La Gran Terraza - San Diego (CA)

5 /5 Thomas J. Nelson, Realtor: One of San Diegos best kept secrets is La Gran Terraza at The University of San Diego Campus. What a lovely university to stroll around and and wonderful restaurant. We enjoyed our first visit here this week with tasty 5 star quality food! We were fortunate to experience Restaurant Week Menus when we dined here, so I ate off menu and it was amazing. My bride enjoyed the Crab/Shrimp Louie and their mocktails were delicious. The service can be spotty, attentive overall and polit, but sometimes long gaps of waiting to be checked on. Warning, no alcohol is served at lunch, we did not know that and we were there to celebrate a birthday, so if you like to have wine or cocktails, dinner service is better for that. The students seem to make up the staff and they are professional and polite. The views are amazing out to the bay and ocean and much of Tecolote Canyon. Parking is easy with a short walk, cutting through the student union. 2024 Note: There is a lot of construction on campus right now so we did see a lot of temporary eyesores due to that and there was no sense of valet parking mentioned on the website due to construction detours. The food was delicious, the service overall wonderful and the experience has us discussing our next trip there; I highly recommend it! I cant believe it took us 20 years of living here to discover this gem!

5 /5 Steven Heath: Went to La Gran Terraza for a business lunch today and it was outstanding. It’s located on the University of San Diego campus within the University Center and they typically offer valet parking but during the summer parking isn’t as difficult to find if you don’t want to utilize their service. We were served by Nicole (trainee) and April at our lunch today and they started us with a complimentary plate of multigrain bread with olive oil side. For the meal two of us ordered Chell’s Shrimp and Crab Louie and one of us had the Red and Green Caesar with Airline Chicken Breast. Both salads were attractively presented and tasted fantastic. They both featured ingredients perfectly chilled and the chicken was cooked perfectly. This restaurant always does a great job with their food no matter what you order. We come here pretty often both for the food as well as to be on the University of San Diego’s beautiful campus and have never had a bad food experience. Nicole and April were both friendly and attentive in their service. I highly recommend giving LGT a try.

5 /5 PJ Thompson: The most wonderful atmosphere paired with delicious food. Their honey-smoked cheesecake may have been the best cheesecake Ive ever had. Rich moist, expertly accented with the texture of its accompanying crumble--it was perfection on a plate. I will also say that the chefs here are supreme sauce masters. I went there a year ago and still think about the black cod over forbidden black rice with a creamy white beurre blanc sauce. This time the wagyu steak frites that came with the crispest fries and delightful creamed spinach had an amazing sauce. As much as I loved that, the plump ravioli with roasted vegetables had this amazing green sauce that was silky, smooth, and as bright as its neon color. So amazing--highly recommend!

5 /5 Shirley Worrels: One of the best dining experiences that Ive had in awhile. We went for their Fathers Day brunch buffet. The venue is beautiful with great views. Good food selections and everything was delicious. Outstanding seafood and carving stations. The service was great, especially the woman who seemed to be a manager. Her warmth and helpfulness elevated the experience. I look forward to going back.

5 /5 Kyle Joynt: A wonderful hidden gem on campus with a lovely view from the main dining room. Theyre at their best during one of the special events, and I do hope they bring back the lunch buffet.