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Queenstown Public House, San Diego, CA

Queenstown Public House

4.7 (620)
$30 and under
Organic
1557 Columbia St, San Diego, CA 92101-2934

Make a reservation

2 people
10:30 PM
Booked 33 times today

About this restaurant

  • Charming
  • Great for brunch
  • Neighborhood gem
We are a New Zealand inspired whimsical restaurant set in a craftsman house that dates back to 1905. We are one block off the main drag in Little Italy. Sink your teeth into one of our organic beef or lamb burgers. We also have many salads and dinner entrees to try. Portions are generous, and prices are reasonable.

For parties of 8 or more please visit our website!

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Organic, Californian, New Zealand
  • Hours of operation
    Mon–Thu 11:00 am–10:00 pm Fri 11:00 am–11:00 pm Sat 9:00 am–11:00 pm Sun 9:00 am–10:00 pm
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Neighborhood
    Little Italy
  • Cross street
    Cedar Street
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Public transit
    Green Line/Little Italy Trolley Stop
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Happy Hour, Indoor Fireplace, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

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What 620 people are saying

Queenstown Public House 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

4.7
4.7 based on recent ratings
  • 4.8Food
  • 4.6Service
  • 4.8Ambience
  • 4.5Value

NoiseModerate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Queenstown Public House offers a "charming atmosphere" with "wonderful food" and "happy servers." Guests rave about its "adorable" decor and "delicious" brunch options. While service can occasionally be slow, the "energetic and helpful" staff and "excellent food" make it a popular spot. Dog-friendly and perfect for group gatherings, it's a "go-to place" for many.
620 Reviews
  1. Ross VIP

    Los Angeles9 reviews

    4.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    The Hostess was very pleasant and accomodating - a nice way to start our first time there. Our server was knowledgable and helpful. The food did take an inordinately long time to arrive. The Pot Pie was very good, but the hamburger was average. Overall, a nice experience...

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  2. elizabeth VIP

    New York City8 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    I love Queenstown Public House. The food is always a mayonnaise and the ambience is amazing. And they have a pretty decent happy hour.

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  3. GRETA VIP

    Los Angeles41 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Ambience, food, and service make Queenstown a winner!

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  4. Claudia VIP

    Phoenix / Arizona11 reviews

    4.0

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We had dinner at this New Zealand-themed restaurant and overall, the experience was mixed. Let’s start with the positives — the food itself was good across the board. The burger was solid, the spicy chicken sandwich had great flavor, and the calamari was especially delicious. And the highlight of the night? A cocktail called God is a Woman. Truly one of the best cocktails I’ve ever had — so good, in fact, that I made another reservation just to come back for it. However, there were a couple of things that missed the mark. One of the dishes we ordered featured lamb skewers. Given the restaurant’s New Zealand focus and the fact that the lamb is imported from there, expectations were high. I asked for the lamb to be cooked medium — which is already pushing the upper limit of how lamb should be prepared — but the pieces were cut so small to make two skewers that the meat was overcooked and chewy. It seems like this might be a recurring issue, as it’s difficult to control the doneness with such small cuts. I’d suggest they consider serving just one skewer with larger pieces to improve the texture, control the doneness and preserve the quality of the lamb. The bigger disappointment came when we returned for our second visit. I booked an 8:30 PM reservation through OpenTable, but when we arrived, the hostess told us the kitchen had already closed — even though the restaurant hours clearly said they were open until 10. She added that if the reservation was made “within the last hour,” it doesn’t count. That’s a major disconnect. If there’s a cutoff for reservations, it should be reflected on OpenTable. Instead, we drove out from La Jolla with our kids and ended up scrambling to find another place to eat. In summary: great drinks, some tasty food, but inconsistent execution and poor communication around reservations made for a frustrating experience. I hope they tighten that up, because with a few small tweaks, this place has real potential.
    Queenstown Public HouseResponded 1 day ago
    Hi Claudia, We wanted to reach out and thank you for the thoughtful review. We appreciate the feed back on all sides of the spectrum. The God is a Woman is a fan favorite for sure. We brought it back from last years spring menu for that reason. If you don't mind helping us out, we are going to message you privately to get a bit more details from you. Cheers,

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  5. tina VIP

    San Diego176 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 21, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    We'd been wanting to dine at Queenstown for quite a while and we live in the neighborhood. We were so pleased to finally get there and we enjoyed everything about the place: service, the dinners (very tasty and nice portions) and the feeling of community that we experienced amongst the diners and pets. The set up, building and surrounding patios were not only accommodating but had such a comfortable feeling. We will go back and I hope soon and often.
    Queenstown Public HouseResponded 7 days ago
    Hi Tina, Thank you so much for the kind and caring review. We are so glad you finally got to make it in and visit us. We pride ourselves on trying to cultivate that neighborhood vibe. We hope to see you again soon. Kia Ora!

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  6. Dana

    Portland / Oregon4 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 17, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We had a delicious dinner. Service was friendly and welcoming.

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  7. Barry VIP

    San Diego148 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on June 16, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Great Service. Well thought out menu. Cute place in the middle of Sky Scrapers
    Queenstown Public HouseResponded 7 days ago
    Hi Barry, We greatly appreciate the kind words. We love having our little house in the sky scapers. We like to think of us like the movie UP. We hope to see you again soon! Kia Ora

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  8. Lauren VIP

    San Diego18 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 16, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Seriously excellent service and great food and vibe!

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  9. samantha VIP

    San Francisco Bay Area1 review

    5.0

    Dined on June 15, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    This place is so cute and the biscuits & gravy are INSANE!

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  10. William

    San Diego4 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on June 15, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 3
    We sat at little table outside in front but was close quarters with another loud table. Fried chicken was a bit over cooked, but good. Drinks pricey. Would go again but get table on porch which is more charming.
    Queenstown Public HouseResponded 7 days ago
    Hi William, We appreciate your feedback. We are sorry the fried chicken wasn't up to standard for you. We will look into that with our cullinary team. Personally the 2 tables on our porch are a staff favorite. We hope to see you again! Kia Ora

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FAQs

Queenstown Public House offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (619) 546-0444 ext. 1.

Queenstown Public House is rated 4.7 stars by 620 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. San Diego
  5. Little Italy

Make a reservation

2 people
10:30 PM
Booked 33 times today
Google Map for Queenstown Public House

1557 Columbia St, San Diego, CA 92101-2934

Additional information

  • Cross street
    Cedar Street
  • Neighborhood
    Little Italy
  • Hours of operation
    Mon–Thu 11:00 am–10:00 pm Fri 11:00 am–11:00 pm Sat 9:00 am–11:00 pm Sun 9:00 am–10:00 pm
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Organic, Californian, New Zealand
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Public transit
    Green Line/Little Italy Trolley Stop
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Happy Hour, Indoor Fireplace, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine
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