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The Oceanaire Seafood Room
Category: Restaurants Seafood Seafood
400 J St(between 4th Ave & 5th Ave)
San Diego, CA 92101
Neighborhoods: Gaslamp, East Village
(619) 858-2277
- Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 5 pm - 10 pm
Fri-Sat 5 pm - 11 pm
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Valet
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Classy, Upscale
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
1013 reviews for The Oceanaire Seafood Room
Review Highlights
"The crab cakes are hands down, the best anywhere."
(in 255 reviews)
"KID DYNAMITE I cannot say enough about this dish."
(in 60 reviews)
"Both sauces are delicious with the oysters."
(in 315 reviews)
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1013 reviews in English
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Review from Jenny K.
Updated - 2/6/2012 8 photos
Still 5 stars!
Too bad happy hour is only from 5-6! The service was awesome, and there was plenty of room in the bar area (unlike Roy's where you have to fist fight to find a spot during Aloha Hour).
Drinks: I tried the Chocoholic because I am personally a chocoholic and it was surprisingly good! It was very sweet and chocolately (not a very useful description huh) but surprisingly strong despite its yumminess (or I'm just super weaksauce and got mad tipsy off one drink...)
Food: I got the the Fresh Ahi Salad, which, much to my dismay, have very little Ahi but still cost a considerable amount ($11). I was still very happy with my food nonetheless. My sister got the 6oz blue cheese steak and it was amazingggg! I'm usually not a red-meat person but the medium-rare steak over the slice of bread (?) with blue cheese was just phenomenal. My sister and I shared a (tiny tiny) bowl of $3 clam chowder but it was delicious and well worth the three additional bucks. My friends got the fries, the cesaer salad, the calamari, and 1 oyster of the day. They were all very very satisfied with their food.
Overall, I really love this place, but I didn't think I would be back especially since my special date with my special man resulted in a massive bill (allow me to reiterate that I am an incredibly frugal and destitute student). Luckily for me, the happy hour was affordable and had decent food. I'm just glad to be at a happy hour that doesn't only serve fried cheap stuff.Listed in: Seafood galore
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/7/2011
It's expensive, but it's an experience that is worth every penny!
Summary of experience: My boyfriend… Read more »
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Review from Autumn P.
Santa Ana, CA
2/3/2012 Seated via OpenTable
I say 4.5 stars! The .5 off is for the lack of parking. I guess the restaurant can't really help that, but spending 20 mins trying to find parking was a such a hassle. My party and I decided to pay $10 to park in the lot a block down from the restaurant.
My friends and I came here for SD Restaurant Week and got the 3 course meal for $40. The food was delicious and to our surprise, they extended the menu! There were so many options, it took us a while to decide what to get. For the appetizer, I decided to get the oysters. These were by far the best raw oysters I've had, ever! They were really fresh and didn't smell fishy at all. The dish came with four raw oysters on a bed of ice along with some lemon and two sauces. For the entree, I got the Stuffed Pacific Dover Sole Florentine. It was amazing! It was stuffed with spinach and had a cream sauce on top. I can't remember exactly what it tasted like, but I do remember it was my favorite entree for the between the 4 that my party decided to get. Finally, for dessert, I go the Apple Cranberry Crisp which came with a scoop of ice cream on top. It was the perfect ending to the meal.
Tips:
Restrooms are upstairs by the bar
Be careful with heels, the floors are super slippery! -
Review from Yvonne C.
2/1/2012 1 Check-in Here
I have the best friends! Joey C. spoiled me by taking me here for dinner several months ago when he was visiting from OC. Thanks dude!
I give Oceanaire 5 stars for the amazingly fresh and delicious food. The service - one star. Our server took way too long to come greet our table and he appeared to be super busy. He was clearly flustered and didn't give us a chance to ask him to go into detail about the dishes we were about to experience. I was definitely expecting more out of the service here.
But the food. THE FOOD. It was heavenly.
The shrimp in the Shrimp Cocktail were incredibly HUGE, plump and juicy. It was absolutely divine...whoops, excuse me while I wipe the drool off my chin.
