Surf & Soul Spot

This is a small place, really only takeout even before the pandemic. I had the dinner basket with chicken wings. Wings were great and made to order, and the fries were awesome. Make sure you call ahead as it will take 20 minutes and there's nowhere to wait.

Delicious. Call ahead, no one answering or busy, keep calling! Food takes about 20-25 minutes if you place an order at the restaurant. Currently, there is no indoor seating. The weekend 2 item combo plate easily feeds two people. Recommend their catfish, pork chop, red beans and rice, and rice w turkey gravy. Came w a corn bread muffin and a slice of pound cake. So good!!! Will be back!

I’ve tried a couple soul food spots in San Diego & not one has hit the spot yet like this one. I get so exited when I come here It only makes it to my car 😂. I’ve only tried the fried chicken wings, Mac & cheese, red beans with rice & the collard greens and it has not disappoint ! The lemonade is in fact too sugary but I found out I can make 2 drinks for the price of one, it taste great & not watered down. Can’t wait to try out surfs menu !

Excellent, I ordered the shrimp and grits for pick up, let me tell you everything was fresh and tasty, they put there foot in them grits 👍🏾, and portions was good, my first time there I'm new to San Diego, no dinning in everything is take out, and they have certain menus for week days and weekends, so definitely call ahead, good job Sis!!!

If you're in the area def check this place out. I got the fish sandwich. It was served on very nice brioche bread. I would've liked a little extra lettuce and remoulade because the fish is thin compared to the thick bread. I liked that they give a heaping order of fries which I threw away most of. The hot sauce was good too. There's street parking only. You order at a counter outside and it takes about 15 min for your food. Everything is cooked fresh.

Food is amazing. I love finding a great soul food spot in san diego. Order ahead because it's pick up only and takes about 25 minutes for the order

+1

Ordered 2 baskets; the chicken and the shrimp and man they were good! The lemonade was in point too! Gotta go back to try the rest of the menu! Got there around noon and the wait was not so bad, but if you are in a rush call ahead and order

This place always hits. Super fresh 100000/10 flavor. Great customer service, thank yall !

Great food and amazing customer service. Although I did wait in line for 25 minutes as soon as they opened, the wait is surely worth it for the food! At opening, there were 10 people in line waiting. A must-have when it comes to soul food in the area. I will definitely come back!

When I say, this food was good, I am not joking! This is a nice little pick up spot. The employees are very friendly and helpful. ORDER EARLY. They serve until they sell out. When the food is gone, it's gone. Believe me when I say, it sells. I ate every morsel in the car! 10 out of 10 HIGHLY RECOMMEND! I had fried chicken that was so good, no sauce was needed, yams, & mac and cheese.

THE MOST AMAZING SOUL FOOD IN SAN DIEGO! I've tried every soul food spot in sd but this is by far the best. The best fried chicken, yams, and mac n cheese. Everything tasted homemade & the people are really nice. Do order it right as they open (you may need to call every ten minutes because it seems like they're phone gets backed up).

Excellent food. Loved the shrimp and grits! You guys should seriously consider putting a menu up out front, and maybe a better sign too. I'd been driving past this place for a year before I realized it was a food establishment. You'd get more business if you had a menu posted above the ordering area.

If you are going there on weekends, go there before they open at 12. Everything in their menu is pretty good! I been getting their chicken wings, mac and cheese, and greens. Also, they do the lemonade of the day too!

The fish sandwich is unbelievably good! Don't miss it. Also love the cookie crunch banana pudding.

Take out only, but worth diving into once you're back in your car. Chollas park isn't too far away if you're into dining al fresco. Anyway, the food was incredible. Some of the best fried catfish and shrimp I've ever had. Keep an eye on their daily specials (we had jerk chicken nachos 😋) and don't skip dessert. Food is made fresh and worth the wait. Staff is so friendly and ready to answer questions. Check it out ASAP.

Our wait time was maybe 15 minutes. The portions are very generous, I wasn’t expecting my fish sandwich to be so large. The coleslaw on the sandwich was delicious as well and I liked that the cabbage wasn’t diced but more-so shredded. The seasoning of all of the seafood was wonderful. The fried shrimp was my absolute favorite. They were also very generous with sauces: tartar and hot sauce. And we shared a grape soda flavored lemonade which was wonderful. Lastly, who doesn’t love a black owned business❤️

I could cry. This place is so GOOD. We got two combo plates and all the sides. When I asked about getting peach cobbler they said it’s included with the plates 😭 like we did not have to pay separately for the dessert!! This is the best place ever and they are so nice to customers.

