Mixed feelings. Maybe because im a horn dog but here it goes...
We ended up at this place after seeing Las Olas(which is across the street) was packed and we didnt want to wait. My friends exact words where "dude, lets just go to The Compass, I heard there is always hot chicks there and beer is always cold". All I said was "Otay, lets go".
So we get there. Sat at the bar. Ordered two Modelos Especial. Looked around. Hi-Fived each other and gave an epic chest bump. Seriously, this chest bump was off the hook. There was plenty of beautiful girls in there! The waitresses are cute too! So that is basically why I gave it 3 stars. Thats it. No more to this review.
The Compass burger sucked. Fries where good. Tasted like a mix between Mcdonalds fries and the fries they served in my middle school.
Beers where cold. Typical. Eh.
FYI- We walked out alone. No hot chicks on our side :(
Not so good.
Wife and I tried it this morning at 11:00am for Brunch. The menu looked good except for the apology  at the bottom, about menu being limited. I wanted the french toast which was made from hard, baguette, served with apple pieces and raspberries? There was a lemony-creamy-fruit curd instead of butter...poor choice...and no coffee. Yes....NO COFFEE. They obviously "make their money" selling booze. The food took about 15 minutes to come out. The waitresses were wearing too short black shorts, black tops and our waitress was wearing an army fatigue-colored vest. There were men with tape measures measuring right next to our table and another man reading a can of paint or some such thing they were about to embark on while we were sitting right there. Poor service, poor food, poor menu. Sorry guys. You'll have to try harder.
I saw a few people cruise in on one-speeds with triangle wheels, pant leg proudly rolled, and mustaches Rollie would be proud of...that being said the Compass has a good menu and great drinks. Â So why three stars? Â Seating and service. Â I had the pleasure of standing by the bathroom while I sipped on my drink, a drink which took a while to get. Â I'm not into the bump and grind bar scene especially after a long day at work. Â Good for them, the place is packed but it's hard to have a conversation because its gets loud.
I have been a few times, so this isn't based on one Friday night. Â I will say I enjoyed the lunch I had there, and would rate my afternoon experience higher than evening.
If you have a hip group of friends you'll enjoy it, but don't expect stellar  service.
Compass girls rock! Paulina was amazing ! She was slammed but still had time to laugh and talk with me and my husband. The food was incredible (she recommended the chipotle short ribs) and had the freakshow cab. She nerded out with us about all the craft beers, very knowledgable. The other girl working and and the bartender were laughing and joking.  all  in all it was amazing! Coming back next Sunday!
Review Source:Awesome little spot in Cbad. If you are a wine or beer drinker.....or if u eat (I hope you do), then this is a spot to check out. Lots of micro brews on tap and quite the wine list.
The food is a tad on the pricey side, but it's what you expect from a gastro pub. Good thing it's delicious.
Go, check out the beer list, have a bite...enjoy.
Not a bad spot. I was a much bigger fan of Mr Peabody's but this place is cool. The beer selection is nice and the food is decent. They are a "Gastropub" but that doesnt mean the food is great. Bacon wrapped corn dogs are tasty but how could they not. Â They attempted to make a marrow dish but good luck finding or tasting the marrow. If you want out of the ordinary drinks this is a great spot.
Review Source:Awesome food and drinks. The Compass is a great spot for locals. If it wasn't for some of the best food and drink selections in the village I'd give this place 1 star.
The service is terrible!
If you're sitting at the bar your good. Otherwise you might as well walk in, get your own menus, walk to the service and get your own waitress. She'll walk by you every 10 minutes or so and look at your empty drink and totally ignore you. Honestly the experience sitting at the bar is always amazing, but sitting down at a table is painful every time. If the food and drinks weren't so good I would avoid this place.
I'm still a once a week regular.
I also highly recommend their libation list, especially The Ghostbuster. It has ghost pepper-infused vodka mixed with strawberry vodka and basil! I also tried another drink with bourbon in it and I can't remember the name but it was pretty good as well. The portobello fries are tasty as well, and served with an aioli sauce.
Review Source:Let me just preface this review with the following: I am very picky about my bars. Needless to say, a 4 star rating from me means something. This place earns it. The compass is a great place to go have a couple drinks with friends in a relaxed atmosphere.
First, there's the beer selection. It's quite good. They have about 10 beers on tap, all craft. I'm sort of a beer snob, so that is very important to me. They also have a bunch more beers available from the bottle. They change up their offerings every once in a while as well, so it's worth it to keep checking in just to see what they have that's new. If you're into dark beers, I really recommend the Green Flash Double Stout Black Ale. As far as hard liquor goes they have a normal comprehensive selection from well booze all the way up to stuff that's thirty bucks a shot. Whatever your poison, they've got you covered.
