I have been here three times and always get a burger on my visit. The burgers are delicious and they have a lunch special that includes a beer for a cheap price, I think its like $7. The burgers are big, flavorful, and are served on an excellent bun. The only issue I've had here was the service on my last visit. Our server was not nice AT ALL, and even felt like just leaving a couple of times because of how uncomfortable she was making me feel. We waited forever for everything, and had to ask for new fries because the ones we got were cold. I heard her scold the cook about it and use a few curse words, weird. Also waited to get the check, and waited, and waited. Our server was nowhere to be seen, had to get another employee to get our check, she was nice, but when our server finally popped up she didn't say a word to us. No thank you, have a nice night, or sorry about the wait, just nada, she made eye contact though.
With all the people out there that need jobs I just don't understand why establishments hire people in the service industry that have a bad attitude, get rid of these rude servers and get some new ones to improve your business, please.
If you want to hear the waitresses drop F bombs, discuss one night stands, and listen to the loud bartender being as vulgar as possible, come to this place.
C'mon ladies, there's a time and a place for that sort of language - 11 am in front of families is not it.
The fish n chips were pretty good and our server was the only decent employee in that place, which is why one star was even considered.
If the staff can ever decide to recognize the fact that there are other humans within hearing distance who don't want to be auditorily assaulted, Â I'd consider going back just for the fish n chips. Until that day happens, nope.
Waited ten minutes at the door before being told to seat myself. After 25 minutes of waiting, finally got three menus for four people. 15 minutes later drinks arrived for two people and the order was taken, ten later the other two drinks arrived in glasses with batter/ sauce/ snot around the rims.
Canceled the food and the waitress flipped out because I wasn't going to pay for the drinks in filthy glasses. Never again.
The prices are right and I like the burgers but a lot of times I have got poor service from the waitresses.  Attitude galore sometimes. I took some friends from out of town and they couldn't believe how rude the waitresses were.  I have been served by some really good ones also  and the owner lady is super nice but some of the ones that have been there for quite some time can be rude.  They have a patio that is relatively new with a fire place, heaters and a TV.  I like it out there and it can be a good place to people watch.
Review Source:I ordered the mahi tacos and the fish tasted like nothing... It wasn't seasoned or anything. It came with a "white sauce" on it which wasn't anything special. Their avocado bacon burger wasn't anything out of the ordinary and their fries tasted like they were cooked in the same oil they use to cook the fish. I sent my tacos back and wanted to get something small so I went for a soup, however, they don't even serve potato soup until after 4pm. How do you put a time limit on a menu item? So bleh, this place was nothing special. I'd skip it.
Review Source:Meeeeh. I've experienced better.
Yelp had the perfect description for what I felt after eating at this establishment.
The food is mediocre. Nothing that was worth even $5. The food selection is tiny... and the drinks as well. I asked for 2 different kinds of drinks and they didn't know how to make them, when they are supposed to have 'an open bar'. I will not be returning there.
This little dive bar is the most southwest bar in America. Â Its located in a more isolated part of IB, but the food is really great dive bar fare. Â I especially like the fish/shrimp tacos and beer selection. Â The bar area is great to sit and drink for a while and does have a sort of charm to it. Â 5 stars for just how affordable everything is.
Review Source:Ive been here twice in the last two months.
The food is very good and so is the variety of  condiments offered here.  The customer service is also good to great and understandable. Good vibe too.
If you are visiting IB and looking for a place to eat and enjoy sports, then this is the place for you.
I like the food. Went in a few weeks ago and had to have the buffalo chicken fries. They were amazing and just as good the next day too. The man had a huge huge salad. Food is great. The staff on the other hand was a little I don't know... Eeh. One waitress was on at 730 on a Friday night. She was also very prego and I felt bad pointing out how she took forever to do anything with a full dining room.
Review Source:GREAT diner food! Â Grill your own steak - AWESOME PRICE! Â Drinks phenomenal! Â Service EXCELLENT! Â It's my weekly go-to for a Sourdough Burger -OR- Patty Melt! Â All the servers and managers are awesome. Â
THIS is THE PLACE to go to get away from it all and enjoy some sports, eats, and drinks with friends. Â HECK ... even without friends you'll be sure to make some at IB Forum.
