The Spot La Jolla

La Jolla, United States

3.9

Open now

31 reviews

Accepts Credit Cards

Contacts

QR code, vCard

Telephone:
+1 858-459-0800
Website:
www.thespotonline.com
Address:
1005 Prospect St, La Jolla, CA, 92037
b/t Ocean Ln & Girard Ave
La Jolla
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
0.4 mi30
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Bussiness info

Takes Reservations
Yes
Delivery
No
Take-out
Yes
Accepts Credit Cards
Yes
Good For
Lunch, Dinner
Parking
Street
Bike Parking
Yes
Wheelchair Accessible
Yes
Good for Kids
Yes
Good for Groups
Yes
Attire
Casual
Ambience
Casual
Noise Level
Average
Good For Dancing
No
Alcohol
Full Bar
Happy Hour
Yes
Best Nights
Fri, Sat, Sun
Coat Check
No
Smoking
No
Outdoor Seating
No
Wi-Fi
No
Has TV
Yes
Waiter Service
Yes
Drive-Thru
No
Caters
No
Has Pool Table
No

Today

Today 11:00 am – 1:00 am
Open now
Local time (La Jolla) 16:10 Thursday, 26 June 2025

Business hours

Monday 11:00 am – 1:00 am
Tuesday 11:00 am – 1:00 am
Wednesday 11:00 am – 1:00 am
Thursday 11:00 am – 1:00 am
Friday 11:00 am – 2:00 am
Saturday 11:00 am – 2:00 am
Sunday 11:00 am – 1:00 am

Description

Specialties

The Spot is best known for our «highly customizable» Burger menu, unique take on Chicago-​style Pizza, full service bar, and Late Night Dinning. There is something for almost everyone on our menu — seafood, steaks, kids items, and local craft beers!

The Kitchen is open until 11pm Sunday-​Thursday, and until 12midnight on Friday and Saturday evenings. Are you craving some great late night food? We are literally «The Spot» to visit.

The Spot is also proud to be open EVERY day of the year. Whether it be Thanksgiving, Christmas, or the Fourth of July, we are open all 365! We have been the holiday eatery in La Jolla for almost 40 years now and are happy to provide the same great food all year round.

History

Established in 1978.

The Spot restaurant has the distinction of being the oldest continuous restaurant location in La Jolla, serving locals since 1915. The La Jolla Historical Society Archive holds vintage photographs of the building over its near century long service. Over time the horses and carts seen in those photos have given way to fancy cars and tourists from all over the world. Originally a restaurant location in Evanston, Illinois — The Spot moved to the La Jolla Cove in 1978, bringing along with it the famous Chicago style pizza, burgers, and family-​friendly dishes.

Meet the Manager

Doug T.

Manager

My name is Doug and my family bought The Spot from the original owner back in January 2001.

Originally from Santa Monica, the family is new to the restaurant industry and I have worked my way up the ranks to become the General Manager. Since we are family owned and operated, we are very active in the daily operation and service.

Every six months or so we take the menu apart and change things up. With over 60 items on the menu and a full service bar we have something for EVERYBODY who walks in to have a meal. Our most recent changes bring us a new Chef, Juan Cardona, and his flavorful changes have given the restaurant a more savory and interesting direction.

Both Chef Cardona and myself want to help guide this 35+ year old restaurant into a better version of itself. We are both in the restaurant 6 days a week so next time you’re in ask to say hi, we want to hear how things are going!

Thanks,

Doug Tondro

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31 reviews of The Spot La Jolla

