Searsucker - Del Mar, CA

Looking for a nice brunch spot while visiting San Diego we initially headed to our first pick which had over an hour long wait so we wandered across the parking lot to Searsucker.

There was no wait at all since we walked in just as they opened. We were seated quickly and we ordered drinks and perished the menu. The brunch menu isn't extensive but I quickly decided on the lobster scramble with fruit while my friends ordered the chicken and waffles, chocolate pancakes and croque Madame respectively. They also ordered a sticky bun to start which I took a bite of and enjoyed.

The entrees came out and all was good. Solid choice and decently priced for the area. I liked my scramble. It had nice flavor and the lobster was plentiful and not overpowered by the rest of the ingredients. The fruit was ripe and flavorful as well. 

Service was attentive and friendly. Our drinks were refilled often which is always a plus. 

There are plenty of better restaurants to be had, but the ambiance and food are a nice draw for a visit or two when you're in the area.

Items sampled: lobster scramble, sticky bun

Location: Del Mar Highlands Town Center, 12995 El Camino Real, Ste 21, Del Mar, CA 92130

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Island Prime - San Diego, CA

Dinner with my best friends during my recent visit to San Diego and our decision was dinner was easier than expected. 

We wanted steak and a view and Island Prime fit the bill! We arrived on time for our reservation and hey quickly brought us to our table. Right on the window with a great view of the water as we requested. 

We settled in and decided on some drinks and appetizers to start. Our server was friendly gave us some good suggestions. For my entree I ordered the ribeye and I couldn't resist the brussel sprouts for my side. While waiting for our entrees, they brought over the bread and despite trying to refrain from eating the bread, I just couldn't resist. Perfectly fluffy and delicious. 

Our entrees came and my steak was cooked medium rare just as I requested. The brussel sprouts were delightful as well. My friend preferred them to her order of onion rings so I let her have as many as she wanted. 

We were dining with my friend's seven year old and they had some decent options on the kid's menu, which I was surprised by. We anticipated having to shared our meals with her but we were able to get her her very own small filet for just $10. 

The view, service and meal was fantastic. Surprising, since one usually sacrifices food for views when it comes to dining at the beach.

Items sampled: ribeye, brussel sprouts, prosciutto wrapped asparagus

Location: 880 Harbor Island Dr, San Diego, CA 92101

RaringS ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Hacienda De Vega

Great atmosphere, pretty good cocktails and very generic, bland food.

While visiting friends in Escondido, they recommended Hacienda de Vega for dinner. We arrived around 8 and were seated quickly in the large outdoor courtyard. It really is a cute, little restaurant. Dining outdoor, under the stars and there are plenty of outdoor heaters to keep you warm on cold evenings.

We started with margaritas all around. Portions were large and they were pretty good. Not strong, but tasty. The food took a while to come out. They let us know there was a snafu and our order got lost in the process and compensated us by comping our first round of drinks, which we appreciated.

Once our food arrived, it wasn't too exciting looking, but I didn't expect much to begin with. My enchiladas were a little bland and the tampiquena steak we ordered was slightly overcooked and also didn't have a lot of flavor. My friend found her veggie burrito to be extremely bland and even adding guacamole and salsa didn't salvage it for her. She said it was mostly just beans and rice and a few sad bits of tomato.

I would definitely recommend this place for a great place to sit with great friends and have drinks and maybe appetizers, but I can't recommend any of the food I tried.

Pacifica Del Mar

It has taken me a while to figure out exactly how I wanted to review this place. We were in Del Mar for the day and my friend was craving pizza. Sadly, her favorite pizza place was undergoing a refurbishment, so we decided to give Pacifca Del Mar a shot.

I wasn't very hungry so figured I'd get a cocktail and something small to eat. I ordered a pineapple chipotle margarita and my fella ordered a beer. A few minutes later, our server arrived with two beers (we only ordered one) and as she was placing it on our table in front of me (I didn't order beer) she spilled it... ALL OVER ME! As it was still spilling out all over me she decided the best thing to say (instead of "I'm sorry" and continuing to help clean up the mess) was "at least I spilled on the person who wanted a shower." Um, excuse me, what?? My fella picked up the beer bottle that was still gushing beer all over me, since no one else seemed to think to do that. I was in utter shock from the whole incident. I get that our server was embarrassed (I was pretty mortified as well) or whatever, but what the heck was she thinking.

The manager rushed over and apologized and sent over some club soda to help clean up my clothes. He also told us he would cover our bill for the inconvenience. I said ok, and stuck around to finish our food and drinks.

Our server continued her awkward ways by continuing to make uncomfortable references to spilling the beer all over me without sounding apologetic in any way. Insult to injury...I'm really easygoing, but it was really starting to bug me after a while.

After all was said and done, the food wasn't very good, but I appreciate the effort, after the fact, that the manager and staff tried to make amends, but Great view, but there isn't much that would make me want to return here.

Mama Kat's

I was in town visiting a friend and we needed a new breakfast spot to try. I pulled out my faithful Yelp app and Mama Kat's popped to the top of my search list. It looked promising so we made our way over.

We arrived around 10 in the morning and the place was already pretty busy. There was a bit of a wait, but they have coffee and seating for those who are patient enough to wait. I noticed so many customers that came in and chatted with the staff and they all knew them by name. This is definitely a local spot where people become regulars. The servers greeted the customers by name, which I found impressive. After about 20 minutes we were taken to our table.

The menu is extensive and it took us a while to decide what to get, everything looked great. I opted for the college rule eggs benedict and my fella got the chicken fried steak. It took a while for the food to come out, but they were very busy and they made sure our drinks were always refilled. I had the iced tea, which was perfectly brewed. Strong, like a I like it and great flavor.

Once our food arrived we were in awe. The portions were extremely generous and the size of the plates was a little daunting. My benedict was delicious. Generous portions of shaved ham and avocado and the egg was cooked perfectly. The hollandaise was great as well. Even my fella who doesn't really like hollandaise was a fan. The chicken fried steak was moist and perfectly cooked. Both meals were great and I don't think I would have been able to finish without my fella eating half my meal. They have the option of ordering half benedicts for $2 less, so I'd recommend this for any person with a smaller appetite.

There is a cute little patio that is pet-friendly if you decide to dine here with your furry friends, as well. Service was extremely attentive and very nice. Every server we came across from friendly and seemed to truly care about being helpful. This is a great local breakfast spot in the area and I would love to stop in again when I'm in the area.