And, to think, I found this jewel last year by sheer accident! Â Ha! Â I've been hooked ever since. Â :)
Went to this place before since I have some friends who live in the area and my first time was decent. I went again this weekend to have some drinks and came in to find a WASTED bartender yelling at her own co worker. She was vulgar, trashy, the place has been renovated but it's apparent the owner doesn't know how to choose his employees. Not only was she extremely out of hand, she decided to yell at the restaurants paying customers. It's such a shame that there's not too many choices to eat here in imperial beach, but to find a decent place that has been tarnished by useless employees.
If I had the option to rate no stars, I would. Maybe the owner should consider renovating his own staff, starting with this old crazy lady. Food is awesome.. Never write bad reviews. Such a bad experience left me with a bad taste in my mouth.
We got it to go. Food was good considering it was brought back in styrofoam containers. We all felt it must be even better had we eaten it there.
We might have given them more stars had the wait staff been nicer. When we ordered on the phone the person answering was not "cordial".
Upon arrival to pick up the food, none of the staff greeted us or offered assistance.
When we did get help, we asked if all the condiments mentioned in the menu were in the bag, the  waitress heaved a sigh like she was irritated and being put out to have to go get the missing condiments.
They also omitted one of the items we had ordered but we didn't realize until after we got home.
Again, maybe eating there you get better service, but if you are ordering it to go, double check your order before you leave and be ready to be treated like your an "interruption".
I didn't eat. I'm not sure I would have, to be honest. The inside is a little scary. They do have a cute patio area in back that you'd never know was there, it has a firepit and stuff. The waitresses were super nice. I guess I am just freaked out, in general, of being in IB at all..
Did get street parking, because there is seriously no one around. The apartments all looked lived-in in the area, but.... I'm not sure where they are all putting their cars.
The ocean is across the street, but it was dark, so I did not get to see it.
Many tv's for all the games. Full bar with plenty of seating.
Went to the bar for the first time a few weeks ago for breakfast. The phrase "don't judge a book by its cover comes to mind." The breakfast is great. The morning bartender, Rocky, is the sweetest thing ever. Makes a pretty damn good Bloody Mary. Been back a few times after that and it is turning out to be my new cool hang out.
Great bar, great people, great food. U have to try it out people.
IB Forum has made some menu changes and depending on who the cook is that day you might very well get to enjoy them. Â It really is a hit or miss from the kitchen.
  Such a nice location with pretty good burgers can all be forgot with miserable service.  Not once did I or anyone at the table receive refills on beverages.  The waitress seemed surprised that one guest had to send back a blackened tar like substance they referred to as a bun.  The only times we had someone stop at the table are as follows... Menu's/Ordering, Delivery of food/Drinks and Paycheck.  I understand how busy three tables might get, but not caring at all only harms your repeat business.  Returning customers is something a small hometown restaurant like this needs to survive.  May sound unique, but going out to cook your own steak seems ass backwards if you ask me.  Maybe that's how they avoid the poor cooks making mistakes.  Of course you can bypass that unnecessary task with an additional $7.  Seems they don't want that responsibility.
It's really hard to be fair and review a place because the only thing I've ever had in the IB FORUM was beer.
Don't get me wrong, because I've passed by here on a few different occasions, and each visit was to just hang out with old High School friends...but the problem here is that it's at well past my dinner hour (example: 9pm and beyond.) Maybe one day, I'll pass by here a little sooner and actually have dinner (this way, I can give the IB FORUM a judgemental rating on the food.) In the meantime, I can only judge this place through their beer and the atmosphere.
That being said, Â the place could use a little overhaul with the decor, but on the plus side, it does have a nice laid-back feel inside and the people that work here are nice.
I like the fact that this place is a block away from the beach. If there is a downside, it would have to be the parking...or lack of it (sorry...it's a small parking lot and finding parking in Imperial Beach is an adventure all in itself.
An average 3 stars for now!
We went here last night for dinner, and what a surprise! Great food, Good service and reasonably priced meals. My Bf got a Bacon Cheeseburger, and said it was the best he had in a long time. I ate the Grown up Grilled Cheese, which was served on huge pieces of Garlic Texas Toast, with a lot of cheese, tomato and Bacon. I was very impressed, and we will for sure be returning. If your in IB and looking for food, this is the best choice over Jersey Boys down the road, no contest!
