The 2016 Major League Baseball season is upon us and that means that San Diegans will be heading downtown to Petco Park for San Diego Padres games. Since the MLB All-Star Game comes to downtown SD this year for the first time ever, this season should be one of the most exciting seasons yet! Each year, the stadium unveils a new lineup of vendors, so here we run down our favorite spots to grab a bite or a beer inside and around Petco Park!
Ballpark food is no longer just hot-dogs and peanuts. Nowadays, it can be healthy, delicious and even upscale, especially in America's Finest City. San Diego Padres' Petco Park is filled with offerings from some of our city's best food and beverage purveyors, so a visitor can get a taste of the area's most popular eateries and sample some of our city's finest craft beer and spirits just by exploring the concessions at the ballpark.
In addition to metal detectors at all gates, a shortened left field, new LED lighting, and a broadcast screen the size of a house (the largest in the National League and 3rd largest in all of baseball), there have been many new bells and whistles introduced at San Diego's Petco Park in the past couple years, including the addition of ticketed bar rail seating in left field at The Patio/Ballast Point's The Point, Pizza Port's famous pizza and craft beer all over the place and so much more. Below we've outlined what there is and where you can get it inside Petco. Our top picks are marked with an asterix (*).
- Baked Bear* - 104 - Ice cream sandwiches made with fresh baked cookies, brownies and waffles.
- Ballast Point Bar* - Park at the Park, 102, 129, 226, 319 - Delicious craft beer.
- Ballast Point Beer Garden* - 228 - BEER!
- Ballpark Eats - 104, 115, 116, 135, 208, 233, 303, 315 - Like the name says...
- Bay View Grill - Sections 300, 316, 323 - Carne asada fries and ballpark fare.
- Board & Brew* - 109, 207 - Custom sandwiches and craft beer.
- Brigantine Seafood & Oyster Bar - 202, 206 - Fish and chips, clam chowder, fish tacos and other seafood.
- Budweiser Patio - 227 - Nuts, terrible beer and people who don't like good beer.
- Bumblebee - 107, 119 - San Diego's tuna mecca has a poke bar and a seafood car.
- Cardiff’s Seaside Market* - 107 - A market inside the ballpark! A great spot for salad, juice, flatbreads, a burgundy pepper tri-tip sandwich, snacks, and hot and fresh comfort foods.
- Cardiff's Seaside Tri-Tip* - 110, 129, 303 - Famous BBQ tri-tip sandwiches from Cardiff Market, as well as tri-tip nachos.
- Club 19* - Toyota Terrace Section 217 - Full service bar and restaurant honoring Tony Gwynn's legacy with truffle popcorn, shrimp and corn fritters, and chrorizo corn dogs.
- Coronado’s Bar - 202 - Full service bar with views of Coronado.
- Craft Beers of San Diego* - 105, 215, 229, 303, 328 - San Diego is America's finest beer city and this spot rounds them all up.
- Deep Eddy Vodka Hideaway* - Toyota Terrace Section 222 - A fun bar with an amazing view of the ballpark, good cocktails, and food from Zenbu. I once spent an entire game in this spot.
- Dippin Dots - 112, 119, 126, 320 - Weird little ice cream orbs.
- Donovan's Wines at the Park* - 104 - Over 35 selections of wine from a San Diego steakhouse and seafood destination.
- The Draft by Ballast Point* - 207 - Good people drink good beer.
- Estrella Cantina - Park at the Park - Mexican eats.
- Gaglione Brothers* - 124, 319 - San Diego cheesesteaks, garlic fries and a pepper bar.
- Goose Island - 102 - Once upon a time, this was a craft brewery from Chicago, but now it's part of Big "Craft" Beer.
- Grilled Sandwiches - Western Metal Building - Sandwiches. Grilled.
- Hodad's* - 104, 133, 300, 306 - The Famous Ocean Beach burger destination in the park. Get the bacon cheeseburger, fries, onion rings and pretty much anything else.
- Infield Fries - 229 - Fries, dogs, chicken fingers, etc.
- Karl Strauss* - 102 - Grab brews from San Diego's original craft brewer.
- Lane Field Lemonade - Park at the Park, 112, 119, 126, 320 - Cotton candy, snow cones, Dippin' Dots, churros and, of course, lemonade.
- Lexus Home Plate Bar, Lounge and Restaurant - behind home plate - Requires a one-time non-refundable yet transferable membership fee per seat. Serves as a full service bar and upscale lounge in one of the most sought after sections of the park.
