KPBS staff rounded up the restaurants, bars and food halls that defined our eating and drinking in San Diego this year. These aren’t rankings — just the spots we love, return to and recommend to friends. Our 2025 picks span the region, from La Mesa and the Convoy District to National City and North Park, with a few beloved Tijuana favorites in the mix. Whether you’re looking for a neighborhood standby or something new, here’s where KPBS staffers ate and drank in 2025.
Bar Blón
My new go-to spot for drinks is Bar Blón in Tijuana's Revolución neighborhood, right behind the famous Big Boy restaurant. It just opened recently and has already become one of my favorite places in the city. My favorite drink is the Corn Per Miso — mezcal mixed with a blend of crazy flavors including roasted corn milk. Cocktail bars have become super popular in Tijuana over the last few years, but Bar Blón is definitely my No. 1. If you're heading out for a night in the city, don't forget to make a stop here. And if you're a Negroni fan, I highly recommend the Houjicha Negroni. — Natalie González Rodríguez, co-host of Port of Entry + Spanish web producer
Location: Tijuana, Baja California, MX
Site: instagram.com/blooooooooon
Bernardo Winery
My husband and I enjoy going to Bernardo Winery and sitting outside with a glass of wine followed by their wood-fired ciabatta with burrata on the side. We are also big fans of their carbonara. If you want dessert after, there's a great little gelato shop. And if you go earlier in the day, I also recommend grabbing a coffee at Manzanita Roasting Company. — Brooke Ruth, senior producer of audio news
Location: Rancho Bernardo, San Diego, CA
Site: bernardowinery.com
Curbside Eatery & Drinkery
In the heart of downtown La Mesa, Curbside has a great happy-hour menu and lots of yummy food. I love going on Farmers Market Fridays to people-watch while I enjoy a drink and meal. — Elaine Alfaro, East County reporter
Location: La Mesa, CA
Site: curbsidelamesa.com
Encontro
BEST HAPPY HOUR IN NORTH PARK (in my opinion)! $7 bites and drinks on weekdays, though the hours and prices vary depending on the day. Located right next to the North Park Target so you can walk around when you're done. The staff is super nice and vibes are good any time of the day. If you're not there for happy hour, their patty melt is killer and big enough to share. — Audy McAfee, arts reporter
Location: North Park, San Diego, CA
Site: encontronorthpark.com
Hatsuzakura
A Japanese comfort-food spot next to Michelin-star sushi restaurant Soichi. The owner, Sakura Kadoya, is the daughter of Soichi's owners. Hatsuzakura is an updated take on the Japanese kissaten — a retro tea house — with homestyle dishes popularized by famiresu ("family restaurants") in Japan.
I've been to Hatsuzakura so many times they already recognize me, which is sort of embarrassing. But I've tried nearly everything on the menu and can recommend my favorites:
• Curry with rice and assorted veggies
• Napolitan (Japanese-style tomato-based spaghetti with lots of veg)
• Fruit sando (milk bread, whipped cream and seasonal fruit)
They also serve PARU tea and take the meticulous steps required to prepare it — it really makes a difference compared to my haphazard and impatient way of making PARU tea. — Lara McCaffrey, social media strategist
Location: University Heights, San Diego, CA
Site: hatsuzakurasd.com
Kin Len
One of my favorite facts is that in the early 2000s, the Thai government launched a program to expand the number of Thai restaurants abroad — a form of national PR, or "gastrodiplomacy." They offered loans and a kind of Thai restaurant blueprint to prospective restaurateurs, and plenty of them took advantage. The program was a huge success, more than doubling the number of Thai restaurants in the U.S.
I, for one, am thankful for this bit of gastrodiplomacy, but one side effect is that there are a lot of Thai places that follow the blueprint, with a cookie-cutter menu we've become accustomed to: pad thai, pad see ew, red curry, green curry, mango sticky rice, etc. That stuff is all good, but I'm always excited when I find a place that deviates a little bit.
My favorite discovery in that area this year was Kin Len in North Park, which specializes in Thai street food, with lots of fried appetizers with great dunking sauces — mushrooms, "french fries tofu," many kinds of wings and even worms. They also have a great selection of chicken and rice dishes I'm not used to seeing at Thai restaurants. Worms aside, there's nothing particularly wild about the menu, but it's just not the same old stuff — and most importantly, it tastes really good. — Anthony Wallace, producer of The Finest
Location: North Park, San Diego, CA
Site: kinlen.com
Lost Cause Meadery
So my son bought a drinking horn at Comic-Con and created a list of folk metal drinking songs on Spotify for me — and that meant we needed something to drink out of that Viking horn. Beer is fine, but mead is better.
My friends introduced us to Lost Cause Meadery, where we got to taste flights of meads that were delicious — nectar of the gods. Plus, the names and labels were inspired; we got some mead called Banshee. These are my kind of folks. — Beth Accomando, arts reporter + KPBS Cinema Junkie
Location: Bay Park and Miramar, San Diego, CA
Site: lostcausemead.com
Monday Morning Bottle Shop
Monday Morning shop/lounge in PB! It's all nonalcoholic beverages. — Brandon Truffa, media production specialist
Location: Pacific Beach, San Diego, CA
Site: mondaymorning-af.com
Nahomie’s Cafe & Deli
This cozy sandwich shop on 8th Street is the perfect spot for a classic, elegant deli sandwich. My order: a hot corned beef on toasted sourdough with sprouts — and no tomatoes, please. — Kori Suzuki, South Bay & Imperial Valley reporter
Location: National City, CA
Site: instagram.com/nahomiescafe
Public Market at Liberty Station
Telefónica Gastro Park
Eating with friends or family can feel like a culinary negotiation — different tastes, picky kids, food allergies all in the mix. That's why I love food halls: everyone chooses exactly what they want, and everyone leaves happy.
