George’s at the Cove

La Jolla, United States

3.5

Closed now

42 reviews

Accepts Credit Cards

Contacts

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Telephone:
+1 858-454-4244
Website:
www.georgesatthecove.com
Address:
1250 Prospect St, La Jolla, CA, 92037
b/t Ivanhoe Ave & Roslyn Ln
La Jolla
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
0.6 mi30
2.8 miNobel Drive
2.9 miGilman Dr & Villa La Jolla Dr
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Bussiness info

Takes Reservations
Yes
Delivery
No
Take-out
No
Accepts Credit Cards
Yes
Good For
Dinner
Parking
Valet, Street
Bike Parking
No
Wheelchair Accessible
Yes
Good for Kids
No
Good for Groups
Yes
Attire
Casual
Ambience
Upscale
Noise Level
Average
Music
Background
Good For Dancing
No
Alcohol
Full Bar
Happy Hour
Yes
Best Nights
Thu, Fri, Sat
Coat Check
Yes
Smoking
No
Outdoor Seating
Yes
Wi-Fi
No
Has TV
Yes
Dogs Allowed
No
Waiter Service
Yes
Caters
No
Has Pool Table
No
Accepts Apple Pay
No

Today

Today 11:00 am – 10:00 pm
Closed now
Local time (La Jolla) 9:24 AM Tuesday, June 24, 2025

Business hours

Monday 11:00 am – 10:00 pm
Tuesday 11:00 am – 10:00 pm
Wednesday 11:00 am – 10:00 pm
Thursday 11:00 am – 10:00 pm
Friday 11:00 am – 11:00 pm
Saturday 11:00 am – 11:00 pm
Sunday 11:00 am – 10:00 pm

Description

Specialties

George’s at the Cove is a renowned three-​level dining destination located in the heart of La Jolla overlooking the Pacific Ocean and northern coastline.

Considered the region’s best rooftop dining, the popular George’s Ocean Terrace — complete with a newly expanded and elevated bar — offers casual al fresco fare for lunch and dinner that is perfectly complemented by sweeping ocean views.

Recently reinvented from floor to ceiling, the all-​new George’s Level2 — located on the second level — is elevating the craft of cocktails with housemade ingredients and handcut ice used in proprietary recipes and twists on the classics, along with unique punches, sours, coolers and more.

On the lower level, George’s California Modern is a contemporary fine dining restaurant and bar featuring nationally-​acclaimed executive chef and partner Trey Foshee’s seasonally-​driven California cuisine. George’s California Modern offers guests an opportunity to explore «San Diego on a plate» through a la carte or tasting menus inspired by the lifestyle, ingredients and sense of place that is San Diego.

Whether celebrating a special occasion or simply looking to enjoy the San Diego lifestyle to its fullest, George’s at the Cove is an essential part of any visit to the region.

Reservations and gift cards are available online.

History

Established in 1984.

In 1984, George Hauer opened what is today one of America’s top independent restaurants, George’s at the Cove. A quarter century later, his «tiered» concept, a first for the San Diego market, is celebrated by locals and visitors alike for its spectacular ocean views, service and seasonal approach to food. Together George and his partners, Executive Chef, Trey Foshee and Director of Operations, April Johnson, are committed to delivering an exceptional dining experience to each and every guest.

Meet the Business Owner

Trey F.

Business Owner

Born in Hawaii and raised in Ojai, California, Chef Trey Foshee has always drawn inspiration from the ocean. His restaurant career began as a busboy earning tips to support his surfing habit. Today, he is the executive chef, partner and creative force behind George’s at the Cove, one of the highest grossing independent restaurants in America, and Galaxy Taco, a casual Mexican eatery in La Jolla Shores.

A classically trained graduate of The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, Trey’s focus is on nature’s best ingredients, resulting in pure, intensified flavors that have become the signature of San Diego’s most popular restaurant and helped to define the cuisine of the region. His approach has earned him continued acclaim, from one of «America’s Ten Best New Chefs» by Food & Wine, to «Chef of the Year» by the California Travel Industry Association and the San Diego Chefs Hall of Fame. He also serves on the Culinary Council for ment’or BKB.

George’s at the Cove also recommends

George’s at the Cove: California Modern

365

reviews

American (New)

Trey F. says,

«Our service, environment and seasonally-​driven cuisine are what make California Modern one of America’s top restaurants.»

George’s at the Cove: Ocean Terrace

1122

reviews

American (New)

,

Lounges

Trey F. says,

«Named one of the „Top 100 Al Fresco Dining Restaurants in America“, our upstairs terrace’s food and ocean views are beloved by locals and visitors.»

George’s at the Cove: Level2

69

reviews

American (New)

,

Cocktail Bars

Trey F. says,

«From housemade ingredients to handcut ice, we’re elevating the craft of cocktails in La Jolla at Level2, our all-​new second floor bar.»

