Vagabond

Location: great. Staff: friendly. Service: fast and efficient. Ambiance: fantastic.
Food: fabulous. I can’t say anything bad about this place. My husband and i went there on a Friday night and everything was just perfect. I enjoyed the staff and loved the food. Excellent romantic place.

It’s a bittersweet pill to swallow knowing that last Saturday was the last time we will enjoy such an eccletic and fabulous restaurant such as VAGABOND.
Just being in such a unique and colorful place where people of all ages and races converged for savory dishes and worldly drinks always transported me to far away places in my imagination as I would sip on delicious mojitos and basil martinis.
Last Friday would be one of sublime repentance for me and my 2 girlfriends. With 6 dishes already crossed off their menu (the owner has sold his restaurant) we nodded «yes» to their special that night. It was a Peruvian dish of fiery peppers and delectable meat ladled alongside fluffy, buttery rice. An appetizer of truffle pomme frites with a luxurious artichoke dipping sauce and a smokey grilled vegetable salad dabbed with spots of creamy goat cheese rounded out our glorious meal of ‘nevermore’. We swooned over each bite and scraped every last bit onto our plates. With their screenless, wooden windows parted open to let the cool breeze in and the rich colors of their painted walls soothing our sadness, I could only shake my head knowing that all this richness will possibly give way to swigs of hoppy suds and crispy spuds… and although there is nothing wrong with that, sometimes you can have too much of the same thing and succumb to being… one-​dimensional.
Which Vagabond never was.

This is an interesting little place, with possibly the worst lighting in all of San Diego. I changed seats even but no matter where I turned the light shined in my face like I was at an interrogation.
‘What would you like to drink and where were you on the night of May 3^rd between 7 and 10pm?”
«Do you own a gun and if so what caliber is it? Also would you like to see our wine menu?»
Being savvy, I ordered AND lawyered up. One can never be too careful these days…
Kung Pao Calamari: This dish was crispy, and had a flavorful sauce. I think the sauce was a bit too soy sauce based. The calamari itself was breaded well and fried well, however I was disappointed that the calamari was so low grade.
Modified burger with truffle fries: this dish was good. The fries really have a truffle flavor and they give you a lot of them. I had to modify the burger to make it an egg one instead which was pretty yummy to me. I love a good egg sammy any time of day! The waitress pointed me to the veggie salad and I declined it because it looked boring to me, and at $ 20+ didn’t really seem worth it. I get that vegetarians like their veggies, but we also like options that include savory elements.
Service: the service wasn’t all that nice or even efficient. It wasn’t blow your mind bad but it lacked warmth and was a bit slow. I felt like I was annoying the waitress (possibly because I didn’t want the $ 20 salad, or maybe because I asked for my lawyer who knows?).
This looks like a great date place if you don’t mind awkward lighting, and the menu items were interesting. I wouldn’t bring your vegetarian amore here though. Meat eaters will find many great options.
In all, this place was OK, but with a few small improvements could be a favorite.

My husband and I went here for dinner last week. Here is my breakdown:
Ambience: Intimate and romantic.
Service: Great, initially. The owners family came in for dinner which delayed us receiving our food.
Food: Best quinoa salad ever!

3 of us stopped in after getting inked up at Full Circle next door. It was a weird mid afternoon time and we were the only ones there but they were still serving starters. We just split 2 orders of the lamb meatball sliders and calamari. The meatball sliders come 2 and fries for $ 10 and the calamari was $ 8, I think. Both things were good and we ended up with a nice, light lunch for just over $ 10 each including tip.
I’d like to go back and try the non-​starter options.

So this is South Park, not like Cartman, Kyle and Kenny South Park … I know nothing about the little areas in SD, except for Gaslamp! In trying to venture out of the touristy areas and failing to find a suitable place I’ve bookmarked, did a Unilocal search for «fusion» and it brought me here. We almost decided to pass cuz we couldn’t find parking but as we were driving away, BAM, there was a spot right across the street! It was meant to be!
It was dead around 5:30 pm on Saturday, which made me double check with the guys to ensure they were open for dinner. Yes, ok, good. Very cute and nicely decorated place, btw. Love the comfy cushion benches with colorful pillows!
Food took a little while but everything was very yummy! Started off with the Brussels sprouts with broccoli and bacon, then the carnitas tacos, lamb sliders and steak plate. Everything was cooked to perfection down to the spinach and potatoes that lined the steak! Perfect flavas and portions.
Oh and by the time we left, a large party had filled the dining area, along with a few other groups.
I would definitely come back but not sure how soon since I don’t live in the area.

