Sublime Tavern

Solid 4 star place. Not too easy to locate the first time as you are cruising up Via De La Valle — don’t turn at the light with valet parking for a different restaurant, you will turn into a free parking lot and restaurant is on the second floor.
The place has a large bar area and seating indoors and patio seating. First thing you will notice is this place has a Great beer selection, including bringing in unique selections during SD Beer Week. The food menu has something for everyone with a gastro pub theme. They have burgers, salads, little pizzas, but the comfort classics all looked so tasty. I had the fettuccine wild boar bolognese which was quite good while my friend enjoyed her fav steak frites classic (it’s the butter she says). I enjoyed a sampler of 4 different Bells brews and all were great. I will be back.

Glad that we checked this place out. It is in a little bit of an awkward location; I felt like I was in a medical building at first, but as soon as you walk in the place transforms. The décor has warmth to it with a lot of wood accents and a nice bar setup. This is a great place where there is a more casual bar setting, yet it is still classy enough to take a date for dinner. I ordered the strawberry spinach salad and my friend the portabella panini; both tasted great but I would not have considered the salad to be a $ 14 value. The service was a little slow though: it took almost 10 minutes just to get our glass of wine and a beer, and it was not like it was really busy. I would come here again though, maybe just to sit at the bar and have an appetizer.

Food — Good but not great. The Serendipity mac and cheese was good, but not amazing and «to die for» like the other reviews suggested. FYI, if you plan on getting the mac and cheese, I would suggest you get the «dig it» size. It was a good portion, no need for the bigger (and more expensive) «love it» size. My boyfriend had the Southwest burger and thought it was okay. My friends seemed to like their meals.
Drinks — I didn’t have anything to drink but it looks like they had a pretty solid wine and beer menu.
Service — Very good. We were seated immediately (Thursday night around 5pm). Daniel (I think that was his name) was a really attentive server. Food came out quickly. No complaints.
Location — Kind of strange. Its a small business building and you have to walk up a couple of staircases to get to the entrance of the restaurant. Not the best location in my opinion.
Interior — Décor was really nice. A lot of wood. The inside is actually a lot bigger than I thought it would be. Patio is nice and overlooks the polo fields.
Price — This is more of a high end tavern. Prices are moderate. If you’re looking for a casual restaurant in Del Mar that is affordable, then this is a good choice for you.
Happy Hour — We were not able to take advantage of this… you can only get happy hour specials in the bar area. Not cool.
Overall, I had a good time. I would come back here again.

James has done it again — Sublime Tavern is a great addition to the Sublime family and I’m stoked this one is closer to my house than the San Marcos Sublime Ale House (also amazing)
The patio overlooks the polo fields and if you time it right you can watch the hot air balloons take off while enjoying happy hour.
Sublime Tavern is my mac and cheese HEAVEN. The food is to die for — in the best way — and every dish can be paired with a most excellent wine or craft beer. They do a taco Tuesday which is really good too.
My top picks —
1. Truffle Fries
2. Serendipity Mac and Cheese –Rosemary rotisserie chicken, roasted garlic
3. Felicidad Mac and Cheese — Chorizo, red pepper, green pepper, red onion
Most nights James the owner is there checking in on tables and making every guest feel extra special. Give that man a high five!!!

So glad my boyfriend talked me into trying Sublime. I was skeptical because of the restaurants there previously. What an awesome surprise. Great food, great ambience (high end tavern with out the scene). Neighborly feel and very comfortable .
We went to watch the chargers game. Big selection beers on tap and tasting options. We went simple with wings and turkey and beef burger with fries. Not your average fries but fresh cut crisp fries. The menu had a lot of good options besides standard fare. A very nice selection of small plates which is great for girls night. Very comfortable seating. This will be our new go-​to place.

