Abnormal Wine Company

Amazing upscale brewery and winery. We had the special limited time Father’s Day special tomahawk ribeye @ 36ounces for only $ 50. One of the most amazing steaks I’ve ever .
The service is fantastic & the food and décor is eclectic…

We were part of the first wine dinner collaboration with Collier Falls last night and the food and wine were amazing. The staff was really friendly and accommodating. They offered gluten-​free substitutions and gave introductions to the food and paired wine before each course. I would highly recommend going to a wine dinner. We’ve also been to a beer-​paired dinner at Abnormal Beer and we’re frequent customers at Cork and Craft.

Came in for brunch on a rainy Sunday. The place was about half full but it still took them about 5 minutes before someone even came to check for drinks. The drinks came out fast but the food took a really long time to come out.
The place doesn’t offer taster one offs. You have to buy 5 for $ 15 or get half pours. This is off putting when the rest of the San Diego beer community pretty much lets you do this or even gives you a deal if you get more.
Food was okay but not worth the price. The burger I ordered did not come out medium rare as requested. Beer was okay but expensive for the price.

They get 3 stars because the service was great and they were very nice. I just wish I actually liked their beer. It is all just OK, nothing really stands out or would be anything I would order a second glass of. We did tasters of almost everything on the menu and felt that it was all drinkable, but thats they best thing I can say about it.

Abnormal is one of those places you walk up to in the middle of the night and you are unsure of what you are doing there. It is in Rancho Bernardo so it is not scary, it is just odd. As we got closer a gaggle of geriatric nobility sauntered out of one of the doors. We assumed that this was about to be a very bland beer, but then we realized it had wine «next door». We got into the pub/​brewery side and it seemed a little disheveled. Not dirty, but just cluttered, maybe.
We tasted every beer they had from their brewery and we were pleasantly surprised. Our server was gracious and loved to talk about beer, even if she put the beers in the wrong order at first. She genuinely knew her stuff though (yay, Sara). I enjoyed the stout and the honey beer. Everything else was standard.
This is by far one of the places I would go to with my wife to eat and drink. The menu looked awesome. We had the chicharrones and the dipping sauce really was a different beast all together and made it wonderful.
Ignore the bottom rankings that is for a 2016 brew tour for me and my buddy. We will be doing all of the breweries in SD. Follow my reviews if you so desire.
First Impression: 4
Décor: 6
Beer: 6
Service: 6
Would come back: 7 (Food and Beer)
Overall: 29

I loved the food. This is well above your regional taster fare. This is a food destination. I was impressed with everything we had, from the appetizers to the main fare. We had excellent service. They are still growing and learning, and I love a place that shares that experience with you. I look forward to their meeting room options.

Good food but really rude people at check in. This is the second time we have been here. Both times we came they said they were full but then they make a big deal out of going out of there way to find you a table when the place is empty. This will keep me from coming back. They really need to work on customer service here.
Enjoyed their wine. Food was good but very slow. Not worth putting up with the surly attitude

CALAMANSI SAISON!!! A must try!
Although the bar area can get fairly packed during Fri/​Sat evenings, my friends and I have always been lucky enough to land a spot. The food here has always been on point. Service has been friendly and efficient.
Right now, this is my ‘go to’ spot for good beer, good food and good times.

Great beer selection and food. I could eat my weight in the salt and pepper chicken wings from this place. The service is good here too. The only thing I don’t love about it is the time they are closed between lunch and dinner for dinner prep.

A bit of an odd location but good food. It’s located in a business park off the 15 freeway. They had great gourmet food. They have house made wines and beers. Their berry and chocolate port was AMAZING!!! They had great dessert too. Monkey bread with horchata ice cream. I had the scallops in risotto. I wasn’t overly impressed. Not a lot of flavor. My friend had the pork belly and loved it. I will definitely go back

First time here. Not impressed.
My tater tots were super salty. I was shaking them off my plate there was so much. House beer was good. My boyfriend ordered the $ 12 craft burger (medium well) the middle was raw. The redo wasn’t that impressive either for it was over cooked and burned that it was bitter. The cook also put way too much pepper which made it taste worse than the first. Too much pepper on burnt ground beef — boooooo!
I wish I could attach a picture of the beef. I’ll try.
The music was good. Funky music merit the two stars; otherwise I would’ve given it one.

