Avenue 5 Restaurant & Bar

So I started this review and apparently I never finished it. We had:
Waiawi nectar cocktail
Pei mussels
Yellowtail
Duck confit
Everything was really good and the duck confit was on point. Can’t ever go wrong with duck confit!

I came here for dinner with a friend after hearing rave reviews about this place from my pathophysiology professor of all people. Haha! Service was wonderful, the atmosphere was modern cool. Food was okay, but not outstanding.
We had the champagne risotto with mushrooms and duck confit for starters, which were pretty good. The presentation on the risotto was a little messy, but overall the flavor and texture was good. The duck confit was prepared well, and went well with the frisee salad. Good, but not the best I’ve had. The starters were better than the main dishes here, and the drinks were just so-​so. For our mains, my friend got the pork prime rib chop, but the charred flavor was a bit overwhelming while the overall flavor was a bit lacking. I had the seared scallops and shrimp with beet couscous. This dish was okay, but probably not something I would order again. Overall an okay dining experience, but nothing we’d go running back to in a hurry.

Basically the food and ambiance was good but everything else suck!
The hostess told us when we were seated promply to tell our waitress if we had a groupon, so we did. I guess if you have a groupon, they don’t give you good service?
First negative incident: Took 15 minutes after we were seated to receive our water from the bus boy.
Second: After receiving our water, took another 10 minutes for someone to acknowledge us that they’ll be our waitress/​waiter even when we placed our menus down that we are ready to order. The hostess told us some girl’s name (which I forgot) was going to be our waitress. Somehow we ended up a guy waiter.
Third: After ordering my drink, took another 10 minutes to receive my glass of wine.
Fourth: Saw them giving out bread and butter to start but we never received any after waiting 30 minutes of being seated so when we asked the lady waitress who was suppose to be our waitress about it, she said that they were still in the oven baking. Okay fine, that’s cool, I’ll wait. So after 5 minutes, they brought out the bread and butter. Tell me why is it not even warm??? It’s cold and the crust is already hard. I don’t know why she had to lie to us saying that it is currently baking.
Fifth: I was never offered for a refill of water, it was empty during my meal and was never filled.
Sixth: I was never asked for a refill on my wine. I finished it in the midst of my meal since my water was never refilled.
Seventh: Asked for a Togo box for my salmon and they handed me a box but tell me why when the other customers next to us requested a box for their left overs, the restaurant actually boxed it for them and tied it in a bag? I don’t mind boxing my own food but if they’re going to be selective about it then that’s a negative in my books.
Now for the positive:
–My salmon was soooo good ! It basically melts in my mouth which is good considering I just got 4 of my Wisdom Teeth removed a little over a week prior to our reservations so I basically have to stick with soft food. My boyfriend had steak and fries which he enjoyed.
— I really liked the ambiance of this establishment, but sadly due to their lack of service, I will NOT be returning.
I’d understand if the restaurant was slammed for service to be a little slower then normal but there were still tables that weren’t occupied. I’m not sure whether or not it’s the groupon for the bad service or because we were the youngest looking in there. Perhaps the restaurant assumed they would get better tips from the aged 40+ «Professional» couples around us since we looked like college students to them? Too bad, they could of made 18% tip if they had good service because we usually start at 18% tip and deduct 1% for any mishap. If service was attentive and fabulous, I will tip at 20% but in this case, we tipped 11% due to their lack of service.

Eat the pork chop. Delicioso !
It’s fine for kids too, as long as they are well behaved.