Came here around 7PM on a Saturday night with my boyfriend, and it was the perfect time because it was right around sunset. We were seated immediately, and the place was pretty empty. We chose to sit outside, so we had a nice view and the weather was perfect.
We tried the truffle fries, rejuvenation panini, and infatuation mac n cheese. The truffle fries were definitely worth the $ 8 they cost… So big, and so good! We were starving but still couldn’t finish them. The rejuvenation panini is similar to a caprese style, and we added chicken. It had a little too much bread (focaccia) and aoli for our taste, plus with the added chicken it got a little messy. Would try something different next time, but wouldn’t be opposed to getting it again. I can’t say much about the mac n cheese, because we actually both got too full to even come close to finishing it and took home nearly all of it. From the one or two bites I had though, I could tell it was creamy and nothing short of delicious.
Both of us really enjoyed the ambiance of this place, and were surprised at how empty it was. The emptiness was actually a positive element to our experience though because we could talk to each other easily and the service was very fast. I would definitely recommend the outdoor seating (although the whole restaurant is nice) if it’s not cold out. They have a ceiling fixture that drapes nicely across the patio and makes you feel like you’re partially indoors. Also, if you order the truffle fries beware that they’re a big portion and you might want to order less food (which we should’ve done).

I stopped in for lunch with a fellow Unilocaler from the LA area. We were hoping for a nice quite lunch to get some catching up done, which we did. However as nice as the conversation was, the food was a mix bag and so was the service.
I ordered the grilled cheese with meatballs, but truly it’s a meatball sandwich with cheese and sauce, which came on a very thick warm focaccia bread for $ 10.50 (
). In addition to the sandwich I had the side salad with a vinaigrette dressing for $ 4.00. She ordered the 12″ cheese pizza for $ 13.00 (
).
First, the salad was nice. It was light and came with some fresh mix greens, a well balanced vinaigrette, and some sunflower seeds for added texture in lieu of croutons (
). The Meatballs sandwich was good, but perhaps the focaccia was a little to much on the thick side, which rather filled me up quickly (
). Don’t get me wrong, the bread was good, but there was just to much of it. The meatballs were good with a mild seasoning and herb flavor, but what packed a punch was the rustic sauce the meatballs came in. It had a mêlée of flavors going on from a roasted flavor, to a well seasoned flavor. The cheeses were good, but given the aggressive nature of the sauce, its flavor got lost, hence the reason I prefer to refer to this sandwich as a meatball sandwich, rather than a grilled cheese with meatballs (
).
The pizza’s sauce, on the other hand, was not as successful as we would of like. I tried one of the slices and the first thing I notice was the sauce’s lack of flavor. It was a little on the sweet side, but had more of, I am not saying it was, a can variety flavor. It definitely needed some herbs such as oregano or perhaps basil (
). The cheese was pretty good and when warm, had that stringy texture. The crust was of the thin variety and was pretty good. It was well baked (
), and had a crunchy texture with a some chewiness towards the ends (
).
Service was okay, if you count on I had to ask the floor manager for a refill on my water and the nice hostess for some straws. Our server was nice and friendly, but attention to details was not refined as well as it should have been.
On a side note, the place is quite nice inside…

The Mac and Cheese here is to die for! Great flavor profiles, and huge portions!
Not to mention their beer selection is awesome!!!

My family and I came in here after a visit to the Del Mar fair… and wow was it a welcome relief.
Sublime Tavern is everything you love about Sublime Ale House, plus a great vibe and fantastic view of the polo grounds and surrounding valley.
The service and décor are top notch as always, the food is of course… sublime. The menu is slightly smaller than the Ale House’s menu, but it has all the great players. The Grilled Cheeses and Gourmet Mac n Cheese are on there as well as pizza, burgers etc. I had the Jalapeño Popper grilled cheese and dam it was good, we also had the mussles and a salad… all were worthy to bring us back!
Heck, the $ 2 craft beer pints when you show your fair ticket stub was a bonus to say the least!

Nice happy hour — half off a 12 inch pizza, enough for two, cost just $ 7.50 with the purchase of two drinks (there were two of us, so that was easy!).
There are lots of comfort foods on the menu from truffle fries, to mac and cheese, grilled cheese, salads and satisfying entrees. I have sampled from all of the above and have no complaints! Homey and tasty.
BONUS: I have found my new favorite beer! Port Ponto Session IPA is absolutely delicious and flavorful with an alcohol content of just 4.5%. Many local brews are available on tap.

Tuesday night is Trivia night, starting at 7pm.

