Chart House — Restaurant in Encinitas

I visited Chart House, Cardiff on a Tuesday (National Prime Rib Day!). I had never been to this location and used to frequent the Chart House in Oceanside Harbor when I was a little girl with my parents after Sunday mass.... So I was very excited to visit this location ! Of course, the location is so easy to find! Located right on the beach off the 101, you can easily pull into the parking lot and find a spot right next to the restaurant. I believe they used to only have valet, but maybe due to covid, you park your own car now. Entering the restaurant, you are automatically blown away by the view! There really isn't a bad seat in the house. The whole west side of the restaurant is a window, so no matter where you sit, you will see the beautiful ocean and waves crashing! We had reservations, and checked in 20 min. early hoping to get a window table... So we grabbed a glass of wine and a Manhattan(with makers mark) from the bar. Both drinks were wonderful! The hostess let us know it may be a while before a window table becomes available but she had a table one row behind them that still has a beautiful view, and I definitely believed her... Because it was true! We had A perfect view ❤️ Our server for the night was Jose C. And he was wonderful! Very attentive, knowledgeable of the menu, sense of humor, and just plain on point! The whole evening. We went with the 'Chart your Course' option! You get to pick an appetizer, main entree, and receive a mini lava cake (which they're known for). My boyfriend ordered the Caesar Salad for his appetizer and Salmon/Shrimp dish for his entree. Caesar salad had a vinaigrette type Caesar dressing which was nice and light, fresh shavings of Parmiggiano reggiano (spelled that wrong... Don't tell my bf he's Italian lol) . The salmon and shrimp was a perfect light and tasty dish! He was very happy with it. I had the lobster bisque as my appetizer and I was floored! It was SO delicious... And its almost a crime not to order this when you visit. For my main entree, I ordered the 10 Oz prime rib medium rare... It was amazing! Huge piece of meat cooked to perfection. Side of aux jus type sauce and a horseradish sauce. It came paired with garlic mashed potatoes. Everything was perfect... I was so happy! And I took home half my food (doesn't happen often). The last part of the night they brought out the mini lava cakes... Now, you know when you get a meal deal at a restaurant and they bring out the dessert... And you start questioning life and all it has to offer bc the dessert looks like they opened a tasty cakes and poured raspberry sauce on it? Well. This is not the case with Chart House. This lava cake was fresh, hot, moist, chocolatey (but not too overpowering) with a huge dollop of ice cream on top. It was DEVINE. I wish I took a picture of it... But I was so excited... It completely slipped my mind! The server and the food delivery staff were so wonderful. They cleared every dish so quickly and I never saw who refilled my water... But I never had an empty glass! Thanks to whoever was running the water last night. I am so in love with Chart House. I hope this review helps you make the decision to visit. Remember, I went on a Tuesday.... I can completely see this place packed on a weekend. So, do your due diligence and make a reservation! It makes a huge difference. If you don't make a reservation, give them a call and get an idea on how busy it is. Just because it's the weekend doesn't mean it's too busy! Always worth a try. If you go...have fun and enjoy the wonderful food and...

Best part of the experience was the valet.

I booked a reservation for Thanksgiving 2022. There was a special menu with classics and a few of their well known entree items. Here is how it went:

