Mastro's Ocean Club — Restaurant in San Diego

I selected Maestros Ocean Club in downtown San Diego to host my grandmother’s birthday dinner, expecting an exceptional dining experience given its waterfront location and upscale reputation. Unfortunately, the evening was marred by a series of disappointments—from inedible food to shockingly poor management—leaving our entire party frustrated and disrespected.

The issues began with our orders: the waitress misheard several dishes, including my grandmother’s and my own. While mistakes happen, the restaurant’s handling of these errors was unacceptable. Rather than acknowledging their fault, they disingenuously listed the corrected dishes as a "discount" on our receipt—as if removing wrongly served items was an act of generosity. To make matters worse, when my grandmother—who had initially refused a replacement meal after her original order was incorrect—finally agreed to take home a filet, they had the audacity to charge us for it. This level of pettiness during what should have been a celebratory occasion was both baffling and insulting.

The food quality was equally appalling. The oyster tower, which should have been a highlight of our meal, was so overwhelmingly fishy that it was inedible. When we sent it back, the receipt dismissively noted that we "did not like" it—a blatant refusal to admit the product was subpar. In total, only three out of nine dishes at our table were even remotely acceptable.

Management’s response was where the experience truly spiraled into incompetence. Ruben, the manager on duty, failed to take any meaningful accountability, offering only empty rhetoric and token gestures like a complimentary plate of whipped cream and desserts to go—a hollow attempt at damage control after such systemic failures. Even more frustrating was the involvement of his superior, who stepped in claiming to "take control" of the situation but proved just as ineffective. This individual, who should bear most of the responsibility given his oversight, did nothing to rectify the restaurant’s mistakes or address our concerns with genuine professionalism. Instead, he presided over the entire fiasco with a startling lack of urgency or care.

The receipts further compounded the disrespect, with misleading notes (e.g., claiming we "changed our minds" about dishes they had misheard) that felt like an attempt to gaslight us rather than own their errors.

I am not one to complain publicly—I rarely leave negative reviews, and I only do so when an experience is truly egregious. But tonight, I left feeling utterly mistreated. The frontline staff were polite, but that does not excuse the kitchen’s lack of quality control or management’s refusal to take responsibility. If you’re considering Maestros Ocean Club for a special occasion, I strongly advise looking elsewhere. Given that Maestros Ocean Club has only recently opened, I understand there may be growing pains. However, the severity of these missteps—especially from leadership—suggests a need for urgent reflection and improvement. I share this review not out of malice, but in hopes that management will address these issues before more guests endure similar disappointments. I could elaborate further, but the sheer exhaustion of this experience...

We unfortunate had a negative experience . We were celebrating my Birthday and were looking forward to dining at Mastro's . My steak was not prepared correctly my husband didn't wanted me to say anything. I didn't eat my steak the waitress never asked if I liked it after we got our meal I noticed they were servicing a bread basket I asked our waitress about it and she said oh do you want me to bring some bread I said no my husband said yes and we got a bread basket while we had our main meal. We have dine several times at other Mastro's in the past and other steak restaurants we always have seen the manager come around and ask about our experience we never saw any manager walking around at all. The next day I got a call from mastro's to ask about our experience and I did tell her about my concerns she said I will get a call from one of the managers I never did. I waited two weeks to hear from someone but no follow up call. I didn't want to post this concern but it's obvious to me that my issue was not...

I had such a wonderful experience at Mastro’s Ocean Club! My best friend was in town for the weekend, and when our server asked if we were celebrating anything special, we told her we were marking our “friend-aversary.” From start to finish, the service and atmosphere were incredible.

We ordered a filet, and to my surprise, they offered to slice it for us — something I’ve never been asked before, but such a thoughtful touch. Every bite was perfection.

For dessert, we ordered something sweet, but when our server returned, they also brought out a cheesecake with candles and “Happy Friend-aversary” written in chocolate sauce. It was such a kind, personal gesture that made us feel truly celebrated.

We left feeling loved, appreciated, and completely content. The experience was so amazing that I’m already heading back this weekend to celebrate my mom’s birthday. Thank you, Mastro’s, for making special moments even...