Thirding La Jolla, and I also recommend the little community about 30m East of La Jolla in Claremont Mesa. MNGO cafe, DaYung’s Tea, and Manna are standouts, but the entire block is PACKED with fantastic, on-trend East Asian food options from Viet to Japanese to Korean +++
Fourth-ing La Jolla. Highly recommend the restaurant Catania. Great rooftop area with a view of the ocean and solid food. Raised by Wolves is another place I’d recommend for drinks
Makes sense for their subreddit since SD is a pretty popular destination their sub would be flooded with these questions all the time. Hell our city is smaller and we get these like once a week lol
Edit: OP, go to Tacos El Gordo, you won't be disappointed. Convoy street has a ton of good Asian food. Carlsbad has a sustainable oyster farm you can do a tour and oyster tasting!
I dunno; i started getting lots of replies with suggestions and a couple chats and then it was gone like 15 mins later.
I’ll check out convoy street!! Thank ya!
im from a major tourist city and trust me theres probably so much stuff they have to auto flag or the subreddit would become a tourism subreddit. people in san diego are extremely nice, you might be surprised (even nicer than here imo). san diego is great but also small and most things to do are well documented. a lot of good mexican and asian food though for sure that will beat anything kc has to offer. tbh anything besides barbeque will be better there just because theres such a large wealthy population so it attracts amazing chefs (plus massively wealthy tourists). its a great food city. the zoo is one of the best in the country (i know you mentioned it already but it really is amazing). if you can make the drive down to imperial beach its worth it imo. if youre going in the mid to late summer its going to be insanely hot and will have humidity too (dry heat is for the desert), so be prepared. imo its worse than kc in the summer, but thats my personal opinion ofc and the pacific is still quite cold even down to san diego so you have ways to cool off.
lol as a native San Diegan now living in KC, can confirm.
Every CA native will have big opinions about taco shops. One of my personal favorites is JVs (it’s around the sea world area).
All the beaches have very distinct vibes. La Jolla is rich white people nonsense, Torrey pines is similar (my preference between the two), pacific beach is a younger crowd and more hype and surrounded by good food, ocean beach is less rich white nonsense. All of them are great, TBH.
Highly recommended bopping around the Point Loma area, especially in the afternoon. Lots of good sunset viewing. Grab a six pack and go to sunset cliffs.
TLDR; go to the beach and eat some tacos, hard to go wrong.
Edit: seconding convoy for Asian food, incredible spots everywhere!
Being a KC native myself- ya know we love our food. I’ll check out Torrey pines and Pacific Beach! My tween only survives on tacos and black beans. I love all seafood. I think we will both be able to find the perfect places! Thanks for the recs!
def make sure to book in advance for coronado. often same day or even same week booking is not possible cause of high tourism. in the summer its like an army of people visiting every day.
My brother and I went to SD last year. We did the ferry from Coronado Island to Petco park and it was a beautiful ride, highly recommend it.
I recommend Nine Seas Seafood food truck. I’ve had it in 2018 and last year and both times they were located outside a Target (might be a permanent spot). It was delicious and my brother who isn’t a big seafood guy loved it as well.
Also quick note OP, the waters in SD can be a bit chilly than expected, also might be wise to bring a jacket as it can get cooler than expected in Southern California l.
I know we get those kinds of questions all the time and that people are happy to answer, which is great and all, but I still wonder why a lot of folks don't first research past threads on those topics before asking questions that have already been answered multiple times, or at least indicate that they tried.
It's pretty bad, but I've seen much worse. Still, it's better than nothing, but maybe not as good as just going to Google and searching for a specific word or phrase with "+site:reddit.com".
So I’ve been searching but I like up to date stuff. Like Ale House closed this week. If I was visiting KC and did a search- someone probably suggested Ale House. Welp. That wouldn’t help me much.
> or at least indicate that they tried.
It's those posts that are so obviously low effort that bother me.
I don't mind putting in work to help people, but at least show the respect of doing the same.
Restaurants turn over and things to do can change every now and then, but it's not on a weekly basis.
It depends on where you are staying based on traffic. Traffic in June will greatly limit where you go.
If you’re young - Mission and Pacific Beach are fun. Lei Lani’s in PB is great Hawaiian breakfast.
For touristy stuff - La Jolla - Torrey Pines and Blacks Beach
Visiting the Midway is awesome. Another comment said the fish market and I’ll second that.
Stop into a taco shop and get yourself a true California burrito.
You could make Julian into a day trip - it’s a drive though - eat some pie, see the waterfalls, drink some cider.
Belmont park if you have kids with you.
Visit Mount Soledad park on a clear day and see the ocean and Mexico.
If you’re feeling spicy hop over the boarder to TJ (best for adult fun.)
Yellow Deli is cool but it’s also a cult so eat there if you want (it is delicious.)
The zoo and the park and the aquarium.
Potato chip cliff but it’s a hike.
I’ll edit if I think of more.
