Best South Park, San Diego Restaurants

Just a gentle stroll east of Balboa Park sits a neighborhood in San Diego that’s tucked away from the hustle and bustle. With fun, unique bars and delicious eateries awaiting, you can discover a piece of America’s Finest City that most don’t get to enjoy. What is this place we speak of? South Park.

No relation to the hit TV show, South Park is one of SD’s favorite urban neighborhoods with everything from bars to beauty shops to coffee shops and, of course, some of the finest restaurants, all just a short trip from downtown San Diego.  

For more ideas on exploring all that San Diego has to offer, check out San Diego tours, but for now, back to South Park. It’ll be hard to pick where to eat from this list of the best restaurants in South Park…

#1 Enoteca Buona Forchetta

Photo Courtesy: Encoteca Buona Forchetta

Take a trip to Venezia, Firenze, and Roma with each bite. This authentic Italian kitchen offers delight to the senses. Smell the homemade pastas, imported cheeses, and herbal wines. Taste the ripened tomatoes in their sauces and pizzas– Buona Forchetta offers some of the best Italian food in town. The charming ambiance alone is enough to transport you and your guests to a world of beauty, stellar architecture, and gelato, which makes it one of the best date night ideas in San Diego

What Can You Not Miss Here?

The Marketplace. Full of authentic items you couldn’t find at your typical grocery store—here at Enoteca Buona Forchetta, you can purchase all the ingredients you need to bring the Italian cuisine to your home. Consider their extensive list of:

  • Formaggi (cheese)
  • Salumi (cured meats)
  • Pastificio Gentile (fine pastas)

There’s squid ink spaghetti, wheels of parmigiano and mozzarella, and much, much more.

#2 Kindred

Photo Courtesy: Kindred

Among the South Park San Diego restaurants, this one is sure to make you squint and cock your head. What makes this place so unique? Go ahead and combine an all vegan cocktail and dinner menu with the sweet tunes of death metal in your head and see what you make of it. Well, that’s Kindred.

What Can You Not Miss Here?

This eclectic bar and restaurant offers a unique take on contemporary dishes, such as:

  • Artichoke Po Boy – With crusted artichoke as the base, enjoy this sandwich with cabbage slaw, cajun mayo, and pickled sweet peppers (all placed on a fresh French roll).
  • Memphis BBQ Jackfruit – These pulled soy curls meet the best of Memphis, topped with green chili aioli, pickles, and onions. Add a little Dijon mustard for style and plop this on a sourdough roll. That’s a treat that pairs well with their unique cocktails.

As for the drinks menu, it might be best to just randomly point at the list because the names are too good to choose from:

  • Dream Reaper
  • Palace of Certainty
  • Horrorchata
  • Sleigher
  • Thrashy Martini

Starting to see a death-metal-y trend here?

#3 Del Sur Mexican Cantina

Photo Courtesy: Vegan Food in San Diego

If you’re craving a delicious south-of-the-border meal, but don’t want to do the necessary traveling, you can get an equally great taste here at Del Sur Mexican Cantina. Their food is vegetarian-friendly, vegan-friendly, and kid-friendly—for all those with tiny picky eaters! They consider their cuisine to be Mexican soul inspired with a healthy flare.

What Can You Not Miss Here?

There are three facets to consider here: There special events, their incredible menu, and the possibility of taking them everywhere you go with their catering options. If we had to focus on one, let’s hop into the menu (can you blame us?).

Their menu holds everything your heart could desire. If you have a big heart, and it’s making it hard to decide, choose between these must-haves:

  • Appetizer – South Park Street Corn – This will have the whole table sword fighting with forks. Charred corn with poblano crema, cotija, and lime already sounds delicious enough. Top with it a corn chip crumble and it’s to die for.
  • Taco Plate – Grilled Fish – Being so close to the famous San Diego Bay, you will surely be missing out on some fresh tacos if you don’t try these mexi-cajun dusted seasonal fish tacos.
  • Burrito – Cantina Veggie Burrito – Will an incredible base of chayote, charred corn, onions, and mushrooms, this burrito will have you filled up with healthy veggies, rice, beans, and the deliciousness of avo-serrano sauce, poblano cream sauce, and cheese. 

The chef can make almost all of the food on their menu vegan or vegetarian by request!

#4 Curryosity

Photo Courtesy: Curryosity

If you’ve read any of our previous articles, you know—here, at So Diego Tours, we thoroughly enjoy wordplay. As such, Curryosity immediately gets our stamp of approval before we even mention their delicious Indian cuisine.

The mission statement here is simple—to bring the culture, the décor, and most importantly, the taste of authentic Indian dishes to the people of San Diego. And in terms of the best restaurants in South Park, they’ve done just that.

What Can You Not Miss Here? 

The happy hour. From 3 pm to 5 pm every day you can enjoy incredible cocktails with an Eastern sway, such as:

  • Tantric Yoga – Touting flavors of citrus, ginger, soju, and cumin.
  • Monsoon Mojito – A twist of fresh lime, mint, strawberry, rosemary, and the unexpected—brown sugar.
  • Bombay Sangria – Did somebody say sweet white wine with mango, strawberries, and rosemary? We just did.

To make it a meal, pair these (and more) with their happy hour bites:

  • Choose Your Flavor Curry Wings – With house-made marinades and sauces, you can enjoy freshly cooked wings with any of these flavors:
    • Masala
    • Tamarind
    • Sweet Chili
    • Mango
    • Vindaloo
    • Honey Spiced
  • Curry Fries – Waffle fries that are first sprinkled with a blend of herbs and doused in their delicious curry sauce.

We promise you: this is just here to whet your palette. There’s so much more to experience—the only way to try it all is to come hungry and thirsty.

South Park – One More San Diego Hidden Gem

With each neighborhood in San Diego, there are always incredible local bars, beer gardens, eateries, and things to do. It’s just the nature of this southern city—there’s so much history here that its uniqueness bursts forth. For example, while you’re in the area don’t forget to check out South Park’s next-door neighbor, North Park! You’ll find a bustling scene of North Park bars. Not to mention, food in North Park can’t be beaten. While you’re here, consider booking a custom tour! On top of our signature San Diego food tours, we offer custom tours tailored to your specific needs and wants! Either way, you’ll want to try the best South Park San Diego restaurants. Thus, the reason for this list.

Stay hungry SoCal friends and visitors. And enjoy all the tastes this city has to offer!

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But don’t worry, we don’t believe in following the usual tourist paths when it comes to exploring a town so rich in history and culture. On our Old Town food tour, you’ll get authentic food tastings, elevated cocktail sampling, and a haunted location or two for an unforgettable historic Old Town experience.

No San Diego Little Italy walking tour would be complete without exploring this culinary hotspot’s best places to eat. Known for its variety of restaurants, America’s biggest Little Italy has become a food lover’s bucket list destination, and we’re here to show it off!

Join our Little Italy walking tour full of food, fun, and Italian culture.

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As we stroll through this historic fishing town, you’ll learn all about the area’s rich history and, of course, sample the food and wine that makes Little Italy one of the best dining locations in all of San Diego and, dare we say, Southern California.

Whether you’re a local event planner, trying to “wow” your clients with unique San Diego team building activity ideas, or a bride coordinating a whole family outing for your wedding, So Diego can help you plan a special day.

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