Vessel Restaurant + Bar

** $ 15 BOTTOMLESS BUILD YOUR OWN BLOODY MARY BAR + WEEKEND BRUNCH **
Enough said. End of review.
Just kidding. I blog about food so we had such a fun time last weekend trying out Vessel’s bottomless ‘build your own’ bloody mary bar. It’s an amazing deal for $ 15. PLUS, it’s offered on Saturdays as well. There’s live entertainment and the entire setting (views, the bloody mary station, laid back attitude) was enjoyable.
Here’s what we saw that day at the bloody mary station:
— 18+ hot sauces
— bacon
— baby corn, watermelon rind okra, blue cheese olives, garlic, pearl onions
— cornichon, spicy pickles, artichoke hearts, mushrooms (!!), spicy veggie, red pepper
— squash, carrots, quail eggs (!!)
— jalapenos, horseradish, black olives
— brussel sprouts (!!), giardiniera, beets, green beans
You can request spicy vodka as well (either UV Sriracha and/​or Absolut Peppar). Don’t forget to add liquid smoke, Worcestershire sauce, and cracked ground pepper.
We tried the following brunch items:
The Big Kona Burger:
— The hamburger was stacked high with crispy onions, smashed avocado, cheese, and bacon. We couldn’t have been happier with the medium rareness of our burger. The juicy patty, creamy avocado, and crispy onions + bacon worked incredibly well in this burger. It was our favorite dish that afternoon.
Pulled pork eggs benedict:
— The eggs are poached and placed on top a generous mound of tender pulled pork. I think chef added a bit of green chili on top of the sauce as well. I would have liked the hollandaise to be richer and warmer. Friend enjoyed the dish and appreciated the perfectly poached eggs.
Steak & eggs:
— Again, the kitchen did an amazing job grilling. The steak came out a breathtaking medium rare (as requested). I’m not sure if we cut it on the wrong bias as a few bites were chewier than others. Otherwise, it was a juicy steak.
It’s Saturdays like this that makes me take a breather. Life gets hectic and monotonous that you sometimes forget to remember what’s important. I recommend Vessel Restaurant + Bar if you need a brunch getaway here in San Diego. It’s a great place to visit with friends, family, etc as there’s no sense of rush or urgency when you are here. We had a fun time and hope to return soon for another bloody mary weekend brunch.

Loved it. Excellent chowder and mussels. I checked in and got my wine comped. I can see they may be under staffed but my service was good. I wasn’t in a rush and enjoyed the view. He left me ample time to review the menu checked in for drinks and water and I thoroughly enjoyed my food. The atmosphere is actually quite inviting even if you’re alone as I was here for business trip and finally had the night to myself. Music is popping, dim lighting, good food, full bar. Short walk to my hotel. Thanks guys

Went here for restaurant week. There is street parking but be expected to pay hourly. The food was deliciously prepared and quick. I never saw the end of my bottomless mimosa (and at $ 15, that’s a steal)!
The view is probably the best thing about it. Sunday’s live entertainment was playing all the lounge hits. This is important to me because it was easy to sing-​along to but easy to ignore when engaged in conversation.
The only reason why I’m going to shy away from giving it a straight 5 star is because 1) parking and 2) the regular priced menu I think is too much for what it is.

A very cozy restaurant with live band playing at dinner. The food is amazing ! The pork chop was nicely done and Scottish salmon is crispy on the outside and melting soft for the inside!

Had a yummy Mexican burrito, that was comfortably spicy and topped with salsa and avocado. The coffee was strong and delicious too! Beautiful atmosphere and great marina views.

Locals alert, this place is awesome!!! The happy hour is worth a weekly visit. House red and chardonnay $ 5.00 a glass, Mexican beer $ 5.00, absolutely excellent apps, great prices, excellent service as well, beautiful setting too. Apps divine: poke to die for, mac n cheese, fish taco, kona slider with avocado, bacon, fried onion cheese, delicious options. Service excellence. Worth a visit, locals are appreciated here. Excellent all around, love it. Oh, setting is lovely, renovated beautiful bar, floor to ceiling windows, boats galore, friendly. Highly recommend!!!

Vessel happy hour is so good we went back 2 days in a row. The Mac and cheese is divine. Also recommend poke, fish taco, and spicy tuna tacos. Yum! Our waitress Marin was so accommodating and friendly, and Sean the manager came by to check in on us both times… Super friendly! The décor is beautiful as is the view. Check it out!