The oysters were very fresh - like they came straight out of the ocean. The Oyster Bar list had a ton of different oysters to choose from. We ordered a dozen to split (I can't recall which ones!). I was left wanting to order more, but I knew I had to leave room for my entree. Bittersweet, it was.
I ordered the Black and Blue (blue cheese) on Mahi Mahi and it was melt-in-your-mouth, bursting with flavor all up your in grill GOOD.
We didn't get the chance to try any dessert since our 2nd bottle of white wine served well as a sweet way to end our meal.
I highly recommend coming here on your next special occasion! -
Review from Paul J.
Glendora, CA
2/8/2012
My wife and I had a very nice Anniversary evening here. We sat at the bar to get some happy hour oysters and ended up having crab cakes, moonfish, and seared scallops. The oysters were very fresh and tasty. My scallops were cooked perfectly. Our bartender was outstanding. He helped make the night special with some champagne, a tasty dessert shot and dessert. He gave us some input on a couple "secret" drinking spots which made the evening very fun. Next time I am in San Diego I will get my seafood fix here.
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Review from Beth W.
1/31/2012 Seated via OpenTable 1 Check-in Here
Hubs and I had a late night dinner at Oceanaire for my b-day after indulging in oysters and wine at the yelp elite event at Donovan's Prime Seafood.
We both started with crab cakes, which were by far the "piece de resistance" of our meal. Hubs had the Fried Fisherman's Platter with fried fish, shrimp, oysters, calamari and matchstick fries. I had the Kid Dynamite Mahi Mahi with sake and soy bok choy with screaming rooster sauce, which was a bit overdone. We shared a side of deliciously cheesy bacon au gratin potatoes and had the sorbet trio for dessert, which cleansed our palates nicely after such a rich meal.
The décor is very traditional and the bulk of the patrons appear to be in their 50's and 60's. However, the service and quality of food are excellent. Bottom line: Get the crab cakes - they are unlike any you've ever had. -
Review from Angelica D.
San Diego, CA
1/30/2012 1 Check-in Here
Born and raised in the great North that most of you American's call "America Junior or America's Hat" (yes folks, I mean CANADA!), I KNOW a thing or two about fresh and amazing seafood.
I was a bit skeptical when I read the reviews about this place as so many restaurants have claimed to have the "best seafood in SD". I was ready to be disappointed but alas, that was definitely not the case. Not only was the food incredibly fresh (seriously? you guys JUST got that salmon delivered this morning?!) but it was, for lack of a better word, AMAZEBALLS. Everything was cooked to perfection and the taste....I can't even describe....delicious, delectable, divine....all of the above.
I can honestly say that I have found my favourite seafood restaurant in San Diego and I highly recommend Oceanaire to anyone that needs a seafood fix.
(We dined on: Crabcakes & Calamari, Kid Dynamite Mahi Mahi & The Hawaiian Tombo, Brussels Sprouts & Bacon and the Baked Alaska and Ice Cream Sundae. I recommend em all!) -
Review from James M.
Plano, TX
1/31/2012 Seated via OpenTable
Crab cakes, Kusshi oysters (THE BEST), Cashew & Cilantro Crusted
Local Yellowtail, a bottle of Veuve Cliqot... My wife and I had a fantastic dining experience!!! -
Review from David L.
San Diego, CA
2/6/2012
The seafood here is excellent. They have some really great oysters. They do have a 3 course meal for $40.
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Review from Zildheam D.
San Diego, CA
1/27/2012 2 Check-ins Here
Where do i start? Oysters for a dollar during happy hour? THAT my friends is the best part about this review - You now know where to buy delicious oysters for just a dollar M-F from 5-6PM at this excellent bar.
The cocktails are very girly and very well appreciated by the female clientele (ME):
San Diego sunrise and Mango cocktails, delisshhhh. -
Review from Stella W.
San Diego, CA
2/5/2012 Seated via OpenTable
The crab cake is a giant, solid mount of crab meat. Seriously. They should just call it "pile o' crab meat" because there is no cake or filler.... just crab. It's wonderful.
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Review from Rachael K.
Ambridge, PA
1/28/2012
Let me start off by saying that the only reason this spot is even getting 3 stars was due in fact to it being Restaurant Week. Having an appetizer, entree and desert for $40 was pretty amazing.