Second; service. The bartenders and waitresses are always friendly. They're quick to take care of you and they seem like they actually care about you. I've had multiple fun and light-hearted conversation with the staff and came away feeling better about my visit.
Third; the atmosphere. The compass has an interesting theme. It's kind of an old-timey, nautical thing they've got going on. Everything is made of nice, dark wood. There are ropes and pieces of nautical nostalgia dotting the walls. There is also an outside seating area so you can enjoy the SoCal sun. Although the Compass does get busy, it never gets loud or annoying. They don't blast the music so loud you can't hear yourself think, and most patrons don't get rowdy.
If you like beer, you like good service, and you like good atmosphere I would definitely recommend the Compass. All of the friends I have taken have really loved it, and I think you will too.
We enjoy this place every time! Love taking people here who have never been. The way to go is to select multiple apps to share, and the specialty cocktails are pretty sweet. We ALWAYS get the bacon-wrapped dates, portobello fries, and I have to order a Flora Dora cocktail (champagne, gin, lime and their house-made strawberry syrup - delish!).
Review Source:The beer is great, food is good, and the desert is AWESOME. It was extremely busy on a Saturday night, it was standing room only and it was a 'seat yourself' approach. I love the decor and atmosphere, and for sitting in the back at a little table (after getting the attention of a waitress) we had constant acknowledgement for a very full restaurant. This place bets the pants off 83degrees, and that is sad for us (locals) because I really wanted multiple good beer places. This place is a definite winner.
Review Source:I'd walked past The Compass a number of times and thought "wow, this place looks cool - especially for Carlsbad". Guess what... it is. The decor is trendy and laid-back with wood everywhere (floor, tables, bar...), lush leather seats and a distinct industrial vibe. I love, love, love! The staff was relaxed, friendly, helpful and competent. The food was really yummy. My boyfriend and I split the scallops to starts (delicious!) and then moved on to mac and cheese and sliders - quite simply the best comfort/bar food I've had in the area. My boyfriend had to pull me off the truffle fries they were so good. We also enjoyed selecting beers from the long list of options posted up on the wall of the bar. If you like beer, you will like Compass. One last thing: thank you Compass for not having a TV anywhere in your bar! I feel like you really get me :)
Review Source:I really like this place. It's one of only a couple really solid craft beer bars in the area along with 83 Degrees. The Compass has a classy quaint feel to it making it popular to a large range of customers. I've come here for work happy hours, birthday celebrations, or just to grab a drink with a couple friends.
There rotating beer list is impressive and they offer plenty of wine and liquor options as well. Their food is tasty and there are some unique options on like bone marrow to sample.
Come here with a small to medium size group and you will have a good time. It will get crowded at night, especially on the weekends, but what good bar doesn't?
One of the better, chill places for the non-tourist of Carlsbad.
First of all their drink selection (all) is great. Â They have something for everyone. Â Prices may seem higher than most, but at least the selections are great!
Menu is awesome. Â LOVE their few vegetarian selections. Â Everything on the menu is interesting and not the same old same old you can get everywhere else.
Staff is friendly (well the bartenders. Only have sat at the bar).
Only downfall is the place is smaller and can and will fill up quick. Â However, it's definitely a place to visit. Â Oh, tables are first come first serve! Â It's not fun when a couple see that you are in the process of leaving so their practically sitting down with you as you finish up.
Thank God for the compass. Â Why can't the Carlsbad Village have more spots like this instead of it's many tired old spots.
I finally made it out for my first visit today. Â Immediately I was impressed by the interior. Â The Compass executes it's distressed / vintage theme & design perfectly from door to door, even in the restrooms. Â It clear someone very talented was involved in this project.
Food was excellent. Â Lots of unique options available on the lunch menu. Â I can't wait to go there for dinner some time! Â I had the wild boar sliders. Â YUM!
I'm a beer guy, and they had plenty of options (around 20 on draft) Â for craft beer. Â This always makes me happy!
The 83 Degrees owners should come to the compass and take notes!
