Vintana Wine + Dine

To say this restaurant is the best in town is an understatement. The food is fabulous, the service is outstanding, and the staff are totally attentive. I have a few extra comments to make about one staff member in particular. Her name Kimmie and she is the «hostess with the mostest». Whenever we come in she is so happy to see us, finds us the best seat and makes sure we have a fabulous experience. I want to thank Kimmie for alway making our evening special as well as the rest of the fine staff that works for Vintana. Thanks for being my go to restaurant.
Peggy Smith

Every time I have visited Vintana, the experience has been above and beyond 5 stars. The lanai manager Francesco, the hostess Carrie and our waiter Darrin are all fantastic! The drinks are 100% on point, reasonably priced and prompt. The food is precisely cooked to order and fancy. The presentation of all items is beautiful. If someone has a bad experience at the restaurant, I can assure you it is self inflicted. Vintana employees make it very clear they are geared towards truly exceptional customer satisfaction simply with the smile on their face and the welcoming vibe they give off. Must try the cheese platter, red sangria, and Oreo crusted pecan pie… mmmmm.

It took almost an hour an a half to get our food. The server never came to check on us. Clearly it wasn’t that busy. We ordered Calamari and it was stale. Had to ask the server to bring a new one. Jason, our server clearly didn’t have the attitude. When we asked when will our food be ready, he scrolled his eye and said your ticket is up next. Obviously, the table who came after us already got their food. Jason never come to check on us. We had to keep looking for him. When we asked for our check, it took forever for him to come over. What a nightmare!!!
Food was okay.
Service was terrible.

Its very obvious that this place has great beer and vodka list. Even the wine list here is very good, you cant find something like this somewhere else so I would recommend coming here first than other steakhouses.
The nut crusted Brie is a favorite appetizer, and the trio of filets, the skirts on fore salad and the lobster bisque are sublime.
Service was good and the tables are spread out nicely.

DEFINITELY RECOMMEND. This is honestly one of the best restaurants in SD. I came here for restaurant week for lunch, and for $ 20 I was more than satisfied.
For appetizers, we got the salad, corn fritters, and tomato bisque. The salad was okay, my mom liked it. The corn fritters were breaded well, it wasn’t too greasy. The sauce you dip it in wasn’t too overbearing too, I like how they incorporated mascarpone cheese. The tomato bisque was amazing! You could tell it was of good quality.
For entrees, we got the Filet tip Sandwich, Lobster Mac n Cheese, and Blackened Chicken Pasta. All the dishes were delicious. Surprisingly the Filet tip wasn’t too dry, the bread was hard but soft at the same time. The chicken was okay, but it wasn’t dry the pasta was a different kind of pasta that I actually enjoyed, it was kind of cheesy as well.
For dessert I had the butter cake it was so yummy! It tasted like a shortbread cookie and the texture was soft and the marshmallow icecream was a great complement. The potted brownie was okay. Overall, I’m definitely going to come back. I just wish it wasn’t all the way in Escondido :(

Excellent service! That totally deserves a whole star, however, I don’t think I can push it to 4 because of the subpar food.
This review is solely based on the restaurant week experience. I will write an update when I have tried their regular menu.
Because of my complaint for the food, the manager was very kind to take 50% off of our meal. It’s very generous of him. He offered to re-​make my food, but I don’t want to waste it, plus the appetizer was not enjoyable to begin with, I didn’t really bother a second chance for the entrée. Our waiter was super nice and friendly. I sat down first and my friend was stuck at the front because the hostess was busy with a large party in front of her. So our waiter walked to the front to bring my friend in. Wow! Amazing service.
As for the food, we both got the corn and shrimp fritters, lobster melt and for desserts she had the bread pudding (because the mud pie was not ready) and I had the warm butter cake. We were really looking forward for the food because I tried their food here once for a Unilocal event and everything was phenomenal. Their deep frying was just bad. Fast food does it better than they did. I don’t know if it’s the oil or just timing problem. The fritters were too brown, not to mention the stingy amount of shrimp and corn too! Eating these fritters was like eating a ball of starch. Also maybe because of how cheap the cost was to make these fritters, they put 6 big pieces for one order. There’s no way this is an individual appetizer because by the time we’re halfway through we started to feel full already. It was the first time we complained about having too much food, mostly because they didn’t taste good and very filling.
Right after they took our appetizer plates, they served our lobster melt right away. It was not even warm. It seems like they’ve been sitting out for a while. I wonder if it’s because if restaurant week that’s why they pre-​made a lot of plates to keep up with the crowd? The sandwich was not warm at all and the cheese was already solidified. It ain’t a melt if the cheese won’t melt! The manager walked by and asked us how’s everything. I wasn’t planning on lying to him so I told him straight up about the melt. He said the lobster was a bit cold when the melt was made so that’s why it wasn’t warm. I had lobster sandwiches before and I know how this works… Even if the meat was cold, the bread would still be toasty and crunch, not cool and soggy. He offered to remake it but we were already pretty much done.
My friend couldn’t get her mud pie because it was not solidified yet in their kitchen… Improper time management in the kitchen? I think so. I’m so glad at least my warm butter cake was delicious and that’s the best part of the meal! The cake was creamy and the crust was buttery and crispy. Yum!
The restaurant décor was nice and modern, and I like how it has different levels giving some texture to the dining room. Th booth seats were very comfortable offering privacy. There’s a lot of potential in this restaurant, they just need to iron some stuff out in the kitchen. I’ll probably give them another chance some time.

