Ernie's Craft Deli and Wine Bar — Restaurant in Encinitas

Small diner style restaurant with I’d say less than 10 four top tables between indoor and outdoor. They don’t require all members of a party to be present before seating them which increases waiting list wait times. The hostess refused to add an extra chair for the 3 of us to an outdoor two top claiming it would be inconvenient for the server so we waited 45 minutes to be sat at an indoor two top in the corner which seemed very silly. Thirty minutes into our wait the couple sat at the outside two top still didn’t get their drinks. Very frustrating to experience and to watch the way the dining room was being run.

Our interactions with whom I assume to be the owner turned the experience around. Then the food was fresh and inviting and the serving staff was friendly and attentive so at the end I’ll keep up the 5 star trend as the EFFORT to be great is there … giving them some more time to bring the polish to the experience of dining with them. Happy to have another dining option in our great...

Having eaten my Italian grandmother's meatballs for decades, I was leary of ordering the meatball sandwich for fear of being disappointed. When our server said it was a customer favorite, I decided to give it a try. Glad I did! The meatballs are the best I've ever had (besides my Grandma's, of course). Tasty and the perfect texture, they're served on true San Francisco sourdough bread, with melted provolone on top. The sauce was delicious, and the sandwich was not drown in sauce, as is so often the case when eating meatball sandwiches out.

My wife ordered The Carl, and loved her sandwich.

The cafe itself was clean and tastefully decorated, with aTV behind the bar playing NFL football.

Our service was great, and the owners are very friendly and seeking feedback to their newly opened deli and wine bar....

Ernie’s Wine and Deli is officially my new favorite North County hot spot! 🍷 From the moment we sat down, the vibe was warm, fun, and totally inviting. Our waitress Monique was amazing — she helped us pick the perfect wine and knew so much about the grapes and regions. Huge bonus!

Now let’s talk food… the bruschetta boards are a must. The one with bacon on top? Life-changing. I’m still craving it. The meatballs were next-level delicious too — tender, flavorful, and gone way too fast.

Between the cozy atmosphere, the killer wine list, and food that keeps you wanting more, Ernie’s is the kind of place you’ll want to keep coming back to. North County needed this, and I can already tell it’s going to be a big success. Don’t walk,...