The Balboa South

So many good things to say about this place.. where do I even start? From the moment you walk into Balboa South, Mariana makes you feel like part of the family. The staff is very welcoming and friendly. The space itself is full of thoughtful details. The artwork throughout the restaurant feels intentional, and you’ll notice unique touches like the authentic flooring in the hallway to the bathrooms and a beautiful door imported from Guanajuato. The atmosphere is always lively, especially on Friday nights when a DJ is spinning. The rotating menu keeps things exciting and gives you a reason to come back and try something new. And of course, the food speaks for itself. Whether you’re craving a classic cheeseburger (definitely add the sautéed onions) or something more creative like the chile relleno burger, you won’t be disappointed. Family-owned and operated, Balboa South is a special spot right in the heart of Chula Vista. Definitely worth checking out.

Wonderful place! We came here last minute with a group of 12 for my nieces birthday. Ohhhh the staff was amazing!! Props to our waiter Angel! Love his friendly attitude and professionalism. I called 30 mins prior and they had everything set. Accommodated us with a private back room with the TVs for the kids to watch their cartoons too. Loved the birthday balloon extra touch on the table. What a great surprise as we didn't expect that. Awesome! Atmosphere and decor on point. Huge restaurant with bar and plenty of space in the front/back. It's a pretty busy place and the food/drinks came out fast. Hands down for that! Everyone loved their dishes. Burgers, Pastrami Sandwich, Salads, Fries, Milkshakes, and the libations were excellent. This place has been here for 5 years and I didn't even know it. So happy with the growth of restaurants on 3rd Avenue Chula Vista. It has grown a lot since a decade ago. So come out and check out this joint. Cool vibes and great food. We will be back again.

My wife and I ate at the Balboa and were very happy with both the food and the service! My wife had the Centennial Burger; it was huge and she said it was delicious. I had a toasted Pastrami sandwhich which was also excellent! Our server, Gabe, was excellent. He did things that few servers do these days. He was very conscious of cleanliness and made menu good recommendations / Information. He asked detailed questions about how we wanted our selections prepared and seasoned. One of the managers, Keren, was also very welcoming and friendly. It is also a family friendly place:

Super cool scratch kitchen, make their own patties, buns, etc. Angel treated us quite nicely at the end of our ride the other day, hosting us well with attention and delicious food. Had the burger, lettuce style, worth it! Had a couple of my buddies garlic fries, and while not normally my thing, also delicious. Check em out, highly recommended, love the unique mural on the patio, especially the Bullet Bill and Pacman! Thanks Angel and your staff, we will be back!

Ughhhh, I didn’t want to give such a low star rating, but eek! I’ve had Balboa South as takeout, and it was actually really good so that is what brought me back- although it’s been a couple of years. Let me just start off by saying that the customer service was immaculate and exceeded expectations. There were a few different servers who checked on us and they were very attentive. I believe one of them may have been a manager, and he was very kind and accommodating. I really appreciate excellent customer service these days, so they definitely didn’t lack in that category. We came on a Friday evening and sat outside in the back patio. The nice, cool air & breeze was great. The indoor portion of the restaurant did not have air condition, I’m not sure if it was broken or they just don’t have it running. But it was very uncomfortable and stuffy. Now for the cocktails and food. My tamarindo margarita was absolutely awful. It didn’t have any taste to it! It was pretty much watered down. The food was meh. The garlic fries were the best thing we had. The classic Balboa burger just didn’t hit. The patty was overcooked and dry, the whole burger fell apart. There was nothing really keeping the lettuce, tomato, and onion together- not even the cheese. If there was supposed to be sauce, it didn’t exist. You can see in my pictures that the buns are totally dry. The BLT didn’t have any mayo either. It was so dry I think part of it stayed lodged in my esophagus. I had to gulp down my watered margarita, and I didn’t even get buzzed from it! It wasn’t terrible but it’s definitely not the same taste I remember a couple of years ago. Chula Vista doesn’t have very many burger joints so it’s a bummer it was a letdown. Just try to kick it up a couple notches. You have a great thing going, but you need to install air condition and jazz up the food.