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Urban Bar & Grill
Categories: Nightlife Bars Lounges Restaurants Canadian (New) Lounges, Canadian (New) [Edit]
827 5th Ave(between F St & E St)
San Diego, CA 92101
Neighbourhood: Gaslamp
(619) 235-8700
- Hours:
Mon-Wed 4 pm - 11 pm
Thu 4 pm - 12 am
Fri 4 pm - 1 am
Sat 12 pm - 1 am
Sun 12 pm - 11 pm
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Valet
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Music:
- Background
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Sun, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Ambience:
- Trendy
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
174 reviews for Urban Bar & Grill
Review Highlights
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"They also sell pita bread and hummus." In 5 reviews -
"Loved their filet mignon quesadillas." In 3 reviews -
"Thai Red Curry Mussels: 0_0 OMG." In 3 reviews
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174 reviews in English
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Review from Jackie S.
West Covina, CA
5/9/2012 1 Check-in Here
I really like this place. My first time here was about a year ago for my boyfriend's birthday. After we were seated, the waiter brought us this yummy little bread basket.
He ordered the Seafood Linguini ($26) and I ordered the Bruschetta Chicken ($13). Both were great!
Because the first time went so well, we came back again while in San Diego this past weekend. This time, my bf ordered the Chicken Roulade ($22). The sauce on the chicken breast was really good, but if the chicken had been by itself it would have disappointed. It was pretty dry. Also, neither of us were a fan of the Polenta. I ordered Filet Mignon ($32) and I thought it was delicious. The truffled Mac & Cheese that came with was yummy as well. This time, we didn't get the bread basket that we loved so much before =( (it had a variety of breads, pita, etc.) I guess they switched it up. We just got plain old bread. lol
The only down side to this place is the service. It was a Friday night and we were seated quickly, but our food took FOREVER to come out. We had a long day and I was ready to fall asleep at the table.
There was a check-in offer on Yelp, one free dessert! We chose the Crème brûlée which was absolutely delicious! I never had it before and I was pleasantly surprised. We'll most likely be back here again next time we're in San Diego.Listed in: Food, Food & more Food.
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Review from Kristin F.
San Diego, CA
Updated - 5/8/2012 12 photos
Fiancé and I dined at Urban last week for the 4 year anniversary of our becoming a couple, and our wonderful late dinner experience is certainly worthy of a quick review update.
We came to dinner with a $50 http://Restaurant.com gift certificate (minimum purchase of $100 required and 18% gratuity added pre-discount). The neat thing about the $50 certificate compared to the restaurant's $25 certificate is that pretty much anything goes--Happy Hour, specials, promotions, alcoholic beverages, no day or time restrictions. We ordered 2 Happy Hour appetizers, 2 dinner entrees, 2 chocolate desserts from the tray selection, and some drinks and enjoyed everything.
A big thank you to Urban's staff for the great anniversary dinner and for being so kind as to comp one of our desserts!Listed in: Happy Hour Food in San Diego
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/1/2010
Stopped at Urban for dinner before heading to the Padres game last night and loved it.
Funny, about… Read more »
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Review from Shanley M.
San Diego, CA
3/14/2012 1 Check-in Here
This place was cute inside...we sat at the bar in order to be closer to the things we wanted most...the drinks :)
I had something called the Urban martini (vodka and pomegranate juice with a splash of cranberry) that was very yummy and definitely strong enough to have me a little buzzed after my second one. We were there during happy hour so it was also half priced...can't beat that.
The bf had a moscow mule that was DELICIOUS. It was even served in one of those copper cups that keeps it extra cold. He is very picky about his drinks usually but also thought it was really good.
Now the reason for only three stars...the food :/ If we had been paying normal prices instead of HH I would be even more disappointed. We had the filet mignon quesadilla, calamari, and chicken skewers with chimichurri. Calamari and skewers were fine, just kind of bland...but I was really excited for that quesadilla and it was just sad. Little tiny bits of steak in a whole lotta wrapping.
Anyway, still a good place for drinks during HH but I might check out a few other places downtown before going back. -
Review from Peyton C.
