The restaurant guide for SDCC is back again for a third year, and yes, some of us still actually eat during SDCC. And if you typically don’t, maybe you’ll find some time this year to do so. With that in mind, we’ve reached out to several restaurants in the Gaslamp and surrounding area to see what is being offered, from special menus, themes, great prices, and more.
Below you’ll find the restaurant with a link to either their site or social media and the distance from the convention center. Keep in mind, this list is not exhaustive, but only those we are aware of and have spoken with. Make sure to check back as we will update this as we get more details. (And if you’re a restaurant that would like to be featured, use our Contact Form).
barleymash
0.5 miles from the convention center
barleymash, located on the corner of Fifth Ave and Market St, will be featuring a “barley’s blockbuster weekend” with a full transformation into your favorite retired video store. Giveaways will include themed tote bags, membership cards, and custom popcorn buckets. Food specials crafted in honor of fan-favorite movies and characters from SpongeBob, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Minecraft, and Matilda will fuel your weekend in downtown San Diego. Indulge in Krabby Patty Deluxe Sliders ($22) with 1/4lb burger patty, crab cake, American cheese, shredded lettuce, red onions, tomato, pickles, mustard, and ketchup on slider buns with fries; Shell Shocked ($22) pepperoni, pineapple, pickles jalapeños, three cheese, roasted tomato sauce on a flatbread; La La La Lava, Ch Ch Ch Chicken ($20) crispy corn chip nachos topped with jalapeno braised chicken, ghost pepper cheese sauce, refried black beans, sliced Fresno and jalapeño peppers, and chili lime cream; and Botrogger’s Defiance ($8) multi-layered chocolate cake smothered in rich dark chocolate frosting. Downstairs within barleymash, ginger’s is hosting Comic-Con Kickoff Karaoke from 9pm to 12am on Thursday, July 24th.
barleymash will also have four new cocktails available exclusively for Comic-Con weekend:
- Make it a Blockbuster Night ($20): Angel’s Envy Bourbon, Crème de Peche, fresh lemonade, Red Vine straw
- Served with a custom membership card
- Give Me Sugar Water ($16): clarified mojito featuring Bacardi Silver, lime, and mint
- In reference to Men in Black
- His Dudeness, the Duder, El Duderino ($18): Grey Goose vodka, salted caramel, coffee liqueur, and heavy cream
- In reference to The Big Lebowski
- Midnight Margaritas ($16): Cazadores Blanco, coconut, pineapple, line, and black salt rim
- In reference to Practical Magic
The Blind Burro
0.4 miles from the convention center
This year, in honor of the upcoming (but delayed) release of GTA 6, The Blind Burro will be doing a call back to Rockstar’s 2002 release of GTA Vice City. Tropical Miami vibes and 80’s nostalgia will take over our restaurant for the week during Comic-Con.
Borrego Rooftop Kitchen + Cocktails
0.6 miles from the convention center
Borrego, the sky-high restaurant and bar located atop the ninth floor of Hotel Indigo San Diego – Gaslamp Quarter, will channel comic book legends with a lineup of specialty cocktails. Comic fans and cocktail lovers alike will be invited to rise above the crowds and drink in the skyline with hero-worthy cocktails, priced from $14 to $19 each. The special menu will include:
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The Thing – A bold blend of mezcal, carrot juice, Nixta corn liqueur and lemon juice, served over double old fashioned ice with a Tajín rim.
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Human Torch – A fiery mix of sage and serrano-infused tequila, with serrano agave, lime juice and Fever-Tree soda, finished with a chili garnish and half Tajín rim.
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The Invisible Woman – A sophisticated cocktail with Barr Hill gin, Beefeater gin, Lillet aperitif and Luxardo liqueur – as elegant and mysterious as its namesake.
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Mr. Fantastic – A vibrant, electric-blue cocktail made with gin, lemon, rosemary juniper syrup, blue curaçao and egg white for a smoothie, stretchy finish.
Donut Bar Pop-Up at the Pendry San Diego
0.3 miles from the convention center
New for this year: Stitch, Labubu, Superman, Minecraft, and even a WILD Minecraft Chicken Stuffed Donut. It’s a donut literally stuffed with a house-made crispy breaded chicken breast strip, topped with real Vermont Maple Glaze and served hot and to order with a sweet chili honey dipping sauce. Sweet, savory, and totally over-the-top — just the way we like it.