Sooo delicious Great portions I had the shrimp and grits and let me tell you I would go back just for that!! The shrimp was a nice size perfectly seasoned and the grits with the cheese was perfection Soo good My mother had the fried fish and she isn’t a fan of fried but said it was good The breadstick that came with the order was delicious too My only disappointment was the dessert I ordered the banana pudding It wasn’t Bad just not as good as I hoped since the other food was soo good I will definitely be returning

Was in town on business and decided to check this place out. I arrived around 6 and they were already sold out on the lobster and crab roll so I selected the shrimp basket. I was a little surprised there was no inside seating but after I placed my order I decided to have a drink @nextdoor while I waited for my food. Once my meal was ready I was NOT disappointed and I enjoyed every bite. I loved how they seasoned the fries and the shrimp was perfectly cooked. It is worth the visit and would be a great date night to pick up and order and sit in a park.

I went to San Diego, ca. to see a new place and try new foods. This was by far one of the top food spots I tried while out there. I highly suggest any tourist to check this place out. I ordered the fish and grits(got a good portion as well, was able to save some for later), and some banana pudding. Usually I’m skeptical of eating just anyone’s banana pudding but I can say the fish and grits was great but that banana pudding is what pulled me in and put me in a choke hold. Great food, great service. I just wish I didn’t have to sit in the car and eat. But keep it up!

This place is Legit!!!!! People who complain about the spice and stuff are allergic to flavor probably. And the portions are HUGE I’m not sure how much people want to eat but I’m stuffed. The food is fresh. The lemonade is really good and it is in the sweet side but I’ve got a strong sweet tooth so I don’t mind. Fries were great I chose the truffle version and it’s tasty.

All I will say is go because very good and also the portions are real decent ‼️I got a catfish plate on Friday. Very good delicious lol.

The food was delicious and very flavorful. I had the catfish and fries basket. You have the option to sub the fries for a salad. I will say if you are going during the week - the additional sides are not available. Check their Instagram for specials of the day. I also had the hibiscus strawberry lemonade and it was outstanding. Not too sweet. Like the other reviews mentioned, this is not a dine in restaurant. Order ahead if you can. I didn’t and I had to wait about 30 mins for my food. Also, there is only street parking available.

Best soul food in San Diego been here over 20 times and it’s consistently delicious. The fried chicken and shrimp and grits are the MUST TRY items with the mac and cheese and collard greens being the MUST TRY sides. The lemonade is very sweet and I love the rotating flavors. The desserts on the weekend included with your meal are 10/10 always. The only thing I didn’t like was the corn bread. One of the best restaurants in San Diego

My sister recommended this place to me and I went there for the first time yesterday. I ordered the Shrimp Basket with a lemonade and my friend ordered the Shrimp and Grits. Our bill was $40 excluding the tip. We both really enjoyed our meals! The lemon tartar sauce and hot sauce were so good with the fries and shrimp. I look forward to returning. A few tips before going - 1) There is no indoor or outdoor seating, so be prepared to take your food to go. 2) The food takes about 25 minutes to prepare, so unless you don’t mind waiting, call ahead with your order. 3) Sides like Mac and Cheese, as well as Sweet Tea are only available on the weekends.

The food is sooooo good! Totally soul food just like in Georgia! My whole family loved every bite! Complete covid19 adherence, I cant wait to go back and sit down and eat! Do yourself a favor and get your @$$ over there!

Taylor Amrein

Take out only, but worth diving into once you're back in your car. Chollas park isn't too far away if you're into dining al fresco. Anyway, the food was incredible. Some of the best fried catfish and shrimp I've ever had. Keep an eye on their daily specials (we had jerk chicken nachos 😋) and don't skip dessert. Food is made fresh and worth the wait. Staff is so friendly and ready to answer questions. Check it out ASAP.

Brandi

Our wait time was maybe 15 minutes. The portions are very generous, I wasn’t expecting my fish sandwich to be so large. The coleslaw on the sandwich was delicious as well and I liked that the cabbage wasn’t diced but more-so shredded. The seasoning of all of the seafood was wonderful. The fried shrimp was my absolute favorite. They were also very generous with sauces: tartar and hot sauce. And we shared a grape soda flavored lemonade which was wonderful. Lastly, who doesn’t love a black owned business❤️

Jessica León

I could cry. This place is so GOOD. We got two combo plates and all the sides. When I asked about getting peach cobbler they said it’s included with the plates 😭 like we did not have to pay separately for the dessert!! This is the best place ever and they are so nice to customers.

