Seasons 52 – San Diego

October: Well Well Seasons 52, you came up as a surprised. A friend’s bday on this special day. We had a nice round table towards the end of the restaurant and it felt very nice and private.
The service was super slow, our server was hardly around, it took 25 – 30 minutes to get our food our in. Once our orders were in our food didn’t appear until 45 minutes. From where we sat we can see the food were ready. The server had a table outside the patio and he explained it was a large party however that meant he didn’t give us any service because he was too occupied.
Once the food arrive, friend’s cooked scallops were already cold. Tuna crunch salad was good. Just the right amount of dressing. The lamb I ordered however was not cooked correctly. It was a bit rare. Only one was cooked ok so i ate that one. The rest I asked if it can be cooked longer as I didn’t like my lamb rare. The manager came and told me they will have to cook a full rack again it’s not cooked. So they gave me a full order as I couldn’t finished. It was not seasoned enough very lacking of flavor although the second time it was cooked better. I shared my dish with two others and the consensus was it’s very underwhelming.
We did not receive the best service on this day. It was quite annoying. The server also kept forgetting my other friend’s wine as well. He asked her twice what she ordered. Then when the wine never came he then told her way way later that they didn’t have it.
I wasn’t impressed, the food is pricey and lacks seasoning.
Unfortunately I don’t think I will return to this location. I had better service and food at the La Jolla location.
Update: Just realized the pictures that is posted was an event I have attended. The food was also just alright but the service for the event was impeccable.

I’m having a really tough time even giving Seasons 52 two stars. My husband and I dined here with friends for restaurant week because of the raving reviews we’ve both read and been told. When we walked in, the ladies up front were very nice and welcoming. We were seated and not given a restaurant week menu, which wasn’t a problem! Up until this point, our experience was great. When we asked for a restaurant week menu, our hostess responded with an eye roll, sigh, and a comment that she would get it. She came back, tossed it at us, and walked away. Not the most professional, but hey, there’s always that one bad apple in the bunch.
Next our waiter came to the table to greet us. He raved about an item in each section of the menu, and when we asked him about the flatbreads from the restaurant week menu, we were again greeted with an eye roll, sigh, and a brief and short description (which really went like this: «you can look on the MAIN menu for explanation»). We placed our drink order along with appetizer and salad orders. He dropped our drinks off and then disappeared. When our salads came out, we were in need of refills which we had to ask him for. We then ordered our main course and he was, yet again, no where to be found. We went the rest of our meal without refills, and without seeing our waiter until it was time for our dessert. He brought out the desserts and explained each one to us, but was very perturbed when two of us wanted the same one and he had to get it.
My overall opinion: Don’t partake in restaurant week unless you want bad service. With our wedding anniversary coming up, we were hoping that Seasons 52 would put their best foot forward and that we would enjoy coming back to celebrate, but that unfortunately after tonight’s visit that won’t be happening. Our meal was much too expensive to have service equivalent to a Denny’s.
If you’re looking for a nice dinner in the downtown area, there are much better restaurants that won’t give you disgruntled service.

SAN DIEGO RESTAURANT WEEK 2016! Wow this place is amazing. Everything is so fresh. The place itself has very good vibes with a modern look. We got the $ 20 restaurant week menu. You can order a soup or a flat bread that you choose between 2 people and an entrée and a dessert.
We had the Roma tomato flatbread. It was amazing how something so simple can taste so good. The flat bread has thin slices of basil and roasted tomatoes. The flatbread is slightly crunch and chewy. It was also tasty to add some freshly cracked pepper to add a layer of spice to the flat bread.
Then I got the steak which came with mashed potatoes and broccolini. The steak came with a mushroom sauce which added a deepness to the dish. There was creaminess, crunchiness and chewiness all in one plate. I also tried some rainbow trout and the fish was so soft it almost melted.
Do not be alarmed when the waitress rings you a row of desserts. However much you want it, those desserts aren’t all for you. You only get to pick one so choose wisely and listen carefully to the description. For dessert I got the double chocolate brownie with raspberries. Gotta admit it was very rich, but they give you just the right amount portion size such that it isn’t too overwhelming. There is layer of mousse? Or whatever the creamy chocolate is called. There is also a layer of brownie and has mashed raspberry between the layers. The two go very well together sweet and tart. I also tried the key lime pie and it had a very strong line flavor which paired really well with the nutty crust layer.
Overall he flavors were very good but not portion sizes are a bit small. So glad that I got to try such quality food.