The crab cakes were pretty phenomenal! And their selection of oysters were great as well but the more we ordered, the smaller the oysters became. Also, it took forever to get drinks and our appetizers. We were there 2.5 hrs and experienced some of the slowest service ever!!! My fish ((wahoo)) was overlooked and dry. Hardly enjoyable to say the least. The ahi was good quality, I wouldn't say great. The shrimp scampi was excellent and the salads were all very good!
Honestly, there are plenty other places to eat that cost far less, have better service and honestly, just better tasting fish. -
Review from Matt C.
1/7/2012 1 Check-in Here
This review is for the Happy Hour Special.
I am kind of an oyster snob. And the oyster here were great!... at a buck a pop!!! A dozen oysters or so and a couple dirty martini's and you're doin' good.
Great place to kick off your night! -
Review from Van L.
1/21/2012
Came here Friday nite for RW only because the crab cakes were on the menu. This is hands down the BEST crab cakes I have ever eaten in my life. It is FULL of chunks of blue crab and little breading to hold it together.
For my main course I chose the Hawaiian Tombo Tuna. I had to return it because the sauce was way toooooo sweet for a main course. Not to my liking. I swapped it for the shrimp scampi. The pasta was el dente but the shrimps were overcooked. They were dry and a bit on the tough side.
All in all it's a great restaurant to visit once in a blue moon. Service is excellent and the ambiance is great for date night. The only thing I would come back for are the crab cakes. If you have never tried it, you definitely have to come here. -
Review from Jarvis G.
San Diego, CA
1/29/2012 1 Check-in Here
This place is known for their Crab cakes which in my opinion are the best crab cakes I ever tasted. No need to bother with any of the other entrees because I guarantee you will not leave this place disappointed if you order the crab cakes. I can't stop thinking about them. I dream about them. Just writing about it right now is making me sad that I am not eating them. Im depressed now. I want Oceanaire crab cakes. Why did I write this review. I knew this was going to happen...
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Review from Tina D.
Albuquerque, NM
1/17/2012
Very decent seafood. Went here with a group with a partial menu, so maybe that affects the quality of the visit. If I could give half stars, it would get 3.5.
Started with family style calamari appetizer. It was wonderful. The calamari was lightly fried and served on a bed of an Asian style slaw. Delicious. It made me excited for the rest of the meal.
My husband and I both had the clam chowder. It was good, but not exceptional. A well executed, standard clam chowder.
I had the baked shrimp stuffed with crab for my entree. It was served with a side of linguini. The shrimp was slightly overcooked but the crab was delicious. The sauce didn't do much for me - it needed more flavor.
For dessert we had family style apple crisp and cheesecake. The cheesecake was too heavy. The apple crisp was ok, but for me the crust had too much of an oatmeal flavor and not enough sweet.
The service was quite good, except that when I asked about whether or not one of the menu options was locally caught, the waiter seemed to be annoyed that I was asking. (No, nothing on our group menu was locally caught)
After reading all the good reviews, I was very excited to eat here, but I'm afraid for me it didn't quite live up. Maybe it was just an off night. I would like to go back if I'm in the area again to try the regular menu. -
Review from Jonathan T.
Huntington Beach, CA
1/15/2012
I give it a three because I liked our waiter but other than that I was disappointed. I went my first time when I was in San Diego (Around November) and would have said then that it was five stars. Sadly this weekend i did not have the same experience. I made a reservation, and apparently that entitled me to a small booth packed in behind a noisy table of 12. After working a long week and expecting a nice dinner the last thing I wanted to deal with is not being able to hear my wife sitting directly to my right. I immediately asked to be moved and they they were accommodating which I appreciated.
We started with the crab cake which was a 1/3 smaller than the last time and tasted like it was prepared previous to us arriving. My wife ordered the black and bleu salmon and I ordered the Sea bass. It was decent but tasted nothing like the last time. Sadly the choice was between The Market Del Mar, Trulucks, and the Oceanaire, and we thought we were playing it safe because we had been there and it was splendid. The following night we dined at the Market and realized we were wrong. Drive the distance and go to the Market. -
Review from khrysten t.
