Eureka! San Diego

I recently saw Eureka! at the Bacon and Barrels event in San Diego with their award-winning Maple Bacon Old Fashioned. We were later invited to dine at Eureka! and find out more about the restaurant. It was a beautiful day to be sitting outside in their large patio area and we were looking forward to trying a few items from their menu.

st. george spirits breaking and entering bourbon at eureka

Eureka! has plenty of craft beer and whiskey options so Dennis started out with the St. George Spirits Breaking and Entering Bourbon served as an old fashion muddled. This drink can be served on the rocks or however you prefer. Dennis thought it was very smooth and had a lighter, mellow flavor. Eureka uses these huge ice cubes to keep the drinks cold, which slowly melts, keeping your drink from getting diluted too fast. The garnish above includes these dark gourmet maraschino cherries, not as sugary sweet as the bright red ones you'd normally find with fruity cocktails.

osso buco riblets at eureka

The Osso Buco Riblets came out wildly covered with orange sauce. These had a flavor similar to buffalo wings but didn't carry as much heat. The meat inside was firm but tender enough to bite off the smaller thin bones. The only drawback is that you don't exactly know where the bone is going to be, as compared to a chicken wing, so you should not eat too fast! The serving size was perfect for sharing as an appetizer.

lollipop corn dogs at eureka

The Lollipop Corn Dogs were not the typical elongated shape you'd expect but were round instead and served on a very thin stick. These were succulent house-made sausages covered with fried crispy dough. The greens were garnish mostly because they didn't stick onto the corndog. It came with the choice of three different sauces, a spicy porter mustard, homemade ketchup and ranch. I went for the slightly sweeter ketchup.

watermelon salad at eureka

I saw the Watermelon Salad before on a previous visit and had heard it was popular. It used to have larger slices of watermelon but the new version, updated within the last month, came with smaller refreshing morsels immersed in the salad. There's a very light balsamic dressing that doesn't overpower the rest because you can taste all the individual ingredients of the salad, especially the distinct arugula. I was happy to try something healthier with quinoa but this dish works best if you like the taste of raw greens.

tortilla burger at eureka

The Tortilla Burger piqued Dennis's interest so we ordered it. It contained the basic hamburger ingredients but was wrapped with a chargrilled tortilla, which held its shape during the meal. The juices did come out in one or two spots due to the juicy medium rare patty and other contents but not enough to create a big mess. I thought it was nice way to cut down the carbs without going lettuce wrapped which, like the tortilla, is another option for any of the other burgers. Dennis is a huge fan of their sweet potato cinnamon fries upgrade. It comes out a little softer but this works because they don't taste soggy. I like the pieces without the honey drizzle on it but that touch is the sweet tasty treat Dennis craves. And, I did keep eating them because the fries themselves were so darn tasty, even with a little honey on it.

naked chicken saltimbocca at eureka

We also ordered the Naked Chicken Saltimbocca which is a pounded out chicken breast topped with proscuitto, smoked mozzarella and a roasted tomato. The thin cut meat was still juicy though some were cooked a little more than others but wasn't tough at all. It's very light for the diet too because it comes on a bed of arugula. The dipping sauce that came with it wasn't an overbearing lemony sauce and had the consistancy of gravy. We got the upgrade to the panko crusted onion rings that were lightly breaded and don't leave you feeling heavy. There were only three but they were pretty large in size. I could cut the onion rings with my fork or dip it in the yummy buttermilk ranch sauce that came with it.

goldengate butterscotch rum pudding at eureka

To finish off the meal, we tried the Goldengate Butterscotch Rum Pudding. We usually don't like butterscotch items because it can be really sweet but during some bites, I'd hit some sea salt that counteracted the sweet in a good way. Still, it ends up being a little rich for me but much more palatable than other butterscotch desserts I've had.

eureka located in UTC mall area

Eureka is located in the UTC mall block close to the movie cinema and 24 hour fitness so parking could be a little harder during busy mall hours. They have a daily happy hour from 2-6 so check it out for some deals on grub and beers. Also, the fig burger here is delicious and I'm pretty sure I'll be ordering it on my next visit!

Disclaimer: we were hosted for this meal but the opinions are strictly our own.

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Eureka! San Diego
4353 La Jolla Village Dr
San Diego CA 92122
(858) 210-3444

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Comments

Mary's picture
Submitted by Mary (not verified) on Mon, 06/30/2014 - 1:31pm

I really like their watermelon salad - I find it to be refreshing and also feels like I'm eating something a lot fresher/healthier. It's a nice mix of flavors. Hmm, that butterscotch pudding looks pretty good, plus the addition of salt in it sounds extra yummy in my mind.

lynn's picture
Submitted by lynn on Mon, 06/30/2014 - 2:48pm

i wish i had tried their original watermelon salad so i could compare them but we usually end up with burgers here! bunny salads leave me hungry unless there's more protein in there!

Miss Kim @ behgopa's picture
Submitted by Miss Kim @ behgopa (not verified) on Mon, 06/30/2014 - 4:11pm

I've been reading so much about this place from you guys (SD food bloggers) that I am intrigued to try it out when I am in the area. I'll look to your blog posts when trying to decide what to order!

lynn's picture
Submitted by lynn on Tue, 07/01/2014 - 9:18pm

i was invited to try this place but didn't know others would end up visiting and posting on their own! at least, if multiple people like it, then that's more motive to go there! :)

Faye's picture
Submitted by Faye (not verified) on Wed, 07/02/2014 - 4:41pm

Oh the tortilla burger looks good! Wish I ordered that on my last visit there. We considered trying the Naked Chicken but opted for a sandwich instead. I like gravy so that dipping sauce would be great .

lynn's picture
Submitted by lynn on Mon, 07/07/2014 - 1:31pm

I've been on a health kick lately so this particular meal ended up on the healthier side. The biggest carbs were really the fries and onion rings. I like that they have a lot of tasty options!

J.S. @ Sun Diego Eats's picture
Submitted by J.S. @ Sun Dieg... (not verified) on Sat, 07/05/2014 - 8:52am

When I went to Eureka I got the saltimbocca too! I like how they have both have-it-all huge cheeseburgers with bacon as well as healthier options so you can order within that whole range. I think I'd really like the watermelon salad too :)

lynn's picture
Submitted by lynn on Mon, 07/07/2014 - 1:37pm

Did you think the saltimbocca was the right portion size? Just looking at the picture, I feel I'd be hungry if I only ate that dish! Same goes for the salad. But when including the rest of the food, it worked out fine.

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