Beer Stop 88
—–
First thought, the food is very expensive here. As such, my girlfriend and I drank at the bar area. This review is for BEER only, not food.
Sublime has forty beers on tap, no crap, only craft. While most beers are local (not a bad thing), it was nice to see some IPA’s from outside the region. Besides that, the tap list hit all the right notes — divided by style and location. My girlfriend and I got a few beers — the standouts being Unita Cockeyed, De Proef Surly Bird, and Victory Dirt Wolf.
The bartender knew his stuff and as always, gave a sample before we ordered a beer. I knew the second beer I wanted, but wanted it to be served at room temperature — the bartender was nice enough to pour the beer and let it sit for 15 minutes before I was ready for another.
The prices can range $ 1 dollar more then average, but that’s not a bad thing. The atmosphere is really nice change of pace from other beer bars in San Diego.
Also, the bar area was deaaaaaddd for a Saturday. This place is worth the drive from San Diego or wherever you live.

Sublime is a huge hit with our kids — they love the mac n cheese with the hot dog. Not what I would order for myself but the kids think that dish is awesome. If the kiddos are happy, my wife and I are happy too.
My favorite dish is the Sizzling Sisig starter — there’s magic in those crunchy pork bits. It could be even better if they weren’t served with grocery store King’s Hawaiian buns, however delicious they may be.
We’ve also had the Ahi Poke but its presentation seemed a little old fashioned — the 90s called… Don’t get me wrong — I liked it, but it isn’t really contemporary.
The best entrée I’ve had so far was the Ultimate Cheesesteak sandwich (with onions, peppers, provolone and American). I’ve had it 2x and it is quite tasty. Not particularly refined though, not that there’s anything wrong with simple.
I’ve also had the sautéed spinach and garlic side, and more recently the almost identical sautéed kale and garlic. I’ll eat either however they come and both these sides were good, although both were maybe a little heavy on the garlic.
On our most recent visit my wife had a miso-​glazed salmon entrée which was delicious and cooked perfectly.
Historically I’ve thought that Sublime’s location is cursed — how many restaurants have made a go in the same space only to fail? The space up the stairs around the corner comes with great views but it is really tough to pull people up there. Also, after at least 4 visits I still have no idea where we are supposed to park. All the logical stalls closeby are signed as reserved, permit-​only or short-​term parking. There used to be a valet but on our last couple visits that was gone. We’ve given up and parked close to the restaurant and assumed we wouldn’t be towed. All has been fine.
The only real issue I’ve noted with Sublime’s restaurant operations is that on a couple occasions the service has been spotty. On our last visit, for example, long after we were seated we still had no napkins and no place settings. I asked the hostess and all I got was attitude. She said she’d see if she could track some down. Seriously? Apparently she couldn’t because none came. After another 5 – 10 min I went to the bar where I found our server chatting with the bartender. She brought some over.
Generally I really like Sublime. I find the food to be really good and the price point is very reasonable. It is in our regular rotation for family dinners. Good place.

First off, to find this place, the restaurant is on the 3^rd floor. So coming in, we were told that it was half off pizzas. Some elites had told me that the event here was off the hook and food was amazing. So here was my chance to indulge. First cheat meal of the week…
Drinks:
+Good selection of beers on tap. just priced a little high
+There was also wine available
Good:
+Sizzling Sisig was my favorite dish. It was meaty, sweet, and savory.
OK:
~Rapture Mac N’ Cheese was tasty but was incredibly heavy. You could see all the oil on the bottom of the plate when you’re done.
No for next time:
–Spinach salad was drenched in some kind of sweet dressing. And it had some kind of fried cheese on it. Everything just overpowered the taste of a salad and I felt like I was just eating dressing and cheese with my salad.
–Sublime pizza was overly cheesy and was just way too salty.
Service:
It was decent as they came to check up on us a few times. Although the waiter lost our order the first time and had to come back and take it over again. My water had a chlorine-​like taste to it and I had to ask for another one.
Overall, its some pretty fatty comfort food that will leave you with a food coma. I probably wouldn’t come back to try anything else and would only come back if someone really really wanted to go here. Their many different mac n’ cheeses did intrigue me, but my overall food experience was not pleasant.

