University of San Diego
- Off-Campus Dining

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University of San Diego - Off-Campus Dining - College ProwlerCollege Prowler3.85

Off-Campus Dining

Quick Stats

Student Favorites
  • El Cotixan Taco Shop
  • EZ Jays
  • Fred's Mexican Cafe
  • Sushi on the Rock
24-Hour Dining
  • Denny's
  • Fresh MXN Food (formerly Santana's)
  • Roberto's Taco Shop
  • Taco Motion
Best Asian Emerald Chinese Seafood
Best Breakfast Broken Yolk Café
Best Coffee Starbucks
Best Dessert Fiji Yogurt
Best Healthy Fred's Mexican Café
Best Late-Night
  • In-N-Out Burger
  • Jack in the Box
Best Mexican
  • Fred's Mexican Café
  • Fresh MXN Food (formerly Santana's)
Best Pizza
  • Bronx Pizza (for NY-style thin crust)
  • Oggi's Pizza & Brewing Co. (for Chicago-style thick crust)
Best Wings
  • Dirty Birds
  • Moondoggies
Best Place to Take a Date
  • The Cheesecake Factory
  • Filippi's Pizza Grotto
Best Place to Take Your Parents
  • Donovan's Steak & Chop House
  • George's at the Cove
Other Places to Check Out
  • Asti Ristorante
  • Blue Point Restaurant
  • California Pizza Kitchen
  • Forever Fondue
  • Hard Rock Café
  • Hennessey's Tavern
  • In-N-Out Burger
  • Jack in the Box
  • NYPD Pizza
  • P.F. Chang's China Bistro
  • Sammy's Woodfired Pizza
  • Star of India
  • Starbucks
  • Thai Time II
  • Volares

Student Author OverviewWhat's This?

San Diego is so close to Mexico that it’s hard to live here and not like Mexican food. You’ll find some of the best Mexican food you can get north of the border in San Diego, and there never seems to be a lack of options. Santana’s (now called Fresh MXN Food) is a popular fast food Mexican restaurant that is filled with USD students on late nights before or after partying on the beach. It is open 24 hours, so spotting friends there at 3 in the morning is not uncommon. Other small restaurants are usually the best and cheapest, so you can enjoy quality food for less.

A mere 10-minute walk is all the separates students from some of the best “fro yo” in San Diego. Fiji Yogurt serves fro yo with any toppings, including cheesecake, fruit, and nearly every assortment of candy. Fiji often coordinates with USD for functions and events, so students can get really good deals. Rose Donuts, a 24-hour doughnut shop, is also a quick trip from campus and is perfect for late-night munchies or drunchies or a quick, indulgent breakfast. If you want more high-class food, downtown and Little Italy are perfect. Although the prices are expensive, the quality definitely matches. Seafood is also very popular, and Point Loma is a perfect place for this. It’s hard to go hungry in San Diego where so many options awaits.

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San Diego Student ReviewsWhat's This?

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Off-Campus Dining at University of San Diego

sukhpreetbains

'15

International Business

2.3
C

San Diego Dining

Since we are located on a hill, it is difficult to access off campus dining unless you have a vehicle and in that case, it is extremely easy to find great restaurants at reasonable prices.

Jan 23, 2012

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Off-Campus Dining at University of San Diego

mcb133

'12

Communications

4.6
A

There Are Lots of Options

Just down the street there is a shopping center with some great places to eat such as Urbane Cafe and Sushi Freak. The price is reasonable at both and it is very convenient as it is walking distance from the campus. Also, over in Clairemont, there are some great hole-in-the-wall places, like Sushi Diner, or anywhere in Korea Town, for good prices, however one would most certainly need a car to get there. Downtown has some excellent places to eat, albeit a bit more expensive than elsewhere.

Jan 20, 2012

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Off-Campus Dining at University of San Diego

cheezy8088

'15

English

3.8
B+

Variety in Dining

San Diego has an incredible variety of off campus dining options that range from culture to culture. I really enjoy the wide variety and the access to trying new foods. Sometimes it can be pretty expensive, especially in Down town San Diego.