No registration required
Place rating: 3
San Diego, CA
Came here to watch the Warriors during the finals on a Friday night. Definitely gets busy but surprisingly only had to wait about 10 min for a table.
They do have tvs but in some areas of the restaurant it’s difficult to get a good view of the tv so definitely try to tell your hostess ahead of time if you’re trying to catch a game.
Tons of families dining.
The service was great — very friendly and attentive staff.
We ordered the following and split it between 3 people and still had a ton of leftovers.
— the bacon cheeseburger (3.5÷5). Came out a little over cooked. It was a solid burger but nothing extraordinary. The onion rings were great though!
— deep dish pizza (4⁄5). Definitely one of the better deep dish pizzas I’ve had in San Diego. Crust was perfectly crunchy.
Generous portion sizes. Tons of food options. Cozy environment. Food is slightly above average. Would give this place 3.5 stars if I could!
Place rating: 5
Monterey Park, CA
Last time I was here was in 2012. The Main lobster dish was only $ 25 now its 32.99… SO WORTH IT! It’s as delicious as it was back then! Love this place and there is no need to go to Puerto Nuevo with a lobster this good here!
Place rating: 4
San Diego, CA
This is long over due. This place saved date night for me and my girlfriend. We were walking around the area after spending most of the day in La Jolla shores on a weekend every where seemed packed.
*Cons*
Food took a little bit to come out but it was a weekend.
*Pros*
No reservation was made and we got seated immediately. I ordered the club sandwich and was amazing fries were delicious not sure if these are made in house but they tasted great either that frier oil is constantly changed which if you know anything about frying food it can make a world of a difference.
The table next to us ordered a pizza and it looked and smelled delicious did not have a taste but side table kept saying how good the pizza was. Made me regret not ordering this pizza but I presume i will visit again soon and will have to give it a try.
~Overall~
I look forward in coming to this place again soon especially on a packed weekend night. good food very clean place. Sits you down immediately no wait times can casually walk in with no reservation and will be seated quickly.
Place rating: 5
Big Bear Lake, CA
Went there today with my family. I got the avocado ceasar salad and it was amazing! The food and service was great! We will definitely be coming back!
Place rating: 4
Jacksonville, FL
Good family place to go for burgers and casual food. Has a nice bar area separated by a wall to the dinning room for a more family friendly vibe.
Place rating: 5
Houston, TX
Great find for a casual lunch. The burger with garlic fries, winter salad with chicken (and amazing balsamic vinaigrette) and appetizer chicken tenders as a kids meal (could have ordered my salad without chicken and added one of those) — we all «spot» on. Oh, and don’t miss the Kentucky Mule — very refreshing.
Place rating: 5
Sacramento, CA
Just a really fun place. Really great staff. Good bar food! Great drinks and an all around good time. We will be back when we head to San Diego again.
We got the pretzel with cheese dip, hot wings, fries etc. all amazing. Mixed drinks were yummy too.
Place rating: 3
Leander, TX
Randomly ate dinner here while waiting for the sunset in LaJolla. We started with the fried pickles which were awesome. Highly recommend. I had the grilled Mahi Mahi fish tacos which were so-​so. The portion size was great but there wasn’t much taste to them. My wife had a think crust pizza and it wasn’t all that great. We came during Happy Hour which is half off appetizers! I’d recommend this spot for a place to grab some decent American style food and good drinks. There are better options in LaJolla.
Place rating: 4
Marina del Rey, CA
Friendy staff and great food. A not to crowded tourist area eatery. American food with a solid bar thay is quick and easy. Finding parking is a battle.
Place rating: 4
Las Vegas, NV
This is the spot to eat in La Jolla. The food is great, we went stopped in one night and had to come back the second. The service is very good too. Hats off to Nate. He is a great waiter. I had the Mahi Mahi tacos and my husband had the bacon cheese burger and my daughter had the Adult Mac and Cheese. They where all excellent.
Place rating: 5
Escondido, San Diego, CA
Oh my gosh. Three words that don’t even begin to describe this place! We were seated right by the bar (where we requested) & the hostess was the sweetest.
We stood here for about 3 hours waiting for the sunset. Our server, Nate… amazing. He cared to our every need and was SO positive. He became our waiter for the night & I wouldn’t have wanted anyone else. The vibes are great. The food is amazing. And it being walking distance to the beach? Awesome.
