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South Beach Bar & Grille
Categories: Restaurants Seafood Restaurants Mexican Seafood, Mexican [Edit]
5059 Newport AveSte 104
(between Bacon St & Abbott St)
San Diego, CA 92107
Neighborhoods: Point Loma, Ocean Beach
(619) 226-4577
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 11 am - 2 am
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
1048 reviews for South Beach Bar & Grille
Review Highlights
"The best fish tacos Ive had in San Diego."
(in 185 reviews)
"this place cant be beat for happy hour."
(in 205 reviews)
"Just be sure you have cash since it's cash only."
(in 175 reviews)
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1048 reviews in English
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Review from Blair A.
San Diego, CA
2/9/2012
If you don't like the fish tacos here, you have serious issues my friend. They are almost criminally delicious. I've had just about every different kind and each time they continue to amaze me to the point that I wake up in the middle of the night thinking about them. I love the calamari and the wahoo. But I will tell you they're all good.
Now if you read my reviews you will know that I am a connesuier of calamari... And when I had the calamari here the clouds opened up and I swear to you god reached out and touched me. First of all these are not wimpy little strips or rings of calamari like most people are used to, these are monstrous, thick, steak sized pieces with a perfect amount of breading and I forget what sauces they give you but they were solo good. Wow.
Also you must try the fried mushrooms. I'm a mushroom person and when my friend Samantha told me they had fried mushrooms at south beach I hopped on my bike and rode like the wind on over. Be advised: these are not an appetizer as you would think they would be for the awesome price of seven dollars, they give you this enormous mountain of fairly large breaded and deep fried mushrooms with ranch.... Someone get this girl a wheel chair cause I'm going to be rolling out of here.... I tried oysters here for my first time after I had an odd craving for oysters even though I'd never eaten oysters before in my life, and I ate one and almost vomited.... I'm sure it had nothing to do with the oysters here, but I just could barley swallow something that reminds me of a giant booger. That craving was short lived. Anyways what I was getting at with that little story is that they have oysters here... If your the kind of person who likes to eat giant boogers.
This is an awesome spot for drinks and food, my only complaint is that the service is just okay. My boyfriend ordered avocado on one of his burgers or sandwiches one time and it didn't come on it. After the chick who took our order tried to tell him that he didn't order it with avocado when I clearly remember him asking for it she brought it out after about ten minutes when I was almost done eating. But other than that everything is amazing.
Wanna dream about fish tacos? Come to south beach! -
Review from Bethany B.
Hermosa Beach, CA
2/8/2012
This place gets my vote for the BEST FISH TACOS I've ever had. Light, fresh, and they're not too big, so you and your friends can order several and try out many different kinds (even SHARK).
My favorite tacos are:
Grilled- Mahi, lobster, wahoo
Fried- Oyster, baja fish
The raw oysters are also pretty good... And for 12 of them to only cost $13? Yes please. Great beers on tap, too.
Bring your stripper wad of money... This place is CASH ONLY! -
Review from Danger D.
Cathedral City, CA
1/31/2012
OKay, These are the reasons this place was a bad experience.
Now let me explain in bullet points.
Tacos were over priced, even for a taco Tuesday.
No real salsa
They only accept Cash.
Horrible service (although the waiters busted there ass) Just managed all wrong.
Waited for what seemed like over an hour to get a seat.
No seating service. You stand over someone else eating like a vulture to get their table.
Took them a long time to get the food to me. Never came back to see if I needed anything else. I had to go to the waiter to get the check.
They wouldn't let my friend come in because his ID was expired even though he clearly appears over 21. There was some HINTING that if I paid the bouncers he could get in.
Bouncers seemed to think that they were some super authority figures which gave them the right to be rude.
Place was dirty, dirtier than even a Taco Shop.
If you want tacos, go to a taco shop, any one of them is better than this place. -
Review from Nichole E.
San Diego, CA
2/9/2012
I've never had Fish and Chips with the fish so fresh... I don't want to eat fish anywhere else now.
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Review from Nicole A.
