News and Thoughts From Quicksand Escape Games

Best Restaurants in Pacific Beach, San Diego

7/5/2016

To say Pacific Beach, San Diego is going through a culinary renaissance may be a bit over the top but the quality of places to grab a great beer or delicious meal have increased significantly in just the past few years.

We know at Quicksand Escape Games how important the pre- and post- escape room meals are and below are some of the newest, best, most unique, places for grub in our neighborhood.

BRUNCH - Crushed

Located just a few stores down from us at Quicksand Escape Games, Crushed has maybe the best brunch in town. Appropriately, Crushed is a Instagrammer's dream and yes,the food and drink taste as good as they look. With a 4.5 star rating on Yelp with over 500 reviews in its short time in business, Crushed is crushing it.

LUNCH - Buddy's Diner

Residents have been anxiously awaiting Buddy's to open for about two whole years. It's been worth the wait. The entire restaurant is decked out to the nines with the classic 1950's diner furnishings and decorations. Sure, it reminds us of our 1950s Diner themed escape room (and is a great place to go afterwards) but never mind that, this place really is the cat's meow. Beyond looking great the food follows suit. The burgers are great, fries ample, and the milkshakes are works of art.

HAPPY HOUR - Amplified Ale Works

A craft beer garden in Pacific Beach. Need we say more? Amplified complements its awesome brews with savory Mediterranean cuisine. Our favorite choice is the Doner Fries which is an immaculately-topped salad where they use mostly french fries instead of lettuce. Just a few blocks down for us and across from the Blue Sea Beach hotel, the patio has awesome views of the ocean as well.

SNACK TIME - CreaTea

One of the newest to the area, CreaTea is located right downstairs from us at Quicksand Escape Games. They offer cone-shaped crepes, both savory and sweet, as well as coffees and of course their signature Boba Teas. The ambiance is a relaxing and a great place to meet up before your escape room experience or debrief on your adventure afterward.

DINNER - Sandbox Pizza

Sandbox is arguably the best pizza in Pacific Beach. Located a block down from us on Cass Street, Sandbox offers great pizza, outdoor seating, and a Foosball table. Its non-Garnet address allows for a more mellow vibe but its still a fun place to eat very good pizza and enjoy a pint or two

DESSERT - The Baked Bear

When your line wraps around the block, you're doing it right. The Baked Bear serves cookie-ice-cream-sandwiches. In other words, two freshly baked cookies with ice cream in the middle. They have as many cookie choices as they do ice cream flavors with a special each month. You can also opt for a brownie (or two) instead of cookies or even a waffle bowl.

These are just a handful of our newest favorites and do not include all the great places near us at Quicksand Escape Games.

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A History of Things to Do in Pacific Beach

7/5/2016

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From humble beginnings dating back to 1885, Pacific Beach has grown into one of the most desirable neighborhoods in San Diego. Along with Mission Beach, the area boasts one of the longest beaches on the west coast.

A lot has changed since 1885. With each passing day Pacific Beach renews itself with new things to do, places to visit, and restaurants to try. We started Quicksand Escape Games in order to be part of the in-progress positive change to the community and provide the neighborhood with a friendly complement/alternative to a day at the beach or a night at the bar.

Historically, Pacific Beach has hosted some unique activities that a current visitor or local may be surprised by. Some of the more notable attractions have included:

The "Crystal Pleasure Pier Ballroom and Joy Zone”

Opened in Pacific Beach on July 4th, 1927, the end of Crystal Pier boasted a ballroom, an arcade, and more. While the venture was short-lived due to not-so-stable construction, Pacific Beach's "Pleasure Pier" is certainly a notable one.

Courtesy of kenjonesfishing.com

The Roxy Theater

Until the early 1980s Pacific Beach housed the Roxy Theater which saw bands like the Police, Dire Straits, and Iggy Pop play on its stage. Sadly, the theater was eventually torn down to make way for the post office which was moved from Garnet Avenue.

Courtesy of johnfry.com

The Improv

Once located next to Denny's at the end of Garnet where The Backyard currently sits today, The Improv existed into the 1990s. It was a place for young performers to showcase their talents or, in some cases, lack thereof.

Courtesy of johnfry.com

Today, there are less attractions like these in Pacific Beach as rents have increased and the neighborhood is thriving on it's outdoor activities like surf lessons, bike rentals and Segway tours as well as its huge, varied selection of places to get food and drink. Check out or other article to read more about some of the best restaurants in Pacific Beach.

With two escape rooms open in Pacific Beach and a third slated to open by the end of the Summer, we at Quicksand Escape Games hope we can become Pacific Beach's next Roxy Theater or "Pleasure Pier". A place to get out of the sun for a little while and be entertained in between craft beers and ice cream cookie sandwiches.

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