Flight was cancelled out of San Diego airport and found Kona Kai on Expedia. Inside the hotel is Vessel restaurant and bar. We were immediately greeted with a smile and seated right away. Water and bread came out right away. Free glass of wine with our dinner upon checking in on Unilocal!Did split salad and split entrée and the portions were more than generous.
Our server Peter was very attentive and personable. Our experience was fantastic overall and I’d recommend this to anyone wanting a quiet intimate dinner with a fantastic view of the bay.

This rating is for their non-​service as they seem short staffed. Food is great and enjoyed the drinks. The only thing is the wait staff is good at ignoring you even when you make eye contact and wave. Entertainment was great thankfully.
So bad service and good food, to me that equals mediocre.

I returned to Vessel as a guest of the hotel it is housed in, Kona Kai (will post separate review). This time I had my daughters in tow (ages 5 and 7) who are both seafood lovers and enjoy new experiences. Vessel is very kid-​friendly; on a Sunday night we saw several families and children of varying ages. We ordered the mussels appetizer, the Scottish salmon entrée, calamari frito from the regular menu and noodles with butter and cheese off the kids menu. The freshly baked rolls were a big hit — the kids almost came to blows over the last one in the basket. The calamari pieces were generously size and a big hit with the kids. My youngest enjoyed the mussels and soaked a big piece of bread in the broth to eat. The noodles with butter and cheese were very rich and could have used more salt. No room for dessert. Staff was unintrusive and very kind to the girls. The salmon was a tad overcooked for my personal taste but well-​seasoned. My oldest enjoyed it very much. The anti-​oxidant mojito was recommended by the staff and was delicious. I would have loved a pitcher of it :) For a place like this, the prices are not bad but not low-​budget. About $ 85 before tip.
We returned the next evening for happy hour (2 — 6 pm everyday!). $ 5 for house wine, so I chose the cabernet, which was very drinkable. We shared the lobster quesadilla ($ 7), seafood poke ($ 7), and mac n cheese ($ 5). Big chunks of lobster and delicious with the aioli. My girls prefer their seafood plain, so this was not a big hit for them, but I was happy. I really liked the seafood poke — would recommend they serve extra chips or a small serving of sushi rice as the flavor is a little strong. The mac n cheese was a very generous portion and very rich — girls enjoyed this very much. Definitely a good deal compared to dinner.
I will definitely return with either girlfriends or my husband or both. It is a lovely place with a great view, chill atmosphere, and quality food and beverage. Never felt too busy or crowded, but then again dinner was on a Sunday night and happy hour was on a Monday night.

It was an ok dinner.
— food was slow to come out, and small portions for the price. My wife and I ordered 3 sliders, fries, and kale and for ~$ 30 we were still hungry. And we are tiny Asians — we don’t even eat that much. we ate dinner with some friends and the only portion that was a good size was the mac n cheese. truffle fries were average-​y but still expensive.
— no water refills? yet they were quick on bringing out alcohol. i see what you are doing…
— made a reservation but the only available table was right next to the door leading to the patio, leading to drafts all night. In October it was bearable but in a month or two would have been a bigger issue
+ live music!
+ great ambiance, great location by the water. I can image being her at sunset would be pretty.
+ sliders were good. especially the reuben slider. Can’t agree with the pricing though.
—-
definitely for the tourists, but there’s much better value out there in san diego.

ADA NON-​COMPLIANT
Bad handicapped access. Would be impossible for disabled person on their own. Handicapped elevator had been broken for months and not repaired.
Fish tacos were tasty, but not hot, not even warm. Chips (15 @ most) with salsa, $ 9, no refills.
LUNCH menu said Weds special stated that with two purchased entries, and appetizer was free. Waitress said that only applied to dinners… then why was it on the LUNCH menu.

This eatery is located at the Kona Kai Resort and I decided to check it out during restaurant week! They had some renovations done last year, so the décor is very modern, beautiful, and stylish now. There is even a 360 degree bar in the center of the restaurant! We chose to sit outside since there was a spectacular view of the boats in the marina. Heat lamps can be also be turned on if it gets chilly…
We were offered complimentary bread and butter while we picked out our choices for the RW menu. For starters, we ordered the mussels, tuna tataki, noble garden salad, spicy tuna taco, and the calamari frito. My favorite starter was the tuna tataki! There were small cubes of sliced mangoes accompanying huge, fresh pieces of tuna. It was very refreshing.
Next, we shared the short rib, sea bass, New York steak frites, and seared diver scallops. All the entrees were presented very beautifully and tasted wonderful as well. The portions were also very excellent. There was a bit of delay during dessert, but it wasn’t a problem for me.
For dessert, we tried the the key lime pie, seasonal blackberry sorbet, crème brûlée, and the chocolate lava cake. The desserts were definitely worth the wait! I will definitely come back since the food was so good, service was nice, and view was breathtaking.

