Abutting Balboa Park and situated between North Park and Golden Hill, South Park might be best described as a marriage of those neighborhoods’ greatest charms: North Park’s linger-worthy restaurants and shops with Golden Hill’s slower pace and envy-inducing homes. A pleasant place to gather with friends or wander solo, this idyllic neighborhood offers much to eat, see, and buy.
South Park, San Diego Restaurants and Bars
Shawarma Guys
Once highlighted on Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, Shawarma Guys’ popular Middle Eastern food truck is a South Park staple, with plans to open a brick-and-mortar store in the area soon. Yelp also named Shawarma Guys the top place to eat in the country in 2020.
3012 Grape Street
Communal Coffee
Slinging lattes, teas, matcha, and café bites (sandwiches, toasts, pastries, and bowls) out of a vintage trailer, Communal Coffee invites those passersby to stop, sit, and sip on the shop’s sprawling patio before browsing the thoughtfully curated onsite boutique.
2221 Fern Street
Il Posto
An Italian-born trio founded Il Posto, an airy eatery serving pasta and pizza for happy hour and dinner. The robust vegan pizza menu makes this a friendly spot for plant-based diners. If you’re down with a little meat and dairy, try the lasagna.
2145 Fern Street
Dark Horse Coffee Roasters
At the corner of Juniper and Fern sits Dark Horse Coffee Roasters. The popular San Diego coffee shop brews pick-me-up drinks (try the salted maple latte) and serves sweet treats from sister company Mutual Friend Ice Cream.
3004 Juniper Street
Rad Habits Juice Co.
A one-stop shop for futuristic-sounding wellness products (quinton shots and “neuro gum,” anyone?) and healthy bites, Rad Habits Juice Co. is best-known for its smoothies, boosted with hard-to-find ingredients like cordyceps, bee pollen, and sea moss.
2967 Beech Street
Curryosity
In addition to Indian classics like butter chicken and veggie korma, Curryosity cooks up fun fusion dishes, including chicken tikka poutine and naan bruschetta. Diners can also order creative craft cocktails made with Indian spices.
3023 Juniper Street
Kindred
Plant-based eats for hardcore peeps. Guests at Kindred will hear heavy metal while sipping thoughtful bevs and chowing down on seasonal, animal-free brunch, dinner, and late-night bites that make interesting use of standby vegan ingredients such as seitan and Gardein “meat.”
1503 30th Street
Whistle Stop Bar
A fun neighborhood hang, Whistle Stop Bar is a great place to grab a drink with friends. Divey in the best way, the watering hole hosts live music, DJ-driven dance parties, and raucous Saturday night shindigs dubbed “Booty Bassment.”
2236 Fern Street
Seven Seas Roasting Co.
Seven Seas Roasting Co. specializes in direct-trade coffee, meaning that the team buys their beans directly from farmers (a more transparent process that gives more money to the source). They use ’em in tasty lattes like the choco-cherry-cinnamon Cherry Bomb.
1947 Fern Street
Station Tavern
South Park restaurant Station Tavern dwells in a building that was a trolley stop from 1929 to 1948. The restaurant has incorporated that history into its design and theme. Stop by for burgers, sandwiches, and salads, plus a full bar.
2204 Fern Street
Fernside Bar & Kitchen
The food can sometimes be an afterthought at laid-back bars like Fernside, which slings boozy slushees and cocktails both inventive and classic. But you can’t go wrong with anything from the kitchen here, especially the fried chicken sandwich and citrus salad.
1946 Fern Street
Buona Forchetta
Italian spot Buona Forchetta opened its first location in South Park in 2011, with numerous other San Diego outposts following. With a fun build-your-own pasta option and more than 30 different pizzas (including vegan and gluten-free pies), options abound here.
3001 Beech Street
Matteo
A member of Buona Forchetta’s family of restaurants, Matteo is a nonprofit eatery and bakery that donates all profits to community and educational programs for local kids. Matteo serves breakfast classics, coffee, and pastries in the morning, then switches to Italian bites at night.
3015 Juniper Street
Meraki
Another Buona Forchetta–owned business, Meraki is a new addition to the South Park neighborhood. The bar, restaurant, and event venue draws upon global influences, offering beef cheek empanadas alongside Wagyu burgers and Roman flatbreads.
1648 30th Street
The Rose Wine Bar
The Rose Wine Bar is a local favorite for date nights or friend group catch-ups. The woman-owned spot lays down natural wines by the glass and the bottle, plus bar snacks, small bites, and more robust entrees like the “salad pie,” a pizza loaded with greens on top.
2219 30th Street
Secret Sister
Two words tell you everything you need to know about the Rose’s not-so-secret sister business, Secret Sister: sourdough everything. A 150-year-old starter forms the base for breads, donuts, and pastries. Check the oven schedule online to know when to score the treat you’re craving.
