Dobson's Bar & Restaurant

This was one of San Diego’s best restaurants and it is in poor shape now. Old, dirty walls and ceiling with paint flaking off the walls. Dusty shelves up high with dust balls and old champagne corks not retrieved. Only employees there were a bartender, waiter and chef. Sent my entre back to the kitchen.

The shrimp is amazing! The fish and Chips are delicious and the Mussel Bisque is truly delicious. The service was great and the atmosphere is relaxing and warm. My wife and I truly enjoyed ourselves. Go and enjoy!

This was a really fun experience. We were out later on a Saturday, looking for a quick nightcap. We were lured in by a musician singing and playing guitar. Cocktails were very delicious and the shrimp and mushroom ajillo really hot the spot for a late night snack.

This was a special occasion ruined. Walked in, never being there before, but previously asking for a romantic, quiet table, we found a very loud, obnoxious environment. Thankfully, we were led upstairs, up some rickety old stairs, to a small table stuffed into what I thought was a broom closet. The chairs were so stuffed in, under the table, that sitting at the table was very uncomfortable. Service was okay, I suppose, but it was such that everything had to be " run" from downstairs, in back. And then the live, blasting, music ? started. And then they served a very long table of 18 people, right out in front of us, which took up the entire upstairs area. All the while, we were squished in this broom closet. Extremely uncomfortable. Food was okay, but very expensive. Service was mediocre, as the attention was given to the party of 18. - End result ? - First and last time there.

Best spot we went to in San Diego. Service was high class and on point. Prices are fair. Decor is classy and elegant, live music playing the perfect songs in a great tone to set the mood, and the food was excellent. The mussel bisque is the best bisque of any kind I've ever had. It's a travesty to not get it. Tiramissu was unbelievably good as well, thick cream with the perfect amount of coffee flavor as to not over power it. If you're visiting its a mistake to not come here.

Quaint bar/restaurant near Civic Theatre where we enjoyed dinner before our show. Pricey, but very tasty. Crème brûlée, my favorite dessert, was surprisingly meh due to the fact that the entire ramekin must have been placed in the oven to crystalize the sugar because we couldn't touch the sides of the dish as it was scorching hot. Also the custard was more runny than firm due to the overheating. Otherwise, a terrific dinner.

I had an amazing experience at Dobson in San Diego. The Prime Ribeye I ordered was cooked to perfection—exactly how I like it. The house bread served with butter was a delightful addition to the meal. To complement the flavors, I enjoyed two local IPA beers. Our server, Lino, provided exceptional service throughout. I can’t say enough good things about him. Overall, a fantastic dining experience that I would highly recommend.

Such a disappointment. We made reservations for a birthday dinner before a show at the Civic, and we walked in ready to order, having looked at the menu online. 75 minutes in, we still had no food. Had to stand next to the kitchen and grab it to go, and eat it cold three hours later. It was gross by that time. We also had called earlier and asked about ordering a specific dish from the lunch menu for our child's dinner. They said no problem. When we tried to order it, the waiter said they didn't even offer it. They were very nice people but we will not return. And we were charged full price in spite of all the apologies.

One of the best experience I have had In a while It's been about 2 years since I've been back and they haven't missed a step Recommend the surf n turf We also had the sea bass and the scallops All 100 The bread is really good

Our server was very attentive and kind, sadly, that's the only thing that gave this review any stars at all. What happened to this once amazing restaurant/bar? Granted, this was the place to go back in the late 90s and early 2000s to grab something to eat and have a drink at their intimate bar. I did not have their famous soup this time around. So, can't review something I have had many times in the past. I dined here for dinner just before heading to a play at the civic center, because it's walking distance, and this used to be a great place. I'm hoping this was a just an off evening. The hostess us sat my friend and I in this cramped corner, it was just too close for two girls to enjoy our food and wine. Perfect for a close intimate date. And def not a first or even second date. (Seating was directly behind the hostess stand fyi) We ordered their charcuterie board and the entire board was just a mess. The cheese was dry, the bread was so stale, the one choice of meat was so salty we just couldn't eat it. My friend ordered the salmon, and it was way too dry. I really cannot recall the last time I've had such a horrible food experience. Def won't be returning, and I used to come here all the time. The inside is still intimate and I love the aesthetics and bar. Maybe just a place now for some cocktails and head out somewhere else for the rest of the evening. I did see a few bartenders come in for a pre work drink before starting their shift.