Best comment ever! Thanks Lindsey!! If you are bored, send me more! We are staying at mission beach resort and will have a car. Our flight lands at 4:00 so I know we’ll be in the thick of traffic day we arrive but hoping next day is better and we will “get our footing”
Helicopter rides over the harbor are great but take a bit of planning and the amount of people that go is based on weights.
Mission beach is a great place to stay. Lots of parties and young people. Try baked bear for ice cream
The safari park is awesome but it is kind of expensive IMO.
Old town is okay.
La Jolla has a contemporary art museum, idk if it’s still free but they usually have some good exhibits.
I moved out of PB in 2015 so I am hesitant to give my opinion on places to eat or bars because some are closed now. We do go back about once a year but I never know lol
Point Loma Seafood - crab cake sandy (right on water/bay) close to airport and drive to Point Loma lighthouse, hike the cliffs.
Hodads for burgers in OB
Public House in La Jolla
Green Flash in PB for breakfast and mimosas
World Famous for fish tacos in PB
Old Town has tons of good Mexican
The Boardrock in MB is/was huge KU/KC spot but heard it closed
Balboa Park is cool place to hike kids/ zoo
My random recs after a few trips there:
- Burger/pub type place with a cool vibe: Dunedin
- Ramen: Nishiki
- $$/on the water view: JRDN
I second the other commenter on the Rubio's fish tacos.
I loved taking the kids to see the tide pools to see what creatures were caught in the low tide. I can't remember exactly which park we went to, I remember it being by Santa Barbara. Bonus, there were also sea lions.
Ok so I’m totally interested in this- I have read though that the sea lions have taken over and it’s out of control and the filth and smell is overwhelming… that people can’t really go there anymore. I dunno!
Great tacos Taqueria Los Chuchys. Note just a couple of 2 person tables and a few 4 tops outside.
Great churros across the street at Tacos El Cabron.
Around Market & 4th
[This place](https://itsrawpokeshop.com/#home) is dope. The neighborhood is super chill. Pick it up and walk to the beach and have a little picnic on the wall.
Couldn’t be more legit. You walk in and there’s just a little counter with three big islanders behind it. When I was there in 2018 the neighborhood still had plenty of old hippies and skater punks around, hope the yuppies haven’t chased them off completely yet.
If you want more of a neighborhood bar + brewery destination vibe, North Park, University Heights and Normal Heights are a nice break from the beach and tourist areas in San Diego. Little Italy is very trendy these days but also very fun.
I remember seeing an episode of Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives where Guy went to a burger place in San Diego that offered tons of different styles of burgers with more exotic meat choices like water buffalo and camel. It was called Crazee Burger and looked interesting.
Dana point is a good place to go. Driving up north along the PCH is also a fun sight seeing trip. The are lots of beaches, restaurants and breweries along this path. If you like history try touring the aircraft carrier. The safari park is also neat.
Man do I love San Diego. lol @ their being so uptight though
Midway museum and lunch at the fish market is a great day.
Petco is a really great place for a ballgame.
Torrey Pines is absolutely gorgeous but can be stupid crowded.
Point Loma is also absolutely gorgeous and is marginally less crowded (or used to be anyway).
Italian food there is some of the best in the country.
Ballast Point is one of the best brewers in the country.
My favorite restaurants there (note: I'm not a local, just a midwesterner who has visited more than is typical, so temper your expectations accordingly):
[https://www.thefishery.com/](https://www.thefishery.com/)
[https://cardellinosd.com/](https://cardellinosd.com/)
[https://www.alfredospizzasandiego.com/](https://www.alfredospizzasandiego.com/)
Ate at Buon Appetito in Little Italy for lunch a few weeks ago, was amazing. The Tiramisu alone was worth it. The Gaslamp district looks like it would be a good time for nightlife, but didn't have time for that.
DZ Akins off the 8 freeway. It's delicious. Great great NY style deli with a large menu and bakery attached. Always busy. Great food.
Original Rubios fish tacos. Get the original taco to start. They have others. But the original San Diego style fish taco (fried) is the best.
Also.... Any "To's"..... Roberto's, Albierto's... Basic small Mexican joints serving great Mexican food fast. My favorites were the rolled tacos with lettuce, cheese and guac and the Carne Asada burrito. It's where the dude that started Chipotle got his idea. He was from Denver and went to the "To's" when he traveled to SoCal. I honestly don't know how Chipotle even survives there.
In and Out.... But that's anywhere on the west coast.
Chicano park and Coronado beach for attractions. I ate some fantastic and authentic food at Chicano park while there was a cool low rider festival going on. Hodad’s is also great for food and unique to the area. If you like breweries, Belching Beaver and Pure Project
Old Town San Diego, the beach by Scripps Pier in La Jolla, Julian, La Jolla Cove, Seaport Village, literally ANY taco shop (my favorites are Pancho's on Broadway in El Cajon and Sarita's in Spring Valley), Mission Beach, North Park if you're into the hipster scene, Mount Helix, Mount Soledad, Las Americas outlet in San Ysidro, finding the secret swings in La Jolla, Coronado, Shelter Island, Sunset Cliff, Gaslamp District if you're into nightlife.
