There’s a fine line between being “a classic” and being a little behind. When you’re an iconic property like Catamaran Resort in Mission Bay, the challenge is deciding when to pull the trigger on a massive overhaul. Reupholstering chairs won’t do. We’re talking a $2.1 million reinvention that requires blowing out walls, hiring renowned architects and designers (Kristine Smith Design Studio, who did both Disney’s Grand California Hotel and The Lodge at Torrey Pines), and building an 800-gallon vertical jellyfish aquarium smack dab in the middle of the room. That’s some change. And Feb. 3 marks their soft open when you can see and taste it for yourself. (Note: Soft openings are really rehearsals, so exercise a little patience.)
Named Oceana Coastal Kitchen, the 8,200 square-foot restaurant is the iconic property’s first new dining concept in 30 years, and continues the rise of good food in Pacific and Mission Beaches. They’ve expanded the al fresco seats looking out over Mission Bay, plus a 12-seat private dining room and a 16-seat semi-private room. The chef is Steven Riemer, who put in a decade-plus at the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel before spending seven years as executive sous at The Lodge at Torrey Pines. His menu is being called “a playful take on California cuisine.” If food at The Lodge (owned by the same parent company, Evans Hotels) is any indication of quality, expect top-notch, local, seasonal ingredients. Riemer’s debut menu includes dishes like duck risotto with Japanese squash, Niman Ranch pork chop with goat cheese grits and a California seabass with ancho chile, orange, beets, faro and baby kale. There’ll also be a raw bar and a sushi bar. Pay close attention Riemer’s desserts, since pastry was his specialty at The Ritz. At Oceana he’s got banana pudding, apple empanadas with buttermilk ice cream, espresso brulee and Meyer lemon Rice Krispie treats.
Hospitality-centric businesses are starting to work smarter, not harder. Some are leaning into experiential concepts, like Harland Brewing’s golf course taproom. Some are joining up with other businesses to share space and costs, like Scoopy Scoopy. Then there’s the multi-hyphenate approach, using food and drink as a jumping-off point for bigger aspirations—like Infusion Lab, a specialty dessert and coffee shop opening in Pacific Beach this summer.
The name is strategically vague, explains co-founder and finance director Baran Aydin. Initially, the space will offer a menu of specialty coffee—traditional espresso-based drinks, plus matcha and signature ube beverages alongside breakfast, lunch sammies and desserts like cookies made in-house and European-inspired desserts.
Aydin and co-founder/coffee director Aselin Bay plan to expand into a lifestyle brand with streetwear-inspired merch—shirts, hats, bags, socks, and more that are “designed to reflect the lifestyle and culture behind Infusion Lab,” he explains.
“The goal is to create a space where people can work, socialize, create content, and become part of a growing community,” says Aydin.
Infusion Labs’ design is elemental white-and-maroon, with line drawing art. Their space, next to the now-closed Copper Top Coffee & Donuts, will feature some Chesterfield-style seating (deep button sofas) and a dedicated social media area.
Sungold Point Family Diner Soft Opens in Bird Rock
The owners behind Hermosa Surf in Bird Rock soft-launched their new cafe, Sungold Point—right next door at 5632 La Jolla Blvd. It’s a modern take on an old-school diner, explains Stirling, with seating for around 35 people and lots of pink, burgundy, turquoise, checkerboard, and terrazzo to feast your eyes on. Owners Stirling and Benny Walter designed the breakfast and lunch menu to use organic ingredients whenever possible and make everything from scratch, including breakfast sandwiches, salads, bowls, and a full espresso menu.
Courtesy of La Valencia
Beth’s Bites
San Diego classic La Valencia Hotel is hitting 100 years. Dubbed the Pink Lady for her antacid-colored blush exterior, the hotel kicks off centennial celebrations on May 28 with the launch of 1926 Social Club, a Roaring Twenties-themed weekly event on the Med Patio each Thursday from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Expect Prohibition-era cocktails (always felt like an oxymoron to me, but I guess cocktails were being sipped behind well-placed walls), plus a limited-time Centennial prix-fixe menu for two by executive chef Ernest Lopez.
