Veranda Fireside Lounge & Restaurant

What a lovely place. Cozy, scenic, and live music? Veranda, why have I abandoned you for so long? I used to frequent this place for lunch and happy hours with coworkers about 5 years ago and last night was the first time returning since then. With the openings of Urge, Karl Strauss, and now Phils BBQ, Veranda has taken the back seat when it comes to looking for a place to park ourselves for lunch and especially for after work gatherings. I was planning another work function for our interns and new hires and I was adamant about not choosing Karl Strauss for the umteenth time.
Attending the Unilocal Event at Cork Fire Kitchen at the Temecula Creek Inn a few weeks ago jogged my memory of Veranda at the Rancho Bernardo Inn. They are sister locations and are very similar in views and ambiance. I came early (4:45pm) to reserve an area and I decided the outdoor patio area was ideal. We had the entire firepit corner to ourselves thus giving us lots of room to move about and socialize freely without being confined to one spot. Needless to say, the happy hour event was a hit!
I ordered a smörgåsbord of food from the bar menu ranging from the chicken wings, pizzas (3 cheese, pepperoni and margherita), loaded potato skins and the short rib quesadilla. To everyone’s surprise, mine included, every item was fantastic! For being just a bar menu, they sure pay attention to detail when it comes to making the food. My favorites were the pizzas and short rib quesadilla. The pizzas were all phenomenal and the short rib quesadilla (that had a large amount of short rib in it) was outright delicious. The service was superb as well. I consistently ordered more and more food as the night passed since we had such a large party. Our waitress was extremely patient and attentive while ensuring we got our food and drink orders promptly.
On top of the scenic atmosphere overlooking the golf course and the tasty bar menu, listening to the chill live music in the background was the cherry on top. This place is the perfect setting for an after work gathering with friends, family and/​or coworkers. Veranda, we will meet again and this time you will not be forgotten.

Located at the quaint & romantic Rancho Bernardo Inn, Veranda Fireside Lounge is located immediately to the left when you enter (assuming you did valet parking at the inn). We didn’t know that and walked straight, headed outside and had to turn around. We didn’t mind the little walk. It’s so pretty and quiet outside.
The Veranda Fireside Lounge gets 5 stars for ambiance (I’m referring to the outside dining part. But they also have indoor dining). My friend, Doug, and I came here on a Thursday afternoon around 12pm for lunch and it wasn’t crowded at all. We didn’t have reservations but were seated immediately with no wait. It is GORGEOUS outside. Overlooking the golf course and there’s a section with cushioned benches/​chairs and a nice fireplace too if you want to just sit and chat at the fireside lounge part. This is my kind of setting.
Service was really good and very friendly. The only slight mess up was that Doug ordered fries (comes with the meal) & salad (side charge) with his meal and they initially brought him (literally) just ONE french fry on his plate. It was pretty funny. I like my photo of it. The sad, lonely french fry.
He had the ahi sandwich $ 15 and really liked it. I had the spinach and roasted vegetables salad $ 16 w/​salmon up charge of $ 12. Ouch $ 28 for a salad??? But what a gorgeous & delicious salad. For dessert we shared a vanilla crème brûlée $ 10 topped w/​a few blackberries, blueberries & strawberries. It was YUMMY! Not too sweet. Oh I had a guava mango refresher $ 6 drink. Yummy but a little too sweet. Prices for that type of location is on par w/​other similar venues. Prices overall is a bit steep. He was treating so I didn’t deduct any stars for price (or the one french fry haha).
We got to mix a little business & pleasure here, so it was a perfect setting for that. Overall, I’m glad we tried this place, as the last 2 times we had lunch together we went to Searsucker in Carmel Valley and this place totally blows it away in terms of food and ambiance. This is going to be our new go to spot for lunch.
Then later that night, I took hubby to his first Unilocal event. That made up for the fact that I had such a nice lunch without him lol.
#BirthdayReview

Very nice ambiance, thought it would be a good place for Mother’s Day lunch. The only thing they we’re serving other than the buffet was the bar menu, understood. However, the food was the worst bland food ever. We had guacamole with chips, how can you screw that up? Completely flavorless. Then tried tuna tartare (we only had like 5 choices) again, fresh tuna but totally flavorless. Pizza, blah. Could have been so much better, very disappointed.

