San Diego vacation advice needed.....

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John P

Platinum Member
Oct 9, 1999
2,426
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I'll be heading down to San Diego to do the Zoo/Animal Park/Sea World thing with my wife and kids and staying at a hotel in the Mission Valley area.

Any suggestions on where to grab some good grub? I'm talking burgers, fish and chips, and maybe a decent seafood place. Nothing fancy schmancy.

I'm also looking for suggestions on where to hit the beach if I've got a free afternoon.

Throw any zoo/wilflife park/Sea World tips at me while you're at it. Looking at the Wildlife Park web page I see all these "caravans" for a large sum of cash (like $90!!). Are they worth it or can you see most of the stuff just walking around?

Thanks,

 
G

Grunt03

Diamond Member
Jun 24, 2000
3,131
0
0
John P
Click to expand...

I have spent the past six years in the San Diego area and there are many great places to visit and dine at. I knwo you mentioned sea food but there is a better place to eat.

Phils BBQ - I do not know if you like BBQ, but I had to mention that I am from the south and grew up eating BBQ. Phils is the best BBQ I have ever eaten. The SD city actually shut them down because the lines were a safety hazard. There are two locations, one is on Sports Arena Blvd, and a second location in Hillcrest area.

If BBQ isn't your thing, Hillcrest area has hundreds of locations to cater to every need.

A great beach would be Coronado Island and the Hotel Del. Very small island, beautiful beach with an ice skateing ring. You really do not need to drive once on the island everyone walks, and there are all kinds of places to eat as well.

Good luck with the trip and if you decide to go to Phils, I would suggest the Rib Tickler
platter!!!!
 
R

rasczak

Lifer
Jan 29, 2005
10,437
22
81
well, a kind of fun place for both kids and adults in the Mission Valley area is Dave and Buster's. Not sure about their food though.

As for the beach, go to Mission Beach. There's a small amusement park there with a roller coaster, some bumper cars and arcade.

If you get a chance, look for an LnL Hawaiian Barbecue. Good stuff :)

You wouldn't be coming down to San Diego this saturday for a company function would you? ;)
 
R

rasczak

Lifer
Jan 29, 2005
10,437
22
81
Originally posted by: Grunt03
John P
Click to expand...

I have spent the past six years in the San Diego area and there are many great places to visit and dine at. I knwo you mentioned sea food but there is a better place to eat.

Phils BBQ - I do not know if you like BBQ, but I had to mention that I am from the south and grew up eating BBQ. Phils is the best BBQ I have ever eaten. The SD city actually shut them down because the lines were a safety hazard. There are two locations, one is on Sports Arena Blvd, and a second location in Hillcrest area.

If BBQ isn't your thing, Hillcrest area has hundreds of locations to cater to every need.

A great beach would be Coronado Island and the Hotel Del. Very small island, beautiful beach with an ice skateing ring. You really do not need to drive once on the island everyone walks, and there are all kinds of places to eat as well.

Good luck with the trip and if you decide to go to Phils, I would suggest the Rib Tickler
platter!!!!
Click to expand...


MSgt,

Were you stationed out of MCRD, MRMR, or Camp Pendleton?
 
J

John P

Platinum Member
Oct 9, 1999
2,426
2
0
We're getting off track a bit :)

Where's a good burger joint?

For the rest of the advice keep in mind my kids are 10+.

Thanks for the answers so far ....
 
brunell8

brunell8

Senior member
Feb 23, 2001
976
0
76
elyriacheer.weebly.com
Burgers - Jack in the Box (man, I miss that place).

Wings - make sure you hit Wings 'N Things.

For a nice meal, go to Seau's at Mission Valley Mall. Some of the best ribs you will ever have.
 
BoomerD

BoomerD

No Lifer
Feb 26, 2006
64,702
13,051
146
In-n-out is pretty decent for burgers. (google for their "secret menu" before you go...)

Rubio's is one of our favorite places. The dump by Mission Bay (the original) is still our favorite of all of them, and in years gone by, (before they went national) we used to fly to San Diego for a cheapo weekend just to eat Rubio's fish tacos...
When our son was stationed there, (from boot camp through his final days at Miramar) we used to eat at Rubio's at least once every time we visited.
 
K

*kjm

Platinum Member
Oct 11, 1999
2,222
6
81
"A great beach would be Coronado Island and the Hotel Del. Very small island, beautiful beach with an ice skateing ring. You really do not need to drive once on the island everyone walks, and there are all kinds of places to eat as well."

Plus if your kids have never seen a carrier The Regan and Nimitz may be in port on the island also. They can see them going over the bridge... they will be on the right hand side in the bay. I used to work on them and they are something to behold!
 
