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Indigo Grill
Category: Restaurants Canadian (New) Canadian (New) [Edit]
1536 India St(between Beech St & Cedar St)
San Diego, CA 92101
Neighbourhood: Little Italy
(619) 234-6802
- Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 5 pm - 9 pm
Fri-Sat 5 pm - 10 pm
Sat-Sun 9:30 am - 1:30 pm
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Trendy
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
About This Business:
We are your healthy food option. We specialize in producing exciting, fresh and above all, delicious salad creations! Salad Chefs custom-craft each… read more »
453 reviews for Indigo Grill
Review Highlights
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"I love the "Good things growing" Its AMAZING." In 55 reviews -
"The squid ink pasta was creamy, cheesy and delicious." In 32 reviews -
"best thing on this place, Indian Corn Pudding." In 19 reviews
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453 reviews in English
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Review from Tian Q.
Service:
-Super cool/friendly waiter, gold star!
-The kitchen is very flexible with customizing the entrees if you want to switch around the sides or even change up the protein.
Food: fusion actually done right
-Flat Iron Chimichurri with tamale and butternut squash, great, and apparently tamale is supposed to taste good
-Hickory & Apple Smoked Pork Ribs, amazingly tender/juicy/flavorful sweet ribs, super savory indian corn pudding
-The complimentary Roasted Plantain Cheesecake Flautas for my friend's birthday were just okay, or maybe it's because we felt disgusted with how much we already ate.
-HUGE portions, I ate till the indian corn pudding started to taste the same as the butternut squash, wish we'd brought an extra fat friend to share the entrees.
I say this about very few restaurants, Indigo Grill definitely made my wallet bleed tears but the meal was worth it . -
Review from Nils H.
4/12/2012
Unfortunately, my recollection of Indigo is a little spotty given my flight of tequila (only two of which I could finish since apparently I'm the lamest person of life now), but I do remember the experience. The place is bustling, and servers are young, friendly and hip . Despite arriving early for our reservation, we were promptly seated and quickly were energized by the life of the place.
Indigo is definitely more of a "big, bustling, group dinner spot before big night on the town." Accordingly, food here is copious, and the drinks flow freely. I ordered the rainbow trout with salsa and potatoes. Expecting a dainty piece of meat sitting lonely on a plate, I was taken aback when an enormous piece of fish,drowned with fixins and sides, was served up. It was so good too! It took incredible willpower, but I was able to finish the entire plate. Other entrees were similar - largely-portioned, but no concession on quality.
My one critique was of the shrimp and scallop cerviche. There were like 2 shrimp and 1.8 scallops in the entire glass they serve it in. We might have just had a disproportionately high percentage of cucumber / pico de gallo in ours, but disappointing nonetheless. -
Review from Dylan W.
Rancho Santa Fe, CA
4/10/2012
Cohn Family of Restaurants, you're killin' me for price already!
I used to love the ol' Kemo Sabe before its demise, and I heard a rumor your same chefette made her way over to Indigo, so I tried it out.
Here is the tip: awesome fun belly-up-to-the bar scene Thursday nights. Bar food rocks. 'Tenders were gorgeous and funny.
Sit down food, was just Applebees++; What the heck happened? And then the bill was just incredible for the fare. I would think about buying that place just so I could lower the prices for everybody else!
Folks, re-think your numbers and sharpen your pencils because with dollars like that, about a third of my friends cannot be invited to hang out. That's bad for business. -
Review from Lea J.
San Diego, CA
5/23/2012 1 Check-in Here
Order the tamale appetizer--- you will NOT be disappointed. Creamy, corny goodness all the way. The mushroom alfredo was a monster. Added some chicken for protein and it became even more monstrous. A feast for four-- easily. Wish I had room for the sangria or dessert choices. Wait staff was very accommodating--- always a nice touch.
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Review from Liz H.