Jan 20, 2012

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Student Survey Poll ResultsWhat's This?

Rate the off-campus restaurants on the following topics

How would you rate the diversity of off-campus dining options?

Facts

Did You Know?

Puerto Nuevo, 20 minutes south into Mexico, is internationally known as “Lobster Village.”

Grocery StoresWhat's This?

K&L Market
1413 Morena Blvd., Linda Vista
(619) 276-1662

Ralphs
101 G St.
(619) 595-1581
www.ralphs.com
Daily 24 hours

Vons
450 W University Ave.
(877) 295-0688
www.vons.com
Daily 6 a.m.–12 a.m.

Restaurant ListingsWhat's This?

Bahia Don Bravo
Food: Mexican
909 Grand Ave., Pacific Beach
(858) 581-0670
bahiadonbravo.net
Price: $5–$10
Cool Features: Best burritos in the area with shrimp, steak, or chicken. Also delivers in the University area.

Board & Brew
Food: Sandwiches
1212 Camino Del Mar, Del Mar
(858) 481-1021
www.boardnbrewdelmar.com
Price: $5–$10
Cool Features: Worth the drive to Del Mar because it has a perfect location near the beach.

Broken Yolk Café
Food: Breakfast
1851 Garnet Ave., Pacific Beach
(858) 270-YOLK
www.thebrokenyolkcafe.com
Price: $8–$15
Cool Features: This is an enormously popular Pacific Beach breakfast joint with early bird and champagne specials.

Bronx Pizza
Food: Pizza
111 Washington St., Hillcrest
(619) 291-3341
www.bronxpizza.com
Price: $5–$10
Cool Features: Bronx Pizza has a cool patio atmosphere and the best thin crust in Southern California.

Café Sevilla
Food: Spanish, tapas
555 4th Ave., Gaslamp
(619) 233-5979
www.cafesevilla.com
Price: $30–$40
Cool Features: Has a great date menu, including paella and tapas for two.

Carl's Jr./Green Burrito
Food: Fast food
845 Morena Blvd., Linda Vista
(619) 297-9249
www.carlsjr.com
Price: $4–$8

Cass Street Bar & Grill
Food: Pub food
4612 Cass St., Pacific Beach
(858) 270-1320
Price: $10–$15
Cool Features: Also has shuffleboard and pool tables.

The Cheesecake Factory
Food: American
7067 Friars Rd., Linda Vista
(619) 683-2800
www.thecheesecakefactory.com
Price: $15–$25

Denny's
Food: American
7676 Friars Rd., Mission Valley
(619) 297-0657
www.dennys.com
Price: $5–$10

Dirty Birds
Food: American, wings
4656 Mission Blvd., Pacific Beach
(858) 274-2473
www.dirtybirdspb.com
Price: $7–$20

Donovan's Steak & Chop House
Food: American, steakhouse
4340 La Jolla Village Dr., La Jolla
(858) 450-6666
www.donovanssteakhouse.com
Price: $30–$50
Cool Features: Said to have the best steaks in the country.

Emerald Chinese Seafood
Food: Chinese
3709 Convoy St.
(858) 565-6888
www.emeraldrestaurant.com/information.htm
Price: $10–$15

EZ-J's Sandwiches
Food: Sandwiches
1088 Garnet Ave., Pacific Beach
(858) 483-0123
Price: $5–$10

Fiji Yogurt
Food: Forzen yogurt
5401 Linda Vista Rd., Linda Vista
(8000 475-3454
www.fijiyogurt.com
Price: Less than $5

Filippi's Pizza Grotto
Food: Italian
962 Garnet Ave., Pacific Beach
(858) 483-6222
www.realcheesepizza.com
Price: $10–$15
Cool Features: Decorated bottles of Chianti highlight the décor.

