Defined by its beach culture, the North County neighborhood of Encinitas is known for its optimal surf conditions, laid back vibe, and six miles of coastline. In its downtown located along Highway 101, you’ll find eclectic restaurants, beach-inspired shops, and historic architecture, flanked by the Pacific Ocean and Coaster train tracks.
From the lush flora at San Diego Botanic Garden and Self-Realization Fellowship Meditation Gardens to the serene shores of Moonlight State Beach and Swami’s, Encinitas is an idyllic spot for spending time outdoors. Our Encinitas neighborhood guide highlights some of the best things to do, places to eat, and shops to visit during your next trip north.
Courtesy of Herb & Sea
Encinitas Restaurants, Bars, and Coffee Shops
The Taco Stand
If you don’t mind waiting in a long line to order, this Tijuana-style taco shop promises handmade tortillas and a salsa bar with options ranging from spicy to creamy. With large portions and modest prices, The Taco Stand pumps out favorites like tacos filled with al pastor or spicy shrimp, California burritos, carne asada fries, and some of the best Rosarito-style churros this side of the border.
Founded by celebrity chef Brian Malarkey, Herb & Sea is a popular upscale seafood restaurant overseen by chef Aidan Owens who’s known for his butchery skills, often on display during live fish breakdowns at local farmers’ markets. Owens showcases locally sourced seafood in dishes like mussel toast and fish crudos from its raw bar. Sit outside on the back patio for a more casual setting, or inside at the bar for a buzzy social scene.
Family-run Filipino restaurant Carin de Ria serves up traditional dishes like pancit, lechon, sisig, lumpia, and other comfort foods. Weekday lunch specials are a great value, with entrees including pork or chicken adobo served with rice, pancit, and lumpia for $14. The desserts are not to be missed here either. You can’t go wrong with the halo-halo, leche flan, or banana turon.
124 West I St.
Cocina de Barrio
Known for its daily brunch service with items like chilaquiles and sopes benedicts, this Mexican restaurant also has a full tequila and mezcal bar serving artfully prepared cocktails. Cocina de Barrio has a sizeable happy hour menu and several vegetarian and vegan options to choose from. Try one of its drinks of the month for a fun cocktail like a banana elote old fashioned.
967 S Coast Hwy 101, Suite 101
CHIKO
Chinese and Korean flavors are behind CHIKO, a modern Asian fusion concept from 2025 James Beard Outstanding Restaurateur semifinalists Danny Lee and Scott Drewno. Orange-ish chicken, crispy chicken spring rolls, and smashed salmon are best-sellers at this self-service eatery with a small outdoor patio overlooking Highway 101. Don’t skip the housemade hot sauce.
101 N Coast Hwy 101
Plumeria Thai
You won’t miss the meat at this vegetarian Thai restaurant that puts protein sources like jackfruit, mixed beans, tofu, and mock duck atop curries, noodles, and rice dishes. Plumeria Thai is a no-frills restaurant attracting the health-conscious with its fresh spring rolls, old school pad thai, and savory pumpkin curry.
527 S Coast Hwy 101
The Crack Shack
A favorite among families thanks to a sand pit and games to keep the little ones entertained, The Crack Shack’s only North County outpost serves up its signature Jidori fried chicken by the bucket, bowl, salad, or sandwich. From the team behind Juniper & Ivy, this elevated chicken spot uses top-notch ingredients ranging from miso-maple butter and Oaxacan cheeses to dipping sauces like housemade ranch, Baja hot sauce, and its own version of ketchup.
407 Encinitas Blvd.
Sago Encinitas
Completely unassuming from the outside, stepping into Sago is like entering a nightclub lounge with lush jungle decor and low lighting—the perfect backdrop for date night or girls night out. Here you’ll find an Asian fusion menu with tapas-style bites like lobster bao buns and tuna sashimi, paired with sake or tropical cocktails. On weekends, a DJ transforms the vibey space into a dance party.
485 S Coast Hwy 101
Lofty Coffee
With two locations directly across the street from each other, one might think Lofty Coffee wouldn’t have enough foot traffic to keep both shops in business. Not the case. This locally owned shop with a cult following serves up organic brews in the form of Aztec mochas and Turkish coffees. At its larger Roasting Works location, Lofty has plenty of indoor/outdoor space for families to move around or remote workers to hunker down. Its smaller location is part of The Lofts shopping center and is convenient for grab & go orders.
