50 Best American Restaurants near Cardiff

“Nine of us had lunch here on a busy Saturday-glad we had reservations! The waitress did a fabulous job taking care of us and all our many requests. The food was excellent as well-the only exception might be the funfetti pancakes, which were a little sweet. My one BIG complaint was the LOUD MUSIC, especially the THUMPING BASS. I asked several times if they could turn down the volume, but no luck. I want to preserve my hearing, and for that reason I will not dine here again.“

“We attended the 20th annual Celebrate the Craft. It was fantastic and we thoroughly enjoyed the event. The waitstaff at the bar was friendly and provided excellent service.“

“Great customer service!!!“

“First visit, I had the Chimichurri Tri-Tip plate ($20.95).
The tri-tip was very good, nicely done. Good flavor and good serving size. Chimicurri sauce was also very good. The fries were served hot and crisp, mixed grilled veg serving was very small, focaccia bread (not shown) was fresh.
The counter service was slow, we were ignored for too long, with no acknowledgement.
We sat on outside patio area, staff was slow to clean tables (there were crows feeding off the leftover plates).“

“We really enjoyed our lunch/dinner! Excellent chicken pot pie. Our waitress was Diane and she is top notch! Thank you so much !“

“We’re visiting Carlsbad and didn’t have dinner reservations, so after walking around the Village we decided to try our luck at the bar. We were told about 30 minutes for a table, or we could wait for seats at the bar. We chose the bar, met a nice couple while waiting, and had seats open up in about 15 minutes.

Really impressive place from the minute you walk in. The building, architecture, lighting and attention to detail are all extremely well done. Great atmosphere without trying too hard.

Josh took care of us at the bar and was outstanding. Made us cocktails right away, walked us through the menu and gave honest, down-to-earth recommendations. We couldn’t decide, so we sampled a few things. The deviled eggs were a standout, and the ribeye dip and fried chicken were both excellent.

What really made it was the combination of the atmosphere, food and service. Everything was on point without feeling overly formal or stuffy.

We’re from out of town, so unfortunately this probably won’t become a regular stop for us, but it’s one we’ll remember. Definitely left wishing we had more places like this back home. Exactly our kind of place.“

“We love coming to the Melt. You can’t go wrong with the burgers, and the Mac N Cheese is a family favorite. My son would be happy to eat here every day (literally). Service is wonderful, and Annie always has a smile to share. See y’all next week too!“

“Beautiful Ambiance, Friendly Servers and Delicious Foods. Highly Recommend this place. Cheers!“

“Love eating here! Great customer service, delicious food, and a perfect ambiance. Immediately a new favorite and looking forward to our next visit!“

“Great place! Excellent service! Delicious food!“

“GREAT GREAT FOOD. Thank you 😊“

“Best breakfast in San Diego“

“It was about noon as I left my Doctors office and feeling a little hungry. I say Pegah’s Kitchen next door and gave it a try. The staff were all very professional. I had their Italian omelette and if I had to rate it on a one to 10 scale with 10 being the best, I would give it a 12. This is the Vista location. Highly recommend this place for breakfast and lunch, as they are not open for dinner.“

“We had a lovely pre-show dinner at Lana. Our server was very attentive. The cocktails were unique and delicious. We had the corn soup, roasted chicken and mushroom pizza. I’d go back for that chicken, super savory and perfectly cooked. The pizza has a light and airy crust, very good! Exceeded my expectations.“

“YUMmmmmmmm & thank you!!! Burnt out single mama here, that has prepared way too many meals for myself and my son 😅 & needed something wholesome! The avocado burger & fries wow, & the quinoa avocado bowl with beets, pickled onions, cabbage & some kind of yummy sauce de-fu€king- licious! 🙌💛🙌“

“Amazing atmosphere! Fantastic food and service! A go to destination! You will not be disappointed 👏🏼“

“My first time I California and this was the best place! I tried a couple places and this pace had the best food and drinks! And the crew was amazing!“

