Where to eat in San Diego

Where to eat in San Diego

1. EatNorth

   99 Ranch Market

   A mostly California chain of Asian supermarkets. Here you can come face to face with your dinner - live! The entire back wall of this full-size supermarket is the fish department - and many of them are still swimming. This is such a special and unique market that a local cooking school offers group tours.

2. EatMission Beach-Pacific Beach

   Baja Beach Cafe

   Mexican restaurant on the boardwalk with a Mexican seafood specialty. Including fish tacos, hamburgers, margaritas, and more.

   Sun-Thu 8AM-12:30AM, Fri Sat 8AM-2AM

3. EatDowntown

   Basic

   Outstanding thin crust pizza in a renovated warehouse space. Open late. Features both red (with tomato sauce) and white (cheese only) pies.

4. EatDowntown

   Bencotto Italian Kitchen

   Modern and classic hand-made pasta dishes. Multi-year winner of critics and readers choice for Best Italian in San Diego Magazine.

   Tue-Sun 11:30AM-close, open Mondays June-Sept

5. EatMid-City

   Bleu Boheme

   Charming, rustic neighborhood French brasserie in the heart of Kensington. They feature a prix fixe Bohemian menu every night from 5-6PM, all night on Tuesdays. Try the moules frites in Roquefort sauce.

6. EatDowntown

   Brian's 24

   As its name suggests, it's open 24/7. Tasty but fairly standard American food.

7. EatLa Jolla

   Caroline's Seaside Cafe

   Casual cafe situated right next to the beach on the UCSD-SIO campus. The cafe serves breakfast items including eggs, pancakes and lunch items including sandwiches and burgers. Seated is first-come-first-served casual setting (so no waiters only servers). Parking is limited and may need a UCSD parking pass on weekdays, however, 2-hr street parking is available.

   8AM-3PM

8. EatOld Town-Mission Valley

   Cosmopolitan Restaurant and Hotel

   A beautiful dining establishment in a building built by Juan Bandini in 1829. Later, in the 1860s, a second story was added and it became the Cosmopolitan Hotel. You can eat in the garden amid flowers, trees, and fountains or inside the wonderful historic building.

   Mon-Sat 11AM-10PM, Sun 10AM-10PM

9. EatMission Beach-Pacific Beach

   Crushed

   Brunch and dinner place known for their eggs benedicts and mimosas. Long wait time during the weekends.

   $

10. EatLa Jolla

    Don Carlos Taco Shop

    Small Tex-Mex/Mexican taco shop that also serves burritos, tortas, quesadillas, and enchiladas. Specializes in variants of California burritos including vegetarian ones. Limited parking nearby.

11. EatMission Beach-Pacific Beach

    Flamingo Deck

    American beachside restaurant specializing in brunch, cocktails, and more. Capable for private events and occasional live music. Happy Hour M-F 3-6PM. Brunch Sa Su 10AM-2PM.

    Mon-Thu noon-midnight, Fri Sat noon-2AM, Sun 10AM-midnight

12. EatLa Jolla

    Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar

    For when you are feeling laissez-faire with the credit card and want some filet mignon or ribeye.

13. EatDowntown

    Hodad's

    Local favorite with great burgers, milkshakes, and not a lot else. Lively little spot with funky decor. There is also a location in Ocean Beach.

14. EatPoint Loma-Ocean Beach

    Hodads Restaurant

    This restaurant is very popular, especially on weekends; sometimes the line outside reaches the street corner; their logo is a caricatured surfing burger with a caricature Hispanic person riding on top. they also have a Hodads van parked outside. It's a burger joint with fries and shirts and shoes are not required. A pair of seats inside is shaped like a car, and you sit in the driver seats. Their milkshakes are huge and should not be ordered with a meal.

15. EatOld Town-Mission Valley

    Hungry's Kitchen & Tap

    Soup and salad (very limited), sandwiches, yards and half yards of beer, live music on weekend nights.

    Happy Hour: Mon-Fri 3PM-6:30PM

16. EatOld Town-Mission Valley

    In-N-Out Burger

    One of the two locations most conveniently reached from downtown (the other is in National City to the south).

17. EatNorth

    K Sandwiches

    A local favorite, with incredibly good, cheap, and authentic banh mi (Vietnamese sandwiches).

    Mon-Sat 6AM-9PM, Sun 8AM-8PM

18. EatPoint Loma-Ocean Beach

    Kaiserhof

    German food isn't the first thing most people associate with San Diego, but this place has been serving top quality Bavarian fare since 1980. Has a lively Biergarten with typical German pub food and a more sedate restaurant with a more extensive menu.

19. EatDowntown

    Kansas City Barbeque

    Unpretentious barbeque on paper plates. Unique interior with friendly staff and customers. Bar on premises.

20. EatNorth

    Karl Strauss Brewery Gardens

    Hidden behind the trees in the San Diego Tech Center, Karl Strauss Brewery Gardens feels more like a high-end sushi place than a brewery/restaurant complete with a koi pond. Lots of outdoor seating. Gets very crowded during the week for lunch & dinner. They serve their own beers on tap and have an extensive menu.

    Closed Sat

21. EatBalboa Park-Hillcrest

    Khyber Pass

    A mix of Afghan, Turkish, and Indian dishes served by a friendly staff. Lamb, beef, chicken, and vegetarian/vegan dishes. It'son University Avenue among many other restaurants. Street parking only.

