Dobson's Bar & Restaurant in San Diego

Mussle Bisque soup is awesome!

Had a coors light, it wasnt that cold. Thats all, not too say anything is wrong with the bar, im sure its fine. We went in for 1 drink

Very cozy bar with tasty burgers. The fish and chip was excellent and frankly the best around. Very crunch and lightly battered.

Fait but unremarkable food and service. Convenient if staying at the Westgate Hotel.

Been going here since 1980s. The mussel bisque and Caesar salad are amazing. No longer live in SD, but an absolute must every time I visit. 💕

We dined her last year while on vacation and I still can not stop thinking about the food. We walked-in in the middle of the week past dinner and everyone at the bar seemed well aquatinted. The atmosphere had an aura of elegance, but very welcoming at the same time. We got scallops, a vodka pasta dish, a steak, and a burger. My husband and I are foodies and like to taste everything. The chef was so gracious and made my son another pasta dish that was not on the menu. To this day I have not been able to recreate what we had.

My steak was overcooked (asked for mediumand very dry. Shouldnt need to drown the steak in sauce to make it edible.

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

Excellent cocktails service was terrific. Meal was delicious. Lobster mussel bisque was excellent as was Cesar salad. The scallops were yummy and the Rib eye pork chop was wonderful. Hadn’t been there in sometime they haven’t missed a beat

Simple and tasty french food. Genuine atmosphere. Good service. Went for the bisque, the bike en croute and the filet mignon. Very happy with that. They offered us dessert for the birthday we were celebrating 🥳

Our bartender was awesome. Told us some history about the bar. Loved the food and the drinks. Visiting from Orange California.

Is a nice place. I sat at the bar and received good service. I was very excited to try the mussels as I am a huge mussel fan and eat them every chance I get. But was sadly disappointed, they really werent that good. They offered to make a different batch but I think the mussel was the actual issue not how they were made. Pork chop entree on the other hand was delicious. Carrot cake was also good.

This place is great and low key off the unbeaten path. Great atmosphere for a date or just meeting up. This place was established in 1984 but is kept very well. Theres outdoor seating but the ambience is the best. Staff is friendly and knowledgeable. Please I recommend the shrimp linguine and the mussel bisque (most sold item).

Amazing food, service and live music with Bobby on Mondays. Came for our wedding anniversary. The sea bass was so juicy and tender. The steak was cooked to perfection. Overall great experience

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

Nice place. Great bar. Been here for years. Close to Gaslamp

I was in San Diego for 3 nights, and chose 3 restaurants for dinner before hand. This one was my favorite by far. Live jazz music, incredible food, great service. Thank you to the entire team at Dobsons! I will absolutely recommend dinner here to anyone visiting (or living inSan Diego.

Been coming for a long time. Birthdays anniversary etc. Soup is amazing. Lunch menu at the bar really good. Great service.I went today and in many years of going today was a very bad day. I’m not taking away any stars but the waiter was awful. Service slow and the order was wrong. The soup brought out after the pasta. Had to order drinks at the bar. Don’t know what’s going on.

I loved the food, but the location itself needs a remodel. We were seated upstairs for dinner and by either their fridge area/cleaning closet and got a bleach smell all throughout dinner. The inside itself (tables/chairs/ectis too authentically old. I understand keeping the ambiance of an old timey feeling place, but you can get chairs/tables/carpet resurfaced/reupholstered/cleaned especially with the prices charged on food and drink.

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

Was hoping for an experience and their hostess definitely set the tone, which was disappointing. Wasn’t aware of their reservation limitations for a table and we were not aware that the bar also needs a reservation, so nothing was available. The hostess offered service outside and told us we could wait at patio until something opened up. However, after being told that we were completely ignored after sitting outside for a solid 15-20 mins. There was table settings and a menu but no one ever came out or bothered to acknowledge us, when we could clearly see their staff could see us waiting for at least waters or communication in general. Terrible way to make a first impression, awful potential customer service and common courtesy.