There are only 3 restaurants* in Rancho Bernardo that make for a cool hangout spot and this is one of them. With the expansive outdoor firepit patio, it’s a hip destination for happy hour. With the same patio during the day time you also have sweeping golf course views. They also have live music regularly and a different special every day of the night (see my pictures).
My friend and I recently came for Sunday brunch and discovered they have a full all you can eat brunch that almost rivals 94^th Aero Squadron. For only $ 21 (a lot less than Aero Squadron), you get hot buffet dishes as well as a bar where a chef prepares fresh, custom omelettes and waffles. It includes your coffee as well, which gets refilled constantly by your server.
There are about a dozen hot buffet dishes wish items such as scrambled eggs, maple bacon, sausage patties, seasoned potato wedges, sliced fresh fruits. The standouts were by far the bread pudding — so moist, you don’t need the syrup bottle next to the tray — and the spinach egg frittata slices. Skip the potato wedges. I got them just as they were being refreshed and instead of being hot and crispy they were lukewarm and chewy.
There was also an oatmeal table with lots of different toppings such as dried fruits.
I absolutely loved the waffles because they were serving up mini waffles, so you could get one, two, or three at a time. So good and fresh! The display of pastries was also great as the portions were miniature so you could try many different things. I tried the blueberry muffin (solid) and a croissant.
This is definitely a place to have brunch with a view, which is why I picked it, but it was cold and cloudy outside (boo) so we sat inside (boo) but got a nice cushioned corner booth (yay).
In addition to the buffet, they have regular breakfast entrees for about $ 15 each, very reasonable. Although we didn’t ask our server about it Unilocal says you can get 20% off during March Madness if you wear team gear.
TIP: Free wi-​fi and free parking in the large hotel parking lot.
* My pick of 3 cool places in RB: Veranda Fireside Lounge, Cork and Craft, and The Barrel Room /​Urge Gastropub.

Quality Scores:
Food: 4
Atmosphere: 4.5
Service: 3
Hostess Staff: 2
Kitchen: 2 (slow)
Wait time: 1
Describe experience in three words: understaffed, waiting, scenic
My wife and I ate at the Veranda 3 times in the past weekend (we stayed at the RBI). Once for dinner, twice for brunch.
The best part of this place is the atmosphere. It’s a lively outdoor restaurant on a patio overlooking a golf course. During our Friday night dinner, the heat lamps were on, the live music was entertaining, the open seating area was full of dancing and laughter.
Our dining experience here was characterized by waiting. We were told that we didn’t need a reservation by the hotel staff, so we had to wait about an hour for a table. After waiting an hour for our table, Chris informed us that the kitchen was really backed up and our food wouldn’t be ready for another 45 minutes. He kindly gave us an appetizer on the house (thumbs up for Chris). For a restaurant on a Friday night, the kitchen should be adequately staffed to handle the rush. My guess is that the kitchen staff was split cooking for a wedding too. That should be no surprise to the manager and they should be ready for the demands of double booking (if that was the case).
The food was fine. It didn’t wow us, but it didn’t disappoint. We ordered the Ribeye and New York Strip. Very thin cuts. I like my steaks thicker. Best part of the ribeye was the salt they use on top!
Our impression was that they were always understaffed in the kitchen and/​or servers.
Overall, make a reservation for outside at sunset time and be prepared to wait. You’ll have fun with the right expectations.

Headed to Rancho Bernardo Inn for a staycation and made a reservation here. What a wonderful dining experience! We opted to sit inside since it was a little chilly and I’m happy we were tucked into the corner so we could chat over wine.
We both ordered steak and mine was juicy, deliciously seasoned, and I didn’t want to share; although, I did let my husband have a bite. The potatoes and brussel sprouts were excellent accompaniments, as was the complimentary bread, but it was the steak that really had me.
The next morning we did try out the breakfast buffet, which wasn’t as great in comparison with dinner. They have a make-​your-​own-​omelet station, but I opted for the sides: potatoes, sausage, bacon, fruit, and pastries. The sausage was really delicious (not sure what kind it was), but the rest was a bit underwhelming. However, there are several options to choose from.
It’s a little out of the way for us for a regular steak dinner, but I did enjoy the time I had here!

