Restaurants Close to the San Diego Convention Center

San Diego is blessed with fabulous weather, beautiful beaches, wonderful attractions and great restaurants. When you visit the city and are in the general vicinity of the San Diego Convention Center, you have a wide array of places to eat. Some restaurants have beautiful views of the Bay and others are in trendy parts of town like the Gaslamp Quarter. Following are some suggestions that might give you an idea when you are looking for a nice place for breakfast, lunch, dinner or brunch during your stay in San Diego.
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San Diego Pier Café

Enjoy the beautiful views as you dine in this quaint New-England-style restaurant that is set out on a pier extending out into the harbor. Part of Seaport Village since opening for business in 1980, the Pier Café is something of a landmark full-service restaurant in San Diego. While you can get a magnificent panoramic view of the harbor through the large glass windows, the view is only part of the reason that this is such a great place to go for lunch or dinner.

The Pier Café serves the best broiled fresh fish in town. The menu includes a variety of salads, seafood selections and other fare like chicken, pasta and burgers. A special kids menu has traditional favorites like macaroni and cheese and pizza. For dinner, try the Salmon Coronado or the perfectly grilled 12 ounce New York steak.

Don’t forget to order one of the decadent desserts and you can also select a beverage of your choice from the extensive beer, wine and liquor menu. Pier Café has a very warm and welcoming atmosphere and is great for family dining, business lunches and all occasions when you want good food at fair prices and a million dollar view.

Buster’s Beach House

There’s always a party atmosphere at Buster’s Beach House & Longboard Bar. With happy hour, known here as the daily beach party, from 3:00 pm until 6:00 pm, you can take advantage of some great drink and food specials.

Overlooking beautiful San Diego Bay and the Coronado Bridge, Buster’s offers a diverse breakfast, lunch and dinner menu as well as a Sunday brunch. Enjoy the tastes of the Hawaiian Islands by trying some of the special dishes infused with delicious spices and marinades.

Breakfast offerings include freshly baked banana nut bread, fresh tropical fruit and all of your other favorites like Belgian waffles and omelets made to order. Lunch can be a tasty bowl of clam chowder, a California Cobb Salad, coconut shrimp or a gourmet pizza. For dinner, try the grilled salmon. For young children you can order off of the kids menu and on Sundays you can partake in the deluxe brunch, complete with a carving station that offers prime rib, turkey and ham.

Lou & Mickeys

Right in the heart of the historic Gaslamp Quarter is a restaurant and cocktail lounge that serves some of the finest prime steaks, fresh seafood, homemade soups and other delicious delicacies anywhere in the city.

Treat yourself to a big bowl of New England Clam Chowder, Crab bisque, or French Onion soup. For healthy eating, Lou & Mickey’s offer more than a dozen different fresh salads with homemade salad dressing. You can get a tasty smoked turkey club sandwich for lunch and wash it down with a cold draft beer.

For dinner, satisfy your need for beef, or fish. The menu includes filet mignon, NY Strip steaks, rack of lamb and swordfish.

You can come in for a business lunch and sip on one of the specially prepared martinis or have an exotic drink before heading out to the theater. While prices are a bit on the high-end, you will truly enjoy the food, drink and atmosphere of this very popular Gaslamp Quarter restaurant and bar.

Richard Walker’s Pancake House

For a delicious breakfast with very friendly service, why not try Richard Walker’s Pancake House? Sink your teeth into a three egg Western omelette, or perhaps you are in the mood for some award-winning baked apple pancakes. The menu includes classic breakfast staples like a scrambled egg platter with bacon or sausage, breakfast potatoes and bread of your choice. Enjoy a cup of hot gourmet coffee or maybe you’d rather have fresh brewed tea. There is a very limited lunch menu that includes, a Caesar’s salad, a bowl of chicken soup or a BLT sandwich. Bloody Mary’s and mimosas are also available.

RAMA Thai Restaurant

In the mood for some authentic Thai cuisine that is as good as any you can find outside of Thailand? RAMA is a modern Thai restaurant in the heart of the Gaslamp Quarter that has received praise and accolades as the best Thai restaurant on the entire west coast. You will be able to select from innovative curries and stir fries that blend spices and seasonings to create the most mouth-watering chicken, pork beef and vegetable dishes. Mothers are always encouraging their kids to try new foods. Listen to your mama and have dinner at RAMA.

Oceanaire Seafood Room

The Oceanaire has been recognized by San Diego Magazine, San Diego Home/Garden Magazine and the California Restaurant Association as one of the very best seafood restaurants in San Diego and all of California. Editors, food critics and the people of San Diego all agree that the Oceanaire is an outstanding choice if you want the freshest seafood, prepared perfectly and presented with impeccable service.

Oceanaire’s menu changes daily because of the restaurant’s absolute commitment to serving only the freshest seafood from the world’s most reputable suppliers. Don’t worry about not being able to get salmon from Alaska one night because there are always so many excellent choices available on the updated menu.

To go with that delicious fresh seafood, Oceanaire has an extensive wine collection and a sommelier to help you make the perfect selection for your meal.

Burger Lounge

Part of a growing new chain, this Burger Lounge in the Gaslamp Quarter stays open until 3:00 AM on Friday and Saturday. When you feel like a really good grass-fed burger, turkey burger or veggie burger, this is a step above the really large burger chains. Your basic Lounge Burger is seared on the grill to lock in the juicy center and then placed on an organic whole wheat roll with minimal toppings. Each signature burger is made with a touch of homemade Thousand Island dressing, a slice of tomato, raw or grilled onion and a crisp piece of lettuce. You also can get fries and a shake if you want the full experience.

Café Chloe

A delightful French bistro that serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Café Chloe believes in sourcing all of its produce locally and baking its own bread and pastries. Come in for a hearty breakfast or simply a cup of cappuccino and a fresh-baked French pastry. Lunch offerings include salads, sandwiches and other light fare and dinner platters are courtesy of the executive chef and her amazing French cooking skills. Café Chloe is worth checking-out whenever you are in Downtown san Diego.

We all love to eat and most of us like to try new restaurants when we are away on vacation. Try one or several of these local favorites and you won’t be disappointed. Great dining experiences always add to the enjoyment of any trip to San Diego.–

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