The Compass

It may sound weird but the corn dogs are incredible. Bacon wrapped brats are so good. They absolutely nailed the 202 as well. The candied ginger tops off one of the best drinks I’ve ever had

The happy hour Truffle Pomme Frittes are the bomb dot com! They are delicious fries covered with garlic, cheese, and come with sides of hot ketchup and garlic mayo. I also had the pleasure of drinking the Dagnow and DAMN. An interesting drink with an even better taste! Awesome service. Definitely coming back here again!

What a find! Everything we ordered was fantastic. Hamburger was so good, Mac n cheese, excellent. Bone marrow and bacon wrapped corn dogs, all devoured. Can’t wait to see go back.

Grabbed dinner here the other night and it was alright. Nothing spectacular, nothing terrible. Just a middle of the road experience.
The service and food had a big hurdle to overcome, since the hostess totally botched and misquoted our wait time. We were told 30 – 35 minutes, which is just about the max I’ll ever wait for food. But it was a nice night so we sat down in the courtyard talking. After 40 minutes with still no phone call, we headed up to check in. She said it would probably be another 10 minutes before we were sat. Grrrr. 50 minutes is just way too long to wait to eat. Unacceptable and if it was gonna be an hour wait, she should have told us that up front.
Luckily our server was on top of it and got our drinks out quickly and the entrees came out in a decent amount of time, because I was hangry.
I ordered the salmon and it was a-​okay. The fish was cooked well and had good flavor thanks to the seasoning on it. But there was way too much going on on the plate for me — cumin aioli and crushed cashews on top of the salmon, served on red quinoa (which was under cooked) mixed with pomegranate seeds, with mixed veggies and harrissa butter and orange honey butter. It was a lot and tasted all over the place.
My husband got the Mac and cheese and the portion was a little on the small side. The dish definitely needed more salt and a little more thickness to the cheese sauce; it was pretty runny.
Maybe just stick with the burger? Idk, but I probably don’t see myself coming back.

Made our way here for happy hour after spending some time at the Carlsbad beach. We got a table outside and everything was pretty great. They had a really nice beer selection, but we were towards the end of our trip and our drinking had slowed considerably.
We want sort of crazy on the happy hour menu and ended up trying so much we probably should have just ordered entrees. The standouts for me were the bacon wrapped corn dogs and the chicken thigh kebabs. I can’t remember the last time I had any sort of corn dog, but these hit all the right notes of what a fried snack should be. The kebab marinade had a wonderful Mediterranean feel with a little yoghurt sauce to round it out.
Our waitress was awesome too, and she even offered us a free flight because my friends salad took a little long to come out. We declined for some reason but it was a nice touch. Overall an awesome place to grab some food, or to just sit outside and enjoy some drinks and good company.

Went for brunch and it was delicious!!! Its a bar, so they don’t have coffee but they let you bring some in (and there’s a good place right next door!) I got the biscuits and gravy and it was completely amazing! The kale hash they had with it was the perfect amount of spice to add to the dish. Unfortunately I’m pregnant right now so I couldn’t indulge in anything fun, but I’ll definitely be back for their amazing food and a drink on the side

I came with 3 friends on a Saturday night. It’s a small place that seems more like a bar than a restaurant. We had a short wait and then were seated at a high top.
It was loud. So loud that talking seemed almost silly but I don’t hear well. I’ve been to a lot of concerts.
The food was unremarkable. I had gnocchi and it was good but fried? The cocktail menu looked fancy and the one my friends got was well done I think it was a 202. They had a decently large beer selection.
Overall this place would be good at off hours or if you are looking to drink.

This place was nice and staff were friendly but I was hoping for better food. I would give them 4 stars for their beer selection but only 3 for the food compared to other Gastropubs in the area including new ones opening up in nearby Oceanside. I came here for lunch and enjoyed the sweet potato + blue cheese waffle fries as an appetizer for the table. Ordered a nice flight of 4 craft beers from their extensive list. The lunch menu has a few salads and sandwiches and burgers. I was in the mood for pulled pork but those were offered only during happy hour and I was a little early. To fulfill my pork craving I tried the cubano and it was just average — the meats were good but the bread was not great and not easy to eat with the sandwich so I just opened it up and ate the innards. I guess that was good for my diet :). My friend had the skillet mac n cheese and added the brisket which was super good. The staff were super friendly and attentive, so I will probably come back for the beer.

Pretty good for those into craft beers and IPAS, the food was ok, got the jerk chicken sandwich and was not a fan. Again I don’t believe this is a huge place for those coming for a meal or regular bar food.
For the majority of those in Southern California this is a perfect place, laid back, hipster, and place to drink craft beers and pretend to be a beer expert.

