San Diego
San Diego is a beautiful city on the Pacific coast that has stunning beaches, amazing hikes, but most importantly, killer food. The grub in San Diego is a well rounded mix of seafood, Mexican, Italian, burgers, and a few great breakfast joints. While I thoroughly recommend you take in the beaches and enjoy some nature during your time in San Diego, I also would ensure that you are eating right. So without further ado how about we get into the rankings in San Diego, shall we?
Breakfast/Khachapuri
Rank: 25
Morning Glory is a fabulous breakfast restaurant in San Diego’s Little Italy that has a wonderful aesthetic. The restaurant has amazing art and architecture and is so unique. Along with that I definitely recommend checking out the bathrooms there as they are also super cool! Also, if I were you, I would hope to just get a seat at the bar to skip the extremely long wait. But if you need to sit at a table wake up early and get here around opening time. Okay enough about semantics, let’s get to the food.
Morning glory has a fabulous array of breakfast options, from killer benedicts to unique soufflé pancakes, to some great scrambled eggs, but the most important breakfast for you to try here is the king of savory breakfasts. The Khachapuri! Make sure to ask to add birria on top of it, because a local lent me this tip and my god was, he the most right about anything you could be. The birria on top of this fantastic Khachapuri was a dream come true. Exactly as they say on their menu, this dish is a cracked egg inside of a bread bowl with perfectly melted mozzarella and feta, and coupled with an amazing egg, not to mention the upmost delicious “open face calzone”. The bread in the “calzone” is wonderful, and then if you take my advice and add birria on top you will be over the moon with the flavors your mouth will be experiencing. If you end up waiting in line for a table, as long as you order this dish it will be worth the wait, maybe the rest of the menu won’t live up to the hype that this dish deserves, but all you need is one killer dish to make it worth the wait, so sit back and enjoy.
Pizza/Grandma style
Rank: 30
Goddamn, the fact that THIS amazing of a pizza is so low in my ranking is quite a testament to how lucky I have been eating such great food. TNT pizza makes an absolutely KILLER pizza and the grandma style pepperoni is what I devoured, and it is what I recommend you should do as well. If you are not into pepperoni just go with whatever you would like for toppings, I am sure they are outstanding here, but the grandma style is exceptional and is definitely what you need to order here, the crust is exceptional, the sauce is epic, and the cheese and pepperoni are cooked to perfection! Who doesn’t love the pepperoni cups!?
Mexican/Adobada Tacos
Rank: 50
Oh boy do I have a treat for you! Humberto’s absolutely, has the best taco I have had in my life, and you MUST go get the adobada taco while you are in San Diego. This taco is so damn flavorful and is so big! I have no idea how I was only charged $3.50 for this glorious taco. The pork is so well seasoned, it is absolutely pristine! Seriously this is one of those hole-in-the-walls that NEEDS a longer line. More people have to find this place it is too good to only have two locations and the one I went to never had a long line at all! Which is ridiculous I would wait hours for this taco, and I got it in five minutes! I do not know what else I need to tell you to force you into having this taco, but whatever it is let me know and I will tell you that because you NEED this taco in your life.
The rest of the menu is great, Humberto’s is an all-around amazing Mexican joint, but I did not order anything else from here once I tried the adobada, and I beg of you to only order those tacos as well. They are so far superior to everything else on the menu, I only have had two meals better than Humberto’s Taco shop west of Houston, so please, make a trip to Humberto’s and it will be an easy highlight of your time in San Diego.
Deli/The Harpoon
Rank: 74
Well, I guess it was only a matter of time until a liquor store made the list. Chris’s is so good it’s honestly crazy. All of the sandwiches here are delicious and I recommend going crazy on whatever you would like. But I should make special note of The Harpoon, it is their most popular sandwich and rightfully so, it’s fire. It is pastrami, provolone, and the standard fare of mayo, mustard, lettuce, onions, and tomatoes. The rolls here are also fantastic, and are of course absolutely glorious and compliment the beauty of this sandwich perfectly.
Mexican
Rank: 78
Cash-only Mexican joint with a line out the door constantly…say less. That is what we are talking about here, a beauty of a Mexican hole-in-the-wall. Everything is absolutely phenomenal, and you choose between pork and chicken for your tacos, and honestly just get whatever you’d like. Everything here is glorious, I must say trying the rolled tacos is a something I would recommend, but also with how fabulous everything is here, you just simply can’t go wrong.