Fun and relaxing. I was at the resort with a group of co-​workers, so we went here a couple of times. Service was friendly — sometimes fast, sometimes slower, but it’s a relaxed place and we weren’t in a huge hurry. The big thing here was the atmosphere — just gorgeous. Would definitely go back.

Great food-​Great atmosphere-​Great service
We have eaten here many, many times. It is always the same-​everyone that works there are totally courteous and professional. The breakfast is our favorite-​the menu choices are great and the buffet is also good. When I get the buffet I always order items NOT in the buffet and they always accommodate-​without additional charges (turkey bacon, avocado, whip cream etc.) We always eat outside-​the atmosphere is amazing and the views are beautiful!!!

An amazing place in the neighbourhood. Tried the australian lamb and the salmon dishes and they were both good. The side salad in the salmon dish was a little too salty. Let the server know about it, and he said he would let the chef know about it. Thats the only reason to give it a ⁴⁄₅. Their wine selection and the wines are good. Tried the shiraz and a pinot noir both ended up being good choices with our main course.
Ended this experience with the bread pudding, which was truly an icing on the cake.
$$$ place but worth a visit on special occasions.

Six people, six returned meals, six re-​tries, six Thumbs Down. Period.
Mercifully, the manager took pity on us and comped the meal. Still… worst dining experience in a LONG time.

I don’t know why, but I expected more here. I was a fan of the taco Tuesday special (don’t you dare call it a happy hour or they’ll roll their eyes at you.) But they took that away during the winter. You know, when you might actually want to go with a friend from out of town or something. Seems like it will be a nice place to stop in on a summer day and people watch, but I don’t know I’d make a special trip here unless I knew someone golfing or having a spa day already.

The Veranda is a fantastic place to relax, kick back, and grab a drink or two with friends. Their menu offers up some delicious choices whether it be comfort food or healthy options. The staff is super friendly and personable. Amanda and Corrine have always taken care of me and my friends as if we’re family. Great service is hard to find and these two ladies are the best!
One of the reasons to make your way to the Veranda is to check out some of the areas top local musicians. There’s live music year round on every single night of the week. It’s typically a solo or duo acoustic act and the vibe is that of an MTV storyteller acoustic set. Very intimate and engaging for those by the fire pit, but also laid back for the guests eating dinner.
There’s free valet parking and the Veranda is pet friendly. Make your way out to the Rancho Bernardo Inn and the Veranda for a relaxing evening under the stars!

