Dobson's Bar & Restaurant

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1. GP

   GeneralP

   New Orleans

   2 reviews

   5.0

   2 reviews

   Dined 4 days ago

   overall5food5service4ambience5

   A nice, quaint, establishment that pays attention to detail and and high end quality service. The food is to die for and the Mussel Bisque is truly world famous. It is a place truly, everybody knows your name and remembers you, but they serve you and treat you with grace and elegance most of the time. I've only had one bad experience here and that was with a hostess a little over a year ago, but her narrow-mindedness is not indicative of this wonderful restaurant as a whole. The Bartender, Michael, is excellent as what he does and has a great memory, so if you have a special drink that you like, he'll remember you and how you like it. I would drive a 100 miles to come and eat the sourdough and enjoy the Mussel Bisque, and I do! I come from Hunting Beach in Orange County just to enjoy the fid, the drink, and the service.
   

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2. B

   Bean

   Orlando

   7 reviews

   5.0

   7 reviews

   Dined on May 23, 2023

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   This is a real neighborhood gem, that is easily overlooked. It's in a narrow other building tucked away in the Gas Lamp district. Many of the tables are upstairs with no elevator but it was worth every step. The steak was amazing, and so was the sea bass.
   

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3. KK

   KevinK

   San Diego

   20 reviews

   vip
   5.0

   20 reviews

   Dined on May 20, 2023

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   Wonderful as usual!!! Food especially the Mussel Bisque is Lovely!
   

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4. r

   richc

   San Diego

   11 reviews

   5.0

   11 reviews

   Dined on May 14, 2023

   overall5food4service5ambience5

   The service was outstanding. Pleasant, cordial and "right there"! Good wine value. Lamb chop had great flavor and plentiful for two. Asked for chop to be medium and was red center, but...
   

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5. MK

   MikeK

   San Diego

   1 review

   vip
   5.0

   1 review

   Dined on May 14, 2023

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   Food was excellent, best sourdough bread I've ever had.
   

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6. D

   Downtowndiner

   San Diego

   129 reviews

   vip
   5.0

   129 reviews

   Dined on May 13, 2023

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   We visited with a special group that very much enjoys gathering to enjoy great food. Dobson's did not disappoint! Most everyone ordered the amazing mussel bisque - and there was 100% vote that is was great! We also had the pork chops (interesting bernaise!), the filet and the salmon. All good! thank you!
   

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7. R

   Reggielee4

   San Francisco

   4 reviews

   5.0

   4 reviews

   Dined on April 29, 2023

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   Food and service was wonderful. Will definitely be back.
   

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8. OT

   OutofTowner

   New York Area

   3 reviews

   4.0

   3 reviews

   Dined on April 20, 2023

   overall4food3service3ambience4

   OK food, nothing special but a friendly atmosphere. The waiters need to stop clearing tables while diners are still eating during discussions. This type of "efficiency" drives me crazy and significantly impacts the dining experience. Let folks eat at their own pace and enjoy the experience!
   

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9. MR

   MichaelR

   San Diego

   2 reviews

   5.0

   2 reviews

   Dined on April 16, 2023

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   This is our favorite San Diego restaurant! We enjoyed many special occasions at Dobson’s. Great food , service and old school ambience. Highly recommended for people looking for a complete dining experience
   

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10. NN

    NancyN

    San Diego

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on April 14, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    My friend and I had tickets to a show at the San Diego Civic Theater. This is a short walk from there and a great place to get dinner before a show. My pasta with shrimp was wonderful.
    

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11. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Orange County

    11 reviews

    vip
    1.0

    11 reviews

    Dined on April 14, 2023

    overall1food1service1ambience1

    Absolutely disappointing experience! Went to dinner here before a Civic Center performance. Even though we were seated as one of the first tables, we were one of the last to get our entrees because of the incredibly poor service. Mussels were marginal, bread was late, duck was ordered rare and came out medium (the server told us that one was rare and one was medium rare which was not truthful). I would not recommend this restaurant, especially if you are going to an event at the Civic Center and want to make the show on time.
    

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12. OR

    Ono2Review

    Hawaii

    55 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    55 reviews

    Dined on April 14, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    I loved this place. Great food and service. Great cocktails. Great history. Probably the best sourdough bread I have had in years. The bisque soup was excellent. I would visit again in a heartbeat. Thank you.
    