Mexican/Lengua
Rank: 95
While I have a second location of Tacos El Gordo on the list, the San Diego locations are clearly the superior in comparison to Vegas of course. And by a fair margin. This is yet another Mexican joint where you can order whatever tacos you’d like. I definitely enjoyed the Lengua the most, but I feel it is pretty heavily personal preference here. The tacos just have deliciously cooked meat along with great tortillas of course, and a standard fare of add-ons that are just adding to your experience.
7. The Friendly
Pizza/Flat top Burger
Rank: 99
While there are multiple restaurants with similar names to the friendly, the one on 30th street is the one you want. It is technically a pizza joint, but please don’t let that fool you. As it did me because holy hell prepare for whatever your expectations are to be much surpassed by this burger. Seriously I went in questioning how a pizza joint could make the best burger in San Diego, but well you find out after one bite how wrong you were. Looking at the burger, you don’t think it is anything like AMAZING, but you are just so wrong. Or maybe you are not as judgmental as I am and you kept an open mind throughout the whole process, if so good for you. If not, maybe there is a life lesson in here for all of us. But we have a burger to eat so let’s not dwell too much on that.
The flat-top burger they grill here is damn tasty. It melts in your mouth! Like seriously it does, and that is rare for a burger, obviously. It is the simplest of burgers honestly, some beautifully melted cheese, some grilled onions and a little bit of mayo. But the meat is just so pristinely done here that it is, yet another must stop while you are in San Diego.
Salvadorian/Pupusas
Rank: 119
If you have not had Salvadorian food look no further than Silvia Pupusuea, it is wild! This was my first glorious experience with Salvadorian food and my god it was heaven. The pupusas are to die for and can be consumed in large quantities. There is not a specific Pupusa I recommend I would just add cheese to all of yours and get ready for a masterpiece. If you do not know what a pupusa is, it is a like a griddle cake stuffed with meat, cheese, beans, onions, really whatever you want. But you know how good they are here after you take your first bite and some cheese gushes out because it is perfectly melted.
Breakfast/Apple Fritter
Rank: 145
Solomon’s bagels are their namesake and of course are absolutely fantastic. A breakfast sandwich from Solomon’s coupled with a donut, or maybe a few donuts is an amazing way to start a day. However, if you skip on the apple fritter from Solomon’s you will be making a grave mistake. This apple fritter from here will easily elevate your morning to new heights. Solomon’s definitely will provide you with a great variety of options to start your morning but ensure the apple fritter is included in your array of options to guarantee a beautiful morning.
Mexican Food/Carne Asada Chimichangas
Rank: 150
Roberto’s may have “taco” in their name, and for good reason, their tacos are very tasty; but you would be making a big mistake if you limit yourself to the taco portion of the menu. While the tacos are great, the best item on the menu was easily the carne asada chimichanga. Fried almost perfectly and filled to the brim with fixings this chimichanga will have you feeling like you have a small child in your stomach when you finish. The carne asada is well seasoned and is extremely juicy, and what else do you need in a chimichanga than the above?
Pizza/Grandma-Style
Rank: 180
Holy hell this grandma-style pepperoni pizza at Tribute pizza is absolutely fantastic! The crust here is perfectly crispy and the pepperoni cups are like chalices of dreams. It is simply a must if you are in San Diego and enjoy pizza in anyway. It is an iconic, greasy, cheesy, delicious pizza that simply must be devoured while you are in San Diego and looking for a pizza. It is one of the best square pizzas I have had in my life, and my god you must experience as soon as you can. I am confident the rest of the crusts are delicious, but this would be my go-to.
Greek/Gyro
Rank: 188
Olympic Café boasts a fabulous array of Greek cuisine that will satisfy whatever Mediterranean craving you may have during your time in San Diego. The gyro is the only thing I had room to try as I was full up from some amazing food earlier in the day. However, I did not regret feasting on this gyro from Olympic Café. The gyro was definitely heavenly, and I recommend enjoying it while you are in San Diego to ensure a great taste of Greece from this fantastic café.
Chinese/Salted Pepper Wings
Rank: 195
Royal Mandarin will have a line when you get there, but you will not have to wait long for your food as they are QUICK with orders here. Unless of course you are lucky enough to host a party in San Diego and order a few hundred Salted Pepper wings to gorge with you and your family and friends, that might take a little longer. But seriously these wings are insane and there is just so much flavor. They are not really spicy, so you don’t have to worry about that if it was a concern for you. Also, these wings won’t be too messy either, which is another nice plus.
Thai/Roasted Duck Curry
Rank: 202
Bahn Thai is a great Thai spot in San Diego, and it has two locations. I only went to the Park Blvd location, but I can only imagine the Fifth Ave location holds up to the amazing quality on display at the enue I enjoyed.
