When a Reddit user recently posed a simple question - “What are some of the spots you guys avoid at all cost down here?” - it uncorked a torrent of pent-up frustration about San Diego’s restaurants. The r/SanDiego thread quickly filled with over a thousand comments slamming everything from portion sizes and prices to service, sanitation, and “tourist trap” hype. It also spawned a copycat thread on r/FoodSanDiego, an overly admin-censored San Diego subreddit. No corner of the county was spared, with users naming neighborhood diners, Mexican institutions, waterfront landmarks, breakfast chains, and even a three-Michelin-star fine-dining temple.
Breakfast Republic emerged as one of the most frequently roasted names, with commenters calling it “TERRIBLE,” accusing locations of rodent issues, and sharing stories of hair in food and bizarre service responses. One user described ordering toast and receiving un-toasted bread, only to be told the toaster was broken and staff “didn’t want” to toast it on the flattop because it “takes too long.” Others recalled bad beer, high prices, and a general sense that the once-popular spot had “fallen off” hard in recent years.
Another lightning rod was Farmers Table, which several commenters singled out as “god awful,” “overpriced, crappy food,” and inexplicably popular despite what they described as poor quality and service. One particularly brutal commenter joked that if Farmers Table has no haters, they must not be alive, while others said they’d had one terrible experience and never gone back. Slater’s 50/50, once a darling of the burger scene, was also heavily criticized, with users lamenting shrinking portions, removed customization options, lower meat quality, and a general slide from destination spot to “dumpster trash.”
Puesto, one of San Diego’s most visible modern Mexican concepts with locations around the city and in Petco Park, took a beating as well. Redditors blasted the restaurant for what they see as sky-high prices and underwhelming execution, with one commenter describing a bill of nearly $80 for four “okay” tacos and a margarita and another dismissing it as a place where you “pay $12 for a taco and get worse service as a cherry on top.” For some users, Puesto epitomized a broader frustration with Instagram-ready, design-forward restaurants whose vibe and branding overshadow the food on the plate.
High-profile and heavily marketed restaurants drew some of the harshest vitriol. Phil’s BBQ was repeatedly labeled overrated or outright bad, with users describing its meats as “dry,” “par-boiled reheated,” or tasting like “burnt ketchup.” Tourist-oriented destinations like Kansas City BBQ, Miguel’s, Tom Ham’s Lighthouse, and various Old Town Mexican restaurants were blasted as underwhelming, cynical, or “tourist trap garbage.” Some commenters even linked Miguel’s to real-world food safety concerns, citing recent illness incidents and news reports, while others defended certain locations as still enjoyable.
The thread also highlighted a deep cynicism about corporate chains and “mall food court” concepts that lean on branding instead of execution. Gen Korean BBQ was called out for allegedly declining meat quality and poor service, with one user claiming the restaurant expects guests to “clean the grill yourself with daikon,” and another saying the owners changed and “servers hated the owners.” California Pizza Kitchen, Yard House, Red Lobster, and other recognizable names took hits for inconsistency, salty and processed-tasting dishes, or prices that no longer match the experience.
Not even San Diego’s prestige players were safe. Several commenters took aim at Addison, the region’s three-Michelin-star showpiece at the Fairmont Grand Del Mar, with one calling it a “trap” worth “half the cost” and “lifeless and boring.” Others pushed back, saying it was their favorite restaurant and that they’d had multiple great experiences. The friction underscored a key tension in the thread: many posts blurred the line between “worst food” and “most overhyped” or “not worth the price,” turning a question about abject failure into a referendum on value and expectations.
There were also plenty of hyper-specific horror stories that will likely haunt the named venues for years in SEO results. Users described raw or frozen-in-the-middle seafood towers, raw chicken wings, congealed pizzas, greasy chicken “like a gusher,” roaches on plates, wilted salads with cold mozzarella sticks, and miso soup allegedly coming out of an iced tea dispenser. Some recounted servers doubling down on mistakes, adding unauthorized tips, or dismissing diners’ concerns - behaviors that, if true, can be more damaging to a restaurant’s reputation than a flawed dish.
But while the thread is undeniably entertaining in a rubbernecking sort of way, it also shows the ugliest side of Reddit culture. Many comments stray from constructive criticism into creative cruelty, dunking for upvotes rather than offering nuanced feedback. Anonymous users casually declare multi-generational institutions “dogshit,” call owners “cringe,” and flatten complex, labor-intensive businesses into one bad plate or one inattentive server. In classic Reddit fashion, the loudest voices are often the most extreme, and nuance gets buried under snark and sweeping generalizations about “everything being mid.”
Buried in the noise, however, are some legitimate themes that mirror broader conversations in San Diego’s dining scene. Multiple users complained that post-pandemic restaurant prices have climbed while quality and consistency have dipped, especially in high-rent areas like downtown and coastal neighborhoods. Some argued that many restaurants now focus more on Instagram-ready vibes, cocktails, and décor than on food that justifies a $60-a-plate tab. Others noted that mom-and-pop spots outside the urban core still offer strong hospitality and value, even as social media pushes tourists toward the most photogenic dining rooms.
It’s also worth remembering that these are anecdotes, not adjudications. A Reddit thread is not a county health report, a court record, or a data-driven study of local dining trends. Many of the venues being trashed in r/SanDiego serve thousands of guests a week, have loyal followings, and continue to earn positive reviews elsewhere. Restaurants are living organisms - ownership changes, chefs come and go, menus evolve, and even the best kitchens can have an off night. Conversely, some of the most shocking claims in the thread - about vermin, undercooked meat, or repeated illness - may be supported by actual health inspection records, but they just as easily could be exaggerated or misremembered.