Come here & if you haven’t, you’re missing out!
Place rating: 4
San Diego, CA
This place always does me a solid. I think my best meal was a lunch combo: chowder + half a tuna melt. That was pretty damn satisfying. The fettuccine alfredo was just OK, and I don’t remember the countless meals I’ve had here as a kid. But the staff is always good to me, alone or with company.
Place rating: 5
San Diego, CA
Try their Mac and Cheese! It’s Amazing!!!
Place rating: 3
Saint Joseph, MI
Nice pub-​style restaurant in La Jolla. We stopped for a beer and fried pickle chips. The bartender was extremely friendly and attentive. If I were rating her alone, it’d be a 5. However, the pickle chips didn’t have much crisp or flavor to them and since that’s one of my only impressions of this spot it has impacted the rating. The menu had a lot of fried foods on it, much like any other pub.
Service = outstanding
Food = just okay
Place rating: 2
Fullerton, CA
Not sure why this place got a four star average. To preface my review, I very much enjoy divey holes-​in-​the-​wall from the 70’s (and even older) IF the food is good. The food at The Spot was not.
I got the lobster special, and it was all lacking. The salad was beyond basic, and lobster itself was rubbery. The most unappetizing part of the meal was the side dishes. The cole slaw tasted old and pre-​fab and the garlic mashed potatoes tasted instant. The dessert was freezer burned. Yuck.
The positives… I liked the vintage vibe and that it caters to locals, I liked my cocktail (also fairly priced) and our waiter, Nate, was awesome. He was friendly and helpful.
I say go for the bar, and eat elsewhere.
Place rating: 5
San Francisco, CA
I came here on a whim with my friend after a study date. We had spoken about getting fried chicken for the longest time, and this place hit the spot! (See what I did there?) Their appetizers during happy hour are 50% off, and as college students in La Jolla, we took the plunge and ordered a quite unhealthy but delicious meal of chicken tenders, buffalo wings, and their frings. The waiter was very helpful and gave us good recommendations and tips. As expected, their food was absolutely delicious. Despite the extra kick of spiciness of the buffalo wings, everything satisfied the unhealthy cravings. We even had takeout for another meal. Needless to say, we will be bringing our friends around here!
Place rating: 5
La Jolla, CA
The food is consistently delicious. The lobster special is fantastic though it is quite pricey. The service is very good and food always comes out fresh and fast. Great location although parking can be quite tough. Come during happy hour and prices are even better!
Place rating: 5
Midway City, CA
Had the spicy jambalaya pasta and it was delicious! Best pasta I’ve ever had, it wasn’t that spicy and had a hint of sweetness in it. Their was a lot of chicken, sausage, and shrimp so I got full real quick after eating ¼ of the plate. Definitely coming back here whenever I’m in town.
Place rating: 3
San Diego, CA
Given the number of fancy schmancy restaurants in the area, it’s nice to find a relatively low key place. Much to our surprise, this place was pretty busy around 5pm. We took advantage of the happy order deal and ordered a «gourmet pretzel stick.»
Not sure what made the pretzel stick «gourmet» because it wasn’t very good. I found it overly tough and rather bland. As a general fan of cheese dipping sauce, I was disappointed that it wasn’t very cheesy.
Anyway, for my main course I went with the standard 1⁄3 burger. The bun was of high quality, but I felt that the meat’s flavor was pretty boring.
Not sure if I’ll be back, but if I do I won’t be getting a burger for round two.
Place rating: 4
La Mesa, CA
I had the cheese burger and onion rings. Burger was nicely charred, just a little overcooked. I should have specified medium. Large amounts of American cheese and red onion. Yum. Onion rings were fried nicely, however they cannot be homemade. The onions inside were old/​papery.
Great service at the bar. I love that this place isn’t fancy.
I gave this place an extra star due to service and atmosphere. I’ll come in again to try something else.
Place rating: 5
Phoenix, AZ
Excellent food and service! I wish I remembered the server’s name but he was very enthusiastic and had great recommendations on the menu. I had the mahi mahi tacos and they were delicious. Family friendly restaurant and a little pricey on the kids menu. 9 bucks for a hamburger and French fries for a 4 year old and doesn’t include a drink. Then again you are in La Jolla!
Place rating: 3
Hawthorne, CA
