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San Diego recommendations

Sundodger

By Sundodger
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Carl Spackler

Carl Spackler 3614

Posted
Posted
9 hours ago, HornPhD said:

Seven Grand or Bar Jackalope for the whiskey? Wonder if the Seven Grand in SD has a hidden bar. 

I've never been back in Jackalope.  I hear it's pretty small and laid back.  I assume prices are similar to Seven Grand.  You won't lack for decent whiskey in either place.  

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bluto

bluto 4995

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Posted

Wrapping up my weekend in La Jolla... hidden fish (sushi) was awesome, 12 pieces chef’s choice, 50 minute for $50. Sushi Ota kept being mentioned so I had that too, hidden fish was far superior.

2nd zep’s taco stand rec, long ass line all day every day fri-sun

Crack shack (chicken place) is damn solid

La Jolla overall is perfection. Windansea beach was great, just enough watering holes, everybody happy/friendly as hell

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Gil Bang

Gil Bang 26225

Posted
Posted
6 hours ago, bluto said:

Wrapping up my weekend in La Jolla... hidden fish (sushi) was awesome, 12 pieces chef’s choice, 50 minute for $50. Sushi Ota kept being mentioned so I had that too, hidden fish was far superior.

2nd zep’s taco stand rec, long ass line all day every day fri-sun

Crack shack (chicken place) is damn solid

La Jolla overall is perfection. Windansea beach was great, just enough watering holes, everybody happy/friendly as hell

Most of San Diego is perfection.  It costs out the ass to live here, but it's worth it. 

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Kevin O’Shea

Kevin O’Shea 279

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Posted

Going to La Jolla over New Years. Pretty familiar with San Diego but looking for a couple of suggestions. 

1) How are the SD Texas Exes game watch parties? The Alamo Bowl is at 4:30 on the 31st. Looking for feedback if the Texas Exes draw a decent crowd and worth checking out? I’ve been to the NYC Texas Ex watch parties while traveling and they’re fun time. 
If not, I’m fine posting up at The Spot or would appreciate other sport bar recs for that game. 
 

2) Never been over New Years, any NYE events that I should be aware of? 

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Kevin O’Shea

Kevin O’Shea 279

Posted
Posted (edited)

Another great trip in La Jolla. Below are the new restaurants/bars I tried for the first time that I would recommend.

Piatti - La Jolla Italian 

Civico 1845 - Little Italy Italian 

El Pescador Fish Market - La Jolla

Waterbar - Pacific Beach bar with good views 

Isola - La Jolla Neapolitan style pizza place 

Raises by Wolves - Westfield UTC over the top speak easy

False Idol - Little Italy speakeasy 

Wasn’t very impressed by The Taco Stand, it was alright. I haven’t been but have heard Galaxy Taco is legit. 
 

We also hit up Rocky’s which is an institution. Sugar and Scribe and Cove house for breakfast.

Jealous off all you a-holes that get to live out there. 

 

Edited by Kevin O’Shea
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Rougarou

Rougarou 594

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, Kevin O’Shea said:

Another great trip in La Jolla. Below are the new restaurants/bars I tried for the first time that I would recommend.

Piatti - La Jolla Italian 

Civico 1845 - Little Italy Italian 

El Pescador Fish Market - La Jolla

Waterbar - Pacific Beach bar with good views 

Isola - La Jolla Neapolitan style pizza place 

Raises by Wolves - Westfield UTC over the top speak easy

False Idol - Little Italy speakeasy 

Wasn’t very impressed by The Taco Stand, it was alright. I haven’t been but have heard Galaxy Taco is legit. 
 

We also hit up Rocky’s which is an institution. Sugar and Scribe and Cove house for breakfast.

Jealous off all you a-holes that get to live out there. 

 

Was in SD for 10 days a back in Sept. and went here and this is a No for me dawg. Food was weak, scene was weak, service was weak.

Did hit up the Salt & Straw, but thought it was going to be better. And hate that people brought their huge dogs into such a small place.

I enjoy San Diego as much as the next guy, in short spurts-- I got every year for 10-12 days-- but would never live there. Then again, I'm not a big golfer either...

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Incredulity

Incredulity 11873

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Posted
32 minutes ago, mdmost said:

Will need to read through this thread. Going in early June with our kids. Obviously have the zoo on the agenda. La Jolla as well. Other good ideas for kids (10 & 12) that aren't Seaworld and Legoland?