Ohh yea, and tea/soft drinks are $3, but it's a huge glass and bottomless refills. ;-)
Hidden Gem of Imperial Beach! I just got back from going here with my girlfriend. Â
Ordered an order of their chicken wings (thai style) Â Ive never seen so much meat on a chicken wing! and very delicious.
Main Course: Full Rack of BBQ Ribs
let me tell you they were really cooked on a grill and fall apart tender.. with more meat and flavor than even Tony Romas! Put Tony Romas' to shame! no joke.
Bomb Chicken wings and Ribs. Limited beer selection but thats no a problem considering i got excellent food with not a long wait and good service from the waitress. Will definately return here soon.
I was suprised to see so many low star reviews for this place. My girlfriend and I made the decision to stop in when we saw a sign on the exterior wall saying "grill your own steaks". Being fans of the Riviera and Turf Club, we decided to give it a shot.
We had a few happy hour drinks before deciding on dinner. For $13 you get a 12 oz. New York Strip with salad, bread and a baked potato. The grill cooks slow so be prepared to take your time but the atmosphere was great.
Our bartender was both nice and helpful knowing we were newbies to the place. The juke box had a great selection of music to pick from, and there were plenty of TVs to keep you occupied. There is also an outdoor patio with firepit.
Since a bowl game was on we got the Hot Wings for $5. These had to be some of the best in San Diego.
For some reason I always assumed this place was some lame scummy dive bar, but I was so wrong.
Great prices, nice people and good food. What more could I ask for?
Maybe somebody to drive me drunk ass home for the long trip back to Mission Hills.
The IB Forum was a very nice surprise.
This is the fourth time we have gone to watch football. It has been the same waitress each time and each time we request separate checks, followed by a blatant rolling of the eyes. When we asked her to put our game on one of the tvs she had a rude comment about being too busy. I get that she's in charge of the entire section but come on. We are not rude to you, we tip well,and we don't particularly like cold food... what is the deal. Not going back here to watch football again.
Review Source:Used to have a pretty decent kitchen. I'd say 4 stars for the price. Best bar kitchen in town, for sure.
Then, last Wednesday, I went to get my favorite after-work special: the French dip to wash down with a pint. It was utter crap. The new schmuck working the flat top forgot the provolone. How do you forget one out of two ingredients on a sandwich?! And the prime rib was overcooked from a tender slice of deliciousness into a hockey puck! The beer was hardly enough to numb the pain of this epic disappointment. Didn't even care about the fact that the au jus came in a foam coffee cup and looked like it was ladled from the deep fryer.
It sucks because it used to be so good...
Grill your own!! Â Now there are other items on the menu but haven't ever tried them LOL Â Went with the soup this time instead of the salad, the clam chowder is pretty good (minus the green onions they put on top).
Positives:
You have the option of grilling your own or if you are lazy you can pay an extra $5.50 to have the cook do it for you LOL
Your meat comes with a big slice of bread slathered with seasoned garlic butter you can throw on the grill too.
There are two areas, an open dining area with large tables and then a upper area with booths next to the bar (also where the grill is). Â
Negatives:
Sides are honestly uninspired, everything comes with a small plastic cup of baked beans and the baked potato is just ok, same with the fries.
Now if they offered some veggies you could throw on the grill with your steak I would just loose my mind! Â Mmmm grilled asparagus, sigh. Â If I didn't so enjoy the novelty of grilling my own I would only give them 3 stars but its so much fun :)
Classic case of a bar that has been there so long that it should be named "We don't give a $h!t".
Service is slow and unfriendly. Though the owner managers tend to have stepped it up from what it was last year, it still sucks.
I have noticed that most of the 5star review have come from locals who have never left IB, so it may be favorable do to personal ties, but in reality.
1. Train your wait staff to smile and be friendly
2. Try saying at least "Hi" when patrons walk in the door
3. Get some type of training in customer service for your staff
4. Seriously! fire your dead weight staffers that don't want to serve (it kind of obvious.
Good point is that the food is well prepared.
I took a friend to this popular local sports bar and grill to watch the final game of the Little League World Series game; needless to say, we had a great time!
This establishment had recently invested a lot of money into upgrades that made it a very pleasurable experience; plenty of cool air and flat screen TVs. The atmosphere is casual and relaxing with your choice of bar or restaurant seating. The service was very friendly and attentive.
