- Jayne's Gastropub
- Cuisine: Bistro
- Neighborhood: North Park
- 4677 30th St.
- San Diego, CA 92116 (Map)
- 619-563-1011
- http://www.jaynesgastropub.com/
Recommended by 1 local
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On-street parking. Nearest freeway access: I-805, Adams Ave. exit.
Transit & Parking Info
Hours of Operation 
Tue: 5pm to 10pm
Wed: 5pm to 10pm
Thu: 5pm to 10pm
Fri: 5pm to 11pm
Sat: 5pm to 11pm-
Updated: 01/07/07
Here’s to !
Say hello to one of North Park’s newest and most sophisticated neighbors.
The term “gastropub” immediately piqued my curiosity. While the scientific-sounding prefix stems from “gastronomy,” a word that refers to the art or science of good eating, the suffix “pub” summons images of beer, fish, and chips. Talk about literal meaning.
Perhaps the biggest surprise is how bright Jayne’s spot at 30th and Adams is. Like the neighbor on a street of run-down houses who decides to spruce things up with a fresh coat of paint, Jayne’s Gastropub is raising standards in a neighborhood weighted down by liquor stores, old coffee shops and hole-in-the wall bars. Thankfully, those businesses also have their place in the world, but Jayne’s storefront, dressed in bright white accented with a sophisticated black trim and adorned by corner topiaries, definitely adds some new life to the area.
Inside is an understated but classic atmosphere of yellow walls and dark woods, little tables and little chairs, oversized mirrors, lace curtains and a black-and-white checkered floor. It’s very Eurobistro. Though if you haven’t been to Europe that probably doesn’t resonate with you, but go to Jayne’s and you’ll get the picture.
I recommend starting out with the generous portion of calamari, served perfectly hot and crispy. It comes with horseradish cocktail and caper tarter sauces, which I think taste even better when mixed together.
Normally I resist ordering short ribs because, unless the seasoning or sauce is somehow unique and original, how good can short ribs really be? I broke my rule because a girlfriend, having already eaten at Jayne’s, insisted I try them. I’m glad I did. The Niman Ranch beef surrounded by a scrumptious port wine reduction literally falls off the bone -- as in spear meat with fork, lift fork to mouth. No knife needed here.
My man has found himself torn between the fish and chips and the steak frites. Steak always sounds good to him, but it seems fish and chips sound good to many others—you can often spot the mounds of Newcastle Ale battered seabass and piles of crispy Kennesec chips in front of at least one patron at every table. Jayne is delightfully honest: the fish and chips have become the house favorite, but her personal choice is the steak, adorned by a housemade basil salsa verde. For the record, a steak ordered medium-rare arrives perfectly cooked.
The butterscotch crème brulee and the lemon tart are as far as you need to look for dessert. My only complaint on the brulee has been that the top shell has been not a shell at all, but rather a bit soggy. It might have been that the kitchen was just too busy, but it seemed like it might have been pre-made. However, the crème underneath was delish and it’s a definite reorder. Next time I’ll just ask for a little extra TLC (read blowtorch) on my shell. But if I had to pick only one winner it would be the lemon tart. An exquisite balance of sweet and sour nested inside an ultra-flaky almond pastry and topped with fresh whipped cream, it’s a refreshing yet decadent end to a meal.
Jayne is clearly making her mark in North Park (by the way, did I mention she stole the chef from Parallel 33?) and I highly recommend making reservations. If you can’t get a dinner table right away you might be able to score a seat at the bar, where you can hear the story of the vintage cash register over a pint of Lightning Thunderweizen (Anfeuerungen!).
If I were you, I’d get to Jayne’s as soon as possible, as she’s already talking about changing the menu to reflect the seasons. “Do people really want to eat short ribs in the heat of summer?” she asked us. Um, yes? Don’t start messing with a good thing, Jayne! Although really, I’m not too worried—it’s obvious Jayne and her gang are doing something right.