Sea & Smoke

The ambiance is really nice here– romantic but a bit more laid back. I love the outdoor area they have here and would definitely recommend this place for a date! Though it is quite strangely located inside a strip mall…
Five stars for the duck alone– man, oh man. The only way I eat duck (o goodness, autocorrect almost made me look like a fool!) is Peking duck so this was a very pleasant variation from that! It was cooked like a medium-​rare steak; the inside was pink and so, so tender. I am still dreaming about it…
Also ordered the cheese plate. From what I recall, the basic is choosing 2 different cheeses and it comes with various pairings, such as honey, apples, walnuts, fig spread, etc. This plate was pretty yummy but nothing spectacular.
Last and def the least: the bone marrow. Bone marrow was pretty good except there was hardly anything. It was pretty sad and disappointing, definitely not worth the price.

We caught this restaurant for brunch on their last day of business on 1÷10÷2016. Server said they were on their last shifts and the restaurant was sold to someone else. Given that, the food was still pretty good. Perhaps the cinnamon bun used to make the sandwich was a little old and dry, but knowing they were about to close their doors that was understandable. We also had one of the cast iron skillet eggs benedicts with pork belly. We’d probably go back if we were in the area and they were not already closing their doors.
So just a heads up if you’re reading this: the restaurant may be closed… call before you go.

I heard this is one of the best brunch places in San Diego and had all these hyped up expectations of the food and how long the wait was going to be, especially since I went the day after Christmas, but to my surprise, there were no lines and the whole place seemed pretty dead.
Food:
1) eggs Benedict (don’t remember which on exactly): I like how they served it on a mini skillet over a bed of corn bread. I’ve always been a fan of corn bread and this is a very nice spin on eggs Benedict! It works! Bravo!
Service:
Very friendly and the food came pretty fast too!
Ambiance:
It’s inside this strip mall and tucked around this corner, so it’s a little hard to find. There isn’t a super obvious sign outside the restaurant or anything. Once you walk in, there is this underground seating area, so you go downstairs. Once you are downstairs, it’s not like a dungeon or anything, there is still windows and a lot of sun light, which is nice. There is a bar area downstairs, but it was quiet the morning I went since there was barely anyone there. I don’t know what it’s normally like, but the morning I went, it was very quiet and chill. Nice place to hang out and catch up with some friends.
Price:
Pretty decent, don’t remember being alarmed at the price.
Overall:
I liked the food here, so maybe I’ll come back for these special eggs Benedict, but there wasn’t anything special about the service, or ambiance to really draw me back.

Came here on a Saturday morning with some friends for brunch/​lunch. The parking lot was horrendously busy (not the restaurant’s fault, but something to consider before coming here), but luckily if you are patient, you will eventually reach the parking structure. Much easier to park, but a longer walk to the restaurant.
It was surprisingly empty. We were seated on the right side while the majority of the people were seated in the area to the left side of the entrance. Our server was a bit cold and impatient, she quickly took our order and left.
I had an eggs benedict — I liked that it was made in a cast iron pan. Instead of the traditional biscuit/​english muffin, they made it with cornbread which I thought was a nice touch. The bacon was really delicious, too. But the portion was so small for the price… it easily could’ve been the appetizer. Definitely let me wanting more.
The only time the server came back was to give us the check, didn’t bother refilling our water cups even though we were still chatting/​having a great time. I think my experience could be better if the server was more polite. I don’t need you to wait on my hand and foot, but the basics should be covered.
Outside the restaurant smelled like sewage. Kind of gross.

Great environment for moms. Kids friendly restaurant.
Came here with my god daughter, and she is very active. The restaurant is big and safe for her to wonder around. I highly recommend their lunch menu. Delicious sandwich and appetizer. (Octopus especially)
The staff are amazing and friendly. I totally enjoy this place. Will come here for girls hang out next time!!!
Well done urban solace!!!

