SearsuckerLuke warm food.Web site and media sold me. Went with family for special birthday occasion, reserved with 4-5 days anticipation, arrived on time, 6:30 PM, plenty of tables available, and they literally stick us in a back corner wall table away from all the ambience, I protested and they then gave us an adequate table, but started off on wrong foot. The menu is very interesting, eclectic, creative and we ordered first plates that were good, also found a wine that we like from Spain. The main plates were good, but the fact that the cuts of beef were Luke warm as well as the duck, spoiled the evening, and what promised to be a good experience. It failed in most important part, the food. Overall the food was good, not great, maybe bad luck, will try again.6/14/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat!Food was great, the place had a fun vibe... like you want to dance.
Our server was Tara and she was amazing!
Already reccomended to 3 friends.6/11/2013 12:00:00 AMWhat's not to like...From start to finish this place was superb. Came down to SD for vacation and was delighted to find this place. Exceptional service from the moment we entered the restaurant. We had reservation and was seated immediately. Tried 5 of the small plates and was so full that we had to cancelled the entrees. OMG be sure to try their crab cake, duck fries, spicy shrimp, squid and mussels all yummy!!6/10/2013 12:00:00 AMBirthday dinnerGreat place, very loud. Not so great if you want to hear people across from you. Additionally, we were sat in the very back against the wall with lots of other 2/4 tops. I could hear my neighbors conversation better than mine. That was the only unfortunate part. Food and service were great.6/8/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat atmosphere!Searsucker has a great atmosphere! Great people watching. Good drinks!
Our dinner was half outstanding (puffers, shrimp & grits, carpaccio, duck fat fries) and half mediocre (chicken & waffles, brussel sprouts). We only had small plates so don't know about the entrees. Overall, we had a really good time.6/8/2013 12:00:00 AMSearsuckerFood marginal and expensive, servicing outstanding. The menu is big on spicy food and poached eggs, neither always done well. The halibut was amazing, but at $42 with no sides very overpriced. We ordered fingerling potatoes with fennel and a poached egg. They were nothing spectacular and lacked flavor. Skip the donut desert. They were doughy and lacked flavor. I had the pork belly appetizer with poached egg. Egg was overdone and pork belly not so great. I also had the spinach salad with sweetbreads and mushroom. After I pulled off most of the dressing, which was spicy and thick, It was pretty good. Had it not been for the outstanding service, I would have given the restaurant an overall 3 stars.6/7/2013 12:00:00 AMFood and service were excellentA bit pricey, but great for festive special occasions.6/5/2013 12:00:00 AMSo glad I picked this placeI booked an overnight getaway for my boyfriends birthday centered around the gaslamp district, which is almost nothing but unique-looking places to eat. I did my research beforehand and saw this restaurant had great reviews, a good menu, and a "top chef" working there. As we were walking to dinner, he said "that place looks cool" and turns up that was where we were going. The place is chic, food/drinks are outstanding and they brought him a cake out for his birthday. I would recommend making reservations no matter what, though- we went on a Tuesday night, and even though we showed early, had to wait for our reservation time, and it only got more packed as the night went on.6/4/2013 12:00:00 AMSearsucker was wonderful!I sat at one of the outdoor tables. The air was cool, but very intense heaters made the outdoor dining a pleasant temperature. We ordered several small plates, all of which were delicious! The large bar and restaurant atmosphere was modern decor, but still inviting. Overall, we enjoyed our experience at searsucker...6/4/2013 12:00:00 AMAwesome experience!Can't say enough how great our food was. Loved the decor, friendly service. Loved!!!6/2/2013 12:00:00 AMMy second time there and everythingMy second time there and everything was perfect. Our server, Jacqueline was terrific and made us feel very welcome and special. The food is tasty and innovative.6/1/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat downtown eatsBeen trying to get to searsucker for a few years now and it was worth the wait. Food was excellent. On a busy Saturday night our food was top notch with no complaints. Very reasonably priced and excellent food when usually downtown restaurant means overpriced and sup-par. Some reviews said service was somewhat slow. I can't disagree more, the dishes came so fast (but never before a prior course was completely finished), I almost wanted them to come a little slower. Definitely will eat here again, one of my new favorites with Donovan Circle of Fifths and OceanAire.6/1/2013 12:00:00 AMVibrant SceneWe went here for a bachelorette dinner, from the moment we walked in the scene was lively and vibrant! The bar area is large so it can accomadate a nice size crowd which is good because it was packed! We were seated immediately (had reservations) and were brought warm cheddar puffs, delicious! There were six of us, every single gal enjoyed their dish, one ordered the chicken & waffles appetizer and said it's the best she's ever had. The salmon, mahi mahi, tuna were all amazing and full of flavor. The drinks were on point, highly recommend the "peter rabbit" you may only want one the tartness from the limes can be a bit much. The snake bite was a huge hit with a few others. Highly recommend this spot for a group or just a fun night out!6/1/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat food, especially theGreat food, especially the small plates. The shrimp with bacon grits was delicious, and the Tabasco caviar that came on top of the crabcake was creative and tasted great. Scallops were cooked to perfection, as was the filet with mushroom demi. This is a restaurant that is noisy, but has a vibrant atmosphere, especially on a Friday night. I would recommend this to friends and family.5/31/2013 12:00:00 AMSurprising food choicesThe food was outstanding and a lot to eat. Different options from what I would have expected. The waiter recommended a pork dish that was great and a different flavor from anything I have had before. Waiters were very attentive, and the atmosphere was open and yet comfortable.