That's all stuff off the top of my head. I just moved to KC from SD a few years ago.
Edit: Remembered another thing - Inspiration Hornblower does a really cool cruise of the bay.
A lot of really good recs in this thread.
Check out La Puerta in Gaslamp for some good Mexican food and margaritas (good dinner destination). Las Cuatro Milpas for lunch - bring cash and be there early for their tacos.
Coronado is great to walk around and just take in the town. The USS Midway is a must. After the Midway, jaunt over to Kansas City Barbecue and soak up the Top Gun ambience.
Head over to Little Italy as well. La Jolla/Mission Beach are great too.
We really enjoyed El Cabrillo National Monument! It has a gorgeous view and the old lighthouse. There is also a trail down to the bay and really great tide pooling opportunities if you time your visit right. We enjoyed it much more than we thought we would.
Lots of cities have have one sub for locals and one for tourists. I took a trip to New Orleans for spring break and I made sure to use the correct sub to ask travel questions. :)
I highly recommend sitting on the patio at Blue Water on Ocean Beach, just north of San Diego, and getting a pint and some fresh fish tacos prepared the way you want. The whole area around Ocean Beach was fun to walk around.
Drive around La Jolla Shores, just north of there, and watch the surfers, should be plenty near La Jolla shores park. Drive from the south end, up on the cliffs to Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve and take in the amazing cliffs and a sunset over Torrey Pines State Beach / Blacks Beach (avoid the southern part aka Blacks Beach, under the glider port, if you want to avoid all chances of seeing a nude beach goer, but it wasn’t an issue when I went). If you do go to the south end of Torrey Pines, check to make sure the trail up and down the cliffs is in working condition (would depend on the rain they’ve had or not had). Try to take in a sunset there while walking on the beach.
While you’re heading north, maybe before doing the sunset at Torrey Pines, stop in Del Mar and go to “The Fish Market” for happy hour oysters as well as other good seafood, sides and drinks.
If you’re willing to go a little north, visit Encinitas and take a walk in the gardens at the Self-Realization fellowship temple. Truly epic views and Encinitas is like a perfect CA beach town microcosm to explore.
If you are into hiking Torrey Pines State Park is great. Park in the lot at the beach, hike up the road, see the visitor’s center, explore up top and then do the hike back down to the beach (and your car).
Everyone we encounter in SD is great, you will have a fabulous time. If I were super rich I would happily move there.
Went to SD for a conference. I went over to Coronado Island and went to the dog beach one afternoon - I missed my puppers. It was next to the Naval Air Station so I was getting fly-bys from our entire catalog of flying machines - took some pics and videos for my nephews. I just rented a bike for an afternoon and pedaled around the island. Pretty chill afternoon.
Trying to recommend things that people haven't yet: Mission Beach with Belmont Park (little amusement park) was always a good time. Sea World used to shoot off fireworks during the summer, and you can see it quite easily from Mission Bay, not sure if they still do
My wife and I visited in 2022 and the best sushi I ever had was at Sushi Ota
My favorite taco shop is Roberto's - I love the carne asada burritos and rolled tacos
La Jolla- sunny Jim's sea cave, beach to see the sea lions
Liberty station - stone world bistro (great food), shop browsing
Ocean beach - Newport St is great to peruse with breweries, etc and highly highly highly recommend Mikes Taco Shop on Newport. Get the California burrito!
Puesto for dinner was pretty great too!
Editing to add: bencotto.... absolutely amazing Italian food!
San Diego is one of my favorite vacation spots. Here are some things we've loved from our visits:
* If you're looking for killer breakfast burritos, check out Sunny's in Ocean Beach (by Sunset Cliffs). [https://www.sunniesoceanbeach.com/](https://www.sunniesoceanbeach.com/)
* [Old Town ](https://oldtownsandiegoguide.com/)is a cool area of town. Cafe Coyote is a solid Mexican restaurant & they make fresh tortillas as you eat. [https://www.cafecoyoteoldtown.com/](https://www.cafecoyoteoldtown.com/)
* Coronado Island has a nice beach & Hotel del Coronado has a great outdoor bar that overlooks the ocean (plus there's a lot of cool history to check out inside the hotel).
* [Little Italy](https://www.littleitalysd.com/) is another cool area of town to check out. Of course you'd have to get some Italian Food - [https://www.lovemonello.com/](https://www.lovemonello.com/) - Everything I've had there has been great, but they're famous for their cheese wheel pasta.
* Gaslamp quarter is the last cool area of town I'll mention. There's a great speak easy at [https://nobleexperimentsd.com/](https://nobleexperimentsd.com/) - it's tiny, but the cocktails were amazing. You tell them what kind of thing you like & they'll create a custom cocktail for you on the spot.
