R Gang Eatery

My wife and I really enjoyed the place. It’s not the greatest sushi or best restaurant in San Diego, but the value is there. Many places charge more money then what you get. At R Gang it was the opposite, I felt like I got more value for my money.
The staff are super cool and honest and nice. The food was good, we had quite a few rolls and even the taco’s. I would recommend the Seaweed salad, the Fugo

I’ve had R Gang Eatery (R Gang) Bookmarked for the longest time, but I recently read that they were closing … on Mother’s Day 2015! Being that I read the article that mentioned the shutter date – which was less than a week away – I figured I needed to get myself to R Gang ASAP to try those award-​winning tots. Granted, I originally wanted to go to this famous place for breakfast … but that just would not be possible, given the limited time frame.
I showed up for «Tot Tuesday» precisely at 5 p.m., when the eatery opened for dinner. Though I was the first one there, within 30 minutes, more people trickled in, no doubt to take advantage of the Happy Hour bites and drinks. The HH deals are pretty good — the tots and little plates are all $ 5 each, which definitely makes a difference if you order multiple dishes (tots are usually $ 8).
I had seen photos on Unilocal about buffalo chicken and blue cheese tots, but my server informed me that those tots had been a featured flavor, part of the «RO-​Tater» selection. The «RO-​Tater» tots flavor for the day (they have a revolving flavor, as well as the staple tot flavors) was a «Nachos» one in honor of Cinco de Mayo, but I decided to try the eatery’s best-​selling tots instead — the «Cheddar & Chive,» which was what my server recommended.
There were other things on the menu that caught my eye, but since I was determined to hit up Pappalecco across the street, I just stopped into R Gang to try those tots before the eatery shuttered. When I asked the manager why they were closing, the answer was simple — most of the restaurant’s traffic was on the weekend for brunch, but they were slow during the week. That’s such a shame, as many of the menu items sounded great.
Here’s what I got … and I’m glad for the chance to have sampled the tots at R Gang, even though I’ll always wonder what those famous Pacos tasted like:
«Cheddar & Chive Tots»: The tots come in a small container with a decent dish of dressing, but there are only eight tots in one order. So, for regular price ($ 8 = $ 1 per tot!), I thought these bite-​sized morsels were a bit pricy. However, for the $ 5 HH price, they were worth it. These signature tots really were delightful. I don’t think they’re worth $ 8, but they came stuffed with cheese and chives, creating the perfect blend. They’re bigger than your average tots, since they’re stuffed, and the breading and texture on the outside is perfectly deep-​fried. I really liked the chipotle ranch dressing, which provided the perfect complement to the cheesy tots. The chipotle ranch had a slight kick, but the spice was pleasant and not overwhelming. I would recommend these tots as the «go-​to» flavor, unless there’s something exceptional (like the buffalo chicken and blue cheese) being featured as the «RO-​Tater» flavor.
«Monkey Bread»: If I went to R Gang on a Thursday – when they feature this unique bread in special flavors for $ 4 – I would have tried it. Granted, for HH, it was still only a discounted price of $ 5. The eatery is famous for this bread, and the flavor of the day was pretzel-​based … which definitely sounded appealing! If I were at R Gang with some friends, this would have been a great dish to try and split.
«Pacos»: I’ll never get to go to R Gang for brunch, but this would have been my entrée of choice, hands down, because it’s so unique. It features two buttermilk pancakes folded around eggs that are scrambled with chorizo, potatoes, jalapeños, onions and cheddar & jack cheeses, and it comes served with sour cream and pico. I would customize my order and get it sans the onions and pico, but everything else sounds like a mighty savory medley. I’m a fan of sweet-​and-​savory mixes (like pancakes and waffles; pigs-​in-​a-​blanket), so I’m definitely curious to try this dish. The potato and chorizo combo sounds amazing, and I’m sure the moist, buttery, pancake exterior provides a great buffer from the heat from the jalapenos.
«Cap’n Crunch Stuffed French Toast»: This is one of the other brunch entrees that I would have wanted to try. It features Cap’n Crunch-​crusted brioche bread, stuffed with sweet cream cheese and a seasonal fruit compote. I would probably ask for the fruit compote on the side … all I really need is for that French toast to be stuffed with sweet cream cheese to be really happy! It would have been really neat to try that French toast (I love billowy, puffy brioche bread) coated generously with Cap’n Crunch flakes!
«Tater Tot Scramble»: This was the other brunch entrée that caught my eye. I usually go for sweets when it comes to brunch items, but if I were craving something savory (after trying the Pacos), this is what I would order. This scramble includes bacon, potatoes, cheddar cheese and the eatery’s signature Cheddar & Chive tater tots; it also comes served with toast. This scramble reminds me of a loaded baked potato, and I’m sure it tastes phenomenal because it comes with those yummy tots!