La Jolla, CA
1/17/2012
If only if Restaurant Week was Restaurant Year! :(
I've been yearning to make a stop at this well known seafood restaurant in the Gaslamp for years now and have only yesterday been able to go because of the somewhat college-friendly prices Restaurant Week has to offer ($40pp).
The roomies and I decided before we went that we'd share the different courses so we can have a well-rounded experience. We ordered (which included different courses than available online):
Appetizers: jumbo lump crab cake, fried white asparagus, and fried calamari
Entrees: Cranberry almond baked salmon, Stuffed Dole Florentino, and an Asian fusion Yellow Tail
Desserts: Chocolate cake a la mode, Chocolate mousse, Apple Cranberry Crisp
Everything was mouth-wateringly delicious- except the stuffed dole that I ordered, which was rather plain...
Atmosphere- As a college student I felt as though I stuck out like a sore thumb :/ But, nothing a nice dinner outfit can't fix. Definitely more for the older crowd though... And the restaurant is rather small and crowded.
Service- Prompt and courteous.
I may just have to go back again next week :) -
Review from Max J.
Santee, CA
1/12/2012
Great place to impress your friends.
The food was great, service was perfect and prices, I thought, were reasonable all things considered.
Baked stuffed shrimp was amazing and the "Kid Dynamite" was definitely a surprise! -
Review from Jonny C.
1/4/2012
I typically enjoy a meal with clients or friends at the Oceanaire at least once a year during my pilgrimages to San D- and it serves its purpose as the upscale, surf and turf type of establishment that looks like it should wow. The Circ Du Soleil style suspended wine steward/library is a cool touch- and Ill never turn down a raw bar.
My only issue is- the food and service (steaks, large fish) isnt on par with the cost/atmosphere associated with a restautant of Oceanaires status. I am obviously prepared to drop some coin ( as evidenced by aggressive cocktail, wine and app ordering) and this should buy me some goodwill. It typically doesnt.
It will get the job done for a "nice meal" - just dont expect to be wowed by the food or bowled over by the service. -
Review from Tommy H.
Irvine, CA
1/21/2012 1 Check-in Here
quality seafood in the heart of downtown San Diego
3.5 stars
i finally got to try the Oceanaire Seafood Room during the San Diego Restaurant week. for $40 per person, you get to pick an appetizer, an entree and a dessert from a variety of plates off their menu. unlike other participating restaurants that only give you two choices from a prefix menu to choose from in each category, OSR offers a good chunk of their regular menu for restaurant week.
what we ordered:
Appetizer:
- jumbo lump crab cakes (5 of 5): some of the best crab cakes I've had, definitely more crab than filling.
- oysters (5 of 5): 4 different types of oysters, very sweet and fresh.
Entrees:
- stuffed Dover (3 of 5): very rich dish, the fish was very soft as it is, but to add a cream sauce around it and stuff it with crab, shrimp and spinach gave it a mushy texture. good for the first few bites.
- drunken salmon (3.5 of 5): nicely cooked fish with some candied nuts and some sort of berries. this dish was a little too sweet for my liking.
dessert:
-trio of sorbet (4 of 5): lemon, mango, and raspberry. soft fruity sorbet that leaves the palate refreshed. mango was my favorite.
-creme brulee (3.5 of 5): simple vanilla creme brulee, the caramelized sugar crust was a little disappointing as it was lacking that satisfying break. the creme inside seemed to have just come out of the refrigerator.
overall, the seafood was fresh, i think our selections were a little off the traditional route, the service was great, parking sucks in the gaslamp, valet was $20....nope! i wouldn't mind coming back to OSR in the future. -
Review from Monique K.
Santa Monica, CA
I was so impressed with this restaurant - Oceanaire absolutely lived up to it's reputation. Hands down, this is the best seafood restaurant in San Diego.
Had the most over-the-top meal here with my boyfriend - we started out with champagne, White Russians, and the highly recommended crab cake appetizer - the crab cake was perfect, shareable and probably one of the best I've had (as so many Yelpers have said).