San Diego, CA
5/4/2012
Came here for an anniversary celebration with my boyfriend & we were very impressed! I told the person who made my reservation we were coming for that reason & they put us in the nicest little booth kind of away from the main restaurant with a view right over 5th ave. It was intimate & exactly what we were looking for.
The food was amazing, we shared the short rib flatbread, bruschetta chicken "burger" with the bacon mac & cheese on the side. Both were to die for, especially the flatbread! So unique. Slightly overpriced for a cafe but overall I would recommend it to anyone in that area for a cozy spot still in the Gaslamp. -
Review from James Z.
Chicopee, MA
5/9/2012
My Fiance and I ate at Urban Bar & Grill the first day on our week vacation to San Diego. This place was awesome! The hostess was super nice and our server (who was also the manager) Danko, was great too. We started with the Wakami Tuna Tacos and they were amazing. I had the Kobe Beef burger and it was one of the best burgers I've ever had! Had a side of the Truffled Mac & cheese w/ bacon and it was delicious too, and the shoestring french fries tasted SO GOOD. I recommend this place 100%, best restaurant we went to in San Diego, so good we ended our trip by having dinner there again (which says a lot because there are SO MANY OPTIONS in Gaslamp). Friday and Saturday nights can get pretty busy at dinner time, so reservations might be good, we went on a Friday night but at like 8pm and had no trouble. I will definitely eat there again if we visit SD again.
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Review from Caroline S.
San Diego, CA
3/30/2012
I went here with my fiance for dinner. We had the vegetable flatbread pizza as an appetizer. I ordered the seared ahi tuna and he ordered the Kobe burger. We also had 3 cocktails. The food was delicious. The flatbread pizza was full of roasted vegetables. My ahi was great and I really liked the vegetables it came with. Some restaurants give you a really small piece of tuna but Urban's ahi was a really good size. My fiance said that the Kobe burger was on the lean side but that's how he likes it. The fries that came with the burger were amazing - perfectly seasoned and just the right amount of crispy. I would definitely recommend getting the fries.
The service was good and the food was delicious. Prices were reasonable. My ahi was $30 but the burger was only $16. Our total, with appetizer and 3 cocktails was $84. Not bad. We would go back again. -
Review from Angel H.
1/23/2012 1 Check-in Here
French Maid was too strong. (For once I'm commenting on how strong a drink is)
Strawberry Lemonade was tasty.
Sweet Potato fries were truly mediocre.
I'm trying to this new thing called "Keeping Yelp Reviews Succinct". Because frankly, who wants to read my essay on how the French Maid tasted like (that's what she said) when you're really just looking for a place that has happy hour on Sat. at 10:30pm? Go there if you're trying to get away from the drunken and almost chaotic crowd in Gaslamp. And then go outside and conform to the inebriated actions.Listed in: A 21-year-old Debauchery
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Review from Freedom r.
San Diego, CA
12/16/2011
I came to the restaurant because the name sounded like it would be a fun hip place. I was completely wrong. there is nothing urban about the place.
the service was ok, not the best and definitely not fitting for the price of the dishes.
they offer complimentary tasty hummus and pita bread to start .
I ordered 2 appetizers one calamari and one red curry mussel, and they never brought out the red curry mussels.
for the main dish my girlfriend and i ordered the beet salad with extra grilled salmon and seared ahi tuna. We had also requested extra beets.
on the menu the beet salad comes with greens, candy walnuts, goat cheese, beets, tomatoes.....
when they brought out our beet salad we had completely different salads to each other even though we ordered the same salad.
she had onions added to hers.....??
Plus,
they had forgotten to add the walnuts, goat cheese and the extra beets like we asked.
it is a salad....come on how hard is it to make. How does the chef forget the main ingredients in a salad???
they did bring the ingredients out in small bowls after we brought it to their attention.
the ahi on my salad was a pale pink and no taste, usually seared ahi is a nice red color, I am concluding that the ahi was frozen piece thawed out not fresh.
the waiter offered a free starter dish to us
I would not go back to this restaurant. Service was poor and the food quality was poor. -
Review from Rob Z.
San Diego, CA
12/31/2011
Dined here last Friday, 12/23, for the first time based on Yelp reviews and their menu. I was favorably impressed with the relaxing decor and friendly staff. NOTE: the menu posted on their website is NOT current, some important changes have been made! The on-line menu choices look much better than their actual menu; sad, but true!