I’ve visited R Gang multiple times now. This last time I tried their Cheddar and Chive tater tots and definitely will get them again. I enjoyed the zesty taste mixed with comfort food.
For brunch I got the classic eggs benedict and my friend ordered the south of the border benedict. Both benedicts were fresh and delicious!
I tried their bloody Mary’s before but they are too strong for my liking. Maybe it’s just not the drink for me.
I have also tried the Cap’n Crunch Stuffed French Toast and it was AMAZING! I’d recommend sharing it with a couple people.
The customer service was very attentive and checked in with us frequently.

Came in to try the chicken and waffles… waffles were on point, but the chicken was burnt. I know they see that it’s burnt when they plate it, but yet they still send it out! And it wasn’t even busy. :/
My only other complaint would be the 25% off my bill from Unilocal.They wouldn’t honor because it was supposedly «expired.» They did give me 10% off, so I guess it’s better than nothing. It just bothered me that the waitress asked when we got there if we had any coupons and I told her about the 25% off if I checked in. She could have told me it was no good and avoided the whole confusion from the beginning. When I checked in it didn’t say it was expired just that I had four hours to redeem it. If you plan on using a Unilocal coupon make sure it’s not expired. If your a manager and you read this please remove your discount offer!
Overall I doubt we’ll ever come back as the food wasn’t that great and after paying $ 5 for parking down the street and a terrible meal I could have spent my $ 100 on a better not burnt meal somewhere else.

This is a fun little breakfast place with a pleasant covered patio. Go early to snag a table. We went for the homemade tater tots, which are served in many breakfast dishes on the menu (their specialty). You can order them as a stand alone snack anytime of day! They were fresh and carblicous. Even though my husband and I went to try the tater tots, we left more satisfied with the cinnamon roll or should I say, cinnamon glob that comes with a huge knife in the middle. I wish I had a photo of my face when it was placed in front of me! I’m sure it was priceless compared to the cinnamon roll itself!

Nope.
I was really looking forward to eating here today. We even made reservations!
The place looks quite promising from the outside. We were seated and brought our drinks. I had coffee which was good, thank god they didn’t mess that up.
The waitress gave us the lowdown, and they were out of steak and biscuits and something else needed for an amazing brunch.
I ordered the tater tot scramble. It came out with cheese half melted on top. Not even good quality cheddar, but the cheap pre-​shredded kind. A couple tots around the edges of the plate. Ok fine I’ll try it, but first I wanted tabasco. I wait and wait and wait for the waitress/​bartender. Finally find someone and by this time everything is cold. First bite is good, next bite is just salt, saaalllllttyyy. Cold egg, bacon and cheese and salt taste. The tots were weird, crispy on the outside but soft and mealy on the inside. And it depends on the cooks «mood» on how they are made, is what we were told. Maybe he was in a bad mood?
I needed a refill on my coffee which is another 15 minute wait. The best was waiting 30 minutes for our check after we’ve been ignored and clearly not eating. I’m out of coffee and hardly eaten my eggs. WHERE ARE THE SERVERS? I even made a doctors appointment over the phone while I waited, read the Gay paper front to back, still nobody came by to service us.
With so many other options to eat on that street I’m going to have to encourage all of you to avoid this place, unless you have a ton of time and like salt. This is your place.

The menu is very very heavy. There isn’t anything light on the menu so if you’re not in the mood for rich and heavy food then I would not suggest this restaurant for you.
The menu is very creative, but the food did not match the flavor I was expecting from the descriptions.
The drinks tasted good, but had NO alcohol in them. If I’m paying $ 10 per drink I would like to get some bang for my buck. Plus there was so much ice in the drinks that it was gone in two sips.
The tots were good, I liked the dipping sauces.
I had the Hot Havana sandwich and wasn’t blown away. The meat was dry… It was just not exciting.
The food was not worth the price in my opinion. But the staff was really friendly, and I liked the atmosphere.

