There’s always news and happenings in the San Diego restaurant and bar scene. Fortuntely, for you, PubClub.com provides regular updates. Here’s the latest on restaurant and bar news throughout San Diego for March, including a wee bit of information on St. Patrick’s Day and Padres Opening Day.
But we start by introducing Kait of The Smoking Gun, our Server of the Month!
San Diego’s Server Of The Month
Kait moves around The Smoking Gun with the speed and agility of a gazelle but always takes the time to make sure her customers are served well before zipping off to the next table. She always smiles and comes back frequently to check on you. Learn more about her in this feature article!
News & Happenings
• Speaking of The Smoking Gun, it has launched a Late Night Steak Special on Thursdays from 10 p.m.-midnight. For $20, you get steak and beer or wine and can upgrade the drink to an Old Fashioned for an additional $4.99. Those who dine at The Smoking Gun can also enjoy the arcade, located at the back of the restaurant.
Nearby, El Chingon has a lineup of themed brunches in March, including for St. Patrick’s Day, Padres Opening Day and its nine-year anniversary. Here’s the complete lineup; reservations, which for some events include one mimosa and one brunch item, are available by calling 619-501-1919 or on Eventbrite.
– Sunday, March 8. Starting at 11 a.m., El Chingon will host a 2000s-inspired throwback brunch. People are encouraged to break out butterfly hair clips, velour tracksuits and other nostalgic attire while DJs spin crunk, pop and sing-along hits.
– Sunday, March 15: St. Patrick’s Day Brunch
Starting at 11 a.m., El Chingon will kick off its Shamrock and Mimosas Brunch, featuring drinks with a DJ.
– Tuesday, March 17: St. Patrick’s Day
El Chingon will celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with drinks specials, including drafts of green beer for at $6;and bottles of Jameson Irish Whiskey for $200.
– Thursday, March 19 – Wednesday, March 25: Nine-Year Anniversary
El Chingon will toast nine years with a weeklong anniversary celebration featuring $9 food and beverage offerings, special events and entert ainm ent. Throughout the week, guests can enjoy $9 “Bad Ass Bites” until 9 p.m., with standouts including Nachos Libres, a loaded quesadilla and Bad Ass Fries; along with a lineup of $9 signature cocktails such as the Pancho Villa, Zapata, Madero, Battle of Juárez and ¡Avenida Revolución!; plus a specialty birthday shot. On March 19, it has a Tequila Pairing Dinner hosted by GBOD Beverage Director Ryan Andrews. Beginning at at 7 p.m., it is a three-course tequila cocktail dinner paring with cocktails featuring El Chingon’s newly introduced Destilado de Agave. Tickets are $59.
– Friday, March 20: Havana Nights: “3 Places, One Moment in Time”
A special edition of Havana Nights, “3 Places, One Moment in Time,” will span Havana 1920, Prohibition and El Chingon. Going from 5-8 p.m., this is a free-to-attend event, tho those who RSVP in advance on Eventbrite get complimentary, tray-passed Cuban bocaditos, or small bites, a sampling of alcoholic spirits and entertainment Prohibition has a special agave cocktail menu, while El Chingon has a mariachi band and a piñata.
– Sunday, March 22: Banana Brunch
El Chingon will “go bananas” with a high-energy brunch inspired by the Savannah Bananas appearance at Petco Park. Starting at 11 a.m., it will have a DJ, interactive games, photo opportunities and giveaways. One lucky attendee will win tickets to see the Savannah Bananas live, with all guests automatically entered for a chance to score.
– Sunday, March 22: “The Bachelorette” Viewing Party
Bachelor Nation will gather for a premiere night viewing party for Season 22 of “The Bachelorette” featuring reality star Taylor Frankie Paul. Beginning at 8 p.m., people can watch the show, get a complimentary rose and get photos with Taylor.
– Monday, March 23: Margarita Competition
Bartenders from across the city’s top restaurants and bars will shake up original El Chingon Destilado margaritas as part of a contest where guests will serve as the ultimate judges to vote for their favorite drink. The winning duo will earn an all-expenses-paid trip to Tequila, the small town in Mexico’s western state of Jalisco and the birthplace of the spirit.
– Wednesday, March 25: Prohibition Cocktail Class
Prohibition, the speakeasy adjacent to El Chingon, is hosting a hands-on cocktail class in honor of the ninth anniversary and the new El Chingon Destilado spirit. Going from 6:30-8:30, it includes a welcome drink and two signature Destilado cocktails, with the opportunity for attendees to customize their own cocktail. GBOD Hospitality Group Beverage Director Ryan Andrews will guide the class, giving an overview of the spirit’s history, production process and flavor profiles. The event is open to guests 21 and older. Tickets are $45.
– Thursday, March 26: Padres Opening Day
Happy hour beverages and bites are available from 2- 6 p.m., and Monday through Friday throughout the season. The house margarita, made with El Chingon Bad Ass Destilado tequila, lime juice and agave, is at $6; the Bad Ass Michelada, made with house-made michelada mix and Dos Equis served in a goblet with a chamoy and Tajín rim and tamarind straw, is $9. Food, various tacos are $5 and Nachos Libre is $6.
El Chingon will also be hosting Padres-themed trivia nights on Tuesdays at at 7 p.m., when the team is on the road. Play as a team or individual. The top three scoring teams will win prizes with first place receiving two tickets to a future Padres home game. Runners-up will receive El Chingon gift cards.