Phoenix, AZ
5/22/2012
Indigo Grill serves innovative cuisine and does a fantastic job making dining there a great experience between the cool decor, attentive service, and fun, colorful food presentation. I had the vegetarian platter ("Good Things Growing"), which was a delicious dinner with 5 different items. The butternut squash was my least favorite while the corn pudding was the best. The platter was huge and I had sufficient leftovers for a second whole meal the next day.
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Review from Vic S.
St Paul, MN
5/21/2012
This place is off the chain
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Review from Chris P.
San Diego, CA
5/20/2012 1 Check-in Here
Huge portions. 5 stars for the tamale app. food has a lot of stuff going on in a good way. eclectic mix of everything at this spot.
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Review from Red D.
Encinitas, CA
5/21/2012
Great food you will find know where else. Nice location and great interior design. Great staff. The Cohen's always do it right.
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Review from Brittany B.
San Diego, CA
4/5/2012
I wish this place wasn't so expensive, or else I would be here EVERY DAY! But it is definitely a great place to celebrate a special occassion. I'm already dropping hints that I want to come back for my birthday.
We ordered the rack of lamb and the pork. The plates that came out were huge. I took one look at my plate and thought there was no way I was ever going to finish that much food.
I did.
It was so good that I just couldn't stop eating. I think what sets this restaurant apart from other restaurants is the side dishes and the sauces. My rack of lamb was covered in this blueberry sauce that was delicious. It also came with a salad and potatoes that were covered in cheese and onion. They were to die for. The potato side dish was probably my favorite. I'm not sure exactly what ingredients they used in their sauce, but it tasted like a more flavorful french onion soup.
We also ordered the indian bread pudding for dessert. I'm usually not a bread pudding fan, but this one was perfectly moist.
Only thing was we weren't too impressed with the cocktails. We tried the Oaxaca Fire and the Ginger Mojito, which were recommended by our waitress. The Oaxaca Fire is good for a couple of sips, but then gets old pretty quickly. -
Review from Jorgeanne C.
San Diego, CA
4/5/2012 3 photos
Love their corn bread. A must get. It it filled with corn, cheese, sour cream and bit of tobasco. It melts in your mouth good.
Their breakfast items are typical but I give them a high rating for their corn bread, presentation of food and also because their service is awesome. -
Review from Jennifer A.
San Diego, CA
Updated - 4/2/2012 1 Check-in Here
Went for their March special - a set three course meal featuring food from Kemo Sabe and cocktails from Indigo Grill.
Mussels paired with sangria - mussels were good. sangria was refreshing
Skirts on fire steak paired with a margarita like cocktail - the steak was SPICY. good, but very spicy. there was a large assortment of sides on the plate, not sure if they were all necessary, but pretty typical of this place. Margarita cup was lined with pepper and chili flakes, i liked it.
Coffee ice cream on top of brownie in a pot paired with coffee cocktail. Both very good, but I was really, really full by that point! Wish I could have finished it!
All in all, the same thing I said in my last review holds true, but was glad to try some of their cocktails, great!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/27/2010
Typically I find, the larger the portions, the less the quality in taste of the food. This wasn't… Read more »
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Review from Shannon M.
Burbank, CA
3/30/2012
My friends and I wanted to eat Italian food in Little Italy, but ALL of the great places were completely full and were not taking reservations. So, we decided to branch out, and even though this place does not serve Italian food, they do serve delicious food...which is all I really care about.
I ordered the Alderwood Plank Salmon dish...and fell in love. It comes with this cucumber-dill moleto that tastes amazing with the salmon. It also has a side of squid ink pasta topped with a creamy, cheese sauce that I have been craving ever since I tried it! I highly recommend ordering this!
I also tried the Vera Cruz Maize Tamales, which was awesome, mainly because the sauce that it comes with I wanted to drink in a goblet. But only in a goblet.
The tortilla soup has a thicker creamy broth, so be prepared, but it is spicy and full of flavor.
And finally, I also tried the Scallop & Shrimp Ceviche. This was my least favorite. Not that it was terrible, it's just that the other dishes I tried were outstanding. Also, the scallops and shrimp were not fresh and had obviously been frozen. -
Review from Esther H.
