Best Restaurants in Pacific Beach, San Diego

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.

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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. 

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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.

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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. 

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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

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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. 

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