Christopher’s On Congress

Christopher’s On Congress has new owners and now is called Shawn’s On Congress! Please welcome the new owners Shawn and Karina and Tony with open arms and please continue your patronage. Thanks you!

This place is super cute & in an adorable part of town. I wanted to love it, but somethings fell a little short. To start with it took about 10 minutes for someone to even approach us with menus, even though we were directed to sit where we wanted. After that about another 10 minutes to take drink orders /​which by this time we placed an order for an appetizer as well. The wine flight I ordered was good, and so was the bruchetta. I would return because the food was not bad and the service although slow was friendly. Maybe next time I would just sit at the bar.

It’s called Shawns on Congress now as there’s a new owner. It was great because I could haven’t flight of wine and my husband who likes beer could have a flight of beer. We shared the cheese plate. It came with 3 cheeses, a bunch of bread and crackers and some grapes, jam, honey and different types of nuts. It was in a great location. They had a bonfire fit outside you could sit at, but there was only one and it was taken. We sat Inside at a table for 2 which was great. When we paid, we looked at each other and said «should we come back here again tomorrow». It’s a great place and if I’m back in San Diego again, I will definitely come back!

I’m so glad I found this place on Unilocal!I loved the atmosphere. We sat outside and enjoyed the patio while we shared a few flatbreads and of course a few glasses of wine. The flatbreads were delicious. The owner was friendly. The only reason I’m giving 4 stars and not 5 is because I think it was a little on the pricey side. But I will be coming back!

A Wine Bar in Old Town (location, location, location?)
I don’t believe that anyone would select a location like San Diego’s Old Town when people ask them where they should go to visit a nice wine bar. However, among the myriad of Mexican restaurants that inundate the Old Town landscape is Christopher’s On Congress. I have been visiting this venue for many years and, as a result, have experienced multiple owners.
It was extremely evident that the previous owners had no concept of how to properly operate a wine bar, since the nicest thing that I could say about their service is that it sucked really bad and that they would consistently run out of wine. If that isn’t a sign that a wine bar business is doomed, I don’t know what is. It is difficult to keep the doors open and customers happy, when you don’t have product to sell.
The current owners have fixed those issues when they took over operations. They also have a nice selection of wines that vary in price, although most are reasonable. In addition, they have expanded their menu to offer limited beer and food items, such as flatbreads that pair well with the wines that they serve.
There are four main areas that the venue encompasses: a very small front porch that overlooks busy Congress Street traffic and is usually utilized by smokers, a small compact indoor bar area, a large indoor dining area, and a large outdoor patio area complete with fire pits and cabanas. The ambiance is particularly nice in the evenings when the owners light tea candles and the fire pits illuminate the patio.
Even though the service is efficient, in that you’re not waiting very long for the items that you order, I wouldn’t call the service friendly. I do not find the owners to be personable. Rather, they seem to be all about business and pushing customers for their next sale. Therefore, even though the venue is set-​up to portray a chilled vibe, the ownership does not seem to support that image.

No lie… service is a little slow. But just like good wine, why rush. Service is friendly and food was delicious. Charcuterie was amazing and worth the wait. I’ll definitely be back.
Thank you Christopher, my girls and I had a great time.
Steller find and love supporting small business. Unilocal pals please check this spot out.

Great food. Unprepared service. Had the Mario Chardonnay and a local beer. Delicious. The bruschetta is to die for and the southie flatbread is a must have.
A winery tour came in and we completely lost all service. Food pick up took 15 minutes and we waited for our bill for another 10. Yikes. Ended up getting 10% off our bill for the wait so at least it was acknowledged.

OK, San Diego, get the hell over here! Food and wine were fabulous! Great selection of wine and craft beer, and a wonderful selection of light, healthy food options.
We ordered the Brie with fig jam — fabulous — and the crab cakes, which were yummy. The pizzas (which we didn’t order — next time) look wonderful. It was a Saturday night, and the place was empty. WTF, San Diego? Get over here and support this little gem!

Another awesome place to visit when I come down for vacation! Chris and Paul are great hosts and I love the space they’re working with. The cabanas on the outdoor patio are probably my favorite feature.
I’m far from wine savvy, but I enjoy their Sauvignons. The combination meat & cheese plate is an absolute perfect balance of sweet, savory and pungent. My first time trying figs (delicious) and even snacked on a few olives that I typically despise. As for cheeses… I’m not sure I’ve ever crossed one that I didn’t like! They also offer some delicious flatbreads. If I didn’t live so far, I’d be in more frequently!

Loved this wine bar! Great wine selections, delicious food (my flat iron steak was amazing!) and lovely atmosphere. Chris, the owner, was our somellier, server and the cook, and he was super nice, fun and accomodating (I asked if it was possible to combine ingredients from 2 different menu items, and he was totally fine with my request). Loved it, can’t wait to return on my next trip to San Diego!

This was my first time here and my first time trying wine ever.
Our server came up to us and gave us a wine menu and gave us an appropriate amount of time to look over the menu. I decided to get a wine flight for my first time. He helped me choose different wines to try under my guidelines: a white, a red, and a surprise. So he gave me a moscato, a rose, and a red blend. My favorite was the moscato. I did not like the rose because it tasted like perfume to me and he was so nice that he got me something different. I think it was a different rose. I tried it. I still didn’t like it. I don’t think I like rose’s… Haha
We got our bill and had a check-​in offer. We departed. I would say my first wine-​experience was a success!