San Diego, CA
4/3/2012
Came for a $30 Restaurant Week deal, and absolutely LOVED it! This restaurant was labeled as "eclectic," and it may as well be the perfect way to describe the ambiance and furniture. Dim lit with wooden and metal decor, with a kind of rustic vibe.
My favorite dish was the squid ink pasta-- the first time trying it and was so satisfied. The ceviche and butternut squash soup were also delicious! As for the salads, they were typical (nothing too out of the ordinary); I would have preferred another starter.
The service was extremely attentive, and the staff were so friendly! The best part: they gave out recipes for as many dishes as we wanted!! I was so impressed!
Came on a Wednesday for an early dinner (around 5:30pm), and the restaurant wasn't crowded at all. Street parking available, but may take longer to find during busy hours (weekends or nights). -
Review from Kristine K.
San Diego, CA
5/6/2012
I have been here a number of times, and the experience has always been a great one. The service is excellent, and the food is delicious. I came for brunch with my husband and son for an early Mother's Day outing since I've wanted to go since I heard they were open for brunch on the weekends.
First off, we came with my 10-month old, and I was a little weary that it might not be a good idea, because it's usually really crowded. Thankfully, they have high chairs, and it was not a problem at all having our little guy there with us. It wasn't as crowded as it is during dinner, so he couldn't really be a bother to anyone.
I ordered the pineapple upside down french toast, and it was soooo good. They give you a cute little pan of syrup that's heated by a candle thing, so it was all nice and warm. Then, there's a side of cardamon ice cream that was perfect with the french toast. I felt like I was having dessert for breakfast. My husband had the steak sandwich, and he said it was really good too.
The service was great, which it always is, so we'll definitely be back again for brunch. -
Review from Oscar L.
Burbank, CA
5/2/2012
I may have had the best meal of my entire life at Indigo Grill! The oddly named dish "Good Things Growing" pairs an exquisite mix of flavors, textures and colors with artful plating. It's gorgeous arriving at the table, gorgeous in the eating, and ultimately very satisfying. My companions were equally satisfied with their choices. Appropriately attentive service. Don't miss the opportunity to try out this unique place!
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Review from Nida K.
3/7/2012 1 Check-in Here
Wow, apparently the food here is really good (or so the rest of these Yelp reviews say). Sadly, I just came in for drinks. It was Yelp Drinks Week, so I dragged my friends out for the second night in a row. Come on now, you don't pass up cheap drinks, especially if they're only for a limited time.
We walked in and went straight to the bar. The atmosphere was nice since it wasn't too crowded and the decor was very woody. The bartender asked us what we wanted and we told him we were there for the Yelp Drinks specials. He named them off the top of his head and we decided on 3 Ginger Mojitos and 1 Red Sangria. The Red Sangria came out first and when the Ginger Mojitos were ready, he had made 4 instead of 3. He said accidentally made 4, so we could have an extra one. Yay, I love free drinks!!
We stayed for a little while and then headed onward to more bar/restaurants in Little Italy. I'll have to mosey on back to Indigo Grill to try their food soon. From the looks of these reviews, apparently I'm missing out. -
Review from JoAnn S.
San Diego, CA
2/26/2012
I love a good happy hour and I feel like I'm always looking for a new place to go chill for a little bit and catch up with friends.
My friend suggested Indigo Grill the other day and so we wandered in. I had been there for dinner a few years back and remembered it was outstanding as is Chef Deborah Scott.....but how was happy hour?? Awesome.
Service was great, the Bartenders were fun and welcoming as was the hostess. Wine was great, food was better. We had the muscles, they were outstanding.
I will be back for more. -
Review from Christy W.
San Diego, CA
4/27/2012 Seated via OpenTable
The grilled romaine salad is worth a visit, fried capers caramelized onions and jalapeños make the sweet, salty and hot combo yummy plus lots of Parmesan
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Review from Rachel C.
Oregon City, OR
4/27/2012
The food is sort of tex-mex but with a flare. Quite unique. A little pricey but well worth it. The service is outstanding.
