Turf Supper Club Reviews

You get your ingredients and prepare them yourself at a community grill in the middel of the restaurant. Great service and food. Nice vibes and music, a social place with soul!! Recommend it for everyone how loves food!

is Fun to grill your own steak, the drinks are superb, the ambiances is unique. I loved it, the services was just right. Great menu too.

On the continued insistence of family I ate at the Turf Supper Club I really didn't want to as the Club did not look inviting from the outside This is a cook your own food kind of place and it's basically a steakhouse of sorts The Decour is Shabby 50s Chic and it is shabby Time to renovate a bit it's really not appealing I found the steak to be of average quality Did love the wait staff though lots of personality there too bad the rest of the restaurant wasn't on the same level The place was busy though and the customers seem to love it The restaurant tries to be hip and trendy but in my opinion misses the mark

This is truly a throwback neighborhood gem. The Supper Club is filled with cool people ready for a fun evening. There is a limited menu, you cook your own steak over a communal open pit - they provide all the sauces and spices to "have it your way" If you read a bad review about the food here it's because the person cooking it sucked! The meat is top quality and the staff is there to help you if you need it. I had the filet and it was tasted and cooked perfectly. Everyone at the pit were healing fun and super friendly. It was a great idea and contributed to a fun and unique night out. And the prices were very reasonable as well. If your up for cooking your own food and hanging out and socializing, this is a great choice. Very unique!

Pretty hip...pretty cheap...pretty girls.

Great affordable night out.

We thought we would try something new while in Sandy-eggo. The Turf Supper Club was just right for a mild adventure. The atmosphere is like a 1970s bar, but don't let that put you off - in the middle of the room is a BBQ station, where you get to cook your steak, kebabs, french toast, etc. Modest cost, funky atmosphere, great people watching, and opportunities to meet over the BBQ. They had a wide range of clients - tattooed 20's through silver-haired 60's, dressed up or simply shorts. They had excellent steaks - we had the marinated flank steak and would highly recommend it. We will be back next time we are in town! It's not really a joint for kids, but it is inviting and comfortable for all adults.

Before entering, it looks like you're entering an old dive bar, then it hits you, it IS a bar, with a very cool DIY restaurant and lounge inside. I was taken here by my daughter and her Fiancé (and lifetime resident of San Diego). This place isn't just dinner, it's an experience. Don't rush, just enjoy and hang out. The concept is brilliant. In the middle of the restaurant, there's a huge grill. When you order your meal, the main entrée is served raw, and you get to cook it yourself. The cuts of steak were beautiful, and my daughter got the veggie kabobs which were substantial in size. It's very fun and makes the evening highly social. The BAR... Unreal, perfect drinks and crazy affordable. Plus, the bartenders actually pause and look at you when ordering. That's a good thing! So get this, as I stated in my title, dinner was extremely affordable. We were a party of five, and had 6 cocktails and 4 beers. Dinner: 4 NY steak dinners (with salads and a la carte veggies) and 1 veggie kabob dinner. All dinners come with a huge piece of garlic bread for you to grill too. Final total, with tip? 91 bucks!! That's crazy! We'll be back, and we'll tell everyone!

I had no idea I would be cooking my own steak over the grill in the middle of the dining area. It was awesome if I do say so myself. The cocktails were top notch as well. If you are looking for a different kind of dinner experience then give this a shot for sure.

New to this part of town, I chose to try this for dinner. The restaurant is very retro and dark with a large bar and naugahyde booths. A door man sits at the front as no one under 21 is permitted. You receive the one page menu to choose a meat to cook and a few sides. I chose the flank steak with a baked potato and small salad. The flank steak was marinated but was so tough after self cooking to medium that I would need a hack saw to cut it and chewing the meat was like chewing an old belt. Flavorful but ultra tough! The salad was a bagged one and the lettuce browned and old. The garlic bread was actually nice and huge and delicious when grilled but bread does not a meal make. The baked potato was fine too however I was provided with tiny amounts of salad dressing and sour cream. Overall really not a good meal!!! You cook your own food and since the place was packed you felt like a Boy Scout around a crowded campfire trying to cook your food. Service was hectic and sparse and you are better off to order from the bar. Drinks are nice pours but quite expensive. The highlight was the piano player and singer which were excellent if you could hear them above the din of the place. I can see no reason to return to this anachronism which needs to be updated or at least the quality of meat and food improved.

