In 2005, Phillip "PJ" Lamont and Matt Baker launched their first restaurant, the Bare Back Bar & Grill, in Pacific Beach, offering a menu featuring organic beef burgers, chicken sandwiches, and other New Zealand-inspired dishes. They later opened a second Bare Back Grill in the San Diego Gaslamp Quarter, which was eventually closed.
Since then, the duo has grown their brand with the popular Little Italy eatery Queenstown Public House, followed by Queenstown Bistro at Westfield UTC Mall, Raglan Public House in Ocean Beach, and Dunedin in North Park. Their third Queenstown location, dubbed Queenstown Village, opened in April 2023 at the corner of Wall Street and Herschel in La Jolla Village, in a space previously occupied by Karl Strauss Brewing Company from 1996 to its closure in January 2021.
The New Zealand restaurant group has now taken over a 2,400-square-foot indoor/outdoor, former WestBrew restaurant space on Del Mar's main thoroughfare. This will be the fourth Queenstown location, promising an eclectic menu for brunch, lunch, and dinner. Guests can look forward to shareable small plates, soups, salads, sandwiches, and Kiwi favorites such as meat pies, lamb, grilled shrimp, and the inventive Fergburger-style burgers made with organic, grass-fed beef, chicken, and other exotic meats.
The beverage selection will include wines and craft beers from New Zealand and around the world, along with house-made sangria and more. Although there's no set opening date yet, the decor will likely mirror the other Queenstown establishments, featuring elements that pay tribute to New Zealand’s natural landscape with tropical foliage and natural wood accents. Like the group's existing restaurants, the new Queenstown will be designed by Michael Soriano of Onairos Design.Ìý
The new Queenstown bar & restaurant will be located at 1435 Camino Del Mar, Suite D, in San Diego's North County city of Del Mar. For more information, visit .
Originally published on February 14, 2025.