Danielle Veney

Sooo delicious Great portions I had the shrimp and grits and let me tell you I would go back just for that!! The shrimp was a nice size perfectly seasoned and the grits with the cheese was perfection Soo good My mother had the fried fish and she isn’t a fan of fried but said it was good The breadstick that came with the order was delicious too My only disappointment was the dessert I ordered the banana pudding It wasn’t Bad just not as good as I hoped since the other food was soo good I will definitely be returning

Teresa Anderson

Was in town on business and decided to check this place out. I arrived around 6 and they were already sold out on the lobster and crab roll so I selected the shrimp basket. I was a little surprised there was no inside seating but after I placed my order I decided to have a drink @nextdoor while I waited for my food. Once my meal was ready I was NOT disappointed and I enjoyed every bite. I loved how they seasoned the fries and the shrimp was perfectly cooked. It is worth the visit and would be a great date night to pick up and order and sit in a park.

Khayree Whetstone

I went to San Diego, ca. to see a new place and try new foods. This was by far one of the top food spots I tried while out there. I highly suggest any tourist to check this place out. I ordered the fish and grits(got a good portion as well, was able to save some for later), and some banana pudding. Usually I’m skeptical of eating just anyone’s banana pudding but I can say the fish and grits was great but that banana pudding is what pulled me in and put me in a choke hold. Great food, great service. I just wish I didn’t have to sit in the car and eat. But keep it up!

Kristina Bolt

This place is Legit!!!!! People who complain about the spice and stuff are allergic to flavor probably. And the portions are HUGE I’m not sure how much people want to eat but I’m stuffed. The food is fresh. The lemonade is really good and it is in the sweet side but I’ve got a strong sweet tooth so I don’t mind. Fries were great I chose the truffle version and it’s tasty.

Mr Free press

All I will say is go because very good and also the portions are real decent ‼️I got a catfish plate on Friday. Very good delicious lol.

Lawrencia L

The food was delicious and very flavorful. I had the catfish and fries basket. You have the option to sub the fries for a salad. I will say if you are going during the week - the additional sides are not available. Check their Instagram for specials of the day. I also had the hibiscus strawberry lemonade and it was outstanding. Not too sweet. Like the other reviews mentioned, this is not a dine in restaurant. Order ahead if you can. I didn’t and I had to wait about 30 mins for my food. Also, there is only street parking available.

ashkon dadban

Best soul food in San Diego been here over 20 times and it’s consistently delicious. The fried chicken and shrimp and grits are the MUST TRY items with the mac and cheese and collard greens being the MUST TRY sides. The lemonade is very sweet and I love the rotating flavors. The desserts on the weekend included with your meal are 10/10 always. The only thing I didn’t like was the corn bread. One of the best restaurants in San Diego

Jaleisha Jacobs

My sister recommended this place to me and I went there for the first time yesterday. I ordered the Shrimp Basket with a lemonade and my friend ordered the Shrimp and Grits. Our bill was $40 excluding the tip. We both really enjoyed our meals! The lemon tartar sauce and hot sauce were so good with the fries and shrimp. I look forward to returning. A few tips before going - 1) There is no indoor or outdoor seating, so be prepared to take your food to go. 2) The food takes about 25 minutes to prepare, so unless you don’t mind waiting, call ahead with your order. 3) Sides like Mac and Cheese, as well as Sweet Tea are only available on the weekends.

CrysL Smith

The food is sooooo good! Totally soul food just like in Georgia! My whole family loved every bite! Complete covid19 adherence, I cant wait to go back and sit down and eat! Do yourself a favor and get your @$$ over there!

Stopped by for the first time today while running errands and thoroughly enjoyed the food! I called ahead and right on the 30 min mark my food was ready so it was a quick drop in since there isn’t outdoor seating.