So my childhood best friend took me to dinner here when she came to visit and I’ve been hooked. It’s a elegant but casual place where u can wear your jeans but have an amazing meal. The menu changes seasonally and it’s always amazing and fresh to cater to the meat or vegan lover. Cocktails r refreshing but for my wine lovers the 52 stands for the 52 different wines they have. Regardless of what the reviews r come try it for yours. Happy eats

Let me start out by saying that Seasons 52 has a calorie count on everything. Everything from the wine to the main dishes and everything in between which is not always the most pleasant. Most dishes are under 500 calories.
We went to Seasons for lunch. They are called Seasons 52 because they cook around the 52 weeks of the year. What’s in season. I ordered the Shrimp & Grits. It had 720 calories. GASP! The shrimp were super fresh but the chorizo was over cooked and the tomatoes were canned. Interesting. And the grits were watery. I have had other better versions of the grits (looking at you Union in Encinitas) which CLEARLY were drenched in delicious butter and cheese. But so worth it. This was not worth the $ 20 price tag.
Other options that people seemed to enjoy were the various flatbreads and the slow braised beef tacos. Even their sodas and juices are in the $ 3.50 range. Come on! You don’t get a ton of food (low calorie) for a lot of $. I usually have a to go box when I eat lunch for less money but no need here. No one needed one.
Service was good. My water glass stayed filled. But the food is lacking in flavor. You can deliver flavor in other ways — spice, herbs etc without loading in the calories.
The restaurant is beautiful so up the flavor and lower the price and you got yourself a winner!

I have now been to this location on two occasions; one time for drinks only sitting at the bar and yesterday during restaurant week. both visits were impressive and enjoyable.
on both occasions I enjoyed the seasonal cocktail; the cucumber basil smash which I LOVE! cucumber vodka, white cranberry juice with fresh basil and cucumbers. if you are a wine lover, this is most definitely your place. they get the name seasons 52 because of the 52 wine by the glass options that they offer.
for restaurant week; we took advantage of the $ 40 per person 4 course meal which featured a signature flatbread, a starter salad, an entrée and a mini dessert. for flatbreads we tried the chicken pesto and the steak and blue cheese which were both very good. I would recommend both. the spinach salad that was included was truly amazing; fresh roasted pears, blue cheese crumbles, pecans and lots of fresh spinach with a lite vinaigrette. we all got the filet entrée option which was plated nicely. my steak was cooked perfectly but unfortunately my friends’ were a bit overdone. still very tasty. the desserts were yummy but very small. if I were purchasing them; I would pass.
our server was nice and attentive and the atmosphere is lovely. definitely a nice; romantic place to visit in San Diego

I came here today to start off restaurant week. They had a three course lunch special for only $ 20 before 4pm.
1^st course: I chose the grilled chicken pesto flatbread. You can choose from an assortment of flatbreads or soup. The grilled chicken pesto wasn’t bad, reminiscent of the flatbreads at Cheesecake Factory.
2^nd course: I originally ordered the grilled rainbow trout (what I came here for). The waitress placed the order and came back a few minutes later and said that they ran out of trout… This is only day one of restaurant week how did they run out already. I get that this place only has what’s in season but it’s only the first lunch of RW. I wasn’t interested in the other options (salad or burger) I mean I came to try this place out not to get something I can buy at a fast food. I asked the waitress if I could have salmon at least since they didn’t have trout and they let me have that as my entrée. It tasted alright. I have salmon almost every night at home and I was excited to try another fish out :(too bad they weren’t supplied or prepared. Kinda disappointed since I could have stayed home and eaten the salmon I had already cooked.
3^rd course: Mini indulgence. There are 10 options for small size treats and you’re allowed to select one. Any additional indulgences are $ 3 each. I got the smores which was really good!
My friend who came along with me is vegetarian. He ordered the mushroom bisque, winter vegetarian sampler, brussels sprouts and 2 mini indulgences. He said everything tasted good on his end.
Overall the place was nice. They had a pianist playing modern covers at the bar which was a nice touch.
Valet: They only validated $ 2 off if you valet which is $ 15… pretty much they cover 30 minutes of parking. I would think they would at least cover the parking for their customers… hmmmm

I have gone to both Seasons 52 here in San Diego and La Jolla (UTC). The one in UTC was the first one I went to. Portions are based on their seasonal offerings plus following the caloric portions listed on the menu. But for my Plus 2 birthday, I decided to go to the one in The Headquarters. It was for Happy Hour since I wanted it affordable and casual for those off work. The only that didn’t cooperate on that day was the weather. Really — San Diego gets rain only on the day of my birthday! This of course meant several people had to cancel because of work, time and health.
However, the party goes on. First of all arranging this was fairly simple with the Sales Manager, John whom I met during the Unilocal Event held here when they introduced their Winter Menu. Since it’s Happy Hour, we set up a space outside which luckily was sheltered from the rain, it had a firepit (s) and over head heater which came in handy as soon as it started getting cooler and more people had come.
The food as usual was excellent, the flat bread was only priced lower if ordered with the flights. The drink specials were very good and tasted great. Overall, our server Brianna and those who assisted her were very courteous and quick to respond to a lot of our group’s needs. For a three hour event, we had a wonderful time and despite the rainy weather, everyone enjoyed themselves.
Thank you Seasons 52 for the gift.