- The Loft presented by Budweiser - Western Metal Building - I wouldn't set foot in here so who knows?
- Lucha Libre* - 211 - Overstuffed burritos from one of San Diego's most popular taco shops.
- Miguel's Cocina* - 104 - This Mexican concept from the Brigantine Group offers staples like the surf and turf burrito, fish taco, carne asada tacos and more. Ask for extra white sauce.
- Mission Bar - 121, 122 - Good times await at this bar.
- Mission Brewing* - 102, 129 - Probably the closest brewery to Petco is also inside Petco.
- Montejo Bar - Western Metal Building - Fake Mexican beer from Budweiser.
- Mr Softee - 104, 113, 115, 116, 121, 215, 311, 320 - Ice cream!
- Nacho Padre - Western Metal Building, 306, 320, 321 - Basic nachos.
- Omni Hotel Premier Club* - 108 - This is an enclosed lounge where fans can eat their hearts out at a buffet.
- Paradise Bowls - 107 - Acai bowls, etc.
- The Patio in Left Field* - 128, 228 - From the owners of The Patio on Lamont, The Patio on Goldfinch, and Fireside by the Patio, to name a few. Get the TJ dog, ahi poke tacos, black truffle garlic fries, beef and blue fries.
- Peet's Coffee - 104, 115, 116, 135, 208, 233, 303, 310, 315, 325 - San Francisco coffee in SD.
- Pizza Port* - 104, 121, 215, 311, 320 - Specialty pizza and craft beer from a local San Diego brewpub.
- Phil's BBQ* - Park at the Park, 113 - Go for the El Toro or Broham sandwich and maybe some baby back ribs.
- The Porch by Pacifico - 124 - Mexican beer spot.
- The Rail - Western Metal Building - Great view.
- Randy Jones Grill* - Membership Lounge, 119, 124, 304, 309, 320 - Named after the Padres' pitching sensation, this barbecue hub is where you want to go for half pound bbq hot dog, pulled pork, brisket, etc.
- Rimels Rotisserie* - Western Metal, Park at the Park, 101 - Local spot that serves up rotisserie chicken, fish tacos and more.
- Ryan Bros. Coffee - 104, 117, 226 - Who drinks coffee at a baseball game? Apparently some people. I'll be drinking craft beer.
- Stone Brewing Co. World Bistro* - 309 - A mini-World Bistro inside the stadium.
- Tarantino Hot Dogs - Park at the Park, 308 - Local meat company specializing in hot dogs and sausages.
- The Taco Shop - 119, 120, 319 - An assortment of tacos and tamales. The spot on Taco Tuesdays in Petco.
- The Trolley Bar - 110, 125 - Get your drink on!
- Vegetarian Stand - 107, 303, 315, 320 - For the perpetual Meatless Monday people.
- Wines at the Park - 104 - Wine for you fancy folk.
- Western Metal Brick and Bottle by Mission Brewery* - Western Metal Building - Get some grilled cheese sandwiches with your craft beer fix.
- Yogurtland - 107, 121 - Frozen yogurt and all the fixins'.
- Zenbu Sushi* - 224 - An assortment of sushi rolls from a local company.
Many popular eateries from the 2015 season are no more at Petco, including Anthony's Fish Grotto, Bub's in the Ballpark, Brickhouse Deli, Firehouse Subs, El Agave Tequila Mission Tequila Bar, Wings-N-Things, and others.
Being that Petco Park gives ticket holders in-and-out privileges (must have ticket and go through metal detector), here are some suggestions for places right around the park to grab a drink and a bite before, during or after the game:
Petco Park is located at 100 Park Boulevard in downtown San Diego. For more information and to purchase tickets to see the Padres, visit sandiego.padres.mlb.com.
- Basic - Pizza.
- The Blind Burro - Upscale Mexican food.
- Fairweather/Rare Form - Modernized deli and a rooftop cocktail bar overlooking the park.
- Stone Brewing Tap Room - Stone beer right next to the park.
- Half Door Brewing Co. - Brewpub in a really cool setting.
- Social Tap - Nice bar/restaurant with a porch damn near in Park in the Park.
- Oscar's Mexican Seafood - Great seafood tacos.
- Salvucci's - New Italian eatery.
- Altitude Sky Lounge - Rooftop lounge atop the Marriott looking down into Petco.
- Water Grill - Upscale seafood spot with raw bar.
Petco Park is located at 100 Park Boulevard in downtown San Diego. For more information and to purchase tickets to see the Padres, visit sandiego.padres.mlb.com.
