Campfire

Review summary

1. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   Charlotte1 review

   5.0

   Dined 1 day ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Though we were nervous at first, Campfire lives up to its hype. Our drinks were well made, the food was delicious, and they do not skimp on portion sizes compared to other establishments in a similar price range.
   

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2. R

   Rod VIP

   San Diego8 reviews

   3.0

   Dined 2 days ago

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 2
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 4

   So, Campfire. My wife and I had been here before and figured we’d give it a second go after a so-so first visit that left us thinking, “Maybe next time.” This round, we were celebrating International Women’s Day on March 8th—a big deal in Russia and across Europe—with my parents in town from Moscow, where dining’s on par with Monaco or NYC’s best. Big expectations, but man, what a letdown. The good stuff first: the service is legit awesome. The waitstaff are on it—super nice, quick to fix anything, and just all-around solid. Five stars for them, hands down. Too bad they’re stuck covering for a kitchen that’s a total mess. The food? Rough. We didn’t order steaks, but it’s an open kitchen, and we couldn’t miss the chaos—steaks sizzling in flames way too long, smelling like a campfire gone wrong. One chef even pulled out some chicken that was burnt to a crisp. Our order of three portions of suckling pig wasn’t much better: two were okay-ish, but one was so dry it was like eating wood chips. Sent it back, no fuss from the staff, which was nice. The burrata salad with asparagus and persimmon sounded cool, but the asparagus was stringy and tough, and the three tiny overcooked persimmon bits were just sad. Edible, sure, but that’s about it. Cocktails were fine, like a 4/5, mocktails a bit better at 4.5, but nothing made up for the food flops. The only thing we actually liked? The broccoli. Yeah, the broccoli was the star—cooked right and tasty, which is wild for a place that’s supposed to shine elsewhere. Desserts? Nah, we didn’t even bother. Why would we when Hendel’s is right there with killer ice cream every time? Last visit, the Pavlova and s’mores were decent with cool presentation, but this time we were just done. I don’t get why this place is so hyped—maybe people around here are into the vibe more than the food. Bottom Line: Campfire’s got great service and a cool atmosphere, but the kitchen just isn’t their strong suit. If food’s your thing, this probably is
   

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3. C

   Carol VIP

   San Diego226 reviews

   4.0

   Dined 2 days ago

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   We had a great time at Campfire last night. The staff are all so friendly and act like they really care that you are there! The ambiance is wonderful and that campfire smoke smell brings back so many fabulous childhood memories! We shared just about everything between the six of us - we tried the cornbread, broccoli, carrots and then bluefin tuna crudo. Each couple then shared an entree between themselves - we had the octopus, which was delicious, one couple had the seabass special that they devoured, and the other couple thoroughly enjoyed the pork chop. We also shared the potato dish that was highly recommended by our server and WOW we were so glad we did! Everything was excellent - probably in all honesty wouldn't order the carrots again - just a bit too mushy for us - but those Raclette potatoes were to die for! We could have ordered two servings of those! We were all too full to order dessert, which was too bad. We will definitely make the trip to Carlsbad again (we live in downtown San Diego) for a delicious meal and fun night at Campfire!
   

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4. K

   Keith VIP

   Edmonton3 reviews

   5.0

   Dined 3 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Campfire was very flexible in our ever changing reservation requirements. They were great to work with. The service, meal, drinks and ambiance were wonderful. We will be back!
   

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5. M

   Michelle

   San Diego2 reviews

   2.0

   Dined 4 days ago

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 2
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 3

   Broccoli excellent as usual.. corn bread was yummy... the rest was mediocre at best. service slow and food delivery/ pacing strange... early for our reservation and waited 45+ minutes for a table only to be seated at uncomfortable seats without backs at the high top in bar area near the door. ribeye fatty/ chewy... chicken dried out.
   

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6. J

   Jennifer VIP

   Los Angeles1 review

   5.0

   Dined 4 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Campfire was amazing! I thought that “this is the best broccoli of your life” was a joke but it was actually so amazing. We thoroughly enjoyed every dish we ordered! And staff were all very warm and personable. 10000% will be returning!
   

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7. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   San Diego2 reviews

   1.0

   Dined 4 days ago

   1. Overall 1
   2. Food 1
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 4

   We were so excited to go. We ordered two pork dishes, a pasta dish, and a sea bass. The sea bass was overcooked and rubbery. The other dishes seemed great. With the array of service people coming to our table we were confused. It seemed unorganized! We must have had five different people taking our drink order, then apps, then dinner. Then we noticed a WORM in the leafy greens of one of the pork dishes. When we notified one of the many servers, he scurried away with the dish. Someone else cleared the table not knowing. Someone else took our dessert order. Someone else delivered the dessert. When the bill came they comped our $10 dessert. No manager came to speak to us. It wasn’t handled well at all.
   

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8. J

   Jeff

   Unspecified1 review

   5.0

   Dined 5 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   first time at this establishment. the food and service was phenomenal.
   

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9. M

   Mark

   San Diego5 reviews

   4.0

   Dined on 3 March 2025

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 2
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   The Service was exceptional and the energy of the place is super fun and lively. The Drinks were great, but the food was very average. While the Broccoli was great and the Chicken was the best-tasting main course, the chicken must have been cooked at too high a temp because it was a bit rubbery and difficult to remove from the bone. Steak was undercooked and tough. Halibut was overcooked and not flaky. Years ago they had a great burger and the staff said the chef convinced the owner to make the menu more sophisticated. Unfortunately, a plan not being all that well executed.
   

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10. T

    Tiffany VIP

    San Diego110 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 3 March 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4

    I was happily surprised that there WAS a quiet corner in this bustling hot spot to have a chatty dinner with a friend I hadn't seen in a while. The staff were entirely accommodating. Loved it.
    

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