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13. P

    Paul

    San Diego

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on April 13, 2023

    overall1food3service2ambience1

    Long waiting at door before someone showed up to seat us even though we had reservation, we were seated at a tiny uncomfortable table with no privacy without any other choice, food was average for the price charged, the dining area is way too small and overcrowded. Overall this was a very unpleasant almost stressful experience. This was my first visit at Dobson's and definitely my last one.
    

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14. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Denver

    1 review

    vip
    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on April 13, 2023

    overall3food3service3ambience3

    Cute restaurant and bar with good cocktails. Escargot was delicious. Staff seems to be short for as busy as the restaurant. Food was a bit mediocre, both were steaks over cooked. Asked for the check before the meal was delivered to be sure we could make it to our show.
    

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15. W

    Wendy

    San Francisco

    21 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    21 reviews

    Dined on April 11, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Always great! The mussel bisque is a must! I understand why this restaurant has been around for so long. We have been coming here for years.
    

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16. M

    Mugsy

    San Diego

    149 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    149 reviews

    Dined on April 9, 2023

    overall4food5service5ambience3

    This is one of my husband's favorite restaurant. It is an old style restaurant with very good food. The only downside is that it is somewhat worn and smells musty. We had the chicken Marsala which was delicious, and different , with figs.
    

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17. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    San Diego

    1 review

    vip
    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on April 7, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Wonderful experience. Laid-back Jaz sax and vocals. Great food and service and drinks. What more could you ask?
    

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18. LS

    Love2dineSD

    San Diego

    76 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    76 reviews

    Dined on April 6, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    We really enjoyed our dinner last night at Dobson’s - We both ordered the filet mignon - which was perfectly tender and very flavorful - I also enjoyed a Cesar salad and great Daou Cabernet - plus chocolate mousse cake and cappuccino- The mousse cake was excellent! Highly recommend The service was great - A very busy and popular place on civic theater show nights !!!
    

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19. J

    Janet

    Philadelphia

    1 review

    2.0

    1 review

    Dined on April 2, 2023

    overall2food4service4ambience3

    We arrived early for our 6:15 reservation. At 6:10 we were told that we could not stay more than an hour and a half. We ate and were out by 6:25. We found it quite inappropriate that we were told we could not stay more than an hour and a half given that it was quite clear we would be gone in plenty of time. Just rude.
    

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20. j

    jamesh

    San Diego

    6 reviews

    5.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on April 2, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Great dinner and fun times with the Aztec win while we were dining. Really loud but that is one time it is OK.
    

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21. C

    Cindib

    Denver

    13 reviews

    5.0

    13 reviews

    Dined on April 1, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience4

    The famous bisque was delish! Order the sour dough bread. Excellent filet mignon.
    

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22. C

    Cook

    San Diego

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on March 30, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience4

    First time guests. Loved the Restaurant Week Surf & Turf meal. Staff very attentive and provided great service. Seated along the wall of the bar - so a little awkward. We will return again!
    

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23. M

    Marissa

    New York Area

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on March 29, 2023

    overall4food2service4ambience5

    Went with my partner for restaurant week. Service was fine, drinks were good, appetizers were delicious — I had the shrimp calabrese, he had the arancini. Entrees were absolutely terrible — I had the spaghetti with tomato and basil, which was nothing more than pasta with skin off tomatoes in water that I ate 3 bites of, he had the steak frites, which was about as thin as a piece of sliced ham and burned French fries. They didn’t notice we left almost all our food on the plates. We ordered dessert then waited 15 minutes for it to come out (we had a 5 o’clock seating so the restaurant wasn’t even half full). The kicker here is that on their regular menu, the spaghetti is $22, but for restaurant week they charge you $25 and while I understand it’s a prix-fixe menu and pricing, felt a little cheated, especially for it being so bad. All in all, this place is for drinks and appetizers only.
    

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24. C

    Chey

    Alabama

    7 reviews

    3.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on March 29, 2023

    overall3food3service3ambience4

    They had a portion of the bar unavailable due to a marketing shoot during happy hour and we had gotten there early for our reservation to enjoy a drink at the bar so that was disappointing. Also when we were seated (at 6:30) we were early for our reservation and they annoyingly told us we only had an hour and a half to eat due to other reservations. The place emptied out so clearly that was not the case. We did not just order the restaurant week special but off the main menu and some of the sides were ridiculously small compared to what others received (there were four of us) in addition to no pepper being offered for Caesar salad. Our filet was grossly undercooked but the staff apologized and took care of that salmon was over cooked. They seemed to have enough staff so overall not the best experience for what we had paid and hoped for.
    