When does Chef Aidan Owens sleep? On top of being the culinary director for Herb & Wood and Herb & Sea, he appears on the new Survivor-meets-Iron Chef series Chopped: Castaways, which premiered on the Food Networkon May 12. Owens is competing for a $100,000 prize through physical and cooking challenges against 11 other chefs on a remote island, and with judges Marcus Samuelsson, Gabe Bertaccini, and Maneet Chauhan at the head of the table. This might be the show that actually gets me to watch reality TV.
Anyone of a certain age who grew up in San Diego has probably spent at least an afternoon or two in El Cajon’s Parkway Bowl, sucking down soda and crushing nachos between gutter balls. The dated destination finally got a long-overdue facelift and reopened earlier this week—with 68 redone bowling lanes and the new Parkway Social restaurant which boasts a full bar, axe throwing, and golf simulators. Twenty more refreshed bowling lanes are on the way, plus pool tables—but based on the first pictures, it’s about to regain its title as the de facto destination for kid’s birthdays and Friday night family fun.
Beth Demmon is an award-winning writer and podcaster whose work regularly appears in national outlets and San Diego Magazine. Her first book, The Beer Lover's Guide to Cider, is now available. Find out more on bethdemmon.com.
Nowadays, it’s not enough to just be a brewery. You’ve got to be a breweryand be willing to offer more than just beer if you want to stay in business. It wasn’t that way when Harland Brewing started in 2018—the good old days when you could get by on just beer. In the years since, the company has expanded to multiple taprooms, tasting rooms, and a full service restaurant in 4S Ranch. It seems to be working out for them. Or at least, they haven’t fallen prey to the harsh economic forces the hospitality industry currently faces.
But president Anthony Levas says the company has been actively looking for an opportunity to launch a more experiential concept, both for the economic stability and yes, for the fun of it. So when Harland’s chief of staff Naomi Marron heard through her local golf club that the Mission Bay Golf Course and Practice Center was looking for a tenant to take over the newly built, 2,000-square-foot restaurant on the property, it felt like kismet.
Harland submitted its proposal, which unanimously passed the first San Diego city council vote this month. Pending the final city council vote on April 7, and assuming there are no construction or permitting delays (which, admittedly, is an optimistic assumption), Harland Clubhouse is slated to open mid-May.
Harland Clubhouse will operate in line with the 18-hole public course hours, opening around 7 a.m. to provide coffee and breakfast items like the breakfast burrito and bodega breakfast sandwich. Lunch and dinner will run until around 10 p.m., with some items carrying over from the South Park menu like the best-selling smash burger and fries. Because of the clubhouse vibe with counter service, Levas says they plan to offer more handheld and deli items that “chef Scott Cannon will put a nice spin on and make it more elevated, but still approachable from a price perspective,” he says.
Courtesy of Harland Brewing Co
It’s not Harland’s first brush with sports, or even golf. Previously, Harland collaborated with TaylorMade Golf on Transfusion Sour, a 6 percent ABV fruited sour beer, as well as an American lager with TrottieGolf. More recently, Harland dropped a Jake Cronenworth collection featuring the Padres star infielder with his Crone Zone lager. But even before that, much of the brewery’s leadership team came from St. Archer, a surf-and-skate lifestyle brand that (seemingly tangentially) also brewed beer before it sold to Molson Coors in 2015.
I couldn’t help but ask: Moving from the counter-culture skateboarding lifestyle to golfing, essentially the polar opposite of edgy, was this the inevitable progression of time and aging?
“You are so right,” Levas laughs. “I used to skateboard every single day of my life, from the time I was probably 12 years old to the time I was like, 25, and now I’m like, ‘Nah, I’m good.’ I’ll go swing the wrenches though, at the golf course, and have a couple of cold ones.”
