A decade ago, if you walked across the border to Tijuana, you’d exit near a pair of rundown residential buildings with “Estación Federal” spelled out in mosaic tile. Artists, architects, and writers looking for community and cheap rent filled the buildings, though at some point the squalor lost its charm. The buildings sat mostly vacant until a couple years ago, when developers decided to make them part of downtown Tijuana’s revitalization.
The result is an attractive mixed-use space—called Estación Federal—that honors the neighborhood, Colonia Federal, and its history. There are affordable lofts, offices, restaurants, a coffee shop, and—since this is a cocktail blog—a cocktail bar. Named Cereus after a desert plant that blooms at night (“Catch us at night” is one of the bar’s taglines), it’s an exciting addition to Tijuana’s growing craft cocktail scene.
Irving Gonzalez, well-respected for his cocktail-making skills on both sides of the border, came up with the menu. He said he wanted to create something fresh and fun, and though the bar soft-opened at the beginning of a cold February, he envisioned folks enjoying the cocktails on Cereus’s open-air patio on warm evenings.
The bar’s signature cocktail is the Desierto, made with prickly pear juice, lavender syrup, Enmienda 18 (a small-batch gin made by Tijuana’s Agua Caliente Distillery), lemon juice, and egg white, garnished with a sprinkling of hibiscus salt. Served in a coupe glass, it’s the color of a Baja sunset.
For something lighter, try the Baja Summer, a TJ version of a tiki cocktail, made with tequila, orgeat, Aperol, grapefruit, and lemon. One of the more popular cocktails has been the namesake Estación Federal, a Negroni variation made with dry vermouth, Campari, Enmienda gin, and Ancho Reyes.
Gonzalez says he’s been pleased with how open Tijuanenses have been to craft cocktails. Despite Tijuana’s history as a Prohibition-era destination, it wasn’t too long ago that folks would order a daiquiri and expect it frozen. Now they’re asking for the real thing.
Cereus Joins Tijuana’s Growing Craft Cocktail Scene
The Desierto cocktail
“People are realizing the true flavors for cocktails,” Gonzalez says. “When people go to a bar and ask for a mai tai, they really are expecting an authentic mai tai.”
While you won’t find Gonzalez behind the bar—he was brought on as a consultant—he says customers are in good hands with lead bartenders Elzbeth Gomez and Sofia Escaravante.
“They are amazing,” he says. “I was so blessed to find them.”
Cereus (Larroque 271, Colonia Federal) is still in soft-opening mode, but is open regular hours—noon-ish to around midnight most nights and 2 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
No trip to TJ is complete without tacos by the kilo, so we asked TJ native Angel Miron, who runs the tour company Let’s Go Clandestino, to do the impossible: narrow down a list of great tacos in his hometown. Here are five of his favorite.
Tacos Machatlán
“These guys serve fried fish and shrimp tacos” on a bustling corner in El Centro de Tijuana, Miron says. “Don’t leave without trying the BBQ-grilled smoked marlin taco on a smoky tortilla.”
Tacos Fitos
Miron likes the tacos dorados de birria from this Tijuana shop. “The taquero is known for pumping them out super fast and does a trick with the consomé—pouring it onto the taco without looking,” Miron says.
While Tacos El Franc’s addition to the Michelin Guide has brought an influx of attention, Miron has long been familiar with its charms. “This is the place I used to go to all the time growing up in Tijuana, especially after a night out with the boys,” Miron says. “[Its] specialty is adobada. I really like the suadero taco.”
Tacos A Vapor El Güero
Founded in 1960, this place keeps it simple with three taco options: shredded beef, beans and cheese, or chicharrón. “They’re what you would call ‘steamed tacos’ because they are prefilled and then kept hot or steamed in pots,” Miron explains. “Then [the restaurant staff] slaps ’em with shredded cabbage, onion, and salsa roja.”
El Tío Pepe
While this casual spot has multiple locations, its original outpost in the Gabilondo neighborhood is still considered the best. “Not only [does it] have tacos dorados de birria, but amazing carnitas—get the masisa with guacamole,” Miron recommends. “And another specialty here is the torta ahogada [or ‘drowned sandwich’] with birote shipped from Guadalajara.”