Donut Bar Pop Up at the Pendry, at 550 J Street, will be open every morning at 7am during SDCC, perfect for early risers and donut hunters. Then starting at 5pm, they’ll offer an “Encore Opening” with Comic-Con-themed drinks, fun for all ages, and even a few “mystery brews” for the 21+ crowd.
El Chingon
0.4 miles from the convention center
El Chingon, located at the center of the Comic-Con-verse at 560 Fifth Ave., will offer a maniacally vibrant vibe for a night of rogueish revelry. The “bad ass” Mexican cantina’s Joker-inspired cocktail, Madness Like Gravity, will feature tequila, lime, melon liqueur, agave and Tajín, priced at $14. The drink can be made “Bad Ass,” served in a goblet with a Tajín rim, candy straw and Mexican paleta (popsicle), for an extra $13.
Greystone Prime Steakhouse & Seafood
0.5 miles from the convention center
Greystone will be running a Comic-Con special $50 meal deal which comes with an entree, a side, and a drink. Reservations for July 24 – 27 are now available.
Havana 1920
0.4 miles from the convention center
Gaslamp Quarter’s Cuban escape, located at 548 Fifth Ave., will bow down to Batman’s foe, Bane, with a cocktail as dark and treacherous as the archvillain’s torturous origin story in a Caribbean prison. The Bane-inspired cocktail, I Broke The Bat, will be built with Havana 1920 Rum, lime, Demerara sugar, and activated charcoal, priced at $15. Guests may be enraptured by the seductively sweet but equally sinister Poison Ivy, a provocative mix of Havana 1920 Rum, fresh lime juice, Cuban mint, sugarcane juice, sugarcane syrup, and club soda, priced at $15.
Hasta Mañana Cantina
0.2 miles from the convention center
Located two blocks south of barleymash on the corner of Fifth Avenue and K Street, Hasta Mañana Cantina is also prepping for the madness of Comic-Con this July. They’ll be offering a lucha libre theme this year, with the space and the staff dressed to perfection from Thursday-Sunday of the con. They are promising themed drinks and bites plus daily giveaways and a Lucha photo backdrop with props.
Kettner & G Tabacaria
1.2 miles from the convention center
Kettner & G will be running the following deals July 24 – 27: 10% off the entire store if you show your Comic Con badge, 20% off the entire store if you’re wearing cosplay, spin our prize wheel if you spend $25, Bundle: 1 single issue comic book, 1 pre-roll, 3-pk muscimind sampler, & 2 holographic stickers, We sell comic books and we will be doing 20% off all comic books Thursday-Sunday, free comics will be available too by our local supplier, Rolling Wave Comics
Lionfish
0.4 miles from the convention center
Lionfish will serve up a limited-edition lineup of pop culture-inspired cocktails to keep fans and cosplayers powered up all weekend. You can find them at 435 Fifth Avenue. Priced at $18, the themed drinks include:
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Regeneration Refresher: A Doctor Who-inspired Dirty Shirley twist made with Grey Goose vodka, grenadine and Sprite, a nod to Shirley Coward, the BBC vision mixer behind the series’ first regeneration effect.
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Cowabunga Cooler: A green Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles homage featuring Sipsmith gin, Midori, cucumber, honeydew, lemon and simple syrup.
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Joker’s Jive: A chaotic espresso martini with Belvedere vodka, espresso, St. George espresso liqueur, Baileys and simple syrup.
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Elven Elixir: A light and energizing blend of St. Germain elderflower liqueur, rosé wine and Fever-Tree pink grapefruit soda.
Lionfish is open Sunday through Wednesday from 5pm-9pm, Thursday from 5pm-10pm, and Friday-Saturday 5pm-11pm.