We started with the bruschetta trio; tasty, nice presented, questionable value; I had the NY strip and my wife had a chicken entree (don't recall which one). Dinners included a starch and a vegetable, mine was whipped yams and lightly sauteed brussel sprouts (very crunchy - I would have preferred more well done), my wife's included pollenta and a vegetable (again-don't recall -- is there a trend here???).
My NY strip was prepared as order, medium rare, but it tasted as though it may have been ready to serve before the other entrees were done (their were 4 of us). My wife said her food was good. Our guests both had angel hair pasta and had no complaints.
As for the service, they don't seem to quite have their act together; seems to be a lack of leadership. I ordered a glass of wine, but after about 10 minutes, I had to remind our server about my wine.
Unlike so many other Gaslamp restaurants with menus priced for tourists and people dining on their company's expense account; Urban Bar and Grill's menu prices are fair and this seems to be the type of place that locals would want to visit. I do intend to dine here again! -
Review from Cole C.
1/10/2012
New Year's Eve dinner.
I don't know if the menu online is just old, or if they had a special menu for New Years, but either way, it was disappointing. Everything that had appealed to me online was absent from the dine-in menu.
There were 8 of us dining, so I between everyone's orders, I was able to taste quite a few of the dishes on the menu. The boneless short ribs were REALLY good, but nothing else stood out. Also, I can't think of anything worse to serve besides short ribs than unseasoned brussels sprouts.
The waiter was okay. He did a fine job, but wasn't particularly friendly. Typical French.
I thought the decor was a little strange. The light fixtures were cool, but nothing else looked particularly "urban" to me. The pattern on the chairs looked a little bit like something you'd find on a booth at Cocos. Not really something I care too much about, but I do think it precludes Urban Bar & Grill from being classified fine dining.
There are better options downtown. -
Review from Lexi S.
San Diego, CA
2/13/2012
I went here on Sunday (February 12, 2012) for a 21st birthday dinner and it was pretty empty and quiet.
I tried the Strawberry Lemonade (cocktail) and a margarita both were very weak drinks but we got them at the happy hour price (can't complain about that).
I ordered a kobe burger my partner got the top sirloin. The food is very good no doubt! The portions are small, but that's expected from a local pricey place like this.
The service was mediocre. The wait staff is very friendly and helpful however, the wait for food was close to an hour and they brought me the wrong burger (Urban burger). The offered to send it back and I just didn't want to wait another hour for a burger. I ended up trading burgers with another guest in our party so I still ended up with the delicious kobe burger!
Overall it was a good experience, not amazing and not bad hence the three stars. Would I go back? Only if there is another event, it wouldn't be my top pick when down town. -
Review from Steve K.
San Jose, CA
12/26/2011
Ate there for dinner on Xmas night. The full menu was available. The Wakami Ahi Tuna Taco appetizer was awesome! I had the Brasied Short Ribs as an entree. I love Braised Short Ribs and this dish was as good as I've ever had. My wife had the Rustic Flat Bread and loved it. My daughter had the Kobe Beef Burger with roasted tomato. She save me a bite; it was spectacular. The side of Truffled Mac & Cheese was so good we almost ordered it for dessert. Good thing we didn't or we would have missed the Creme Brulee and Molten cake.
It's not a cheap restaurant. But, the food is EXCELLENT. -
Review from Amanda M.
San Diego, CA
4/4/2012
Really classy and fun decor. Best Sweet Potato Fries in San Diego! We were there on a Monday and it was bright and quiet. Burger was delicious.
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Review from Tinie T.
Yum! Stopped in for some evening eats. They have a great late-night happy hour menu... I'm all about the amazing deals.... yes please and thank you Urban Bar & Grill. Thank you for satisfying my many needs.
Off the happy hour menu, I ordered Urban spiced calamari... delicious... and Vietnamese spring rolls... a must for me considering that my 100% Vietnamese ethnicity demands that I eat these on a regular basis whenever and wherever I find them. And hey, it turns out that Urban Bar & Grill knows how to appeal to San Diego's Asian population quite nicely.