But times change, as does beer and even golf itself. No longer is it exclusively for wealthy snobs. “Now everyone’s golfing… and we want to make it fun,” says Levas. The Clubhouse will be family-friendly, and will host activations like live music, youth golf tournaments, team building events, anything people can think of. And pretty soon, they’ll even take it on the road.
“We can have a cart [at the driving range] on the weekends and be selling beers,” says Levas. “Maybe one day we’ll get a golf cart, and then we’ll be popping around there, slinging some suds too.” Now that’s an activation I can get behind.
Harland Clubhouse is slated to open in mid-May at 2702 N. Mission Bay Drive. Initial operating hours will be 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (subject to change)
Courtesy of Hotel Del Coronado
San Diego Restaurant News & Food Events
Beth’s Bites
For just $20, Project New Village’s Spring Solidarity Mixer on Tuesday, March 31 is a phenomenal way to shine a light on the hardworking farmworkers keeping us fed as well as celebrate the legacy of labor activism within the movement. Considering the recent controversy surrounding now-disgraced labor leader César Chávez and the brave testimony of United Farm Workers co-founder Dolores Huerta, it’s more important than ever to reflect on the legacy of other labor heroes like Huerta, Maria Moreno, Larry Itliong, Gilbert Padilla, Phillip Vera Cruz, and Mack Lyons. (Plus, there will be food, drink, and live music, all at the Mt. Hope Community Garden.) ¡Sí se puede!
The Marine Room may get packed with people watching every sunset, but now that chef de cuisine Derek Dupree has launched a new late night menu, you might be inclined to stick around after dark. On Sundays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. (yes, that’s late night for La Jolla), the seaside icon will offer specials like raw oysters, beef cheek ragu, local bluefin tataki, and specialty cocktails for between $12 and $40 per dish or drink. If you’ve been hankering to check out the elegant eatery but haven’t quite had the coin, this is actually a pretty good deal.
Hotel del Coronado is ready for spring break and summer vacation, already bringing back the popular Movies on the Beach series with showings of Hook on March 27, followed by Spellbound on March 28, Lilo & Stitch on April 3, Peter Rabbit on April 4, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial on April 10, Frozen 2 on April 11, and so on. How does this relate to food news, you might ask? I personally don’t go to the movies without mega-planning my snacks, and the Hotel del’s got you covered with an upgrade package that includes a bonfire and unlimited s’mores. It doesn’t get much more San Diego picture-perfect than that.
Listen Now: The Latest in San Diego’s Food and Drink Scene
Have breaking news, exciting scoops, or great stories about new San Diego restaurants or the city’s food scene? Send your pitches to [email protected].
Beth Demmon is an award-winning writer and podcaster whose work regularly appears in national outlets and San Diego Magazine. Her first book, The Beer Lover's Guide to Cider, is now available. Find out more on bethdemmon.com.
Americans often have our own regional cuisine preferences—for instance, I tend to go for Carolina-style whole hog barbecue over Texas brisket (but certainly wouldn’t kick a Kansas City burnt end out of bed, either). So why is it when it comes to Mexican food, we’re occasionally guilty of lumping the entire country’s cuisine under one broad brush?
There’s far more to Mexican cuisine than tamales, pozole, and chilaquiles—Oaxaca is as famous for its seven moles as Baja California is for the Ensenada-style fish taco. And when it comes to Sonora, the northwestern Mexican state bordering Arizona and New Mexico features plenty of cattle ranches and wheat fields, giving the region its signature ranchero grilling culture and paper-thin flour tortillas. San Diego is about to get a taste of the fire-grilled flavors, when TacoNora opens in Pacific Beach on Saturday, March 7.
Renata Vázquez, founder of Tyche Food & Beverage Consulting and cofounder of TacoNora, says it’s the first location for the family-owned brand (although the ownership group operates four other taquerías in Sonora under a different name), and they are already actively looking to open more locations in North County and Arizona. But Pacific Beach felt like a good place to start for the grill-forward, fast-casual concept.
