The Compass is a craft beer bar and restaurant in Carlsbad, California. The friendly bartender explained to me that they want to cater to the local hipster community; I refrained from rolling my eyes when he said this so seriously and reminded myself I was in Southern California.
The Compass is really quite nice inside and the menu is very reasonably priced; divided into snacks and shared plates ranging from $5-$12; salads, sandwiches and main dishes $10-$16 and desserts $9-$12. The menu included some interesting items like the portabella fries which we tried and very much liked. It was my favorite thing I ordered. The mushroom was crispy and salty on the outside and warm and meaty on the inside, making it a perfect pairing with my Scrimshaw Pilsner.
For dinner I ordered The Compass Burger ($11) – I figured an item named after the restaurant should probably be a good choice. The presentation is impressive with the burger cut and half placed on its side so it can sandwich a pickle wrapped in bacon. However, the presentation was probably the best part of the over cooked burger.
Sergio is a sucker for mac and cheese and I feel like he fared better with his dinner. Served in a cast iron pan with braised beef short rib ($16) the presentation was equally enticing and while I think the both of us would have enjoyed more cheese the crispy breadcrumbs atop the pasta and soft, flavorful braised short ribs provided ample flavor and texture.
Overall, the dinner was very nice and the wait staff was knowledgeable about their extensive menu of beers and food. It wasn’t until later in the night that the fun started to sour and we left after a couple of patrons continued to feel the need to repeatedly (and rather randomly) shout obscenities so loud it would make everyone in the bar stop and stare. After we requested the bar staff to speak to the intoxicated patrons and nothing was done we decided to leave.
The Compass in Carlsbad, CA is located at 300 Carlsbad Village Drive and is open daily. For more information visit thecompasscarlsbad.com.
BosGuy 