The staff was very friendly and professional. Quality of food was excellent. Staff go out of their way to take care of large family orders. Provided a bug order for my father in-law's (Granddaddy Earl) small family gathering. Everyone loved the food. My wife Monica appreciates this place too.. Park chops are so good they taste like Fried chicken 🍗.. LACTOSE INTOLERANCE: Fried fish - Safe Fried pork chops - Safe BNQ Beans - Safe

For me this ain't no 6 7 type of meal, this a 10 11. This place needs seating so I can order a bigger plate. Everything was delicious and I hope I time my next trip that way right with store hours. The cheesecake was like a banana pudding spin off, the Mac n cheese was saucy and stringy with a nice flavor. the yams smacked and the rice n gravy made me call my mom about thanks giving. Atleast try once. I had the chicken with 3 sides. I just wanna know do they got a bigger plate option? I want a mountain of everything. Especially that crunchy chicken.

I don’t know what the negative reviews are about but I just had the best damn chicken sandwich and fried shrimp I’ve ever had in my damn life. Worked out to about $20 per person after tip. Dude in the front was about his job and took our order professionally and they had our food made and ready in under 20 minutes. I’ll be back to try other items on the menu for sure.

Love the food here! The garlic Parmesan wings are my favorite! I wish they served them every day. The food is hot and yummy every time. Definitely try them out if you’re in SD (:

Fadi Saad

I don’t know what the negative reviews are about but I just had the best damn chicken sandwich and fried shrimp I’ve ever had in my damn life. Worked out to about $20 per person after tip. Dude in the front was about his job and took our order professionally and they had our food made and ready in under 20 minutes. I’ll be back to try other items on the menu for sure.

Ariel

Love the food here! The garlic Parmesan wings are my favorite! I wish they served them every day. The food is hot and yummy every time. Definitely try them out if you’re in SD (:

Roger Ashton

For me this ain't no 6 7 type of meal, this a 10 11. This place needs seating so I can order a bigger plate. Everything was delicious and I hope I time my next trip that way right with store hours. The cheesecake was like a banana pudding spin off, the Mac n cheese was saucy and stringy with a nice flavor. the yams smacked and the rice n gravy made me call my mom about thanks giving. Atleast try once. I had the chicken with 3 sides. I just wanna know do they got a bigger plate option? I want a mountain of everything. Especially that crunchy chicken.

Alexis Hodgson-Sambola

Stopped by for the first time today while running errands and thoroughly enjoyed the food! I called ahead and right on the 30 min mark my food was ready so it was a quick drop in since there isn’t outdoor seating.

Chance Ward

THE MOST AMAZING SOUL FOOD IN SAN DIEGO! I've tried every soul food spot in sd but this is by far the best. The best fried chicken, yams, and mac n cheese. Everything tasted homemade & the people are really nice. Do order it right as they open (you may need to call every ten minutes because it seems like they're phone gets backed up).

Food is great however it’s only for take out. So order ahead and give them at least 15-20 mins.

My fiancé ordered the catfish with chicken wings it also came with bread and French fries. The catfish was REALLY good cooked to perfection the meat looked really fresh. I felt like the hot sauce and ketchup that I used was well needed so maybe the fried food could use more seasoning in order to be really good without any sauce. French fries and bread was ok. Food took 30mins to make

To start off strong, the food was awesome. Me and my buddy had the shrimp and the catfish baskets with fries and it came with a breadstick in each. The only two issues I had was there wasn’t a place to sit and eat, and that there was a 30 minute wait. Not really that big of issues in light of the amazing taste in the portion size of the food. I’m from Virginia and I haven’t had good catfish since 2013 so it was a nice reminder of home. I’ll definitely be back again to try some of the other things on the menu!

Johnny Bannasch

To start off strong, the food was awesome. Me and my buddy had the shrimp and the catfish baskets with fries and it came with a breadstick in each. The only two issues I had was there wasn’t a place to sit and eat, and that there was a 30 minute wait. Not really that big of issues in light of the amazing taste in the portion size of the food. I’m from Virginia and I haven’t had good catfish since 2013 so it was a nice reminder of home. I’ll definitely be back again to try some of the other things on the menu!

Pros: Customer service was good. There was a young lady taking our orders. Garlic breadstick delicious Kiwi Pineapple Lemonade pretty tasty Fried Fish and shrimp delicious. Cons: Truffle Chicken Sandwich - My daughter hates fish and bit into her chicken sandwich and fries and the whole thing tasted like fish. Believe they cooked the chicken in the fish grease (dangerous practice) if this is the case they should have a note warning customers. On the positive side it looked delicious! Unfortunately a waste of money as she took her meal with her to work before she was able to taste it so she had to throw the whole meal away. Arrived at 1045, they opened at 11 and I was second in line and my order took an hour. I understand they take phone calls for orders however they should Ensure that their customers that were there as soon as they opened, should not have to wait an hour. several people arrived to pick up their orders well before 11:30. This means they called in their orders at 11 but like I said, I was there before 11 to have my order taken. I wonder if they started accepting calls earlier than 11. The banana pudding was just OK. Would I return? I’m not sure, but I encourage others to go and try it for themselves. Just ensure you call your order in before going so that you’re not waiting.

