Are Tallow Fries A Political Signal Now? How A Food Trend Became A Cultural Flashpoint in San Diego

What used to be a quiet culinary detail has turned into a surprisingly charged cultural marker in San Diego’s dining scene. Beef tallow fries, once simply a nostalgic nod to old-school cooking methods, are now increasingly viewed by some diners as a political signal.

Another Culichitown Concept Collapses As El Rincon De Los Dolidos Quietly Closes In San Diego’s Gaslamp

After just about a year in operation, El Rincón de los Dolidos has quietly closed at the former Donovan's Stean space in San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter, marking yet another failed downtown venture for the restaurant group behind Culichitown, La Conde, and the long-promised but never-opened Mamá Por Dios.

Ten High-Profile San Diego Restaurants We Would Not Bet On Making It Through 2026

San Diego loves denial almost as much as it loves a soft opening. But restaurants don’t close because of vibes, bad Yelp reviews, or one slow month. They close because the math breaks, the narrative collapses, or the room stops making sense for the moment it’s in. Here are ten high-profile San Diego restaurants we would not bet on making it through 2026. 

San Diego Restaurants Closures & Downgrades This Week (January 9 - 15) Due To County Health Department Inspections

This is the weekly list of San Diego County restaurants and food facilities that have faced temporary closures and downgraded status due to health inspections from January 9 - 15, 2026.

OP-ED: Free Parking on MLK Day? Balboa Park’s Tone-Deaf Gesture Lands Like A Slap In The Face

Balboa Park announcing “free parking” on Martin Luther King Jr. Day is not a gift. It’s an insult wrapped in a press release.

Eyes in the Sky, Rights On The Ground: What San Diego’s Police Drone Boom Means For Privacy, Policing, And Public Safety

Law enforcement drones are now so widespread across San Diego County that the question is no longer whether police are watching from above, but how often, under what rules, and with whose consent. 

Cucina Enoteca Will Close Del Mar Location After 12 Years As Rising Costs And Oversized Lease Catch Up To Flower Hill Fixture

After more than a decade as one of Del Mar’s most visible dining destinations, Cucina Enoteca is preparing to close its Flower Hill location, bringing an end to a 12 year run that once symbolized the expansion era of North County dining. The two story restaurant, which opened in late 2013, is expected to shutter in mid March after its ownership elected not to renew the lease.

After Years Away, Chef Jason McLeod Returns To Lead The Kitchen At Ironside Fish & Oyster In San Diego’s Little Italy

Chef Jason McLeod is back in San Diego and returning to a familiar pass: Ironside Fish & Oyster in Little Italy, the restaurant that helped define Consortium Holdings’ early pivot from cocktail mythology into a group that could actually cook. 

Moe’s Bartender Seen Back In Public As Recovery Continues Months After Mission Beach Stabbing

More than three months after a brutal stabbing inside Moe’s Steakhouse shocked San Diego's Mission Beach, bartender Matthew Harnden is continuing his long road to recovery, and according to a recent encounter inside the very place where the incident occurred, is gradually reclaiming everyday moments of normalcy.

Japan’s Pepper Lunch Bringing First San Diego Location To Kearny Mesa This Spring

San Diego is officially getting its first taste of one of Japan’s most recognizable fast casual restaurant brands. Pepper Lunch is preparing to open its debut San Diego location in Kearny Mesa later this year, marking a major milestone for the global concept’s long anticipated expansion into the region.

San Diego County's Real Estate Shuffle: 21 High-Profile Bar & Restaurant Spaces Available For Sale And Lease Across The Region

San Diego’s bar-and-restaurant map is being redrawn in real time, and some very recognizable spaces are suddenly in play. Check out this snapshot of 21 notable San Diego County hospitality spaces currently on the market for sale or lease. 

After More Than 60 Years With The Same Name, San Diego's Historic Gay Bar The Hole Becomes Bar 1924

One of San Diego’s most historic and culturally significant bars has entered a new chapter. The Hole in Point Loma, a fixture of the neighborhood since 1961 and widely regarded as San Diego’s oldest continuously operating gay bar, has officially rebranded as Bar 1924, closing the book on a name that has carried generations of meaning while leaning fully into the venue’s deeper, nearly century long roots.

San Diego's Harland Brewing Readies Its Biggest Leap Yet With Full-Service Restaurant Opening In 4S Ranch

After years of building one of San Diego’s most recognizable brewery brands, Harland Brewing is about to take its most ambitious step yet, and it’s happening far from the coast, in the heart of 4S Ranch.

Two East County San Diego Restaurants Damaged In Separate Two-Alarm Fires Overnight

Two separate restaurant fires in East County San Diego triggered large multi-agency emergency responses overnight and into Tuesday morning, leaving significant damage to two popular dining establishments in Alpine and El Cajon. Both incidents occurred within hours of each other and escalated to second-alarm responses as firefighters battled roof-related blazes.

Shanghai-Based Dagu Rice Noodle Brings Yunnan-Style ‘Crossing the Bridge’ Soups To San Diego’s Convoy Corridor

San Diego’s Convoy Street dining corridor has welcomed a new international import with the opening of Dagu Rice Noodle, a Shanghai-based restaurant chain specializing in Yunnan-style rice noodle soups. 

San Diego's Pop Pie Co. And Stella Jean’s Ice Cream Headed To La Mesa Village With Side-By-Side Locations

Two of San Diego’s most popular homegrown food concepts are officially headed east, with Pop Pie Co. and Stella Jean’s Ice Cream set to open adjacent locations in the heart of La Mesa Village. 

San Diego Padres Ready To Open 1970s-Themed Cocktail Lounge ‘Diamond Room’ Near Petco Park

The San Diego Padres are expanding their presence beyond the ballpark with the opening of Diamond Room, a new 50-seat, upscale cocktail lounge set to debut Friday just outside Petco Park. The venue takes over the former City Tacos location near Gallagher Square, marking another step in the team’s effort to activate the surrounding neighborhood year-round.

VanMan Kitchen Opens In San Diego's Pacific Beach, Blending Grass-Fed Burgers With A Growing Wellness Operation

VanMan Kitchen has opened in San Diego's Pacific Beach, pairing grass-fed burgers and tallow fries with a neighboring production space for the company's wellness brand.

Lifelong San Diegan Loses Nearly 300 Pounds Through Grit, Movement, And The City Around Him

Lifelong San Diegan Brian Anderson has lost nearly 300 pounds through movement, mindset, and the city that shaped his journey.