Queenstown Public House in San Diego

Located in San Diego’s Little Italy, the Queenstown Public House is many things: former office building, pub and an Easter Antipodean restaurant (New Zealand, that is).

The building is fantastic, quaint and rustic with just a touch of the eccentric. A large bar opens into a patio with indoor and outdoor seating. Guests are greeted by a “Please Wait to be Seated” sign resting in a rocking chair and a bowl of dog treats for their pooch.

The night I dined there, the restaurant was crowded and I had to wait for a table. But that was no problem as the bar was well stocked with 19 local craft beers, a healthy selection of wines and an assortment of interesting mixed drinks.

When a table opened up, the bartender happily transferred my tab to my waiter. Queenstown Public House is above all else a burger joint, which serves 100 percent organic, grass-fed beef with a New Zealand flair. Other sandwiches include lamb, chicken, Ahi and the Thai Stick, a duck and pickled carrot concoction that somehow comes together deliciously.

I ordered a steak & bleu. The burger staple with caramelized onions and bleu cheese had a wonderful twist, however, as it was made from grilled flank steak. I also ordered a big bowl, a salad of grilled shrimp, fruit, arugula, avocado and mango. It was, as the name should have warned me, big. Even after sharing between two people, we still did not see the bottom of the salad. Besides being big, it was tasty; the orange mint dressing topped everything off with just the right acid zing.

When the check came, I was pleasantly surprised to find Queenstown Public House is reasonable. A burger sits around $13, while a side order is about $5.

For a mid to upper-range New Zealand restaurant with a comfortable setting, you won’t find better than Queensland Public House.

Queenstown Public House

1557 Collumbia St

San Diego, Calif. 92101

619 546 0444