We had dinner here and because it was so amazing, we returned for breakfast. On weekends they have live music during dinner. Definitely added to the ambience! We left San Diego so happy because of this place.
Their calamari, lobster mac and cheese and clam chowder is amazing! Actually, everything we ate was delicious.
We had dinner at sunset, but it was windy and chilly so we sat inside, but the outside seating is perfect in the morning. Everyone was lovely. I felt so well taken care of, and the food portions are sure to fill you up!
There was a very rude patron that was making a big deal about how long she had to wait for her breakfast, I mean the level of entitlement was just ridiculous… She was so disruptive that it made us scarf our breakfast and leave, but the staff handled her as best they could given the circumstance.
I highly recommend the pulled pork Benedict for breakfast btw.
The reason I can’t give it a 5 is due to the valet service. Although it is complimentary if you’re just there for the restaurant, it was such a mess. At dinner when we were leaving, we were brought the wrong vehicle. The staff member was very flustered and was talking trash on his coworker. We were not even mad. Then he brought our car, and failed to put it in park so our car went rolling as he got out to give us our keys. He was so focused on the previous mishap. he didn’t even notice. We had to alert him so he could hurry and put it in park.
We came to the valet again today and no one was there, my husband had to go inside to ask for someone. I later saw the valet gentleman who was very obviously working alone, also act as a bellhop. We concluded that they may be overworked, and that falls directly onto Kona Kai Resort, not on the staff themselves.

I’m giving my overall experience here a five star! I would absolutely give my Ruben slider a 5 star, as it was the best slider ever!!!
The ambiance is 100% 5 star. The attentiveness of the staff on my night was 4 – 4.5 stars. Our waiter was very friendly and helpful, he maybe could have hit our table a couple more times but overall a great job.
This would be an impressive place to take your friends or that someone special. The décor is off the chain, with views that match. Yes very impressive in the ambiance department.
I will be of course back to get more food on the menu, as I was impressed there also!
This place has the curb appeal, I hope the restaurant and the staff continue to try and keep up with the sheer cool factor of this location and décor!
Happy eating!

My husband and I were staying at Humphrey’s Half Moon Inn and Suites and decided to check out Vessel for dinner. The restaurant is located in the Kona Kai Resort and has a lovely view of the marina.
We were both disappointed by the food. We ordered the wedge salad, clam chowder, scallops, kale side and greens and beans side, and chocolate lava cake.
I sent the clam chowder back. It tasted tangy rather than rich and creamy. The consistency was all wrong and it was cold. A lot of our food was cold.
The scallops were well prepared, but the succotash was dried out and rubbery. The kale with bacon and apples was very different and interesting. I thought the greens and beans were prepared well enough.
I had wanted to order the Key Lime Pie but they had run out so I decided to go with the chocolate lava cake, which was acceptable but nothing special.
My favorite dish of the night was the wedge salad. The lettuce was crisp and the thick sliced bacon was a nice touch.
It seems from the reviews that people have had better meals here for brunch. If I had to come here again I would try brunch.

This spot comes complete with great marina views and a decent Happy Hour.
PROs: Happy Hour is daily from 2:30 to 6:00 with bites ranging in price from $ 4-​$ 14. The view is fantastic. Décor is modern and coastal.
CONs: Staff was not very attentive or friendly. We kept on having to ask for water and plates. The food had good flavor but was not worth some of the prices.
Come if nothing else for the view. As other Unilocalers mentioned, there’s also live music some nights.

We were here on vacation for a week on the property so it was very nice to walk over to the restaurant part for coffee and breakfast plus a few other meals.
Their menus were short and simple but efficient! (Not a book menu where you have no idea what their specialty is.)
Their coffee is excellent! I just ordered a pot of coffee. Nothing fancy or flavored. Just down home bold flavor that gets your motor running!
For breakfast sometimes I wanted a meal and sometimes I just wanted something light. I’ve had their eggs/​toast/​bacon type meals. Their fruit bowls with a yogurt dip was also DELICIOUS! I also enjoyed their bagels with cream cheese! Breakfast made to order with side orders if you’re super hungry!
We were not around during lunch but I am sure lunch menus are just as good!!!
We had dinner here a couple of evenings. We checked in on Unilocal and received a free glass of wine with our entrée meal! Woo Hoo! SCORE! BTW… their pork chop is a nice sized one. Full of great flavors. Very tender and yummy. We also came in for their happy hour snacks which is a meal in itself! I highly recommend their little sliders! The pastrami one was soooooo good that I ordered it a few times!!!
On the weekends they have a FANTASTIC bottomless Bloody Mary bar! Do it yourself and fun!
My better half had a birthday here and received an awesome dessert with a candle! (Key Lime Cheesecake) It was very sweet of the waitress go above and beyond to make us feel special!
Overall, this place is beautiful! Whether sitting inside or outside… beautiful view of the water and marina! The property is nicely decorated and clean. The staff here are awesome! We had the best service and felt very welcomed. We will be back…

