OB Surf Lodge — Restaurant in San Diego

I visited Ocean Beach from Arizona on Thursday October 16th. I was by myself and wanted to walk around the area. I decided to eat at OB Surf Lodge around 4pm(ish) which was at the start of their happy hour. It was a “seat yourself” option, which was very easy as the establishment had many free tables therefore the wait was non-existent. I chose this restaurant as I have a gluten allergy, and from the research I’ve done, they offered gluten free options but I couldn’t find specifically what was gluten free online. As soon as I sat at a table, I was given a menu almost immediately. They don’t necessarily use gluten free specific precautions like a separate fryer or anything, but they offer gluten free buns for just their hamburgers - which was a slight bummer as they offer a grilled cheese that sounded delicious. For how empty the restaurant appeared, I waited about 20 minutes before I was asked by a waitress if I had any questions. It felt like a very long wait, but there could’ve been something going on they needed to attend to. My waitress was very helpful with answering my gluten free questions and took my order right then and there. I ordered the Smash Burger with a gluten free bun, sweet potato fries and a piña colada - which was delivered to my table in about 10 minutes, no bad at all! The fries were delicious, the piña colada was even more delicious (and presentation was cute), and the burger was very underwhelming. Gluten Free buns in general don’t taste very good, but it’s nice because they don’t make you sick like normal bread does. But the burger itself was nothing super delicious, I was very hungry after driving 5+ hours so I ate as much as I could. The atmosphere was very surfer-esque, with the Pacific Ocean right outside the restaurant in an easy walking distance. It’s a classic busy place oceanside city, so traffic is loud but not obnoxious as you’re eating. When I was done eating, I did wait for another 20 minutes trying to flag down my waitress for my check but she eventually checked in with me. Like I noted before, there could’ve been something happening behind the scenes that needed their attention more - but the wait felt long for how empty the restaurant felt...

I had a really uncomfortable and unpleasant experience this morning at OB surf lodge. We arrived at 8.26am asked for a table and were told we open at 8.30, my friend walked in the terrace to seat and wait as no one was present and the hostess didnt mention anything about seating. Within 2 minutes of seating a very agressive male showed up and angrily told us that this was his spot. We didnt really understand what was going on and it was before coffee. A very kind server came and told us listen "these people are very adament about seating there". We said "ok no problem" and moved a few feet away along the balcony. We mentioned that we were totally fine with moving but the client was pretty upset and we didnt understand why, he could just have told in a civilized way that he had been waiting for that table and nothing was personal. He and his partner, were seated and started to verbally insult us, really violently. She started banging things on the table (glasses, coffee cup...), she continued to insult us and calling us all kinds of names. We get our food and coffee and all the sudden i realize that the entire staff comes to apologize to them and cherry on the cake offers to comp their meal for "the situation". Soooo to sumarize the manager on duty comped their breakfast/drinks, while we were rushed out by the wait staff (who was probably following management direction) and my meal wasnt even finished. We 60$ + tips and walked away feeling still had hald my potatoes on the plate. Felt completely abused and disrecpected. I never write reviews but this had to be said. What a joke this place is, where abusers are comped and coddled. At what point do you draw the line????? I will never return, and frankly wish we had never made the mistake of dining here in the first place. What a painful way to...

1-Star Review 🚨 PLEASE READ ⬇️ 2/27 updated

Feb 2, 2025 – I regret choosing OB Surf Lodge for my birthday.

The next day, I noticed I’d been overcharged—twice—for a biscuit that should have been free as a loyalty member. A small thing, sure, but details matter, especially on your birthday.

When I went back to resolve it, I was ignored for several minutes. When the manager finally acknowledged me, he dismissed me instantly without even listening.

Frustrated, I raised my voice—but instead of de-escalating, he threatened me. Over a $4 biscuit.

I reached out to the owner, Jessica, who apologized and wanted to make it right. She asked for my number, but when I got the call, it wasn’t from her—it was from David, the GM. Classic bait and switch.

To David’s credit, he actually listened, apologized, and agreed to reverse the charge. But then—he banned me from all locations. For what? For pushing back on their mistake.

At the end of the day, all I wanted was to be heard, understood, and treated with respect.

Feb 27 update: Refund issued! David followed through and reversed the charge. He even sent me more than was due—not sure what to make of that, but hey.

Jessica & David, I get that running a business means things won’t always go smoothly. But customers expect to be treated fairly. I’m not completely satisfied, but I appreciate the apology, the conversation, and the refund.

If you want to make this all the way right, my door is open. I think we’re almost...