San Diego: Volcano Rabbit (July 2018)



My spouse and I dined at Volcano Rabbit for dinner on a Wednesday evening in early July. Volcano Rabbit is open daily from 11:00 am until 12:00 midnight, with earlier opening hours on Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 am, and extended closing hours on Friday and Saturday nights until 2:00 am. You can make a reservation using the online Open Table reservation system.

Volcano Rabbit opened in early 2018 on Fifth Avenue in the Gaslamp District (in the space formerly occupied by Don Chido). The restaurant gets its name from the world’s second-smallest rabbit (also called “teporingo” or “zacatuche”) that is found in the Mexican mountains. (We aren’t sure how that animal relates to the restaurant, however.) The RMD Group (FLUXX) operates the restaurant, along with neighbor Rustic Root, 207 (a nightclub), Ciro's (a pizzeria), Float (the rooftop pool bar at the Hard Rock Hotel), and Side Bar (another nightclub). (Note that the management of these restaurants automatically adds a 3% service charge to your bill so that YOU can help to pay THEIR employees a livable wage; this charge is in addition to any normal gratuity that you add.)

The cavernous Volcano Rabbit space is divided into two distinct areas. (It seems like this restaurant may have once been two separate venues.) Two bars (mirror images of one another) join the two spaces, although there is a divider/lighted back bar between them that prevents people on one side from seeing those on the other. One half of the dining space offers regular-height tables in the back that are set on a platform a step up from main floor (along with two lounge chairs, a gas fireplace, and a large TV), square and round high-top tables toward the front (some of which share a high wooden banquette and others that are free-standing), as well as a bar rail that runs along the front (glass) wall. The second side of the space offers lounge seating (including stuffed sofas and coffee tables) at the rear, with a few free-standing tables and other tables that share a padded banquette along one wall, a small dancefloor in the middle (a DJ spins several nights a week), and some lounge seating (stuffed leather club chairs grouped in twos) near the front. Some exposed brick walls, lots of wood, and dim lighting complete the décor, along with an interesting sort of street map of Mexico City. A sidewalk patio offers al fresco dining and people-watching.

Volcano Rabbit serves Mexican cuisine, some of which is modern (unique ingredients and combinations), and some of which is traditional (such as the rice and bean sides that accompany most taco dishes). Volcano Rabbit boasts the largest tequila selection in San Diego, including more than 175 varieties. (They also offer margaritas and other cocktails, wine, and beer.) We shared the shrimp taquitos (shrimp wrapped in corn tortillas, with a chipotle lime crema, pineapple, and cilantro) as an appetizer, followed by the sticky beef short rib tacos (garnished with pickled onions and carrots, cucumber, radish, cabbage) and carne asada tacos (skirt steak, aioli, onion, chimichurri) as entrees. For dessert, we followed our server's suggestion and tried the churros - much lighter and fluffier than your usual variety. (Truth be told, we have a modern Mexican restaurant in the city where we live that serves a similar texture churro that we adore, but the ones at Volcano Rabbit were a close second. In fact, although we prefer our local churros, they are served with a dark Mexican chocolate sauce, whereas the churros at Volcano are served with a dulce de leche caramel sauce, which was a better complement.)
 
We enjoyed our dinner at Volcano Rabbit, the atmosphere is laid-back, and we liked the casual fare.













No comments: