The building that houses the GARAGE Kitchen + Bar/The Shout! House on Fourth Avenue, was once a Garage, called Carriage Works, built in 1890. This building was constructed to house the wholesale business of Todd and Hawley, and operated there until 1902. Their stock was purchased by Lyons Implement Company, which carried a complete line of Studebaker vehicles, including buggies and wagons. After Lyons Implement Company, came San Diego Gas & Electric, San Diego Farm & Dairy Supply, and now the casual, friendly and delicious GARAGE Kitchen + Bar has added to this building’s rich history.
Although Carriage Works never housed any bands that we know of, GARAGE Kitchen + Bar is a tribute to local San Diego bands that have made it big. Without a garage, we may not have the great music from bands like Iron Butterfly, Gary Puckett & The Union Gap, Stone Temple Pilots, P.O.D, Eddie Vedder, Switchfoot, Slightly Stoopid, Blink 182, Tom Waits and many more. Photos of these musical icons grace the walls of this Gaslamp Quarter venue. The GARAGE also houses farm fresh, “made from scratch cooking” that is beautiful to look at and delicious to savor. Executive Chef, Brent Hersant, developed, and crafted an amazing menu, and the Gaslamp Quarter Association staff got to indulge in the best “blunch” ever!
What We Enjoyed!
GARAGE’s menu is focused on great eclectic American food with European and nouveau influences priced from $7- $22.
Alex ordered the avocado and lox toast with smoked salmon, avocado spread, caramelized onion toast, sour cream and garnished with a side salad filled with crisp, bright colored veggies!
Sherry enjoyed the fried chicken sandwich, which had a perfectly cooked chicken breast fried with a spicy homemade batter, and garnished with jalapeno bacon, lettuce, sriracha, and tomatoes on a toasted brioche bun served with crispy fries.
Erin ordered the gorgonzola and fig flatbread. The crispy flatbread had butternut squash, caramelized onions, arugula and a balsamic glaze drizzled beautifully over the top.
The GQA staff also got to try one of their popular dishes, the Ahi tartare “nachos”. Crispy wonton crisps, an edamame puree, avocado, sriracha aioli, pico de gallo and of course a fresh Ahi poke generously sprinkled around the dish, making this a favorite for all guests!
We also shared a plate of their homemade cheddar and chive mini biscuits with roasted pear honey almond butter, and house preserves…delicious!
While we were enjoying our food, Executive Chef, Brent Hersant, talked to us about his love of local sustainable ingredients, and how when he arrived years ago to the restaurant, he completely redesigned the kitchen and reinvented the menu to get away from the “regular bar, fried, food.” Brent says, “My goal was to cook good, approachable modern food at a fair price.” All of the food is extremely reasonably priced, with fresh local ingredients and a menu that has something for everyone!
Don’t Forget the Fun Cocktails!
Cocktails are also crafted with fresh seasonal ingredients and the beer selection offers a wide selection of craft beers. Whether it is the cereal shots made with everyone’s favorite Saturday morning cartoon fare, like Fruit Loops, or Apple Jacks, or a giant 32 oz bloody mary in a German beer stein, the GARAGE Kitchen + Bar is the place to go to get great eats and sips. In fact, you can get 51% off the appetizer menu during their happy hour every night of the week!
Great Live Music Entertainment!
Don’t forget, The Shout! House is right next door too! This amazing entertainment venue connects to the GARAGE Kitchen + Bar and has their award winning Dueling Piano shows as well as live music every night!
Monday – Friday: Blunch 11am-3pm, Dinner 3pm-Close
Saturday & Sunday: Brunch 9am – 3pm, Dinner 3pm-Close