Dobson's Bar & Restaurant

4.6

1428 Reviews

$30 and under

Californian

Make a reservation

2 people

Nov 23, 2024

7:00 PM

Booked 6 times today

Experiences are available.

Charming
Neighborhood 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").

Order delivery or takeout

Private dining

Book your next event with us

View details

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
(619) 231-6771
Website
http://www.dobsonsrestaurant.com/
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

Location
956 Broadway Circle, San Diego, CA 92101
Neighborhood
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, Takeout, Wine

Experiences

Filet & Lobster Mondays at Dobson's!
$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

Popular dishes

Brie Fondue$14.00
Baked brie, honey, dry figs, almonds, sea salt
Shrimp & Mushrooms Ajillo$22.00
Sautéed in butter, garlic, white wine, demi sauce, dry chile
BBQ Chicken Wings$16.00
Ranch dressing
Nova Scottia Smoked Salmon$20.00
Capers, olive oil, red onions, black pepper, hard boiled egg
Irish Style Mussels$22.00
Beer, shallots, onions, garlic, cream, bacon
Grilled Octopus Baja$25.00
Marinated in special sauce, avocado, cherry tomatoes, cilantro, olive oil

Soups

Paul Dobson's Mussel Bisque en Croûte$15.00
- Bowl$15.00
- Cup$13.00
Soup of the Day$10.00
- Bowl$10.00
- Cup$8.00
French Onion Soup Gratine$12.00
The classic from France
- Bowl$12.00

Salads

Chicken Cobb Salad$20.00
Grilled chicken breast, avocado, hard boiled egg, blue cheese, bacon, ranch dressing
Caesar Salad$12.00
Spanish Salad$14.00
Sliced tomatoes, blue cheese, red onions, parsley vinegar, olive oil
Salad Maison$12.00
House salad, tomatoes, black olives, gruyère cheese, glazed walnuts

Signature Sandwiches

Choice of Soup of the day / French fries / Salad

Dobson's Room Burger on Brioche$18.00
Sharp cheedar, maple bacon, lettuce, onions, tomatoes, side of french fries
Niçoise Salad Burger$20.00
Fresh grill tuna, alioli, hard boiled egg, lettuce, tomato, side of french fries
French Dip on Baguette$18.00
Roast beef, gruyère cheese, horseradish, au jus
Turkey Sandwich$16.00
Roasted turkey, mayo, bacon, avocado, lettuce, tomato
English Style Fish and Chips$19.00
Ale battered cod fish, french fries, tartar sauce
Martin's Atelier Baguette$20.00
Chipotle mayonnaise, Spanish chorizo, jamón serrano, salami, gruyère cheese, basil, tomatoes, lettuce
Chicken Sandwich$16.00
Grilled chicken breast, brie cheese, bacon, sautéed onions

Entrées

Chicken Milanese alla Romana$25.00
Marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, mashed potatoes, vegetables
Steak and Frites$38.00
6 oz filet migñon, french fries, arugula, goat cheese, salad, red wine, sauce on the side
Grilled Salmon$28.00
Grilled fresh salmon, lemon butter, potato croquette, fresh asparagus
Our Catch of the Day$30.00
Ask server about today's catch
Shrimp Linguini$28.00
Sautéed shrimp, mushrooms, tomatoes, white wine, creamy sauce
Ravioli ai Funghi$24.00
Mushroom raviolis, creamy truffle sauce, parmesan cheese

Pizzas

Pizza de la Casa$18.00
Pepperoni, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, bell peppers, arugula
Chef's Pizza$22.00
Jamón serrano, blue cheese, mozzarella, dry figs, caramelized onions, pears

What 1,428 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

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

4.6

4.6 based on recent ratings

4.6Food
4.7Service
4.5Ambience
4.5Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

San Diego
Californian

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Dobson's Bar & Restaurant offers a charming and intimate dining experience with "great food" and "amazing service." Guests rave about the "mussel bisque" and exceptional menu offerings. The atmosphere is enhanced by live music, adding to its appeal. While seating has been noted as tight, the attentive staff make every visit memorable.

