Waters Fine Foods

Everything I’ve tried here has been really good and tastes fresh! My favorite though, is the portobello mushroom sandwich! The bread is really soft and fluffy and the shoestring onions add some wonderful texture! (: A little bit on the oily side, but so so good. Other things I like to get are the pesto pasta and slices of quiche. Make sure to ask them to heat it up for you! It tastes amazing.

While I’m not at Waters at the moment, I certainly wish I was. I’m writing because I’m in the area and hoping to get there for lunch because … well, Waters is AMAZING ! The food, obviously, is lovely. Fresh excellent ingredients, yummy, great selection. You know the menu is devised by someone who cares …
And the ’ dry ’ goods sold, definitely well thought out .
Also, I work in pest control. My former company is there PC operator as they have a monthly maintenance program. I’ve been in the back & every nook n cranny often. Waters is extremely clean, sanitation is very important here and THAT is why they don’t have any pest issues .
It’s the perfect combo for me, excellent food & a thoroughly clean kitchen!!! There are few stores/​restaurants like Waters

I love Waters, I stop in here on average 4−6x a month. Their food is great. I love that I can always get my toddler something healthy to eat here. Sure it’s pricier than fast food but it’s so much better tasting and better for you.
During peak lunch hours it is very busy and the wait is much longer but at least you can see that the staff is trying to work as fast as they can. Love that they carry kombucha and iced brew coffees to go. Perfect place to pick up some snacks here and head down to Fletcher Cover for a sunset picnic!

To say this place is a clusterfuck is an understatement. This place reminds me of a crowded market in a third world country. Everyone is just kind of grouped together trying to order, you’re not really sure who you need to order from, the food takes forever to make, the line (if you can call it a line) to order and the line to pay are just kinda jumbled together, no one knows who is doing what, including the workers, and they always seem to forget something from someones order. If it’s not yours, it’s the guy in front of you in the checkout line. And do they open a new register for you while that guy waits on his missing food? Na. They just make it as fast as they can as you wait creating a bigger, jumbled mess of a line. The food itself is okay, a bit over priced, but as others have said, the service is atrocious and it gives me anxiety just thinking about it.

The food is pretty good but I think it’s all a bit overpriced. They have a large selection of different foods, and it all looked pretty good. I had some trouble making up my mind. There were numerous side dishes, baked goods, salads, sandwiches, and a couple of soups, so there’s something for everyone.
It’s deli-​style, and I ordered a small side of pasta salad (like an ¹⁄₈ pound), a small side of sauteed greens, and a very small cup of vegetarian chili soup. It ended up being over $ 10, which I think is quite pricey for deli food. Nevertheless, all the items I had were tasty and it’s not a bad place to meet friends for lunch. Speedy and reasonable amount of seating (a couple of tables outside too if the weather is nice).

Ok I have to say I have not eaten here, but from the service alone I will not be back. I wanted to order some food for my daughter’s first birthday. I tried for two weeks to get a live person at the Solana Beach store, no one ever answered no matter what time I called. I did a get voice mail a couple of times and left messages but no one ever called me back. I tried one last time and finally got a live person who couldn’t help me and passed me on to someone else who told me he couldn’t help me that I had to call their catering dept.
I called the catering dept, as I wanted to know what options they offered. The lady who answered couldn’t answer any of my questions and then passed on to their catering person. She said she would email me some options. The email I received said she had to check to see if they would even be able to take an order for the day I wanted and would get back to me. I never heard back so I emailed her back to see what was going on, and she basically gave me for food item options.
I was not happy at all and will not go back or every recommend them to anyone. Too bad I heard their food is good but I don’t reward bad service.

One of the best caterers in San Diego! You can go wrong with waters– I’ve used them for some of my events and have had the pleasure to eat at events where their food is served. I love this company and can’t recommend them enough– all of their food and bar items they dream up are to die for!