Came here for Restaurant Week on a Tuesday night and it’s definitely one of my favorite SDRW picks so far! :) Made reservations for 7:30 PM on a Tuesday night via OpenTable, & although we arrived early they did not seat us until our reservation time came up. I was a bit annoyed by this, but we were provided a window seat as I requested so it was definitely worth it! Such a pretty view of the North County lights and even the fountain out front.
I ordered the lobster bisque, sesame salmon and potted brownie. Everything was excellent, the bisque was creamy and flavorful. I also enjoyed the sesame salmon, but I did switch the original wasabi mash for regular mashed potatoes. I was very appreciative and impressed that they allowed the substitution, with the restaurant week deal and all. Two thumbs up! The potatoes were good and the serving of salmon was generous as well. Main thing I did not enjoy was the snap peas that was a side for the salmon entrée. The potted brownie was a great ending to the meal, it wasn’t too sweet or rich. Unfortunately, I was too full to eat much of it.
My boyfriend’s appetizer choice was too great not to make note of, so as an honorable mention, the pepita & sesame crusted brie was delectable! Every part of the dish was great, from the warm, gooey brie to the spreadable honey garlic. Yumm.
Everything from the location, to the food and service was wonderful. I will definitely return here for a nice dinner date or every happy hour with my girlfriends :)

The last time I reviewed Ventana Wine & Dine was in 2014 when they received 5 stars. I was really hoping for the same kind of evening when I treated my friend to a birthday dinner. The evening began as most dinners do; check in at the hostess area, give your name, and await an escort to the table. Since this was a birthday celebration dinner I tried to remain more open about the little things. The evening unfortunately lacked luster. A couple of examples: when the hostess couldn’t find our reservation, and we were seated next to the beverage nook.
The table was set beautifully, our window viewed the colorful water fountains outside the Lexus show room, and on top of the table was a hand written birthday card from Vintana.
Our waiter was trying his best to accommodate us; however, he was absent quite a bit during times of checking to see how our food arrived, was it as ordered, etc.
We ordered our hand crafted drinks, which were spot on, tasty, refreshing, and unique. My friend reported that the popovers were hot, fluffy, and delicious!
The dinner items were ordered and we were really anticipating their arrival. My friend ordered the Macadamia & Coconut Crusted Sea Bass* crispy sea beans, roasted pineapple salsa, mashed sweet potato, lime, ginger-​lime beurre blanc. She loved almost everything about this dish. The crispy sea beans were very salty and unusual.
I ordered the Skirts on Fire: Spicy skirt steak, mixed organic greens, grilled red onion, avocado, candied walnuts, blue cheese, garlic croutons, blue cheese & scallion quesadilla, balsamic vinaigrette. I let our waiter know that I had a gluten allergy and we spoke about the ingredients and using corn tortillas instead of flour as well as omitting the garlic croutons.
All while we were waiting for our dinner to arrive there were two instances when sitting by the beverage nook became a mistake. One waitress was yelling to an employee through the window to the second floor. She only stopped after the second time when her coworker gave her a look and told her to stop.
Dinner arrived.
When my dish arrived I reconfirmed that this was prepared gluten free. Unfortunately after sampling the quesadillas I realized that they were not corn but rather flour quesadillas.
I was disappointed as I ate the black beans and attempted to eat the rest of the salad. The skirts on fire are truly spicy.
By the time our waiter came back around the black beans were consumed, and the salad had a couple of bites out of it. I shared my disappointment. He offered to send out the corn quesadillas which I gladly accepted.
Later, much later, my friend had finished her meal. I was still hungry. I was offered to order something else so I did. Vintana’s Cioppino* mussels, clams, calamari, shrimp, fresh fish, chorizo, tomato-​garlic broth, minus the house made ciabatta. Delicious!
All in all I gave Vintana a 3 because of poor service, bad seating, and not double checking a plate for food allergies before delivered to a table.