We had lunch here last Sunday. My friend was in the mood for a steak. Unfortunately, only the brunch menu was available and steak wasn’t on it.
We both ordered a burger (with Lettuce, Tomato, Swiss Cheese, Vagabond Ketchup (that’s what it says on the menu but all ketchup tastes the same to me) served with Pommes Frites). We asked for some mustard as well.
My burger was okay. The worst part was that both of our burger patties were OVERCOOKED. However, I think the horseradish mustard was very tasty! I am by no means a mustard connoisseur but I just liked the way it tasted.

Cute little French restaurant in South Park. Saturday night I guess might require reservations? I put mine for 930.
When I got here it was pretty empty. I probably missed the dinner rush because it sounded pretty busy when I had called earlier.
Ordered the fried brussel sprouts and those were delish! For the entrée, I got the hanger steak with blue cheese mashed potatoes. Overall it was pretty good. I was kind of expecting REAL mashed potatoes but maybe I misread the menu but it wasn’t really mashed potatoes, more like a sauce underneath the steak. The steak also had some dressing on top of it which made it have a little spicy kick! My sister had the chicken which was also really good. Strong taste of red wine and also had noodles!
Overall, I think the food and service is pretty good. The décor is very cute, kind of dim but can be romantic. I guess I was there at the right time. :)

If french food all tasted like this place, I’d say I love french food! To be honest, I’ve gone to several french restaurants and I had decided I wasn’t really a huge fan of french, but this one definitely has become my go to place for french. :)
I got fried brussel sprouts for appetizer and it was so yummy! there’s a bit of lemon taste to it and fried with bacon as well. I loved it so much I have decided I am even going to attempt to cook it myself (consumers beware: P).
For the main course, I ordered the grilled hanger steak medium rare, sister got the same but medium, and the b/​f got the free roam chicken coq au vin. Now normally I never get chicken at restaurants, but upon seeing the food, I wish I had. I made the b/​f trade dishes with me. lol. But I got the steak too rare so I gave back most of the chicken. :P
They cook the chicken 2 types of ways and it comes with noodles mixed with mushrooms. SO GOOODDDD! As for the hanger steak, I wasn’t a big fan, I do usually get medium rare, but the type of meat (it’s pretty stringy and tough) doesn’t seem to mix well with medium rare. They also have this green sauce on top that is spicy. Unfortunately I wasn’t a huge fan.
The ambiance is really nice, super romantic and dim, great for first dates. Service was good and quick, and overall just a really great experience. I do hope to get to come back to order the chicken for myself.
bombdotcom :)

Despite reviews to the contrary, our service was excellent. We were seated right away and our water glasses were filled right up. Vagabond has a special midweek of any shared appetizer, two entrees, and a shared dessert for a set price. We decided to give the special a whirl and order a bottle of wine.
M picked out the bottle of wine and our server returned with a different bottle because they were out of our original selection. I passed on the wine as it wasn’t to my liking, but M decided to keep the bottle. After a while, our server noticed that the wine wasn’t disappearing as quickly as it should be. He offered, then almost insisted that they replace the bottle with something more to our liking. Our server took our likes/​dislikes into consideration and came back with a bottle that we could both enjoy together.
For our first course, we ordered the mussels. They were lightly flavored in a broth, which was a refreshing change from the soaked in butter/​oil/​garlic/​herb mix that is usually thrown together.
Our second course was the chicken tikka masala and the bouillabaisse. The chicken was delicious. It was very tender and exploding with flavor. I usually do not like Indian food, but this was pretty damn tasty.
My bouillabaisse had a hefty mix of shrimp, clams, mussels, and fish. I am always warry of the fish in a bouillabaisse because it is so often over cooked, chewy, and flavorless. Vagabond did not disappoint! The fish was tender, and infused with a rich saffron/​tomato/​white wine/​garlic aroma.
Dessert was yummy, but unremarkable — I can’t even remember what we shared but it was plenty for two after our meal.

