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Ratings and reviews

RATINGS
Food
Service
Value
Atmosphere

Details

CUISINES
American, Bar, Pub
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Brunch, After-hours
FEATURES
Outdoor Seating, Seating, Parking Available, Television, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Table Service, Takeout
Reviews (59)
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59 results
Traveller rating
40
14
4
1
0
Traveller type
Time of year
LanguageEnglish
Traveller rating
40
14
4
1
0
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Reviewed today via mobile

It's been fun checking out the developments from this neat, family friendly, neighborhood bar & grille. The snacks are tasty. All of 'em. We're always in for at least an order or two of their Kung Pao Cauliflower and/or Brussels Sprouts appetizers when available. Burgers...and sliders are great too. Back in the day, the kiddos really enjoyed stopping by on a Saturday morning in pajamas at the build-your-own waffle bar. Service met expectations even when very busy. Drink orders are prompt and food arrived together. Our friendly servers checked up on refills and made sure we had what we needed. A recently added game room looked great. Neat variety of arcade and pinball machines for gaming options. Kiddos liked playing Mario Kart racing and shooting basketball hoops. Nicely done. The Hills is one of my favorite local barcades.More

Date of visit: January 2024
Helpful?
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Reviewed 15 April 2023 via mobile

I'll start by writing that I don't eat at places with this type of service often, so I honestly didn't know how/if I should tip or who...We seated ourselves, cleaned our own table to eat, got our own napkins/utensils/menus, then walked to the bar to...place drink/food orders, and then walked to the bar to pay the bill (they don't bring the check)...a server brought out our food, and another came by twice to see if we needed anything (drink refills)...so I figured on tipping the bartender a few bucks, but was caught off guard when the default tip when paying the bill was well over 20%...I don't know, I'll have to do some reading because maybe I got old and missed the culture shift...I thought over 20% was a good tip for great full service? Just be ready for that. That being said, the staff was very pleasant, the food was good with generous helpings, we sat outside in yhe back and it was a nice picnic table atmosphere, there were large TVs all over showing a baseball game, so it was all good. They also had receipt type printouts of all the beers they had with prices so they get points for that...lots of choices and clear.More

Date of visit: April 2023
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Reviewed 9 April 2023 via mobile

Just drove by on our way to a wedding. We were early and stopped for a drink. As soon as we entered we weee warmly greeted. My wife said this is like cheers. We had a couple of drinks and chips and salsa.

Date of visit: April 2023
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 6 December 2021

Great place, really really good burgers. Bartender went out of his way to know everyones name at the bar. I'm old and have eaten (many) thousands of burgers and the burgers here are really good, excellent actually. Wide range of craft taps that are always...changing. Great hang!More

Date of visit: November 2021
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 9 January 2020

Great local dive bar. First time for me. I had fun lunch with a friend from El Cajon and I drove from Rancho Bernardo and would come back in a heartbeat. The sliders and cauliflower bites were awesome, a large selection of beers, and the...waitress, Ericka was terrific.More

Date of visit: January 2020
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 8 January 2020 via mobile

My girlfriend and I met here for Breakfast. We each had one of their Specials with Eggs, Bacon, Grits and a Biscuit. A very hearty and good meal. The Grits were fantastic and the Eggs cooked to perfection. We enjoyed their Mimosas too! You can’t...beat their prices, so go and enjoy!More

Date of visit: December 2019
Helpful?2  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 11 December 2019

A friend asked me to find a local bar in La Mesa that was comfortable and had a decent menu. We didn't want loud pool tables and people smoking outside. I found the Hills. It's a comfortable and welcoming place with a very good bar...food and drink menu and nice atmosphere. I've been there twice in the last month and a third friend joined us the last time. She is not a bar person but loved it too. The Hills feels like a modern Cheers with a mix of ages and a laid back attitude. A great find.More

Date of visit: November 2019
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Reviewed 20 August 2019 via mobile

A little tricky to locate if you’re not familiar with the area as the map will take you to the parking in the back of the restaurant without any signage. About ten spots In the back and street parking out front is reasonable for the...venue. All the food was tasty. Drinks were flavorful. Service was rather slow but the waitress didn’t miss anything and made all the normal checks-ins, just longer between visits to the table then desirable. The Diablo burger was large and tasty served with fresh crispy fries. The club sandwich was almost two meals worth of food and also served with fries. Kung-Pow Cauliflower appetizer was tasty and served quickest. I didn’t care for the turkey sandwich: strong tasting turkey and strangely too much meat for the sandwich size making it very messy and nearly impossibly to eat as a sandwich but upgraded to sweet potato fries that hit the spot. Trendy place that seemed rather busy for lunch on a Monday. First visit to this location, might be better for drinks and a snack instead of a meal. Not my highest recommendation but certainly not below average. Try for yourself 🤷🏼‍♀️More

Date of visit: August 2019
Helpful?2  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 7 August 2019 via mobile

Great pub for drinks, food, and friends! Friendly staff! Love the atmosphere, laid back. Great place for a meeting or just getting away for a minute.

Date of visit: August 2019
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Reviewed 5 August 2019

It was more crowded than I would have expected when we visited early afternoon on a Friday. I quickly figured out that was because of the great happy hour specials ($4 draughts, $2.50 sliders etc). While it was loud and busy, the service was quick...and efficient. The beer selection is great, and the food was very good. Definitely worth visiting again if in the area.More

Date of visit: July 2019
Helpful?2  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 2 August 2019 via mobile

Arrived with my family, includes two kids, and it definitely has an eclectic but super charming atmosphere. Driving by you may not even notice it, and there is a parking lot in the back. I have never seen so many different groups of people...hipsters, bikers,...Docker row at the bar with their golf polos, etc. Everyone was having a good time, probably because they had full bellies from the amazing burgers. Staff was attentive and friendly, I’m glad we stumbled upon this hidden gem.More

Date of visit: August 2019
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 2 July 2019 via mobile

A place that goes out of the way to make you feel welcome. I highly recommend the watermelon margarita and the “lake sliders”. Yum. Seating is limited

Date of visit: June 2019
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 23 April 2019

Best neighborhood pub for food and drink. Excellent service and wonderful community spirit with periodic evening of percentage gifts for local charities. Relax and kick back with this relaxed family friendly pub. Bring you kids along for the food if you would like. Highly recommended.

Date of visit: April 2019
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 14 April 2019 via mobile

Great food and service! Sandwiches were delicious and portions were great! 2pm to 5pm happy hour specials Monday to Friday.

Date of visit: April 2019
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 11 November 2018 via mobile

Bacon, eggs, grits, and wheat toast is my usual choice and I was surely l pleased with this trip. A group of friends does breakfast here with some frequency and I was able to join them. Good food, good service and adequate coffee. The grits...were quite good, something I rarely find in restaurants. Very enjoyable.More

Date of visit: November 2018
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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The Hills, La Mesa - Restaurant Reviews, Phone Number & Photos - Tripadvisor

Frequently Asked Questions about The Hills

Yes, The Hills offers takeaway services.

The Hills is rated accordingly in the following categories by Tripadvisor travellers:
  • Food: 4.5
  • Service: 5
  • Value: 4.5
  • Atmosphere: 4.5