Courtesy of TacoNora
“Guests start by choosing their protein,” she explains, pointing to options like asada, pork belly, chicken made with a house seasoning mix, trompo-style ribeye or sirloin steak, or grilled Anaheim chiles. Then they can choose if they want it as a regular taco, lorenza (an open-faced, crispy taco), caramelo (a Sonoran specialty where carne asada and melted cheese are sandwiched between two crispy flour tortillas), costra (a “crust” of caramelized cheese wrapped around the chosen filling), a Sonoran-style burrito, or TacoNora’s signature taco pizza.
“Each format highlights the tortilla and the grill differently, but the meat remains the focus,” Vázquez explains.
TacoNora will also offer housemade guacamole, beans slow-cooked with pork fat and red chile, and a salsa bar with 10 different housemade salsas. The entire experience is meant to be interactive, customizable, and something new, but still unfussy. “We wanted to create a concept where the quality of the meat speaks first, the tortilla supports it, and everything else enhances it—without overcomplicating the experience,” she says. “Sonoran food deserves a voice in San Diego.”
TacoNora opens Saturday, March 7 at 956 Garnet Avenue.
Courtesy of Tip Top Meats
San Diego Restaurant News & Food Events
Tip Top Meats Is Back In Biz
Tip Top Meats, the iconic European deli and market that closed in 2024, officially soft re-opened at 6118 Paseo Del Norte in Carlsbad, bringing back its famous meats and Old World sundries. While the team and family may have decades of experience under their belts, it’s still a new era, so give ‘em some grace during the soft opening as they get their feet (and meat) under them once more. Open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.
Courtesy of Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa
Beth’s Bites
‘Tis the season for Irish whiskey. The Library at Fairmont Grand Del Mar is certainly one of the toniest spots in town to imbibe some high-end options. On March 10 at 6 p.m., the speakeasy will host a guided tasting of Jameson, Redbreast, and Midleton whiskeys, explaining the nuances and history of the spirit. (And yes, you should practice your pronunciation of “Sláinte!” ahead of time.)
As far as chef collabs go, Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa’s Chef Series dinners are some of the best of the best. On Thursday, March 19, chef Roberto Alcocer of Michelin-starred Valle in Oceanside is heading to the culinary garden for a four-course prix fixe meal. Before dinner, guests will enjoy a welcome hour starting at 6 p.m., where they can sip on signature Valle cocktails and curated wine offerings.
Liberty Public Market is turning double-digits this March, and yes, that makes me feel a little old. But the Point Loma market has plenty of events for the young at heart lined up for the 10th anniversary weekend, including tons of live music, beer tastings, food specials, and more. It all takes off March 21 and 22, so strap on your party shoes and boogie on down to grab a bite or two for the big 1-0.
Listen Now: The Latest in San Diego’s Food and Drink Scene
Have breaking news, exciting scoops, or great stories about new San Diego restaurants or the city’s food scene? Send your pitches to [email protected].
Beth Demmon is an award-winning writer and podcaster whose work regularly appears in national outlets and San Diego Magazine. Her first book, The Beer Lover's Guide to Cider, is now available. Find out more on bethdemmon.com.
Stake Chophouse & Bar isn’t your average steakhouse. Blue Bridge Hospitality’s Coronado outpost is a modern interpretation of a big-city steakhouse nestled in the heart of the small coastal community. The team at Stake has reimagined the whole steakhouse experience. By prioritizing a seasonal farm-to-table sourcing philosophy, a personalized guest experience, and unique service touches, like a formal steak presentation and a bespoke knife selection process, Stake distinguishes itself in a sea of steakhouses.
Exceptional steaks, including Wagyu from Japan, Australia, and the U.S., and fresh seafood flown in daily form the core of Stake’s culinary identity. The menu features a five-course omakase-style steak experience highlighting house favorites, plus an array of cuts, and classic steakhouse staples—think a wedge salad, baked potato, or pasta carbonara—refined for a contemporary palate without losing their traditional appeal. Stake focuses on seasonal sourcing from the region’s best family farms and specialty purveyors, and incorporates intentionally unexpected touches to create something truly unique.
