Analog

Oh Analog! I am truly in love with your turkey burger. Love at first bite for sure! This was my first time and I loved it, thanks to my coworkers who picked this place for dinner.
One of my coworkers ordered the brussel sprouts appetizer; those were so goood! Now, the turkey burger was just to die for! The patty had so much flavor, the seasoning was on point and the sauce that came with the burger was really good too.
The customer service was fantastic! We had a big group and our server was very attentive. He was prompt to take everyone’s order and made sure everyone got their food and drinks. The place is big enough to accommodate big groups, so definitely a plus.
I am looking forward to trying more menu items!

Love this place! I don’t think I’ve ever paid for food or drinks here LOL
The first time I came was for the Unilocal Elite event back in January and just last week I came back for Analog’s 6^th Birthday Party! The food that they’ve served me has always been delicious! I especially love their sliders! Their servers and bartenders are great as well!
I really loved their birthday celebration! It was Studio 54 theme! They hired a lady to do face painting and I had so much fun with it! They also had adorable Go-​Go dancers! Good music+ Good Food= A SAN DIEGO MUST!
THANKS ANALOG FOR ALWAYS SHOWING ME A GREAT TIME! :)

Not a huge fan. Great bartender and good drinks, just don’t care for the atmosphere or crowd. They seem to have some type of game night, or just games everywhere for their guests to play. Saw a rock em n sock em and some other games on tables.

Great place to hang out. Prices are great, staff is friendly, food is gooooood, and the drinks recommend are great as well. The music always has a great beat. Cleaner than most with a classic surroundings. My drinks cane in less than 2 minutes and then food less than 10.
Great place definitely come back again.

I come to SD 4 – 5 times a year to visit friends and just get away from the craziness of LA, and when I do I always make sure to hit up Analog. I love this place for several reasons, the main one being that my friends and I have always had a great time here!
Moving on, the music here is great. You have your top 40s ratchet and pop music, and then they sprinkle in some EDM just to cover all their basis. The dance floor area gets pretty busy and for the most part everyone is into it. The drinks are fairly priced but quite strong. Definitely noticed how strong they were this last time around. The vibes are chill and while it may get crowded it is never overwhelmingly crowded where you can’t make your way to the bar. They have the main bar area and then a second room for more dance space and more tables to sit down.
One of, if not the only thing, I don’t like about this place is that the line to get in can get really long or take a while to get in. Besides, on occasion, having to wait to get in, this place is fantastic and I always look forward to coming here.

Analog is a bar where it’s divided in half, so bar-​goers can enjoy the best of both worlds. One room is the bar and lounge, while the other room is the dance floor.
Their specialty cocktails are about $ 12 – 14, but they’re strong! What’s special about their specialty cocktails is that they’re all made from scratch. Legit!
Three things I liked about dancing here: I didn’t spot any (obvious) creepers, good amount of people so you weren’t rubbing shoulders with people dancing next to you, and the DJ played hip hop and Top 40 songs.

Good food? Nope
Strong Drinks? Maybe
Customer service? HORRIBLE
This place might be a good spot to have drinks but do NOT come here for breakfast/​brunch.
First off, our server, Michael, was terrible. He barely checked in with us and it wasn’t even busy.
So much so that the security guard had to refill our waters. Smh. He was more attentive than our server!
Didn’t make things better that we ordered a hot tea and a latte only for him to tell us that the coffee machine, that produces both, was broken. Who doesn’t have coffee?!
Our food took forever to come, and we were charged $ 2 for egg whites only. First time I’ve ever been charged for egg whites only.
Then what was supposed to be country potatoes, came out as French fries chopped up on tiny pieces. Unbelievable.
Long story short, this was a terrible experience!

I came here with a group of co-​workers and I must say that I had a great time while I was here. The brussel sprouts appetizer were super delicious and I ate the grilled steak flat bread. All the drinks looked super delicious and the place had great space all around.
We had a party of 10 people and I must say that I sat on the inside of the bench and I had plenty of space and was able to sit comfortably while dining. I can’t wait to come back with some friends and try out there drinks when I’m not dieting anymore.

We came here on a Friday night around 8 pm, just looking to have a drink or two and get a small bite to eat.
They had a list of super intriguing specialty cocktails, and $ 5 Pinnacle Vodka drinks. So we stuck around and did a few drinks and then moved on to the food. One of us did sweet potato fries, which came out with blue cheese (which was weirdly good). Another in our group ordered regular fries, which came out piping hot and wonderful.
I ordered the brussel sprouts, and they were outstanding, some of the best I’ve ever had. They had a balsamic glaze sort of thing going on with a crispy pancetta bit thing for texture. Come eat these suckers.

