Knotty Barrel Rancho Penasquitos Owner is Opening a New Concept in Escondido

Sabre Springs Tavern LLC , the operator of the Knotty Barrel in Rancho Penasquitos, is working on a new yet-to-be-named concept in Escondido , located at 155 East Grand Ave.

Company owner James Thorp recently submitted a liquor license application to open a new concept in the former home of Plan 9 Alehouse in downtown Escondido. Thorp, who has no relation with the Knotty Barrel found downtown, tells What Now Media Group that while they don’t have a name yet and are still working with a contractor on overall design and more, he hopes to open around September 2024 . It will be a full-service restaurant with a full bar.

When the new concept opens later this year, customers can expect food similar to Knotty Barrel, including pork tenderloin, steak, top sirloin, poke stacks, and pasta. The restaurant will have an American cuisine gastropub-type feel, similar to the Knotty Barrel in Rancho Penosquitos. The new restaurant will also have around 18 beers on draft, many coming from local San Diego breweries. Overall, the concept will offer quality food, excellent spirits, and great ambiance, and it hopes to become a place where people can have a great dinner and stay late for specialty cocktails.

At one point, the two San Diego Knotty Barrels operated under the same ownership, but during COVID, the business split into two different operating partners with no relation to each other. Thorp tells What Now Media Group that he chose to expand into Escondido because his friends and family recently moved to the neighborhood, and he believes there aren’t enough full-service restaurants in the area. He hopes to change that by the end of the year with this new concept.

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