Great food, and a great selection of beers.
The only thing I wasn’t impressed with was the lack of space and how difficult it was to get a server sometimes.

Everything is exceptional: the food, the drinks, the atmosphere, the staff… especially the staff!
I eat here fairly often and I can always find something I like on the ever-​changing gourmet menu. The menu is not huge but they always have a good variety so that there is something for everyone. There is not much sense in reviewing individual dishes because the menu changes so often, but lately I have been digging the Ahi Asian salad. It has so many delicious things mixed in that I don’t dare to start listing them for fear of forgetting half of them!
I have heard the bar staff at other local establishments complain about how the bartenders here call themselves mixologists, but if you sit at the bar and watch them work you will understand the distinction. Most of their specialty drinks contain several ingredients that no other bar in town even has! Meanwhile, large glass bottles filled with infusions adorn the high corners behind the bar that will no doubt be used within the next month’s drink menu. A chalk board full of unique concoctions is posted monthly, but they sometimes have to remove drinks from it because they run out of one of more of the primary, home-​made ingredients. Is beer more your style? This bar has one of the larger and better craft beer menus in the Village.
Cons: Popular places are crowded and this place is hipster-​popular besides. Expect a loud, crowded room during dinner time and into the evening on weekends. But hey, that is just indicative of success.

The Compass is located upstairs of Carlsbad Village, right above Jamba Juice. Lots of outdoor seating available on the front patio and very dog friendly. Everyone I saw outside had a dog on a Sunday early afternoon.
I opted for a table near the back by the window for quiet eating. The main indoor dining area looked cozy, yet laid back.
The menu isn’t overwhelming so I had no problem deciding. Fried portebello fries, California Burrito, and seared ahi tuna salad were ordered. The portebello fries were on point, especially with the dip! They weren’t too salty. The California Burrito was packed with generous portions of avocado and the fixings. I tasted all the ingredients with each bite. The ahi tuna salad was also well equipped with tuna, the dressing was zesty. Yum!
My only discomfort was that our seats were near the unisex restrooms and the restrooms were utilized frequently. It was either private table in the back by the restrooms or choose to be in the main area with arm and arm interaction with other patrons.

We just had the most amazing Sunday brunch! We called ahead and made a RSVP for 3 which was ready to go when we came. Audrey was our server and really made us feel welcome and comfortable! She suggested the breakfast shot to go with the brunch. It is A shot of Jameson mixed with butterscotch schnapps, followed by a shot of OJ, and finished with a bite of bacon drizzled in bacon. We don’t normally do multi-​step drinks but this was great! Audrey took our food order quickly, kept the water and drinks coming, and the food was as awesome as the service! We will come again for sure. Thanks!

Audrey was our waitress who said she would be taking care of us, and take care she did! She was friendly and energetic, and tried to explain the concept of the IPA to my GF… They have a (just over) shot glass size sample if you want to try one of the ever changing 20 craft beers. My GF had a Bloody Mary, and Audrey asked if she wanted it «spicy» making my GF feel good about it, and I had the Clown Shoes.
We split the Compass Burger And a salad. The burger came with «regular fries,» but they were the best fries ever! It also comes with a pickle wrapped in bacon! Sounds weird, but it’s banging!
The décor is old wood and leather sea faring with no TVs, and the music modern. A great place for lunch in the Village.
Well recommended, we will return.

Great selection of Carlsbad Craft Beer and service. Located downtown within blocks of the ocean this place has a hip vibe to it and the food also is great.
I totally enjoyed the burger, fries and bonus bacon wrapped deep-​fried dill pickle.
Avoid during happy hour as it can be a challenge to get seated.

I decided to take my parents here for lunch on a sunny afternoon, and it was pretty chill. We sat ourselves, the staff was friendly, however Alexis was outstanding! We never had empty glasses, and she always came around to continuously check in on our table.
Food:
*appetizers: We started off with the pork belly lettuce wraps. Def try these, they’re good!
*main dish (s): We ordered the BBQ pork belly sandwich, the compass burger, & the grilled angry chicken kale salad (salad BOMB)
if you order the bbq pork wraps to start off you won’t go wrong. the bbq pro belly was good, the compass burger was a heavy. however being that there’s beef, cheese, and A-​grade bacon there’s a good reason it’s heavy. It’s also a little salty. I tried the bacon wrapped pickle, however i wasn’t a fan. #SorryNotSorry. As for the salad. YUM! Delicious greens, feta cheese, chicken, and the pomegranate was a nice touch.
I want to give this place a better rating due to Alexis being super Legit, however being that the foo didn’t stand out I’m sticking to 3 stars. However if you stop by this spot try the grilled angry chicken kale salad. ;)