One Sunday, before an afternoon of Balboa Park exploration, I was looking for a good brunch spot to lay down a good base. Apparently on Sunday mornings everything in Banker’s Hill is closed. But Ave 5 wasn’t!
It’s so cute inside this place; lots of dark wood and industrial metal accents. Very Banker’s Hill. And it felt like a true neighborhood spot; everyone seemed to know everyone.
We settled on $ 10 unlimited champagne bottles (obvi) and orange juice (note; these two items are sold separately. It is not unlimited mimosas for $ 10, it’s unlimited champagne for $ 10. Just be prepared) because it was brunch time. I’m not really sure what else one drinks at brunch time.
I was feeling particularly more like lunch than breakfast that day, so I settled on my favorite I’m-feeling-more-like-lunch-than-breakfast brunch snack: the BLT. It’s like having the best part of breakfast (which, let’s be honest, is clearly bacon) but in lunch form. Sometimes it’s just more appropriate.
I’m always slightly nervous to order BLTs at restaurants. The absolute worst is ordering a BLT that comes with like, 2 strips of bacon on it. I mean, B is for bacon. So naturally bacon should be the most prominent ingredient since it is represented first in this sandwich’s acronym. However, I was not at all disappointed with this BLT. It came on toasty sourdough, and between those delicious toasts were probably about 6 pieces of thick cut, perfectly cooked bacon. It was glorious. I substituted the greens that would have come with this sandwich for equally glorious truffle fries (obvi).
And our server was great! Very attentive, and very encouraging of our champagne consumption. Check plus!

This is my go-​to-​place if I need a place close, not crowded with good food. With Bankers Hill bar and Grill and Cucina Urbana always being loud and crowded, this place is a fantastic alternative. I have never had a problem with being seated and the food is really good.
Their Brunch and Happy hours are what I frequent the most.
The mushroom risotto is absolutely amazing. Sometimes if you ask nicely, it can be served at brunch. I am drawing a blank on the other dishes but of the several times I have been, I have never been disappointed. The servers are great and not pretentious.
2013: #7

Nice concept with a menu centered around locally sourced food and almost everything is appetizer portioned. Along with their focus on mixology drinks makes Ave 5 a cool place to get a hang out, drink and snack. However, the food, while interesting, isn’t particularly outstanding and a little expensive.
Service — Helpful, nice but slow. The waiter took a decent amount of time before taking our orders and the food took awhile to come out.
Cotton Candy Cuban — Looks cool when they make it, but doesn’t taste that different than a normal cuban. I was hoping for it to be sweeter.
Bread — The butter! It must have been honey infused butter or something because it had a sweet tone right up front before finishing off with the creaminess of butter. Pleasantly surprised and additive. The bread itself is soft sourdough and goes well with the butter.
Butternut Squash Gnocchi — I really liked it. The gnocchi itself is a bit doughy, but thats how I like my gnocchi. A little texture to chew in to. The poached pear adds a great sweet and earthly element to the dish.
Spiced Chili with Brie and Date Cornbread — The chili was very interesting. Sweet like brown sugar or molasses. Earthly tones similar to phở (which sounds really weird, but it pretty good). The bartender explained that it had cinnamon and star anise which could explain the almost phở taste in the chili. The cornbread was good. Crumby and tender. i didn’t taste much brie or date in the cornbread though.
Salmon with Chorizo — Unagi reduction. The most memorable part of this dish by far. I love unagi and the dark reduction on top of the salmon tasted like liquefied unagi. Delicious. The salmon was cooked well. I didn’t taste the chorizo in the dish, which was a little disappointing. Also, the beurre blanc sauce is bitter and acidic on its down. Make sure to mix in the mushrooms and unagi reduction when you taste it.
Pecan Pie with Caramel and Balsamic Ice Cream — The ice cream was fantastic. I wish I could just have a bowl of it. Sweet caramel at first and then balsamic flavors at the end. Very cool. The pecan pie itself was average. It was a bit dry and I would not get it again.

I came to this restaurant on a busy Friday night for dinner (we had reservations and were seated promptly). Everything was fine but let me tell you about the FOOD:
The mushroom bisque was AMAZING with hot water poured over aromatic herbs to enhance the experience and flavor. The butternut squash gnocchi were a little too sweet, but fine. The steak was very, very good — especially their seasoning, mmmm!
And can I just tell you that ordering dessert was once of the best decisions I have EVER made?! Goat cheese custard with honey pearls and forest berries, with a side of lavender shortbread cookies?! WOWzers.