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42 reviews of George’s at the Cove

No registration required
Place rating: 5
Arlington, VA
The million dollar view of La Jolla cove is reason enough to come to George’s at the Cove. They have three levels of seating and pretty much every seat has ocean view.
For the best view, I recommend sitting on the rooftop patio! I came for lunch on a weekday and I was able to immediately get a table. I was surprised that it wasn’t more crowded. Probably has something to do with all of the construction going on outside.
For lunch, I had a blackened fish sandwich and it was served with a side mixed green salad. The sandwich was on a ciabatta role and it had lots of guacamole on it. It was really good and I would definitely get it again!
The service was good. Not too many tables, so it would be hard to mess that up!
The street parking here is a little tricky, but they do have a valet available.
Place rating: 5
Corona, CA
Great location! Came here for happy hour a couple weeks ago. It is very hard to get a table if you are walking in, make sure to get a reservation. We just sat at the bar and the bartender was very attentive. The view of the ocean was absolutely gorgeous.
This place can be a bit pricey, but their food is delicious. The truffle mac and cheese was very tasty. I ordered a gin cocktail and an old fashioned. The old fashioned wasn’t quite what I was used to, but the gin cocktail was fabulous. Would definitely return for another happy hour excursion.
Place rating: 4
Alexandria, VA
Great brunch experience today, food was excellent, service was okay, ambiance and the view is on point !
Def coming back again…
Place rating: 3
San Diego, CA
I came here for my cousin’s birthday dinner, it was a party of about 10 of us, I loved the gorgeous view and atmosphere. The outside was under construction, so it was kind of hard to find, but that’s not the restaurants fault. I had a shrimp dish and it was so delicious, I forgot the name of it. The waiter messed up my bill pretty bad, I only had one drink, and one entrée, but I was charged $ 30 more after they ran my card. I had to wait the whole weekend for the right amount to clear, so that was pretty messed up. I also didn’t like how they had different menus for each level, it should be the same no matter where you sit. I’ll be back, for sure.
Place rating: 4
Universal City, Estados Unidos
Uma vista inebriante com um azul do céu e do mar num infinito inspirador! Perfeito para um dia de sol, tomar um vinho rosée no terraço. Ótimo atendimento, possui vallet em frente ao restaurante. Os pratos podem ser divididos caso você não esteja morrendo de fome. Há um bar caso a intenção seja somente de drinks. Preço justo em relação ao que é oferecido.
Place rating: 4
Saratoga, CA
The view is indescribable. Customer service is A+. The food selection is limited but everything they had is good! Highly recommend! Impress your friends who are visiting San Diego!
Place rating: 3
San Diego, CA
Went here tonight on a Monday later evening for a birthday dinner for a friend the place was under outside construction but we were able to find the location after asking a someone walking by. The place inside was really nice a perfect view basically everything we were looking for. We were greeted quickly but unfortunately service went very down hill after that. As someone working in the industry i really wanted to give the server the benefit of the doubt everyone has bad days but on a good note the food was excellent and at the end of the night my friend spoke to management and they clearly did what they could to turn the night around still would tell people to come here I’m sure that this was just fluke experience but giving a 3 star since the service was for this evening substandard.
Place rating: 4
San Diego, CA
We came here after having brunch near by on Sunday Funday. The view at Georges is beautiful… breathtaking. If you want to impress a date, this is the place! I have yet to try the food but the drinks and service were amazing! The restaurant itself is perfectly situated along a street filled with shops and other restaurants. I’ll be back for sure to try the food and update my review.
Place rating: 4
San Diego, CA
I was finally able to try this place out last night with some of my coworkers for their happy hour!
I was so excited to go to George’s because I heard the Kardashians ate here before ha ha
There’s different levels in the restaurant depending on the type of meal you’re having. Their happy hour is on the second level, they also serve dinner as well. You can only get a table if you decide to have dinner. Otherwise happy hour is only on the bar tables.
Here’s the deal for happy hour, it’s from Monday– Friday 3:30 — 6:30pm
Crispy Calamari $ 7.50 — This was pretty good. I was bummed they didn’t have tartar sauce but they serve it with lemon aioli which ended up tasting great!
Short Rib Panini $ 5– It comes with two small triangle paninis. They serve it with a bunch of fries. It’s doesn’t taste bad and it’s pretty cheap!
Jack «Rose» Cocktail” $ 7– Laird’s Applejack Brandy, grenadine and lime. Okay, this drink was pretty strong! I’m a lightweight and I felt this drink FAST! That was only me though, everyone else who ordered this seemed fine.
Overall this place was pretty good. For some reason I was expecting more. The place smelled super bad, I’m assuming it was the high tide and hoping it’s not the restaurant patrons… Be careful if you’re on a date here, you’ll be looking at each other wondering if it’s your boo that reeks!
There weren’t many people at all for their happy hour which I’m not sure is a good thing.