I can’t say one thing bad about Vagabond. By far one of the most consistant in GREAT taste and cuisine. We had the lamb shank and paella. Honestly, you can’t go wrong. Vagabond’s choices for dishes are all excellent and always a bullseye to the taste buds.
Do yourself a favor and do not forget to visit this hidden gem in South Park.

2.5
The food is excellent. The menu is very good. The service is lacking a little and the acoustics and noise is just painful. I couldn’t even hear the person I was dining with and there was just one other table of 6 people and a few at the bar. Both parties were a little loud but the way the acoustics are in this place they sound like they’re in your lap. Stop putting phrases all over the walls and put down some hardwoods or something to soak up some of the noise.

Vagabond
SD: South Park
7pm Tuesday 17 July 2012
Three Stars
Vagabond has this worldly décor and cuisine that seems to be the intersection between Europe, Asian, and the Middle East — Perhaps Istanbul. We sat in the back on some comfortable coaches. The place was understaffed so it took a while to take our order and bring out our food. However, the waiter bought my drink which made up for the long wait time.
Drink: Redemption Old Fashion: Too Much Muddle Cherry, Ice, and Sugar plus it was Served in a Cognac glass.
Food:
A) The Butcher Block: Rabbit Liver Mousse, Speck, and Terrine.
B) Kung Pao Calamari: toasted peanuts, scallions, spicy hoisin sauce
C) Scottish Salmon: artichoke, spring peas, white corn purée, asparagus salad
The Pâté was slightly sweet and had a great velvety texture. The Speck was not too fatty but slightly dry. The Terrine had bits of fruit and nuts which provided an interesting bite. The house-​made pickles were fantastic. The Kung Pao Calamari was an interesting taste on fried squid. It was rather sweet and probably needed a squeeze of lime. The Salmon was a beautiful and cohesive dish. The salmon had a nice crispy skin but it was slightly overcooked and definitely farmed raised. Overall, I was unimpressed.

We decided to have dinner at Vagabond last week after not going there in quite a while. We wanted to see what the new menu was about.
We perused the menu and ordered the following…
*Honey Miso Glazed Pork Belly (with vegetable soccotach, topped with poached egg): The pork belly was slightly sweet and salty, tender, and nicely flavored. It paired well with the egg and veggies.
*Moroccan Lamb shank (with carrot purée, roasted vegetables, dates, almonds & tomatoes): The lamb had A LOT of fat!!! The lamb meat that was there was tender and fall off the bone, but we’ve had a lot better. Definitely not representative of Morocco.
*Bouillabaisse (clams, mussels, scallops, sea bass, shrimp, fennel, leeks in a tomato saffron broth). This dish had a good amount of seafood, but the broth was way too salty!
*Chocolate Bread Pudding (plantain mash, caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream): This bread pudding had more of a brownie consistency (which isn’t a bad thing) and paired deliciously well with the plantain mash. Although, the ice cream had a weird icy consistency and melted fast.
Their complimentary bread is really great! It’s always warm, soft, and delicious. They apparently bake it in house.
We also had to order a few drinks…
*Walkabout Special (Johnnie Walker Red, Maker’s Mark, lemon, honey syrup, orange bitters, Stone IPA): A nice, refreshing cocktail.
*Vagabond Sangaree (Port, Pama, Cointreau, orange juice, lime, fresh berries): Their version of a sangria, which was too sweet and fruity for my taste.
*Spice Ichigo (Sake, strawberry, basil, sugar, spices, ginger beer): Fruity and light on the ginger beer.
*Brut Buddha (Hangar 1 Buddha’s Hand vodka, Aperol, agave nectar, bitters, cucumber, raspberries, & Brut): Nice, refreshing and slightly fruity.
Overall, good cocktails. They also have a nice wine list.
Service is very nonchalant. Friendly but they take their time. For some reason that evening, they were out of fresh fish (and so were some of our first choices on the menu). I also don’t know why the whole place smelled strongly of fish during our dinner there. :-/​
I’ve have always liked their décor, but find it funny that they accidentally omitted a letter on a French quote they put up on one of the walls. They later inserted the missing n. (see my picture to see what I mean)
They also have a small, but dog friendly patio out front.
Overall, not a bad place for dinner if you find yourself in South Park. Although, I used to be more excited about their old menu.

