Great Food at Bo Beau

I get tired of the same old neighborhood eateries, so even though it's a bit of a drive (about 25 minutes), four of us headed to Ocean Beach a few weeks ago, to Bo Beau.  We went early on a Thursday night to avoid a long wait at the restaurant.  They don't take reservations, but you can call when you're on your way and get on the  accelerated wait list, which means you go to the top of the line when you arrive.  It's almost as good as having a reservation.  We walked in around 6:30 and were seated immediately.

There are many good things about Bo Beau, including great food, which I'll get to in a minute.  The ambience is delightful.  It's in the same building (or should I  say house) as  Thee Bungalow.  Thee Bungalow was part of the Cohn chain, as is Bo Beau, but it was a different concept.  Bo Beau is casual, with indoor and outdoor seating, a big pizza oven outside, and a relaxed atmosphere inside, with rustic furniture, including a nice bar.  We sat outside on a warm summer evening, and thoroughly enjoyed the service, food and ambience.

They call Bo Beau French comfort food. I call it delicious, creative, and bountiful.
We began our meal with a spanikopita flatbread and an order of escargot.  The flatbread was loaded with spinach and nice, tart feta cheese.  The order of escargot came with a brown paper bag filled with sliced and toasted french bread, great for sopping up the garlicky butter.  For the main course, the men both ordered bouillabaisse.  They raved.  I ordered moules provencales, one of 5 different varieties of mussels.  Joy order French onion soup, thick and cheesy.  For dessert we ordered a "make your own ice cream sandwich," where we chose from several types of cookies (oatmeal raisin was our choice), several ice creams and gellatos (we chose vanilla), with a little carmel sauce on the side.  It was a great ending to a great meal. 

The best part of the restaurant is that there is nothing over $20.  Beef bourguignon, chicken fricasse, steak frites, and brined pork chops are just some of the entrees.  Lighter meals include chicken cordon bleu, leek "fondue" mac and cheese, charcuterie board and crispy brussels sprouts.  The latter was one of the most popular items on the menu, and many tables of four ordered one for the table.  I'm not a brussels sprouts fan, but everyone seemed to love it. 

Finally, the best news is that Bo Beau takes the Passport Card.  Buy one entree, get one free.  Our dinner for four, including tax and tip, was $78.  I can't wait to go back again and try some different items.  Bring your own wine for $15 corkage fee and you've got a gourmet meal at a very moderate price.  I loved it.  I know you will too.

They call Bo Beau French comfort food.  I call it delicious, creative, and bountiful.