Went to school here for 4 years, so Sandy Eggs will always hold the biggest place in my heart. It’s where I met some of my best friends, had way too crazy of nights, and more or less studied. Heh I do think San Diego is such a great city it has amazing food, the ability to find parking, awesome weather, and fun nightlife.
HIGHLIGHTS
Catching the sunset at La Jolla shores. Cotton candy colored skies are beautiful.
Eating Mexican food!!!! Oh my… San Diego set the bar for Mexican food so high, I’m pretty sure no where else besides Mexico can really compare.
Tacos El Gordo— Best in the biz, also H Street or bust. (Seriously, it’s better than the one in Vegas.) Must go here! I love their cabeza, and al pastor is their most popular, and don’t forget to ask for extra pineapples!
Vallartas — Drunk food x100000. (If you’re friends with Elliott, ask him to make you his special cilantro sauce!) Swear this tastes better after a night out in PB. My favorite is their carne asada fries (DUH), can get them Christian (bacon + egg) but I always find that a bit heavy and opt for just the egg and grilled onions #healthy. (Note there’s a couple Vallartas in SD, go to the one closest to your drunk heart for optimal happiness but the one I linked is the OG)
Oscars Mexican Seafood — Location on Turquoise feels more “beachy vibes” and is always less crowded. Less table space, so go here for a casual date but not for a huge hangout. Location Emerald is a bit more packed. Love their seafood stew, smoked fish taco, and will drawn the taco in both sauces.
Other noteworthy taco shops: Luche Libre (another fav carne asada fries spot), The Taco Shop,
Just some really bomb food! Ugh, I feel like every time I go to San Diego I’m trying to figure out how to open up my stomach more so I can shove all the delicious food I used to eat in college in a weekend trip.
Phils BBQ for really good BBQ. Skip the line, do take out and picnic at Mission Bay (5 min drive) to avoid the lines & better view. I love their beef tickler and macaroni salad.
Sushi Ki for sakes and reverse happy hours. (This was a good pre-game / post game spot. Also, love the days when DK used to work here and we’d bother him.)
Costa Brava for great tapas and sangria. Love their bacon wrapped dates!
Board & Brew for yummy sandwiches. Go heavy on the sauce! (Seriously, without the sauce it sucks.) Love their Del Mar location because after church we used to do Board & Brew runs. Also has a location in Pacific Beach too!
Sushi Ota for fantastic sushi. Bahaha where AKPsi bigs took their littles to celebrate their first job or boyfriends took girlfriends on anniversaries. LMFAO But it’s still really good!
George’s Ocean Terrace for fantastic views (so so food). Love coming here, grabbing a burger & cocktail (especially during Restaurant Week!)
Marine Room: Fancier dinner (great for restaurant week!) and come during high tide… Water will hit the window glass of the dining room.
Other noteworthy mentions that were a stable in college…
Punjabi tandoor (my favorite thing to eat during finals haha)
Sab E Lee: Really where my love for Thai food and spice came full blown
Karl Strauss: Brewery Gardens in Sorrento Valley > everything else. Worth the extra drive for more open space.. and the garden imo
Boozy brunches anybody? I mean I’m always a fan of bottomless, but SD just does it right. Less lines, can actually get reservations, and jumping in the pool / beach after is a plus.
Non bottomless but good: Snooze, The Cottage, Fig Tree Cafe, Crushed (for mimosa flights), Whisknladle/Prepkitchen
Bottomless: Herringbone (Bottomless is $12!!!), The Duck Dive (Pacific Beach area)
Pacific Beach for cheap drinks. PB Shore Club for Wednesday Goldfish racing, Barrel Republic for pour your own beer (and they let you bring in your own food!! FYI — Vallartas PB is a 5 min walk), RIP to Johnny V’s and PB Bar and Grill.
Other really fun bars and clubs that were my shizzz in college. Ugh, okay I know this list is getting to be quite drinks heavy— but I promise I did do more in college than just drink!
Noble Experiment: This is the OG of speakeasies… intimate vibes and wall of skulls.
False Idol: Came here for the first time in 2018 and I love it! Outside bar (Craft and Commerce) to wait while you get your number, make sure to order Alkala the Fierce if you’re here with 3+ people are trying or just trying to get really drunk.
Vin De Syrah: This is 100% my favorite bar in San Diego. I love the atmosphere, great for dancing, and chill enough for a date (if you come early enough). I like this bar SO much that I’m actually getting kind of sad writing this highlight after realizing I haven’t been in a few years….
And of course… clubbing in DT SD. One of our favorite things to do was do a bar crawl. From birthdays to post-game SunGod to just randomly wanting to go out on the weekend, clubbing in SD set the bar so high for being able to go out (sneak in drinks hehe), have really good DJ’s (and still be able to dress up).
The OG Club list for anybody needing to go to any: Omnia SD (not as cool as the one in Vegas but still fun), Fluxx, Parq (one of my favorite clubs), Bang Bang (peep the women's bathroom for Ryan Gosling photos)
Go to Mission Bay and rent a boat with friends. One of my favorite memories is spending time with my pledge bros, and renting a boat for $12 a person!
Restaurant Week in SD is by far the best I’ve ever had. Seriously, some of the best restaurants without the fuss of having to wait in line.
Kayaking / snorkeling along La Jolla Cove. One of the best beaches in California! So fun renting a kayak in the summertime and going through caves or snorkeling and seeing sharks!
Go on an adventure to San Diego Safari Zoo. Check Groupon for discounts!
Balboa Nights during December is magical.
Seaworld -- I think I’ve been to SeaWorld 20+ times. I think there has been a lot of debate the last few years over the treatment of animals at SeaWorld, and while I don’t think I am educated enough to comment on this, I will say coming to SeaWorld as a little kid made me fall in love with the ocean. It’s the reason why dolphins are my favorite animal, why I love swimming and being in the water, and a huge reason why I became scuba certified.
Ugh, sap ahead. Not one bullet point is enough to truly highlight how much fun college was. On top of feeling like I pushed myself to the max with classes, internships while trolling the world with brand ambassador Amazon X 5Hour Energy Jobs, AKPsi, ChiO… I met some of the best people in the world. I met both Caressa (during orientation) and Yu (living in the same dorm) legit my first week of freshmen year, and they have become some of the best friends a girl can ask for, and a huge support system for what college (and now post grad… and now #adulthood) has become.
lowlights
Way too chill of a city for me. Forever grateful I got to spend college here, but I don’t think I ever need to move back to this city until I’m old and gray.
