Bushfire Kitchen - La Costa — Restaurant in Carlsbad

Do not go there when they're busy. The worst thing you can do to someone with very limited options is let them order something (like a hamburger with a gluten free bun) that is very hard to find, let the person wait 20 minutes for it then shrug and say, "Oops, we're out of gluten free buns, is a lettuce wrap ok?" No. A lettuce wrap is not ok. I spent $20 on a burger and fries because Bushfire is one of the select few places that offer gluten free buns. I wouldn't have wasted my money or my time after a long work day to wait for a bland burger and lettuce. I ended up waiting over 30 minutes for a takeout order that is not what I wanted in the slightest. If I hadn't spent so much and waited so long I would have just left. One very kind and polite waiter offered me a free gluten free brownie and got my money back for the bun I paid extra for, but no one else seemed to care. I asked for extra aioli for my fries and I got some weird mayo that was good but not what I asked for. Such a waste and the food and service is usually really good...but I've only gone in before when it's dead. Totally put me in a terrible mood, so disappointed. Will only be going at slow, mid-day times from now on, and it will...

Located in the La Costa town square, there is plenty of parking for this restaurant. We came here around 1 pm on a Saturday afternoon and it was empty. They have a decent menu filled with bowls, plates, sandwiches, burgers, etc.

We got the Thai chicken curry bowl, the steak plate, empanadas (chicken, beef, veggie), and a kombucha, followed by a couple of glasses of wine. My friend had to ask them to cook the steak again as it wasn't as medium as she wanted but otherwise enjoyed her plate. The Thai chicken curry bowl was excellent! This would be my recommendation for this restaurant. I would also definitely recommend adding the roasted Korean cauliflower for an extra crunch and flavor profile. The empanadas were all delicious and we couldn't pick a winner! The kombucha and wine were good too.

We stayed here for about 3 hours and it didn't get busier so we had a lot of privacy for ourselves. The server was pleasant and not too pushy in getting us to leave, which we liked :) we shall be...

Food: good flavor, but served cold and dry (I had the chimichurri tri-tip with garlic mashed potatoes and brussel sprouts. It would have been much better if it had been served warm, and with butter or gravy, or au jus... anything. Service: A waitress checked on us once while we were eating, and I did ask for butter, but she said it was frozen solid. And acted shocked that we asked for anything. The waitress that checked on us when we were done eating and she was great, but too late.... Atmosphere: It was cold inside and ceiling fans were high enough to blow napkins off the table. I was going to sit outside, but the metal chairs were really cold and really uncomfortable. (my car said it was 64 Fahrenheit). We sat inside, and there are heavy beams hanging across the ceiling that feel ominous, like they could drop on you and crush you. Also, a lot of those uncomfortable metal chairs, but I was lucky enough to find...