Was looking forward to their world famous mussel bisque as I've had it three times before but this time I was quite disappointed. It was not buttery goodness. It tasted bland and fishy. What happened? Service was great as always but that bisque. I would not order again. Then we ordered the chefs pizza. That was good with blue cheese and dried figs but that bisque left me with a not so good aftertaste

I needed to dine within walking distance of the Civic Center Theater without getting mugged going to and fro. Pass through the cute little patio on the street and step into the cute little vestibule. Move to the cute little hostee podium and the cute little hostee will check you in and guide you through the cute little bar and upstairs to the cute little dining room and your own cute little table. If you lean forward one elbow will be on the next table. The normal sized menu covered the entire 2 Top, top. The place is totally tricked out in Bistro chic and looks more like a Bistro than any Bistro on Boulevard St. Germain in Paris. Carved wood bar, subway tile floor, carved crown molding, textured ceiling, walls and corbels Bottom line, it's a cool spot to bring a hot date. The whole resto is essentially a two story Shotgun Shack that has been Frenchified. The Staff: Both those dudes must have thunderous thighs from hiking up and down the steep stairs from the kitchen below to bring more butter. Cheaper than going to the gym, so everyone wins. Those kitchen mules come and go without much interaction or maybe it was just my aftershave. No matter, they are efficient. The Bar: The Bar takes up the entire ground floor. The buzzin' bar slings whatever a buzzin' bar slings. Cocktails, Mocktails, Beer, and Wine from a nice list which is a PhD Thesis on the subject. The substantial list and the food portions are the only things in Dobson's that may still be cute but certainly not little. Who's in the House (and the Senate)? Dobson's has long been the watering hole and dining trough for the City's makers and shakers. I perfect go to place for politicians that need to be watered or who want to hole up. Add to the chronies, phonies, nepo-babies and politicians there is a smattering of tourists who wandered over from the U. S. Grant Hotel, a few tables for first dates and the odd silver haired, gold chained charmer, who is out on the town with his "niece", nice. The Food: Yeoman like classics that flirts with true Bistro fare. Note: The portions are heroic. The Crab Cake opened the show and was the size of a shoe box and filled with filler (Bread Crumbs), Carrots, Celery, Onion, and lots and lots of real Crab. It was fried until kinda crisp. There are a few Baby Arugula draped on the top and after dragging those off it was down to some serious Crab business. Perfect. A thin watery Lobster Sauce in a cute little cup doesn't add much to the Crab party. Eat it neat. In all fairness, the Crab Cake was very good. It stands on it's own and supplies a distant linger of gentle heat. I'd return just to get the Crabs. A huge wedge of warm house made Sour Dough Bread appeared with a cute little cup of recently defrosted Butter. The bread crust is crispy even being as thin as it is. The interior crumb was spongy but carried that delightful sour tang we bread eaters enjoy and appreciate. If you order something with sauce, that spongy bread is just what you need for moppin' and soppin'. The Black Mussels came in a contraption that was designed just for this dish. A steel domed pot looked like the Tiffin Wallah dropped off your lunch. The top turns upside down and holds the empty shells, maybe 30 or more, as each layer of Mussels revealed the next layer of Mussels. And I ate every damn one of them and would've eaten more as they were delicious. The Mussels are submerged in a Coconut Curry, Garlic, White Wine Broth which was terrific. Now, where is my spongy bread? Note: This is the same broth that supports the famous Dobson's Mussel Bisque. For almost the same price you get a full bucket of Mussels instead of a shallow bowl. So just order the Mussels and be happy. The Lamb Chops were three double cut monsters that came with a tablespoon of Demi/Wine Reduction Sauce on each one and were stacked on a platoon of Roast Potatoes, sans crunch, but then who cares if you like Potatoes? Vegetables du jour come along for the ride. Baby Carrots, String Beans, and whatever the kitchen picked from the just picked. All good and cooked exactly the right way. The Lamb was a hair rare but the kitchen would have fixed it if I asked. I didn't. Dessert involved the ususal suspects. Creme Brulee, Chocolate Mousse, Pistachio Cake and Tiramisu. (French? Hmmm...) Dobson's presents a Hobson's Choice. Whatever you order will be pleasant enough. Note: There is a cool bar menu available only at the Bar which is always crowded. Which if only I had known. Oh well, next time.