I would recommend it.5/26/2013 12:00:00 AMSearsucker is one of my favoriteSearsucker is one of my favorite restaurants, and I dine out frequently. The scene is great (unlike most places in the gas lamp district, this one does not have the rif raff). The food is expensive but excellent. I prefer the small plates, and the larger ones tend to be small anyway. This place is certainly not cheap, but worth it in my opinion. Also just discovered that they do have corkage for $25, which I could not find on their website beforehand.5/25/2013 12:00:00 AMSearsucker has great and uniqueSearsucker has great and unique food with an incredible atmosphere! There is nothing like it. And they clearly train their staff well because the service was awesome.5/23/2013 12:00:00 AMI absolutely love this restaurant.I absolutely love this restaurant. The first time we went was last year and it has continued to get better. The food was AMAZING and everything was so hot and served to perfection.
I highly recommend this restaurant to not only visitors but also locals.5/19/2013 12:00:00 AMEverything was great! TheEverything was great! The music is very loud and makes it difficult for conversation that includes the whole table. Maybe increase volume after 7:30. I was there at 5:30 thinking more restaurant than"club", with food. Everyone loved their food, and thought the place looked great. The service was great too.5/17/2013 12:00:00 AMDelishThe eclectic menu was fun. We had several appetizers to get started including mussels and short ribs. They did not disappoint. The Pate was melt in your mouth yum. We shared the Flank steak with chimichurri which he NAILED. We ended the night with the kings dessert. It was the best dessert I have had in a long time. I will definitely be coming back. Thanx Chef JoJo5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMAwesomeEasily my favorite restaurant in San Diego. Great food, great service, great drinks! Love this place!5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMEverything was fabulous.It truly was an exceptional dining experience. The decor, the vibe, the service, the cocktails and especially the food, were simply outstanding! I would heartily recommend Searsucker. Great place. The perfect balance of style, comfort and inviting.5/10/2013 12:00:00 AMIncredibleLoved the food and service was the best I've ever experienced.5/5/2013 12:00:00 AMThe SceneAtmosphere is lively and definitly the "happening place". The server was wonderful. The hostess started off the night with all negatives and no smile. The bartender was worse. VERY unfriendly and set a negative tone. We are glad that we stayed, but after the bartenders attitude, we almost left.5/4/2013 12:00:00 AMThis was one of the best restaurantThis was one of the best restaurant and overall dining experiences that I have had in a long time. The food, service and overall ambiance were all top notch. Our waitress was extremely knowledgeable and helped us select a menu that was perfect for our group.5/3/2013 12:00:00 AMWe were in a hurry and orderedWe were in a hurry and ordered 4 small plates and it was one of the best meals we have had in a long time.
Highly reccomended!!5/3/2013 12:00:00 AMVery Good, but not outstandingFrom a couple of foodies, the food at Searsucker was very good, but didn't blow us away. My wife's Halibut came with a interesting black lobster sauce, but was otherwise a nice piece of fish over a few ramps. At 41$, it seemed a bit pricy for what you got. I ordered the hanger steak which I had to send back after it came medium well to well done, after I had ordered it medium. However they did it right the second time and it was pretty tastey, just not "WOW"
Service was fantastic . The noise level was pretty high and the crowd young, but it was the Gaslamp district on a Fri night.5/3/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat food, great service!I loved the energetic, yet business friendly atmosphere of Searsucker. I was there for a business dinner and wanted to impress my clients. Our table ordered many dishes and shared everything. We especially loved the Tomahawk ribeye, shrimp & grit, scallops, mussels- wine was good too. We had a Banshee Pinot Noir, Siete Fincas Malbec, and Sav Blanc (can't remember name). Definitely recommend Searsucker for business dinners and the ambiance is full of eye candy.5/2/2013 12:00:00 AMgreat menu, creative, unique,great menu, creative, unique, delicious. Very hip scene. Incredibly loud. Not a place to have an intimate conversation so just enjoy the food.5/1/2013 12:00:00 AMAwesome restaurant. FoodAwesome restaurant. Food was great. Maybe a little on expensive side but well worth it for the atmosphere and service. Will definitely be back.4/25/2013 12:00:00 AMSearsucker came recommendedSearsucker came recommended by someone local and it delivered. The food is outstanding, well presented and the service was excellent. This place is a must visit if you are in San Diego. Make reservations as this place always seems packed (even on a Tuesday night).4/23/2013 12:00:00 AMLOVED everything! appetizersLOVED everything! appetizers were great; entrees were filling and cooked to perfection; dessert was AMAZING!4/21/2013 12:00:00 AMHeard from others how greatHeard from others how great this place was. Had to try it. It didn't disappoint me at all. Everything was perfect!4/19/2013 12:00:00 AMWhat a great restaurant!What a great restaurant! We loved the cheddar biscuits that are complimentary. The grits that come with the shrimp and grits is so good, you want to eat a bowl of it. Everything is tasty and not pretenious. Our server was excellent. He was informative and answered all of our questions and made great recommendations. The busboys were great too.