This casual seafood joint lets you pick a type of fish, select a marinade like its signature Fish Shop seasoning that’s a Cajun dry rub with brown sugar, then decide whether you want it served as a sandwich, taco, salad, or plated entree with sides. Inquire about daily specials that include seasonal fresh catches like Hawaiian ono. Its namesake shrimp appetizer is a must-order.
1010 S Coast Hwy 101
Cali Cream
Homemade ice cream shop Cali Cream may seem familiar if you’ve ever visited a Handel’s in the past. Crowd favorites like graham central station, banana cream pie, and chocolate peanut butter brownie are on the menu here, along with 50 other flavors. They also have bakery items such as cookies, cupcakes, brownies—and yes—ice cream cakes, too.
90 N Coast Hwy 101, Suite 101
Buona Forchetta
Find Neapolitan-style (thin crust) pizzas and Northern Italian dishes including classic pastas with cacio e pepe, carbonara, and Bolognese sauce, plus salads and antipasti at this neighborhood Italian joint. With five locations throughout the county, Buona Forchetta is a local favorite thanks to its authenticity—both in ingredients and staff that mostly speaks Italian—and consistency in creating a charming, welcoming ambiance.
250 N Coast Hwy 101
The Cottage
Skip the long wait times at its original location in La Jolla and head to The Cottage Encinitas for brunch instead. Serving healthy California fare for breakfast, lunch, and brunch, they specialize in classic egg dishes, omelets, and benedicts like its signature Eggs La Jolla Benedict. There’s also fluffy pancakes, stuffed French toast, and its housemade granola that’s so popular they sell it by the bag.
127 N El Camino Real, Suite H
Courtesy of San Diego Botanic Garden
Things to Do in Encinitas, CA
San Diego Botanic Garden
Find the largest display of bamboo in North America at San Diego Botanic Garden, where there are 15 gardens representing various regions of the world. The 37-acre garden has more than 5,000 species of plants, plus special children’s areas and cool events like yoga classes and concerts. They host a popular holiday lights show called Lightscape that kicks off each November when the garden is decked out with festive installations.
300 Quail Gardens Drive
Moonlight State Beach
One of the easiest beaches to access, Moonlight also has the most amenities. A snack bar, beach rentals (think umbrellas, chairs, and boogie boards), fire pits, restrooms, volleyball courts, picnic tables, a playground, and year-round lifeguards make this a top beach pick. They also host free summer concerts on certain Sundays throughout July and August.
This painted rock garden with inspiring messages is worth checking out during a visit to nearby Moonlight State Beach. Dave’s Rock Garden has beautiful succulents and upwards of 7,000 painted rocks from more than 115 countries. Bring your own colorful rock to leave in the place of your choosing.
200-298 B St.
Self-Realization Fellowship Meditation Gardens
Arguably the most tranquil place in town, the Meditation Gardens are beautifully maintained at Self-Realization Fellowship Encinitas Temple. It’s a peaceful place to meditate, read, or simply take in the sweeping views of Swami’s Beach from benches perched high above the bluffs. Admission is free, but phones must remain silenced.
215 West K St.
Swami’s Beach
Access to this famed surf spot is discrete, making it a favorite among locals trying to avoid summer crowds. Beach access is via a staircase atop sea cliffs, located across from the grassy Swami’s Seaside Park that provides restrooms, picnic tables, and a tiny parking lot.
1341 1st St.
La Paloma Theatre
San Diego’s oldest movie theater still in operation, La Paloma was one of the first to show “talkies” (movies with sound). This single-screen, vintage theater also hosts special events like musical performances throughout the year. Architecture buffs will appreciate its historic Spanish Colonial Revival style; others will be pleased to find out ticket admission is just $12.
471 S Coast Hwy 101
Institute of Contemporary Art San Diego North
This museum and working artists’ studio is the sister museum to Balboa Park’s Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) San Diego. Curated exhibits show work from artists who may not have the opportunity to present its work in more traditional galleries. Don’t miss the sculpture trail featuring 11 nature-inspired installations. Admission is free.
1578 S El Camino Real
Street Fairs on the 101
Twice a year, Encinitas 101 MainStreet Association takes over several city blocks along Highway 101 to hold a Spring Street Fair (typically in April or May) and Holiday Street Fair (November). The community event invites pedestrians to shop from street vendors offering arts and crafts, clothes and jewelry, prepared food, and much more.