Arrived about an hour before reservation in order to see the sunset and have a drink at the bar beforehand. Nice space to have drinks, chairs are interesting. If you manage to get the attention of a server the non-alcoholic drinks were fabulous. Once our reservation time came I went up to the hostess stand to officially check in (I checked in when we arrived and hour ago, but a lot happens in an hour). The hostesses were frazzled (again, it was a holiday so there was a lot going on), and started looking around the room for a table to sit us at. Because of this we were able to have a table by the big windows overlooking the ocean. We were seated and the server immediately poured us a glass of water and asked if we had any questions. Since the menu was straightforward none came to mind at the time. It was interesting to see that an upscale place would have watermarks on the silverware. When the server returned we placed our order. No mention of asking for other drinks, or bread for the table even though there was bread at the other tables surrounding us. Appetizers came out quickly, we recommend the walnut crusted baked brie for it was heavenly. Skip the crab cake ( it will say crab cakes but it is only one for $21+). Then came the salads and soups. The casear salad greens were fresh, the croutons crunchy, and parmesan slices thin and salty. The dressing was garlic and pepper forward, the balance was lacking. The lobster bisque was creamy, if not almost unrecognizable from a store bought brand, skip both if other options are available. If ordering a soup, ask for a soup spoon, for I ate mine with a regular table teaspoon. The main courses had ups and downs. First, it took about 15 minutes to get the dishes. Server was nowhere to be found about the delay and we were looking around the restaurant hoping someone would clue us in as to what was happening. Starting with the turkey dinner (it was thanksgiving after all) the turkey was moist, the cornbread stuffing tasted like home, and the mashed potatoes were lumpy yet creamy. The creamed spinach was good. The cranberry sauce was average. The consistency of the gravy was thinner than I would have liked, but the flavor was there. The surf and turf was a bit better. The filet was cooked well (I asked for medium rare), and the shrimp was ok. Would have liked butter on the side for the mashed potatoes. Dessert was sad. The pumpkin pie was made with gelatin and was subpar. The lava cake did not ooze when cut into. Ice cream was smooth and rich, topped with toffee pieces to give some texture.

Overall, there were things that could have helped with the experience. Tea lights in the votive on the tables would have brought some needed ambiance to the dinner. While the server was not unkind, we were hoping for at least some small talk (how is your night, is this your first time here, some dishes I recommend are…). The music was also not what I would have chosen. It was a very pop selection, when a cozy warm sound would have added to the festive holiday. Valet was nice and friendly, asked us how the meal was and how it went inside, worked quickly and efficiently. Expected more attention to detail for the price paid. Overall, we are glad we went, but would...

My family and I dined here on 2.18.24 to celebrate my mom's birthday. We were a party of 5 and it was our first time at the restaurant. It will most definitely be the last time I eat here. I personally had one of the worst dining experiences that I've ever had.

Upon arrival, my sister in law and I tried to check in for our 5pm dinner reservation. The hostesses were all huddled together and did not make eye contact with us. When my sister in law spoke up to check in we were waved away. We stood there awkwardly until a different hostess turned around and asked us if we had been checked in yet. We said no and told her the name on the reservation. We waited about 10 minutes to be seated (we arrived early for our reservation). We were seated at a table by the window which was nice since you look directly at the ocean.

Despite the view, the rest of the experience was downhill from there. Our server Elizabeth came by a couple minutes after we sat down and offered our table water. After taking a couple of sips from my glass I realized my glass was dirty and noticed lipstick on the outside. My sister in law asked our server for a new water glass and she seemed extremely bothered that she had to go get me a clean glass. The rest of our experience with her as our server was horrible. She was rude, impatient, and seemed extremely displeased to be working there (or at least serving us). The service was slow in general, which I'd be willing to tolerate, but our server's attitude was inexcusable.

I suppose the only saving grace from the experience was that most of us enjoyed our food. My brother ordered the dynamite Mahi, my boyfriend ordered the NY strip, my mom and sister in law split the sea bass and the prime rib. They enjoyed their dishes and were happy with the portion sizes. I ordered a 7oz filet mignon which was served with mashed potatoes. The portion size was good and my steak was cooked to my liking. Unfortunately the actual piece of meat was chewy and stringy. I guess I had higher expectations for an elevated chain restaurant. Honestly I've had similar tasting food from chain restaurants like Outback Steakhouse and Texas Roadhouse.

As we were leaving my boyfriend stopped to use the restroom. He witnessed a male staff member use one of the stalls "for a couple of minutes" and then promptly exit the restroom without washing his hands. He recognized the staff member as someone who worked in the bar. We were all disgusted, considering we had ordered cocktails and drinks with our meals. The experience with our server left a sour taste in my mouth and the fact that an employee doesn't wash their hands after pooping was just the cherry on top of a disastrous experience. Do better...