We waited about 20 min for a table and then another 10 min just to get water, I was really hungry and thirsty so I had to flag down a waiter just to get served which is why I deducted 1 star. I suggest making a reservation for this place to save some time.
I love the concept of this place on how every meal is less than 500 calories and the menu changes each season.
The ambience is very intimate, the classy music, and dim lighting. It made my boyfriend and I’s anniversary that much better. Our server was okay, he was friendly and would check on us often.
As for the food, the prices are pretty reasonable for being a more «fancier» and upscale restaurant as opposed to the Cheesecake Factory. We ordered the Asian glazed chicken skewers and shrimp skillet for our appetizers. Both were flavorful and cooked to perfection! Then some flatbreads, (lobster and mozzarella) and (pesto chicken) The lobster to flatbread ratio was decent! Some slices had more lobster than others but I’m not complaining. I loved the sauce it had on top, I believe it was lobster sour cream. My boyfriend was still a bit hungry after eating basically all appetizers but the dessert filled us quite well.
You can always walk around seaport village and go in the little shops or walk around by the water to burn off some calories after dinner. ;)
Make sure to get your ticket validated if you park in seaport village, because we still ended up paying $ 16 for parking even though we got it validated??? You can either get park outside of seaport or valet.

Seasons 52, you earned these five stars…
I’ve worked in restaurants and because of my past experience I know that our group was nothing short of a logistical nightmare this week. Granted, we were polite, but in every sense of restaurant guest etiquette we were a mess. Why? Let me count the ways…
*This being said, we were kind, courteous and very understanding that we were a lot to handle and that our server must have had a stress level through the roof.
1. We were there for a birthday party
2. It was happy hour
3. We were on the patio
4. No assigned seating
5. Food was being ordered every time our server appeared, not at once
6. Much like the food, drinks were also being ordered sporadically, never at once
7. Our mingling caused confusion when figuring out who ordered what
8. People were coming and going throughout the evening with no defined start or end time
The list could go on and on and all these things are not an ideal service setting for our server — our bad, not yours.
So, long story short is that we were not the ideal customers on Monday night but that wasn’t by design. Everyone that touched our table from Seasons 52 handled our party like a true professional and I can’t thank you enough for making Melanio’s 52^nd birthday an absolute blast!

This was my first time visiting Seasons 52 downtown (UTC location is closer to me and I have been there frequently) but I REALLY enjoyed the downtown location! The lay out design is nice, the oval shaped bad even better because it allows for views of the whole restaurant.
I went for an event and Seasons 52 put out such delicious hosted appetizers. There were sushi rolls, simple but yummy, Melba toasts bites with meat or mushrooms, chicken skewers, and lots of different pizzas to try. The atmosphere was really nice for a holiday party, we were on the outside patio but there were heaters on so it was really cozy. I was made even more cozy by the delicious glasses of 2013 Schug Pinot Noir I was having. I love when restaurants here have great Northern CA wines, and that is such a great wine to serve. Overall, I will definitely be returning, especially since Seasons 52 gave me a holiday present to return!!! So gracious of them!

I wasn’t a fan when I went to their UTC location, but after the Unilocal event down here I decided to come back and give Seasons 52 another try. This time I went in with a different mindset, looking at it more as a place more to enjoy the atmosphere and have a classy night out, not a place for amazing food. And when I think of it that way, it is indeed a nice place.
This place has low, romantic light, great for a date night. There are lots of people and the noise definitely builds, but it’s not so loud that you can’t have a nice conversation (pet peeve of mine). The’ve also dropped the low calorie restriction, although they still list a calorie count for each dish and most are fairly low. I still wish they were more flavorful though.
Drinks are good, and generously sized. Happy hour plates are tiny, but the flights and flatbreads deal ($ 15 for a flatbread, wine tasting, and a glass of your choice) is an excellent deal. And while I didn’t have any this time around, I do appreciate the mini dessert cups.
Be warned: you probably need to make a reservation. We came at 6:30 on a Friday night and there was a wait even for seats at the bar, and a 90 minute wait for a table. Did not expect that!