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
1/30/2012 1 Check-in Here
I am definitely a fan of this place. The Fish tacos were great! and cheap! cant beat that right :) we also had the shrimp poppers as an apetizer which were pretty fried, creamy and delicious! Its located right next to the ocean too so you can walk off the big belly on the beach.
Every time i have passed this place its the most crowded bar on the block. So you may have to wait a bit but its worth it! yummmmy -
Review from Natalie F.
San Diego, CA
Updated - 1/22/2012 5 Check-ins Here
Man, South Beach! They raised their Happy Hour prices by fifty cents. The miser in me was bummed until we noticed that they definitely made the tacos way bigger, so it's worth it. Shrimp tacos are definitely the best!
We call this place my friend's "bad girlfriend" because he can't seem to stay away from her, she keeps taking his money and keeps him out late at night.
But so good, so cheap, so fun.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/28/2011
GO TO HAPPY HOUR! After 10 pm, well drinks are $2.50 and food is half off.
Cash only, with an ATM… Read more »
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Review from Steven C.
San Diego, CA
1/24/2012
The fish tacos are ok
The clam chowder is ok
The fried jalapenos are AWSOME
The verdict is
...-drum roll-...
Mitch's seafood has the BEST fish tacos -
Review from Bonsuela G.
San Diego, CA
1/5/2012
I've tried to like this place. I really tried. I heard all the hype about the fish tacos. I definitely tried them 2xs. 2xs I said are you kidding me? Is everyone smoking crack? These tacos are def not the best in San Diego. I wasn't a fan of the ranch sauce or the cabbage slaw, and the fish didn't taste all that fantastic either.
On another occasion, I went back to try the shrimp tacos and sample bites from my family's dishes. Overall, I found their food lackluster at best. Yes, you get a great view (in certain areas) of the OB pier, but that's about all that is great about this place.
Not coming back -
Review from Patrick O.
San Diego, CA
1/26/2012 3 Check-ins Here
Awesome fish tacos. Grilled Mahi is the best, with a good selection of local San Diego beers.
The only downer is it's cash only.
Otherwise its a 5 star place -
Review from Jessica I.
San Diego, CA
Updated - 2/1/2012
Have I told you lately that I love you? (And, by you, I mean your big juicy oysters on the half shell!)
Listed in: Too legit to quit
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/30/2010
The oysters here are the most amazing things - thye're huge, plump and yummy. I crave them and love… Read more »
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Review from Sarah K.
San Diego, CA
2/1/2012
Came here with my cousin a few months back, the food was ok but I wasn't impressed with most of the seafood tacos I ordered. Didn't stop me from eating the majority if it though!
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Review from Jay J.
Tahoe Vista, CA
2/9/2012
This place rips - service is great/friendly.. can't go wrong with anything on the menu.. try the fried jalepenos, with beer of course
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Review from Rebecca R.
San Diego, CA
1/24/2012
I'm shocked this place has only 4 stars, not 5!
Fish tacos are some of the best. Baby fried octopi is delic as well. They have a great late night happy hour. Newly remodeled upstairs with a beautiful view of the OB peir.
Anytime I have friends in town visiting I take them to South Beach. Great atmosphere, food, view, etc.
The only downside is I've had some bad service there, but they usually make up for it one way or another. -
Review from Annaliese D.
Berkeley, CA
1/10/2012 1 Check-in Here
Best fried fish tacos.
Don't bother ordering anything else...except maybe a beer to wash down your tacos.
While HH can be fun, I don't think it's worth fighting the crowd to save a few cents (only 45 cents for the Baja tacos).
CASH ONLY! -
Review from Aaron H.
San Diego, CA
1/8/2012
Too crowded for decent service. Every time I come here it's packed to the brim and the service can't handle the volume. The waitress' here don't give a fuck. We got a pitcher at the bar, but there wasn't enough room so we decided to sit at a table. Bad etiquette on our part, but not that big of a deal. We want to drink and eat and the crowd I'm with is very generous and more than willing to make up for it.