My favorite place in SD for drinks, dancing, oh and bomb ass food?! What more can you ask for.
Props to the DJ

This was the last bar we had the chance to get in on our night of bar hopping and it was definitely unplanned. We just happened to stumble into this one hoping to squeeze in one last drink. This would probably be more of a club vibe in a bar setting, if that makes sense.
We squeezed through to the back side room and was able to grab drinks since everyone was on the dance floor. My moscow mule came in a pint glass and after hitting up multiple bars prior, I knew for sure that was going to be my last drink for the night haha.
Not sure if it was just that night, but I LOVED the music they were playing! If you are looking for a place to go dawwwwwnsing, this is your spot. Or at least worth checking out… no cover charge either! Or maybe we just got lucky that night.

I am a self-​professed burger snob. Fortunately for my wallet, the hamburger is an example of a cuisine where the price does not necessarily correlate with quality. Cheap burgers can be great; after all, Californians swear by In-​N-​Out. Personally I think they are delusional – Come at me, Cali-​bros! – but I understand the basic sentiment. Analog, however, presents a clear picture of what the best burger money can buy.
I ordered the «Pacific» burger. The menu lists ingredients a mile long, including egg, pineapple, ham, pickled jalapenos, teriyaki sauce, and Swiss cheese. Usually, so many components, many with contrasting strong flavors, don’t work so well together, but the tastes come together here in phenomenal fashion and all enclosed in a fresh, tasty bun. The ham especially stands out, providing a synchronicity of pig and cow that Slater’s ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ only dreams it could produce. The patty also seemed to feature a spice rub blending peppercorn and cayenne, which complemented everything so well. The egg served as the only misstep in so far as the largely uncooked yolk made a mess upon biting down, but it did not spoil the overall experience.
I also imbibed some alcoholic beverages, the most notable being the analog chai mule in its requisite copper cup. Mules typically give off an old-​timey vibe, which seems to make them popular among the mustache and skinny jeans crowd, but, just like I can’t understand why such individuals consume PBR, I had never seen the appeal of the cocktail until Analog literally spiced it up with cinnamon. It’s amazing albeit a tad bit pricey.
Summary: In a digital world, sometimes you just want some Analog.

I remember coming here a long time ago when it was still new. I was still somewhat bummed that the space wasn’t Mister Tiki Mai Tai Lounge anymore, and their happy hour was good. But I guess the Cohn Restaurant Group decided to go in a different direction.
A few things about Analog that I really liked were:
1) The tots. This was when tots were emerging as a trendy food item reminiscent of school cafeteria lunches during our childhood. It was known to be something that was good and yet not served in any context.
2) Live Band Karaōke. I have no idea if they still do this or not, but that’s something that captivated me during a Saturday night there.
The last time I came here was actually for a Unilocal Elite event. Refer to that review for a more current account of my experience here.
I’m glad they took good care of this place. Still looks as pristine as when they first opened. I’d come back for karaōke.

I heard the Analog Bar had a pretty good happy hour, so I made an effort to stop in on an early Friday evening after work. I was able to get a Fat Tire $ 5 pilsner draft, and order of fried calamari and jalapenos for $ 7, and butter milk fried chicken slider and a burger slider each for $ 2.
I started with the draft beer and the calamari. The pilsner was no dougbt refreshing and the calamari was good. I appreciated that they included the rings and the tentacles as well. The breading was nice, but a little different on each cut of calamari. The tentacle’s breading was light and crunchy and seasoned well. The meat inside was sweet and tender or quite delicious I may add. The rings were equally as tasty inside and out, but the texture of the breading was not crunchy for some reason. It was soft, unlike the crispy tentacles. I do not know what happen, but consistency would be keen. The lightly breaded and fried jalapenos add nice flavor and some welcomed heat.
The fried chicken slider was great. I liked that there was a lot going on inside such a small little slider. The chicken was crispy and offered great flavor, especially the breading and the chicken inside was tender and juicy. The carrot and corn slaw was on point and offered a fresh cool crisp texture and flavor, the buttermilk ranch was creamy, and the avocado was in the form of a smidget of creamy guacamole. The Hawaiian was soft and moist with a little easy sweetness.
The burger slider had a simpler preparation which was good because I like to taste the beefy flavor of the patty when I get a burger. The burger slider was medium to medium rare and for a small little patty, it was still juicy and moist. The American cheese was well melted, and the slider came with just the right amount of garlic aioli which was tasty. I have to say, I would not of minded a nice crisp fresh pickle slice on this slider. It needed something crunchy in it.
I was very fortunate to have Terra, a newer employee to the Cohen Group, as my bar keep and server. She was very pleasant, attentive, and provided great conversation. One of the reasons why the Cohen Group is such a big success around San Diego, is not only the great food they provide, but also the great people they hire.

