La Jolla Groves

"We started off with the bruschetta. The presentation was appealing, and the taste did not disappoint as well. The combination of all the ingredients together was perfect, giving a complex and rich taste with each bite. We also got the mushroom bisque and butternut squash soup. The mushroom bisque was average, but the butternut squash was HEAVENLY. The taste was simply amazing, and the candied pumpkin seeds gave it a nice added texture to the soup, too. I would definitely go back for that. I was slightly disappointed by the bread rolls, probably because I had too high of an expectation, as most nice restaurants I've been had really nice bread and spread. Since a lot of their dishes incorporate lemon, I would think they should have lemon cream cheese spread or something like that. All they had was regular rolls and butter, and the top of the rolls were too greasy. However, I was pleasantly surprised when our server gave us a gift from the chef: a dried fig on cheese with honey. I enjoyed this palate cleanser! We ordered the Salmon Filet and the Shrimp Scampi. The salmon was moist and flavorful. Apparently the salmon were freshly caught and delivered yesterday. I was impressed by their Shrimp Scampi; definitely exceeded my expectations. I loved the sauce, the texture of the linguine, and the generous portion. Delicious! Overall, I loved how everything here was lemon-themed! From the food to the interior design with lemon trees, even their bathroom smelled nice and had lemon-scented hand soap! AND I have to mention that I was very satisfied with the lemon drop candy at the end. It was so good and unlike the usual lemon candies that would scratch your mouth. It gave my entire experience a nice finishing touch. While the food was absolutely delightful, the service was extremely slow. The mushroom bisque took 40 minutes before it was brought out, which was a bit ridiculous considering it's just soup. Not sure if they forgot about the order or what. And then for the entrées, they really took a LONG time before they were done (more than an hour since we placed the order...). We were starving and getting quite impatient. Other than the wait, everything else was great."

"My first time in a place like this. A bit jarring as it was extremely unfamiliar. We went at 2pm on a weekday, and we were the only ones in the restaurant. The hostess was friendly. And our server was attentive but not hovering. The decor is extremely unique, but super fun to eat in. Our food came swiftly, and as expected was delicious. We had ordered some soups, and an appetizer before the main meal, we didn't feel overfull afterwards. It was my birthday, so they brought us out a cheesecake on the house too."

"Even better than I remember! They’ve really gone above and beyond. The staff is friendly, the food is absolutely delicious, and their flavored lemonades are a must. They even brought us cute and tasty little “palate cleansers”. They were cheese. Cheese is always a plus in my book. Definitely worth a visit!"

"My husband and I LOVE this place!! We first visited the night of our wedding engagement (1.5 years ago). Ben was our server and went above and beyond to make our night magical. Our experience was so stellar that it is now our go-to restaurant for special events/holidays! To top it all off, Ben remembers us every time we come and even treated us to a free dessert for Valentine’s Day (Ashley was our server this time and she was also amazing)! I highly recommend dining at La Jolla Groves; every element of your experience is guaranteed to be delightful!"

"La Jolla Grove has become me and my wife's celebration spot over the years. This last time the food was amazing, wait staff were on top of everything and accommedating. They helped us celebrate the gender reveal of our first baby and were willing to change up the desserts to add different colors and help surprise us! Very grateful and love this restaurant!"