The Cork and Craft

As much as I love the innovative and delicious food, it’s just so dang pricey for small portions!
Maybe it’s not their fault I am a pretentious foodie stuck with a part-​time student salary.
Anyways, the wine and beer selection is seriously top notch, and the food dishes are extremely creative and detailed.
For example, our server explained our ravioli had the ash of burned lemon zest in it– and it was amazing! The lengths they go to for a flavorful and creative culinary experience is admirable and a wonderful palate experience.

Let me start off by saying, never judge a book by its cover…
It’s very fitting that this place is nestled away in a business park as they really do take pleasing customers their business. You forget you’re in Rancho Bernardo and not in Del Mar or Downtown.
In considering a place for my wife’s birthday dinner, we decided to try Cork and Craft. Living in 4S Ranch made the drive very convenient.
Parking was limited but not difficult. We showed up without a reservation and the place was packed inside and out as they have a patio with heat lamps. We expected to wait — not a problem. The hostess said it would be about 45 minutes to an hour…
Within a few minutes the General Manager Sean/​Shawn came out and introduced himself and said they’re working something out for us to avoid us from having to wait.
We were originally placed next to the restroom which my wife and I were fine with. Within a few minutes we were reassigned to the dining area on stage. Let’s just say my wife and I felt really special as the seating is a few steps higher than the rest of the tables. Sitting just below their logo. It felt like we were VIP. Seriously. Probably because my wife is beautiful as I’m not a sight for sore eyes.
Our server Matt came out with champagne and suggested a few appetizers as well as entrees.
We actually changed our mind and chose the Beef Waygu. The picture I’m including doesn’t do it justice. Be sure to mix it well before devouring. It was so fresh and something I’d have again for sure.
We also had the pork belly. Delicious!
Once we were done my wife’s mussels with tater tots came out as well as my pork chop. Both came out nicely prepared and the taste definitely matched the look.
After the delicious entrees, we had the deconstructed cheese cake– which was AMAZING!
I wish I took pictures of the empty plates just to represent how good the food was…
Cork and Craft put their best foot forward on everything! From drink, food and service my wife and I were above and beyond satisfied. Hence the 5 star review.
Thank you Cork and Craft for making our night!
They’ve earned our business and will return to celebrate my wife’s birthday.
If you’ve never been, visit this establishment. You won’t be disappointed. You will return.

Last night was our first go at Cork and Craft! I heard quite a bit of rave about this place and was thrilled when my friends decided to make reservations.
Upon arriving, the ambiance is nice and we can see the open kitchen from where we sat. It’s always a good sign when the online menu is exactly what is offered on site (some places don’t do this).
They have a great beer selection. The guys ordered IPA and I went for the mango beatitude. It would have been nice to get a taster or recommendation only because I would definitely have picked a different beer since it was too tarty.
We started with the grilled octopus and grilled bone marrow. The octopus was grilled perfectly and the agnolotti stuffed ricotta created a smooth and creamy bite of heaven. The bone marrow was rich and was good for sharing.
For the entrees, I ordered the braised shortrib which was tender but a little dry even with the bordelaise to the side. Two of my friends ordered grilled pork chop which I took a bite and was very dry and not juicy as we hoped for. We ended up asking for a side of bordelaise sauce. The seabass entrée that my other friend ordered was also on the dry side. (Keep in mind that they do not allow for substitutes).
The desert that caught my eye was the crêpe cake but it’s not the traditional crêpe you think of. The best way to describe it is having layers of cake and the crunch of the caramelized top of a crème brûlée topped with coffee ice cream.
My experience was ok. I expected more but was underwhelmed.

Went here tonight with friends after seeing great reviews on Unilocal.Kinda disappointed. Service was slow. It took a while after we got seated before anyone showed up. The bone marrow was pretty good. It had a fruity (grape?) accent that cut through the fattines. The octopus was real good, though the portion was less than generous. The biggest disappointment was the pork chop which was a bit overcooked and dry. Not a bad place, I guess was just expecting a bit more.