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Review from Chun P.
1/18/2012
In case y'all didn't know, the Cohn Restaurant Group offers $20 3-Course Menus at the begginning of each year to celebrate their anniversary. As a Yelp Cheapass Extradonaire, er Elite, I'm all over this.
Being a yellow kid in the 80s wasn't easy...My 2nd Grade teacher sent me to ESL cause she just assumed Asians couldn't speak or read English(I was just a shy kid!). A week later they kicked me out of ESL when they finally realized I could read and spell better than most of the white kids. Wait! Where am I going with this???
Well...maybe I could've used an extra week of ESL! The 3-Course menu's 1st and 3rd courses were "To Share"...DOH!!! I should've read more carefully! Luckily my sexy date, the kind, lovely, and generous Erica P, went along with my choices of the Ceviche(which she doesn't really care for) for the 1st course and Cheesecake(which she normally hates) Flautas for the 3rd course.
*****COURSE 1******
Shrimp and Scallop Ceviche: Rather than being chopped up, there were exactly 3 whole scallops and 3 whole shrimps. Not what I'm used to but can I live with that. However, it was served in a bowl that was only halfway full. Whats the point in that? That would be like ordering a beer but with the bartender only filling it up halfway. The food itself was good, but not great, and certainly not worth paying full price for.
*****COURSE 2*****
Hickory Apple Smoked Ribs: 6 tasty Pork loin ribs in some secret sauce...yum! But by Rib #4 I had to ask myself "For less than $25, wouldn't I just want a full babyback rack at Phil's BBQ and a beer?" Yes indeed! The accompanying corn pudding was fabulous. Comes with a side salad, so don't order a salad as an appetizer.
Pecan Crusted Trout: Best trout I've ever had! Cooked perfectly with the pecans and nice sauce to go with it. The side potatoes were bland though.
*****Course 3*****
Cheesecake Flautas: Pass...its lukewarm and just weird. Even the rum sauce couldn't save it.
*****CONCLUSION*****
REGULAR PRICE $20.12 ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL
$14 Ceviche $20 for Chun P
$25 Ribs and Corn Pudding $20 for Erica P
$25 Pecan Crusted Trout
$9 Cheesecake Flautas
TOTAL SAVINGS = $73 - $40 = $23 ....despite having to "share" not too shabby! :) But if you're paying full price, I'd give it 3 Stars.
SIDE NOTE: In the bar area, there seemed to be a lot of old guys partying it up with much younger girls here. Whether you're looking for a Sugar Daddy or a Trophy Wife, check out Indigo's bar. -
Review from Robyn E.
San Diego, CA
2/1/2012
What a bummer...
We had heard about the Indigo Grill from so many people and for such a long time - we couldn't wait to try it. Maybe that was the problem? High expectations??
No I think it was just over done food.
Overdone as in overcooked? Nope - overdone as in let me see if I can cram every little "foodie" type item into this one soup so it's overwhelming, chaotic and completely disjointed.
Sure the presentation is fantastic, the food literally looks like art but once you start tasting your taste buds get confused and overwhelmed.
That being said the restaurant itself is in a great neighborhood, and on the Saturday night that we were there it had a line at the door and was filled with warmth and ambiance. We had arrived a few minutes early for our reservation and the staff was able to seat us at the bar for a drink while we waited for a table. Both the waiter we had at the bar and our waitress once we were seated were pleasant, knowledgeable and efficient.
I guess everybody has their favorites and this just wasn't ours...though it seems like i'm in the minority so try it for yourself and see what you think. -
Review from Angela C.
San Diego, CA
Nice staff who brought us complimentary champagne when they found out we were enjoying our wedding anniversary brunch here. Dishes are tasty and beautifully composed. We tried the corn bread and we both got the Trout BLT. They also have a gluten free menu. Pluses all the way an an over all great dining experience.
On our way our we asked if dogs were allowed in the outdoor seating area. The answer was yes! So next time we are sitting outside with our furry family member! -
Review from Arlene P.
