Red Tracton’s

The worst dining experience I’ve had in San Diego, terrible in every aspect from the food to the service to the ambiance. There are many excellent restaurants in the Solana beach area, do not waste your time or money on their overpriced food.

Business has been owned by a family for about 30 years.
The manager who is about 30 years old has been telling elderly people they are not welcome in the restaurant. Pricey, low class, and thinks discriminating against the elderly is normal behavior.

This place was a huge disappointment.
We went here for our anniversary last weekend. We made a reservation for 7:30pm. When we arrived the host at the front took us to a table in the lounge. The lounge was extremely dark and loud, my fiancé and I couldn’t even here each other talk. I’ve never made a reservation at a restaurant (especially one as supposedly «nice» as this one) and been told that my table is going to be in the lounge… it was the weirdest thing.
The bread plate given to us was dirty, when my fiancé ran his finger across the plate, his finger was covered in black dust. At this point we kind of just wanted to leave but we thought we would give them a chance and order an appetizer. We ordered the crab cakes and a salad and the server brought us the correct salad but brought us Ahi instead of crab cakes. It was too loud in the lounge to tell her that we ordered the crab cakes, not Ahi, so we just ate it. It wasn’t good, the ahi was sliced incorrectly so it was very stringy. The salad was so overdressed that it was soggy. After that we asked for the check and when the server brought it back, we noticed that my fiancé’s credit card was missing. We looked under the table and all around but couldn’t find it. I finally found it by the POS station where she ran the card…
Needless to say we will NEVER be going back to this place again. Sadly, we had to spend $ 70 at this crappy place.

The best thing about this bar was the music. Although I didn’t eat any of the food, I did have a few drinks with my lady friend. The biggest complaint was that the bartender was a complete jerk. He was too busy eating his dinner to do his actual job. When requesting a drink, he acted like it was a huge inconvenience for him. Absolutely ridiculous for this area and hopefully they have other bartenders.

The Tractor is awesome. The best prime rib in San Diego year after year. The place is old del mar, don’t think it’s a glamorous well lit venue. When it’s busy, don’t expect people to run to you, don’t expect service like Mortons or Mr. A’s.
The piano bar is legit, the bar is old, the bartenders poor the stiffest drinks. The managers are busy, you aren’t the only human they desk with.
Red Tracton — A+
If you don’t like this place, please go back to your home and complain to your dog, but please don’t come back.

They have the best goddess salad dressing! Everything is good here. The atmosphere is great but a little out dated with the décor! The last time I was here they reduced there desserts quite a bit. The prim rib and shrimp pasta are very good

I came here with my girlfriend since it’s close to the dog beach and we wanted to go somewhere before heading home. Like many I got the Groupon. You can use the Groupon with the happy hour menu which is really great.
I started with the wings. Very good. Then I got the burger. Also outstanding. There’s a guy singing oldies on a karaōke machine. Just a great old timer vibe with lots of younger customers. The place opened in 1948 and much of the décor has probably never changed. I just thought it was all very cool.
This review is 4 stars and not 5 stars because of the beer selection. The only thing on draft was Stella, which was fine. If they had a few IPAs or even a pale ale on draft this would be a 5 star review. I also parked in the front and was still required to use the valet which was odd. My car is already parked why do I need to use a valet.

I have been to this restaurant after going to the RACETRACK but for cocktails only not for dinner. I bought a groupon for this restaurant that cost me $ 20 but was good for $ 50 so I went. Fantastic service (as soon as you sit down, the guy comes with bread and butter), the wait staff appears to take your drink order, etc.
The food was excellent. The baked potato was the size of my head plus you get cheese sause, scallions, butter, bacon, sour cream to add to all that. I will definately be back.
The secret here is they don’t list ANY type of happy hour on their website but it is there at the bar and on Mondays and Thursdays there is HH all night long.

This place rocks. Something for everyone. Get a table in the bar if you can and enjoy the show and the outstanding cocktails and steaks. Baked potato loaded essential. Filet or Spinach Salad with Filet added. Have been coming here 12 years and never disappoints.

