San Diego Area (mostly vintage) Bars and Restaurants

mbonga: I never saw that when I worked at the La Mesa Farrell's in 1979-81. Hilarious!

On 2006-02-25 12:04, thejab wrote:
I never saw that when I worked at the La Mesa Farrell's in 1979-81.

Those menus must be long gone, then. They must have disappeared in the early '70s.

I just realized that one item really dates that menu: "doughnut holes." Nowadays there really are donuts called doughnut holes, but back then I remember that phrase was just a joke that people would sometimes mention.

On 2006-02-22 19:14, dogbytes wrote:
Freddie, i love your list of restauarants!

a couple restaurants not mentioned are Las Quatras Milpas (1857 Logan Ave. San Diego, CA 92113) & also Porkyland (2196 Logan Ave San Diego, CA 92113-2204) not the best area of town (and mostly take-out) but great authentic mexican!

hey hey Dogbytes, be careful with reccomending Bario Logan restaurants :wink:
My wife (San Diego native) told me that Porkyland is considered the best, but the area is too dangerous. I usually find that these type of "dangerous" areas are not as bad as their reputation, but non-locals should be aware.

Freddie - that Mira Mesa taco shop is on Camino Santa Fe and is called Cotixa if I'm not mistaken.

Ran

Crossing this thread with the Beer Appreciation Thread:

San Diego area Microbreweries, Brewpubs & Beer Bars:

O'Brien's Pub: 4646 Convoy Street, San Diego, CA 92111 Phone: (858) 715-1745
Owner Tom Nickel was a brewmaster before he decided he preferred it behind the bar than brewing for it. There's 20 taps, a large list of bottled beers which turns over rapidly (no old beer here), large comfy padded chairs at all the tables, decent food (American style:Burgers, soups & salads, and fried stuff, no Pub Grub), and a large patio outside. This bar often has casks & firkins of local brews attached to their old fashioned gravity pull engine.

The Liar's Club: 3844 Mission Boulevard, San Diego, CA 92109 Phone: (858) 488-2340 Website: http://liarsclubsd.com/
Another 20 taps, many devoted to local brews, and a locally famous juke box: X, the Germs, Howlin' Wolf, New York Dolls, the Dragons, Tom Waits, Deadbolt, the Replacements... I've been told the Fuego Steak Melt with Cajun Fries is fantastic, too.

The Aero Club: 3365 India St., Mission Hills, San Diego, Ca. Phone: (619) 297-7211 Website: http://aeroclubbar.com/
A broad selections of beers (20 taps, someone's making a killing on those 20X Jockey Boxes!), classic dive bar charms like a pool table & a great jukebox, and a free WiFi hot spot! Sit on a chrome & leatherette barstool and glance across the curved bar at the mural of the history of Aerospace, or you can sit on the front porch & watch I5 traffic that you're not in.

Callahan's Pub And Brewery: 8111 Mira Mesa Blvd, San Diego, Ca. Phone: (858) 578-7892 Website:
One of my Favorite area Brewpubs, this place is the comfort foods of Brewpubs: Beer Cheese Soup in a bread bowl, comfortable seating with plenty of room around the tables, and Blueberry Wheat Ale on tap.

Karl Strauss Brewery & Grill: Several locations -
1157 Columbia Street, San Diego, Ca. Phone: (619) 234-2739
9675 Scranton Rd., Sorrento Mesa, Ca. Phone: (858) 587-2739
1044 Wall St., San Diego (La Jolla), Ca. Phone: (858) 551-2739
5801 Armada Drive, Carlsbad, Ca. Phone: (760) 431-2739
The Budweiser of local Micros, but in a good way. Solid German brewing, mildly adventurous menu, & genial surroundings. After being born in a German Brewery, a career as Brewmaster for Pabst Blue Ribbon, and past President for the Master Brewers Association of the Americas, Karl was exstatic to be asked to brew his own personal recipes by his San Diego cousin, Chris Cramer, and an institution was born.

