Campfire

EXPERIENCE DESCRIPTION

The dining room is a converted mid-century Quonset hut on State Street, its curved metal ceiling arching over communal tables and a 12-foot wood-burning hearth that anchors the whole kitchen. The fire handles nearly everything: prawns over coals, ember-roasted vegetables, koji-aged ribeye seared to a crust. The menu is divided into small bites, shared plates, and larger fire dishes, designed to be ordered across the table rather than around it. Campfire opened in 2016 and sparked a culinary wave in Carlsbad Village that has since produced two Michelin-starred neighbors. Reserve in advance, especially on weekends.

OPERATOR STORY

Campfire is the anchor project of restaurateur John Resnick, who opened it in 2016 with the conviction that Carlsbad could sustain a restaurant of real culinary ambition. It has since become the cornerstone of a dining movement that transformed the village into a recognized North County destination. The sourcing philosophy is rooted in local California farms and purveyors, with a menu that changes with the season and the fire.