S Coast Hwy 101
Courtesy of Thread Spun
Encinitas Shops & Boutiques
Brixton
Trendy hats in men’s and women’s styles are the focal point of Brixton, an apparel brand born in North County. Its Encinitas shop is the brand’s first brick-and-mortar, which also includes a small clothing selection. Patrons can build their own hat with personalized customizations like feathers and bands, and do a hat fitting to find their perfect size and style.
670 S Coast Hwy 101
Aloha Collection
Aloha Collection wants to make sure you never come home with a soggy beach bag. Its Splash-Proof collection of totes, pouches, backpacks, weekender and cross-body bags are made with coated Tyvek fabric that’s water-resistant, durable, and lightweight. As practical as they are cute, the bags have tropical designs available in a rainbow of colors.
Find your next swimsuit at BlackBook Bikini, a vibrant boutique filled with suits from popular brands like Free People, LoveShackFancy, and Michael Stars. Browse mix-and-match bikinis, one-piece suits, cover-ups, dresses, and other accessories for a stylish day on the sand.
960 S Coast Hwy 101, Suite 101
Artifact Books
New, used, and rare books in every genre can be found at Artifact Books. Its hand-picked collection includes first-editions, vintages, and antiquities, as well as a selection of signed and collectible books. They also host author signing events and discussions.
603 S Coast Hwy 101
Salt Culture
Housed inside a 1930s beach bungalow, Salt Culture is a boutique founded by professional surfer Rob Machado and his wife Sophie. Salt Culture’s collection of clothing, gifts, and home goods was inspired by the owners’ global travels to far-flung beach locales. You can even score a custom Machado-designed surfboard here.
930 S Coast Hwy 101
Thread Spun
Sustainable and ethical brands are the heart of Thread Spun, a beautifully curated boutique selling clothes, jewelry, stationery, home decor, gifts, and bath products. They also host workshops on everything from sewing and eco-printing to botanical dyeing.
1114 N Coast Hwy 101, Suite 4
SoulScape Gift & Bookstore
New age shop SoulScape is where you can find tarot cards, crystals, incense, sage bundles, candles, books, journals, and other specialty items in the spiritual realm. Soak in the good energy while picking out a soulful gift at this eclectic local gem.
Kai Oliver-Kurtin is a San Diego-based writer who covers travel, dining, events, and culture. Her writing has been published in USA Today, Condé Nast Traveler, Fodor's Travel, Marie Claire, and HuffPost, among others.
Arts District Liberty Station officially became one of the state’s designated cultural districts, joining a list reserved for places with thriving creative communities. Considering the campus is home to more than 100 galleries, artist studios, museums, and arts organizations—not to mention The Joan, the 42,000-square-foot performance center housing Cygnet Theatre—it was only a matter of time until the district got its flowers.
Best Deterrent of Public Vandalism
Vision Culture Foundation
If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em. The National City Public Works building has been a target of graffiti artists for years, only to be constantly painted over (and the cycle restarts). Now, it’s working with the local artists from Vision Culture Foundation to create intentional public murals. A win-win in our book.
One of the biggest questions this year is who will show up for San Diego arts and culture—so a Best Of nod goes to a nonprofit that’s been doing it for years. Founded by longtime arts advocate Susanna Peredo Swap, Vanguard Culture has staged events for creatives, told their stories, and just created an SD ARTS Pass—a single ticket that gets you access to 39 creative spots.
Photo credit: Carly Topazio
Best Way to Overcome Your Fear of Ghosts
The Rosin Box Project
Ballet’s already got a sort of otherworldly thing going for it, with people morphing into 90-degree angles and defying gravity with each pirouette. The Rosin Box Project feels like a raw, creative new force in the classic art form, though—especially with its annual Ghost Light Masquerade. It’s a dance of eerie spirits that makes you second-guess what’s real and what’s not.
Best Music Venue That Also Sells Hot Dogs
Gallagher Square
Once upon a time, Gallagher Square was just a grassy knoll behind the outfield wall at Petco Park. Now, it’s a concert venue, playground, play ball field, dog park, and unofficial home for those who prefer the vibe of baseball more than the actual game. Big-time performers are showing up: Ms. Lauryn Hill, Cypress Hill, and Peach Pit.