Public Market at Liberty Station offers a wide range of cuisines from Thailand to Peru to Italy, making it an easy win for any group. Telefónica Gastro Park in Tijuana is smaller and has less variety, but its charm and frequent live music give it a cozy, completely different atmosphere. Together, they're the best food halls I've found in the region. — Riley Arthur, web producer
Locations: Point Loma, San Diego, CA; Tijuana, Baja California, MX
Sites: libertypublicmarketsd.com; telefonicagastropark.com
Quartyard
An outdoor event venue in downtown San Diego. They host lots of different events and programming that reflect the city's diverse cultures. I've gone to an event featuring five DJs and each set was really dope, nostalgic and vibey throughout the night. If you're looking for an outdoor venue with great music, tasty drinks and a place where you can dance with your friends, I highly suggest Quartyard! — Antonio Faustino Jr., conference manager
Location: East Village, San Diego, CA
Site: quartyardsd.com
The Riviera Supper Club
The Riviera Supper Club in La Mesa has been around for a while, but if you haven't checked it out, you're missing out. It's an old-school steakhouse where you can grill your own meat and order a craft cocktail. They have live music three nights a week and a solid happy hour every night they're open (Wednesday through Sunday). My go-to app is the deviled eggs, and my favorite cocktail is the Raspberry Paloma. — Kim Swain, senior producer
Location: La Mesa, CA
Site: rivierasupperclub.com
Side Chick
While San Diego has plenty of pricey viral chicken spots, I was impressed by this hidden gem inside Manolo Farmers Market; it delivers great flavor and value without the flash. Their "Basic Chick" is just $5, but the standout (for me) is the "Cali Chick" ($8), a juicy, hand-breaded breast stacked with avocado, pickled jalapeños and fresh veggies on a brioche bun. It's not a fancy date spot, but it's perfect for a high-quality, to-go meal that's worth every penny. — Elma González Lima Brandão, digital editor
Location: San Diego, CA
Site: eatsidechick.com
Surf & Soul Spot
From their "Surf" menu Monday through Wednesday to their "Soul" food menu Friday and Saturday, Surf & Soul is a culinary gem — a delicious blend of Southern favorites with SoCal-inspired dishes. This take-out-only eatery in East San Diego is worth the trip. If you order early on a Tuesday, ask for their weekly special, and don't forget to grab one of their signature lemonades. — Daniel Cardenas, director of diversity, equity and inclusion
Location: Rolando, San Diego, CA
Site: surfandsoulspot.com
Tribute Pizza
I first went to Tribute Pizza while working on our Finest episode about Lucky Wong and his North Park diner. Hearing owner Matt Lyons talk about his late friend Lucky with such sincerity and love made me think, "If he talks about people like this, I need to try the food he makes." And I was right. My only regret is not going sooner.
Tribute is one of those places where everything feels intentional. The ingredients are fresh and locally sourced, the specials somehow manage to be both inventive and comforting, and the crust, I can't really describe it, but trust me, it's delicious. Each pizza is a tribute, honoring a pizzeria, style or person who has inspired Matt. My personal favorite is the Costco Supreme tribute, a fancy, elevated take on Costco's discontinued Supreme pizza.
The space itself is worth a visit: a converted post office with a vibe that's lively and welcoming. The drinks are just as impressive. I tried their annual eggnog special recently, and honestly, I could have had five. They also always have soft serve (no idea of the story behind it, but I'm fully on board). And the kale salad? I know it sounds weird to rave about salad at a pizza place, but it's genuinely fantastic.
One of my favorite touches is the kids menu. The personal pizzas are generously sized, big enough that my daughter comes home in full "pizza baby" mode, toppings proudly stuck to her shirt.
Basically, everything at Tribute is standout, just like the story that led me there in the first place. — Chrissy Nguyen, arts editor
Location: North Park, San Diego, CA
Site: tributepizza.com
TJ Oyster Bar
There are hundreds of places to get mariscos in San Diego, but one surprisingly under-the-radar gem is TJ Oyster Bar. With three South Bay locations, they serve fresh seafood cooked and seasoned to perfection. Come hungry. — Riley Arthur, web producer
Location: South Bay, San Diego, CA
Site: tjoyster.com
Vulture
Our one local splurge this year was Vulture, a new retro vegan concept in University Heights by the team behind Kindred and Mothership. If you're going to pay 2025 prices, you may as well feel extremely indulgent about it, I guess.
The space is gorgeous — tucked away beyond a velvet curtain in the back of Dreamboat (their also-new vegan diner and dessert spot). The decor is midcentury fancy, packed with plush, dimly lit details and architectural flourishes.
I am still dreaming about the crab cakes and the wedge salad, to the point where I can't even remember what other dishes we ordered. The cocktail menu is stacked (understandable for the Kindred crew), but I opted for a near-perfect Old Fashioned. In terms of inventive vegan spins on American indulgence, Vulture absolutely delivered. — Julia Dixon Evans, arts reporter + host of The Finest
Location: University Heights, San Diego, CA
Site: vulturerestaurant.com
Woomiok
Amazing Korean food. Their LA galbi is soooo good. And their soups! — Vinnee Tong, managing editor
Location: Convoy District, San Diego, CA
Site: woomiok.com
