Coasterra — Restaurant in San Diego

I usually avoid giving bad reviews but this one was actually quite a bad choice for a dinner!

We went around 5:30 to get a sunset dinner and not at all. Happy about the choice there.

The appetizer and drinks came really quickly so we were hoping service would be good, but our actual main course took more than 1 hour to come out to the table!

We kept calling the server and asking about an update and they came and said it would take 6 minutes which turned into more than 20 minutes extra! Really not sure what was going on there because other people seem to have food on their table while we were just sitting there for quite a long time. At the end of the service day wanted to give us a little bit of a better experience and offered us of red dessert. We asked what would be the quickest and if they said it would be the translators cake which is also supposed to be good. Asked for it and it actually was not good at all. The berries and the cake did not go well together; berries were actually quite tart and overall would not have paid for this dessert either way.

They also brought me the wrong order. I asked for the Macho Salad with dressing on the side but they ended up putting all of the dressing into the salad. I did not eat any of those greens in there because it was too much of the oily dressing on everything. I asked them for a bowl of plain mixed greens so at least I could take some of the other toppings that were there on the salad and have them with the plain greens. But even those plain greens took a good 10 minutes to come to the table and I was just sitting there while everyone else on the table ate their food.

Shrimp Aguachile - Really good amount of shrimp in there, and this came out really quick to the table. Only one downside is that it was actually very very spicy! Needed a lot of water and chips to go with this to tone it down. Otherwise I got menu item that's quite refreshing and low in calories.

Macho Salad - Quite a big portion size on this so that's nice. I was expecting this to be a little bit of a healthy it option but it looked like the beets and peppers and everything were all cooked in oil so this was quite a high fat menu item. Also, like I mentioned before they put in all the dressing inside as well which was very hard to work around.

Griddled Pasture Raised Chicken - Quite a large portion size of chicken here so appreciate that. The rice on the side was very flavorful and the chicken also had nice seasoning. There were some portions of rest that were quite thick which ended up being a little dry on the inside from what others had to say on the table. Broccolini was also quite fibrous so a lot of it was not edible. Rice that came on the side was a big hit!

Enchiladas Suizas - Really nice flavoring on this one and a good portion size of the seafood inside. The beans and the rice that came on the side...

I recently attended a work event at Coasterra, an upscale dining spot with a breathtaking view, on a chilly Monday evening in December. With free, convenient, and well-lit parking close to the restaurant, my expectations were high. However, the initial greeting from the hosts was less than warm. Despite the restaurant being nearly empty, the two hosts barely acknowledged my presence. I stood at the host stand for a moment until one finally offered a reserved "it’ll be a moment" without much enthusiasm.

Once acknowledged and informed I was early, I chose to wait outside by their inviting gas fireplace, which provided a cozy ambiance complemented by remarkable views of the downtown skyline. About ten minutes later, my party arrived, and we were led to our private patio with welcoming overhead heaters, a delightful addition on a chilly evening.

The evening began with a delicious charcuterie board, showcasing a fine selection of flavors. Our event was well managed by 3 attentive servers who quickly took our drink orders. I started with a "Staycation" mocktail, a refreshing blend of coconut and pink guava that I found both exotic and delightful. Preferring something more vibrant, I later tried the "Cucumber Fresca" but found it lacking in flavor compared to its counterpart.

The night progressed with a choice of appetizers, which I opted to skip, though they appeared appetizing. For my starter, I selected the "Red Pear & Mission Fig Salad." The combination of fig, pear, and pickled carrots was delightful, although I wished the salad had been more finely chopped with an extra hint of blue cheese and dressing.

My main course, the "Tampiqueña," arrived with commendable flavor, cooked to a medium doneness, albeit a bit tough. A splash of salsa or sauce would have enhanced the dish, adding a much needed burst of flavor and moisture. The accompanying rice was unimpressive, lacking both color and flavor, while the beans were great.

For dessert, I attempted to order the “Chocolate & Peanut Butter Mousse Bar” but was informed by the waiter that they were out, which was disappointing. None of the other desserts appealed to me, so I opted not to order anything else.

Overall, the exceptional skyline view and the warmth of the fireplace at Coasterra made for an impressive backdrop to a lively work event. Despite a few hitches with service and minor culinary improvements needed, the atmosphere and setting made it a memorable experience. The gorgeous downtown skyline view is worth a visit, although the food and availability of items could be enhanced, especially...

First off, I will say that the view from the restaurant is spectacular. I don’t think there are many other places where one could sit down to eat with a similar view of the skyline. The inside of the restaurant itself is also very nice. I feel bad for leaving such a low review but it’s hard not to feel disappointed with our experience. This was my first time ever going here and I had always heard good things. Granted, I was going for a birthday party so I understand large groups are not easy to deal with. With that being said my girlfriend and I had to ask twice for our drinks despite ordering them at the same time as everyone else. In fact we were some of the only ones to get non alcoholic drinks, but my friend was already receiving his second drink before we had ever gotten ours in the first place. Secondly, we had to ask three times for a to-go box. Again, I understand with a large group of people that there is a lot going on, but frankly it was a bit ridiculous. Third, I ordered the carne asada and I was one of several people in our group who felt like it was chewy and frankly not very impressive. It’s served with tortillas to be eaten as a taco but it’s a bit difficult to do that when the meat is undercooked and cut into large pieces. I will say my girlfriend got the chicken and that was perfectly fine and tasty. Lastly, there is a $3 per slice charge if you ask them to cut your cake, which we were not made aware about until we received the bill. The server had mentioned that they went over the policy but non of us had recalled that. The fact that they should be aware to go over the policy tells me this type of situation has happened before, and I really had wished it was just made more clear. Thankfully they did remove the charge which we were grateful for, just a bit of an awkward moment. Part of me feels like I’m being a bit harsh, but when we are being charged for an expensive dinner, then I expect it to be up to a certain standard. I hope this was just a bad night and one off occasion, and I will probably try them again in the future. I forgot to add, I do want to say that the calamari was very good and I...