Chandler’s Restaurant & Lounge

I really was expecting happy and pleased surprised looks from the father’s we were supposed to be honoring for their special Father’s day Brunch. It was supposed to be a nice way to end our visit together for a mini vacation. My two sons one from AZ and the other from San Jose all stayed at the Sheraton Carlsbad next to Legoland. I opted to reserve this brunch with a Hilton instead of a few other places (including our Sheraton hotel) because my husband and our business associates from Japan thoroughly enjoyed the attention to detail when taking care of their guests at the Hilton Anaheim in February of this year.
Wow, what a disappointment. I reserved almost a month in advance. I got confirmation notices and reminders, so I was pretty sure I was going to receive the same high standard of good customer service from this Hilton restaurant. Everything seemed like it was n the right track. Even the 2 times I called the restaurant, the people I spoke to were very professional and seemed organized. They had the confirmation number and seem to understand that this was a special celebration and get together. (I did add 2 people from a 6 person party to 8 a couple of days before the actual date because we weren’t sure until then if the son from San Jose was going to be able to make it until a couple of days before our reservation) I made sure that this reservation was noted as a Surprise Father’s Day celebration.
When we got there for our 11:00 reservation, I told the hostess that we had changed the reservation from 6 to 8 people. I specifically asked that I was going to pay and to give me the bill only. This was nto going to be a problem according to the hostess. I felt like we were placed in the back where the hot sun was because we were «walk-​ins» or something. There was plenty of room in the front where the music was being played and there was an ocean view. Maybe I should have pressed the issue that we had a confirmation number or something. Anyways, we were all just glad at least we could all celebrate this day together.
The waiter started off nice enough. The waters came pretty quickly and with children spill proof” cups. And the children’s orders were taken care of VERY PROMPTLY. But, the adult drink orders took a little longer than expected (I want to say 15 mins, but it maybe have only been 10, still that was long. I think the sun beating on us didn’t help either. And FYI, do not get the Re-​Vive Smoothie… Very very bland. The piña colada smoothie was delish! The Bloody Margarita was supposed to have Mezcal in it… but I couldn’t taste it. It was really spicy hot! BUT IT WAS GOOD!
The wait for the food and a 2^nd Piña colada Smoothie was what got this rating a 2. It took a little over 25 minutes to get our orders to us, They were all good. The orders were Huevos Rancheros, Pork Belly Hash, Lobster and Shrimp Benedict, Farm Fresh Eggs scramble, Fish n Chips, Lobster and shrimp tacos But since they couldn’t serve anything except the Brunch menu at that time (and the kids menu), you would think from a limited menu, the food would be brought to us faster than as long as we waited. Whatever the case, the food was great, but the time the orders took to get to us was unacceptable especially since the place we were seated at was pretty uncomfortable. Oh yeah, and remember how I said I wanted to be sure I got the bill? My younger son picked up the tab.
My recommendation, if you are going here with just you or as a couple, you should be ok, But, if you want to impress your family or friends– don’t bother with this place. The ²⁰⁄₂₀ at the Sheraton Carlsbad has great food, waiter/​waitresses, busboys are all very sincere and accommodating.

Had a reservation and while we were sat immediately, it took forever for our server to arrive. Food took even longer and was lack luster for the price. Server took a break after taking the order and the substitute server was a bit more attentive than the original. Other tables that sat after us left before we even got food. As someone who works in the restaurant business, I understand there are problems sometimes, but no one explained why, no one seemed to take notice, and I had to ask to speak to a manager before anyone even bothered to do anything about it. I feel like for the menu and prices, there should be better service. Even if it wasn’t the servers fault, checking in with the guest and kitchen is proper protocol where I work. The manager took half the check off, which was kind and a good save, but I’d rather have had to pay full price and had the proper service to begin with. Three stars for rectification, but not for experience.