I’ve eaten in restaurants that were in operating and defunct gas stations. I’ve eaten in a restaurant in a car wash. This is the first time I’ve eaten in a restaurant in a car dealership. Vintana Wine + Dine is truly an excellent restaurant on the third floor of a Lexus dealer. I was expecting a lot, considering the previous reviews I read. The food and the service lived up to all previous accolades. The view, not so much. It is nice up there, but you are looking out at Dick’s Sporting Goods, Ross Dress for Less, and Interstate 15. The best view is of the new car lot and fountains below. For our lunch, we did not order an entrée. Rather, we opted for five starters and a glass of wine each. The prices were quite reasonable and the food delicious. Our favorite was the fried artichoke hearts, followed by the taro chips which accompanied a wonderful «bloody mary» ceviche (sans alcohol). The fritters were tasty, but we would have preferred they be made with corn meal rather than flour as they were somewhat gummy. Buffalo shrimp were a hit with me — not so much with my wife who thought they had too much breading. The slaw accompanying them was wonderful. Wines by the glass were very reasonable and the selection was wonderfully varied. In all, an excellent lunch in a restaurant we would gladly return to.

Quality food in a gorgeous setting. My sister and I love going here for special occasions since it is so delicious and the service and ambience are always too notch.
A definite North County restaurant destination, one of the best restaurants in my opinion. Check it!

We came here for San Diego Restaurant Week and we were already happy with our choice based on the menu and $ 20 price point. Gotta love a good bargain!
Appetizers
Tomato Bisque: DELISH!
Shrimp Cornbread Fritters: Gross. Where was all the shrimp? It was pretty much just fried cornmeal with some corn and an occasional shrimp.
Entrees
Burger: Not bad. The brioche was fresh and yummy, but the rest of the burger was like OK.
Lobster Mac n’ Cheese: This may just be one of the best lobster mac n’ cheese’s I’ve ever had in my life. This made the entire journey to Escondido worth it. The end.
Desserts
Both the brownie and the butter cake were average.
I know our dining experience sounds less than satisfactory, but we really did have a good time. I loved the natural light and décor of the restaurant, the service was great and again, can’t argue with the price.

I am a fan of Cohn Group restaurants. I have been to 5 so far, and hope to try a bunch more this year. Last year I went to their Anniversary Week Celebration at the newly opened Sea 180 in Imperial Beach. Last year’s special was 3 courses for $ 20.15 basic level, but this year’s was only 2 courses. Not cool.
I had been to Vintana numerous times on the outdoor patio & Lanai for Private Concerts, a Unilocal Event, and a Happy Hour. This was the first time I had eaten in the actual restaurant. I don’t get it that people fight to get window seats, for the beautiful view of… Target and Ross.
One of the Girls had the Tomato Bisque, and the Lobster Mac n Cheese. Another had the Black & White Salmon, and the other had the Steak & Shrimp Brochettes. They seemed to like their food.
The popovers that came with our food were very good, and came with Jalapeño Honey Butter. I’m not usually a fan of popovers, but these were really good.
I chose off of the upgraded $ 30.16 menu. I chose the Caesar salad with black Cale for my appetizer, and I had the Coconut Macadamia Seabass. It came with mashed sweet potatoes, sea beans (that strange, beach houseplanty looking thing that’s salty), pineapple salsa, and beurre blanc, and garnished with fried carrot strings.
And that’s when it started to go wrong…
My Seabass was served atop the mashed sweet potatoes, but still had the skin on the underside. Yeah, you can’t eat it like that. I had to get the skin off, losing some of my mash. I showed it to our server, and he agreed that it shouldn’t be like that.
A couple bites into the fish, I had to use a knife to separate it. That is the telltale sign of raw fish. Get the server again, here we go. I sat around for at least 15 minutes while the girls ate their food, waiting for a refire of my entrée.
The manager delivered my food to me. It was a much smaller piece of fish, and it was overcooked (obviously they weren’t taking any chances). Oh, and wait, it had the skin on it again?! WTF! Dude, really not cool! It was whisked back to the kitchen again, so they could remove the skin and send it back.
I ate the fish, but ended up taking the new sides home. They comped my portion of the meal, luckily. This saved some of my good will.
We decided to order desserts to share, the Key Lime Pie and the Butter Cake. Both were very good, and also helped improve my mood.
The other plus that they were very nice about letting us stay and hangout, since we had been delayed so much by my issues with my food. I realized later that we were there until almost 10, when they stop serving at 9. I appreciate not herding us out, since we weren’t in their way.

