Tommy V’s Urban Kitchen and Bar

The restaurant is in the back of a shopping mall and the signage is way too dark so it’s very difficult to find.
The music is extraordinarily loud and the wooden floors and furniture provide no sound absorption.
The lighting is extremely dark. Menu’s cannot be read without the help of a cell phone light.
I asked for a straw 4 times. Eventually we went to the bar to get our own
The food was ok. Not too bad.
Now we’ve been waiting for the check for 10 minutes.

I wasn’t impressed with the food or the service. The ambiance was nice and the décor wasn’t bad but the food was average at best. My $ 40 fillet was over cooked and swimming in an a glaze sauce. Sometimes less is more! The service was truly disappointing. It took almost 10 minutes before our waiter came to the table to greet us. Once he took our order he only made it back to our table once and we were almost done eating. I feel sorry for north county folks if this is what they have to choose from. The sad thing is most of the people that eat there probably don’t realize service and food can be MUCH better than that. That’s $ 100 meal I wish I had back.

Highly recommend this place! Not only is the food great, but absolutely one of the most customer
Service oriented restaurants I have been to recently. Our waitress was Christina and she was very attentive to our requests and had a really friendly demeanor. Our group ordered the seafood linguine, artichoke pizza, margarita pizza and penne rustica and all were excellent. Truly enjoyed our meal and service, will definitely be back next time I’m in town.

Had my special Mother’s Day dinner there last nigh on 5÷8÷2016. The hostess was MIA when we arrived. I think she was setting tables but we stood there for a long time. After we got seated & ordered, we waited 70 minutes for our food. Our waiter felt bad & comped us a round of drinks, which was nice of him. The wait for the food was long, but it was tasty. We were seated near the back patio door which kept opening & was kept open by staff & the breeze coming in was too chilly for my 83 year old parents, so we kept having to get up & close the back patio door. Lastly, there was no toilet paper in the bathroom. Not very good service for my Mother’s Day at such a nice restaurant.

I know that I’ve should’ve had a reservation on Mother’s Day, but at 11:30 a.m., the place was very empty. When I saw that they had available tables, I had my husband shuffle in my 86 year-​old mother from the car who walks with a walker.
The hostesses told me that we could eat at the bar stools in the bar. I let them know that my elderly mother wouldn’t be able to maneuver onto the chairs. Then they suggested that we eat on the patio, and I told them that she gets chilled in the open air.
And this is the kicker: One of them subsequently said, «Well, let me see.» As she looked on her computer, she put her hand over her mouth and loudly whispered to the other hostess, we have three open tables for four, but they only have three in their party. She then said, «I’m very sorry, but we can’t do it.»
Really? Because we were a party of three we couldn’t sit at a table with four chairs? Happy Mother’s Day.

Worst burger in the US, but good service drags them up to 2 stars. I am a huge burger person (you can see my other reviews) and it is hard to find a really good burger, but I didn’t expect an expensive eatery to have such a bad one. They talk in the menu about handcrafted angus and kobe beef and then they mix onions and crap into the meat and turn it into meatloaf. And then cooked poorly on top of that. The bun was good and the bacon crisp but that didn’t save it. I finished half and took the remaining $ 14++ burger home to my Rottie. OK, she seemed to like it but of course she will eat anything.
This is the worst burger I have had since a similar meatloaf type burger I had in London and I still tell people that you can’t get a good burger in the UK because of it. The bun was bad in London also so it still has the record as the worst burger.
The waffle fries were good well cooked and were tasty so not a complete loss. The service was good and timely, no issues there. And great service particularly from Paulie in the past. Guess I need to stick to drinking…

Very disappointed in Tommy Vs tonight… This is one of hubby and i’s favorite spots… Tonight we showed up at 9 and stood at the hostess desk for 15 min waiting to be seated with no acknowledgment from the staff (and it wasn’t even that busy!!) we usually spend 100 $+ here (bottle of wine, the works etc.). Needless to say we got tired of waiting and walked out … Several staff saw us there but no one acknowledged us… How RUDE!

The food is very good but the real gem for Tommy V’s is the staff! Terrific service starts with good leadership and Francisco does a great job running the restaurant. Special shout out to Sonny who backs up Francisco on the dining room floor. Behind the bar you have Junior and Paulie, Top Shelf in all aspects. These guys have suggestions for food and wine pairings or just a cocktail for a guy like me.
Nice layout, they have a patio area that is wonderful in the early evenings when the sun is setting.
Definitely give them a try if you are in the area.

Did I get the wrong thing?
I ordered the Calamari salad that was made with spicy chilies.
I was intrigued by it.
But the flavors didn’t combine well at all. The calamari was heavily fried and oily and seemed to weight down the greens.
It didn’t have cohesive flavoring.
I probably wouldn’t go here based on this dish alone but it’s possible that I chose the wrong thing.

Hostess on Wed night was beyond rude! The restaurant was half empty and she said they don’t have enough waiters to serve everyone (in half full restaurant???) The place is a mess! Uncleaned tables everywhere, new customers walking in and turning around at the sight. What a shame! Fellow Carlsbad residents, I suggest you go anywhere else but here

My fiancée and I were recommended this restaurant as the «best in Carlsbad.» Maybe those people just went for the drinks?
The layout of the restaurant is very wide open, which isn’t terrible but very hard to have a conversation because there are so many loud voices. I would have to say the table service was quick and efficient but the food was just mediocre. The seafood linguine was my choice and while the portions are very large, the mussels were nonexistent in size and it came with only one prawn in the entire seafood meal which threw me off. The bread is by far the most amazing bread I’ve had at any restaurant though!
Just an «ok» experience. I’m not sure I’d go out of my way to recommend it to someone unless they are looking for mainly Italian cuisine and have tried other places.

