Flamingo Deck — Restaurant in San Diego

The Flamingo Deck – Great food, but disappointing experience with inconsistent policy enforcement

We visited The Flamingo Deck last night and had a generally good time. The food was flavorful and the atmosphere was vibrant and fun — it’s clearly a spot where people go to enjoy themselves.

That said, I want to share something important that impacted our experience. We were the only table that included people of color in our area, and we were also the only table that was asked to provide a credit card for pre-authorization before ordering. At first, we assumed this was standard, but after observing other tables nearby — including both smaller and larger parties — it became clear that this policy wasn’t being applied consistently.

We respectfully asked our server and then the manager about it. The manager explained that this is the restaurant’s policy, which I understand and don’t necessarily have an issue with if it’s applied evenly. Unfortunately, it wasn’t. We directly asked two other tables — both all-white parties — and neither was asked to pre-authorize their tab. That made it feel like we were being singled out based on race, whether intentional or not.

To the manager’s credit, he was open to the conversation and receptive to hearing our concerns. I appreciate that, and I hope it leads to real reflection and policy review. A policy that only gets enforced selectively — especially along racial lines — is not a policy, it’s a problem.

Food was great. Service otherwise was fine. But equity in treatment matters just as much as ambiance, and I hope this feedback contributes to a better experience for everyone...

Anyone that has EVER looked at ANY gemstone through a loope MUST come here and inspect the bar. The top of the bar is beautiful and yes it is exquisite as told via their website. It is polished huge sections of rutilated quartz. It should be known that it is hard to keep in the format that you see inside the Flamingo Deck. I am a silversmith and could spend an afternoon just observing the gemstone bar in its new home. It takes some skill; to keep the rutilated quartz whole from quarry to San Diego. The bar alone would stand this venue up and receive the recognition that it really truly deserves as a beach resort. The wait staff are all pleasant. You get what you give - you give good energy you get good energy back - simple as that! I went with the local diamond heiress and every single person was humble and attentive. Jackie , our waitress, was effervescent and such a friendly being. The wait staff (club host/security too) are all beautiful and could keep you occupied for some time just admiring each of their traits. What a great place! I will come back for sure. The food is good and the pizza looks amazing. The door host / security guard is a tall cool drink of water on an otherwise hot day. Come see this huge gemstone bar that is larger than life; vibrating at a frequency that commands you take a look at the...

This place was a big disappointment. I should have realized that the moment we walked in for Sunday brunch and the place was empty. The server gave us 3 different menus…one for drinks, one for brunch, and one for dinner, which you could not get until 4:00. I still don’t understand why he brought the dinner menu if it was not available. The service was extremely slow, we sat there for a long time before the server came to take our order. I asked to get the chef’s scramble but the server said they did not have it at this time. However, they had other egg options and items with veggies. How can you not throw together a scramble? I ordered the eggs benedict and when I went to take a bite, there was a hair in it. My friend ordered an egg dish and hers had a sticker in it. We were so annoyed at this point that we just got our bill and left.

The aesthetics in the establishment are cheesy if you ask me. Some people may like it for posting on Instagram, but it’s just neon signs and flamingos. They have beds in there, which is so weird. The mattresses are so dirty, I wouldn’t even think about sitting on one. The bathrooms are dingy and outdated and there are no hooks for your purse in there. I would never dine here again, there are far better...