Saltbox

Saltbox was great for a dinner before a show at the Civic Theater! We got there in time just for happy hour which was fabulous! First of all the service was amazing. Our server Nolan was hilarious and super aware of our needs. He made sure to get us out and on our way to our show in good time! He also checked in on us often and even brought over an extra appetizer during a bit of a wait for our entrees and communicated with us throughout the wait.
The cocktails are honestly amazing and my favorite part. We enjoyed the Capone which was flavorful and smooth. We also got the goat cheese fondue. Very tasty, loved the truffle oil in it! For entrees we got the market fish (mahi, cooked perfectly) and the pork tenderloin which came with amazingly decadent sweet potatoes.
Overall we were extremely happy with our experience and found that it made a perfect date night meal! We will be back for more!

Wayyy overpriced! At least the portions were generous, but I still wouldn’t go back based on the fact that I can get better food at a lower price elsewhere downtown.

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Not the cheapest Happy Hour in town, but quality is above average and its the Gaslamp.
$ 5 Wine glasses and $ 6 cocktails are a big WIN.
$ 5 Kennebec fries… tasty, but could be a dollar cheaper.
$ 7 street tacos… chicken mole on this past Sunday, tasty but small.
$ 10 Brussell Sprouts and Bacon flatbread… yum!
$ 10 Pesto flatbread… yum, but not as yum as above mentioned.
Service is friendly. And quite secksy if you get our same waiter.
Ambiance is dark, modern, and very secksy.
Upstairs bathroom… groovy! Though you might get lost in the mixed gender area and go in the wrong stall… maybe that can be secksy too?

I actually really wanted to like this place although I did like the décor, atmosphere and cocktails but the food was underwhelming.
We were seated one of the tables meant for two. There’s a few tables for larger groups (about 8) or bar seating. I appreciated the cocktail menu great selection and I ended up getting a gin based cocktail which went down smooth (can’t remember the name!) but they do have a fine selection of cocktails. I wasn’t too hungry but ordered the kale caesar salad which was TOO SALTY! I felt like I was eating a salt block. Fiancé ordered the hoisin chicken flatbread which was good with some great flavors. I am thinking I ordered the wrong dish and would be willing to try it again especially since it’s farm to table.
Service was fine. It is a bit pricey, so be ready to spend.

Eaten here 2 times now. Lastly on a Monday night and it was packed. I’d recommend reservations, even in what would seem to be off days.
The place has a great feel and décor. A bit hip. The door to get in is massive. It is easy to overlook as just a wall if you don’t know.
Service: very friendly and helpful. Maybe a tad slow — but in no rush and the place was packed. Our waiter was Nolan. Very good.
Drinks: Expensive. Wine selection was lacking. HH drink prices are reasonable ($ 5 wine and beer), which you do get at the tables — which is a plus. But when HH is over — the wine prices were pretty much all over $ 10 per glass and not that decent of a selection. The craft beer selections, while small, were good. Probably could have used an IPA on draft — but I assume the selection varies.
Menu — decent. A bit small. Could have more options for non-​meat eaters. Had one fish dish and when I asked the server to reserve it for me, I was told he would. But when it came time to get my entrée, I was told it was given to someone else. Bummer. Had the goat cheese ravioli instead — which was pretty good. For apps the goat cheese fondue and the burrata are very good, so is the shrimp cocktail. The seared ahi was good as well. Pricing a little high, but pretty much in line with this type of restaurant.

Cool spot. I went with a group of friends for a birthday dinner and was not disappointed. The place itself is hip and trendy. From what I remember, the service was pretty good. However, it’s a pretty expensive place for what it is. I got the burger and beer special for $ 15, which was the best deal in the place, and was very happy with my decision. The burger was juicy and cooked perfectly and was quite large.
It’s a great spot for large parties but if people are ordering off the regular menu, it will be an expensive evening. Overall, a really cool experience for those nights when you want to splurge a bit.

Drinks are expensive, service was slow and the staff was not consistently nice. I only was able to have a drink here during happy hour and ordered The Black Rose cocktail which was written on a board next to the sign that had the Happy Hour Specials. I was mistaken, and that cocktail was not a part of the happy hour specials (wish it was clearly displayed on the wall)… next time, but there wont be a next time. Sorry!
P. S. That door is intimidating. All you have to do is push it… push it real good! lol

Great happy hour, drinks, and food! Enjoyed our time and would go back for the signature cocktails! Wish they offered a more expansive cocktail list on happy hour rather than just 3 choices. We ordered the french fries, pretzels, tacos! We were impressed by the tacos and would go back!

Saltbox has an intimidating door, especially at 10:30a on a Sunday. If you (finally manage to figure out how to) walk in, you’ll notice that there are hardly any people here, as it looks like the staff accidentally left the door open too early.
This…isn’t a brunch place. Don’t come here for brunch.
It’s too trendy-​feel. The place is like a nightclub, or a place you go for a nightcap before you go upstairs to your hotel room and pass out.
We had the chilaquiles and the breakfast burrito — which, sure, is breakfast-​y — but it felt like the only actual breakfast items on the menu, the rest being more lunchtime. They were okay? I felt as if I ruined going to get real Mexican food in San Diego by having it at this place, for breakfast.
The staff are incredibly sweet and attentive, which makes me saying this be kinda hard. Don’t come here for brunch.

