Yanni’s Bar & Grill

Great ambience with ample outdoor seating. My wife loved the salmon but my lamb skewer was rather chewy & a little too sour for my taste. The service was attentive although it took a long time for the bread to arrive.

Great ambiance and we warmly greeted upon entrance.
Wine selection is overwhelming but I had a house Sauvignon blanc and my husband had a Scripps margarita. Both were very good.
We enjoyed a pita and tzatziki appetizer.
Main entrée we ordered the Ravioli Romano and Pork Loin Chop. The ravioli was so delicious and the presentation was beautiful. My husband absolutely loved his chop.
Staff was very nice, cleared our plates quickly, and frequently refreshed our water.

Thank you for staying open late on SR grad night. You made our special night with family and friends even more special. As always, food and service was wonderful. We could not have asked for a better evening !!

I’ve been a patron of Yanni’s for many years but had not visited their new location. No surprise, the food continues to be outstanding as well as the service. My wife and I each had the Lamb Cannelloni, delicious, our friends had the cheeseburger and beef skewer. All was outstanding. But so was Emily who provided us with excellent recommendations and service with a great big smile. Yanni’s generosity also shined thru in our dining experience with a terrific bottle of French Red.
Great place, great people, just all around great.

Let’s start with the liquor selection. For this «neck of the woods» we do not have many choices. And this place has a little bit of everything. My husband is a rum snob and is so loving this place. Great selection of top quality rum. The food. Let’s start with the risotto balls ! Wow. I can eat these every day! I’m also obsessed with their lemon lavender cocktail. Amazing salads I add my choice of meat !! Only downside is they are not open late.

This is a lovely restaurant and certainly worthy of the many nice comments that it has received. The ambiance is comfortable, the outdoor patio is an excellent summer hangout and the prices generally reasonable. Importantly, the restaurant is eager to please its patrons — an important element of any successful eatery. We chose to give it three stars rather than four stars largely because the food is A-​OK and not great. Also, the front of the house was not well-​attended. Four of us walked in, there was no one to greet us. Finding us a table at the not-​so-​busy restaurant on a Sunday afternoon turned out to be difficult and we were never given a wine list. We ordered four items from the menu:
— The Cobb salad was nicely portioned and the lettuce was fresh. The grilled breast of chicken was far too dry to be served by any self-​respecting chef. It tasted as if it were an institutional grilled chicken that you’d buy in a bag from Costco.
— The Corsica salad was quite nice. We asked for an extra side of the tenderloin beef skewer. It was unremarkable and a bit tough (and dry) for tenderloin. We often cook tenderloin at home and it should melt in your mouth. This skewer didn’t.
— The San Remo salad was perhaps the best of the salads that we ordered. The items were fresh.
— The Primavera risotto wasn’t a big hit. The vegetables included in the risotto was the standard tomato, broccoli, carrot assortment… nothing special or unusual like snow peas, mushrooms or hericot verte. The risotto itself wasn’t as good as what we make at home — again, it could have been Olive Garden-​quality risotto. This restaurant should and can do better than that.
Overall, a very nice restaurant with a good location and lovely ambiance for Scripps Ranch. We recommend it, but we encourage it to focus a bit more on the food (and on seating customers a bit more professionally). We feel like we got what we paid for but no ah-​hah moments for our tastebuds.

Delicious food and drinks! I had the lavender spritzer and the linguine carbonara. The carbonara was creamy with just the right amount of taste. I also tried Mary’s chicken and the chicken was super juicy. Very well made food. But not a lot of Mediterranean dishes here, which was what I expected. Plenty of parking and nice outdoor patio area as well.

Great food and perfect service.
What I had:
Mussels appetizer
And cheesecake dessert
**both were delicious
They have a full bar & some decent local beer options

This place is soooo good! I went here twice with my parents and we know the owner, Yanni, himself. He is a super cool dude!
I have had the salmon plate and the pasta and seafood plate :) i would recommend this place to friends and family.

