San Diego Restaurant/Bar recs

Stone Brewery at Liberty Station - giant beer garden always a fun place. Not a brewery but certainly eat at Mitch’s Seafood for fish tacos. Won’t be disappointed.

As far as the local beer, get the 5 taster options when you go to places. Stone is the big guy around here, but my favorites are Modern Times and Pizza Port. The Pizza Port Ocean beach brewery is nearby which has the best pizza and the beachy atmosphere with the pier close by. Also OB Brewery is just a block away with great views.

You really can’t go wrong just walking Little Italy and pick your poison as the guy above me said.

Mike Hess (Seaport Village on the bay)


Liberty Station






Stone



Mitch’s Seafood that overlooks the bay






OB Brewery

False Idol is a speakeasy tiki (say that out loud, it's fun) bar that was a really good time. The bar that it's inside of was pretty cool as well. We also enjoyed checking out Ballast Point brewery.

This is a lost I put together a while ago and not necessarily directly on point but may be helpful. Geared towards La Jolla.

Lived in SD about 4 years but haven't been back there in about three or four years.

1.       100% absolutely have to do lunch, dinner, and/or drinks at George’s at the Cove.  Make reservations and make sure you specify upstairs deck seating.   It is on Prospect St., which is in the heart of La Jolla.  High end shopping and lots of restaurants. 
 
2.      The Children’s Pool/La Jolla Cove.  This is right off of Prospect and it is neither a pool nor is it just for children.  It is a cove area with amazing scenery where seals go up on the beach.  You can walk about a mile or so down the coast (make sure when you walk, you are heading towards the cave area where the street comes to an end and where there is a beach actually called The Cove) and it is 100% worth it.  You should not skip this.   
 
3.      The Spot and Jose’s Mexican are good restaurant spots on Prospect
 
4.      The Cottage in La Jolla is a good breakfast spot.
 
5.      If you want an actual beach type beach go to La Jolla Shores, which is a short drive from and on the other side of the Cove.
 
6.      Windansea Beach is also a really great beach experience and more local than the cove.
 
7.      You can drive up to Mt. Soledad which I believe is the highest point in San Diego and the views are spectacular. 
 
8.      The Gaslamp District is kind of touristy but it may be worth checking out.  It is in downtown San Diego and a short drive from La Jolla.  Lots of restaurants and bars.
 
9.      Coronado Island is also a cool day/half-day trip.  The Hotel Del Coronado and a cool little town.
 
10.  As far as food, if you like fish tacos, highly recommend Rubio's Coastal Grill.  In fact, I am requiring that you check out Rubio’s.  It is awesome.  Get the side of refried beans and put some of their homemade hot sauce on them.  Seriously, look up the menu, it’s great.  The Taco Shop on Pearl St., in La Jolla has great authentic Mexican street style tacos including cactus. No seating and always a long line.  The Shack Bar and Grill on La Jolla Blvd. is a dive bar with amazing food. The fish tacos are grilled and the portions are huge. Good cocktails as well.  For authentic tacos also try Rigobertos.  These are all kind of hole in the wall type places.
 
11.   Been away for a while so not up on the higher end dining these days. Beaumont’s is a nice place with good food and a nice atmosphere.  It’s on La Jolla Blvd.  Sammy’s Woodfire Pizza is also good for a quick meal.  I have not been but Duke’s La Jolla is highly rated and a bit more upscale.  It is right next to George’s at the Cove.  The Marine Room is also a good high end choice for dinner. Same with Crab Catcher.  There are also lots of hip high end dining spots in the Gaslamp that you can find with a quick google search. 
 
12.  There is a little sandwich shop on Pearl St., in La Jolla called the Promiscuous Fork that we discovered.  Really eclectic menu and the food was great. 
 
13.  If you want to see quintessential California beach towns, check our Pacific Beach and Mission Beach.  Pacific Beach has a cool “boardwalk,” which is actually cement but it’s worth walking around and checking out the sites.  Mission Beach has a “boardwalk” as well and is worth checking out.  There are easily accessible parking lots in both PB and MB.
 
14.  If you want to check out a laid back, stoner kind of beach community then go to Ocean Beach.  It’s a bit grittier than PB or MB but maybe worth a shot.  There’s a burger joint there called Hodad’s that has been on all of the Travel Channel shows.  Always a long line and I thought it was over-hyped but I’m letting you know about it just in case.
 
15.  If you have not been to an In-n-Out then you have to go.  It’s mandatory. 

Kettner Exchange - Was there for a bachelor party in December and did a huge meal here that I thought was amazing. Lot of great small plates and seafood.

Spent a day alone on Coronado and had a great day. Weather was unreal. Had lunch at Brigantine on the patio overlooking Hotel del Coronado and the beach. Oysters and fish tacos. Was great.

Fancy dinner - Born and Raised is absolutely incredible. They spent $6M decorating the damn place and wow it shows. The food is wonderful. It’s a very traditional steak restaurant. They make your Caesar salad table side from a cart. Just awesome.

If you like high end Asian, Animae is also fantastic. I’m sure it has come up on your searches.

The people who own Born and Raised own like half the places in the city. Every single one will impress you. The decor is wild. They have one place (Craft and Commerce) with a mountain Lion taxidermed behind the bar.

SD has several speakeasies. Noble Experiment is the famous one, but I actually think False Idol is way cooler. When someone orders a large batch tiki drink, they shut off all the lights and play a thunderstorm recording with lightning and all.

Little Italy is the best part of town IMO. Bencotto is my favorite of the Italian joints. They hand make their pasta and just do an incredible job.

Ironside oyster, Kettner Exchange, the Lion’s Share, Herb and Wood (so good)…

I’ve been to San Diego 11 or 12 times in the past 6 years and it’s my favorite place.

Oh! If you’re not going to a Padres game, at least go to the rooftop bar at the hotel next door. It overlooks the ballpark.

Aby taco shop that ends in "bertos" is highly recommended. Have a california burrito for me at one of them. Lived there 2004-2008 and miss those taco shops

Mitch's Seafood

High end eats: Marine Room(ocean crashes into building during high tide), George’s, Seneca, Market, Island Prime, Mister A’s

All of these spots have incredible views except Market.

Check out Kate Sessions park. Incredible views of the city and can see all the way to Mexico on clear days.

Best beaches are pacific beach and mission beach. Also check out mission bay. Have a drink outside at the catamaran hotel overlooking the Bay.

Lived in Pacific Beach for a few years but now in Bay Park. I can see mission bay and the ocean from my couch. It’s beautiful.

Juniper and Ivy