Sublime Tavern is located in a strange spot and if you’re not looking for it, you might drive right past it and miss it all together. However, once inside, you’ll be glad you came.
The restaurant is separated into a bar area and a dining area. the décor is super cool with lots of recycled wine products used in the design including the staves off of wine barrels to make a partition.
They have an impressive beer list from all the great breweries dotted in and around San Diego. Go for a flight if you can’t decide. There is also a good wine list.
The menu is gastropub comfort, but done right. I loved the little touches they have which you won’t find at other places such as the Filipino dish sisig. It was so good as a pairing with the beer.
Nicely done!

I’m so excited that Sublime Tavern is open in Del Mar! It’s really the perfect addition to all of the new restaurants that have opened in the area recently– we were in desperate need of a casual bar with a good menu that works for both a date night and a friends get together! While the location may seem a little odd (i.e. not in one of the big strip malls in Del Mar), it’s only a couple of minutes off of the freeway.
This place really has something for everyone! The interior is nicely done, nothing fancy but sort of a new rustic/​tavern feel, and they offer a variety of seating options ranging from a bar with sports/​TVs, casual dining room and outdoor covered patio.
Our server was attentive, polite and knew a lot about all of their beers. Our orders arrived relatively fast, it was a Saturday night so a small wait was expected, but nothing out of the ordinary.
My favorite part was the great menu variety! They did a great job choosing menu items that were plentiful enough to appeal to everyone without being overwhelming. They really have sections for almost everything! Their menu has sections for different kinds of gourmet mac & cheese, gourmet grilled cheese, burgers, small plates for sharing, salads and entrees! All of my favorites in one spot– I think this is the first place that I’ve ever seen that has a menu like this!
If I could make one comment it would be that although they have a large variety of beers, they could use a few more IPA’s and Belgian white’s (Avery White Rascal please!).
We only tried this place out a week ago and have already told countless neighbors and friends about it!

We decided to eat here for dinner two weeks ago to start off our weekend. I guess we were hungry since we ordered a lot of food, enough to feed four people and not just the two of us.
We arrived around 6pm and found street parking on the poorly lit street. So dark that I nearly tripped over a bump on the road, good thing I was holding my hubby’s hand when it happened.
Anyway, we were seated right away in the empty dining room on the opposite side of the bar area. It eventually filled up, but I think we should have sat at a larger table given all the food we ordered.
We proceeded to order a bottle of Pinot Noir as recommended by our server. It was $ 43 for the bottle we consumed that night, the wine wasn’t bad. We then ordered truffle fries, sizzling sisig, ahi tostada, mac & cheese and the meatball sandwich. I only wanted the ahi tostada and get a taste of the sizzling sisig since I was surprised to see it on the menu (and it’s a Filipino dish that is usually difficult to find even in a Filipino restaurant).
The sisig came out sizzling as expected, but the presentation of the dish didn’t wow me. I’ve had my share of sisig and although it was served the way it should be to maximize on the freshness, it was too oily & dark, not the lively looking dish I’m used to seeing. My fellow brown folk would know what I’m talking about if you look at the pic I took.
The truffle fries were a bit overbearing for me. I like truffles, but too much of it can be too much of a good thing. We managed to pick at the cone shaped serving, but not enough to eat more than a quarter of it. When our server noticed it still nearly full, he asked if it was okay and I simply said the truffles were a bit much and he apologized and cleared it from the table. Not his fault, but I appreciated the effort he made by later clearing it off our bill.
I really enjoyed the ahi salad, it was drizzled with a Sriracha chipotle sauce. Not too spicy, but enough to make this dish a memorable one for me to want to order it again the next time we head back here.
We probably could have done without the meatball sandwich and mac & cheese, but my hubby ordered it and his birthday was the next day, so I didn’t bother discouraging him from ordering whatever he wanted.
Although we ordered so much food, we still managed to save room for dessert. We should have skipped it entirely since the banana cream pie we opted for wasn’t all that great. My guess is that it was prepped the day before or early that morning because it tasted like it was sitting in the fridge for a while. I’d skip it next time.
Our server, Anthony was great, he stopped by often to check on us, refilled our water glasses and was pleasant the whole time we were there. I noticed their menu is very extensive and diverse where you can order a burger, pizza, pasta, sandwich, small plate or entrée, which was a surprise to me.
We would definitely return for more, especially since we can drive here on a busy Friday afternoon and not have to take the jam packed freeway to get there from our home!

