Counterpoint

Great food and drinks with excellent service. Menu is upscale bar food but really tasty and well done. Great for a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Good food, good drinks, TERRIBLE service. Just sat at a table for 20 mins and only had water. We walked out and went somewhere else.

I ate here last week after sitting in an hour and 45 minutes of traffic, just to go eat here. Our service was horrendous. My drink was not filled once. We barely saw our waitress. I’m not sure what she was doing. And, it took almost an hour for our food. My sister went once and the servers were taking shots behind the bar and ignoring her the whole time too, never filling drinks or even checking on them. Not to mention the cook and the server can’t seem to get the items on their small menu right.
Now, let’s get onto the food… My sandwich was dry and there was barely any chicken on it, it was like all batter and a sliver of overdone chicken, and the bacon was so overdone I could hardly chew it. The entire thing was just difficult to eat. French fries were on point, I’ll give them that. My colleagues food was very watery, like the sauce was watered down. Gross. And my salad had missing items, but whatever, it was better than eating the dry turd sandwich that I had originally ordered. My other two friends got the burger. That was actually ok. When I returned home I got so sick to my stomach, it was awful. And, I had to drive with the cramping for 40 minutes home. (Thankfully there was no traffic going home)
If you just want to drink and eat French fries with spicy aioli and be barely served by a rude girl «Samantha?», than this is the place for you. I’d rather go eat and have a brash waitress at Dicks Last Resort, where at least I know they are joking.
If you want to have friendly service and delicious food. Go to Pizzeria Bruno in Hillcrest. Lovely people, nice caring atmosphere and the same ambiance you get here.
#notworthit

The food is just ok. The service is the worst. You can be the nicest server on the planet but when it takes you 25 minutes to take our order and then only return to bring a bill, no thanks. I think I’m paying for more than mediocre food and lacking service. Bummer.

Cute little spot with maybe 5 – 10 tables maximum. Snuck a spot on a Saturday night… Drinks were delicious and well made. Brussel sprout app was outrageous. Mac and cheese was good, not great… A little too smoky for my liking. Burger was standard, but cooked well.
Only complaint was slow service. Very attentive waitstaff until our food came out… Then the waitress was running around and never checked back in. Waited at least 10 – 15 mins for a check… Not a great way to end a good meal.

I have been here twice for brunch. I don’t think I could say enough about this place. I love the casual atmosphere and how it is the BEST local joint with great food, cocktails and a short distance from my house! Even if you don’t live in this hood. Come try this amazingness.
The service is AMAZING. Everyone is so sweet and attentive.
The biscuits and gravy are soooooo on point I dream about them. I ended up eating my friends plate of food because they were THAT good. My second fave is the mushroom toast. I could eat that sh*t every day. My only gripe is that I am a fat girl and would like a double order. I had the chicken and waffles Benedict today which were also amazing.
I can’t wait to come in and try the goodies they have for dinner. I will be back.

Recently moved into golden hill so I had to try out counterpoint. I always see a good crowd in there so I came in to find out what the buzz is about. As a hop lover, I was happy with their draft choices and my friend was also able to get a class of some tasty red wine.
We tried two dishes, the rigatoni and their market fish which turned out to be yellowtail. Both dishes were flavorful and the portion of fish was generous. The only thing lacking from a full 5 stars was that my vegetables that came with the fish left something to be desired. Maybe I’m just a starch guy… But hey. All in all, a great experience with friendly + attentive service. Will be back!

AMBIANCE — Low key restaurant on 25^th and Broadway when we came from brunch. Cement floors, industrial barstools, draft beers on chalkboard pillars, and classics playing from the speakers.
FOOD — Ordered the House Cured Salmon Toast for $ 9. The mascarpone rendered the traditional lox dish lighter than usual, both in taste and texture. Loved the dill, capers, and thinly sliced red onions. Wish there was another piece of toast or sides that went with the dish.
Would be interested to see the space and ambiance during at night/​during their weekly candlelight cocktail.

