San Diego Eateries Worth Missing

The only way to know if your favorite eatery is really THAT good; is to leave it.

In your own hometown, eating out is simple. You have your old stand-by’s. You know where to get good take out, impress a visitor, or indulge in your guilty, cheesy, drunkin’ pleasures.

However, if you leave your beloved hometown favorites for two weeks, or even two years…there are only a few special spots that really stick to your ribs. They’ll have you craving their tasty, tingly, temptations late at night. They’ll have you thirsting for what no other eatery has yet to re-create in your path. These are the eateries and watering holes worth longing for, the ones worth missing.

Dennis and I left San Diego two years ago now. But before we became location independent, we called San Diego home together for over 14 years. Respectfully, we’ve eaten out in San Diego – as locals- more than any other city.

Arriving again, this time as a sorta-tourist in San Diego, I asked myself; “What would I recommend?”

I didn’t have a clear answer. So, I decided to ask my friends on Facebook for their favorite local San Diego places. The response was good, but the most astounding part was, almost all who gave their recommendations were EX-San Diegians.

In a sea of great places to eat and drink, and dozens of local favorites from Yelp to Chowhound, where could I begin? When we lived here it was one thing. Now that we’re back… it seems all together different.

Even after eating BBQ in Austin, Gulf Coast Shrimp on the Bayou, Lobsta’ Rolls in New England, Trout outta the river in Idaho, and a Japon Dog in Seattle… there are still places truly worth missing in San Diego.

On this list you’ll find some local San Diego favorites. Most however, are eateries and pubs that EX-San Diegians, including us, truly miss now that we’ve left.