The Smoking Goat Restaurant
| Address: | 3408 30th St, San Diego, CA 92104, USA |
| Phone: | +1 619-955-5295 |
| Site: | thesmokinggoatrestaurant.com |
| Rating: | 4.5 |
| Working: | 5–9PM 5–9PM 5–9PM 5–9PM 5–10PM 5–10PM 5–9PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 5
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Roger Ma
Ive been here a number of times over the years and never had a single complaint up until the most recent dinner. We had made reservations for dinner and my woman has been craving for Smoking Goat for a while now. I nearly forgot it was restaurant week and didnt plan on having their prix fixe meal offered on a regular basis either. When we got seated, I asked for the regular menu as I didnt have a huge appetite for 3 courses. The server replied rudely and said it was "all or nothing" as they apparently werent serving anything else but just the SDRW menu. This is understandable as I know they want to make the kitchen more focused on just those items and I would have been okay with that if I was well aware ahead of time. This level of rudeness doesnt fly with me and are the type of things that get me heated. I ended up calling the server out and mentioned how disrespectful that was and asked to speak with a manager. The manager finally came by and apologized. He accommodated us and allowed us to do just entrees. It was their fault for not contacting us and he was aware of that. We would have had the better bang for our buck with the 3-course meal anyway but all I wanted was an entree and not having to stuff myself. But the main reason I asked him to come over was to rectify the disrespectful service. He asked if we wanted a new server and I really didnt care too much if the same person continued serving us. But let me tell you, not once did the server apologize to us in any manner throughout the course of the night. I wont go around mentioning the name of the server like other disgruntled reviewers do in similar situations so Ill leave it at that. What I do hope is that this person learns and uses the right level of respect, especially when youre working in the service industry. Sure, most patrons would put up with this type of crap but there are others like myself who wont think twice to speak out. It appears that the most recent substandard reviewers have had similar experiences with their server. Lets hope they can work on their service again and bring it up to par as before.
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Tricia Pooladi
For a friends birthday we came here for the first time and ate everything family style. The elegant farmhouse cuisine was delicate and hearty at the same time. Appetizers Fried Octopus - a single, fresh, tender arm (one person could have eaten it alone) perfectly fried with a thin, perfectly even coating of crisp batter. ***** Raclette Au Gratin - delicious cheesy fingerling potatoes - cooked perfectly. ***** Jidori Chicken Liver Pate - although this is on the menu as a side we got it as an appetizer. I love pate, and they make a good one, so if you like pate, definitely give it a try. Entrees **** Australian Spring Lamb Loin - Lamb is usually my favorite, and in this case it was everyone elses favorite, but not mine. It was seasoned perfectly, and the accompanying vegetables were perfect - the lamb was just a tad tougher than I feel it should have been, although the flavor was perfect. Admitted, I am typically the pickiest about this particular meat. ***** Pan Roasted Alaskan Halibut - Delicious, fresh, and for some reason, the roasted cauliflower on this dish was one of the best components of any of the food we tried. I mean we seriously contemplated asking if we could order it as a stand-alone-side. ***** Handmade Ricotta and English Pea Ravioli - The raviolis were large and tenderly handmade, with just the right amount of sauce. **** Duck Leg Confit - The duck was cooked perfectly and well-paired Dessert **** Creme Brulee - I use creme brulee as my standardized dessert. The consistency was perfect and a perfect layer of crispy burnt sugar on top. ***** Griddled Banana Bread - I love bananas, I love banana bread, yum, yum, yum. ***** Goat Cheese Cheesecake - if you have never had goat cheese cheesecake, this is an excellent one to have as your first. It was perfectly balanced (sometimes the goat cheese can be too pungent or the consistency can be off with this type of cheesecake). I mean seriously, it was perfect. * denotes dish rating
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Douglas LeClair
Was looking forward to trying The Smoking Goat from a friends recommendation and it didnt disappoint! My wife and I dined here last evening and it was a hot evening so we asked to be seated at a patio table. The decor was rustic. The menu on their web site seems to not have been posted for 3 or 4 months so we didnt know what to expect on availability or entree prices. I can see the patio being obnoxious for people expecting a quiet romantic meal out as it is right next to a really busy bar patio where intoxicated patrons are being raucous and smoking. Not really the fault of the restaurant but a good thing to know and be aware of -- it didnt bother us and provided some good people watching. We started the meal off with the Duck Fat Truffle Fries. Easily exceeds the truffle fries at Bertrand at Mr. As. Bordering on almost too salty, the herbs and spices and the mustard seed aioli countered some of it. Very rich but also very addicting! The portions were very generous considering the quality. My wife ordered the butternut squash ravioli which came with pancetta, and deep fried brussel sprouts. Very good, you can tell the effort put into the dish and everything was house made. I ordered the Beef Short Ribs and it was nothing short of decadent. The ribs were completely fork tender and fell apart and melted in your mouth. Lots of good flavors going on throughout the meal. Their greens are amazing as well as the sweet mashed yams. We definitely want to come back next time to check out the desserts!
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Heather Willens
I was told if i had never been here, i had to try their burger. upon ordering (and my friends entree choice of, i want to say a lamb pasta dish but their online menu isnt reflecting that) we faced with the bearer of bad news expression of the bartenders face that both were sold out...the burger just until more meat arrived. but then mid sentence her eyes floated past us that i was in luck, it just came in. Man, talk about an ordering drama roller coaster all in a matter of minutes! sadly my friend had no choice be to pick a sub, and opted for the salmon special of the day. they had a pot pie special that had sold out too. i guess get here early for the hot items?! My only gripe with my meal is i ordered my burger medium...i asked (as i always do) if it would be cooked a true medium with some pink in the middle. if im assured, i will go with it. but it was overcooked and that always annoys me. im just gonna start ordering medium rare everywhere, i give up! the burger was still delicious, i just expect directions to be followed... aAnd those duck fat truffle fries, ooooh goodness. those are so good friends. if you arent getting with your meal, you should get a side of them for sure. I got to sample my friend salmon and puree and they were delicious. we both ordered the Hess orange honey wheat that was on tap and that is some refreshing loveliness. i could drink that all day.
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Sarah B
Dark and cozy Id imagine this would be an amazing restaurant for a date. It has been on my list to try for some time so my friends and I decided to make this our Restaurant Week outing. I started with the duck fat fries which were amazing! Seriously some of the best fries Ive ever had. My second course was duck breast. It was tender and very flavorful and the butternut squash puree was just the right side. I sampled my sisters pork belly with polenta and was blown away. Delicious. Of the desserts the cheesecake was the best. The food was definitely 5 stars. It could be because of restaurant week volume but the service was extremely slow. We were there almost 2 hours and not because we were lingering over courses. Perhaps on a normal evening the service would have been more prompt. I will be more than happy to come back and see!
