Heritage Beer Co. — Restaurant in Oceanside

Heritage Brewery and BBQ in Oceanside deserves 2.5 (but I have to round up) stars for a somewhat underwhelming experience. My husband and I shared the 3 meat combo with brisket, turkey, and pulled pork, accompanied by sides of mac & cheese, slaw, and Texas chili. The brisket had thick ribbons of fat, with one of the two slices being more fat than muscle. The turkey was dry and tasted more like something from a grocery store deli than a BBQ joint, and the pulled pork was equally dry. The seasonal slaw lacked flavor, and while the Texas chili wasn't bad, it wasn't particularly memorable either. The mac & cheese was the standout dish, but that's about the best I can say for the place.

Our server wasn't very personable, and it felt like we were more of a nuisance than we were guests of an establishment, which was disappointing given the restaurant wasn't even busy. On the plus side, parking is ample with a good-sized lot, and the decor is updated and pleasant. They offer a wide beer selection, but the cocktails were limited and unfortunately weak, lacking in flavor, and very watery and flat.

The final kicker was the check. We were charged for a beer that was never brought to us, which I only noticed later on the receipt. Additionally, there were two totals on the tab—one with a "cash only" discount and another with the original total, which was surprising for a slightly upscale restaurant; I've seen credit card surchargs at mom & pop restaurants or hole-in-the-wall eateries, but not from a place such as this. The suggested tips were calculated off the higher total amount, including tax, which felt misleading. Usually, I tip 20% off the total with tax, understanding the challenges of working in the food industry, but this experience had me double-checking with a calculator, especially considering the beer I never received. In hindsight, I shouldn't have tipped that much given the overall experience.

All in all, it wasn't a terrible experience, but it most definitely wasn't great. I don't think I'll be returning to Heritage Brewery and BBQ or recommending...

My date and I recently visited Heritage Oceanside, the latest BBQ spot to hit the dining scene. Despite arriving during peak dinner hours, we were pleased to find that there was minimal wait time before being seated.

To start, I ordered a delightful Prosecco - a Sorgente champagne - which I enjoyed so much that I had to inquire about its brand. My date opted for a mixed drink from the menu and was impressed with the result.

For our appetizer, we ordered the nachos with BBQ taco beef on top and cheese on the side, along with seasoned fries. While the fries were perfectly cooked and nicely seasoned, the appetizer portion size was appropriate for the price point.

For the main course, we opted for the meat plate, which included ribs, tri-tip, and brisket. Regrettably, the portion sizes were not proportionate to the $20 price tag for each meat plate. In contrast to other BBQ spots in San Diego offering half racks of ribs for $20, we received only two ribs, two strips of brisket, and a sandwich-sized portion of tri-tip.

Although the brisket stood out with its tender texture and rich flavor, the ribs were overpowered by flavored smoke, making them less enjoyable. The tri-tip lacked flavor and required a generous amount of BBQ sauce to add some zing. The BBQ sauce quality, however, was excellent and served as the saving grace.

We were impressed with the noteworthy service at Heritage Oceanside. Our server was quick, attentive, and accommodating, making for a pleasant experience. However, as someone who cannot consume dairy, I was limited in terms of appetizers and sides. The only options available to me were the nachos and fries, which were both tasty.

Overall, although I enjoyed my experience at Heritage Oceanside, the quantity of meat served for the price was not up to par with other BBQ spots in San Diego. While Heritage Oceanside is indisputably the best BBQ place in North County, the limited meat portion size was disappointing. While I don't mind spending $30 on a plate of BBQ, the quantity served at Heritage Oceanside...

It was terrible and I'll never go back. Super disappointing. This is not a real BBQ restaurant, they have absolutely nothing you expect from a BBQ restaurant. They have 4-5 "sandos" that are mediocre, tacos that are uninspired compared to the tacos that were offered by the restaurant that was in this location before.

One person at our table wanted their burger well done (to each their own) and they said they couldn't do that, they could only make it medium. When the burger came out, it wasn't even medium, it was an inch thick of pink meat that was inedible, smoked but that was the only flavor and it tasted like liquid smoke from the bottle.

The food came out so fast that you'd think it was like a McDonalds in the back where there's not a single real chef and people are just plating up food which would be a different story if this was real BBQ and everything was made at that level of quality but it wasn't. It wasn't even hot, the food was lukewarm. The fries were average.

They don't even have a real bar, the place before did. They have a limited menu of disappointing cocktails that seem like they are all premade.

The sandwich bread is the same on everything you order no matter what it is and it's not the correct bread for most of their sandwich options, pastrami, banh mi, brisket all served on the same bland burger bun.

The décor inside is half-hearted and sloppy, looking like it came from a Hobby Lobby. 6-7 PM on a Sunday and it was completely empty. The waitstaff are doing their best and were friendly enough but you could see it in their faces that they've been getting the same sort of reception from everyone who's come in. Disappointment.

I almost didn't bother writing a review because there's no way this place is staying open but save yourself $120 and don't bother. Most of our food was uneaten because it wasn't good and I used to be a server, I knew if I was taking unfinished plates back to dish, the food was bad. The food was bad.

Nothing can...