The lobster tail was excellent! The lobster is a MUST! Beautiful presentation. Asparagus was the perfect side - huge, tender spears with a great hollandaise sauce - we also ordered the potatoes au gratin, which was enormous and looked way too indulgent, so we boxed it up to save room for dessert.
The potatoes were amazing, even after several hours in a to-go box! We were literally fighting over them when we got home - so creamy and cheesy. Anddd both sides were comp'd because they came out a bit late - the service here was impeccable!
We continued our decadent meal with the famous baked Alaska - we heard so much about it, we had to do it... The presentation alone is worth ordering this - and the peppermint flavor they had was delicious. This was a giant dessert - could definitely be shared between 5 people!
Surprisingly the boring chocolate cake we also ordered outshined the baked Alaska by far - we both agreed that it was the most incredible chocolate cake... I ate it for breakfast the next morning. This too was a huge dessert - this slice of chocolate heaven was super rich and worth every calorie!
They waitress even brought us bibs to eat our messy desserts! The service was really awesome, I can't say it enough!
We were so happy we finally tried this place. Everything from the food to the service was fantastic! It was definitly NOT cheap, but soo worth the splurge.Listed in: When in San Diego...
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Review from Sam T.
1/2/2012 1 Check-in Here
One of the more refined Restaurants in the area. Didn't really know what to expect here. So here goes.
Food:
Ordered 3 oysters at the bar. Apparently $1 on Sundays. Bad Quality...Ordered 2 Entrees and an appetizer at the table.
Shrimp and Grits: Great first bite. Overly salty there after.
Dove Florentine: Stuffed with crab and spinach. Pretty decent not amazing
Fluke with grab: Very plain...feel like we could have gotten this anywhere
Service:
Service was amazing. Waiter was very personable and informative on the fish in the menu.
Environment:
Feels lie the typical swanky swanky restaurant.
Price:
$$$.5
Overall a decent experience. Food was disappointing....
Food: 3
Service: 5
Environment: 4
Price: 2 -
Review from Marcus S.
Chicago, IL
1/22/2012
Am I number 1000?
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Review from Sammi S.
Temple City, CA
12/7/2011
Super tasty crabcakes!!! Best one I had so far in restaurants!!!
Also really good oysters!!! Request for the server called Sean! He did a great job on suggesting good oysters! They have like about 20 choices of oysters!! Trust me, you'll need his help unless you're a pro with eating oysters!
High recommended!!!!! -
Review from Agent schmully L.
Brooklyn, NY
12/5/2011
I had escargot for the first time here, and was thoroughly, I mean thoroughly disgusted.
San Diego, my 2nd most favorite place on earth is known for amazing seafood. I assumed the lobster bisque would be mind-blowing...It definitely fell short.
HOWEVER, the oyster bar is amazing and the variety of oysters Oceanaire offered was exceptional.
I highly recommend the Kumamoto oysters.
Come for happy hour! -
Review from Laura B.
Raleigh, NC
11/30/2011
Most amazing crab cakes! I am from Maryland and I can tell you these are THE BEST! I dare you to doubt me!!!
Make a reservation to get a comfy booth! -
Review from Jeff M.
San Diego, CA
1/23/2012
I've been to Oceanaire a number of times and have never been disappointed.
They make the best crab cake I've ever eaten. It's amazing they can make it stay together since its essentially huge lumps of buttery crab goodness. Their red rooster mahi mahi is phenomenal also.
Don't forget to check out their happy hour for an array of $1 raw oysters and drink specials. -
Review from Jorge E.
Chula Vista, CA
1/23/2012
When visiting places that are on the expensive side I usually go home feeling that I wasted my money. This was the first time in a while that this didn't happen.
The food was the reason why we fell in love with this place. We even had a waiter with a bad attitude but that did not put a damper in our dining experience. Made up for it by leaving a min 10% tip. I kind of understand why he was in a bad mood because it was restaurant week and they had a lot of customers who did not belong there. The rest of the staff were all top notch. People that please the eye greet and escort you to your table. The place is lively and the bartenders were all fun and outgoing. -
Review from Dennis V.
Santa Rosa, CA
12/18/2011
Best. Seafood. Ever. We make a point to hit Oceanaire any time we are in San Diego.