My friend and I checked in to our hotel across the parking lot and then decided to come here for a light lunch before heading out to a wedding. They had a cute patio but it was a limitless too cool to sit outdoors but the indoor dining area was nice, too. They brought a nice bread basket w vinegar & oil for dipping which we enjoyed. We opted to split two small plates — the mussels (1 lb) and the chicken pesto pita pizza — and they were both excellent. We did not leave a single morsel but we were both satisfied. We only had water to drink and the total bill came out to around $ 30 which was pretty reasonable. I’d definitely recommend this place since the other option in the little hotel park was Chili’s (ick).

My husband and I went to Yanni’s Bar and Grill today for the first time for lunch, the restaurant was recommended to us by a friend.
I would like to say we will definitely be going back the food was outstanding I had the Chicken Piccata and my husband had the Lamb burger with all the toppings and fries everything was very good.
Really great presentation, there was so much on the menu it was hard to decide what to have.
Our waiter was very nice, they have a huge bar, plenty of choices for mixed drinks and wine.
Really nice outdoor patio.
Enjoy!

You cannot find a better restaurant than Yanni’s! The service and food are excellent. I have tried many meals over the years and I’ve yet to have a bad one. The staff is friendly and even Yanni, the owner comes around and personally say’s hello and asks how your meal was. How nice is that?!
This is one of my very favorite SD restaurants, and I highly recommend if you’re in the area, to stop by and bring your appetite. You won’t be disappointed!

Wow what a special surprise! I was staying at the Marriott for three weeks and just checked it out. The lamb cannelloni was like so good it was like a lasagna that went to college to get more sophisticated and refined. Not trying to over sell this place but multiple people said the Spartan bruschetta was the best they ever had. The waitress was very sweet and charming. Go during happy hour well worth it. Cannot wait to go back:)

WOW not only amazing food and cocktails but 5 star service! My husband and I had a delicious meal! We had Seafood Risoto Arribattia and Chicken Picatta. YUM! The portion size was perfect. The flavors were out of this world. For dessert we had the baklava which was large enough to share and probably the best we have ever eaten. Our servers name was Daniel. He not only was an excellent server but he was so friendly and you could tell he loved were he was working. He took great pride in his work. He also had a million dollar smile! Next time we are in the area Yannis is where we will dining and we for sure will be requesting Daniel!

If you are in the area this restaurant is well worth a visit.
Staff was friendly and attentive. Food is excellent
We have eaten here twice and both times the food was great.
This ranks just below my favorite SD restaurant.
The food quality is excellent and the portions are ample. We have tried several dishes over our visits and all have been great.
Large wine selection and a full bar.
the restaurant is large and could accommodate a group.

