Dobsons Bar and Restaurant

Located close to the Westin gaslamp (there are two Westins nearby so I have to make this clear) this small restaurant was a delight to visit for lunch. Space is very limited so I wouldn’t recommend bringing parties larger than 4, particularly if it’s going to be a busy night. The first thing you notice is the bar which is solid wood and has been there for a while. There is an upstairs level for more intimate dining, but again, I can’t stress enough this place isn’t huge. But the word I think that best describes this place? Classy. It’s a place for a business lunch or a date. The food was amazing. I had this meatball soup that was incredible. My guests visited the day before and also raved about the food. They mostly drank instead of eat on the day of our visit, but our vote was this to definitely come back. Sadly, we never did, and I fear this was the one and only time I’d experience this wonderful little place.

My friend treated me here bcz it's Restaurant Week. I had Artichoke salad and he had the Mussels Bisque soup. Then our entrée was Salmon. The service was great and the food was delicious!

The shrimp is amazing! The fish and Chips are delicious and the Mussel Bisque is truly delicious. The service was great and the atmosphere is relaxing and warm. My wife and I truly enjoyed ourselves. Go and enjoy!

One of the best restaurants I have been to in San Diego County. 5 star in ambiance, beverage and food. Small but alot of history. The Bartender and server were the best, knowledgeable and attentive. The food was so flavorful. Wine was delicious. Desserts were out of this world. I will be back for sure.

Penni P

Old school restaurant, reminds me of some5hing you would find in NYC. My husband and I like to sit up at the counter. We always order a mussel bisque soup… it is AMAZING. It is rich, so be prepared. The presentation is beautiful. We also really like the Cesar salad and the bread is delicious. I always get a French 75 and my husband gets an old fashion. I believe they have a HH, however I have never been there during the HH time.

Cory Radisch

I flew in from New Jersey and read about their mussel bisque soup. It was as good as advertised. The Filet Mignon with escargot and garlic sauce was outstanding. I sat at the bar and the bartender Mike was excellent. He was personable and attentive, never letting my water glass get empty.

Jie-Wei Wu (Jie-Wei Wu)

There were a lot of people drinking and talking at the bar around 5:45pm and they were all gone at 7pm. We took the corner seat at the bar since all the tables were seemingly occupied. The mussels bisque was insane! The lamb had strong lamb taste, too strong that I didn’t really like it.

Vieux Francais

Nice little restaurant/bar that has been around for decades. Good drinks, active bar crowd, good food.

Lanie

10/10 experience at Dobson’s with fantastic food, wine, and service. Their bread service is enough to make me want to make another reservation - the fresh sourdough and warmed butter is hard to beat. We ordered the dinner specials for the night which were sea bass and lamb shanks. Both had incredible flavor and were appropriately portioned and priced. Since it was Valentine’s Day, they brought out cheesecake for dessert with a strawberry sauce on top - delicious!

Jordan Jennings

One of the best crab cakes I’ve ever had. My fiancé and I split the chef special filet mignon. Michael the bartender was fantastic. Will be coming back every time we visit SD.

Kevin Cox

Good things come in small packages. Y’all…this place is AMAZING!! This cozy, teeny-tiny restaurant / bar is one of the best places I’ve eaten in a long while. And I travel globally for a living. Let’s get this right: the place is SMALL….but the warmth and charm of its decor, and more importantly: its wonderful STAFF, make it feel inviting and comfortable. I went to eat dinner by myself and was warmly greeted by the lovely hostess. I had a few cocktails and the complimentary sour dough bread, which was amazing. No seriously, like life changingly amazing. The free bread is worth it alone. Now…the food. I had the Mussels Bisque. Nothing short of perfection. Rich, creamy, covered in a chewy phyllo dough that was pierced table side and splashed with a shot of sherry. Decadence! For my main course I had the Filet Mignon Chez Martin which was cooked perfectly to my “medium” specifications and topped with a decadent escargot sauce. For dessert I had the crème brûlée which was made from scratch. I know this because I heard the whirring of the egg beating machine and saw the young lady torching it before bringing to me. The perks of dining in a TINY restaurant! LOL Even the piped in music was on point!! The Cure, AC/DC, Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Foo Fighters. My lil GenX heart was as full as my tummy. This place feels “local”, but still inclusive. I saw several patrons who clearly knew the staff (joking and laughing with them) come and go. And yet I, too, was made to feel right at home …. even as a first timer. Like I belonged there. I 100 percent recommend this place for cocktails or an amazing dinner. PS: I just KNOW this chef trained in France. I know it. LOL

