Tag: east village

5 San Diego Happy Hours to Try in August

With summer seeming to speed by, I can’t believe it’s already time for another installment of San Diego happy hours! For the month of August, I’ve highlighted bars from the heart of downtown up to La Jolla, including my FAVORITE place for $5 poke as well as the best spot to grab $1 oysters by the pool!

5 San Diego Happy Hours to Try in August | The ELL Blog1.Market Hall

Located downtown at the start of East Village, Market Hall is a gourmet food shop with a fantastic selection of high end products including cheeses, wines, and ready-made meals. The spot also has an onsite bar and restaurant which offers a daily happy hour from 4-9pm. Yep, you read that right — it lasts for 5 hours! And to make it even better, all of their happy hour offerings are INCREDIBLE. Rosé is only $4, and that poké and cucumber stack pictured above is a simple $5. It’s a pretty quiet spot, but definitely worth a stop if you’re looking for some amazing food and drinks at ridiculously great prices.

5 San Diego Happy Hours to Try in August | The ELL Blog

2. Park & Rec

This indoor/outdoor concept in University Heights offers a double happy hour Monday – Thursday from 4-6 and again from 10 til close. Cocktails and wines are $6 each, so you can grab a Pimm’s Cup and head to the back house for a game of corn hole. If you’re more interested in people watching, grab one of the adirondack chairs on the front patio and soak up the neighborhood scene.

5 San Diego Happy Hours to Try in August | The ELL Blog

3. The Pool House

The newest rooftop spot to join downtown San Diego, The Pool House is an outdoor bar at The Pendry Hotel that opens to the public nightly starting at 5pm. Don’t miss out on their “Rooftop Social” during the week from 5-7 when their entire menu is half off. San Diego happy hours don’t get much better than this — oysters are just $1 each, and wines start at $5.50. You’ll feel like you’re staying at a five star resort for none of the cost!

5 San Diego Happy Hours to Try in August | The ELL Blog

4. The Smoking Goat

After getting back from Paris, Elliot & I sometimes (more like always) crave a European atmosphere. Enter The Smoking Goat, an intimate French restaurant in North Park that serves up farmhouse style cuisine. Stop in Monday – Friday from 5-6pm for their nightly happy hour, which includes $4 beers and $5 wines. If you’re feeling indulgent, splurge for the escargot and duckfat truffle fries, which are just $6 each.

5. Catania

Whiskenladle Hospitality’s fifth Italian restaurant, Catania, is perched above Girard street in La Jolla, offering both city and partial ocean views from the patio. Their daily “apertivo” runs from 3-6pm, where you can order discounted cocktails and bites. Authentic appetizers include beef carpaccio, arancini, and a salami plate, while drinks range from wines to simple craft cocktails.

Interested in learning more about San Diego happy hours? Read my previous guides here, here and here!

5 San Diego Happy Hours to Try in April

The next monthly installment of San Diego happy hours is here!  This month, I’ve included one of our all time favorites, as well as some other great go-tos throughout the city. Get ready to try out oysters on Adams Ave, Moscow Mules downtown, and margs in Liberty Station!

1. FIRESIDE

5 San Diego Happy Hours to Try in April - Fireside | The ELL Blog

This outdoor dining concept from the Patio Group is a perfect spot for an afternoon cocktail at Liberty Station. Southwestern accents are sprinkled throughout the patios — including cowhide cocktail tables! — and their back patio bar is housed within a shipping container. Six cocktails are on happy hour, including a yummy margarita and the “Bees Knees Please,” a gin + honey cocktail. Their food offerings are extensive as well, with flatbreads, salads and appetizers all included on happy hour (make sure to try the cornbread). Since Fireside is owned by the Patio Group, which is a very dog friendly restaurant group, pups are always welcome, too! Last time we were here, the server brought Aspen some salmon skin as a treat and she was in heaven. Happy hour runs 3-6pm Tuesday through Sunday, and all day on Mondays.

