Top Seven Best Patios To Eat And Drink In North County
With the weather warming up and San Diego getting in the mood for summer, patio dining is the ideal way to spend a summer afternoon or evening. Here are a few of the raddest spots with patios to check out in North County San Diego.
1. Pacific Coast Grill – Cardiff
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Pacific Coast Grill sits right on the beach for perfect beach-side dining, a true California classic. With their rich ingredients and refreshing drinks, add this to your San Diego “must do” and you just may capture the perfect sunset dinner (seriously… no filter needed for this view from our table)!
With their variety of dishes from land to sea, this is the ideal romantic date spot! Some highlights were the blood orange margarita, seafood pasta, crab & lobster guacamole (the best guac I have ever had), filet mignon, and finishing it off with a peanut butter banana split.
Dining tip: We had reservations at 6:15, and right when our entrees were coming out, the sun went down over the water, which was an hour into our dinner date.
2. Bagby Beer – Oceanside
Bagby Beer, located on PCH in Oceanside, is serving up all in-house made items, down to their very own ranch dressing! With four patios to choose from; rooftop, lower outside, lower covered, and front patio, Bagby is the perfect place to be outside!
On top of the great atmosphere, Bagby’s food and drinks are amazing in their own right. With one of the chefs being vegan, the menu range pleases all. They have daily homemade soups, along with various sandwiches of-the-day, which are crusty, melt-in-your-mouth bites!
Drinks like the Fresh Mint Mojito are even better than the ones had in the Caribbean! With their homemade mint syrup, the fresh muddled mint, and the crisp lime, these can be drank by the dozen.
Bagby’s is now serving weekend brunch, so be on the look out for a follow-up on their brunch offerings.
3. Flying Pig Pub – Vista
Flying Pig Pub, located in Vista Village, has a covered patio as well as an outdoor patio. They are open for dinner daily, and lunch on the weekends.
This spot takes the traditional pub food to a gourmet level with their decadent burgers, complex salads, and different daily sweets – a perfect place to have a relaxed dining experience with deluxe food offerings.
My personal highlight of the meal was the hibiscus mojito. Yes, it does taste as good as it looks. The bright pink drink was beyond refreshing for a hot summer day.
4. Hello Betty – Oceanside
Hello Betty, located by the Oceanside Pier, has beach-view dining with beyond fresh finds! Hello Betty is one of the only restaurants in San Diego to have special permit to purchase fish right off the boats in the harbor, and if you’re lucky enough, you might see the fisherman carry a giant fish right through the front door!
The menu is constantly changing here, since there is no telling what might be caught fresh that day and put into the delicious “catch of the day” dish.
Other highlights include their poke dip, guacamole, grilled fish tacos, and shrimp ceviche!
Some of our favorite cocktails were the Mission 211; a vodka drink with hibiscus syrup, lemon, and champagne, the Same Same but Different Mule; lemongrass vodka, lime, ginger syrup, and sparkling soda, and the Eddie Would Go; a spin on a margarita with tequila, coconut rum, orange liquor, pineapple, and lime! (This one was my fav!)
5. The Compass – Carlsbad
The Compass is a popular spot for locals to get unique drinks and gourmet bites. With a patio overlooking the center of Carlsbad Village, this is the ideal tapas and cocktail location.
If I could choose one meal to live off of for the rest of my life, it would be this cheese board! Fresh, creamy, salty, and sweet all on one plate… Yes please.
Other impressive bites include their bacon-wrapped dates, gourmet mac-n-cheese, Baja fish tacos, fish burrito, and any burger on the menu. Their killer herbed blanco sauce on the tacos was the icing on the cake!
Two drinks that made me crave a tropical vacation were the Full Moon Party; elderflower vodka, lemongrass/cardamom syrup, topped with coconut citrus, and the Beet It; similar to a margarita with tequila, beet syrup, lime, and spiced pear!
6. Fidel’s Little Mexico – Solana Beach
Although there are no beach views or pretty sunsets to catch on this patio, sitting outside at Fidel’s Little Mexico will make you feel like you’ve escaped south of the border for the night.
The atmosphere is festive, the food is authentic, and the margaritas are strong!
Get there early on a warm night if you want to sit outside; Fidel’s has been open since the 1960s and it’s quite the popular spot!
7. Poseidon on the Beach – Del Mar
The name says it all – you can walk right out onto the beautiful Del Mar Beach from the patio at Poseidon.
This has to be a contender for the “Best Bar to Watch a Sunset” in North County. Any place you sit on the patio will give you beachside views of the sand volleyball court, surfers, and San Diego’s perfect sunset.
Insider tip from someone who’s spent a LOT of time on the beach in Del Mar: take a break from the beach and walk right up the to the four-barstool outdoor bar on the patio (enter by the lifeguard tower; skip going in the front of the restaurant) and grab a cold beer or fruity cocktail while still having eyes on the family while they play on the beach.
