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Brigantine La Mesa, La Mesa, CA

Brigantine La Mesa

4.8 (4311)
$30 and under
Seafood
9350 Fuerte Drive, La Mesa, CA 91941

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 31 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 4,311 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.
4,311 Reviews
  1. Randy VIP

    San Diego46 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 1 day ago

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

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  2. Carol

    San Diego10 reviews

    3.0

    Dined 2 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!

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  3. Tyrone VIP

    Houston105 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 2 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.

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  4. Mike

    Phoenix / Arizona8 reviews

    3.0

    Dined 2 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.

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  5. Teresa

    San Diego10 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great lunch last week. Our server, Gabe, was attentive to all of our needs. Food was great as usual!

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  6. Chas

    San Diego3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Our server Rose was the best! Super nice and top of it the whole time!

    Is this helpful?

  7. Carol

    San Diego16 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We were promptly seated at our table and were given water. Our waitress was very friendly and supplied bread and took our order. The food came very soon and everything was delicious. The fish tacos, Caesar salad and the shrimp & crab Louie were fresh and tasty. The birthday mud pie was huge and very shareable. The portions were so ample that we took containers home. It was a lovely experience and we will return.

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  8. Hans VIP

    Los Angeles24 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on June 23, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    We really enjoyed The Brigantine. The La Mesa location offers old school steak, seafood & cocktails. We had just that: Martinis, shrimp cocktail, caesar salad, blue cheese wedge and filets. The food was very good, though the steaks were slightly disappointing for $50 a pop. All of the servers and bussers were wonderful, and the refreshed but traditional dining room was delightful. Not quite five stars in our book, but still very good overall. We will likely go back, and recommend The Brigantine to anyone who misses the way California restaurants used to be.

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  9. Martha

    San Diego1 review

    5.0

    Dined on June 22, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The scallops were great, as well as the macadamia crust halibut, the Cesar Salad delicious too. I recommend this place.

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  10. William

    San Diego6 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on June 21, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 3
    Good food and service. Seafood chowder was very good. Fish well prepared and shrimp was delicious. We sat outside on the patio.. Would eat there again.

    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 4311 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
7:00 PM
Booked 31 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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