A recent experience here at Tower 23 (aka JRDN) has encouraged me to emerge from my writing sabbatical. Â Despite the long history of great Yelp reviews, I had a less than acceptable experience. Â Perhaps my timing was off, as it was the 5th of July, and everyone was recovering from the previous night's festivities, but I find that a difficult excuse to swallow in this industry.
The three of us went with the intent for some good eats and atmosphere.  JRDN has been here for years and has passed the test of time.  European minimalist décor and a great view are a few of the many things that JRDN has going for it.  It caters to the former Moondogies crowds who have since grown up and who can now afford the relatively exorbitant prices that JRDN has to offer.  But enough of the atmosphere and let's get on to the food, or lack thereof.
Ready to dive into a dining frenzy, we started with a round of drinks and 3 appetizers. Â Well at least the drinks made it to us in a timely manner; however after starting a tab, "Mr. Muscles" disappeared and was not to be heard from again until our drinks were bone dry. Â After failed attempts to make eye contact, ordering through the bar back, and waving my hands he finally arrived back to refill our cocktails and take our appetizer order; Kobe Beef Sliders, Crispy Chicken, and Calamari.
Drinks bone dry again and another 30 minutes pass when the Chicken and Calamari arrived. Â The chicken was reminiscent of Colonel Sanders at twice the price and the Calamari was nothing more than a plate of onion and broccoli tempura. Â Despite a concentrated search effort, there were perhaps a few calamari parts discovered. Â My famished guests assimilated the two rouge pieces immediately. Â Based on their micro expressions, they were not excited.
Meanwhile as time passed, we awaited for imminent arrival of the Kobe Beef sliders. Â We estimated that they were flying them in from Japan and perhaps that was the reason for the lengthy delay. Â After another fifteen minutes, drinks still dry, unsatisfied with the overpriced starters, I feared that we may be there for a week if we continued to the dinner course. Â I requested a random staffer to cash us out and departed in disgust. Â
Date Night Factor: Nice atmosphere and romantic
Bang for the Buck Barometer: Really Low - 6 drinks and 2 appetizers (on happy hour prices) - $90
Return to Eat Probability: Not a chance
**My reviews are base on the bar experience only**
Went there to have drinks while enjoying the company of beach goers and alcoholics alike on a Sunday evening. Â Atmosphere was fun, view was great, and with a good bar tender, my friend and I drank into various conversations that became truly memorable. Â I now associate this place with that one experience every time I visit here. Â Great place to relax at the beach. Â Its like a daytime club at the beach.
Can't wait to visit here again.
It's hard to find a nice restaurant oceanfront in Pacific Beach. They are usually beach bars with typical food. This place is in Tower 23 Hotel which offers free parking for the first 3 hours with validation through valet. I only come here for the Happy Hour or half off wine bottles night just for wine so that is the limit of my experience here.
It is pricey and the service can range from not good to great depending on your server and the other workers. I give this place a very good because I've been coming here for years to enjoy the sunsets. We usually have Shea who is awesome but she has moved on to real estate. I imagine it can be hit or miss. It is right on the boardwalk and you can watch the surfers, people going by on the boardwalk and "the scene". It is loud inside due to bad acoustics.
Generally, Pacific Beach does not have the best service because they are mostly younger people who are more concerned with where they are going to party than doing their job. Every other time we come here the food runners bring food to our table that we did not order so it looks like they don't know their table numbers. It can get very crowded and the service can be slow so don't go there on busy weekends or Holidays and I wouldn't risk a special occasion. They have an upstairs area as well that has couches and lounge chairs that gives you that elevated view.
I don't mind this place when it's less crowded. I feel it's a bunch of cougars trying to find some rich men here.... I really don't understand why this restaurant is known for cougars?!? Shouldn't they head to the Del Mar area? It definitely is a great place to people watch but I enjoy coming here for a few appetizers, drinks, and a nice sunset. I'd say I try to come after 8, once the crowd from happy hour has died down.
Review Source:Seriously I haven't reviewed JRDN yet ?!?!  How is that even possible!  It is one of my favorite places in San Diego.  I do not consider any trip to San Diego complete with out a stop at the Tower 23 Hotel to have brunch and a little drink at JRDN.  Who am I kidding, there is no little drinking going on here, there is  a LOT of drinking going on here.  I mean they offer mimosas for $12 a glass or $28 by the bottle, ya you do the math.  Who is going to get one glass for $12 when they can get 4 for $28?