I’m surprised that i found a place worse than those budget Chinese buffets.
But here at Red Traction, you pay a premium for the rubbery old meat.
And just like those budget buffets, the «meat» is bathed in some kind of sauce to hide the year old freezer taste. And unlike any restaurant i’ve ever been to, I actually left feeling more hungry than before I came.
I had the Jidori Chicken with brown rice and the Pork back ribs (A Red Traction Favorite).
While you wait for your food in front of a battery operated candle, you’re given some pretty good courtesy bread and butter. While that’s going on, you can either listen to the live music or the loud voices of the people around you. Man, this place is one of the loudest places i’ve been to since the cafeteria in elementary.
–JIDORI CHICKEN– [Comes with brown rice and veggies of the day]
LITERALLY EVERYTHING WAS DROWNING IN BUTTER.
Even the Uncle Ben’s pilaf rice was buttery. Yeah that’s right. They didn’t give me brown rice.
Maybe they read my order as «Chew toy with boxed rice and butter of the day».
But was it good? Not at all. My chicken barely tasted like chicken. My veggies didn’t taste like veggies. Even my ‘butter of the day’ didn’t taste like butter.
I liked the random coleslaw i got.
–EASTERN PORK BACK RIBS–
Sh*t, i thought my first entrée was bad. This one BLEW MY MINDDDDD.
IT TASTED JUST LIKE BUDGET RIBS FROM THOSE ASIAN BUFFETS.
The lack of meat wasn’t the problem. The taste was. It’s like the management was afraid to use heavy duty freezer bags and instead used wal-​mart bags to save on cost.
Adding more (Jet) fuel to the fire, these ribs were slathered in some of crazy-​uncle Jeff’s 100^th place BBQ sauce. A little tangy, but made with enough love to make his recipe 99-​cent store qualified.
On the positive side, it came with a double baked potato. I’ve never had anything like it.
It was tasty, but got boring quick.
At the end of my day i went to Popeyes to fill the void in my stomach.
Even McDonald’s could have done that.
You see that Red Traction? You’re worse than McDonald’s.
Good job.
Service: *
Atmosphere: **
Food:
Speed:*

Yummy steaks and soups — Lobster Bisque is very very good. Very nice traditional steak house. Big booths, dark lighting, really was expecting Dino or Frank to walk in any moment. Track season is fun here, as the horsey crowd are all regulars. They come for the good food and service.

If you’re in the Del Mar/​Solana Beach area, this is a good place to get a steak. It’s located across the street from the Del Mar horse track.
Dark inside with red leather booths, the menu is very traditional with a few nightly specials. One steak was perfect, the other was a little over cooked. Nice selection of sides. I recommend trying the blackened shrimp and baked potato.
The restaurant can get very busy at night and during racing season… make a reservation. Mandatory valet parking which seems unnecessary.

I had an amazing dinner– I had the Red Tractions salad shrimp scampi, and golden fried shrimp yummy and the carrot cake for desert. The food is really first rate and I just loved it. Unbelievable customer service and I love the feel of the place.
Thank you again for a wonderful night.

Good food, good salad. And outstanding shrimp. I Will have to come back for the huge lobster tail. Well maybe after i pay off my house it was a $ 190 for a tail. Now that is a expensive piece of tail.

Was a crazy happening spot on New Year’s Eve this year. The music was going up and the food was excellent. We got a bottle of wine and two meals and were out he door in under $ 200. Great service and oldy worldy racing inspired interior.

Always great! A great bar and super good food with giant portions!

Old traction as I fondly call it. It’s a lively bar with the piano man playing anything from Neil Diamond to Bruno Mars. Easy walk, maybe too easy, from my house for a night cap.
Place is packed on Friday nights and becomes challenging to get a seat. A lot of locals from the Ranch and coast frequent here on the weekends.
Old school feel from the Del Mar race track opening days.

Always one of my favs in San Diego. Best date place, best happy hour and super friendly staff. Customer service A+. Always a stop when visiting Beautiful Del Mar. You might even find a famous person sitting right beside you, especially during racing season. Be sure to utilize the shuttle bus to the track too. Everything on the menu excellent. Piano bar and dancing on weekends. This is old school dining and fun! They don’t do it like this anymore.

Off the hook.
If you had only one place to get a steak in your life, this is it.
Unbelievable portions and everything prepared to pwrfectuon.
The best spot to see and br seen.
Right across from the entrance to the track with the best opening day in the world.

Terrible experience!!! I will never go here AGAIN!!! Management is low class. Manager told me he was offended because I questioned him regarding what was in my wife’s drink. His response was 8 oz. of tequila in the margarita. Then the guy next to me tried to brawl with me, a total loser who was a regular with no class. Then the regular and the manager tried to start a fight with me. Bouncer kept both of them off me so I could get my wife out of there who had got messed up from that margarita. Manager was a complete loser. Manager had the balls to tell me to never come back. I WONT!
Ladies, watch out for this place. How the hell do you justify giving a woman 8 oz of alcohol in a mixed drink!!! What are your motives!!!