“Friendly and courteous staff, high quality and delicious food! Love their drinks and desserts as well. The menu is not overwhelming for me to choose! Lovely atmosphere!“

“Delicious food and great value, great atmosphere“

“Great vibes everyone is super friendly loved the service! 🍷😀“

“We attended the 20th annual Celebrate the Craft. It was fantastic and we thoroughly enjoyed the event. The waitstaff at the bar was friendly and provided excellent service.“

“I've been a customer of theirs for a long time and the reason is simple, the food is super healthy and it tastes good too. Also, the portions are generous, and all for all for a good price.“

“First time got a chance to try this place and the food was amazing. Great taste, great size, portions were awesome, and taste was very good. Definitely will be back for more and I highly recommend you to try this place. Great job guys.“

“Great food, friendly staff, great selection of adult beverages. Butcher shops.“

“Amazing food!!! We got a few things on the menu today. We got the firebird , cali dip , kids meal chicken nuggets . Let’s start with the firebird .. amazing sweet and spicy taste with big nice pickles to maintain the heat overall recommend this sandwich . The Cali Dip was delicious sweet and so much flavor I’d have to say one of the best “Tortas” I ever ate . The fries are the best !!! Sauces are so yummy. Everything was about $47 but SO WORTH IT!“

“Outstanding salads! Friendly staff!“

“Delicious food!!! Loved our burgers and fries. Each one was unique and super flavorful. Only downside was there were no seats in the shade outside. Our choices were to sit outside in the sun or inside the stuffy room that felt like there was no A/C. Lots of seating available, just none that were really comfortable.“

“cookies are super! sandwiches, salad & soup.. So delicious!“

“Awesome food! We were in town at Carlsbad for the weekend, and visited it twice. Everything we tried was huge portions and fabulous! Servers and staff were very friendly, and very knowledgeable. If you are in the area, stop in and enjoy!!“

“I enjoyed the Ginger Miso salad“

“Great food and great service from a very friendly and attentive staff! Had an awesome date night! Our first time here but won’t be our last.“

“We come here periodically and the food is always great. We appreciate the healthy choices, especially for our kiddos too. Even the soft drinks are yummy. I especially love their sauces and the chimichurri that comes with the empanadas is to die for. Our kids were having a rough time on one of our recent visits - our toddler was crying - and Louie was so kind and understanding. He saved the day with a couple of cookies for the kids. There was also an odd alarm going off behind their building that made it a little unpleasant to sit outside, but he found the security guard and got the issue fixed right away, which felt above-and-beyond. Coming here is always a little treat for our family, and we will definitely be back. Thanks Louie!“

“Desayuno muy rico cafecito y ensaladas deliciosas todo fresco ☕️😀“

“Chef Felix and family put together an excellent meal. Every. Single. Day.I've been going here for 4+ years and am still going back. Everytime Chef curates, weekly, a menu and will even still make you almost anything you can cook on a skillet. From flatbreads, to home made soups, and a Cubano I would fight you for, they make a bit of everything.¡Provecho!“

“Haven’t been here in a while and was pleasantly surprised. I really enjoyed the atmosphere and the way the restaurant is decorated. The only suggestion I would have is when someone orders coffee to bring out the little carafe first vs towards the end of the meal.“

“Lovely outdoor seating area. Service is safe and impeccable. Delicious new takes on well known classics.“

“excellent drinks & food.“

“The food is as good as it looks! I couldn’t believe it when my parents asked me if I wanted to go to a Revolutionary War tavern replica & museum near the beach in northern San Diego. Like, huh? But the building reminded me of growing up on the east coast, and the museum reminded me of how lucky we are to have this country & those who fought for it. I loved the cozy interior with brick and wood. My parents are regulars, so they know the server, and he was super nice. They have a great Old Fashioned, and we all got the Seafood Trio (mine with double cod). The fingerling potatoes were to die for. It was all delicious. Amazing Caesar salad, too. Definitely had leftovers. Excited to go back for their happy hour. Can’t wait to try wagyu sliders, mussels, and clam chowder. Seriously, it all sounds good. Definitely worth a trip! And you’ll be back to try it all 😁“

