45 Best Bar & Grill near La Mesa

“1st time here & I will definitely be back! Food was delicious & well presented. Good drinks & bomb hot sauces to chose from. Everyone is extremely friendly & positive vibes.. There’s nothing better then walking in a place of business feeling so welcome.“

“All the staff here are AMAZING! They have been such a great staff and has welcomed me and my daughter since day 1. The buffalo chicken strips are amazing along with the blue cheese side which is phenomenal and the steak fries are so good. Burgers are amazing too. Love Johnny B’s!“

“Great burgers, quick service. Good value for money.“

“Great Brunch and John is an amazing bartender.“

“Our group was vegetarians and vegans and everyone was very happy. I've had banh mi without the mayo before, but having a vegan aioli made it so much better. The service was very friendly and efficient. The seating is outside in a lovely courtyard, but depending on the time of day could be shady/ chilly, or sunny. You stand in a line to enter and order at a counter.“

“Visiting my son before his deployment. The owner went out of his way to take care of us. I would highly recommend any military family to visit here. Food was very good too.“

“Had the most amazing Polish cuisine I’ve had since dining in my Polish Grandmother’s kitchen! Can’t recommend this restaurant highly enough!“

“I love the food at this restaurant.“

“The best spot for a beer after a nice walk by the pier! And, if you are lucky, like we were, you can get a chance to listen to bands rehearsing for the evening event at the Rady Shell. The service was great, we didn't get food... but everything smelled delicious, and the atmosphere and the views were amazing!! Must check it out if you're looking for a relaxing stroll by the ocean.“

“First time visiting, and I came with a friend around 7 PM on a Tuesday. Parking in the area was a bit uncomfortable due to the large number of homeless individuals nearby, and there was a strong odor on the street while walking in, which immediately took away from the experience. Unfortunately, with the restaurant keeping many of the windows open, those smells carried inside as well, making it hard to fully relax and enjoy a meal.

The restaurant itself was also very cold, so we had to move around to find seating away from the open windows. That said, once we settled in, the food itself was actually good. I ordered the black bean burger, and my friend ordered a “naked” cheeseburger wrapped in lettuce. We both enjoyed our meals.

The fries are ordered separately, so both got a large order to share. The portion size was generous—almost extra-large—and the price was very reasonable. We ordered the garlic fries with truffle Parmesan cheese shredded topping, and they were definitely a highlight.

Overall, the food and value were solid, and I would recommend it to first-time guests who want to try it out. Personally, due to the atmosphere and overall comfort of the location, I don’t think I’ll be returning—but I’m glad I gave it a chance.“

“I picked up some ribs and a sandwich for dinner last night and the food was awesome as always. Portions were big enough that I had leftovers. Corbin O'Reilly and Vince always make me feel special!“

“Good food. Great service !“

“A highly recommended spot for watching sports, great food and relaxing atmosphere. The service is the best, friendly and knowledgeable of the food and beverages.
The pizza was incredible. Burgers- delicious and well prepared.
The comfortable sitting is like being in your living room. Great music on all the time.
VERY highly recommended for an adult evening of watching sports (60 TV's) and enjoying an adult beverages and having some really good food. The parking is a bit tight but worth it.“

“Great staff, great food.... one if San Diegos hidden gems!!“

“🙂👍 Jessica does a great job!“

“Its a fun little place to go to before Padre games .. Dorothy ( I think thats her name ) is an AWESOME bartender.. The guy on the grill was funny too .. he can grill a burger 🍔 thats for sure !!“

“Carlton Oaks is a gorgeous venue with a wonderful staff. Gwen is a cheerful and fun server and my new friend💃…PLUS the food is delicious!“

“Fun with my family from Colorado and local.“

“Love the food“

“Best burger value in San Diego. The Butter Burger is a great deal at regular price, but at $8 during happy hour, it’s a steal. I am a burger snob and I don’t normally love thin patties, but let me tell you, this burger was phenomenal. The salted and buttered bun was fantastic, and the patties were excellent quality and expertly seasoned. I’m incredibly annoyed with myself for not visiting here sooner!

The staff was friendly, my wife loved her fried pickles and her corn skillet, and my root beer float was the perfect compliment to the burger.

Stop reading my review now and go get yourself a 🍔!“

“Was here for pride weekend, truly thought I saw god in the bartenders hands as they were pouring my drinks 10/10“

“Outstanding service and food was very good! Great atmosphere 😊“

“We only recently learned about Sal's Cantina and we were eager to try the food. The space is great (which is shared with Rosemary & Thyme in the morning), especially the very comfortable outdoor garden patio. Sal was very friendly and provided great, attentive service. And the food was delicious! I ordered a birria taco, a pollo asado taco, with beans and rice. My friend had a birria enchilada (not on the menu, but Sal fixed it up for us). All of the food was fresh and great quality. We also were greeted with complimentary chips and salsa, which was a great starter with our passionfruit margaritas. One high note, all of the food was lightly salted, which is something I very much appreciated. It's easy to add salt if you want more, but too many restaurants over-salt, and you can't do anything to lessen that after the fact. We will definitely be back!

