In this Food Bloggers Guide To San Diego, I’m sharing my favorite things to do in San Diego, including where to eat, stay & play!

San Diego Food and City Guide

Hi, my name is Whitney, and I’m obsessed with food, and the city of San Diego, so I created the ultimate foodie guide to my favorite city in the world!

From my top spots for brunch and lunch, to my favorite Italian, Mexican, Spanish, Seafood, and Chinese restaurants, to coffee shops, happy hour spots, breweries and cocktail bars, I’m giving you the inside look at where, and what, I eat and drink when I’m out and about in this beautiful city that I’m so lucky to call home! I’ve included my Must Try dishes and As Seen On Insta links to give you a closer look at the dishes I’ve featured on my Instagram page over the years!

This page is an ongoing project with monthly updates on new restaurants, bars and menu items at my favorite spots! Because one thing’s for sure, San Diego always has something new and awesome popping up!

If you want to see what & where I’m eating before it hits this page, follow me on Instagram for daily updates on things to do in San Diego, and beyond!

Check out my other food blogger guides for New Orleans, New York City and Philadelphia!

Queenstown Brunch Oink with Jalapeño Cornbread, Pulled Pork and Poached Egg

Pictured: The Oink at Queenstown

Monello Eggs Benedict

Pictured: Eggs Benedict with Pesto Hollandaise at Monello

Bacon Fat Mac & Cheese

Pictured: Bacon Fat Mac & Cheese at Firehouse

Hodad's, San Diego, Frings, French Fries, Onion Rings, Cheeseburger, Milkshake

Pictured: Onion Rings at Hodads

  • American

    • Cowboy Star (Downtown – East Village)
      • Filet Mignon
      • Beef Tartare
    • TRUST (Hillcrest)
      • Ricotta Agnolotti
      • Hamachi Crudo
      • Wood Grilled Octopus → as seen on Insta!
      • Hush Puppies – MUST TRY!
      • Wood Grilled Lamb Meatballs
      • Pork Sugo

Ricotta Agnolotti at TRUST San Diego

Pictured: Ricotta Agnolotti at TRUST

  • Chinese

    • Tasty Noodle House
      • Shanghai Xiao Long Bao – MUST TRY!
      • Shanghai Grilled Pork Bun
      • Ginger Scallion Beef with Noodles
      • Beef Chow Mein with Black Pepper Sauce
  • Thai

    • Koon Thai
      • Roti Bread with Curry Sauce
      • Tom Ka Soup
      • Massamun Pork Shank
      • Yellow Curry
      • Thai Basil
      • Pad Thai
  • Italian

    • Buona Forchetta (2 locations – Liberty Station & South Park)
      • Bucatini Boscaiola – MUST TRY!
      • All of their pizzas are amazing!
    • Davanti (2 locations: Downtown – Little Italy & Del Mar)
      • Ragu & Polenta – MUST TRY!
      • Focaccia with Honeycomb → as seen on Insta!
      • Prosciutto Pizza
      • Rigatoni with Sausage
    • Monello (Downtown – Little Italy)
    • Bencotto (Downtown – Little Italy)
    • Solare (Point Loma – Liberty Station)

Puesto Tacos

Pictured: Tacos at Puesto

  • Spanish

    • Cafe Sevilla (Downtown) → as seen on Insta! 
        • Beef, Chorizo or Wild Mushroom Empanadas
        • Olive Bread with Aioli & Tomato Sauce
        • Bacon Wrapped Dates – MUST TRY!
        • Pollo Brocheta
      • House Red Sangria – MUST TRY!
  • Hawaiian

    • Duke’s (La Jolla)
      • Mussels Adobo – MUST TRY! → as seen on Insta! 
      • Fresh Fish Crudo – MUST TRY!
      • Tahitian Octopus
      • King Ranch Beef Filet – MUST TRY!
      • Roasted Duke’s Fish
  • Happy Hour

  • Breweries

    • Ballast Point (2 Locations: Downtown – Little Italy & Miramar)
    • Stone Brewery (2 Locations: Point Loma & Escondido)
      • DRINK: Stone IPA or Stone Drink By (if in season)
      • EAT: Fresh Yellowfin Tuna Poke Tacos & Charred Brussels Sprouts
  • Cocktails

    • Kettner Exchange (Downtown – Little Italy)
      • DRINK: Moscow Mule – BEST EVER! or PD Collins
      • EAT: Big Eye Tuna Tacos or Double Double Burger

Beyond the Food

While eating is obviously one of my favorite things to do in San Diego, living in America’s Finest City has other perks, such as great hiking trails, beautiful beaches and tons of fun annual events! Here are some of my other top San Diego picks “beyond the food”!

  • Hiking

    • Torrey Pines State Park
      • Easy hike, beautiful views, directly on the water!
    • Mt Woodson – Potato Chip Rock
      • Difficult hike, but great Instagram pic opportunity at the top 😉

IMG_1136_2

Pictured: Jumps at Potato Chip Rock

 

Was your favorite San Diego restaurant, dish, brewery or event on the list? If so, rad, you have great tastes 😉 Comment below and let me know!

Didn’t see your favorite San Diego dish on the list? Comment below with your favorite spots, and must try dishes! After-all, I’m always on the lookout for my next foodie adventure and fun things to do in San Diego!