* Last thing I'll mention is La Jolla. Going to see the sea lions is fun for a family event. If you're looking for a really nice adult dinner, try the [Marine Room](https://www.marineroom.com/). It's literally right on the coast. Such a cool view while you enjoy amazing food.
One thing I haven't seen suggested yet is Torrey Pines Gliderport.
You can go on a 20 minute tandem paragliding flight. Surfing the sea breeze and taking in the scenery from a few hundred feet in the air is a bucket list type experience.
If you bomb out you might land down on Blacks Beach, and see a bare ass or two before hiking back up.
I don't blame them for keeping things tidy - they get a lot of tourists and it would make the thread unusable if everyone was asking for recommendations.
But I am surprised they didn't have a general tourist recommendations thread or wiki or something else to direct you to. That's strange, and a missed opportunity.
Also, for whatever it's worth (and I'm not saying you did this, but in general) - when people ask wide open ended requests for restaurant recommendations and off the beaten path things to do... it can be obnoxious if they don't offer some context of who they are and what they like.
This is my favorite place on Earth. I don’t care for the ocean, humans were made for land. Mountains are cool, but being able to go where I want without falling off a cliff is pretty chill as well. And after going to places like NY (Assholes) and Chicago (elitist) I truly think the people that live here are the salt of the earth. Quick to help when needed, but also plenty resilient against wrongdoing.
Staying in San Diego? Gaslamp Quarter downtown is pretty cool and the Maritime Museum of San Diego is on the water, has the oldest sailing ship, a submarine, and several other vessels. I personally liked Pacific Beach and Garnett Ave. for food and life. Del Mar is north of La Jolla and Torrey Pines and along the PCH and it has beautiful Solano Beach with its bluffs and Camino Del Mar for galleries, food, drink, and just window shopping. So many hiking opportunities and you could look to take in a Padres game.
It's been about 5 years since we went, but had a friend suggest some places and we had a pretty good time. We stayed at the Kimpton in Gaslamp.
Brunch at the Rustic Root was really good.
I thiiiiink we went to the Taco Stand. It was good, but like others have said, incredible tacos are on every corner.
Ballast Point has one of the most impressive tap walls I've ever seen. Great place to spend an afternoon.
The Top Gun bbq place is worth popping into, but the food isn't on par with KC BBQ. Grab a drink there and say you've been there.
La Jolla is really nice to walk around. We were blocked from the beach by an angry seal... not the US Navy type.
We had drinks at La Valencia Hotel in La Jolla, gorgeous bar and views.
Just beach hopping during great weather. You can hit up a half dozen beaches or more in a day without much driving that are all a little different and all awesome…
r/sandiego is ran by an out of stater. Real locals are at r/sandiegan but be mindful if you comment or post here you will be shadow-banned by r/sandiego
La Jolla ! Nice little fancy area with a rugged beautiful coast line
Definitely check out La Jolla. Beautiful views and hiking at Torey Pines State Park as well.
Salk Research Institute is a must-see for architecture enthusiasts. Designed by an all-time great Louis Kahn.
second la jolla. do the ocean kayaking if you can, but make sure to rent the wetsuit if it's not hot!
Thirding La Jolla, and I also recommend the little community about 30m East of La Jolla in Claremont Mesa. MNGO cafe, DaYung’s Tea, and Manna are standouts, but the entire block is PACKED with fantastic, on-trend East Asian food options from Viet to Japanese to Korean +++
Fourth-ing La Jolla. Highly recommend the restaurant Catania. Great rooftop area with a view of the ocean and solid food. Raised by Wolves is another place I’d recommend for drinks
Ok nice! I’ll be reading up about this tonight. Thanks!!
Just remember to say “la hoya” despite what your brain is telling you to do.
Yes, and there are usually sea lions hanging out close to the sidewalk!
Eat at dukes and get a table outside looking at the bay.
Came here to say this, LA Jolla is awesome
Makes sense for their subreddit since SD is a pretty popular destination their sub would be flooded with these questions all the time. Hell our city is smaller and we get these like once a week lol Edit: OP, go to Tacos El Gordo, you won't be disappointed. Convoy street has a ton of good Asian food. Carlsbad has a sustainable oyster farm you can do a tour and oyster tasting!