Parking: Sal's doesn't have any dedicated parking. You can choose from metered parking along University Ave, or look for free street parking along the side streets. Pretty much the same for many Hillcrest restaurants.“

“This place is most certainly a dive bar in all the best ways. I heard they had amazing fried pickles and it did not disappoint. Probably some of the best fried pickles I’ve ever had. I also order a small nacho to go, I don’t know what they put in their “spicy” cheese but it was so hot I thought my gums were bleeding and I had to abandon the food. It was busy so unless you walked up and stood at the bar it was difficult to get service. They also give you a vibrating tag that lets you know when your food is ready and you have to walk down to collect it. I also heard someone say they do karaoke every day at 7pm. I’d definitely come here again.“

“Just after Christmas, we were in town for the new year and the Seahawks had a football game against the 49ers so we went to our place bar and Grill and had a fantastic time. The people were great. The food was great. The owners were great. I highly highly recommend we have been to numerous Seahawks bars Across the United States and by far this one was the best.“

“Great bar. They have pool tables, plenty of TVs, food, and cold beer. I've never had a problem with the service, they've always been really nice. There's not a lot of options in the mission valley area for a bar and grill type of place and out of all of them I really enjoy this place the best.“

“The Fish and Chips, Fish Tacos“

“Overall excellent steak dinner“

“I found the food to be delicious with a variety of choices from the buffet of which there are two to choose from. The Chef will often make a different scrambled egg besides the traditional one so there is a second choice. The service is outstanding with friendly staff. I enjoyed this breakfast very much.“

“Chef Julie’s Cajun Seafood Night is absolutely unreal. Every single bite was perfectly cooked, packed with flavor, and straight-up transported me to New Orleans. The seasoning is spot on, the seafood is tender, and you can taste the love and skill in every dish. This wasn’t just dinner—it was an experience. Chef Julie seriously deserves her own Michelin star. I would come back again and again without hesitation.“

“This place breaks my heart. Across the street from the park in downtown El Cajon, there is this inviting place. I love the huge outdoor patio with live music, the cafe seating out front and the indoor restaurant and bar. So much potential that promises more than they can deliver. Stars for having great bands outdoors and pretty good food, but every time I go, me and my friends are commenting about how understaffed they are, which of course creates tension amongst the staff (kind of a downer to hear it thoug), but who wants a bitter bartender telling you they can't accommodate a simple request, don't have the beer you want, while you can see it in their cooler, and they don't have change for $100 (on a large food and drink tab) or a food server who is obviously so stressed that we hesitate to order more...hint to the management, if you support your staff, they'll be able to create more sales.
No, they're not that busy, they are just that understaffed, and apparently under supported.“

“Great local vibe. Competent staff...friendly. Wings and Philly quesadilla were wow. I needed a chill night on my travels and they delivered Cool dive bar experience.“

“The Shamrock drink I had for St. Patrick's day was DELICIOUS!!!! My kids don't eat meat off the bone; however, my son devoured the bone-in wings. The XL pretzel was my favorite. Shrimp cocktail was also good, as well as the Carne Asade taco.“

“Love they're food and prices are reasonable. Especially with discount of you eat in the restaurant. My favorite sushi restaurant!“

“Fantastic staff and the food was delicious!!“

“Amazing place to visit and stay !“

“Great Food, Awesome Music, Too Much Fun!“

“Such a great venue! Loved it!“

“We realized, as we arrived at the Hard Rock Hotel, that the Omni was a far better choice. But our group reservation was at the Hard Rock. Some phone calls were made; Noah, the manager at the Omni was consulted; and everything was sorted out to allow us to upgrade to the Omni. What was amazing? The price (a bit less than Hard Rock, I think) and the pool. But Noah’s kindness ranks even higher. Our stay was a pleasure, and we would be happy to return.“

“I was only here for a few minutes in the early afternoon, so there wasn't very much excitement happening. But the bartender was incredibly nice and very helpful.
It must be a great place though because when they are busy, they are BUSY!“

“I recently visited this Mediterranean restaurant and I was blown away by the amazing food and atmosphere. The portions were generous and everything tasted absolutely delicious. If you're looking for a satisfying meal that won't leave you feeling hungry, this is definitely the place to go.What really sets this restaurant apart is the entertainment they provide. They have a singer perform almost every weekend, which adds a fun and lively atmosphere to the dining experience. It's a great place to come with friends and family for a night out.Another highlight of this restaurant is their $40 buffet that's available Thursday to Sunday during Ramadan. While the selection of dishes was good, I did feel that the price was a little on the high side considering the limited selections they have in the buffet. However, the quality of the food more than made up for it.The service was excellent and the staff were friendly and accommodating. They were happy to explain the different dishes on the menu and offer recommendations based on our preferences.Overall, I highly recommend this Mediterranean restaurant for anyone looking for a great meal and a fun night out. Whether you're a fan of Middle Eastern cuisine or just looking for something new, this place is definitely worth a visit.“

“They found my FitBit watch & held it for me. Thankful“

“Stopped by the old Applebee’s on Balboa Avenue semi-recently after years of not going to a single location. It’s not that I don’t like Applebee’s, it’s just that it’s hard to choose over some of the other better butger spots in San Diego that offer slightly elevated options at similar price points.

Im giving the Balboa Applebee’s 4/5 stars on food, 5/5 on service, and 3/5 on atmosphere—for a total of 4 flat. Of course, this is subjective, but atmospherically it’s just not really my cup of tea—big TVs, hyper-bright lights, families with small children making noise (no hate to kids at all). Service is really good, though. The staff are welcoming, friendly, and attentive (without being overbearing).

I say at the bar and ordered the Bacon Ranch Grilled Chicken Sandwich. It was a good size, with a decent amount of bacon, and a large portion of fries. It was a legitimately good sandwich—not mind-boggling, but definitely pretty tasty, pretty fresh, and cooked correctly (both chicken and bacon).

For the price, it’s slightly above average I’d say, and ranks similarly to decent diner chicken sandwiches. Atmosphere isn’t my thing. Might work for people who love sports. Service is good.“

“Thank you for an invitation Chris, THE bartender. A fun fabulous entertaining experience. Staff, an authentically hospitable team. ����� Coming up is my 50th years young birthday, it's the spot.“