Pizza Port Carlsbad Brewery: Several Locations -
571 Carlsbad Village Drive, Carlsbad, Ca. Phone: (760) 720-7007 Website: http://www.pizzaport.com/
135 N. Highway 101, Solana Beach, Ca. Phone: (858) 481-7332
301 N. El Camino Real, San Clemente, Ca. Phone: (949) 940-0005
Home of San Diego's Real Beer Fest, Strong Ale Fest & Belgian Beer Fest, plus some good pizza (They're willing to experiment with toppings, so purists be warned) and local micros.

AleSmith Brewing Co.: 9368 Cabot Dr., San Diego, Ca. Phone:(858) 549-9888 Website: http://alesmith.com/
Specializing in Belgian-style and other bottle & keg conditioned beers, try their Horny Devil. This brewery doesn't have a restaurant, pub or tasting room, but they will fill growlers during business hours and they have occasional Friday evening tasing sessions (call for dates/times, they no longer seem to post'em on their website).

Ballast Point Brewing Co.: 5401 Linda Vista Road, No 409, San Diego, Ca. Phone: (619) 298-2337 Website: http://www.ballastpoint.com/
10051 Old Grove Road, Suite B, San Diego, Ca Phone: 858-695-2739
Also the HomeBrewMart store, this Micro is most famous for their Yellowtail Ale, available all over San Diego. There's no restaurant, pub or tasting room, but they often have tasting events at both breweries.

Rock Bottom Brewery: 2 locations around San Diego -
401 G Street, San Diego, Ca. Phone: (619) 231-7000 Website: http://www.rockbottom.com/RockBottomWeb/RBR/Home.aspx
8980 Villa La Jolla Dr., La Jolla, Ca. Phone: (858) 450-9277
I haven't been here but I have had their specialty beer at festivals, and that has been pretty tasty. They make ales only, but have a nice range of lighter Pale Ales to dark & rich Porters & Stouts. I'm told their food is good & plentiful, with salads bordering on the "enormous," but not cheap.

Gordon Biersch:5010 Mission Center Road, San Diego, Ca. Phone: 619-688-1120 Website: http://www.gordonbiersch.com/
Another big chain, another expensive menu, but some really good Lager style beers.

Oggi's Pizza: Several locations -
12840 Carmel Country Rd San Diego, Ca. Phone: (858) 481-7883 Website: http://www.oggis.com/
305 Encinitas Blvd Encinitas, Ca. Phone: (760) 944-8170
10155 Rancho Carmel Dr San Diego, Ca. Phone: (858) 592-7883
2245 Fenton Pkwy, #108 San Diego, Ca. Phone: (619) 640-1072
425 Melrose Vista, Ca. Phone: (760) 295-3851
200 E Via Rancho Pkwy Escondido, Ca. Phone: (760) 466-1000
Formerly "Stuft Pizza," This reataurant's festival beers can be great, but their everyday beers can taste pretty sad. I'm not a fan of the typical Sports Bar atmosphere, with 20 TVs each playing a different sporting event, the wait staff that wishes they worked somewhere cooler, and the requisite table of fat, loud, middle aged jocks drinking to celebrate their latest Softball game & wearing their baseball hats backwards to show that they're still hip. And I'm not crazy about the pizza, either.

Stone Brewing: 1999 Citricado Parkway, Escondido, Ca. Phone: 760-471-4999 Website: http://www.stonebrew.com/index2.php or http://www.arrogantbastard.com/index2.html
Are You Worthy? These guys start with the same water, malt, hops & yeast as all the others, but there's a different attitude here. They're supposed to have a restaurant opening here at their new brewery & store, but don't show up expecting to get something to eat (or even tables & chairs) before the start of Summer, if not later. You can still stop by for a taste, a growler to go, or a "Fizzy yellow beer is for Wussies" T-Shirt.