The spiced calamari was sooooo yummy. Flavor PACKED. Easy and breezy to eat. Came with sweet chili sauce for the dipping. Yum. The spring rolls also came with the same sweet chili sauce, and I highly approve of this pairing. The spring rolls tasted super fresh, healthy, and satisfying. -
Review from Sande b.
TOLUCA TER, CA
3/6/2012 1 Check-in Here
Happy hour 9pm to close! Staff and manager all very friendly and cool. Live music while we were there was great. Menu is eclectic. Ended up just getting a burger and it was soooo good. We wondered in on a Friday night and enjoyed it so much we came back on Saturday for the live music and late happy hour.
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Review from Mo a.
San Diego, CA
3/31/2012
We went there on a Friday at 6pm, not too packed, nice wait staff. I had a mule which is a great vodka drink and a sangria which wasn't too bad, not the best but definitely good still. Me and my date shared a flat bread, the veggie one, awesome! And I had the Kobe burger, O....M....G. Really good, and I'm particular about my burgers. She had the seared Ahi and it was really good too. Overall awesome experience, bill was only $84.
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Review from Jennifer N.
Drexel Hill, PA
10/31/2011 1 Check-in Here
Thank you to Urban Bar and Grill! Hubs and were looking for a late night dinner spot. We were craving mussels, and luckily this place had them and was able to let serve us though they were almost closing! We could order any appetizers, and that was totally ok by us! We ordered the crab cakes and the thai red curry mussels. We even got hummus and pita while we waited for our apps. Nice touch!
Food came out fast, and we devoured our plates. The crab cakes came with a very good sauce and the mussels were TDF (to-die-for!). Amazing, amazing, amazing! Service was great, too! -
Review from Noreen R.
Falls Church, VA
11/11/2011
We went to Urban Bar & Grill on a Monday night around 8:30 pm. It was pretty empty but we weren't looking for a crowd so it suited us fine. The waitstaff was attentive and the restaurant's decor was kind of chic but not stuffy. We were quite comfortable.
The menu is pretty impressive and has a wide variety of options. We ordered the Thai Coconut Curry Mussels and they were awesome. I'm not a coconut person but I really enjoyed these. I had the Seared Ahi Tuna Salad and it was ginormous. The dressing was kind of blah and I think it was lacking in flavor but the tuna was delicious. After eating hotel reception food for three days, we were looking for something fresh and Urban hit the spot. They also have a great wine selection although it can get a bit pricey. -
Review from Tony J.
Haworth, NJ
3/15/2012
This was my first dinner at Urban, but, I will return. My party of 10 arrived on time and were seated immediately. Service was very good for this area considering our large party size. My sesame Ahi Tuna was in fact spectacular. It was cooked perfectly. The quality of the Ahi Tuna was also excellent. We all left with a good dining experience.
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Review from Stormie K.
San Diego, CA
1/9/2012
It was my 2 year anniversary with my man and I decided that trying this place would be fun. It looks really nice and all.... we rolled in, and picked a seat in the bar area for Happy hour drinks and food.
The bartender waited on us, and she seemed super unhappy and awkward. I tried to be nice, thinking maybe she was in a bad mood, but to be honest it put a damper on my mood. My boyfriend had to work at 9 though, so I didn't want to waste time bickering.
She acted like giving suggestions was kind of a chore (I've been in the service industry since I was a teenager, and I know that suggestions is crucial to your job, DUH!!!) I'm a nice person, so I was friendly anyway, but I love when people actually know how to interact and make you smile and give good recommendations. That's part of what you pay for....
Also, the food was very small portions for high pricing. I will say the French Maid was a great drink though.
My boyfriend and I both agreed we won't waste our time going back though. Not a good experience. If it hadn't been our anniversary and I hadn't been in such a good mood just to be with him, I would've been way more upset.
This place needs to get their act together a bit more. -
Review from Pam S.
Surprise, AZ
2/4/2012
Overpriced trying to be trendy and failing. 3 times my friend's meat came dry. The wait staff was phenomenally awful. I couldn't even finish my sandwich. I have gotten better in a cafeteria and this came highly suggested by our server.
Our water glasses were ignored. requests were forgotten about.