My coworker and I decided to come here for Restaurant Week to sample some of their dishes. She had gone here before, and this was my first, so she knew what to expect with the ambiance, where to park, and had an idea of which foods to order. This review is only based on my dinner for Restaurant Week.
Vintana is that super fancy looking establishment you see on top of the Lexus dealership in Escondido… the one you have been dying to visit one day but always drive by it. The best place to park is on the 3^rd level of the parking structure. Yes, you have to follow the arrows, park at the top, and there are plenty of spaces to park.
We made a reservation a few days earlier on OpenTable for 5:30pm on a Sunday and upon arrival we were seated almost instantly. We did not have a window seat but we were close enough to get a view of the fountains below the restaurant as well as the glittering red and white car lights of Escondido traffic, without all of the noise.
Having researched the menu a few days in advance we both knew what we wanted to order and got it out just as we sat down. We both did not order any cocktails and stuck to their yummy cucumber water; that’s plenty and I love the refreshing taste. Instead of bread at the table, we each got a large popover served with some jalapeño honey butter. It was super huge but very light and fluffy as we dug into it. Oh and the jalapeño honey butter? It was SO good with the popover. The hint of the pepper was in there but was not overpowering at all.
For the appetizer/​starter I ordered their tomato sage bisque which was really good. It came with a drizzle of crème fraîche and a slim cheddar crostini to dip or eat with the bisque. For the entrée I ordered the black and white sesame salmon which comes with a mirin, soy, and ginger reduction, wasabi mash potatoes, garlic snap peas, and a garnish of carrot slivers. The salmon was crusted with the black and white sesame and was melt-​in-​your-​mouth with a little crunch from the seeds. I used the reduction as a gravy for the mash and had fish with every bite. The snap peas were very fresh and crisp. I had to eventually doggy bag half of my entrée because I was getting full from the popovers and wanted to save room in my stomach for dessert. For dessert, I got their warm butter cake which came with candied walnuts, dried fruit compote, vanilla ice cream, brown sugar glaze, and whipped cream.
All in all, the entire meal was delicious and I didn’t come into any problems. Definitely a pricey place (see the $$$) but you will have the best service with quality food. I may come back for happy hour or for a special occasion to update my review and paint a better picture on their menus.

Me and my family went here for restaurant week in San Diego and ordered off the Restaurant Week menu my wife ordered the lobster macaroni and cheese she says that it was okay but it was nothing amazing it had a little corn which made it different but the flavor was average.
I had the hamburger and the salad that came on the Restaurant Week menu and I have to say neither you’re a fan or you’re not a fan I thought the hamburger was completely dry it didn’t come with any cheese and I only took a few bites did not like the taste at all the French fries lacked any flavor although they look like they were freshly made again there nothing special. Also I ordered a happy hour special and happy hour again is from 2 to 7 or so and I had the nut crusted Brie for $ 7 and since I ordered at approximately 1:55 we were charge the full price of $ 15 the server & Manager gladly changed the price and is the reason for the two stars. You know when you’re in the setting and you don’t want to complain about the food and you just want to have a good time I didn’t complain about the food as I was there but will return only to have a beer and a happy hour special after 2 p.m. I haven’t tried any of the food that’s not on the Restaurant Week menu but I’m sure they do have some good things there but I will not return for any of their promotional Restaurant Week specials in the future.
The service wasn’t bad I think they were very busy the servers walk around with their heads down and so it’s very difficult to order anything we sit next to the little fire pitch on the couch and it was nice setting the service was non-​existent wasn’t bad just wasn’t there.
When my hamburger showed up and asked them to put cheese on it the server told me that it’s going to take a really long time for the cheese to melt very awkward. The bartender in the bar area is pretty rude as well I don’t think the service could have gotten any worse maybe if they would have paid a little more attention and been a little more I wear in the tentative towards the Customers I think the chefs pay just as much attention as the waiters do to their food that’s a nonexistent.

Vintanna is simply wonderful and is one of my favorite places to go for a midweek happy hour. The couches are so comfortable I feel completely relaxed having a cocktail and appetizers with excellent service. All the bartenders are friendly, have great recommendations and keep the service flowing. My favorite appetizer is the *Nut Crusted Brie* it’s a must try!

