La Bastide Bistro

We visited La Bastide on a Saturday night for the first time ever. It was quiet for a Saturday night which is probably due to it being January. Our waiter, Anthony, was very attentive as well as Adam, one of the other waiters and the bus boys. I had the short ribs which were very yummy, my friend had the filet and our hubbies had the NY strip. We shared the apple tarte which was a great way to end the evening. We will be back!

I have had several experiences at this restaurant. It’s a popular local restaurant, one of the few fancy restaurants in the area. The food has always been delicious, and I’ve always loved their bread with truffle butter (mmmm!, they love making everything here with truffle oil). The lack of stars is due to the service (do you see the theme in other reviews?) I’ve dined at La Bastide about 5 times, but I will comment on my last trip. I apologize for the following rant:
We went here for dinner for my dad’s birthday. I had called the day before to make a reservation. They said that they had 2 large parties coming in and it would be better to come at a certain time, so we obliged. We go there, were seated, had our order taken. The bread kept flowing, which was super nice and due to one of the sweetest waitresses. Our main waitress was nice enough, but also seemed to have doubled as the bartender for the night. Since we had been there before, we were already expecting slower service– assuming everything is made to order. At the point at which we ordered, only one of the large parties had arrived (party of 8), and there were some customers at the bar, but other than that we were the only people dining… still slow service. Everything started off well and delicious, but when it came to my main course, something was a little off. I should preface that I am allergic to seafood, and I did tell the waitress when she took our orders because it was «lobster night» and she had recommended all the lobster courses, which I obviously cannot have. So when I was eating my vegetarian main course, I started getting an allergic reaction– I’ve been allergic all my life and know what the consequences are to getting in contact with seafood. In most cases, restaurants mix pots/​pans, use the same oil/​water, or just use the same utensils and cross contaminate (hopefully on accident). I was a little afraid to tell anyone, but my sister was upset and told the waitress very calmly. The waitress’ first reaction was to say that my dish was vegetarian (well, duh), and after more prodding, she said that she would check with the kitchen. She came back saying that all the ingredients were vegetarian, but never commented on what was used to cook it. She offered to remake it, but obviously couldn’t guarantee the same reaction wouldn’t happen, so she offered to make another dish. At this point, everyone else was finished with their course, so my sister just suggested it be taken off the bill– at which her response was «I guess.» My sister has worked in customer service for a very long time and was disappointed in the caliber of the response and professionalism since this is a pretty classy place. My parents were very kind and tipped the cost of my dish in addition to the regular tip. No one was really mad in the end, but it was a very mixed experience.

I am a foodie. The main dishes we had were fantastic! I had the Salmon crêpe, my beloved had the veggie crêpe, both had outstanding flavor combinations. The fresh warm bread with garlic truffle butter is worth the trip alone.
They used tip have REALLY good fries, about a year ago, but have changed chefs and managers. Note to manager, no one likes your current fries, limp and greasy, not preferable when everything else is SOOOOOOO good!

Service: Definitely do not take a large group here. I came here with a group of about 15 colleagues and the service was just terrible. Everything from taking the orders, getting our drinks, and then food just took forever! Not only did it take 1.5 hours to get our food, it didn’t even come at the same time and the waiters/​waitresses were mixing up all of our orders. The waitress straight up told us not to wait because they’re just going to bring food out as they’re finished. By the time some of us were getting our food, the other half were already done with their meal!
Food: I got the shrimp pasta and it was cold when it came out. The description also said pappardelle, but it was fettuccine. Nitpicking at this point but after waiting so long I was hoping at least the food would be good. It was definitely not a $ 24 dish.
TL;DR: never gain.

My brother’s office is near La Bastide so we met there for lunch and sat outside in their enclosed patio. Very pleasant!
I can’t speak to the whole menu, which looks good. I had the goat cheese croûton salad which is just about perfect, and entrée size. The mixed greens were fresh and dressed with a creamy dressing and topped with a nice selection of vegetables. The two croutons were delicious: sprinkled with walnuts and drizzled with honey. Highly recommended.
Our drinks (sparkling water with lime and a cola for my brother’s friend) were refilled promptly.
Service was perfectly timed, unobtrusive, courteous, and professional.

Embarassing. We were with a group of 16 people for lunch. The service is incredibly slow. The group was a bunch of Europeans but the service time was even unacceptable for them. Pass this strip mall location to somewhere with serious service and ambiance.

Small spot, but it’s a great place for any size party. I went last night for a business dinner with 7 people. They were able to accommodate us and I was impressed with their wine selection and menu. I had the AMAZING lamb shank while other enjoyed the $ 20 surf and turf special. This is truly a great place.