“Super attentive service. From the Hostesses, wait staff to buss boys. Food is delectable. Entrees were well prepared, fresh ingredients, served hot & salads crisp. Highly recommended.“

“The short rib nachos with Pizza Port Ale has been our go to during football season 🙌“

“I was on business last week in the area with my son. He was attending a program at Scripps and I frequented this coffee shop all week. It is now my favorite coffee shop ever. 😋 I wanted to thank the wonderful staff who made my visits so pleasurable and all of the food and drinks were absolutely 💯 amazing. Thank you for being one of the best places in San Diego. You made my day every day. I'll see you next summer. I wish it was sooner. :-)“

“Jorge really made our night special, recommended delicious food, surprised us with a birthday dessert. He is a gem! Thank you for everything!
The vibe here is so cute and romantic. I really enjoyed my stay and meeting such sweet staff- so excited to come back!“

“Family friendly. Dog friendly. Nice patio. Mimosas. Biscuits and gravy. Corn beef hash. Chocolate chip pancakes. Rueben sandwich.“

“Was a great idea stopping to Islands Food was great and waitress so wonderful I really recommended Thank you“

“I didn't want to go but am glad I did. Perfect size for a day trip. Not too big you get lost, and you can get thru it in 1 day. Food options were not good around closing. They all close an hour before the park so don't wait. Lines were not bad. Very clean restrooms. Very clean!
I would definitely go again, but would plan better. We went spur of the moment, still a good time. Excellent for little ones.
Parking is pricey....“

“Solana Beach Kitchen was amazing. Each dish was spectacular. Loved the Surf & Turf Nachos, the Calamari was the best I have ever had. The Mac n Cheese with brisket was a recommendation from the fabulous Tracy and it was incredibly delicious. Everything was so good that we returned the next night!! Highly recommend SB Kitchen.“

“Really enjoy coming here. I’ve been twice for breakfast and twice for dinner. Both dinner occasions were special occasions, I enjoyed eating inside more for dinner and outside more for breakfast. Dinner inside is a bit quieter and the ambiance is great. Outside was nice too but bees would fly by for breakfast and then for dinner there was a single fly trying to get our food.

Overall love it here, the service is great and food is delicious. I want to try lunch items, the breakfast portions are much bigger than the dinner portions. My favorite so far was the Scottish salmon which was a bigger portion than the Korean beef. And then their quiche, and avocado toast as well as their specialty cocktails.“

“Pancakes are so good! One order is enough for two. And wherever they get their bacon? Delicious!“

“Great food and very healthy and delicious salads! The focaccia bread is to die for!“

“My wife and I dined here tonight for our 5 year anniversary. The staff is super nice and the service is amazing. The walkways are a little tight it feels a bit packed in - but they are trying to optimize for seating space and comfort. Our server was John he has worked at the resturante for over 20 years. He was really funny he told us a joke that make me laugh really hard. He said you know the 3 rings of marriage don't you? The engagement 'ring'. The wedding 'ring'. And finally the suffe-'ring'! Haha. The owner came by and said watch this place is going to be packed. He said I wish Monday was a Sunday so we could be packed again. The food was great the service was top notch. Trust me my wife is super picky. Not a cheap dinner out. In terms of a special dinner - or celebrating something nice you will be pleased with the result and price. Again my wife is extremely picky (tries to be GF) and she was very happy (she said it feels like we are on one of great cruise trip dinners with celebrity! that's a very high compliment for her - very rare - she loves a good cruising experience!). We will be coming back again. Thank you Pamplemousse Grill for making my wife happy!

(the place was busy - we risked going without a reservation but they scooted us into a nice booth - and took care of us)

(also really interesting art on the walls - my wife loved this also - and took pictures)“