Alpine Beer Company: 2351 Alpine Blvd., Alpine, Ca Phone: (619) 445-2337 Website: http://www.alpinebeerco.com/
Producers of Exponential Hoppiness, "The most Dangerous beer in America" (a Triple IPA, double dry hopped, and then aged with oak chips. Incredible) and Willy Vanilly, an American Wheat Ale that's been "Dry Beaned" with vanilla beans in the cask. You want something a little less over the top? McIlhenney's Irish Red won Gold at the 2004 World Beer Cup & Silver at the 2004 Great American Beer Festival. It ain't close, so you could look for their beers at local spots like O'Brien's or Pizza Port.

Coronado Brewing Companyt: 170 Orange Ave, Coronado, Ca. Phone: 619-437-4452 Website: http://coronadobrewingcompany.com/index.htm
Better known for it's view of the harbor than it's (usually, sometimes occasionally) good beer. I like it better in the bottle, it seems to be a more stable product than on draft. A convivial brewpub with good food and a nice interior.

Green Flash Brewing: 1430 Vantage Court,Suite 104, Vista, Ca Phone: (760) 597-9012 Website: http://www.greenflashbrew.com/index.html
I haven't visited the brewery, so I can't comment on their locale or specialty beers, but I'm not a fan of their flagship Extra Pale Ale or Brown Ale, but I do like their Red Ale better.

La Jolla Brewery and Restaurant: 4353 La Jolla Village Dr., San Diego, Ca. Phone: (858) 587-6677
I haven't tried them since their latest change of ownership, but their previous incarnations brewed decent beer & made good food, they're most likely damned by their location off to the side in the UTC Woodfield Shopper's Town.

San Diego Brewing Company: 10450 Friars Road #L, San Diego, Ca. Phone: 619-284-2739
Sister Brewpub to Callahan's. Closer to Downtown in Mission Valley, you can sometimes find SD Chargers here trying out their pickup lines.

San Marcos Brewery & Grill: 1080 W. San Marcos Blvd., San Marcos, Ca. Phone:760-471-0050
The only brewery on San Marcos' famous "Restaurant Row." I've heard good things about their beer, and heard that they're consistently good, too, but I'm called around the corner by the lure of Tony Roma's onion rings and never seem to get in here for a beer...

Taylor's Restaurant & Brewery: 721 Grand Ave.,San Diego, Ca. Phone: 858-270-3596
I went here once for the All-You-Can-Eat King Crab: Beer's were passable, the crab was watered down. The view from the upstairs deck was chilly but great.

Firehouse Brewing Company: 7696 Miramar Road, San Diego, Ca. Phone: 858.752.1878 Website: http://www.firehousebrew.com/index.html
No Brewpub at the brewery, and only the Pale Ale available at restaurants, this brewery isn't much to write home about.

Rev. Dr. Frederick J. Freelance, Ph.D., D.F.S

[ Edited by: freddiefreelance 2006-03-09 19:25 ]

Freddie,

You failed to mention that the nude paintings at Albie's Beef Inn are from the 60's, AND THERE ARE TWELVE!!

NUDES! NUDES! NUDES! NUDES! NUDES! NUDES! NUDES! NUDES! NUDES! NUDES! NUDES! NUDES!...

On 2006-03-10 18:51, Atomic Cocktail wrote:
NUDES! NUDES! NUDES! NUDES! NUDES! NUDES! NUDES! NUDES! NUDES! NUDES! NUDES! NUDES!...

PHOTOS! PHOTOS! PHOTOS! PHOTOS! PHOTOS! PHOTOS! PHOTOS! PHOTOS!
PHOTOS! PHOTOS! PHOTOS! ...