Uhmmmmmm highly surprised by the rave reviews since this was an overall mediocre experience.
Cons:
— food takes forever
— food came not as advertised (brioche bun? Never mind, we’ll just give you plain sliced sourdough bread)
— side salad was the WORST quality greens I have ever had at a dining establishment… ever. Yes, that includes the McDonald’s shaker-​salads & any other fast food joint. Seriously the leaves were mushy/​half rotted pulp, and it was not just my plate, but 5 other peoples’ plates as well. Didn’t have my phone to take pictures, otherwise I would have for proof! It honestly didn’t look safe to eat.
— even the fries were weird? One person said they tasted sweet, while my other friend and I thought they tasted like … milk.
— our party was seated outside. Several people commented that it smelled like a toilet/​sulfur stench and later on we realized our table was seated over a drainage gate where presumably the sewage was heading. Good food can make up for stuff like this but when everything else is underwhelming it makes the ambiance that much more glaringly bad.
Pros:
— Cauliflower cheese dip was delicious and fatty (but disguised as being healthy, which is my favorite kind of guilty pleasure food! Yum)
— Flavors in the mussels were well balanced. Lemongrass was a nice touch.
Our server did bring out fries to replace the side salads, but seriously those disintegrated/​rotten lettuce should never have left the kitchen. Poor judgement on their part and makes me question their integrity as a dining establishment to let 6 plates of that stuff go «unnoticed».

Food was good. Ambiance was FANTASTIC. Crowd was classy and quite, yet not stuck up. The entire experience was GOOD. The service was not up to par with the vibe. Our server seemed disinterested, inattentive, and disconnected. She forgot my mothers wine and didn’t follow up with our table, at all. She definitely could have convinced us to continue with additional bottles of wine and more plates. I have five star and five diamond training, maybe that’s why I noticed. Overall if the management had a better team they could bring a larger profit and afford better colleagues. I will be back.
Music outside would be a romantic touch.

What a pleasant surprise to find this place! It’s located in a trendy, little center that has many cool shops, etc. The nicest surprise was they had an outside patio area where one could eat under the shade or have some direct sunlight.
We shared their cinnamon roll sandwich and pork belly BLT. Both were delicious and decadent. The cinnamon roll can be a sweetness overload for one person so please share it with others. The bacon, ham, sunny side egg merged very well with the cinnamon roll «bread». The pork belly was deliciously set off by the avocado. Yum!
The only disappointments were the drinks. My daughter ordered a Shirley Temple and it tasted more like a Cranberry Spritzer!

Came here for happy hour on a Wednesday evening and had a great time! The place is beautiful. We were a large group and sat outside. We ended up staying until about 9pm even though happy hour ends at 6pm since we were having such a great time and since there was live music.
The whiskey mules are delicious! Didn’t have a chance to try the food but definitely will next time!

Attended a bridal shower here. We got a private room for our gathering of probably about 20 women. Very cute restaurant. We ordered from a pre-​set menu and brunch came with a board of fruit and yogurt and a cinnamon roll with cream cheese and glazed pecans. I ordered the benedict. The menu indicated a choice of either bacon or mushrooms. Lucky me, the waitress let me add both… and it was SO delicious! The benedict did come in a skillet and the eggs mushroom and bacon were on top of corn bread. I didn’t care so much for the cornbread… but I’d definitely recommend this place for brunch and get the benedict!

I was looking for a brunch place that I’ve never tried before to have brunch with my husband and came across sea&smoke. It’s location in del mar is in a shopping center with plenty of parking, and when it comes to brunch places and their parking — it’s mostly either battling for street parking or paying for parking, but that was not an issue with sea & smoke. Plus it’s located by my house so it wasn’t too out of the way.
Anyways, I seriously fell in love with the whole restaurant! It was super cute, chic, and very classy. Their bar area was very classy and sexy, and their indoor vibe was very upscale and chic, their outdoor patio is a must if you like to have lunch outdoors — but fear not! They do have plenty of shade and umbrellas! Let’s not forget that outdoor lighting is the best for those pictures Unilocalers! ;)
We started off with 2 waters which came in the cutest glass jars with their restaurant name on it, and we also fresh squeezed orange juice. I ordered the iron skillet smoked mushroom eggs Benedict and my husband ordered an omelette (sorry I totally forgot which kind it was).
The food came out not to long, and it was just. okay. I tried my husbands omelette, and I have to admit it could’ve been better, it lacked a lot of flavored and was kind of bland. My eggs Benedict was good but not the best, but the corn bread that comes on the bottom of it went perfect with the eggs Benedict because it was soft and had lots of flavor. I feel like for the price we paid (a bit expensive side), it could’ve been better. The portions were alright. Me and my husband was still hungry after we finished our food. I think next time I come here, I’ll order something different. Because what we ordered was GOOD, but unfortunately we have had better (omelette and eggs Benedict) elsewhere for the same price or less then what we paid at sea & smoke.
The service was okay, nothing spectacular. I think our waiter was new, but he should be more friendlier. He seemed grumpy! I read other reviews and it seems like service seems to be a problem here.

