What To Eat: San Diego
I am an Expat originally from San Diego, California and have been living in Taiwan for the past 17 years. Over those past 17 years, I manage to travel back to San Diego at least every two or three years.
Originally, I am from the beach town of Encinitas. Encinitas is located in North County San Diego. Whenever I return home to San Diego, I have my favorite restaurants and eateries that are an absolute must to go to. These are those places.
Temecula
Swing Inn Cafe: 28676 Old Town Front St, Temecula, CA 92590
Temecula is a small old cowboy town on the edge of San Diego county and Riverside County about 30 minutes north of Oceanside off Interstate 15. Really for me there's only one thing to eat here; steak and eggs. Eggs over easy, hash browns, extra crispy, and a side order of biscuits and gravy. Their biscuits and gravy the absolute best you will ever eat. Trust me. The Swing Inn Café has been serving up biscuits and gravy since 1927.
Carlsbad
El Norte: 3003 Carlsbad Blvd, Carlsbad, CA 92107
I've been going to El Norte previously called Fidel’s my whole life. To me this is one of the best sit down Mexican restaurants I've ever eaten at. I make it a point to eat here every single time I go back to San Diego. I recommend going here for lunch and getting their lunch special; one chicken enchilada with rice and beans. Comes with a drink. Get a margarita or a draft beer. You can sit outside on the patio under a beautiful sunny San Diego day. The restaurant is located one block from the beach so you can take a nice walk when you're done with your lunch.
Board and Brew: 201 Oak Ave, Carlsbad, CA 92008
Probably one of the best sandwiches you'll ever eat. The portions are out of this world. I recommend the Turkado on sourdough. The best part about this restaurant is that it's one block from the beach. I recommend buying your sandwich then walking to the 7-Eleven next-door, grab yourself some Cool Ranch Doritos, and a beer or two, then walk across the street to the beach and enjoy your lunch. Make sure you bring beach chairs, and a cooler and stay to enjoy the fresh salty air.
Encinitas
VG Donuts: 106 Aberdeen Dr, Cardiff, CA 92007
Going to VG for a donut will change your life. There is no other donut that can compare to VG Donuts. I recommend you get there as early as possible. 6 AM to be exact. The earlier you get there the fresher the donuts will be and you might even get lucky and it will still be warm in the middle. I always eat mine with a bottle of milk. Sit outside on the patio and enjoy, watching the sunrise and listening to the waves crash against the shore.
Pipes Cafe: 121 Liverpool Dr, Cardiff, CA 92007
http://www.cardiffbythesearestaurants.com/pipes-cafe-cardiff-by-the-sea
I've been going to Pipes since I was in high school. This place has one of the best breakfast burritos around. Pipes also has a beautiful wood deck patio where you can sit and enjoy your breakfast while looking at the ocean. Pipes is right behind VG Donuts so you can even walk next-door and grab a few donuts to eat later in the day. There is also a beautiful walking trail that runs along the train tracks that starts at Pipes Café and goes all the way into Downtown Encinitas close to the Encinitas train station. The whole loop will take about an hour to walk.
East Coast Pizza: 2015 San Elijo Ave, Cardiff, CA 92007
https://eastcoastpizzaonline.com
My favorite place for Pizza by the slice. There is a large beautiful patio with lots of space to enjoy your pizza. There is a local grocery store next-door called Seaside Market. I recommend going in there and checking it out. Beautiful local market with beautiful local products..
Potato Shack Cafe: 120 W I St #4436, Encinitas, CA 92024
I love the ambience of the potato shack. Wonderful outside seating right on the sidewalk. This café is smack dab in the middle of Downtown Encinitas. I only ever eat one thing here. Chicken fried steak with biscuits and gravy. That's the only thing I will ever eat and that's what I recommend. When you're done eating here you can cruise Downtown Encinitas and go to Hansen's surf shop across the street for some local gear.
Solana Beach
Fidel’s Little Mexico: 607 Valley Ave, Solana Beach, CA 92075
https://www.fidelslittlemexico.com
So here we go. My absolute number one favorite restaurant ever. The best Mexican food I've ever eaten and probably the best Mexican food you'll ever eat. Fidel's Little Mexico has been open since the 60s and I've been going here my whole life. Originally, my dad started going here when he was in the Marine Corps in the 60s. Perfect for lunch or dinner because they have a beautiful outdoor patio. I recommend the combination plate. Chicken enchiladas with rice and beans hold the olives or the chicken and rice, avocado soup with cilantro. Beautiful.