Service was consistent and good from our server but the others that weren’t «responsible» for our table really didn’t care. The guy who brought us our food put a plate on top of our other dishes until I commented.
Drinks and happy hour menu were very good. Mostly small tapas for sharing. The happy hour Riesling is crisp and sweet!
Highly recommend the hanger steak and Brussels sprouts!

The Black Heart cocktail– yummy! Milagro blanco tequila, chambord, fresh lime juice, muddled raspberries, agave, black lava sea salt. I love the salt!!!
Rebecca is a great bartender and super friendly! She remembered me from 3 weeks ago. That’s impressive. She knows the drinks and describes the food perfectly.
I’ve had the Zigatela, La Poema Rose to drink, both good. To eat I’ve had the Brussel sprouts and tomato soup. Fresh and healthy. They also have more decadent choices. Stop by and try– happy hour has great deals.

My friend and I ate here for dinner last night and had an EXCELLENT experience. This restaurant/​bar is truly a hidden gem in downtown San Diego and I highly highly recommend you check it out sometime.
Jason and another woman whose name I can’t remember both served us and were super nice an attentive. The restaurant also has happy hour specials that are offer good prices and a good variety of food and drinks.
For dinner, my friend got the carbonara and I got the goat cheese ravioli. Both were divine! My friend summed it up perfectly when she said, «You know it’s a really good restaurant when you don’t have to add salt or pepper to your dish.» Exactly. My ravioli was perfectly al dente and if you really like goat cheese– then you gotta try that dish!
As an fyi, this is a nice place, so they have smaller portions. So if you go and you’re super hungry, you definitely should get an appetizer and/​or salad before your entrée.
In addition, it was a birthday dinner for my friend, and they accommodated that by providing us a free (I think it was free) slice of cake with «Happy Birthday» written on it in chocolate and then some fruit decorations. Very pretty and delicious and thoughtful.
We both had wine, which was very good. Didn’t try the liquor drinks but I’m sure they’re fantastic. Highly recommend to anyone looking for a new place to try downtown, a cute date night restaurant or a cool happy hour with good drinks and food.

I recently came to Saltbox for dinner with a friend before hitting up a club in the gaslamp. Located in a Kimpton hotel, you can expect classy clientele filled mostly with tourists and business folks. Saltbox is also a great place for a date. The tables in the back are intimate and offer privacy away from the bar crowd. From the moment you arrive at Saltbox you’ll feel welcome. The valet will open the big front door where you’ll be greeted by the host and bartender. The night I was there the host was also our server. He was great. As the place was busy, we were still well looked after making sure we had plenty of water and cocktails. I had the goat cheese ravioli, which was a bit pricy ($ 26) but absolutely amazing. My friend had the charred tomato soup ($ 9) — word to the wise — its got a kick to it, honestly it’s a bit spicy, and not the standard tomato bisque.

I was a little surprised that this establish wasn’t as busy as I would imagine and that’s too bad cause the food and drinks are really good. The atmosphere was very nice, casual, and not stuck up. Our service was good– the hostess was nice and attentive.
I ordered one of their cocktails, plum forgot, and it was quite delicious and this is coming from a person who rarely drinks. Their margarita flat bread was really delicious and they were very generous with the cheese… Mmmm.
Only disappointing thing is that my bf asked for the rest of his burger to be boxed up, but the actual server threw it away. I’m sure it was not intentional and lack of communication as he was clearing plates. But that was a bummer.

We were here for a few cocktails so I really can’t get into deep with this review. I know, I normally get into it like a fat kid to a cupcake and all. This was the starting point for our night of debauchery, where we were gonna just take on San Diego like it was nobody’s business.
The Saltbox has that cool vibe to it with a great selection of liquors for you to enjoy. I like these type of lounges where you can come in an forget about any kind of worries you should have. When I was there they had an acoustic guy with his guitar just throwing out cover songs you’d hear on the radio. Not a bad spot to go and just chill and relax.
I enjoyed a few well made cocktails, in which I also gave praise to the libation gods with some great company. I forgot our bartenders name, and normally I make it a point to let everyone know who to see when visiting. She did make me a great dirty martini with gin as my choice of liquor (Tanqueray). After a few of those with a celebratory Absolute Lemon drop in the middle of the whole process, this is a great location to visit.
Great things going on over here people, so go in and enjoy a great start to your evening, or if you need to unwind from a long day at work.