The hubs and I picked this place from a handful of restaurants I had on my Unilocal radar while we were in the shopping center to visit Three Dog Bakery. The restaurant seemed empty when we walked in… and then the hostess lead us out to the patio, which was packed. We were lucky to get a table out there really.
We started with the Apple & Fig Flatbread because the flavor combination sounded intriguing. Not only were we blown away with how amazing it tasted, but at the size this thing was. We could have easily eaten it as our meal, but we’d already ordered our entrees! The hubs ordered the BBQ Lamb sandwich, while I opted for the Shrimp & Grits, which is usually my go-​to when I can’t decide what to order. It was the best shrimp & grits I’ve ever had. The grits were unbelievably creamy and the shrimp were huge and PERFECTLY cooked. The sauce, which I want to say was a bbq butter sauce, was otherworldly. I could eat this dish every day for the rest of my life.
Hands down, the best meal I’ve had since moving to San Diego.

I came here after attending a spa event in the same shopping center (Flower Hill). My friend originally wanted to take me to a café that, to her surprise, no longer existed. We needed another option and since we were standing on the second level of the plaza and noticed how cute Sea & Smoke’s patio was from above, we decided to check this place out.
I love their outdoor décor! There are strings of lights, a couch, and huge trees next to a couple of tables. It was a little chilly out, but good there were lamp heaters right next to our table. We shared a few starters including the pacific mussels, jerk wings, and roasted bone marrow. The food came out fast and service was great! Even the manager came by to check up on us. Everything we ordered was very tasty! I will definitely come back to try their entrees other menu items. They even have a gluten free brunch and dinner menu for those of you who can’t eat that stuff.

Ready for BEST KEPT brunch secret in San Diego…
BUILD YOUR OWN CINNAMON BUN BAR BRUNCH !
I blog about food and was so happy that we stumbled across this brunch (and got some amazing pictures of the food too).
I had NO idea they had this as there’s no mention of it on their website. Friend and I met here over Labor Day weekend to try out their brunch.
We had:
Build you own Cinnamon Bun $ 5
— they have butter, whipped cream, candied bacon, pecans, coconut, strawberry coulis, granola, chocolate chips. The bun itself was a bit dry but the toppings helped quite a bit. It was fun building our cinnamon bun and we’d absolutely come back to try this again
KITCHEN SINK $ 15
— The sausage tasted more polish or andouille to me. The best protein though — THE SUGARY BACON! I would have ordered 8 side orders of the bacon alone. Unfortunately the sausage gravy needed more salt and seasoning. It was a runnier/​thinner gravy so not sure if that’s the norm here as we prefer the thicker-​stick-​to-​your-​ribs kinda sausage gravy. But oh my goodness. The biscuit here. The biscuit. It was so buttery, flakey, and delicious.
CAST IRON SKILLET BENEDICTS (with Pork Belly) $ 14
The eggs and pork belly are on top of the skillet corn bread — can you see it? It was like a crispy corn bread pancake. The hollandaise sauce was nicely rich and did taste like mustard as described. The pork bellies were crispy and fatty. I mean, honestly, this was a good hearty breakfast dish for $ 14, especially here in Del Mar.
We found service to be attentive and pleasant. I’ve been to Sea & Smoke for dinner a few times and wasn’t a fan of the food. So this brunch option here was a wonderful change. I definitely will come back to try more brunch items (and hopefully have a friend who will order the cinnamon bun again and let me play with it — that sounds weirdy dirty, sorry).

Brunch done right!!!
The cinnamon roll bar looked amazing, but that wasn’t on my list. But it is a different take on an old concept and I was impressed.
The meat and cheese board did not disappoint. I have a feeling that any choice would have been correct. The spiced honey was an excellent addition. (I was thrilled to see it included with my yogurt main course)
The whole place is huge and divided well so that you don’t feel like you are slammed into a stadium sized restaurant with all the side issues involved. We ate outdoors and despite the record heat (that’s what the Über guy told me) it was very pleasant.
If you are in this area of town or want to find a great meal before you head to the track– you cannot go wrong picking this spot.