My husband and I visit Vintana often, we love to sit outside on the patio. Last night we had our first party there in their cabanas and it was perfect! I originally reserved only 1 cabana but after speaking with the GM, Greg Provance, (who is a delightful person whom we’ve come to seek out and chat with every time we visit) he thought our party would be more comfortable with 2 cabanas, one set up for dining and the second set up as a lounge area. Since the cabanas were underutilized that evening Greg gave us both for the price (minimum f&b purchase) of one! Don’t you just love to see someone who enjoys their job and it’s perfectly suited for it? Greg always goes above and beyond, and always has a positive mental attitude he’s just a great, relatable person. Not to mention his impeccable personal style. :-) Thanks Greg!
Afton was our server for the evening with the support of a few others, and she did a wonderful job taking care of our large party. Thanks Afton! The floor manager ordered me some hot chamomile tea upon our arrival because I had a sore throat. :-) And the outside bartender kept a tab for all the cocktails, it was perfect to pay for food and appetizers separately from the cocktails! I didn’t get our bartender’s name because I never went over there but everyone had all the drinks they wanted. So, thanks bartender!
The band was fantastic. Our group had room to dance in our cabana and it felt so intimate and private even though the entire patio was packed. Thanks Bold as Love!
I don’t know why we haven’t had more parties at Vintana before but WOW, we know where to hold our events from now on.

Very impressed with the venue and service. The staff is bright and inviting all throughout the process. The popover and butter spread is amazing! I love it as the Cohen Group’s signature. Stefen was an amazing server.
Restaurant Week:
Chef Deborah’s Pepita & Sesame Crusted Brie was amazing! The honey roasted garlic was cooked throughout and the crusted brie oozed with creamy cheese. The crust provided a wonderful balance. We were told that this dish is wonderfully available at Costco now!
Prosciutto Wrapped Chicken Breast was a great portion and the au gratin potatoes was great. The glaze was a little powerful and all over the chicken; I would have rather had some on the side or plate. Chicken was moist throughout.
Individual Mud Pie was a winner! Ice cream cake and oreo cookies?! yes. Yes. YES. Loved the closing dish to this meal. Not too rich and sweet. Perfect.
Free valet in the front, and then take the elevator up to floor three. Afterwards, head to the back (still on floor 3) and your car is brought to you in the back in about 1 minute.

Everything was wonderful from beginning to end. Loved the wedge salad; the bacon crudité was spectacular. I also enjoyed my macadamia crusted sea bass. It was accompanied by the most amazing sweet potatoes — made me want to like my plate. Interestingly, I found myself liking my partner’s blackened chicken pasta slightly more. It had wonderful flavor. The star of the show was definitely the butter cake. Lord knows I’m a dessert-​aholic. One more butter cake and my family will be calling for a serious intervention.
Our server Stefan was absolutely wonderful. He waited on us hand and foot. I loved that he handed us his business card and indicated we could ask for him on our next visit. We plan on doing just that.
Can’t wait to return for date night Tuesday’s!

The Tahoe girls and I went out last minute for a girls dinner. This review is only based on my dinner and my experience with the staff.
Vintana is located above the Lexus dealership in Escondido. Best place to park is upstairs. When you walk in, the hostess desk is to the right.
Our reservation was for 7:30. Debbie and I arrived early, ordered a drink, and just chatted on their super relaxing plush chairs. The bar area was more crowded than usual since the lanai was closed due to the storms that day.
We took advantage of their special Cohn menu. Three courses for 20.16 or an upgraded menu for 30.16. It includes a soup or salad and an entrée. I decided to do the upgraded menu.
Raymond was our server and was very pleasant. I asked several questions about a few dishes and he was quick to answer. Our ‘runner’ Kevin was polite, quick to clear things, and get us ‘to-​go’ boxes.
Drink order were placed, popvers were brought over to the table with their delicious jalapeño honey butter.
My dinner consisted of herb tomato bisque soup, lobster macaroni and cheese with an argula salad. What can I say. I was craving comfort food! I couldn’t finish the mac and cheese so I took it home. It was just as good the next day.
Both of my dishes were enjoyable but I was hoping to be wow’ed by this place. I wasn’t wow’ed the first time either.
So, why the 4 stars then? The desserts. We ordered two desserts to share– key lime cheesecake and buckle cake. The buckle cake had some kind of berries in it. Now that stole the show, in my opinion. I would’ve forgoed my entire meal to eat dessert. The key lime cheesecake was good, but the buckle cake was a million times better.
I would return at the suggestion of others, but I’m not sure if I would go for a full meal. Maybe just drinks or coffee and dessert.