This is the BFs new favorite place. He is a creature of habit, while I am all about what new. On this joint? We wholeheartedly agree and we’ve been about 4 times (I’ve also hosted an event there) When we pull in and toss our keys to the complementary valet (also named Dustin, what a win) the BF is straight up giddy.
Long winded review: be forewarned *Takes breath
First a word of décor and beverage offerings: Tommy V’s tis no mo so don’t make assumptions. You won’t even recognize the place. It’s got a family style Tavern feel with a shiny new tap system boasting over 50 selections: Including some local breweries have crafted exclusively for Sublime. For you vino vixens like moi, ask about the amazing wine «tap» system-​the by the glass menu will shock you with some amazing offerings not normally seen off a bottle menu. They have a unique system where you can order by the 1.5 ounce, 3 ounce, or full glass! Make your own wine tasting hum?
They’ve used wood elements and old bourbon barrels to give it a warm feel and there is a range of seating options. The deck is inviting with a view of the polo fields, the bar tall tables and rail are perfect for posting up with us regulars and the dining area can hold a grip of peeps. Special occasion? Book the private dining area, could seat about 25 comfortably.
The foodstuffs: You’ll find grilled cheese, mac & cheese, burgers and more, all farm to table and with a gourmet grown up twist and flavor profile. Don’t be fooled by the comfort sounding basics. That Grilled Cheese? There is several on the menu, one even made with jalapenos, cream cheese, cheddar Parmesan crust… what about the Mac & Cheese? Try the Ecstasy (one of about 6 options) Gorgonzola bechamel, applewood smoked bacon, mushrooms, roasted red pepper, garlic and thyme. Don’t get me started on the pizzas, the ahi tostada or the sisig cuz this review will be abandoned and you’ll find me driving over there ASAP.
The BF is working his way through the burger menu and I’ve been testing all the small plates: We haven’t found a single one we haven’t liked: Oh wait, I take that back-​I wasn’t thrilled with the duck wings, but they’ve switched those to a meatier drumstick so I’ll revisit it. The service is top notch, shout out to Marshall for always answering our million and one questions.
A solid new addition to the North SD foodie scene-​One of the things I love about this area is that cool joints like these are not stacked on top of each other and overwhelmingly small like downtown: They’re spread out with square footage and fully able to express their restaurant personalities. Welcome to the neighborhood Sublime, you definitely live up to your name: five stars.

So I haven’t had the best experience at the new Del Mar Restaurants that have opened up recently. However, when I walked into Sublime Tavern, I immediately loved the ambience, and the greeting s From the two front girls that were hosting.
The first time I went, I went with my sister-​in-​law and my niece and daughter.
We were sat outside on the patio. It overlooked the beautiful polo fields of Del Mar.
We started off with the meat and cheese plate. Gorgeous presentation, see my picture. A little pricey, $ 29. But the cheese was delicious.
We also has the Ahi Tostada Starter Plate which was fresh ahi with lime, avo, on a crisp tortilla shell… very tasty.
We then had the coastal bounty. Super fresh, very ginger/​coconut pungent but amazing. Again, little on the pricier side for simple quinoa and salad, but I think it is worth it. It is vegan as well.
We had the sublime mac & cheese. OMG. Bacon, chicken, delicious creamy cheese, melted all over very large macaroni that was cooked beautifully. Baked and served Perfectly.
We also ordered the watermelon/​feta salad. I have learned to make a salad similar to this, but they still outdid me. Very fresh, delicious.
We ended up with dessert. We were stuffed. But we ordered the two chocolate dishes on the menu. I believe one was a mousse, and the other one was a chocolate brownie. I forgot the names. The website was down when I was trying to access the menu. Please refer to the pictures that I took. They were pretty good.
We went again tonight with the kids for our second round. Such a great experience. Erik was amazing as our server. We ordered one of the delicious sour beers on tap, We loved it. I ordered a delicious Pinot Noir. I do feel the wine is a little pricey. $ 15 for a 6 ounce pour.
We started off with the Cobb salad. Huge chunks of lettuce with delicious bacon, tomatoes, feta, onions. We also had the truffle fries with a variety of different aioli sauces. It was sprinkled with Parmesan garlic and simply amazing.
We also ordered the pizza, the Luau. It was pork, pineapple, barbecue sauce, chicken, also very divine.
Sublime is turning into my favorite place. The service was amazing. The food was simply delicious. Although the wines are pricey, the view is unbeatable.
The friends loved the entire beer menu. There are over 50 beers on tap, and another 100 on bottle.
They should have a special weekday for half-​price wine bottles. I will bring my girlfriends back time and time again. I’m excited to try the happy hour menu. Thanks for a great time! See you very soon again!

