The Lincoln Room

Good food, reasonably priced and great service. Lincoln Room will be a landmark in SD for years to come.

I came here as part of the Bite SD Walking tour and loved it, my friends – not so much.
The environment is super «chill», laidback bar with leather booths and tables made of wood and pennies.
We were given a sample of some kind if fig in bacon? Definitely not my taste but we also got a martini that was!
I would definitely come back here on a chill night with friends.

A great happy hour is what we sought, a great happy hour was what we found at The Lincoln Room. The best things in life are… half-​off? Cheap? Yes, indeed. Both.
Happy Hour Specials here: Includes beer, wine, spirits and food.
To start we enjoyed the plate of House Made Deviled Eggs with wasabi tobbiko (perfect serving size of 4 halves). MY mom and I split the turkey burger and the Green Goddess salad. Both very good but the dressing overpowered the poor leaves, so next time I’d ask for it on the side.
For drinks ($ 5 at happy hour! scream it out loud!) we tried the Grapefruit Honey Crush and the Mary Todd (pear). Both were delicious, nothing too crazy… but really quite nice for $ 5.
Our server was completely delightful. Coming from Chicago I never enjoy a real happy hour (illegal), so this was quite a treat and The Lincoln Room around 6pm on a Monday was the perfect balance of great food, cheap drinks, laid back vibe and comfortable. It probably isn’t this way on a weekend night, but… there you have it!
I like the penny décor on the booth seats as well. Plenty of TVs for sport watching.
*also, they serve food til midnight every night of the week. Probably comes in handy in this booze-​soaked ‘hood.

Bryant V was in charge of food destinations on this trip and he did a fantastic job! Love the fun homage to Lincoln… cool signage, log décor and pennies under the glass on the tables. The prices are pretty reasonable too… I think Abe would approve. While you can’t make reservations, you can call ahead if you have a big party and they may be able to help you out. On a Saturday night and with the NBA playoffs, this place was packed! But, we didn’t have to wait more than 30 – 45 minutes after arriving to get a couple of tables upstairs (recommended if you want to be able to hear your dining companions a bit better).
While waiting around I had a chance to check out what other folks were eating and became intrigued by something I saw and so that’s what I ordered… the CHIPOTLE FRIED CHICKEN! You get two, large juicy chicken breasts coated with a buttermilk-​chipotle breading, fried perfectly crispy and served with a generous helping of cheddar grits. Comfort. Food. One of the best fried chicken dishes I’ve ever had! And the grits were exceptionally creamy without feeling too heavy.
I added a side of GARLIC FRIES. It comes in a cone and you have to mix it around a bit because the yummy slices of garlic fall to the bottom and that’s the best part!

Cool name! Interesting décor! Came here for happy hour since we were already in the area. Interesting selection of appys and food so I was stoked!
$ 5 Happy Hour Menu… winner!
Half Pound of Peel-​and-​Eat Shrimp with cocktail sauce: If you’re craving shrimp, these will do. Nothing special here.
Medjoul Dates: Stuffed with cheese and wrapped in bacon… whats not to like?
Lincoln Chili Dog with fries: This was loaded! I had a hard time picking this up so I had to eat it with a fork. The Chili is made in-​house and was very meaty. Just how I like it!
Lincoln Wings: Im not really a big fan of wet wings but these were pretty dang good! The chipotle sauce was really good and the gorgonzola dressing is a perfect match for it.
As far as drinks:
Lincoln Room Mule: This was just ok. It was lacking a bit on all areas. Just wasn’t impressed.
El Chancho: This was my favorite. I actually ordered two of these! This had a little of a bite to it which made it go well with the food I had.

We came here for dinner and drinks on a Saturday night. We were seated right away around 8pm for a party of 4. All the food was pretty good:
— Bacon wrapped dates
— Mac n’ Cheese
— Fried Oysters
— French Onion Soup
— Prime Rib: this was actually excellent — not like your typical prime rib cut from a roast, it was was grilled.
— Salmon: I didn’t try this but my friend said it was awesome.
I thought service was great — our server was attentive and came back often to get us drinks after dinner.

