Can you give us some idea of your likes/dislikes, budget restrictions/or not, where you are from (e.g. if you have fabulous Mexican food at home, we won't recommend that here), size of your party/ages (kids? seniors?)/any special needs?, adventurous eaters vs. absolutely not, ethnic?, etc. Southern California has so many great places to eat! The more info you can give us, the better we can help you!
They actually have a Porto’s in Buena Park on Beach Blvd near Knotts Berry Farm. It’s close to Disneyland !If you don't mind driving to Burbank, Porto's was rated #1 on Yelp's top restaurants. It's Cuban food but they have amazing baked goods and the Potato balls are to DIE FOR. Burbank is also home to Walt Disney Studios so if you're in the area it's cool to check out.
The Stone at Liberty Station is great too, as is Liberty Station in general. It’s located on the grounds of the old Naval Training Center (in San Diego).Ooh I so need to try Portos! There's one opening up near my friend's house soon!
San Diego has a lot of amazing breweries if you're interested. The kids loved our visit to Stone with the gardens in Escondido
Hi - Born and raised here in San Diego (and still live here), so I can recommend a few places.
And in the Disneyland-ish area, I second the recommendations for Roscoe's Chicken & Waffles, as well as Porto's Bakery! Both AMAZING! And if you are up in the Buena Park area, near Knott's Berry Farm, not only is there a Porto's up there, but also a Portillo's...Chicago dogs and Italian beef sandwiches in SoCal!!!
- Pick a taco shop! Having grown up in the Bonita/Chula Vista area in the south county, my absolute favorite is Lolita's Mexican Food. There is just something special about their carne asada and especially their refried beans! Every time (and I mean EVERY time) I return from a trip, Lolita's is my first stop for food. Most of the locations are down in the Chula Vista area, but there is also one near Petco Park downtown and another in Kearny Mesa. There are other competing types of taco shops throughout San Diego, including Roberto's, Alberto's, Cotixan, etc., but for my money Lolita's in the best. Mentioned above, Tacos el Gordo is also excellent; their Adobada Spiced Pork tacos are the stuff of legend! And a very honorable mention to Lucha Libre Taco Shop!
- If you want a sit down Mexican food experience, my favorites are Miguel's Cocina (their white queso sauce is sublime), Puesto, Casa Guadalajara in Old Town, or Casa de Bandini up in Carlsbad.
- Phil's BBQ! I adore BBQ and Phil's is the place that I put up against all others! The sauce is amazing, a tad peppery, but amazing! And the ribs are delectable! And don't get me started about their onion rings with buttermilk ranch dipping sauce!!!
- Want fish?! Check out Point Loma Seafoods! It is not fancy, but it is delicious!
- Liberty Station offers a lot of options, including my favorites Corvette Diner, Soda & Swine, and Stone Brewing.
- Need a little tiki and an amazing view?! Check out the Bali Hai!
- And of course, the quintessential SoCal burger is In N Out, but my favorite burger in SD is Five Guys. Yes, they are a transplant from back east, but man their burgers are soooooooo good...and fully customizable! Don't get me wrong, I love In N Out, but Five Guys is my favorite hands down!
- Lastly, San Diego has an awesome Asian food district in Clairemont / Kearny Mesa area.