San Diego Restaurants

[Purrkins]

I'll be at Mission Beach the third week in August. Going to the Zoo and SW, and kids want to go to Belmont, so that will be one night.

Good food, off beaten path places would be appreciated. We are not foodies, but like good food. Kids are good eaters, teen and almost teen, and are game for all but raw fish, well most raw fish. Suggestions?

San Diego is known for two things - beer and fish tacos.

Seaworld - our best BBQ place believe it or not is in Seaworld. Pretty legitimate.

Close but off site for your SeaWorld day - Pizza Port. Great beers and decent pizza. Located in OB. Perfect for kids.

Pt. Loma Seafood would also be a good local pick (seafood sandwiches and salads and fried things). Super fresh. Head upstairs for views of the bay and seals swimming between the boats.

Tender Greens in Liberty Station would also be excellent. Fresh food, excellent salads and simply prepared meats.

Also in Liberty Station is Stone Brewery Beer Gardens. Stone is our largest local brewer and they just opened a wonderful space. Good food as well.

All these are within 12 minutes of SeaWorld.

Zoo Day - I would suggest Mexican food.

Mama Testa in Hillcrest is an excellent place for tacos, great for kids.

Next to Mama Testa is our second or third best sushi bars in town (also have cooked food) called AkiNori.

A little further afield by about 5 minutes and worth it is the Seven Seas Mariscos German Food Truck located in a parking lot on the corner of Fern and 31st. Yep, it's a food truck but it's seriously some of the best Mexican seafood you'll find. Order the Gobernador (shrimp with cheese) and the Smoked Marlin for something special.

For some of the most authentic Mexican food around I'd try Super Cocina. Located in a more... tired... part of town this is the real deal. They employ chefs from each region of Mexico and have about 4 or 5 cooking each day. This is guisado or steam tray Mexican food - how to order is ask for samples of everything and then pick your favorites 3 or 4 dishes. I feed my family of 3 for about $12 here and take left overs home. It's a perfectly safe neighborhood just needs some new paint.

Carnitas Snack Shack is a place for all lovers of pork. Super casual.

Urban Solace is great comfort American food. Bit more formal than the above mentioned places but one of our best.

All these are located between 5 and 12 minutes from the zoo.

Other notables - Bruno's Pizza (Naples style pizza near zoo), Blind Lady Ale House (pizza and beer) and next to it Viva Pops a wonderful place for paletas (popsicles).

Not much worth suggesting in Mission Beach (Belmont) but a few minutes up the road (you could probably walk it if you're an active family) is Pacific Beach. Good eats there include Costa Bravo (Spanish tapas) and Latin Chef (Peruvian food - excellent cebiche -hey, it's technically cooked in citric acid) and Bare Back Bar and Grill (excellent lamb burger). Our best or second best sushi bar Sushi Ota is locaed in PB as well. Get there at opening, and prepare to wait.

Hope this helps.

August is a great time to visit. Have fun and happy eating.

 

[micheleq]

What do you like? Traveling with kids? Where are you staying? Will you have a car? Interested in good food (often off the beaten path) or the mainstays?

Everything. With kids. Staying at the Hard Rock (for a conference with DH) in August. Always interested in good food! Off the beaten path is fine by us.

Saw your detailed post above - many thanks for all the suggestions. We'll be in town for four days before heading to La Quinta and then onto DL.

 

[Zerosinthecloset]

Just across from the Hard Rock is the Broken Yolk, a great breakfast place. If you can swing it...available via public transportation...Hash House a Go Go shouldn't be missed.

 

[micheleq]

Just across from the Hard Rock is the Broken Yolk, a great breakfast place. If you can swing it...available via public transportation...Hash House a Go Go shouldn't be missed.

Thanks! We'll have a rental car so we're mobile and will be able to drive around.

 

[Lynne G]

Purrkins,
Thank you so much for your list. I will have a rental. Have some business in SD and DD wanted to swim in the Pacific, so now a family trip. I was looking at Liberty and I am going to copy and go over your list with the kids. So many choices! We like Mexican and bar food. Beer and pizza sounds like a great dinner for one night.