My boyfriend and I used a groupon to check out this place. It’s sort of a romantic setting (the room is very dark). We started off with two bread baskets — haha the food took a while to come out. We had crispy calamari — delicious! We ordered the lamb chops and ny steak with truffle fries, both were the small portions (it costs $ 7 for the full portion). Both dishes were very tasty. I just thought it was weird that they had the different sized portions. I think we will be back to try some other items but only if the groupon shows up again.

I was a little disappointed after trying this restaurant out, hoping I would love it from all the previous Unilocal reviews. My friend and I decided to try this restaurant out because of a recent Groupon deal. The food however was a bit disappointing. For the quality of food they provide, I thought it was a bit overpriced (without the Groupon). I came on a Tuesday night around 7:00pm and the restaurant was relatively empty. There were a few people sitting in the bar area and maybe 3 other tables that were full.
Bread and Butter: Maybe we were really hungry but we thought the bread was pretty good. They were sliced baguettes with creamy butter. It was ironically one of the better dishes of the night (and it was free).
Truffle Fries: The fries were decent but I was hoping to get a bit more flavor out of it. They gave a good amount of fries but for the price, it was only the pricey side.
Salmon: I ordered this dish hoping that I would like it because salmon is a relatively easy fish to cook and season well. But, I was sadly disappointed. The salmon itself had little to no flavor. It was on a bed of vegetables and the vegetables were smothered in sauce. The sauce was a bit on the salty side. I guess they were hoping that the sauce would compensate the salmon’s lack of flavor but it just didn’t cut it for me. The salmon itself was also on the dry side.
Beef Shortrib: Once again, there was little to no seasoning and was definitely lacking in flavor. It was a bit overcooked so it was a bit dry as well.
We had planned on ordering dessert as well but after the mediocre food, we decided against trying their desserts. I really tried liking this restaurant but the quality of food they provide was definitely not worth the original price of the dishes. The restaurant was also a lot smaller than I imagined, based on the pictures posted. The staff was pretty friendly but the food was — meh. Out of the dishes I tried that night, I only enjoyed the bread and butter & the truffle fries. The entrees were on the bland side.

My girlfriend and I decided to come here after purchasing a groupon, and I have to say that the groupon was quite worth it! We happened to order a total of $ 45 of food, exactly the value of the groupon, and tax was taken off completely leaving us with a bill of $ 0! (Before paying tip and all that)
The food, however, was not up to par with its prices. The following is what the two of us ordered:
Truffle Fries: These fries were well seasoned, and topped with what they call «powder». Although it gives it a slight aesthetic appeal, as it possesses a crumbly appearance, it seemed to have no flavor to it. Out of the three things we ordered, this was probably the best.
Salmon: They had a salmon dish, and the flavor in it was severely lacking. All of the flavor was in the sauce and veggies below, and the salmon itself merely had a fishy taste to it. The chorizo in the vegetable mix was a nice touch however.
Beef Shortrib: The beef was tender, but also lacking in flavor. It was on drier side and I was disappointed with how it turned out. The beet sauce was pretty good however, and the oats it was placed on tasted pretty good with the sauces the dish was paired with.
For some reason, I really took a liking to their bread. It tasted as if it was seasoned with a little bit of parmesan, and the super soft butter they paired it with was great. I think I liked the bread more than the entrees the two of us ordered.
The atmosphere of the place is pretty nice, and it’s well decorated. However, after taking a look at the pictures he put up, it possessed a somewhat eerie feel. The service was good, however. Our waiter was very friendly and checked up on us reasonably frequently.

