The Duke Cocktails & Grub — Restaurant in San Diego

I had went to this place a couple times on a Friday night and this last time on a Saturday night. The Friday night that I came was a little busy, as it was roughly 5pm, it had the typical after work type crowd, all kinds of different people and a bartender that knew how to read the room and be attentative to those 1/2 full glasses!! They have T.V's, a good amount of seating, that has a bar with seating, a few booths with seating and tables and a dining room with a few tables and seating. I only ordered humus with veges on Friday and that was good, the humus tasted fresh and different than your store bought humus. 2 Saturday's later I came in around 8:30 pm, it was packed, I ordered a drink and food to go. The price of the food was cheap, I didnt see the food till I got home, however the weight of the bag that had my food in it, I was wondering if I got the wrong order or a whole bunch of condiments, because it was heavy. When it was time to eat, OMG the portions of my Rueben was like "Whoa", that was a healthy portion (which I havent seen anywhere else that healthy portions) and I'm a big boy, I couldnt finish it all in 1 sitting, it took me 2 days to eat all of my Rueben, I had also bought a hamburger, it was good to, but I'll be back for the Rueben and check...

Tried Dukes today. Food was very good. Service was ok for the pleasant gal that waited on us. Only one server in the place. They took down all the John Wayne pictures which was a sin especially because they called the place Dukes. That was a big disappointment for us. We used to take our kids to Longhorn when they were first graders and we told them about the change and they were disappointed too. Did not like walking up to the bar to order after you sit and decide what to eat on the menu then walk up to the bar to order. They need to work out the kinks and need to hire a couple more servers to come to the table and take your order. So, like I said the food was really good. No bison burgers which was another disappointment. I thought I read that they were going to have the bison burgers. This venue has always been our go to neighborhood place to enjoy a good meal. So would we go back…definitely yes but wait until they work out the kinks. TVs...

I'm only commenting on the atmosphere, I did not eat after coming in, but Google requires you to choose all categories. It's sad to see the old western decor, and the John Wayne room all gone. Why is this called The Duke if there is no John Wayne? I was told that a lot of the collectibles and decor had been sold off to pay for the gut and remodel, but I'm sure some just went into a dumpster. The red naugahyde booths and comfy bar stools are gone. I felt like I had walked into a Back to The Future II scene, where Marty finds his beloved Hill Valley changed, not what he had grown up with. This iconic spot was a regular place for many residents of Grantville, Allied Gardens and Del Cerro for several decades, having birthdays, anniversaries, and even a wedding reception or two. This place had a soul, and the old guard is not going to recognize it, but I know the new owners want a fresh, younger crowd, and I wish...