Came here on whim Monday night, we had surprise out of town guests come in for the holiday break. It was packed so we grabbed some seats at be bar and snagged a table right behind us when a huge group left. It’s not a huge bar but they also have tables outside for additional seating. They have a few beers on nitro but were sold out of Mother Earth on nitro that night which wasn’t surprising. But don’t be turned away they have a huge drink list. They were also one of the few bars open on President’s day.
I ordered their Kobe Cowboy sliders which comes with 2 sliders and a side of fries. It has kick to it but nothing too spicy. It’s topped with bacon, onion ring, jalapeño and jack cheese. It was $ 12 but it well worth it. We also tried their dirty fries with a fried egg on top. It was amazing and defiantly not your ordinary fries. Our waitress was great super friendly and accommodating.
It’s a great place to meet up for happy hour drinks and a quick bite to eat. I enjoyed the vibe of the place and the people. We’ll be back!

Who doesn’t love bacon?
The appealing and tempting smell entices my appetite and makes me drool every time. So naturally, when it’s coupled with another food that I love, I’m beyond thrilled.
I met my gf for drinks and appetizers. I was determined to sample the bacon wrapped dates she boasted about. I was not disappointed. Bacon and dates together = heaven. The sweet and savory flavor profile satisfied my bacon and sweet tooth craving.
The beer selection was stellar. I found a new favorite called High Water Campfire stout a tasty treat that we enjoyed with dirty fries. The dirty fries were served on a large plate topped with delicious braised pork, cheese sauce, Pico & a perfectly cooked fried egg.
I’ve been once before and was very satisfied with the food. I tried the bacon wrapped corndog and quinoa burger both very tasty. My bf had a house burger that was devoured quickly.
Delicious, creative dishes in a private space inside the Carlsbad shopping center located on the 2^nd floor.
It is a hip little gastro pub with friendly, knowledgeable bartenders and servers.
I’m beyond delighted with this place & will be back!

This place is a restaurant/​bar, and yes, it is very loud and very dark.
TRUFFLE FRIES. BEST I’ve had.ever. I also got the Compass Burger with a Quinoa Patty and it was delicious. I thought it might be a wimpy patty like some that I’ve had, but nope! It was a very good size. But those fries…
My friend got their kale salad, which she really liked. It came with a lot of chicken so you definitely get your moneys worth! She also stole a lot of fries because it’s just that good.
Our waitress was also very patient and fun. I don’t know her name, but she has glasses! Our friend was Vegan and she was very helpful in finding out information and kind.
Love the location. Seems to be a very popular plaza because without realizing it, I came to 3 other restaurants here.

We were looking for a spot to grab dinner on our way back down the 5. We wanted to get out of the OC and didn’t want to wait till La Jolla so Carlsbad seemed like a good choice. I was in the mood for burgers or chicken tenders so checking out the reviews, The Compass seemed like a logical choice. The compass is located in the carlsbad village shopping complex. We drove around it but had a little trouble locating where in the complex it was. When we spotted the sign, we almost left because my friend thought it was closed from the parking lot. I suggested we check anyway and sure enough as we came around the front it was open and reasonably busy. The other reviews said parking is horrendous but we came around 8pm on a Sunday so it was not bad at all but I can definitely tell the lot cannot sustain all of the businesses here.
When we arrived we were told to sit anywhere we would like so we grabbed a table and they brought us menus.
They have a good selection of roaring craft beers as well as a wine list. They also have a set of signature cocktails.
We tried the wings. Good a little spicy and the white sauce is drizzled on top as well as on the side for dipping. They are crispy too under the sauce. I could hear them crackling as we ripped into them.
Burger. Ok. I had some modifications and it came out right! I love it when a plan comes together. It was good and the meat was seasoned.
Mac & cheese. So so so good. We got it plain and didn’t leave a single bite left on the plate. Even though it was perfect the way it was… Maybe next time I will try it with the short rib.
The other thing the reviews talk about is the slow service. Ok. I see where those reviews were coming from. There were two bartenders on, and it appeared like two waitresses plus a food runner/​busser. That was it. Our waitress was super nice and so was the other waitress. They definitely acted like a team. But just the two of them for all of the tables. Yeah it was a little slow, but we were not in a rush and when I got up to get something I was missing and I needed, I got it right away.