Located on India St. in Little Italy, I love this place.
When I think of them, I think: Huge servings and UNIQUE food.
I hate paying money for food at a restaurant that I can make at home but, one thing this restaurant did was introduce me to new foods that I am inspired to try to make at home.
#1 Spaghetti Squash - sooo deliciously made
#2 Polenta - the texture was surprising!
These two were in my Chicken dish and I loved them... so scrumptious.
Everything I had, including the grilled salad (I was wary of grilled lettuce but it was amazing)
All the flavors and textures did not disappoint!
I will be back for sure!!!Listed in: Little Italy
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Review from Daniel S.
Del Mar, CA
3/3/2012 1 Check-in Here
This is "As good as it gets!"
First let me just start off by saying that our waitress Jenny was amazing. Everything this was right on point and perfect from start to finish, I couldn't have asked for a more memorable evening. I recommend the butternut squash soup for the starters and the coconut creme brulee for dessert.
By the way Jenny thank you for finding my wedding band in the bush. -
Review from Tony G.
Pico Rivera, CA
4/18/2012
When a restaurant pays attention to detail and makes sure their customers are well attended to, it deserves nothing less than 5 stars.
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Review from linda F.
San Diego, CA
3/2/2012
We love the Happy Hour at Indigo Grill the food is amazing and the service is outstanding. Plus what a great deal. The Duck Quesadilla and Salmon
bruschetta are my favorite followed closely by the Goat cheese fundido and the Clams. To be truthful I have never had a bad bite of food at any of Ms Scotts venues but I think Indigo is the most creative of all of her ventures. -
Review from Diane-a-Banana M.
3/31/2012
Let's start with we're not from San Diego. And from what I can tell, here in San Diego people seem to be overly generous in their YELP ratings.....like really generous. So our expectations were up there when we went to dine here the other night. But by the end of our appetizers we both agreed that the food here was at the level of a high end chain.
The salad was a carbon copy of all the other mixed green salads we've been eating for like the last decade! Chevre and some nut in it. The only added element were the bbq'd skewers of dates (possibly sweetened - who does that?) wrapped in overly salted bacon. They were sort of yummy in a fatty, too sweet and too salty kind of way. And we thought it was kinda cheesy to stamp the restaurants name on the fancy (but tasteless) flat-bread (get real, it was a flippin' cracker) they wedged into the salad.
On to the main courses - the potatoes were clearly from head office. ie they were all uniformly shaped, so clearly NOT hand cut and made on site, but rather probably poured from a frozen bag. And they were too salty. Everything else had these uniform seasonings on them that tasted like they were made by a food scientist, and not by an actual chef, hence the reference to this being at the level of a high end chain restaurant (we're from Toronto - the equivalent here would be a Milestone's - nice, but not my idea of fine dining.
We ditched for dessert and got some frozen yogurt instead. The servers were lovely, if corporate.
What can I say? -
Review from Jay P.
San Diego, CA
2/12/2012
My Sunday Brunch experience was as described as in other "4 star" reviews.
Try their mimosas.
The food was presented artfully, the ladies were taking a lot of pictures of their food.
I had the jalapeno corn bread and chorizo skillet. The house made an error with one of our orders and comp'd us choc chip pancakes.
For you bloody mary enthusiasts: their Crater Lake Bloody Mary Charcuterie is a must have. You have to see and drink to understand the total goodness. -
Review from Gary R.
(Straddling a 2.5 and 3)
Ever since moving to Little Italy, Indigo Grill tantalized me each time I would walk down India St. With its grand facade, graced by large tiki torches and a large outdoor dining patio that's always teeming with activity, it inspires intrigue. Well, two Sundays ago, the cutie I was spending my morning with had a voucher for a free brunch, and, at around 11:30am, we were both still in the mood for breakfast-y fare and decided to finally take the Indigo plunge.
