The Switchboard Restaurant and Bar

Review summary

1. B

   Belinda

   VIP

   San Diego

   23 reviews

   5.0

   23 reviews

   Dined on 26 January 2025

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

   Had enjoyed twice previously for dinner, but this was the first time for a Sunday breakfast/brunch. Menus are limited but beautifully executed. Rebecca’s service was friendly and fabulous plus she was working on her birthday. Her upbeat personality is infectious. One of our 4 diners has to be gluten free and although the menu items are not marked, Rebecca was very knowledgeable about menu & prep and offered to bring a fruit bowl instead of the breakfast potatoes. It was huge, fresh and delicious. The Hawaiian breakfast plate was great & even the spam nonbelievers in our group were impressed. The table seating is quite limited so we were glad to have reserved our table for 4. The restaurant still has the retro switchboard decor, an homage to the telephone operators who worked in the building during the 40s as Oceanside was exploding in growth with the establishment of Camp Pendleton. The restaurant is located in the Historic Fin Hotel, now a Hilton Tapestry Collection, boutique hotel. Opened in 1927 & having colorful history and several owner & name changes, most recently The Dolphin. It was one of the first seaside hotels to have hot & cold running water & steam heating in each of its rooms. From modern, to seedy, to almost destroyed in a 2015 fire, to reborn in 2016, if you enjoy a restaurant/building with retro cool history and great Hawaiian/Korean food, you’ll enjoy The Switchboard. The ambiance of the Fin Hotel building and the coffeehouse next to the restaurant are added pluses.
   

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2. R

   Reilly

   San Diego

   7 reviews

   5.0

   7 reviews

   Dined on 19 January 2025

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

   My parents and I do a weekly restaurant of our choice and I chose Switchboard(been there once w my friends) and my parents and our friend Mark loved it. My dad is very picky and he loved everything. Our dishes were all delicious, (we all cleaned our plates!) the drinks were yummy, and the staff was wonderful. Super attentive, helpful, easy to talk to and we asked for her to pick a dessert for the 4 of us and she picked the banana lumpia and ice cream. So good! The Korean fried chicken was bomb, ahi poke wontons, I got the Hawaiian plate with teriyaki chicken, fried rice and Mac salad. So yummy. Def recommend to anyone, it’s a great spot!!
   

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3. J

   Joel

   San Diego

   5 reviews

   4.0

   5 reviews

   Dined on 18 January 2025

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

   The service was impeccable. Both the manager and our waiter were accommodating and patient, not making us feel rushed at all. The menu had lots of choices for different preferences and the food was good. The only thing that left us wanting was the atmosphere. The main room had a lovely, cozy ambiance but with our slightly larger party (5) we were in a room off to the side. It felt like a big unfinished space and was very bright. They were able to lower the lights so that it did not feel like we were in a Target, but the ambiance still lacked. This restaurant deserves a makeover to make the auxiliary space as inviting as the main room.
   

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4. L

   Laurence

   San Diego

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined on 12 January 2025

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

   Great little place for cocktails and a meal. Small and intimate with excellent service. The four of us had a blast!
   

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5. N

   Nadine

   San Diego

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined on 26 December 2024

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

   We had never heard of the Switchboard Coffee Shop and Restaurant. The food was excellent and for a price fix dinner, it was surprising. We will go for brunch soon.
   

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6. N

   Nancy

   Los Angeles

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined on 14 December 2024

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

   Love the switchboard. Great service, ambiance, and food!
   

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7. W

   Wendy

   Sacramento

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined on 8 December 2024

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

   Such a cute place! The food was amazing and the service was fantastic! Highly recommend!
   

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8. S

   Steven

   San Diego

   50 reviews

   5.0

   50 reviews

   Dined on 7 December 2024

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

   Excellent food. Excellent cocktails. Excellent service. Fun atmosphere. Definitely will return.
   

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9. I

   Isela

   Orange County

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined on 28 November 2024

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

   The mimosas where the best!!!! We loved our Thanksgiving dinner!!!
   

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10. R

    Ravi

    Greater Boston

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on 28 November 2024

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

    Restaurant failed to honor our reservation. We showed up on time but all tables were full and they said it would be a 30 minute wait. We went elsewhere.
    

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