South Beach Bar & Grille

Ordered a Martini… got a very dirty martini… ordered steamed clams… they came half way through the meal… when I refused them the waiter said we were not very patient… very mediocore food and rude waiter

I couldn’t be more sad to be giving this place two stars! What has happened to the coolest place in OB!!! They now allow children and it is frickin’ romper room in here. As I sit here I count 8 kids! Strollers blocking the aisles. Thinking it might not be working for them since half full. Normally you have to wait for a table.
South beach. Please come to your senses!!! We are going to miss you!

The atmosphere is great … BUT …
1)The service is overwhelmed and made many mistakes with our order. Two guacamole, an extra taco, and iced tea mysteriously appeared on our bill.
2). I had the shark taco, Mahi taco, and a cup of clam chowder. It was all sub par compared to comparatively priced competitors. The tacos were over cooked and hidden with lots of cheese. The clam chowder with watery and not satisfying.
In conclusion, I’d recommend getting a taco across the street from the Taco stand.

This is by far my favorite place in OB! This bar has the BEST fish tacos! I’m not much of a fish eater (unless it’s sushi) until I had their fish tacos and now I’m hooked! I recently tried their zucchini taco and it’s also amazing!
Great happy hour with extended hours on Monday, and the best view of the OB pier and beach! And hilarious people watching haha!
#sandiegofoodgirls

Location cant be beat with a stick but customer service lacks. Food is ok, happy hour is ok and the views are great.
Almost forgot to mention that after our food was brought to the wrong table and messed with, the server tried to bring it to us and say” He just put sauce on it, that’s all” don’t think so lady.

I’m sitting here waiting for my drink. One person in my group already had his food. This is happening right now. Great service? Not right now.

Surprised by the four stars this place has. It MUST be for the location, because it’s certainly not for the service OR the food.
I stopped in here for (what I hoped would be) a quick lunch on Taco Thursday. First of all, it’s seat yourself — but no one will tell you that and there aren’t any signs. So once you’ve sat down somewhere, you need to cross your fingers that a server will eventually notice you and bring you a menu. They won’t tell you the specials, though, so you’ll have to look around for where they are posted and figure it out for yourself.
10 minutes later, when the server comes back with your soda, you’d better be ready to order because you never know when you’ll see them again. Bring a book or a friend, because you’re going to wait 30 – 40 minutes for your tacos. They’ll come out warm at best, but the portions are fair for the special price of $ 2.95. Of the shrimp, baja (fried pollock), and carne tacos I ordered, the shrimp was the best and the carne was the worst. Unlike the flour tortillas the others were on, the carne taco comes on a RAW corn tortilla, which makes it hard to get through. The tomatillo salsa on the carne is also very unappealing (think green vomit atop your taco — yum).
Make sure when the server brings the food, that you go ahead and pay the check. If I hadn’t had the foresight, I could’ve been there ages longer.
Up-​side? You can watch the beefy surfers changing and waxing boards in the parking lot and the weird hipsters walking up and down the street while you wait.

Joined a couple friends here for Taco Thursday where most tacos are $ 2.95 and drafts are $ 3. I started with the Wahoo. It was a good sized portion of fish, covered in pico de gallo and a white sauce. The fish was a bit overdone. But I really likedy second choice, the shrimp taco, same toppings but tasty shrimp with each bite.
It’s a fun, casual place with a view of the beach and large screen tv’s for the sport fans.

I came here with a friend and we just came in before the afternoon crowd. Parking blows though and didn’t want to keep circling so I just paid at the lot. I haven’t been in a while and the fish tacos are just still as good as I remember them. I ordered the Wahoo but I Forgot I like the Baja Fried (polluck) one more so. Wahoo is healthier and meatier though. I would say that the grilled shrimp and fried oyster tacos were good as well. I wanted a fourth one so badly but three will definitely be a solid meal. I like the hot sauce selection. I recommend the giant glass bottle one. Sorry I can’t remember the name of it. I think it has better flavoring but not a lot of kick if any.

The 2^nd floor at South Beach is the only way to go. Fish tacos and drinks with a view of the OB pier. Now this is a great way to spend an afternoon.
I’ve been going here for years, and continue to enjoy the large variety of fish taco options. I waiver between a 3 and 4 star here. There are many superior fish tacos to be found in SD, and before the 2^nd floor existed, I wouldn’t had as much good to say (downstairs is dirty, IMO). A solid 3 will have to do until Unilocal can offer half stars;-)

Taco Tuesday greatness with beer, I like all the gourmet tacos but the Calamari Tacos stand over all– huge and delicious two of em and a pitcher to share will do it for ya.

