Restaurant: The Prado Location: 1549 El Prado (Balboa Park) San Diego, CA Phone: (619) 557-9441 Price Range: Lunch $8.95-$16.95, Dinner $12.50-$23.95

Number of visits: 1
Last visit before review: November 24, 2000

Randy wasn't there

Jeff had: Marinated skirt steak panini (with fried tomato and organic field greens and horseradish cheddar), homemade potato chips, marinated vegetable salad (cucumber, greek olives, feta, onion), and cilantro-lime-jicama slaw.

Rating 10 (of 12) Excellent

Jeff says: The sandwich was delicious. The multicolor chips were yummy. The marinated vegetable salad was pretty much a standard Greek salad and was good. The jicama slaw was good and the iced tea was very good.

Jeff and his friend visiting from England took the Trolley Tour of San Diego and got hungry at the Balboa Park stop. The Prado had recently opened and Jeff had heard good things about it so decided to give it a try.

Unfortunately there was an hour wait, but being trapped in the huge park with little other alternative for food we put our name in and received our beeper. Usually restaurants that give out beepers to wait don't take reservations (you wouldn't be waiting long enough to need the beeper), and if this is the case here — we don't know because we didn't try to call ahead — it would be a disadvantage to the before-theater crowd who might want dinner before catching their show at one of several arts centers in the park. In such circumstances it wouldn't be possible to wait an hour to get seated for dinner before a show unless one came several hours early.

The decor was very interesting with glass ball sculptures of seemingly infinite colors and patterns everywhere. Maybe it was due to the place being full to capacity but the atmosphere seemed vibrant and lively. As busy as it was, the service was prompt and courteous. There is also an outdoor patio that overlooks a roman fountain and one of the park's natural wooded areas.

Unfortunately the details of each item on the plate have been lost to time, but what is remembered is that after the hour wait to get in, both Jeff and his friend thought the food quite excellent.