I read a couple reviews of this place calling the clientele hipsters -- so I was kind of leery about going because I just wanted some beer, not a scene. Â Well, thankfully those people obviously need to take a trip to South Park or Normal Heights & see what hipsters really are -- and for that I was delighted. Â The Compass is really a gem for good food & beer. Â The ambience is low-key (earlier on there were even some families dining in the booths) and when it got packed around 9, the vibe was still chill (even if there were more than a few groups of drunken buffoons -- but hey, that's free entertainment!). Â
They have an extensive beer list (though they could stand to lose a couple IPAs and get a little more diverse), but I ended up ordering a bottle of La Marca (which means it's almost more economical to just admit how many glasses you plan on drinking & plan accordingly). Â That any place would have La Marca prosecco on the menu -- and for $7 glass/$28 bottle gives this place high praise from the get-go. Â The bartenders were fabulous too. Â Super easy-going, no attitude, friendly and very patient with the before mentioned drunken buffoons.
The food is solid. Â I'm not convinced that the mac & cheese (which I got with broccoli) is the 2nd Coming, but it's good. Â It's better than Kraft and not nearly as tasty as most gastropubs who feature it on their menus. Â The pomme frites were spectacular though. Â And my friend got a burger which she gave top marks. Â A lot of the dishes going out looked great and the menu has a lot of promise. Â
There's a parking lot, so it's very easy in & out. Â Don't let the fact that it's in a strip mall scare you away.
Pretty cool bar - very hipster, so if that aint your scene definitely steer clear. It's always busy and packed here so they must be doing something right. They have a great beer selection and some nice housemade spirits. The food is good enough. I have had their grilled cheese and burger before, and both have been fine, but their best thing on the menu is oddly enough the berry salad (and the bacon wrapped corn dog lol).
Review Source:Cool little place in the heart of Carlsbad, CA that is perfect for an afternoon beer and lunch. Â I ordered the chicken sandwich ($8) and it was pretty good especially for the price. Â It came on a ciabatta bun with green chiles, pickled red onions, lettuce and siracha mayo and a side of fries. Â They had a pretty decent selection of craft beers as well. Â All in all a great, light lunch coupled with a few beers (an orange wheat and a Belgian white) made this a nice little place! Â I would definitely come back.
Review Source:I won't even entertain one jive turkey foolish sucka talking smack about this place.
I love it here. The mac + cheese is off the hook and the beer selection is amazing. I love going in here to work in the middle of the day. They have wifi. Because, you know, it's like 2013.
On Friday nights it gets packed. Actually, its a good spot any time.
During the summer, though, everyone is sweating like we're all in a Bangkok whorehouse. It gets packed and its important to get there earlier so you have a place to sit. Or stand all night in a crowded circle with your friends and don't socialize with anyone else but the people you came with. Ugh. Lame. Talk to me, strangers.
Anyhow, sit at the bar. Order pork and a nice drink. Enjoy the music. The music is great. The village needed this. What? Like Carlsbad just NEEDED another Dinis? yuckypoo.
K. Bye.
Great happy hour, quality food, awesome craft beer selection, plenty of wine and quality spirits to fulfill all your needs.
I've been going to the compass for a while now. It's a great after work spot or place to go on the weekends...be cautious though, it's a popular spot and can get crowded on Friday and Saturday.
Meh. I've gone to the Compass twice now. My first visit was a solid 4.5 stars but this time around was like a 2.
Bottom line: if you arrive on a night where it's packed, just turn around and come back another time. The staff at the Compass is not prepared to maintain their standards when it's busy.
The first time I visited was with a friend on a Monday night. It was pretty dead, so we grabbed a couple stools at the bar and ordered beers and the hanger steak with brussel sprouts. The Sculpin was good (of course) but the food. was. amazing.
The steak was melt-in-your-mouth tender and seasoned perfectly. And apparently I like brussel sprouts now. The Compass makes them with some sort of lemony olive oil, cooked til al dente and sprinkled with shredded parmesan. Looove.
Sooooooo I daydreamed (and drooled) over having some of that dinner all over again for about a week. One night after a movie my husband and I decided to stop in for a late dinner. It was a Tuesday and this place was seriously jam-packed. I'm still unclear on what the occasion was but I was pleased to see them doing so well on a night where, elsewhere, it was relatively quiet. We luckily found a booth and ordered a couple beers and my beloved steak. The Mr. chose the toasted quinoa burger, and I just helped him pronounce it.
While we waited, we watched everyone having a good time, our waitress taking a shot with her friends in the booth nearby, and several people stumbling into the edge of our table. Good thing we had already put good dents in our pints, or there would have been serious spillage.
When the food arrived we were stoked until we started eating. My entire plate was cold. The steak was room temperature and chewy. The brussel sprouts I made at home to replicate the ones from the Compass kicked the asses of these sprouts. My bacon mashed potatoes were also room temp. Massively disappointing.