Brunch is obviously not the most popular time to come to Indigo Grill, evidenced by how empty the restaurant was. But we were content with the quiet vibe and opted to take a seat on the outside patio where we could be lulled away by the local color and fresh, mild San Diego air. Only in Southern California can one eat a December breakfast and observe locals traipse around in t-shirts, shorts and flip-flops. We're so spoiled.
We opted to start with the Jalapeño Cornbread Skillet that is served with a chipotle butter. The cornbread had a nice buttery flavor (couldn't taste the chipotle), yet I had an extremely difficult time locating the jalapeño in each bite. Additionally, the bread was lukewarm. Now, I love bread, and, therefore, its temperature certainly didn't keep me from consuming it with a modecum of enthusiasm. Nevertheless, it would have been much more successful had it been served piping hot, as a skillet cornbread is expected to be.
For my main selection, I chose the Freedom of Choice that came with two eggs (scrambled, in my case), Applewood Smoked Bacon and Bacon-Potato Hash. It took a little long for the dish to arrive, and when it did it was lukewarm. It was apparent that it, too, had been sitting for a few minutes before being retrieved by the waitress. Moreover, the hash was disappointing; it was nothing more than a ramekin of tater tots doused in a nacho cheese-like substance. It was certainly not a hash in any conventional sense of the term. The cheese and tater tots, in my opinion, tasted cheap. Don't get me wrong, I love tater tots and nacho cheese, but it's not the quality that I would expect from a Cohn restaurant. Depressing and perplexing.
My tablemate selected the Flatbread with Mezcal Smoked salmon. Beautiful presentation. I had a bite and it had great flavor. The quality of the salmon was nice as well. It seemed to be a dish that was well executed.
Overall, I'm a bit disappointed and befuddled by my experience. Usually my experiences at Cohn restaurants are nothing short of being stellar. I likely won't return for brunch, but their dinner menu looks too enticing to stay away. Hopefully my lackluster breakfast was out of character for Indigo.Listed in: Living in Little Italy
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Review from David M.
Escondido, San Diego, CA
2/15/2012
Valentine's menu-
Drinks were ok...tequila with cilantro, lime, and cuke; wife had pom lemon drop...i should have ordered a beer.
The crusted Brie was like a giant mozzarella stick...not that good.
Wife had the Ahi and enjoyed it. I had All Things Growing...lots of food, fairly tasty. Would prefer to just order the tofu with some sort of rice....everything in this place is over the top- extra butter and cheese. That's an easy way to add to taste but I prefer a cleaner dish with taste based on thought/spices, not just loaded with butter or cheese to add flavor. Again, good taste; but I prefer to eat healthier...
Dessert came with the meal due to fixed menu...we only had a bite each because the entrees were huge....Cheesecake stack made us feel more guilty...but yes, yum! -
Review from Nicole F.
Updated - 1/19/2012
I don't dole out 5 stars often and what a surprise that I would do a complete about face on my perception of this restaurant. This was a dinner experience versus the brunch that seemed to be on an "off" day and let me tell you they were firing on all cylinders last night.... even with it being restaurant week. Rarely does a dining experience at restaurant week leave me excited but this one did.
Indigo Grill delivered on quanity quality and exceptional customer service. First the good things growing....I'm not even vegetarian but I had to try this and not only was it original but the myriad of tastes worked really well together. Husband had the salmon and squid ink pasta. Just know that the pasta is quite rich so if that is your thing go for it. But we were getting so full from the 1st courses that it was hard to get through the richness. Hands down favorite was the tamale. Not being a huge tamale fan I decided to try this shrimp appetizer as the description sounded so unique. Well, let me tell you, that appetizer is big enough to be a main course.
Also, the corn pudding (which came with the good things growing dish) was actually better than the desserts! We tried the creme brulee and pistachio torte. My fav was pistachio but the creme brulee was fine too. Also they were offering a nice assortment of bottles of wine for $20. This was one of the few restaurant week experiences that actually accomplished the mission....get you to want to come back even at regular prices. The service was impeccable from start to finish. I am so surprised that I even had my original not so good experience at brunch. They definitely made me a huge fan.
