Polo Steakhouse Opens In Carlsbad With Executive Chef Judd Canepari

Carlsbad has a new steakhouse, Polo Steakhouse, being led by a team of notable industry pros, and it looks amazing!

Situated west of the I-5 in the coastal community of Carlsbad, Polo Steakhouse occupies the 4,700 square-foot-space that was once West Steak & Seafood.

Polo has been refreshed into a modern steakhouse by a team of industry veterans, including owner and Carlsbad-resident, Mayur Pavagadhi (Paon Restaurant & Wine Bar, Witch Creek Winery, Sleeping Tiger Coffee and Barrio Eat Mexican – all located in Carlsbad); General Manager, Michael Pickering (Bankers Hill Bar & Restaurant, Stake Chophouse), and Executive Chef Judd Canepari (La Valencia).

Polo’s menu focuses on the highest quality and cuts of beef featuring foreign and domestic wagyu, local seafood options, raw bar items, and a variety of shareable steakhouse sides.

Polo Steakhouse Menu

Chef Judd takes traditional steakhouse dishes and elevates and transforms them with modern techniques. He combines his artistry and craftsmanship with wood, iron, and even electricity to add detail into platters and carve decorative utensils out of steak bones.

These handmade treasures are used alongside a beautiful collection of brass and antique items to create dramatic plating presentations that complement his innovative take on a traditional steakhouse menu.

Small Bites at Polo Steakhouse

The menu features a Small Bites section with items such as Fresh Oysters, Caviar served in brass crab claws on a beautiful piece of driftwood, King Crab and Shrimp Cocktail and a house favorite, Escargot os de Boeuf, served on a demi baguette with bone marrow herb butter, toasted breadcrumbs, and fresh garlic.

Polo Steakhouse Caviar served in brass crab claws

Sea Section

The Sea section of the menu features eight seafood options including the “Buffalo” Scallops, an elevated twist on the bar favorite buffalo chicken wings, served with tempura cauliflower, housemade fermented fresno chili, pork belly, beurre blanc, and blue cheese.

Also from the sea is Michael’s Zuppa di Pesce made with white fish, king crab, scallop, mussel, Blue Crystal prawn, chorizo oil and beurre monté.

Polo Steakhouse Opens In Carlsbad With Executive Chef Judd Canepari

The Grill selection

The Grill selection includes American Wagyu Bone-in Ribeye, New York Strip or Filet Mignon from Red Top Farms in Iowa, Washugyu Boneless Ribeye (a cross between Wagyu and high-quality Black Angus) from Lindsay Farms in Oregon, and Berkshire Pork or New Zealand Rack of Lamb.

Sides, Veggies and Desserts

Diners pair their meals with shared sides that include the vegetarian Spinach Rockefeller made with béchamel, pecorino romano and bread crumb, Truffle Pommes Dauphine, mashed potatoes rolled into bite-sized pieces with choux pastry and truffles and fried, or Sweet Corn. A variety of vegetable dishes like broccolini, mushrooms and potatoes (mashed, baked and fried) are also available.

As for dessert, a must-try is the New Haven Cheesecake, Chef’s grandma’s recipe, topped with seasonal fruit.

Wines and Cocktail Program

With two sommeliers on staff, Feliciano Perez and Michael Pickering, and Mayur being a winery owner himself, Polo boasts a collection of over 650 bottles and pours nearly 40 different wines by the glass. Carefully curated with plans to expand to 1,000 labels, the entire collection focuses on new-world wines, balanced with old-world, and classic California cabernets.

The cocktail program at Polo is run by Lead Bartender, Blake Byram (Morton’s Steakhouse, Ironside Fish & Oyster). When creating the cocktail menu, Blake wanted to maintain the classics, but highlight amaro which is evident in the menu with eight out of 10 drinks containing the Italian digestif.

The cocktail menu brings approachability and light-hearted humor to the steakhouse experience with fun names, such as the Fashionably New or the Man With a Hat On, Polo’s take on a Manhattan, made with Templeton Rye, Carpano Antica Formula, Averna, and orange bitters.