The best for late night dining and socializing

Cook your steaks the way YOU like it. Bartenders make mean drinks! Greta divey kinda hangout in a divey kinda area off downtown San Diego.

If going out to dinner at a very local place grabs you, this might very well be it. Tourists would never find it on their own; you have to know about it. The Turf Supper Club is known for their steaks, which you cook yourself over an open flame, communal style. Your steak will sit on the fire next to a complete stranger's. If you're a serious

The venerable Turf Supper Club is a regular lunch spot favorite of mine. Not many grill-your-own places are open for weekday lunch—and the "Turf Club" is only open Fridays (and weekend)—so it's a nice change of pace. The wait staff is very nice and like any decent neighborhood joint remembers regulars' favorites and quirks (cherries for dessert). There is only one grill, so a short wait-time to grill sometimes happens, but the closer to noon you go the less crowded it will be. The menu recently changed along with higher fare, but it's still reasonably priced. I'll leave comments about the bar and their legendary drinks to other reviewers.

Lots of pros:Fillet mignon was awesome ! Grilling was communal and easy with a utensil/seasoning station. Atmosphere was fun and laid back. One con:somewhat watery cocktails. Not due to ice...

I love this place. I go here regularly and I really love their steaks. I highly recommend their salad with ranch and Italian dressing!

Every time I go here it's a great experience. I think it would be a cute date place or a fun girls night. It involves steaks and a grill so obviousely man friendly.

Found the Turf doing research on the internet. Went last night with my wife and was not disappointed. A classic. First impression from the street is a 50's/60's vintage swanky store front. Enter a darkened room with cool red circular booths and tons of bar stool seating. Found the experience super cool. Made a couple of local friends at the grill cooking our meat dishes. Great price points, food on point, drinks were great. We both had steaks two drinks and sides and were out for $70. Service was great. A server who is super friendly and responsive and I'm sure...paid...which always helps...they believe in the product and represent well. HIGHLY recommend. If you love the restaurant game and seek authentic joints that have survived and thrived, this will make your top 10 list.

I was a little skeptical about cooking my own food here. It was my first time at a restaurant like this. I was with several friends and I almost passed just as I did not want to ruin my meal cooking it myself. I chose just to try the burger and probably under cooked it a little bit. The indoor grill is very nice as you end up speaking to other people outside of your own group. The potato salad was great and I enjoyed my burger. I really like the décor of the place. Its like your walking into a 40s bar. I am happy I went, caused me to step outside my comfort zone. I know my wife would really like this place. So another trip is obligatory.....then I will have a steak!

I really like this place. It's got good food at a great price. I like the fact that there is only one grill, it allows for a bit of a social atmosphere. Also, good cheap full length bar. Fun for a night out with close friends.

I have been coming for years, more years than I can count. I enjoy the decor and simply and fun feeling. The drinks are a generous pour and the service is a bit ruched but it is expected in a small and very busy spot. This is the ideal location for a first date or an sticky situation since dinner requires interaction and participation. The food is well priced and excellent quality.

Fun, but I hate drunks leaving food on the grill. Especially the piles of burnt bread.

The place was fun at first, but the experience quickly went downhill due to the manager, Sean. When I asked about a specific drink, he abruptly threw the menu down in front of me. My husband calmly addressed his behavior, and instead of de-escalating, Sean had us removed from the venue. Even the security guard appeared confused by the situation. Sean’s conduct was unprofessional and unnecessarily hostile, and it completely overshadowed what could have been a good experience. I was visiting with the intention of recommending this place to guests staying at my vacation rentals, but based on this interaction, I can’t in good conscience do so. Customer service matters, and this experience made it clear that it’s lacking here.

Excellent old school atmosphere. We had the Delmonico ribeye. Delicious! My guy liked grilling out steaks to his preferred medium rare. Great cocktails too.

Dinner at the Turf Club is such a fun experience. Delicious food! The vibe is retro, reminiscent of the 1950's. Order your meat of choice, your waitress will bring it raw, then off to the communal grill you go! There are classic sides available such as baked potatoes, side salads, etc. If you're vegetarian there is a portabella cap and veggie kabobs on the menu. Every order comes with an enormous piece of garlic bread - toss that on the grill too! The cocktails are on point. I recommend the dirty martini, a perfect complement to grilled steak and a baked potato.