My wife and I came to Ave 5 on our honeymoon, and yes, we had a Groupon. After making a reservation, showing up and being seated, we were told they weren’t accepting Groupons because of Restaurant Week, which was definitely news to me. So minus one star off the bat for that bait and switch. We probably should have just stood up and walked out at that point, but we figured we’d already come this far…
Let’s talk about the Restaurant Week menu for a minute. As far as I was told the regular menu had been scrapped for the week in lieu of a $ 30 prix fixe menu with 3 options in each of 3 courses. The problem is that the menu was entirely unexciting. Seriously, no respectable restaurant should EVER have a hamburger and fries as an entrée option when there are only a total of 3 entrees to pick from. Save the burger for the bar and put something more unique on the prix fixe!
Here’s a rundown of what we ate…
First course:
–Short rib lettuce wraps — This was the best thing we ate during the entire meal. The meat was well cooked and well seasoned. It was really quite delicious.
–Kale salad — Bland and boring. The toasted parmesan crisps were just OK and the chipotle vinaigrette was a lot less bold than I was hoping for.
Second course:
–Espresso rubbed tri-​tips — Were these supposed to be medium rare? The meat was overcooked and tough. The mashed potatoes were horribly over-​seasoned, to the point where salt overwhelmed what might have otherwise been a decent side dish.
–Sesame crusted samoan tombo — The first bite I took of this apparently didn’t have enough vegetables and sauce on my fork, because it tasted like an everything bagel. It was a little more balanced as I figured out how to best eat it, but generally I wasn’t impressed.
Third course:
«S’more» w/​peanut butter powder — I usually don’t care for or order dessert but this was probably the second best thing I had all night. It was actually somewhat creative and the flavors were balanced and not overly sweet (which you too often get in dessert).
Flourless Chocolate Cake — It was fine. It was chocolate cake, hard to screw up, but also hard to really wow anybody with.
In short, we ate an average meal with average service. We spent nearly $ 100 including happy hour that didn’t have any worthwhile specials (the only beer they were willing to give me a deal on was Miller High Life?.. I thought San Diego was supposed to be a beer lover’s town) and it just didn’t feel worth it. For exactly the same price a few nights later we ate at Cucina Urbana down the street and our meal was infinitely better and the service was infinitely better.
I also wonder who green-​lighted a Groupon less than a month before Restaurant Week… they sold over a thousand vouchers, if my memory serves me correctly. Surely we weren’t the only customers who got burned by this.

The cocktails here are fabulous! Tried the cotton candy one, without the cotton candy as the machine is broken, but the dark rum and sparkling wine give it such a good kick. There is also a bourbon one with berries that I enjoyed. Both a very satisfying counter to the freak heatwave going around SD.
We shared four small plates between the two of us. The winner was the crispy calamari, which was SO light. It compares to that of Ebisu sushi. The modest batter augmented the freshness of the sea. A melt-​in-​your-​mouth experience. The spread that comes with it tasted like a shrimp cocktail mix, very refreshing. Also, the presentation of this dish was so eye-​pleasing. You just know, before taking the first bite, that you will enjoy the dish.
The mushroom risotto paired very nicely with the calamari. Rich and herby.
The garlic shrimp was slightly forgettable… couldn’t taste the garlic very much. The asian chili was too salty and tangy at the same time… You could get tricked into eating more than you should because of the tanginess clouding over the saltiness (you would be reaching for the water all night in that case!) Would not recommend this one.
Finally, I went in thinking there were profiteroles but there wasn’t! :(But the s’mores dish came out so beautifully. The aesthetics of this dish is at the caliber of what you would find at dessert places.
Service was slightly awkward. We weren’t asked if we would like to start with drinks and we weren’t offered the dessert menu, though our waiter was attentive and friendly… so I’ll attribute the awkwardness to the heat.

Visit #2.
The last time I was here, I came for the molecular experience. I vowed I’d come back to wine and dine.
Ordered the following:
–Comp bread and butter
–Champagne: Wasn’t dry and really liked whatever they served. Nice and cleansing to the palate.
–Lychee Cocktail ($ 10)
–Maddalena Cab ($ 11)
–Seabass ($ 23): The fish was moist and flaky. Loved the light herb buttery sauce that topped the seabass. They were really nice to accommodate my dislike for carrots so they gave me all asparagus for my side.
–NY Steak ($ 25): I like my steaks juicy and fatty. Unfortunately, NYs are a little too lean for me. Had good flavor, but I’m still lovin’ my ribeyes and filets more.
Too stuffed for dessert, but didn’t see anything that really stuck out that I needed to have.
There were several guys walking around checking up on us and to refill our waters. Service was great and the guys are really friendly.
A cute place for a date or a nice quaint dinner.