I came here for the first time with my family and boyfriend for dinner. We had the best time trying their different beers and trying to choose what to eat. Everything sounded so good and once the food came out, we all ended up sharing.
It’s an upscale restaurant but you don’t have to be obligated to come in your best suit and dress, which is what I love about this place. You’d be just fine walking in with jeans and a t-​shirt as you’d be in a blazer and dress pants. Not many places could pull this off.
You feel like you’re getting taken care of here and that they pride themselves on making foods that you won’t normally see on another restaurant’s menu.
I hear their brunch is phenomenal and can’t wait to try that out!
Abnormal beer has quickly become our beer of choice, and we travel from Encinitas some nights/​weekends just to get a beer. Again, another example of the brewer taking pride in his work and making beer that’s not ordinary.
A perfect place for date night!

I really wanted to give this restaurant a higher rating for the following reasons:
— the food was really good (the brussels sprouts were tasty; the Reuben tasted fresh and flavors were really well blended)
— the décor is hip and trendy, and very comfy and inviting
— prices are outstanding
But the reason I gave it three stars is due to the service, which wasn’t bad, it was appalling. — At a nearby table of six, they were served inconsistently with a full ten minutes passing between the first and last person being served).
— It took us 44 minutes to get our food after ordering, and we had to ask twice for an update. That is way to long to wait for a lunch order (of two sandwiches). And when it arrived, our waiter begrudgingly gave a feeble apology.
— The manager was quite aware of how long we waited as when he came over, aftyr being prompted, he apologized.
I think the difference between a good restaurant (3 stars) and a great restaurant (4 or 5 stars) in this case comes down to service. Fixing this massive failing at The Cork and Craft would go a long towards making it a great restaurant.

Came here twice with my sister for their brunch! This restaurant has a very hipster yet elegant vibe, so a great place to go on a date. You will be greeted by a host upon entering and its never packed so you’ll be seated right away.
Service was really good here the first time I went but the second time we had some girl who was a bit weird and made me and my sister a bit uncomfortable.
Now off to their brunch menu, it is very simple and have all the core brunch items. The crab hash benedict is AMAZING. Filled with tons of real crab meat and I love the finger licking potatoes that comes with it. A downside was that the eggs were cooked with way too much vinegar. The chorizo and eggs were terrible… I don’t recommend this to anyone because it was way too salty. I had one bite and didn’t touch the dish at all after. The chicken tenders meal only come with 3 chicken strips which I thought were too salty as well but the fries were cute really fresh and was really good. We ended our meal with crème brûlée french toast and it was delicious! Very creamy and I love how the toast was made.
Overall, I really like the ambience of the place and would come back again for brunch!
I recommend:
— Crab hash benedict
— Crème brûlée french toast

What a pleasant surprise! Started out a little rough — we walked into the bar and we there were a few open spots. We saw that two menus and waters were sitting on the counter, with nobody there. We wanted to ask if someone was sitting there, and employees walked by but nobody acknowledged our presence. Finally after about 5 minutes we made ourselves comfy and it was probably yet another 5 minutes before a bartender came by to help us.
Once we had our bartender, Richard, he was very good and helpful/​patient with explaining nuances about the beers in our flight and when a couple selections weren’t available he substituted with other beers and explained more about those, too. He was always pleasant and responsive and gave very good service in spite of using a half-​price deal we bought through get1free.
The food was surprisingly good! We were there about 3pm so we had a limited selection on the bar menu. The Brussels Sprouts were super yummy (I’ve only recently acquired a taste for them) and the chicken wings were as well. The grilled salad was probably my least favorite of the three — but it was still pretty tasty, too; I would order it from the happy hour menu but probably not pay full price.
We were surprised to like ALL of the beers in our flight; even an Imperial Stout we weren’t sure about at first grew on us with every sip. And, I’m not an IPA fan but the Ee-​pah double IPA was pretty tasty. I think that the Abnormal porter (can’t remember its name) was probably my favorite.
And…the best part was that we were happy enough with the combination of beer and food that we don’t mind going back at full price. Ideally at happy hour, of course. :)