Jeffrey Wolf

The food was wonderful a bit cramped, it obviously caters to a specific crowd, but was very accommodating to two tourists who randomly chose the place on a walk by. A very happy choice. The fresh bread was wonderful and salmon was the BEST I've ever had. It's not cheap, but it's actually worth what it cost. Deducted 1 star. Service was good waiter, he walked by us 4 time before offering us anything to drink. Other then that it was great.

Gary Alling

I love this restaurant. It is a complete contradiction to the typical expectation. It looks like a bar but has excellent French inspired cuisine but also has amazing cocktails, wine and beer selections. Do yourself a favor and have the French onion soup and the homemade sourdough bread. We had the linguine stroganoff and it was really tasty! Don’t let google fool you, they are open Sundays as well most of the time. If you like escargot, theirs is authentic and only better when poured over the piece of sourdough it comes with!!

Robert Moody

Located close to the Westin gaslamp (there are two Westins nearby so I have to make this clear) this small restaurant was a delight to visit for lunch. Space is very limited so I wouldn’t recommend bringing parties larger than 4, particularly if it’s going to be a busy night. The first thing you notice is the bar which is solid wood and has been there for a while. There is an upstairs level for more intimate dining, but again, I can’t stress enough this place isn’t huge. But the word I think that best describes this place? Classy. It’s a place for a business lunch or a date. The food was amazing. I had this meatball soup that was incredible. My guests visited the day before and also raved about the food. They mostly drank instead of eat on the day of our visit, but our vote was this to definitely come back. Sadly, we never did, and I fear this was the one and only time I’d experience this wonderful little place.

Renae

My friend treated me here bcz it's Restaurant Week. I had Artichoke salad and he had the Mussels Bisque soup. Then our entrée was Salmon. The service was great and the food was delicious!

Mike Vazqueztell

The shrimp is amazing! The fish and Chips are delicious and the Mussel Bisque is truly delicious. The service was great and the atmosphere is relaxing and warm. My wife and I truly enjoyed ourselves. Go and enjoy!

James Miller

One of the best restaurants I have been to in San Diego County. 5 star in ambiance, beverage and food. Small but alot of history. The Bartender and server were the best, knowledgeable and attentive. The food was so flavorful. Wine was delicious. Desserts were out of this world. I will be back for sure.

Bradley Schiff

Best spot we went to in San Diego. Service was high class and on point. Prices are fair. Decor is classy and elegant, live music playing the perfect songs in a great tone to set the mood, and the food was excellent. The mussel bisque is the best bisque of any kind I've ever had. It's a travesty to not get it. Tiramissu was unbelievably good as well, thick cream with the perfect amount of coffee flavor as to not over power it. If you're visiting its a mistake to not come here.

H. Yee

Dobson's 8 oz. filet steak is soft top prime cut, on par with Ruth Chris. Decor similar to Indianapolis St. Elmo Steakhouse a lot of dark wood paneling. Service attentive. A bit less formal more like a bar environment resembling narrow NY restaurant. Duck breast tasty and moist. Tiramisu smooth texture. House cabernet the same, not bitter/tart. White Russian bar drink potent. Hit all the marks for a 2 bill dinner for two. Has upstairs seating with balcony overlooking lower bar. You need reservations unless maybe you might elbow up to the bar counter. Mixed green salad as expected plus ordered really good and crusty crunchy sourdough and sooo soft bread inside. Would visit again.

