The temporary closure comes as McLeod, the chef who helped define Ironside’s original identity, returns to the restaurant following several years away. In a reflective Instagram post announcing the reboot, McLeod framed the moment as both a look back and a recommitment, thanking fishermen, employees, guests, and the Little Italy community that has supported the restaurant since its earliest days. “Feb 16th will be our last service before relaunching March 10th,” he wrote. “This one’s for all of you.”
According to McLeod, the relaunch is less about reinvention than refinement. Ironside will receive a major kitchen overhaul, including all-new equipment and the addition of live-fire cooking elements, a change he says opens the door to new flavors and techniques that weren’t previously possible. The front of house will also get a modest facelift, aimed at refreshing the space without losing the character that longtime regulars associate with the restaurant.
The menu is expected to see a substantial update, though McLeod emphasized that Ironside’s defining dishes are staying put. Classics like the lobster roll, grilled octopus, and chowder will remain anchors, joined by new live-fire preparations, including whole fish grilled over flames and smoked fish options, and seafood-forward dishes shaped by renewed relationships with fishermen and farmers. McLeod said he has spent recent months reconnecting directly with sourcing partners, signaling a return to the hands-on approach that defined Ironside’s early reputation.
Beyond nightly service, the reboot will bring back experiential programming that once helped Ironside stand out in San Diego’s dining landscape. Plans include guest chef dinners, the return of the popular Shuck-A-Thon for National Oyster Day, and a highly limited tasting menu concept. McLeod describes the tasting menu not as a luxury flex, but as an approachable, educational experience designed to showcase technique and product without the stiffness or price tag often associated with tasting counters.
At its core, McLeod says the reset is about refocusing on relationships and hospitality. Ironside, which turns twelve this spring, was the first full-service restaurant he opened with Consortium Holdings, and at the time, it represented the group’s biggest financial and creative gamble. “We really had no idea if this was going to work,” he said, noting that the restaurant’s success shaped not only his career but the trajectory of the hospitality group itself. Coming back now, as a different person and a new father, he sees the opportunity less as stepping back from larger roles and more as stepping forward into work that feels personal again.
McLeod was candid about the pressure that comes with the relaunch, admitting nerves about whether he still fully understands what guests want in a rapidly changing industry. Rising wages, increasing product costs, and ongoing debates around tipping culture have made restaurant economics more fragile than ever. Still, he says his goal is simple and difficult at the same time: create a space where guests feel genuine value when the check arrives, and where staff want to be part of something they’re proud of.
For Ironside, the brief closure marks a symbolic and operational reset at a moment when many San Diego restaurants are struggling just to hold the line. Rather than quietly tweaking behind the scenes, McLeod is choosing a visible pause, a public recommitment to standards, and a relaunch that leans into what made the restaurant matter in the first place. Whether Ironside 2.0 reads as evolution or homecoming, the industry will be watching closely when the doors reopen in March.
Ironside Fish & Oyster is located at 1654 India Street in San Diego’s Little Italy. The restaurant’s last day of service before the reboot is February 16, with reopening scheduled for March 10, 2026. For more information, visit ironsidefishandoyster.com.
At its core, McLeod says the reset is about refocusing on relationships and hospitality. Ironside, which turns twelve this spring, was the first full-service restaurant he opened with Consortium Holdings, and at the time, it represented the group’s biggest financial and creative gamble. “We really had no idea if this was going to work,” he said, noting that the restaurant’s success shaped not only his career but the trajectory of the hospitality group itself. Coming back now, as a different person and a new father, he sees the opportunity less as stepping back from larger roles and more as stepping forward into work that feels personal again.
McLeod was candid about the pressure that comes with the relaunch, admitting nerves about whether he still fully understands what guests want in a rapidly changing industry. Rising wages, increasing product costs, and ongoing debates around tipping culture have made restaurant economics more fragile than ever. Still, he says his goal is simple and difficult at the same time: create a space where guests feel genuine value when the check arrives, and where staff want to be part of something they’re proud of.
For Ironside, the brief closure marks a symbolic and operational reset at a moment when many San Diego restaurants are struggling just to hold the line. Rather than quietly tweaking behind the scenes, McLeod is choosing a visible pause, a public recommitment to standards, and a relaunch that leans into what made the restaurant matter in the first place. Whether Ironside 2.0 reads as evolution or homecoming, the industry will be watching closely when the doors reopen in March.
Ironside Fish & Oyster is located at 1654 India Street in San Diego’s Little Italy. The restaurant’s last day of service before the reboot is February 16, with reopening scheduled for March 10, 2026. For more information, visit ironsidefishandoyster.com.
Originally published on February 10, 2026.