Amelia Rodriguez is a writer and journalist and winner of the San Diego Press Club's 2023 Rising Star Award and 2024 Best of Show Award, she’s also covered music, food, arts and culture, fashion, and design for Rolling Stone, Palm Springs Life, and other national and regional publications. After work, you can find her hunting down San Diego’s best pastries and maintaining her five-year Duolingo streak.
Craft beer is booming in Baja California. What was once a grassroots network of passionate homebrewers clandestinely sharing their brews with family and friends has transformed into a multimillion-dollar industry representing nearly one-fifth of Mexico’s entire economic output of cerveza artesenal.
In October 2019, the Mexican Association of Beer Makers (ACERMEX), an organization similar to the United States’ Brewers Association, estimated the country would surpass 1,000 craft beer companies by the start of 2020, many of whom are based in the state of Baja California. But this persistent rise of beer businesses has been fraught with roadblocks, forcing scrappy entrepreneurs to fight tooth and nail to operate openly.
These obstacles range from a near-complete stranglehold of the market by Anheuser-Busch InBev–owned Grupo Modelo and Heineken-owned Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma to prohibitively expensive import taxes on ingredients. When asked what’s stifling Baja breweries’ growth, Collin Corrigan, a San Diego native and founder of Ensenada’s Cervecería Transpeninsular, just laughs. “Do you have a couple days to listen? I could go on for hours.”
But these challenges have done little to stem the tide of small, independently owned craft breweries opening across Baja California, especially in cities like Tijuana, Mexicali, and Ensenada. Early pioneers like Cervecería Insurgente and Wendlandt Cervecería helped spark the revolution with a hefty dose of influence from San Diego.
“If it wasn’t for our proximity [to San Diego], not only would we not have been exposed to all the beers that marked our career, creatively and technically, but we wouldn’t have access to the fresh and readily available ingredients,” says Ivan Morales, cofounder of Insurgente. “The community of brewers between both cities have done a very good job of working together.”
Arguably, San Diego’s biggest contribution to Baja’s burgeoning beer scene is exposing drinkers to super-hoppy beers like IPAs. Mexico’s best-selling beer has long been Corona from Grupo Modelo, which is also one of the top five most consumed beers in the world. Now, brewers hope these historically flaccid lagers will serve as a gateway to more adventurous brews. Other styles that have fallen out of fashion in the US, like robust porters and amber ales, are prevalent on Baja tap lists.
But as I, a pretty frequent drinker of San Diego craft beer, began to explore the Baja beer scenes in earnest, a few obvious differences unfurled. Quality is sporadic—an issue most brewers openly admit. More than once, a brewer has poured me a not-quite-right splash straight from the tanks with a shrug and a promise that they’ll tweak it the next time. Nothing’s undrinkable, but there’s a lot that wouldn’t fly in the US.
The biggest and more attractive difference is a feeling, a vibe, an excitement—that unspoiled naivete about collectively building something from the ground up and giving the big boys of beer the middle finger at the same time. Experimentation and innovation are encouraged, and while the results don’t always land, it’s intoxicating to witness. Baja brewers are unfettered by expectations (although with a decent amount of awards already earned, that’s sure to change). Still, it must be difficult to define oneself in the shadow of San Diego beer.
Cervecería Transpeninsular
“[Baja beer] is still trying to find its spot,” Corrigan says. “We have not established our own uniqueness.”
Morales is confident that not only will Baja get there, but they’re already there. “I think Baja will continue to be the bastion of craft beer in Mexico because of our openness and confluence of new ideas. Tijuana, in particular, is a sort of melting pot that has always allowed for an influx of different currents; it’s an ever-changing city that does a very good job of adapting to changing contexts.”
As beer quality increases and logistical barriers decrease, it’s likely that more breweries across Baja will open and garner further international recognition in competitions like the World Beer Cup. If the current course of pressure on the government to relax restrictions on independent breweries continues, the number of craft breweries exporting to the US and other countries will probably rise as well. But my one hope for the future of Baja beer isn’t “better” beer or more styles. It’s that they maintain that sense of camaraderie that we’ve somewhat lost under the weight of the crown. In that vein, long may Baja reign.