My friend took me to Rancho Bernardo Inn for a staycation. Then my family treated me to a similar staycation at RB Inn a few weeks later. I’m a lucky girl. We visited Veranda Fireside Lounge & Restaurant four times during both visits.
Complimentary bread is served upon request (per their website). I’m not sure if they bake this bread in house but it tasted fine nonetheless. The tomato based tapenade was a fun topping for the bread.
We ordered:
GRAPEFRUIT MOJITO
Hands down. BEST grapefruit alcohol drink EHHHVAHHHH. This drink was the bane of my existence when I stayed at Rancho Bernardo Inn on my first visit. I didn’t even know Captain Morgan made a grapefruit rum. I ordered mine without simple syrup but the drink still tasted marvelous with all the fresh mint leaves.
HOUSE MADE GUACAMOLE
This came out pretty quickly which we were grateful for I guess since we were in a hurry. Tox loved the guacamole as it had nice chunks of tomatoes and onions mixed in. The chips appeared to be deep fried in house.
CALIFORNIA COBB
The salad was quite abundant and freshly prepared
PRIME RIB FRENCH DIP
I blog about food but I cannot express enough how much I literally wanted to marry this hot sandwich. It might sound a bit dramatic but this was the best prime rib sandwich I’ve ever had. The bread was perfectly crusty yet fluffy on the inside. The gruyère cheese melted just beautifully underneath the toasted bread and on top of the warm shaved prime rib meat.
The MULE
Friend ordered this so I can’t remember if it was a mule (and I can’t seem to find the drink menu on their website). We both agreed a mule that’s not served in a copper cup isn’t really a mule.
THE CUBAN $ 14
The sandwich is a nice generous size. There’s a decent amount of pulled pork and sliced ham. Unfortunately, we didn’t enjoy this sandwich very much. The pulled pork tasted tender but somehow salty. The torta was charred as well so that left an unpleasant taste and feel in the mouth. Something just tasted off about this particular Cuban sandwich.
Service was wonderful though. David C. was attentive and personable. The staycation came with two complimentary drinks and he recommended a nice red wine that paired well with the prime rib french dip. I appreciated how he told us the drink tickets only covers up to $ 10/​drink so he ordered me the $ 9 glass of red.
This visit was on a weekend so the patio was considerably busier. We couldn’t get a prime spot with a view of the table but we were in a hurry that afternoon so it didn’t seem to matter. The hostesses that check you in seem a bit cold and disingenuous. That was the case on pretty much all four visits here (we also did their AYCE brunch the next day).
Regardless, Veranda Fireside Lounge & Restaurant is such a beautiful spot here in Rancho Bernardo. They have daily specials (I think a build your own burger Mondays or something) and live music as well. So yeah, a great date night place or girls night out kinda deal. I’d come back to try their dinner menu and have a glass of wine by their outdoor fireplace. Can you just imagine — the earlier darker evenings, the chillier temps at night, a glass of red wine, and watching the fire burn in the fireplace.
Mmmm, winter is coming isn’t it…

Lunch here today was really fantastic. The shade from the pergola at noon on this sunny San Diego day was optimal, while the view was stunning as ever. The service was friendly. I’ve dined here on a few other occasions, but the server today really made an impression on me with her sincere kindness and helpful suggestions.
Now onto the food and drinks. I had a guava mango refresher with a wedge of lime that really hit the spot. Then came the warm, crispy baguette with sun-​dried tomato tapenade that’s out of this world. Next was the main which was the Veranda seasonal sandwich, featuring a ginormous marinated ahi steak and yuzu slaw. It’s like an ahi steak from a sushi counter escaped and hid in my sandwich! While I was taken aback by its grand presentation (and Californian eclecticness), the flavors of everything in the sandwich worked. I ate half and was totally full and boxed up the other half.
If you are up for a light lunch, I would suggest splitting a main with a friend because their portions are very generous.
I’m really happy RB has claim to such a nice establishment. I am dying to check out their spa as well. It’s supposed to have ranked in the top 25 in the U.S., according to Conde Nast. I treated my friend to a spa treatment 10 years ago and she loved it.
The only minor thing I have to gripe about overall is the parking lot spaces. Such itty bitty spaces. I can imagine all the dings and scratches spawned in this lot. There is a sign that says something to the effect of ‘park at your own risk.’ That pretty much sums things up.
In conclusion, this is a special place to dine whether you’re here for a special occasion, golfing, catching up with friends, out with family, on vacation, or just passing by. Great scenery, atmosphere, service, beverages and food. Oh yeah, make sure to come here during the weekend evenings when they’ve got the fireplace lit and live music. It’s magical. Cheers!

First time here and we sat out in the patio. They had live music on a Wednesday night. Our server Amanda was extremely nice.
We first started off with their truffle pretzel bites with honey $ 9. It was pretty darn good. For our main entrée, we got the lamb rack $ 34 and it was so delicious. We also got their special Miso Sea bass $ 34 and this was a quite disappointment. It didn’t taste anything like miso and was quite bland.
We didn’t think the food took too long, but our waitress was so thoughtful and told us dessert was on the house because she felt our entrees took longer than expected.
We ordered their brownies with a vanilla ice cream and that was extremely good.
The next time we go back on a Wednesday night, we will have to try their all you can eat prime rib for $ 25.

