SanDiegoVille

Cracker Barrel Rumored To Be Eyeing First San Diego Location Despite Recent California Challenges

Rumors are swirling that Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, the iconic Tennessee-based restaurant chain known for its homestyle comfort food and nostalgic gift shops, may be planning to open its first San Diego County location.

It's December, which means the holiday season has officially arrived in San Diego, and the county is bursting with celebrations of every kind. From classic tree lightings and glowing neighborhood displays to live comedy performances, community fundraisers, concerts, and one-of-a-kind local traditions, here is the ultimate list of over 100 events across the county to end 2025.

Tender Hooligan, the San Diego South Bay record-store-meets-izakaya concept that opened last summer to significant anticipation, is now embroiled in a bitter internal dispute as one of its majority owners prepares to file a lawsuit alleging severe misconduct by a fellow partner.

North County San Diego is about to welcome a bold new culinary destination as Grand Restaurant Group prepares to debut NÓMADA, a reimagined Mexican restaurant guided by acclaimed local chef Alex Carballo and set to open in early 2026.

Nearly a year after announcing its expansion from a wildly popular farmers market operation into a full-scale brick-and-mortar, Marigold Bagels is finally ready to open its first shop in San Diego's North Park.

San Diego's Trust Restaurant Group has quietly unveiled its newest project, Carlo - a speakeasy-style, Roman-inspired cocktail bar in Mission Hills - marking one of the company’s most secretive and theatrical openings to date.

A new giraffe was born at the San Diego Zoo on Sunday morning, bringing a welcome moment of joy to an institution that has endured one of its most challenging years in recent memory.

A wave of confusion spread through Coronado on Saturday night after multiple social media posts claimed there had been a shooting at The Henry, the popular all-day restaurant and bar located along Orange Avenue. The rumors circulated rapidly through local Facebook groups, prompting concern among residents and diners before police issued a formal clarification.

The internet has found its latest conspiracy theory, and - perhaps unsurprisingly - it centers on Guy Fieri. After a bizarre one-two punch involving a million-dollar tequila heist and a freak injury that left him temporarily wheelchair-bound, social media has spun itself into full-blown Flavortown noir. Social media is convinced the Mafia is involved, Twitter is joking about “cartel tax,” and one viral post even shows the cast of The Sopranos looming over the camera with the caption, “POV you are Guy Fieri.”

San Diego may not get snow, but the region still embraces the magic of winter with one of its most beloved seasonal traditions: outdoor ice skating. For 2025, pop-up rinks are returning to beaches, resorts, fairgrounds, and community hubs across the county, offering San Diegans a chance to trade palm trees for twinkle lights and glide their way into the holiday spirit.

The SoNo Fest & Chili Cook-Off returns to North Park on Sunday, December 7, bringing with it one of San Diego’s most spirited and community-driven holiday traditions.

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 21 - 27, 2025.

The holiday season has arrived, and once again San Diego’s bars, restaurants, and hotels are going all-in on festive décor, twinkling lights, and over-the-top winter whimsy. Whether you’re craving a cozy corner for a holiday cocktail, a full-blown Christmas-themed pop-up, or simply want to soak in some seasonal cheer, more than 40 venues across the county have transformed themselves into merry, magical escapes.

As San Diegans gather around their tables for Thanksgiving 2025 - with prix fixe holiday meals at luxury hotels now running well into the hundreds of dollars - a newly resurfaced artifact from the Hotel del Coronado offers a vivid look back at how America once celebrated the holiday. The Del’s 1974 Thanksgiving menu, a beautifully printed keepsake from November 28 of that year, reveals not just long-gone prices and dishes, but a snapshot of a nation and a hotel in the midst of major transition.

Leu Leu, the eclectic coastal lounge that opened earlier this year in Leucadia, has entered a new chapter. The restaurant announced that Chef Jason Ambacher, a Michelin-recognized culinary talent celebrated for elemental, ingredient-driven cooking, is stepping in as the restaurant’s new chef. The transition comes just weeks after the dramatic and highly publicized departure of celebrity chef Claudette Zepeda, whose eight-month tenure made headlines throughout San Diego’s dining scene.

San Diego hospitality powerhouse RMD Group has unveiled its newest concept, Canvas Café and Lounge, an all-day restaurant and bar now open in the lobby of the Carte Hotel on the corner of West Ash and State Street in Little Italy. The opening marks another expansion for the group behind Lumi, Huntress, and Rustic Root, blending café culture, lounge energy, and contemporary design in one of the neighborhood’s busiest crossroads.

Better Buzz Coffee Roasters, one of San Diego’s fastest-growing homegrown café brands, is preparing to expand into Imperial Beach, marking its southernmost location to date. According to recent permit filings, the company is targeting the current home of a Burger King for its next opening.

The original San Diego outpost of 85°C Bakery Café is shutting down next month, marking the end of an era for one of the region’s most recognizable Asian bakery concepts.

A three-year-old girl and a second child were injured Tuesday night in a suspected coyote attack near the Westfield UTC mall in La Jolla, prompting an active investigation by state wildlife authorities and renewed concerns about human-wildlife encounters in one of San Diego’s busiest commercial districts.