The view is gorgeous, you get to see the splashing waves of La Jolla Cove.
Maybe I’ll try to come back and have dinner here but I’m in no rush.
Place rating: 4
Warren, MI
We came here for an afternoon cocktail and maybe some food and we had a nice time. We lucked out and got a table with little wait right at the edge of the terrace with a beautiful view. My friend and I each ordered a fruity cocktail with lychee juice in it (I cannot remember the name and the links on the website menu do not appear to be working right now) and while a bit pricey at $ 17 each, they were great. We also shared a kale salad and the fish tacos. Both were decent, but you definitely come here for the terrace view. Three stars for the food, but the terrace and the view added another.
Place rating: 1
Chicago, IL
I will start this review by saying that I was there with a bachelor party. By no means was it a perfect group as we took separate cabs and didn’t all arrive at the same time. Group of 20 guys. It started with the hostess who couldn’t bring herself to be pleasant at all. If we wanted to ask any questions, we certainly didn’t feel comfortable asking her. I’m not sure if our server treated us so poorly because she knew that she was guaranteed a certain amount due to the minimum we had to pay, but she treated us like crap.
On one side of the table, our server was asked to recommend her favorite wine and she just said she doesn’t drink wine. That’s it. On the other end of the table, wine was ordered and just forgotten until the meal was almost done. Once we said that we couldn’t finish the wine before dinner, she didn’t even bother recommending a glass of wine for us. She just walked away.
Everyone liked their food, but she didn’t make it a good experience at all. I wanted to pay for an additional side salad and she wouldn’t let me. In a 2.5 hour dining experience, I only received my first drink and couldn’t even place an order for the rest of the night.
As you can tell, I’ve never written a review, but I’ve also never had an experience like this. It wasn’t just bad because of accidents. It seemed to be bad service because we weren’t wanted there.
Place rating: 3
Orange County, CA
First off, the view of the ocean is amazing! Absolutely beautiful. This place is actually big, like 3 stories high, the very bottom floor is only open during dinner. We were seated on the terrace… it was so windy and breezy, we were actually shivering (and this was in april). But the view makes up for it. I give the view a 5+ star. Make reservations though. they open at 11am and there was already a line when we were there.
But the 3 stars is for the quality of the foood. The food actually wasn’t that great. I was there with 9 other girls and half of us did not like our food. The clams pasta was tooo seafood-​y. My fish sandwich was OK. My other friend had the short ribs panini and did not think it was great either. Two friends got alcoholic beverages and had to add in more salt to make it taste better. I had such high expectations for the foood but it was disappointing. expected so much more beacuse of its location and price.
But the view is amazing and I’d return for the views and some drinks.
Place rating: 3
Los Angeles, CA
Ok… everyone raves about the view from the rooftop, but it’s not anywhere near as awesome as the downstairs area where you can get happy hour, a suuuuuuper comfy couch to sit on facing the ocean, and the ability to actually hear and talk to the people you have company with. So the downstairs view is great and beautiful… and even though you’re right by the seals you don’t smell them (huge plus).
So why the 3 stars? The food really was not very good at all. The tacos were pretty gross. Tasted like slopped meat in a tortilla. The calamari was wayyyyyyy too salty and over done. The rib sandwich was extremely tiny. The drinks, on the other hand were delicious… but I think it’s because we ordered the right drinks. Some of our friends ordered beverages that weren’t so great.
So really, this place is just mehhhh in my opinion. Would I ever come back here? Maybe if I had friends from out of town over and wanted a place to go with a great view. That’s prob about it.
Place rating: 3
Milwaukee, WI
This place is in a beautiful even magical location on the water. We came here for a business function and unfortunately were seated in the room up front meaning no ocean view. Bummer.
Food was pre fixed dinner menu which us fine but first course took an hour to arrive. All that time to make a salad? Granted they were from Chinos farm but did you have to go pick up the veggies ?
Salad dressing was too acidic so fresh lettuce and radishes lost their pizzazz.
Main course was a choice — I picked beef tenderloin. Really nice cut of meat but I asked for medium and received medium well. Bummer. Veggies again from Chinos were nicely prepared.
I passed on dessert — a lemon poached meringue with sorel sorbet. Even if I wanted sugar it was too odd of a dish. No one at my table raved.
So I wanted to give 4 stars as I’ve eaten here before and food is usually delicious. Guess the view of the street under construction along with slow service is what to expect if your not a regular couple going out to dinner.
Keep that in mind if your planning a business event.
Place rating: 2
San Francisco, CA
First off, we were quoted a 20 minute wait to dine downstairs. The wait took twice as long as we ended up waiting 40 minutes.
On to the food… If you’ve ever been on a cruise ship, you’ve basically had this food experience and can skip out on this place. The place has so many accolades (though they seemed a bit out of date) that I’m thinking the dinner menu must be drastically different than the lunch one.
