Things To Do in San Diego

Refill

Cold brew chocolate milk coffee.

Communal Coffee

Instagram-ready coffee shop. Flowershop next door, and their sandwiches are great. Try the bagel & lox.

Moniker Coffee Co

Fall Brewing Company

Pete's favorite brewery in San Diego. Punk-rock vibes. Usually has a food truck outside.

Ballast Point Brewing - Little Italy

The Ballast Point location with all the fun, experimental beers on top of their regulars. Great food too, and a fun gift shop.

Stone Brewing

This is Stone's most impressive location, with gardens, brew tours, and great food.

Mikkeller Brewing San Diego

A stripped-down brewery, with no food, but some of the best beer in the city.

Modern Times Flavordome

Our favorite brewery to just pop in and hang out at. They don't have food, so go around the corner to The Taco Stand (also listed) and grab some tacos to eat there.

The Taco Stand

Our favorite taco place in the city, so far. Make sure you get the fresh churros. Get it to go, and take it over to Modern Times Flavordome around the corner.

Trust

Great for brunch or dinner. On OpenTable. I recommend everything.

Madison

Beautiful main hall, great brunch food.

Nolita Hall

Somewhere between a fancy pizza restaurant and a sports bar. Big TVs in a gorgeous, open air hall.

Buona Forchetta - South Park

Great Italian food. Maybe best pizza in the city. No reservations for smaller parties, so get there early, put your name in, and get a drink across the street at Kindred, South Park Brewery, or Hamilton's Tavern. There's also a location in Liberty Station.

Ironside Fish & Oyster

Has maybe the coolest atmosphere for a restaurant in San Diego, it's sort of an upscale nautical theme. Food is great too, and if you'd like to sit close to the action, there are bar seats by the kitchen.

The Crack Shack - Little Italy

Come here for fried chicken, sit outdoors. Good beer selection too.

Saiko Sake and Sushi Bar

Good sushi place. Get some unfiltered sake.

The Patio on Lamont

Good food.

El Prado

Hard to summarize how much is here, but let's give it a shot: museums, rose gardens, food carts (on occasion), dining, a theater, a massive outdoor organ, and some wonderful Spanish architecture. Right in the heart of Balboa Park.

San Diego Zoo

World-famous for how well they treat their animals. Lots of walking, but well worth it.

Waterfront Park Playground

A kids playground overlooking the bay (including some water spouts they can play in), next to rows and rows of ships you can tour.

Mission Trails Regional Park

A great set of trails within the city limits. Kwaay Paay is the shortest of the hikes, and less populated than Cowles - though both offer great views of the city at the top. If you want something longer, check out Pyles, or either of the Fortuna hikes (North and South). All Trails is a great app for these hikes.

Cabrillo National Monument

Probably the best view of the city, it overlooks downtown, Coronado, San Diego Bay, the ocean, and on clear days you can see all the way to Mexico. There's also a lighthouse and a museum.

Torrey Pines State Reserve

Awesome ocean views and light hikes. You can spend anywhere from 30 mins to ~4 hours depending on how much you'd like to see. As well, the world famous golf course is here, though you may have to spend a bunch and plan ahead to do so.

Julian

Fun for a day trip. Drive through the mountains and see some terrain not typically associated with California. Kitschy and fun, and definitely get some pie and cider while you're out there.

Cleveland National Forest

One of our favorite areas to hike. All Trails is a great app for these hikes.

Temecula

This is wine country for Southern California, and is full of gorgeous scenery and vineyards to explore.