It took a server over 20 minutes to acknowledge us, does a half-ass table wipe down and throws us menus and never comes back. Totally avoiding us, with empty beers and ready to eat. We all made eye contact with her and she totally ignored us on several occasions while serving other tables next to us. So we just got up and left. Blonde chick with the big butt, you know who you are!
All in all, this place has decent food. I believe it's a little over rated, especially the fish tacos. The appetizers and other menu items are pretty good but nothing close to the crowd they attract. Great location, bar and view. Food and especially the service needs a little help.
This could be a really amazing place with a little better management and a couple easy fixes. I hope they do, so I can come back for a good experience. -
Review from Christine K.
San Diego, CA
1/4/2012 2 Check-ins Here
HH review only:
Raw oysters, a REALLY good deal 12 for $13!
$2.50 tacos were also HUGE...what the hell
Drinks were a great price as well.
Perfect place for HH if you take advantage of the raw oysters :) -
Review from Ellen C.
1/2/2012 1 Check-in Here
I don't know about best fish tacos, but the hype here is for it's happy hour for seafood. Who can get 3 fish tacos (Wahoo, Baja, and Mahi), carne asada fries, seafood ceviche, a beer, and a glass of mimosa for only $30? The fish tacos were HUGE (one is enough for one person) and if you factor in the sides, it's more than enough.
Service was great, everyone was personable. Wouldn't come back here again since it's more about quality than quantity than me, even though this happy hour is a really good deal. -
Review from Katie M.
San Diego, CA
1/14/2012
Best fish tacos in San Diego hands down.
Don't even look at the menu just do yourself a favor, KISS, and order 2 grilled Mahi tacos!
If you are looking for some starters I recommend the oysters, shrimp jalapeno poppers and fried zucchini. Other pointers: downstairs is truer to the SB feel, but upstairs has a better view of the sunset. Ladies, do yourselves a favor and always make the trip to the upstairs bathrooms. They are cleaner, have a mirror, tp and you don't have to deal with the incessant handle jiggling of the downstairs latrines. Check the drink specials they pretty good. And remember to bring your cash and hawk then hover over people who look like they are leaving soon if you want a table. They are in demand.Listed in: My Best of San Diego Food
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Review from James H.
12/28/2011
Great place to go for Taco Tuesdays! 2.50 for every taco except the lobster. Me and my friends got lobster, shark, mahi, calamari tacos here. The salsa and white sauce that they use at this place make it so that it isn't dry at all! They also have a beer of the day which goes for $10 for a pitcher on tap.
Beware this place is 21+ though, so dont bring your younger sisters, brothers, daughters, sons, baby cousins, and I guess anyone under 21.. Also this place is cash only so come cash in hand (or take the atm charge)
Mixed feelings on the waitresses. One of them was extremely awkward and tried to kill every conversation possible. Throwing in a glare or two every couple seconds and the other one was extremely nice. However it is true that their service is unreasonably slow... so be ready to wait.
Ambience.. it is a bar and is pretty loud and there are tvs everywhere so you can catch any game with your homies after work or whatever you do. -
Review from S R.
San Francisco, CA
1/13/2012
a crowded popular spot. reasonable service. some nice outdoor seating. lots of tvs.
wahoo, mahi, and tuna tacos were all grilled, which was a pleasant surprise. deep fried is so unhealthy. you have a choice of flour or corn torilla. tacos are large. they have a large slab of fish, followed by purple cabbage, salsa, and a sweet tartar sauce. none of the fish had much taste. the highlight was the sweet sauce. the ceviche taco seemed pretty fresh and wasn't overly spicy.
i think this place is hyped up too much. just because its by the ocean doesnt mean that the stuff is any good. its probably just as fresh as what is served in say vegas because im sure it all comes from alaska anyway. -
Review from Dion C.
Los Angeles, CA
1/5/2012
Came for Taco Tuesday which are $2.75 each. The Mahi and Wahoo both pretty good. The deep-fried shrimp was just alright. Overall not amazing, might come back to try the other tacos. Also the service was lacking.