My group of friends wanted to start off with some chips and salsa. Truthfully, I didn’t want to order them because I saw how it looked at neighboring tables. It honestly looked like what you could get at the supermarket. We ended up getting an order and I was right. Absolutely nothing special about the chips and salsa at all. $ 7 down the drain. My friend asked for more chips and they secretly charged us $ 2 for a side order of flour tortillas. Really? OK.
The poor appetizer experience set the tone for the main course. I had the Blackened Seasonal Fish Sandwich at the recommendation of our waitress. If it matters, the seasonal fish was yellowtail. This sandwich was also incredibly mediocre. I didn’t finish my sandwich and I didn’t touch the limp salad that accompanied it.
I am honestly baffled that this place has such high reviews. I could see giving it 5 stars if I were on the terrace getting drinks so maybe those are the only people writing reviews here.
Place rating: 1
Singapore, Singapore
This is the kind of food I would expect from an airplane if airplanes served fish tacos and chips and salsa.
This restaurant feels like something left over from their heyday in the 90’s. The ambiance was run down and super cheesy.
Regarding the chips and salsa, if you went to Taco Bell, grabbed their chips, and went to the grocery store for some guacamole and fresh salsa, it would have been leagues beyond what they were serving here for much less than $ 7 a serving (an additional $ 2 if you ask for more chips).
Now onto their famous fish tacos. Who doesn’t double up on corn tortillas for tacos?! My tortilla immediately started tearing and falling apart as I ate it. Honestly, go to any taco shop and they’ll do you much better.
The only redeeming thing was the view.
Place rating: 3
New York, NY
This is an OK restaurant with a great location. Half of the place’s personality lies on its location. The food is just ok, they have very little variety when it comes to selecting your main dish. I went there with a party of ten, and surprisingly no one ordered sea-​food, which is supposed to be the places’s specialty. The reason is that the selection tends to be really limited. Fried calamari? Nope. Tuna? Nope.
It’s worth going to because of the view, which is amazing. Other than that, service is just ok, food is just ok and drinks are also just average.
Place rating: 5
Los Angeles, CA
This place is a must visit if you’re visiting San Diego! This rooftop bar with the view of the ocean is so beautiful! You really get a grasp of the luxurious and peaceful vibes of La Jolla at this place.
Georges has three floors.
3. The bottom is a fancy restaurant that opens at night
2. second floor is lunch restaurant with a full bar, with a nice view of the ocean
1. top floor is roofless lunch restaurant with plenty of umbrellas, and a full bar.
I would say you can get the best full view of the ocean on the top floor but shade is limited. The bar is a great place to relax and hang out while enjoying some of their signature cocktails.
Place rating: 4
San Diego, CA
Came here on the whim on a Thursday at 3pm. Went up to the third floor and got seated immediately. The hostess didn’t seem very outgoing, and I don’t think she smiled once (maybe it was due to the cold weather and construction, who knows). Didn’t get a seat by the glass at first, but the nice busboy let us switch tables once there was one available! He was the friendliest worker we encountered. The waitress was nice, but it took us a while to order because we had to flag her down.
The food came out quickly, which was a bonus. I tried the linguine and the pork tacos. I was surprised at how much meat were in my tacos! Very generous portion but having so much meat also made my soft shell taco rip (not a big deal!). The linguine was mediocre. With the added salmon, the dish came out to $ 22, which wasn’t worth it. Next time I would love to try the spaghetti with clams!
In sum, you’re coming for decent food and an awesome view. You can see the ocean, people snorkeling, and adorable sea lions. Definitely worth a try! As for parking, look for street parking or drive a little farther up and park in residential.
Place rating: 4
Bountiful, Salt Lake City, UT
I came here with some work colleagues since we were in town for a conference. We figured this would be a great spot to entertain a customer.
All of the tables were taken in the shade so we opted for a table in the full sunlight but which had a fantastic view of the beach. Our waiter was very helpful and provided some good suggestions from the menu.
I ordered the cemitas (?) sandwich. It came recommended by the waiter. It was absolutely amazing! It was full of flavor and had all of the right elements from crispy to tender. The rest of our party was very happy with what they ordered. I didn’t realize that their fish tacos were featured on the food network until after we left but that might be a good thing to consider next time I come.
The vibe here is casual even though it’s menu is fairly high-​priced. If you come during the day you might want to bring a hat just in case all of the shaded tables are taken.
Place rating: 5
Seattle, WA
You get the beautiful, unobstructed view of La Jolla — it is truly spectacular, I was snapping photos left and right. I recommend making a reservation prior to minimize wait times, we waited about 15 minutes before being seated. Upon arrival we requested to be seated at the edge of the Terrace, otherwise would’ve been promptly seated.