1,428 Reviews

k
kimberly
San Diego
12 reviews
vip
5.0
12 reviews
Dined 6 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
It's always a good choice. Charming, tasty, good service and live music later.
Is this helpful?
G
Garry
San Diego
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 6 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
We Love this place….always feel like we are in New York!
Is this helpful?
f
funda
New York City
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 7 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Exceptional. Food, service, our waiter Juan was awesome. We were a table of 6, overlooking the restaurant by the railing. Such a beautiful venue and great atrmosohere. Once they changed the music to more jazz, Sinatra etc it really made the place shine. Nice work Dobson’s. Can’t wait to come back.
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S
Scott
Phoenix
1 review
vip
5.0
1 review
Dined 7 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Tremendous food and service as always! Great mussel bisque
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c
christine
Anchorage
5 reviews
5.0
5 reviews
Dined on November 12, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
The food and service was awesome! Our server was spot on
Is this helpful?
D
Daniel
San Diego
15 reviews
4.0
15 reviews
Dined on November 10, 2024
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Overall, great experience as always. The duck is a mainstay for us every time we come here but this time it was cooked just shy of inedible, which was super disappointing. That’s a lot of money for a very small portion of meat, and to have it be cooked so poorly is incredibly frustrating. We’ll be back, because I know it’s usually good, but if that was the first time I had tried the duck, I’m pretty sure it’d have been my last visit.
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J
Jill
San Diego
6 reviews
vip
1.0
6 reviews
Dined on November 6, 2024
1. Overall 1
2. Food 2
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 3
We were seated and given water. Waiter came to take our drink orders but we were never given a wine list. Had to ask for the wine list after we were given the happy hour menu. Drinks took a long time to arrive, my food order arrived all at once, even though I told them to bring my appetizer with my husband’s entree. Windex and a rag was on the ledge right behind my chair along with a large scented candle - the kind of candle you would see in a bathroom! Waiters kept bringing us the wrong food- they seemed very disorganized. Seabass was $48 and very small - maybe 3oz! Crab cake was mostly breading and low quality crab. Wine list is mediocre. On top of all this, they added the 4% service charge to the bill. Overall not good and will never return. It was election night and the restaurant was crowded, you’d think they would have planned ahead with staffing.
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g
gissel
Baja California
39 reviews
vip
5.0
39 reviews
Dined on November 3, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
ESTUVO DELICIOSO TODO, UNA GRAN EXPERENCIA !!!!!!!
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M
Maria
San Diego
3 reviews
vip
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on November 3, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
We had an exceptional dining experience at Dobson’s Bar and Grill. Every aspect of our meal was remarkable. We began with the Escargot, which was delightful, especially when paired with the warm sourdough bread. For our main courses, we chose the Beef Stroganoff featuring filet mignon and the filet mignon with mashed potatoes, they did not disappoint. Both dishes were truly impressive. WOW! Thank you for a fantastic evening!
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T
Tania
San Diego
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on November 3, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
My husband and I have been coming here for about 15 years. We are in love with the mussel bisque and get it every time! The staff is extremely friendly, accommodating and very attentive. We’ll be back soon!
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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 4.6 stars by 1428 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a reservation

2 people

Nov 23, 2024

7:00 PM

Booked 6 times today

Experiences are available.

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for Dobson's Bar & Restaurant

956 Broadway Circle, San Diego, CA 92101

Additional information

Cross street
Broadway
Neighborhood
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, Takeout, Wine

Website
http://www.dobsonsrestaurant.com/
Phone number
(619) 231-6771
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

Dobson's Bar & Restaurant

Make a reservation

Order delivery or takeout

Private dining

Additional information

Filet & Lobster Mondays at Dobson's!

Filet Mignon

A Must - Filet Mignon Chez Martín

Chicken Marsala

Appetizers

Brie Fondue$14.00

Shrimp & Mushrooms Ajillo$22.00

BBQ Chicken Wings$16.00

Nova Scottia Smoked Salmon$20.00

Irish Style Mussels$22.00

Grilled Octopus Baja$25.00

Soups

Paul Dobson's Mussel Bisque en Croûte$15.00

Soup of the Day$10.00

French Onion Soup Gratine$12.00

Salads

Chicken Cobb Salad$20.00

Caesar Salad$12.00

Spanish Salad$14.00

Salad Maison$12.00

Signature Sandwiches

Dobson's Room Burger on Brioche$18.00

Niçoise Salad Burger$20.00

French Dip on Baguette$18.00

Turkey Sandwich$16.00

English Style Fish and Chips$19.00

Martin's Atelier Baguette$20.00

Chicken Sandwich$16.00

Entrées

Chicken Milanese alla Romana$25.00

Steak and Frites$38.00

Grilled Salmon$28.00

Our Catch of the Day$30.00

Shrimp Linguini$28.00

Ravioli ai Funghi$24.00

Pizzas

Pizza de la Casa$18.00

Chef's Pizza$22.00

Overall ratings and reviews

Loved For

Review summary

FAQs

Does Dobson's Bar & Restaurant offer delivery through OpenTable or takeout?

How is Dobson's Bar & Restaurant restaurant rated?

Is Dobson's Bar & Restaurant currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information