I went to South Beach for Taco Tuesday. The food was fine & everything. The bill came out to $ 16 dollars & change. I gave the server a $ 4 tip, which was more then he deserved. A few days later when I was checking my bank statement I found out that the server had changed my tip from $ 4 to $ 11!!! Very unprofessional!!!

Fish and shrimp tacos really good. shrimp stuffed jalapeños good as well would have been great if they had bacon ;0)

This place used to be below average because the service was so slow and you waited FOREVER to get a taco or drink. However, once they got a new manager, this place is AMAZING! He is the nicest guy and always checks on the customers to see if they need anything. He apologizes for the wait times when they are busy and it really makes a difference in the overall mood. He always has a smile on his face and is the reason why we keep coming back.
My favorite night of the week there is Thursdays because they have $ 3 craft beers and they run their taco Tuesday pricing for their tacos.
You also can’t beat the view! Especially with the outdoor deck open now.

Very tasty tacos. My friend and I stopped here for dinner one night after seeing South Beach on one of the food network shows. I started with the South Beach Mule. It was very tasty and not too expensive either. I’m used to New York alcohol prices so this made the drink even. Better.
I started with the octopus cocktail. It was served in what looked like a sundae glass, filled with octopus and topped with cocktail sauce and horseradish. The presentation was different and made getting some of the toppings on everything a little challenging but it still tasted great. It just got really spicy at the end when there was a lot of horseradish left.
We then went on to tacos. I had the carne, fried oysters, and fried fish. The carne was delicious! That avocado cream on top really made it great. The oyster taco was my least favorite but it was still good. I just think I prefer my oysters raw. I finished with the fried fish taco and it was no doubt the best fast food style fried fish taco I’ve ever had. With that being said, I’ve only ever had one other fish taco that was better so this one was pretty epic!
If I’m ever back in the area I’ll be sure to head back here and eat again!

So far the only thing worth going here for is the view and the mimosas. Our experience this weekend was pretty dismal: slow and unfriendly service with mediocre food. I ordered the ahi tuna poke and it was basically three wonton cups with a chunk of inedible tuna sloppily tossed inside. We spilled on the table and the waitress didn’t bother helping even after we asked for a towel, overall she seemed bored and disinterested. Doubtful that I will ever go back, even though I live half a block away. Step your game up guys!

TAAAACOOO TUEEESDAY. Of course being in San Diego there is a plethora if places to get delicious tacos. but South Beach is probably one of my favorite spots to go especially on Taco Tuesdays. All day, Every taco is $ 2.95 excluding the Lobster. 2 – 3 and I’m good as they use flour tacos, and give you a lot of the protein you ordered with cabbage, salsa, and cheese. YUM i am salivating as I write this review.
They do get busy around happy hour, and coming around at night it gets even busier. And regardless of when you come, even when it’s not as busy it takes quite some time for the tacos to come out and the servers aren’t very attentive. They don’t seem to have a good ratio of servers to customers hence the 4 stars I’m giving them.
My favorite is probably the fried oyster taco as I’ve never really had that anywhere else, the baja is also good too and so is the shrimp. Okay well, TBH you can’t really go wrong with any of the tacos. I’d order them all if I could!
Aside from the tacos, I’ve also had their fried baby octopus which is kind of interesting to try. They’re really crispy, and comes with a cocktail horseradish sauce. I like them mostly because of that crunch and I think it’s fun to snack on while you wait for your tacos to come.

We were seated upstairs which had a really nice view, but then they turned down the lights and turned up the volume. I wasn’t much of a fan of the ambiance. Our server brought our drinks but then didn’t return until she brought our food and we were really thirsty after a day on the beach. it was hard to get refills period. I got the fish and chips, the fish was overdone and the fries were just «eh». The coleslaw was good though. My boyfriend got the mahi fish tacos on the recommendation of our friends who moved to San Diego a few years ago. They were really good, that’s why I gave the three star rating. I’ve always disliked the idea of fish tacos but I concede that I was dead wrong about them.
If we’re ever in San Diego again, I’d like to try the place again, but not near sunset. Maybe I’ll like the lunch vibe a little better.

Insanely good fish tacos (the Baja ones). And everything else we had was really good and fresh — fried octopus, coconut shrimp, bacon wrapped swordfish medallions, lobster tacos and mahi tacos. The beer selection was great too.

I’ve came here a couple times for taco Tuesday and usually have a great time watching the ocean while drinking and eating tacos. I prefer sitting upstairs because it’s less hectic and better view anyway.
My favorite taco by far is the deep fried fish but I also enjoyed the grilled shrimp as well. Taco Tuesday is the best deal here and I will probably only come for just that.
Definitely worth the visit.