Great food and great service old school bar and classic nice cocktail list and patio ., is in downtown located

Went here for the first time...to try it out and celebrate a nice Christmas dinner. The bar set up was interesting. Downstairs was small and they had a singer on keyboards, upstairs was nice and cozy and you can still hear the music and the roudy people. It was a bit confusing honestly especially with the menu ... To me I would describe it as a local bar to hang out downstairs and upscale dining upstairs. The server was nice, and checked in often. The food options were limited and kind of pricey. We tried escargot for the first time and I actually liked it. I had the chicken Marsala and it was okay not really seasoned well. My date has the lamp chops and they tasted good. I don't know if I'd go back again, but good time.

The wings were 5 stars and was the ranch. But the service was slow and neglectful, as we were one of two tables in the restaurant. Ordered the French dip and it came on a honey wheat roll instead of a French roll...like why? If they didn't have the right bread then why not let us know instead of serving something so unappetizing? Such a rip off and poor experience. Will not recommend.

I stopped at the Westgate to have a starter martini then rolled down to Dobson's for a second martini, cause martini's are like what?! If you know you know.

Came here to enjoyed the restaurant week San Diego. I have heard about this place from the legal pplz from my last office locations. They say come here and you will meet lawyers here. Sure enough the place is filled with them hahahahahaha Nice place. It has two floors and best utilize the rooms efficiently. The food is okay. A tad salty for my taste. I do loved the Brie Fondue! The combo was sweetened within the cheese and its breadsticks. Luckily I have water and a cocktail I ask the server to bring it to me. Pretty place. But I think they haven't cleaned their brass chandelier! It's lost it's shine! Especially you are sitting on the 2nd floor you can see they probably forgot to cleaned. Yup this is where a good percentage of lawyers hangs out here.

At taste festivals held downtown prior to the pandemic, Dobson's Bar & Restaurant had been serving samples of their famous Mussel Bisque as one of the stops. I had an opportunity to redeem a coupon for a free bisque with the purchase of an entree which led to a dinner visit. The inside was smaller than I had expected. It was like walking into an old school steakhouse with lots of wood in the interior. Some tables were available upstairs, but I didn't go up to take a look. As I sat at the bar, I told the bartender that I wanted to see a dinner menu. It featured an interesting variety of dishes with no cuisine style in particular that stood out. I settled on the Roasted Texas Quail which was three birds served on a plate with roasted vegetables in a blackberry sauce. The quail meat was cooked just fine, however it was a lot work to extract it from the bones. The Mussel Bisque was served in a cute vessel with a puff pastry covering. The bartender broke open the pastry shell and then poured a generous amount of sherry into the soup. The kitchen could have added a few more pieces of mussel to the bowl, but the broth was so creamy and delicious. The bisque was why my dining experience at Dobson's Bar & Restaurant was at a four star level.

Came for lunch while on jury duty, as it is very close to the courthouse. The ambiance is upscale traditional/older style and calm. Friendly service and relatively quick, my water glass was refilled when empty! I ordered the mussel bisque cup and the beet salad. All was delicious! The pastry puff on the bisque was especially good, and the salad was very fresh. I would go again and recommend it to fellow jurors!

Hands down our go to spot before Broadway SD shows. The staff is amazing, and the food is great. Definitely recommend any duck dishes, and the mussel soup is an absolute must try.