Good time and the food is as good as you make it.

When you walk in to Turf, head to the Chloe or Stacey for a margarita or a French 75. They squeeze limes to order per drink. If you come in past 10, you see other chefs in the industry in after work for a cocktail and a flank or skirt steak to throw on the grill. Ask for extra garlic bread- you will need it. Sunday's there is someone playing live- bring a few dollars for a request- it will make the night. One of the best and oldest dives...... Always a special place to end the night or stroll in for a late afternoon.

An incredibly fun experience! It sounds simple on the outset - a place where you grill your own steaks! Who would want to do that when you go out to eat?! But you mix in the ambience of the supper club environment, the red lighting, the great drinks - and you end up with such a fun and unique experience. Steaks are as good as you make and season them and sides are fine. Parking is an absolute nightmare, if we came again we would uber. Service was good but limited in what they are doing for you since you are going up and cooking yourself! A must do experience in San Diego!

This is another one of those local faves. I was fortunate enough to try out this establishment for my birthday! Wow it's really nostalgic with everything untouched from the late 1960's (I think). It's a very small and cozy place, with small bar and some booths. There is a grill offset in the room which you order your food and they bring you a raw steak, which you grill yourself! What fun this is!! You can order a fresh salad, but it's a typical iceberg lettuce and dressing kind of deal-- so don't expect fancy. However, the STEAKS? TO D-I-E FOR! They are so tender and wonderfully flavourful. You can choose several different sauces to put on them like A-1 or the House Steak sauce which I found spectacular and couldn't get enough of it. Oh, they do give you a nice giant chunk of garlic bread for the grill too! ENJOY IT, I most certainly did!

This dive bar has serious steez! The room is red light and easy on the eyes, the staff are welcoming without being fake or over the top. They make a mean extra dirty Martini and the service is lightning quick. The food is cook yourself on the grill, this is great fun and very social .... I quite enjoy chatting to the random people at the grill and having a laugh. I think of your looking for a fun night out there is no better place than Turf Supper Club to set the tone. Love ya work Turf team

The place is small and more hidden than what I was expecting, but once we were inside, the hipster vibe was on full display. First off, you grill your own meats on a community cooktop. It was fun getting to talk to various other people as everyone was standing around grilling their food. The members of my party all had various steaks, which were all nice lean cuts. Very appreciated. Naturally the meat was all cooked to our own exacting specifications. The various sides, including potatoes, salads, various vegetables, and assorted breads were all well done. The food wasn't expensive and was probably on the cheaper side of what I would expect for a place like this. The service was decent, nothing over the top. The drink selection was decent, and the overall experience was pleasant. I would happily come back.

We were taken here by our friends who live in San Diego. The steaks are really great and it is fun to cook your own food. Get there early to avoid a wait and to get a good table. All sorts of sides you can order and an extensive cocktail menu. Give the wines a miss. We had fun and would go back again.

Just went. Was a Turf virgin. Went hungry, loved my kabobs and my buddies who went with me.

We were recommended this from a local couple we met the day before and absolutely loved it!!! Its dark, and a bit dinghy inside but it is such a fun place with great staff. We felt welcomed as soon as we walked through the door. You order the steaks and cook them yourself on the central grill. This means you end up talking to people, which was my favourite thing! The drinks are well priced, the steaks are great, and the music is fantastic!! San Diego is a very modern city, with lots of Hipster Bars, which I hate, this was much more my cup of tea. This place is a definite must if you are visit the city! A proper bar, with great steaks, welcoming staff, and an amazing atmosphere!!

If I wanted to cook my own food, I'd stay home.

Needed a late night meal and had wanted to check it out. It’s a little bit of a dive but in a cool red booth kinda way and keep in mind customers cook their own meats on group grill and bread and salad was tasty too. Mai Tai 22oz was best drink but on the menu- I will return again! FYI it can be quite loud so don’t plan a quiet romantic dinner here.