If anything, the thread says as much about online discourse as it does about San Diego’s restaurants. Platforms like Reddit reward hot takes, hyperbole, and rage-bait - especially in threads that invite users to declare “the worst” of anything. What begins as a useful place to swap cautionary tales can quickly devolve into a pile-on where nuance dies and people flex their cynicism like a personality trait. That doesn’t mean every complaint is false or unfair, but it does mean readers should treat sweeping condemnations with skepticism and context, especially when livelihoods hang in the balance.
For diners, the lesson is simple: use Reddit as one of many tools, not a gospel. Cross-reference health inspection records, read a variety of reviews, talk to friends whose tastes you trust, and remember that one stranger’s “worst restaurant ever” is another regular’s birthday tradition. And if you’ve genuinely had a bad experience - raw food, unsanitary conditions, or dangerous service issues - consider taking it to management or the county health department, not just the upvote farm.
As for Reddit itself, r/SanDiego will almost certainly move on to the next outrage cycle soon enough. The restaurants named in this thread, however, will still be here tomorrow - working the line, turning tables, comping meals, improving, or, in some cases, proving the critics right. In the meantime, San Diego’s dining public is left to navigate a landscape where vibes, prices, and quality don’t always match - and where the loudest voices live on a website that thrives on exactly this kind of communal venting.
Originally published on November 14, 2025.
The thread also highlighted a deep cynicism about corporate chains and “mall food court” concepts that lean on branding instead of execution. Gen Korean BBQ was called out for allegedly declining meat quality and poor service, with one user claiming the restaurant expects guests to “clean the grill yourself with daikon,” and another saying the owners changed and “servers hated the owners.” California Pizza Kitchen, Yard House, Red Lobster, and other recognizable names took hits for inconsistency, salty and processed-tasting dishes, or prices that no longer match the experience.
Not even San Diego’s prestige players were safe. Several commenters took aim at Addison, the region’s three-Michelin-star showpiece at the Fairmont Grand Del Mar, with one calling it a “trap” worth “half the cost” and “lifeless and boring.” Others pushed back, saying it was their favorite restaurant and that they’d had multiple great experiences. The friction underscored a key tension in the thread: many posts blurred the line between “worst food” and “most overhyped” or “not worth the price,” turning a question about abject failure into a referendum on value and expectations.
There were also plenty of hyper-specific horror stories that will likely haunt the named venues for years in SEO results. Users described raw or frozen-in-the-middle seafood towers, raw chicken wings, congealed pizzas, greasy chicken “like a gusher,” roaches on plates, wilted salads with cold mozzarella sticks, and miso soup allegedly coming out of an iced tea dispenser. Some recounted servers doubling down on mistakes, adding unauthorized tips, or dismissing diners’ concerns - behaviors that, if true, can be more damaging to a restaurant’s reputation than a flawed dish.
But while the thread is undeniably entertaining in a rubbernecking sort of way, it also shows the ugliest side of Reddit culture. Many comments stray from constructive criticism into creative cruelty, dunking for upvotes rather than offering nuanced feedback. Anonymous users casually declare multi-generational institutions “dogshit,” call owners “cringe,” and flatten complex, labor-intensive businesses into one bad plate or one inattentive server. In classic Reddit fashion, the loudest voices are often the most extreme, and nuance gets buried under snark and sweeping generalizations about “everything being mid.”
Buried in the noise, however, are some legitimate themes that mirror broader conversations in San Diego’s dining scene. Multiple users complained that post-pandemic restaurant prices have climbed while quality and consistency have dipped, especially in high-rent areas like downtown and coastal neighborhoods. Some argued that many restaurants now focus more on Instagram-ready vibes, cocktails, and décor than on food that justifies a $60-a-plate tab. Others noted that mom-and-pop spots outside the urban core still offer strong hospitality and value, even as social media pushes tourists toward the most photogenic dining rooms.
It’s also worth remembering that these are anecdotes, not adjudications. A Reddit thread is not a county health report, a court record, or a data-driven study of local dining trends. Many of the venues being trashed in r/SanDiego serve thousands of guests a week, have loyal followings, and continue to earn positive reviews elsewhere. Restaurants are living organisms - ownership changes, chefs come and go, menus evolve, and even the best kitchens can have an off night. Conversely, some of the most shocking claims in the thread - about vermin, undercooked meat, or repeated illness - may be supported by actual health inspection records, but they just as easily could be exaggerated or misremembered.
If anything, the thread says as much about online discourse as it does about San Diego’s restaurants. Platforms like Reddit reward hot takes, hyperbole, and rage-bait - especially in threads that invite users to declare “the worst” of anything. What begins as a useful place to swap cautionary tales can quickly devolve into a pile-on where nuance dies and people flex their cynicism like a personality trait. That doesn’t mean every complaint is false or unfair, but it does mean readers should treat sweeping condemnations with skepticism and context, especially when livelihoods hang in the balance.
For diners, the lesson is simple: use Reddit as one of many tools, not a gospel. Cross-reference health inspection records, read a variety of reviews, talk to friends whose tastes you trust, and remember that one stranger’s “worst restaurant ever” is another regular’s birthday tradition. And if you’ve genuinely had a bad experience - raw food, unsanitary conditions, or dangerous service issues - consider taking it to management or the county health department, not just the upvote farm.
As for Reddit itself, r/SanDiego will almost certainly move on to the next outrage cycle soon enough. The restaurants named in this thread, however, will still be here tomorrow - working the line, turning tables, comping meals, improving, or, in some cases, proving the critics right. In the meantime, San Diego’s dining public is left to navigate a landscape where vibes, prices, and quality don’t always match - and where the loudest voices live on a website that thrives on exactly this kind of communal venting.
Originally published on November 14, 2025.