Claire's On Cedros: 246 N Cedros Ave, Solana Beach, CA 92075
This is the kind of place I recommend going to in the middle of the week instead of the weekend because it's not as busy. If you do wanna go on the weekend, you can reserve a table online, so by the time you get there your table should be ready. Honestly, I've never eaten anything bad here. Everything on the menu is great. What's even better than the food is their patio. Their back patio is almost a fairytale like.
Chief’s Burgers: 124 Lomas Santa Fe Dr #108, Solana Beach, CA 92075
This is a sports bar. Total sports bar. I've been going here since I was in high school. Any game you want to watch will be on the TV. Burgers are great. Philly cheesesteak sandwich is great, too. And their bar food is some of the best. Their spicy, buffalo wings and chili cheese fries are my some of my favorites.
Pizza Port: 135 N Hwy 101, Solana Beach, CA 92075
Pizza Port is located on Highway 101 across the street from the Solana Beach train station and just a few blocks from the beach. Pizzas are great, atmosphere is great and they have a large selection of their own craft beer. This place is great for lunch or dinner.
Del Mar
Board and Brew: 1212 Camino Del Mar #2506, Del Mar, CA 92014
Probably one of the best sandwiches you'll ever eat. The portions are out of this world. I recommend the Turkado on sourdough. Board and Brew is located just a few blocks from Del Mar State Beach which is one of the more beautiful beaches in San Diego County. I recommend bringing a beach blanket and having a picnic on either the large grassy knoll area, or sit directly on the sand and enjoy your sandwich.
Roberto’s Taco Shop: 2206 Carmel Valley Rd #3704, Del Mar, CA 92014
The best view you will ever have eating a taco. Everything is good. Everything is delicious. My go to is the beef taco, carne asada burrito or a plain old bean and cheese burrito. When you're done eating here you can walk under the train tracks to Torrey Pines State Beach where you'll find one of the most beautiful hiking trails that San Diego has to offer.
The Melt: 12955 El Camino Real Suite G-1, San Diego, CA 92130
This is a new restaurant that popped up on my radar just last year. Very delicious hamburgers. It's located east of Interstate 5 in the Del Mar Highlands Shopping Center. I've only been here a few times, so I don't have much experience with the menu but so far everything's been a homerun.
La Jolla
The Living Room Coffeehouse: 1205 Prospect St, La Jolla, CA 92037
The living room is located in downtown La Jolla, so it's great for shopping and other local restaurants and cafés. This coffee shop is a great place to chill. It's also located very close to La Jolla Cove and has lots of beautiful walking trails along the beach.
Pacific Beach
Breakfast Republic: 4465 Mission Blvd, San Diego, CA 92109
https://www.breakfastrepublic.com
This place is one of my favorite breakfast eateries in San Diego. This location in Pacific Beach is just a few blocks from the Pacific Beach Boardwalk. After breakfast you can take the boardwalk all the way to Belmont Park and ride the Giant Dipper roller coaster. I've never eaten anything bad here. Everything's a home run. They're known for their sourdough bread and coffee. One of my favorite places for black coffee. There is also another location at Liberty Station in Point Loma where they filmed the movie Top Gun.
Ocean Beach
South Beach Bar & Grille: 5059 Newport Ave, San Diego, CA 92107
The view on the upstairs balcony is one of the best you'll find in San Diego. Enormous craft beer selection, and homemade fish tacos. That's all I have to say about that. Just go.
Downtown San Diego
Ciné Café: 412 K St, San Diego, CA 92101
https://gaslamp.org/listing/cine-cafe/
I've been eating here since 2004, since the Padres moved into Petco Park. This deli is located just blocks from the entrance to Petco Park. I usually go here on my way to watch a Padres game. I’ll pick up a sandwich and a side of potato salad or chips with a drink. This is a very inexpensive food option when you're in the Gaslamp District. Grabbing a sandwich here for a baseball game is one of my favorite past times.
Enjoy my California Vibrations playlist during your time in San Diego.
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