«So obviously not worth it.» That’s my husband’s comment during our meal. And he usually is not picky about his food. We just wanted a meal at a neighborhood restaurant so thought we’d give this place a try. My husband had the ribeye for $ 42. It’s only a 12 oz steak. The steak itself was cooked to temp but it was full of sinew. We recently dined at Eddie V’s where they charged $ 51 for a bone-​in 22 oz steak and it was a much better quality steak. And what’s with the steak sliced before being brought to the table? So that it would get colder quicker? I had a bowl of angel hair pasta with tomatoes and burrata cheese. $ 29. At $ 29, I expected flavor and lots of tomatoes. Instead, I got a flavorless bowl of soupy pasta. Good grief, have they ever heard of salt and garlic? They will never get my business again.

Chandlers is cute. Great little beachy vibe in the heart of the Hilton right off the coast. The food was outstanding and the live music was great on the patio. FYI when going as a large group, it’s one check only. The servers busted their hyde to take care of our large party of 16, and it was lovely. Negative one star for being too quiet of a dining room, we seemed to be the only table in the dining room. However the outdoor patio had music and more people were out enjoying cocktails and appetizers. It was just a little too quiet for our group inside, but maybe you would like that! Check it out! It was great overall!
P’s Valet or self parking available

Great place. A little hard to find since its in a hotel. However, you have a great ocean view and great service. Not a lot of craft beer on tap, but you can get a sculpin! The parking garage is across the street. They charge $ 10 an hour. However bring your ticket into Chandlers and you will get 24 hour validation. The appetizers are ok, nothing too special. The calamari all stuck together — so that’s annoying when you’re with a group.
Overall a ⁴⁄₅ star experience. I would come back again.

Went to see a band playing during «Happy Hour» in the hotel’s concert series. Unfortunately, the place is not set up for music. Only a handful of tables had a view of the band. The gate and walkway from the pool to the hotel was between the audience and the performers. No place to dance. The food was OK, the cocktails average but carried premium prices. During «Happy Hour» four drinks and two appetizers… $ 81 not including the tip and it costs $ 10 to park, so a cool $ 110 for a two hour experience. The money was not as much an issue to us as going to see live music and not being able to really see it. The place is on PCH, but on the opposite side of the road separated by four lanes of traffic and a campground. Not worth the cost of admission.

Great spot for a sunset date. Service was very good, yummy food and tasty drinks. We went on a night when they had live music and it was so relaxing. The perfect date night.

My friends and I went here recently for Sunday brunch, and we are going to add it to our monthly rotation! We missed the breakfast crowd and had the place mostly to ourselves around 11:30AM. They sat us on the patio outside with a great view of the Carlsbad beach and ocean. There was a nice patio heater too (I am always cold!), so I felt at ease and was able to enjoy myself and my friends. Also, there was a live musician playing some great music at a reasonable level, so the overall ambience was fantastic!
The waitstaff are friendly and attentive, and the food came out at a reasonable time. The bottomless bellinis are a must try, and the Bloody Mary’s looked amazing. My friends had sandwiches (the Reuben was great, from what I understand). My fish and chips were what I expected. it’s hard to mess up fish and chips. :)
Overall, I enjoyed my experience and will definitely be back. I encourage you to try them out! If you do eat at Chandler’s, go ahead and have your car valet parked… it’s free if you eat at the restaurant! If you decide to self park, however, either get your parking ticket validated at the restaurant or push the green button at the parking garage’s exit and let them know you ate at Chandler’s. They’ll let you out. :)

We went here for a quick bite to eat. I liked their pictures online. It has a gorgeous ocean view. There was live music by this gentlemen that sounded like john legend … It was so peaceful. Our server was super sweet, patient and kind. She suggested the lobster nachos and they were to die for.

