North Of Downtown San Diego

[jrichman]

Hi All - I am a visitor to the San Diego area for a few weeks. I am staying just north of downtown, near the intersection of Aero Drive and Kearny Mesa Blvd. I would appreciate any dining recomendations in my area, please note that I am on a budget of about 20 - 30 dollars for dinner. Also, if there are any worthwhile places downtown to try in this price range that would be great, but please focus on my area. All input is greatly appreciated. Thanks!!!

[Carlsbad]

Convoy Street, which is very near you, has a lot of Asian Restaurants. I would recommend Emerald, 3709 Convoy St., and Jasmine, 4609 Convoy St., for good, quite authentic Hong Kong/Cantonese cuisine, including dim sum at lunch. I would also recommend Phoung Trang, 4170 Convoy St., (on the west side of Convoy in a strip mall) for authentic Vietnamese food. They have pho, and some Chinese dishes, but I would skip them in favor of the other Vietnamese dishes. There are also several Korean barbecue places along Convoy. Those should all be comfortably in your price range.

For Mexican, my favorite taco shop is Harvest Taco Shop, 9350 Clairemont Mesa Blvd, in the back of a strip mall on the north-west corner of Clairemont Mesa Blvd. and Ruffin Road. It's hard to spend $10 there. From Aero Drive, you would go north on Kearny Villa Rd. and turn right on Clairemont Mesa. When you get to Ruffin Road, make a u-turn and pull into the first drive-way. It's in the back of that little center.

[Octaveman]

Hi All - I am a visitor to the San Diego area for a few weeks.  I am staying just north of downtown, near the intersection of Aero Drive and Kearny Mesa Blvd.  I would appreciate any dining recomendations in my area, please note that I am on a budget of about 20 - 30 dollars for dinner. Also, if there are any worthwhile places downtown to try in this price range that would be great, but please focus on my area.  All input is greatly appreciated.  Thanks!!!

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I think you meant to say Kearny Villa rd. not Kearny Mesa Blvd because I don't think Aero intersects with KM Blvd. You're staying by Montgomery Field no? Sheraton? If so and you don't have readily available transportation you can walk to these places:

Casa Machada 3750 John J. Montgomery Drive (walk down Aero away from the freeway and turn left at Montgomery Drive. The road dog legs left and the building is on the right. The restaurant is upstairs overlooking the airport runway. Not bad Mexican

Emerald Chinese on Convoy. Walk toward the freeway on Aero, cross over and turn right at Convoy. It's there on your right. Food is really pretty good.

In-N-Out Burger. This is a California original that serves great burgers IMHO. It's CA's first drive thru fast food est in 1948 I believe. Get on Convoy turn right, then turn right again on Kearny Mesa Rd (at Carl's Jr). Follow it for about 1/2 mile. It's on the right side. Get the Double-Double with grilled or fresh onions ofr get it Animal style (meat cooked with mustard, grilled onions, etc)

For Thai you could try Thai House Cuisine at 4225 Convoy St.

94th Aero Squadron has a pretty good sunday champagne brunch. Go north on Kearny Villa rd from Aero and turn right on Balboa (about 1 mile). It's on the right side about 1/2 mile down the road. Basically on the opposite side of the airport as Casa Machado.

If you do have easy local transportation, you could try The Butcher Shop. Pretty good steaks and prime rib. It's on Kearny Villa Rd. a couple of miles north of where you're staying.

For Italian and the best pizza I've eatin (thick crust, load's of cheese) is at Filippi's on Kearny Villa a block past the Butcher Shop.

You really can't go wrong downtown in the Gaslamp area (south of Broadway on 4th and 5th). There are so many places that you should just go down there and walk around until you find something that looks good to you. Visit Horton Plaza too. A four-level outside mall that's fun to walk around.

You may also want to visit Old Town. Lot's of unique shops and plenty of authentic Mexican restaurants that are very good.

I haven't worked in Kearny Mesa in about 5 years so my memory is slippnig a bit. I'm sure someone could probably come up with other idea's but this is a start.

Bob

[mizducky]

Hi All - I am a visitor to the San Diego area for a few weeks.  I am staying just north of downtown, near the intersection of Aero Drive and Kearny Mesa Blvd.  I would appreciate any dining recomendations in my area, please note that I am on a budget of about 20 - 30 dollars for dinner. Also, if there are any worthwhile places downtown to try in this price range that would be great, but please focus on my area.  All input is greatly appreciated.  Thanks!!!