Very delicious food that is mainly Italian-​inspired. This place can get very busy, even if you have reservations. We waited at the host station for quite a while before anyone came and greeted us.
I had the Mushroom Risotto. It sure was decadent. The serving size was very big and filling and I had to take the rest home. It is loaded with Parmesan cheese, so I took the waiter’s advice and did not add any salt. It was pretty salty already but it was delicious. I had to eat this meal in two sittings. The calamari is always a must for appetizers!
They have a large drink menu and full bar so you can take your time and enjoy your company here. It is pretty dark and intimate. Perfect for a date night or a small gathering of friends. I wouldn’t suggest large groups just because of the space.

The girlfriend and I came here one evening just to give it a shot. I was very pleased. The prices are a little on the high side, but the food was worth it. They have a great selection of wine and cocktails, which is a plus. The pizza was delicious and the dessert was incredible. I’ll be back.

Maybe it was a bad night? I mean the first sign was that it was empty, leaving me uneasy. When I asked my server whats good he told me «it depends on my mood.» Now, I only agree with that statement IF you’re eating at Cheesecake Factory where there are too many options. For the most part everything is Italian. He did recommend the Filet Bruschetta which I thought was horrible. There’s 4 pieces and 7 people at the table and one was leftover… You do the math.
For entrée me and my other half did the mushroom risotto which was terrible! I’ve never had a soupy risotto, no creaminess at all! Mushrooms were overcooked as well. We also got the Ribeye Special, it had great flavor which is where the second star comes in.
The best part was that me and another were still eating entrees when the server offered dessert… seriously? I really wanted some too, shucks.
Unfortunately, I believe in first impressions and I’m not a fan.

Tommy V’s has quickly become not only myself but my entire family and friends favorite hot spot for delicious food and amazing cocktails! We have had nothing but great service and quality of food! My personal favorite is the Apple Bruschetta and the Meatballs are life changing! Finding great quality for a great price is not always easy but we have definitely found it. I highly recommend Tommy V’s to anyone for anything from a date night to a catered private party. They even have a great happy hour!
Bottom line: Delicious food, great service, amazing cocktails, for a great price. 5 stars!

Deliciousness — yep that is a word! And we just had appetizers and drinks. We were taken care of by a slightly mature handsome bartender with an east coast accent. Semi-​soprano cuteness cool as heck and had a great sense of humor. I will definitely recommend this place to friends.

A solid 4.5 stars for Tommy-V’s as they boast delicious food as well as solid service and an awesome ambiance. The restaurant itself is actually quite modern and appealing to the eyes and has a great bar located right in the middle. This place has a solid social hour menu and also makes some pretty strong drinks. Go for the blueberry mojito if you wanna try something delicious and new. The food here is actually pretty good and the appetizers are different enough to strike up a conversation. Overall, I would recommend this place to anyone near the Bressi Ranch area of Carlsbad.
Pros–
Ambiance
Wine cellar
Food
Appetizers
Bar
Live music Saturday’s
Outdoor dog friendly patio
Social hour
Service
Cons–
Pricey
Parking at times

Excellent lunch menu for the casual business lunch right in the heart of Bressi Ranch !! Started off with their signature Checco’s Crispy Calamari served with spicy marinara sause. Followed that with the Newton Burger — 8oz Certified Angus Beef — House made Balsamic Fig Marmalade, aged Gruyère, Arugula and spicy porter mustard served rare. What an in credible burger complimented with waffle fries. They also have a vast wine list, was able to enjoy this lunch with a bottle of Stags Leap 2012 Napa Valley Cabernet !! Five stars !

I always forget how simple and wonderful this place is. Been eating here since they opened but clearly I need to come here more.
They always mix the menu up a little and this is one of those places that really has a diverse menu from steak, to fish and pasta to salads and lots of goodies in between. Great company last night made this a fabulous meal over drinks and good food. Service was excellent, our reservation was honored on time and the meal was outstanding.
Not to self… come to Tommy V’s more!

I’m going back between three and four stars– not sure what to rate. I’ll explain my story instead:
Came in last night. I’ll get straight to the point, I think the hostess was a tad rude. I said hello, she said hello, I said friends and I were heading to the bar if that’s okay, and she said yeah it’s cool, and I asked if she was sure because she sounded off, and she replied «I said it was cool didn’t I?» and I definitely heard the tone. Okay. Wow.
Go to the bar and glance at the menu– see an interesting mAscato. I ask if it’s the same as a mOscato because that’s my favorite wine. The bartender then says it is what it is, and I mention «oh you know, just being a pest, there is a typo. Moscato isn’t spelled that way» AND OH MAN if you could see the death stare I got. I will be totally honest, I wasn’t trying to sound like a know it all or biyotch, merely letting them know in case they wanted to edit the menu. Yikes, never again will I correct grammar at a restaurant.
Now here is when I get hazzy. Did my wine glass pour seem less because the girl was mad at me? I don’t know…
Either way, I seemed to like the place, they have a decent happy hour with nice wine ranging from $ 6-​$ 9 a glass. The food looked pretty good also. According to my friends, the patio is where it’s all about because it’s dog friendly and beautiful during Spring/​Summer.
I will come back, why not, but I think I’ll try for a server instead if the same gal is working at the bar. Or maybe I’ll catch her on a better day. I hate to cross a place off my list because of one incident. Everyone has bad days. I’ll give it another shot and hope for better service!
Attached is my picture of the menu items that are a smidgen grammatically incorrect. Just a heads up to the owner. Add some commas after the kind of wine for all, or don’t for any… Plus, Moscato has an O :)