Eating at the House of Blues, San Diego
The San Diego House of Blues (or HOB) is a restaurant, a bar, a nightclub, and a gift shop, all rolled into one. It’s on 5th Avenue, on the edge of the Gaslamp, but not the prettiest part. From the outside, it looks more like a movie theatre than anything else, but as soon as you enter it’s clear that there’s a party about to start, if it hasn’t already.
The restaurant section is a long, dark, hallway, with a mixture of New Orleans style and eclectic artwork. One wall is entirely studded in gold spirals, which would be hard to resist touching. (I couldn’t!)
When I visited last night, the waitstaff was friendly and efficient, and as nice as they were, this review is really about the food.
We started with the New Orleans Style Seafood Gumbo with Shrimp, Crawfish, Oysters, Andouille Sausage and Okra in a Brown Roux. It was thick and tasty, but only slightly spicy. I prefer a spicier gumbo.
One of our party ordered the All Beef “Blues Burger” with choice of cheese on a toasted Sesame Seed Bun, served with French Fries. She said it was “unremarkable,” and complained that there wasn’t enough onion. Well, it was just a burger.
The next member of our party ordered the Smoked Pulled Pork Sandwich with Jim Beam Barbecue Sauce, Cole Slaw and Sweet Potato French Fries. He said the pork sandwich was “decent.” The cole slaw was good, not sweet. The sweet potato fries were a bona fide hit.
I ordered the Pecan Crusted Catfish topped with Pecan Butter and served with Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Sauteed Vegetables. Overall, this entree was pretty good. The pecans were a little bitter, so the mashed sweet potatoes offset this in both taste and texture. The catfish was meaty and tender, and the portion was generous. I’ve eaten a similar dish using macadamia rather than pecans, which was frankly better, but this meal was executed well.
The big winner of the evening was the Louisiana Shrimp Creole served over a Pan Seared Catfish Fillet with White Rice and Sautéed Green Beans. The mixture of flavors was just delicious, and cooked to perfection.
HOB’s menu isn’t what you’d call extensive, and the restaurant section is rather small, so I’m sure that the food is not what keeps the crowds coming back. More likely it’s the music and the bar. With that said, the food’s not bad. If you go for the seafood, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. Besides, you’ll need something in your stomach before you join the party in the next room!
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