One of the hostesses was a little ditzy but was very nice.4/16/2013 12:00:00 AMAlways worth the stop!Always love to stop at Searsucker when in San Diego. The mussels were amazing, I could have dipped myself in the broth! Peter Rabbit is hands down my favorite drink ever. We ordered family style and split a few small plates and 2 entrees between 4 people, definitely the way to approach the menu to get a taste of different things. We had the filet and the halibut - both divine. Don't miss the Texas Caviar! Spicy Shrimp thumbs up as well. See you next time we are in town!4/15/2013 12:00:00 AMA must do. Expensive, butA must do. Expensive, but worth it. The atmosphere was great! We were visiting with large group. Food came out on time. We are coming back here again.4/15/2013 12:00:00 AMCreative menu, energetic service,Creative menu, energetic service, delicious food, good DJ at Sunday brunch(!).4/14/2013 12:00:00 AMWonderful food and great service.Wonderful food and great service. Staff was very attentive and happy to explain the menu. Looking forward to going back. So many wonderful dishes to try.4/12/2013 12:00:00 AMHip yet Unpretentiousgreat service. Food was incredible, flavors were built complexly upon each other yet not fusy. Just enough menu items and portions perfect.very cool vibe with good music, yet we could hear each other with no issues. our waiter has worked for the chef for 8 years which I liked to hear. try the tuna starter with tissue-thin chips - amazing4/7/2013 12:00:00 AMFantastic FoodAbsolutely incredible food with just the right sized portions!4/7/2013 12:00:00 AMSearsuckerOverall was a great dining experience. It was disappointing that 3 of their menu items were sold out, but we still enjoyed the food. Whitney was a delightful server.4/7/2013 12:00:00 AMThe bone marrow was amazing.The bone marrow was amazing. Its been a long time since i had some that good.4/7/2013 12:00:00 AMI thougth the food was OK.I thougth the food was OK. I was expecting more, however. I think that with the food being a little out of the ordinary, having the sides paired would have been nice. I felt the flavors were muddled. However, our waiter did advise but I still think I would have liked to have my dinner paired with appropriate sides. My dinner was ok. Drinks were very nice. Appetizers were very good.4/6/2013 12:00:00 AMEverything about SearsuckerEverything about Searsucker (and all Brian Malarky restaurants) is great food and drink-wise. Searsucker can get pretty dang loud but that's part of the fun of it.4/5/2013 12:00:00 AMStaff was outstanding andStaff was outstanding and went out of their way to make our dining experience really good. Food like always is top rate. Highly recommend this restaurant.4/4/2013 12:00:00 AMInteresting cocktails. BartenderInteresting cocktails. Bartender was very flexible making something special for me. A couple of the special cocktails were a little too esoteric for my dining partner and me, but the ones we had were delicious. A tad expensive, unfortunately. Lively street scene, and other than the REALLY LOUD fire truck, was a lot of fun and not too noisy. Our appetizers were very good--chicken a bit dry, though. Flat iron steak delicious and perfectly cooked. Wonderfully prepared rhubarb in the dessert. Outstanding service!4/4/2013 12:00:00 AMfood great - noise not so greatI've been there a few times and the food never fails to impress - and the service is always outstanding - but this time the noise in the restaurant was overwhelming - literally screaming at each other across the table to have a conversation - lost my voice - so next time will ask for outdoor table.4/4/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat scene and food, very noisy!Searsucker is a trendy hot spot with interesting well prepared food, an enticing cocktail menu, and very happening scene. It is also extremely NOISY which makes it less than ideal for conversation. The chef has a preference for bacon and pork oriented products i all kinds of food where one might not ordinarily expect them. My clients and I had a great time, but my ears were happy to leave, and my throuat was sore from shouting across the table to be heard. The decibal level is extremly high14/4/2013 12:00:00 AMHad such a great meal andHad such a great meal and experience bringing a group of 15 back in May. Outstanding!4/4/2013 12:00:00 AMFantastic food from "The Taste"Fantastic food from "The Taste" chef contestant, Brian Malarkey. I recommend the Chicken Waffles!4/3/2013 12:00:00 AM