Notes: The place was packed at 7pm and the tacos took about 30 mins to come out, so come earlier or later. -
Review from Lesley C.
San Diego, CA
12/28/2011
I have very split opinions on South Beach.
We usually come on Tuesdays after trivia at Winston's but I have also been here on several occasions just for lunch or happy hour.
Pros: Taco Tuesday (although Lobster Tacos are no longer $2.50)
Happy Hour
Fresh fish and seafood
Octopus cocktail
Great beers on tap
Also loving the new upstairs addition
Cons: service is usually pretty slow. I've had to flag down my bartender in the past for a refill, even when sitting at the bar. I've also had my order come out wrong on multiple occasions without any apology or actions to fix it. I've also been told that they can't do substitutions on orders and if they do it usually takes about 20 extra minutes (and all I asked for was chopped tomatoes instead of salsa cause it's too spicy for my liking)!
No host. I hate that I have to be a vulture and hover by tables to get a seat. Is it that difficult to set people? It would improve everyone's dining experience.
Downstairs dining room. It's time to update and spruce the place up a little. Let's get the basement matching the drapes so to speak.
Unfortunately the cons usually keep me away from this place, especially when I'm super hungry as I can't deal with the line and the bad service. But last night our experience was great! I quickly grabbed a table downstairs while my boyfriend went upstairs to check out the scene. He promptly returned informing me that there were multiple seats & tables available. We sat at the bar and our bartender Miles was super attentive and friendly. The best service I have ever gotten here! Octopus cocktail appetizer came out first (sometimes this doesn't happen) and fish tacos were exactly how we ordered them and came out pretty quick.
Maybe it was the fact that it was the Tuesday after Christmas or that it is not tourist season but I was pretty happy with this experience. If they can keep it up I may wait in line next time. I do love that octopus cocktail. -
Review from Dana F.
San Diego, CA
12/11/2011
Had to give this place a try since I now live only a mile or so away. A friend of mine said they have the "best fish tacos I have ever had" and I needed to see for myself.
Had dinner here at peak hours and was lucky enough to find a seat upstairs right away, They do have plenty of seating, but this place is really popular so I would be prepared to wait depending on wait time you choose to eat here.
I must admit that you receive a decent price break on food and beer if you hit it at happy hour (Monday - Friday, 3 to 6pm). Appetizers are half off and they also discount a lot of mixed drinks. Seeing that I don't drink, I went with a soda and a few different tacos.
I opted for the fried Baja Fish (pollock) and fried shrimp taco along with a grilled Wahoo. Overall I thought they were really tasty. They are pretty big in size and all the toppings (cabbage, pico and creme sauce) seemed to compliment each other just right. I enjoy squeezed lime on my grilled tacos and this combo satisfied the taste buds like I had hoped. I rate the fried shrimp taco the best out of the bunch and rate the fish tacos very high, but definitely not the best I have ever had (see my review for Pacific Beach Fish Shop).
Other menu items include oysters, clams, sandwich's, burgers, quesadillas (made with the different fish offerings), salads and tostada's. Lots of different draft beers along with shots and specialty drinks. I don't know jack about wine, but they have decent selection that seem to compliment the various fish items they serve.
The service was good considering they were slammed. Our food arrived pretty quick after ordering and our servers did a good job of keeping the drinks refilled. Once we received our check, we were able to pay in a reasonable amount of time. Not really the restaurants fault, but I hate it when fellow diners kind of stalk you when you are at the end of your meal because they are trying to "scope out" your table. We had a couple people come stand by our table once it looked like we were done eating. One of the people working there noticed and shoo'ed them away.
So, if you like fish tacos and enjoy a pint every now and then, Give South Beach Bar & Grille a go. Parking can be kind of a pain in the summer, but it is a necessary evil for any establishment in this neck of the woods. I recommend trying to find a spot in the parking lot right by the pier. Be prepared to wait depending on the time and like everyone else has noted, CASH only. They also card EVERYONE prior to allowing you to enter. I am way over 21 and was asked for my ID. Maybe the ladies are flattered, but I understand they do this to protect themselves. -
Review from Denise T.