My husband and I love waters… we eat here once a week. The food is amazing but the service over the past couple months as gone from mediocre to abysmal. Case in point… I am standing at waters this moment after calling ahead and ordering 30 minutes ago. They failed to put my order in and didn’t have anything ready. No apologies, no rush on my new order. The place is packed. I really wish the owner could get her staff in order but every time I come here my order is messed up or they forget something.

Great service! And great food! I ordered a portabello sandwich with soup combo (soup of the day was broccoli cheddar which was good quality) for $ 7.50 (not too bad), but I did not like the sandwich (it was cold – if you get it I would suggest ordering it hot). I switched for the Caprese Panini and it was PHENOMENAL! (so glad I did that) Not only did the server switch out my sandwich, but she also offered a balsamic reduction addition which made it even better! The lemon aioli on the sandwich definitely gives it a unique touch (great if you like lemony foods as I do). You can tell they use the freshest and finest ingredients. I will be back to try more!

This place is pretty amazing. The location isnt so great but it is worth going to. The food is like home made and everything you eat is so tasty. Try it, you wont go wrong.

Had various items over the years off the menu or deli case to go. My personal favorite is the albacore sandwich.
Great selection, and executed well. At lunch there can be a line out the door. Go early or wait a bit. Worth every penny.

This place is really spectacular. I’ve been coming here consistently for lunch for the past 5 years and I don’t think I’ve ever had a bad lunch. I may sometimes cringe when I ring up at the register (the price per pound will sometimes bite you) but once I take that first bite all is forgiven. The sandwiches are by far the best deal with quality ingredients and delicious bread (they have gluten free if you ask). A soup and half sandwich comes in around $ 7.50 which is pretty normal for a gourmet sandwich and homemade soup.
Best part is the menu changes daily with their standbys always available. I am in love with the ancini de pepe so much that I’ve attempted to make it at home a few times and my concoction never comes close.
Seems everyone in the area also knows this place to be the best around because between 11:30 — 1:30pm it’s a ZOO. If you can avoid going at this time.

great food, kind of slow service, everything is GREAT.

I can’t say enough good things about this place. I have been coming to Waters for the last three years. There isn’t one thing I have had here that I can say something bad about. EVERYTHING is good! They use fresh, nutrient-​rich ingredients. I am a Whole Foods junkie, but I truly think that the food at Waters is better than the prepared food and deli at Whole Foods. And in comparison to Whole Foods, the price point is slightly better at Waters. So you really can’t go wrong. My personal faves are: Turkey Meatloaf, Mac n Cheese, All of their Quiches, and their Eggplant Sandwich. Their cookies are great too! If you are in Solana Beach, check them out!

Really good chocolate walnut cookies. Beet salad is pretty good, too. The people in here are always so nice. Last night I went in ten minutes before they closed and they were out of a lot of stuff because of the concert at Fletcher Cove. They were so accommodating and made it happen even though they were closing. Today I went for a tuna sandwich and they gave me roasted sweet potato for my baby. Great food and great staff.

My friend and I walked in here for a late lunch. They were out of almost everything and the girl who took our order was very impatient with us. When we finally found something they weren’t out of (2 paninis), we sat outside and they started putting up all the furniture. We then realized we had walked in 5 min before closing. I wish they would have just told us instead of treating us like we were interrupting their closing routine. I’d rather be told than rushed and left to feel bad. Sandwiches were good but FYI be aware of closing time on the weekends.

Waters is a solid lunch/​dinner spot. My office has been going 1 – 4 times a week for years! Their food is always good — no one has ever disliked anything. We love that they do daily specials and have a lot of variety. Solana Beach doesn’t have a lot of restaurants to choose from, so variety is really appreciated!
It can be bit pricey, but they use local, organic, and higher quality ingredients which I think justifies the cost.
My only complaint is that when you call to place an order, half the time the phone rings until the machine picks up asking you to call back later. It can be really difficult to place an order — when you’re picking up several lunches to have to order and wait at the restaurant takes a lot of time away from the office. (it can get very busy in there!) I’d really like them to start an online ordering system! That would be so perfect!
Shoutout to Claire who knows me by the sound of my voice and to everyone else for the great service!