Lincoln Room
SD: Gaslamp
8pm Monday 16 April 2012
Four Stars
Cocktails: Ri1 Old Fashion, Bulleit Rye Manhattan, Gordon’s Cup, Lincoln Towncar. The Classic Old Fashion is so simple and yet so great. The Manhattan here was served straight up tasted like party in my mouth. You could clearly taste the Antica Formula, Angostura, and Luxardo Cherry. The Gordon’s Cup: Aviation Gin, Cucumber, Lime, Salt & Pepper tasted like a mix between a Pimms Cup and a Margarita. The
Lincoln Towncar: Woodford Reserve Bourbon, Cointreau, lemon. This drink is a sidecar with a pun-​ny Lincoln themed name.
Food: Chile, Chile, Chile Burger and Chicken Tenderloin Tempura Skewer (2 pieces). The burger patty was the worst part of the dish — kinda dry and too small for the bun (*your last bite is just bun and toppings). The Chile Con Carne was the best part of the triple chile combo — not even worth mentioning the other chile components. It had flavor, moisture, and extra meat. The Chicken Tenderloin Tempura just seemed like mediocre fried chicken. The batter was not light, airy, or fresh tasting. The Chicken was a little dry.
Service: Bartender was funny, not too invasive, and can make a good cocktail.
The experience was a four star worthy place.

This place is just ok for me. I have been a few times for happy hour since they have decent prices, but overall the food is not that great.
Also service upstairs is pretty bad. You have to yell at them if you want something or else you will never get it.

Ahhhh… Whoever invented the Happy Hour should have a national holiday dedicated to them. Thank you for declaring that work can sometimes suck and the only things that can bring you out of your funk is a good stiff drink, loud, sometimes rowdy conversation with some good peeps and some greasy finger foods!
Love this place-​great HH deals and cool staff. Tons of beer selections and fun cocktails-​what more could you ask for to unwind after a long, sucky day? And did I mention that they have tvs? Hmmm… The Lincoln Room could become more than just a HH haunt… I’ll definitely be back!

Happy hour was yummy.
I recommend getting the pâté fruit plate, mussels, and the fish & chips for $ 5 EACH. I don’t really recommend the deviled eggs because there wasn’t enough seasoning to make it stand out. It was only pretty looking.
The pâté fruit plate was delicious but a little strong on the alcohol in the jam but very much worth $ 5 for getting bread chips and assorted fruits.
The mussel meat was TINY and was just in a broth with cherry tomatoes. Still, where can you get a big bowl od mussel for $ 5?
The fish & chips were great. Freshly breaded and fried, you get 2 large pieces of fish and underneath, a good mini bucket of fries.

Stopped by The Lincoln Room before starting our Pub Crawl on a Saturday night. I’ve always wanted to check this place out ever since it changed from Confidential. I loved the atmosphere at this bar. It wasn’t too crowded and it was nice people watching from the patio. Abe Lincoln is all over the place, I’m sure if he was around now, he’d be happy to see his legacy live on in America’s finest city.
After pre-​partying at the Embassy Suites, we headed over to Gaslamp to get the party started. We grabbed a whiskey and coke from the bartender and ordered some small appetizers before meeting up with the others. I remember ordering the fried okra, fries, and asparagus. All were pretty good, so I’d love to come back to try some other things.

3 stars for the food, and one additional star for the bartender who was verrrry generous and introduced me to Buffalo Trace bourbon!
AVOID the fried mozzarella. A friend ordered it, and I tried one… I never thought something fried would taste bad, but… first for everything! The group agreed — it was SO bland. They sure did look delicious though… Like a mini gourmet corn dog on a stick. Except fried cheese. Tasteless fried cheese. Cheese done wrong :(
DO try the mac & cheese … penne pasta with a crisp topping and chopped bacon. Shared by our group of 4, with some leftover. Rich stuff… and addicting.
Deconstructed Pizza — pizza that you get to put together yourself. Interesting, and I’m told it tasted great, but I didn’t try it myself.
Angus Burger = A+!
If you get seated upstairs, the drinks come out impressively quick! I’m talking like, under a minute wait. Annnnd they weren’t greedy with the liquor either!

I have never been to the Lincoln Room and have always wanted to go. Whenever others went, I wasn’t able to go.
So Finally, seeing a show at the Balboa Theater across the street (literally a beer bottle throw away), my date was going to be late and I arrived early to seek out parking on a meter (no charge after 6 pm Thank you San Diego!) and after several minutes finally found a spot near to the theater.
With plenty of time before the show or the date to show (ok this really was my bf but it was a date, we hadn’t gone to a concert together in a couple of years). I thought here is the chance to check out the L.R. and eat and sit at the bar. However when I arrived at the front door, the bar was literally and figuratively full so I had to ask for a table. None available inside for a party of one, I was seated outside. It was a cool evening but not cold.
Short wait for service eventhough they were very busy. As the server handed me the menu, she mentioned the most important words to monetarily challenged people like me, Happy Hour is all night on Wednesdays (oh Yeah this was Wed and anything on the appetizers for HH was $ 5 all night, SCORE!). After checking out the beer list (sufficiently stocked for any taste bud), I got an Amber Pale (Firestone31) and ordered my food, chicken liver pâté and mussels (for a cool evening).
The Chicken Liver pâté came first and the small terrine with the toasts were perfect amount. I wondered if I was going to finish this and the mussels (which comes several mins later which help me relish the pâté first). The pâté came with sliced fruit (2 kinds), spicy mustard and sweet onion relish (all that was missing was a cornichon). The pâté was delicious and plentiful. If I was sitting with someone else, I would have still eaten it all by myself.
The mussels came with the bread speared with tarragon. The aroma and warmness of the broth was delicious. After eating all the mussels (except for one unopened), I swabbed that broth with the bread.
Everything was delicious. I got a text message while I was getting ready to pay, my date was already inside the theater and seated… lol!
All in all a great light meal with a reasonable tab.
As McArthur said to the Pinoys stuck in the Philippines during WWII (as he was headed to Australia)…I SHALL RETURN (with others my addon, meals are more delightful with company!)