1/5/2012
Was interested in their happy hour which includes 1/2 off ALL appetizers so I gave it a go. The first thing I noticed when I walked in at 3pm on Monday was how packed it was! I was waiting around to be seated until I realized that it was self-seating so my boyfriend and I scouted for seats amongst the chaos. We found the very last two seats in the house right in the corner by the bathrooms, sadly. The table was wet and the area was just overall dark, cramped, and unappealing. A waitress soon came and greeted us and answered all our questions about their happy hour. You can tell she was a bit tired from the HH crowd but she stayed friendly. A for effort! Then from the corner from my eye I saw a new opening so we moved to the new and much more spacious spot outside in the patio where the waitress cleared the plates from the previous guests for us. While waiting, a spider crawled up out of no where! The waitress saw as well and brought us napkins. My bf took care of it.
Anyway, at this point we were not feeling it but we were already there so we ordered the following:
Spinach artichoke dip (~$4 HH) - not the best. The dip was extremely under seasoned and watery. We didn't enjoy it whatsoever. Skip this.
Stuffed shrimp jalapenos (~$4.50 HH) - originally we wanted the Cream Cheese Jalapeno Poppers but we were informed they ran out so our waitress suggested these. We went ahead and ordered it. It was good but beware of the first bite. I believe while frying the battered & stuffed shrimp, the oil must have seeped through and mixed in with the cream cheese making it watery. When my bf and I took our first bites, cheese squirted out like a water gun and it was piping hot! Mine ended up on my hand and his ended up on his arms. Beware.
The star of the show was by far the Mini Taco Platter (~$5.50) - comes with each of the following: Mahi, Wahoo, Baja, Calamari, and Shrimp. All were delish. I just wished I knew which taco was which. With every taco we were eating, we had to sit and ponder to ourselves "Is this the Baja? Or maybe it's the Mahi? No, it's gotta be the Wahoo."
I gotta say, sitting outside would've been perfect if it wasn't for the overhanging trees above it. Leaves were falling onto our plates as we were eating, spiders coming at us. It would've been nice if they had some sort of covering to block the trees. Anyway, I loved their tacos and the service was really good. The atmosphere, on the other hand, ehhh not so much. Also, CASH ONLY! -
Review from damon k.
San Diego, CA
1/23/2012
The oyster tacos are simply amazing. Their fried shrimp tacos aren't too bad either, but the oysters are the best. Not exactly Mexican, but it's great!
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Review from Lindsey B.
San Diego, CA
1/11/2012
Same night I went to Winston's, came here for a beer and some tacos beforehand. Annoying it is cash only. Good thing I had some. I hate paying $5 to get money from an ATM. Had the chicken tacos. They were good! Decent size, lots of chicken (could have had less tomatoes) and there was a spicy sauce that came with it (albiet, on the side for me). I liked the melted cheese onto the tortilla, too. And there were like, $3. Can't beat it. I may have to start coming to OB just for the cheap cost of food and drink!
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Review from Jenny P.
San Diego, CA
12/14/2011
Best fish tacos - favorite is calamari but pretty solid lobster, shark, and shrimp as well. I loveee the slaw that they give you. We have it pretty lucky in San Diego to have this place so close to us... my college friends all moved back to the Bay Area and no fish tacos anywhere up there.
Oh and such wonderful pricing! -
Review from Kris S.
San Diego, CA
12/19/2011
Over-crowded, Very loud.
Fish tacos-fried ones are super crunchy and ALL BATTER.
other fish tacos were okay, personally I think Rubios is better. LOL
The servers are SOOO SLOW. Yes, I apparently have no patience. But seriously, we had to send someone out into the crowd to find a waiter. Seems like they wait-staff only cared about taking drink orders at the bar instead of serving eating customers.
The bathrooms are dirty and discusting.
The tables are sticky and grizzled.
Cash-only.
I felt nasty and greasy when I walked out.
Great place if you're a drinker and want to party at the beach.
DO NOT go here for the food.