Dishes were top-​notch and our server went above and beyond to accommodate our table. Pricing wise, food is relatively inexpensive considering the quality, view, and restaurant location. Drinks were tasty & moderately priced. Also, i’d recommend going when the sun is on the horizon at sunrise or sunset — undoubtedley most beautiful times of the day. It gets pitch dark (no view whatsoever) after sunset, so plan accordingly. Georges at the cove is one of my favorite restaurants in San Diego. There may be better restaurants in San Deigo, but the view is surely unbeatable.
Place rating: 5
San Francisco, CA
Brought some of my co-​workers here as part of a tour of San Diego and it did not disappoint! The ocean terrace upstairs has breathtaking ocean views and is the perfect setting for dining or just drinks. As for the food? The stuffed dates, calamari and hummus are perfectly prepared as starters and the Asian-​marinated skirt steak was absolutely delicious! Although I didn’t have a chance to try it, a couple of my colleagues tried a braised-​beef short rib which was said to be fall-​off-​the-​bone tender and quite scrumptious. There is also a great selection of local beers to complement your meal, if you’re a beer guy or gal, that is. I strongly recommend!
Place rating: 2
San Diego, CA
We really wanted to sit outside and enjoy the views and have some drinks. The bar was too small and had a terrible view so we left. The staff had an attitude and made us feel unwelcome. Definitely not a good spot to take an out of town visitor. Eddie V’s is a much better spot to go!
Place rating: 1
San Diego, CA
It was so horrible! We had a reservation for six + 2 babies and they had to call the manager if we can gi in with our strollers! In which world are we living?
The second thing is this badly construction. The table they reserved for us was just in front of the instruction. The noise was so bad and even it was everything else then a ‘nice breakfast’
At least we wanted to sit while we were waiting of the other 2 people but we were not allowed to. The rule says that we can not sit til all the persona arrive. So we had to wait (4 people incl. a baby) for the other 2 persons. It’ unbelievable. I never would go there again. The service and the staff is very unfriendly and stupid.
Place rating: 3
Redwood City, CA
Came here with an old friend during my San Diego trip. Made res for 1245 pm but we ended up running about 30 min late. Hostess was very cordial and we were promptly seated at one of the best tables on the terrace.
Views and experience 5 stars.
Food is mediocre. Started with a kale salad and it looked more like arugula. Entrée was linguine with clams. Some of the clams did not taste very fresh and the tomato sauce tasted like it came from a can.
Parking is very difficult.
Great place for non SD natives to come and experience. Don’t have very high expectations for the food.
Place rating: 5
Brooklyn, NY
A friend recommend This place while I visit San Diego. Let me start by saying the food is delicious. I personally don’t remember what I ate since I ordered the Chiefs special lol
Place rating: 3
San Diego, CA
I have eaten here for years. They change the menu from time to time like most places. On my
last visit the food was average, but the service has always been excellent. The taco’s and burgers are always good. PArking is always a problem unless you valet.
Place rating: 2
San Diego, CA
Great view crappy food! This place use to be great! Awesome food but today after a long time in another state, I had lunch here. Very mediocre food. Just horrible. I will not be back and after coming here for 35 years. I guess that is the end of an era! Too bad!
Place rating: 4
San Diego, CA
Really enjoyed my lunch here with friends. You can’t bet the view. Ask for the best seat. There is really no bad seat up top, you’ll just be placed near the edge closest to the sea. I like that! I met 3 friends who were late getting there. The staff was very accommodating in moving up our reservation. I had the soup, it was really good. Just one complaint our food did not come out altogether. Our waitress seemed to notice but did not mention it, I thought a small apology should have been in order. Weekends in this area get crazy busy, plan for a bit of a wait to get out and on the local freeway to head back home.
Place rating: 3
San Diego, CA
This place has an amazing view.
Food: nothing too impressive. I prefer to order their tacos or the burgers. The ceviche was too salty.
Service: Impeccable.
Almost impossible to find parking during brunch on weekends so prepare to use valet services.
This place is good to bring someone on a date solely for its atmosphere. However, SD natives won’t be impressed since they’re so used to the ocean view by now…
Place rating: 2
Bellevue, WA
I really wanted to like this place… The ocean view was spectacular and the food was tasty. Then what’s my problem? Well… I don’t want to sound like a stingy person, but the portion was ridiculously small… I would say, it looked more like a kid’s meal. I am NOT a big eater at all. Most of the time, I cannot finish the dish I order because I get too full. That’s my capacity. However, this restaurant’s lunch portion was a joke. When the server put lunch we ordered on the table, all three of us responded the same way, «Uh oh…» We were still hungry after we were done. Luckily, they tasted pretty delicious (clam pasta, mushroom pasta, taco), so we didn’t complain about the portion, even thou we weren’t happy about it.