Date of visit: 3÷6÷2015
My parents have been wanting to try out Yanni’s ever since Fishgrille closed and tonight was the night we decided to go after everyone couldn’t decide what they wanted to eat. We were used to entering from the other side, but the entire restaurant was flipped around, so we ended up being those people who bumble around the patio area looking for the door.
Anyway, as it was a Sunday night, we weren’t expecting a wait, but decided to call ahead, just in case. It was a good thing we did because it was packed! I couldn’t believe how popular this spot was, but with a full bar and extensive wine list, I can’t blame people for wanting to get that last drink in. They let us make a reservation for an hour later and we finished up cleaning out my old room before heading out to the restaurant.
Once we finally found the door, we were immediately greeted by the host, who said our table would be ready in a couple of minutes. We took a seat in the waiting area and marveled at the bar, which had a large assortment of beers and liquor, and were intrigued by the extensive wine cellar in the back.
A short while later, we were seated at our table and our waiter came by with water. Since I had looked at the menu ahead of time I knew what I wanted, and the rest of my family made their decisions relatively quickly. Our waiter was great — he came by just enough to make sure we had everything we needed.
Calamari. My family ordered this to start. I’m not a fan of squid, no matter who prepares it, but I still tried it anyways. The breading was really great, and my family really liked it — more than other calamari dishes. I really liked the deep fried green beans and sweet potatoes that came mixed in with the calamri. It definitely let me partake in eating the appetizer with my family. This dish also came with your typical marinara sauce, which was just okay, and a lemon pesto sauce, which was mind blowing amazing. The lemon pesto sauce was nice and tart, and it really complimented the fried nature of everything else.
Caesar Salad. This was a fancy salad and didn’t come with a plethora of croutons — rather, it just had one piece of crostini. The salad was dressed well, although a little overdressed for my tastes. Anthony really enjoyed it though — I only had a couple of bites since he’s the one who ordered it.
Beef Tenderloin Skewer. I was feeling in comfort food mode and decided to order this with mashed potatoes. The dish came with grilled veggies (bell pepper and onions), steamed veggies (carrots and green beans), and pita bread with tzatziki sauce. Although the meat was really chewy and over cooked, the mashed potatoes were amazing! I could have done with more mashed potatoes.
Now, I know this is a Mediterranean grill, but I thought the balance of my plate was off. I think it would have been better without the pita bread and tzatziki sauce, and the steamed veggies could have been seasoned better. Maybe there could even be two types of plating — the skewers with rice, pita, tzatziki sauce, veggies; or the skewers with mashed potatoes, veggies, and the lemon pesto sauce. Anyway, this is definitely not a dish I would get again.
Lamb Rissoto. I told Cam to get this since it seemed like his style and he really enjoyed it. He did say that the lamb was also really overcooked, but enjoyed the overall flavors of the dish. This wasn’t a cheesy rissoto, rather, it was more like a stew.
Dad ordered the Lamb Skewer, which he really enjoyed. I swapped a piece of my beef with him and it was way better. The lamb was perfectly cooked. Mom ordered the Chicken Piccata, which looked amazing. She even finished the entire place, which is super rare for her. Anthony ordered the Shrimp Linguine, which also disappeared really fast from his plate.
Overall, Yanni’s is definitely a great place to check out. They have a great variety on their menu and I’m hoping to try a different dish that I’ll fall in love with in the future. For this visit though, I was more than happy with my choice of wine and mashed potatoes.

We were staying at the nearby Hotel and despite the jokes about Yanni and his pan flutes we made when we passed it turned out the reviews for the place where pretty good.
We had just spend nearly 4 hours in the «General Public» line (Never you done that!) coming back from Tijuana so we were ready for a break. Yanni’s provided that perfectly.
I had the Lamb Burger which was really good as well as an Ouzo Sidecar, which was fortunately not as PEPPERMINT as I remember from the Ouzo I’d had in Greektown back in Detroit.
The better half and I drank the night away while laughing at Chris Christie standing behind Donald Trump looking like a ghost on Super Tuesday.
I highly recommend Yanni’s, and I didn’t hear a single Pan Flute the entire time we were there.

Really great place situated in a convenient place. We all had different risotto and platters of hummus. The pizza was great and their special dessert is out of this world.
They have a great wine list and the service is wonderful.
Can’t wait to go back.

I checked this place out. Had the muddles appetizer and the cucumber/​lemon martini. Both were outstanding! Try this place you will love their wide range of Greek Delicacies.

Great restaurant, and what makes a great restaurant?
— Good Service
— Good Food
— Good Wine
— Good atmosphere
— Convenient Location
— Fair Priced
— Clean and Sanitary
— Variety
— Ample Parking
I will return. Thanks