Tonight with no plans we tried this gem! Oh my. The staff including James and Mark were great and the food and drinks awesome.
Had the brussel sprouts to start the we tried the seared scallops risotto and the pork pasta. The risotto was super flavorful and the pasta was cooked perfectly.
We ended with a sampling of their homemade ice creams. Cheesecake, butter pecan and strawberry. All some of the best i have had.
We will be back and highly recommend.

I came here on two separate occasions; once for a Unilocal elite event and another on my own. Seeing how this place is coming together is very pleasing as the kitchen and bar seamlessly merge together.
What I Had: Beer tasting + various food tastings
The Good:
Love the atmosphere, the interior is very rustic mixed with modern appeal
Open style kitchen — nothing is hidden from view and the food is meticulously crafted
Awesome bartenders — very friendly and openly discuss the background behind the restaurant
Food tasted fantastic, not overly oily or fatty.
Presentation was great, you can tell they QC many of their items
Wide variety of beers/​wines to select from (although at the time of my visit the brewery was still unavailable).
The Bad:
Price — you do pay a premium here on many food items
Seating — limited in terms of how they split the two areas
Odd location — I suppose this is normal for the San Diego area but it is located in a corporate area next to a lab.
Noise levels can be harsh in here when it is full, do not expect a quiet night
I am pleased with this place, I will always keep it in my back pocket for when I need to drink or grab a bite. What really draws me is the open concept and the atmosphere, that alone is worth the cost.

This is a GREAT addition to Rancho Bernardo! It feels a little out of place to be honest, it’s the type of restaurant you would find in Little Italy or Bankers Hill or really anywhere in downtown. Not in a little suburban industrialist area. RB needed something cool!
The food is REALLY good! I’ve been there twice in the last few months and everything I’ve had was delish. My favorites were the garlic noodles, the brussel sprouts and the the pork belly.
Great atmosphere, very rustic chic vibe. They have their own wines and brews which is awesome! I recommend getting a flight of their house made wines. They have a cherry cider that was really good too!
There were a couple things I wasn’t too thrilled about:
1. The bar was packed before 5pm on a Thursday. Not sure where these people came from where they can be at a bar by 4/4:30, but obviously not working. The bar happy menu wasn’t that different than the regular menu.
2. We ordered Ice cream. All desserts are freshly made from scratch, including the ice cream, which I totally appreciate and love! The only thing is the scoop of home made ice cream was about the size of an egg. We were planning on sharing the ice cream and we each got about 2 tiny bites. We ordered 1 kind and they brought out the wrong one and thankfully, the waiter brought out another scoop of the one we ordered (very nice!) so we had our filling of ice cream with 2 scoops. haha
Overall, this place is awesome and very cool! I’ll definitely come back again.

Located in Rancho Bernardo, AWC is a small winemaking company that is now growing into a real destination!
Importing grapes from around the world, this urban winery uses steel drums here in the restaurant to make their wine in small batches. What started out as just a bar then turned into a little restaurant. So Unilocal is a little confused on the hours. They are open lunch during the week. Abnormal wine company opens at 3, but cork & craft does not open until 5 for dinner service.
Their wine is really worth the trip. Their employees really know the wine well and were able to pair perfectly. What is not mentioned on the menu, and should, is their flights. They offer 5 pour and 10 pour flights. I wish I knew that before I ordered a full glass since I would have loved to try them all. It was no trouble, though, as they offered a taste of any of their wines.
I was really out of it, because it did not sink in that tater tot poutine probably has tots, not fries. I tried my hardest to mask my surprise when it came out. I’m actually not a huge fan of tots, but the gravy and sous vide egg was really tasty on its own with the cheese curds. I ate a little tots with it, but it didn’t take away from the dish.
For coming when there was only one other party there, I felt like the service could improve a little. There were a ton of employees there, most likely prepping for the dinner service, but I felt like I was waiting quite a bit for help given the huge employee to customer ratio. I understand it takes quite a bit of work to prep for dinner service, but the curse of an open kitchen means we can see the chaos going on. It makes the customer feel a little lost in the hubbub. Once again, only room for improvement, not necessarily a reason to dislike the restaurant/​bar.

