The Holding Company — Restaurant in San Diego

This place is awesome! Friendly staff, great food/cocktails, amazing views and top notice audio for their concerts. One of my favorite places in Ocean Beach!

Update: Last night I hit up The Holding Company for their Veggie Fried Rice. Usually I would have ordered fried rice with chicken etc… but this time I decided to go with a vegetarian option. Wow! Surprisingly The Holding Company has quickly made me a tofu lover. A few weeks ago I tried their tofu fries and LOVED it. Now this plate had tofu on it and it was absolutely delicious!! I never knew tofu could taste so good. (I sound like a kid trying something new for the first time 😂)

This Veggie Fried Rice had Satay sauce, tofu, Chinese broccoli, pineapple, onion, carrot, peas, scallions, egg, cashews and Thai basil. It’s an absolute winner! This will definitely be added to my, “I don’t feel like cooking at home but will just call in a local order to go” meal. Though the hot skillet plate it is served on is also part of the charm. Everything on the plate stays hot with every bite for at least 15-20 minutes.

Update 2: Stir-Fry Noodles at The Holding Company are straight🔥!!! I thought I’d only be able to eat half (it’s a big portion) but it was soooooo good I ate it all and already want more. It’s Shrimp, Beef, chicken, cabbage, carrots, celery, onion, sesame seeds, green onion and tasty noodles.

Update 3: Saturday night after work I splurged for my bday dinner on the rooftop at The Holding Company while watching the calm ocean before the storm. I killed four birds with one stone this visit (trying four new things in one memorable night). I tried their Teriyaki Salmon that was served with rice and side salad with house mango vinaigrette. It was cooked to absolute perfection! 🔥 Then I got great drinking tips from the ever so kind Marisa who was helping me out. 🍹The first crafted cocktail she recommended was their ‘Drunk in Love’ (haku vodka, house made watermelon, coconut and fresh lime). The watermelon and coconut was a perfect blend and I’m not usually a big fan of coconut. After I finished it I will also now recommend this drink to everyone. 🔥The second cocktail was their ‘La La Land’ (rum haven coconut rum, fresh lime, guava, simple syrup and coconut). This was even better than the first cocktail. I’m not a fan of guava or coconut but this tasted like a delicious fluffy cloud. I guess I can no longer say, “I don’t like guava/coconut” because I loved this drink. 🔥🔥 The last cocktail was their ‘California Love’ (hornitos silver tequila, house made ancho reyes verde, house made passion fruit puree, fresh lime, house ancho chili rim). Yo! This was even better than the previous two drinks that were already amazing. That house ancho chili rim on the glass created the perfect spicy experience. 🔥🔥🔥 Then while walking downstairs I caught the tail end of a great concert (Seven Year Witch). I went for the food and then stayed for a show.

Update 4: The other night I hit the rooftop of The Holding Company for their great happy hour menu and amazing sunset views. Ordered the Garlic Edamame then I tried their HoCo Poke Bowl (with choice of salmon or ahi) and choose the Ahi. It came with a beautiful artwork presentation of sushi rice, edamame, seaweed, mushrooms, pickled ginger, fresh ginger, cucumber, green onion, spicy mayo and lotus root. This was actually a big meal by itself (all the Ahi was buried underneath). Every bite was truly divine. 🔥 I didn’t want the bowl to end. Then I tried something I would have never ordered from a menu in a million years, their Tofu Fries which were caramelized garlic, salt and peoper dry rub, scallions, satay-sriracha and aioli. What!? I never knew tofu could be prepared and taste so good. In the past I just looked at tofu as that unappealing white square blob of blandness. 😂 Now I’ll definitely have tofu on my radar. Very impressed! These three items together became the perfect meal to split...

I’ve been coming to The Holding Company since it opened and have always enjoyed the staff, service, and overall vibe — it’s been one of my go-to spots that I frequently recommend and bring new people to. Unfortunately, after a recent experience, I feel compelled to share a very disappointing and upsetting incident. We visited to celebrate a friend’s birthday and brought our dog along. From the start, everything went smoothly — we were greeted kindly by the security at the entrance, made our way to the rooftop where our dog quietly sat with us, and later moved to the second floor to continue our afternoon with food and drinks. Throughout the day, our dog remained well-behaved and unnoticed, and we received excellent service as always from our server. After nearly eight hours of being there without any issue, we asked for our bill — at which point a new security guard, who we were told has only been working there for about two months, approached us aggressively to say dogs weren’t allowed. This was confusing and frustrating, given that we had been allowed in with our dog by the downstairs security team, and had been there all day without a single concern raised. Thankfully, our server and other staff stepped in to de-escalate and made it clear we were simply wrapping up. However, instead of letting the matter go, the security guard went downstairs and loudly began complaining about us to others. When I stood up for myself and explained that we were let in with the dog and had been there peacefully, he became verbally aggressive — making rude, personal comments, including insulting my appearance, saying I “need to bleach my hair more.” This crossed a serious line. No customer — especially a loyal one who supports and respects the staff — should be subjected to public embarrassment, harassment, or inappropriate personal insults, especially over something that wasn’t even an issue until the very end of the visit. I’ve always loved this place and the people who work here, but this experience has made me question whether I can continue to support a business where a staff member (particularly security) feels comfortable belittling a woman over a situation that was poorly handled from the start. I truly hope management takes this seriously. No one should be made to feel unsafe or disrespected for simply advocating for themselves — especially when they’ve done...

I grew up in SD but haven’t lived here since I left for university forever ago. But, every chance I get to make it out to OB this restaurant is a must! I take everyone here because it’s truly fantastic—quintessential Ocean Beach. The space has three floors, each being a little different from the next. The ground floor is where you’ll be greeted by a doorman who will check your ID. The second is where the host will seat you—it features a large bar with TVs, dining area, and space for music/DJ and dancing. The third floor is the rooftop with sweeping views of the ocean and surrounding neighborhood. During brunch they always have live music up on the rooftop. The view itself is worth the visit! They even allow pups to enjoy the restaurant with you. When it comes to food, you cannot get it wrong here. The menu is Asian-inspired with dishes like Korean Fried Chicken, Pho Dip, Shaken Beef, Kim Chi Fried Rice, Loco Moco, and Birria Ramen. Seriously, everything is so good! I’ve tried almost everything (even the breakfast sandwich from the kid’s menu l, which is like an elevated sausage McMuffin). They are a part of OB Noodle House so of course the food is fantastic! But my favorite is the Ube Pancakes