Congratulations to the amazing crew at Masters Kitchen & Cocktail in Oceanside on their 5 year “wood” anniversary! On July 13th the had a full blown day of festivities to celebrate this exciting milestone. They had live music, tequila tasting, and of course food and drink celebrations fitting the 5 year anniversary theme of “Knock on Wood” that acknowledges the fleeting state of restaurants. Built in 1938 as Masters Automotive, an automotive and machine shop, and later used as a drag shop, the Jubela family transformed the 81 year-old building into Masters Kitchen and Cocktail in 2014: an expansive space whose dining room and bar are divided by lush greenery.
I know that I’ve seen many restaurants come and go in just a few short years of having my food blog. One of them I even did a full blown review for only to find out that they had closed their doors only a few months later. Thankfully places like Masters Kitchen & Cocktail don’t plan on going anywhere anytime soon. With their beautifully crafted cocktails and culinary treats it’s easy to see why they have major staying power.
Now let’s talk about the drinks! A place that has the word Cocktail in their name is guaranteed to have some unique concoctions. For their “Cheers To 5 Years” menu they had several delicious options. I started with the Mango Rocker which has Rock n Roll Mango Tequila, Agave, Fresh Lime Juice, Pineapple, and Fire Water Bitters. It tasted like a spicy jolly rancher thanks to the Tajin on the rim. If you like your drinks a little on the sweet side you will love this one.
The second drink I tried was The First of July. First of all, the presentation on this one is just beautiful but I promise it tastes just as good as it looks. The standout star in this drink was the Kettle One Botanical Grapefruit Rose. It gave it such a unique and refreshing flavor. Other ingredients for this cocktail included Fresh Lime Juice, Pamplemousse Simple Syrup, St. Germaine, Egg White, and a few dashes of Angostura Bitters.
Cocktails not your thing? They also have an excellent selection liquor to choose from. Ladies, if your husband loves a good Bourbon he will love the options here. Jarod was happy to have Baby Hudson Bourbon, neat, to kick start his evening.
After a cocktail or two, you are sure to be hungry, so let’s discuss food! I love that their menu has a wide selection of small plates and entrees. It makes it easy to try a few different things. We ended up ordering quite a few small plates because of this.
First up, the Kung Pao Shrimp. Marinated in a sweet and spicy Kung Pao sauce and tossed with peppers, onions, eggplant, zucchini, and peanuts. I loved this dish. The shrimp was cooked perfectly and I loved the hearty helping of veggies to compliment the sauce. Would happily order this one again.
Next we had to go for the Brussels Sprouts. I don’t care that practically every restaurant has them these days because I will happily order them. TheMasters Kitchen & Cocktail sprouts are tossed with chunks of juicy pork, pickled chilies, honey balsamic, and topped with micro cilantro. Followed by their Mac & Cheese which has chilies, onions, bacon and cornbread gratin. Definitely a creative version of mac & cheese that will excite your taste buds! Plus if you’re like us and can’t finish everything, it made for excellent leftovers.
To wrap up the Small Plates we ordered the Cheesesteak Egg Rolls which I honestly might not have ordered had they not been highly recommended by multiple people. I’m so glad we did though because they were amazing! They use shaved ribeye, caramelized onions and white american cheddar for the roll. Then it’s served with a house made spicy ketchup that is the icing on the cake! If they sold this ketchup by the bottle I would have purchased some to take home.
Lastly, we ordered one entree to share that is a special they offer every once and awhile and was part of the “Smokey Specials” for their Anniversary. It’s called the Forbidden Fish. Forbidden or not, one bite will have you coming back for more. It’s a Blackened Albacore brought in fresh, never frozen. Served with fennel, grapefruit, black forbidden rice and smoked rosemary. After being spoiled with fish in Hawaii it’s been hard for me to enjoy the fish in San Diego as much. I will say that this Forbidden Fish is the closest thing I’ve had to a Maui fish experience since living here. I would say that’s a home run for Master’s Kitchen & Cocktails.
Thank you so much to the wonderful people at Master’s Kitchen & Cocktails for having us. Will definitely be back on our next trip up to Oceanside! Cheers to 5 years!
📍Masters Kitchen & Cocktail: 208 South Coast Highway Oceanside, CA 92054
🚗Parking: Street Parking
👗Attire: Casual
🍽 Perfect For: Couples, Families, Groups
☀️Outdoor Seating Available: Yes (Covered Patio)
🐶 Dog Friendly: Yes
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