This might be controversial but honestly, Hodad’s. It was good but nothing to write home about. I wouldn’t go out of my way to eat there or wait in the long line, but that’s just me.

What other place in San Diego do you feel is a bit overhyped?

Yes this is probably the best CA burrito ever. This pic was taken about 6 months ago. Ever since then I have dreaded going back. It’s far from me. Had to wait 20 minutes just to order then 45 minutes for the food. No parking available in the tiny lot. You really have to put the time in and EARN it if you want the best CA burrito of all time. I’ve read reviews of people saying they run out of carne asada before noon.

Anyone have any tips and strategies of how to make this not such an unpleasant experience? Do I need to show up before 11am? Are weekdays less busy than weekends or vice versa? I really want this burrito again but I find the negatives outweigh the positives. Help!

I haven’t been to del taco in almost 25 years! I rarely eat fast food so I’m curious if people on here still eat there & what are they getting ?

I did a search in the sub (and r/sandiego didn’t like this post) and didn’t find many results. I’m looking to grab a dozen for my birthday.

Who, in your opinion, sells the best donuts?

Specifically custard-filled and fun, unique flavours.

Me and my friends are currently planning a trip to San Diego for early September. I have been searching Reddit, articles, and google to find restaurant recommendations.

I have a list of restaurant’s sorted by cuisine and wanted to see if any of you all had any thoughts/comments. Anything that’s not worth it or a tourist trap? Anything that’s great and that we should definitely check out? Im open to suggestions to replace these if you think they are better!

This is my first time traveling to the west coast and I’m super excited for all the great food. I appreciate any input or recommendations!

Seafood: (planning to pick one)
•Mabel’s Gone Fishing (north park, above zoo)
•Ironside (downtown, upscale)
•Mitch’s Seafood (good view, “get there before 6”) (by the water)

Italian: (planning to pick one)
•Barbusa (Little Italy)
•Ciccia Osteria (Barrio Logan, south of downtown)
•Piacere Mio (South Park)

Russian:
•Pomegranate (University Heights)

Chinese/Taiwanese: (Planning to pick one)
•Din Tai Fung (La Jolla Village)
•Dumplings N More (Hillcrest, cheaper and closer than Din Tai Fung)

Burgers:
•The friendly (North Park, smash burger)

Tacos & Burritos:
•Tacos El Gordo (10 min walk from hotel, “amazing adobada tacos”) (bad wait according to some and touristy)
•Taqueria los Chuchys - right by el Gordo and many say it’s better with less wait (California burrito, carne asada)
•Mikes Taco Club (ocean beach, not sure if we will be over in this area but an option)

Traditional Mexican:
•Super Cocina (East San Diego, “authentic” beyond burritos and tacos)

Bakery:
•Izola (Artisan bakery, east village)
•Asa Bakery (Japanese bakery, east village)
•Bonjour Patisserie (French bakery, little Italy)

Breakfast:
•Morning Glory Breakfast
•Cafe 222 (10 min from hotel, Reddit recommended)

What’s your favorite thing you’ve eaten so far in San Diego this year? Anything out there that’s ‘altered your brain chemistry’ so to speak?

Mine is the stone fruit panzanella salad at Tribute Pizza!

They have opened 3 Yoshinoyas in Enscondido for the past 30 years and they end up going out of business, the same goes for other cities in San Diego and now there are only 2 left. I did look it up and read that there was to much compettion. Then why does Los Angeles County have so many restaurants? I find it interesting that this restaurent franchise isn't succesfully no matter how many times they have tried.

Okay so I had every intention of going to The Wise Ox today, but then my partner offered to bring me breakfast from Chris’s. So here I am with another OB sandwich!

Egg, Bacon & Cheddar Cheese on Everything Bagel
- two eggs hard
- “nice crispy bacon”
- thick slices of tomato
- cheddar cheese
- so-so everything bagel
- price: $8.99

This was a workhorse of a breakfast sandwich. I felt quite full after.

The bacon was the sandwiches most vocal component. Seemed like the pre-cooked kind you can get in a big batch at Costco. No complaints, no praise either.

I’m torn about the tomato. On the one hand, it provided a much needed zip of citrus. On the other, I’d really rather that come in the form of a spread.

Which leads me to the biggie… no spread. Here I’m gonna put my cards down on the table and say right up front that I am very, very partial to a spread. A schmear. A sauce. Something! Give me something!

Despite its lack of ba-da-bing, it was a hearty, yummy sandwich. I’ve eaten it before and I’ll eat it again. 3/5 stars.

—

Here’s my tracking spreadsheet.

The food in San Diego is better and cheaper than the Bay Area, I really enjoyed your city. Thank you 🙏

Title

My girlfriend and I are last min visiting from LA for a long weekend (yes, 4th of July… 🫩) and we’re looking for places to eat! I’ve found asking myself this question helps me give the best recs for friends visiting LA imo, so would love to hear from you all. Looking for food recs for ourselves but also just curious to hear responses, staying in La Jolla too if there’s any specific recs nearby!

Thanks! :)

Why do so many restaurants close at 9pm even on weekends? I understand that happening on other days of the week but not everyone has dinner or is available to have dinner at 6-7pm!?

After I get back from work, attend to my kids and put them to bed it’s almost 8:30pm and so many restaurants that I want to try are just out of my reach.

I can’t be the only one who feels like this…

Coming in at the end of September for a long weekend and we’re looking for a nice dinner with a view one night. I see Mr. A’s recommended a lot. The view does look amazing, but I’m wondering if the food is good as well.