I was fortunate enough to sample Seasons 52 winter menu at an Elite event recently and I fell in love with their short ribs. My mom is a big short ribs fan, so I have been telling her that she needed to come try them. Since my mom and I were having a girls night down in Seaport Village, we decided to head on in so she could try them out.
We were lucky enough to be seated in Eric’s section when we arrived. He did an absolutely wonderful job of taking care of us during our meal. My mom and I both appreciated his friendly demeanor, enthusiasm for the menu, and his thoughtful recommendations to enhance our dining experience. It’s not often that I go out and remember how great the waiter is, but Eric was definitely top notch.
The food was also wonderful, and the short ribs lived up to my memory of just how good they are. I’m not really sure how you can ever go wrong with short ribs, but throw in some cheese grits and top it off with a horseradish crema and I’m in heaven.
We decided to get a variety of things to share, so we ordered the Lobster Flatbread, Roasted Golden Beets, and of course the Braised Short Ribs. Everything came out in short order and we feasted on our mini buffet. The flatbread had a pretty fair amount of lobster and you could taste the sweet and salty taste of the lobster harmonizing with the other flavors. The beets were also wonderful, with a light delicate flavor paired with the creamy texture of the goat cheese. A glass of petite syrah topped of my meal nicely and helped add to an already wonderful experience.

I’ve only been to Seasons in UTC and it was a good experience. However, the experience here was not the same. I came here to celebrate my birthday with a small group of 7. The waiter was inattentive and food took forever to come out. There was one point where we saw our food waiting at the kitchen and just wasn’t delivered.
I ordered the new york and it came out quite bland and more on the boring side. I added scallops to it and they came out overcooked and chewy. Butternut squash soup seemed pretty regular as well. The lobster flatbread had good flavors but would have tasted better if it were hot.
It has a nice ambiance but for the price, the food doesn’t stack up (at least for the Winter season).

I always love coming here. Great, seasonal food. Good portions for dessert, and great wine choices! The servers are always very nice, and celebrate with you if you are celebrating something (they brought out champagne for us for our anniversary).
However, it’s upsetting that they don’t do the wine sampling every day! Although they tell you that if you came
To the restaurant for it, then you can have it!

I was pretty surprised when I saw I never completed a review here. Silly me — must have thought I did but did not. I adore Seasons 52 ever since the first time I came here. I have only been here 3 times.
I had came here with a ex previously some time near the beginning of the year before he had to go back to NY and we were just looking for any place to really grab a bite before I had to send him off. We originally were waiting for Puesto but as there was a while wait time we came across Seasons 52 and decided to check it out. Good thing we did. It was very romantic/​bittersweet and the food was great. I am in love with their lump crab cake and cider glazed grilled skewers for appetizers. And for our main course we shared the Grilled Boneless Rainbow Trout which was amazing. I recall both of us swooning to the taste of the tenderness of the rainbow trout. The sauce along with the fish was just amazing. The only downside I remember was the lack of phone service. But hey, who needs to be on their phone when you’re having a great dinner? Exception of taking quick pictures though!
The second time I went to Seasons 52 it was also because Puesto was busy and we were a bit pressed for time and Seasons 52 always manages to have space within even though it looked slightly busy. My girl friend out of town enjoyed it. We were gossiping and catching up on lost time. Same appetizers — I am a bit unsure about what we got as a entrée — but I have a picture of it! It was seafood that we both shared. We had a great time and shared a carrot dessert. Mhmm!
Both times, service was great and servers were knowledgeable on the menu.
Third time was for a Unilocal Elite Event — in which we got to sample some of their winter menu. My short version: Seasons 52. Lovely. Delicious. Braised Beef Short Rib was delicious. Ravioli and Sea Scallops were at battle. Flatbread always so good! Butternut Squash Soup was amazing Featured Seasonal Signature cocktail — the cranberry & sage was light and crisp. Dessert was worth getting the diabetes for. Friends — great time.
I am totally looking forwad to their flatbreads the next time I go. As well as their mouth watering Braised Beef Short Rib. YUM! Hopefully I can bump into a evening of live music next time :)