– This is a review for the $ 30 Restaurant Week menu! –
My friend and I chose this restaurant for SDRW. We RSVP’d for dinnertime on Wednesday, but it wasn’t necessary as there was no wait when we arrived. The host gave us the option to sit at a larger 4 top, instead of 2, because there were quite a few open tables.
La Bastide Bistro has nice décor, calm music, a nice casual vibe. The lighting inside is a bit dark, so bring your glasses if ya need!
Outside seating is available for for larger parties, and I would say is suitable for families/​groups of 6 – 8.
Appetizers:
— Crab Cake | Cajun Remoulade | Spicy Slaw: This crab cake/​salad felt Asian inspired and was topped with tasty, flavorful sauces. There are a liberal amount of jalapenos sprinkled throughout the slaw, so be careful if you can’t take spicy!
— Warm Goat Cheese Croûton |Drizzled with Lavender Honey |Candied Walnuts | Mixed Greens | Apple | Bacon | Mushrooms |Truffle Vinaigrette: I had a little bite of this. The
croûton with apple was a nice combination for me. Something that I disliked was that the bacon on the salad wasn’t really crunchy or crispy. It was on the chewier side, like beef jerky.
After finishing our apps, the bread and herbed butter came out. I think this was probably supposed to arrive first.
Main Course:
— Skuna Bay Salmon Papillote | Julienne of Carrots | Fennel | Leeks | Tomato | Broccolini with Saffron Potatoes: This dish did not come with tomato or broccolini and instead had zucchini and yellow squash. I didn’t really mind but it was a bit vexing that they would substitute ingredients without letting customers know. Additionally, the salmon arrived room temp warm, not hot. Salmon is one of my favorite fish, so I still enjoyed the fish. However, others may not have liked their meal at this temperature. The sauce in the papillote with the salmon tasted great! Mashed potatoes were a tad dry but I dipped them in the salmon sauce to remedy this.
— Duck Confit | Orange Sauce | Fries | Salad: I understand duck confit is supposed to be salty, considering it is cured in salt, but it was too salty for our tastes. My friend said the duck was nice and tender so that’s a plus. She also mentioned the salad may have been the same as the goat cheese salad (but without the goat cheese).
Dessert: The highlight!!!
— Traditional Chocolate Mousse | Orange Madeleine: The mousse had a warm madeline cookie on top. Tasted great to dip in the mousse. It was also topped with vanilla whipped cream, which unfortunately felt more like a light pudding.
— Citrus and Lavender Crème Brulee — This dessert was so good! The crème brûlée had just enough hints of lavender without having so much that it tasted like Bed Bath and Beyond. Great crispy brown top without being overly burnt or charred.
It was an overall nice experience. I would come again, maybe for a date night. Also, service was great!

Had lunch today and ordered Crab Cake sandwich… Not good lots of bread and not much crab. Was pretty disappointed and don’t suggested u order it.

My review is based on happy hour food and drinks:
I’ve come here a couple times for happy hour and I sit at the bar. Each time it’s been pretty empty so it’s no problem getting in (Thursdays around 5 – 6). I am greeted immediately and everyone is always very friendly. The bartenders strike up conversation but not to an annoying level. The happy hour prices are pretty reasonable, enough for me to keep coming back.
I got the Angus sliders (comes with 3) and they were absolutely delicious. Thick meat, very juicy, great cheese choices, toasted sweet buns. Would order time and time again.
I would definitely keep coming back here. I’m curious to try dinner choices because the negative reviews on here don’t make sense to me considering the positive experiences I’ve had.
My closing words: Give it a try! It’s a local place with friendly service and (what I’ve had) great food!

I wanted to be able to give a better rating, but just cannot… details, people, details. There is a new Executive Chef, Noah.
As previously stated, this is a bistro within walking distance of my home, and we have celebrated the last two New Year’s events here… if this was a review of them, definitely 4 star… but it isn’t, just a lunch on Saturday.
I had the burger with fries ($ 17.00)…comes with a nice slice of prosciutto, brie, butter lettuce, thinly sliced red onion, tomato and a small ramekin of aoili and ketchup. The fries were copious and cooked perfectly, and the burger patty was juicy and had a pleasing funk that kept it from being flavorless.
The bun was the problem… not substantial enough to hold up to the ingredients and falling apart by the second bite… whatever the bun is, it’s a completely unacceptable offering, and you all know about my gluten intolerance by now… I’ll take the pain if it is worth it.
It wasn’t.
There is a house cocktail called the La Bastide that half the bar staff cannot make correctly… if you want a good one, make sure that Velma makes it, she knows what’s up!

Well it was our 9^th anniversary and we called up to see if by chance they had a table for 3. The individual on the phone said sure come on down in 15 minutes (6:15pm Saturday).
*When we got there there was one couple on the patio and only 7 tables (4tops) filled, all in all maybe 50% capacity.
After over a hour of waiting the server says your meal should be right up. After fifteen minutes more goes by we got up and left! The server saw us leave and apologized and said he understood…
ARGH $&@. The absolute worst service we have had in a long time. How can you when only at 50% capacity let a family with a small boy just sit there for over an hour???