And I have seen nicer bathrooms in dive bars where your shoes stuck to the floor. Definitely not someplace I would recommend or ever come back to. -
Review from Shaney G.
Aiea, HI
2/27/2012 1 Check-in Here
Visited here after a show at the Balboa Theater...Place was relatively empty on Valentine's Day, around 9:30 pm. Service was attentive and food tasty. No Wow factor overall, but Urban B&G was more than satisfactory to us.
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Review from Raymie H.
Chula Vista, CA
4/18/2012
Fun atmosphere for larger groups. Right in the middle of the Gaslamp so you can easily walk to your next destination. Food was fine. Waitresses were super friendly!
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Review from jared s.
Echo Park, Los Angeles, CA
8/10/2011
Make a reservation on Open Table.
Last weekend, a friend of mine recommended we all go out to this restaurant. He checked open table and saw that there were reservations available every 15 minutes, so he didn't bother booking one, in case certain members of our party were late, or dropped out.
When we showed up there were 2 VERY manic hostesses, that were almost shouting at every person that approached the podium, "Do YOU have a reservation, it is a 2 hour wait?"
Knowing that my friend checked Open Table, I logged on with my smart phone and MADE a reservation for 9pm, which was 10 minutes from the time I made it.
We let 5 minutes pass, and then I went up to the panicked hostess and explained to her that we had a reservation. She saw no such reservation, so I showed her my confirmation from open table. She tried to argue with me, and I politely asked for the manager.
The manager was briefed by the hostess before he met with me, and started off as if he was going to turn me away. I explained to him that if his establishment is going to subscribe and receive recommendations and advertising from a service like Open Table, than he must honor their confirmation, or unsubscribe from their service.
The manager from that point on was extremely gracious, and set us up at the bar to wait for a table to open up. We were sat within 20 minutes and the food at this establishment is excellent. We had Thai Curry Mussels for an appetizer and everybody's entrees were incredible and fresh.
I highly recommend this restaurant for the food and ambiance. The waitress was knowledgable, and the manager was a professional. Make a reservation, because the hostesses don't know shit. -
Review from Darlene B.
Lemon Grove, CA
8/31/2011 1 Check-in Here
This place was on a list of a "San Diego Restaurants Gift Card"! When I tried to make a reservation on OpenTable, the only time they had for a Saturday night was 915 -- that dinner time was wayy too late for my liking. So we made an attempt for a walk-in around 730! Luckily there was an opening and we were seated within minutes. It was kinda cool too because I overheard the hostess turning people away saying they don't have any more openings. We were also lucky enough to get outdoor seating!
Then, since we found out we had $50 bucks on our gift card we kind of splurged. I got a steak with vegetables and my boyfriend got a BBQ pork sandwich, and this mac & cheese that I didn't think was that great. We ordered a creme brulee for dessert -- i'm not a fan of it, but it was good.
The service was amazing! Our waiter, Chris was so friendly and so helpful with the menu. The manager also came to our table to ask how our meal was going and it was just a friendly gesture that seems very necessary at restaurants. It is kind of upscale and I'm glad I got the opportunity to try it! -
Review from Lindsay M.
Newbury Park, CA
11/5/2011 Seated via OpenTable
The Man and I were on a little vacation down in San Diego, and Urban Bar and Grill was recommend to us both by a friend and Yelp! So, we made our reservation on Open Table (as was recommended on other reviewers, but turned out to be unnecessary for a Monday evening). We did, however, go and purchase a http://restaurant.com certificate that helped a lot!
We were seated immediately, our server was very friendly, even taking a few minutes to offer his recommendation when asked. We settled on the calamari (super light and crispy coating!) that came with a thai chili dipping sauce (yum!).
I had the Blackened Mahi Mahi served with tomato risotto, avocado and crema fresca and topped with crab meat. The fish tasted great and was cooked well (not overdone) but the risotto was a disappointment. It was under cooked and bland. I couldn't even finish it, only took a couple of bites.
The Man had Seafood Dynamite, shrimp and mixed seafood in a Brandy cream sauce, gratinee with Parmesan cheese, served with seasonal vegetables and roasted potatoes. He seemed to enjoy it, finished the plate, but didn't rave over it either.