I love the swanky scene here.  Sitting outside at a very modern hotel, eating yummy brunch items like lobster sandwiches, right on the ocean behind the glass walls outside.  Warning: it can be very chilly  out here, even during the day sometimes.  Food is great, but a bit expensive.  I have always had good service. As I previously mentioned I love the champagne bottle service that they keep in a table side iced champagne holder.  With your bottle you get to choose what kind of fresh squeezed juice you want blood red orange juice, orange juice, or pomegranate juice, or all 3!  I generally sit outside when we come here, but there seems to be a pretty good day drinking scene inside as well.
I was not impressed with the food. Â I ordered the lobster BLT and mussels. Â The mussels were tasty. Â I liked the broth/sauce the mussels were cooked in, but it was a little heavy. Â The consistency of the sauce was more like a thick creamy soup not a sauce. Â The lobster BLT was bland and the lobster was dry and tough. Â I didn't like the bread used for the sandwich. Â It was crumbly, dry and too sweet. Â The flavor of the bread JRDN uses isn't a good paring with the lobster.
The server was friendly. Â The ocean view was excellent.
A true 5 star experience here in SD. Â Everything is just proper and perfect. Â
You walk through each individual compartment of this exquisitely modern space into the dining room from the hostess podium. Â To your left you have beautifully lit pangu wave panels. Â To your right, you have beautiful people. Â You enter into the dining room in this fishbowl maze and there are no bad seats. Â
The waitress immediately greets you and offers the choice of water and presents the wine list. Â I have visited the Frogs Leap winery during my last trip west and it was nice selecting that to reminisce. Â I would expect more wines, but they do have variety. Â
We shared the ceviche. Â It was very good. Â The fresh juices and fish interrupted the crisp chips that came with it and all was in harmony. Â You get a lot of chips and I was very surprised on how generous they are with the portion. Â $12 was well spent overall.
My friend and I both had the specials. Â I opted for the salmon on a cedar plank. Â The salmon was grilled to perfection on top of being steamed by the log it sat on. Â The risotto complemented it perfectly. Â Both had a incredible flavor and were of immense quality. Â The scallops on the bed of cous cous were superior. Â All I would say is that they were the best scallops I have ever had. Â
For dessert, espresso and sambuca was the perfect end. Â
Our waitress was very sweet and professional. Â Each time we would leave, our napkins were reset. Â Our water was promptly refilled. Â Our drinks never ran dry.
JRDN is the place where the grownups go...so to speak...it's where I go when I don't want to deal with the new, dirty, douchey PB crowd---I can say that because unlike most people in PB, I actually grew up there. Â You're not going to find 25 beers on tap and crappy bar food...you will find sexy people enjoying the sunset and good gourmet food. Â I give JRDN only 4 stars because sometimes the bartenders aren't consistent with how the drinks are made BUT you will still see me there.
Review Source:Short, sweet and to the point.
We arrived 30 minutes before our reservation to start with a drink, but valet was full so we spent our 30 minutes driving around trying to find parking - bummer!
* You have to show ID to get in, even if you are just there for dinner
The entry/bar area are really loud, conversation is difficult.
Great view when the sun's up
Megan was our waitress and she did a rocking job!
The food was REALLY good!
Starter: Three Cheese Trio : rare selections with great honey comb and fruit
Entree: 8oz tenderloin : medium-rare was cooked perfectly and melted in our mouth!
Dessert: Chocolate Mouse Trio : I'm still dreaming about it weeks later. Rich enough to split and every bite is better than the last.
The long walk to our car was spent reminiscing about the delightful food we'd just eaten!
Came here for drinks only on St Paddy's day and boy was it live. They weren't offering any beers on tap. There were only four others to choose from, one of which was an IPA, so we went with that. We were later informed that they were out of that. Bummer! Service was terrible, but given the huge crowd we expected that, and besides we were already full of bottomless mimosa's from brunch at Bali Hai earlier in the day. The view is amazing, and at sunset...mesmerizing. We're definitely returning for brunch or dinner.
Review Source:The location is amazing. Â That's probably the main (only?) reason to go here. Â It also looks fancy and nice.
As for the food, there were not many vegetarian options. I got the open-faced Avocado Smash sandwich, and it was disappointing. Â And it came with a large bowl of fruit, which was elegant-looking but didn't have much taste. Â The pickle also tasted "off".