“I challenge our chefs and myself to take it a step further in sourcing,” says Chef Ronnie Schwandt. “It’s important to us to highlight different farms, unique one-off farms—whether it’s cattle, strawberries, a local fisherman or from anywhere in the United States, we’re always trying to find that niche.”
Beyond the menu, Stake emphasizes outstanding service, says Vinny Spatafore, Director of Hospitality Operations. Staff maintains detailed notes, allowing them to remember guests by name, recall previous orders such as a favorite martini (also memorable for the customer since it’s served in an extra tall, distinctly-shaped glass), and celebrate special occasions like birthdays and anniversaries.
“When you have those points of topic that you remember about a guest, they appreciate that,” he says. “Our servers are really good with that—we have a couple servers who have been here since the beginning and they’ll remember somebody from years ago, their name, their kids’ names, where they live. I’m really thankful to have a great front of house staff.”
Award-winning wines, rare whiskeys, special events, and a complementary black car service that provides transportation for guests throughout Coronado add to Stake’s appeal.
Schwandt stresses that Stake offers more than a meal; they aim to give patrons something unforgettable.
“It starts when you walk up the stairs and are greeted by the hostess—that sets the tone for the night. Then you’re greeted by a server, who may know you by name, and can guide you through the menu and curate as they get to know you,” says Schwandt. “Most people leave kind of blown away; they leave feeling like they just had an experience. That’s the goal, right? Whether you’re serving smash burgers or high-end steak, you want somebody to leave thinking, Wow, that was awesome.”
So does James “Jimmy” Terwilliger. He’s been slinging wood-fired, scratch-made pizzas as Pizza Cassette since 2022. But his pizza life started during his teenage years in upstate New York, where he delivered pies until working his way up to actually making them. I could name every stop on the long, long pizza-making journey that led him to opening a permanent pop-up at The Gärten in Bay Park in 2022, but here are some highlights: Ciro’s Pizzeria & Beerhouse in Pacific Beach, Catania and Wheat & Water in La Jolla, Biga in Downtown, and as a pizza consultant at Buona Forchetta.
So, yeah. This guy knows how to make really good pizza.
As the only permanent food vendor at The Gärten for the past three years, Terwilliger’s unique New York-meets-Italian-style pizza has gained a bit of a cult following.
“Things have gone in an amazingly positive direction here,” he says. “We’ve been busier than I ever could have imagined.” So busy, in fact, that he’s been searching for a brick-and-mortar space to open a second location. But it needed to meet some specific criteria: it had to be both bigger than a tent and (crucially) have walls and a roof.
After nearly two years of searching, he found it. Pizza Cassette will open at 1459 Garnet Avenue in Pacific Beach sometime in the first few months of 2026. Terwilliger’s approach will remain much the same, incorporating his fine-dining experience with a commitment to scratch cooking.
“We make every single thing, besides the salami and the cheese, from scratch,” he says. “We’re grinding our own sausage. We’re grinding our own meat for meatballs. We’re butchering and brining and roasting the pastrami ourselves.”
Courtesy of Pizza Cassette
The biggest difference in PB (besides having walls and a roof) will be using a very fancy electric Italian oven (rather than the wood-burning stove at Gärten) due to the difficulty of getting a permit for open flames. If he’s not 100 percent happy with the initial results, he’s open to filing for the permit.
Pizza Cassette PB will have around 60 to 80 seats inside, with the potential to add even more in a back parking lot-turned-patio. Guests will order at a counter, then have their food brought to their table by food runners for a more upscale experience than a typical slice shop, Terwilliger says.
He calls his dough “Neopolitan-inspired,” made with half traditional double zero flour and half Type 1 flour (“plus a few secret ingredients,” he says), with a shorter fermentation time than many other Neapolitan-style pizza makers. The result is a fluffy, airy crust with a nice crunch and soft interior.