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.
Beer businesses on both sides of the border rally to support the currently closed brewery
Photo courtesy of Cervecería Insurgente
By Beth Demmon
Four months after Jaime Bonilla won the state of Baja California’s gubernatorial race, Cervecería Insurgente closed.
After opening in 2010, the popular Tijuana brewery in Zona Rio quickly became one of the country’s most respected and pioneering craft breweries, helping boost Baja beer in the global beer conversation by racking up awards, accolades, and plenty of attention. But on October 5, 2019, officials from the city and Baja California’s new controlling party, the National Regeneration Movement (MORENA), shuttered the tasting room and halted production of the brewhouse, citing a lack of numerous operating permits, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Ivan Morales, co-founder of Insurgente with his brother Damian, disputes this. “We have all the required permits, although they’re accusing us of not having them.”
While initially reluctant to comment publicly, Morales has recently become more outspoken about Insurgente’s plight, seemingly out of desperation as his and his employees’ livelihoods are jeopardized by the extended closure. The brewery is now leveraging social media to rally support from the craft beer community, condemning the new government’s accusations of bribery toward the political party formerly in power to bypass proper permitting procedure.
Insurgente Is Fighting Back
Photo by Beth Demmon
“What’s going on at Insurgente, in my eyes, is what hurts not only Mexico but any country,” says Ryan Brooks, brewmaster at SouthNorte Beer Company, a San Diego-based brewery with a permanent shared tasting room in Tijuana. “The mess of government stepping on people trying to make an honest business, it’s petty government parties not getting along. They are hurting the employees, bartenders and even the beer tourism.” (San Diego Magazine reached out to the Baja Norte Tourism Board, which did not provide a comment.)
So far, support from the craft beer community has been swift. Several breweries in the region, such as Mamut Brewery in Tijuana, have allowed Insurgente to utilize their brewhouses so they can continue production in an attempt to keep the business afloat during the indefinite closure. SouthNorte is brewing a collaboration called #FreeInsurgente to help bring attention to the conflict.
This Thursday, December 19 at 7 p.m., Machete Beer House in National City is hosting an Insurgente “tap attack” with guest bartenders from the brewery in order to show solidarity “with our brothers and sisters of Insurgente as they fight the injustices they are currently facing with the new governor, Jaime Bonilla’s administration,” according to the event page.
“We hope it’s just a minor setback, but does raise questions,” says Joann Cornejo, co-founder of Machete. When asked what she’d say to the governor if she had the chance, she doesn’t hesitate. “If your promise was to combat corruption, why are you targeting small businesses that contribute to the tourism of your state, jobs, and the local economy?”
Morales claims there’s a more personal motive behind Insurgente’s closure. “The real matter is that the new governor’s brother lives directly across the street from the brewery. It seems he doesn’t want a bar in front of his house, and he told us this directly.” He did acknowledge the government is conducting mass sweeps of businesses in non-compliance, but calls their particular situation “a personal matter.”
cerveceria insurgente tijuana
Photo by Beth Demmon
According to the U-T report, the new governor is adamant that Insurgente’s days at their current location are finished. But personal or not, Cornejo is hopeful for a resolution. “The Mexican craft beer scene continues to flourish and great beer is coming out of Baja. It would be a shame if Bonilla continues to attack small beer.”
Finding a gift that feels truly personal can be surprisingly difficult. In a sea of generic options — flowers, gift cards, candles, and the like — Xplosion Box offers something more lasting: a customized keepsake built around the photos, messages, and memories that matter most.
Founded by Southern California entrepreneur Jay Vijay, Xplosion Box LLC creates fully customized explosion gift boxes that arrive professionally designed, printed, assembled, and ready to gift. Each box opens layer by layer to reveal personal photos, heartfelt messages, pull-out albums, origami-style photo pockets, and hidden notes, turning a simple gift into an emotional reveal.