The only thing I enjoyed about this place is the patio area and if you are close enough to the street the view of what is going on anywhere other than at Christopher’s. They did have live music when I was there, which is normally a good thing, but I was unimpressed with the performance. I was very unhappy with the service. When I visited the neighboring property I asked one of the patrons why Christopher’s was closed. They must have been a local because they seemed to have the scoop on the place. They said it had been closed down for quite a while by one of the government, state or city agencies. Normally not a good thing. I did call the place to find out what had happened myself, but could not. I do see that they have reopened since. Parking in the area can also be quite challenging especially during the tourist season.

The ambiance is superb, good wine selections, and the sausage Flatbread pizza was delicious and perfect on the palette. Great place to relax with friends and a wonderful place for date night with the honey. A place we will be back to again and again.

We’d planned a trip to Old Town so I went to town researching the places I wanted to visit as this was the first trip to San Diego where I’d been above the legal drinking age (sorry, SD! Didn’t mean for it to take over 10 years to visit you again!). I was determined to visit this place because I like to drink wine and because it was well-​rated.
Obviously I’m not a spring chicken any more and can hardly hang at happy hour. Hubby and I got bold and decided to do some happy hour bar hopping. We’d started at a tasting room, then went to the crazy party lobster place, and then Christopher’s. If we’d been smart we would have just gone straight to Christopher’s and spent our entire evening there.
And I sincerely apologize for getting too wine’d at this lovely establishment, and I’m sorry to the lovely regulars that I vehemently chatted to. They were so sweet and patient with me…
Anyway, this place is great. Super welcoming bartenders who made us feel totally welcome. I really liked the red blend I tried (W I believe) that was on happy hour special and hubby enjoyed beer (they have beer here, too!). We talked a little about where we’d gone before sitting at their bar and Unilocal and how I’d bookmarked a bunch of places to try and next thing I know I’m bookmarking several more places recommended by our server that look absolutely out of this world.
This place pours big glasses. I had three of the red W blend and I was on a total wine high. Normally I can hold my grapes much better than that. Again, I am ashamed.
We snacked on a gorgeous charcuterie board. They don’t have a real kitchen at this location but have made a great little work station in the corner. Mr. Awesome Server guy is a foodie and trained chef so has great ideas and care for the food offerings. The locals had gotten an amazing smelling flat bread thing that I was salivating over.
There’s a nice little outdoor patio area and they do allow doggies to hang with their humans out there. Next time, Gunner, you’re coming with us!

After walking all through Old Town San Diego passing one margarita bar after another, finally a place with an interesting wine list. Friendly and helpful.

Cozy little wine bar off of the beaten path. Love the outdoor cabanas! Great ambiance! Great wine selection can be a little pricey but worth it. I had there homemade specialty hot pepper beer it was so flavorful and had a nice kick to it. All in all I had a great experience there and will be back.

Well, this little wine bar in the heart of Old Town is adorable. My boyfriend and I decided to go to a magic show which is not sponsored by this wine bar, however the room in which the event takes place is connected to the same courtyard so you are allowed to bring your glass of wine, beer, etc, into the show and get another during intermission. We arrived about 20 minutes early and it was a little dead, but that just meant we had our choice of what table we wanted. It did liven up by the end of the night though. The courtyard area is very inviting with cushioned love seats, chairs and fire pits. They have any type of wine you’d want and a good selection of beers, though mostly specialty beers. It is a bit pricey, but I think most wine bars are. If you are around Old Town area, I definitely recommend coming by as it is the perfect date night pit stop!

Christopher’s on Congress is one of my favorite wine bars. Located in Old Town, there is a large patio, wine bar, and inside room this makes this place perfect for groups. I’ve been here with work colleagues and large groups of friends. There really isn’t an occasion that Christopher’s on Congress isn’t perfect for. The flatbreads are amazing — try the Californian and the chicken apple-​gouda sausage flatbreads — but where this place really shines is the staff. They’re able to recommend the perfect wine for your taste buds! You can also get wine flights if you just want to taste, or beer if wine isn’t you thing. Christopher’s is beautifully decorated adding to the classy sophistication the wine and staff radiate. There’s street parking and the Old Town parking lot available, but it’s also a short walk from the Old Town trolley station.

My first visit to Old Town San Diego for a work trip, and was curious to find a good bar/​lounge that wasn’t Mexican themed. Did a quick Unilocal search and found this hidden gem.
The place is not in the center of the Old Town area but hidden away from the touristy things; however, that’s what makes this place very unique! I absolutely love the indoor/​outdoor patio area set up! It has a very modern look and they have ample outdoor seating.
We had just missed the happy hour but I believe it ends at 6 or 7pm. My friend and I decided to try a selection of wines and went for the flight of wines. You get to pick any 3 wines off of their menu. I’m not familiar with the local wines in San Diego, so we asked the bartender to give us his recommendation — I did ask for at least one white.
All of the wines overall were good but definitely more on the sweet side. Although I don’t mind sweeter wines, having all 3 to be on the sweet side was too much for me. I would definitely recommend this place to others and hopefully make it for their happy hour!

Great place for a Happy Hour! Met up with the Wine Fanatics Meet Up group yesterday evening. Select wines and beer on the happy hour menu. And when I checked in on Unilocal,I received an additional 10%. Friendly staff and plenty of room both inside and out on the patio.
Parking is a bit dicey in Old Town, but I was more than willing to pay the $ 5 valet parking fee and not worry about it. I’ll be back.