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Brigantine La Mesa, La Mesa, CA

Brigantine La Mesa

4.8 (4317)
$30 and under
Seafood
9350 Fuerte Drive, La Mesa, CA 91941

Make a reservation

2 people
10:00 PM
Booked 29 times today

About this restaurant

  • Neighborhood gem
  • Good for special occasions
  • Good for groups
A San Diego tradition since 1969, the Brigantine has received many accolades in our 40+ year history: "BEST SEAFOOD", "BEST CASUAL SEAFOOD", "BEST HAPPY HOUR", and even "BEST SWORDFISH IN THE WORLD", according to USA Today - just to name a few.



Well-known for our signature Clam Chowder, Grilled Swordfish, and Crème Brûlée, the Brigantine is a favorite among locals for consistently fresh seafood, succulent steaks and grilled meats.



With an updated nautical decor, the busy Oyster bar is hands-down the local favorite. Lush flowering foliage outdoors creates an elegant dining experience on one of two charming patios.



The La Mesa Brigantine serves dinner 7 nights a week, lunch Monday-Saturday, and brunch every Sunday.



Join us for our signature Happy Hour.

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Seafood, Steak
  • Hours of operation
    Brunch Sun 10:00 am–2:00 pm Oyster Bar Mon–Thu 11:30 am–9:30 pm Fri, Sat 11:30 am–10:30 pm Sun 10:00 am–9:30 pm Lunch Mon–Sat 11:30 am–2:30 pm Dinner Mon–Thu, Sun 4:30 pm–8:30 pm Fri, Sat 4:30 pm–9:00 pm
  • Phone number
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Executive chef
    Adalid Estrada
  • Private party facilities
    Private event areas are available for groups of 20-80 guests.Mt. Helix Room - 70 seatedPatio - 60 seated; 80 standingFood and beverage minimums apply for private space. Please contact our group sales representative for current menus and detailed information.
  • Delivery & takeout
  • Neighborhood
    La Mesa
  • Cross street
    Severin Drive
  • Parking details
    Parking is available in upper & lower lots.
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Indoor Fireplace, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 4,317 people are saying

Brigantine La Mesa reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.8
4.8 based on recent ratings
  • 4.7Food
  • 4.8Service
  • 4.7Ambience
  • 4.4Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • San Diego

    Seafood

  • East County

    Best Overall

  • East County

    Best Food

  • East County

    Best Service

  • East County

    Best Ambiance

  • East County

    Best Value

  • East County

    Great for brunch

  • East County

    Good for groups

  • East County

    Healthy

  • East County

    Hot spot

  • East County

    Neighborhood gem

  • East County

    Great for fine wines

  • East County

    Great for outdoor dining

  • East County

    Romantic

  • East County

    Good for special occasions

  • East County

    Lively

  • East County

    Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Brigantine La Mesa offers a nostalgic dining experience with "wonderful service" and a "refreshing but traditional dining room." Guests love the seafood, with highlights including "macadamia crusted halibut" and "shrimp and artichoke stuffed sea bass." While some find it noisy, the outdoor patio provides a peaceful alternative.
4,317 Reviews
  1. Bonnie VIP

    San Diego13 reviews

    4.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 3
    Parking is the pits. Few handicapped spaces on top level.

    Is this helpful?

  2. Jerry

    San Diego2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    All the people were friendly, courteous and helpful, especially our server. All of the food was good/great: halibut, stuffed seabass, coconut shrimp, and ale-brined chops. Also very good were Brig salad, oysters on 1/2 shell (we tried both east and west coast, preferred west coast), "special occasion desert" - Mud pie - which was enough for 4 of us. We were celebrating an anniversary! We have eaten at Brigantine La Mesa many times over the years and have never been disappointed.

    Is this helpful?

  3. Judy

    San Diego10 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    My husband's birthday. He had the crab stuffed shrimp and said it was outstanding My meal of swordfish and our grand daughter's salmon were equally delicious and plentiful. Our server, Mando, was gracious and delightful. All in all a lovely evening!

    Is this helpful?

  4. Robert

    San Diego5 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    My husband had the Sea Bass and said it was perfect! I had Fish & Chips and it too was wonderful

    Is this helpful?

  5. Mike

    San Diego1 review

    5.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We eat here for almost all occasions. Tammy our waitress was wonderful and thanked us for coming and wishing us a happy anniversary. It was our bad that they did not have prime rib on Monday, but gives us a reason to come back another day and enjoy great food, and kind people

    Is this helpful?

  6. Randy VIP

    San Diego46 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Always reliable. Lobster tacos and scallops were perfect. Great service.

    Is this helpful?

  7. Marianne VIP

    San Diego6 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    T he service is always excellent and we love the food. It is consistently great! We love the ambiance as well.

    Is this helpful?

  8. Carol

    San Diego10 reviews

    3.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 4
    Very disappointed! It’s been a while since I’ve been. It was our 40th wedding anniversary and I put it on our reservation. Waitress said nothing about it, in fact she looked very unhappy. Food was average. Swordfish was a bit overcooked and had no flavor. Wish we would have celebrated somewhere else!

    Is this helpful?

  9. Tyrone VIP

    Houston105 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent food as always. A.J. was our waiter for the first time and did a great job. Mikey was behind the bar, and the drinks were perfect.

    Is this helpful?

  10. Mike

    Phoenix / Arizona8 reviews

    3.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    Have been to this location several times and liked it very much. That is why we made a reservation for my mother-in-law’s 90th. Not sure what happened this time, but our server seemed minimally engaged throughout the dinner. Not the experience we’ve had in the past. I decided to order two appetizers for dinner; grilled octopus and steamed clams. The octopus was very good. The steamed clams were horrible. They were absolutely the smallest clams I’ve ever seen. They were no joke as small or smaller than the nail of my pinky finger. The shells looked like a normal clam, but the contents were in my opinion a disgrace. The broth and the bread were tasty. My wife was happy when she learned they were serving prime rib. She requested medium rare, but the portion was dry. Small things…no steak knife delivered with prime rib. Ordered clam chowder and requested Tabasco with it. No Tabasco delivered and had to wait until server walked by to ask again. This may have been a one-time experience. Again, several previous visits were fine. Make me wonder if I should book here in the future though.

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Brigantine La Mesa offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (619) 465-1935.

Brigantine La Mesa is rated 4.8 stars by 4317 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. San Diego
  4. East County
  5. La Mesa

Make a reservation

2 people
10:00 PM
Booked 29 times today
Google Map for Brigantine La Mesa

9350 Fuerte Drive, La Mesa, CA 91941

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Cross street
    Severin Drive
  • Neighborhood
    La Mesa
  • Hours of operation
    Brunch Sun 10:00 am–2:00 pm Oyster Bar Mon–Thu 11:30 am–9:30 pm Fri, Sat 11:30 am–10:30 pm Sun 10:00 am–9:30 pm Lunch Mon–Sat 11:30 am–2:30 pm Dinner Mon–Thu, Sun 4:30 pm–8:30 pm Fri, Sat 4:30 pm–9:00 pm
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Seafood, Steak
  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Parking details
    Parking is available in upper & lower lots.
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Adalid Estrada
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Indoor Fireplace, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Delivery & takeout
  • Phone number
  • Private party facilities
    Private event areas are available for groups of 20-80 guests.Mt. Helix Room - 70 seatedPatio - 60 seated; 80 standingFood and beverage minimums apply for private space. Please contact our group sales representative for current menus and detailed information.
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