KINDRED — Restaurant in San Diego

I would like to preface that this is one of my husband and I’s favorite restaurants/bars, particularly for brunch or a nightcap. My husband who is also a bartender at a busy Gaslamp bar recommends this bar to everyone as a San Diego must-have experience. I made sure to make a reservation ahead of time for Father’s Day in the case they happened to be busy, as this was my husbands first Father’s Day. Upon arriving the restaurant did not appear to be as busy as one would except on Fathers Day, as they seemed to be adequately staffed. Thus, we were a bit confused as to why it took 30 minutes for us to receive our drinks with what looked like three bartenders behind the bar and a not so busy bar top. Then it took another 30 minutes for some of the food to come out and my mother’s meal was completely forgotten about either by the kitchen or our server, despite placing our food and drink order at the same time. Instead of the server comping it, it would’ve been preferable of her to ask what we would’ve liked instead, such as comping something we had already ordered or another menu or drink item, because by that point we had been there for an hour and a half. I was also pretty displeased with having been there for so long that my husband was unable to enjoy the Fathers Day promotion you were offering for the free old fashioned. Our server failed to check in on us during our entire meal, only coming up to us when she saw the empty plates we shared and then realized my mother’s breakfast had been forgotten about up until that point. What was supposed to be a memorable first Father’s Day at his favorite restaurant was almost thoroughly disappointing. It made us second guess continuing to recommend Kindred to friends, family, and clientele, in the case that they to go through this experience. We would love to change our response, but as of right now this is not representative of what we...

I was super excited to try this place out and if I were just rating on food, my review would be higher. The food was delicious! It’s not all that expensive and good sized portions. The appetizers were larger than our actual meals which was surprising. We got the seitan skewers and rolls with togarashi butter - both delicious. For dinner, got the soul crush and Babylon burger. Both quite good as well.

We sat at the bar on a Friday night and only waited about 30 min. We got a couple drinks while we waited (cheaper this way!). Once we sat down, 2 bartenders came over quite quickly so we could get some food in. I think we waited about 20-30 min for the appetizers and our entrees came out a bit quicker once we ordered. Once we got our food, we wanted to order a few items to go and this was unfortunately where we went wrong. These items took about an hour and 40 minutes to come out of the kitchen!! After about 40 minutes, we asked the bartender (Juan who was very kind) what was going on and he said the kitchen was backed up and the food would be another 15-20 minutes. I guess the kitchen was backed up more because it was about another hour. This was really unprofessional to not mention to customers that the kitchen is backed up when they order food. He offered us a gift card which was kind and then gave us a free t-shirt to make up for it but this was really disappointing. We did get our food eventually (I had to leave and come back) and to top it off, they forgot an item in our to go order. He gave us a free dessert, but then forgot our beer Mac and cheese.

I really liked the food and the atmosphere of the place is cool, but would definitely recommend going early or late when they are not as busy. It seems clear that the kitchen is too small to handle the volume of the restaurant and I hope they are able to fix...

Visited Kindred on a Saturday afternoon with a reservation for two. We arrived a bit late, but the host was kind and still got us seated. Unfortunately, the initial table was very small and cramped, too close to other diners. We ended up moving to a bar-designated table in the center of the space, which was much more comfortable — big thanks to the staff for being accommodating.

This was actually my first time trying vegan food, and I was genuinely impressed. I have Peruvian roots, so I’ve grown up with lots of traditional dishes and bold flavors. The crispy potatoes were simple but had a bright, acidic taste that really stood out. The chimichurri had a different texture than I’m used to, but the flavor still resembled the South American versions I know. The real surprise was the Warlock Bowl — as someone who’s eaten quinoa all my life, I appreciated how flavorful and well-seasoned it was. A creative twist on something familiar.

We tried a few cocktails, and unfortunately, this is where Kindred really lost a point. Aside from the Espresso Martini (which was excellent — smooth, strong, and well-balanced), every other drink was almost entirely ice. We’re talking 90% ice, 10% liquid. For cocktails priced at this level, that felt pretty disappointing — even borderline deceptive. They looked great, but there just wasn’t enough actual drink in the glass.

The ambiance is relaxed and stylish, with background rock music playing at a comfortable volume. It got louder between 6–7 p.m., with guest conversations completely overtaking the music. Things calmed down again around 9 p.m..

Overall, Kindred is a great spot for flavorful vegan dishes in a creative setting. Just skip the cocktails (except the Espresso Martini), and maybe ask for a proper...