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Dobson's Bar & Restaurant, San Diego, CA
Dobson's Bar & Restaurant, San Diego, CA
Dobson's Bar & Restaurant, San Diego, CA
Full () - Dobson's Bar & Restaurant, San Diego, CA
Dobson's Bar & Restaurant, San Diego, CA

Dobson's Bar & Restaurant

4.5
4.5
1461 Reviews
$30 and under
Californian

Make a booking

2 people
MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
7:00 pm
Booked 6 times today
Experiences are available.
  • Charming
  • Neighbourhood gem
  • Good for special occasions
Dobson's Bar and Restaurant is a hidden treasure in the heart of Downtown San Diego/Gaslamp Quarter. For the last 40 years, this has been the hot spot for business lunches and frequented by many local and nationwide celebrities. Paul Dobson, the namesake for Dobson's bar and restaurant, is one of America's few professional Bullfighters. The food is California cuisine with a touch of Italian, French, Spanish and Asian cuisine. One thing that both local San Diegans and Zagat can agree on is that this is one of the top restaurants in San Diego. Due to the limited seating and popularity, reservations are highly recommended. Owner Paul Dobson "works a room better than Sinatra", which explains why this "local tradition" downtown remains, "after all these years", a "high-powered, hobnob spot"; the Cal kitchen "serves up delicious, innovative food, along with old standbys" ("have the mussel bisque and think of heaven").

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Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Californian, French, Seafood
  • Hours of Operation
    Lunch Mon–Fri 11:00 am–3:00 pm Dinner Mon–Sat 3:00 pm–9:00 pm Sat 4:00 pm–9:00 pm
  • Phone number
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Executive Chef
    Martin San Roman
  • Catering
    We offer catering for private events. Please call the restaurant to inquire about details.
  • Private party facilities
    Dobson's proudly introduces our new Private Dining Planning Department! Your ideas and our expertise will create just the right menu. You can even rent the whole restaurant for your private event!!! For more information please contact us directly.
  • Private party contact
    Marcos Luciano: (619) 231-6771
  • Area
    Downtown
  • Cross Street
    Broadway
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Cafe, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Delivery, Full Bar, Happy Hour, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Takeaway, Wine

Experiences

  • Filet & Lobster Mondays at Dobson's!

    USD 59.95 per person

    Multiple dates available
    Join us every Monday night 4 to 9 pm. 8 oz Filet Migñon and 4 oz Wild Lobster Tail Au Gratin Mashed Potatoes Fresh Vegetables Bordelaise Sauce Butter and the Choice of Dobsons Famous Mussel Bisque or Caesar Salad for only $ 59.95 plus tax
    Filet & Lobster Mondays at Dobson's! photo

Private dining

What 1,461 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.5
4.5 based on recent ratings
  • 4.5Food
  • 4.6Service
  • 4.5Ambience
  • 4.3Value

NoiseModerate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Dobson's Bar & Restaurant offers a "charming, historic ambiance" ideal for pre-theater dining. Renowned for its "outstanding mussel bisque," the menu features diverse favorites like escargot and duck. Service is often "attentive and friendly," enhancing the cozy dining experience. Convenient location near the Civic Theater adds to its appeal.
1,461 Reviews
  1. Rosa VIP

    San Diego5 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Enjoying dobsons for over 30 tears. Thank you for being consistently wonderful 👏

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  2. Deborah VIP

    San Diego26 reviews

    4.0

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We were seated in the back in our own little room with curtains . It was perfect once my partner reminded a waiter that were seated . The drinks , food and service were excellent . Great location as we were heads to the San Diego Civic Theater for a show .

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  3. Michael VIP

    Las Vegas24 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 2
    First of all I love this restaurant. The food is delicious. Both the mussel bisque and onion soup are the best you will find anywhere. Not just San Diego. I mean anywhere. The employees are great. The history of the building and the story is irreplaceable. However, the place needs a deep clean/refresh. Very dirty looking and unkept. We sat at our favorite bar seats backing the window. One of the doors to the beer cooler is off the hinges and rusted out,the bartender just leans it against the cooler to close. This restaurant feels like it is physically spiraling downward.

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  4. Jeff

    Warwickshire11 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent food, this French style bar and restaurant has great atmosphere. You could be in Paris. The waiters are very friendly and hospitable, and the meal was excellent.

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  5. Edward

    Philadelphia870 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on 23 March 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    Great spot for pre-opera or pre-theater dining with good food, reasonable prices and prompt service. Dobson’s Mussels Bisque en Croute, served with a splash of sherry, is the best soup in the nation; one of these days I’m going to order it as a starter, main and dessert.

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  6. Sherri VIP

    San Diego8 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 19 March 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent food. Impeccable Service. Outstanding French pressed coffee.

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  7. Randall VIP

    San Diego59 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 19 March 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Had a business friend come in and had to go to Dobsons. Atmos- outstanding. Food- stellar. Service- hard to find any way it could have been better. Muscles with the curry broth are a must (with the fresh bread for diping). All food was superb and we felt like they truly cared about us. A great place for just about any occassion.

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  8. Ellen VIP

    San Diego159 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 10 March 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Miguel was a great server. Food is good and good value. Charming lunch place.

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  9. Art

    San Diego4 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 5 March 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Always love coming here. Food and service is always top notch! Cant wait to go back!

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  10. Armida

    Denver25 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 28 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Beautiful historic nuck. Very cozy snd everyone is very nice.

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FAQs

Dobson's Bar & Restaurant offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (619) 231-6771.

Dobson's Bar & Restaurant is rated 4.5 stars by 1461 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking


Booked 6 times today
Experiences are available.
Google Map for Dobson's Bar & Restaurant

956 Broadway Circle, San Diego, CA 92101

Additional information

  • Cross Street
    Broadway
  • Area
    Downtown
  • Hours of Operation
    Lunch Mon–Fri 11:00 am–3:00 pm Dinner Mon–Sat 3:00 pm–9:00 pm Sat 4:00 pm–9:00 pm
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Californian, French, Seafood
  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Martin San Roman
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Cafe, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Delivery, Full Bar, Happy Hour, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Takeaway, Wine
  • Phone number
  • Catering
    We offer catering for private events. Please call the restaurant to inquire about details.
  • Private party facilities
    Dobson's proudly introduces our new Private Dining Planning Department! Your ideas and our expertise will create just the right menu. You can even rent the whole restaurant for your private event!!! For more information please contact us directly.
  • Private party contact
    Marcos Luciano: (619) 231-6771
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms of Use
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  • Cookie Preferences
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