2. Jayne’s Gastropub

5 San Diego Happy Hours to Try in April - Jayne's Gastropub | The ELL Blog

Located on the northern side of 30th Street, Jayne’s Gastropub offers British fare in a charming white-washed spot. While their happy hour is a little higher priced than most ($8 for drinks and appetizers), the spot is worth a stop if you’re looking for something a little different in North Park.  The bright space and honeycomb tiled floors are a photo dream, plus they have a darling back garden patio that’s completely hidden from the street. Happy hour here runs Tuesday through Sunday from 3-6pm.

3. Lion’s Share

5 San Diego Happy Hours to Try in April - Lion's Share | The ELL Blog

Lion’s Share is one of our all time favorite San Diego happy hours. Located downtown off Kettner Street, the intimate bar + restaurant has an eclectic pub vibe, with dim lighting and animal oil paintings adorning the walls. Happy hour, which runs everyday from 4-6pm, includes a long list of craft cocktails for only $6 as well as appetizers from $4-$8. The Moscow Mule made with fresh ginger is my absolute fav, and their $4 truffle fries are hard to beat. If you’re wanting a little more substance, they also offer a burger + beer special for just $10.

4. Half Door Brewing Co.

5 San Diego Happy Hours to Try in April - Half Door | The ELL Blog

Looking for a spot to grab a beer before heading to Petco Park? Half Door is located just a block from the stadium – plus you can even see into the park from their rooftop balcony! The Irish style brew pub is located within a historic white house,  which gives the spot even more charm. Head inside to the first floor and sit at the bar, where they’ll pour their house brewed beers from doorknob tap handles. During happy hour, which goes Monday – Friday from 4-6pm, house beers are $5 and specialty cocktails are $6. They also have a selection of bites on the happy hour menu as well, such as fried goat cheese and ahi tuna tacos.

5. Beerfish

5 San Diego Happy Hours to Try in April - Beerfish | The ELL Blog

Beerfish offers a fun, nautical themed dining experience on Adams Street. Their outdoor patio is adorned with buoys, market lights, and bench seating, while inside is vibrantly complete with mapped wallpaper and a fresh oyster bar. Stop in Monday through Friday from 3-6pm and receive $2 off beers and wine, and oysters for just a dollar. Can’t go wrong with a glass of rosé and seafood outdoors.

Hope you enjoyed this month’s list of San Diego happy hours — come back in May for five new ones that are sure to bring some inspiration to your afternoon plans!

A Visit to You and Yours Distilling Co.

You & Yours Distilling Co. lounge

You & Yours Distilling cocktail
You & Yours Distilling bar

You & Yours Distilling lounge

You & Yours Distilling cocktail

You & Yours Distilling sign

I can’t tell you how excited I was when I found out a distillery would be opening up on the ground floor of our apartment building in East Village. A cocktail lounge literally downstairs from my home? My dream. So when You and Yours Distilling Co. had their official grand opening in San Diego a few weeks ago, I was so excited to finally see what the space was like – and it certainly didn’t disappoint!  The open modern space, bohemian decor accents, and exposed white brick created the ultimate urban cocktail lounge vibe. Currently, they distill gin + vodka in the space which is used in their incredibly unique list of craft cocktails. From “Little Bunny Foo Foo”  to “Daddy Don’t Make Dinner,” the drinks are as much fun to order as they are to sip!

The fresh ingredients used in each cocktail are refreshingly satisfying – and dare I say healthy? Carrot, turmeric, bell pepper, basil, and smoked ice are just a few of the add-ins you’ll see the bartenders artfully crafting with. For those looking to take home a bit of the experience, bottles of You & Yours gin and vodka are even available for purchase at the tasting room, too. The label designs make the bottles an immediate bar cart star – their floral covered Sunday Gin bottle is my new favorite!

While the chic space and cocktails are amazing, it wasn’t until meeting Laura Johnson, the one behind the operation, that really put You and Yours Distilling over the top. Hearing her passion for the spirits industry and the efforts she’s gone to over the past several years to open California’s first ever female-owned distillery was so inspiring!

If you’re in the downtown San Diego area, definitely make sure to stop by East Village and check out You and Yours Distilling!