Found this place on a Top 10 ocean view article and decided to check it out. The view is gorgeous! And they have a great outdoor patio in which to sit and enjoy the view. I have very mixed feelings about this place.
Pros:
Great view
Great outdoor seating with heat lamps
Beautiful indoor dining
Validated parking
Food was ok
Cons:
Asked twice to have them turn on heat lamps
Asked twice for lemons for my water
Service was soooooooooooooooooooo slow
Unattentive waitress
Unapologetic waitress for food taking soo long
Parking was easy and plentiful, in a garage right across the way. The restaurant was mostly empty minus a table or two inside and a couple people at the bar around 2 in the afternoon on a weekday. Total dead time between lunch and dinner, so really no excuse for such poor service. Which is really a shame since they have such a nice spot across from the ocean.
The food:
We split a bowl of soup ($ 10! For a a bowl of ordinary soup!) The soup of the day was a chicken egg drop soup. It was good, but had lots of oil in it and definitely not worth $ 10. While we waited forever for our entrees, I asked for a bread basket since we were starving. It took forever to come out, and half the bread was burned. For lunch, I ordered the spinach salad with quinoa and added «jumbo» garlic prawns for an additional charge. The salad was small for the price. Had lots of extras in it like citrus and quinoa and seeds and cranberries… that were mostly all buried on the bottom of the salad. And if you advertise quinoa as being a prominent addition in the spinach salad, there should be more than a tsp or two of it in the salad. The shrimp were very tasty, but definitely not jumbo! We also ordered a mushroom flatbread. Though the top of it was crisp, the bottom looked undercooked. The menu says its included Alfredo and thyme… it looked like it was mushrooms and cheese, that’s it. Pretty boring.
The view is what brought us in… and the food was ok, but the food and service definitely won’t have us coming back for more.
#sandiegofoodgirls

Great view. Great food. Great management. My husband and I went in for brunch yesterday and sat outside. At about 11:00 am a live band came out and we’re playing soft Hawaiian/​folk kind of music. It was perfect for the ambience.
We both had coffee and I had the lobster and shrimp eggs Benedict which was very fresh and tasted excellent. My husband had the breakfast burrito which he enjoyed.
We were waited on by the manager and Erick. Both were very professional and efficient. This would be a great spot to take guests when they come down to have a brunch near the water.

I met my cousin for happy hour and people have told her about Chandler’s having a good happy hour. It’s only $ 2 off the items on their menu. It’s not that happy of an hour to me.
The restaurant is nice. The view is beautiful of the ocean. Sat outside for happy hour to enjoy the view. The waiter helping us was nice and all but I saw the service slowly getting worse. It took awhile to clean off tables around us and our plates were dirty. I saw people upset because they weren’t helped for a long time while they sat at a dirty table.
The food was ok. We ordered the mushroom pizza and the lobster nachos. It was good but I wouldn’t rave about it. I think I was expecting something similar to this mushroom flatbread I get from trader joe’s but it wasn’t anything like it. It was pizza with mushrooms on it. I liked my drink the best. I ordered modern fashion since I wanted something with bourbon in it. It was amazing. I also got the tiramisu for dessert and it was great. Made just right. Not too strong of a coffee taste and not too chocolatey.
Not really interested to come back. Maybe just for drinks.

Fantastic location fantastic view, the beach on the 101 is right there! The tapas are superb– the humus platter is outstanding w olive oil, various blanched vegetables & olives! The service outside however was SLOW & UNMANAGED. Countless requests just for the correct flatware or to refill a glass. We would have stayed twice as long & the bill would have been huge if anyone had paid attention to the patio :/

We had the best service ever!!! Irwin was the nicest most assertive waiter ever! The bottomless mimosas were amazing! Great view great food!

Chandlers new menu with chef Teri: Must try appetizer Capeside Poke (Ahi) with cucumber seaweed salad and the Crab and Shrimp BLT with heirloom tomatoes, lemon basil aioli, and candied bacon. You can definitely the freshness of picked that morning fruits and vegetable ingredients!