On a whim we went to Del Mar racetrack (not sure if they run in June) and my kids had an absolute blast.  My daughter picked the winner of the first two races we watched.  She won something like 25 bucks on 4 dollars of bets.  There was a brewfest going on too alongside the track that day.  From the onsite pamphlets I think they have a kids zone sometimes, it wasn't operating when we went.

 

Also, walking around Coronado Island and lunch at Coronado brewing was really enjoyable for my family.

 

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txhorns

txhorns 2421

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, mdmost said:

Will need to read through this thread. Going in early June with our kids. Obviously have the zoo on the agenda. La Jolla as well. Other good ideas for kids (10 & 12) that aren't Seaworld and Legoland?

Wife and I went in November and our biggest regret was not spending enough time in La Jolla at the beach.  Take them kayaking and snorkeling.  Definitely hit up a Padres game if they are in town.

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Damor

Damor 1245

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Posted

I never did follow up on our trip -- thanks to all for the great advice.  Pretty much everything we did was awesome.

@mdmost I don't know what your kids are into, but here are the things my boys (14 and 11 at the time) liked the most (and still frequently talk about):

-- Surf lessons from Coronado Surfing Academy.  Our instructor could have been Seth Rogen's brother and was awesome with the boys.  They had a great time.
-- Point Loma tide pools and Cabrillo National Monument.  They loved the critters in the tide pools and the view of the naval ships and planes from the top.
-- Padres game was a huge hit.
-- USS Midway was great, but I was surprised how much they liked the Maritime Museum.  The old Soviet sub is cool.
-- They are well seasoned in going to brewpubs, but they really liked the Stone Bistro, especially goofing around in the bocce ball court.  Could have hung around this area more.
-- They liked Donut Bar so much we had to go back one more time on the way to the airport.
-- Had a great time eating sushi at Shino.  We're not sophisticates, but it was near our hotel and had good ratings so we tried it out.  The chef (Kevin) was super cool with my boys and got them to try all kinds of shit.  Great meal.
-- They also really loved eating at Ironside and Crack Shack.

It was a great trip for kids that age.  We're going to do another dude trip this summer, and I'll probably let them decide between going back or trying somewhere new like Portland.
 

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GRHorn

GRHorn 105

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Posted

Going in late July. Was going to stay at the Del, but the reviews online say there’s pretty serious renovation and construction going on. To the point that you’re rolling the dice on it ruining the experience depending on where your room is located. What’s the next best options for hotel for family/beach stuff on Coronado Island?

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wd40

wd40 1976

Posted
Posted (edited)
On 1/17/2020 at 1:06 PM, mdmost said:

Will need to read through this thread. Going in early June with our kids. Obviously have the zoo on the agenda. La Jolla as well. Other good ideas for kids (10 & 12) that aren't Seaworld and Legoland?

took the kids last year, President's Weekend.  girls about the same age at the time as yours.  vrbo just a few blocks from Sunset Cliffs.   really liked the neighborhood.  Sundara (indian) a few blocks away was really good as a 'date night' while the kids had pasta we made for them, back at the house.

didn't do the zoo, but Balboa Park has some other cool stuff.  In particular, the girls really liked the model train museum.  parking is a beating, so I recommend getting an early start.

we made two trips to La Jolla so the kids could watch the seals and pelicans grabass around on Seal Rock and The Cove. the town is total clusterfuck on the weekend, but there is a public parking garage.  if you can get a table on the roof, George's is pretty good.  the ocean view is great there.  saw some whales breaching, now and then.

+1 on the tide pools at Cabrillo, and that whole park.  

breakfast at Mitch's Seafood is awesome.  we hit it right after we landed (I knew about it from some tuna trips, years before).  I assume the actual seafood is of the same quality.

bring a jacket.

Edited by wd40
mitch's, bitches
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4th&Five

4th&Five 41935

Posted
Posted
On 1/19/2020 at 8:15 AM, Gil Bang said:

I recommend a whale watching trip for anybody with kids.   There are great ones that run from Oceanside for anybody that's staying further north. 

Ridiculous that I've never done this.  Wife is from there and over the last 20 years I've probably spent close to 200 nights in SD.

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Mitch Cumsteen

Mitch Cumsteen 18943

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49 minutes ago, Fudge Nuggets said:

Heading there March 9 - 13 with the kids (14 and 10).  Would y'all recommend renting a car or just Uber / Lyft it?