Night time bar review only:
Always free cover, one of my go to spot for pre-​fading, ending the night or to get even stay there. The drink prices are pretty reasonable, cheaper then other places and the bartenders here are always nice. There’s 2 bars. One in the back where the main dance floor is, and in the front where the entry is, where there’s another dance floor. Mostly the front isnt so crowded how where the back is. And they have an outside area to smoke/​chill as well. They play some EDM music, but mostly hip hop «ratchet» music. If you like ratchet music, heres the place to come to! Oh and I lost my ID once and gave acouple of calls and I never got a call back. I had to come stop by, and ask them to check up front. If its not up front, ask for them to check if its in the back bar. Oh and dresscode, its not strictly inforced. Ive seen people come in casual and dressed up.

This is strictly for the bar scene at night.
Came here on a Friday night with a group of friends at 11 pm and this place was popping! The place is divided into two rooms: one that is geared towards a more conversational-​based environment where the other is where the music/​dancing is happening. Though there was a line to enter, which did scare me (hoping this place wouldn’t be uncomfortably packed), it was nice to see the crowded yet ample space the dance floor area offered. We were able to dance entire night not rubbing shoulders or bumping into other people.
I will say this is more hip-​hop/​top 40 based music, so if you are into the ever-​so-​popular EDM, this place isn’t for you. Plus the crowd that night seemed to be mostly college kids, so no creepy old guys creeping on girls. Plus since this place is a bar technically, there isn’t a cover to get in! Which is definitely a plus, though the prices for drinks will set you back $ 10+ depending on what you order.
Definitely will be coming back.

our expectations were well beyond met. analog has never screamed out to me on Unilocal before, but thanks to this event, my husband and I are already planning our trip back for another meal. their slogan is «good food. strong drinks.» and that was most definitely proven to be true.
the atmosphere is modern, fun and clean. I was surprised to discover that Analog has been around for 7 years since the entire restaurant looked brand new. the theme is analog music which is portrayed within their menu, through all of the vinyl covers displayed on the wall, and the lovely live Music that played during our dinner. the seats were comfy as well, although our table was extremely wobbly (literally our only complaint).
we tried a wide variety of drinks (all pictured) but my favorite by far was the analog chai Mule which had a perfect hint of delicious chai in every sip. my husband loved the Mai tai (BEWARE) which was super super strong but had nice sweet flavoring which killed a lot of the alcohol burn.
our appetizer, ahi poke stack was fresh & delicious served with crispy think taro chips which we felt made the dish a bit unique. the avocado was fresh & creamy which was stacked within bright pink fresh raw ahi tuna, crunchy cukes, a lovely seaweed salad and it all complimented a savory but slightly sweet soy ginger sauce. YUM.
we would highly recommend the analog burger which was cooked perfectly and has nice savory flavors complimenting the juicy meat & candied bacon. even the fries were superior to most. my entrée (tequila lime linguine) was unique but hearty, flavorful and filling. the tequila flavor made its way through the thick creamy sauce and went well with the Limey grilled chicken. everyone was seriously amazing and we can’t wait to come back and try some of the other menu items that fancied our interest;
Bahn mi street tacos
hangar steak
pacific burger
smores dessert

Came here on a Friday night with my boyfriend first for dinner, then for the club. The food wasn’t that impressive but it’s decent enough. Aside from the food, we really enjoyed the overall vibe here. Our server Jordan was very attentive and super friendly. Whenever I have some request, i.e. switching from table to the booth, didn’t like my drink and asked for them to change it, all of the staff were super chill about it.
After dinner we just walked around the Gaslamp area and went to one other bar and we ultimately came back here. At night, the dinning area was transformed into a full on bar. The tables in the aisle were removed and the lights are a lot dimmer. They also have another room with bottle services and a dance floor. I thought this design was perfect. We could just come out from the dance floor and take a break from all the people and loudness whenever we want to.
Aside from the interior design, the songs that the DJ was playing that night were not bad. Half of them were hip hop, which my bf loves, and half of them were edm (more specifically trap), which I’m more into. The dance floor wasn’t super crowded like most clubs around this area and that was a huge plus.
My boyfriend and I had a really good time and would definitely come back again if we feel like dancing!