All in all it was a good meal, the service was excellent, never had an empty glass, and the calamari was by far the best thing we ate that night, so I would say go for the appetizers, but perhaps skip the meal. -
Review from Christos B.
San Diego, CA
Cisca rocks (was originally a 4 star reveiw)
After cisca left, i went back and it was HORRIBLE. Work on the service level of your staff.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/13/2010
This is my first time here and I have hard mixed things. Tonight two things proved to be true: the… Read more »
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Review from Chelsea J.
Seattle, WA
5/9/2011
On my recent visit to San Diego we went to Urban for wine and pizza. I loved it! I would definitely hit up this place regularly if I lived in the area.
The space was very cool. Wide open renovated garage area with high tables, couches for lounging, and floor space for mingling. The vibe was a little sultry and hip while still being a casual place to hang out.
We each had a drink and shared the small cheese pizza. The small was huge! It was $12 and well worth it considering we had more than enough sharing between 3 people. The crust was thin but not soggy at all which is sometimes a problem with thin crust. The pizza was great, wine was good, and prices were reasonable. $42 for 2 glasses of wine, 1 cocktail, and the small pizza.Listed in: Out of Town
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Review from Lindsey B.
San Diego, CA
5/31/2011
Came here Sunday afternoon. Dead. Pretty empty but being that it's my personal goal to try every place in my neighborhood to eat, we went in. The menu looked decent, anyway.
Service: Awful. Considering we were 1 of 3 tables the server had to handle.. it was way too slow. Also, I like when a server can tell me what's good on the menu. He didn't have a clue. Food took forever for the place being so empty. Our plates remained on the table for way too long after being done with our food - which was only half eaten.
Food: The best part was the free pita and hummus that came out after we ordered. Two of us got the cheese burger. I'm pretty sure that was a pre-made frozen patty. The fries were alright.
Overall.. not a memorable experience. -
Review from Porchia S.
El Cajon, CA
12/16/2011
My husband I went there after his ship's Christmas party. Needless to say, the food at the party was awful. Neither of us had eaten here before, but we saw it and were intrigued. We were seated immediately. Our server was very friendly and knowledgeable with a great foreign accent I might add. We had the mozzarella medallions for our appetizer. The marinara sauce they served it with was one of the better ones I have ever tasted. I had the Bruschetta Chicken sandwich; it was heavenly. It made me wish that we would have skipped the Christmas party altogether that night.
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Review from Nikki V.
Charlotte, NC
7/12/2011 2 photos
I just left San Diego and we stopped in to this nice restaurant. We sat in the bar area near the TV's and the ambiance was nice. Our waiter DonDon, I believe was great. He had a Italian accent. The food was great. They serve you a good portion of hummus and pita bread.
We ordered the Shrimp Ceviche which is basically a salad, but it has a differnt style of shrimp mixed in with it. It was great. My husband had the chicken special and I had the Chicken Marsalias. It was very good. It was Pan seared chicken breast with fresh mushrooms and Marsala wine sauce, served with seasonal vegetables and rosemary roasted potatoes.
It was a great dish. Both dishes were great!!!!
We were there long enough to enjoy the happy hour. Yes, 2 for 1 drinks.....those were great as well. We closed the place down, I believe...we were the last ones to leave.
This was a nice restaurant being that we walked up on it as we were looking for a place to eat. -
Review from Melissa V.
San Diego, CA
5/17/2011
Last Thursday, May 12, 2011 I went there for a birthday dinner and their were 20 of us. Our waitress was Crystal and I must say she was a disappointment.
+If you know you are going to take care of 20 people talk to your customers! Ask us how we are doing or if we need anything. She took 10 minutes just to get my friend's beer! I ordered the sesame ahi tuna and I've had better ahi. Some foods were not at the correct temperature. Also the 18% gratuity was just b.s. If you want to have a good tip make sure you are there for your customers and not just disappear!
+The 1 star is for the nice decor inside the restaurant. -
Review from Barbra B.
San Diego, CA
1/11/2012
Fantastic service, the bartenders are awesome, the drink specials are worth returning for and their food is just as good."
