ARLO San Diego

Review summary

1. T

   Tammy

   Orange County

   2 reviews

   5.0

   2 reviews

   Dined 4 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   We had a fantastic time at the Grinch brunch! The food and service were both amazing. I had the souffle pancakes and my teenager had the fried rice. We would recommend both. We were celebrating my teenager's birthday and *everyone* who served us acknowledged the special occasion. The Grinch and Cyndi Lou Who even sang happy birthday! We'll definitely dine at ARLO again.
   

   ARLO San DiegoResponded 2 days ago

   Hi Tammy, We are thrilled that your Grinch brunch experience was 5-star! Your feedback on the amazing food and service means the world to us and we were honored to be part of your special birthday celebration. Glad to hear you'll definitely be back - we look forward to your next visit. Many thanks, Carlo DeLeon, Food and Beverage Director
   

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2. T

   Tanya

   San Diego

   10 reviews

   1.0

   10 reviews

   Dined 4 days ago

   1. Overall 1
   2. Food 1
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 5

   This Grinch Brunch was not at ALL the way it was advertised. The grinch wasn’t there while we dined, (we closed out at 11:00) the service was extremely slow, the food was awful, we were not offed a mimosa until weren’t waiting on our check to cash out, the menu was NOT how it was shown on the website, the overall ambience was not a Christmas vibe. I will not return!
   

   ARLO San DiegoResponded 2 days ago

   Hi Tanya, I want to extend my sincerest apologies for your disappointing experience. Your feedback is valuable to us and we are committed to using it to improve our guest experience. We hope you will give us another chance in the future so that we may provide the experience you deserve. Sincerely, Carlo DeLeon, Food and Beverage Director
   

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3. R

   Richie

   San Diego

   1 review

   2.0

   1 review

   Dined 6 days ago

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 2
   3. Service 2
   4. Ambience 3

   ARLO was amazing only in that everything failed to meet expectations. We were brought in due to glowing recommendations from friends and instagram highlight reels and it was honestly just very disappointing. We got a lot of food but none of it was great. Worst scallops I’ve ever had. Very fishy and the risotto was again probably the least exciting I’ve ever had. We had to send back the steak because it came almost well done instead of medium rare. Service was slow, a little over an hour after we sat down til we got our first bite. We had to remind them about sides we ordered to accompany our entrees and our dessert (spiced cobbler) smelled and tasted spoiled. We sent it back without asking for a replacement. I would not recommend this place to anyone.
   

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   ARLO San DiegoResponded 5 days ago

   Hi Richie, Thank you for your feedback. We set a high standard for ourselves and are truly sorry to hear that standard was not met with your visit. We appreciate your feedback and we will work to address these issues. We hope to have another opportunity to exceed your expectations in the future. Sincerely, Carlo DeLeon, Food and Beverage Director
   

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4. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   San Diego

   1 review

   4.0

   1 review

   Dined on November 29, 2024

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   An amazing Thanksgiving experience. The food was excellent especially the appetizers and entrees. The deserts were average but still good. Our waiter was personable and kind. The only gripe I have is that we had a dinner reservation at 7:45 for a buffet style meal, and the staff began removing food from the buffet at 8:20 which is about 20 mins after we began eating so we had to rush to be able to try all the options.
   

   ARLO San DiegoResponded on December 3, 2024

   Hi Anonymous, Thank you for letting us know that overall you enjoyed an amazing Thanksgiving experience at ARLO! Your positive feedback on the excellent appetizers and entrees and kind waiter means a lot to us. We apologize for the timing issue with the buffet food and we will review this process to avoid a future occurrence. It was a pleasure to have you with us and we hope to see you again soon! Many thanks, Carlo DeLeon, Food and Beverage Director
   

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5. J

   Jared

   Palm Springs

   2 reviews

   3.0

   2 reviews

   Dined on November 29, 2024

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   The food that was cooked onsite was great! However I must say that the presentation was very poor. Budget style outdoors ensured the food, while tasty- was cold. The meat stations didn’t keep the meat warm, the ravioli station served cold ravioli. The serving utinsels were all extremely caked with leftover food. And while the dessert Bar was plentiful, almost all of the items were semi frozen- showing they weren’t fresh prepared. The cakes were watery- showing probably overly frozen and then thawed in condensation… chef cooked great food, but then presented and served poorly. For $250 for 2 people- the expectation was higher than anticipated
   

   ARLO San DiegoResponded on November 30, 2024

   Hi Jared, Thank you for your valuable feedback. We appreciate hearing that you enjoyed the chef-prepared food items, but my sincere apologies for your disappointment with the presentation and desserts. We value your feedback so we can continue to make improvements where needed. We look forward to the opportunity to provide you with an even better experience next time. Sincerely, Carlo DeLeon, Food and Beverage Director
   

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6. S

   Sean

   Chicago

   4 reviews

   vip
   2.0

   4 reviews

   Dined on November 29, 2024

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 2
   3. Service 2
   4. Ambience 4