Best Local Canvas
Casa Casillas
Casa Casillas has filled a long-standing gap in Chula Vista’s art scene. Open since last August, the space gives local artists a dedicated venue to display their work and visitors a chance to explore the neighborhood’s vibrant art. Two rotating resident artists always keep the space moving, so it rarely looks the same twice.
Courtesy of Alley Cat Art Fest
Best Place to Say “I Think It’s About Capitalism”
Alley Cat Art Fest
El Cajon translates to “the box” in Spanish—a nod to the city’s surrounding hills—but Alley Cat Art Fest (previously called Artivál) doesn’t stay inside it. As the first arts festival in East County, it celebrates local galleries, sculpture, live music, and food trucks—the whole nine.
Best On-Two-Feet Art Tour
Barrio Art Crawl
Every second Saturday, Barrio Logan turns into a choose-your-own-adventure with the Barrio Art Crawl, a free self-guided art tour through galleries, museums, and murals, with street food and music filling in the gaps. Barrio is one of the city’s most thriving arts neighborhoods, and it’s worth getting a bit lost in.
Leave it to The Old Globe to give the local theater scene some Hollywood glamour. Katie Holmes led the premiere of Henrik Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler this past spring, turning the classic Norwegian play into one of the most buzzed-about theater productions of the year.
August is San Diego at full volume. Summer crowds are still chasing sunshine, but the calendar belongs to locals who know this is when the city really shows off. One night you’re dancing under the stars, the next you’re watching thoroughbreds with a plate of oysters in hand, catching Broadway hits, wandering gallery exhibitions, or rallying on a downtown pickleball court. Whether you’re looking for live music, festivals, theater, food, or an excuse to spend as little time indoors as possible, these are the August events worth putting on your calendar.
On the heels of Cross Pollination II’s release, house musician Lane 8 will co-headline FNGRS CRSSD x Cross Pollination, a day of back-to-back grooves at Waterfront Park.
Cross coasts at the Civic Theatre for a jukebox musical rooted in family, coming of age, and blossoming talent in Alicia Keys’ Hell’s Kitchen, inspired by the 16-Grammy Award-winning singer’s NYC upbringing.
August 23
Jeff Goldblum is a classic man. In his show at The Rady Shell, Goldblum will accentuate his old-school charm with his Mildred Snitzer Orchestra and the San Diego Symphony Orchestra.
Photo Credit: Aaron Rumley
Theater & Art Exhibits in San Diego This Month
August 1–October 10
Explore gallery walls lined with artwork juried by acclaimed artist Paul Mpagi Sepuya and chosen by the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library for its esteemed 34th Annual Juried Exhibition.
August 7
As you already know, we adore San Diego. That’s why we’re assembling the city’s crème de la crème—including over 90 curated vendors—in Liberty Station for our annual Best of San Diego Party, presented by Pechanga Resort & Casino.
Helado Negro and Reyna Tropical each specialize in bilingual music, songs overflowing with proud markers of Latinx identity. Hear the ear-tingling transmissions from their collaborative LP at Epstein Family Amphitheater.
August 16
Country music superstars, proud Georgians, and close pals Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan are doubling down on their summertime stadium tour with a boot-stomping concert at Petco Park.
August 27–September 6
The one-woman play Eleanor—told via the eloquent perspective of Eleanor Roosevelt—will make a limited return to the North Coast Repertory Theatre.
More Fun Things to Do in San Diego This Month
Now Through September 3
For six straight Thursdays, downtown’s Fifth Avenue will shut down and become the city’s first-ever street-style pickleball event. Bring a paddle and enjoy DJs, a wellness market, and zero-proof drinks at Gaslamp Urban Pickleball.
August 8
Del Mar Thoroughbred Club’s newest foodie event, the buttery Turf & Surf Festival, offers a luxurious combo of land and sea, built for watching trackside with a loaded plate in hand.
August 22
For the first time since 2019, the free Chula Vista HarborFest will hit the shores of Bayside Park with a classic car expo, lucha libre showdowns, and the chance to meet a mermaid.
August 29
Celebrate the seven decades (and counting) spent upholding Point Loma’s coastal landmark during Cabrillo Under the Stars, a 21-plus fundraiser with bites, Beatles covers, and, best of all, twinkling lights.