(as in posted digital photos, please)

On 2006-03-09 16:40, freddiefreelance wrote:
San Diego Brewing Company: 10450 Friars Road #L, San Diego, Ca. Phone: 619-284-2739

I love this place. Great beers, strong drinks, friendly staff and great food (my current fave is the steak and mashed potatoes with Guinness gravy) and it's close to home. I discovered another little place a few weeks ago just west of there by the Armstrong Garden Center called The Camel's Breath Inn. I had a black 'n tan and three little "White Castle type" burgers they call "little humps". Very tasty!

Joor Muffler Man:302 E Valley Pkwy, Escondido, Ca. Phone: (760)746-1877
Not that you need a new muffler, but this's a classic piece of roadside Americana.

For those who can't do without Muffler Men, there is another at 2244 S. Santa Fe Road, Vista.

On 2006-02-27 13:11, kick_the_reverb wrote:
Freddie - that Mira Mesa taco shop is on Camino Santa Fe and is called Cotixa if I'm not mistaken.

Ran

Ran, that's actually just up the street from my work, yesterday I ate lunch at the Thai place next door. I'll try to convince my co-workers that we should do lunch there next.

Hi, all. I'm a new member here and live in SD. I'll second (or third or fourth) lots of these suggestions!
Just a couple other ideas I didn't see mentioned:

Lou & Mickey's - http://www.louandmickeys.com
This is downtown in the Gaslamp District, at the end of 5th Ave near the convention center. Dark old steakhouse feel, but they also offer some tropical cocktails - some of which come in Tiki mugs. I've just had drinks in bar rather than dinner, since entrees tend to be expensive for my taste. Drinks are about 9 bucks a pop, too, but it's a fun place to stop in if you're in the neighborhood. One of the drinks - the Witch Doctor, if I remember correctly - comes in a really tall Tiki mug with dry ice wafting out of the top.

And another spot for a perfectly poured Guinness is the Ould Sod at 3373 Adams Ave in the Normal Heights neighborhood.

For a non-food/drink idea, remember the Swap Meet happens in the Sports Arena parking lot Friday, Saturday, & Sunday from 7am - 3pm; sometimes it's a dud, but you never know what you'll come across. There's also a store called TikiLand right behind the Swap Meet at 3370 Hancock Street (there's a small restaurant and a sunglasses store in the same complex). They can also be hit or miss, but they always have Tikis and their prices are usually really good.

Chinese in San Diego...

Peking Restaurant
2877 University Ave
San Diego, CA 92104

Located in North Park this place opened in 1934 and originally had private curtained booths lining it's the walls. Cozy, friendly, VERY INEXPENSIVE and still serving satisfying mid-century style Cantonese comfort food as it's awesome Neon on it's vintage facade proudly boasts "Chop Suey"! Hodaddy's GF loves the Hong Kong Style Chow Mien served with an enormous nest of crispy noodles. My favorite is the wonderfully hard to find Wor-Shu-Op here known as Almond Duck braised boneless duck in a sweet & sour plum sauce with almonds. Without the sauce you might mistake this for a plate of baklava squares! As I understand it the vintage machines needed to prepare this dish haven't been available for almost fifty years and if they break you might as well remove the item from the menu! (There was one at the Chinese restaurant in the Las Vegas Tropicana eight years ago but when I returned it had closed and the mysterious machine had vanished into legend.)

Hong Kong Restaurant
3871 4th Ave.
San Diego, CA 92103

Open till 3:00 am in Hillcrest although I must admit I preferred their old decor to the new pastel fern bar look. Superb Szechuan entrees and possibly the best "old school" egg rolls in town. Chubby and filled with veggies and distinctively spiced meat. Order two!

Jimmy Wong's Golden Dragon
414 University Ave.
San Diego, CA 92103

Once dingy and rumored to have been a place even vermin might avoid, the vintage host of San Diego's most famous fire breathing neon sign has been given the kiss of life by new owners who have redecorated and are snazzing up the once-traditional Chinese menu to include Thai, Japanese, Korean and other Asian influences. I've not been there yet but the buzz is VERY POSITIVE.