Lunch time!
After a long morning at the office, the crew and I decided to head here and grab a bite. And what a bite it was. Hellooo grilled cheese + bacon. I must say… their bourbon selection is extensive and as that was Lincolns favorite beverage, understandably so.
Actually I made that up.
I have no idea what Lincolns favorite drink was. Perhaps a Mary Todd? On the rocks? With a few Gettysburg-​er sliders on the side? Alright that was too far. But, I did enjoy the hanging lamps, the fake TV fireplace and the fact that Lincoln’s lovely mug was displayed everywhere.
Ah Stovepipe hats. How you have such an effect on my heart.
Even though these Abe Lincolns won’t do much to emancipate your social freedoms, they will leave you with little bit of cash to spare. and a fully belly. OMG those truffle fries were delicious. So after a lunch of cheese, carbs, and more carbs I walked back to the office sans bourbon. Sadly, that afternoon, I needed my wits about me for more writing fun, and there was no time for shots. Or a lovely sipping liquor by the electronic fireplace.
I cannot tell a lie. The Lincoln room was bomb. You should go there, eat and be merry.

Delicious! I was SOOOOO excited to get to try the Lincoln Room!
We were headed downtown to check out the micro championship wrestling (review coming soon). We walked the few blocks downtown and were greeted at the door by a bouncer and a hostess. After having our IDs checked the hostess asked if we were coming for drinks or dinner. She took our name, let us know it would be about 15 minutes for a table and that we could wait in the bar area. I was pretty psyched when she said 15 minutes because downtown can tend to have long waits. Unfortunately the bar was SUPER crowded, but luckily within about 5 minutes the hostess came and told us that out table was ready.
She escorted us upstairs to a HUGE booth that sat the four of us comfortably. We were pretty excited when we found out that it was still happy hour for about 30 more minutes. $ 5 off specialty drinks and a bunch of discounted food items. I ordered the ‘El Chancho’ (see pic), if you like tequila and drinks with layers of complexity this is the drink for you. It had a light flavor of tequila with a spicy kick. The rest of the group ordered the Lincoln Room Mule (see pic). Another delicious drink flavored with vodka and ginger beer.
We ordered a variety of food items. At my end of the table we ordered the Mac & Cheese, The Chili Dog and the Fish & Chips. At the other end of the table there was cheesy grits (see pic) and deconstructed pizza (see other Unilocaler’s pics).
The Mac & Cheese was delicious… the sharp cheddar had a kick which had such a great level of complexity that blended with the textur added by the crispy bits of bacon. The chili dog had a rich warm flavor. The top was toasted with cheesy yumminess… The fish and chips were good, but nothing overly special about them. Unfortunately I didn’t get to the other end of the table to try the cheesy grits and the deconstructed pizza, but my sis said they were great!
This was a great dining experience. Our waitress was attentive and checked on us regularly. The overall ambience was cool and synced well with the décor. It was very loud, but this was expected being as we were downtown. Definitely glad we came in and look forward to coming back.

NBER declared that the recession ended in June 2009. Yeah, right. If you want to put your hard-​earned money to use, try Lincoln Room’s happy hour.
We’ve all witnessed the «scam» of most unhappy hours: $ 1 off overpriced beer and $ 12 martinis, itty bitty portions of unhappy hour-​priced food, and careless preparation of food. Though it was my first time at LR, it was unlike other unhappy hours I’ve been to.
Full-​sized portions of good, gourmet pub grub for $ 5.
I don’t know of any place where we can order $ 2.50 pints of Lost Abbey’s Red Barn (an excellent easy-​to-​drink summer saison that has more flavor than traditional European saisons like Dupont).
Two people: 5 Red Barns, chicken pâté, bacon grilled cheese, and cod n’ chips for less than $ 30 (exclud. tax and tip).
Lincoln Room’s got the moves like Jagger and won’t steal your wallet.