The spot La Jolla was really good! Even though they made my friends pizza wrong I enjoyed my food.
I had a salad. I’m a very big fan of salads and this salad was on the top of my list! There’s a nice view of the ocean depending where you sit. Very calm location. Friendly staff as well! The chief made us a dish for the mistake he made. That was a really nice gesture.
Place rating: 5
Palms, Los Angeles, CA
First time trying this restaurant and I must say it really is the Spot! Delicious. I can’t say anything negative. My steak, potatoes, and green beans were amazing. My boyfriend ordered the ribs and he’s picky about his ribs and he approved. The fireplace is perfect too. Service was great too! Thank you!
Place rating: 3
San Diego, CA
We were here a very long time ago and loved their Black and Blue Lamb Burger.
This time we HAD to have The Famous Garbage Burger. So we both ordered one and it was enough to cut in half and take half home. Comes with cheese (asked for Swiss instead of the usual Cheddar), grilled onions, sautéed mushrooms, bacon, lettuce, tomato… and one of the best parts: topped with three onion rings.
I took off a star because we experienced a comedy of errors with the wait staff. The Hostess forgot to tell our Waiter we were seated. So we sat for quite awhile before someone came to take our drink order (about 15 minutes). The Waiter was very apologetic. This was mid-​week at lunch, and the place was not packed. I think they may have been training someone because we had to ask several times for water refills that went mostly ignored and the person (busboy?) who was supposed to be doing that… wasn’t. It was finally straightened out. To their credit, our entrees did arrive in a timely way, and were hot and juicy. The garlic Sweet Potato Fries were a little overdone, but were still good. Our Waiter was pleasant and friendly in spite of the oversights, and did try to make things right.
I took off another star because the food was overly salty. I do appreciate when something is well seasoned, but often food is heavily salted to coax folks into buying more drinks. It’s a old bar trick and do hope that was not the case here and the chef simply had a heavy hand with the salt shaker. Sometimes it isn’t so noticeable during the meal as much as it is right after one gets home and drinks one glass of water after another the rest of the night (the Fast Food Syndrome). We do want to give this place another try when exploring La Jolla. I will ask they use a lighter hand with the salt next time and if they can do that, and the food is as good (aside from the salt), then I am willing to give another star.
Street parking and we lucked into a place near the front door. We liked the ambiance and happened to get a seat close to a window.
Place rating: 3
Tempe, AZ
I didn’t have high expectations for this place due to some of the reviews. Friends and I were in town for a couple of days before heading to Los Angeles so we were just looking for something casual which was what we found.
The food was decent and the service was mediocre. I had the Reuben but wasn’t overly impressed. My sister had the Tuna Melt which she said was good. For the price, the food was enough definitely big servings, we didn’t finish everything.
Our server was alright but not very attentive. She was making conversation with the women at the table behind us but barely assisted us. All of our waters were empty and she only took the waters from the table, didn’t refill. She also asked us multiple times if we were ready to wrap up which felt like she was rushing us out of there. She definitely thought we weren’t going to tip since we’re younger than the average crowd so I was a little hesitant to even leave her twenty percent, but still did. Oh, well. The Spot did the job but nothing special.
Place rating: 4
Orlando, FL
Friendly staff and huge portion sizes. If you’re really hungry, this is the place for you. What we had didn’t really stand out from the crowd in any way, but it was good (and again, huge).
The French Dip has half a pound worth of meat, and while a bit under seasoned for my taste, was much improved with the au jus. The fries are just the way I like them, crunchy and flavorful. My wife had the Black & Blue Lamb Burger, which I feel was the better of the two dishes. It was packed with flavor.
Place rating: 3
University, Las Vegas, NV
We went on a Friday night. There was about a 20 min wait. The hostess accommodated our request to have a window table. It was so hot, stuffy, and muggy in there. The food was good. We had calamari as an appetizer. My husband ordered the Ribeye, he enjoyed it. I ordered the scallop & shrimp pesto penne. It was a bit watery. I don’t think I would go again.
Place rating: 4