With San Diego's coastal proximity there no wonder many large Chinese Seafood houses have thrived...

Jasmine Seafood Restaurant
4609 Convoy St
San Diego CA 92111

Dim Sum lunch is a must at this giant banquet hall. Speedy waitresses push brimming dumpling covered carts between the tables. At a raised hand they will stop to offer an ever changing variety of unusual two or three morsel plates, but be careful those plates add up quick and I've never gotten out of there without spending more than thirty bucks. Their standard entrees are delicious too and a popular Chinese New Year celebration always offers a fantastic special menu, firecrackers and an small army of Dragon dancers to dazzle your eyes. Jasmine also boasts an efficient take-out shop in a corner of the same building. If you need a roast duck and three pounds of BBQ pork in a hurry fresh from the Jasmine kitchen, this is your place!

Emerald Chinese Seafood Restaurant
Pacific Gateway Plaza
3709 Convoy Street, Suite 101
San Diego, CA 92111

Another excellent Dim Sum spot. Everything delicious. Crab, shrimp and fish dishes are superb, and a more intimate space makes for a more relaxed feel than Jasmine. However, trying to compare the two would be as difficult as asking a dozen people from South Philly to vote on who makes the best steak sandwich, Pat's or Geno's. You'd end up with six for one and a half dozen for the other!

Nice thread!

For those of us coming in from out of town though I am having an info overload! Narrowing it down I guess back to the original bar/lounge/old restaurant list, can someone give a quick rundown on which of these are not too far from the Hanalei hotel? I'd say within a half-hour's driving distance would be considered "not too far." I'd appreciate it, because it will take me a long time to look all them up on MapQuest. I think Lava Pants and I might try and check one or two of them out since we are not going to be eating at the Bali Hai or Hanalei restaurants.

On 2006-04-16 15:41, Hanalei_Pirate wrote:
...which of these are not too far from the Hanalei hotel? I'd say within a half-hour's driving distance would be considered "not too far."

Aloha Hanalei Pirate! This is San Diego! Everything is within a half hour driving distance!

On 2006-04-16 15:41, Hanalei_Pirate wrote:
...we are not going to be eating at the Bali Hai or Hanalei restaurants.

Gotta get coconut shrimp at the Islands! Mmmmmmmmm.

Hi, as hodadhank said, everything really is pretty close. To give you an idea of the scale when you're looking at the map, Escondido & San Marcos are about half an hour away, Chula Vista is probably 15 or 20 minutes (it's only about 15 miles all the way to the Mexican border). Most of the places listed are right in the central area close to the Hanalei hotel - Anything on Hotel Circle or Camino Del Rio is super close, and the places on 1st Ave, 5th Ave, Washington Street, Park Ave, etc are right in the Hillcrest/North Park area, which is maybe 10 minutes away.

It doesn't show the streets, but there's a neat little map here that shows where the different neighborhoods are located, just to give you an idea how close they are:
http://www.sandiego.gov/neighborhoods-map/western.shtml

On this map the Hanalei is kind of right in between where it says Old Town and Mission Valley. Downtown/Gaslamp district would be in the Centre-City East section (again, only maybe 10 minutes from the Hanalei). If you click the tabs at the top (Northern, Eastern, Central, Mid City, etc) it'll show more detail in those areas.

I do recommned Bali Hai and the Hanalei Islands room if you haven't experienced them yet!
Cheers!

Pirate -

Here are some options within roughly 5 miles of Hanalei. Check out the Entertainment section of Signonsandiego.com for a huge list of restaurants and bars in the neighborhoods around you. You are better off sticking to the beach communities and neighborhoods just south of the Hanalei for your food and bar needs. Some of the best restaurants in the city are in Hillcrest and Downtown.