DECOR: this place is beautiful! The lanai is gorgeous and they do have heaters; I was surprised that it wasn’t cold sitting under the heaters. The view: A.MAY.ZING! Did you see my pics?!? ‘Nuff said.
FOOD: Started with Chef Deborah’s pepita encrusted Brie w/​roasted garlic cloves: Delicious!
AVrispy Parmesan Artichoke hearts were tasty, not greasy, & a good helping of them too! But they are bite size, so perfect for a 2 – 4 people if paired w/​other apps.
Rock shrimp & corn fritters: again, not greasy, light tasting especially w/​the honey drizzle on top. The fritters were decent sized, & enough for 2 – 3 people or a dinner for a non starving person!
Entrees: Macadamia and coconut crusted Seabass: I ordered it well done as I don’t like my fish «wet» & soggy. It was perfectly done, not dry! The crust was so flavorful unlike other places where the crust is crunchy flavorless. It was served on puréed sweet potatoes, & a pineapple salsa with a hint of heat. A great combination of flavors!
Black pepper bacon & blue Mac n cheese: this was SO creamy & you could taste each flavor but each did not overpower the other. The bacon pieces were a good size & juicy. All of it worked together!
Baked potato: regular and everything except that it is humongous!!!
DESSERT: ok, can I just say that the Cohn restaurants’ desserts are AMAZEBALLS!!! Every one of the restaurants offers the best desserts and they are huge, more than enough for two people to share.
Chocolate Caramel Pecan Torte was so rich yet not so much that we couldn’t stop eating it! The Oreo cookie crust around it is a bit thick and you feel like a miner picking away at it with your knife and fork, but trust me, that is not a deterrent. We broke through the wall to find the warm, soft, chocolatey, delicious mess inside! Gold!
The Butter Cake is served with fruit compote, and vanilla ice cream and whip cream. The fruit we could do without, as it neither adds nor subtracts to the flavor. But the flavor of the butter cake is to die for and is good all on its own! It’s hard to describe, it’s better than cake, but it’s not too sweet or rich.
DRINKS: Espresso Martini was very good without being cloyingly sweet. Desert Rose Martini was tasty and not too sweet either. And the Stone IPAs, well, of course we know they are good!
CUSTOMER SERVICE: Cody was attentive & friendly. Exceptional service!
This was definitely a 5 star experience!

4.5 stars! Had the pleasure of being invited for a birthday dinner here and had a wonderful experience!
Was surprised to learn that it is on top of the Lexus car dealership, made of tall windows. The dealership itself is beautiful. I think you can park near the entrance and take an elevator to the top where Vintana is, but I recommend taking the ramp that leads you up to the higher parking lot of the actual restaurant — turn right after passing the water fountain.
Ventured out to the terrace of restaurant, which had a nice view! Came perfectly for the sunset. Inside of the restaurant is classy and clean. They have a nice looking patio (open seating) and bar. The restaurant is facing the ceiling-​to-​floor windows, hence the name Vintana. Still beautiful at night
The food was amazingly unique! Was lucky enough to enjoy dinner with someone who’s been there before, so he ordered for the table POP-​OVERS with jalapeño butter before anything else. Not your average dinner roll, they’re fluffy and light bread pastries that popped over while baking. The texture was what got me… soft and warm; I recommend eating it while it’s fresh. Well paired with the butter (and of course it’s not your average butter).
He also ordered BACON-​WRAPPED DATES which are not on the menu, but he knew you could order them. Yummmm haven’t had something like that before. Ordered the filet trio, which had three medallions of meat with asparagus and mashed potatoes with mushroom. What really got me was the tenderness of the meat. If there was one con, it was a tad bit salty for me.
Their crusted brie platter is great too; comes with a whole garlic where you squeeze out the garlic-​y goodness to spread with the brie — yum!
The lemonade has different fruit flavors, like mango, prickly pear, and blueberry pomegranate. What’s great about this place is that you can pick a different lemonade flavor for every refill!!! Had to take advantage and try all of them… prickly pear takes the trophy and mango was last place (too sour!).
The service was pretty good. Had multiple servers to take care of refills, serving the food, and taking empty plates. Friendly too
Highlights of my visit:
–the view, ambiance, & environment
–different flavors of lemonade per refill
–trying the unique food for the first time (bacon wrapped dates, whole garlic on the crusted brie platter, pop overs)

We were looking for a place to have lunch with our daughter who just turned 21. We wanted to take her out to a good lunch since we literally drove from LA to Escondido just to have a 2-​hr celebration with her. We ordered the Mac n cheese lobster, skirt steak and lobster melt. Everything was decent but I would not say I would go back again. It was just a-​ok. Lobster Mac is missing some flavor. Although the melt and skirt steak were better.
Cappuccino tasted like latte.