First, ignored for 5 minutes at the host stand. They charge for bread, yet serve escargot without bread. The Cesar salad had un ripe tomatoes, the lettuce was soggy as were the slices of bread (free!) passed off as croutons. The meat dishes were enjoyable. But come on. My dear friend thought it was the best of the best when she chose this place for dinner. Do better!

absolutely love love love love love love love this place! So fun to sit at the bar and they have the best bread on the planet! It's the best place to go before seeing anything at the Civic Theatre. It's fun when they have live music also... Everything they make is perfection. I've had different experiences with the bartenders. There's one who has been overly amazing and nice and makes you feel so welcome and the other seems a bit stressed out and Not as friendly... But other than that - I will always come back to this place because I love it so much!

I'm 50/50 with this place. I only ordered 2 items. The filet mignon was excellent, flavorful, and it was like cutting through butter. But, the crab cake was another story. The outside was overcooked, burnt. And the crab cake itself had no flavor. I was in a hurry, so I did not have time to deal with if that's how it supposed to be or if they could correct the issue. So, I'm not sure if I would go back because I really did not give this place a chance because I was in a hurry.

We always come back for the mussel bisque. Wonderful service, with a style that is rare in San Diego. Reminds me of my time living in NYC, small bar on the first floor with a small upper dining area. This place is very intimate and special.

3 stars... Another joint that attracted our interest through the San Diego gift card promotion. Opted for the bone in pork chop..a lovely piece of meat atop a bed of mashed potatoes and veggies and topped with a lovely bernaise. My bride had the scallops, and while they were very tasty, she thought the portion was small for the price tag. Rounded out the meal with the cheesecake....perfectly creamy and topped with a fruity glaze...very good! Ambiance is shotgun speakeasy, service was prompt and helpful, and prices exceeded expectation. For the price point we expected a bit more upscale ambiance and better portion size. This joint does not make the list.

Food was AMAZING and service was stellar. Marissa was a great bartender with very good recommendations

Finally got to pop on for a dinner after walking by this place for decades. Dinner was fantastic and the ambiance was exactly what I needed.

I had not been in Dobson's for years but gave it a go with 4 girlfriends. We arrived without a reservation and were seated promptly in the bar area as requested. Happy Hour was still going on from 5-7pm so we enjoyed house wine for $7 a glass. We ordered mussels as they are the specialty, chicken, kebob and mussel soup with bread. Service was great as was the food. It's a small space but not too loud. Dark and cozy. Give it a try.

Everything was delicious. Greta place to go before a show, reservation suggested. The staff were all very friendly and attentive.

Went here many years ago and remember enjoying the food and the ambience which is quaint and historic. Decided to bring the family back expecting a similar experience. The service was timely, but the food was just mediocre. Unfortunately, not at all how I remember it. Might be good for a lounge experience.

Classy bar and great service. Great place to have drinks with friends. I love the decor. This bar reminds me of cheers except a lot smaller, but still worth paying it a visit

Simple menu with all of your French favorites. The escargot shells are large and meaty and flavorful with garlic and oil. They bring out a delicious bread with a crispy outer shell and a fluffy inside, perfect for dipping into the escargot butter. I got the ribeye medium rare and I wish I had gone rarer as it seemed it was almost cooked more medium/medium-well. The outside edges of the steak were juicy and flavorful but the inside was a bit stiff. Luckily I was full by the time I got there so I left it. Overall a great experience with very attentive staff.

This place is an amazing throwback to old style downtown pubs. Great drinks and the food is literally divine. The service was impeccable. Lino and José really made our visit great. Try the shrimp and mushroom ajillo. One in our group had the filet and it was outstanding. Mushroom ravioli with mildly truffles cream sauce was also outstanding. The only damper on our visit was the hostess was not friendly and immediately remarked that we would need to eat and leave as they needed the table. Not the way we wanted to start our evening. We understand but it was the delivery that sucked.