Grabbed a late dinner here on Friday night and the only highlight was the Halloween costumes of some of the other patrons. It was terrible service throughout the entire dining experience. Additionally, the server was nowhere to be found for 10 – 15 minutes at a time and they were so slow on our appetizers that we ended up scrapping the entrees. The kimchi brussels sprouts were great but not to the point where I would go back to get them. I had much higher hopes for this place and wanted to be able to frequent it, as I live in Golden Hill.

A hidden gem surrounded by large historic bungalows — we weren’t sure what to expect but were pleasantly surprised by the friendly staff, casual but modern atmosphere, and an eclectic menu of biscuits and butter, cheese curds, and mushroom ravioli. Loved the vibe of this place. Will be back.

I like the atmosphere here. Cool, hip place and the vibe is great. The staff is awesome.
But:
Whatever you do, don’t order the bologna Sandwich, it was just weird — just goo between two slices of toast. Stay away from it @ $ 13, if I had paid $ 2 for it, I don’t think I could have complained, I would have expected a two dollar sandwich. It’s a harsh price for such a bad sandwich. Maybe it’s just my taste that’s off, but I dare anyone to order it and like it. Came with a side salad which was fine. I really hope they bring back the gnocchi pesto bratwurst dish which is what I usually came here for.

The first time I went here I would have given 5 stars. One of two parties and sitting at the bar meant we got prompt service and I loved the happy hour menu.
I returned last week to find that half the happy hour was no longer available with only petty options (fried olives or French fries or pork belly tacos) available. I specifically chose this location for queso fundido and pig ears! So I don’t know if I’ll go back for the generic happy hour options and I was irked that the server didn’t inform us of the limited options when we ordered the drinks and asked for the happy hour menu. Then the pork belly tacos (which aren’t authentic nor an exciting edgy combo) fell apart and general flavor fell flat. Bring back pig ears and queso fundido!!!

Had a late night dinner here yesterday that was really wonderful. The service was friendly, but maybe a little off (our drinks took a while and I’m pretty sure they forgot to put in our brussel sprouts appetizer order b/​c it came out after our entrees).
We had peach/​gin cocktail that were incredible. Not too sweet, perfect amount of booze. The short rib pasta was perfectly seasoned with tender meat and hearty strips of pasta. We ordered the chicken and waffles too which also did not disappoint. I’ve had so many renditions of this dish that fell short. Not at Counterpoint — moist chicken, crisp waffle, and a hollandaise sauce I wont soon forget. Good things happening here. I’m excited to go back for brunch!

I love San Diego because it seems like the neighborhoods are always reinventing and becoming more awesome. Like, as many times as I’ve been to SD I’ve never been to Golden Hill. I’m happy I know about it now because I will definitely be back to Counterpoint.
We went in for brunch on a Saturday and were able to sit at the bar. First things first, it’s not that big of a space but it’s really cool inside. It’s very airy and open and the corner booth looks comfy with throw pillows and such. When we went it wasn’t very busy but the staff was very friendly.
I ordered the skillet scramble that was delicious! There was sofrito mixed in and if anyone ever has sofrito on their menu just shut up and take my money and bring it to me. The portion size was perfect. I was definitely full after but not stuffed. My boyfriend ordered the chicken and waffles and I wish he hadn’t because as soon as it came out I knew I wanted it. I tasted it and I really wanted it. It was bomb! So. Good.
Sooo I guess you could say I really enjoyed myself here. You can probably also say that I’ll be back.

The guy I went with sucked!!! Lol, but this place was really chill and just what I needed. I had the brussel sprouts and southwestern gin, so good and refreshing. The bartender and server were cute!!! A plus, because I had nothing else to look at, lol ha ha ha… jk (a lil).
Overall, good service, good food, loved the art on the walls, nice chill crowd, looking forward to having breakfast there… hopefully with someone better. Lol.