He’s confident in his model—after all, The Gärten was his proof of concept, and it’s been gangbusters. So if (probably when) things go really well with this next venture, Terwilliger is open to anything. “I would love to open a full-service fine dining restaurant that serves pizza… maybe something where we’re growing our own ingredients too,” he says. “That’s every chef’s goal.”
Pizza Cassette opens at 1459 Garnet Avenue in Pacific Beach in early 2026. Initial operating hours will likely be Tuesday through Thursday, 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday through Sunday, noon to 10 p.m.
Courtesy of Westgate Hotel San Diego
San Diego Restaurant News & Food Events
Tea With The Grinch? Only At The Westgate.
For my ninth birthday (never mind how long ago that was), I hosted all my girlfriends for a fancy afternoon tea party, complete with lacy gloves, finger sandwiches, and dainty cups that, in retrospect, I’m astonished we didn’t break. But why dust off your own china set when The Westgate Hotel probably puts out a much prettier spread than anything us mere mortals could put together? This December, they’re mixing up their seasonal afternoon teas with themes like Winter Wonderland (Dec 17–21; Dec 26–28; and Dec. 31–Jan 4 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.), Santa’s Teddy Bear (20–21 from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.), and Grinch’s Tea (Christmas Eve from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.). I have a very hilarious mental image of the Grinch sipping tea in the new Bonne Vie Brasserie & Bar, so I may have to check it out for myself.
Courtesy of Cellar Hand
Beth’s Bites
If hanging with the Grinch isn’t your vibe, you can chill with the Big Man himself on one of the Jingle Belle Family Cruises that depart from the Bahia Resort Hotel at 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. a couple more times this holiday season. Since San Diego doesn’t do the whole white Christmas thing, why not lean into the whole fun on the bay thing? Plus, a portion of the proceeds go to Mama’s Kitchen, which is always a festival philanthropic touch.
I’m not Italian, and I deeply envy those who celebrate the Feast of Seven Fishes. But there’s really nothing stopping me (or anyone, for that matter) from heading to Cellar Hand on Saturday, December 20 for their take on the annual celebration. The hyper-local restaurant will be serving a prix-fixe menu with items like grilled oysters, mackerel tartare, housemade budino for dessert, and a whole bunch more. (It’s called a feast for a reason.)
For those who find it difficult to stay awake until the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve, there are plenty of places who mark the occasion in accordance with different time zones around the world. Blind Lady Ale House gets the celebration going on Belgium time with a 3 p.m. toast on Wednesday, December 31—giving you plenty of time to have a drink, some pizza, and probably a restorative nap before heading to your next soirée.
Listen Now: The Latest in San Diego’s Food and Drink Scene
Have breaking news, exciting scoops, or great stories about new San Diego restaurants or the city’s food scene? Send your pitches to [email protected].
Beth Demmon is an award-winning writer and podcaster whose work regularly appears in national outlets and San Diego Magazine. Her first book, The Beer Lover's Guide to Cider, is now available. Find out more on bethdemmon.com.
One beautiful Wednesday morning just before 11 a.m., I found myself faced with a mountainous pile of thinly sliced, slow-roasted, tender roast beef generously slathered with James River BBQ sauce, mayonnaise, and white American cheese (the traditional “three-way”), sandwiched between a buttered and grilled caramelized onion bun.
Looking at the towering challenge before me, I thought, “Surely I won’t be able to finish all of this right now.”
Approximately three minutes later, as I wiped the remnants of the now completely vanquished Super Beef from Big Jim’s Roast Beef from my hands, table, shirt, pants—and yes, a bit out of my hair—I realized there was no chance of any part of that sandwich going home with me. Not only was it ridiculously, awesomely delicious, chef/owner James “Big Jim” Jones had just explained that these types of sandwiches are best eaten immediately, as per Massachusetts’ North Shore Beef Code.