ALTHOUGH.......the jalapeno poppers with shrimp are REALLLLLY GOOD. AND the calamari is good too. -
Review from Scott P.
San Diego, CA
1/19/2012
The food and drinks are great when they arrive. Normally we get our food within 20 - 30 minutes. This time it took forever. We waited for tacos for 1 1/2 hours. This was even after our server checked on our order three times. When the food came out tacos were delish. It was definitely worth the wait as long as you have the time.
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Review from Chase C.
San Francisco, CA
11/28/2011
Screw the ambiance, the sticky tables, the lack of your pretentious hipster beers; cuz when you sink your teeth into one of these perfectly constructed, freshly made, savory fish tacos, you'll forget about all of that and transcend into somewhat of a temporary food nirvana.
I've had my fare share of their offerings but always find myself daydreaming about their mahi and calamari
Let's not forget this place is a BAR, 21+, cash only
Head next door to Lighthouse and get a waffle ice cream sandwich for a complete OB food experience! -
Review from J M.
San Francisco, CA
1/19/2012
I came here on a Wednesday night around 7, after happy hour ended, so it wasn't too crowded, but I still thought it was overrated.
That atmosphere is pretty fun, with comfortable tables and nice music, but the fish tacos were kinda crappy. I got a mahi and the fried calamari taco. The mahi was dry despite copious amounts of salsa, and the calamari had a nice crispy outside but the actual calamari was all rubbery and chewy. Gross. Also I prefer mild salsa and this was unexpectedly spicy, but that's just a matter of preference. The white sauce was fine, but nothing to write home about.
The service was ok though, the waiters checked on me and I never had trouble flagging one down. -
Review from Jimmy D.
1/5/2012 1 Check-in Here
Awesome happy hour with a bunch of fish tacos to choose from. Only downside is that its cash only and tables are hard to come across. I wish they had a wider selection of craft beer since it is San Diego.
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Review from Gregory S.
San Diego, CA
12/12/2011
Love THE MAHI TACOS!! This is my spot for mahi tacos in SD. Any time someone is in town this is where we go and this is how the ordering goes:
1st - Beer usually a Stone Pale Ale (the have a ton other beers, but this one is a classic)
2nd - Spinach Artichoke Dip (Not the best I've every had but does the trick)
3rd - 2 Mahi Tacos (THE BEST IN SD.)
4th - Oyster Shot ( These things are the best, oyster, vodka, hot sauce....done)
5th - One more beer for the road
And thats how it goes down. Love the staff, Love the location, and love that I can walk how with a filled stomach and nice buzz! -
Review from Thomas H.
San Diego, CA
11/4/2011
I'm gay for oysters, and whenever I'm in need of a serious fix in San Diego I head over here to South Beach Bar & Grille.
Now, I'll forgive them for the funny spelling of "Grill." Why the extra E? What gives? Isn't that kind of like the "Chocolate ShoppE" that the Archie Comics kids went to? Why all the extra E's? Are they trying to be British? Don't they know this is America?
But back to the Grille. Whenever I go there I start with an oyster shooter which is a shot of vodka (and for extra$$ you can have pepper vodka which I recommend) with an oyster in the shot glass and a dash of hot sauce. I don't know what it is about the slimy goodness of oysters that tickles my fancy and makes me crave more. Some people say oysters increase your sex drive, but I don't think that's it. I think maybe it's just the joy of learning to enjoy something that on its face seems kind of gross.
Whatevs. I love 'em, and SBB&G has them in plentiful supplies.
After my shooter(s) I usually get a dozen or so on the half shell, and then spend the rest of my calorie allotment on sundry fried foods and fish tacos. But for me it's all about those oysters.
I also love that this place is kind of a dive and that you have to scrounge around for your own seating.
Some day I'm going to bring a book and go there late morning and just stay all day until I'm good and drunk and oystered up.
This review is ceasing to make sense so I think I'll end it. But go to SBB&G. If you like the kinds of things I just described, you'll enjoy it.Listed in: Thomas H All-Stars!, Awesome Dives
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Review from David K.