The ribs looked awesome, so I'll be back for those and maybe the duck and the chicken......1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/3/2011
I really only want to give them 1 star. I'm being nice by adding the star for the bartender "meaning… Read more »
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Review from Haylie B.
San Diego, CA
First of all...what a treat! I made reservations through Open Table (first time) and it worked super slick. We came in early on a Friday night....had a drink at the bar and the table was actually available early which was nice. I really appreciated the unique menu. Although prices are somewhat steep, portions are very generous and I got 2 meals out of my main course.
When we arrived I was very hungry, so our waitress (wonderful BTW) suggested the Pipian Crusted Brie. Now normally I'd never dream of paying $14 for an app, but WOW!! By far the best part of the meal hands down. The waitress also brought over a sample of the butternut squash soup and it really was yummy! Main coarse I ordered the Flat Iron Chimichurri. The meat was cooked exactly how I asked, but the rest of the dish was fairly standard. Quesadilla and black beans. My friend ordered the Jalapeno-Cilantro Pappardelle which was another highlight. Prawns and pasta w/ peppers and other deliciousness.
All and all, wonderful vibe, a little loud, food excellent, service excellent, slightly spendy, but I'd go back. -
Review from Fred M.
Camarillo, CA
1/25/2012
Indigo Grill is obviously a very popular spot on the edge of San Diego's Little Italy. Very crowded, noisy, congested and hip.
First look at the menu made it obvious that it's identity is a bit muddled. The theme is Mexican, Central American, South American, North American fusion. Right.
We started out with a ginger mojito. If you're not thirsty or a big drinker and just want a little refresher- order just three and you'll get the equivalent of one small cocktail.
Upon our very upbeat server's recommendation we opted for the signature baked Brie appetizer- a simple dish of a large triangle of baked crusted Brie served with a sauce of mole, sour creme, jalapeño jelly, roasted garlic, cooked cactus and dry warmed up uninspired flat bread. They seemed to have left off the wasabi and chutney from our dish. Just way too much going on.
Also recommended was the roasted romaine salad with another 8 ingredients, flavors, tastes.
The entrees were also conflicted so we decided on two more appetizers- the baked clams and muscles in a cream stew which was very tasty and the carne asada nachos which had crumbs of a dried brown meat-like something I assume was the carne asada, really dull tortilla chips that could be from any mediocre Mexican restaurant, a couple of sauces, cheeses, salsas, etc. again all but the kitchen sink.
Deserts all looked very heavy and following the same theme of too many tastes on one plate, so we had a trio of sorbets. The lemon was not lemony but more like margarita mix, the strawberry was nice and the blood orange tasted more of orange rind but was interesting.
Overall, this wasn't a bad experience but we came away with a muddle of tastes and flavors and two upset stomachs.
I guess plain, simple fresh flavorful dishes are too challenging for hip restaurants nowadays. This was probably the worst example of chefs conjuring every ingredient they can think of to dazzle us with their creativity. -
Review from Joe V.
Santee, CA
2/13/2012
Alright... I'm gonna grade this place based of 4 aspects: Food, drinks, atmosphere, and service. (Spoiler alert, they're top scores all the way if a little lengthy...)
Food: Excellent! Enough of a menu selection to where you're not overwhelmed by too many choices, and not too few to where they pigeon-hole themselves into a particular culinary category. I had the Alderwood plank salmon with squid-ink (Squid-ink?!) pasta which was terrific, and my wife had the Pork Porterhouse with chipotle mashed potatoes and pineapple kiwi salad/salsa (a perfect blend of the sweet and spicy balance we craved). Both were amazing! A bit of an unusual "unique foodie" flair since the head chef brought in influence from Mexico to Alaska with everything in the nearby Pacific, but it was very well balanced and you don't feel too apprehensive about trying something new. Overall I must say it was the best meal we have ever had. Our compliments to the chef.