The crab cakes are beyond compare. Actual patties of fresh crab meat, and very little else. We often end up having these for our entree. Oyster lovers will love the wide variety. Great martinis. The baked alaska is delicious and more than enough for two people to share. Never mind it's flambé (fancy for on fire)! What could be more fun?
Service is always friendly and impeccable. The nautical theme is classy, without feeling stuffy. Great place for a romantic dinner.
Everything we have tried, from chowda to deserts have always been top notch.
PS - If you're in town for Comic-con, you have a decent chance of spotting a celebrity. -
Review from Ravena F.
11/18/2011 Seated via OpenTable
Wow, 4 1/2 stars Yelp? It was good, just not THAT good.
At our anniversary dinner, they seated us 15 minutes late, which was fine because the bartender served up a nice martini. Ambiance was pretty raucous with oomcha oomcha music in a sort of lush diner decor. There are painted fish on the walls, which our waiter actually pointed to when describing one of the dishes. Some of us are visual learners.
Salad starter was ridiculously enormous - more like a lunch entree. The steak was cooked as ordered and quite tasty. Moonfish was fair. It's a meaty fish that gets tougher as it sits on the plate. By the end, I couldn't finish it because chewing it was getting tiresome.
We had mentioned that it was our anniversary, following which, our (otherwise talented) waiter kept referencing my husband's birthday. We ended up with a complimentary Baked Alaska for this "birthday" that was fairly dramatic in presentation, what with the fire and alcohol, but less impressive in taste.
I believe what earns them such a high rating on Yelp has to do with the very popular happy hour, which involves a great deal on oysters and drinks, and again, the raucous environment. We'd probably come back for that, but not necessarily for the full dinner again. -
Review from Sarah h.
12/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
Slick attempt at high-end chain restaurant dining. Felt a LITTLE like it was trying too hard to be more than it was. Apart from that (slightly pretentious/desperate?) vibe, I had a good time here. Were seated immediately without a reservation, enjoyed a HUGE meal including the asian-inspired seared ahi entree. That ahi was perhaps the best cut of ahi tuna I have ever seen, even in sushi restaurants or on the Hawaiian Islands at fish markets. It was perfect. The Fiance enjoyed his "dynamite" something dish, which looked tasty but kind of mayo-saucey, which seemed tasty but amateur for what the restaurant was attempting portray.
The winner of a dessert was the Baked Alaska, served table side en flambé. AMAZING and fun. I love a good show. ;) -
Review from Angela T.
1/21/2012 1 Check-in Here
In town for a conference and wanted to catch the last night of San Diego Restaurant Week, there were hundreds of places to choose from, so we narrowed it down to seafood in the gaslamp area. So I turned to Yelp to help me decide. After going through all of the choices, this place had the highest rating, so that's how we ended up here. Also, the dinner pre-fix menu looked really good.
We made reservations for 9pm, arrived on time, and we were seated 20 minutes later, which I wasn't upset with, but after we were seated, no one came around for another 15 minutes, no one. So that was a little annoying. There were more choices on the menu for restaurant week than online, I wanted to try the moonfish, but was told they sold out. Bummer. Ok I will try the black and blue Fijian Ono, I was very disappointed, I could tell the fish had potential but it was so over seasoned with Cajun spice and then caramelized onions on the bottom and blue cheese as well, there were way too many different flavors fighting for the spotlight. We all chose the crab cake for our app, again I know there was really good crab meat in there, but the cake was so salty, my fingers looked like hot dogs halfway through dinner. During dinner my water glass was empty most of the time. The server wasn't around to check on us too often. Then dessert, I was so excited to have my favorite dessert, key lime pie (which was listed as an option online) but it wasn't listed at all on the menu, I asked the server and he responded "when they attempted to make it a smaller size for restaurant week, it didn't set well" again I was bummed because none of the other desserts appealed to me and I'm not gonna lie, that was one of the reasons why I chose this place, I wanted dessert! Well the only redeeming quality of our server was he surprised me with a slice of key lime pie that is on the regular menu. Wasn't the best I've had, but it did the trick. Would I come back? Ehhh prob not, too many other options here in town. Disappointed. Oh one last thing, did have a good bottle of Wairau River Sauvignon blanc, so that made me a little happy. -
Review from Mindy F.