Disclaimer: I have yet to try the food and only went for Mostra the Great.
As noted above, Mostra the Great was on tap here, so I went with the boy toy to sample this colossal beer. It was nice coming as no one knew about the tapping (or maybe just didn’t want it, their loss though) and we could easily get pours without dealing with the crowds this type of beer usually attracts. +2 stars!
The Cork and Craft appears to rub shoulders with the right people and because of that said people seem to be very generous about giving them kegs of good beer. Whether this has anything to do with their lineup, their tap menu is easily phenomenal. They have 10 of their own (from Abnormal Beer Company) and about 20 guest beers. +2 stars for having the goods!
Now here’s the kicker. All rights to the owners, I know this is a restaurant, but you are also a brewery which means people want to sample your beer. So, we asked for a taster of their Lunch Meeting (pale ale, which may have tasted awesome), and received an infinitesimal amount in the form of ‘splash’. I thought only wine people do that… give you ‘splashes’. Splashes! Hum, turned off by that… didn’t really taste anything. –1 star!
With all due respect, perhaps we were simply misunderstood! I can only know if and when I go back, because I know I will and certainly for the food. As a note though, I may have been a little turned off by their bar menu because each selection averaged around $ 12 (half off during happy hour though). But, I hear the food is beyond great, so if everything is priced similarly, I’m sure it won’t disappoint. Expect an update from me!

Second time here… Food was worse than the first time.
Chicken — bland, need more salt/​pepper (just anything), I can boil chicken at home on my own with more flavor
Bone marrow — barely any marrow (came with 4 slices of toasted baguette but marrow enough for half of 1 slice), flavorless
Pork belly — meatless, all fat
Roasted beet salad — probably the only thing I liked but the portion size was so tiny so I don’t feel like it’s worth it. The portion was smaller this time around. Maybe 6 or 6 beets the size of Hershey kisses and very little burrata.
Pappardelle — ok minus the pasta was a bit too al dente for me.
Service was good but that doesn’t make up for the plain/​bland food. Overall, I wouldn’t want to give this place another chance.

I went here with my sister for Sunday brunch and it was amazing!
The food:
Crab hash Benedict: ⁵⁄₅
This had so much crab in it which made me so shocked. It comes with a side salad or a potato hash. Highly recommended!
Crème brûlée French toast: ⁵⁄₅
It came with 2 thick slicked of bread with whipped cream and candied pecans on top.
Chorizo Hash: ²⁄₅
It came with tortilla and your choice of eggs on the side. It was too salty for me.
Service:
Everyone here was really friendly and gave amazing service

It’s one of those restaurants you walk in not expecting much but then the experience blows you away!
We started with crab dip appetizer with toast. They use real lump crab and not much filler. We also had the octopus appetizer with cut up ravioli and lemon ricotta filling. It was sooo good! Too bad the portion was small. I looked at the plate and asked the waitress where’s the other half? She wasn’t amused. I ordered a medium rare ribeye. It was cooked perfectly and came with a smear of mashed sweet potatoes broccolini? A must get dessert is the crêpe cake. It tasted like a hybrid of crêpe with tropical tartness, coffee, meringue, and crème brûlée. It was a wild party in my mouth! I didn’t know what was happening and before I knew it the food was gone.
We had the best seat in the house as we watched all the action in the kitchen. There was much excitement going on as presentation is as good as the taste. Each leaf is meticulously placed on each plate with tweezers. Vegetables are carefully sliced on a mandoline and immediately placed in iced water for preservation of color and crispness. Watching the kitchen work is like watching a well run factory. Each person knowing exactly what their job is. My belly is super happy to be stuffed with the delicious food here.

I expected more from this place from previous reviews but maybe lunch is not up to par with dinner menu?
My boss ordered the Pastrami sandwich and said it wasn’t great. The salad was wet and mushy. Could be due to being served on a hot plate and the house dressing was overly drenched.
I don’t recall what sandwich I ordered but I do recall how it tasted… dry. We both agreed our bread were hard and dry. The tator tots were nothing special than getting it through a breakfast fast food chain.
Although he order the soup and said it was decent.
I didn’t have a good lunch experience but I still want to return for dinner and give this place another chance.