Nice little place on top of Lexus of Escondido. When you first pull up it’s a little confusing on how to get to the restaurant. You need to go to the parking garage and go to the very top floor where the restaurant is located. You will most likely end up parking either on the third or second floor and have to take the elevator up. If you get here in time for sunset make sure you sit out on the patio so you can watch a beautiful sunset. If you can’t get on the patio they have seating down in front on the glass window see you can watch it as well.
They have a pretty decent happy hour menu if you’re there between 3 and 6 PM. Ended up getting the bacon date wraps, Brie cheese, and Brussels sprouts. The bacon date wraps were absolutely amazing! They had a nice sweat taste to them. The Brie cheese was pretty good as well and came with roasted garlic which added a nice touch. The Brussels sprouts were really sweat. They were mixed with molasses which added a world mixture. Over all a nice little place for a sunset and a bite to eat!

«It’s located where? On top of a car dealership? Heh???»
Yes, it is. But a Lexus dealership… not a used Gremlin dealership. This upscale restaurant has it’s standards you know. Please note that when you pick up your car from valet, it will be on the top floor where this Cohn Group restaurant is located. Genius, especially if you are trying to navigate back to the bottom level in teetery high heels after one too many peachy adult beverages. Also, dress up. Trust me.
It was the co-habby’s birthday and I decided to take him to a swanky swank swank restaurant after a long work week we both had. Our server had that kind of model-​y charmer smile that he probably figured would suffice more than enough to still guarantee him a decent tip without checking to see if our waters had dipped down or if our food was up to par. I’m pretty sure he was an actor/​model/​waiter waiting for his big break. It took forever to get our food however a party much larger than us (in fairness) had arrived before us and still didn’t get their food until quite a long time after we did.
What we had:
Moi: Macadamia & Coconut Crusted Sea Bass: crispy sea beans, roasted pineapple salsa, mashed sweet potato, lime, ginger-​lime beurre blanc. Extremely fresh, flavorful and light.
Co-​habby: Bruleed Pork Porterhouse: fig jam, pork belly, brussel sprout and sweet potato hash, prosciutto demi-​glacé. This was one hefty pork chop and cooked to juicy perfection.
I would probably come back again for happy hour but was not all that impressed with the dinner service, especially for what we paid. Ambience and the view are a definite bonus though. 4 stars.

Wow, simply WOW. My experience at Vintana last night was simply extraordinary. It’s 30 miles from where I live but I get the feeling I’m gonna become a regular.
Valet service is free of you wish to use it and the guys are all super friendly and nice.
The ambiance and décor is as classy and bright as it is warm and inviting. Hostess was attentive and welcoming, and because we arrived with some sort of good recommendations, two managers stepped in to greet us. Francesco was able to get us a seat outside for a pre-​dinner drink even though the area was full and we had no reservations for that area. I felt like royalty. The outdoor area is also fantastic, and the live music was amazing. A guy in a guitar and one in the drums and they put up quite a show. My old fashion came a bit too watery but I didn’t let this kill my vibe. I was just loving everything about that place.
Our table got ready and we moved to a nice booth inside. Love the individual bread. And loved the half off bottles of wine on Thursdays. Had a killer bottle of Pinot Noir for $ 30, can’t beat that. Server told me the oysters of the day were medium size but when I got them and they were small, he immediately offered a few more on the house to make it up for it. Loved his initiative.
For entrée I had the steak au poivre and, oh boy, it was delightful. Huge portion. But I ate it all because I’m a carnivore. Beautiful cut, amazing sauce, crispy fries. Fantastic meal. For dessert I had the mud pie that was ginormous. I couldn’t even finish it. Our servers name is Stefano (?spelling?) and he was friendly and attentive without being intrusive.
After dinner we went back to the deck to enjoy more of the music and a lot of people dancing, having fun, it was a blast to watch. I got the impression that place attracts more of the older crowd, the classy riches from Eacondido so it definitely has its character. I cannot wait to be back. Thumbs up to the impeccable service and the quality of the food. And the music, oh, that’s the cherry on top!
Thanks Francesco for the impeccable service and the rest of he staff for making this my new regular spot!

