not fair. read more

Another accidental bait and switch. Came in for the reverse happy hour listed on their web site. Sat at the bar and was told they haven't had that in 9 months. Bartender was super apologetic about it, but it's pretty frustrating when you go to a restaurant/bar for a specific event only to find their beers are not $5 but up to $9 each. read more

Union Kitchen and Tap Encinitas - Reverse happy hour hasn't existed in 9 months apparently - New American Near Me - Encinitas, California

Server was to busy with her friends to even ask if everything was OK. Food was mediocre at best.Yelp claimed best bloody Mary in town. Maybe for a bottle mix and cheap vodka. The whole experience sucked lousy food, drink and service. Don't ever trust yelp. read more

We had our Granddaughter's 3rd Birthday on the patio with our immediate family of eight + our Shiatzu Grand dog! From the moment we checked in with an efficient and friendly Marissa, our prearranged table on the dog friendly patio was waiting for us. From the attentive and friendly server Brian and all other staff that assisted was a great experience. Now to the food, we started with delicious Mushroom Flatbread to take the edge off and leisurely ordered entrees and drinks. Two salads a few of us ordered were the watermelon shrimp salad and the local greens with crispy egg, goat cheese, candied pecan with chicken or salmon. Mine had salmon the charred on outside but perfect inside. Our Son-in-law cleaned his bowl of gumbo to the last morsel. Large flat screen tv was a bonus. Bravo to Union Kitchen & Tap. We will see you next week. read more

Continue to love the union. The wings, drinks, and atmosphere are delightful. You really cannot go wrong here. Love coming back after our wedding and seeing what if any new additions there are. Great location and back patio, too! read more

It's all good. Just go eat here if you haven't already gone, you will not be disappointed with food or selection of spirits.

We were driving the coast and this caught our eyes, the interior, the cool trendy vibe, we couldn't resist, my husband and I just had to try it out, at least have a drink! So we took advantage of their happy hour deal which was $2 off local pints and $5 house margaritas. (Check the pictures for the HH menu) my husband enjoyed his drink, and i did too, i think the margaritas are good, they didn't jip me with their alcohol lol like other restaurants would do during happy hour. Service was great, staff were very welcoming, and also I make sure I always point this out when I see it, the waitresses/waiters all had smiles in their faces, i just love that! I'm sure all the customers do. We didn't try the food , since we were stuffed and it was really a spur of the moment visit. But we will definitely come back and try their food. Prices are on the higher side, There is a lot of street parking. And so much to see if you have to walk. read more

See all

Food is a 10 Service is a 10 Drinks 10 Max was the singer for the night and he was AMAZING. If he's singing here again I'll come back. read more

Had the Union burger and fries and was a very tasty burger and juicy. Wife had the shrimp and grits and enjoyed them a lot. Kids had a burger, chicken fingers (not the best as my daughter says not a lot of flavor but huge portion), and breakfast and he enjoyed it. Kids portions were all generous for the price. Staff was friendly and nice. Good selection of beers. Honestly this is more like. 4.5 or 4.75 not a 4. Hey yelp.. give us an ability to set more than whole stars!!! Hah. Honestly if your passing through Encinitas hit this place. read more

Union is our go-to for delicious drinks, food and a great vibe. If you go, ask for Evin. She's the best!!!!

This is essentially my "go-to" restaurant in Encinitas. Food, service, and atmosphere are A-1. If you're there for lunch, ask for Evin. She's a dynamic and perceptive server. I take so many clients and friends here many times each year and even on holidays. I hold the Union Burger in the highest regard and the local green salad with salmon is right up there. On our last visit, Stevie the Manager popped by to say hello and it was a nice touch for our visit. Encinitas Union Kitchen gets high marks for being in touch with upscale and creative beach cuisine and they even change up the menu with the seasons. So cheers to the Union on 101 in Encinitas and thanks to Evin for making every visit better than the last. I'd give this way more than 5 stars if I could. read more

My first time here and the staff was very friendly in greeting and serving me. I decided to sit outside as they stated they had heaters and it was after sundown and a nice walk on the beach. I enjoyed a couple of appetizers the brussel sprouts and the dry rub chicken wings. The wings were delicious, the sprouts were a bit sweet for me, but the bacon was a balance to the sweet (maybe just a bit less sauce may help). After the sugar kicked in, I also decided to try the chocolate pudding cake. Very rich and made for one person unless a couple only wants a few bites. I also sampled the strawberry margarita kombucha which was a great suggestion by my waitress who was very kind and attentive. Would definitely return again, nice atmosphere and good flavors! read more

Union Kitchen and Tap Encinitas - Appetizers and kombucha - New American Near Me - Encinitas, California

See all

Excellent service creole shrimp amazing good people good brew vibe was over the top, I enjoy the place I will recommend to everyone, just not to go to the cottage read more

The food was amazing, we order the Union Burger, the Roasted brussels sprouts and 2 cool 2 be 4gotten cocktail. read more