Came here with two of my friends to sample the menu for a potential future engagement party. Food is amazing. We sampled a few refined dishes, paired with in house beer and wine. Atmosphere is mellow with a inside outside décor. Quite earthy in a way. Location is random. Seems like its just in the middle of commercial buildings. Regardless, one with the food!
We ordered the Bone Marrow, Braised Pork Belly, Jidori Chicken, Pappardelle, and an order of Sous Vide Ribeye. Man these dishes did well in my belly. The sauce paired with the marrow tasted amazing! We requested extra bread just to clear the dish of excess sauce. Pork belly had pickled mustard seeds, apple sauerkraut and shaved radish paring with its tender, juicy protein. It was more on the fatty side but I wasn’t complaining. Loved every bite of the oink. Chicken is something i’m always cautious about ordering due to its tricky cooking techniques. Chicken can easily dry up on the inside if not done with proper care. In this scenario, its anything but dry. Its juicy to the cut and flavors packed a nice punch. The crispy layer on the outside, heaven… or skin, tasted absolutely phenomenon. Well done and hats off to the chef. Pappardelle tasted good. Though, preference wise, its a bit heavy for my taste in terms of starch. I did sampled it and did ok. Seems ordinary and as expected. Par is where it lays. Sous Vide Ribeye… man. Tender. It was tender to the fork. Demi glazed beautifully and the mushroom did well on the plate and palate.
Even though its located in a odd place, love the concept, love the food with the exception of one. Strong 4 stars. Will definitely revisit this establishment to focus more on their spirits one day, stumble over to their menu and drown deliciousness. Yum!

I’ve been to Cork and Craft several times to include special events, happy hour and brunch. This review is for brunch. They have an amazing selection of beers on tap, and we were intrigued that they had a new brew with Calamansi. We ended up purchasing a bottle to take home. We all decided to get the cold brewed coffee and watch out this one bites! Super strong! I was pretty much wired the whole day.
We started off with home baked bite sized cookies as a little tease and home pressed juice. Warm and delicious. We then ordered the Pork Belly with Egg on top. OMG, I can just eat this all day. Super fatty and bad for you, but oh so good!!! For my actual entrée I went with the Crab Hash Benedict which came with a side salad. The crab was really fresh and gave a really good flavor to the dish. Amazing!!! We also had champagne to celebrate our brunch with friends.
Love the ambiance. You have the main dining room then on the other side you have the bar area. They just announced that they are expanding and super excited for this! For happy hour, get the chicken wings. YUM…

We recently stopped by to try out their happy hour and craft beers on tap. They have an in house brewery called Abnormal and offer about 9 of their own draft beers. Their beers are discounted $ 1 during happy hour.
Happy hour is offered:
TUES-​FRI 4−6P
SAT & SUN 3−5P
There’s only 4 food items discounted during happy hour.
We tried:
I’LL TAKE THE EE-​PAH
This is their double IPA with a 8.3% ABV. I personally don’t like IPAs but friend said this was a very good beer (better than the Dorado at Ballast Point she said).
2012 LA BETE SYRAH, GRENACHE
I liked this grenache wine as it was soft enough to ease into before we started eating. This was on the happy hour menu for $ 5.
SALT N’ PEPPER CHICKEN WINGS $ 6
This wasn’t a bad price at $ 6. I can’t remember the number of wings you get — maybe 8 or 9? The wings are wonderfully crispy and indeed spicy. I actually enjoyed these wings quite a bit.
FRIED BRUSSEL SPROUTS $ 5
The fried brussel sprouts were a bit dark and not crispy all the way through. I ended up eating the outside leaves and then leaving the tender center alone. The dish could have used more of the tart apple cider vinaigrette as the brussel sprouts were dry. I personally would love to see them just fry the brussel sprout leaves for this dish (maybe de stem and pull apart the leaves).
GARLIC NOODLES $ 5
I didn’t taste much of any garlic in this dish. It did, though, taste richly mushroomy and parmesan-​y. It had a nice (butter?) sauce to noodles ratio and the noodles were cooked a nice al dente.
The vibe here was charming and we ended up talking to a nice couple sitting next to us at the bar. The crowd was mixed (hello hot looking 22 year old boy) and mostly unpretentious. I could see myself coming back for a Monday night football game and ordering the chicken wings again. Regardless, The Cork and Craft is a fun place restaurant/​brewery to try out if you’re in the Rancho Bernardo area.

