ALBACA

Albaca should only be an option if you are staying at the Marriott or you are looking to dine with views of the water and Coronado Bridge. The food is higher priced for the convenience factor and is pretty average compared to the other options you have around the Coronado area. Ultimately, this isn't a place you should go out of your way for if you don't have to. We came here for a somewhat late dinner, 7:30pm-ish as we just checked into the Marriott after a road trip. The hostess told us that even though there was plenty of seats available, she couldn't seat us because they were short staffed and there would be a 20 minute wait. This sounded odd because at most the restaurant was probably 50% capacity and it looked like everyone at the restaurant already had been served. Everyone was sitting outside and the interior area was practically empty. Oh well, we were tired and decided to wait. Ended up waiting around 30 minutes. Once we got to our table (which was inside), I noticed the whole area was dirty. We were the only people sitting in this area which was across the buffet section. There was crumbs and trash on the floor and under the tables. The tables were set for dining but upon closer inspection, it was obvious no one really cleaned up here. Otherwise, it would be a pretty nice place to eat. Our hostess also told us they only had 2 menus available when we were a group of 5....this was really getting ridiculous. We waited another 10-15 minutes to place our order as our server didn't arrive until then. Waters and drinks didn't come for another 15 minutes. Our hostess was doubling as a server because she ended up bringing us the waters. And I have to give it to the staff because you can tell they are trying to work with what they got and were overall nice. But this experience was getting borderline unacceptable. Food took about 25 minutes to come out. Our group ordered 2 of the same salads and only 1 came out with the rest of the food. The second salad took another 15 minutes to arrive. So was the food worth the wait? No, not at all. I had the Chicken Adobada Tacos, which while it was presented nicely, was slightly dry and light on flavor and seasoning. It uses the typical soggy "Dorito" type corn tortilla and was also one of the cheaper options on the menu. A few items are the same price but everything else is more expensive. Some 3 times the price, and I'd imagine that it doesn't taste 3 times better than what I got. If you are staying at the Marriott, I'd still recommend to either drive if you can or walk to the many other restaurants in the area that can provide more affordable meals that also are of better quality. The only thing note worthy here would be the outside dining area that gives you great views of the water and of the Coronado Bridge. If that is the what you are looking for then Albaca is one of the few places that offers this very specific thing. Otherwise, search elsewhere.

Casual, quiet patio with bay views, a nice menu, and good bar drinks. Service is seriously casual, so order when you can. The food is very good. I enjoyed the Empanadas with a special Old Fashioned. My partner had the Southwest Salad, a good salad made well. Above average resort restaurant.

A wonderfully relaxing place if you were in the area, Oscar and other servers, every bartender, and their host Elena, are wonderful representatives of hospitality. The restaurant and bar area are very well kept up and clean. You can't beat the views and there's outdoor fire pits as well as the comfortable indoor seating. The food is great, not totally fancy but done well, and the menu has enough diversity to be to be interesting. You can't beat the value for happy hour from 5:00 to 6:00, but even after hours or before.... The staff goes above and beyond to be helpful, and it's a very enjoyable experience. If you want a healthy bowl, they are flavorful with a perfect avocado fresh grilled chicken, roasted sweet potatoes and hummus. I would have loved it pool side. The flatbreads are very generous in size, with delicious crust, and you can't beat the crispy brussels sprouts! If you're staying at the property, there's lots of options nearby but if you're looking for a night in definitely come by here. If you're outside of the property it's a nice stop too!