Well, so much for Don Diego. Coincidentally, just a few months after "the Don" opened up, Dan joined the party. I was curious, especially after seeing the shamrock logo and then the sign that said "Euro Cafe & Pub"……
The first time I visited was on a rainy Friday. I was greeted with a friendly smile and hello. I saw they were full, so I told them I'd be back some other time….but the really nice young lady manning the front and the very friendly gentleman, who I was to later find out was Larry, the owner would have none of that. They had the staff set-up a little two top in the corner, which they did with a smile. Man, this was a very nice first impression.
To me, the menu really defines what Dan Diegos is, a neighborhood pub with grub. All appetizers ring in at five bucks or less and all entrees at $10. The beer list is rings in at over two pages and there are about ten beers on tap. I do wish they'd have more local stuff on tap. On my visits the only local representation on tap has been stuff from Societe. I mean, Ballast Point and Coronado are just down the street.
Back to the menu….it's basically Irish Based and on this evening I started with the Irish Beef Stew ($5).
Not my favorite version of Irish Stew, it tasted a bit too "raw" with regard to the Guinness which made the broth bitter. In my opinion, it was also a bit too loose and watery and could have used a few more layers of flavor, perhaps a bit more salt. Of course I was missing the lamb in this thing…..
I was also curious about the Open Faced Reuben ($10), which made kind of crack up when it arrived as the pickle was actually larger than the "Reuben".
It's basically some house made corned beef….kind of bland and waxy served on a ciabatta like slice of the house soda bread, which wasn't bad. The best thing was the horseradish "Russian" dressing. The fries were fried to perfection and the portion size of SYSCO spuds was quite large.
Usually, I'd kind of cut my losses here……but my Server, Shauna was so very nice, as was just about everyone else in the place. It also seemed like fried items were the way to go here. So I returned….ended up with the same table and Shauna to boot.
This time I went with the Fish and Chips ($10):
This wasn't bad. The fish was moist, it was nicely fried, though the tartar sauce was a bit too mayo heavy. The fries were to the SYSCO standard. For ten bucks I'll take it.
As before, the service was very warm and friendly.
About a week later, Candice, MrQ, and I met up to plan one of our "events". We started at the new Coronado tasting room and decided on checking out Dan Diego's. Along with the Fish and Chips we got the Irish Cheese Fries with Corned Beef ($7.50):
They lost their frying mojo on this one as the fries hit the table on the soggy side. Combine that with waxy-greasy corned beef and cheese sauce, this suddenly becomes stoner food.
Speaking of stoner food….let's hear it for a place willing to put something like "Crunchies" on the menu. Did you ever want to just eat fried batter? Well, here's your chance.
Dan Diego's seems like an okay neighborhood pub; Larry told me he lives in the neighborhood, which is nice to hear. It looks like a quieter place for folks who don't want the crowds or the scene
at the High Dive, don't like the corporate feel of Offshore, or the crowd and over-priced food of Luce's. Larry told me the place is named in memory of his late son, so you got to want them to succeed. Hopefully, the food will improve and Dan Diego's can steer a steady course. Right now it's really not worth going out of your way for.
Dan Diegos
2415 Morena Blvd
San Diego, CA 92110