Escondido, CA
We love to come here! I’m so happy with their customers services! Nice restaurant ! All the foods are delicious
Place rating: 3
La Jolla, CA
The other day I was astonished to discover a place in La Jolla that specializes in both pizza and burgers that somehow hadn’t entered my radar. It’s like it’s basically designed with me in mind.
For my first visit, I chose the pizza option. Now, despite the confusion demonstrated by some other reviewers as well as the restaurant’s own online menu, this pizza is *not* Chicago-​style beyond the deep-​dish crust. Very noticeably, the sauce is not located above the cheese, and their actual printed menu just labels it as deep-​dish with no mention of Chicago.
And this whatever-​you-​call-​it pizza mostly works. The default use of tomato chunks instead of sauce is an interesting design decision and functions well as long as the chunks aren’t too large. The cheese didn’t strike me as the greatest quality but at least it wasn’t greasy. Speaking of not being greasy, recently I’ve been complaining on Unilocal about greasy, thin (–ish)-crust pizza that tend to fall apart. No such problem at the Spot, but there’s almost the opposite problem, namely, that the crust comes off as rather dense. (That aspect, it should be said, is fairly common to Chicago-​style.)
I would be inclined to possibly give the Spot four stars despite the aforementioned nitpicks were it not for the pretty steep prices. Adding toppings can potentially double the price, and even buying a pre-​configured design practically costs the same as ordering the toppings separately. I’ll still be back eventually to try their burgers.
As a side note, we also ordered their pretzel appetizer. Note that the product does not arrive in traditional pretzel form (unlike some of the older photos here) but rather in the form a breadstick-​like rod. Either way, it’s quite delicious although I did not care for the included cheese sauce.
Summary: It did mostly hit the spot.
Place rating: 5
San Diego, CA
PEOPLE SEARCH NO FURTHER… this is the PLACE TO DINE AND DRINK!
For starters it seems like a random bar on the strip, however once you actually step inside it feels like a cozy home with a grand fireplace and all!
My boyfriend and I decided to come try this place yesterday for valentines day. This was not our first option, we had reservations at Prospect Bar & Grill (right next to it), however were extremely angry with that place, and ended up here after glancing at the menu on the front window. We saw a lot of people standing outside, and given it was valentines day we knew there would be some type of wait.
After waiting about 25 minutes, we were sat and greeted extremely quickly.
This is a huge plus in my book (I work in the restaurant industry).
Our server did not write our order down, & fearful he might forget my picky order… he sure enough DID not! Score.
Our food came out rather quick for the place being busy & let me just say my eyes lit up!
I did not know what to even expect from this place, but let me just say… the portions are HUGE, the burgers all come with a side (I hate when places sell sides separate!) At first bite, I was in heaven… mmmmm!
My boyfriend and I are «foodies», and he is always trying burgers out from places. His critique of his burger was one of the best he has ever had as he said «the meat just tasted different in a good way!» (quick note: they offer bison burgers, and veggie burgers!) I had the Veggie Gardenburger and it was in my top 3 best veggie burger I have ever ate!
The reasons I will come back to this place is:
1-​Amazing service
2-​Friendly staff
3-​The cozy ambiance
4-​The menu has so much variety (I want to come back to try the «adult mac n cheese», and deep dish pizzas OH MY!)
5-​The serving sizes
6-​Prices are average
7-​Its amazing location
8-​The burgers are to die for, & the beer battered fries are mouth-​watering!
So glad we stumbled across this place, will be back! (I believe they take reservations?!?, thats awesome!)
Place rating: 3
San Diego, CA
I’ve been here once before a very, very long time ago. Its probably been about 10 years since then and I remember the food was pretty good! It still is surprisingly, since I don’t hear much about this place… we sat at the bar and the lady bartender was super friendly and nice. The game was on and everyone is always shouting when something interesting is happening on the screens lol. I’m not sure what’s going on though. Haha. I munched on the Cajun lamb chops and spicy jambalaya pasta. Both were equally enjoyable! They make the bread pudding and crème brûlée in-​house and they weren’t too bad. They open till 2am on Friday and Saturday, so the place was getting even more packed as the night went on…