Bars
Although not tiki, there are some good drinking establishments (and by that I mean vintage dive bars) just up the hill south from where you are staying. Though I doubt they make very good Mai Tais, they have some of the best pours in the city. If you want tropical drinks stick to Bali Hai, the Hanalei, Cannibal Bar, or Mr. Tiki.

**Lamplighter **
in Mission Hills (817 W. Washington, SD, CA 92103)

SignonSanDiego quote: "This exceedingly average-looking tavern -- with cozy leatherette booths, dim lighting and a milelong bar -- attracts wild and booze-happy regulars who seem anything but average. Most of them seem to have bellied up to the bar as soon as it opened at 6 a.m. This, boys and girls, is how real drinkers drink."

Nunu's (my personal favorite)
in Hillcrest/Park West (3537 Fifth Ave, SD, CA 92103)

SignonSanDiego quote: "Inside, Nunu's is cozy in that skewered way bars can be. The seats at the long and winding bar are hefty-load size, and the round booths lining the walls are made of button-riveted, industrial-strength naugahyde. There's a "gettin' it on in Tahoe" fireplace; mirrored walls; cheesy, faux-Tiffany hanging lamps; plastic ivy intertwined with (inexplicable) Christmas lights above the bar; and "wallpaper" made out of some bizzaro carpet material that manages to be at once utterly hideous and surprisingly inoffensive. Antique memorabilia here and there completes your smooth launch into the Twilight Zone of interior decor."

Also noted:
**Lancer's **- 4671 Park Blvd.

Ken Club - 4079 Adams Ave.

Triple Crown Pub - 3221 Adams Ave., San Diego

Eats
There are tons of restaurants fairly close to where you are staying. Check out the Hillcrest, Mission Hills, Old Town, Midtown, Downtown neighborhoods for options. Here are some notables within 5 miles:

Pub Food
Shakespeare Pub & Grille - British Pub w/good fish and chips - 3701 India St

Mexican Food
Ponce's - traditional family recipes, good drinks - 4050 Adams Ave.

El Indio - traditional hang over cure Mexican food - 3695 India St

BBQ
Phil's BBQ - best in the city - 4030 Goldfinch St

Pizza
Bronx Pizza - NY style (obviously) goodness - 111 Washington St

Thai
Celadon - mmmm so fresh - 540 University Ave

This list could go on forever and I should be working so maybe just check signonsandiego.

Hope it helps

|< | || [- '|' | |< |

[ Edited by: kingtiki 2006-04-20 13:35 ]

Dec 7 1941: A day that will live in infamy!!

That's the day Pacific Shores on Newport Ave in Ocean Beach opened it's doors for the first time!

A vintage dive lounge with a clamshell canopied bar and black lighted sea-life murals! Order something with gin and watch your drink glow in the dark! Don't worry about that raggedy old salt slumped over at the end of the bar, he's probably not dead.

http://howardowens.buzznet.com/user/photos/?id=2491954

While in O.B. stop in at Ranchos Cocina on Sunset Cliffs Blvd. While it's menu is famous for it's delicious Vegan selections, try their excellent baja style grilled fish tacos or my favorite, the chicken Mole enchiladas! No, it's not made out of moles,(duh) it's a sinfully exotic sauce made from chiles, nuts, spices, vegetables, and CHOCOLATE!!!!

http://entertainment.signonsandiego.com/profile/185665

[ Edited by: hodadhank 2006-04-21 12:28 ]

I'm a newbie, but I just wanted to give my 2 cents on the SD restaurant and bar suggestions.
1st off....don't eat at Hob Nob Hill.
I used to work there, and they re-use their butters and jams (ya know the ones that come in the orange peels?). I have watched people dig into the jam, lick the knife, and then put it back in the jam. This is the very same jam that they made us re-use!