We cannot wait any longer to discuss the duck. The flavor of this duck in every bite is otherworldly. The sauce that blankets the wonderful dish is to die for! The tomatos, curry paste, pineapple just combines beautifully here and is a delight upon devouring it.
Mexican/Fish Tacos
Rank: 208
Oscar’s is a well-known joint for some amazing fish tacos in San Diego, and for great reason. The fish tacos is really all you should be looking at when you gaze on the menu at Oscar’s. If the tacos especial does not stand out to you upon reading the menu, may this be your guide to confirm that it stands out for you now. The other tacos were good, but the taco especial is special for a reason. It is a superb taco that stands out amongst the amazing food in San Diego, and all the tacos I have had previously. The shrimp, smoked fish, and scallops complement each other perfectly well, and topped with a gorgeous array of fixings your mouth will be watering as you devour this taco.
Mexican/California Burrito
Rank: 225
Adalberto’s is known for their California Burrito, and rightfully so. Adalberto’s provided me with the best California Burrito that I devoured in San Diego, and it will do the same for you. The drive-thru amazing burrito is honestly always surprising to me, but after having one bite of this burrito I no longer was a doubter. While the California Burrito here does not have all the fixings that some other California Burritos, it is the simplicity that wins at Adalberto’s.
Italian/Pasta
Rank: 258
Buona Forchetta is a fantastic Italian joint that has all the Italian cuisine you could possibly desire. The pizza and pasta is what will be ordered from anyone who going to Buona Forchetta, and I recommend sticking with the pasta. While the pizza was good, it was not noteworthy like the pasta was. I enjoyed the Bolognse sauce with the pappardelle pasta, while I would say you can easily venture out and try whatever sauce and pasta suits your fancy. I would recommend trying one of the two homemade egg pastas, as they are phenomenal. But I do not believe there is a way you could go wrong with the pasta choices here at Buona Forchetta.
Mexican/ The OG Fish Taco
Rank: 263
Kiko’s is my first and only taco truck on the list for San Diego, and it is deserving of a stop for some great fish tacos. Kiko’s OG Fish Taco is a clear highlight of the truck and is definitely one of the tacos you should order from Kiko’s. Along with stellar tacos Kiko’s offers some fish stew for free that is extremely satisfying. Kiko’s is a great spot if you are hankering for another fish taco in San Diego and is where I would head after Oscar’s to have my fill of fish tacos.
Breakfast/Maple Bacon Donut
Rank: 273
Another noteworthy breakfast to be snagged in San Diego, a little bit of a distance from Morning Glory clearly, but there is nothing to be ashamed of that for that. Great Maple has “great” breakfast (see what I did thsere ;)) options but there is a clear winner that should be ordered for everyone who visits. The maple bacon donuts are phenomenal. Now I have had some killer donuts in my life, but this is yet another one that deserves to be devoured by all. They have a phenomenal maple glaze, and then covered in bacon and whew, they are a significant amount better than the rest of the options here, because they are just THAT damn good.
Breakfast/Waffles
Rank: 277
Atypical Waffle Company provides a stunning array of waffle options that will have you jumping for joy if you are a waffle enjoyer such as myself. I devoured the chicken and waffles, and while that was amazing, I would recommend trying what you fancy off this magnificent menu. I do not think you could go wrong with any choice, and that is why I am not going out of my way to recommend one thing here specifically. Just enjoy some amazing waffles and go about the rest of your day after!
Mexican/Al Pastor Tacos
Rank: 288
The line for the Taco Stand is notorious, and while I am fine waiting in a line for any killer food, of course, Taco Stand was actually one that I would not joyfully hop in again. The food is amazing, but after waiting two hours for my tacos I was expecting something close to Humberto’s or even something in the double digits overall of my rankings. The taco options are tremendous, and they make a fine California burrito, but my personal favorite was the Al Pastor taco. While I would not recommend waiting if the line is too long, there are a few iconic taco joints in San Diego, and this is one of them.
Mexican/Huevos Rancheros
Rank: 306
Valentine’s is a great Mexican joint in down-town San Diego, and damn they’re good. Are you ready for some tasty huevos rancheros of your dreams!? The sunny side up of the gorgeous eggs is as perfect as you could dream. And the salsa that blankets this beauty is to die for. The hours are tough, as you must be planning to get to the downtown area twice for breakfast, but it is worth it(with the need to hit Morning Glory of course). San Diego has some great food and while these Huevoes Rancheros are not at the top of my list, they are definitely worth going out of your way for everyday.