Deckman's — Restaurant in Baja California

We were excited to celebrate my husband’s 40th at this Michelin Star restaurant in Valle, especially with a party of 12 where each couple was spending upwards of $150 for their meals. Unfortunately, the evening fell dramatically short of expectations. We arrived around 6:00 PM and were seated by 6:15. Water and bread were brought out, but the bread was incredibly stale and set a poor tone for a premium dining experience. We had brought a bottle and opened it for sharing around 6:50 PM, yet we were not offered other beverages upon our arrival as one would typically expect.

The first course of oysters and ceviche arrived around 7:10 PM, and then nearly an hour passed with no sign of the next course. By 8:30 PM (about 2.5 hours in), we had only two courses and our own wine bottle, with no water refills or additional drinks offered despite the long wait. When a member of our party raised concerns, the waiter’s response was indifferent and unhelpful, with no proactive effort to fix the situation or reassure us. The main chef appeared to not present that night, which may explain some inconsistency, but staff still needed to communicate delays and manage expectations.

The third and fourth courses, plus an extra side of quails we ordered upon arrival, finally arrived after the 2.5-hour mark. The quail was fine, but the roasted seabass was overly salty and the accompanying vegetables were hard, not fork tender—basically inedible as a side. The mussels in the fourth course were great, but they did not redeem the sequence. The overall pacing, service attitude, and dish execution did not reflect the standards one expects from a Michelin Star restaurant, especially for a special occasion.

As we were leaving, staff appeared to mock our dinner party and our complaints, which was deeply disrespectful and embarrassing for a group of guests. This conduct, combined with the delays and inconsistent kitchen management, left us feeling not just disappointed but disrespected.

Notes: This restaurant recently opened a second location near our Northpark neighborhood in San Diego. It’s a shame they chose to expand before fixing the service issues at the original establishment, to ensure things are truly impeccable before inviting more guests to the believe in the brand. I hope the restaurant takes this feedback seriously and uses it to refine timing, communication, and consistency so future guests can actually enjoy the promise of...

Michelin star? More like a michelin used tire. This restaurant is a joke and an embarrassment to the michelin guide. Any neighborhood dinner has better service than this dump.

Do not be fooled by all the positive reviews. The negative reviews paint a more honest picture.

I eagerly invited my girlfriend to dinner here for her birthday. We placed our orders and waited for appetizers to arrive. The salad was delicious, abalone was ok and the bone marrow was very rich.

We did not have the same waiter twice throughout our evening, which was very disconcerting. After appetizers, a third waiter asked if we wanted deserts, we replied that we're still waiting on the main courses.

Two hours later the main course never arrived. Despite constant over promising of "few more minutes. " Eventually our patience was exhausted and we requested the check, of course they initially expected to be paid for the food that they didn't deliver. Once the payment was cleared, the restaurant insisted that they treat us to a birthday treat.

The birthday treat was the biggest insult of the night: they brought a Dove ice cream bar that are sold in packages at Costco.

Both Chef Deckman and the michelin guide should be embarrassed by this restaurant.

“Some of the courses were excellent – about 2 courses really stood out and the rest were just average unfortunately.

“Further, the atmosphere from the waiters was not warm and welcoming. Don’t get me wrong – they were polite and professional but just not welcoming like we had at other places. In fact on reflection they seemed a bit busy and rushed and I think they needed to employ more waiters to cope with the number of people.

“Overall, sadly, it just wasn’t that impressive and we went away thinking we had spent far too much money for the experience. I can’t recommend this restaurant to others at the prices they charge. A 3 star rating is meant to mean that it is worth going out of your way to go there – unfortunately this is not the case with this...

My friends and I recently embarked on a wine tasting adventure in Guadalupe Valley, Mexico. Naturally, after a day of sipping on delicious wines, we were in search of a restaurant to satisfy our hunger. We stumbled upon Deckmans, a hidden gem in the area. Initially, we were disheartened to hear that they were fully booked for a private event. However, the receptionist came to our rescue and found a last-minute cancellation, allowing us to dine at this exquisite restaurant.

The view from the restaurant was simply breathtaking, with a picturesque valley of grapevines stretching out before us. The pre-dinner courses were exceptional, with every dish prepared to perfection. I even had the opportunity to speak with the talented Mr. Drew Deckman himself as he prepared oysters for a group of 50 guests. Despite being so busy, he took the time to engage in friendly conversation with us and other guests.

The main courses were the highlight of the evening, especially the mole prepared in four unique ways. The two Oaxacan chefs who were working alongside Mr. Deckman produced equally amazing dishes. They also introduced us to some exclusive mezcals that can only be found in Oaxaca. The flavors were out of this world, and the whole experience was simply unforgettable.

I am eagerly looking forward to revisiting Deckmans this April, accompanied by a group of fellow food enthusiasts. I cannot wait to indulge in the exceptional flavors once again and say hello to the chef and his team. Overall, it was one of the best dining experiences I have ever had, and I would highly recommend it to anyone visiting the area. Cheers to the chef and crew who made our night...