La Jolla, CA
1/20/2012
I seldom write reviews on Yelp, except for exceptionally good or exceptionally bad experiences.
That being said, dining at Oceanaire was an exceptionally terrible experience.
1) FOOD QUALITY - tolerable at best.
- Their famous crabcake was overly-salty.
- The ono fish was dry, tough, tasteless, and difficult to cut into even with a knife (when asked, the server stated this is just the way this fish is prepared. That cannot be possible because I can't imagine a person with functional tastebuds finding this dish to be palatable. Basically, they refused to admit that this particular plate may have been inadequately prepared).
- The chocolate cake was *not* moist, *not* chocolatey.
- Hash browns were $11 and I have seriously had better hash browns at Denny's.
2) SERVICE - unprofessional
- The servers were preferentially attentive to other diners and essentially ignored my party.
- Last I checked - we're all eating at the same establishment, paying the same prices, and thus should receive the same level of service regardless of our age, ethnicity, or attire - i.e. just because we're not white men dressed in business suits doesn't mean we should be treated like second-class citizens.
3) AMBIENCE - typical of any upscale restaurant, nothing special.
I had previously had a delicious meal here, so I'm not sure what's changed - different management? different chef? However, after this most recent experience, I will not be coming back. -
Review from JOE P.
Fullerton, CA
11/18/2011 Seated via OpenTable
My girlfriend and I visited the Oceanaire this past summer, and I just got around to this review.
She had the Crab cakes, which we both loved, and I had the "Angry snapper", which was a spicy variation of snapper. Both were great.
Overall, the place is amazing, but do NOT order the baked alaskan! Looks cool, but tastes horrible. It's essentially orange-creamsicle flavored ice cream with whip cream, covered in a vodka or something lit on fire. Bad thing is, you taste the alcohol in every bite, and simply did not taste good. -
Review from Clive W.
San Diego, CA
2/1/2012
Everything is great! Don't miss the CHILLED SHELLFISH PLATTER for your appetizers.
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Review from Ken C.
San Diego, CA
Updated - 12/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
This place changed ownership and does not have the same vibe that it once had. Although the menu is still decent, they do not veer from the basics like they used to when they had a great chef.
This is still a decent choice I suppose for a drink at the bar. The bartenders are still pretty cool although they have changed. But the appetizers are weak and the prices are the same as they were when this place was an awesome restaurant.
This is no longer a "go to" place for me. Not horrible, slightly better than average food with fine dining prices = 3 stars.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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Review from Christine S.
Carlsbad, CA
11/10/2011
Superb Seafood and Service
Ditto to what most others have said. My husband and I came for happy hour on my b-day and sat at the bar. The bartenders were all very knowledgeable about the food and drinks. We ordered a couple plates of oysters to try-- I've had oysters before but never sampled different kinds at a time-- nice to see and taste the differences.
Great for happy hour and great for those special occasions. Just be ready to pay for quality food & service. -
Review from Marcela S.
San Diego, CA
1/9/2012
Fabulous spot for a big group.
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Review from Mindee P.
San Diego, CA
1/6/2012
Excellent. Def best crab cake ever. Shrimp Bisque so good too. A definite must in San Diego or date night :)
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Review from Sean W.
San Diego, CA
I was here about 6 months ago & forgot to write the review. I was on a 1st date here in San Diego and had been to the Oceanaire in Denver about 3 years prior & loved it.
My date & I thoroughly enjoyed our meal and the atmosphere was good, the only reason I don't give it 5 stars is because its a bit more "stuffy" than I typically like. Don't get me wrong, its not "stuffy", just more so than I would typically like. For you SD locals, I tend to like the vibe at searsucker, harney sushi, and that style more....a bit more upbeat & "fun".
Oceanaire was definitely delicious food and 1 of the most amazing deserts I've had since moving here. It was a chocolate cakee that tasted like a huge amazing brownie w/ delicious ice cream....amazing!
I'll be back for sure!