The brand was built for people who want to give something meaningful without spending hours printing photos, cutting paper, folding cardstock, or assembling a DIY project. Customers simply choose a box, upload their favorite photos, add personal messages, and the Xplosion Box team transforms those details into a polished keepsake that feels thoughtful, personal, and beautifully made.
Xplosion Box offers personalized gift boxes for birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, graduations, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Valentine’s Day, Christmas, proposals, bridesmaid gifts, long-distance relationships, and thoughtful “just because” moments.
Customers can choose from flexible customization options starting at $27. The Mini Surprise Box includes 10 photos, three message cards, and one hidden secret note, while the Mega Surprise Box offers a fuller keepsake experience with 40 photos, three message cards, and one hidden secret note.
What sets Xplosion Box apart is its high level of customization combined with convenience. Filled with personal photos, custom text, decorative details, and layered surprises, each box gives customers the freedom to create a gift that feels one-of-a-kind — without having to make it themselves.
At its core, Xplosion Box helps people turn favorite photos, stories, and words into something tangible: a keepsake that can be opened, revisited, and remembered long after the occasion has passed. asion has passed.
A journey through Baja to find tostada enlightenment
By Troy Johnson
A year and a half ago, I insulted hundreds, possibly thousands of years of Mexican food heritage when I suggested the tostada was a sub-par invention. I needed an umbrella for all of the hate mail that rained down upon me.
First off, let’s say this. I love Mexican food and have a long history with it. I started traveling to Baja when I was 14. As a San Diego native, we’re weaned directly from the breast to the bottle of hot sauce. I love birria and menudo and Cotija cheese.
My derision of the tostada is pretty simple. It is one of the toughest foods in the world to eat. Attempt to bite it like a pizza, and tostada shrapnel cascades all over your person. Congratulations on your new tostada pants.
Try to eat it with a fork? Ever tried to eat a corn chip with a fork? Tostadas mock your silly utensil.
Plus, being flat as a CD (those were thin, flat discs that once played music), all of the awesome juices from the toppings would run off onto the plate. All that lovingly stewed meat juice, just wallowing and alone on a plate. And since the tostada shell is hard, it’s not like you can dredge it through the orphan sauce, like you would Indian flatbread.
And so tostadas make me sad.
And unlike other hard-to-eat foods (crab legs come to mind), the tostada shell was intentionally left in this useless shape. Why wouldn’t you just fold the fried corn disc into an easier shape? Like the glorious side-vee of the taco, which is much easier to eat? Or at least fold the edges of the tostada so that it can contain the goodness of the toppings and not freely donate its juices of gold to the plate?
Leaving it flat was like doing laundry and deciding not to fold it. I called it the “half-ass laundry taco.” Chef Chad White was gracious about the peculiar missive, painting “#HALFASSLAUNDRYTACO” on the wall of his restaurant’s bathroom.
Two weeks ago, chef Flor Franco decided she needed to educate me. So she organized a trip as part of her food/drink/travel company, Indulge. With myself, a handful of chefs, food people and Baja lovers, we headed south in search of tostada enlightenment. They dubbed the journey “The Half-Ass Laundry Taco Tour.”
I felt honored. And ashamed. And skeptical. Read below for the gold we found.
Dear Tostada, I’m Sorry
FIRST STOP: LA OAXAQUEÑA @ MERCADO HIDALGO
Mercado Hidalgo is Tijuana’s permanent farmers market. There are chiles and moles and dried fruit of every kind. There’s what looks to be a plastic bottle of water, filled with mezcal. Here you can buy raw huitlacoche—the Mexican truffle, which looks like corn has a disease but tastes like Jesus. Our first tostada is from La Oaxaquena, the shell slathered with black bean in a sort of delicious glue, topped with shredded lettuce and sturdy chunks of chorizo. They make their tortillas with organic corn from Oaxaca. It’s got the thin, crispy texture of a flatbread like lavash or papadum. When plied with salsa, it’s excellent. Still, hard to eat. Hurumph.
Raw huitlacoche at Mercado Hidalgo in Tijuana.