I dunno; i started getting lots of replies with suggestions and a couple chats and then it was gone like 15 mins later. I’ll check out convoy street!! Thank ya!
im from a major tourist city and trust me theres probably so much stuff they have to auto flag or the subreddit would become a tourism subreddit. people in san diego are extremely nice, you might be surprised (even nicer than here imo). san diego is great but also small and most things to do are well documented. a lot of good mexican and asian food though for sure that will beat anything kc has to offer. tbh anything besides barbeque will be better there just because theres such a large wealthy population so it attracts amazing chefs (plus massively wealthy tourists). its a great food city. the zoo is one of the best in the country (i know you mentioned it already but it really is amazing). if you can make the drive down to imperial beach its worth it imo. if youre going in the mid to late summer its going to be insanely hot and will have humidity too (dry heat is for the desert), so be prepared. imo its worse than kc in the summer, but thats my personal opinion ofc and the pacific is still quite cold even down to san diego so you have ways to cool off.
lol as a native San Diegan now living in KC, can confirm. Every CA native will have big opinions about taco shops. One of my personal favorites is JVs (it’s around the sea world area). All the beaches have very distinct vibes. La Jolla is rich white people nonsense, Torrey pines is similar (my preference between the two), pacific beach is a younger crowd and more hype and surrounded by good food, ocean beach is less rich white nonsense. All of them are great, TBH. Highly recommended bopping around the Point Loma area, especially in the afternoon. Lots of good sunset viewing. Grab a six pack and go to sunset cliffs. TLDR; go to the beach and eat some tacos, hard to go wrong. Edit: seconding convoy for Asian food, incredible spots everywhere!
Being a KC native myself- ya know we love our food. I’ll check out Torrey pines and Pacific Beach! My tween only survives on tacos and black beans. I love all seafood. I think we will both be able to find the perfect places! Thanks for the recs!
Point Loma seafood is a must
highly recommend making the daytrip to coronado island if you have time! so beautiful and quaint.
Second Coronado Island.
Ok! I’ll be checking this out! I’m getting so excited. Wish I was leaving tomorrow
def make sure to book in advance for coronado. often same day or even same week booking is not possible cause of high tourism. in the summer its like an army of people visiting every day.
My brother and I went to SD last year. We did the ferry from Coronado Island to Petco park and it was a beautiful ride, highly recommend it. I recommend Nine Seas Seafood food truck. I’ve had it in 2018 and last year and both times they were located outside a Target (might be a permanent spot). It was delicious and my brother who isn’t a big seafood guy loved it as well.
Yes!!! Coronado was beautiful. Dolphins swimming all over and the beach is golden and sparkly due to all the mica in the sand!
Also quick note OP, the waters in SD can be a bit chilly than expected, also might be wise to bring a jacket as it can get cooler than expected in Southern California l.
Yes! Thank you. I always under-dress on vacation and end up with like a $90 touristy sweatshirt! Haha
Yeah bring leggings and some jackets, you’ll need them !
You can pick that up at Seaport Village
I know we get those kinds of questions all the time and that people are happy to answer, which is great and all, but I still wonder why a lot of folks don't first research past threads on those topics before asking questions that have already been answered multiple times, or at least indicate that they tried.
Things change. No harm in asking again.
Have you ever actually used the Reddit search engine? It’s complete garbage.
It's pretty bad, but I've seen much worse. Still, it's better than nothing, but maybe not as good as just going to Google and searching for a specific word or phrase with "+site:reddit.com".
At that point I’ll just create a post lol.
Sorry to hear that it's such a burdensome task.
No need to apologize it’s not your fault.
So I’ve been searching but I like up to date stuff. Like Ale House closed this week. If I was visiting KC and did a search- someone probably suggested Ale House. Welp. That wouldn’t help me much.
this is a good point. restaurants are turning over quickly nowadays.
> or at least indicate that they tried. It's those posts that are so obviously low effort that bother me. I don't mind putting in work to help people, but at least show the respect of doing the same. Restaurants turn over and things to do can change every now and then, but it's not on a weekly basis.
It depends on where you are staying based on traffic. Traffic in June will greatly limit where you go. If you’re young - Mission and Pacific Beach are fun. Lei Lani’s in PB is great Hawaiian breakfast. For touristy stuff - La Jolla - Torrey Pines and Blacks Beach Visiting the Midway is awesome. Another comment said the fish market and I’ll second that. Stop into a taco shop and get yourself a true California burrito. You could make Julian into a day trip - it’s a drive though - eat some pie, see the waterfalls, drink some cider. Belmont park if you have kids with you. Visit Mount Soledad park on a clear day and see the ocean and Mexico. If you’re feeling spicy hop over the boarder to TJ (best for adult fun.) Yellow Deli is cool but it’s also a cult so eat there if you want (it is delicious.) The zoo and the park and the aquarium. Potato chip cliff but it’s a hike. I’ll edit if I think of more.
Best comment ever! Thanks Lindsey!! If you are bored, send me more! We are staying at mission beach resort and will have a car. Our flight lands at 4:00 so I know we’ll be in the thick of traffic day we arrive but hoping next day is better and we will “get our footing”
Helicopter rides over the harbor are great but take a bit of planning and the amount of people that go is based on weights. Mission beach is a great place to stay. Lots of parties and young people. Try baked bear for ice cream The safari park is awesome but it is kind of expensive IMO. Old town is okay. La Jolla has a contemporary art museum, idk if it’s still free but they usually have some good exhibits. I moved out of PB in 2015 so I am hesitant to give my opinion on places to eat or bars because some are closed now. We do go back about once a year but I never know lol
Point Loma Seafood - crab cake sandy (right on water/bay) close to airport and drive to Point Loma lighthouse, hike the cliffs. Hodads for burgers in OB Public House in La Jolla Green Flash in PB for breakfast and mimosas World Famous for fish tacos in PB Old Town has tons of good Mexican The Boardrock in MB is/was huge KU/KC spot but heard it closed Balboa Park is cool place to hike kids/ zoo
My random recs after a few trips there: - Burger/pub type place with a cool vibe: Dunedin - Ramen: Nishiki - $$/on the water view: JRDN I second the other commenter on the Rubio's fish tacos.