A friend recommended this restaurant. It's very close to the theater and makes a great spot to hit for pre-show dinner. The restaurant is not very large, but they have outdoor seating and a second floor with a cute little nook for an intimate dinner. The menu is loaded with rich selections of foods from escargot to duck a l'orange. I ordered the chicken masala but it wasn't the traditional. It was with raisins and thyme jus that was pretty tasty. It was a plump breast instead of the pounded version. It started out really juicy, but by the time I was finished, it was dry. We had two attendees and the third, came over because they knew my dinner partner. They charge for bread service, but the nonchalant way the waiter suggested it, belied the fact. You have to watch those extra charges they slip in. I didn't get my water glass refilled the whole time I was there and water was the only thing I was drinking. LThere were issues with my dinner partners meal which they corrected without hesitation - the mussel bisque literally had one mussel which I got when I tasted the bisque. It was delicious but a little thin for a bisque. I would come back again since it's close to the theater and the food was good.

Just not what this restaurant used to be. That was my last visit there since i will not return. Two stars because of the uniqueness of the decor. Most of the dishes were mediocre. Even the mussel bisque didn't seem to be what it used to be. Saddens me to give this review. The only good entree of four was the sea bass. Service was only okay,

Went here with a group of friends for a bday. When we arrived the hostess was very frazzled and kept saying our table wasn't ready. We were shuffled around the small bar a few times while we waited. Once seated they tried to split our group into two tables, which we fixed. The service was so so, but it seemed like they had only one server for the entire dining room. I ordered an old fashioned from the bar and was horrified that they served it with regular ice cubes like you'd find at McDonald's. Huge fail. The food was good but the presentation wasn't great. Highly recommend the warm sourdough bread. Yum! My mushroom ravioli was good but it had clearly been sitting under a heat lamp for some time. The sauce had a skin on it and the raviolis were dried out. 3 generous stars, and I probably would t go back (unless it's for the bread only!)

Such a great little place! Beautiful dining upstairs or you can eat at the bar downstairs (also very nice). Do yourself a favor and Google Dobson's+Mussel Bisque+Food Network and watch that video! I don't eat mussels but I met a date here many years back and we sat at the bar and he ordered these for us. It was so good, I've been back at least a dozen times over the years to introduce this dish to others (and they're always blown away - even the ones who claim to hate seafood!). The bar is fun but the upstairs dining area is really nice for a date - calm/quiet and the food is great.

Whenever our daughter comes to visit she likes to try different places for food and drinks. After checking out the menu online we decided to have dinner here. Arrived about 15 minutes before the reservation so we sat at the bar and ordered drinks. When we entered the restaurant we told the bartender that we have a reservation at 4pm. However, after 4pm no one came to sit us in the dining room that is located upstairs so we decided to eat at the table in the bar area. The menu offerings were not the same as what we saw online so just ordered a few dishes to try, including mussel bisque, grilled palmito salad, and roasted duck. The food was okay and service was good. But I was glad that we did not order any additional food. The roasted duck was okay but the sauce was watery and did not have much flavor. I was glad that we did not order more food.

So delicious! The bread is to die for. The mushroom ravioli was amazing. My husband got the chicken Marsala and seemed to really enjoy it. The only reason this place is a 4 instead of a 5 is because it's really small and cramped. Not much wiggle room, but I suppose that's part of the charm of a small, popular place! The service was also just okay. Not exceptional. But perhaps it was just the specific waiter we had. You won't regret going for the food. Make sure to try the bread!!

Dobson's is kind of a schizophrenic place. The dining experience varies wildly. The food is generally good, but the service is problematic and they always seems to be kind of improvising. I had lunch today which consisted of French Dip sandwiches and cocktails. My dining partner ordered a greyhound (vodka and grapefruit juice), and we had to send it back because the juice was spoiled and nasty. They brought the sandwiches, which were good, but the didn't bring any aus jus with them. With French Dips! Lastly the server always seemed surprised and put out any time we asked for anything. I think that with MUCH better management, this could be a lovely little place.