Dropped in to meet some friends before heading to The Belly Up Tavern for a show. Place was comfortably crowded. Lots of fun loving people having a great time. I was in a good mood too and the piano man was playing some good stuff.
We, about 6 of us all ordered appetizers and passed them around. The Rib eye pieces are fantastic. the baked potato was wonderful. The, the… of no, what else did I eat??? I had a few drinks. Not over the top, just a few but it was more about the friends and fun that the food that night but everything I had was great. Was a great time to be here, there or anywhere. But, I’m so happy that we were there.

I know this review won’t be popular but I just don’t understand the big draw here. The people that work there couldn’t possibly be less friendly, especially the horrible hostess. She acted like we were bothering her that we wanted to be seated. They don’t seem to want to give you menus either. Just weird. The waitresses are all more concerned with chatting with one another then taking your order.
The food is just okay and really overpriced for what you get. The lobster bisque is good but it came out lukewarm. The house salad was not great. It tasted old and like the ingredients had been sitting out all day. Some of the portions are big, but you are paying for it. The baked potato is massive, but it’s nothing more then I could make at home. The interior is dark and just outdated. I think there are better and friendlier places to spend your money.

This is a good place to get a steak if you are in the Solana Beach/​Del Mar area. It is old and located across the street from the Del Mar horse track.
Dark inside with red leather booths, the menu is very traditional with a few nightly specials. One steak was perfect, the other was a little over cooked. Nice selection of sides. I recommend trying the blackened shrimp and baked potato.
The restaurant can get very busy at night and during racing season… make a reservation. Mandatory valet parking which seems unnecessary.

DO NOT BRING YOUR FAMILY HERE!
While celebrating my father-​in-​laws 81^st birthday, his 3 month old granddaughter started crying. Lurch came by the table to tell is to «keep it down». Unbelievable. Let me remind you people: you were all babies at one time.
Red Tracton’s Steakhouse is a SANCTUARY FOR BABY HATERS; POS.
PS: I was prepared to write a glowing review, given the arm-​length size of their crab legs alone. Truly unfortunate.

Didn’t eat because management mismanaged our reservation so badly that it would have made us late for our concert. Had a reservation for 630 and arrived and was told it would be a 20 – 30 minute wait with a reservation. When I asked what happened to our reservation, the host said «it’s the races. What do you want us to do?» I don’t know, maybe honor a reservation?
When I asked to speak to a manager, the host response was «I’m it.» Completely obnoxious, arrogant and antagonistic. Would never give them a dollar. Happy we didn’t eat there. Disturbing.

We were tipped off about Red T’s by our buddy. Arrived and were immediately impressed with the hard core old school vibe about the place. Actually refreshing to be in an old time Steak House compared to all the trendy places these days. I had the Prime Rib and it was delicious. The service was great and I would recommend this joint if your feeling like you are missing the old days steak house.

Red Tracton’s is a true taste of old school life. It proudly evokes the days of Bing Crosby and Bob Hope of dry martinis, red leather booths, piano pars and, of course, big cuts of meat.
In my opinion the piano lounge is the only place to sit, it’s low lighting, full length bar, leather booths and live music (in the evenings starting around 6:00 — 6:30 pm) just make me feel like I have stepped into a different era (the age of the average patron definitely contributes to that feeling) all of it in a very good way. It’s alive with energy and oozes ambiance (but despite that you will see plenty of gentlemen in post golf attire so don’t worry about dressing to the nines). But it gets loud in there so be aware of that before choosing that seating area. You can also choose the quiet front room that has lots of windows to let in the natural summer evening light, or the back room which is very nice and borders the piano bar and lets you get a feel for it without as much noise.
The menu is really all about the meat. Prime rib is their specialty but their other steaks are also quite good (they even have liver and onions, with mushrooms and bacon for a true old school meal… yummy!) and of course you can get surf’n’turf combos with lobster or crab legs. I pretty much stick with this part of the menu but they also offer some chicken and pasta entrees that appear to be quite good as well. The one other menu item that I think really stands out is their lobster bisque with a sherry boat on the side. It is incredibly decadent and delicious.
So if you are looking to step away from the nouveau molecular gastronomy, gastro-​pub, paleo, comfort food world of restaurants that surround us and want a nice old school American dining experience then head out to Red Tracton’s belly up to the bar and order yourself a nice martini… shaken, not stirred.