DO NOT COME HERE!!! The food was horrible. They sat us fairly quickly, but then it took 20 minutes for them to take our order. After that we waited 1 hour and 15 minutes more for our main courses. The tater-​tots, their supposed «signature food», took 25 minutes from the time they took our order.
My friend asked the guy that brought us our food why it took so long and he said that they were short on staff! Which more than likely means that our food was finished and then sat there for a long period of time before we actually received it!!! This theory was proven when they brought me a COLD STEAK!!! Who does that???
At the same time all the other tables around us were complaining. We actually heard a woman complain about her food and the waiter told her she was wrong and that it was made correctly and then proceeded to put the plate down and walk away from their table… What the heck!!! That is not customer service.
If you decide to go to this restaurant and you have to pay for parking, my advice is this: pay for more than the standard two hours! You will need it! When we finally got our food we had 20 minutes to eat and complain. Because we definitely complained!!!
I run a business and I know how much it sucks to receive negative reviews. But this was bad! If they would have done something to fix the situation or if I thought that our case was just a once in a while occurrence, which could happen to anyone, I would not write a negative review. However, people deserve to know what they are walking in to. If I could give it negative stars I would! So save your money and go somewhere else!

I bought a Groupon and was eager to try this place out because I’ve heard about it through the grapevine. Needless to say, I don’t plan to return ever again. I would not urge anyone else to go here.
When we were first seated it took about 15 minutes for a waiter to get our order. We got our tater tots and a fairly decent time in about 15 minutes more. We then waited over 30 MINUTES more for our burgers. Let’s keep in mind that burgers are some of the quickest things to make in any kitchen. I think we can all agree on that right?
Anyways, the burgers were not very good at all. Not for the time and definitely not for how much they were priced on the menu ($ 14). Had I not had a Groupon, I definitely would’ve been upset to pay the near $ 50 bill for my friend and I for something that was worth maybe $ 15. The buns on the burgers were like bargain hamburger buns that you could get 12 for $ 2. The burgers were not hot and fresh at all (luke warm at best).
I tried expressing my concerns to the manager after our meal. I told her I didn’t want to nitpick all the little things wrong with our meal, but she insisted I told her the little things. The way she insisted and her tone made me very uncomfortable. And when I started listing the things wrong with the meal she didn’t seem empathetic and even made excuses for some things. Like when I told her the Mac n cheese on my burger wasn’t very good she stopped me and said «ok wait. I KNOW our Mac n cheese is good.» Are you kidding me? It was not hot, cheesey or soft. It reminded me of instant easy mac. But that’s beside the point: please don’t try to win me over as a customer by telling me my pallet is what’s wrong. That’s just insulting. She went on to apologize for the long wait and said it was multiple large parties that kept them tied up as well as everything being made from scratch. The restaurant was maybe 30% capacity at most and unless they were slaughtering a cow for the meat for our burgers or baking those awful buns themselves, this was really hard to believe. I told her my friend and I were not planning to come back here again. She asked us what she could do to take care of us and I said I didn’t know. So her way of «taking care of us» was giving me her business card that offered 15% off brunch or 25% off dinner. Not sure how that was any more special then checking in on Unilocal.I left that card there with my tip as I’d honest rather spend ¼ the price at in-​n-​out than suffer through that horrible service and mediocre food ever again. Or even better go to Burger Lounge down the street (NEVER had a bad experience there).
Just for backgrounds sake: I am NOT a confrontational person. I was extremely polite to the manager and this is the 2^nd bad review I’ve EVER written in my life. I love giving businesses great reviews and I love food. I am not a picky eater, but the pricing, service and quality of R-​Gang eatery is just not fair and I needed to make sure people knew about my experience.

Let me start by saying our server Joey was one of the nicest people I’ve encountered while dining out. He genuinely seemed super happy that we were there and his positive vibes were palpable. He truly made our experience wonderful.
Besides that, the food was pretty good. I had the sangria (happy hour lasts all night on Tuesdays). After studying abroad in Spain, I’m always on a quest to try different sangrias and this one was delicious!!! I could’ve sat there all night just to drink it.
The food itself was okay. I tried the r gang burger and it was lacking a certain flavor for me but I just couldn’t put my finger on it. I did love the tots though. The tater tots really set this restaurant apart and are the perfect result of a finely crafted fried food.

Follow your instinct. I should have done so last night before we went to R Gang Eatery for dinner. We had been there once before years ago and returned our cocktails for new ones. Twice. But years had gone by and this week we saw a Groupon for burgers and «taters» so we thought, why not give the place a second chance? This was our mistake.
First, it is a bad sign when a restaurant in Hillcrest only has four occupied tables on a Friday night. Second, the «taters» were cheese filled with nary a spud in sight. Even the burger was bland although it looked just as good in person as on the website.
We won’t be going back and this place should stop relying on the chef’s reality cooking show experience to tout its reputation.

