The Smoking Goat Restaurant
The Smoking Goat is an award-winning California-French bistro located in the heart of North Park, San Diego.
Inspired by his European Farm-to-Table up-bringing and culinary training at Le Cordon Bleu Paris, Executive Chef and Owner Fred Piehl, marries classic French cuisine with the bounty of San Diego in a way that is rustic, yet refined, imaginative, yet unpretentious.
The dinners served feature in-season local, sustainable and organic ingredients and provide guests with a unique culinary experience, reminiscent of the European countryside.
Boasting an eclectic and carefully selected wine, beer, craft aperitifs and cocktail list with selections from both the old and new world, The Smoking Goat assures there is always the correct pairing available.
Safety precautions
- Surfaces sanitized between seatings
- Common areas deep cleaned daily
- Digital, disposable or sanitized menu provided
- Sanitizer or wipes provided for customers
- Contactless payment available
- Limited number of seated diners
- Distancing maintained in common areas
- Extra space between tables
- Waitstaff wear masks
- Diners must wear masks unless eating or drinking
- Sick staff prohibited in the workplace
- Staff temperature check required
Our dishes were very tasteful, and everyone was very friendly.
Went for SDRW 2021. It was great!
Quite disappointing. My wife and I wanted to try this place for the last 4 years and felt totally let down. My steak was tough with a bland sauce the desperately needed salt. The waiter was great and attentive, but l took an hour for our main meals to arrive. The strawberry shortcake dessert was good. Later we both had stomach aches, possibly from the Brie we had as an appetizer.
The prefixed menu was good and the service was really fast and nice, it a little disappointing that they had soju as part of their cocktail offers and it was not that good.
I really want to give this place a better rating, but I was disappointed. The food just didn’t have the flavor I was hoping for. It was very bland and something you don’t expect from a French restaurant.
We went on a very busy 'Restaurant Week' Sat night. They were super busy. It took a hit on the food quality as far as I could tell. I have been there before and some of my favorites were still slightly off.
Again not a big deal. When you are that busy something gotta give, I get it. I will probably avoid that situation in the future.
Excellent Service!!
Everything was delicious!
Loved this place! My steak was amazing, and I was so happy that they could modify my French fries.( I don't like truffle oil)
Very pleased with our restaurant week experience! We will be back!!
We went for restaurant week, and unfortunately they hadn't accounted for the surge. The impact was that the food felt like the kind that one would get at a nice restaurant at a theme park. Tasty enough, but superficial and uninspired. I expect that the staff and chef mean well, and no doubt once things settle quality etc. will improve. But the experience we had was underwhelming.
We dined during San Diego Restaurant Week, so the menu was limited. I ordered the steak; it was prepared well and cooked to my request, but the cut itself was poor quality and certainly below my expectations. When I mentioned it to the host, he was apologetic and said that he had heard other reports of the same problem this evening. That was forgivable; things happen.
The more concerning issue was that this was supposed to be single-charge dinner (with an upcharge for the steak, which I understood and gladly paid. However, we were charged for the French onion soup appetizer, which should have been included. The server agreed and made the change, but brought back a check with the same appetizer charge. The host eventually came back with the proper check, again apologizing for the error.
In general, we were not satisfied with the meal (though the duck-fat fried french fries were amazing!). The wait was long to be seated, to be approached by our server the first time for our order, for the ordered drinks to arrive, and for the check. The food arrived pretty quickly after the drinks. The staff was helpful and friendly, but they were either understaffed or long waits are expected (I've been to France...). We will probably not return.
Very nice experience. Help attentive, friendly and informative.
Quite a lovely restaurant! Had the steak Frites and the duck pate which were both amazing… But I really want to try that onion soup. Strawberry shortcake during restaurant week was so so I recognized all the product in it but it was still okay.
I’ll be back!
We went in for restaurant week and enjoyed the meal. Service was slow, but the food quality was very good. The table was on the sidewalk and it was a bit chilly.
We enjoyed a delightful Restaurant Week dinner at the Smoking Goat. The duck pate was excellent especially with the accompaniments--fig preserves, Point Reyes blue cheese, and poached pears. My Duroc pork chop was perfectly cooked! The strawberry shortcake missed the mark, the shortcake was dry. I appreciated the opportunity to have a selection of wine pours -- 6 ounces and 9 ounces. The house red (Carmel Road Point Noir) was very good and nicely priced. I experimented with the French 75 which was made with "Soju," I'll stick with gin but understand that the Smoking Goat does not have a "hard" liquor license. We also appreciated the "team" approach to service. If our server was busy other servers responded to our requests.