SECOND STOP: POPOTLA FISHING VILLAGE
Just past the movie studio where they filmed The Titanic, we make a right on a dirt road down to Rosarito’s famed fishing village. While many tourists eat lobsters up the road at Puerto Nuevo (lobsters, most locals tell me, that are often flown in frozen from China), Popotla is where locals eat fresh seafood. Cars pull right onto the beach. An old VW Bug splashes through the shallow water. There are tables piled high with the day’s fresh catch—yellowtail, oysters, chocolate clams, lobsters, you name it. Literally boat-to-throat. One table is piled so high with vibrant, red sculpin that it looks like an apple cart.
Dear Tostada, I’m Sorry
Our liaison is Patty Villareal, who, along with her husband, operate Think Blu, which promotes sustainable seafood for Baja’s immense supply. Stands—plastic lawn chairs, tables, and outdoor kitchens covered by tarps and tents—feed the locals who come to play in the waves. We sit down at La Reina de la Playa for tostadas, literally on the edge of the water, gazing out at the wet horizon. Both are piled high with fresh ceviche. Looking at the mound of incredibly fresh, raw seafood—including excellent Baja octopus—I have a tostada epiphany. There is no way a taco could take this load. The taco’s thin middle severely limits abundance. A-ha! Tostadas are how you put an entire meal on a fried tortilla. Still, it’s hard to eat and the juice from the excellent ceviche escapes onto the plate and makes me sad.
Dear Tostada, I’m Sorry
THIRD STOP: MANZANILLA
When I wrote San Diego Magazine’s story on the Baja food and drink scene (and how incredibly, incredibly hot it is among food lovers these days), I was just learning about the culture. I was trying to not miss any of the major chefs and/or food and wine people. But inevitably, every story has its holes or every story would be as long as Ulysses. I nearly missed interviewing chefs Benito Molina and Solange Muris—the husband-and-wife chef team behind Manzanilla in Ensenada. It would’ve been a grave mistake, since these two are one of the first to create high-end food using the world-class seafood and produce found in Baja. Their restaurant is right next to the Ensenada port, and it’s awesomely kitschy with art and sustainable building materials. It’s lovely and hip, masculine and feminine, arty and not pretentious. A place easily loved.
Dear Tostada, I’m Sorry
And Solange’s tostada—the corn round oven-baked so that it has crispy, charred edges and a softly crunchy interior—is the best thing we eat all day. Unsurprisingly. She’s quickly seared local abalone, and covered it with chipotle crema and spiked it with cilantro. It’s divine. There is a reason why this has been named by multiple sources as one of the best restaurants on the planet. I look at their menu. An eight-course tasting dinner, with wine pairings from nearby Valle de Guadalupe, is less than $100. I’ll be back.
Dear Tostada, I’m Sorry
FOURTH STOP: HUSSONG’S
There are no tostadas here. It is where the margarita was invented. Though culinary tourists, we’re still tourists. There is a mariachi band. We dance, some of us badly.
This is where Ensenada does craft beer. And it is righteous.
CONCLUSION
I have seen the tostada light. It is a crispy Mexican pizza of sorts—an edible Frisbee of glee. Its flatness, while a real pain in the ass to eat, serves its utility. And that is to accommodate a heaping of delicious food. It is essentially a taco of plenty. Do I still maintain that a mere curling of the edges of the corn crisp would better serve humanity and keep all those juices contained for the full ride? You bet. But I’ll gladly get it all over my person when it’s this good.
Plascencia is the real deal. He grew up on both sides of the border. His family, under Grupo Plascencia, has been a leader in Tijuana’s culinary scene for decades. Plascencia made his own name with his Chula Vista restaurant, Romesco, then opened his temple to modern Mexican cooking, Mision 19, in Tijuana, followed by the rustic Finca Altozano in Baja’s wine region, Valle de Guadalupe.
For all his repute—including features in the New York Times and The New Yorker hailing him as the chosen son of Baja cuisine—San Diegans have had to drive near the border to try his food. And now they don’t.
Bracero is a 4,800, two-level showpiece on Kettner Blvd. in Little Italy. Little Italy is the undisputed heart of San Diego’s culinary scene right now, and for the foreseeable future.