   I can’t say for sure if this was Arlo’s first attempt at hosting Thanksgiving dinner, but it definitely felt like they bit off more turkey than they could chew. Service: Bless our waiter’s heart—he was hustling like it was his personal mission to save Thanksgiving. But the poor guy was clearly understaffed and overburdened. Finished plates stacked up like we were playing Jenga, drinks took ages to arrive, water refills were practically mythical, and getting the check was an endurance sport. The guy gave it his all, but for $100 a head, you’d expect more than one person holding the entire operation together. Food: Let’s just say the food flow was less of a flow and more of a confused stumble. Nothing about it screamed luxury—or even whispered it. Everything was bland, like they ran out of salt halfway through the prep. The carving station looked great, but the taste was as underwhelming as the rest. Oh, and some of the menu items? Just… didn’t show up. Like a flaky dinner guest who cancels last minute. Vibe: Normally, Arlo is gorgeous, but this felt like they threw something together last-minute and hoped for the best. The vibe was fine if you didn’t mind the weirdly mismatched music and the overall “we’re barely holding it together” energy. Overall: Until Arlo can figure out how to season their food and their vibe, do yourself a favor and spend the extra $30 to hit up a real luxury hotel that knows how to make holiday buffets feel special. Because right now, Arlo’s Thanksgiving feels more like a Pinterest fail than a fine dining experience.
   

   ARLO San DiegoResponded on November 30, 2024

   Hi Sean, I want to extend my sincerest apologies for your overall disappointing experience. Please know that we take your feedback seriously and these issues will be reviewed with our team. We hope to have another opportunity to serve you. We are committed to learning from our mistakes and delivering the exceptional experience you rightfully expect and deserve. Sincerely, Carlo DeLeon, Food and Beverage Director
   

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7. R

   Rob

   San Francisco

   1 review

   2.0

   1 review

   Dined on November 29, 2024

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 2
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 3

   This was our second Thanksgiving at ARLO. The first year was polished and a great experience, but this year felt like they just packed in as many tables as they could, crowded the buffet together, and the quality of the food just wasn't there. Service felt off and for $80+ per person we felt neglected. We won't do Thanksgiving at ARLO again after this disappointing meal.
   

   ARLO San DiegoResponded on November 30, 2024

   Hi Rob, I want to extend my sincerest apologies for your disappointing experience at your second Thanksgiving meal with us. We strive to create an exceptional experience for each and every guest and we are truly sorry that you experienced otherwise. Your feedback is invaluable as we constantly strive to enhance our guest experience. We hope you will allow us another opportunity to provide you with an even better experience next time. Sincerely, Carlo DeLeon, Food and Beverage Director
   

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8. e

   esther

   San Diego

   6 reviews

   5.0

   6 reviews

   Dined on November 29, 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Went for Thanksgiving buffet and everything was outstanding. Turkey was juicy, prime rib was tender, salads, sides, desserts too many to mention. Will do this again.
   

   ARLO San DiegoResponded on November 30, 2024

   Hi Esther, Thank you for letting us know that your Thanksgiving buffet with us was 5-star! We appreciate your compliments on the juicy turkey, tender prime rib, and other food items. It was our pleasure to have you as our guest for this special occasion. We look forward to welcoming you back for another excellent experience soon. Best regards, Carlo DeLeon, Food and Beverage Director
   

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9. P

   Patrick

   San Diego

   29 reviews

   2.0

   29 reviews

   Dined on November 29, 2024

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 2
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 2

   I had no idea what I was getting into when I stepped into this massive open air cafeteria filled with masses of people walking around with plates stacked high with food from every different food "station". From the reviews I read I expected a civilized Thanksgiving buffet with a variety of seasonal foods cooked under the guidance of a somewhat decent chef. What I found was station after station of warmed up Thanksgiving sides, turkey and beef carving stations, dessert stations, etc, etc all presented with less than mediocre taste. I had thought for a $90 charge I could expect a decent environment with decent food and a somewhat cultured crowd. Wrong on all fronts. Uncomfortable seating, masses of people walking in between tables and service that took up to 15 to 20 minutes to have a glass of wine delivered. Whoever knighted this restaurant as "restaurant of the year 2023" must have paid off the publication that dubbed it so. HORRIBLE in all respects
   

   ARLO San DiegoResponded on November 30, 2024

   Hi Patrick, Thank you for sharing your feedback. We deeply regret your disappointing experience. Your input is valuable to us and we are committed to using it to improve our guest experience. We hope you will give us another chance in the future so that we may provide the experience you deserve. Sincerely, Carlo DeLeon, Food and Beverage Director
   

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10. M

    Magda

    Phoenix

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 28, 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4

    For our first time experience was weary good 👍 Thank you all for your hard work to keep our belly’s full. I specially love the salmon 👍
    

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    ARLO San DiegoResponded on November 30, 2024

    Hi Magda, Thank you for sharing this feedback on your recent dining experience at ARLO. We're pleased that you enjoyed the food, especially the salmon. We enjoyed having you as our guests. We look forward to welcoming you back again soon. Many thanks, Carlo DeLeon, Food and Beverage Director
    

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