Well, here goes another thing that made me pissed… We ordered Sangria which was about $ 9 per glass, and they served it in a teeny tiny glass, and that only half full, only ice was to the rim. It was done with 3 sips! On top of that, it was all watered down, and just tasteless. Not winey, not fruity at all. My family does a lot of restaurant-​dining, but this Sangria was the worst one ever. I didn’t even bother ordering the second one.
Also, the presentation of the food is not even close to the pictures on their official website. If you go to their website, all the food pictures shown in the main page or as a background image look like 5-​star restaurant — creative and fancy. But in fact, what they actually serve at the restaurant was just a mediocre. I mean, they don’t have to look exactly same as the website pictures, but at least the quality level has to be consistent with pictures they show. If they showed those pictures, they are responsible for meeting customer’s expectation.
Overall my experience was disappointing. Food tasted good, but for that portion and quality of drink, it is not worth the dollar they claim.
Place rating: 3
Chatsworth, CA
Had lunch here with my cousin who was visiting from TX. She chose to meet here. This place was very crowded when we arrived. It’s a very popular hangout as it is in a touristy location. The food was just ok for me. The service was awesome as our waitress was very knowledgeable with the menu and very friendly. I think what you are paying for is the ambiance. We ate at the Ocean Terrace (roof top outside in the patio) and the view is the ocean. They have a full bar and a pretty cool place to hangout. I still had a great time catching up with family.
Place rating: 5
Los Angeles, CA
I have been to SD on vacation for a couple times but I’m not too familiar with the La Jolla area. My friend highly recommended this restaurant and I was so tempted by pictures of its gorgeous view, so I decided to get it a try.
I made an appointment and came here at noon with a local friend. The whole exterior was in scaffolding now so we almost missed it. We waited for another 5 minutes for the top floor ocean front seating, definitely worth it! The weather was just beautiful and the view never fails!
I was however a bit disappointed at the lunch menu. The option was too limited with only a few appetizers, pastas, sandwiches and salads. I admit I got too carried away by these amazing pictures of entrée dishes my friend showed me. There were zero entrees for lunch. The waiter explained that the dinner menu has much more varieties which they don’t offer at lunch. Eventually I went for a beef burger but in a lettuce wrap since that’s the only gluten free option. Hate to say but it’s nothing special. Wholefoods actually does it better.
The service was outstanding! Our waiter provided decent recommendations for first comers like us and wasn’t being pushy at all. Next time I visit I would be sure to come for dinner. Also I would suggest the restaurant to expand their lunch menu. Adding a couple light fish entrees shouldn’t be too hard.
Place rating: 2
San Marcos, CA
This isn’t the first time I’ve been to George’s and if it wasn’t for their roof top deck and view of the ocean this place would have closed and been opened by someone else long ago.
Last night we had a party of 8 that was meeting to celebrate the surprise engagement of our friends. They flew here from Arkansas just for the proposal and to keep their tradition of coming to George’s in their anniversary.
As you can imagine with a group this size who hasn’t seen each other in some time we weren’t ready to order immediately after being seated. We were all conversing and some were looking at menus. This was blatantly displeasing to our server Heather C. The look in her face and body language told that story well.
Heather came back to check on us and we were almost ready but a few needed some more time to figure out what they wanted to order. So she gave us a couple minutes.
Next she came back and said, «we’re getting ready to close so you need to order!» If this was Taco Bell that behavior would be expected but not at a fine dining restaurant with a required minimum. Wow! We were shocked. A few in our group have experience serving in fine dining and explained how totally out of line that comment was. Not to mention it wasn’t handled with any tact or ease.
Once it was time to order our waitress came back and was obviously hoping this went quickly. She had no personality and it showed that she didn’t want to be here anymore.
Once the appetizers arrived we all dug in. Te calamari here is certainly their star menu item. It was delicious. The back. Wrapped dates were terrible. I know it’s hard to imagine but their flavor was not good at all.
Finally out meals came out and both my wife and I ordered the Yellowtail. It was way over cooked. We had to use our knife to cut it. Definitely not preferable for a fish dish especially at that price point. We didn’t say anything for fear of the repercussion so we ate it.
When it was time for dessert our waitress was disappointed that she had to stay any longer (must have had some really good Friday night plans after work) bit we had some questions about a few of our choices and she could speak a out her favorite and didn’t really have any opinion on the others.
When our bill came it was all on one and we were needing it split. Of course our waitress was long gone so we waited. We had to ask the bus boy if we could split the check and he went to retrieve our waitress. She said they can’t split the check by couple just in certain dollar amounts so we would need to tell her how much each couple was going to pay. This instruction wasn’t pleasantly delivered and didn’t come with a sorry for the inconvenience.
