Downtown San Diego's Huntress Steakhouse is receiving criticism on social media after allegations that they denied entry to a woman in a San Francisco Giant's jersey.
"I’m struggling with something and hope someone can shed some light," reads a Facebook post by cookbook author, cooking class host and creator of Dink Cuisine, Alicia Shevetone. "I'm on business travel in San Diego and was denied entry to a restaurant I was really excited about visiting, as they opened after we moved to Vegas. I was denied entry because of their 'no jersey' policy. I approached their host stand in a San Francisco Giants jersey, in support of my home team. I felt judged, discounted, and was downright offended. And let me be clear - I lived in San Diego for 10 years and had never been banned from ANYWHERE. Keep in mind - this is the Gaslamp. Bars. Drinks. Leisure. America’s Finest City. BASEBALL. I have to ask…. What happened? I wasn’t wearing gang colors. I’m a 50-year-old woman who wanted nothing more than to spend money at an establishment, while wearing clothes I’d wear anywhere else, in a town that gets by on little more than flip flops and t-shirts. Yet, I’m banned? Help me out. BTW, the establishment is Huntress. Not. A. Fan."
Shevetone's social media post was shared on at least one local San Diego food-centric Facebook group, with some commenters criticizing the establishment while others supported the dress code enforcement. It also appears the gripe resulted in a 1-star Yelp review for Huntress. On its website, the restaurant lists its dress code as "upscale fabulously casual", which certain commenters felt is a vague description open to interpretation. The glaring question remains, would the situation have been handled differently if the woman was wearing a Padres jersey?
Huntress is a 7,000 square-foot modern steakhouse that was opened in summer 2020 by San Diego-based hospitality company RMD Group, which also owns Lumi, Rustic Root, Side Bar, and Ciro's Pizzeria in the downtown area. We reached out to RMD Group's marketing manager Katie Bosworth for comment and clarification but did not receive a response by the time of publishing.
Huntress is located at 376 Fifth Avenue in San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter. For more information, visit huntresssteak.com.