Food was a 3, ambience was a 4. Fish tacos were mediocre at best. Shrimp tacos are better, stuffed with plenty of sweet shrimps. Specials and happy hour deals are excellent. $ 3 craft beers + $ 3 shot of patron… (See happy hr photo) You’re in for a good time if you’re drinking with friends, but not for the best meal.
We ordered poke and fish tacos. The $ 7 poke was tuna in crispy shells, garnished with green onions. It was oversalted, cut wasn’t good — parts inedible, and not the freshest.
Tacos were on a soft flour tortilla shell, melted cheddar cheese on bottom, pico de gallo and topped with ranch dressing… Weird fusion. The battered fish stayed pretty crunchy and good grilled/​fried meat/​seafood options for tacos.
Pros: Faces the beach parking lot so love the fresh air. Good service (Niko was awesome!). Many options. Really spacious, with upstairs and downstairs eating. Big screen TVs for sports. Great specials. Fun ambience.
Cons: Food was disappointing. Challenging street parking. College, Bar &Grill feel.
I probably won’t be driving out of the way to OB for this in the future.

Chill spot, good tacos, good drinks.
THE WAIT: None on a Saturday around noon. It’s seat yourself. We nabbed a couple of the upstairs balcony seats overlooking the dock and the beach.
THE SERVICE: Our server was really nice, and a very laid back guy! Our tacos came out and we didn’t have napkins/​silverware. He went to send for some, and the girl brought them right past us to the next two guys who hadn’t even ordered their food yet.
THE COST: $ 20.52 before tax/​tip for 2 drinks and 3 tacos — a light lunch for two.
MUST-​HAVES: The Mango piña colada is tasty, and I liked the Mahi fish taco best while my boyfriend liked the Baja (fried) one.
See my photos for additional info!
* Mango piña colada (myers’s platinum rum blended w/​mango & piña colada. $ 7) — 4 stars
Great, love the mango, but it must’ve been very weak because I could barely taste the alcohol and I didn’t get much of a buzz from this! (And I’m a total lightweight.)
Overall on the tacos: they have tons of relish and sauce on the taco. The tortillas are a bit thick and dry.
* Mahi grilled taco (marinated. $ 3.75) — 4 stars
Unique teriyaki glaze, very flaky and moist.
* Baja fish (pollock. Fried. $ 3.50) — 4.5 stars
Great fresh meat, a light yet crispy batter.
* Wahoo grilled taco ($ 3.75) — 2.5 stars
Way way too dry, too dense. Well-​described by our server as more of a steak texture, not as flaky as your traditional fish. But on top of that, the dryness was too much

We had a friend recommend this place to me and my friends weekend in San Diego. The vibe was a little different than I expected so I was thinking the food might not live up to the hype. It did!
We were there during happy hour. We started off with a Jose cocktail, yum! Then we each got 2 tacos, all of them were super flavorful. We also got some tall beers which were on happy hour price. Good selection of local craft brews.
Great happy hour, good food, good drinks. Can’t ask for much more!

Still our favorite spot for fish tacos. Can’t veer from my two favs, the mahi mahi and the zucchini. Taco Thursday IS a thing and it’s so much better to come here then rather than for Taco Tuesday. Same, if not better deals ($ 2.95 tacos, excluding the lobster, and $ 3 pints 3-​close, excluding specialty beers)… Smaller crowds, therefore slightly better/​faster service… It’s a win win win win win.

thats it. im done. i dont give many 1 stars but this place is officially dead to me. i came back and gave it a try… with my own recommendation to just get the happy hour ceviche. it was 80% diced tomatoes and rubbery, fishy shrimp that was poor quality and sat too long in citrus. way to go with the mind game making me think im getting a happy hour deal when really im just getting a whole lot more filler and the worst quality measly shrimp thrown in.
i should have taken it back… i would have… but my company seemed a little uncomfortable with doing that so i sucked it up.
he got an order of garlic wings and they were fried and covered with a thick sauce. couldnt even tell if we were given the right order and the food runner was like… ya, pretty sure it is. meaning, she had no idea. no where on the menu does it state their wings are fried. mediocre.
2 HH apps, w drinks… over $ 20 and probably the worst hour hour meal of my life. GREAT VIEW! ok, people… enjoy that for free and go anywhere else. seriously… i have given this place too many tries. i am WAY too forgiving…
done. i wish it would go out of business so something wonderful can replace it.