Tran Mai

Soup and escargot steak were excellent! Friendly server and was busier due to a show happening around the corner

Enjoyed a quiet dinner with a friend who as a local had wonderful things to say about the history of Dobson's. The appetizer was good and the Chilean Seabass was excellent. The server was very friendly and the atmosphere was amazing. Will return next time I am in San Diego.

We vacationed in San Diego, while I was pregnant in 2021. If I ever go back, it will be for this restaurant. We stopped in Dobson's, as a kind of spur. It was pretty late, but we were still treated as VIP. The bar was filled with conversation and laughter. We sat upstairs. I ordered the shrimp linguine. I am from New Jersey and my Mom from Philly, so I typically would never order Italian on the West Coast...I'm so glad I did. It was by far the best meal I ever had. Everything was so fresh. The mushrooms and tomatoes balanced the cream so well. My husband ordered filet mignon, and the chef made my son an off the menu chicken Alfredo. He was so nice and went above and beyond to ensure my son had something he liked. This chef absolutely knows what he is doing and he's killing it.

Marcia Cooke

Cuisine is EXCELLENT!! Servers are professional & personable. Inside is intimate & charming. Definitely stop by for lunch or happy hour. Lovely ambiance. Try the Tiramisu 😀

JuanMiguel Gonzalez

Enjoyed a quiet dinner with a friend who as a local had wonderful things to say about the history of Dobson's. The appetizer was good and the Chilean Seabass was excellent. The server was very friendly and the atmosphere was amazing. Will return next time I am in San Diego.

Brooke Owens

We vacationed in San Diego, while I was pregnant in 2021. If I ever go back, it will be for this restaurant. We stopped in Dobson's, as a kind of spur. It was pretty late, but we were still treated as VIP. The bar was filled with conversation and laughter. We sat upstairs. I ordered the shrimp linguine. I am from New Jersey and my Mom from Philly, so I typically would never order Italian on the West Coast...I'm so glad I did. It was by far the best meal I ever had. Everything was so fresh. The mushrooms and tomatoes balanced the cream so well. My husband ordered filet mignon, and the chef made my son an off the menu chicken Alfredo. He was so nice and went above and beyond to ensure my son had something he liked. This chef absolutely knows what he is doing and he's killing it.

Sue Martindale

Quaint bar/restaurant near Civic Theatre where we enjoyed dinner before our show. Pricey, but very tasty. Crème brûlée, my favorite dessert, was surprisingly meh due to the fact that the entire ramekin must have been placed in the oven to crystalize the sugar because we couldn't touch the sides of the dish as it was scorching hot. Also the custard was more runny than firm due to the overheating. Otherwise, a terrific dinner.

Food tasted amazing, but smaller portions and charges for the bread, weird.. Atmosphere was good, and friendly accommodating service. Host was good at the front, gave my wife a rose since it was valentines day.

This San Diego landmark is a must stop for cocktails after work or to celebrate a BIG win at work. Cozy street-level bar seating or upstairs tables. Chefs got game! Do not miss out on World’s Famous Mussel Bisque.

Waited an hour and 10 minutes for cold entrée to be delivered and only after flagging our waiter down asking where our food was. We sent it back and asked for the check, had a show to be at and couldn't wait another hour for our meal. We did get a ceaser salad, bottle of wine and French onion soup timely. Salad was good, soup tasteless. At one hour and 15 minutes we got our check. $91.00 with tip and 3% surcharge they add (don't ask me why I still tipped). Always heard good things, extremely disappointed. Never going back. Fool me once

Truly terrible business practices. Asked if they took gift cards. They happily told me they did. After eating over $100 worth of food they told me that between 12pm when I called and 6pm when I ate that they no longer accept said gift card. Any decent establishment would have at least discounted the meal and apologized. Nope… they doubled down and said that it was not their problem. First bad review I’ve ever written.