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Hi, jrichman--

You have me just the tiniest bit fuddled regarding your location--Aero Drive, as far as I know, intersects a Kearny Villa Rd., and runs very near but does not actually cross a Kearny Mesa Rd., but no Kearny Mesa Blvd. (unless they changed the signage down there or something). No matter, though--wherever you are on Aero Drive, you're just a short distance from a world of cheap eats on and around Convoy Street--mainly all different kinds of Asian food (Cantonese, Szechuan, Korean, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, etc. etc.). Just drive all the way west on Aero Drive and turn left onto Convoy. The next several blocks are packed with dining spots, some just little hole-in-the-wall joints and some rather larger, some on scattered side streets as well, all definitely well within your budget. Some perennial favorites: Dumpling Inn, Spicy City, Jasmine (these are all Chinese), Boo Cho (Korean, just off the Convoy strip at 7905 Engineer Rd.). Or you can plug "Convoy San Diego" into the eGullet search engine to see what other places on that street people have recommended that I'm forgetting right now. Or you can just randomly pick a place and experiment--so far I've been having a hard time finding anything but good meals on that street.

[mizducky]

Emerald Chinese on Convoy.  Walk toward the freeway on Aero, cross over and turn right at Convoy.  It's there on your right.  Food is really pretty good.

Is Emerald open at this point? They had a fire some weeks ago and they were going to be closed for awhile repairing stuff.

You really can't go wrong downtown in the Gaslamp area (south of Broadway on 4th and 5th).  There are so many places that you should just go down there and walk around until you find something that looks good to you.  Visit Horton Plaza too.  A four-level outside mall that's fun to walk around.

You may also want to visit Old Town.  Lot's of unique shops and plenty of authentic Mexican restaurants that are very good.

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Heh. Just sayin', but I think there might be a certain amount of difference of opinion on those two points. Also, one should be aware that both the Gaslamp and Old Town are major tourist destination areas. As others have observed, for good Mexican food in this town, it's better to pass up the big splashy touristy places in favor of the proverbial little mom-n-pop taqueria. There's a couple of those, IIRC, in the Convoy St. mix.

[mizducky]

You have me just the tiniest bit fuddled regarding your location--Aero Drive, as far as I know, intersects a Kearny Villa Rd., and runs very near but does not actually cross a Kearny Mesa Rd., but no Kearny Mesa Blvd. (unless they changed the signage down there or something). No matter, though--wherever you are on Aero Drive, you're just a short distance from a world of cheap eats on and around Convoy Street--mainly all different kinds of Asian food (Cantonese, Szechuan, Korean, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, etc. etc.). Just drive all the way west on Aero Drive and turn left onto Convoy.

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Arrrrrrg! After all that direction geekage, I typed "left" when I meant to type "right"! It's turn RIGHT from Aero onto Convoy. Sorry for the confusion!

[Toliver]

Regarding Emerald, I don't think they are back open yet. You can call them at 858-565-6888.

I agree with the Convoy suggestions...you really can't go wrong as there are so many choices.

Just to clarify, Kearny Mesa ROAD is the street the Kearny Mesa In'n'Out Burger is on. It almost seems like a frontage road given that freeway 163 is on the other side. Kearny Mesa Road should be the first traffic light encountered once you turn right onto Convoy from Aero Drive. It eventually becomes Mercury when it crosses Balboa Avenue.

[Carlsbad]

I called Emerald, and they advised they have been open for a month after the fire.

[Toliver]

Wow, they were expectd to be shut down for 3 to 4 months. Perhaps the renovators/rebuilders were fans of the restaurant and hurried things up. Thanks for posting this.

[mmm-yoso]

Hi All - I am a visitor to the San Diego area for a few weeks.  I am staying just north of downtown, near the intersection of Aero Drive and Kearny Mesa Blvd.  I would appreciate any dining recomendations in my area, please note that I am on a budget of about 20 - 30 dollars for dinner. Also, if there are any worthwhile places downtown to try in this price range that would be great, but please focus on my area.  All input is greatly appreciated.  Thanks!!!

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jrichman - You'll be able to find all kinds of good eats in this area. Or just pick up a bento from either Nijiya or Mitsuwa Markets located in the same vicinity - both are Japanese Markets.

My favorite restaurant right now is Ba Ren - if you enjoy Sichuan:

http://mmm-yoso.typepad.com/mmmyoso/2005/06/ba_ren.html

In addition to all the other wonderful suggestions, there's Buga a dduk bossam style Korean BBQ on Clairemont Mesa Blvd, just North of were you are - I'm guessing Four Points Sheraton - I live kind of close by.

http://mmm-yoso.typepad.com/mmmyoso/

Enjoy,

Kirk

[jrichman]

All, thank you so much for your very helpful responses!!!! I wish that I had a few weeks out here to try all of these places...the other night I went to In N' Out and it was delicious, I like it how the burgers are grilled fresh and I also tried this Korean BBQ place on 4344 Convoy called Seoul BBQ which was delicious...thanks again, and please keep the suggestions coming.....I gotta try one of those taco stands soon!