My boyfriend and I went for restaurant week. He got the French onion soup and I got the baked Brie. Both were pretty good. We ordered steaks which we are pretty particular about. The steaks could’ve been more flavorful. The dessert was phenomenal - strawberry shortcake. Overall it was quiet and the staff were friendly. A bit overpriced considering portions
Unable to prepare steak as requested.
Service was very slow, food was okay and the waiter was not friendly at all.
Dined here over the weekend on the sidewalk outdoor setup. The food was mostly underwhelming. Nothing memorable about this experience
We were out near the street - so it is understandable the noise we encountered. But we were seated all the way at the end of the section and it seemed a little less cozy and less a part of the restaurant atmosphere back there. Maybe some sort of way to make the space more a part of the restaurant and more visually enjoyable would have helped.
Our service was better than expected for “pandemic era food service.” The food was overall really tasty. Eating out is a community thing - even in our personal space we want to feel connected to the experience you’re providing everyone else in and out of the restaurant.
Really good food, will be back to try other dishes in the menu. Service was good. Hope they had hard liquor for cocktails, but it's ok.
Great food, but we had to wait about 20-30 minutes after our reservation, and then one of our meals came out cold. The waiter didn't come by to check on us until about 15 minutes after we started eating.
Unfortunately our service was lacking. Someone in our party had dietary restrictions and our waiter seemed annoyed by the requests. The steaks we received were chewy and I could only take a few bites. The duck fat fries were very good though!
Place is perfectly priced for what it is, where it is and the service is also phenomenal. Can’t wait to go back and hope it’s soon!
We had Adam as our server during our visit. He was very attentive, knowledgeable about the menu, and enthusiastic about our dining experience. The atmosphere of the restaurant is quiet and laid back, perfect for a relaxing dinner. The food was also excellent. The portion sizes were adequate as well! I sadly find that when we go to nice restaurants the taste may be great, but the portion sizes are cut in half. I then leave the restaurant still hungry (or spending more money on sides or desserts...). Smoking Goat did not disappoint in this area. I highly recommend a visit!
Love it!! Thank you!
It is a nice place the service was great. I had the scallops they were good but the purée around them tasted very boring almost no taste at all . I think the bill was very high.
Unique restaurant. Really enjoyed the food we got and the ambiance
Food was wonderful. Server seemed a little overworked. Hostess was very kind. COVID street side dining experience - steady flow of cars and trucks going by.
Amazing food and overall experience! I would definitely come back and recommend to friends for an intimate date night.
Came for the Mussels and they did not disappoint! Started with Melted Brie and French Onion Soup, will definitely order again. The Smoking Goat Bordeaux is one of my favorites.
Amazing food and great staff! Outside dining was a bit loud due to passing traffic but it was still a romantic outing.
Everything was amazing!
Fantastic food ... just wish they had a full bar.
What a horrible experience. Skip it if you can. They don’t seem to know how to operate a restaurant. All of the staff seemed lost and confused.
We came here to celebrate my husband’s birthday. It was recommended by our friend, so we were excited to go.
We had the onion soup which was delicious. We also ordered the pork chops by recommendation of our waiter. The meat was hard to cut into, very dry and extremely salty. I could not continue eating.
I felt bad to bring my husband for his birthday as it was my idea. Not the best.
I don’t know if our experience was an exception. However, I don’t think we will be returning.
I do have to add that our waiter was very nice and welcoming.
They made an outdoor dining experience special. We were covered from the rain and still felt safely seated with plenty of room. Our waiter was knowledgeable and very pleasant. The food was top notch from escargot to soup to octopus to scallops. Mercí!
Biggest hit: the scallops! Delicious dishes all around, but those scallops melted in your mouth. I’ve already recommended this restaurant to several friends. Wine list could use some work and the bar was closed due to COVID which I still don’t understand. Our server was so fun too!
Fun, great restaurant. Food , service & ambiance is always good!
FAQs
You can order delivery directly from The Smoking Goat Restaurant using the Order Online button. The Smoking Goat Restaurant also offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (619) 955-5295.
The Smoking Goat Restaurant is rated 4.6 stars by 1618 OpenTable diners.
Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable. Due to local restrictions, this restaurant may not be accepting reservations at the moment.