Eat and Drink in San Diego

Fish tacos by the beach, craft beer in North Park, and farmers markets every day of the week.

Eating Here

Tacos, Beer and Market Days

San Diego is where the California fish taco took hold. Baja style, with battered white fish, cabbage, crema and lime. Ocean Beach and Pacific Beach have the best known counters, and good ones are spread across the county. The breweries fall into two groups. North Park is walkable, with several taprooms within a few blocks of each other. Miramar is where the larger production breweries are, with more space and a food truck parked outside. A certified farmers market runs somewhere in the city almost every day of the week. The largest is in Little Italy on Saturday mornings.

Tacos

The Fish Taco Crawl

Ocean Beach

South Beach Bar & Grill

A beachfront bar and grill on Newport Avenue, open since 1992 and a block from the pier. The mahi fish taco is what it is known for. The kitchen closes at 9pm.

Ocean Beach and Mission Hills

Blue Water Seafood

A seafood market and grill where you choose the fish at the counter and it is cooked to order. Two locations, on Santa Monica Avenue in Ocean Beach and the original on India Street in Mission Hills.

Pacific Beach and Hillcrest

Oscar's Mexican Seafood

A walk-up seafood counter recognized in the Michelin Guide, known for smoked fish tacos, shrimp tacos and ceviche. Locations in Pacific Beach and Hillcrest.

Breweries

Craft Beer in San Diego

North Park

The densest brewery neighborhood in the city and the only one you can do on foot. Several taprooms sit within a few blocks of each other around 30th Street and El Cajon Boulevard, and the Thursday farmers market runs through the middle of it.

Mike Hess on Grim Avenue, with a walkway above the brewhouse
Pure Project on El Cajon Boulevard, a beer garden with pizza on site
Fall Brewing on 30th Street, open since 2014, food truck most nights

Miramar

An industrial district north of the city where the larger production breweries are. The rooms are bigger, the tap lists are longer, and there is usually a food truck outside. You need a car or a rideshare to get there.

AleSmith, a large tasting room with brewery tours
Duck Foot on Kenamar Drive, open seven days with a gluten reduced range
Pure Project's original taproom and barrel aging program

Farmers Markets

Almost Every Day of the Week

Saturday, Little Italy
The Mercato runs 8am to 2pm along West Date Street, about six blocks and the largest market in the county. A smaller version runs on Wednesday, 9:30am to 1:30pm.
Sunday, Hillcrest
9am to 2pm, with a wide selection of prepared food alongside the produce stalls.
Sunday, La Jolla
The Open Aire Market on Girard Avenue, 9am to 1pm. Smaller and close to the coast, with proceeds supporting the local elementary school.
Tuesday, Pacific Beach
2pm to 7pm on Bayard Street, a few blocks from the sand.
Wednesday, Ocean Beach
The 4900 block of Newport Avenue, 4pm to 8pm from April through September and 4pm to 7pm from October through March. More than a hundred vendors, with live music.
Thursday, North Park
3pm to 7:30pm on North Park Way, a few blocks from the breweries listed above.