Cesar’s Caribbean Restaurant & Lounge

I begged my husband to bring me here for lunch. I ordered the jerk chicken and even though the restaurant was completely, COMPLETELY! empty, they still took FOREVER! I understand good food takes time, so it really didn’t bother me. When the food finally arrived, I took the first bite into the saltiest, nastiest chicken I’ve ever had. (Think horse salt lick) Me being the super-​nice, non-​confrontational person that I am, I merely mentioned to the waiter that it was too salty and that I couldn’t eat it. He apologized, took the dish away and came back 5 minutes later with a message from the chef. Apparently, while in the kitchen, he ate the returned food, told the chef who also ate some, then came back to the table and told me the chef said he could «fix» it. INSTEAD OF THROWING IT AWAY AND MAKING ME A NEW ONE!?! FIX IT!?! After you two strangers ate it! GROSS! What were they going to do!?! Wash the chicken off and drown it in more sauce?! Who does that! Maybe microwave it to kill whatever cold/​flu germs they transplanted into my leftovers!
Needless to say, I declined!
The positive is, the waiter took the initiative to mention it to the manger who took it off our bill.

This place sure changed a lot from the last time I came! The restaurant they were working on back then is now open. I’ll need to try it one day cuz Caribbean food sounds goood.
The interior changed too, so have the rules. They got rid of their huge humidor and now have only a very limited selection of cigars in one glass case. My friends weren’t too happy with that. You also can’t smoke them indoors anymore, you’ll have to take the smoke outdoors to their small patio.
The inside atmosphere is still really cute and quaint though. They added a whole new couch/​lounge section where the humidor used to be. The drinks were pricey but still good. We chilled on the green couches with our cocktails of choice and had a grand old time here.
Service, like last time, was excellent. Staff was friendly and very helpful. I’ll definitely be back the next time I’m in Gaslamp.

I’m not a big «downtown» guy, but the few times i’ve been here with a few friends, i’ve enjoyed myself.
It IS expensive. I’ve never tried the food. But sipping on some red wine or scotch, and smoking a cigar while sitting on the patio people watching can be pretty fun.
Again, neither the cigars or the drinks are cheap. But the staff if cool, as is the ambiance. If you get a decent table outside, and you can dig a decent cigar, you’ll dig this place.

One of my favorite places downtown to people watch. Sit outside on the patio and soak in the chaos from the Stingeree line across the street… Food is OK. Cigars are excellent. The staff is a real cool bunch, friendly and helpful…

I’ve gotta say this place is pretty chill… I like places where I can chill w/​o some Dude Bro buggin the shit outta me… I can come here & have a few old people stare at me, order a beer and chill on the patio or inside…
The real reason I looked this place up was to remember the name of this bar. because another time I walked by I saw this fine ass brunette w/​dreads in there, just chillin and having a beer w/​her friend. and I was like she had dreads too! AND she’s fine!!! And has style… and damnnnnn!!! So I went in there bought her a beer, started dating her, won the lottery, bought a bunch of downtown real estate and opened up a restaurant. now we have a kid and we’re living the life. .
Just playin… again… everything’s true up until I mention about buyin her a beer
But yeah this spot is a relaxing spot to hit up and grab a drink w/​some friends.

A great place to have a stogie and wine (or beer). The humidor isn’t very large and it’s a tad bit pricey (even for San Diego), but after factoring in the «Gaslamp» factor for pricing, it’s not bad. They have a great wine & beer list. The patio is small, but a great place to enjoy your cigar and wine. The crowd is very lively, so if you’re looking for a quiet place to do business, get there before the after-​dinner crowd.
They don’t get 5 stars because of the small-​ish humidor, but don’t let that deter you!
Edit, 9Feb08:
Dropping them to 1 star. They don’t allow smoking inside anymore, severely limiting the smoking area. The only place to smoke is their super-​cramped patio. They’re serving food in the bar and the restaurant is soon to open. Oh well, used to be a great place for a stogie & beer.

Great place to have a beer and a good cigar.
Hang out on the patio to watch the people go by.

Cesar is a cool place. Brian, the daytime manager, is a no-​nonsense kind of guy who likes his wine selection and cigars. The interior is really pleasant despite the fact that the patio should be avoided due to the impromptu putrid air wafts that seem to be a redundant problem all over the Gaslamp area…