Vintana, who would have thought a restaurant right above a car dealership? As a local. it took me so long to come by even though I’ve heard people rave about Vintana as comparable to really great restaurants like The Prado, etc.
My first trip to Vintana was today, and this was quite impressive. You roll though the entrance into the dealership, veer right and pass through the garage where the lexus inventory cars are. and park on the top floor of the garage.
It was evident how neat this restaurant is the moment you step in. Once you go inside Vintana looks amazing. When you enter the bar is to the left, with the lounge and outdoor patio seating straight ahead. The front desk is inside towards the right with the main dining overlooking the windows with a nice view of Escondido.
No reservations were made for lunchtime and the wait time was quoted 5 minutes for two. I think it took 10 minutes before being seated which wasn’t so bad. Once seated I was on the slightly elevated dining booth which was spacious and roomy. The views were spectacular and it reminded me of being on top of the stratosphere with the impressive view and wide open feel.
APPETIZER:
~Kung Pao Calamari: roasted peanuts, red bell peppers, cabbage, carrots, scallions, crispy rice sticks
~Pacific Rock Shrimp & Sweet Corn Fritters: spiced maple, honey-​bacon crème fraiche
ENTREE:
~Lobster Mac N’ Cheese: blue cheese, pepper bacon, lobster meat, arugula, pickled red onion, candied walnuts, lemon oil
DRINK: I ordered the Black Rose (absolute citron vodka, liquor 43, blackberries, rosemary). it was a bummer because the server was like we don’t have rosemary after delivering my drink. She offered to change it so I switched to *Stockholm Mule* [absolut pears, st. germain, fresh lime juice, ginger beer] and she was quick to grab the Black Rose (which I thought she was going to leave because they would just toss it?!)
In conclusion, the service was mediocre! I would have thought for being a fine dining establishment I would have been more impressed. The server was blah, very short not welcoming and friendly even as I watched other servers whose game seemed more on point and our server was super slow! We were parched with empty cocktails after the first round and we were waiting for awhile and she took forever to come back and we ended up asking for water when she finally did come by because we got over ordering the second cocktail which we had intended to do. She also never checked up on our meal once our entrees were out, not even once!, it wasn’t until the very end when I needed a box that she came by which I thought was wack (she also gave a weird, awkward look lol). The food was amazing and my favorite was the shrimp corn fritters, that app was wonderful!
Overall I’d give this place 3.5 stars, and I’ll round it up to four this time. :)
HAPPY HOUR: 2pm-6:30pm daily with $ 7 appetizers
PROS: efficient bussers, delish food. 4.5 stars, nice atmosphere and views 5 stars
CONS: service sucked. the service was 2 stars! and a little on the pricier side

This is one of my friends fave place, so we came here during restaurant week. Vintana is located on the 3^rd floor of the Lexus dealership. Parking was pretty easy. We arrived a little early for our reservations, so we walked around.
The outside, where they serve their Lanai Menu is pretty nice. I would definitely want to come back and try their happy hour.
Once our table was ready, we were fortunately seated in the middle by the window. The view is of the dealership, but the waterfall is nice.
I ordered: crispy artichoke as an app, Harissa chicken as the entrée, and mud pie for dessert. My friend ordered: the wedge, flat iron steak, and mud pie. To drink, I ordered the mango ice tea.
To start off, we were given a pop over. This was like a flaky croisssnt. This was good, and probably more filling than it looks. The crispy artichokes were good. I’m used to having steamed or boiled artichoke. Some pieces were a bit softer, but this was still good. I haven’t had fried chicken in a long time, so the Harissa chicken was my choice of entrée. There were two pieces (leg and thigh) with extra crispness. The green beans were perfectly cooked. The blue cheese mash was ok. I’m not a big blue cheese fan, but it seemed like all the blue cheese was in the middle, so it was easy to avoid. The entrée is a good size, as I ended up taking about half of it to go. I has just enough room for dessert. The mud pie was excellent. Coffee ice cream is my favorite, and when paired with oreo cookie and almond brittle, how can you go wrong?
Service was great! The staff seemed to all work together to excellent service.
Vintana serves nice comfort food, and it is definitely good. I do plan on coming back to try more!

I’ve been wanting to come here for a long long time and last night I finally bit the bullet. What a lovely place to enjoy dinner with my husband! I can’t get over how perfect the ambiance and vibe this restaurant puts out. My husband said he felt like we were driving through capital hill with the long fountain at the entrance. Hehe
Parking: valet is complimentary. As soon as you enter the Lexus dealership, they are waiting for you by the front doors. If you don’t want to valet your car, just turn right and follow the signs up to the top of the parking garage where you can enter the restaurant.
As soon as you walk in, there is a bar and outdoor dining area. To the right you will find a display of wines and the main dining room. Immediately you will be blown away by the view. It isn’t a view of the beach, but the skyline of Escondido– the dining area has you surrounded with glass windows. It’s beautiful.
Food was delicious. We came for restaurant week so we had a three course meal for $ 30. I ordered the Caesar + Kale salad for my appetizer, Black and White crusted salmon (cooked to perfection might I add) and the warm butter cake with vanilla ice cream. The salmon was to die for. When I do come back, and I definitely will, I will most likely order that again because I loved it so much.
Service was awesome! What I loved about it is that they don’t rush you. You receive your meal slowly, but not too slow to where you get frustrated, but just enough to enjoy conversation and savor each course. Our server was kind and knowledgeable about the menu.
Thanks Vintana for catering to our special date night!