Anyhoo... my vote for favorite taco shop in SD has to go to Pokez.
http://entertainment.signonsandiego.com/profile/111155
It's downtown on 10th and E st.
Back in the day bands would play there right in the middle of the dining room. They'd push the tables out of the way and the band would just stand in the center. They also have cheap vegetarian mexican food served by overworked, tattooed waitresses that seem to find a way to turn their excruciating rudeness into a necessary part of the Pokez experience.
Seriously...we went there once and the bitchy-ass waitress that we regularly had was actually marginally nice, for once. Well, the truth is that we ended up being kinda disappointed! Her shitty attitude had truly become part of the schtick for us. (go figure!)
My favorite part is that there's usually some vintage vinyl spinning on a set of turntables right there in the dining room. (Where else can ya find a dj spinning records at 11 am on a tuesday?)
Add to all of this the fact that they serve sangria by the pitcher (being that it's attached to a sangria bar next door called The Rosary Room, http://entertainment.signonsandiego.com/profile/247969/ a place that looks like it simply had to be decorated by Perry Farrell!) and you've got the makings of San Diego's finest taco shop!

Another bar that I wanted to add to the list that I haven't seen mentioned is on Kettner Blvd. and it's called The Waterfront. http://entertainment.signonsandiego.com/profile/88643 Not in any way a tiki bar, but still a great vibe. It's actually the oldest bar in all of San Diego (if you look at their liquor license it says "permit no. 1"). The drinks are relatively cheap, the jukebox has tons of Faith No More, (judging by my username, you can safely guess that this may be important to me!) and the hot, tattoo-d bartendars usually had my drink already waiting for me when I walked in the door. (They'd see us walking down the street out of the open shutters, and they were clever enuff to always remember what us regulars drank!)

Jeez...I wish I was in San Diego now!!!

[ Edited by: mikepattonisgawd 2006-04-30 03:01 ]

we didnt photograph all our meals in San Diego. but i thought we'd share these!

mmm savor the bacon goodness in these giant waffles! Hash House a Go Go

Breakfast of Champions, Snickers Bread Pudding, Ice Cream and Coffee at Hash House A Go Go.

Dinner at Hudson Bay Seafood (Clam Roll, Onion Rings, Fish Tacos)

I gotta love people that love good food.
Great to see/meet you Elica, and Todd.

Jeff(bigtikidude)

On 2006-05-12 23:34, dogbytes wrote:
we didnt photograph all our meals in San Diego. but i thought we'd share these!

Just looking at those pix gave me myocardial infarction! I'm afraid my insurance doesn't cover meals like that!

On 2006-01-23 14:30, alohabros wrote:
... you cannot forget...

... china inn 877 hornblend street pacific beach...

... red sails 2614 shelter island dr...

These 2 need some details:

China Inn: 877 Hornblend St, San Diego, Ca. Phone: (858) 483-6680
Ric, Monica & Elinor Widmer's favorite place. Deep, Red Naugahyde booths, real Chinese food Cheap (as opposed to Cheap Chinese food. Check out the Peking Duck for $20), and strong tropical drinks make it great for Date Night.

Red Sails Inn: 2614 Shelter Island Dr., San Diego, Ca. Phone: (619) 223-3030 Website: http://www.theredsails.com/
Old-School Nautical Decor, a back patio with a view of the San Diego "fishing fleet," and serves Seafood centric Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner menus. Ultra Casual; it's the kind of place where you can walk off your boat in shorts, t-shirt & flip-flops and sit down to a Crab Benedict for Breakfast, Fish & Chips for Lunch, or a Lobster Newburg Dinner. Service can vary, and sometimes food quality can, too, a good bet on the menu are any of the multitude of fried shellfish.

Ahoha Freddie...I heard at Hukilau that there is a party in San Diego
in August. Coul let me know where I can find information on it. I'm new to Tiki Central. It sounds like a fun time. If I can I would love
to attend.

Thanks
Ron Licudine

Ron,

CHeck it out here: http://www.tikioasis.com/

Then goto California Events here on TC and check out any thread with Oasis, or TO7 in its title.