As far as my husband's food went, I'll admit I've never had quinoa. But his quinoa burger tasted like nothing - a flavorless patty with the texture of thick oatmeal. When we finally flagged our waitress down she said there wasn't any regular ketchup (really? anywhere??) but she had spicy ketchup which was fine. His sweet potato fries were cold.
Where is the consistency? Clearly, there were zero standards that evening. Lucky for the Compass, everyone else there seemed too sloshed to mind. Super bummer.
The Compass is such a great addition for Carlsbad. I love gastropubs and these people do it right. They have an incredible beer list and a solid selection of wines. The restaurant/bar is small and we had to wait for a table, but fear no more, they now take reservations. Next time we will definitely reserve a booth for our group. Our waitress was incredibly sweet and helped us land a table and even later grabbed us a booth. Â We loved the portobello fries- they come with a great pesto dipping sauce and were everyone's favorite item. We had a nice chesse board that had a great selection of hard and soft cheeses and a really tasty shallot jam. I don't eat pork, but I have to admit that the bacon wrapped corn dogs looked delicious!!
The place boasts a nice quality of crowd and a great casual, but cool atmosphere.
They need to take more advantage of their patio area and make it a bit more inviting - it would be a great place to hang out on a warm day and provide some great overflow seating. Can't wait to go back!
Food here was Awesome!
We wandered in late afternoon on Friday after checking in to our Hotel down the street and we were totally surprised.
The service was solid, the barkeep actually served us... there was a mistake on the order but he caught it as he went to set the plate down and made it right immediately.
I have to confess, I wouldn't choose a place like this based on the menu... too FOO FOO but if you're a meat and potatoes guy you can order exactly that and be stoked with what you get!
This place is pretty darn hip. I really felt like I should put on some thick rimmed glasses and grow a curly moustache or something (yes, their cocktails come in mason jars) ! But- the food was pretty darn good. A really good date spot or place to get some custome cocktails. They have an impressive bar and It's a good place to stop before bar-hopping in Carlsbad to get some slightly expensive but yummy grub. The spinach salad with rasberry vinaigrette is my fave. Also the mule cocktail (gingerale is my jam).. but the beer selection is really good too. If you're in the area, or wanna find a cute date spot, or just wanna grab drinks with some classy friends, stop by!
Review Source:Alyssa is awesome! Great beer. Great food. Definitely coming back. We had the tuna bruschetta and the hanger steak. The sides were amaze balls, and the steak was good too. If you're a porter fan, go with the lattitude 33 vanilla porter. If not, I'm sure Alyssa will walk you through the menu. Great food, great service!
Review Source:why is it so hard to find late night food in carlsbad?!? Â have no fear, compass to the rescue! Â cheers to them for being open late and actually serving food (albeit from a limited menu) until 1:30am! Â and they have an excellent beer selection too? Â HELLO.
we arrived here late (past midnight) and hungry, and our friendly and efficient server was speedy with getting in our food orders and putting beers in our hands quickly. Â the vegetarian options were quite limited in general (even on the regular menu), but the late night menu still managed to have a veggie quinoa burger on it. Â the burger itself was quite unique in taste and texture, appearing darker in color than i expected but with excellent flavor and good texture. Â it was topped with a breaded fried onion patty that made this veggie burger sing with savory richness -- very yummy! Â the fries that came with the burger were standard but tasty. Â this burger was so satisfying that i would order it again without question.
the location of compass is odd, as it's located in an outdoor mini-mall, on the second floor, and away from the street. Â however, they had their front outdoor patio open (compete with heat lamps), and the location probably meant that they didn't need to worry about noise complaints... or so we thought.
we had just received our food and were chomping away when were informed by the courteous bouncer (have those two words ever been used together?) named ty that we needed to move inside due to noise regulations. Â he was apologetic about it and stated that he wished he could have given us (and the other groups sitting outside) more notice but wasn't told ahead of time by management. Â this was annoying, but the friendly way it was done made it not a big deal. Â i guess compass is new enough that they're still trying to work out kinks like this.
it was comfortable and cozy inside the restaurant, with several long tables and a lounge-like vibe. Â my only complaint was that the music was too loud for the smallish space. Â at this point, it was pretty late and close to closing time, and our friendly bouncer had the ultimate fun-spoiler job of clearing the bar of patrons. Â again he treated us with respect and kindness, which was impressive. Â now i'm old enough to have been to my fair share of bars in many different cities, and what you usually deal with is a douche bag bouncer screaming in your face to finish your often full drink and get the hell out. Â cheers to the compass for running things differently by hiring people who understand how to keep patrons coming back by treating them properly. Â
our server was great, the bouncer was cool, and the place had just what we wanted: late night food and great beer. Â now if only they'd add a few more veg/vegan-friendly items and figure out their patio noise issues, i'd be happy to bump them up to a solid 5 stars.