Every once in a while it's fun to come into this little "dive joint" which has been in existence since 1950. For San Diego, that's ancient. The quality of their meats is very good. They have a full bar. I asked for a lemon drop and they delivered! I had the pork loin. In retrospect, I would have ordered a thinner piece of meat, maybe a flank steak, since I would have had to stand at the grill for a shorter amount of time. You get to know your neighbors from the next table as your dinner entree sizzles on the grill. One option for vegetarians is the vegetable kabob. And I enjoyed their baked potato (no, you don't have to cook that!) All in all, a fun experience with my friends. For more of my travel reviews of Fun Places to Be, visit World Traveler Reviews dot com

There are many things I could say about the Turf Supper Club... but much like Fight Club, "we do not talk about Turf Supper Club!!!!" I originally went here with a group of servers that I worked with. They loved the place because of the extensive cocktail offerings, the hazy, dark feel to the place and that it was a counter-culture dive that you could be yourself and people watch at. Well... It is all that and more. I LOVE TURF SUPPER CLUB!!!! A grill in the middle of the club that allows you to grill your own steaks that are sold in the club... If you can't cook, you are done for... but the quality of the meat and the seasonings offered are pretty amazing and not all that expensive. I am totally sold on this place... and if I ever plan on getting married, I will bring her to this place and see how she reacts... if she loves this place, she's a keeper. If she doesn't, well, who needs that kind of negativity in your life? All jokes aside, if you haven't been. Go. If you have, you know what I am talking about... and Go again!!!

Who doesn't like their steak "their" way and for a great price??

This was my hangout in my Navy years - in 1965! I returned last week - this is the real thing - still - good drinks - good steaks Great staff - and - no one under 21 allowed!

This 60s infused bar/restaurant is great. If you do plan to go my recommendation is the Delmonico Rib-eye, cook it 10 minutes on each side and you are good to go my friends.

We were with a couple who raved about this place. They love the unique atmosphere of cooking your own meat. I found it to be dark, uninviting and not fun. I have nothing against tattoos, but from what I saw every employee was covered with them. The salad arrives prepped and the bake potato is cooked and wrapped in foil to stay warm. The meat you order arrives raw and wrapped i plastic. You then go to a grill in the center of the restaurant and season and cook it yourself. While some might find this wonderful to ensure that you get your meat cooked the way you want, I was not amused. Why do I want to pay for food I have to cook myself? I might as well cook at home. The food was ok. The salad was a good size. The bread they bring is sizable. The steaks were good size. The salmon kabobs were good - decent size chunks of salmon and a few veggies. The wait staff was less than attentive as well. Might be a fun hangout for a group of college friends, but not a family dinner.

So fun to grill your own steak...ol'school style

I have been going to Turf since 2004 and am a believer. The simple concept is both fun and enjoyable. Note; if you don't want to cook your own steak, don't come here! People complain that when they go out they don't want to have to do it themselves. Ok I get it, go somewhere else then! The concept is to cook your own steak people!!! Service is good and the drinks are strong. Beer selection for San Diego is below par but just drink liquor and don't worry about it. Don't think just because everyone here has a tattoo or piercing you won't be welcome if you don't. The people are warm and welcoming and soon you will feel like a regular. Throw $2 in the juke box or head up on Sunday night for the piano man playing some oldies but goodies. Great date night or local watering hole. A must for all San Diegans.

Love/Hate relationship with this one, expect at least 45 minutes to cook a steak as the grill is overpacked with flesh, expect at least one over-imbibed diner to fondle your steak, diningquarters are cramped so eat fast before someone sits on your steak or mistakes it for a buffet and grabs it and snacks on it. If you want a good steak forget this place, save time, money - go to Iowa Meat farms and get a good cut and a nice bottle

Its a simple inexpensive cook your own steak restaurant. We usually eat at the bar or piano bar and it is fast and simple. If you like tattoos you will really like the turf club. Be open minded and don't let the stress of having to grill get to you. It's worth the experience.

My friend and I were looking for a quick bite to eat because we were hungry. She remembered a restaurant she used to frequent years back. At this restaurant you prepare your own entree. They have a grill in the middle of the restaurant and you cook your own steak which is what I had. I ordered the flank steak which was already marinated. It was my first experience grilling my own steak and I actually enjoyed it because I prepared to my liking. The place is not fancy. It's somewhat dark inside. But the waitress and staff where very friendly. I would definitely go back and would recommend this place. Dress attire, super casual.

