San Diego-Born Mike’s Red Tacos Working To Replicate Dave’s Hot Chicken Playbook

Something big is cooking behind the scenes at Mike’s Red Tacos. The wildly popular San Diego birria brand, known for its crimson-dipped tacos and viral Crunchstack, is now reportedly teaming up with key players from Dave’s Hot Chicken - including franchise partners and even some of the Los Angeles chain’s founding investors - to lay the groundwork for a nationwide franchise rollout. 

Galápagos Tortoise “Gramma” Dies At San Diego Zoo After Nearly a Century on Display - Marking Another Devastating Loss In A Tumultuous Year For New Zoo Leadership

San Diego Zoo has lost one of the most iconic animals in its 109-year history. Gramma, the ancient Galápagos tortoise who spent nearly a century at the Zoo and was affectionately known as the “Queen of the Zoo,” died Thursday at what experts believe was the astonishing age of up to 141 years. Her death marks the end of an era - and deepens what has already been one of the most emotionally and operationally challenging years in recent memory for the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.

Residents Say Ocean Beach Pier Is Being Looted And Tagged As City of San Diego’s Replacement Plan Sluggishly Crawls Forward

More than two years after the Ocean Beach Pier was locked behind gates and declared too damaged to repair, frustrated residents say the shuttered landmark is slipping into ruin in plain sight - and that people are now picking it apart. 

San Diego Restaurants Closures & Downgrades This Week (November 14 - November 20) 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 November 14 - 20, 2025.

Wrongful Death Lawsuit Over San Diego Gaslamp Quarter Rooftop Killing Pulls Back The Curtain On Theatre Box’s Hollywood Landlords, Liquor License Collapse And Eviction Fight

The young daughter of a Navy veteran killed this summer inside the Theater Box complex in San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter has filed a wrongful death lawsuit accusing the owners and operators of Cielo Rooftop Lounge, Mr. Tempo Cantina, and the building itself of failing to provide basic security in a venue they allegedly knew was dangerous. Newly obtained public records and correspondence now raise broader questions about who actually controls the troubled property and how it has been managed.

Hacked Road Signs In San Diego's North County Hijacked With Explicit And Hate-Filled Messages, Alarming Residents And Forcing Citywide Reset

Electronic road signs installed across Encinitas to promote traffic safety following recent high-profile accidents were hijacked this week in a disturbing wave of tampering that caused the signs to display profanity, explicit imagery, and at least one antisemitic message. The sabotage has forced the city to shut down or reset multiple message boards, triggered a law-enforcement investigation, and raised serious concerns about driver distraction and basic equipment security.

La Playa Taco Shop Owner Detained By ICE And Facing Possible Deportation, Leaving San Diego Community Rallying For His Return

The longtime owner of La Playa Taco Shop, a well-known and decades-old Mexican restaurant in San Diego's Pacific Beach, has been detained by federal immigration authorities and is facing possible deportation, prompting a widespread community response and raising concerns about the future of the family-run institution.

Bica Expands Its Creative Footprint With Cinema Crudité And Other Community-Driven Events in San Diego's Normal Heights

Bica, the Mediterranean-leaning café on Adams Avenue in Normal Heights, has quickly evolved from a casual daytime spot into one of the most quietly influential gathering places in San Diego. Now, the restaurant is deepening its community focus with a series of “Cinema Crudité” screenings that pair films with playful curated bites.

On Las Cuatro Milpas, Receipts, And The Cost Of Being First

Over a year ago, on October 21, 2024, we reported that Las Cuatro Milpas had plans to sell and close in 2025 after speaking with employees (one being an owner) who said as much. The story spread with lightning speed, then the family denied it, social media erupted, and a chorus of commentators - some well-meaning, some opportunistic - declared our reporting “fake.” SanDiegoVille was mocked, blocked, brigaded, threatened and told to sit down.

San Diego's Serpentine Cider Shutters Original Miramar Tasting Room - Future Of Company Uncertain

Serpentine Cider has closed its flagship Miramar tasting room and restaurant “until further notice,” the company announced, raising new questions about the future of the once-prominent San Diego cidery. 