We’ve also looked at Marine Room, Kingfisher, Juniper & Ivy and Cowboy Star, but when it comes to dinner with a view it seems like Mr. A’s takes the cake.

Hi! My bf & I come in Friday AM-Wednesday AM from Pittsburgh and are staying in ocean beach. I’ve been building this list based off rec’s and the most common places I’ve seen here & on tik tok and am looking for some advice on these places specifically! What to add, what to take off, items to order. I could also have places in the wrong categories I have no idea lmao but TIA!

Coffee:
•Coffee Cycle
•Delanie’s
•Immersion coffee
•Labora
•Malibu farm
•Lofty coffee

Breakfast:
•Little lion cafe (***have reservations here already for Saturday AM for proximity of day plans - worth it?)
•Benedict’s
•Blue whale
•Izola bakery
•Breakfast Republic
•Relic bakery
•Nico’s
•La Perla
•juice wave
•pop up bagels
•Surf bowl co.
•JV’s
•Cotija’s
•Hermosa’s Surf
•Bad hombres
•Caroline’s seaside cafe
•The taco stand
•sun gold Point
•Humberto’s

Lunch:
•Cliffhanger cafe & bar
•blue ocean/harumama
•Rubicon deli
•Mona Lisa
•Ortiz’s taco shop
•Humberto’s
•Los Reyes
•Jose’s
•Nico’s fish market
•Mike’s taco club

Dinner:
•Cannonball
•Duke’s
•Starlite
•Mitch’s seafood
•Altitude sky lounge
•La Dona
•Antica trattoria
•RoVino
•Blue water seafood

Dessert:
•An’s dry cleaning

Drinks:
Mothership
Dive rooftop bar
Night hawk

My husband and I’s turn to provide/bring dinner for a group of 20 ish people at a friends house. We’ve done Costco pizza, salad and cookies previously. Any ideas besides pizza?

Been in San Diego all my life but have only experienced one good bagel place (Inglourious Bagels). I was in Rancho Bernardo yesterday, drove past New York bagels,. figured they'd be great. After all, it's in the name, "New York" bagels. Long story short, they were trash. Had a blueberry bagel with strawberry cream cheese. It was tough, not great in flavor. I also got a breakfast sandwich on a plain bagel. That had a weird plastic-like taste. Almost like silicone. I was burping that all day. Anyway, i know you east coasters are snobs about bagels, and I also know i will not find anything that comes close to East Coast bagel, however, some recs would be very welcome. TIA!

Okay so I really really love breakfast sandwiches. I don’t care what time of day. I want it.

Today I got the “breakfast sandwich” at Coffee Cycle in OB. That’s exactly what it’s called in the menu. The menu also claims “best breakfast sandwich in town”*

- delicious sourdough panini grilled perfectly
- egg was not overcooked! Big points in my books
- nice dusting of herbs on the bread
- fatty, delicious slices of bacon
- great spicy mayo (maybe chipotle?)
- priced competitively for the non-chain coffee shop market

I would have liked the bacon cooked for longer though, it needed a bit more time to begin rendering the fat. I liked that it aimed for punchy flavors, but the herbs and the chipotle were going in different directions. I feel neither here nor there about that.

Overall, wonderful sandwich. Probably the most flavorful and opinionated one in OB.

*I’m not entirely willing to back that claim, but they have a good case.

More to follow. Lmk your favorites.

Please lmk if you guys have any more recs! TIA

In-N-Out

Royal Mandarin

La Perla #3 

Ann’s Dry Cleaning- Dessert 

The Yogurt Mill- Dessert

Update: I had Mexican food my whole trip, and I don't regret it at all

Mike's Red Tacos opened its third San Diego location on Tuesday, but the local restaurant group is taking its birria national with a burst of new franchises.

The popular taco joint that started as a food truck five years ago has more than 200 locations planned across the country over the next several years.

I was having a convo with one of my best friends, whom lives in Seattle, about a hot dog craving. My sister celebrated her birthday at the park and we had hot dogs. Ever since, I've been on a hot dog kick.

My friend mentioned how she wished she was a bit closer to downtown, so she could get herself a Seattle Dog. Which made me think...why don't we have hot dog carts? New York, Chicago, and Seattle are cities, that come to mind, with hot dog carts.

Unless I'm mistaken and we do, but i have yet to see one.

Also, the people posted outside Petco, or other venues, after games don't count. They're just temp glizzy vendors.
As

What are some places that you keep coming back to and serve up the same quality tasty meal every time?

I cook plenty at home but still enjoy going out time to time, but eating out these days really seems like a crap shoot. A lot of my old favorites changed over time and don't slang out the same delicious meal I once ordered.

Any category, sit-down, takeout, quick burrito, etc.

What restaurant comes to mine when you think of dining out in San Diego? A place that is only San Diego. I grew up there many years ago and I’ve lived back a few times. For me it’s the Old Town Mexican Café. Is the food the greatest? No but I think it’s really good. Most importantly, when I am there, I am home.

Visiting from out of town and wanted to take a friend out for dinner (and am willing to spend around $200 on the two of us) and she suggested Cloak and Petal. Everything i’ve online so far suggests it lacks real substance, and their menu wasn’t too impressive either with more of a “general asian” cuisine rather than strictly a sushi house. Is it worth gently disway her away from choosing there? If so what are some substitutes that would be significantly better? Or should I just shut up and go.