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25. LR

    LauraR

    San Diego

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on March 29, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Love this place! The dirty martini's are the best and the bisque is delicious with the homemade bread!
    

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26. E

    Elias

    San Diego

    8 reviews

    5.0

    8 reviews

    Dined on March 28, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Classic cooking but comfortable. Charming space and experienced servers.
    

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27. JC

    JeffC

    Warwickshire

    10 reviews

    5.0

    10 reviews

    Dined on March 25, 2023

    overall5food5service4ambience4

    Dobson's has real character - it's like an old style brasserie - or a little European/Parisian restaurant. Looks like its been there for years - which is the sort of place I prefer. It's small - most of the tables are upstairs on a mezzanine, but sitting at the bar looked fun and the few tables downstairs lively and buzzy. The food was excellent, and I thought the prices very reasonable. Their signature mussel bisque was delicious.
    

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28. T

    Toni

    San Diego

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on March 25, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    The best SD restaurant week menu! Excellent!👌🏼 you can never go wrong with Dobson’s.
    

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29. P

    Pazziano

    Los Angeles

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on March 25, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    We had the rack of lamb and my wife had chicken Marsala we both thoroughly loved our meals. We split the Beet salad which was plenty and delicious . Then came the crème brûlée for dessert ..OMG AH SO GOOD!!
    

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30. PK

    PaulK

    Palm Springs

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on March 23, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Great atmosphere, diverse menu, excellent entres and service
    

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31. J

    Jean

    San Diego

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on March 22, 2023

    overall4food5service4ambience3

    Food was delicious and we finished all our plates! Waiter was very kind to serve our drinks upstairs to our table on mezzanine floor which I understand was not the norm. This was highly appreciated. I did not want to go downstairs and up again with all my guests. Restaurant looks a little dated. Overall it still was a nice evening out!
    

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32. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Orange County

    2 reviews

    3.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on March 19, 2023

    overall3food1service3ambience5

    Ordered the pork chop. Meal was mildly warm. Very disappointed.
    

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33. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    San Diego

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on March 16, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    After almost 40 years Dobson’s has maintained the quality and the service of an outstanding restaurant.
    

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34. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    San Francisco

    3 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on March 16, 2023

    overall4food4service5ambience3

    Overall everything was very good. The service was friendly and prompt. The food was delicious. The upper section of the room was very dimly lit, which made it difficult to see. We are middle aged, although far from elderly, and we had to get out our phones and put the flashlights on the menus in order to read them. At first, it was quite chilly. We had to ask for the heat to be put on. (Once the heat was on, it was much better.) The way they have their "two-top" tables arranged... if the restaurant is full, you have to sit within an arms's length of another person and you cannot help but to fully hear their conversation even if they are not speaking particularly loudly. The tables are so close that the poor waiter literally had his rear end about 1 foot from my husband's face when he was serving food to the people next to us. It is the only way he could get to the table to serve their food. Honestly, only the lighting on the configuration are an issue. Everything else was delightful.
    

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35. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    San Diego

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on March 14, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Excellent food at a reasonable price. I had the mussel soup, which was delicious. Salmon entree was very good as well. The rest of my party all enjoyed it too.
    

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36. CS

    CraigS

    San Diego

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on March 12, 2023

    overall4food4service4ambience2

    The live music upstairs was way to loud. The musician was good and her song selection was terrific, but she didn’t need a microphone and speaker for such a small room.
    

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37. S

    Sabrena

    San Diego

    260 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    260 reviews

    Dined on March 8, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    I had the grilled hearts of palm salad from the regular menu and ch I cken kabob from happy hour menu. It was super delicious. The chicken was so tender and salad was the best I've had in a long time. I could only eat about half of it. I would return for the same meal.
    

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38. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    San Diego

    1 review

    vip
    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on March 4, 2023

    overall1food2service4ambience4

    Scallops tasted bad. We didnt eat them. We would have told waiter if we could catch his eye. We just shared my meal and left. The food used to be so good.
    

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39. m

    missredmini

    San Diego

    11 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    11 reviews

    Dined on March 3, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Best fish and chips I ever had. My friend had the ravioli and loved it. Great play to go before going to a play
    

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40. KL

    KLB301

    Washington DC

    6 reviews

    vip
    2.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on March 2, 2023

    overall2food3service3ambience3

    It’s bar food not French cuisine. BTW they have a 4% surcharge to cover minimum wage increases that you don’t know about until you get the bill.
    

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