Restaurant week is almost always going to get new customers and of course the grunters (who think the Restaurants don’t put their best foot forward with their menus). I belong to the latter group in one sense but don’t blame Restaurants if they choose to put their more standard fare on the RW menu.
2^nd week for this event (RW) and after looking over various menus (my partner is pescaterian), I settled on Avenue 5 in Bankers Hill. First time for both of us, I have visited the sushi place next door and thought we would give this place a try. I have to say that I have been to only several restaurants over the years during RW and managed to get great meals at Bali Hai and Cucina Urbana. And some not so great meals (need not mention them).
For Avenue 5: Had the sangria (HH price 3 dollars) sweet but delicious.
1^st Course:
Smoked Salmon Rillette
baby wild greens, champagne vinaigrette, toast points, roe
(salty because of the roe, my taste maybe not so much for other people)
Tortellini w/​Grapes
grilled corn, mushrooms, arugula, Maderia cream
(nice rich musroom taste)
we both finished our first course. good start.
wait for the next course is a bit longer than you expect after finishing your first course.
2^nd Course:
Salmon braised portabello, wilted spinach, mushroom vinaigrette.
very good but (noticed a pattern… Mushroom again)
Pork Milanese, sweet potato gratin, baby wild greens, lemon segments, capers, lemon thyme vinaigrette
big piece, enjoyed the mixture of lemon, capers (mixed greens again), sweet potato gratin (not sure this is a sweet potato but rather a potato au gratin sweetened with the cream)
Brian finished his salmon and I finished my pork, i think finishing the mushrooms and greens was out of the question.
Dessert:
Crustless «Jameson» Pecan Pie –served warm with caramel sauce and Bailey’s gelato
Liquid Ganache Cake-​served warm, classic crème anglaise
Both this desserts were not named as you would think it would be, the pecan pie was more pecan than pie but delicious (just don’t expect your traditional pecan pie). My Ganache was sweet but I enjoyed and finished it up (damn the diabetic shock that might come! jk) and it wasn’t Liquid (i would think it would be at least creamier)
Overall the total bill came to about 65 bucks ($ 30 per person on the RW menu) and it was worth it for us because we enjoyed our meal, the waitress was wonderful. Service although slow (in serving only) was attentive (your water was filled up and your plates cleared as you finish).
Menu wise, i think having the wild greens and mushrooms repeated needs a bit of revision. I almost expected wildgreens with my dessert and mushrooms with Brian. I still recommend them for a good to great meal. Everything was prepared nicely and delicious.
Might even come back for Happy Hour next time at those prices and enjoy a nice meal out of the small plates.

Stop by here for breakfast after my morning walk with a friend. I ordered the Hunter omelet which came with some country potatoes, and a few small slices of watermelon and oranges. I also ordered an espresso.
The omelet was nicely prepared and filled with bacon, sausage, onion, peppers, and cheese. However, it was quite undersized for me. Yes, yes, for most people it would probably be sufficient, but than again, I have quite the appetite. The potatoes where cooked properly but could of used more seasoning. Overall my brunch was very good and I enjoyed it very much. It was kind of strange that you had to order your toast separately and pay a dollar if you want some. I think we need to break them of that habit.
The service was great and attentive. I certainly want to return for lunch or dinner. I recommend this place.
Thank you UnilocalEr Anh v. for recommending this place.