Ryan Hardison is a freelance arts and entertainment writer and recent graduate of San Diego State. When he's not staring at his laptop, he's likely eating an adobada burrito or getting sunburnt at the beach.
San Diego has always worshipped at the altar of good skin. Equal parts surf town, biotech hub, and wellness capital, it’s a city where lunch breaks become beach walks and sunscreen sits beside car keys by the front door. The products that get used here earn their place. With 266 sunny days a year and one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the country, we take skincare seriously. Dr. Bronner’s has been making soap in North County since the 1960s. Sun Bum was born in Encinitas and is now on shelves in over 70 countries. The tradition runs deep.
“Living in San Diego means your skin is exposed to sun almost every day of the year,” says Sue Zhang, M.D., a San Diego physician specializing in aesthetic medicine. “The products that tend to succeed here are the ones that can keep up with daily life, UV exposure, sweat, and movement, while still supporting long-term skin health.”
From a mineral powder that solves the sunscreen-over-makeup problem to an acorn oil serum rooted in Indigenous plant medicine, the local San Diego shelf is more diverse, and comprehensive, than most of us realize.
Courtesy of Kopari
Kopari
Sun Shield Body Glow SPF
A hydrating gel-oil hybrid that applies like a body treatment and leaves skin with a sheen that reads as healthy rather than oily. La Jolla–founded Kopari built its reputation on cold-pressed coconut oil sourced from family farms in the Philippines, and the Sun Shield Body Glow SPF is exactly that in summer form: coverage that doubles as skincare.
4-Skin
Morning Rub
The name is intentional. The founder got a basal cell carcinoma diagnosis that his dermatologist caught—she’s now his business partner. The question he couldn’t shake was why the skincare industry hadn’t yet figured out how to talk to men, and 4-Skin is the answer: a premium sunscreen and skincare line built around the kind of blunt, self-aware humor that gets guys to pay attention. Men’s skincare has needed this for a long time, and the formulas are serious enough to deliver.
Courtesy of Coola
Coola
Classic Face Sunscreen SPF 50
Carlsbad-based Coola was formulating organic SPF before “clean sunscreen” was a marketing category, and the Classic Face Sunscreen is the brand’s thesis: protection that disappears into skin and layers cleanly under makeup. Sheer and lightly hydrating, it makes sunscreen easy to reapply before an afternoon walk at Torrey Pines.
Saffron and Sage
Glow Finishing Oil
Squalane, argan, jojoba, and CoQ10: a short ingredient list that does a lot. The Glow Finishing Oil from Mission Hills wellness sanctuary Saffron and Sage is plant-based, scientifically grounded, and formulated to absorb rather than sit on the skin. The brand started as an integrative health practice where acupuncture, naturopathic care, and functional medicine share a roof, and the skincare line runs on the same philosophy.
Courtesy of Alastin
Alastin
Restorative Skin Complex with TriHex+
The Restorative Skin Complex is powered by TriHex+, a patented peptide blend developed by Carlsbad-based Alastin’s team of SkinMedica veterans. It promises to clear out damaged collagen and elastin while supporting new production, the kind of gradual improvement that makes a product hard to quit.
Beldi is a multi-functional cleansing tradition rooted in Moroccan hammam culture, dating back over 12 centuries. Alia Jouj is the brand’s flagship product, and San Diego–based founder Dr. Mia Chae Reddy built a brand around it. Alia Jouj uses 100 percent organic, cold-pressed argan oil and the same ancient saponification method to produce a honey-thick liquid cleanser that softens skin without stripping it.
Courtesy of N8iV Beauty
N8iV Beauty
Móyla Moon Polish
Acorn oil has been used by California’s Indigenous communities as plant medicine for generations. Ruth-Ann Thorn, an enrolled member of the Rincon Band of Luiseño Indians, built N8iV around it as the first Native American–owned skincare brand to reach the national mainstream. The Móyla Moon Polish, named for the Luiseño word for moon, is an exfoliant centered on acorn oil Thorn gathers herself each year from the La Jolla reservation. Find it at the Gaslamp Quarter store Thorn owns at the historic Yuma Building.
Courtesy of Colorescience
Colorescience
Sunforgettable Total Protection Brush-On Shield SPF 50
This product solved the reapplication problem. As a brush applicator, this mineral SPF goes over makeup without disturbing it, which is why it has been on derm-office retail shelves in Carlsbad and beyond for over two decades. The tinted version doubles as foundation.