We ordered appetizers and drinks; the potato skins were excellent, but the fried zucchini; not so much. I was surprised to find that the bartender knew what a Cherry-Lime Gin Ricky was, and was elated that he made one of the best I've ever had. The Forum also boasts a huge selection of beers on tap. 3.5 Star rating: A-A-OK!
I took a very long break from this place, although i had only been there twice. Â But I had forgotten why so I went last night.
First of all, I really didn't think it was even open. Â There werent any lights on in the restaurant, and you can't see the bar from the street. Â The door was unlocked so my boyfriend and I went to the bar and sat down.
There were about 6 people there, you could tell a few of them regulars. Â There was one lady bartender who gave us the most painful fake smile when we sat, although she did not tell us she would be right with us or anything.
We ordered a newcastle and some champagne. Â The bartender apologized for not having any champagne glasses then went off to do random cleaning around the bar. Â It was midnight and I think she was ready to go home. Â She was not happy with no sense of humor at all. Â A guy who looked like a regular was cracking me up telling her that he only has food stamps and stuff, but the bartender did not flinch one muscle to smile the least bit. Â
So we finish our drinks and the glasses are empty for a good ten minutes before she takes time out of her whatever she is doing to pay any attention to us again. Â She actually picked up the little champagne bottle and slowly tried to pour the rest into my glass as if I was gonna wait for her dumbass to come by before i finished it! Â I thought that was funny. Â And when she realized it was empty she kinda shook it like "huh". Â Funny. Â
The one star is for the prices of our drinks, it came to 8.50. Â That is way better than places I've been recently. Â So thanks for the good prices, but no thanks for your lame customer service and lame bar with no garnish tray, who does that? Â Oh yeah, IB Forum.
I had been hanging out in IB watching the sun go down and spying the druggies wandering around on cheap bikes. Â I would drive past the I.B. Forum many times and wondered what it was like. Â
walked into the place we saw two places to sit, the dining area with the big screens or at the bar with smaller screens. Â It was a cold day so we sat in the more intimate bar area at one of the booths. Â We ordered overpriced domestic beer pitcher ($12 for Bud Light) some ok fried zuchini and the most excellent New England style clam chowder in a sourdough bowl. Â
The bar tender/waitress was very nice when she wasn't entertaining some guys from a construction job on Otay Mesa. Â She didn't ignore us, just that those guys were loud and talky and annoying. Â My water glass was always full. The cook looked rather questionable but so does everyone else in I.B. Â The meaty cook started to batter the zuchini, Ruben was talking a lot and so I was trying to watch the cook and listen to him at the same time so I didn't get to see the cook prepare the clam chowder bowl.
It was worth it just for the N.E. clam chowder. Â Excellent. Â Not too thick, lots of clams and nice potato chunks with the skins still on. Â Not salty at all, seasoned just right and the bowl soaked up the not too watery soup. Â Skip the beer, Â if Ruben wasn't such a beer enthusiast (I'm being nice), Â I could have done ok with a soda or water.
The IB Forum is what it is ... a good neighborhood restaurant and bar. Â The location is actually pretty appealing .... about a block from the beach on one side and adjacent (across the street) from the Tijuana Slough National Wildlife Reserve. Â
It serves all manner of beef ... steaks and burgers primarily, but seems to have a pretty standard menu for similar spots. Â I have eaten here a number of times, with friends or family, and usually had some version of a hamburger. Â On my most recent visit, 15 November 2008, I went for the Sourdough burger ($7.55). Â This was a big burger ... with a considerable amount of fries as well. Â The burger was just fine ... and with some effort I managed to finish it, but not the fries. Â
I drank water ... wanted a beer, but as is often the case most restaurants the liquor is profit center #1 and over-priced. Â I skipped a beer. Â The place does have a nice cozy bar area, pretty old school, dark and woody, with a long bar and booths. Â There are a good number of draft beers on tap here. Â That area of the restaurant is much more of a local scene and used as a community center etc. for neighborhood drinkers! Â
Other reviewers rate this place lower than I have ... I rate it for what it is ... a decent neighborhood bar and restaurant. Â Perfectly acceptable ... sure beats out the chains. Â And its "cook your own steak" nights on Saturday (I think) are a slightly unusual twist.
