Luce Bar & Kitchen — Restaurant in San Diego

This 1 star review is based on the customer service I received and is no way a basis on the food, unfortunately I was asked to leave before I ever got to eat anything. So this is the story, I walk in and notice there is only 1 table empty and it seats 4. there is no one to greet me as I enter, and wait by the door for a minute or two. feeling awkward and assuming there is no hostess I go to the bar to order a drink and ask the bartender if I just seat myself in or what, he said Yea just sit wherever. So he gives me a menu and I tell him I will be over at this table for four while I wait for my date to arrive. A waitress promptly comes up, asks if other people will be joining me, which I understand cuz I would never take up a whole table for just me, I'd just sit at the bar. I explain someone will be here shortly and I order a beer, Again before she leaves she asks if there are definitely other people coming, which I thought was a little rude because I had just said another person is joining me, as if she didn't believe me the first time I told her. At this point a party of three enters and just like me before they are standing there noticing there is no empty table and no hostess and now they are in the awkward "what do we do" moment. So now a girl comes up and explains there is a list for tables and I cannot just seat myself. I explained that the bartender said seat yourself, and I just ordered a drink from the waitress who never mentioned anything about a list as well. She really could care less and told me I had to leave the table...... Now I'm upset and start asking why didn't anyone else mention this to me, knowing I interacted with two other employees. They didn't know she said.... So now I get up and the people who just walk in get seated..... My date arrives and I'm standing in the front like a beat puppy dog while people stare. So I ask I need to sign some list? She says, oh your next after the people who just took my spot. I explained I arrived at least 8 minutes before them, but she said because my date had not arrived I would not of been seated there..... I've never experienced this in my life, and I hear the hostess tell the server "this guy is a jerk" loud enough for me and I'm sure other patrons to hear. I call her on it, and she doesn't even bat an eye and says yes, you're being a jerk. Next thing I know she comes back and says I need to leave..... I was so upset.... I've never been asked to leave a restaurant in my life and I will never go back to this place.... I was so imbarressed and it ruined my whole night

I would never recommend this place, like I said I never tried the food but that hostess was the biggest jerk. I've never been treated worse or more imbarressed in a restaurant in my entire life...... GO SOWMHERE ELSE.

This is my first review, the fact that I typed all this on my phone should go to show just how bad I...

BLT and Chicken & Waffles.

BLT - 12 dollars with about 50 cents of avocado aka a thin spread on the toast. A generous amount of bacon and overall pretty appetizing. 12 dollars for a thin spread is hard to purchase. The generous helping of bacon helps.

Chicken & Waffles - this is how fried chicken should be done. Flour based batter with pepper spice. Very tasty and not dry. The waffles on the other hand were Carnival style but over cooked dry and only about 50% appetizing. At 14 dollars its a hard sell.

The waitress came by three times. Once at beginning, once to refill and once for check. Its busy and honestly everything was fine.

Id come back again but maybe id come for happy hour from 3 to 5 pm or dinner and drinks. Not breakfast. Breakfast or brunch seems overpriced and under appealing.

Service is great and this neighborhood is generally dog friendly and they certainly embody this sentiment to make it seem even better. The waitress offered to bring the fries that accompanied our meal item early so we could share with our dog.

This is a place I would recommend to any dog owners who are looking for a great venue with friendly staff and good food/drinks.

Update 18APR2021 Came in today to give Luce a second go around. Hoping the service and food would be better. Long story short - same dull food, and same blah service. Maybe we are coming in at the wrong times? I don't know. I have a few friends that love this place. Maybe I should just come for drinks? Someone please tell me.

I again had to choose between a side of free that a very similar to Inn & Out fries which I would never buy by themselves. Just dry over cooked and no flavor. I did choose the BLAT without the aioli since the last experience was an aioli that tastes of only mayo and a slight hint of garlic. Also, no guacamole, that right it's called a BLAT but they out guacamole on it. Not even good guacamole. I just had them leave it off.

I got my "BLT" and it was just what I wanted. Of note, the bacon was funny tasting throughout the entire sandwich and when I pulled it apart, it was blackened and burned to literal death ☠️. Ah ha, I found where the weird taste was coming from. The took a dead pig and sliced bacon only to kill the bacon while cooking it.

My wife ordered the salmon tacos. She enjoyed them and thought they were delicious and the best thing that she has tried from Luce so far.

To top off the visit, our waiter disappeared and someone else came by to check on us and get us our check.

I don't know guys and gals, that's two times we have received lack luster food and really not good service.

Im officially giving Luce a thumbs down and moving on to a different spot. Most spots prove me wrong and I can break it up to being busy or an off night. Luce just seems to be hitting the mark to be mediocre...

I have had this place bookmarked to try forever and the boyfriend and i finally made it out. It's my new favorite place in SD and who knew in Bay Park (not hating on the location, just am never in the area). It's also right next to Siesel's! The restaurant is your typical trendy decor (expensive bulbs, dark with metal and wood furnishings, and chalkboard galore). Not a big restaurant so this place gets packed especially with more people that are finding out about them and during and after happy hour. Love how they have tons of window openings. Just lets in natural air and light in and probably so it doesn't get stuffy.

On to the food... this place has a sort of revolving menu and they have tons of daily specials available on top of what they have on their menu. At this visit, the bf and i had their lamb tacos, pepperoni mushrooms pizza, and their house cut fries. Each were great. Who can pass on fries truffle oil and a garlic aioli? No one and you shouldn't because they aren't your typical $5 super thin fries. These are normal sized fries and they are generous with their truffle oil. The garlic aioli too is just the perfect dipping combo. The lamb tacos (comes with two) were just wow. First the portion is huge. They are moist and flavorful. Only wished they had more of the lime creme fraiche added to it. The daily special we had was the pepperoni pizza. Oven fired pizza yes please. Not too thin of a crust but also not Americanized thick pizza. Needless to say we left with no doggy bag here.

Tip: Street parking only. Early HH ($1 Off All Wines by the Glass / $2 Off All Signature Drinks / $4 Select Drafts $2 Off Entire Mid-Day Menu) and it gets packed. So...