Mezé Greek Fusion
0.4 miles from the convention center
Mezé Greek Fusion, located at 345 Sixth Ave., will offer a special menu of food and drinks to battle the classic arch-nemesis of every Comic-Con guest – hunger. The cocktail specials will include the Caped Crusader, heroically built with Divino Maguey Destilado con Tamarindo y Chiles Mezcal, Aperol, passion fruit, lemon and a Tajín rim, priced at $19; The Sidekick, made with Prohibiton Whiskey, Curious Junior Juniper Blackberry and Ginger and lemon, priced at $18; and the Pennyworth For Your Thoughts, made with Prohibiton Whiskey or El Chingon Vodka, DropKick espresso concentrate, orgeat and R&D Sarsaparilla Bitter, priced at $19. The restaurant’s Batman-themed dishes will include the Two Face Taquitos with lettuce, pico de Greco, Feta cheese and avo-crema, priced at $14; the Birds of Prey, flour dusted and crispy meatballs seasoned with mint, onion, garlic and cumin, priced at $16; and the Bat Signal, jumbo shrimp pan seared with garlic, tomato, green onion and Feta cheese, flambeed in Ouzo tableside and served with pita, priced at $26
Prohibition
0.4 miles from the convention center
Tucked behind a hidden door marked “Law Office – Eddie O’Hare, ESQ” at 548 Fifth Ave. in Gaslamp’s “Gotham” Quarter, the underground speakeasy Prohibition is where fans can find the Penguin-inspired Gentleman of Crime, a wicked yet sophisticated cocktail made with Prohibition Whiskey, lemon and ube, priced at $18.
Werewolf
0.7 miles from the convention center
Get ready for 4 days of epic fun, themed drinks, and all-out fandom vibes! $6 Comic-Con themed shots and special themed pancakes are surely not to miss at Werewolf during SDCC. Come dressed to impress, sip something strong and get nerdy with us all weekend long! Theme for each day is as follows: Thursday – Superheroes & Villains, Friday – Dress as your favorite Comic-Con Character, Saturday – Dress as your favorite Comic-Con Character, Sunday – Star Wars.
The following places we wanted to include, but are a little farther from the convention center and/or don’t have anything specific to Comic-Con but are local/staff favorites.
City Tacos
7.6 miles from the convention center
City Tacos’ OB Playground in Ocean Beach, a 15-minute drive around San Diego Bay from the convention center, is kicking off Comic Con with its ‘Twas the Night Before Comic Con Trivia on Wednesday, July 23 at 6pm. The 10,000-square-foot outdoor taqueria will host the Comic Con-themed trivia game from the pros at Sunset Trivia. Tickets are $8 and guests are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance via Eventbrite. City Tacos has 20 tacos on the menu, including options for vegetarians and vegans, and almost all are less than $5. There are 10 beer taps as well serving local and Mexican craft beer. The taqueria is only ½ mile from the sand of Ocean Beach.
Din Tai Fung
14.3 miles from the convention center
Din Tai Fun is the globally loved restaurant known for its authentic Taiwanese cuisine, exceptional hospitality, and signature dishes like the cult-favorite Xiao Long Bao (soup dumplings), Cucumber Salad and Garlic String Beans. While not Comic Con-specific, they have been testing a new Mango Shaved Snow Dessert at the San Diego location for a few months, and it will be launching nationally just before Comic Con, so travelers coming in who might not be near a DTF location will want to try this new dessert!
Karl Strauss
1.3 miles from the convention center
San Diego is known as The Capital of Craft™ with more than 150 brewery locations, and the city’s first post-Prohibition brewing company Karl Strauss has its original location just over a mile from the convention center. The historic brewpub serves on draft old classics like Red Trolley Ale and newer releases like Tower X West Coast IPA and Follow the Sun Lager. The food menu, meanwhile, includes favorites Duck Fat Pretzel Bites, Asada Fries, “Nachos for Grown-Ups” Ahi Poke Nachos, and the award-winning Mac on Tap – the brewery’s take on mac ‘n cheese with several different styles.
March and Ash
5.3 miles from the convention center
From July 25th – July 27th, March and Ash will be having their Chronic Con Sale which entails 30% off select brands
Ortega’s Bistro
3.3 miles from the convention center
Ortega’s – A Mexican Bistro is only three miles due north of the convention center in the LGBTQ+-friendly community of Hillcrest. The 21-year staple of the area brings an authentic Puerto Nuevo dining experience to the heart of San Diego. Enjoy Baja-style lobster, fresh guacamole prepared tableside, and other regional specialties. The restaurant’s recipes date 60 years to the tiny fishing village of Puerto Nuevo. Happy hour is daily from 3pm-6pm.
The Whiskey House
0.4 miles from the convention center
The Whiskey House holds the Guinness World Record for Most Variety of Whiskeys Available, and it’s a five-minute walk from the convention center. Choose from more than 4,000 varieties of whiskey from all over the world, along with more than 200 gins and 60 tequilas to boot. The daily happy hour (4pm-7pm) is well known among locals, and brunch service is offered on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Some say The Whiskey House a little slice of New York City in America’s Finest City.