Bottom Line: A good restaurant with good service and coveted ocean views.
Chandler’s has a unique value proposition in that they are surprisingly one of the only restaurants in Carlsbad to have an ocean view. Because of this, I think this a great spot for tourists to enjoy Pacific vistas or for locals to catch a nice sunset with drink in hand. You can’t see a sandy beach from the restaurant but you can see the ocean until the horizon’s end. I use selective vision to block out the campground in the foreground.
Chandlers has an indoor bar, indoor dining room and an outdoor patio. I’ve sat in all three locations with parties ranging in size from two to 15. Generally, the service has been good and certainly sometimes better than others. The food has been good too although I haven’t landed on a favorite item here or found something that I just have to come back for.
For the best ocean views, sit on the patio. If you have a large party and can secure the couches around the fire pit that can be cozy. Ocean viewing from indoors is limited. It can be cool and breezy here and although they have beat lamps, taking a sweater or light jacket is a good idea.
The décor at Chandlers is nice. The restaurant is casual but more on the dressy side of casual. Also, I appreciate the convenience of the valet when I am running late. If you’d rather self park, the garage is right across the way.
All things considered, including price, Chandler’s is a-​ok.

Absolutely wonderful and now is my favorite restaurant in Carlsbad. Started with the ‘r’ limoncello which was divine. A great sweet cocktail which was almost as sweet at as view! By the way, the view is of the ocean and we were able to watch the sunset from our table. We started with the ahi sliders and truffle fries. The ahi sliders come on house mad buns which compliment the perfect cooked ahi, it literally melted in my mouth. Next we had the burrata plate, cape side poke, qual knots, which was accompanied by bread. Chef Terri made the qual knots special for us as they were not on the happy hour menu. That was fantastic hospitality and the knots themselves were delicious. Spicy, tangy, and we couldn’t stop eating them. To finish we had a dessert sampler and each one was wonderful. Overall I can’t wait to go back !

My family decided to do something a little different this year and go out for Thanksgiving dinner. This is an upscale restaurant at the Hilton. We sat close to the kitchen, which was a little chaotic but still pleasant.
The Thanksgiving menu consists of a prosciutto and fig appetizer, and choice of greens or pumpkin bisque for first course. Choice of halibut, beef tenderloin, turkey, or vegetarian risotto plates for the entrée and choice of pumpkin pie or caramel chestnut mousse for dessert.
We all chose the greens, turkey, and pumpkin pie for our meals. I found the salad to be decent. The turkey plate had both white and dark meat, mashed potatoes and gravy, caramelized shallots, green beans, stuffing with sausage, yams, and apple and cranberry compote. All were great tasting! My favorite elements were the buttery mashed potatoes and the stuffing. The pumpkin pie was good as well! Sorry, I dug into the entrée too quickly to get a photo but I did manage to take one of the pie!
The only downside of our experience was that although we had a reservations with a credit card as a placeholder, we still had to wait 15 minutes for a table upon arrival… Luckily the waiter, Joshua, and the food made up for that inconvenience.

I got the Classic American Cheeseburger w/​sweet potato fries! They had no blue cheese dressing but they whipped me up a batch of blue cheese crumbles on top of some Ranch dressing– not too bad… Not too bad at all .
Our awesome waiter was Patrick, I’d like to add 5 more stars for him and his service.

This place is just a gem
I’ve been here twice. The menu is just very well put together. I can’t make up my mind, it all looks so good.
For lunch, I had the duck hash. This ones a must! There were large pieces of duck, tender and juicy, perfectly cooked. I was so pleasantly surprised. Potatoes were flavorful and chunky as well. With the egg, tomatillo jam and the apple slices, oh, what a combination of flavors. Happy mouth, happy tummy.
I look forward to coming back and tasting everything Chef Teri shoots out of that kitchen. The service was perfect too
Oh and you can add happy eyes too. Ambience is just perfect by the beach.
Pleasing furniture and lighting, fireplace, etc. etc. etc.