SEA180º indoor dining area

SEA180º Coastal Tavern
800 Seacoast Drive
Imperial Beach, CA 91932
619-631-4949

By Judi Curry

Many, many years ago, I was the Vocational Manager at San Diego Job Corps.  There was not a restaurant that would rank over a “3” then, but times have really changed.

This past weekend I celebrated my $%th birthday.  But the way I celebrated it was different than I thought it would be.  My friend, “Cowboy” flew in from North Dakota to help me age.  But he also had started building a solar panel over my flat roof the last time he was here because I kept complaining how cold my bedroom was during the day.  He drew diagrams, checked different places on line for parts, and asked a question that triggered a memory from a few years past.

I cannot tell you what that question was, but I knew where I could get the answer.  During the time I was at SDJC, we had an excellent Solar instructor teaching our students how to build and maintain solar panels.  Over the years I called upon him to repair various problems I had with the electrical lines going to the house, and I knew that if I ever was in a bind I could call on him.

Baja Calamari

I put in a call to Randall Mann and he agreed to meet us and see if he could answer Cowboy’s questions. He suggested that we meet at the “SEA 180º Coastal Tavern” because it was close to work and a nice place.  And nice it was! Beautiful view, both from the inside and outside.

The lunch menu was extensive, consisting of 7 appetizers; 7 sea starters; 6 soups and salads; 4 sandwiches and 7 entrees.

Grilled Chicken Sandwich

We elected to start our lunch with a generous serving of “Baja Calamari”, served on a wooden plank and enough for the three of us to taste and enjoy.  The menu stated that it was made with jalapeño, lemon, cilantro and chipotle aioli—the cost was $11.95.  Randall ordered the Grilled Chicken Sandwich with roasted peppers, avocado, lime aioli, and pepper jack cheese. It was served on a mini baguette and garlic fries.  The waitress recommended it highly and Randall was not disappointed. The cost was $11.95

Crab Cakes

Cowboy ordered Crab cakes that were billed as “East/West Crab cakes, made with Baja stone and Chesapeake blue crab, jicama salad, and cilantro-lime aioli. He found them very tasty and the cost was $15.95.

Shrimp Ceviche

I ordered Shrimp Ceviche that was made with Gulf shrimp, cucumber, lime, tomato, onion, cilantro, avocado, and masa crackers.  The cost was $12.95.  It was very tasty, but very, very spicy for me, and not quite as enjoyable as it could have been with a little less spice.  I asked one of the waitresses what kind of crackers were on the plate and she told me “matzo”.  I told her that I had been raised on matzo and I knew that was not what was on the plate.  When our waitress came around she told me that there was some question as to what the crackers were but she said they were MASA – made there every day.  And, of course, that was what they were – not matzo. However, they were very bland, and only mediocre at best.

However, the meal was delicious and I would go again without any question. The final cost was $59.33 plus a tip.  Randall was the only one that had coffee and he said it was also tasty.

Over all, the lunch was delicious and the scenery is beautiful.  Try it sometime for a change in scenery.  You won’t be disappointed.

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Judi Curry

High school dropout who decided to show the educational community what learning is all about. If it's the status quo something's wrong with it and I'll scratch the itch!

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