After we figured out the split she brought our new checks and made sure to circle the tip calculations on the bottom of each of them. Never a smile, a thank you or anything. Heck she never cared to ask if this large group was there to celebrated something which is pretty common in the hospitality industry with a big group.
So I give the place 2 stars. 1 for the location/​view and 1 for the calamari. The service was piss poor and the food quality sucked. Like I said this isn’t my first visit here and the other two were not a whole lot different. If you’re going to be in La Jolla and rant to see the ocean and eat there are neighboring restaurants that know what their doing. George’s, on the other hand, just wants your money.
Place rating: 5
Los Angeles, CA
If I need to be completely realistic, this review is very long overdue. A few years overdue overdue! The reason for that is I initially came here when I was 12 years old with my family. At the time I did not have Unilocal so I could not write my review. The only way I could express my feelings and content with such an exquisite restaurant was to tell my friends at school about it.
Since then I have came to this restaurant countless times every time I visit La Jolla. I could point out to many different aspects of the restaurant and not a single one will fall short of 5 stars.
The view: 5 stars
The service: 5 stars
The drinks: 5 stars
The food: 5 stars
Aesthetics: 5 stars
I have introduced a few friends of mine to this Oceanside wonder and they all just absolutely are amazed with it’s resort like view and complemented with their mouth watering dishes.
This restaurant is simply a must when you are in La Jolla.
Place rating: 3
Irvine, CA
It was jumping on the upstairs patio the night we went, very busy.
The hostess was snooty, not exactly friendly. Waiter seemed a bit scattered, and it took a long time to get, well everything actually. The food was delicious once it arrived, but unfortunately our wine took so long to arrive that we had almost finished our meal. Also, he got the wine order wrong, despite him checking it with us a second time.
I was expecting better from a place that has such a reputation. Maybe it was because it was the patio, previously I had eaten inside, and that was a much better experience.
Place rating: 4
Whitchurch-Stouffville, Canada
This is a fantastic spot to have a bite and chill with friends. We had lunch on the terrace with a beautiful view of La Jolla cove.
Service was great; servers were very helpful and attentive. It took a while for our food and drinks to arrive but it was a busy Saturday so we didn’t mind waiting.
My hubby had a burger with fries. Burger patty can be done to your liking (medium); fresh cut fries were good. I had fish tacos made with fresh grilled fish; it was good but not great. Fish tacos came with cilantro on top; and the cilantro wasn’t washed. How did I know it wasn’t washed? Because there’s visible mud on the cilantro leaves
Overall, beautiful place to hang out, good service; food was good but nothing exceptional.
Place rating: 5
San Diego, CA
I was surprised to see that George’s received only 4 stars. People are crazy! I just chowed down on the best meal of 2015. I could eat everything again. I remember George’s being the pinnacle of fancy dining when I was in college and thinking that it was probably overrated. I’m glad George’s is still around after all this time and that I had a chance to try it. This is a fabulous restaurant with amazing views, excellent service, and delicious food.
We visited the second level for a drink and ate dinner on the lower level. We started off with hot, crusty bread accompanied by three different types of salts (pepper, regular, seasoned). There is nothing better on this earth than receiving a napkin-​wrapped bundle of bread and feeling the warmth emanating from it. This was probably the best pre-​dinner bread I’ve ever eaten.
For appetizers, we ordered the ahi tuna tacos and a grilled octopus terrine. Bear in mind, the fish tacos were actually not «tacos» in the traditional sense of fish chunks wrapped in tortilla. It was actually deep fried avocado sandwiched between ahi tuna and slivers of radish. I don’t know what they put in it but it was divine. I believe this dish is usually found on the fine dining menu but not on the terrace or bar menus (which also feature fish tacos but are the traditional fish tacos). The grilled octopus was wonderful as well. I would order both of these dishes again.
The pork chop with kale, brussel sprouts, and plum bbq sauce arrived next. H ordered the swordfish with eggplant, squash, and heirloom tomatoes. H’s dish looked like an abstract painting. It was beautiful. My pork chop was so juicy and tender.
Last but not least, we tried the carrot cake and fig/​caramel/​brioche/​goat cheese ice cream desserts. Whoa. The carrot cake was light, flavorful, and topped with thin slivers of carrots. The other dessert was also fantastic.
Two thumbs up, two toes up, two belly buttons up!
Place rating: 5
San Diego, CA
Amazing night celebrating my moms 50th birthday on the terrace! Sonia was our waitress, and she was amazing– made great suggestions, and was very helpful! We started with the chips and salsa, and octopus appetizer. We were pleasantly surprised with the octopus, after not knowing what to expect! I had the roasted chicken for my entrée and it was great! The rapini was to die for! Best side I’ve had in a very long time. My parents both ordered the yellowtail and absolutely loved it! They also gave us some olive oil to go, which was very sweet! The terrace is so beautiful for sunset! It is definitely a must. We loved or evening, and can’t wait to come back! Def wait for a table on the glass for the best unobstructed views of the sunset!!! The sangria was also delicious! We ordered a pitcher, and we’re not disappointed.
