31-07-2025
Hot San Diego Restaurant Openings You May Have Missed, July 2025
is a freelance journalist who covers food, travel, and news. She worked in the food industry as a mechanical engineer for eight years, training as a 'supertaster.' She then worked as an editor for the now-defunct Philadelphia City Paper where she first began writing about food, lifestyle, and news.
Each month brings a slate of exciting new restaurants to San Diego, whether it's a splashy new restaurant helmed by an iconic chef, a low-key neighborhood spot, or a pop-up settling into a permanent location. Consider this monthly rundown a go-to guide for the newest and boldest debuts across San Diego.
Embarcadero—The first Mastro's Ocean Club has made landing in San Diego, opening on the ground floor of the InterContinental Hotel, replacing Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse. Anchoring the luxury hotel with a corner spot enticing pedestrian traffic on North Harbor Drive and West Broadway, the seafood restaurant occupies two levels with plush indoor tables and balcony and patio seating. Views of the USS Midway dominate the skyline while diving into seafood towers with oysters, caviar, shrimp, and Dungeness crab cocktail. Try other fish dishes or dig into the robust steak menu, including the 12-ounce bone-in filet, accompanied by creamy lobster mashed potatoes. Ask about the off-the-menu cocktails, poured tableside to dry ice fanfare.
La Jolla—Opening at 1000 Prospect Street is a new Mediterranean restaurant called Zoya, which means 'life' in Arabic. The menu will encompass 'Middle Eastern meets coastal seafood flair,' culinary director Alex Carballo (Fox Point Farms, Stone Brewing) tells Eater. Carballo is working with long-term restaurateurs, the Ascandar family. It's the family's first Mediterranean restaurant — they have operated Pizza on Fifth in the Gaslamp Quarter for over 20 years. The menu will also feature Chaldean dishes, such as hummus, lamb kebabs, chicken tikka, and falafel, as well as salads, sandwiches, pizzas, and seafood dishes. The 1,000-square-foot space will have a bar, indoor seating, and sidewalk tables. Expect doors to open on August 2.
Carmel Valley—Hey Tea, the trendy tea chain that originated as a tiny tea shop tucked away in an alley in Guangdong Province, China, opened its first San Diego location in Del Mar Highlands Town Center in Carmel Valley on July 25. Known as the creator of cheese tea — beverages with a layer of slightly salty cheese foam — the tea chain is also popular for its fruit tea blends. The popular Crisp Grape Boom is a green jasmine tea slushie with grape-flavored jelly and hand-peeled grapes. The Coconut Mango Boom gets made with coconut milk, fresh mango, and cooked with sago for 30 minutes. Founder Neo Nie, then 19 years old, began creating drinks with cheese foam topping and fruit blends in 2012.
Pacific Beach—A new burger spot has landed on Garnet Avenue in Pacific Beach's surfside enclave. Founded by chef Joel Bautista, who worked in a Michelin-starred restaurant in Spain and competed on Food Network's Chopped, Smash and Stack started as a food truck in farmers markets. Bautista attended the Culinary Institute of Barcelona and then went on to work in a Michelin-starred restaurant in Spain. At his Pacific Beach restaurant, the smashed double patties are made with chuck and brisket, layered with a house sauce, enveloped between pillowy brioche buns. The space fries are loaded with grilled onions and Bautista's proprietary 'out of this world' house sauce.
Carlsbad—The Henry expanded to its second location in San Diego County, opening its doors in the Forum in Carlsbad on July 23. Open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., the restaurant spans 6,783 square feet with indoor tables, an expansive bar, and ample patio seating along the front and side. Must-try dishes include the spicy tuna and crispy rice, pretzel and provolone fondue, Korean prime skirt steak fried rice, and vegetarian-friendly harvest bowl. Carrying over from their sister restaurant, the Flower Child Scramble with grilled asparagus makes an appearance on the brunch menu. Pair the dishes with the popular Hank's espresso martini or pineapple and Thai basil soda.
Pacific Beach —A casual family-owned Mexican restaurant opened in half the space that Oscar's Mexican Seafood restaurant formerly occupied on Turquoise Street. Las Ola Seafood opened on 703 Turquoise Street, where it leases the space. Juan Cardina owned Tacos Mi Rancho on Cass and Loring in Pacific Beach for 12 years before selling the taqueria in 2009; Cardina worked at the Spot La Jolla for 36 years. Popular menu items include the Cali burrito, surf-and-turf fries, and surf burrito with potatoes, eggs, beans, cheese, and a house-made secret sauce. Don't skip the fish stew with clams, mussels, and fish — made in house daily.
Coronado—With views overlooking the Pacific Ocean from the Hotel Del Coronado, Veranda boasts Southern California cuisine with a nod to historic traditions. Open for breakfast and dinner, most of the 159 seats are situated on the elevated outdoor patio with 18 indoor seats. Dishes like grilled artichokes, broiled West Coast oysters with chorizo butter, Veranda's French dip sandwich, and Angus beef steaks with Dungeness crab are highlights. Certain nights will feature specials like fried chicken on Wednesdays, Creekstone prime rib on Thursdays, and seafood boils with Maine lobster tails on Fridays.
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