Pillbox Tavern — Restaurant in Solana Beach

My wife and I went here before a show at the Belly Up and had a dreadful experience from the moment we arrived. It was President’s Day at about 7pm, and there was no hostess to seat us (even though they had a sign that instructed to wait to be seated) and the one server we saw ignored us. After seating ourselves 10 minutes later, I asked that our table be cleaned and we get menus. The annoyed waitress ( who later exclaimed to the whole restaurant “I’m grumpy!”) sent someone else out 5 minutes later who took our order but had to come back twice to confirm what we ordered. (She hadn’t written it down at all.) The food arrived and was fine (for fried bar food) but my request for a coke was forgotten three times, and when I said I no longer wanted it and asked for a water instead, that was also forgotten three times and only came with the check. Our waitress apologized for all the wait and mistakes and gave us $7 off the check (10% I believe), but it doesn’t help to be sorry at the end of a bad experience when there were plenty of times during our meal when things could and should have been corrected or regret expressed. We will never eat or drink here again, and I would advise you choosing literally anyplace else-the food and service can’t be any worse anywhere else, and Solana Beach has plenty of places that deserve...

Maybe today was an off day for place. We saw that the reviews were good and came here for dinner. While our server was nice and we liked the outdoor seating option, nearly all the food was disappointing, lacking a standout flavor and good texture. Our favorite parts of the meal were the elements that most likely weren't made in in-house, like chips and drinks. The service time to get our food seemed a bit slow. I couldn't in good conscience recommend this place and sadly will not be back.

Queso Fundido-The chips were the highlight, and the dip itself was lacking flavor. It felt like something I'm ok to throw together at home, but should be more special here.

Marinated steak tips-The meat was very chewy, and the flavor was ok.

Pulled pork sandwich-Sadly, the fries were the highlight. Not enough of any of the sandwich fillings and the onion ring inside was small and chewy instead of crispy. Though the meat was tender and the brioche bun was good, every element lacked flavor.

Grilled Mexican Caesar Salad-We should have looked up a picture beforehand, but due to the lettuce being grilled, it was such a small salad. The dressing was good though.

Drinks-We got drinks from the tap and enjoyed them. Good selection. Maybe it's best to just come here if you're in the area to...

The best wings I’ve ever had!

My husband and I went for dinner on Monday, 5.31.21 (Grayson was our waiter and he was great!) and had the Thai peanut wings and mango habanero wings. Both were so good, but the Thai peanut was the best wing I’ve ever had. They were perfectly cooked and the sauce was amazing, unique for a wing, but it worked SO well!

My husband had the beef and chorizo burger, it was cooked perfectly and the tots were crispy and light.

I had the fish and chips, the fish was light and flaky and the breading was proportional to the amount of fish. The coleslaw was really good, it was light and you could taste vegetables! I love as not swimming in a soupy sauce, which made it so much better!

We went back today (6.1.21-Ryan was our waiter and he was great!) for lunch before leaving town so the boys could have the wings and they both devoured an order of the California BBQ wings.

My husband and I split the tri-tip sandwich Philly style and it was delicious with really good fries!

We don’t come to this part of CA often, but will make a stop at The Pillbox Tavern anytime...