I am definitely a fan of the Urban Bar and Grill. The appetizers are great for the price and the drinks are excellent. What makes this place so much fun is the staff. As soon as you walk in you are greeted by the young hostesses. They immediately try to take you to a table or to the bar and while seating you the management is always there to welcome you and to make sure that you have been seated properly. They are always changing their appetizers and the menu is always changing.
The bartenders are my favorite. Anabelle is adorable. She makes a mean Moscow Mule. You don't wait on a drink when she is working or for that fact when Alex is working or Joe. The conversation is great at the bar. The bartenders join in while they are making drinks and they make their patrons feel very good.
They are truly professionals and it doesn't hurt that every single person in the place is nice looking. -
Review from JY K.
San Diego, CA
8/27/2011
I hadn't heard of this place before a week ago when I was scheduled to work an event there. I was able to view some of the mouthwatering dishes coming from the kitchen, and immediately knew I wanted to come back! I was fortunate enough to get scheduled for the same event tonight, and was very excited when Danko (manager -- a true professional and very gracious host) offered us something to eat. I informed him of my wheat allergy, feeling bad being picky after his offer, but he didn't bat an eye. Instead, he had the kitchen whip together a variety of the appetizers the restaurant offers that would accommodate me, and I was blown away at what was presented!
To start, a steaming bowl of perfectly cooked mussels in a lemony (white wine?) sauce immediately got my tastebuds watering... and they certainly did not disappoint. Next to the mussels was a plate consisting of hot wings and chicken skewers. I'm normally not a hot wing fan, but these were worthy of a second look! The best of the three, however, were the chicken skewers. Marinated and tender, the skewers were planted in a juicy slice of pineapple and accompanied by a coconut dipping sauce. YUM. The kind of sauce you want to drink down at the end when the chicken is all gone... these alone will make me go back for more!
The ambiance here is perfect; one side of the restaurant is a bar with high-top seating and the opposite side has more of a fine dining atomosphere. Lighting is low, and there was a live musician singing cool tunes in the front of the bar. To top it off, the staff here is amazing. I mostly dealt with Alex (bartender) who was extremely attentive and efficient. The hostess at the front (didn't catch her name) was very friendly as well and added to the charm of this restaurant.
Overall, I would highly recommend Urban Bar & Grill. Great food, great service, and a relaxed vibe. A definite spot to check out! -
Review from nicole c.
2/24/2011
Urban Grill reminds me of a Swedish dude named Hans who has lived in the states for, oh, I don't know... maybe 5 years, and is trying with a vengeance to lose his accent but still misuses cliches and slang sometimes. He's got all the nice clothes, but they don't match, you know? Still, despite all the awkward, clashing aspects of his personality he's so damn nice and good-looking that you keep him around. That's Urban Bar & Grill for you.
The place is huge, and very elegant inside. It doesn't really have any discernible theme to it, from the mish-mashed art on the walls ("I'll take one of everything, from American flag raise on Ground Zero to that Monet-ish thing. Also that Donald Duck with a basketball jersey! HA! HILARIOUS!") to the very impressive but out-of-place chandelier... things.
Throughout the 2 or so-ish hours we were there, we heard Kings of Leon's "Only By the Night" album three times. Like how Han's like, "THEES MYOOZAC IS THE HIPPEST MY FRIENDS AREN'T YOU AGREE YES?" But still, throughout the somewhat disjointed elements of the place, we had a GREAT time.
My friends and I arrived at Urban Wednesday night after attending a Macallan tasting down on the stadium side of the Gaslamp. We'd heard they had all-night happy hour that sounded just awesome enough for us to make the trek north ($3 beers, $5 cocktails and wine, and $4 wells as well as half priced appetizers). We tried one of everything on happy hour and were delighted with everything: the quesadilla, as you'll notice from everyone below, is REALLY great, as is the bruschetta and the calamari. Our bartender Travis was super nice despite us probably being a little more obnoxious than you would expect on a Wednesday night.
I'd like to tell you what our bill came to, but my friend struck up a conversation with a business man at the bar, they really hit it off (no homo) and the nice guy paid our entire check without even saying anything. So, on top of everything, Urban brings on good karma and a pay-it-forward attitude. Good times!
