The Ritual Tavern

Floydster

California

4/5  rDev -2.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | $$

I stopped here last sunday with my girlfriend before heading back to LA, pretty cool little place with a dark restaurant feel, atmosphere was cool and this place was pretty mellow, with all the old wood and tight space it was pretty cozy, place was super clean and had a cool layout, service was decent and was helped quickly, not the nicest bartender but cannot really complain, saw they had Alpine Duet on cask which was cool, I had a New English ESB, they did not have many taps but the ones they had were quality, there was another Alpine, Alesmith Lil Devil, Green Flash, and Ballast Point, just missed the Triple Rock collaboration for the red rye beer, the food looked good but we did not eat as we had just indulged at Bronx Pizza a few minutes before, for having only eight taps or so, this place was cool, and while Toronado is a half block away on the other side of the street, I could see myself going back here

11-08-2009 18:47:29 | More by Floydster

jjboesen

Maryland

4.21/5  rDev +2.7%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | $$

Following a lunchtime visit to the wondrous Toronado, and to snatch some pizza in the interim, I wandered a few steps to the Ritual Tavern (I guess coming here from Toronado must be the ritual), where I made my way to a dark and claustrophobic bar area for my final evening quaff. That said, there were offered a great choice of draft specials from which to choose. I went for a Left Coast Voodoo Stout ($4.00!) The service was decent despite the clusterf--- atmosphere. So, I enjoyed my stout immensely and made my departure. All in all, this was another great day in San Diego. So, boarding the No. 2 Bus for my return trip to downtown and bed, I anticipated tomorrow, because after all, “Tomorrow is another beer.” (My sincere apologies must go to Scarlett O’Hara.)

02-19-2013 00:15:40 | More by jjboesen

sholland119

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -2.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$

We stopped in here for dinner on our last night here and enjoyed the place. Rather small with an eight or ten seat bar area to the left inside the door. We did not check out the dining room.

About eight taps, all high quality, with some different selections than we saw the rest of our visit (fresh winter Yulesmith, yum!). A nice bottle selection too, though our focus was on the tap beer.

Food was good, maybe a bit of a letdown as we were expecting better. Service was good. Nice place, missable but nice.

HV

11-18-2011 20:25:19 | More by sholland119

djaeon

California

4.35/5  rDev +6.1%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 5 | $$

My wife and I have been coming semi regularly for a few years now. It's our Friday the 13th "ritual".

The atmosphere is nice, but a bit odd at the same time. It's a small place, so it can be cozy. It seems like there are two opposing atmosphere's they're trying to go for, which accounts for the oddity. On one side, it seems like they're going for a nicer cafe/restaurant feel. On the other, it seems like they're going for a more casual lived in pub feel.

The service is always great when I've gone. The host/hostess is attentive and the servers are knowledgeable about the food and beer.

I think they have a great beer selection for their size. All craft beer, all the time. They also do occasional special casks. I'm able to try something I've never had before every time I go, and always enjoy it.

The food selection is also good, with a focus on locally grown products and good options for vegetarians.

02-17-2011 21:45:24 | More by djaeon

Hojaminbag

Colorado

3.8/5  rDev -7.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4 | $$

Ritual Tavern was my last stop in San Diego, and it was more of a dinner and beer place for me, which was fortunate.

Atmosphere is nice. Very laid-back with a bar on one side and seating on the other. A string trio plays in the background. Dimly lit, kind-of trendy in a good way and generally a neat vibe. Lots of outside seating, but it is all occupied by dogs today for yappy hour.

The food was pretty good. The stand out was the house made roasted red pepper hummus. 5 bucks for a big portion and it was fantastic. My bouillabaisse was good, and came with fresh baked bread. My friend's crab cake sandwich was also good.

The waiter was friendly and prompt, but kind of strange. My friend and I got a large table to ourselves, although there were a few smaller ones. When we offered to move to accommodate a party that was waiting, he thought we were trying to pick up girls or something and kind of blew us off. Oh well, not a negative for us.

The beer selection is solid, but nothing amazing. Some solid, very small local choices, so the choices there are pretty good.

01-20-2011 02:49:01 | More by Hojaminbag

yemenmocha

Arizona

3.21/5  rDev -21.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 2 | selection: 3.5 | $$

Closed on Sunday and Monday - WTF? Atrocious service at this place from the moment we walked into the door. Someone who arrived 20 minutes before us was told 5 minutes, and was then told that she (the hostess/server) forgot to put them on the written list (and said this as she seated yet another party at the open table). Our wait was similarly problematic, with virtually no organization or planning on their behalf with the tables in this tiny place that reaks of fish.

Very average tap selection if you're measuring it as a San Diego beer bar. Menu is vegetarian friendly but has relatively few choices overall. I know they're running a small, intimate place but anyway...