Who hearts Season’s 52??? I do
Here are the two occasions where I visited S52 within this past week.
11/​14/​2015 Saturday
My friend made a reservation for her birthday, where we celebrated her birthday. Two women all dressed up all nice and ready to eat. We ordered two appetizers 1.) Chef’s Selection Lump Crab Cake **fore warning there is only one crab cake; however this is full crab cake– no filler here. It was fresh with a nice fullness, along with some greens and a taste of Tartar sauce. For portions sake I think that two women could share this; however a man/​woman date or two men most likely would have to order two of these. The second appetizer which was my personal favorite the Shrimp Scampi Skillet was a little spicy! I don’t like a lot of spice in my food; however the amount was a nice surprise. There were a lot of shrimp in this dish; enough to share also comes with bruschetta bread and some sauce to spread on the little cute tiny bread!
For the main course my friend ordered the Asian-​Glazed Chilean Sea Bass Entrée, certainly was worth it, sense she shared a bite with me. It came with the black rice and the sauce was very tasty. I ordered the Oak Grilled Filet Mignon Entrée. My filet mignon was accompanied with mushrooms, red mash, and some broccolini. I love veggies; I could have done without the broccolini though.
We also had a great seasonal dessert, the pumpkin mini!!! It is only here for the season, so please make sure that you at least try the pumpkin mini.
My second event was on 11/​17/​2015
You know that song could have danced all night; we could have sampled all night with the wonderful new menu of hearty fall meats and seasonal seafood. The introduction to a beautiful new menu of the autumn season, the smells of the incoming food was in the air. Flatbreads. flatbreads. flatbreads, flowing all around. I tied the steak and blue cheese and the garlic pesto chicken; unfortunately I was not able to sample the pepperoni. The garlic pesto chicken was my favorite out of the flatbreads. It was just really tasty, and I would definitely reorder this again.
I was able to try braised short ribs with grits and grilled carrots. I really like the dish, I guess because I personally like hearty meals. Looking at my pics you can tell I’m a meat and potatoes kind of gal.
It was one of those dishes that just fall apart in your mouth. I am not a grits fan, but they fooled me these grits were great and the carrots were colorful with purple, yellow, and orange.
The next thing I sampled was the lobster black and white ravioli with and a delightful butternut squash soup not my first, certainly not my last. They gave me trimmings to put on my soup — chives and shitake mushrooms. Can I just say that I love mushrooms?
The third sample I had to hunt near and far… the scallops with butternut squash risotto… The scallops were flowed and ebbed in the risotto with some broccolini on the side.
Desserts were served as well; never ever skipping a beat… there was the pumpkin spice as I talked about earlier. Also there was key lime with the puff torched gently. What a great preview and I was blessed to taste the wide autumn variety of Seasons 52.
My ultimate favorite from all of this was the scallops and risotto. I guess now it is your turn to order and let your taste buds decide for themselves. I give them a high 4!!!

I’ve visited this location a few times now. The first time I visited was for a company sponsored luncheon where a variety of lunch items were served. I sampled a fajita dish, an Ahi poke type dish, Flatbreads, bite sized desserts, etc.
I also came here for a family member’s birthday celebration and fell in love with the Southern style chili. It has just enough kick to be appreciated. Since it was dinner, there was live music at the bar. The restaurant was still pretty refined and quiet even with the music playing but the atmosphere was a little less stuffy around the bar because of the entertainment. Live action! Drop me a compliment if you know what show that phrase comes from.
Braised short ribs are really good. Very tender and perfectly seasoned.

Not bad. A lot of good seafood and vegetarian options. Perfect for the Pescetarian. Menu Descriptions better than actual dishes themselves, which were $$$. Waiter was a bit inattentive, but staff overall accommodating. Maybe it was the location (downtown), bc Ive been to other Season 52 locations and was happy with the food and service.
Nice classy ambience, and most people were satisfied with their dish.
Of everything I tried, Mushroom Bisque is recommended there.

Thank you Unilocal elite for introducing seasons 52 to us!
We used our complimentary flatbread and small plate last night. Parking can be tough. If you go on a weekday, there’s probably street parking around there. Otherwise park at seaport village or valet.
I started with a flight and flatbread. For $ 15-​$ 20 pick a wine flight selected from their master sommelier and you’ll receive a full glass of your favorite pour and a flatbread. I ordered the steak and blue cheese. I am not a huge fan of blue cheese, but oh man. This was perfect with the sangiovese!
We also chose the lobster flatbread and the shrimp scampi skillet. Out of the three, the steak flatbread was the best. The lobster tasted odd as the meat was flaked like a lobster salad. The shrimp scampi was mixed with tomato sauce instead of the usual butter lemon.
Keep in mind this isn’t a beer joint. I think I saw one tap, but my husband’s beer came out of a bottle.
The best part was their mini indulgences. They come out with a tray of them, thinking those are just display, but no! You take what you want! Definitely try the pecan pie mini. So many focus on chocolate, but the pecan pie was in your face reminder of fall.