Courtesy of Tubby Todd
Tubby Todd
All Over Ointment
This steroid-free, petroleum-free eczema treatment was built specifically for babies and toddlers (although grown-ups can use it, too). It’s centered on FDA-approved 1 percent colloidal oatmeal with a base of sunflower seed oil, beeswax, and jojoba. The “linoleic-acid-rich sunflower oil is helpful for atopic, eczema-prone skin that is often deficient in that fatty acid,” says Dr. Zhang. Gentle enough for newborns, safe for daily use, and tested by both pediatricians and dermatologists.
Korej
The Mandelic Night Serum
The Mandelic Night Serum pairs mandelic acid, an AHA derived from almonds and gentler than glycolic acid on sensitive skin, with lactic acid, niacinamide, and urea to brighten, smooth texture, and reduce breakouts overnight. Fragrance-free, vegan, cruelty-free. The brand name is the initials of the founder’s five daughters, pronounced like courage. Dr. Zhang also says she “really value[s] [the founder’s] mission to create pregnancy-safe skincare products that are both effective and wallet-friendly.”
Ingrid Yang, M.D., J.D. is a hospital-based physician in San Diego, CA, certified yoga therapist, and longevity specialist. She loves *double hearts* San Diego and spends her days helping people fully engage in long, healthy lives through evidence-based lifestyle medicine. Her books include Adaptive Yoga, Zen Mindfulness, and Hatha Yoga Asanas. When she’s not leading international wellness retreats, she is chasing sunsets, handstanding in nature, or geeking out over mitochondria.
Kelly H. Harfouche, founder of KQ Aesthetic Society, knows firsthand that cosmetic treatments like fillers, neurotoxins, and microneedling, can not only enhance a person’s appearance and restore confidence, they have the power to truly change a person’s life. An expert injector has the ability to tailor treatments to each individual patient’s anatomy and goals for personalized results. Harfouche, a board-certified nurse practitioner, has spent nearly a decade perfecting her craft as an aesthetic injector and integrating her multifaceted artistic skills with precision patient care. Her commitment to continual education and training, plus a passion for helping people look—and feel—their best, set KQ Aesthetic Society apart in a sea of local medspas.
For many people considering nonsurgical treatments, the intent is to look refreshed and refined. KQ Aesthetic Society’s philosophy eschews a cookie cutter approach that bases treatments around units, instead working to understand each person’s unique goals, then curating a treatment plan to fit that vision. Harfouche focuses on “inclusive luxury,” the belief that everyone deserves access to aesthetic treatments, respective of budget restrictions. She develops long-standing trusted relationships with her patients, and works with each one to achieve their aesthetic objectives and address the underlying causes of their concerns.
“For me, forming an honest and open relationship with every patient who walks through the door is essential. This means understanding them on a deeper level and meeting them where they are to define and achieve their individual goals,” she says.
Drawing on her artistic background, which inspired her transition into medical aesthetics, Harfouche sees each client as a “unique canvas.” Rather than relying on standardized procedures, the practitioner’s distinctive approach combines her profound understanding of the physiological and anatomical changes associated with aging with an unwavering commitment to ongoing education about the newest products and their mechanisms of action. Her goal is to make each patient feel beautiful in their own skin and to embrace their individuality.
She has also pioneered a way to combine her talent for aesthetic artistry with her philanthropic nature. Harfouche is one of only a handful of providers using dermal fillers to treat patients with lip asymmetry and scarring resulting from cleft lip surgery. Patients travel from around the country for this transformative treatment, noting increased confidence and a restored identity. She hopes to eventually launch a training program to help fill the void in this space.
“My passion has always been connecting with people and giving back in any capacity that I can,” she says. In the rapidly advancing landscape of aesthetic medicine, you can place your confidence in Harfouche and KQ Aesthetic Society to deliver exceptional care. To learn more or book a consultation, please visit kqaestheticsociety.com.
Siblings make better music. That’s the hot take, and there’s some logic and science behind it. The Bee Gees, Jackson 5, Billie Eilish and Finneas, AC/DC, Van Halen, The Allman Brothers—heck, even the Hanson brothers, why not? Beyond just a shared sense of taste and nonverbal communication developed over decades of living and evolving together, there’s a thing called “blood harmony.” The genetically similar throat cavities, vocal cords, speech patterns, and resonant bone structures all blend each unique voice into a more homophonic sound than what comes out of two non-related singers.