Fred's Mexican Café
Food: Mexican
1165 Garnet Ave., Pacific Beach
(858) 483-TACO
www.fredsmexicancafe.com/pacific-beach.html
Price: $8–$15
Cool Features: Healthier take on cheap Mexican food. Every fifth of the month is “Cinco De Fred's."” There is a second, more expensive Fred's downtown.

Fresh MXN Food (formerly Santana's)
Food: Mexican
2303 Garnet Ave., Pacific Beach
(858) 483-1227
www.freshmxnfood.com
Price: $4–$8
Cool Features: There are several other locations within four miles of campus.

George's at the Cove
Food: Californian, seafood
1250 Prospect St., La Jolla
(858) 454-4244
www.georgesatthecove.com
Price: $30–$50
Cool Features: Spectacular ocean terrace.

Hodad's
Food: American
5010 Newport Ave., Ocean Beach
(619) 224-4623
www.hodadies.com
Price: $8–$15
Cool Features: Has the best burgers and beer, both of which are made from a VW bus. It's been a local institution since 1969.

JV's Mexican Food
Food: Mexican
11112 Morena Blvd.
(619) 276-0758
www.jvsmexicanfood.com
Price: $5–$10
Cool Features: This is a hidden spot near campus.

Lorna's Italian Kitchen
Food: Italian
3945 Governor Dr., University City
(858) 452-0661
www.lornasitalian.com
Price: $8–$15
Cool Features: Mom-and-pop atmosphere with enormous portions.

Moondoggies
Food: American
832 Garnet Ave., Pacific Beach
(858) 483-6550
www.moondoggies.com
Price: $10–$20
Cool Features: One of few places in San Diego to see out-of-area NHL games.

Oggi's Pizza & Brewing Co.
Food: American, pizza
2245 Fenton Parkway, Mission Valley
(619) 668-3478
www.oggis.com
Price: $8–$15
Cool Features: Known for its thick-crust and stuffed pizzas; they also brew their own beers.

Old Town Mexican Café
Food: Mexican
2489 San Diego Ave., Old Town
(619) 297-4330
www.oldtownmexcafe.com
Price: $10–$20
Cool Features: You can watch them make fresh tortillas from the window.

Onami Seafood Buffet
Food: Japanese, sushi
1640 Camino Del Rio N., Mission Valley
(619) 295-9774
Price: $20–$30
Cool Features: All-you-can-eat seafood buffet.

Pizza Port
Food: Italian
135 N. Highway 101, Solana Beach
(858) 481-7332
www.pizzaport.com
Price: $8–$15

Poor Boy Submarines
Food: Sandwiches
909 Grand Ave., Pacific Beach
(858) 274-3144
www.poorboysub.com
Price: $5–$10

Porter's Pub & Grill
Food: Pub food
9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla
(858) 587-4828
www.porterspub.com
Price: $8–$15
Cool Features: Pub is on the UCSD campus.

The Potato Shack
Food: Breakfast
120 W. I St., Encinitas
(760) 436-1282
www.potatoshackcafe.com
Price: $5–$10
Cool Features: The pancakes are the size of a manhole cover.

Roberto's Taco Shop
Food: Mexican
3202 Mission Blvd.
(858) 488-1610
robertostacoshop.com
Price: $5–$10

Shack Bar & Grill
Food: Pub food
6941 La Jolla Blvd., La Jolla
(858) 454-5280
Price: $8–$15
Cool Features: Great local surf atmosphere and spectacular burgers.

Sushi on the Rock
Food: Sushi
1025 Prospect, La Jolla
(858) 459-3208
www.sushiontherock.com
Price: $10–$20
Cool Features: Spectacular happy hour food and drink deals from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Taco Motion
Food: Mexican
1313 Garnet Ave., Pacific Beach
(858) 274-8931
Price: $8–$15

Urbane Café
Food: Salads, sandwiches
5375 Napa St., Linda Vista
(619) 543-9700
www.urbanecafe.com
Price: $5–$10

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