I went here to have wine and it was really good. I would like to go back and eat dinner there so I can review their food selection and taste. It’s a great place to go and have good wine and cheese. Service was very good. Casual dress

I did the 5-​tasting wine flight and loved all the wines! Very nice ambiance and versatile. Good for a group as well as a date.

Amazing new spot! Great atmosphere, very cool. We went with another couple + 2 young kids. The staff was incredibly kind and attentive! In addition to our server, there was someone close by for refills, another person to clear dishes and wipe off the table, and a manager checking on us.
We ordered several apps & main dishes. The poutine tots were very savory, brussels sprouts were perfectly charred, and the «faux» gras was unique and flavorful (I would have like more bread with it).
The mussels ROCKED (we actually got another order because the kids ended up loving them). The short ribs was sooo tender. I didn’t like the fish/​noodles dish; it was very salty.
The cheesecake was good but the beignets really put the finishing touch on a great dining experience. Oh, and the white wine was amazing! I can’t remember what type it was but out server told me one of the owner/​manager makes it? Get the full story when you go!

moving back from SF was definitely a tough one — SUBurban life wasnt for me. I was always driving to places like North Park and Downtown to get the cultured community vibe, mainly to eat or drink at Mom and Pop shops. THANK GOD Abnormal Wine Co, an Urban Winery, opened in North County… now i dont have to drive far for a good drink, vibe/​ambiance, and people.
DRINKS: They’re called ABNORMAL for a reason– fun and approachable wine, a spin on what is traditional but still very tasty! They also make their wines in steel tanks on location — ordering skins, juice, and wood from all parts of the world. My faves are #18 MERLOT and #22 BRUNELLO (Sangiovese) for red, #4 CHARDONNAY for whites, and #2 CHOCOLATE CITRUS PORT. These all surprised me as i wasnt expecting such complex, yummy flavors. I was able to come in for a tasting — they have an option for 5 or 10, to make my preferences and then the second time was able to enjoy a glass of them.
FOOD: During normal hours they serve a cheese plate, artichoke dip with pita chips, bread and oil (BASIL PARMESAN yum), and chocolate chip cookies. They’re all great to pair with a glass and snack on — my fave is the CHEESE PLATE with crackers. I found out they now serve lunch and boy did i make a mistake of ordering… because i had it 3 times in a row. The paninis ARE SO GOOD! haha if you’re not worried about calorie count i would highly suggest trying them. I liked the CHICKEN PESTO PANINI over the chicken MUSHROOM but both are delish. If youre in the mood for a salad, i suggest the ARUGULA and a side of TOMATO soup! You have to order the night before or early that morning so you can either pick up the order or have it there.
PRICE: standard café prices from $ 7 – 10 for lunch and the drinks are about $ 5 – 10 per glass (the Ports are more expensive of course). Tastings range form $ 15 – 25.
AMBIANCE: LOVE. dont be deceived by the business park location because one pull on the door its like youre home in a comfy, well decorated, clean living room! They have 5 tables, a bar, and couches all to sit in. Everything is in good taste too — see the pictures i posted. Also the people that come in and visit arent wine snobs. they seemed relaxed and everyone is trying to enjoy their glass and company.
SERVICE: everyone was so friendly! Nancy was serving and was super friendly and payed attention to when each tasting was done. Matt the wine maker/​co-​owner is super knowledgeable — homeboy knows his stuff! James and Jelynn are also so friendly and down to earth. I feel like we’re all family!
PARKING: plenty of parking since this is in a business park! There is a parking lot right in front.