R Gang has handmade tater tots that are pretty wonderful.
Other than that, I love R Gang for their happy hours and on weeknights. This is one of those great places that doesn’t seem to fill up as much as you’d think it would. This usually means less wait and good-​enough customer service, which I am a fan of.
I was here once when they ran out of an ingredient, so the chef offered to whip up a replacement that was similar — I appreciate the creativity and ingenuity that comes with that sort of mentality.

Only been here twoce and I’m just saying the food service is fabulous, they’re friendly and courteous! This is definitely a key to bringing us back! Next is their oh so delicious brunch! Yummy in my tummy!

What an amazing meal. Went with four friends for a late dinner and had the most amazing chicken and dumplings!
Didn’t realize until we left that they had been closed for an hour, we were never pressured to leave or even given a hint that they wanted us to leave.
Great service to go along with a great meal, definitely going back again!

Catchy name and cute building don’t compensate for the crummy food and service that summed up «R» experience here.
I visited «R gang Eatery» this past Sunday for brunch, and I have to say I was quite disappointed with it overall.
Ambience: I’d give this one a solid three — because although a crowded space, everything is in a reasonably cared for and clean shape. Not a whole lot of decoration here, however this type of restaurant is rarely an architectural or design wonder and so I didn’t expect much.
Service: We were greeted by a smiling host and immediately escorted to our table. I requested a different table that was available and he obliged, then wiped down that table for us and left us with our menus.
Ten Minutes: Our waiter (and water) arrived.
Twenty Minutes: The waitresses suggestion of two Hess IPA’s hit the table and we place our food order.
Thirty-​Five minutes: Our jalapeño Tots come out. They are pretty good, but really, it’s deep fried potato with cheese inside so of COURSE they are pretty good.
Fourty-​Five minutes: Our food hits the table. I ordered the Meatlof benedict and my companion ordered Turkey.
And thus begins the tale of sadly seasoned food. For starters, both bennies come with potatoes as a side and they were completely bland, boring and basically just a waste of space on an already carb-​filled plate.
The Turkey Benny: The Turkey was surprisingly moist, and had obviously been roasted with a little sage that made it savory and delicious. I’m doubtful, however, that the English muffin was home-​made and honestly the Hollandaise was lacking. It wasn’t bad, but it didn’t have a lot going for it.
The Meatloaf Benny: Inedible. I hate to say this, but it was so poorly executed that I couldn’t eat it. The Meatloaf itself was «burn-​your-​tongue» salty, dry and hard. Then the eggs were over-​cooked and not runny and then putting the canned onion crisps on top, which were also very salty, combined with it all to make it the worst Benedict I have ever ordered, anywhere.
At about One and a Half Hours our waitress showed up to drop off the check. Because it took her so long to check on us, I was never able to get something else to eat, and also unable to get that second beer I needed to rehydrate my shriveled tongue after the beating it took.
To her credit, the waitress politely removed the bad benny from our bill and apologized.
In all, I won’t be back here not only because of my personal experience, but also because of some of the horror-​story reviews like you’ll find from Lena. M. There is simply too much good stuff in our neighborhood to suffer through sub-​par experiences.
Ciao!

Stopped here for a double date brunch on a Saturday. It was easy to get a table outside on a nice sunny day. We ordered the chicken and waffles and substituted it for the jalapeño and cornbread waffle, the cheddar and chive tater tots and the south of the border Benedict.
We started with the famous cheddar and chive tater tots and trust me, these aren’t the tater tots you grew up with. These were double the size, crunchy on the outside and packed full of flavor. They were served with a chipotle ranch that paired perfectly with them. The chicken was amazing, crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. The waffle was delicious as well, you can really taste the jalapeño and corn in it. I’d have to say they were the best chicken and waffles I’ve ever had! Lastly, the benedict was covered in a spicy yellow avocado sauce that was delicious!
Overall, a delicious brunch that makes me drool as I write this review! This place is in between hash house and tractor room, but it definitely deserves as much love!

ENDLESS MIMOSAS FOR $ 10!!! Served until 3pm almost every single day
I can easily say that this is one of my go-​to places for brunch mimosas — always pleased with my visit! As much as I think they’re the star of the show, lets get to their food:
What I really enjoyed was the CHICKEN AND WAFFLES which is usually served with a vanilla-​jalapeño syrup. Ask for the Waffle of the Day because they have some pretty interesting ones. I regret not trying the pepperoni pizza waffle during one visit, but the PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY waffle is amazing! If they offer that for their waffle of the day, I 100% recommend it.
The service here isn’t as fast as I would like, but the employees are very friendly and down to earth. Due to our love for mimosas, we’re usually the last customers in the restaurant before dinner, so the waiters converse and joke with us all the time. Plus they always make sure your glasses are refilled.
They have an outdoor patio area on the first floor of the restaurant and indoor seating that overlooks the patio and street on the second floor. They have artwork all over the place and even have a small bar with a tv as well.
Thumbs up to this place!