What a let down. I suggested this place for Father’s Day brunch with my husband’s side of the family and although most of us in our party of eight were fairly satisfied, I was substantially dissatisfied with our first (and probably last) experience here at Vessel.
I guess it’s partially my fault for setting the bar pretty high considering other, credible Unilocalers raved at how great this place was. I figured it shouldn’t fall short from that when we got here, but somehow it did, by a landslide.
When we arrived, there wasn’t much signage for the hotel itself so if you’re not familiar with this part of Shelter Island like we were, you might find yourself unnecessarily circling the roundabout like we did to find the correct parking driveway to enter.
The hotel went through a major remodel in the last year, so it was very pretty as we walked through the winding hallway down to the restaurant. When we arrived, there wasn’t an employee staffing the hostess stand, so we were left to see which of their staff would acknowledge their hungry guests.
A server eventually pulled double duty and checked us in for our reservation before grabbing some menus from the bar as he guided us to our table. We were quickly greeted with the bus boy (?) getting our drink orders, which I would have thought would end up with consistent, attentive, service from our server himself.
A few minutes had passed followed by more waiting before our server finally arrived. Considering it was Father’s Day, you would have thought they’d greet their guests with at least a «Hello! Happy Father’s Day! Welcome to Vessel, is it your first time here?» or something along those lines. Nope. We got a «Are you guys ready to order?» and that’s it. Ho hum.
The restaurant was about 80% occupied, but it took a while for our food to come out. They kept forgetting things we ordered, the strawberries that was supposed to accompany the French toast, the extra side of potatoes my sister-​in-​law ordered for the plate my two nieces were sharing, the soy cream, the extra plate we needed, etc. etc…
Flagging down the server became comical, something you shouldn’t have to do when you’re trying to enjoy your dining experience at a restaurant. I don’t think we were that needy, our server was simply absent and never checked in on us aside from getting our order and lagging on bringing our bill. He did apologize for whatever it was he was apologizing for. He mentioned he was training a server (which we never saw on the front end), so you would have thought he would have been more attentive with their guests, right? Not in this case.
Vessel is such a pretty restaurant, but it’s too bad their staff ruined my experience there by providing such horrible, lackluster service.
Oh yeah, the food itself was not spectacular. My $ 17 plate of bland fish & soggy fries were totally not worth trying ever again nor recommending to even my worse enemies (if I had enemies that is, lol).
On the plus side? 5 stars for the guitarist and gal entertaining the guests with their live singing out on the patio and another 5 stars for the pretty backdrops along the property for photo opportunities.

On one very lazy Sunday, I asked my significant other what he was craving. Without hesitation, he said «Bloody Mary». I take out my trusty Unilocal app and search for Brunch and Bloody Mary and came up with Vessel Restaurant + Bar.
Vessel Restaurant is known for being BOTTOMLESS. Bottomless Bloody Mary Bar or Bottomless Bubbles or Bottomless Mimosa. Lots of Bottomless options. The Bloody Mary Bar is not the typical Bloody Mary Bar. There is Sriracha Vodka, unlimited celery stalks, unlimited horseradish, unlimited bacon strips, unlimited olives (different types), and a whole RACK of spices and hot sauces. It’s a meal in itself — no joke!!!
I’m a big fan of their Huevos Rancheros and the Big Kona Burger (medium rare) with Sweet Pickles and Fries. My dining partners ordered Salmon Benedict.
A few weeks later, we went back to Vessel Restaurant + Bar for dinner. Amongst my favorites were Skirt Steak, Sea Bass, Crème Brulee and Key Lime Pie. My dining partner was ecstatic about ordering the Bloody Mary off the regular menu.
The atmosphere of the restaurant is classy (and newly remodeled according to previous Unilocal reviews). As far as parking goes, there is street parking or you can also park in the Kona Kai Resort & Marina.
ENJOY!