I suggested lunch at Dobson's for our partners' meeting. We arrived and were told since we did not have reservations we would have to sit outside. Ok, fine, it was a nice day so no problem. Once the waiter finally came out, which took some time, he brought water. One glass had food on the rim so my partner asked if he could have another glass. The waiter seemed put out by this. When he brought another glass, it had lipstick on the edge of the glass. One would think that if a glass was sent back as dirty, the server would insure the next glass was clean. Another of my partners then noticed there was debris floating in her glass. The food took over an hour to come out and then, one of the orders was missing. The food was ok, but not worth the wait or the inconvenience. I felt embarrassed for recommending the restaurant. Needless to say I will not make that mistake again.

Had a wonderful dinner here the other night. My friend and I enjoyed the $50 restaurant week menu which featured an appetizer, entree, and dessert. I had the mussel bisque to start. It was fantastic! It's served with a flaky pastry on top, encasing the warm rich seafood soup. The soup had a nice serving of mussels in it as well. I had the filet for my main course. It came cooked to a perfect medium rare. It had a nice rosemary sprig on top and was seasoned lightly, as to not take too much flavor away from the quality meat itself. Dessert was a homemade tiramisu. It didn't make it in any photos because it was gone so quick.. yup that good! On top of a terrific meal, service was 5 stars. Everyone was friendly and efficient. We were also delighted to have live music during our Thursday night outing. This is a true local spot, I can't wait to return! We made a reservation.. which I recommend.

Service is great, cool older established place in downtown San Diego. Reason for the 3 stars is the food! I had the sea bass, it was off. Smelled super fishy (sea bas usual has a milder smell). Strong smell, but still okay to eat and overlooked it. Then after a few bites I had to drink water. So much salt on the fish. It was more like a salt lick for dears in the winter than a sea bass dinner for humans. Seems like it would be a wonderful local tavern, maybe they should go for a menus of really great bar food. I loved the location and friendly service.

I've always had the utter pleasure of dining here for years. Unfortunately today I had my first really terrible meal here. Their so-called "French Dip". In a word, Horrendous! The meat at Arby's is so much better. What the hell happened here? Of course, everything else was divine. The Mussel Bisque soup as always was spot on and delicious. The service was impeccable.

The best bar food ever! This old charming bar and restaurant has excellent food, service and atmosphere, we don't even drink, love everything here. The legendary mussel bisque with puffed pastry top is out of this world! Must try! It's creamy and yummy! Their appetizers are the best. Shrimp ajillo (Spanish spice) with mushrooms is delicious. Got the bread, dipped in and ate the whole thing! They have great sourdough bread too. We are from San Francisco, we know sourdough bread. They serve it hot too, that's the way to do it. Crab cake is simple and good. Salad with tomatoes, blue cheese and walnuts, simply perfect! PS: Next door "Tapas and beer" is great too!

Great sour dough bread ($1.50/person but you get seconds for free). Crab cake (singular) appetizer was large enough to share and very good. Sea Scallops...large, meaty and firm (like they should be) and you get enough of them! Pork Chop...very well prepared and tasty. Both entrees were served piping hot. Will be back when next in San Diego.

Great little bar/restaurant within walking distance of the Sand Diego Civic Center and Balboa Theatre. Older exterior with a old school historic feel. They have an amazing Happy Hour (4-7pm) which we took advantage of. We had the Charcuterie Plate, Guacamole & Brie Bruschetta and Steamed Mediterranean Mussels (absolutely amazing flavor), along with their house wine. They got a little busy around 6pm making service a touch slow but still the staff was friendly and took care of us. Make reservations if you go. It's worth checking out.

Muscle Bisque the best bisque I've ever had. Love the atmosphere and the food. Used to go when I lived in Cali but now I'm in Puerto Vallarta and had to take my son when we visited SD. Still delicious.