Waiters were good, and my water glass was always full.
They have valet parking, which I think is included for 2 hours with validation.
With muscles that rival Dirty Birds' loaded tots and a killer staff, my attitude has changed about this place over the years. I'm all about it now. I come here for drinks about once a month, but this was the first time in a long time I've been here for dinner.
Came for dinner last night and as usual, Armando & Julio are behind the bar and quick to catch your eye for a drink. No pretense, no looking at whatever PB tourist is in there flashing a wad, they're equal opportunity-good-service-to-all adult beverage facilitators. And they keep the same smile from sunset to close.
It's been a while since I've eaten there and I can honestly tell you that it was a terrific experience. The hostesses last night (didn't get their name) found me as soon as my table was ready. Our server was Juliana who was friendly, knowledgeable about the food and wine and overall awesome (Juliana, remember, you do have to go visit your friends in Hoboken this year!). Conner was backing her up and he was on it too.
The muscles have a liberal amount of chopped chorizo in there and are rediculously good. We had the halibut and salmon (I thought the halibut was better, but the salmon was solid) as our main meals.
Food came out at appropriate times, waters and wine were refilled, totally stoked.
Now why wouldn't you like this place? Well, it's not cheap. You pay for the view, service and really good food. Anyone that knows me knows I'm a t-shirt and skate shoes guy, but it was well worth classing it up for here.
Also the clientele can be hit or mix. Upscale PB locals, but also PB tourists coming into town to cause trouble or act like they're more important than they are. PB tourists are a plague on any bar here and it's par for the course. Just smile and deal... or move ;-).
Fellas, let's try to keep this place a little classy if we can. A nice t-shirt is ok, but change out of the board shorts and tank tops before you pop in.
Been here many times, used to be for breakfast but now I just go for drinks. Gotta say the food is underwhelming but the location and vibe keeps me coming back for wine/cocktails.
I usually get wine here, though I'm not really a huge fan of their reds, or the mango chili margarita mmm! My friends and I typically split the hummus plate or the french fries, which are delicious.
Best part about this place, I go here when my friends want to get drinks in PB so I don't have to be surrounded by the usual SDSU neon tank wearing guys that run around the PB bars. Win win :)
We had a group of 10 for brunch and they set us up nicely. For 3 appetizers, mains, and drinks - no dessert - we paid almost $400 including tip.
We all had a variety of dishes, which came without complaint. It was kind if an odd fusion, though. Appetizers also cost just as much as mains. All in all, it was a really good, if kind of overpriced, meal.
We all ordered drinks and the hot "brandy Alexander" and Irish coffees were AWESOME and stronger than most places. They have several options for delicious mimosas, and very elegant cocktails like special old fashioneds and manhattans.
He only issue was that the waitstaff kept getting drink orders wrong, confusing orders, and bringing out wrong orders.
Other thing to note: they advertise parking, but it's only valet and ALL the other lots are for retail stores nearby that WILL TOW YOUR CAR. Ours and several others got toed and the truck driver nearly ran over a friend.
The tables outside all come with great beach views and heat lamps turned on by request, which really made a chilly sunny day at the beach perfect.
I had a terrible experience. I asked for my steak medium. When it came, it was well done. I told the waiter and asked him if he would be able to get me a medium steak in time. He immediately took my plate and after less than 5 minutes he got me another plate. The steak was supposedly medium. I can bet, however, that it was previously made and they just heated it to serve. You cannot prepare a the steak that fast. It was cold on the inside and it was so rubbery.
Instead of admitting to their mistake, they said they had just prepared it. Not true. In addition, they didn't serve any bread and when we asked about the bread, the waitress said that it is in the oven. They served the bread with the main course and the bread was cold. Another lie.
I called for the manager and he apologized and said that they turned the grill off so they can serve me a salad or an extra desert.
I left that place hungry. Even worse, it was the feeling you get after you have a small appetizer to get you hungrier.
Frankly, the food wasn't very good, however on my return to Pacific Beach next year, I'll try this place again because I think the problem may have been the cook on the day I ate there, Feb. 28, 2013, Otherwise, this is an upscale, sleek, clean and ultra modern, well appointed place with great views of the boardwalk and the food arrives fast.
I ordered the calamari and it was, essentially, fried bread. It was just bad. I didn't eat it nor did the waiter seem to care and did not offer to take the virtually untouched food  off my bill, which came to about $48.00 total.