Have fun! Wish I was going!

http://www.northeasttikitour.com

Wow, great info here! We'll be going for a couple of days in October and will choose from the list...

and those pictures? I can feel my arteries hardening...

On 2006-02-22 19:14, dogbytes wrote:
a couple restaurants not mentioned are Las Quatras Milpas (1857 Logan Ave. San Diego, CA 92113) & also Porkyland (2196 Logan Ave San Diego, CA 92113-2204) not the best area of town (and mostly take-out) but great authentic mexican!

Porkyland now has a La Jolla location, just up the street from the Vons:

Porkyland: 1030 Torrey Pines Rd., La Jolla, Ca. 92037 Phone: 858.459.1708
2196 Logan Ave., S.D., Ca. 92113 Phone: 619.233.5139
You can get Chicken, Carne Asada, Fish & Shrimp here, but why? The name's Porkyland, not Chicken, Carne Asada, Fish & Shrimpland. You want Carnitas; available as Tacos, Mini Tacos, Burritos, Tostadas, Tortas, etc., or Al Pastor (sort of a Gyro-style Pork) & Pork simmered in Salsa Verde are also great, and I think their Chile Colorado is Pork based. Sometimes they have Pork al Mole or Carnitas Pibil for the adventurous; Buche (Pork Stomach simmered in Lard) is available for the really, really adventurous.

Fins (various locations) wonderful fried shrimp burritos! not Rubio's

The Fins chain went out of business, they're down to just the La Jolla location & one in Bonita.

Fins: 8657 Villa La Jolla Drive (La Jolla Village Square), La Jolla Ca. Phone: (858) 270-FINS
4444 Bonita Road, Bonita, Ca. 91902 Phone: (619) 267-2990
Baja-style Fish Tacos: fried Pollock with Shredded Cabbage, Pico de Gallo, Salsa Blanco & a Lime Wedge on a fresh Corn Tortilla are the order of the day here, as are Grilled Ono Tacos, Shrimp & (spiney) Lobster Tacos, and more standard Mexican fare like Carnitas, Carne Asada & Pollo Asado. I like to go for the Combos, like the K38 (a Fish Taco & a Carne Asada Burrito, with creamy Pinto or Black Beans & Chips), my favorite, or the Del Mar (a Shrimp Burrito & a Fish Taco with Beans & Chips). Even after the old owners going out of business it's still better than Rubios.

I just came across an ad for this place in today's paper. I don't know anything more about it, but it sounds like it's worth investigating.

Kona Pacifica Kafe
2326 Proctor Valley Rd (by San Miguel Rd)
Chula Vista, CA 91914
(619) 482-0100

Not much on their own website yet - http://www.konapacificakafe.com/

But the descriptions sound tempting - tasty food, plus sometimes music/hula
http://www.gatheringguide.com/event_directory/ca_california/vendor_caterers_catering_29138.html
http://www.yelp.com/biz/kona-pacifica-kafe-chula-vista

I have to add the TURF CLUB to the list of wonderful bars/restaraunts to visit! I've celebrated many a birthday and special event there and it is awesome....built in the 1950's and has NEVER changed it's decor, it has a racetrack theme (complete with cartoon race horse wallpaper) with a very "loungy" feel, a bar, and when you order dinner, you cook your own food on the grill in the middle of the room. (Sounds weird but it's a lot of fun) They have steak, fish, mushroom burgers, etc. It's cheap!, just get there a little earlier in the evening if possible because they fill up fast. They're located at 25th & B in Golden Hill (just up from downtown SD). Sometimes if you get there on the right night, the piano player will be singing Frank Sinatra and Elvis Costello songs from his piano bar...last year I took some Tiki Oasis folks on Sunday night for dinner and they loved it :wink:

And you can get a delicious Sneaky Tiki!

Hamilton's is close by if you're in a beer mood - and they have food now! 1521 30th Street (one of the many versions of 30th Street in the area.)