2215 30th Street
Café Madeleine
Like the French bistros that inspired it, Café Madeleine spills out onto the sidewalk. Grab a patio table—or venture inside the vibrant red storefront—for breakfast and lunch eats like crêpes, paninis, and quiche.
2248 30th Street
Mothership
Take an intergalactic trip to Mothership, a funky space-themed bar from the folks behind Kindred. An illustrated menu lays out details on tiki-adjacent drinks with names like Wormhole and Polaris, plus plant-based bites. Don’t miss the bathrooms here.
2310 30th Street
Harland Brewing Co.
Harland Brewing’s fourth location is nestled in South Park at the corner of Beech and Dale. A vast menu includes IPAs, lagers, kombucha, ciders, and more from Harland and other local brewers, as well as wine and beer-friendly eats.
2953 Beech Street
Carbón
A newer addition to the South Park scene, Carbón charcoal-grills proteins like picanha steak and whole fishes, serving them with sauces from around the globe (try Argentine chimichurri with the former and Moroccan chermoula with the latter).
2318 30th Street
Things to Do in South Park, San Diego
Quarterly Walkabouts
The best way to familiarize yourself with a neighborhood is to take a stroll around the block. South Park hosts quarterly walkabouts that highlight the businesses, restaurants, and people that make the community special.
Grape Street Dog Park
An expansive canine mecca in South Park’s slice of Balboa Park, this five-acre, off-leash play area includes open fields, water fountains for dogs, a restroom for people, and views of Balboa Park Golf Course.
1998 28th Street
Cobalt Gallery
Painter Susan Snyder founded Cobalt Gallery as a working studio in 2019. The space also showcases the work of local contemporary artists, including Vicki Leon, whose glass sculptures beautify public areas throughout San Diego.
2965 Beech Street
Plants Por Favor
Got a space seriously lacking some green? Or perhaps the houseplants you do have aren’t looking so hot? Plants Por Favor can help with that. The studio offers consultations and plant delivery, plus pro maintenance services, to help you curate your own oasis.
3011 Ivy Street
Trash Lamb Gallery
A quirky gift shop and eclectic haven for bold, occasionally macabre art, Trash Lamb Gallery carries conversation-starting pieces from more than 40 artists. Collectors with idiosyncratic taste and tight budgets can shop tons of pieces under $200.
2365 30th Street
South Park, San Diego Shopping and Boutiques
Emerald & Ivy Plant Boutique
Grab new leafy friends—and gorgeous vessels to keep them in—at houseplant heaven Emerald & Ivy. The cute boutique even has a soil bar, where you can pot new plants inside the shop, and a floral design arm for weddings and other shindigs.
2367 30th Street
The Book Catapult
Hit independent bookstore The Book Catapult for excellent recommendations from staff, plus a variety of events, including open mic story events, book clubs, and monthly discussions about what’s new in the literary world.
3010-B Juniper Street
Native Poppy
Woman-owned business Native Poppy is known for stunning wedding florals and art installations, as well as a daily flower menu and bouquets to treat yourself to. The shop also sells books, florist tools, home décor, bath and body products, and more.
3009 Grape Street
Vinyl Junkie Record Shack
Launched in 2012 by Eric Howarth, former owner of record label Hi-Speed Soul, Vinyl Junkies began as a mobile record shop. Now settled in South Park, the outpost carries new and used vinyls in a wide range of genres. Don’t miss the Digger’s Den back room, where records are all $5 or less.
2235 Fern Street
Bad Madge & Co.
Funk up your closet and home with pre-loved finds from Bad Madge & Co. Named the top vintage and consignment store in the US by Yelp in 2022, Bad Madge is a particularly great stop for lovers of retro costume jewelry and mid-century furniture.
2205 Fern Street
AYI
AYI is an inclusive concept store and art space that brings together works and goods from emerging designers and sustainable and BIPOC- and LGBTQ-owned brands. Head to the back of the shop to explore contemporary art exhibitions.
2234 30th Street
Thread + Seed
Airy dresses, dainty jewelry, great denim—all the hallmarks of San Diego style are on sale at Thread + Seed, a charming boutique also offering styling services and giftable goodies. The shop also curates clothing to suit different shapes according to its own nature-inspired body type system.
2220 Fern Street
La Loupe Noir
The alt sister to Normal Heights’ La Loupe Vintage, La Loupe Noir slings goth-approved apparel, jewelry, and presents. Patent leather, silver buckles, spider web–inspired lace, and, of course, the color black rule here.
1947 Fern Street, Suite 5
Gold Leaf
It’s easy to get lost in Gold Leaf, a gift shop packed wall-to-wall with the kinds of little luxuries that brighten up ho-hum tasks and daily activities: tiny shell spoons for scooping salt, a compliment-courting picnic blanket, handmade leather slippers.
2225 30th Street
Moon & Sun
Founded in Mission Hills, Moon & Sun recently opened its South Park location, vending gifts and clothing for women, kids, and babies. Gear up for family photos here—the shop has an adorable selection of matching “mommy and me” digs.
3022 Juniper Street