Even though they do not have a happy hour yet…(they said maybe in october they will start one) I decided to check out the place since i was having a hankering for some mac n cheese.
changes in décor since the last establishment… wood wood and more wood… tables are rustic… the bar is huge and set off to one side rather than in the center of the room.
service…
friendly
attentive
not intrusive
menu…
comfort food… which i feel is needed in this area.
we ordered the following…
–truffle fries… ok…should have been cooked crispier… and just ok
–kids mac n cheese with hot dog… this was pretty darn good, which got us really excited about our meal.
–kids pepperoni pizza… i tasted the crust… again really good crust
–mac n cheese with truffle and shrooms… it was good… nothing to jump up and down about… but good… it was lacking something though… chives? salt? not sure what… the amount of truffle oil was perfect… the consistency of the sauce was good… the noodles were cooked just right.
–jalapeño popper grilled cheese… hmmm…it kinda sucked… it didn’t taste bad… it was just a complete waste of calories… when i order something with the first word being jalapeño…i would expect flavor, heat, something… this was neither… i picked a jalapeño out and tasted it alone. it had no taste to it whatsoever… i mean a green bell pepper had more flavor than this… which makes me wonder where they get their produce… bread was cut way too thick… i don’t know… it looked beautiful, just wish it tasted as good.
summary…i had planned to do a UYE HH here… but it’s going to have to wait for both a HH and for them to tighten things up in the kitchen a tad.

For those of you who love Sublime Ale House for their abundance of beers and really good mac & cheese you’ll be glad to know they now have this 2^nd location, but it’s a little different in that the Ale House in San Marcos is a little more open air family friendly set up while the Tavern is a little more traditional in their design and menu and to me a bit more spacious.
First off the location is perfect. I’m surprised one of the other up and coming restaurants didn’t snatch this up already. Love the design and décor. I thought the Ale House was a little too Hacienda with the tile and the building suited the old restaurants over there while this is modern and rustic and homely without losing the décor cues. Large wood fixtures, more separation between tables and areas and a more restaurant vibe. Even the bathrooms got a bit of an upgrade.
You’ll notice their slew of beers 50+ on tap and be impressed you will be. Many local craft beers to national staples along with hard to find regional beers their menu is updated constantly. They do carry bottles, but not quite as many. Read the printed lists and don’t be like me and circle the bar looking at tap handles.
The menu is a little more limited than Ale House, but that may be because it’s newer and they haven’t fully expended to match. I realized that when I looked for First Date pizza and it wasn’t there. I quickly forgave this in seeing braised lamb shank and pan roasted pork chops. It’s really hard to be anywhere coastal and not offer a seafood item and was pleased to see local yellowtail. So happy to see the Jalapeño popper grilled cheese made the cut as that is an absolute favorite and must try. I found the lamb shank to be well flavored though slightly overcooked. I lost the rustic gamey flavor a little bit on that. Tender, but not as juicy. The mushrooms were overpowering. The potatoes were a pleasant surprise using goat cheese gratin.
To cater to the more upscale Del Mar crowd they’ve got a good amount of wine’s. Though I found Ale House more family friendly I can’t say this isn’t as well, but let’s just say refined.
Service is excellent though. I think they are slightly understaffed and will be more so as they grow their exposure. I could have had the servers come by once or twice more eat time I’ve come here. Bartenders are knowledgeable and true beer snobs when I asked for the highest IBU IPA they have.
Price about 10% more than the Ale house location for the same recipe’s, but what I thought to be a little more attention. Probably incredibly high rent passed down to us.
If you like the Ale House you will like the Tavern. If you’ve never been to either you should go, both have an excellent menu, tons of beers and pretty unique vibe that’s a proven winner among families, young and old, etc. etc. etc.
Tip: Sitting at the bar you get no view and the window seats are limited. A little work with the hostess and you’ve got prime real estate or just come early and pre at the bar.