Cellar Hand

4.8

104 Reviews

$31 to $50

Farm-to-table

Make a booking

2 people

23 Nov 2024

19:00

Booked 19 times today

Experiences are available.

Neighbourhood gem
Great for outdoor dining
Innovative

Nestled in the heart of Hillcrest, San Diego, Cellar Hand embodies a commitment to sustainability, craftsmanship, and community. Through a farm-to-table approach, our menu showcases hyper-local seasonal fare by Executive Chef Logan Kendall. Our extensive wine list highlights the diverse terroir of California, serving as an extension of founder’s Pali Wine Co. Santa Barbara County winery. By fostering deep connections with local artisans, farmers, fishers, and stewards, Cellar Hand strives to be a destination where guests can savor the essence of California’s bounty in every bite and sip.

Enjoy our exposed kitchen, an indoor-outdoor bar, outdoor fire pits, and artwork by Nick Perr. Opened Wednesday - Sunday with daily happy hour specials and Sunday brunch!

Dining areas

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Elegant
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Farm-to-table, Mediterranean, Seafood
Hours of Operation
Brunch Sun 10:00 am–3:00 pm Dinner Wed–Sat 4:00 pm–10:00 pm Sun 4:00 pm–9:00 pm Happy Hour Wed–Sun 4:00 pm–5:00 pm
Phone number
(619) 876-4099
Website
http://www.cellarhandhillcrest.com/
Payment Options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress
Executive Chef
Logan Kendall

Location
1440 University Ave, San Diego, CA 92103-3405
Area
Hillcrest
Cross Street
University Ave. and Normal St.
Parking details
Street Parking
Additional
Outdoor Firepit

Experiences

Brunch at Cellar Hand
Multiple dates available
Join us Sundays starting at 10am for decadent dishes including our house made brioche toasts, our take on traditional brunch eats, locally-sourced tea & coffee, and our handcrafted cocktails!
Winemaker Night with Aaron Walker
US$45.00 per person
12 Dec 2024 only
We're excited our new series 'Hand Made'–featuring the winemakers behind our all-California wine list! First up is Pali Wine Co,'s Aaron Walker, joining us on Thursday, December 12. Aaron will be pouring four of his favorites including Pali's estate-grown Chenin Blanc, plus Pinot Noir, Cabernet Pfeffer, and Syrah. Chef Logan and his team will be serving a food pairing to perfectly complement each pour. We hope you join us for this special tasting experience, and look forward to seeing you at this first of many Winemaker Nights! The wine tasting will be $45 per person, available alongside our full menu and Chef Logan's one-day-only complementary pairing.
New Year's Eve at Cellar Hand
US$95.00 per person
31 Dec 2024 only
Ring in the New Year with an unforgettable dining experience at Cellar Hand! Enjoy a pre-fixe menu showcasing our hyper-local cuisine, thoughtfully crafted to highlight the best seasonal flavors. Elevate your evening with supplemental wine pairings from our exclusively California wine list—reserve your table now for a celebration to remember!

Offers

Happy Hour, 4-5pm
Multiple dates available
Sun - 16:00 - 17:00,Wed - Sat - 16:00 - 17:00
When the clock strikes four, our prices hit the floor. Glasses of wine at half price, pair them with pitas, so nice. For a whole hour, be happy, in the Hillcrest sun. Join us at Cellar Hand—the evening’s just begun. Happy Hour, Wednesday - Sunday from 4 PM - 5 PM!

What 104 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.8

4.8 based on recent ratings

4.7Food
4.7Service
4.7Ambience
4.5Value

Noise • Moderate

Diners' Choice Awards

San Diego
Innovative
San Diego
Innovative

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Cellar Hand is a culinary delight in San Diego, offering "amazing food" crafted from fresh, locally sourced ingredients. With a menu featuring standout dishes like Aly's Crudo and Berkshire pork, it's perfect for foodies and wine lovers alike. Guests rave about the "friendly service" and "cool vibe," making it a must-visit.