Party of two on a Thursday night at 9:30pm.
The dinning room was empty but the bar was going off. Great ol school steak house vibe. Sat in the bar, two guys in suits quickly set the table and went out of their way to make us feel comfortable. Orderd one Prime with green beans. Good cut of meat, cooked perfectly medium rare; solid dish.
Filet mignon with béarnaise and a warm spinach salad was also ordered. The steak was nice but the béarnaise tasted liked honey mustard with peppercorns… not good. The spinach salad was so over dressed that it was inedible. The drinks were strong which I preferred. Overall It was okay but the atmosphere was so great that I’d return.

I was given a couple gift cards for this restaurant, so we decided to celebrate our 35^th monthaversary here. They are located across from the racetrack and they only have valet parking, but there is also some street parking available. We had reservations at 6:30pm and chose to sit at a booth in the back and ordered a couple glasses of Riesling. When I came back from the bathroom, there was fresh sourdough bread and butter waiting for me! They gave us the menu for food and it was funny because the menu was laminated and huge! It doesn’t match the atmosphere of this place, which is dark and cozy LOL. For our appetizer, we shared the lobster bisque. I usually don’t like this kind of soup, but this one was particularly good– it had big chunks of lobster! I couldn’t wait for my steak! I ordered the medium sized filet mignon (12 oz) and it came with bernaise sauce, which I substituted for peppercorn sauce. Each entrée comes with a side, so I chose the sweet potato fries and added the jumbo blackened shrimp. My bf got the new york sirloin, which was 18 ounces! For his side, he ordered the loaded baked potato and added the jumbo shrimps as well. Our server made the baked potato right in front of us, which was a nice surprise. Everything was okay. I asked for my steak to be cooked medium well, but it was a little bloody for my taste, so I asked them to refire it. I didn’t feel like they used premium meats, because my filet was not very tender and was also lacking in flavor. The staff was friendly and very accommodating– our server even brought us bernaise sauce to try. There is a piano bar here with music beginning at 6:30 on weeknights, but no one was playing that night… This place seems popular among older folks!

Had a filet here that was amazingly tender, but lacked some flavor in my opinion. However, I have to think that this is the most tender steak I’ve had in a while. The temperature was perfect medium all the way through. It was just short of being a 5* steak for me probably because it was on the healthier side of things. Some garlic and butter might have helped — needed more flavor. I was a fan of the steamed vegetables that looked extremely fresh and had good seasoning.
Service was good for me. Our waitress never missed a beat.

We came here to celebrate a special occasion. After all these years of trying the majority of restaurants in Del Mar, this is our first time dining at the old time restaurant. Valet only, unless you can find parking on the street. We came during a weeknight, and we were promptly led to a nice secluded table in the back.
The restaurant has indoor patio seating out front, a bar towards the middle, then a couple of sections for the main dining room.
Our service was good and very helpful. It was our first time dining here so we asked for recommendations. NOTE: If you order a glass of wine, you get a very GOOD pour!
We were given complimentary warm sourdough bread and soft butter. MMMM…
We ordered the infamous lobster bisque, which was very delicious. You can actually see the large chunks of lobster. The restaurant was able to split up the bowl and provided us sherry on the side. I think if I would have ordered the bowl of soup, that would have totally sufficed for my dinner.
It was recommended to order the prime rib and the seafood pasta, so we did! The prime rib had a great flavor and the portion was very generous. The seafood pasta was heavy, but I enjoyed the various types of seafood the pasta had (scallops, shrimp and lobster). I had to add extra lemon since the pasta needed more acidity.
Although we didn’t have room for dessert, we decided to order one to share. There is no dessert menu, so our server just told us what they had. We opted for the chocolate cupcake (warmed) a la mode surrounded by fudge. If only it was a molten lava cake and I would have been super happy.
We enjoyed our dinner and was pleasantly surprised with the quality and taste of the food. The ambiance is dark and old school, so if you’re into that kinda thing, give this place a try.

No stronger drink around :)
Love tracs. Jimmy is still behind the bar, the usual suspects are still found on the barstools. Oh brand new bar chairs! A nice voice coming from behind the piano. The best food. The shrimp last night was amazing. Perfectly seasoned and cooked. I think there was probably 10 pretty good sized shrimp. The green goddess salad is an all time fav for most. I prefer tje spinach salad topped with perfectly cooked salmon. Their baked potatoes are giant filled with sour cream, bacon bits, butter and cheese and are fantastic. The crab legs are enormous as is the prime rib. Go for dinner at least once! You won’t be sorry.