[jrichman]

And to add to my last point I am in the mood for Mexican...any other reomendations other than the taco shops, I do not want a touristy place like old town, but a good authentic mexican place and I do have a car so I can drive!!! Thanks!!! Or are taco shops the way to go????

[Carlsbad]

Taco shops are the way to go.

[jrichman]

Allright here we go....I concluded that I want mexican one night and then sushi another night, but I want the best...so what is the best mexican in the area and what is th ebest sushi in the area, I can drive there...thanks!!!!! oh and in the area I mean all around san diego not just the convoy street area....thanks!!!

[mmm-yoso]

Allright here we go....I concluded that I want mexican one night and then sushi another night, but I want the best...so what is the best mexican in the area and what is th ebest sushi in the area, I can drive there...thanks!!!!! oh and in the area I mean all around san diego not just the convoy street area....thanks!!!

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Many people claim Sushi Ota on Mission Bay Drive is the best

4529 Mission Bay Dr

San Diego, CA 92109

One of my favorrites is Izakaya Sakura - not quite a sushi bar - but an Izakaya. They will not make any "rolls" - alot of Japanese Nationals as customers and pretty pricey

http://mmm-yoso.typepad.com/mmmyoso/2005/0...ya_sakura_.html

Shirahama - also in the area, is another quite expensive place. Will not make rolls either - Koji-san is known as the Sushi-Nazi for a reason also.

Sushi Dokoro Shirahama 4212 Convoy St.

There are alot of Neighborhood Sushi places like Katzra (same owners as Tofu House next door). My favorite little Neighborhood Sushi place is Sammy Sushi on Engineer Road:

http://mmm-yoso.typepad.com/mmmyoso/2005/0..._sushi_eve.html

Though the quality of fish can vary, Sam usually has something good - prices are also cheaper and Sam will make anything you want - even Poke.

You can tell him Kirk-san sent you!

Btw next to Sammy's is Boo Cho - they are the only Korean Restaurant I know of in San Diego that does charcoal BBQ:

http://mmm-yoso.typepad.com/mmmyoso/2005/0...ho_going_s.html

alot of people enjoy Boo Cho.

[jrichman]

Sammy sushi looks good, do you have a menu?????

Allright here we go....I concluded that I want mexican one night and then sushi another night, but I want the best...so what is the best mexican in the area and what is th ebest sushi in the area, I can drive there...thanks!!!!! oh and in the area I mean all around san diego not just the convoy street area....thanks!!!

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Many people claim Sushi Ota on Mission Bay Drive is the best

4529 Mission Bay Dr

San Diego, CA 92109

One of my favorrites is Izakaya Sakura - not quite a sushi bar - but an Izakaya. They will not make any "rolls" - alot of Japanese Nationals as customers and pretty pricey

http://mmm-yoso.typepad.com/mmmyoso/2005/0...ya_sakura_.html

Shirahama - also in the area, is another quite expensive place. Will not make rolls either - Koji-san is known as the Sushi-Nazi for a reason also.

Sushi Dokoro Shirahama 4212 Convoy St.

There are alot of Neighborhood Sushi places like Katzra (same owners as Tofu House next door). My favorite little Neighborhood Sushi place is Sammy Sushi on Engineer Road:

http://mmm-yoso.typepad.com/mmmyoso/2005/0..._sushi_eve.html

Though the quality of fish can vary, Sam usually has something good - prices are also cheaper and Sam will make anything you want - even Poke.

You can tell him Kirk-san sent you!

Btw next to Sammy's is Boo Cho - they are the only Korean Restaurant I know of in San Diego that does charcoal BBQ:

http://mmm-yoso.typepad.com/mmmyoso/2005/0...ho_going_s.html

alot of people enjoy Boo Cho.

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[jrichman]

Made it to Super Sergios the other night, this is the taco stand on Convoy with the big yellow sign that is open 24 hours and has 2 drive thru windows...it was delicious and I will be back!!! Thanks for everyones recomendations - really appreciate it.

[mmm-yoso]

Made it to Super Sergios the other night, this is the taco stand on Convoy with the big yellow sign that is open 24 hours and has 2 drive thru windows...it was delicious and I will be back!!! Thanks for everyones recomendations - really appreciate it.

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jrichman - I emailed you the prices that I remember from Sammy's - did you get it?

Kirk