I think it depends on where you are staying and what you are planning to do, but I would get a car. I've rented one every time we've been. You can cover a lot of ground out there hopping around to La Jolla or the Safari Park or Coronado or wherever. If you do rent, I'd also make sure that where you are staying has parking. Our airbnb last time was near the beach and I made sure it had its own private parking space. It would have sucked to try to find parking on the street every time we were in and out.

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Finkle_Is_Einhorn

Finkle_Is_Einhorn 35

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If anyone out in SD is missing some Texas BBQ. There is a pop up BBQ place called Hollidays BBQ that operates out of the parking lot of Trident Coffee in Imperial Beach every other weekend. The guy who operates is from San Antonio and is active duty in the Navy and does this part time, soon to make it his full time job. His next pop up is next Saturday Feb 29th at Trident Coffee. Starts service at 11 and goes until out. Last I was there, he ran out about 1pm. Line starts forming around 10 or earlier.

You can follow them on IG @hollidaysbarbecue for updates on their pop ups dates.

Finally nice to get good Texas Brisket out here.


3042b0660795a87f2aa473c66f3bde69.jpg


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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Fudge Nuggets

Fudge Nuggets 19420

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Posted (edited)

Just got back today from a five day trip with the kids and had a good time despite the weather being pretty much shite for four of the five days.  The one nice weather day was spent at Sea World which was one of the best times we’ve ever had... pricey for sure, but well worth it.  Our zoo day it absolutely pissed down rain until about 1:00 but we still got a kick out of it.

We stayed at the Hilton Bayside and walked everywhere except to Sea World and the zoo.  Wound up averaging about 10 miles walking every day.  Lyft was a very good value between the hotel and airport, Sea World and the zoo.

We will most certainly make another trip during summer some year to catch better weather and a Padres game.  Our next trip we may stay in a different part closer to some of the beaches.

Overall, great city that has something for everyone.  I can’t imagine how awesome it is when the weather is good.

Edited by Fudge Nuggets
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Gil Bang

Gil Bang 26225

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Posted

So, for you beer nuts coming to town, the Brewer's Guild publishes brewery maps.  I've got a handful of them.  If you have a trip coming up and are interested in beer, shoot me a PM with your 'gubmint" info, and I'll drop one in the mail to you. 

Of course, they are all closed until this corona bullshit passes. 

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kingkoopa6

kingkoopa6 8616

Posted
Posted
15 hours ago, LonghornJones said:

If my wife and I take the two kids (4 and 5) in November, will we be able to go to restaurants/Midway/LegoLand/Zoo, etc.? I have not looked at the restrictions in place yet, just looking at Airbnb’s atm.

Everything open.. no mask required.

 signs still ask "even if vaxxed"

Was just down at Del Mar racetrack last weekend.

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Herbie Hancock

Herbie Hancock 7484

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On 8/31/2021 at 11:20 AM, kingkoopa6 said:

Everything open.. no mask required.

 signs still ask "even if vaxxed"

Was just down at Del Mar racetrack last weekend.

What about downtown and Gaslamp area? Was thinking of heading out in October but a coworker from SD that still has family there said everything is getting very restrictive out there. 

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kingkoopa6

kingkoopa6 8616

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1 hour ago, Herbie Hancock said:

What about downtown and Gaslamp area? Was thinking of heading out in October but a coworker from SD that still has family there said everything is getting very restrictive out there. 

Its all open brother.

Zoo, Seaworld... gaslamp - 

im sure its like anywhere else.

where you mask, keep your distance and just mind your own business..

 

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Upgrayedd

Upgrayedd 5865

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Posted
1 hour ago, Herbie Hancock said:

What about downtown and Gaslamp area? Was thinking of heading out in October but a coworker from SD that still has family there said everything is getting very restrictive out there. 

Your coworker's family hates him and doesn't want him back.

24 minutes ago, kingkoopa6 said:

Its all open brother.

Zoo, Seaworld... gaslamp - 

im sure its like anywhere else.

where you mask, keep your distance and just mind your own business..

 

^This.  All open.  Bring your money.

1 minute ago, LonghornJones said:

Thanks for the reply.

We are staying in Mission Beach near the boardwalk. I think our daytime activities are pretty booked, assuming the weather isn't shitty at the end of November. Any super kid-friendly places to eat that are a "must" in the area? Thinkin like a Casa Bonita?