Only reason why staying at Mission is beach. Heard it was college party area, but I am hoping most of the kids will be back in school, and as long as not too loud, I am good. My town has more than a few colleges, so not worried.

Thanks, we are looking forward to our CA trip.

 

[dreamin_disney]

We actually just got back from SD and went to Slater 50/50, Phil's BBQ, Hash House, Corvette Diner and Oggi's I'll write up a short trip report soon - with photos!

Anyway, Slater's was pretty busy when we went (around 6PM) but there was no wait. By the time we left (around 7:30PM) there was a line out the door. I noticed that everywhere w went, we did not wait for any of the restaurants we visited except for Phil's, but that was just the regular line to order your food.

Best to go at off times if you do not want to wait too long - we eat pretty early (5:30-6PM) and it seems like everyone else in SD does too!

I cant wait for your review and pictures

 

[Purrkins]

Everything. With kids. Staying at the Hard Rock (for a conference with DH) in August. Always interested in good food! Off the beaten path is fine by us.

Saw your detailed post above - many thanks for all the suggestions. We'll be in town for four days before heading to La Quinta and then onto DL.

A few nice places within walking distance from the Hard Rock hotel. Generally anything in the Gaslamp District is worth skipping, these are the exceptions:

Burger Lounge - a local "chain" for my money, the best burgers in town. Grass fed, hormone free, and delicious. Also a wonderful quinoa burger and a delicious salad. Small menu but very tasty. My daily stop during Comic Con.

Chocolate - Excellent gelato. Another daily stop during Comic Con.

Basic Pizza - Coal fired New Haven style pizza. Good beer list.

Cafe Chloe - a local favorite, French bistro style food. Don't miss the fries (I order them for breakfast). Technically outside of the Gaslamp district but worth the walk. This is where the wife and I go for "Date Night"

The Neighborhood. Burgers and beer. Super hip place. Also inside through a secret door (push the wall of kegs) is The Noble Experiment - a speakeasy cocktail bar (not appropriate for kids). Reservations are a must for the speakeasy.

For breakfast I'd skip Hash House and try Snooze instead. (I find Hash House overrated).

An easy place for serious tacos is Tacos El Piasa - take 5th to Market, right on Market, turn to 25th St. right on Imperial into the parking lot. This is serious tacos cooked over real mesquite with tortillas made to order. Tacos range from $1 to $3 with all types of interesting cuts of meat. The carne asada will ruin you for all other attempts. This is in the Hispanic part of town Barrio Logan, super safe and friendly.

Also close by is Las Quatro Milpas - considered by many to be one of the best Mexican places in town. I think the line is too long. But if you go on an off hour it can be worth it. Everything is cooked in bubbling vats of lard. Even the water it seems. Eh, you only live once...

Also, the Fish Market on the Harbor has great views. A good meal can be had at the oyster bar and inside the sushi bar but not in the restaurant proper or upstairs at Top of the Market. Excellent for sunsets.

Safe travels!

 

[micheleq]

Basic Pizza - Coal fired New Haven style pizza. Good beer list.

You had me at New Haven style pizza (I like Frank Pepe's over Sally's)! I grew up about 20 minutes from New Haven and now living in Michigan I find it hard to get the real deal.

Thanks again

 

[M&C]

Everything. With kids. Staying at the Hard Rock (for a conference with DH) in August. Always interested in good food! Off the beaten path is fine by us.

Saw your detailed post above - many thanks for all the suggestions. We'll be in town for four days before heading to La Quinta and then onto DL.

Off the beaten path, 15 minutes from downtown is a little taco shop that originated from Tijuana. It's called TJ's Oyster Bar where you can get tacos that are not like the ones you get in Old Town. They now have 2 locations on Bonita Road in Bonita, CA. That's where I take ALL visitors who want to experience local cuisine. No one has been dissapointed. In fact, I have several friends who insist I take them there when they come back. You can find it at yelp when you get into town. If you want to go more upscale, there is a restaurant close to TJ's called Romesco, Baja Cuisine. It's by a famous Mexican chef who's name escapes me at the moment. I hope you get to go and enjoy the food.