New, for me, solid spot downtown! Before a show, just for a drink & munchie, Social, whatever, this place has the right vibe and fare to support it.
Service was GREAT. The food was hit or miss with more hits than misses. And the drinks were creatively refreshing.
Go with The Capone– Bourbon, Basil, Ginger Beer, and Balsamic Reduction. For me it is familiar (rum&coke) but all the better. A classic idea with a Modern take!
Flatbreads are very friendly with the Bacon & Brussels stealing the show. Stay away from the Margherita Pie, for it is standard fare executed averagely.
Tomato Soup– think Cippiono, not Cambell’s. Shrimp cocktail really missed. It should have been called chips and salsa with shrimp…
Bison burgers were good all the way around except the meat itself. The brioche and accompaniments were done well, but the bison was dry.
Tacos were tacos. No complaints, but do not order tacos unless you are at a Mexican Taco shop. To finish, the Cin Roll had a most delicious frosting (cream chz) but the dough was not the yeasty moist doughiness that I had hoped for. It was like a white roll with xcellent frosting to make up for the lack of texture.
Fun time!

Get your story straight!
I came here over comic con weekend and tried to eat here. I was stopped my servers/​management and they asked what I was doing here. I said that my party was inside and I believe we already had a reservation. They told me «we haven’t been accepting reservations all week, so maybe you had reservations for somewhere else».
What kind of irked me, is while I was trying to go in, a group of people came up and asked for directions for another restaurant. The same people that wouldn’t let me in, said «why don’t you guys eat here? our food is great!»
It turns out my friends were still getting ready so I met them up in the Palomar hotel. My wife showed up a bit later, but thought we were in Saltbox already. She said she was also stopped by servers/​management and they told her they only had 1 reservation and it’s not our group of friends.
Eventually we made our way inside by going thru the entrance inside the hotel. We just stayed for a drink and left. The special cocktails were $ 12 and were okay.
Overall, the «exclusiveness» of this restaurant left a bad taste in my mouth. If it’s a private party, dressed too scrubby, or didn’t’ have reservations, that’s a different story. But to just make up stuff on the fly to get me/​wife to leave is another.

I came in with two friends on a Thursday night for dinner. The music was a bit loud for us to hear each other speak so our server moved us to a corner table, tucked way in the back.
Décor? Great! Swanky, downtown look.
Cocktails? I had the Mind Your Peas and Q’s which was a fun cocktail made of Bombay Sapphire, Cantaloupe purée, Yellow Chartreuse, lime, Cardamom Bitters and a Snap Pea garnish. Very whimsical –lightly spiced and fresh. $ 12
As for the food, the three of us split:
— Fiddlehead Salad with arugula, blackberry, fennel, feta, oranges and vinaigrette ($ 14)
— Coffee Rubbed Lamb Rack –cassoulet, charred onions, and crusted lamb ($ 28)
— Paella: shrimp, mussels, clams, chorizo and veggies ($ 29)
I really enjoyed the fiddlehead salad and lamb. The lamb was well cooked, spiced and that cassoulet was tasty! But the paella was a real let down as it really didn’t have the characteristics of a paella. The saffron was barely noticeable. no crispy «socarrat» that everyone fights for in paella, and the seafood (although fairly plentiful) didn’t impart that great flavor into the rice. I wouldn’t recommend it especially for the price.
As for the service – at first, they were nice. But throughout the 1.5 hours we were there, we barely saw our servers and we had to ask twice for a glass of wine. After 20 minutes after the second request, we just had them cancel it.
Overall, it was an okay experience. I enjoyed the cocktails and the food had some enjoyable moments but it was definitely a 3 star experience for me.

I had brunch here this past weekend, as I was in town celebrating my birthday weekend. You enter through a HUGE door which is pretty cool. The place was pretty empty when we arrived … actually we were the only ones inside of the main restaurant portion. We overheard one of the servers saying that you can eat/​drink poolside upstairs … however, one of the guests that she guided that way ended upcoming back down because it was too noisy w/​the bands that play.
Overall, it was a good experience. Our waiter seemed really tired though, and we asked him some questions about the menu which he seemed oblivious too. We took our chances and ordered what sounded good and weren’t disappointed.
We bought a bottle of mimosas $ 20 — not bad.
My boyfriend had the Cali Breakfast Burrito (on the BRUNCH menu) which he said was FABULOUS — $ 13
I had the Margherita Flatbread Pizza (Perfect serving size & delicious) — $ 15
Shared a basked of Hand Cut Fries (YUM!) — $ 6
Their sauces seemed home-​made and were very delicious. The ketchup was very very good. I know it’s hard to judge ketchup because it all seems to taste the same, but this had a twist to it. The fries were delicious to eat! Their ranch dressing we very creamy, and also really good!
I would definitely recommend this spot for brunch & would visit again next time I am in town!

Nice place! The door is really cool, it’s HUGE and swings open like I would imagine a hidden wall would do.
The bar area is classy but laid back. Their staff is very nice and friendly.
My friend and I got a few drinks here– their wine on the happy hour menu was great. We didn’t really care for our second round of drinks and the bartender very nicely took them off and offered us a complementary shot when we didn’t want to order anything else.
Their pretzels and cheese weren’t the best. Kind of boring.
But the atmosphere is great and they have a good happy hour.