My husband and I returned to Vagabond’s last night after a two year hiatus from dinner. We love the brunch there. They have a new chef now who completely re-​did the menu.
I had the tuna tatare, my husband had the chicken dish which I don’t want to write because it is a French dish and I would butcher it. I can only say that the chicken literally fell off of the bone it was so moist and delicious. My tuna dish was to die for and was very, very good. They still have their fabulous pomme frites in a cone which I will have to work off today but it was definitely worth it!
If you haven’t been there in the last six months, I highly recommend that you return!
I will be back next payday to enjoy another new dish!!!
:) VOILA!

Had lunch here yesterday and ordered off of the Restaurant Week menu. The interior is charming, old-​world, and warm. It was incredibly dead but then again, it was a Tuesday afternoon.
Their menu options were diverse and unique, as what attracted me to coming here in the first place. I can’t stand a boring Restaurant Week menu! After ordering from their nice wine list and beer selection, we were ready! We started with their bread that came with amazing, addictive aoili. When our waitress asked us if we wanted more, as much as my diet wanted me to say no, we couldn’t pass it up. For starters, my husband and I both had the Shrimp and Grits. It was delicious. Both the shrimp and the grits were cooked perfectly, it was a creamy dish yet very light. The bright citrus and lemon flavor complimented the dish perfectly, as well as the addition of fresh herbs.
For our entrees, I had the Pork and Beans and hubby the Coq au Vin. Lunch portions were much larger than I expected — especially the Coq au Vin, a very generous and hearty portion large enough for dinner. The Pork and Beans were very good. Our waitress explained how much love and time they put into slow-​cooking their pork belly. To be honest, I’ve had better pork belly, but that doesn’t mean that it wasn’t very enjoyable. The combination of the beans, tomatoes and spinach gave the pork belly a lighter note and it worked very well together. I tried a bite of the Coq au Vin, the chicken was very tender and the mashed potatoes were to die for.
For dessert, we had the Chocolate Tart and Banana Lumpia. The chocolate tart was a sweet crust support for creamy, rich chocolate ganache. The lumpia however, was «where it’s at,» as some might say. Bananas and chocolate ganache are mingled together within a spring roll and paired with ice cream. Must try!
Our service was friendly and attentive, and I would definitely return to Vagabond in the future.

Ahhh… Restaurant Week, we meet, again. Restaurant Week for me is like Christmas and my birthday rolled into one big tasty bite. Being a foodie, I definitely wont blink at the opportunity to eat out at a new fabulous restaurant every night… I’m soooo there! I haven’t adopted San Diego as a food lover’s heaven quite yet, I’m still on the fence. But when you grow up and live in two of the most fantastic culinary spots on the left coast and possibly the world, your standards are quite high. So, RW is the perfect opportunity for me to try out a dozen or so restaurants without crimping my credit card.
I’ve been spending a lot of time in South Park recently and how could I resist a place that’s called «Vagabond»? It’s sounds so mysterious, well traveled, intelligent and worldly. I made reservations-​parking is sometimes a pain on 30^th so we got there a bit early. Vagabond wasn’t too busy but I’m still glad I made reservations. We were seated right away. We let our server know that we wanted to do RW and she brought over the menu and their standard menu. Great selection of pork, chicken and seafood – had to check it out in the event that I wanted to come back :)
Coq au Vin-​Loved the Morel mushrooms! My favorite! The sauce was rich and flavorful.
Crispy duck confit-​served with sweet potato and spinach. I thought that the sweet potato would be an odd combination but the sweetness of the duck played well off of it.
shrimp and grits-​probably the best thing I had all night! And I know great shrimp and grits!
Banana lumpia-​comes with a scoop of ice cream, definitely tasty but a bit messy to eat.
Crêpe Madeliene-​Filled with berries-​light and topped with whipped cream
The kitchen was backed up… we didn’t notice because we got caught up in conversation, but the server was so nice that she brought us two glasses of wine on the house! Wow, that’s great customer service! Even CW was impressed!
We also ordered the Kung Pow calamari but it never came… CW also ordered a pesco sour that never came… This would’ve been a pretty damning thing, but once we brought it to our server’s attention, she was apologetic and sincere. She offered that on our next visit, it would be on the house. I was pretty stunned. I know that most would be irritated by her forgetfulness, but I was impressed with how quickly she took ownership and offered to make things better. I respect that.
The food was good, not necessarily what I would go for any day but definitely good enough to warrant another visit. The space is low lit, a single candle lighting your table, not too loud where you can’t hold a conversation but loud enough that your neighbors can’t hear your chatter. Its small and intimate and sets a romantic mood. But, it was our server that made the experience totally memorable. I’ll definitely give Vagabond another go!