Those throat cavities are working wonders for emerging San Diego band We the Commas—three brothers (from oldest to youngest) Lenny, Jordon, and Cam Comma.
Raised in Vista and Carlsbad, the family opted out of cable TV (video games got a pass). Without binge-watching to fill bored hours, the trio turned to music. Guitar Hero led to GarageBand and finally to live instruments—guitars for Lenny and Cam, drum set for Jordon. In their sound, the influence of Stevie Wonder, Erykah Badu, The Who, and Dave Matthews Band is obvious, and so is surf culture, specifically that laid-back chill of North County surf culture.
“We’re like the Black Beach Boys,” Cam says. (Note: Three of the five founding members of the Beach Boys were siblings—the theory gets stronger.)
Their debut EP pretty clearly lays out how they see their sound—titled SARB, an acronym for Surf Alternative R&B. That resonates in the song “Sherry,” with its easy-listening, windows-down-on-the-101 vibe. It also works in the louder, surf-punkier “Pissed Off.” Despite some advances in reducing core stereotyping tendencies, people still tend to autofill Black musicians into rap and R&B. The Comma brothers immediately circumvent that by declaring themselves out the gates.
“SARB makes it so [listeners are] open to all of the things that we want to do,” Lenny says. “From there, you can put a label on whatever you think it sounds like.”
Courtesy of We the Commas
People—and musicians further up the stream—are taking note. In 2023, they co-wrote the song “I Keep Fallin’” with Eric Cannata, guitarist for multi-platinum SoCal band Young the Giant. In early 2024, they were tapped to open the national tour of Brooklyn’s jazz-pop heroes, Sammy Rae & The Friends. Comedian Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias invited them to warm up his show at Pechanga a couple months later.
“We really believe genuinely, with our whole hearts, minds and souls, that this is going to work the way that we think it’s going to,” Cam says, grinning ear to ear.
Currently, the Commas live together in Vista, and the dream, wholeheartedly, is more alive than ever. They’ve put out two dozen singles and a trio of EPs: SARB (2020), Old School Love (2021), and Aeroplane (2024); this year alone brought the release of three new singles, including “Let Me,” a silky-smooth entry in their growing collection of love songs.
“We fully realized the magic is in all of us together,” Lenny says. “We know that this doesn’t happen without each person, and we have respect for each other because we need each other.”
As they grow as brothers and as a band, the Commas try to always remember what unified them in the first place.
Ryan Hardison is a freelance arts and entertainment writer and recent graduate of San Diego State. When he's not staring at his laptop, he's likely eating an adobada burrito or getting sunburnt at the beach.
How Scrojo Became One of Rock’s Most Prolific Poster Artists
The San Diego designer has created more than 3,000 concert posters over nearly 40 years for artists including the Rolling Stones and the Red Hot Chili Peppers
When he was in high school, he and his friends were trying to come up with the perfect name for their punk band that would encapsulate all their personas. Nicaragua. The Freds.
One of his friends said he was going to go by Jimmy Stacks and called it “the perfect rock and roll name.” Their names changed so much that Haskett erupted: “Fine, I’m f—ing Scrotum Joe, the true defender of the Open West.”
Their response: Wow, that’s a great name.
As a teenager, he drew chalkboards for Del Mar’s Pannikin coffee shop and would design T-shirts for surf/skate brand Life’s a Beach. He signed the shirts with his moniker, but even in punk rebellion, who wants a shirt with the words Scrotum Joe on it? “They just cut out the ‘t-u-m,’ and the next thing you know, a client referred to me as that, and it stuck,” he says.
Courtesy of Scrojo
Scrojo could have been part of a band as iconic as The Misfits—had he been able to learn the famously cumbersome bassline to The Kingsmen’s “Louie Louie.” Becoming one of the most renowned concert poster designers—someone who quite literally designed the cover of Art of Modern Rock: The Poster Explosion—is a pretty good Plan B.
“To my knowledge, he’s done more rock posters than anybody else alive,” says Dennis King, whose D. King Gallery in Berkeley, California, serves as one of the largest private rock poster collections in the world. “He’s the hardest-working guy in the poster business.”
