Summer has nearly arrived, meaning longer days and warmer nights. Fortunately for us San Diegans we have all year to lounge in the sun, but with more daylight hours, now is the perfect time to gather loved ones and friends for an evening on The Steakhouse at Azul La Jolla’s patio where a new lounge menu awaits, not to mention some sinfully good specialty drinks and amazing happy hour offerings.
Located conveniently along Prospect St., the relaxed, open air patio at Azul features a living wall, luxuriant plant life, overhead heaters, an appealing fire pit table, and glimpses of La Jolla's Pacific Coast. A new lounge menu is offered on the patio all the time, as well as the regular menu and fresh from the sea mollusks from the oyster bar. Unlike many restaurants, especially upscale locations like that of Azul, happy hour is offered DAILY from 4-7pm, as well as all night Monday. We started with some specialty craft cocktails from the happy hour menu. The whiskey sour ($7) includes Jim Beam Bourbon and incorporates a dash of egg white into the drink for smoothness with a kick. The Azul Cadillac Margarita ($7) is another delicious and refreshing choice, melding resposado tequila, Grand Marnier and fresh juice mix for a classic punch. We also opted for a Mission Brewing Shiprecked Double IPA ($6), a tasty local craft brew with a hoppy bite.
From the lounge menu, we opted for the jumbo lump crab cake ($14), which we knew was delicious from a dinner profile of Azul awhile back. This time around, it was just as good, with a crisp outer crust and creamy, meaty center, not inundated with additives, and the jalapeno tarter sauce added a nice bit of spice. The filet mignon sliders ($12) came three in a row, juicy and nicely seasoned with gruyere cheese, lettuce, tomato and garlic aioli.
We couldn't ignore the great value of the happy hour menu. Azul recently added the famed fish tacos ($7) from its sister restaurant, Brigantine, and our out of town guest was wowed by this San Diego favorite. The battered fish tacos came as a pretty pair and were crisp and as perfect as I remembered. My only wish is that they'd make their own tortillas, but thats hard to come across these days. The steak frites ($9) include a plentiful portion of prime steak over an ample portion of french fries. The truffle wild mushroom flatbread ($7) is rich and tasty with crispy crust, and the Berkshire pork chop ($7) was our favorite of the evening boasting beautifully cooked meat, the perfect addition of sweetness from a port shallot demi-glace, and sublime truffle mashed potatoes. The happy hour at Azul really is top notch. I'd return for that pork chop any time.
The Steakhouse at Azul is located at 1250 Prospect St. and offers valet parking. Be sure to stop by for a sampling of the lounge menu and for their extremely budget-friendly daily happy hour. Your stomach and wallet will thank you.
THE STEAKHOUSE AT AZUL
1250 Prospect Street, La Jolla
(858) 454-9616
brigantine.com/azul
Hours:
Lunch: 12 – 4 pm Friday - Saturday
Dinner: 5 pm – 9:30 pm Sunday - Thursday, 5 pm – 10 pm Friday – Saturday
Happy Hour: 4 – close Monday, 4 – 7 pm Tuesday – Sunday
Brunch: 10 am – 2:30 pm Sunday