Minus 2 stars for forcing the poor freezing hostess outside despite the 45 degree weather and not even having the decency to turn on a heater for her. I outta call OSHA on you, Hans! -
Review from Francesca L.
Chicago, IL
5/3/2011
While on vacation in San Diego our group of ten friends went here for dinner. I think we all agreed that the service was pretty horrible. We were drinking a lot and kept wondering if they delayed 45 mins to take our order so we would order more drinks (as we did).
I think the food was basic for the cost - not extraordinary.
One amazing thing is the pita and hummus they serve instead of bread. The pita was warm and tasty. This alone added one star to the review. -
Review from April F.
3/16/2011
The hours on here are wrong. We went out on Sunday night. We arrived at 9:45pm. The hostess was very nice and seated us right away, but failed to tell us they were closing soon. However she did tell us it was happy hour and pointed out the happy hour menu and specials. But when she left I read the table menu and according to the days and hours it was not happy hour. When the waiter came over to take our drinks orders, I asked him if it was happy hour. You know, just to clarify. He gave us this weird look along with a semi-smile and said it wasn't happy hour THAT night but they usually do have happy hour every night, but he could give us happy hour prices. *eyebrow raise* um...yeah...I was expecting a "yes" or "no" answer and was kinda confused by his confusion.
Any who, we ordered martinis and they were made fast and good. For starters we ordered the bruschetta. It was $9 and we only got 3 slices. It was very good, but since it was an appetizer I wish there could have been at least 4 slices to share evenly instead of an awkwardness of having to figure out if we were going to split the 3 slice or not. I'm glad it was half off. We also ordered the curry mussels. They were huge, which was impressive, but wish it came in a different flavor. It was unique in taste but smelled gross and had a weird after taste. I personally didn't like them, and my girlfriend couldn't get past the smell to even try them. She ordered the spinach blue cheese salad and wings. She thought they were both just "OK".
The place was not crowded at all. And there were two tables seated after us and they both received their food before us....several minutes before us. Only about 7 minutes after we received our food we were asked if we were going to order anything else because the kitchen was closing...um ok...(I guess we won't be ordering anything else will we?) And about 3 minutes after that, our waiter mysteriously disappeared. I guess he went home or something. Another waiter ended up taken care of us, he was kind though. I just didn't even know the other one wasn't coming back. Either way we were still taken care of.
On a good note....the decor is awesome. LOVE the unique one of a kind chandeliers! They were beautiful! The layout of the restaurant was nice too. All in all, it was an ok experience. I would not come here again. There are far too many other choices in the area. -
Review from Laura P.
San Diego, CA
7/15/2011
I really like this place! We were planning on going a restaurant across the street for dinner, but it was closed for a private event so we ended up at Urban Bar & Grill. I ordered a pizza and my husband had the burger with side salad. Both were excellent!
Service was good - Waters as soon and you sit down and complimentary pita bread with hummus and butter. Our waitress, Crystal, was friendly, fast and even thought to bring out check out quickly since we were headed to the Padres game. -
Review from Cherlyn B.
San Diego, CA
4/18/2011 2 Check-ins Here
I was debating on whether or not to eat here because parking in downtown always sucks. So i parked at Horton Plaza, validated my ticket, and walked five minutes to restaurant!
Ambiance is nice, pricing is decent, wait time was kinda long, food was top notch.
-Ahi tartare: Tasted more like an underseasoned poke.. but was ok. (im an ahi tartare & ahi poke snob)
-Lamb Chops: cooked to perfection
-Blackened Mahi Mahi: soooo delicious on tomato risotto and crab meat. "Can i have one mahi instead of 2? Im not that hungry." LOL
The dinner came with warm pita bread and hummus which is a cool twist to the average bread and buttah! Menu selection wasnt too shabby but it would be nicer if it expanded. The wait time kind of annoyed me but I wouldnt mind stopping by again! -
Review from Kathryn S.
San Diego, CA
2/19/2012
We were there for a birthday dinner and wasn't too impressed with the food. The food on the menu sounds delicious but what we got served was mediocre, not worth returning. We tried the salmon, braised beef flatbread, chicken bruschetta sandwich etc. The food was bland requiring salt and pepper. Nice ambiance but food blah.