This was a very enjoyable place to try.
I don't drink, so the pub part of this place does squat for me.
The menu is small and I do believe it changes. Â We came here for lunch on Easter Sunday.
The item I most wanted to get was the item I enjoyed the least - Pork Cheek Hash. Â The pork cheek itself was nothing special, but I didn't like how it all came together, as it didn't. Â The hash was composed of large chunky pieces of potato.
The compass scramble wasn't bad, it was just a scramble that wasn't - a deconstructed scramble as it were. Â I don't think it worked for me.
I very much enjoyed the breakfast sandwich and the stuffed french toast (with real strawberries). Â Both I would likely order again.
The Compass has excellent food to match the beer and wine list. It is exactly like Miracle of Science near MIT in Cambridge- a gastropub that is too small for quiet conversation. It's a lively place meant to be enjoyed by a couple or small group.
- Great beers on tap from across the US (including VT's Magic Hat #9)
- Great food (scallops, salad from some awesome garden, hangar steak that won't quit)
- Great crowd
This is not a tourist trap that will feed you just anything to never see you again- The Compass is a destination unto its own.
I recently moved to Carlsbad and was told this is a good place for a 31 year old girl to go and you're right it is! Â I can see why people have complained about the size and the seating but it's not supposed to be 5 star restaurant it's a bar! Â Great selection of beer and wine and although I have yet to eat here everything I have seen looks tastey! Â Definetely a fun spot to hang out at any time of the day or night!
Review Source:Being a north county resident for a while, this place was a very welcomed addition. If you are young and semi interesting, there aren't many options. Mostly crappy overpriced restaurants and cougar-ville haunts. In respect to it's competition...this place hits it outta the park. If I were to compare it to say, the Lions Share...no comparison. That being said, the decor is not bad. Food is decent but overpriced for the area. Â Sometimes the staff can be a little slow, but they are nice. It's the only place to go in the area that doesn't have a scary dive or 90's throwback feel.
Good cocktails, but  a little pricey. Bonus Perk: on Mogul!
I LOVED this place. Â Not good for children at all. Â I started with the bacon wrapped corn dogs (because you have to!) and they were good. Â The bacon was not overwhelming, which I liked. Â Then moved on to the macaroni and cheese with broccoli and pancetta. Â The person I was dining with had the short ribs and they were excellent. Â The server was extremely attentive and recommended some great red wines - Freakshow and Shandy. Â SO GOOD. Â I had the strawberry shortcake to end the night and the orange flavored whip cream was fantastic. Â
It was crowded here and we got a great booth. Â My two cents like any popular restaurant. Â If you find a seat/booth then stay, if you don't.... go ahead and move on to another restaurant.
Pros:
- Giant beer list
- Giant wine list
- Cool decor
- Decent prices
Cons:
- Too small
- Too loud
- Small menu
- Attracts the elitest types (you know, hipsters or their wealthy, dress-alike counterparts)
- Bathroom is the size of a postage stamp
- Lousy location
I don't hate this joint, but I'm not in love with it either. Â I'll return if invited or have the right audience in mind to hang there (I know some of the aforementioned elitest types that aren't too obnoxiously judgmental).
I've come to really appreciate The Compass, and have begrudgingly allowed Mr. Peabody's to fade into a distant memory. Â I've learned accept trading in the $9.95 Friday Prime Rib Special for a chimichurri skirt steak, a pint of Miller Lite for a Moscow Mule, and sticky tables and floors for non-stick varieties.
One thing that some may consider a blessing while others may feel is a curse (in addition to the bacon wrapped corn dogs) is the complete absence of TVs here. Â Not even one! Â That's right: Â you're actually compelled to interact with your mates and other Compass-goers, rather than stare at yet another train-wreck of a Padres or Chargers game.
And while your fellow Compass-goers tend to skew hipstery, there's still plenty of fine, even non-ironic, interactions to be had.
Yep, I'll be back for that skirt steak again, probably tonite.
Went for the first time the other day. We kind of felt like outsiders because most everyone at the bar new the owner and were going behind the bar and into the kitchen by themselves. It took a little while for the waitress to realize she was ignoring her only table, after we stared daggers into her, she got the hint and quit socializing with her friends and started being a waitress. The food was better than average but didn't knock our socks off.
We are going to try it again soon to make sure they didn't just have an off day. I want the place to work because it is a cool looking place.
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