Danville, CA
1/16/2012
If you love fish taco's, you have to put South Beach Bar & Grille on your must stop list. This is certainly a crowded spot which only confirms that I am not alone in enjoying the great food. I see others have noted that credit cards are not honored which is a bit of a downside if you aren't ready with cash.
Enjoy! -
Review from Jen C.
San Jose, CA
12/1/2011
Be EXTREMELY patient about the wait for a table, wait for the food, sticky tables, stuffy, loud place, but trust me and the other reviews that once you've tasted these fish tacos, you'll want to come back!!!
you'll be really full after 2, 3 is pushing it. lobster, shark, shrimp are okay but the fish is a special one! -
Review from Wayne G.
Beaverton, OR
12/5/2011
I did a LOT of research before my visit to San Diego as I didn't have much time and I wanted more than anything, some GREAT fish tacos. I read the reviews, talked to friends and made SBBG my first stop after getting off the plane. My friend Matt and I arrived around 1pm on a Friday, bellied up to the bar and immediately loved the place. It's what you want a beach bar to be. Lots of dark wood, view of the beach, surfboard on the wall, and a blonde bartender. :) She recommended getting one fried fish taco and one grilled and they were both excellent. Huge portions of fish with tasty toppings. I thought the beer selection was just fine, despite some of the other reviews and I'm from Portland, so I know my beer. The reverse happy hour late at night sounds like a great deal but we never made it back.
Keep in mind, it is CASH ONLY. But this was the highlight of my trip and you can bet I'll be back next time I'm in town!!! I hear the calamari is great here but never got passed the tacos. We did have an oyster shooter than they were big and loaded with vodka. Not my favorite of all time, but all in all five stars for this place. -
Review from Tone C.
San Francisco, CA
11/10/2011
To sum it up in two words: HORRIBLE SERVICE! Tonight, three of us ordered food to go and waited 20 minutes for 1/2 of our order and another 25 minutes for the remaining half. On top of that they gave me the wrong item. I had to go back and wait another 10 minutes to swap the lobster taco for the lobster tostada that I ordered. The manager/owner guy who looked like an angry, busted up bearded Timothy Busfield yelled at me when he overheard me tell the bartender about the long wait, wrong order and unapologetic attitude of the staff.
Worse yet, as I hovered by the food service counter waiting for the correct order, I saw one of the cooks pick up a piece of shrimp that he dropped on the floor and place it back on the plate - YUCK! Glad that wasn't my order - I won't be back and take the chance that it may be my order next time! Not to mention that the arrogant, insensitive and incompetent staff aren't worth the trek to OB and the hunt for a parking space. -
Review from Elisa T.
Chula Vista, CA
10/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
Not impressive.. Servers are rude, they look at you and quickly look away..
Seat yourself place, find a dirty table & hope the server will notice you.
Cash Only... Kinda odd. Do they cheat uncle sam or they dont want to pay credit card processing fees?
Fish tacos were gross! I was going to bring some home for my husband but after tasting them, I opted out.
Ceviche tasted like it had ketchup in it!
Even with a kettle one on the rocks, the food was hard to down...
No thanks, never again! =( -
Review from Lilly C.
10/18/2011
I love oysters and I've been searching for a spot in SD. I think I found the one. The oysters here are sooo good and sooo fresh!! If you come during happy hour (M-F 3-6), a dozen half shell oysters are only $11.95. My friend and I missed the happy hour by 5 minutes, but it's okay, we wanted to try the tacos. I ordered the Mahi Taco and I was a bit disappointed. It was really dry and not that great. My friend who had the grilled Shrimp Taco said it was pretty good, but she's had better. Honestly for Taco Tuesday, I would rather go to World Famous (that place is BOMBSKIES!!) However if I'm looking to have some oysters and a good happy hour menu, this is the place to go. Can't wait to come back here and try all their 1/2 off appetizers and drinks!!!
**Note: This place is only 21+, they will card you at the door. Also, CASH ONLY. But they do have an ATM machine by the door.
