After an initial good meal at Draft Republic earlier this year, I was eager to revisit so that Mr. K could try it out as well.
We went on a Saturday for lunch, and as luck would have it, it was also the last day of San Diego Restaurant Week. Their select menu offered three courses for just $20, which was a really good deal considering most of the entrees are close to $20. Staying in tune with their very casual and fun atmosphere, the restaurant was also fine with one of us dining from the restaurant week menu and one of us not, and letting us share everything.
Tuna Tataki
Mr. K chose to this as his appetizer. The seared tuna was served on a crispy wonton with a little guacamole. I through the proportions were off, with the tuna piece barely covering the wonton wrapper.
The Draft Republic Burger
The burger is served with a basket of parmesan fries, which we devoured, and a side of mixed greens.
I’ve heard good things about the burgers here, so I nudged Mr. K in the direction of ordering it as his main course. I have to say, this was one of the most beautifully stacked burgers I’ve ever been presented with. I love how you can see the multiple layers of ingredients so clearly. I couldn’t have styled it better myself.
The burger consists of grass-fed beef, american cheese, house-made pickles, on a potato roll. We added bacon based on the server’s recommendation, but honestly the burger didn’t really need it. I thought the burger was pretty good. The potato bun held together well, the patties were cooked all the way through but still juicy, and the cheese was nicely melted on top. It wasn’t the most amazing burger, but it was pretty solid.
Big Plate o’ Pig
My favorite items from my first visit were the sausages and the bacon sticks, so I chose to order this entree from their regular menu. It’s a huge amount of food and really highlights what they do best.
On my plate were two house-made sausages served over potato salad and sauerkraut, two maple bacon sticks, pulled pork and toasted bread. Both sausages were good but my favorite was the smoked kielbasa, and I love that it’s on their regular rotation. It was grilled slightly too long, leaving a bitter char on the skin, but still quite good.
The sauerkraut and potato salad were just okay. I prefer the sauerkraut from Sausage & Meat.
The bacon sticks were good too, with thick cuts of smoked pork belly and a light maple glaze.
The weakest of the plate was probably the pulled pork. It was moist and tender but lacked smokiness or anything to really make it stand out. I haven’t had much success with pulled pork since the fantastic version I had in Nashville though, so I might be a little harsh in my thoughts.
House-Made Espresso Buttercream Doughnuts
For dessert, we had the house-made brioche doughnut balls which are filled with an espresso buttercream and served with a side of espresso chip ice cream. Mr. K really enjoyed these. I found the buttercream center a little too sweet, but then I’m not much of a fan of buttercream frosting.
Overall, we still had a good time here. I really enjoy their house-made sausages and bacon sticks and would return for those. The space is quite large, but I’ve heard it gets quite crowded during happy hour and at night. We’ve been lucky to avoid the crowds and I really enjoy the very casual atmosphere here.
You can read my initial post here.
The menu is on their website.
Draft Republic
4282 Esplanade Ct
San Diego, California
Omg, that burger looks great! Same with the sampler platter!
the sampler is so much food for $20! Easily could feed 2. I really love how they stacked the burger.
That burger and those bacon sticks look amazing.
I loved how they looked too!