I expected better based on the person who suggested this place to me. Maybe it was an off day. I ordered the fish basket and it was really salty and thin. Salt aside, there was a really good seasoning on the fish. I didn't expect the fries to have a spicy kick but I'm sure some people like that. The lemonade was good but to sweet for me since I've been cutting back on sugar lately, so I can't fault them for that. I really liked the banana pudding dessert, also too sweet for me and I expected bananas instead of banana flavored pudding. Didn't expect it to be refrigerated either but I guess I'm old school and from the South. The crunch was a nice touch though. I wish I knew to call my order in before I drove across town to wait 30 mins for my order to be prepared. I can appreciate the made to order freshness though. The fish and fries were nice and hot. Service was friendly.

Johnnie

I expected better based on the person who suggested this place to me. Maybe it was an off day. I ordered the fish basket and it was really salty and thin. Salt aside, there was a really good seasoning on the fish. I didn't expect the fries to have a spicy kick but I'm sure some people like that. The lemonade was good but to sweet for me since I've been cutting back on sugar lately, so I can't fault them for that. I really liked the banana pudding dessert, also too sweet for me and I expected bananas instead of banana flavored pudding. Didn't expect it to be refrigerated either but I guess I'm old school and from the South. The crunch was a nice touch though. I wish I knew to call my order in before I drove across town to wait 30 mins for my order to be prepared. I can appreciate the made to order freshness though. The fish and fries were nice and hot. Service was friendly.

First impressions of surf & soul not great 👎🏾 the gentleman that order my food was friendly and and professional... After ordering shrimp and grits as well as a catfish plate I was told the food will be ready within 15 minutes. I left went shopping at Burlington coat factory roughly 2 miles away came back 25 minutes later only for the employee to ask me if I had made an order which I replied I did after stating that I had come back beyond the time that I was told for a wait the bald young lady was giving me an attitude if my food order my was enormous it's not as if they had a long line they only took two orders and it took them almost an hour to get two orders out I will not be frequenting again.. overall impression if you plan to eat here is I would be to call your order ahead if you want to eat okay food go ahead but don't go there for the service its shity... Makes for a bad overall experience most of the staff need to learn customer service and check their attitudes at the door

Food is great here. However the service here is consistently terrible. First you need to call in an order which can have you calling multiple times. Then they say wait 30 minutes. Today, they told me to wait that long. I show up 40 minutes later. And still, I am waiting outside for my food and extra 15-20 minutes. It took nearly an hour for my food to arrive after calling in the order which is unacceptable now. My food should’ve been packaged ready to pick up when I arrived, not have me waiting 15 minutes longer and asking for my name multiple times. They need to streamline their service here. Have an online order and not have customers waiting so long to receive their food.

Amory Boyce

First impressions of surf & soul not great 👎🏾 the gentleman that order my food was friendly and and professional... After ordering shrimp and grits as well as a catfish plate I was told the food will be ready within 15 minutes. I left went shopping at Burlington coat factory roughly 2 miles away came back 25 minutes later only for the employee to ask me if I had made an order which I replied I did after stating that I had come back beyond the time that I was told for a wait the bald young lady was giving me an attitude if my food order my was enormous it's not as if they had a long line they only took two orders and it took them almost an hour to get two orders out I will not be frequenting again.. overall impression if you plan to eat here is I would be to call your order ahead if you want to eat okay food go ahead but don't go there for the service its shity... Makes for a bad overall experience most of the staff need to learn customer service and check their attitudes at the door

Not as good as people hype it up to be. At this point its just black people supporting black people. But you can cook it better at home. The seasoning doesn't even hit its borderline bland. They have to do something about the choices in seasoning. Especially for a $20 plate.

I came here to buy their strawberry shortcake cheesecake. I waited in line to talk to someone and they said that they cannot sell the dessert separately, the dessert can only be purchased with a meal. When they posted it on instagram, they didn't advertise it like that which is what made me even more upset. I wouldn't have this problem if they answered their phone at 12pm when they opened but I called multiple times and it went straight to voicemail every time