San Diego’s long had a fitful relationship with gourmet Mexican food. Blame $3 defrosted rolled taco culture. But over the last few years, some of Baja’s most accomplished chefs have brought their riffs on seafood, chiles, charcoal and spice across to San Diego. The hottest thing in San Diego’s food culture right now is Mexico.
So the timing couldn’t be more perfect for Bracero. Expect small plates, large plates. Dishes inspired by Plascencia’s other restaurants. Dishes inspired by San Diego and Baja. They’ll be making their own masa in house—a key for a truly housemade Mexican experience. A crudo bar will serve shellfish from Carlsbad and wild seafood from Baja. The tequila program will be massive. Wines will come from California and Valle de Guadalupe. Craft cocktails will have a Mexican kick, and craft beers will be from both sides of the border.
There will be tiraditos, ceviches, sashimi, roasted meats, the smell of corn, peppers and sopes and high-end French saucing techniques. It will be a mishmash of border and culinary cultures.
San Diego has never been more ready to see what real, top-end Mexican cooking is all about.
But enough of that. Please enjoy our first look inside Bracero Cocina de Raiz, with design done by talented locals, Bells & Whistles.
Bracero opens today.
Bracero Cocina de Raiz, 1490 Kettner Blvd, Little Italy, 619.756.7864.
If you’re anything like us, it can be easy to get so caught up in taking care of everyone else, that your own needs get lost in the ether. But while this may be a cliché, that doesn’t make it any less true: You can’t give your best self to other people unless you’re taking care of yourself.
Sometimes, that looks like stopping in for your regular acupuncture or chiropractic appointment. Other days, it means giving your body the fresh, organic fuel it needs to truly feel and function at its best. And some other times still, it involves leaving your responsibilities behind for a weekend to pamper yourself at an incredible resort and spa.
Only you can decide what your truly need. We’re just here to help you find the best ways to get it.
Tommy Bahama Miramonte Resort & Spa
Island living meets desert luxury at the Tommy Bahama Miramonte Resort & Spa in Indian Wells. When you step onto the 11-acre property, you’ll be surrounded by sweeping view of the Santa Rosa Mountains with olive trees and fragrant citrus groves decorating the grounds. In other words, everything about this relaxed but refined resort is primed to help you let go of the stress from home and enjoy easy sun-soaked days and gorgeous starry nights.
The rooms blend calming, woven textures with Tommy Bahama’s signature tropical prints and feature private lanais, making it easy unwind the moment you walk in the door. If you book one of the four Villa Suites, you’ll be treated to exclusive Tommy Bahama furniture and unique personal touches to further that feeling of instant ease.
At the award-winning Spa Rosa, the expert team will help reset and recharge your body and mind using methods and rituals inspired by the desert. The 12,000-square-foot retreat includes outdoor soaking pools, eucalyptus steam rooms, and outdoor cabanas, as well as massages, facials, and body masks—all aimed at creating a day dedicated to you. We’re particularly partial to the Day Long Escape, an indulgent all-day affair of CDBs soaks, renewing scrubs, life changing massages, and transformative facials.
Following your treatment, continue the experience with a meal on the patio at Grapefruit Basil. We love the Hamachi Crudo, a light, citrus-forward dish featuring premium yellowtail, house-made ponzu, creamy avocado, and fresh seasonal garnishes.
Whether you’re strolling the gardens, relaxing beside its saltwater pools, or indulging in a restorative treatment, you’ll be able to escape in style and relax in luxury at the Tommy Bahama Miramonte Resort & Spa.
Healcove Chiropractic
There’s no shortage of ways to stay active in San Diego—but if you really want to enjoy everything the city has to offer, you’ve got to make sure you’re giving your body its tune-ups. Enter: Healcove Chiropractic. The board-certified chiropractors and wellness professionals at Healcove are experts at addressing that stage where you’re not injured, exactly, but you’re not at 100%, either. Maybe you’re feeling a bit tense or stressed out. Or it could be that you’re not quite moving the way you want to. Sometimes, it’s just that the accumulation of days, weeks, or even years of daily strain is starting to take a toll. No matter what stage you find yourself at, the Healcove Chiropractic team can provide integrated, preventative care centered on long-term, science-backed approaches that ensure you can always stay active and live the life you want to live pain-free.