I absolutely love this place! Come here often for lunch and get the chicken salad sandwich, num num num! Best chicken salad I’ve ever had! I’ve also stopped in to pick up dinner from their already made options; turkey meatloaf is delicious!

While the prices are a little high, it’s worth it! High quality food, unique options, as well as some more basic leaning choices.
Desserts!!! YUM
STAFF great too!!!
GO!

I’ve been a fan of Waters Catering for many years. When I stumbled accross their «To Go» store, my heart skipped a beat. It’s set up as a little gourmet deli. You place your order then pay at the cashier’s. There’s a nice set up of tables inside and outside their store. Also, they sell a small, but nice variety of boutique wines, honey, and upscale lotions/​soaps. I love this combo of eatery /​boutique. They also serve wine onsite and have happy hour during the week. I have several favorite sandwiches. Today it’s the grilled portobello with arugula. Also, I recommend their sides… the acini de pepe is wonderful and gemini pesto pasta is delish. Roasted Veggies are also fantastic.

I love being too tired to make dinner and coming here to grab something fresh and delicious and call it a night.
My go to sides are the presto pasta and the mac and cheese.
This place is also great when you have to bring something to a party and don’t have the time. Order some sides in the big tub and put it in a pretty dish and guests will be super impressed.

Wow– I never ever thought I would order a tuna sandwich!
First time here I asked the gentleman behind the counter what I should try. He said the tuna. I was like. NO I don’t really like tuna. I don’t care for fishy taste. He was like here try it. I really didn’t want to but, I did and boy am I glad I did!!! It was so clean and fresh!!! No fishy taste at all!
So I had the tuna sandwich and roasted cauliflower. My sister had a salad and got their veggies. OOOh my were they good. They are a bit pricey but, no complaints on the quality!!! ;-)

Love this place. I have been here many times but have never reviewed it. They have amazing fresh healthy items. Their Mac n Cheese are hands down heaven. They use the best ingredients and this crumb on the top to give it this incredible crust. They don’t always have it but if they do, definitely order it. Their grilled portobello sandwich is delicious. On this last visit I tried their grilled potatoes and pesto pasta. I had to order my favorite grilled portobello sandwich. Everything was delicious. They never skimp on their ingredients. If you post a picture on Instagram or fb, show then and receive a free chocolate chip cookie. This place has a small lot next to it and of course there is street parking. They accept credit card.

When it first opened however many years ago I didn’t know what to make of Waters. It looked beautiful inside and out, and they served lunch, but it seemed so focused on catering that dine-​in or small quantity takeout seemed an afterthought. Waters couldn’t really do a dinner takeout business if they closed at 6 or 7 pm, right? Wrong!
Waters has lasted for one main reason — it has excellent food. The place may be a bit expensive, but the store is very cute and the food is fantastic. I’ve been to Waters for lunch 3 – 4 times and I’ve been to at least 2 work events they’ve catered, plus box lunches from the other location at conferences and meetings. Also, my wife and I took out one of their special holiday meals (I think it was for Valentine’s Day or maybe Easter a couple years ago), and I get their menu emailed to me daily. It is fairly far from my office — otherwise I’d go much more often.
On my most recent visit I started with the special butternut squash soup. It looked like baby food, given the fine purée but it tasted wonderful. Then I moved on to the roast beef sandwich, which I also LOVED. The bread was awesome, with perfectly cooked rare roast beef, fresh lettuce, delicious tomato, and the three secret weapons: crispy onion bits, lemon aioli and horseradish sauce. Simple sandwich but executed to perfection.
One pet peeve of mine, which I wish they would fix, is that inside the store and on the emailed menus they list «paninis». I know it sounds pretentious for me to point it out, but «panini» is the plural and «panino» is the singular. The menu on the website is right but that’s the only place.
Lastly, I hope once the City of Solana Beach finishes its 101 corridor improvements it will be easier to get to and park, and better yet it would be great if the wider sidewalk could allow for some outdoor seating. right now getting to the place and finding a table are a pain.