I’ll be honest, here: I only showed up at Abnormal because we were considering having a team event here. I wanted to scope the place out, maybe chat a bit with the people I’d been corresponding with, and get a general feel of the company, the people, and the menu.
I ended up loving the whole thing: the people, the wine, the food, the atmosphere!
Let me back up. I showed up with a colleague in tow (this colleague had been to Abnormal several times before), for a semi-​pre-​arranged meeting. I immediately loved the feel of the space — it’s cozy, warm and modernly cool. It exudes a very warm and comfortable vibe, which I think is typically in short supply when I’m running team events. ;)
Every person we met with that day was friendly, accommodating and seemed to be eager to hear our opinions on everything we tasted.
And we tasted a bit more than I had anticipated. When we first walked in, I was hit by a delicious aroma. We came around lunch time, so of course we were already hungry, but walking into Abnormal made my stomach growl and my mouth start to water.
We had some time before our next appointment, so we decided to stick around for a bit to sample the wares. We ordered a Pesto Chicken Panini to split, as well as the Apple Cranberry salad. While we were waiting, we were talked in to trying a sample of their Trinity wine.
Figuring, what the heck?, we agreed to try just the barest splash of the wine (we were still on the clock, after all). I know that the Trinity is a blend of three reds, but I can’t for the life of me remember which wines were used to make it. All I remember was that it was possibly the smoothest, richest red wine I’ve ever consumed. It was so hard to refrain from ordering a full glass to go with our meals!
Our salads came out soon after, and we both loved the whole thing. It was a mix of arugula and greens, served with julienned apples, gorgonzola crumbles, cranberries and candied walnuts. The salad dressing complimented the salad without being too overwhelmingly sweet or overpowering. I loved the different chewy/​crunchy textures, as well.
I polished my salad off in record time (because I’m dainty), and while we were chatting, waiting for the Panini to come out, we were once again coerced into giving their ports a try. I had noticed the Chocolate Berry port on their menu board, and was immediately intrigued. However, I’m *not* a fan of port wines. They’re far too strong for me, and I usually avoid them at all costs.
My companion is responsible for this tasting, honestly. Had it not been for her insistence, I would have passed and missed out on something truly incredible. Their ports are nothing like what you may have had in the past. I was told that they don’t fortify the port with brandy like others, and that they process it differently (I’m not claiming to be a vintner, here, so I’m sure there’s some technical term that I just don’t know!)
The Chocolate Berry port could be so incredibly dangerous. It’s one of those drinks that are delicious and deceptively alcoholic. The port was smooth, and you definitely noticed the chocolate and berry flavors. I could see myself pouring some of that on top of a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or consuming it in candy bar form.
The Panini’s came out at the right time (it stopped me from sticking my fingers into my wine glass to scrape out the last remnants of the port…), and they were piping hot. More honesty: I’ve never been a huge fan of panini’s. I’ve just never really had one that I enjoyed before. The bread is usually too toasty, tearing up my palate, and the contents are usually too bland or don’t balance the sandwich the way I’d want them to.
So you know that I’ve never been on the Panini craze, and wasn’t exactly looking forward to the sandwich when we ordered it. (Had it been my choice, I would have made a meal out of the salad, but in the interest of research and making my friend happy, we split everything).
The Panini was surprisingly good! The mozzarella cheese was all ooey-​gooey and melted everywhere, which I shamelessly scraped up and shoved into my mouth. The bread was buttery and crisp, without being too crumbly and prone to shredding my mouth. The pesto flavor was balanced out by the seasoning on the chicken, and by the mozzarella that was left in the sandwich.
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed everything at Abnormal. I’m looking forward to having our team outing there, and to working with the employees that we met and laughed with again in the future.