A fish out of water of a sport bar
Written: Jun 01 '07 (Updated Jun 02 '07)
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Pros: Close to City Hall, Civic Theater, Horton Plaza. Great burgers. Run into politicians and actors?
Cons: Not near Petco Park, Gaslamp Quarter proper, or Convention Center. Run into politicians and actors?
The Bottom Line: Very convenient location for opera/ballet/broadway goers in Downtown San Diego. Different kinds of sports on different monitors. Good people watching square outside.
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| smorg's Full Review: Downtown Johnny Brown's |
Downtown Johnny Brown’s in San Diego, CA, USA.
1220 3rd Avenue
San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 232-8414
In my latest desperate database diving attempt to find a catch worthy of an entry into rkingfish’s Let’s Go Database Diving Write-Off, I was so unoriginal as to use ‘San Diego’ as the keyword. With so many pricey restaurants showing up on the list, I settled on the choice in a very cool if not really in the heart of Downtown location that offers great filling food without busting my budget.
Downtown Johnny Brown’s (http://www.downtownjohnnybrowns.com) is located in the San Diego Civic Center Concourse on the 1200 block of 3rd Avenue between A and C Streets in Downtown San Diego. This is the complex that houses the City Hall and San Diego Civic Theater (home of San Diego Opera and San Diego City Ballet). It is 2 blocks north of the psychedelic Horton Plaza, 4 blocks west of the Copeley Symphony Hall, houses a multi-story parking structure, and is adjacent to the Trolley track (Blue and Orange Lines, stop at ‘Civic Center’ Station). Unfortunately, parking is not free and can be quite pricey in the evenings when there’s a good show going on at the Civic Theater or at Spreckels Theater (the broadway place) nearby.
This is essentially a sport bar & restaurant, featuring many big screen TV monitors showing different sports at once (all in mute mode) to the tune of stereo music that usually features rock’n’roll or bluesy music. The main dining room is wide with a shuffle board on the east wall, and well adorned by autographed photos of sport stars and San Diego personalities... and a few politicians (this thing is next door to the City Hall, after all). The roof is nothing to look at, though. The place has the feel of that piano bar the navy pilots hang at in the film Top Guns.... minus the piano and the navy pilots, that is.
The tables and chairs are made of hardwood, but comfortable enough (no cushion). There are some booths hidden in the wing to the right of the bar that features a pool table. There is patio dining area outside, too, a good people watching spot.
The service is quite good. All the staff are friendly, speak English well, and rarely forgets food specification. You can also order food to-go at the bar. There are a few stools up there and people are generally pretty good at not hitting on you if you look busy or pre-occupied.
The bathrooms are to the left of the bar. Each have 2 stalls (1 normal toilet and 1 handicap), they are usually clean enough... a bit more than what you would expect when you stop to use one at a gas station, but they always work so I won't complain.
FOOD!!
Food here is typical of what you would find in an American sport bar. Many kinds of burgers, salads, and bar appetizers. Unlike some other sport bars in town, there is no Italian or Greek food items like pizza, lasagna, spaghetti, or gyro sandwiches on the menu. The proximity to the City Hall and the Civic Theater also means there is a ‘Wine List’ on the menu. I’m not a drinker, and the price tags of $4.50 per glass and $19-22 for a bottle of wine won’t convert me to drinking anytime soon.
A full menu with price is available at http://www.downtownjohnnybrowns.com/3.html. I usually go for my favorite; Santa Fe Chicken Burger or the Mahi-Mahi Burger (if you’re lucky, you’ll show up on the days the latter is featured as the Fresh Fish of the Day dish). They are big, tasty and very fresh.
A Santa Fe Burger is about as filling as 2 and a half Big Mac to me. The chicken is so chunky it spills out of the buns. The sauce is creamy without being too rich that it overwhelms the chicken’s taste (it helps that they don't ladle these on too thickly also). The bacon bits in it is a real taste enhancer. The Mahi-Mahi is always perfectly grilled and doesn’t disintegrate when you bite. They also go quite well with potato skins appetizer.
The burgers are served with thin sliced French fries. The fries aren’t the caliber of In-N-Out Burger’s or MacDonald’s, but it is quite good with thicker crust.
There are 2 kinds of cheesecakes and some cookies that they pass off as ‘Deserts’. I haven’t tried them, since the Santa Fe Burger alone usually finishes me off for the rest of the day. It’s a bit disappointing that they haven’t got any ice-cream, however. For a fix of that, you’d have to dash 2 blocks south and invade Horton Plaza’s 4th floor food court.
HOURS:
The restaurant is open daily from 11 AM to Midnight, with the bar staying opened until 2 AM.
Happy Hours are from 3 to 6:30 PM and from 10 PM to midnight, Monday-Friday.
Despite of it being a ‘sport bar’, the patron here usually are well dressed (at least business casual), especially in the evenings where there is a ballet or an opera playing, so you probably want to wear something more formal than tank top and leotards. Who knows, maybe the white haired guy on the next table to you would turn out to be Mayor Jerry Sanders himself! If you ever see a tall lady with really long and straight blond hair who looks somewhat a crossed between Pluto the Disney cartoon and the gentle witch Morgana, have no fear, that’s probably the much more affable than she looks Councilwoman Donna Frye. She is much more approachable for autographs than the local newspaper would have you believe.
A bit of a downside is that the Civic Center Concourse is a favorite hangout of homeless folks. They are generally good at not bothering you after you have given them a few coins or have declared that you haven't got any change to spare, but occasionally there'll be weird ones that like to shout at you when you least expect it.
If you’re ever in Downtown attending the opera or the ballet, this joint is the place to go. If you are coming in for baseball or other festivals in the Gaslamp Quarter; however, this place is quite out of the way. Petco Park is a good 9 city blocks south of here and there are plenty other good sport bars in the Gaslamp Quarter itself (the area lining 4th and 5th Avenues from Harbor Drive to Broadway).
Recommended:
Yes
Kid Friendliness: No
Vegetarian Friendly: No
Notes, Tips or Menu Recommendations Perfect place if you''re spending evening at the opera/ballet/broadway show in town. Santa Fe chicken burger rocks!
Best Suited For: Friends
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Epinions.com ID:
smorg
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Member: Smorg
Location: Southern California, USA
Reviews written: 208
Trusted by: 307 members
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