November weather should be good.  Can't guide you on the kid-friendly, sorry.  I avoid those places.

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kingkoopa6

kingkoopa6 8616

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, LonghornJones said:

Thanks for the reply.

We are staying in Mission Beach near the boardwalk. I think our daytime activities are pretty booked, assuming the weather isn't shitty at the end of November. Any super kid-friendly places to eat that are a "must" in the area? Thinkin like a Casa Bonita?

No kids here, so I have no direct say.

But i would assume tourist spots are good for kids/families.

Coronado Island, Around Petco Park, Little Italy,  near USS Midway

 

Pacific Beach (near mission beach), Ocean Beach,  Gaslamp, NorthPark all are awesome for pubs and breweries ( but i suspect not kid friendly...)

 

@BLKNSTY the guru for SD

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DalTxHornFan

DalTxHornFan 3130

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, LonghornJones said:

Thanks for the reply.

We are staying in Mission Beach near the boardwalk. I think our daytime activities are pretty booked, assuming the weather isn't shitty at the end of November. Any super kid-friendly places to eat that are a "must" in the area? Thinkin like a Casa Bonita?

There's only one Casa Bonita (to my knowledge) and my kids (now in their 30's) loved that place back in the 1990s.

That said, there are plenty of dockside restaurants on the water near downtown that kids would enjoy.  Watching boats, seagulls, fish, etc.

Old Town in San Diego is a fun area, as well.

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UTexasFight

UTexasFight 9793

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Posted
On 9/1/2021 at 2:55 PM, LonghornJones said:

Thanks for the reply.

We are staying in Mission Beach near the boardwalk. I think our daytime activities are pretty booked, assuming the weather isn't shitty at the end of November. Any super kid-friendly places to eat that are a "must" in the area? Thinkin like a Casa Bonita?

It’s in Little Italy, but the crack shack was a good stop for us last week (but good luck with parking).

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mdmost

mdmost 43907

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Posted

Need to read over this thread again as we're booked for some time in SD after school lets out in late May. Excited to add another CA city to my list. We're planning to stay at a VRBO in La Jolla. Any good beach recommendations that won't make my kids freeze to death if they get in the water? We're flying in on Saturday morning and staying till Tuesday evening before we drive on to Disneyland. Plan has SD Zoo, Balboa Park, Gaslamp, maybe a Padres game with my youngest, and some missions on it. 

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CooterBrown

CooterBrown 18284

Posted
Posted
Need to read over this thread again as we're booked for some time in SD after school lets out in late May. Excited to add another CA city to my list. We're planning to stay at a VRBO in La Jolla. Any good beach recommendations that won't make my kids freeze to death if they get in the water? We're flying in on Saturday morning and staying till Tuesday evening before we drive on to Disneyland. Plan has SD Zoo, Balboa Park, Gaslamp, maybe a Padres game with my youngest, and some missions on it. 

Mission Beach is cool. It’s has a boardwalk with a wooden coaster and other rides for little kids.

The beach at Torrey Pines State Reserve is really scenic with cliffs right at the beach. There’s some fun short hikes up at the top that weave down to the edge of the cliff. It’s probably my favorite beach in CA.
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LonghornJones

LonghornJones 838

Posted
Posted
On 11/11/2021 at 6:50 PM, CooterBrown said:


Mission Beach is cool. It’s has a boardwalk with a wooden coaster and other rides for little kids.

The beach at Torrey Pines State Reserve is really scenic with cliffs right at the beach. There’s some fun short hikes up at the top that weave down to the edge of the cliff. It’s probably my favorite beach in CA.

I can verify that Mission Beach is just perfect with a family. We stayed on the other side of the park from the roller coaster on the boardwalk. We will be doing this every year for Thanksgiving, but extending it for 6 nights instead of 4. Just such an amazing trip. Played Torrey Pines (north) on day 1. Beach on 2nd day. Zoo on 3rd day. Any time we were at the condo, we were on the porch with a cocktail or down at the beach...with a cocktail. Kids love it, and we didnt get to do everything that we had planned due to the beach being so inviting to the kids.

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JSB

JSB 677

Posted
Posted

Headed there with the kids on July. I'll read through this list, but also need to figure out if I want to try and play Torrey Pines while I'm out there. I would take my son, but he would just ride with me and maybe play a little around the green if it is slow. 

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