I made reservations weeks before our trip to SD because it was a significant birthday. On the online booking form, I mentioned the birthday and indicated, "please, try to get us a nice table". We were seated upstairs all the way to the back and my medium sized husband was cramped next to a pillar that pushed out into the room. I rearranged the table a bit and was able to get him away from the pillar. Looking back, I think we should have just sat at the bar instead of being squeezed into a small space.There was a nice couple next to us who were impatiently waiting a long time for their food because they had theatre tickets. They said normally, it isnt that bad. Understanding the current state of overworked, understaffed personnel, we tried to be nice about the whole situation. We ordered salads, my husband ordered sea bass and I ordered linguini with shrimp. While we were enjoying our salads, they brought our entrees. I hate being rushed like that. I asked that they hold the entrees until we were done with our salads. Big mistake for me. By the time we got our entrees, the food was still hot, but the shrimp was so overcooked it was chewy.They did give me a nice big carrot cake for my birthday dessert. Yum! Maybe it was a bad night for the staff due to the theatre rush.

Absolutely stunning place. Its small and personal. And the food is phenomenal. Got the sea scallops and the filet which were both cooked to perfection and then finished with the cheesecake and the creme Brule. The Brule was absolutely creamy and flavorful.

Nice spot off the beaten path in downtown. Great cocktails and friendly service. The history of this historic place only adds to its charm

Love the bar and architecture. Love the Frank Sinatra playing in the background. The food is average. Its not bad, just nothing to get excited about. Mixed greens salad was a bit wilted with a ho hum vinaigrette and too much salt, but the blue cheese crumbles and orange slices were a nice touch. Wild mushroom raviolis were kind of hard and heavy. The caramel cheesecake was fun. Wine list is nothing to write home about but the bar has decent liquors. Service is fine.

Three of us went here based on the good reviews. I was quite disappointed. Our waiter was not very attentive. The bread was over cooked and the meal portions were very skimpy for the price. Wish we would have went somewhere else and will definitely not be going back.

Came in for the Beef Dip Sandwich that did not disappoint had the Mussel Bisque as the side. The Bisque was amazing! Great service and loved the old time ambience.

Amazing salmon. Tastey drinks, seems like they sneak up on you. Very friendly and nice atmosphere especially with the life band upstairs.

Dinner was delicious. The bread is worth the extra cost. Such a nice atmosphere. Entree was really good and was super hot and fresh. Service could have been a little better but wasnt too bad. Parking available across the street underground for $10. Would definitely come back.

We paid $150 total for two. We order the escargot (my first time -- I thought they were good. They taste mostly like the garlic and butter they are cooked in), the bread service, I got the grouper special and my friend got the filet mignon. We also got a rosé wine and a Moscow mule cocktail. I thought my fish was good, but my friend thought it was a bit dry. My friends steak was both under-seasoned and tasted a little weird (I had some -- maybe it was too charred? Not sure. But it wasnt very good).There was live music (a man on saxFriday night -- that was nice.Altogether, the dinner experience wasnt bad but it wasnt good, it was just OK. I probably wouldnt come back. I think there are other cheaper and tastier places to get dinner on Friday night.

Just fantastic. The ambiance of the place was very relaxing. The staff were super kind and the service was spot on. The filet mignon was wonderful. The escargot tasted faintly like rubber, but it was only my second time having it, so that could simply be what it tastes like.

Great restaurant tucked away in a corner of downtown. Food was amazing and the service was amazing as well. The only reason Im giving it 4 stars instead of 5, is how small the place is. Outside of that, Id most definitely go there again...and again.

Sat at booth by bar near kitchen, so hectic and distracting wait staff activity. Good food nicely presented. Mushroom ravioli was delicious and rich tasting. Bread was good.

I had made reservations through OpenTable. They were prepared for us when we arrived. We had excellent service. I was catching up with the friend that I hadnt seen in a year due to COVID19. At a drink orders were promptly taken and our waiter checked in with us via a glance to see if we wanted more. P also suggested menu items and made sure if we wanted everything to come out at once or to bring things out with a pause in between. We needed the pause and because we were enjoying ourselves so much. Not only was the ambience good reminiscent of Chicago with all of the would our food was very flavorful with great portions. The great surprise was that there was live music upstairs. It was perfect setting and wonderful food. I will definitely go back.

Nice cozy restaurant with a competent chef. Our waiter was professional and attentive. Their seafood bisque was awesome!

Amazing place to share with friends and family! All those options are exceptional, and there is no doubt about any choice. The staff are perfect! They don’t disturb you anytime and still always around you to support you. The food was exquisite! Everything you would expect from a star-rated restaurant. We will definitely come back!