King not only co-authored the sequel to music historian Paul Grushkin’s The Art of Rock, but he also handles distribution and sales for all of Scrojo’s work. That’s more than 3,000 different posters over nearly 40 years. (That’s over one poster each week. For four decades straight.)
For anything from boxing matches to rodeos, posters have long been used as promotional items. Toulouse-Lautrec’s famous lithographs advertised Moulin Rouge in the late 1800s. Around the same time, Hatch Show Print in Nashville was making handbills for the Grand Ole Opry.
“I propose this: Cave paintings are the first poster art,” Scrojo says.
Courtesy of Scrojo
Rock and roll posters took off in the 1960s, when the hippie counterculture era replaced conformity and suburbia. Artists like Jimi Hendrix and the Grateful Dead used their vibrant, psychedelic prints as a form of rebellion from the mainstream. Posters were promotional, commemorative, collectible, and especially expressive.
If the name Scrojo is any indication, he doesn’t shy away from imagery that toes the line of being too provocative. He focused more on what inspired him instead of trying to be offensive for the sake of getting attention.
“Didn’t want to show it to my grandmother, but my parents were fine with it,” Scrojo says with a laugh.
“We’ve had to ask him to put a Band-Aid over a nipple every now and then,” says Chris Goldsmith, president of Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach, where Scrojo started out and hundreds of his posters currently line the walls.
Scrojo spent six weeks at Otis College of Art and Design for a summer semester before drugs, alcohol, and a self-described lack of discipline prevented him from enrolling full time. Still, he taught himself concepts like text hierarchy and later found his niche at the Belly Up and in the surfing and skating world, working with brands like Quiksilver, Rip Curl, Scorpion Bay, and DGK.
His first concert poster was for North County band Borracho y Loco, of which Goldsmith was bass guitarist. Scrojo drew an abstract version of the Belly Up’s iconic shark with colorful calypso and tiki themes.
Early on, he would craft using a pencil, pen, non-reproduction blue pencil, X-Acto knife, rubber knife, and proportion scale to create each poster, and the finished product could take a week or even longer.
Courtesy of Scrojo
“I recommend every artist coming up to do that for like six weeks,” Scrojo says. “It forces you to think about every design decision as you’re going along.”
He has since mastered vector imagery through Adobe Illustrator to the point where, depending on the level of detail needed, he could finish two projects in a day. Still, he fills sketchbook after sketchbook to blueprint.
“I liked his line in particular, and he knows how to draw, which a lot of people don’t really know how to do these days,” King says.
Scrojo would research what each musician’s merchandise looks like to get a feel for each artist’s tone and voice. Once he has his central image in mind, he focuses on what and where to place the text.
He doesn’t have one specific style, ranging his talents from art deco to psychedelic and everything in between (and outside the lines). Want a pop surrealist comic book cartoon devil with splattered paint textures, halftone dot patterns, and pure chaos? Red Hot Chili Peppers, February 1986. Want a minimalist graphic portrait with bold strokes and graffiti text? P!nk, October 2023. Want a carnival sideshow style piece with a tasteful caricature of Jeff Bridges? The Big Lebowski, August 2011.
Scrojo calls himself a jack of all trades because he can create posters for all music genres. King calls him a chameleon for his ability to adapt his voice to new eras.
Courtesy of Scrojo
“The variety of his skillset makes it possible for us to put 50 of his posters on a wall next to each other and have it look compelling, not just a bunch of the same thing over and over,” Goldsmith says.
Some of Scrojo’s favorite posters are when he feels a personal connection to the artist or the album. He has a vivid memory as a child of being trapped in a closet filled with marijuana leaves while playing hide and seek and staring at Jimmy Cliff’s “The Harder They Come” LP. “For whatever reason, as a kid, that sparked a desire to do graphic design,” Scrojo says.
Fast forward to February 2012, Cliff is performing at Belly Up. Scrojo decided to modify Cliff’s original album cover from rainbow gradient fills to classic reggae psychedelia while preserving Cliff’s striped pants and bold hat. Cliff’s manager called him and said they wanted to use it for the rest of their tour.
“We always get artists requesting that he does their posters,” Goldsmith says. “A lot of artists don’t want venues to go all rogue because they want to control how they’re being presented. With him, they’re like, ‘Let him go nuts.’”
Matt Eisenberg is an award-winning writer and photographer based in San Diego. A former ESPN editor, his work has also been published by CNN, Bleacher Report and the New York Daily News.
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