Bricks Family Restaurant — Restaurant in Carlsbad

We were staying at a hotel down the road but chose to eat dinner here after spending the day at Legoland. I thought it would be a fun themed dinner to send us off. But instead it was super disappointing.

We paid about $115 for four of us. We walked in and it was so crowded. Tables are right next to each other, it’s loud, literally felt like a cafeteria. The kids food was pretty on par, all of the things my kids typically eat.. pizza, tater tots, Mac n cheese, etc. both my kids placed pizza onto their plate and then it slipped right off onto the floor (twice!). Then we saw another kid do the same thing. So maybe pizza with a denser crust instead of the paper thin cardboard would be better.

For the regular buffet, there was quite a selection of different types of foods. Some of it I was actually really excited for and it was just meh and not super flavorful. Then some things were just flat out gross. Dessert didn’t make up for much. The only thing I really enjoyed was the Caesar salad.

It’s a self serve buffet so staff service is pretty minimal. But at one point they ran out of forks. I asked someone for more, she yells into the back room “FORKS!” Then someone else comes out with forks. And EVER SO SLOWLY begins placing the forks into the cups by pairs of 2. So there is now a line building up behind her as she is restocking the forks 2 by 2. Eventually I had to be rude and squeeze in front of her before my food got cold.

One of the machines was out of ice. The plates are cheap plastic. Tables are small, we were constantly on the verge of accidentally knocking something off the table. It was just a let down for over $100 and there are so many other places we missed out on that would have...

Truly exceptional! MUCH better than I had expected. The ‘goumet’ buffet was absolutely delicious. Again, I was not expecting anything at nearly this level of quality, selection, freshness and cleanliness.

Beware of a couple things: (1) It’s a little pricey at $12.95 for kids and $27.50 for adults but it was so good I’m not complaining. NO senior discount nor any options for someone with a light appetite (except to eat at the Skyline Cafe across the hall).

(2) DON’T ALLOW Google maps to direct you through an obstacle course around the North end and through the main parking lot gate. Simply go North on The Crossings Drive (from Palomar Airport Road) which is very direct. The restaurant is in the LEGO Land HOTEL.

(3) Prepare to walk a bit. There is NO close up parking unless you’re physically impaired OR willing to pay $20 for valet parking.

(4) DON’T tip ‘in advance’ when you pay. There’s almost no service. Thankfully, not much is needed anyway. But I did search for napkins almost 10 minutes before learning that they’re (apparently) ‘rationed’ and I had to ask a server to go get me some in the back. Seriously? Management, get a clue. Put napkins by the straws where they BELONG.

(5) If you’re looking for a quiet dinner skip it. This place is LOUD... full of families and kids. I’m a senior man who was dining alone and I thought it was GREAT!

Overall a wonderful meal and a fantastic...

Although it is disheartening to speak ill of food prepared through someone's hard work, I am writing this candid review in the hope that the company, rather than the diligent staff, will address the need for significant improvements to the food's quality.

The employees who assisted us were all remarkably hardworking and friendly, and I was thoroughly satisfied with their service. The primary issue, however, was the quality of the meal itself.

While I did not grow up in the United States and have never eaten in an American middle or high school cafeteria, I have often seen pictures online depicting its notoriously poor standards. The dishes at this restaurant seemed to be a faithful recreation of those images.

The quality was of a standard one rarely encounters. To make a comparison, the closest item might be a McDonald's McMuffin, yet the food here prompted me to wonder if a McMuffin would be superior.

We ate the breakfast simply because it was included with our hotel stay; our decision not to have dinner here was, in retrospect, a wise one. While it is possible the dinner quality is vastly different, I remain skeptical.

Ultimately, aside from the sheer convenience of being able to dine in the hotel before heading directly to Legoland, the quality of the food was an experience I never...