Second girls night in 2 months. Ordered a 22 dollar glass of cab and said I’d like desert also. Large group of us so I understood it’s difficult. Runner was bringing out bread and waitress pointedly told him we didn’t order food on our end so not to give us bread! I’m drinking a 20 dollar glass of wine and told you that I was starting with that and was going to order desert and more wine. Come on don’t be rude. Never brings out the desert menu had to ask another waitress. Wanted another glass of wine got frustrated because waitress not coming back so decided to move to house cab with desert. She gives me attitude. Then decide I might want more so ask for some fries. Who cares what order I get my food. Never asks others if they want another drink or desert. Brings the check out for us. 4 others in group state they had wanted desert but obviously will have to go somewhere else since waitress didn’t ask if we wanted anything else. I would have ordered another glass of wine because I did Über.
First girls night was okay we ordered 5 bottles of wine for 6 of us. Scallops overcooked but service okay. Hence 2 stars instead of 1. Won’t be coming back again.

Everything was spectacular from the service to the wine and especially our meals. I started with the smoked salmon and caviar and it is probably one of my new favorite things to eat of all time! Highly recommend and they are only $ 3 a piece!

Just to be clear, I was in between 3 and 4 stars but felt that the food was good enough to pull this place to 4 stars.
Everyone seemed to really like their meal and the desserts were 5 stars.
My issues were around the speed to getting food and the wait. We made a reservation for 4 but still ended up waiting for 15 – 20 minutes. What was more annoying was listening to the hostess and what appeared to be a service manager apologize every 2 – 3 minutes saying that this weekend is «always soooooo crazy»! I understand that you got backed up and really didn’t care. I just hated hearing an apology every few minutes. They could have easily offered us a beer or drink if they felt that bad.
After that, the food (including desserts) all took quite a while to come out. My meal lagged the others at the table but the waiter thought enough to bring me a salad so that I had something to hold me over while everyone ate.
Really, really good food but it seems like there are some operational issues that prevent this from being 5 stars. We might might be coming back but probably not on a Saturday night.

The service was good, no complaints. The food was very good. I just happened to have an issue with my plate, chef compt it. I’ll be going back to give it another try. If it doesn’t fail again I’ll edit my review.

BAD CUSTOMER SEVICE! Shame on you, Yanni’s, you just lost our business, forever. We were just trying to give your restaurant business, but clearly customer service is not your strong suit. We signed up for a table. We decided to wait at the bar to eat, drink, & pass the time. We asked the server if it was ok. She said yes. Then your hostess basically kicked us out saying «We’re trying to reserve this table.» Wow. Seriously? Of course, we left since your hostess’s agenda was clearly more important than us as customers or, our business.

So I never knew this place was here, its really a hidden gem. We went here a few months back and just went back again recently.
Their kabobs are amazing, and their italian dishes were so impressive (i lived in NY for 10 years san this was some of the best i’ve had in san diego), they have great cocktails as well.
The ambiance is dated, and we were some of the youngest ones there.
real down side was the cleanliness of the restrooms and the prices for everything from cocktails to entrees.

Great food great service.
The bruschetta is to die for. All of the food is super fresh!

Had no idea about this place until I was taken there on a great first date. Excellent choice for date night. Really mellow and nice ambiance, good spacing between tables so that people don’t hear your awkward first date conversations.
I had the yanni’s salmon. It was perfectly grilled and is served with an chunky and magical sauce of fresh tomato, garlic, capers, kalamatas and parsley. All plates are served with Yanni’s rice and veggies. My date had the chicken saltimbocca — and seeing as he didn’t leave anything on his plate, I’m going to assume it was awesome.
Robust wine list, great service, cappuccino perfection for post-​dinner chat… looking forward to going back.

This time the service (which was my only concern last time) was wonderful! I had to have the same, delicious, organic half-​chicken, and this time there was more meat and more sauce — amazing!!!
My only disappointment — they didn’t have the flourless chocolate cake! Darn! My mouth still waters when I think about it! Apparently, they only have it for «special occasions.» Better for my waistline, but not for my taste buds! This should ALWAYS be on the menu!

Love the food and the ambience, and the service was great! Definitely one of my favorites. :)

Venue is bigger inside with outdoor and indoor accommodation. Food was good and tasteful. Ladies room needs cleaning with fresher air. Staff was tentative.

