Craft House grows from truck to counter to engaging restaurant

The first time I encountered its massive burgers, the Monster Crafts food truck was parked outside a brewery. A short while later, when that business grew into a North Park food counter, dubbed Craft House, it was slinging the same large burgers out of the back of craft beer tasting room. So, allow me a moment of bemusement over the fact that my latest Craft House visit takes place during a family afternoon at the mall.

For those keeping count, that’s now two malls that are home to Craft House. It set up a couple years back at Del Mar Highlands Town Center’s food court on steroids, Sky Deck, and just last month it debuted at Fashion Valley, next to the Pinkberry.

I suppose it’s a matter of context. It never would have occurred to me to introduce the kids to chef Caesar Huerta’s monster burgers, mostly because I always think of them as something to pair with beer. And to be sure, the new mall locale offers a full bar, with plenty of options for beer, wine, or cocktails. But I’m — I guess the word would be — proud to say that each of our youngsters makes quick work of a signature, half-pound “Not So Basic” bacon cheeseburger ($19, plus $2 for fries).

Funny thing about that is, those earlier Craft House menus spoke primarily to my inner child. You had burgers loaded with bacon, tacos stuffed with pork belly or short rib, entire menus devoted to dirty fries and mac n’ cheese. Like we all reverted to teenagers with the munchies when we bellied up to the Craft House counter.

A couple of "not so basic" bacon cheeseburgers, with white cheddar and onion jam

A lot of those things — which made the brand loveable in the first place — remain. However, like me with the family loaded into our suburban utility vehicle, the Craft House brand has grown up quite a bit since its mobile kitchen origin story unfolded. To wit, while the kids delightedly dig in to their burgers, my wife instead attacks the house ceviche: shrimp swimming in a base of citrus and salsa negra ($18).

Actually, for the adults in the room, Craft House now presents a slew of tough decisions. The comfort food lover in me wants to fall back on the fish and chips, made with local seabass ($21) or a decadent short rib poutine made more SD and less Québécois thanks to the inclusion of chipotle aioli ($25). But the professional foodie in me points out there’s a lobster roll on the menu ($29). Nearby, there’s a pork belly sandwich, but this one’s a bánh mi ($18). And on the “specialties” menu, a $33 fishermen’s stew would seem to indiscriminately toss in everything in the ocean, if it weren’t for the delectable likes of Saltspring Island Mussels and Littleneck clams with shrimp, octopus, and whitefish.

Craft House ceviche, made with shrimp and salsa negra

But it’s ultimately the $25 charred Spanish octopus I can’t resist. It’s served with crumbled longaniza sausage, crispy chick peas, sweet peppers, and potatoes between dual smears of romeseco and pistachio pesto. I don’t order octopus often — in general, I do only when it’s served in a Spanish preparation and when I trust the chef. And I’m happy to report my faith in chef Caesar is not misplaced, even when he veers outside the comfort food genre.

I almost wish we didn’t have to visit the mall to find out. Last year, Huerta and team opened a standalone Craft House restaurant across the county border in Dana Point, with a yet more expansive menu. For something like that, maybe we here in San Diego still have a little growing up to do.