Jimmy's Famous American Tavern - Point Loma — Restaurant in San Diego

My husband and I have been going to Jimmy's off and on for nearly five years. The food has always been good but not necessarily memorable. This changed tonight in the tastiest way possible! :-)

Tonight, my husband and I shared the Cali Clam Chowder, Harbor Nicoise salad, and the pork chop. Each serving was fantastic in its own way.

The Cali Clam Chowder was much more flavorful clammy broth than thick creamy East Coast chowder. It was a wonderful treat and I had zero guilt eating it. The chowder had bacon and whole clams in it, and I am happy to report it was not overly salty, which I find most chowders to be. The chowder was served alongside savory house-made potato chips.

The Harbor Nicoise salad was a bowlful of beautifully presented greens, vegetables, and a 7-minute boiled egg. The egg was cut in half and cooked perfectly for my liking: the yolk was firm yet soft so as to be on the verge of runniness. I so wish I could cook a boiled egg like this! The greens, capers, and veggies were coated in a barely-there oil-based dressing that allowed the flavors of the vegetables to shine. This salad paired with an optional protein would make a perfect lunch or dinner.

Last, but not least, is the pork chop. As with the salad, it was beautifully arranged on the plate. It was partially covered in and sat atop a base of green salsa that looks more like a pesto. I suspect this salsa is cilantro-based, but I swear I detedected a hint of mint in the greenery. In any event, that green salsa was a flavor bomb the likes I have never tasted. It paired wonderfully with the pork chop. (I need this recipe!) And, speaking of the pork chop, our server told us it will be cooked "medium." My husband and I decided to have it cooked "medium-well," which we decided made the pork chop a tad dry, but still nice and juicy. If you order this pork chop, FOLLOW THE RECOMMENDATION. It's there for a (very good) reason. The pork chop was served alongside some zippy roasted shishito peppers and delicious home-roasted potatoes.

Our server, Kent, was fantastic! We have sat in his section before, so we were happy to be in his section again. He gave us good recommendations and answered all foodie questions. He, as always, took great care of us.

I cannot wait to come back and try the other new lunch and dinner entries on Jimmy's menu. I understand the brunch menu was updated, too, so there is yet another reason to come back here....

I want to still love JFAT, but our meal las night was... simply not good. I want to emphasize that our server Jessica D. was fantastic, as was the front door staff. We were seated at the table we requested and service was prompt and helpful. But the food that we once loved was unacceptable for even a burger bar and I cannot fathom what has happened over the past year or so. We ordered the fried chicken dinner, sub french fries for mashed potatoes, the calamari appetizer and a bowl of clam chowder. Jimmy's chowder used to be as good as any in Southern California, but we were served a portion of potato tapioca, with no discernible clam flavor, no aromatics, and the consistency of pudding. In a word, it was horrible. Our server came to check up on us after delivering the food and asked if there was anything we needed. I told her that I needed something, like hot milk or clam juice to thin the soup, and she suggested hot water, which help a lot with consistency, but it was still flavorless. An embarrassingly bad version that should never have left the kitchen. The calamari was almost as bad, strongly flavored, not tender, over-breaded, and oil pooled on the plate. I don't know if it's the batter preparation or it was cooked at too low of a temperature, but this wouldn't pass muster at a dive bar, and like the soup should never have left the kitchen. My son's fried chicken as tasty enough, but the green beans were distinctly undercooked (how does this happen in a corporate restaurant?). The best thing on the table were the fries - perfectly crunchy on the outside and potato-puff heaven within. But for $85 with a glass of wine, this meal could be had for less at a much higher level at dozens of restaurants in San Diego and I don't know if we'll be returning to Jimmy's...

Trying out Jimmy's Famous American Tavern tonight. Wonderful location on the marina with that same feel coming into the establishment. The bar was full, but plenty of seating around with a view of the TVs. The menu is pretty diverse with a very good happy hour menu (and deals) as well. This being my first time, it was a little difficult to decide, but I got it done in about six minutes. I guess that was one minute too long as the waiter let me sit for 10 min after I had decided and put all the menus down (I am dining alone, so no talking with anyone either). I settled with the BBQ sliders and a bowl of clam chowder on the happy hour menu. I also added a side of fries. It only took 9 min for the food to come, so not too bad. The sliders we're very good. Not too sweet, with fried onions and a melted cheese. The fries were a little small for my preference, but a decent amount of them, and the chipotle ketchup is pretty good. The clam chowder is a darker, heavier version. A little much for a late summer day, but will be great come Nov or Dec. It was also a good portion, just like every thing else. All in all, I could have skipped the fries for this meal, but it was all good. The only thing was that bit of a wait to order and the normal menu price is a bit steep. Come during happy hour and the price is not so bad. Overall, I am sure I will be back at JFAT in the future.

As always, I rate stars as follows: 1- not good all around, 2- some good good value, but pretty common and nothing stood out, 3- a solid choice all around, 4- one of my favorites, 5- a great experience all around and very unique...