Photo Credit: Beth Demmon
“These are the beef guidelines,” he explains, pointing to a list of rules lorded over by a very angry looking anthropomorphic roast beef sandwich that I would venture to guess at least a few hundred people in Massachusetts have tattooed on them. He runs through each rule, ranging from acronyms for efficient ordering (COTB: Cheese on the Bottom vs. COTT: Cheese on the Top) to review criteria for comparing notes with other aficionados (B2B: Beef to Bun ratio or NGB: Nicely Griddled Bun).
He stopped at TIB: Time in Bag. Ideally, the time your sandwich spends in a to-go bag should be as close to zero as possible—every second the medium-rare beef sits on a bun and not on your tongue, it goes from pink to gray. “You want to have no time in bag,” he says. “As soon as you get it, eat it.”
There aren’t a ton of places in Southern California to get a legit New England–style North Shore roast beef sandwich, and Big Jim’s feels like a teleporter to Massachusetts, where Jones originally hails from. When he moved to San Diego in 2016, he worked in a few kitchens around town like Ono Grinds, Wicked Maine Lobster, and Cloak & Petal for a couple of years. Cue the pandemic, and the at-home boredom.
Courtesy of Big Jim’s Beef
He picked up a deli slicer from OfferUp and started roasting and slicing roast beef like he used to get back home. Making sandwiches for himself turned into making sandwiches for friends. That turned into making an Instagram page for deliveries and then a pop-up at Poor House Brewing Company in North Park. Finally, it becameabooth at a couple of farmers markets.
Three years later, he got the chance to lease a small storefront in Pacific Beach, and celebrated the restaurant’s two-year anniversary this September.
Like the roast beef, Jones’ business plan takes time. “[I] let the universe work pretty naturally and organically,” he says in terms of his expansion plans. He’s in no rush to open a second storefront, but would be open to it once he feels the Pacific Beach location gets fully dialed in. There’s still a bit of customer education to do, because a North Shore-style roast beef sandwich shouldn’t be messed with, and the customer isn’t always right (at first).
“If people come in and they get a roast beef sandwich and ask me for ketchup, I say, ‘What are you using your ketchup for?’ And depending on what their answer is, you might not get the condiment that you want to go with your sandwich,” he says with a smile. “It’s beautifully perfect the way it is. Try it! And if you still want some condiments to go with it, come back. Let me know. I’ll take care of you.”
Photo Credit: Beth Demmon
His signature sandwich is unquestionably the Super Beef, the New England regional classic that’s really not for the faint of heart. For a more diminutive approach, the Junior Beef is the same thing, but with slightly less roast beef on a plain bun rather than an onion bun. There’s also a French dip (which he admits isn’t a Massachusetts staple, but still beloved); a steak & cheese on a hoagie roll; and the homemade, hand-cut onion rings that have a cult following. (Warning: a large order of onion rings is bigger than you think.)
Despite making it to #33 on Yelp’s top 100 restaurants for 2025, a lot of Big Jim’s business comes from word of mouth and the small, but strong contingent of “Massholes” (he said it, not me!) in PB. “We’re the nicest jerks you’ve ever met,” Jones jokes.
But the San Diego sun must melt the grumpiness out of the East Coast transplants, because from what I can see, everyone leaving Big Jim’s is in a great mood, despite bulging bellies and barbecue-sauce smeared fingers. And now we can get real roast beef sandwiches and not have to deal with the East Coast’s nasty weather, San Diegans really do have the best of both worlds.
Beth Demmon is an award-winning writer and podcaster whose work regularly appears in national outlets and San Diego Magazine. Her first book, The Beer Lover's Guide to Cider, is now available. Find out more on bethdemmon.com.
Island travel tips to help you and your family plan the perfect getaway
Hawai‘i is perhaps the most famous vacation destination in the world, welcoming 8 million visitors annually to an eight-island archipelago with a permanent population of only 1.3 million. But despite Hawai‘i’s popularity, it’s delightfully easy to stake out a small piece of paradise all your own, and define your family’s visit as you see fit. Whether you are hikers, sunbathers, swimmers, or wine-and-diners, whether you prefer beach lazing or star gazing, there is a perfect place for you and your family in these sunny, solicitous isles.