Union Kitchen and Tap Encinitas - New American Near Me - Encinitas, California

See all

Came by for dinner and it was packed! Good thing we has a reservation otherwise the wait would have been an hour. We have been to the downtown one before and we were not crazy about it but decided to try this location and give Union another shot. Service - Josh was our server and he was spot on. Great person with a very positive attitude. The bussers were also very quick. Finished dishes came off the table within seconds. Crawfish Popcorn - Small pieces of fried crawfish and some crisp kale. Crawfish was very good and the batter was light. Highlight of the meal. Union Burger + Fried Egg - This looked very appealing when people would order it and the plates passed our table. The burger came out looking scrumptious but the taste, not so much. The bacon was too salty for my liking. The meat tasted burnt. The charred parts of the burger were so dark that it tasted bitter. I checked my meat three times to make sure it wasn't burnt. I was very disappointed. Sweet Potato Fries - Solid crisp fries, just the way I like them. Not overly greasy. Wings w/ Housemade BBQ - I did not enjoy the sauce. The tomato/ketchup aspect of the BBQ sauce was too overpowering. The skin on the wings was squishy so the style of the way they were cooked was alright. Overall, it was an okay dinner. I don't think we would be back. read more

See all

I had a great little work happy hour on the back patio last night at Union Tap. I made a reservation for 8 people a week before not realizing I was St. Patty's day, but even with that everything went great. It was crowded, but we were seated right away. Our table was next to a heat lamp and far enough away from other tables. There was actually live music that started at 6pm too. The service was very friendly and quick, not ever making any of the 8 of us wait to order our next round or bring out our food and drinks. read more

Went here for a late night dinner. The server kept taking a long while to get to our table and kept passing it (had to walk over and ask for the check from another person because we couldn't find her). We ordered the gumbo with shrimp, buffalo and sriracha maple glaze wings, sweet potato fries, and the bacon mac and cheese with sausage. The gumbo's portion was pretty large, but it was a bit too salty. As for the wings, they weren't tender, and were instead a bit dry and hard to eat. The bacon mac and cheese was pretty good and filling. The sweet potato fries were absolutely delicious and I would definitely recommend. As for the ambiance, we sat in the patio and there were two tables with absolutely screeching and hollering tables that tore my ears out and found it hard to converse with anyone else. Definitely not the staff's fault, but it definitely made the meal hard to enjoy. All in all, the food was okay (don't get the wings), the service was a bit slow (she was nice though!), and the ambiance was a 1/5. Won't come back here, but I did really enjoy the sweet potato fries! read more

This was a fun lively gastropub offering solid food and a ton of drinks. Really appreciated our server who was timely and accommodating. Meals were very tasty. Would definitely return. read more

Great visit. It has been a few years since the last visit to Union, but the visit tonight was great. I remember my last visit having the gumbo and being very good (and having been to Louisiana three times, the bar is set high) and I will say the gumbo here is still very good. Nice balance of roux and protein, and not overly salty. I will say I wouldn't mind more okra and rice. Service was amazing also. Everyone is so polite and courteous. We even requested to change tables from a high-top to a booth, and they were very accommodating. The only reason I didn't give five stars was due to the beer lineup. So many hazy IPAs, like a 75:25 ratio of hazy to West Coast style. I mean I get it, hazies are still popular, but some of us are old school and still love the West Coast style IPAs. Otherwise, phenomenal visit. Highly recommend if you're in the San Diego North County Coastal region. Definitely check out Union Kitchen & Tap. See my attached photo for the gumbo. read more

Union Kitchen and Tap Encinitas - Gumbo - New American Near Me - Encinitas, California

In the words of my son "they get 11 stars!!!!" My husband and son had a Father and Son Day earlier this week, and they stopped here for lunch before hitting the beach and playground. My son ordered the kids Mac n Cheese and absolutely loved it. I mean, this kid is picky and somehow this chef has made THE best Mac and cheese known to kids. And as an adult who's not a huge fan, he won me over too. Delish! My husband had the Nashville hot chicken sandwich and said it was excellent (his southern roots were impressed!). For the last four days my son has been *begging* to go back. So today, on my birthday, we decided to have a family lunch with our daughter and son together. Our waitress, Evin, remembered my husband from earlier that week (even the order! Who has a memory that good?). And Evin was not only super attentive but it's evident that she loves working here, knowledgeable of the menu, and had excellent recommendations. The kids again raved about the Mac n cheese, and the adult food (Poutine, salads, a burger) were excellent. Chef Taylor came to say hi to kids and get the raves firsthand. They also came out with a new menu so your fan favorites are still there and they've got new items that are just as yummy. So yummy that I didn't get any pictures of the food because we dug right in! Highly, highly recommended! read more

Union Kitchen and Tap Encinitas - Kids Mac & Cheese (homemade mountains of yumminess!!!). - New American Near Me - Encinitas, California

See all

One of my close friends decided to have her birthday brunch at Union in Encinitas. Being from Orange County, I didn't know what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised by both the service as well as the food and drinks! We had grapefruit bottomless mimosas and having been to several bottomless brunches...I would rate the mimosas here as 10/10. The wait staff consistently refilled our glasses and were very attentive - despite it being a busy Saturday. The food was 8/10. I got the beignets, which were outstanding...largely thanks to the jam they are served with. I also ordered the avocado toast, and my only gripe was the fact that the tomatoes were a bit soggy and the bread wasn't as toasted as I hoped. Even with that being said, it was still a wonderful, enjoyable meal. I would definitely recommend Union for its energy, overall vibe and bottomless mimosas! Looking forward to returning next time I'm in Encinitas! read more

Union Kitchen and Tap Encinitas - New American Near Me - Encinitas, California

Place was open later at night. Food was good restaurant was clean and atmosphere was relaxing.