Drinks: They have your standard San Diego bar regimen (local beers and mixed drinks), but some of the cocktails had an unusual (but tasty) flair. I had a Cilantro martini and a cucumber/eucalyptus awesomeness! She had a Pear martini and a Pomegranate lemon drop. All were amazing and you didn't have to wait long for refills either.
Atmosphere: Excellent feel about the place. Casual yet gourmet. You can walk in off the street in what you're comfortable in (within legal confines) or you can come in an celebrate a 2-year anniversary as we did. You don't have to worry about talking over other people or the music, which was fitting a pick that can pretty much appeal to all favorites with a kind of island reggae feel.
Service: What can I say? From the moment we walked in the door and were seated, our waitress (the sincere and attentive Natalie) was on top of everything with recommendations and even a brief history lesson on the restaurant! She knew the location, the chef, the bartenders, the influences, and the food! She advised what she thought would be good selections for us and was right every time.
I have to say, it was a tad pricey compared to what we are used to, but the entire experience was worth every penny, and I feel that I am doing everyone in the area a disservice by not telling you to try it out. -
Review from Robert F.
12/14/2011
All the Cohn restaurants are popular and this one is no different. This one precedes the explosion of better food in Little Italy, and deserves some credit for being here early on.
Latin fusion, often spicy dishes and in large portions. They have quite a varied menu with interesting combinations, and although I sometimes think their dishes have a tendency to be over-sauced the food is very delicious and very colorful.
The Mussels and crusted Brie are my favorite starters. If you are vegetarian, you will be pleased by the Good Things Going, which has tofu, corn pudding, plantains, squash. For carnivores, I like the chicken breast, the flat iron chimichurri steak, but the must-have in my opinion is the Pork Porterhouse. Cooked very well, it looks about 3/4 lb. and comes with chipotle mash and a sweet glaze. If you like C-level, Kemo Sabe you will find yourself right at home here. -
Review from JC N.
San Diego, CA
1/29/2012
I love this place so much. I've only been to this place twice and I was very pleased with everything. The decoration is very modern but still very classy. Table is probably hard to get, especially on weekends but you can always count on reservations. I fell in love with the restaurant right after the first time and I loved it even more after the second time. I was very impressed with their food presentation, it surely triggered my appetite a lot.
So on my first visit I tried the beefsteak. It was grilled well but I felt like it went down 1 level of how it should be done (like, if you want a regular MEDIUM RARE, go for MEDIUM! I called for medium rare and it was too rare for me). But it was good overall.
The second time I was lucky enough to go during their anniversary week/month and got this special 3 course meal for only $20 (that basically was 50% off since all the courses were in regular size. That was A LOT of food). YUM!
I really want to recommend this one side but I totally forgot the name. My bad. But it has grilled corn in it and it is sweet...Argh..Just describe that to the waiters hopefully they would know. -
Review from William W.
Yuma, AZ
5/6/2012
Best meal ever. I got the mushroom fettuccini and it must have been prepared by God himself because it was divine. The service was great and I plan on returning as soon as I can.
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Review from J. P.
San Diego, CA
1/21/2012
Mmmm...."Good Things Growing" A
Butternut Squash Soup A++
Love the atmosphere, love the local, love this restaurant! -
Review from Sandra F.
11/8/2011
This place is bananas! Really fun to see what they come up with - can't say any of the food was the best I ever tasted but wow, what a presentation!
- Butternut squash soup with tons of stuff in it!
- Clams and mussels
- Baked brie with mole and roasted garlic!
- Some flaming dessert, I don't even know what it was but it involved mint ice cream, marsh mellow meringue and red cake. It looked like a beehive.
Fun stuff -
Review from Micah B.
San Diego, CA
1/12/2012 1 Check-in Here
Excellent with huge portions. I tried the duck on a recommendation from the waiter and it was excellent. I've never like duck until now. I will be back to try the rest of the menu.
The atmosphere is awesome. Downtown in little Italy. We sat on the porch because inside was full, but the heaters were nice. The manager of the place has old fashion customer service where he visited every table to see how the food and service was. Keep it up, it is refreshing to see.
I will be back and will bring family and friends.