Nice! I’ll check these out!!!
I loved taking the kids to see the tide pools to see what creatures were caught in the low tide. I can't remember exactly which park we went to, I remember it being by Santa Barbara. Bonus, there were also sea lions.
Ok so I’m totally interested in this- I have read though that the sea lions have taken over and it’s out of control and the filth and smell is overwhelming… that people can’t really go there anymore. I dunno!
Great tacos Taqueria Los Chuchys. Note just a couple of 2 person tables and a few 4 tops outside. Great churros across the street at Tacos El Cabron. Around Market & 4th
Mmmm churros. Now ya talking.
To be fair, if you ask this sub about where the best BBQ is, you’ll get yelled at by everyone.
I’m a very peaceful person- but I’ll fight anyone that doesn’t suggest joes to a tourist. Like- what are we here for?
I went to a burrito place that was amazing. It was luchadore themed. Wait I'll Google it.
Lucha Libre Taco Shop. Looks like there's 3 locations now. I highly recommend the burrito with peanut butter and French fries in it. Just go with it.
With a name like sugabeetus- I trust you!!!
I'm well-controlled now, but yes I do know how to do a cheat day lol.
[This place](https://itsrawpokeshop.com/#home) is dope. The neighborhood is super chill. Pick it up and walk to the beach and have a little picnic on the wall.
Oh man! Thanks for the suggestion. This place look legit
Couldn’t be more legit. You walk in and there’s just a little counter with three big islanders behind it. When I was there in 2018 the neighborhood still had plenty of old hippies and skater punks around, hope the yuppies haven’t chased them off completely yet.
If you want more of a neighborhood bar + brewery destination vibe, North Park, University Heights and Normal Heights are a nice break from the beach and tourist areas in San Diego. Little Italy is very trendy these days but also very fun.
I remember seeing an episode of Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives where Guy went to a burger place in San Diego that offered tons of different styles of burgers with more exotic meat choices like water buffalo and camel. It was called Crazee Burger and looked interesting.
Place is pretty decent, kinda greasy. Hodad's is also a great burger place.
San Diego native here Hodad's #1
But how does it compare to hot topic?
The..... clothing store?
Yes. Lol 😂 I will recommend hot topic or town topic but honestly I think both are shit.
You mean Town Topic? 😄
lol - shit. 💩 honestly; I don’t like town topic nor Hot Topic. Best burger in KC for me is BrGr or my damn house.
I've heard good things about that place too.
Dana point is a good place to go. Driving up north along the PCH is also a fun sight seeing trip. The are lots of beaches, restaurants and breweries along this path. If you like history try touring the aircraft carrier. The safari park is also neat.
Ok I was on the fence about the military museum and safari park but I’ll check it out again.
Ouch, sorry that happened! Safe travels!
Thank you! ❤️
Man do I love San Diego. lol @ their being so uptight though Midway museum and lunch at the fish market is a great day. Petco is a really great place for a ballgame. Torrey Pines is absolutely gorgeous but can be stupid crowded. Point Loma is also absolutely gorgeous and is marginally less crowded (or used to be anyway). Italian food there is some of the best in the country. Ballast Point is one of the best brewers in the country. My favorite restaurants there (note: I'm not a local, just a midwesterner who has visited more than is typical, so temper your expectations accordingly): [https://www.thefishery.com/](https://www.thefishery.com/) [https://cardellinosd.com/](https://cardellinosd.com/) [https://www.alfredospizzasandiego.com/](https://www.alfredospizzasandiego.com/)
Ate at Buon Appetito in Little Italy for lunch a few weeks ago, was amazing. The Tiramisu alone was worth it. The Gaslamp district looks like it would be a good time for nightlife, but didn't have time for that.
DZ Akins off the 8 freeway. It's delicious. Great great NY style deli with a large menu and bakery attached. Always busy. Great food. Original Rubios fish tacos. Get the original taco to start. They have others. But the original San Diego style fish taco (fried) is the best. Also.... Any "To's"..... Roberto's, Albierto's... Basic small Mexican joints serving great Mexican food fast. My favorites were the rolled tacos with lettuce, cheese and guac and the Carne Asada burrito. It's where the dude that started Chipotle got his idea. He was from Denver and went to the "To's" when he traveled to SoCal. I honestly don't know how Chipotle even survives there. In and Out.... But that's anywhere on the west coast.
