James' Place is an Asian Fusion Prime Seafood Restaurant conveniently located on the UCSD campus, directly across from the La Jolla Playhouse. It serves as a popular dining spot for theater-goers, offering a modern ambiance and a menu that blends seafood, Asian flavors, and prime beef.
Customer Perception
Customer feedback is mixed but generally highlights the restaurant's convenience for those attending shows at the La Jolla Playhouse. The ambiance is often described as nice and modern. While some praise the food quality and attentive service, others note slow service, small portion sizes, and high prices, with specific dishes receiving mixed reviews. Cocktails are generally well-regarded.
James' Place is known for its ability to expedite food and drinks for patrons who are attending performances at the nearby La Jolla Playhouse, making it a practical choice for a pre-show meal.
The restaurant is open for dinner service Tuesday through Sunday, starting at 5 PM. Reservations are highly recommended, especially if you plan to dine before attending a show at the La Jolla Playhouse, to ensure timely service.
4
It has been a while since we ate dinner here. It is very convenient place to eat dinner before attending a show at the La Jolla Playhouse. Recommend making a reservation to make sure that you have enough time to make the show. The ambiance is nice and modern. We were a party of 4 and had a window seating. Our server was attentive and friendly. The food and drink prices are on the expensive side and dinner entrees are small portions. Food is good.
Food: 3/5
Service: 3/5
Atmosphere: 3/5
Came here for a quick bite to eat on a Thursday. They do take reservations but if you walk in right at 5, when they open, you might get a table or you can sit at the bar.
I sat at the bar and had a Moscow mule and the Bunless Kobe Burger (medium). It took about 20 mins for the food to come out and I had to ask the bartender “how much longer for my food?” Otherwise I don’t know when I would’ve eaten.
The mule was good but the bunless Kobe burger didn’t sit right with me. It’s essentially a fancy way to say that you get a burger patty with asparagus and 2 slices of bell peppers drenched in balsamic vinegar with cheese. It wasn’t great but I was hungry. They also don’t have sushi available on Thursdays.
The bartender was nice but seemed distracted. I had to keep grabbing his attention for things.
The space is pretty and if you’re seeing a show at La Jolla Playhouse they’ll put a rush on your food and drinks.
Sadly I won’t be back again but you can try this place for yourself just don’t get the bunless kobe burger.
Service is slow, food was slow. Bartender didn't know the menu and for 35 dollars you get a burger patty (no fries) on top of a mushroom with 2 pieces of sauteed peppers and 2 asparagas in a balsamic sauce. Such a waste of time and money, there needs to be more restaurants over there serving the play-goers because without competition, this place can charge astronomical prices and just be extremely mediocre. Never again
James place was an unexpected surprise experience. Better in most ways than your average restaurant in La Jolla costing twice as much. I also have to say the bartenders here are a cut above! Great job.
This is the restaurant next to the La Jolla Playhouse, and it *could* have a captive audience and not care about quality. But they do! The beef tenderloin filet had a beautiful brown crust with a melt-away interior that barely requires a knife, with a creme mushroom sauce demi glaze with complex flavors. The garlic rice had a hint of soy which accented the steak, and the broccoli and carrots had a wonderful and interesting flavor. Of course, we topped it off with crème brûlée.
