Hideaway Pacific Beach — Restaurant in San Diego

My friends and I visited The Hideaway on a Saturday night and had a great overall experience. Upon arrival, we noticed there were two separate lines: one for the bar only and another for seated dining. We chose the seated dining line and were informed of a 35-minute wait. After providing our name and phone number, we were told we’d receive a text when our table was ready. Since waiting at the bar required standing in another line for the specific bar line, we decided to walk across the street to Mavericks in the meantime.

The restaurant was bustling due to a bar crawl happening that evening, with The Hideaway being one of the stops. Surprisingly, just 10 minutes later, we received a text that our table was ready, much earlier than the quoted wait time. Since we had just ordered drinks at Mavericks, we delayed responding to the text until we were heading back. Fortunately, our table was still available when we returned.

We were seated on the open but roof covered patio area around 7pm, and while the ambiance was charming, it was almost unbearably cold. There wasn’t a heater near our table, and I’d strongly recommend the restaurant invest in additional heaters, especially since most of their seating is outdoors, making winter evenings quite uncomfortable.

Our server was fantastic, attentive, friendly, and accommodating. For drinks, my friends ordered a Moscow Mule and a glass of Chardonnay, while I opted for a mocktail. I was delighted to learn that any of their specialty cocktails could be made alcohol-free, so I chose the Spicy Pomegranate Margarita. The drinks were a highlight! My friend called her Moscow Mule the best she’s ever had, and my mocktail had the perfect balance of flavor and a pleasant kick.

For food, we asked for starter recommendations, and our server suggested the pretzel and shrimp, which my friends ordered. I chose the grilled cheese with tomato soup and a side of mac and cheese, while one friend substituted her soup for truffle fries. The food was exceptional! The pretzel was a standout, served with a candlelit cheese fondue and mustard, absolutely delicious. The truffle fries were perfectly crispy and flavorful. The tomato soup tasted homemade, though the grilled cheese could have been a bit more elevated. My friend enjoyed the shrimp. But unfortunately, the kitchen missed my friends grilled cheese order. The staff was quick to resolve the issue by removing it from the bill, only charging for her truffle fries.

As the evening went on, the restaurant became even busier. We struggled to find our server for a second round of drinks but eventually ordered another Mule, a vodka martini, and a ginger beer. I had hoped for a warm drink option like hot chocolate, which they didn’t offer, a missed opportunity, especially given the cold weather. Perhaps the management could consider adding warm winter drinks to the menu.

It took about 20 minutes for our drinks to arrive, but our server promptly brought the check when requested. Despite the chilly weather and minor delays due to the crowd, we thoroughly enjoyed our dining experience. The food was fantastic, the service was kind and helpful, and the atmosphere was lively and fun.

The Hideaway seems to be a popular spot for young college-aged guests, especially with the DJ setting up and the bar line wrapping around the building later in the night. It’s definitely a great spot for a fun evening of dining, drinks, and dancing. We’re excited to return, especially for the food, and I’m glad this new addition to Pacific Beach offers such a reasonably priced and enjoyable experience. Highly recommend for dinner...

Our server was fabulous. That’s where the good ends. We’re visiting from out of town and wanted something within walking distance of our hotel. I looked at the menu online and were excited to come for dinner. I called to see if I needed a reservation. I got a voicemail telling me to leave my reservation request on the voicemail and someone would call me back shortly. I called about 3pm for a 7pm reservation and no one called me back. So, we decided to go early so we’d have a better chance of getting a table.

The restaurant has a good vibe but is pretty crowded. We were at a high table but not all the chairs were the proper height. That’s ok. We made it work.

We wanted the mini keg of drinks but were told no because there needed to be 3 people. Ok fine, so we got the 22oz size special. Drinks came in short order and were good. We ordered the pretzel appetizer. The cheese sauce was gritty. Like they used too much flour. Pretzel was very good alone though.

I ordered the pesto rigatoni and my husband ordered the brisket sandwich. The sandwich was good my husband said but small for the $23 price tag. The rigatoni was a hot mess. Huge chunks of sundried tomato and pepper made a HUGE bite size. Also, it wasn’t like a sauce..the whole thing was like a warm pasta salad and not in a good way. It was very oily also. I sent it back and ordered a burger, medium. I got a well done burger, no sides (like fries). I ordered a second drink, vodka soda, and asked for a couple of extra limes. What I got was vodka and water, with one sad over ripe lime chunk.

The whole thing was disappointing but our server was fabulous and management did make the appropriate adjustments to our bill...

This place is amazing. The great service started when we called to inquire about the wait time. They didnt answer, but called us back stated they were sorry to miss our call and wanted to see how they could assist us. We came here while on vacation. This was absolutely amazing. They were busy but didn't have to wait long. We lucked out and was able to enjoy happy hour. Everything we had we enjoyed. The kids loved the rigatoni and the pepperoni pizza. Such great quality meat and sauce and pairing the pizza with their hot honey is a great taste. The garlic shrimp and the blue fin poke were amazing hands down. You won't be disappointed with these dishes. The avocado topping has a great amount of heat and the creamiest one I've had. The lobster roll was good. I wish there was more meat to bread ratio but still great flavor, and the filling is cold, which I prefer, but no hot butter, which it needed. The only opportunity to improve would be for gluten-free options for being in CA little to no options. Our waiter Mario gave excellent customer service and even put up with my mother and her shenanigans. All of the staff were very nice and the place is super clean and despite being busy I did not feel cramped in by the other tables. This is an amazing place and close to the beach. We are gonna come back before our vacation is over to enjoy it again, and possibly every time...