Place rating: 3
Los Angeles, CA
I came to George’s this past weekend and the wait on a Saturday evening was about an hour for terrace seating. I bet the view is amazing during the day and at sunset. We couldn’t see much at night, but it was still nice to sit outside. This is definitely a nice place for a romantic date.
Fish tacos, $ 14– my first time grilled fish tacos instead of the usual battered fish tacos. The fish didn’t have much flavor but the avocado and jalapeño-​lime mayo was good. It comes with salsa and chips on the side. Light and filling dish but nothing special.
Spaghetti with clams, $ 22– my favorite dish out of the two. The pasta was cooked perfectly al dente, packed with flavor from the wine and roasted tomatoes. They didn’t skimp on the clams either. If you don’t like the taste of wine in your food, this dish isn’t for you. I would get this again.
They have a kids menu and my nephew got a pack of wikki sticks to keep him occupied. The food was pretty good but nothing was amazing or so special that made me keep wanting more. Maybe I didn’t try the right dishes or enough of the menu. I would consider coming back if I was in the area and wasn’t starving.
Place rating: 3
Temple City, CA
As all other Unilocalers, we chose this restaurant because of its rating. La Jolla Cove is so awesome in which it has this hill of many restaurants and we couldn’t decide which one to try at! I think this restaurant is more for its scenic view of the sunset than for the food! And the food isn’t as expensive as I thought it would be as compared to the $$$ on Unilocal.
There are 3 levels to this restaurant! First bottom floor is for reservations only? Or it was already full by the time we went there and they only accept reservations. 2nd and 3rd floor also allow walk-​ins. We ended up on the 2nd floor, not next to the balcony, but anywhere you sit in there (except for the inside bar), you can get a view of the sunset when it sets. and the entire ocean across your entire view!
Top floor is the most awesome though! Open no ceiling and just the fresh ocean breezes and better views! More lively atmosphere too :)
Chef’s Nightly Special (Yellow tail with some kind of pineapple sauce and avocado aioli to top it off): Not too special and just average. I kind of didn’t like the sweetness of the pineapple sauce wight his whole dish as a whole! Yellowtail is slightly flaky, but kind of dry, especially the outside.
Asian Marinated Skirt Steak w/​garlic spinach and buttermilk onion rings: Mm I’m surprised I liked this dish more than the yellow tail considering we’re at a restaurant by the beach, but I did! Maybe it’s because I’m biased towards spinach, but it was yummy! Not too salty and cooked perfectly medium RARE as ordered, which is a plus for me because I love it when my meat is cooked just right :) Already presented in semi-​thin slices for us too! so that you can see the ruby red of the medium rareness inside
Pros:
–balcony glass is just halfway. it isn’t a glass screen wall like how I initially thought :) so open air throughout the restaurant! However, the draw-​back of having such a nice awesome view is the sun blinding you in the face if you sit facing that direction before the sun sets. Bring shades to eat with! Ha!
–beautiful sunset view
–clean, spacious bathrooms
–3 floors with slightly different décor and views of the ocean
Cons:
–ironically for a restaurant BEACH SIDE, they require full clothing?! Seriously, I came in a white mini skirt with a bikini top and wedges. isn’t that good enough? Especially because the restaurant is right by the beach, the ocean! Of course people will be in bathing suits! :O But It’s okay. gave me a chance to change into an awesome pretty green dress
Tip: If you don’t mind sacrificing quality of food for the scenic view, come here! :) When the sun was setting, literally EVERYONE took out their phones to capture the moment haha
I heard they’re also known for their lunch specials! But give or take which one you wanna go for, lunch special or sunset view!
Place rating: 5
Marseille
J’adore venir à Georges quand je viens à SD ! C’est juste un super resto avec une jolie terrasse sur le toit, et une vue sur l’océan à couper le soufflé. S’il n’y a pas de place pour le parking, il y a la possibilité de la laisser à un voiturier. Ça coûte plus cher bien entendu mais c’est pratique.
A la carte des plats simples (on reste aux USA) mais bien présentés et assez bons. La première fois que je suis venue ici j’ai pris un burger au bleu qui était délicieux, mais aujourd’hui j’ai pris un taboulet (enfin…“Tabbouleh”) qui était en petite quantité, bon, avec bien du persil et de la ciboulette, assaisonné légèrement au yaourt (genre mini tzatziki). La spécialité c’est apparemment un truc au poisson qui change tous les jours en fonction de l’arrivage. Je vais juste mettre un bémol parce que certaines parties de mon assiette étaient trop salées, mais c’est juste pour râler.
C’est un endroit assez chic, très agréable et les desserts sont juste trop bons ! J’ai pas pris de photo mais le trio de chocolat est une merveille !
Pour moi, vous devez vraiment venir dans la journée déjeuner à George parce que c’est vraiment l’endroit pour profiter de la vue, du soleil et passer un bon moment pas trop gras, hors fast food, dans un quartier chic… Love it !