Address:

1250 Prospect Street

La Jolla, California 92037

Tel: (858) 454-4244

 

February 14, 2012 – afternoon snack

A restropective review…

Written by: Second Stomach

After spending a good part of the day wandering around La Jolla, I had a need for a final afternoon snack before leaving back to our hotel. It was about 3 pm and after “studying” my Frommer’s guide, I finally decided on George’s at the Cove. According to Frommer’s, this was a place that should provide spectacular views. On my tourist map of La Jolla, George’s at the Cove was in bigger font, so I was skeptical that this could be a “tourist trap” and I generally prefer finding those local gems. Anyway I was getting hungry and I put my skepticism aside and walked inside, especially after I saw that they had “fish tacos” on the menu.

Af first, I was confused. Walking in, I saw a set of stairs and then figured out this was a 3 level restaurant. The top level is the “Ocean Terrace” – an open aired patio with the most gorgeous view of La Jolla’s coastline. It was buzzing with activity here – all the tables were full on this tuesday afternoon. The ground level is “California Modern” – what appeared to be a more upscale dining area. At this time of day, there was no one there but I’m sure being Valentine’s day, that there were going to be a sea of people coming in later. The middle level is “George’s Bar” – a casual indoor seating area facing the coastline. Since it was a bit windy today, Snowman and I decided to relax at George’s Bar.

We sat down and I studied the menu. San Diego is supposed to be known for fish tacos and I wasn’t sure if that’s what I wanted today – if I didn’t have it here, I thought that I would definitely try fish tacos at another place during my stay here. Anyway, I asked my server what menu item she would suggest for a snack today and she raved about the fish tacos. Given that was what I was thinking about anyway, I went with it.

 

 

Marinated and Grilled Fresh Fish Tacos – $13

- Since we were having an afternoon snack, I shared the fish tacos with Snowman. So what you see is just half the order – the kitchen was nice enough to split our order of fish tacos for us.

- The fish was grilled perfectly. I always worry about grilled fish coming out too dry and this wasn’t a problem here. The cabbage and mango salsa was a beautiful complement to the fish – all of the ingredients tasted fresh. Personally, I think I would have preferred just a little more filling and I felt the tacos were just ever so slightly dry (maybe a bit more salsa would have remedied that).

- A side of chips and guacamole accompanied this dish. I liked that the chips were thicker as it made it much easier to eat with guacamole. I wouldn’t have minded if this dish came with more chips.

Taste: 4/5

Presentation: 4.5/5

Value: 3/5

 

Overall, I had a nice time at George’s at the Cove. We sat for a little while just to enjoy the atmosphere and the view. Snowman ordered a latte – it looked fancy but was a bit pricey. Today I felt like I had the “upscale” version of a fish taco – it seemed very “delicate”,  but after having it, I thought that I will I want to try many different versions during my stay in San Diego. I want to try the “baja” style of fish taco, possibly from street vendors.

 

The good…

- Stunning views

- Offers different types of dining experiences

 

The bad…

- A little pricey

- Parking might be an issue since this restaurant is located on the main street in La Jolla