I ordered a side of potato salad which was fresh and well done and delicious but the
lobster salad with bacon sandwich could have been good but the extra dose of salt tossed on to it killed that. Bacon is already salty and when fried it gets saltier. Lobster can be slightly salty s with that combination it didn't need more salt on the sandwich which I assume the cook tossed on. Â
Still hungry, I had spent the morning walking the beach, I ordered some sort of soup, I forget. After wards, still hungry I went out to the main street and found delightful tiny Mexican food place that was just wonderful.
This is San Diego at its finest. Â Great beach front location, chill music, beautiful people... a perfect place to take an out-of-town guest. Â The bloody mary's here are freaking amazing, complete with salami, pepper jack cheese cubes, mortadella, and whatever else they can fit on a stick. Â On a sunny day, there's no other place I'd rather nurse a hangover.
The food off the main menu is a little overpriced and you could probably get a more flavorful dish elsewhere, but this spot is propped up by the drinks, the location, and the scene. Â Stick to drinks, appetizers, and the oysters and you won't be disappointed.
JRDN is one of my favorite San Diego restaurants, so figured I'd finally get around to writing a review for my 300th Yelp review. I've been there probably a dozen times, and can't beat the location/view -- overlooking the beach, pier and ocean, and great place to "people watch" the assorted locals and tourists walking, skating or biking by on the boardwalk.
It's a perfect place for breakfast or lunch out on the patio, and love it for dinner/happy hour and their very cool summer wine tastings up on the pool deck. We had our firm holiday party here the year before last, and it was a really memorable evening -- ordered an assortment of appetizers, salads, entrees and desserts, and everything  was delicious, the cocktails and wine was flowing, and everyone treated us really well.
We came last summer on a beautiful sunny San Diego day, and had lunch out on the patio w/ the kids and their grandma, and again, everyone loved it - the cevice tostadas were incredible, the lobster BLT was really good, and the salads were great (the mimosas weren't bad either).
But I was really impressed by the kids meals - just $7, and might have been the best kids meals we've ever ordered in San Diego. One daughter ordered the fish, and one ordered the chicken, and both came with big, juicy pieces. Â They had choice of fries or fruit, and suprisingly, both ordered fruit this time, and it wasn't your typical fruit cocktail assortment, but a big cup of fresh raspberries, blackberries, bluberries, melon, pineapple; wow.
Reminds me that it's time to go back to JRDN!
JRDN's Happy hour is awesome and I recommend it highly!! Â My boyfriend and I go on Fridays usually. Â It get crowded so either get there as early as you can or be prepared to fight for a spot. Â The tostadas, mini sliders and pita and hummus are super tasty and good to split. Â The bartenders and cocktail waitresses have always been super helpful whenever I have had a question or needed anything.
Sitting at the outside bar is really nice ambiance and of course during sunset the view is spectacular!
BEST HAPPY HOUR IN PB!!!!
3-7 Drink Specials/ $4 Svedka, $4 Beers / $7 "Small Plates" until 11pm. I Â recommend the Mussels w/ chorizo (best mussels in town). Â Definitely order the short ribs, they are amazing. Â The shrimp tostada, calamari & hummus sampler are very good too. Â The fine dining area can be pricey, the view & ambiance is amazing. Â They have heaters too, so you can enjoy the ocean view outside.
This is a fancy little place that my bud and I had came across while walking aimlessly down the boardwalk. It looked a little too fancy for our taste, but we decided to roll in anyways. The restaurant itself is decroated pretty nicely. Pretty modern. Vibrant lights. It kind of reminds me of flying on Virgin America. That type of vibe. The restrooms are immaculate and super fancy. I'm a big fan of clean bathrooms and extra points for fancy sinks. They even had a button less air hand dryer. I'm all about that life right there. Luckily, we stopped in during happy hour. On a Saturday. Surprised a place like this would have HH on a weekend. We lucked out. The food itself wasn't anything special. HH prices were warranted. I'd be pretty upset if I paid full price for what I got. We ordered the roasted potatos and the calamari. As previously noted, nothing special.
Now the reason why I gave 4 stars... The atmosphere is really chill. It didn't feel pretentious or anything. HH on the weekend. The outdoor patio section is nice on a summer day. The sunset views are amazing. Like AHHHMAZINGGGGGG! And last, but not least... They have Green Flash IPA!!!