«How many legs does a dog have if you call the tail a leg? Four. Calling a tail a leg doesn’t make it a leg.»
Abraham Lincoln
Clearly good old Abe was drunk when he said this, and then he opened this bar?
This place caught are attention as we passed by, we knew we had to check this place out. Inside it is all log cabined up, made me instantly have a hankered for some maple syrup, mmmmmm syrup. Their is also a giant Lincoln head on the wall, staring me down, don’t judge me Abe. Its some what small and tight inside.
They have a large selection of whiskey and some craft beers. I got their ¹⁄₃^rd pound Angus Burger ($ 7.49)with the normal fixings topped with cheddar cheese. Good tasty burger to soak up the alcohol. My buddy also ordered the Spicy Meatball Sandwich witch comes out covered in hot melted mozzarella, man it looked good.
Missed their happy hour but looks like they had a lot of good $ 5 food deals. They also serve food up to 12 am. Cool place, good job Abe.

i can’t make a completely accurate review based on my one visit to the LR… since it was for the Elite party… all i can say is that the appetizers i ate were very good (favorite was some bacon wrapped cheese thing)…and the drinks were strong. From what i remember the décor was pretty cool and Prez Lincoln themed…
need to go back again… and sit back and smell the roses… i mean pennies…
updated review… eventually

Wow, this new spot in downtown is going to do very well for itself once word goes around how tasty and inexpensive their food is!
I was pretty excited to learn that the next Unilocal Elite party was going to be here on Feb. 17^th, but my hopes of going got shot down quick when my attempt to RSVP at 12:14 (when the RSVP list opened up at Noon that day), was greeted by a «get on wait list» button.
Oh well, for a venue this small, it was bound to happen. I didn’t let that stop me from checking it out with my friends for dinner last night. I wanted to see what was on their menu beforehand by visiting their website, but it’s still so new that the menu isn’t posted yet.
The three of us ordered a little too much because we ran out of room on our round table! Here’s what we tried:
— Dirty Fries for $ 6 bucks. French fries with gravy and cheese sauce. OMG. It. Was. Good.
— Steamed mussels with cherry tomatoes, white wine, shallots, etc. I didn’t have any, but my friend really enjoyed it. $ 8 bucks.
— Mac & Cheese with bacon bits sprinkled on top. I think this was $ 5 – 6 bucks. Penne pasta mac & cheese. Comfort food while you’re having a cocktail? Yes please.
–Lincoln wings with chipotle sauce. $ 5.50. It came with only five pieces, but it was tasty, just enough for the three of us. Don’t mistake or compare this to hot wings, theirs is different, but good!
–Grilled cheese sandwich with bacon and tomatoes. Comforting for $ 5 or $ 6 bucks.
–Charcuterie plate for only $ 8 bucks?! Great deal since it has an assortment of cheeses and slice cured meats. For its price, it was worth it.
We also got crème brûlée and the chocolate cheesecake with pretzel toppings after two more friends joined us. I had no more room for sweets, so I just had one taste of each. The crème brûlée was on point!
Their beer selection is great, even better that it’s only $ 4-​$ 6 bucks in the Gaslamp.
I had the Mary Todd cocktail, pear Grey Goose with pear liquer served in a martini glass with a sliced pear. After a few of them, I was good!
Service from Amanda alone gets five stars. I’d give her ten if I can, she was very attentive and checked on us often. She even offered to move our group to the larger table when more friends arrived, very cool of her.
This place is a welcomed replacement of its former Confidential. I love how this is different from the other Gaslamp spots, it has character and lots of personality. Their staff is super nice and the price of the food and cocktails are within reason.
After we were done with our yummy meal, we came to the conclusion that we’ll probably start our nights here when we meet with friends for a night of fun and good food in the good olé Gaslamp.

A Lincoln Club party at The Lincoln Room… Cool concept!!!
This establishment just opened and is located on the corner of 4^th and across from Horton Plaza and the Balboa Theater replacing Confidential.
As you walk in, everything has a reference to the late and great Pres. Abe Lincoln — walls are «Lincoln» logs, bar area is decorated with pennies, and the Gettysburg Address is painted on the wall. Nice theme. The bar is dim, but enough to socialize and see what you’re eating and drinking. There are high tables and booths on the first floor. There is also a 2^nd level, but I wasn’t able to make my way up there due to time constraints.
The bartender, Daniel, is super nice and made great recommendations on draft beers. I ended up with a Lost Abby Pale Ale.
We tried the fish (balls) and chips. This appy came with 2 condiment sauces — aeoli and malt vinegar. Honestly, I wasn’t a fan of either sauces and just ate the fish «balls» plain. The fish batter was yummy! Wasn’t too thick, greasy and crisp to taste. I felt the fries had a bit too much salt on them, however.
The staff here is really friendly and this I greatly appreciate. Def will return to try more of their HH items!