Filled with a staff who cares so much about ensuring your time is one of a kind and memorable. I was amazed I went here because all of their foods are affordable and tasteful. The food combinations are out of this world and to die for. Kudos to the chef! Highly recommend this restaurant.

The mussel bisque is pretty good however, the French dip sandwich was awful. Looks like a cool place that would do very well in SF, or NYC but seems to struggle here. The owner seemed nice and said goodbye as he was leaving but I was more keen on having a good meal than being friendly with Mr. Dobson.3/9/21 Updating my review [and adding a star] after a recent visit, food was much better than last visit and the staff was very pleasant as well.

I had a house white and Jim had a blonde ail on draft and we both enjoyed our meal and drink. It reminded me of places in Paris and Cadiz. There was pleasant jazz music to accompany our meal. The ambiance is fantastic because it’s a narrow bar with a few tables on the first floor with stairs leading to a loft type area above.

Great food. The mussel bisque was amazing. The live music added to an already awesome meal.

This was our 1st time there, Alex our waiter was amazing and they had live music at 730, definitely will go again and again

I ordered the mussel bisque and burger for take out. The bisque was really good, although very rich, but the accompanying bread may be even better. The burger was delicious and the staff was especially friendly. Definitely want to come back and dine inside, looks very cozy and intimate with an old world romantic feel for the restaurant and bar.

Small plate was delicious.,Great atmosphere. Place was good. I went there for lunch. Great eating experience.

Out of all the meals we had in San Diego this was by far the best. We did not know that the dining room was upstairs and the bar downstairs so initially we were confused, as it didnt quite look like what we saw on google. Friday night the place was hopping and getting busier by the minute so we were very fortunate to get the "booth." Very rich history in this establishment and loved by the locals, so yes, the food and atmosphere is amazing.The staff was incredible and very helpful in giving us ideas of where to eat in La Jolla which we very much appreciated. Now to the food, wow, simply wow. My husband got a rib-eye steak that melted in your mouth. I the crab cake and a side salad which was good. The dressing was not homemade so that was really the only downside. My sister-in-law got the famous mussel soup which was very good. and the Salad de France. Amazing. How often do you think a salad is amazing? Yes, you need to go here.

I only give it four stars because my food wasn’t as hot as I like. It wasn’t cold.... but felt like it had been in the warmer and had started to cool. We came for a work dinner and other than that minor detail the food was actually really good. The service was also excellent!

Dobsons food is second to none. We thank chef Martin San Roman for accommodating a party of 23 with an awesome menu. The artichoke salad was well balanced with its lemon mustard vinaigrette, the escargots en croute were a delicate surprise for our English students, the prime rib was cooked to perfection, the crepe cake a la mode satisfied our curious taste buds, and the cherry on top was the cordial; a shot of aged Tequila Martin San Roman, aromatic, smooth, and a true piece of conversation. The service was outstanding too. Well be back sans doute.

What a gem. Outstanding food and excellent service. The place has an old school high end vibe. Wood, glass and framed pictures adorn this cozy little place. I sat at the bar. The bartender was amazing, great service, witty and polite. I had a salad and fresh bread with a pint of beer, it was absolutely outstanding.

Great spot for dinner from the Continent! The space is a store front bar with a warm loft dining area kinda like a euro hotel lobby. Service was outstanding. The waitress brought a dessert to try just for us having dinner at the end of the evening. I had the duck al orange and the wife had the mushroom ravioli- both were excellent! I highly recommend Dobsons for a escape from Baja and coastal grub into fine dining.

Great time at Dobson’s. Jose the waiter was a great host, excellent knowledge of the menu and always a gentle attention to his guests, in both English and Spanish. The food was delicious, with veggies, meat and scallops cooked just right. Tried the house Cab Sav and it was just the perfect match to the dish.We had a great time, thanks again.

Dobsons has been on my list of places to try for many years. However, this is the first time we actually made it in for dinner. It was worth the wait, everything was excellent. We started out with their mussel bisque and salads both of which were done incredibly well. We each had the filet mignon Chez Martin medium rare which was perfectly cooked. My only complaint there was that by the time the steak was brought to us it was only just slightly above room temperature. Finally we finished with the Tiramisu and blackberry tart desserts. The desserts were excellent. Everything we ordered including the wine was, I thought, reasonably priced for what it was. Everything was clearly made with First Quality ingredients and quite a bit of care and skill in the preparation. We will definitely make time to come back again.