Black Rail Kitchen + Bar — Restaurant in Carlsbad

Have been waiting ALL summer for this to finally open and it did not disappoint! Came here with 2 girlfriends to celebrate my birthday and I couldn't have asked for a better night. We were seated pretty quickly and were quickly welcomed by our amazing server, Katiuscia! In fact, you would have thought we were celebrity as we had no shortage of waitstaff attending to our every need. We started with one of their signature cocktails - Puns & Rose's- one of those drinks almost too beautiful to drink but it was as good as it looked! Nathan helped us with our wine order, and when the one he suggested was not available, he offered us a considerably more expensive bottle at the same price as the one he recommended. He also checked on us multiple times to make sure the wine was to our satisfaction! Great variety of shareable meals but note they come out at different speeds. Our scampi came out so fast I had to ask if it was pre-made just waiting to be plated and served. Katiuscia assured us that each dish is prepared upon order, so it depends how busy the kitchen is at that time. It flowed like a multi-course meal which gave time to really relish and enjoy each one. We ordered the flank steak to share for our dinner - when asked how I would like it prepared, I said medium to medium rare as we like it pink but not bleeding out. When delivered it was well done. Luckily our waitress was right there and when she saw, she whisked it away and after a short wait delivered a perfectly medium flank steak! Everything was so on point that the only flat note was the complimentary brownie sundae. With the incredible flavors, the well appointed and trendy decor and plating perfection, I was expecting a lot more from their desserts. I can not WAIT till the patio opens - I know it will be the place to go when in Carlsbad. Pros: Trendy and beautiful decor Unique and delish food Incredible...

We had heard about the Black Rail and checked it out tonight. Excellent Service as we arrived and quick initial table Service when we 1st sat down. The Specialty Cocktails, The Sledgehammer, vodka, Titos, watermelon, simple syrup, fresh lemon and champagne was refreshing as was the Gin and various ingridients,the Carlsbad Sunset. The" Shares" , the hors d'oeuvre, had many tempting offerings. We chose the Short Rib Empanadas which were scrumptsious...the dough was perfect and the flavor enticing. The "Full Plate", the Entrees, were resonably priced ( more on that later) and provided enough variety. I had the Land & Sea, Filet Mignon and herb garlic shrimp with brown mashed potatoes and asparagus hit a Grand Slam with me. Filet done perfectly as ordered, medium rare, melted in the mouth and the seasoning on the shrimp was very tasty. The mashed potatoes offered no frills and therefore provided just plain very tasty and perfect texture mashed potatoes. The Asparagus was perfectly cooked crisp - tender. Best of all was the quiet, perfect dance of service by our Server Nicole. From start to finish, informative, engaging, appropriately humorous, quick to bring our selections and very forthright. When the check arrived I saw something I hadn't seen before, 5% " Surcharge"... I wasn't sure if this was a really low % tip or what...She explained it in a manner that let us know how much see disliked it's lack of transparency and rhe fact it was to be discontinued by the owners within a month or 2. When I got home I Googled it up and learned yhat Restauranteers have been charging thus for a few years since the Pandemic but that California had now outlawed it stsrting on July 1st. Yes, I felt stipid...however that didn't deter from the really nice experience we had tonight at the Black Rail. We will go back and we will request Nicole for...

Really nice decor and a live band playing jazzy music was a highlight!

Place is clearly understaffed as our waitress was serving about 10+ tables simultaneously. There were some delays getting our initial drink order and food order in and then delays getting the check.

Our table for two outside was DIRECTLY next to another table for two separated only by a thin wooden pillar. It was an awkwardly intimate dinner with the other couple who we did not know. Our table was also very wobbly due to being placed on stone pavers of varying height. Both demonstrate a lack of attention to detail.

Our food was bland. Sooooo bland. And no salt on the table. Potato fries were in desperate need of salt. As was the mashed potatoes on one of the dishes. Everything should be dialed up in the flavor department. I note that some reviews also state the food was TOO salty. My guess is this indicates turnover in the kitchen. So good quality will likely be inconsistent at best. When entrees are $35+ a piece this is really unacceptable.

The mixed gin drink my partner has was also sorely lacking in flavor. It didn’t taste bad. It just didn’t have any flavor other than slight sweetness. It was supposed to be grapefruit flavored.

As mentioned above, the music was nice. The relative proximity of tables to each other and the number of small children running about was not as nice.

Definitely willing to come back but this was an unfortunate swing and a miss on what had the potential to be a very...