Taco Tuesday’s? More like salty Tuesday’s
I came here with expectations because my friends said this place was the spot for taco Tuesday, but boy did I leave disappointed and disgusted.
Food: two mahi and a shark taco. It was interesting to see that they offered flour instead of corn tortilla and that was already was too Americanized for me. When they brought out my food, the flour tortilla was really tough as if it was sitting outside for a day. There was dried up cheddar cheese on the flour, kind of how you make a quesadilla. The grilled mahi was extremely salty and the toppings did not balance the taco at all. It was also dry and really firm for mahi. Basically every bite was sodium and a chug of water. The size of the taco is worth $ 2.95 but it was not appetizing. I also tried the shark taco which was juicy, tender and interesting because I’ve never had shark tacos before. I don’t like how they put purple cabbage in tacos, so this place is really Americanized.
Service: bad. Walked upstairs and no one greeted me even when we made eye contact. So I seated myself and one of the workers says «let me see your id» which I find really rude because it felt like an interrogation than a request and she still didn’t greet me with a «hello» or at least a «please». She didn’t even tell me it was happy hour or what was included during HH and so I had to ask my friend instead. She was not informative, polite or considerate of my first experience there so I have no plans to come back.
Atmosphere: they play unnecessarily loud music here (upstairs) for some strange reason. It felt like I was at a club with music blasted loud enough that you have to scream to get a conversation going.
Overall, this place has salty Americanized tacos and bad service. Worst place to go for taco Tuesday.

So this time I tried the oyster tacos along with my usual baja tacos and fried baby octopus, fried mushrooms and half shelled oysters.
Omg… The raw oysters were sooooo good! One of my friends said they must be Maine oysters. They were the best tasting oysters I’ve ever had.
Woulda given them 5 stars because we had such a grand slam time but the service was lacking initially. We were told to seat ourselves so we found a table upstairs. The servers never noticed us or they assumed we had already eaten? My Bf had to go get them. The waitress that took our drink orders never came back to take our food orders so we asked a waiter for his help. From there, it was great. He was soooo kind n cool with us and kept checking back. Totally like his attitude.
I tried several different beers on tap and the apple cider… All paired so perfectly with seafood.

Great service. Very attentive. Got a little annoying at the end but it seemed like they were asking if we were done in order to get the table cleared… so beware of this if you go when it’s busy.
New upstairs area just opened. Great views!
Happy hour — ½ off appetizers
Taco Tuesday $ 3 tacos
We got baby octopus. I wasn’t really a fan. Too chewy for me.
Mahi fish tacos — good
Calamari tacos — very tender
Tried Stella cider. It was good.
Would like to come back and try more tacos next time.

I give it 3 stars for the food, friendly service and proximity to the beach.
It was taco Tuesday so it was super busy. They check your ID at the entrance. You walk around downstairs, upstairs and hover over tables to get the next one available, it’s first come first serve for seats. It’s super loud inside so not a good date place. I enjoyed the generously portioned tacos for $ 2.75 each especially the mahi taco and carne asada taco. I could do without the melted cheese though, it didn’t do anything for the taco especially after the tartar and hot sauce. There are 2 hour parking spots on the street.

I can really sum this all up by saying… «I’ve had better». That statement usually warrants 2 stars, but I’ve been here many times and it’s been better so I upped it to 3 stars.
South Beach is located right on the boardwalk at Ocean Beach. Great view of OB pier and the water. Parking is always a challenge in OB so just be aware.
We came in at lunch time and it wasn’t busy at all. But this is a strict 21+ restaurant. It was 1pm and they were checking I.D.‘s. Not sure I understand that but it’s a downside of this place.
It’s unnecessarily loud in there with the music. We tried to find a table/​booth that wasn’t directly under a speaker so we could try and talk to each other during lunch, but that just wasn’t going to happen. Our server came by and took our drink order. I’m a huge iced tea lover and sadly they serve instant! What is up with these places that can’t serve fresh brewed? Particularly with what you are serving! You’re known for your fish tacos which I agree go fantastic with beer, but not everyone can drink. Some might be coming in for lunch but have to return to work. Some might be the designated driver. And some may just not want to drink alcohol so get with it and serve fresh brewed tea like almost every other place in SoCal.
I ordered a grilled swordfish and mahi fish tacos and my friend had the shrimp Caesar salad. The tacos were not at all as good as I had remembered fish tacos from South Beach. I used to think they were the best fish tacos of any place in San Diego and worth the drive out to OB but given this latest, I don’t think I’ll make the trip again. The swordfish was okay, but the mahi was borderline horrible. And the tacos… filled with some kind of salsa. I don’t understand what happened here. What happened to the cabbage and dressing? There was dressing but it’s was a flavorless white liquid substance. Basically drowned the fish tacos in hot sauce to make them tolerable.
My friends Caesar salad was okay. Plenty of very tasty shrimp but the Caesar dressing was lacking flavor and she only ate about half of it.
It’s been awhile since I’ve been here but seems the quality has gone down. I always believed they had phenomenal fish tacos which is why I would frequent South Beach so I’m not sure about the other food. Maybe I’ll check back another time but for now, there are many other great places to get fish tacos. By the way, turn the music down! It’s only 1pm… really? Does it need to be that loud? I get it when it’s later in the evening but during lunch time… well, just another reason to go somewhere else.