San Diego

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.

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

Basic

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

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

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.

Brian's 24

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

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

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

Crushed

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

$

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.

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

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar

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

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.

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.

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

In-N-Out Burger

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

K Sandwiches

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

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

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.

Kansas City Barbeque

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

Neighborhood

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

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.

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.

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