This starts by providing truly individualized care. Every patient can expect a thorough 60-minute consultation session that includes a posture and movement screening. This allows the team to develop a completely personalized plan. That plan might include chiropractic care, acupuncture, or massage therapy, as well as functional fitness training, vibration and sound therapy, and Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization, a clinical rehabilitation method that retrains the body’s stabilization systems. Whatever the team recommends, you can be sure that it’s tailored to meeting your body’s needs today and the future.
There’s a reason that San Diego Magazine named Healcove the “Best Chiropractor in San Diego”—don’t wait until you’re struggling with an injury to find out why. Book an appointment today for holistic, integrated care that helps ground and heal your body before it reaches a crisis point.
Juice Holler
West Coast wellness culture meets the community feel of Southern Appalachia at Juice Holler. Juice Holler’s menu consists of made-to-order smoothies and smoothie bowls, as well as grab-and-go cold-pressed juices, wellness shots, salads, and more. It operates from the blissfully simple premise that fueling up with food and drink that’s guilt-free and good your body should be simple, accessible, and, above all else, delicious. And if you haven’t yet made it out to the Encinitas café, which opened just this year, let us be the first to tell you: Juice Holler delivers on each and every of these fronts.
We love the Supercharger smoothie, a mood-lifting and body-fueling option made with banana, almond butter, blue spirulina, maca, grass-fed whey protein, raw cacao nibs, medjool dates, and coconut milk. We’re also partial to the Thrive Alive smoothie bowl, where avocado, mango, sea moss, spirulina, mint, coconut milk, and agave are mixed and topped with coconut, chia seeds, strawberry, mango, and chocolate drizzle. The wellness shots include the Detoxifier, a cleansing blend of kale, cucumber, lemon and spirulina, plus a shot specially designed to fight inflammation (named, fittingly, Anti-Inflammation). Probiotic overnight oats, lemon turmeric bars, and strawberry shortcake chia pudding are other standouts on the grab-and-go menu.
Much of the vibe feels beachy North County chic—think green tile with orange and pink accents, grounded with greenery and natural wood—but Juice Holler founder Kelly Sergott, a longtime Encinitas local, has also enfused the space with her Kentucky roots. In Appalachia, a holler is small valley between hills and mountains, where nature reigns, community is king, and nourishment comes right from the land. At Juice Holler, Sergott has created a holler for the busy modern times, using local ingredients to create a spot for people to come together and enjoy fresh, fast, feel-good fuel for their day.
Everwell Acupuncture
We’ve all had that experience with a medical professional where we’ve felt rushed, ignored, or misunderstood—and ultimately, like we didn’t get the answers that we needed. But at Everwell, the holistic acupuncture practice located in Solana Beach, the care team wants to transform your understanding of what healthcare can look like.
Patients at Everwell experience care rooted in intentional listening and radical empathy—and trust us, those aren’t just corporate buzzwords. This place actually puts those ideas into practice. You will always be given the time you need to tell your story— initial in-take appointments are two hours long—and you can rest assured that your story will be believed. Every single question and concern will be addressed by a dedicated practitioner who wants to find the specific solutions that work best for you, and you’ll receive care that’s aimed at healing the body, mind, and spirit.
Everwell’s highly trained, doctorate-level practitioners blend evidence-based acupuncture with the practice of classical Chinese medicine. (If you’ve never tried acupuncture before or aren’t sure if the team will be a fit, we’d highly recommended Everwell’s complimentary 20-minute consultations.) Research shows that by stimulating specific points on the body, acupuncture activates a natural healing response in the body, helping to restore balance, regulate the nervous system, and improve overall wellbeing. This allows the practice to address an incredibly wide range of conditions from chronic pain and autoimmune disorders to digestive issues, from stress and burnout to headaches migraines, fertility and postpartum struggles, hormonal imbalances, sleep concerns and more.
At Everwell, you can expect to feel heard, trusted, respected, and cared for. This is a space that doesn’t want to be just another healthcare provider you visit; it wants to provide patients with dedicated partner who will be there for their entire health journey.