5 San Diego Happy Hours to Try in March

Trying out new bars and restaurants is one of our favorite things to do, and San Diego happy hours are sometimes the easiest way to check out a place. If you’ve been looking for a new spot to try in the city, or simply want some inexpensive  sips and bites, here are five San Diego happy hours to try this month:

1. THE CRACK SHACK – LITTLE ITALY

San Diego Happy Hours | Crack Shack

This entirely outdoor restaurant is the perfect spot for a sunny afternoon cocktail. The Crack Shack’s menu is based around chicken + eggs (as the name suggests), serving gourmet chicken sandwiches alongside self-service homemade sauce bar. The lively atmosphere, complete with a bocce ball court and plenty of seating, makes this spot a fun afternoon hangout. Happy hour runs Monday-Friday from 3-6pm, with $3 off cocktails and $2 off beer + wine.

2. FairweatheR – East Village

san Diego Happy Hours | Fairweather

When the sun is out, piña coladas are in order. Head to this rooftop oasis above Rare Form and grab a tiki drink for only $7 during happy hour, starting at 5pm Monday through Friday.  If the glassware and pink umbrellas aren’t enough, the rooftop view of Petco Park should help, too.

3. Isola Pizza – Little Italy

San Diego Happy Hours | Isola Pizza

Isola has long been one of our favorite happy hours in the city. Ever since studying abroad in Italy, Elliot and I have been on the hunt for authentic Italian pizzas. Not only does this spot have one of our favorite margarita pizzas to date, it’s only $5 during their everyday happy hour from 3-6pm.  Add a glass of wine or Prosecco for another $5, and dinner is complete.

4. SODA & SWINE – LIBERTY STATION

San Diego Happy Hours | Soda & Swine

The Liberty Station Soda & Swine location has a vibe  reminiscent of a vintage soda parlor with funky twists – including a glass-topped foosball bar table, Spanish tile walls, and cherry red bar stools. The restaurant is specifically known for it’s meatball menu, which can be ordered with a variety of sauces on sliders, subs, or pasta (all of which are incredible). Happy hour is Monday – Friday from 3-7, with $5 beers, wines and select cocktails. A half order of “Dirty Fries” are only $5, too, and definitely hit the spot.

5. Puesto – Downtown

San Diego Happy Hours | Puesto

While Puesto is one of my all time favorite taco spots in San Diego, it gets even better at happy hour. The art-covered walls, colorful chairs, and cacti clusters create an artsy Mexican vibe within the historic Headquarters building. Happy hour runs Monday-Friday from 3-5, when their “Puesto Perfect” margaritas are only $6, and speciality tacos are $3.50 a piece.

The Quartyard

The Quartyard | ELL.

The Quartyard | ELL.

The Quartyard | ELL.

The Quartyard | ELL.

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The Quartyard | ELL.

The Quartyard | ELL. The Quartyard | ELL.

The Quartyard | ELL.

The East Village in San Diego is a place not to be missed. It sits adjacent to the Gaslamp District downtown, and includes amazing bars, restaurants, and shops. The Quartyard is our most recent discovery there, and we have been back every weekend since. The area was originally a large vacant lot that sat empty for years during the recession. A group of students from a local design school decided to make use of the space, and created a gathering place for East Villagers. Using old shipping containers, they opened a coffee shop, gallery, eatery, concert stage, and bar. The spot is so fun because it is all outdoors, and includes a few food trucks on the weekends, too.

During the week, the Quartyard Bar has a happy hour too, so you can grab a cheap drink and play some cornhole in the sunshine.  The Quartyard is very dog friendly as well, and even has a little Dog Park in the back. The place definitely draws a lot of San Diego’s cool crowd, so don’t be surprised if everyone seems to have a french bulldog or pitbull (we still can’t figure out how those became the popular San Diego dogs).

Being in the middle of a city, it’s so nice to have an open space among the buildings to relax and enjoy the fresh air. If you ever find yourself downtown, make sure to walk the few extra blocks east to find this cool spot. You won’t be disappointed.

xx