ahhh the RB inn. One of the best kept secrets in the area, and a favorite place for locals like me. Veranda is a wonderful outdoor restaurant. Brightly colored umbrellas and vine covered trellises provide great shade on warm days. The evenings are great with a crackling outdoor fireplace and more lounge style seating for light apps and drinks.
I’ve had many different items off the menu at Veranda. My favorite menu is lunch. Breakfast menu is pretty standard with options like «la jolla healthy omelette», benedicts, etc. I do enjoy an omelette there occasionally, but nothing on the breakfast menu stands out. The lunch menu however; is a really great assortment of salads, proteins, appetizers and has a bit more flare.
I struggle with ordering anything different from my usual «california cobb». The cilantro vinaigrette is nothing short of magic… and the farm egg has a nearly neon fresh yolk that makes the whole entrée blend together seamlessly.
I also love the crab and artichoke dip appetizer, and switch out the accompanying crostini for fresh crudite to make it feel slightly healthier while I guzzle one of their cocktails.
Veranda is a great place for a business lunch, romantic patio drinks, or a day out with girlfriends. There is something special about the entire inn, and Veranda is very much a part of that vibe.

I was looking for an anniversary lunch spot with a decent view. This fit the bill. We didn’t make a reservation and we were seated just fine on a Wednesday afternoon. This place HAS A VIEW! We were seated with an amazing view of the golf course and the breeze made an abnormally hot day seem not that hot.
Complimentary bruschetta is on point with the warm bread served. I ate that like it was my meal. Whoops.
My husband got the house burger with fries– It was really good. The bread was fresh and the hamburger had good flavor. I was a fan and I usually don’t order burgers, or burgers well-​done for that matter.
I got the California Cobb. It was… weird. I substituted the blue cheese for feta cheese and got goat cheese instead. Which is fine in my book! I love any cheese but blue cheese. That wasn’t the weird part. The whole salad was warm and I didn’t actually see the egg on the salad. It seemed like the egg yolk was mushed into the whole thing. I didn’t even taste a dressing, just the egg yolk. Wasn’t impressed by this. Believe me, I eat some weird salad concoctions but this took the cake.
We were offered free sorbet for our anniversary, but declined. I think this place is worth checking out because the view is really nice. I’d just avoid the above mentioned salad and try something else.

We always enjoy coming here to have a relaxing day — either grab a bite after playing golf or start a day before we go to the spa.
The price is very friendly, very comparable to other lunch places, and you get to choose from a plate a salad to a main dish like salmon or so. On the side, you may grab a freshly cooked appetizers or a cup of fresh squeezed juice. We love the varieties they have!
In addition to their amazing food choices, they do have live music playing during some occasions.
So grab a handful of friends and come to spend a day at this truly adorable property right in the center of Rancho Bernardo community!

Super yummy food! I had lunch here with a friend the other day. I had the squash casserole (it’s gluten free and I’m gluten intolerant). It was so delicious — it almost tasted like regular pasta, but much more healthy! It also was covered with quinoa –yum!
For dessert, we shared the crème brûlée. It was def some of the best crème brûlée I’ve ever had.
Great and attentive service by Julian. We will be back!

I’ve been to the RB Inn so many times in my life, I’ve gone for spa days, weddings, bridal showers and I’ve had a very casual brunch at Veranda several years ago but last night was the first time I’ve actually dined there. What a gorgeous outdoor patio they have and even though it was extremely chilly last night, they have several heaters built into the area along with many standing heaters that they were easily able to be move around.
Julian was our server last night and he was very informative, pleasant, he made several food and beverage suggestions and overall provided great service. I will say he was also very patient to wait on 8 girls while we sat for over 3 hours through dinner, chatting, laughing and our Holiday gift exchange, thanks Julian!
First we shared champagne, red and white wine along with their house bread that was truly delicious, that tomato basil sauce was to die for and we ordered some chips and guacamole. I had the ahi tuna off of the starter menu for my actual dinner as I wasn’t too hungry. A few of the girls had the market salad and absolutely loved it. Other menu items that were ordered were the shrimp and grits, the fish and soup of the day and another gal had the bbq chicken pizza… we were all pleased with everything.
Lastly, it was time for dessert, I’m not a dessert person so I can’t speak on that but I know the 3 monkey breads, the tart, and sorbet went down very well and of course we had coffee to go along with all of this which was tasty.
Overall, a gorgeous location with a beautiful view, delicious food, good drinks and great service!