Cute atmosphere both inside and out, but it's just sad that the service was so poor and they're only open five days per week.

04-02-2010 02:53:26 | More by yemenmocha

olympuszymurgus

Minnesota

3.73/5  rDev -9%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3 | food: 4 | $$$

This place drips of sexy. The dark atmosphere, the crowded bar, the textiles and beautiful people. Half a dozen of the finest taps, a cask, and a long bottle list make up the beer selection. The snack was delightful, the patio cool and fun.

The problem came from the cask beer. It was a Barleywine, something I have a deep love for. A love that was squashed when I tasted the vile brew. To call it sweet would be an understatement. Cloying isn't harsh enough. The mere sight of it could probably kill a diabetic. It was, without a doubt, the grossest thing I have tasted since my last trip to mexico.

The bartender laughed and insinuated I wasn't ready for such heady beer when I returned the offending chalice. He also charged me for the unconsumed beer. (I feel like I am lying when I call it beer, it had more in common with wort)

The owner was kind though, we had a fine conversation and we walked into the night. I will be back there, for even the slimy glass of honey water couldn't ruin this fine place.

03-13-2010 04:04:42 | More by olympuszymurgus

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4.28/5  rDev +4.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$

Well, I enjoyed my visit to the Ritual tavern, that's for sure!

They don't open until 5:30 (and I was about an hour and a half early for that after visiting Balboa Park for the day), so I headed south and hit a few other places for beers before heading back for a bite to eat. Fortunately, there are quite a few places fairly close by.

The bar was kind of crowded when I returned, but a few seats were available on the deck. Overall, it's a pretty small place. I think there are about 14 seats at the bar, and about 10 to 12 on the front side of the deck. There's a little more space, but not much.

I found the service to be very friendly, and helpful and attentive. My server made suggestions on both food and beer, and I felt really welcome.

They have 8 taps, but they're all good local brews. (I had a Green Flash Double Stout). I took a quick look at the bottle selection (a couple dozen), but who can beat fresh draft beer? There were several that I could have easily leapt for, so there was really no need to even look at the bottles.

The food is a bit limited (maybe that's not the right word... maybe I should say something like "select" or "focused"), but also very well done. You've got stuff like onion rings for $5, a cheese board for $12, burgers at $10, and vegan shepherd's pie (very tasty!) or mussels for $12.

Overall, I really enjoyed it. The Ritual Tavern is a really nice, comfortable and welcoming spot with a limited but very good selection at really reasonable prices given the area. Kudos!

08-07-2009 05:12:00 | More by NeroFiddled

functionology

California

4.1/5  rDev 0%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5 | $$

Ritual is on my short list of restaurants / bars I go to when I feel like unwinding after a day of class or work. It doesn't have the selection to match Toronado SD (which is on the same block), but it has a terrific, comfy atmosphere and excellent slow-foods cooking.

The 8 taps are always local breweries: Stone, Alesmith, Green Flash, Lost Abbey, etc. The bottle list contains several 750s and 22oz-ers of stronger / more expensive brews from the same breweries. Most of the bottles are either Belgians or SoCal brews -- very little from elsewhere in the US. They have a cask on tap fairly frequently, it seems.

The food menu is short but excellent. The daily dinner specials are usually quite tempting, but I tend to stick with the burger or the fish & chips. The shepherd's pie is very good, too. When I'm with my boyfriend we love getting the mussels or the oysters (oysters are only on Thursdays). My only complaint on any of their dishes was with their strawberry shortcake: the cake was so overly dense and sugary I had to stop eating it after one bite.

The atmosphere is perfect for having a beer -- and a good conversation -- with a friend, date, or whoever. The staff are all friendly and knowledgeable, happy to offer you a taster of some local beer while you make up your mind.

I'll miss this place a lot when I move out of SD. It hasn't been "discovered" yet to the point where it gets stuffy and crowded night after night; if you show up at 600 pm you'll be fine.

06-17-2009 19:28:08 | More by functionology

mithrascruor

California

4.45/5  rDev +8.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$

Visited on a Sunday afternoon. Nice place with a rather European atmosphere. Small but nice bar with a seating area available on the other side. Has a relaxing feel to it.

They have 8 taps, most of which are dedicated to local beer. Their beer list isn't quite as long as some other places, but it's all excellent stuff, covering a diverse set of beer styles. Plus, they have some beers that are hard to find elsewhere, like Traquair Jacobite. The staff is all friendly and seems knowledgeable regarding beers.

Their food menu is rather small, and leans towards a very local/organic/natural trend (not necessarily a bad thing). I just had an order of onion rings, which were quite good. There are some vegan offerings on the menu, along with more haut-cuisine items. However, they do have standards like fish & chips, and shepherds pie. Prices were all reasonable.

A nice place that I'll definitely return to!

09-12-2008 19:01:05 | More by mithrascruor