This place is located in the middle corner of the Wholefoods Market plaza.
It’s a Bougie brunch restaurant, so expect to pay a little more.
I ordered the Pork Belly Egg Cast iron Skillet Benedict and a side of the Buttermilk Pancake.
The Pork Belly is a definite try. It’s very soft and has an Oriental taste. The eggs were poached perfectly. The skillet corn bread could have had more flavor.
The buttermilk pancake was decent tasting. Nothing extra-​ordinary.
If you’re a real MAN, I would recommend the House-​made cinnamon roll sandwich and ask the server to direct to you the topping bar near the stairs by the restaurant.
If you’re a fan of tequila and lookin’ for a morning «oomph», I’d recommend the cocktail: Yuzu My Sweet Heart
Service is on point!

Brunch with a variety of options that are more interesting than the usual fare, like the cinnamon roll bar. #delmar #sandiego #brunch #restaurantreview
Cool, hip vibe. Great service. Patio dining with space heaters, restaurant area and lounge area seating options.
Really liked the wild mushroom skillet. The Hollandaise sauce is on the lighter side. It came with perfectly poached eggs on cornbread. The cinnamon roll comes with a variety of toppings for you to dress it up. Ingredients seem high quality and fresh.
Cocktails are good. Solid Bloody Mary and mimosa, but also a good selection of less common brunch cocktails.
Overall a really good brunch option. And they take reservations.

Came for brunch today and it was great! They’ve got an area with indoor seating, as well as a patio with outdoor seating. Make sure you get to the indoor entrance if you’ve made a reservation (it can be seen from the parking lot).
While I wasn’t particularly hungry, I just ordered the cauliflower cheese dip appetizer to share. It came relatively quickly and was sooo good! Tasted like a thick broccoli cheddar soup, with some nicely toasted bread to dip. I would definitely order this again, although I know it must be extremely bad for you…
My boyfriend ordered cast iron skillet benedict with steak, and ‘it was awesome’. It came with two perfectly poached eggs (which he let me try) in a cute little skillet. The only thing he didn’t like about this was the bottom layer of cornbread (I think). Otherwise, the steak and eggs were very much to his liking.
I definitely want to come back here and try the frittata, and the cinnamon roll bar. I was SO tempted by this, but decided to wait until next time.
Can’t wait to come back!

All I need is a good glass of red wine and a few appetizers to share. Came in the evening on a Monday and no wait. Lot of cars in the shopping center checking out the restaurants so I was surprised there was no wait but it was good for us since I was hungry.
My friend kept telling me about the bone marrow so I was excited to try it but unfortunately they took it off the menu. That was disappointing. Ended up getting the basil cream biscuits, beef tartare, and the octopus. All were delicious. The beef tartare was good but one piece of bread with the spread was fine for me. I don’t think I could eat anymore. The octopus was delicious. It came with two large pieces so it was good for me and my friend. Biscuits are biscuits. They all taste the same to me. The cabarnet they had was great. I love red wine.
It would be cool to come back during happy hour. Very chill place to hang out and unwind after the workday.

Relaxed, beautiful classy brunch spot in Del Mar. I’m surprised that while it got busy it looked like there wasn’t too much of a wait. My dining companion, who was celebrating her birthday, made a reservation so there were no issues with waiting.
On a recent Saturday morning, my three dining companions and I sat on the patio and enjoyed the warm winter sun of San Diego. We had the basil cream biscuits ($ 7), which came five to an order with a whipped garlic herb butter, and were great for sharing… as was the pitcher of mimosas which served 4 for $ 32.
I enjoyed the great service and constant flow of coffee refills, and the cute brown sugar cubes that came with the mini cream carafe.
A few of us got the cast iron skillet benedict breakfasts. I tried the hanger steak and loved it – thinly sliced medallions, cooked medium and packed with flavor. My companions and I weren’t huge fans of the green chile corn bread on the bottom of the pan. I felt it was a bit greasy and given how thin it was it was on the crunchy side. I prefer a softer, thicker, cakier corn bread.
One way they could improve: one of us got the grilled cheese with fig spread ($ 12) and substituted fruit for the kennebec fries or simple salad. We definitely noticed that the fruit that came with her dish was lacking compared to the fruit that already came with our skillet benedicts, and the amount of and quality of fruit definitely didn’t seem a fair trade for a side salad or fries. We got melon, pomegranate seeds and oranges. She got less, and no pomegranate seeds.
Also, they didn’t offer free bread but only the toast of the day which cost $ 3.50. That’s not gonna break the bank, but is annoying and another way Sea and Smoke could improve.
On the plus side, we were given a surprise free birthday dessert (warm cake with ice cream) for our friend which was lovely and good for sharing.