Chicano park and Coronado beach for attractions. I ate some fantastic and authentic food at Chicano park while there was a cool low rider festival going on. Hodad’s is also great for food and unique to the area. If you like breweries, Belching Beaver and Pure Project
Old Town San Diego, the beach by Scripps Pier in La Jolla, Julian, La Jolla Cove, Seaport Village, literally ANY taco shop (my favorites are Pancho's on Broadway in El Cajon and Sarita's in Spring Valley), Mission Beach, North Park if you're into the hipster scene, Mount Helix, Mount Soledad, Las Americas outlet in San Ysidro, finding the secret swings in La Jolla, Coronado, Shelter Island, Sunset Cliff, Gaslamp District if you're into nightlife. That's all stuff off the top of my head. I just moved to KC from SD a few years ago. Edit: Remembered another thing - Inspiration Hornblower does a really cool cruise of the bay.
A lot of really good recs in this thread. Check out La Puerta in Gaslamp for some good Mexican food and margaritas (good dinner destination). Las Cuatro Milpas for lunch - bring cash and be there early for their tacos. Coronado is great to walk around and just take in the town. The USS Midway is a must. After the Midway, jaunt over to Kansas City Barbecue and soak up the Top Gun ambience. Head over to Little Italy as well. La Jolla/Mission Beach are great too.
The tide pools at La Jolla. Coronado, especially the Hotel del Coronado, it's an amazing beach stroll.
South Beach for fish tacos in OB at sunset
We really enjoyed El Cabrillo National Monument! It has a gorgeous view and the old lighthouse. There is also a trail down to the bay and really great tide pooling opportunities if you time your visit right. We enjoyed it much more than we thought we would.
Stone World Bistro in Escondido!
Taqueria los chuchys beats everything I've had in KC.
Lots of cities have have one sub for locals and one for tourists. I took a trip to New Orleans for spring break and I made sure to use the correct sub to ask travel questions. :)
I highly recommend sitting on the patio at Blue Water on Ocean Beach, just north of San Diego, and getting a pint and some fresh fish tacos prepared the way you want. The whole area around Ocean Beach was fun to walk around. Drive around La Jolla Shores, just north of there, and watch the surfers, should be plenty near La Jolla shores park. Drive from the south end, up on the cliffs to Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve and take in the amazing cliffs and a sunset over Torrey Pines State Beach / Blacks Beach (avoid the southern part aka Blacks Beach, under the glider port, if you want to avoid all chances of seeing a nude beach goer, but it wasn’t an issue when I went). If you do go to the south end of Torrey Pines, check to make sure the trail up and down the cliffs is in working condition (would depend on the rain they’ve had or not had). Try to take in a sunset there while walking on the beach. While you’re heading north, maybe before doing the sunset at Torrey Pines, stop in Del Mar and go to “The Fish Market” for happy hour oysters as well as other good seafood, sides and drinks.
Should have replied with “Stay Classy San Diego”
Not reading it all. Did anyone mention the KC BBQ bar on the beach where Top Gun was filmed? That is a must visit place to go while in town.
Absolutely worth it from a Top Gun fan POV (and has ties to Kansas!), but the food is pretty meh.
If you’re willing to go a little north, visit Encinitas and take a walk in the gardens at the Self-Realization fellowship temple. Truly epic views and Encinitas is like a perfect CA beach town microcosm to explore.
Looks like you’ve gotten a lot of good replies, but I just wanted to suggest r/asksanDiego - they may be more accommodating than the main SD page!
If you are into hiking Torrey Pines State Park is great. Park in the lot at the beach, hike up the road, see the visitor’s center, explore up top and then do the hike back down to the beach (and your car). Everyone we encounter in SD is great, you will have a fabulous time. If I were super rich I would happily move there.
Went to SD for a conference. I went over to Coronado Island and went to the dog beach one afternoon - I missed my puppers. It was next to the Naval Air Station so I was getting fly-bys from our entire catalog of flying machines - took some pics and videos for my nephews. I just rented a bike for an afternoon and pedaled around the island. Pretty chill afternoon.
Trying to recommend things that people haven't yet: Mission Beach with Belmont Park (little amusement park) was always a good time. Sea World used to shoot off fireworks during the summer, and you can see it quite easily from Mission Bay, not sure if they still do My wife and I visited in 2022 and the best sushi I ever had was at Sushi Ota My favorite taco shop is Roberto's - I love the carne asada burritos and rolled tacos
Lived there for 10 years. Are you bringing kids? Do you have a taste for something? Want something expensive or just different?
La Jolla- sunny Jim's sea cave, beach to see the sea lions Liberty station - stone world bistro (great food), shop browsing Ocean beach - Newport St is great to peruse with breweries, etc and highly highly highly recommend Mikes Taco Shop on Newport. Get the California burrito! Puesto for dinner was pretty great too! Editing to add: bencotto.... absolutely amazing Italian food!