As promised, here is a continuation of my review of the food and drink there:
Tuna «Noodle»:
There was a change to this dish when we ordered it: it was not noodles but ravioli that was deep fried. I am very skeptical of ravioli that is fried because the dough never gets cooked all the way through. This was not the case here! The raviolis were cooked all the way through. The ahi tuna was tasty and was mixed with nice chunks of mushrooms, peas, and carrots. To top it off was this amazing marsala cream sauce and roasted sweet pepper coulis that brought the entire dish together.
Mini Ahi Tacos:
The half order comes with two tasty crunchy street sized tacos with an amazing sushi twist. The wonton shells were golden brown, crispy, and surprisingly strong enough to hold everything together. I really loved the perfectly cooked blackened ahi with the sweet and savory soy ginger glaze that was lightened by the wasabi whipped cream. I was very surprised how light yet flavorful the wasabi whipped cream was. To top it off, to balance the sweet of the glaze, the taco was topped with pickled ginger and daikon. This was like having a crunchy sushi roll with a perfect balance of sweet and tangy and soft and crunchy. I can’t wait to eat this one again!
Drinks:
Mojito:
This drink is exactly as tasty as you expect it to be! I ask for a bit more mint because I like it that way, but it was a nice balance of rum, mint, and lime with a touch of sweetness. Loved it!
Red Wine Sangria
A very interesting take on sangria but it was tasty. I’m not sure if I would order it again though. A mix of red wines with wonderful hints of fruit: orange, apple, and pear. The part that caught me off guard was the fact that they had cinnamon, basil, and brandy. I am not a big fan of cinnamon so I didn’t like it as much but my friend enjoyed it and ordered another glass.
RGE Rum Punch
If you want something strong but tasty and be really happy for happy hour then this is the way to go! A light rum mixed with mango, pineapple, and orange juice with a dark rum floated on top served with two merichino cherries and an orange slice. It is just a really strong drink even though it has pineapple and mango in it and still manages to be tasty (if you don’t mind the rum flavor). My friend was in love with this drink!
Fig and Knob Creek Bourbon
This was my favorite drink here. I love whiskey and asked for this drink to be «less sweet» and it was perfect for me. The bourbon shines through with a nice, slightly sweet fig flavor and the orange peel added the right amount of citrus finish to lighten the drink. Amazing.

12:30pm lunch on a Thursday.
Seated outside on the patio because of remodeling work being done inside the restaurant. We were the only souls in the ghost town.
Ordered the cheddar and chive tater tots to start and they were quite good. The sun peaks through at times.
For my meal I had the grilled cheese sandwich. Comes with a blend of gruyère, gouda, goat cheese, and caramelized onions. I added the supplemental fried egg and bacon to the sandwich and upgraded for a couple bucks from the chips to the fries.
After about 30 mins, my food arrived with no reason offered for the tardiness. Both the sandwich and fries were charred black around the edges. As I elaborated before we were the sole dining party, so I can only deduce that it was a lack of caring from the kitchen. A bland sandwich, and the grilled onions were so peculiar on a grilled cheese that I think it made it even more unappetizing. The overcooked french fries were magnified by the fact that I had paid extra for them.
Excited for the experience, less than excited about the experience.

R Gang Eatery is just darling! I took my boyfriend here for brunch on his birthday midweek, and luckily it wasn’t busy. The waiter who served us with this guy with an upbeat personality, and he never failed to attend to us. I especially like how their syrup was in an old Pepsi bottle.
I got the chicken and waffles, whilst my boyfriend got some burger. In addition, I had a mango mojito (I think it was) and he had some pink alcoholic beverage that the waiter suggested – I don’t recall the name.
The food was top notch and we both got entirely fool. He managed to finish his food despite how big the burger was… He even added bacon.
Now, when you think of chicken and waffles, you automatically think of Roscoe’s. This dish at R Gang is nothing like Roscoe’s, but that wasn’t the point of R Gang. They just wanted to make savory, boneless chicken to pair with waffles for a nice brunch/​lunch spot. And they did just that. The seasoning on the chicken didn’t call for ketchup or any extra sauce. Delectable!