The call
This page is kept as part of the dated record. The order notes below describe the place as Roger recommended it, not as it operates today.
What to order
- Shishito toast
- Surf 'n turf
Best for
- A cozy date spot
New American · Tapas
Two Seven Eight
A cozy, recently opened Hillcrest date spot with a limited but tasty tapas-style menu, where Roger called the shishito toast a must-have alongside a medium-rare flank steak and shrimp surf 'n turf.
Closed
Two Seven Eight is listed as closed. Roger's dated review is kept as part of the record.
Yelp — Two Seven Eight listed as closed (checked 2026-09-17) (2026-09-17) ↗From Roger’s camera roll
More photos from Two Seven Eight
Posted 2017-02-11 
Posted 2017-02-11 
Posted 2017-02-11
From Roger’s Foursquare
Roger’s tips on Two Seven Eight
Shishito toast!
Posted
On Roger’s lists: Crafted Cocktails.
Source-backed notes
Visit history
Checked in 5 times on Yelp and Swarm, most recently May 25, 2018. See the check-in log
2017-02-11day precision · source explicit
“Shishito toast a must-have.”
Roger called it a cozy date spot with a limited but tasty tapas-style menu, singling out the shishito toast and a surf 'n turf of medium-rare flank steak with grilled shrimp.
Stay in the neighborhood
More in Hillcrest.
RecommendedPrice varies
Hillcrest
Cigar Cave
Drinks
Roger's Hillcrest cigar-bar pick, run by an owner (Raul) he calls the friendliest in town, open later than most local lounges with a strong Belgian beer selection on tap and bottle.
- From the order notes
- A cigar paired by Raul · Belgian beer on tap or bottle
- Go for
- Late-night cigar hours · Belgian beer drinkers
Latest recorded visit2025-01-15
Not recommendedPrice varies
Hillcrest
Hong Kong Restaurant
Chinese
A Hillcrest Chinese restaurant Roger says declined after the pandemic, dropping from a two-star review to one star, after an earlier visit he'd already called just okay and Americanized.
- From the order notes
- Go for
- A cautionary tale on a post-pandemic decline
Latest recorded visit2022
Worth trying$$
Hillcrest
Nishiki Ramen - Hillcrest
JapaneseRamen
A Hillcrest location of the Nishiki Ramen chain -- a separate address from the site's existing Kearny Mesa entry -- rated a middling three stars by Roger.
- From the order notes
- Go for
- Ramen in Hillcrest
Latest recorded visit2019-02-02
Keep exploring
More like this.
Browse the New American page, or continue to another place with a matching cuisine.
Roger’s pick$$$
Mission Hills
Fort Oak
New American
A Mission Hills dinner-and-drinks choice with a menu built for a proper night out, especially when pork chops and whiskey cocktails are the brief.
- From the order notes
- Pork chop · Whiskey cocktails
- Go for
- Dinner and drinks · A polished night out
Latest recordRecommended 2022
Temporarily closed$$$
University Heights
Madison
New American
A University Heights restaurant where the cocktail program is a genuine reason to stay for dinner, not an afterthought to the food.
- From the order notes
- Barrel-aged mezcal or whiskey cocktails
- Go for
- Cocktail-led dinners · Dinner and drinks
Latest recordRecommended 2022