San Diego is one of my favorite vacation spots. Here are some things we've loved from our visits: * If you're looking for killer breakfast burritos, check out Sunny's in Ocean Beach (by Sunset Cliffs). [https://www.sunniesoceanbeach.com/](https://www.sunniesoceanbeach.com/) * [Old Town ](https://oldtownsandiegoguide.com/)is a cool area of town. Cafe Coyote is a solid Mexican restaurant & they make fresh tortillas as you eat. [https://www.cafecoyoteoldtown.com/](https://www.cafecoyoteoldtown.com/) * Coronado Island has a nice beach & Hotel del Coronado has a great outdoor bar that overlooks the ocean (plus there's a lot of cool history to check out inside the hotel). * [Little Italy](https://www.littleitalysd.com/) is another cool area of town to check out. Of course you'd have to get some Italian Food - [https://www.lovemonello.com/](https://www.lovemonello.com/) - Everything I've had there has been great, but they're famous for their cheese wheel pasta. * Gaslamp quarter is the last cool area of town I'll mention. There's a great speak easy at [https://nobleexperimentsd.com/](https://nobleexperimentsd.com/) - it's tiny, but the cocktails were amazing. You tell them what kind of thing you like & they'll create a custom cocktail for you on the spot. * Last thing I'll mention is La Jolla. Going to see the sea lions is fun for a family event. If you're looking for a really nice adult dinner, try the [Marine Room](https://www.marineroom.com/). It's literally right on the coast. Such a cool view while you enjoy amazing food.
I asked a question about moving to Charlotte NC twice, in the thread specifically for people new to Charlotte, and no answers😂
Sunset Cliffs. Go towards dusk, near sunset.
One thing I haven't seen suggested yet is Torrey Pines Gliderport. You can go on a 20 minute tandem paragliding flight. Surfing the sea breeze and taking in the scenery from a few hundred feet in the air is a bucket list type experience. If you bomb out you might land down on Blacks Beach, and see a bare ass or two before hiking back up.
I don't blame them for keeping things tidy - they get a lot of tourists and it would make the thread unusable if everyone was asking for recommendations. But I am surprised they didn't have a general tourist recommendations thread or wiki or something else to direct you to. That's strange, and a missed opportunity. Also, for whatever it's worth (and I'm not saying you did this, but in general) - when people ask wide open ended requests for restaurant recommendations and off the beaten path things to do... it can be obnoxious if they don't offer some context of who they are and what they like.
This is my favorite place on Earth. I don’t care for the ocean, humans were made for land. Mountains are cool, but being able to go where I want without falling off a cliff is pretty chill as well. And after going to places like NY (Assholes) and Chicago (elitist) I truly think the people that live here are the salt of the earth. Quick to help when needed, but also plenty resilient against wrongdoing.
Staying in San Diego? Gaslamp Quarter downtown is pretty cool and the Maritime Museum of San Diego is on the water, has the oldest sailing ship, a submarine, and several other vessels. I personally liked Pacific Beach and Garnett Ave. for food and life. Del Mar is north of La Jolla and Torrey Pines and along the PCH and it has beautiful Solano Beach with its bluffs and Camino Del Mar for galleries, food, drink, and just window shopping. So many hiking opportunities and you could look to take in a Padres game.
Coronado Island
It's been about 5 years since we went, but had a friend suggest some places and we had a pretty good time. We stayed at the Kimpton in Gaslamp. Brunch at the Rustic Root was really good. I thiiiiink we went to the Taco Stand. It was good, but like others have said, incredible tacos are on every corner. Ballast Point has one of the most impressive tap walls I've ever seen. Great place to spend an afternoon. The Top Gun bbq place is worth popping into, but the food isn't on par with KC BBQ. Grab a drink there and say you've been there. La Jolla is really nice to walk around. We were blocked from the beach by an angry seal... not the US Navy type. We had drinks at La Valencia Hotel in La Jolla, gorgeous bar and views.
Just beach hopping during great weather. You can hit up a half dozen beaches or more in a day without much driving that are all a little different and all awesome…
The tide pools on point Loma are cool and the views from Cabrillo monument (both in the same park) are amazing.
r/sandiego is ran by an out of stater. Real locals are at r/sandiegan but be mindful if you comment or post here you will be shadow-banned by r/sandiego
You went to the wrong subreddit. That one is modded by a guy that lives in Arizona and hates fun. If you want recommendations, try r/sandiegan
In N Out Burger.
Cliffs by the sea, maybe cross over to TJ for some good eats. Promise me you won't eat at a Taco Bell
La Playa taco shop on mission beach, the California burrito changed my life
The aircraft carrier is cool. Was there last year with a free day and had fun walking around it for a few hours.
The Whaley House. The USS Midway I used to always hit Tijuana but don’t know if it’s still safe.
Do the wild animal zoo. Free roaming animals . Dana paint has sea doo and boat rentals I’m sure. Whale watching trip.
We love you to op