Now I've frequented Turf Supper Club several times over the last couple of years. As a kid back in the late 40's early 50's I grew up right around the corner in a Big House on B Street. Back in the day (the 50's) the Turf Supper Club in the Golden Hill area of San Diego enjoyed quite the reputation as a kind of Surf & Turf eatery in the upscale Golden Hill neighborhood. If you grew up in San Diego your grandparents most likely had a meal or two there when they were out hob-knobbing on the town. As the years passed and San Diego expanded, the neighborhood dwindled down and ran down. For quite a few years during the 60's & 70's The Turf Club took on a neighborhood bar vibe with it's cast of regulars that walked in and stumbled out at closing time. It was a place to drink & swap lies. Fast forward to about 2010 when the neighborhood started bouncing back. Golden Hill was fast becoming a "Kool" place to live again with a great vibe. The great old palace homes were being gobbled up the young & upwardly mobile and being refurbished back to their earlier grandure. So here we are today....the history lesson is over! Now let's talk about Food & Fun! The Turf Supper Club is back baby and a great place to mingle and get your swerve on. The patrons are a fun mixture of Hipsters, curiosity seekers and the "regulars". On a Saturday night all I can say is that it's Loud & Lively!....Not a great place for a meaningful & intimate conversation. It's best to drag along 4 or 5 of your friends with "Grill" skills and caveman appitites, because you're going to be preparing your main course of Meat or Fish on a small open pit grill located in the middle of the room. Yeah, you heard me. It's your chance to show off your Grill Master skills. It can become kind of primal with mostly the husbands & boyfriends gathered around the grill flipping their meat or fish of choice, looking at the persons standing next to them to pick up on some grilling tips if your not experienced....it's fun and challenging. Girlfriends & wives are for the most part left at the table to gab away and wonder why it's taking you so long to cook a couple of steaks. You really can't blow it. The cuts of steak and salmon fillet are more than ample so you won't go away hungry. There are plenty of seasonings to ramp up the taste of your meal, and now you know why the chefs get the big bucks to cook that steak just right, and you just paid half the price and did it perfectly yourself! Nothing is better than hearing your wife or girlriend tell you what a great chef you are. It really is a fun experience. By the way, the bar drinks are Huge & delicious! Now in your best Caveman voice, grunt......Fire Good!

The food isn't great but it's a fun experience to grill your own stuff and enjoy the place. It gets points for being fun and funky!

Our second visit during a vacation. It's a ton of fun to cook your own steaks and the preparation of them was great. If we ever come back to San Diego we will for sure come again.

This place is straight out of the 70s. Great prices on the food (you have to cook it yourself, which is part of the fun). Can be long waits, but the drinks are strong and bar area has music, so it's fun.

Located in Golden Hill. Divey ambiance which I love. Dark red lighting inside. Bar to the right, spots to sit and little grill on the left. Suggestions- order a drink and order your steak (I ordered the marinated hanger steak which comes with a huge piece of garlic bread). Then once they give you your steak wrapped in foil, throw it on the grill and drink while your steak cooks! Easy going ambiance. Not flashy, but a cool vibe. All the food is good here. Great place to chill out, eat, drink, go home. And not too expensive. Heads up- no one under 21 allowed.

The ambiance feels like you a took a step out of a time machine and into 1970s Pacific Coast tiki bar (but not in a tacky, overdone way). It’s a fun and relaxed spot. My wife and I found ourselves there at 1:30 in the AM and thought we hit the jackpot. The concept is brilliant. And the quality of the meats is high.

I frequent this place about once every 2 weeks. It don't know what it is, but it's addicting! It's 21 and up, so be sure to have your ID ready, and it gets really busy after 10 or so. If you go earlier it's pretty quiet. The outside looks shady, but don't let it scare you away! The interior is a bit odd, but fun. Oh, and there's no windows. The drinks are very generous, and cheap. They have some specialty ones, I tried a freaky teaky (or something like that), and it was very fruity/girly, but me and the other ladies loved it! We always order a steak that's off the menu, the Flank Steak. They marinate it in a wonderful sauce for who knows how long, so it's super juicy. I usually order a side-salad with bleu cheese as well, and the dressing it very nice. The food comes out fast because of course, you have to cook it yourself. All dishes come with garlic bread as well. I always take the garlic bread and cover it with the extra sauce left over in the tin-foil from the steak (bad, I know!). If you cook your steak right, it's going to be good, guaranteed! It does take some time to get your check, but the servers are all very nice. As an odd rule, once your table has ordered, nobody else can join your table, so be aware of that.