«Awesome Service, Great Drinks & Tasty Food «
My wife and I went to the Analog Bar on 5^th Ave, in San Diego the other night and had a great meal. Our Server Breanna was so nice and very good at handling all of our wants and needs. The Bar is very nicely decorated with old Recording Album covers on one wall, Old Cassette Tapes on another wall, and some Old English Beer cans above the Bar which really blend into the theme of the Bar, as Analog has an entire private section where they have music and dancing available. The Bar also has a nice variety of music playing in the back ground while you are enjoying a cocktail, or having your meal. My wife and I had the Totchos appetizer which was so different, large and delicious. Totchos are made from Tater Tots, house-​made chili /​melted cheddar cheese /​salsa fresca /​sour cream and guacamole. For our main courses we had the Braised Short Rib in butter whipped mashed potatoes /​sautéed garlic greens and fried leeks and the Hanger Steak with wasabi mashed potatoes /​caramelized onions /​sautéed mushrooms and a sweet garlic soy sauce. Both entrée’s were so tender and very tasty. For Dessert we shared a yummy bread pudding made of sweet brioche cake /​whiskey sauce and whipped cream. It was very good. Dajuan Smith the Manager came by to say hi to us and was also very nice. I was very impressed with the Analog Bar and have already made an reservation to return for another great meal and drinks next week.

So…3.5 stars? More like 5.3 stars! I am throughly impressed by this place and I will highly recommend it to anyone in the area looking for a great meal with drinks with valuable pricing! And yes, the AMAZING service. And ambiance. PERFECT place for a date!
I was invited here to give Analog a try as a Unilocal Elite (WOOHOO!) so here is my more through review of the location:
(Oops…seems like a long link…)
ANYHOW.
P. S. I LOVE LOVE LOVE that this place comes out with the orders AT THE SAME TIME.
I.e: Appetizers came out at the same time, entrees too, drinks… This way, one person isn’t left staring while the other feels nervous about starting. This has always been my pet-​peeve and they pay so well to the little details!
P. P. S. Make reservations! It starts getting busy.
P.P.P.S. I apologize if the link doesn’t work on mobile– read it on your desktop! I swear you’ll be amazed.
LOVE. I AM IN LOVE.

Came here for the Unilocal event. This was a decent restaurant, but it wasn’t amazing (five stars) because the dishes were hit or miss, though nothing was bad. We had the popcorn chicken, tequila chicken pasta, mahi mahi with fried vegetable rice, and the bread pudding. The popcorn chicken was okay, but it didn’t come with unique sauces and was well… What you’d expect. It wasn’t bad, but how can fried chicken bites be bad?
The mahi mahi was a little overcooked for my taste, but I like things on the raw side, so please keep that in mind. The fried rice was quite tasty, but didn’t have many vegetables, which I would have liked. The chimichurri sauce that went with the dish was good, but there wasn’t much of it. That would have really brought the dish up.
My friend liked her tequila lime chicken pasta, but it was a little spicier than she would have liked. It probably would have been fine for me though, perhaps even mild. If you’re not super into spicy, this may not be your dish.
The bread pudding was the one dish that I would say hands down is amazing. Really amazing. The whiskey sauce wasn’t too alcoholic, but you really got that whiskey taste. The outside of the bread pudding was crispy, the inside was soft and the right level of gooey.
I also had a couple drinks. The Analog mule was excellent, tasting like a lightly alcoholic chai tea. It wasn’t too sweet, the alcohol wasn’t overbearing. I would love to have this drink again and had burger had anything like it before. But the Analog margarita was not very good. It was too alcoholic and didn’t taste like much other than alcohol. I couldn’t finish it.
I think this restaurant could improve a little. But it’s definitely one of the better places to grab a nice dinner downtown, especially for a mid price ranged restaurant. So come here for a decent meal. Just get the Analog mule and bread pudding… And maybe try some other appetizers and entrées.

Date of visit: July 10, 2015
I had won an afternoon cruise around San Diego Bay with the cast of Vikings, and as I was allowed a +1, brought a new friend of mine with me who was a big fan of the show. To show his appreciation (and to christen our new drinking horns), Max brought me to Analog to buy me a drink and to meet with his friends… and besides, the club was participating in the drink specials for those of us who’d acquired the drinking horns from the Vikings booth and/​or the panel the show held earlier that day.
I like the feel of the place; as the name implies, Analog has an audio-​based media theme. The décor is covered with cassettes, records, and album covers. The servers were friendly enough, and as it was Comic-​Con, the vibe was relaxed. The DJs were also spinning a good mix of music during the evening.
As I hadn’t really eaten anything substantial that day, I decided to splurge on an order of the Short Rib Sliders — not too bad, though I feel that the sliders would best be served with Hawaiian rolls rather than the buns that Analog uses, due to the mix between the shredded beef short ribs and the coleslaw dressing. Good beer selection, though!
While I may be a bit too old for the bar/​clubbing scene, I think that Analog would be a good place to check out during Comic-​Con season.