    Daily 11:30AM-10PM·$13-30

22. EatDowntown

    Knotty Barrel

    Cool gastropub with a great menu and wonderful selection of draft beers. Try a sample of four beers for $7 to see what you like. If none of the draft beers suit your taste, there's a multitude of other beers from all over the world listed on the chalkboard.

    Sun-Thu 11:30AM-midnight, Fri-Sat 11:30AM-2AM

23. EatMission Beach-Pacific Beach

    Kono’s

    This eatery has the best budget breakfast in town, across from the entrance to Crystal Pier. A sign on the wall boasts how many days have passed since they last raised their prices; a figure which is easily over 365. On weekends the line outside gets so long you’d think it was nightclub, but the food is well worth the wait. They specialize in big breakfasts and breakfast burritos.

    7AM-3PM

24. EatMission Beach-Pacific Beach

    Lahaina Beach House

    Cash only beach bar and grill along the boardwalk. Very popular with young people on the weekends, loud music and public restrooms here right by the beach.

    9AM-9PM daily

25. EatDowntown

    Mona Lisa Restaurant & Deli

    Enjoy Sicilian style favorites and some of the best pizza in town at this family-oriented restaurant. Deli has large selection of Italian imports and is a great place to grab a sandwich.

26. EatMission Beach-Pacific Beach

    Mr. Frostie

    A Pacific Beach institution, Mr. Frostie's has been selling soft serve ice cream since 1949. The simple, no frills menu also includes sandwiches and hot dogs, but it's the dipped ice cream cones, milkshakes, sundaes, and banana splits that will make this place outlast any trendy yogurt shop.

    Sun-Thu 10:30AM-9PM, Fri Sat 10:30AM-10PM

27. EatDowntown

    Neighborhood

    Extremely popular small gastropub. Good burgers and sandwiches. Interesting beer selection.

28. EatMid-City

    North Park Creamery

    Soft-serve ice cream, with the option of a "dip" that forms a hardened shell around the ice cream. Good vegan and dairy-free options.

29. EatOld Town-Mission Valley

    Oggi's

    Part of a local pizza chain in San Diego, they have a very extensive menu and also brew their own beer as well, with a stocked bar. Also has plenty of TVs to watch sports as well.

30. EatPoint Loma-Ocean Beach

    Old Townhouse Restaurant

    Family owned and operated for over 35 years; a local favorite for breakfast. They will also serve you bottomless cups of coffee.

    Daily 6AM-3PM

31. EatMission Beach-Pacific Beach

    Olive Cafe

    Nested between the bay and the beach, Olive Cafe provides breakfast scrambles, burritos, pancakes, breakfast bowls, and baked goods. Sister establishment for Olive Baking Company, which is a small, quick casual bakery, less than a block away. Parking is tough around the area and can get busy in the weekends.

32. EatMission Beach-Pacific Beach

    Oscar's Mexican Seafood

    Oscar's

    Small, local Mexican seafood chain specializing in ceviche, tacos, and tortas. Vegetarian options available.

    $

33. EatMid-City

    Pomegranate

    Russian and Georgian (the country, not the US state) food. Highlights include adjaruli (a bread boat filled with cheese and egg), borscht, and excellent cabbage rolls.

34. EatMid-City

    Ponces Mexican Restaurant

    Ponces has been renovated, offering a bar and better seating but it still offers some of the best American Mexican food in San Diego. Not authentic Mexican food, but good American Mexican food. Get there with enough time to wait and if you don't want dine in call for take out.

35. EatLa Jolla

    Raymundo's Taco Shop

    Mexican restaurant. Reasonable food with loads of staple options. No public restroom.

    Mon-Sat 8AM-5PM, closed Sun

36. EatMid-City

    Red Fox Steakhouse and Piano Bar

    Charming place where it's easy to imagine you've time-traveled to the early 1970s. Don't expect cutting-edge cuisine, but when your parents or grandparents wanted to have a nice evening out, they probably went somewhere like this. The bar furnishings came from a 17th-century English pub - think mood lighting and lots of dark leather and oak. Also a good place for a cocktail or two. Live music nightly.

37. EatMission Beach-Pacific Beach

    Rocky's Crown Pub

    Rocky's

    Small, local pub serving 1/3 and 1/2 pound burgers. Cash only.

    $

38. EatMission Beach-Pacific Beach

    Rubio’s

    Now a minor fast food restaurant chain in the western United States, but what’s significant about the one in PB is that it was the first. In 1983, founder Ralph Rubio capitalized on the unique flavor of Baja California taco stands by replicating one in San Diego (accommodating, of course, for local health codes). The beer-battered fish tacos, the carnitas and carne asada tacos were an immediate hit.

39. EatLa Jolla

    Shores Restaurant

    Offering seasonal cuisine, oceanfront views and a great selection of wines. Delicious American comfort food.

    Daily 9AM-8PM

40. EatBalboa Park-Hillcrest

    Sushi Deli

    A local favorite, this place serves amazingly cheap and delicious sushi and other Japanese food. They don't take reservations, so wait for your table at their bar.

Browse all 238 places in San Diego

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to San Diego (CC BY-SA 4.0).