My husband and I went La Bastide Bistro for dinner. This is our first experience and we only tried a few dishes so this review maybe skewed. My first impression: the inside was romantic and intimate. The outside patio was lovely with nice potted flowers. It was nice out so we chose to sit outside. The restaurant is next door to a taco shop and a grocery store therefore it takes away from the intimate feel right away.
I did not love the food it definately did not match the price. The happy hour was reasonable.
The waiter was great and very attentive although he went oh his lunch break half way through the meal. The waitress who picked up where he left never came to introduce herself and I had to hunt her down to get our check.
I usually get desert when I go out but I was tired of waiting on the waitress I lost interest.
I do not think we will be going back to this place.

Last time I went was for restaurant week. Service is very slow. Food was good. Love the fries. Usually like to get dessert here but since the service was so slow, we weren’t able to.

I have to say the place is lovely and the waiter was great. But I honestly have to say this to me was not French food more Italian. I spend alot of time in Paris as we own a home there. the truffle pâté was awesome. I ordered truffle risotto and it had no truffle flavor in it and to me was a lil hard. the head chef came out and kinda badgered me about the risotto and had the audacity to stand there and hand eat the risotto in front of us. The waiter came over soon after and was very apologetic and concerned on how the chef treated us. I felt the chef was completely out of line. I wont be going back and if asked of this place I will give an honest answer.

Overall it was a fantastic experience!
Great food I had the special of half lobster and a 5 oz filet
It was cooked very nicely however the only downside was that the server never asked me how I would like the temp. But still it was cooked to a medium. The lobster was fantastic and the mashed potatoes were very good. Not overly expensive and food came out at a reasonable time. Service was also very nice and professional
Also order the warm goat cheese salad it is amazing!

Really nice place! Quiet and relax environment. The server Brian was great with a lot of knowledge. I ordered La Charcuterie for $ 13 and that was enough for me for lunch. They have a LOT of interesting things on their menu that I will need to try in another moment.

I came with my roommate for restaurant week; the price for what you got was incredible! Each person got an appetizer, entrée and dessert — I was not expecting the portions to be as generous as they were. She had the shrimp risotto which was amazing and I had the crustini with salad which was also amazing. She had the pork chop with broccolini and fries and I had the linguine. The seafood in the linguine was tender and not overcooked; the sauce was light and delicious. The pork chop was in an amazing sauce and cooked to perfection. Both of us had lunch the next day.
The topper was the dessert: vanilla lavender crème brule… WOW!!! You could taste the lavender but it wasn’t too overpowering. I will not be able to have this anywhere else. The staff is great, a little slow at times but very friendly. I will definitely come back to try their regular menu.

I went to La Bastide for lunch with my wife today since I had the Monday off. Overall, the food and coffee were very good, and the wait staff was friendly and polite, but slow. I didn’t really have a big problem with the slow service since nice French food is meant to be enjoyed at a leisurely pace. However, I was disappointed with the management, and I will explain why.
Before going, I checked the menu online and saw you could «create your own crêpe.» Under that title was a list of the ingredients you could use, including duck confit for an extra three dollars. Now, duck confit is my favorite dish, so I was excited about that option, and that is why I chose La Bastide out of the dozens of upscale lunch options in North County.
When we arrived, however, the menus we were given were slightly more expensive (about one or two dollars all around), and the «create your own crêpe» option was gone. I asked the waiter about it, and he said he remembered that they used to do that, and he didn’t see why they wouldn’t be able to make a duck confit crêpe for me. Reassured, we ordered a few drinks and began to wait for our food. However, a few minutes later, the waiter returned and said he was told the restaurant removed the item from the menu for cost reasons, and they wouldn’t be able to make it for me.
We decided to stay, and I ordered something else from the new menu. I did, however, ask the waiter to convey to the manager my disappointment in the restaurant’s failure to update the online menu or at least honor it when a patron asked for something from it. He said he would let the manager know.
I ended up getting a chicken and ratatouille crêpe ($ 11, but $ 10 online), which was quite good. The chicken was obviously of good quality, and the accompanying salad was fresh and tasty (definitely not out of a bag). My wife also enjoyed her smoked salmon and dill crêpe ($ 12, but $ 11 online), and the waiter brought some bread for the table with rosemary-​infused butter.
All in all, we enjoyed our meal, and I gave the waiter a full tip because the issue with the menu was not his fault. However, I never did hear anything from the manager. At a restaurant that purports to be a high-​class European-​style establishment, one might expect at least a quick visit from the manager to explain why they hadn’t updated their website and to apologize for the inconvenience, but nothing of the sort happened. I may give the restaurant one more chance due to the quality of the food, but I will need to see some improvement in the way it is run for it to make my list of places I regularly visit.

Came here for restaurant week with a couple of girls from work.
It’s well decorated and has decent lighting. The staff is friendly and pay enough attention to refill water glasses.
Ordered the shrimp risotto — which was surprisingly good. The portion is way too huge to be an appetizer though, I could have just stopped there. Got the linguine for my entrée, which again, huge portion and was pretty good. The desserts were ‘meh’. The cheesecake and crème brûlée weren’t anything to rave about.
Overall, I had a pleasant experience here, but the food wasn’t memorable.