Being the kinda person who is always on the prowl for a great brunch spot, I happen upon the Vagabond this time around.
I arrived at 10 am, and the place had recently opened and had one group of young ladies celebrating a friend’s birthday party. I kept my distance, not wanting to intrude on their event, and took a seat on the other side of the restaurant. I sat down and right away liked the décor inside the place. Very rustic and old word.
After the waiter gave me the menu, I noticed that their brunch menu had changed from what they have posted on their PDF on line. No biggie, because I quickly spotted something, I definitely had to have. I ordered their boneless fried chicken breast smothered in peppered gravy, scramble eggs with scallions, house potatoes, and of course topped off with a homemade maple biscuit. Wow… what a combo!
When my brunch arrived, it was a great looking plate of food. (
) I thanked the waiter and proceeded to dig in. First, I took a taste of the scrambled eggs. They were well scrambled with a nice amount of scallions. The scallions were a nice touch and cut through the softness, texture-​wise and flavor-​wise of the eggs.
The gravy was outstanding, I could of had a whole bowl of it with a pile of biscuits! It was smooth and silky, and the pepper gave it that nice boost. The chicken was nicely flattened out and tender. (
) The only thing that it needed was a bit more seasoning on the breading. It would of benefited with some more salt, which would of balanced well, with the savory and slightly sweet gravy.
The biscuit came right out of the oven pipping hot. It was a nice size, and it was great. The hint of maple baked into it made it unique and wonderfully flavorful. I just wish I had more. The good thing is, you can order more as a side. The potatoes where perfectly cooked with a hint of herb.
My brunch cost $ 13.00 and it was filling. Although this place is popular for their dinners and lunch, brunch is also an excellent choice.
Biscuits+Gravy=Pleasure in the mouth.

It’s only been 7 months since I’ve been here, so sorry for the lack of details. What i do remember is that this is such a CUTE restaurant! I absolutely loved the atmosphere in there. It was quaint, dim, cozy. I would bring a date here for sure. My friends and I came here for my roommate’s birthday. This restaurant was perfect because the décor was worldly themed and she’s a world class traveler!
The food from what i can remember was delicious. We ordered all sorts of things (all that I remember):
–steamed mussels in a garlic white wine type of sauce (broth was sooo delicious!!! I wanted to just drink all of it!)
— a clam/​shrimp tomato type of entrée with a soupy base.
— meatball appetizer
Service was on par. Prompt service and our waters were always filled. We were able to bring a cake and the servicer was able to keep it int he frig for us until we were ready to bring it out.
Would definitely come back here again! Street parking was easy to find.

Atmosphere=tasteful, quaint, comfortable– mostly country French with a modern twist
Service=Excellent– leisurely though timely, polite service – Our server tried hard to get a great photo of our group and I never had an empty water or wine glass.
Food=Delicious, though simple
Price=Reasonable, and a free panna cotta for my friend’s birthday!
All in all, this rates a 4.5, but I rounded up because I had a wonderful time. This restaurant is located in adorable South Park and seating gives you views of the neighborhood, perfect for some people-​watching. I thought the food was delicious, but had been hoping for something more innovative and complex, though there is something to be said for simple food that is well-​cooked.
I hope to be back soon!