B

bignateyk

Lifer
Apr 22, 2002
11,288
7
0
I don't remember a lot from when we were there, but I remember staying at the Hotel Del Coronado and going to the San Diego zoo and having a great time.
 
anxi80

anxi80

Lifer
Jul 7, 2002
12,294
2
0
Originally posted by: John P
Any suggestions on where to grab some good grub? I'm talking burgers, fish and chips, and maybe a decent seafood place. Nothing fancy schmancy.

I'm also looking for suggestions on where to hit the beach if I've got a free afternoon.
Click to expand...

see my suggestion above about the burgers. as far as seafood goes, i recommend bay park fish co. keep in mind all these places im suggesting are all nearby mission valley also, if that helps. they can both be reached by car in about 10 minutes or so.

if you go eat burgers at hodad's the beach is right there, literally across a two-lane street. and parking isnt too terrible there either. pacific beach is nice but parking can be a pain as can the rowdy young crowd if you're there with family. if you go up north farther encinitas can be really nice, especially the popular moonlight beach spot. and the earlier mentioned coronado area is very very nice.

Originally posted by: Grunt03
Phils BBQ - I do not know if you like BBQ, but I had to mention that I am from the south and grew up eating BBQ. Phils is the best BBQ I have ever eaten. The SD city actually shut them down because the lines were a safety hazard. There are two locations, one is on Sports Arena Blvd, and a second location in Hillcrest area.
Click to expand...

phils is great. in fact at the atot meet-up that's where we went to eat after the sushi competition. the one on goldfinch in hillcrest is actually closed right now, and no clue when they'll reopen. but that is some damn good bbq.

Originally posted by: rasczak
If you get a chance, look for an LnL Hawaiian Barbecue. Good stuff :)
Click to expand...

have you been to keilani's in encinitas/oceanside? i like l n l but given a choice id be at keilani's every single time.

also another fish taco place to go to is wahoos.
 
D

digiram

Diamond Member
Apr 17, 2004
3,991
172
106
Originally posted by: Grunt03
John P
Click to expand...

I have spent the past six years in the San Diego area and there are many great places to visit and dine at. I knwo you mentioned sea food but there is a better place to eat.

Phils BBQ - I do not know if you like BBQ, but I had to mention that I am from the south and grew up eating BBQ. Phils is the best BBQ I have ever eaten. The SD city actually shut them down because the lines were a safety hazard. There are two locations, one is on Sports Arena Blvd, and a second location in Hillcrest area.

If BBQ isn't your thing, Hillcrest area has hundreds of locations to cater to every need.

A great beach would be Coronado Island and the Hotel Del. Very small island, beautiful beach with an ice skateing ring. You really do not need to drive once on the island everyone walks, and there are all kinds of places to eat as well.

Good luck with the trip and if you decide to go to Phils, I would suggest the Rib Tickler
platter!!!!
Click to expand...

An island with an ice skating rink?? That's awesomeness.
 
JulesMaximus

JulesMaximus

No Lifer
Jul 3, 2003
74,541
920
126
Sea World is cool, Wild Animal Park is awesome. I'd skip the zoo personally unless you like to see animals in cages.

If you like fish tacos check out the Brigantine in Solana Beach/Del Mar. Best damn fish tacos I've ever had. There are a ton of good restaurants along the coast from Del Mar up to Carlsbad. I don't go to San Diego much so I really can't recommend anything down there.

Gas Lamp district is fun, lots of good restaurants and bars there too.
 
J

John P

Platinum Member
Oct 9, 1999
2,426
2
0
Plus if your kids have never seen a carrier The Regan and Nimitz may be in port on the island also. They can see them going over the bridge... they will be on the right hand side in the bay. I used to work on them and they are something to behold!
Click to expand...

Actually we toured the USS John C. Stennis several years ago, pretty awesome little boat.

Thanks for all the tips!
 
G

Grunt03

Diamond Member
Jun 24, 2000
3,131
0
0
rasczak
MSgt,
Were you stationed out of MCRD, MRMR, or Camp Pendleton?
Click to expand...

Yes, I lived on Coronado Island, Silver Strands Houseing, I worked at MCRD then transferred to Camp Pendleton, 13th MEU and currently TAD in Iraq for a year.
 
G

Grunt03

Diamond Member
Jun 24, 2000
3,131
0
0
John P
Actually we toured the USS John C. Stennis several years ago, pretty awesome little boat.
Thanks for all the tips!
Click to expand...

I forgot to mention that Coronado also has a ferry that will take you into Down Town SD by the water front near the Carrier, short walking distance from the Gas Lamp district with all kinds of thing to do. You should also check out the bay cruises, lunch, dinner our just tour the area via boat. They also have a really cool, jacked up Boat-car that the kids really enjoy. My children are about the same age and we rented segways and drove them around the entire day.
 
T

The_Dude8

Diamond Member
Jan 8, 2000
5,167
1
71
Another great beach is la jolla cove and la jolla shore. If your kids like museums, take them to balboa park; legoland is another great place for kids, since your kid(s) is(are) 10+, don't know if they're into lego or not.
 
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