An experience. Really. Not for foo-foo folks.

Every time I go back to San Diego, I have to go the Turf Club!! The food is excellent, the drinks are so good, and the price is just right... oh ya, and the atmosphere is too fun... you get to grill your food! LOVE IT!! If you're staying downtown, just take a cab, it's about a mile east on 25th St.

I always dig this place. 40's style red naugahyde booths. Indoor community grill to cook your food. Fun, low key place to go with friends or make new ones. I helped a guy cook his food who was on a first date. I think his date was impressed with his cooking skills! Hopefully the rest of the night went well for him.

Great place to grab a drink and forget about the rat race for just a moment. The drinks are good and I hear the steaks are too. Love the bartender Abby and the atmosphere is just great to relax.

my new favorite - amazing martini's, cozy/funky atmosphere, anf fun to cook your own food...

This was a great experience, like being "outside" but in, you chose what you wanted from the menu and cooked it on an inside BBQ a very social occasion. Nice to find somewhere a little different.

This is one of our favorite restaurants. Especially, because we can grill our own steak without having to take out the BBQ. Needless to say, for a place that does not necessarily needs a cook, their meat quality has gone way down since they started working with a new butcher. We usually ask for the 8oz beef kebab and for the last two times we have been there. You do not longer get the inch and half sirloin cubes that grill well with the rest of the vegetables, we get these tiny pieces of unappealing meat. At the grill, we also noticed that the meat I other clients has lowered in quality and size. You don't longer see a canvas of the red juicy pieces of meat where you stare at your own as if it was in some grilling competition; but just some random piece of meat that you can get in any supermarket. We asked the staff, and they were very cool about it and very concerned. I literally showed them picture of the kebab before it was cooked and managed to prove how it was not 8oz as it says on the menu. So as my wife was being embarrassed, I did managed to prove thru science and evidence the low quality and lack of weight and size of my kebab. (I have pictures of this). Our waitress was very nice and gave us a discount. She acknowledge the meat situation and went above and beyond to make our stay a happy one. We really hope they change their butcher. I seriously believe the butcher is either lowering the quality of meat in some plates and misplacing the weight ratio. Either way, we hope the Turf Supper Club really takes a look at this and corrects this. We love this place!

I stayed at an Air BNB around the corner from Turf Supper Club, and when I arrived (around 10:30 pm) and let my host know, she invited me to come over and hang out with her and her friend. It was so kind of her and I'm glad I took her up on her offer, because this was a really fun place to eat! I was kinda confused at first but then it was kinda fun hanging around with others and grilling my own meal, and having a great drink at the bar. The three of us actually went back the next evening with a couple other of her friends, and there were even more folks there that night--some people were celebrating some work thing and they were fun to hang out with. I was also there for work, actually, and recommended it to some of my co-workers who were there later in the week. If I find myself in San Diego again and this isn't too far out of the way, I'd probably suggest this as a place to take a friend of mine who has never been (which, to be honest, is probably all of them!)

This place was an old (1940's or 50's?) Supper club and it hasn't changed a bit. Simple steak menu, with a few vegitarian options. You cook your own steak on the big grill. Nice bar selectionThe daytime bartender is a smart cookie and a lovely lady. Best iced tea in town.

Grill your own steaks, burgers or portobello with some garlic bread, add a pre packaged salad and a killer martini. This place is the bomb. By far the best juke box in the city. This place is not for snobs, you could be grilling next to Etta James one night, next night someone who slept under a bridge the next.

The Turf Supper Club is one of those cook it yourself restaurants. I have always had a problem with this concept. I would rather cook it at home than spend 3 times more to cook it at a restaurant. But if paying to be the cook at a restaurant is your fantasy, then this is the place for you.

Stiff Cocktails, cook your own Filet, Dive Bar, Excellent.