Mark Wahlberg’s Flecha Cantina Opens In San Diego, Taking Over A Former Miguel’s Cantina Space After Record-Breaking Flip

Mark Wahlberg’s growing Mexican restaurant venture, Flecha Cantina, quietly hosted its soft opening in San Diego’s 4S Ranch - just two weeks after Miguel’s Cocina served its final plate after over a decade in the same space. The turnaround was so fast and the renovation so minimal that regulars may find themselves checking whether they walked into the right restaurant. Miguel’s sign came down, a Flecha sign went up, and Wahlberg’s team appears to have called it a day.

Fleurette, Chef Travis Swikard’s Côte d’Azur-Inspired Restaurant, Set To Open Next Month In San Diego's UTC

Chef Travis Swikard, the Michelin-recognized talent behind East Village’s acclaimed restaurant Callie, has formally announced the opening date of his long-anticipated second concept, Fleurette. The Southern French–influenced restaurant will debut December 10 in San Diego’s University City, with reservations now live.

FIRST LOOK: Bonne Vie Brasserie & Bar Opens Inside The Westgate Hotel, Bringing French-Californian Elegance To Downtown San Diego

The Westgate Hotel has unveiled its newest culinary venture, Bonne Vie Brasserie & Bar, an all-day dining destination blending French tradition with California’s bright, coastal sensibilities. Officially debuting November 19, the restaurant adds a refined yet approachable option to the heart of downtown San Diego, just steps from the Gaslamp Quarter.

Viral "Vegan McDonald's Fast-Food Concept Mr. Charlie’s To Open Two San Diego Locations

Mr. Charlie’s, the buzzy all-vegan fast-food brand often dubbed the “vegan McDonald’s,” is set to open its first San Diego location in the former Chocolat Bistro space in Hillcrest and will also open a branch in Pacific Beach.

Rasoi Modern Indian To Bring Elevated Regional Flavors To San Diego's Scripps Ranch

Scripps Ranch is about to get a major new addition to its dining scene. Rasoi Modern Indian, an acclaimed Bay Area restaurant known for refined regional dishes and warm, family-driven hospitality, is preparing to open its first San Diego outpost in mid-February 2026. 

Encinitas Ale House Announces End Of An Era In San Diego's North County

After nearly two decades as one of North County’s coziest beer sanctuaries, Encinitas Ale House has announced it will not renew its lease, with plans to close its longtime Coast Highway 101 location. 

Liquor License At San Diego’s Theatre Box Complex Was Technically Revoked, California ABC Says; Entire Building’s Bars Forced Dry Under Settlement

The situation surrounding Mr. Tempo Cantina and the other nightlife venues inside downtown San Diego’s Theatre Box complex is far more serious than initially understood. According to new information provided directly to SanDiegoVille by a representative of the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC), the liquor license used by all of the building’s bars wasn’t just suspended - it was formally revoked. 

San Diego’s Little Italy Celebrated By Travel + Leisure Magazine As The Largest in the World - And It’s No Longer Just About Italian Food

Travel + Leisure Magazine has officially shined a national spotlight on San Diego’s Little Italy, declaring what locals have long known: the neighborhood is the largest Little Italy in the world and one of the most vibrant districts anywhere in the country. But as the magazine notes - and as every San Diegan can attest - today’s Little Italy is far more than a cluster of trattorias. It’s a rapidly evolving 48–block enclave that has embraced a full spectrum of businesses, cuisines, and cultural experiences while still honoring the community’s deep-rooted heritage.

Sono Bar & Restaurant Is Coming To North Park - And San Diego’s Most Confusing Restaurant Empire Is Spinning Again

Associates of San Diego’s most shape-shifting restaurant group are about to reinvent yet another property. A new concept called Sono is set to take over North Park’s Cacio E Pepe / The Seventh House space on University Avenue, marking the latest turn of the revolving door surrounding San Diego Dining Group and its extended web of affiliated operators and eateries.