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Black Rail Kitchen + Bar, Carlsbad, CA

Black Rail Kitchen + Bar

4.4
4.4
326 Reviews
$31 to $50
American

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 p.m.
Booked 12 times today
  • Neighbourhood gem
  • Lively
  • Great for outdoor dining
Black Rail Kitchen + Bar is a vibrant and unique neighborhood gathering space serves inventive California global fare crafted by renowned Michoacán-born executive chef Moises Hernandez.

Cozy up next to one of our expansive patio’s many firepits and enjoy deliciously prepared dishes, daily happy hour, craft beverages, a glorious sommelier-driven wine list, local beer and live music from some of the area’s top jazz musicians and Black Rail Kitchen + Bar’s very own house band, the E.S.P. Collective.

We are proud to bring our longtime Carlsbad neighbors and newcomers alike diverse dining experiences including Black Rail Kitchen + Bar, Tinleaf Fresh Kitchen and Yelp Top 100 breakfast spot Beach Plum Kitchen.
Stop by, grab a drink and soak in the best of La Costa!

Additional information

  • Phone number
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    American, Californian, Mediterranean
  • Hours of Operation
    Mon, Sun 4:00 pm–8:00 pm Tue–Thu 4:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–10:00 pm Happy Hour Daily 4:00 pm–6:00 pm
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Public Lot
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Chef Moises Hernandez
Gift card

Gift card

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What 326 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.4
4.4 based on recent ratings
  • 4.4Food
  • 4.5Service
  • 4.4Ambience
  • 4.2Value

NoiseModerate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Black Rail Kitchen + Bar in Carlsbad offers a delightful dining experience with "amazing food and drinks," excellent service, and a beautiful outdoor seating area with heaters for cooler nights. Guests rave about the "great atmosphere" and live jazz performances, making it a "go-to spot" for special occasions.

326 Reviews
  1. Michael

    Orange County2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We ordered cocktails before dinner and enjoyed the live music , they played jazz music which was nice to listen to, our meal was cooked to perfection

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  2. Valerie VIP

    San Diego114 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on February 28, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 3
    Had an enjoyable happy hour at Black Rail. Enjoyed the shrimp tacos. It was a bit noisy when the indoor band played. They were good but made it hard to talk to my friends.

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  3. Laurel VIP

    Central Coast15 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 23, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    We had a wonderful dinner...food was amazing. The small circular seating is pretty uncomfortable, however. But other than that...we had a great night. Tks.

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  4. Angela VIP

    New York City11 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on February 22, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Unprepossessing location in a car park next to a Vons but cozy and decent meal. Jazz duo on a Friday night was bliss. Open kitchen generates trust. Crisp service. Decent charcuterie. Tasty fish tacos. Ok house Pinot Grigio. Good burger. They actually carry a decent non-alcoholic beer (Athletic). Not a memorable meal but good for a casual meet up with friends or when you just don’t want to cook and who would say no to a relaxing dinner on a Friday with live jazz?

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  5. Julie

    Denver16 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 19, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Very nice atmosphere with center bar. The food and service exceptional

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  6. Jasmine VIP

    San Diego7 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 16, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Our hostess was wonderful. We arrived early and she said there were two seats available in the back bar until our table was ready. Our waiter was pleasant and took time explaining the specials. I chose the lamb shank which was prepared just right to medium. We had a xylophone and guitarist play jazz music! A great Valentine dinner!!

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  7. Ruben

    San Diego6 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 15, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The ambience was wonderful, great atmosphere. The layout and decor is eye catching and the service was top notch. The drinks were made perfectly and the food was delicious. Definitely will be revisiting again.

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  8. Thomas

    San Diego2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 15, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Matt and the rest of the staff were all great. Thank you for the wonderful experience for our 34 Valentines together.

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  9. gary

    San Diego4 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on February 9, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Great ambience. Staff was all friendly and professional, but service was slow and they were visibly overwhelmed. Cocktails were good. Food was a joke. The $15 Brussels sprouts were dunked in a deep fryer and thrown on a plate. Pork chop, which was highly recommended, was ok. It was a tender, juicy cut, but not executed very well. The apple chutney overwhelmed the dish and the chop needed a harder sear. The gravy saved it. The crèm brûlée had notes of authenticity, and it tasted pretty good, but like everything else it just seemed a bit thrown together and lacked any soul. All said, it’s not difficult to have a pleasant experience when someone puts a ton of cash into a very cool buildout, but the food was overpriced and disappointing.

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  10. Deanna

    Seattle8 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on February 8, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 3
    The live jazz here is wonderful! And so are the winemaker dinners.

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FAQs

Black Rail Kitchen + Bar offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (760) 931-0020.

Black Rail Kitchen + Bar is rated 4.4 stars by 326 OpenTable diners.

Black Rail Kitchen + Bar does offer gift cards which you can purchase here.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 p.m.
Booked 12 times today
Google Map for Black Rail Kitchen + Bar

6981 El Camino Real, Carlsbad, CA 92009-4149

Additional information

  • Phone number
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    American, Californian, Mediterranean
  • Hours of Operation
    Mon, Sun 4:00 pm–8:00 pm Tue–Thu 4:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–10:00 pm Happy Hour Daily 4:00 pm–6:00 pm
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Public Lot
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Chef Moises Hernandez
Gift card

Gift card

Send gift cards instantly by email or print to present in person.

Send a gift card
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