 

[Purrkins]

Off the beaten path, 15 minutes from downtown is a little taco shop that originated from Tijuana. It's called TJ's Oyster Bar where you can get tacos that are not like the ones you get in Old Town. They now have 2 locations on Bonita Road in Bonita, CA. That's where I take ALL visitors who want to experience local cuisine. No one has been dissapointed. In fact, I have several friends who insist I take them there when they come back. You can find it at yelp when you get into town. If you want to go more upscale, there is a restaurant close to TJ's called Romesco, Baja Cuisine. It's by a famous Mexican chef who's name escapes me at the moment. I hope you get to go and enjoy the food.

^^^^ This person speaks the truth!

Javier Plascencia is the chef you're thinking of and is the leader of Baja Med cuisine movement. Great chef and great guy

Has a great place in Tijuana called Mision 19 worth the border crossing for those with time (and passports).

 

[Stephanie218]

I second the recommendations for Burger Lounge and Cafe Chloe. I would also suggest Extraordinary Desserts, if you have a sweet tooth. Their desserts are amazing, and if you go to the Little Italy location, they also have an assortment of sandwiches/salads for dinner.

 

[micheleq]

Thanks again everyone -- we leave on Sunday and I have this thread bookmarked for quick reference!

 

[Jedana]

If you go to old town there is a restaurant called Casa Gualdajara. The Mexican food is the best we have eaten anywhere and the portions are huge. Very family friendly with staff dressed in traditional Mexican dress.
The rest of old town is interesting especially in the evening.

That place is awesome.

Breakfast---Hob Nob Hill. This place is the best!

 

[Itinkso]

The Cottage in La Jolla has great breakfast items - you can mix/match from the eggs Benedict items and get half orders of their pancakes and French toast. Their stuffed French toast is amazing...well, everything there is amazing!

 

[kailuagirl]

So many places mentioned here!!! Awesome.

I'm looking for places that are more on the fresh and healthy side. I don't eat meat, "white" stuff (pasta rice, bread...) fried foods or sugar. Any suggestions? But my family eats whatever, so a mix of both would be awesome. This is my first time traveling on my special diet, been on it almost 1 year, so I'm a bit nervous about eating

I really wanna take DH to that bacon burger place, oh my he would love that!! super excited. He tried 5 guys for the first time last year and we had to go almost everyday for him to get it. haha

We will be staying in Rancho Bernardo with my dad, and also going down to Balboa and the zoo and sea world.

Thank you!!!

 

[Purrkins]

I'm looking for places that are more on the fresh and healthy side. I don't eat meat, "white" stuff (pasta rice, bread...) fried foods or sugar. Any suggestions? But my family eats whatever, so a mix of both would be awesome. This is my first time traveling on my special diet, been on it almost 1 year, so I'm a bit nervous about eating

I really wanna take DH to that bacon burger place, oh my he would love that!! super excited. He tried 5 guys for the first time last year and we had to go almost everyday for him to get it. haha

We will be staying in Rancho Bernardo with my dad, and also going down to Balboa and the zoo and sea world.

Thank you!!!

Tender Greens, Veggie Grill, Seasons 52, True Food Kitchen, Stone Brewery and Bistro are all good picks. Actually where the bacon burger place is - Liberty Station (a good place to visit during SeaWorld day)- there a Tender Greens AND a Stone Brewery and Bistro - everyone should get their food to-go and walk across the parking lot the the picnic tables near the playground. Pretty much every place in town has veggie and gluten free option.

Mexican is mostly gluten free with lots of veggie options and we do Mexican very well, same with Indian. Between RB and San Diego proper is Miramar Rd. off this road is Black Mountain Road which is an area called Little India. A few nice shopping malls filled with great Indian "fast" food.

Any other suggestions, let us know.

 

[micheleq]

Thanks everyone! Here's where we ate back in August:

Broken Yolk for breakfast every morning! Very convenient to our hotel & great for the kids.

Old Spaghetti Factory --quick & easy. Decent food and we had a wonderful server.

Slaters 50/50 -- yum!

Oceanaire (?) in the Gaslamp. Wonderful seafood.

Harbor House, nice water views and good food. In Seaport Village, so seemed geared toward tourists.