Where did you go, bro?
I’ve been living in Golden Hill for a couple years and I’ve never gone to this place, and I really wanted to try it because I’ve heard good things.
My girlfriend and I went here for dinner last night and when we arrived it was completely empty. Which was great because when I drive by it’s usually packed. I thought for sure we would get excellent customer service, but unfortunately that wasn’t the case. Our server totally forgot about us.
We arrived at 6 PM and our server approached us about five minutes later to take our drink orders. We were ready to order our food too so we put in our orders, but he never came back. He vanished like a fart in the wind!
At about 6:35 PM we kind of started to wonder. That already seemed like a long time to wait for food, but I know that sometimes the kitchen can get backed up. Plus we were enjoying our conversation.
I’ve worked in restaurants so I know how it goes, but there was nobody in there except for us. I think there was one other guy at the bar.
I absolutely hate complaining about my food and the service because I know how tough it can be, but this seemed a little off. We waited another 10 minutes, and then another 10 minutes after that. At this time it was 6:55 PM, and we bounced.
I might be back. If you promise not to forget about me!
Where did you go, bro?

This place deserves a lot more attention for the type of food it serves. The ambiance is very casual, like a bar, but don’t be fooled, the food is out of this world. I had their duck sausage pasta and it tasted so fresh, it’s as if they slaughtered the duck that day and took hours hand pressing the pasta– yes, even the pasta is thick and al dente.
PROS: Great food, casual vibe, great value
CONS: Lack of parking, constant fire truck sirens

Counterpoint was not what I expected. Before I knew anything about this place, I thought of it as a more formal dining place, but it’s just a cool hip hangout that I would definitely frequent. The whole layout of the place was cool there’s some spots for lounging, large high tables for groups, outside seating, and upstairs. Even though the place was packed, we were able to seat ourselves and found a comfortable spot.
We went in to try the hot dog specials. I got a turducken chili dog and it was so tasty. It came with house made chips that were just right. I loved this little meal so much I’m excited to come back and try the rest of the menu. This is my second time trying Counterpoint’s eats, but the first was at a pop-​up at Fall Brewing. I was pleased with my meal each time.
This visit they had a great beer special on 21^st Amendment brews for $ 3 each. With 4 of their beers available I was able to try one that I hadn’t before.
I loved the ambiance of this place. The staff was great and friendly and the food was YUM! I’ll be back.

This place is a hidden gem of a restaurant. I came here last night with a friend at his suggestion and was blown away. Its a bit on the small side, but its cozy and clean which I appreciated. The staff was friendly and helpful, but a tad surprised by the large crowd they attracted so they rushed around a LOT. I didn’t mind the small delays, we weren’t in a rush.
I had Julian Apple Cider, and my buddy had a beer. We ordered the Brussel sprouts to share and I had their cheeseburger while my dining companion had the beef tongue pastrami sandwich. Those Brussels sprouts were killer! Tender and flavorful but a TAD on the spicy side. My cheeseburger was THE BUSINESS. They KNOW what medium rare means, and they delivered the perfect burger. Seasoned and perfect, the aioli was on point, and the cheese. Oh man THE CHEESE. The half pound burger had a lot of heft to it and I could only eat half.
The fries were a delicious blend of awesome. I have no idea what they do but it was not typical french fries. I want to say there was some olive oil and rosemary involved, but I can’t be certain.
I stole a bite of the pastrami and was really pleased at how rich and savory it was, and not too salty. Overall this was an awesome experience and I’m so glad we came by. I just wish the staff had one extra person to help them out, the service was kind and welcoming but those poor gents were definitely overworked.

I love that this little spot is STILL thriving.
Jose provided above and beyond service by lending my hubby his jacket so we could sit outside!
The coffee very good!
Brass Rail cocktail — wonderful.
Brussel Sprouts — a must even if you are heat adverse — be brave not beige!