Pueblo opened in Pacific Beach last summer, offering high-end Baja coastal cuisine. The restaurant has two bars including a rooftop bar, spacious indoor and outdoor dining spaces and even has a dedicated parking lot.
Pueblo recently welcomed a new Executive Chef, Eduardo Rosales, and we were invited in to check out some of the new dishes he is adding to the menu.
It was such a beautiful day so we asked to sit outside on the second level open rooftop. We started our meal with a few cocktails.
Oh, Dios Mio Mango! Margarita
The margarita was cold and well balanced. It had a natural sweetness from the mangoes and the spicy kick from the house infused red jalapeño tequila added a unique twist.
El Pepino Michelada
Cucumber, cilantro, tomatillo, lime and corona beer. This was light and refreshing, especially with the mix of cucumbers and cilantro.
Yellowtail Crudo
Thin slices of fish marinated in tiger’s milk, and drizzled with soy sauce and scalded oil. It was topped with slivers of ginger and slices of serrano peppers.
The soy and scalded oil muddled the color of the fish and caused a gray tint around the edges that didn’t look particularly appealing, but the flavors were nice and we quite enjoyed the appetizer as a whole.
Lobster Queso Fundido
This cheesy dish was packed with cheese and chunks of lobster, sprinkled with smoked guajillo chile and served with chips. I can never resist cheese dips like this and it was a fun addition to our meal.
Salmon Sur
For my main dish, I selected the salmon, served with quinoa and shitake mushrooms. While the salmon was flaky and moist, I did think it was over-seasoned.
Smoked Marlin Taco Plate
We both enjoyed the smoked marlin tacos tremendously. Smoked fish tacos are not as common in San Diego, so we like to get them whenever we can. The marlin was garnished with pico de gallo, crema, avocado, cabbage, capers and served on fresh tortillas.
It was accompanied by a side of esquites, made with a mix of white and yellow corn, lime, and chile crema.
We had heard the chef has some pastry background, so we ordered two of the desserts he has added to the menu.
Chocolate Mousse
I was quite impressed with the presentation of this dish. The chocolate crumbles surrounding the mousse were particularly enjoyable, and the mousse had a nice, silky texture. The honey marshmallow, though interesting, eemed a little out of place to me. But overall, I really enjoyed the dessert.
Creme Brulee
Again, I was impressed with the plating which went well beyond presenting a simple creme brulee. The chocolate dirt brought up delightful childhood memories, though this grownup version is more refined. I was especially enamored with the sugar decoration. The creme brulee was tasty as well, though I was more impressed with all the other elements as I don’t usually care much for creme brulee.
Overall, we had a nice meal at Pueblo. The open rooftop dining gives a different experience to the typical Pacific Beach dining scene. We enjoyed most of the dishes we had and the dedicated parking lot is a great motivation for returning.
Pueblo
877 Hornblend St, San Diego, CA 92109
https://www.pueblopb.com/
Please note, as stated above, we were invited to dine at the restaurant and this meal was complimentary. All opinions expressed remain my own.
That margarita pic is making me thirsty! hehe.
it was really good!
We were there Saturday for dinner and had a good meal as well, Jen. Our lobster quest fundido wasn’t as brown on top, and I thought it was a bit bland. For main courses we had the chicken mole and the filet, both of which were good. The mole needed more of the yummy sauce, which I shared with the manager. We live nearby so will be going back soon.
I’ll have to try the chicken mole and filet next time! Glad you had a good experience too. Many of my friends who live in the PB area have been telling me how much they like this place which is why I was interested in checking it out.