The bad news?
Well, this place is well worn burger & steak  joint that just happens to have a bar.
The good news?
It's a well worn burger & steak joint with a bar within walking distance of my well worn motel room in Imperial Beach.
The staff is nice. Â Easy to talk to, you can tell they are all locals. Â They have a good selection of tap beer, full bar, generous pour. Â Love the ice cold Blue Moon on tap.
I ate here twice during my stay in IB. Â One night, I had the Thai wings with cheese fries. Â The wings had a nice, garlicky glow to them. Â The cheese fries were covered with a shredded, Â plastic, stretchy, milk by-product I think was cheese. Â Very bland. Â My next evening, I did the cook-it-yourself-steak on the grill. Â It took me exactly 25 minutes to cook my steak to medium rare, which was perfect for me. Â Except the 25 minute part. Â You couldn't boil water on this damn grill. Â I asked the cook to help me out with the heat on the grill and with a cursory glance over his shoulder, he said the grill was on high already. Â So, I saved 5 bucks to cook a steak myself on a grill that gets as hot as an Easy Bake oven.
I still like this place though. Â Sports on the TV's everywhere. Â I'm here for the beer. Â The food just helps eliminate or reduce the inevitable hangover the next day. Â And if the outside smoking section was not in the doorway, this would be two and a half stars.
Since they've tried to reinvent themselves, the Forum has gone down in terms of customer service and food quality. They used to serve amazing food, including an open-face chili cheese burger you could only eat with a fork and knife. To be more trendy, however, they removed such entrees and replaced it with shark and lobster tacos, which leave much to be desired. Also, they have a shrimp and chips basket, which used to be 5 star quality. However, they've since removed the notion of how they should properly prepare the shrimp and just deep-fry them on a skewer. It would be a cool idea if the batter wouldn't get stuck to the stick and the shrimp wouldn't fall apart, as well. It's next to impossible to get a hold of the server, if you have any questions they'll give you a rude response, and they have the door open ALL THE TIME, meaning your food's going to be covered in flies.
AVOID THIS GARBAGE!
The IB Forum has been around forever, I always thought it was a scary place but apparently it's not.  My family enjoys going there so I decided  I finally needed to check out the most southwesterly bar and grill in the California.
We wanted chips and salsa to start with, and I decided on a lobster taco and a shrimp taco, my parents also got tacos. Â Our drinks came, huge glasses of ice tea, I took a few sips and was ready for the chips and salsa. Â We waited and waited and waited and waited and next thing you know our tacos arrive but not by our waitress. Â I inquiry about our chips and salsa and was told they'd look into it. Â We eat our tacos, which by the way were very tasty. Â We finish our tacos, all the while our waitress completely ignoring us. Â I hate being ignored, I'm getting angry, she finally comes over to tell us our chips and salsa will be up shortly I tell her to forget it just give us our check. Â So she does, we pay and as we are about to leave my father spills his huge ice tea all over the table, we leave the mess for her to clean up and head home.
Friday nights they have all you can eat fish and chips or something like that, some think it's great other don't think it's worth the money. Â It's also home of the Cook your own steak, if you're into going to a restaurant and paying to cook your own food.
They also have happy hour Monday thru Friday from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm and Saturday and Sunday 9:00 pm to close with $1 off all appetizers and $1 Well Drinks and Draft Beers.
If you're in IB and like to be ignored and not receive food you order go check out the IB Forum it will meet all your needs.
It was a Friday and on this special day of the week they serve an all you can eat Fish and Chips for $12 and change. Not bad, in my opinion. I ate 6 huge pieces. I am sure that I ate my money's worth. But more importantly, I think my craving for lightly battered and evenly fried fish has been satisfied. Well at least until next Friday.
Full bar, and the place was packed.
I'm surprised this falls under "nightclub" because I consider about about as much of a nightclub as, say... Chili's. Except its good and not a corporate bla-fest.
IB Forum serves tasty food and has a fun trivia game you can play from your table. I used to go here often after surfing. The last few times I went it was pretty much for the trivia game, or to watch a ball game.
Fare here is typical bar-type food. Burgers, fish tacos, ribs, fried goodies... They have a full bar, too.
They have always had polite and competent service, too.
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