4.5 stars. All the potential to be a 5 star restaurant – I just need to come here again and make sure the quality and level of service is consistent.
We came here on the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving and the restaurant part of AVE 5 was completely empty. The bar had a handful of patrons. Not surprising, given that most people were probably traveling to other cities or staying at home with their families.
Because it was so empty, we had the whole place to ourselves practically and the staff and chef (s) were so kind to us. I believe it was the chef who brought out our food on more than one occasion… I wasn’t 100% sure but I just wanted to say that chef, if it was you, THANK YOU. Your food was AMAZING.
We ordered a cheese platter that had brie, humboldt fog (my most favorite cheese ever), and manchego. The platter came with jams, fruits, and small pieces of bread with which we could sample the cheeses. HEAVENLY. They did a great job with the pairings, including the classic pear + humboldt fog. Cheese already takes so good by itself but trust me, with the right pairing, it can be even better.
We also ordered from the $ 7 menu (which I’m not sure is a regular thing, but most likely it is). Hot artichoke and cheese dip with bread and an amazing shrimp risotto. The photos I’ve posted here don’t do it justice. Both were delicious, but I was definitely partial to the creamy risotto. Yum!
For the entrée, my boyfriend and I split the Atlantic salmon. Unfortunately, they charge you something like $ 3 for splitting but whatever. But the salmon really was cooked by a pro. The outside was slightly crunchy but the inside was perfect with just a hint of pink, exactly the way I like it, each bite tender and buttery. The salmon also came with some delicious greens and a hollandaise sauce dotted the plate, which also went well with the fish. Mr. Chef, again, my compliments to you!
I almost forgot the mention that I was so lucky we got a Groupon for this place ($ 20 for $ 40 worth of food). What a great deal, definitely one of the best Groupon purchases I’ve made for a restaurant! But my experience at AVE 5 was so good, I’d recommend coming here even if you don’t have a coupon (it is a little pricey though, so save it for a special occasion!).

Avenue 5 Restaurant
SD: Banker’s Hill
Tuesday November 15, 2011
Four Stars
Its Kuo’s birthday and we tried to go to Searsucker but they were having a private event and were not seating anybody — Jerks. We then tried Urbana Cucina but they were fully booked too — Double Jerks! We then settled on Avenue 5 which was not crowded at all. We sat at a nice quiet table. We ordered a round of cocktails and bottle of Seven Daughters Pinot Noir. The service was a bit on the slow side. The Sangria was great, the Old Fashion was good, and the Manhattan was decent. We ordered two date night meals — 4 appetizers, 4 Main Courses, and 2 desserts.
App #1: Fried Calamari with Arrabiata Sauce
App #2: Confit Duck Leg on the bone
App #3: Clams with Garlic Creamy Sauce
App #4: Beef Short Rib Lettuce Wraps
Entrees: 2 NY Steaks, Pork Cheeks, Yellowtail
Desserts: Lemon and Acai Meringue & Pear Sherbet.
All the food had a decent flavor.
The Pork Cheeks and Truffle Fries were amazing.

Went here for dinner after some drinking and was disappointed.
Appetizer
Duck Confit — Duck was not tender and was a real small portion. Not much of a salad.
Butter Leaf Salad — This just didn’t hit the spot at all.
Entrée
Kurobuta Pork Loin — Took like 25 mins to cook and came out over cooked. It was dry.
Local Yellowtail — Nothing mind blowing. Just typical yellow tail.
Our server was a bit rude and it almost it seem like he was trying to rush us out and encouraged us to not order the pork loin.
Usually going to a place already buzzed, the food would usually be «enhanced.» This was not the case at all.

What a treasure! I have walked and driven past this restaurant countless time and I recall thinking to myself, «Self, you should stop in there one of these days!» I finally got the opportunity recently, and I am so very glad I did.
We didn’t make a reservation so we waited a few minutes for a table at the bar where the bartender made us a couple of martinis. That rose petal martini alone was worth a good 2 – 3 stars!
We were seated before my frist drink was empty, and we decided to try a meal of their appetizers. The Charcuterie and Cheese was delicious, brie and goat cheese and olives and apricots all on toasted bread. MMMM! We then tried the Champagne Risotto with mushrooms, which boasted not only thw aforementioned ingredients but also oysters. It was sinfully rich but phenomenally delicious, by far my fagvorite of the evening! I was pelased when our waiter informed me they can plate a double-​portion of this appetizer as a meal too! We rounded out our meal with the duck confit which was surprisingly tender and juicy. Duck has been very hit or miss in my experience with a lot more of the latter than I’d care to admit. Duck seems to always be served dry and smothered with a sauce to try and make up for it, not this dish! It was very tasty.
I’ll definitely be back, but I was sad their website says Happy Hour lasts until 8pm but their menus (and our bill) say 7pm. Which is it?!