We came here for happy hour to watch the sunset and the hostess was kind of a little snot. We literally came in 5 min before happy hour started (4pm) and she refused to let us sit until "they stopped seating for lunch" REALLY? So lucky for JRDN the food and service was so spectacular, I'll still let the 4 stars fly.
Well I'm glad we didn't bail because the ceviche tostadas were fresh and delicious and super reasonable for happy hour! Pomegranate mojito was great too!
Our untraditional and intimate wedding festivities were held at JRDN Restaurant at Tower23 Hotel in late October, with the ceremony and cocktail hour taking place on JRDN's covered Sunset Patio and the reception inside in the adjacent Wine Room. Â A lovely oceanfront setting.
Let me first just say that Taryn is the best. Â I believe when my now-husband and I began looking for wedding venues last fall Taryn was a JRDN Manager, but now her title is Sales & Catering Coordinator. Â I'm too much of a micromanager to have contemplated hiring a wedding planner, but professional, considerate, trustworthy, friendly, and utterly patient Taryn was just what I needed to keep me relatively sane during the many months of wedding planning that followed our signing of the venue contract. Â I recall telling people that Taryn handled a lot of the tasks a wedding planner typically would, that basically my guy and I got a wedding planner in Taryn as part of our venue package. Â I can't thank or praise Taryn enough.
Early on we decided that food and drinks were among the most important details of our wedding celebration. Â It was a blast having such a big say in the food that would be served during our dinner reception, and JRDN's bar options--including customized beer choices for my beer-loving husband--certainly didn't disappoint. Â We were so pleased, and our guests had a lot of great things to say as well.
Service at our wedding? Â Couldn't have been better. Â Always professional, pleasant, and efficient.
Now, if I had to be a little critical...
Seems as though the Sunset Patio and Wine Room were designed with the intention of having these areas of the restaurant double as rentable event spaces. Â That being said, I wish the designers had included a separate restroom to be associated with the restaurant's south side. Â Our wedding guests had to use the north side restroom near the Felspar Street entrance to the hotel/restaurant, which is very contemporary and not particularly private as far as restrooms go.
And one more thing...
The Sunset Patio runs parallel to the bustling Pacific Beach boardwalk, and, though we all expected some commotion on a particularly gorgeous Friday late afternoon, I was shocked and even a bit distracted by all the passersby taking photos and video footage during our wedding.
5 stars? Â You bet.
Best spot in PB (besides the boardwalk) to watch the sunset and enjoy a crafted cocktail !
I love the indoor/outdoor bar, the vibe is casual yet the decor is sophisticated.
Insider tip: go to the second floor to lounge around on comfy couches to enjoy beautiful ocean view. Snuggle up near the fire pit in the evenings and enjoy some lounge music. The servers are always there to take your drink or food order.
The food is hit and miss, i normally just come for the atmosphere, the views and the drink.
BREATHTAKING VIEW! Three of the many reasons why San Diego is so amazing: beautiful WEATHER, a plethora of BEACHFRONT restaurants with delicious FOOD.
And JRDN just epitomizes each of these reasons. This place is easily one of the swankier places in PB but without the high class attitude. Each person that worked there greeted my friend and I with "Good Mornings" and smiles. Our waiter was extremely nice and kept checking up on us every 10 minutes or so.
We were seated at a corner table with the beach in front of us, sun slightly above us, and a light breeze to counter. PB fest was happening (another reason why SD is so awesome- there's almost always a local festival happening) and the vendors were setting up. My friend and I had a nice walk along the boardwalk after brunch to check all of this out.
Now for the "piece de resistance". THE FOOD. I ordered the shrimp and avocado omelette. Eggs were fluffy, shrimp was generous and plump, and the avocado, tomato and all the trimmings was just refreshing. It felt healthy yet satisfying. My friend ordered the crab cake benny, which I failed to find first. She totally beat me to it! It was just as delicious and generous. Each plate came with a side of deliciously seasoned country potatoes. Which generally I'm not a fan of but for some reason could not stop eating these.
AND OF COURSE, my morning partner in crime: SPICY BLOODY MARY. You see that I gave this place 5 stars right? Yea, enough said. Blood Orange Mimosa was pretty bomb too. But you wont be sorry if you're a bloody mary lover.
Can't wait to come back and be reminded of what San Diego is all about!
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