104 Reviews

A
Amber
Chicago
352 reviews
vip
5.0
352 reviews
Dined 6 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
What an outstanding brunch experience - all the toasts are amazing with housemade bread. You need to get the chocolate babka and the basic breakfast is anything but basic, with pork belly bacon, sesame toast with housemade ham, herby potatoes and eggs your way. I’m surprised it’s not more crowded. Usually space for walk ins and right next to the Hillcrest farmers market.
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M
Margaret
San Diego
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on 11 November 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
This is a new gem in San Diego! Food and ambience is awesome. Wine list fabulous, especially if you know you’re California local wines. Excited to come here again!
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A
Adam
San Diego
34 reviews
vip
4.0
34 reviews
Dined on 8 November 2024
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
The food and service were great, at the bar and at our table. Very nice experience.
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YH
YaleHeartsGoodFood
San Diego
30 reviews
5.0
30 reviews
Dined on 4 November 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
We truly appreciate the creativity and vibrant flavors in the dishes. They are beautifully simple, honoring the ingredients and bringing them together for delightful results.
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M
Michelle
San Francisco
1 review
vip
5.0
1 review
Dined on 3 November 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Delicious! Loved the shareable plates and wine cocktail.
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C
Christopher
San Diego
21 reviews
vip
5.0
21 reviews
Dined on 27 October 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
This was our first time at Cellar Hand and it was a good experience. I love how they renovated the bar. The staff is very friendly and the menu selection was very appealing. We will be coming back
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OT
OpenTable Diner
San Diego
2 reviews
vip
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on 26 October 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Excellent and knowledgeable wait staff made ordering fun. Food came out at a good pace, attentive to our cadence. Overall we loved the creative style on all the dishes. Really went the extra mile (like the fermented baby blueberries). The home made bread and crackers were delicious. Definitely coming back.
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L
LYDIA
San Diego
15 reviews
vip
5.0
15 reviews
Dined on 26 October 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Awesome food & wine!! Loved the decor & ambiance as well!! Definitely will return!
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I
Ian
San Diego
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on 25 October 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
10/10. Amazing as always. Killer service. Creative and amazing food. I have a new favorite burger.
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S
Susan
San Diego
44 reviews
vip
3.0
44 reviews
Dined on 20 October 2024
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
Really liked the ambiance of the space, my first dining experience here. I agree with one of the reviewers here, the menu was hit and miss. Anything with their homestyle pita is recommended. We had the burger (good), Agnolotti with mushrooms, brown butter (ok), the carrot ends, (spicy and good), the crudo (II think it was yellow tail...unmemorable, meh), Tahini with pita (great). Our server, Summer, was congenial, friendly, timely. We were all surprised that although server and host acknowledged the bday of my friend, no desert was provided. Perhaps if you don't order any desert, they don't bring anything. Seemed unusual.
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FAQs

Cellar Hand is rated 4.8 stars by 104 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people

23 Nov 2024

19:00

Booked 19 times today

Experiences are available.

1440 University Ave, San Diego, CA 92103-3405

Dining areas

Additional information

Cross Street
University Ave. and Normal St.
Area
Hillcrest
Hours of Operation
Brunch Sun 10:00 am–3:00 pm Dinner Wed–Sat 4:00 pm–10:00 pm Sun 4:00 pm–9:00 pm Happy Hour Wed–Sun 4:00 pm–5:00 pm
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Farm-to-table, Mediterranean, Seafood
Dining style
Casual Elegant
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
Street Parking
Payment Options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Executive Chef
Logan Kendall
Additional
Outdoor Firepit

Website
http://www.cellarhandhillcrest.com/
Phone number
(619) 876-4099

Cellar Hand

Make a booking

Dining areas

Additional information

Experiences

Brunch at Cellar Hand

Winemaker Night with Aaron Walker

New Year's Eve at Cellar Hand

Offers

Happy Hour, 4-5pm

Menu

What 104 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Diners' Choice Awards

Review summary

FAQs

How is Cellar Hand restaurant rated?

Is Cellar Hand currently accepting bookings?

Make a booking

Dining areas

Additional information