June: Slowly catching up on my reviews and one thing I can’t forget is dining at Cork and Craft. I learned about Cork and Craft at the Beer and Sake Festival this year. I was excited to try out their food after tasting their pork belly. Something about pork belly it’s still so popular.
Upon arrival we were asked if we wanted bar seating or dining area. There were hardly anyone in the dining area so that’s where we sat instead. We took forever to order as there were so many delicious options. Having only a small tasting of the pork belly I knew I wanted to order that for sure. We were asked if we wanted an egg on top? Really? That sounds amazing, so yeah we got the egg. The pork belly presentation was beautiful. We both were excited to take pictures and of course eat it. The pork belly was so perfect, crispy just in the right places and not too fatty in terms of a good ratio between meat and fat. **droooool**
The Elote salad was what we ordered next and it was a refreshing type of salad. It really just look like regular salad with corn in it versus it being a corn salad.
On to our next dish the Salt and Pepper Chicken wings, these were alright. I love wings in general but these didn’t stand out too much but it was still good.
How can you say no to ice cream? The idea of ordering beet and goat cheese ice cream with orange chocolate cake was already exciting. I was trying to picture how it would look like or how it would taste like. Since all the flavors on the other dish were right on point I was thinking this has to be good. Unfortunately as I took a bite, I was highly disappointed. Orange chocolate cake was super dry. No fluffiness to it whatsoever. The beet and goat cheese ice cream lack something that I can’t quite pin point.
We did sit at the table for a long time as we took our time ordering, chit chatting and in the end one of the managers asked us ever so politely if we could move to the bar. He even offered us a drink but we declined. We knew we have been there for awhile and it was time to leave. We pay the bill and stood outside and chit chat some more. LOL. Sometimes when you’re catching up with a friend it’s hard to just eat and go.
Love the décor here, very elegant and contemporary at the same time. I love the chandelier in the restroom. Weird location, but so beautiful.
Great food, can’t wait to return next time.

I’ve been wanting to try this place and so glad I finally have. Came here for dinner with the family, which included my niece and nephews.
Not the best place to come for dinner with kids. They do have a kids menu, but they also have a live band at night and it can get pretty loud. I would recommend coming here with friends or on a date as the live band is nice to listen to and they have a good selection of wines and beers.
I really like the open kitchen and being able to watch the chefs do their thing.
We ordered:
Chicken wings and tater tots for appetizer.
My dish was the jidori chicken. The chicken was moist and tender. This was served on succotash and kale. The succotash was different. I was wanting either some grain (farro or etc) or even a potato.
Others ordered the pappardelle, osso bucco, and ribeye. All dishes were good!
There menu here does change often though. I checked out some previously taken photos of entrees and desserts and some were not on the menu.
Good place overall! I would come back for happy hour or dinner again.

It was 102° in North County today so I took my family down to Rancho Bernardo to check out a place that’s been on my bucket list for a while.
We arrived at 2:45. The main dining room was closed but we could sit in the bar with our two kids. The bar was mostly empty which made finding a table easy… but the tables were all flush against the walls and close together so only two or three sides of the tables are open to sit at (if that makes any sense).
We picked the large «communal» hi-​top in the middle of the lounge area. Another couple came in behind us with a stroller. I can’t remember why the main dining room was closed. Happy hour is from 3pm-​5pm and only in the bar BTW.
Our server was one of the bartenders… very nice and patient while we ordered:
Craft Burger (with fried egg added) — Awesome. A classic.
Fried Brussel Sprouts — huge and filling. The pancetta is sweet and delicious.
Hangar 24 Cobra — 18.9% Imperial Stout. One of my all-​time favorite beers.
Mead — I forget the name but this was my first Mead ever. Very red and very sweet… in a good way ;)
Kid’s Pasta with Marinara — very small dishes. Our kids were still hungry afterwards.
I heard the dinner menu was awesome so we’ll be back and hopefully grab a normal table this time ;)

An excellent gourmet and craft food spot in North County. The poutine tater tots are really good! Parking is a little tight but I believe there’s ample street parking. The venue is beautifully decorated with rustic décor. The table setup is spacious. The service is excellent. They’re on top of you all the way and never miss a beat.
My biggest complaint is the pricing. I am not against paying higher prices for gourmet style foods and the ambiance of a beautiful venue. I just think C&C went a little overboard. My girlfriend and I spent $ 85 here on a weekday night and we only got one entrée, an appetizer, and two drinks.
I’m okay with paying 20% markup for trendy meals, but I feel like I got $ 45 worth of food and drinks, would have been willing to pay $ 60, but got charged $ 85. I mean, they charged me for ranch on the side for my fries. really? bruh.
It was great; not worth that high of a markup.