5 stars for them. We came here for late lunch after our a long walk. The restaurant more fancy than I thought. The service was so nice and the food was so yummy. Especially the dessert was so good, we enjoyed a lot. Three meals ordered with a dessert, we total cost 54 $(not include tips). The price is really reasonable. We are pretty sure we will come back.

I was here for dinner. The bread basket consisted of baked pita type items with some type of spice on it which turned out to be addictive.
For an appetizer we had a grilled cheese. I can’t even begin to describe this appetizer. It was amazing. You have to try it to understand what I am talking about. It was accompanied by tomatoes. It was really amazing. The cheese was gooey and melted.
We then split a large salad with goat cheese, walnuts and raisins. Everything was so fresh. I recommend the salads.
Dinner was the salmon plate. It was ok.
I was spoiled by the scrumptious appetizer and salad.
Personally, I thought this restaurant was on the pricier side but it’s a good place for a nice dinner.

Aside from the hummas plate we ordered, I didn’t gather too much Mediterranean here but it was still good, nonetheless. If you like muscles with a side of noodles, this place is for you. *wink.
Great atmosphere and felt higher end than the price reflected.

I was sad when I thought Yanni’s had left us. Their old location was closer to work for me and one day when we had decided to go there we were sad to see it had been gone! After realizing it had just moved down closer to the 15 I had to make a mental note to try it again sometime.
I had never been to the restaurant that was there before but I gotta say, this location is nice! At first glance from the outside doesn’t do it justice, once you walk in you see how open and airy it is. The full glass wine cellar that showcases all the wines is very cool.
Came here for lunch and I ordered the lamb burger with fries. The fries were very crispy and thin (I love them that way, but it might not to everybody’s taste) and the lamb burger was juicy and flavorful. Mmmm! Looks like Yanni’s is doing quite alright for itself with all the traffic from the nearby business hotels. Good for them!

Good food, great service!
I have been going to Yanni’s since they were located on the intersection of Pomerado Road and Scripps Poway Parkway. The old location was a lot smaller and so were the alcohol offerings. This new location is very beautiful with two outside patios supplied with fire pits. If it’s allowed, it’s a good place to throw a small private party. They have a lot of wine and cocktails to choose from now. I ordered their margarita and it was delish! My personal favorite (and one that I would always order at their old location) is the ravioli. It’s the best ravioli I have ever tasted! Love that it’s still in Scripps ranch so it’s just a short drive for me! Yay!

We have been going to Yanni’s for years at the old location… and had not had the opportunity to try it since they moved… but we did tonight.
The new location is at the corner, right off of the I-​15 and Scripps-​Poway Parkway, right next to a hotel. There is more than ample parking.
The previous occupant (Nugent’s FishGrille) did not do a very good job with the restaurant… both the food and service were spotty at best.
Yanni’s is known for decent food and excellent service, and they did not disappoint tonight.
We were celebrating a dear friend’s 50^th birthday, and they set up seating for 15 people at one table. That is really hard to do, and they did it with apparent effortlessness. Other diners were not inconvenienced by the looks of things, and our servers were attentive and professional. We brought our own wine, and they did a fantastic job of keeping the glasses of water and wine full.
As a group, we started with arrancini (risotto-​cheese balls, rolled and fried) with a tasty marinara, and a very credible bruschetta.
My wife and I shared a small spring greens salad that came with walnuts and dried cranberries. Very flavorful and the small was just the right size to split. She had a delicious ravioli for the entrée, and I had a double skewer of lamb. Lamb was tender, but a tad underseasoned.
So the food, as previously stated was good… maybe 3.5 stars, but the service AND the ambiance was a SOLID 4. As a longtime neighborhood restaurant and community partner, Yanni’s consistently earns their stars.
I do recommend that everybody try it, and be honest about their experience, it will only help Yanni’s to better the experience.