I thoroughly enjoyed this spot for a pre-theater dinner. We decided to share the mushroom ravioli, which proved to be delicately flavorful yet satisfying, and the filet mignon, cooked to perfection. Opting for the mezzanine area upstairs enhanced the experience, providing a quaint and romantic setting for our date night. It feels like we've just established a new tradition for our pre-theater dinners.

The best place we visited in San Diego. The service was top-notch and precise. Prices are reasonable. The decor exudes class and elegance, with live music playing the perfect tunes at just the right volume to set the mood. The food was exceptional. The mussel bisque stands out as the best bisque I've ever had of any kind - it's a must-try. The Tiramisu was unbelievably good too, featuring a thick cream with the perfect balance of coffee flavor, never overpowering. If you're in town, it's a mistake not to visit this place.

Dobson's bar and restaurant. the treasure of San Diego. Excellent food and great cocktails.

Very cute restaurant. The food is good and reasonable price. The parking is only the bad part of it. Used Ace parking lot.

Service is very good. Cute European ambiance. We had steaks and they even helped to split between me and my friend.

We made reservations on Open Table for a weeknight. They have street parking or there is a paid lot option a little further away from Dobson's. The service was excellent. They had a special - a cup of mussel bisque, lobster tail, and filet mignon. When the soup was brought to our table, we were asked to puncture the puff pastry crown so that they could pour brandy into it. The soup was delicious and I see why over a million have been sold. The entrees were amazing - all cooked perfectly. They add a 4% surcharge, but I knew about it in advance because it is mentioned on their website. We would definitely dine with them again!

I was visiting San Diego for vacation and found this restaurant. The service here is amazing and the ambiance is very romantic, perfect for a date night. The food was delicious, I had the pork chop and my gf had the mushroom ravioli. Overall, it was the worth the price and wasn't too expensive. I would definitely come here again the next time I'm in San Diego.

Dobson's is known for their mussel bisque and their beautiful old charming bar, and I can see why! We came for my partner's work dinner, and we had to order the bisque, and it was delicious. They offered us complimentary bread, that was oh so soft. We got the swordfish, which was pretty good, and the strawberry cheesecake, which was alright. The dinner was good for families, and in a nice spot in downtown San Diego!

I have not been to Dobson's in a number of years. I knew their dinner menu is served after 3:00 p.m., so I decided to have an early Halloween dinner at the bar before going home by 5:30 p.m. to give out candy to the trick-or-treaters in my neighborhood. I like the old-time San Francisco aura of Dobson's, with its long bar, wood paneling on the walls and a scattering of bentwood chairs a la Liza Minnelli in "Meet me at the Cabaret". Shannon was behind the bar when I arrived, and she took care of me during the meal. Like the good bartender that she is, Shannon listened to my rambling and sometimes tearful stories of woe and triumph with an attentive ear. The special of the evening was salmon with pesto sauce placed atop vegetables and mashed potatoes. Accompanying the meal was good sourdough bread. When Shannon observed I had finished the first serving, she immediately delivered more warm bread, which was a gracious and welcoming gesture. Dobson's is very much an Irish Coffee kind of place, so of course I ordered one after dinner. It was beautifully served in a gleaming large brandy snifter. Regrettably, the whipped cream atop the coffee was unceremoniously squirted from an aerosol can. Note to Dobson's: Please whip your own cream like the fine restaurant you aspire to be.

I came here a couple of nights ago with great anticipation. Escargot Yummy. But that was not to be. I should have known when they were served almost immediately after placing my order, actually quicker than fries at a burger joint. But unlike those analogous fries, the escargot were only lukewarm at best, and one shell was empty. Oh, and they were the blandest specimens I have ever had. Perhaps lacking adequate cooking time? Just a thought. And was bread for dipping in the garlic sauce part of the deal? Well, no. We had to order it extra which was a bit of a waste as the sauce was as insipid as the escargot. That said, I guess if you don't care for escargot, this place could be a pretty good spot as the rest of our meal, including the finest Gibson I have ever had, was very good, and the ambiance (we sat downstairs in a booth in the bar) was great, with fine service. Would I return. Tough question. Not if I could find other restaurants in town with escargot.