– Sunday, March 29: Selena Brunch
Starting at 11 a.m., El Chingon will host a Selena-inspired brunch celebrating the Queen of Tejano music. The event will feature a high-energy soundtrack of Selena hits, DJs, sing-along moments, festive photo opportunities and themed drink specials. People are encouraged to wear purple outfits and red lipstic.
• For the third year in a row, O’Brien’s Pub has been named the best beer bar in the country. It was via USA Today’s annual 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards. “It feels incredible to win for a third straight year,” says co-owner Tyson Blake told San Diego Beer News. “ We are humbled and honored.” O’Brien’s Pub is located in Kearny Mesa at 4646 Convoy St.
• Roppongi Restaurant & Lounge has reopened its doors, marking the long-awaited return of one of La Jolla’s most revered upscale dining destinations. Led by acclaimed restaurateur Sami Ladeki, the restaurant is once again welcoming guests at its original location at 875 Prospect St., open daily for happy hour and dinner.
Led by Executive Chef Alfie Szeprethy, the menu offers a balance of guest favorites along with new offerings inspired by global influences and coastal flavors. The Polynesian Crab Stack, ahi poke with crispy wontons and the Japanese hot rock are among the items back on the menu. New items include handmade dumplings filled with lobster, duck confit and short rib; the Prime Crying Tiger Steak with herbs, ginger, red onion and cucumber, enjoyed as lettuce wraps; and inventive fried rice and noodle dishes designed for sharing. A curated beverage program features premium sake, thoughtfully selected wines and craft cocktails that complement the menu’s bold flavors.
Happy Hour is 3-5:30 p.m. daily on the patio and in the bar, offering a variety of half-price Asian tapas and specially priced drinks. Dinner service begins at 5 p.m. daily. Reservations are recommended
“Roppongi has always been about more than food,” said Ladeki. “It’s about energy, creativity and connection – a place where great design, great cuisine and great company come together. After hearing for years how much people missed it, reopening Roppongi in La Jolla feels incredibly meaningful, and we’re excited to welcome guests back.”
• Also in La Jolla, George’s at the Cove, fresh off its $1 million Ocean Terrace remodel, has introduced a promotion on select bottles of wine to celebrate the arrival of Daylight Savings Time. The “Spring Forward, Sip Back” deals include:
Adega de Penalva, Dao Branco “Indigena” – Dao, Portugal, 2023 – $32
Vigneti Del Sol, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo – Abruzzo, Italy, 2024 – $34
Josef Fischer, Gruner Veltliner – Federspiel, Wachau, Austria, 2022 – $38
Mas de Gourgonnier, Les Baux de Provence Rouge – Provence, Mourie, 2021 – $38
Fableist Rose, The Butterfly and the Wasp – Central Coast, CA – $40
There is no timeline for how long it lasts tho PubClub.com has been told it will at least be thru March.
• Spanish tapas restaurant Telefèric Barcelona, is expanding to San Diego with a new location opening this spring at Westfield UTC in La Jolla. Telefèric, a family-owned restauran group led by the Padrosa family and a team of Spanish chefs, is known for pioneering the art of pintxos, celebrating Spain’s rich culinary traditions while creating a lively, communal dining experience. Expect tapas, signature paellas, and a curated Spanish wine program featuring more than 100 selections.
• Louisiana Purchase Executive Chef Quinnton Austin, a.k.a. Chef Q, has added beef ribs to the menu available only through the end of March. A ¼ rack is $20, a ½ rack is $36 a full rack is $65. Chef Q also is offering a side special of fried okra with ghost pepper dust for $9. The restaurant is in North Park at University and, appropriately enough, Louisiana Street.
• City Tacos is pivoting from a taco once again for its March Taco of the Month. After introducing the tetela – a triangular corn masa pocket – in January and February, it has a Baja Birria Pocket Burrito in March. The special includes slow-braised birria, crispy French fries, melted cheese, creamy refried pinto beans, onion, cilantro, fiery serrano salsa, and cilantro aioli – all packed into a nine-inch, golden grilled flour tortilla, a bit smaller than a typical 12-14-inch tortilla for a regular-sized burrito. The Cali Birria Pocket Burrito goes for $7.95 at each of City Tacos’ six San Diego County locations in Encinitas, La Mesa, North Park, Pacific Beach, Ocean Beach, and Sorrento Valley.
Flixx About To Flex Its Muscles Again
Out for stroll through the Gaslamp Quarter, PubClub.com ran into someone walking out of Flixx, for former highly-popular nightclub on 3rd and Island. The person is one of the partners who just bought the property and something will be happening there in the next couple of months. “I’m in the nightclub industry,” he said, “but I’m tired of nightclubs. I want something where you can get good, cheap drinks.”
PubClub was very happy to hear that, especially in this age of “chef-driven concepts” with prices that are meant more for princes and princesses than for paupers.
San Diego Events For March – St. Patrick’s Day Parade & PubCrawls And Padres Opening Day Block Party
• St. Patrick’s Day means the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade. There are also several pub crawls and bar specials throughout the city, tho the annual ShamROCK block party in the Gaslamp Quarter is not taking place this year. There are, however, several pub crawls happening all over San Diego. There is the Lucky’s St. Patrick’s Day Pub Crawl (Saturday, March 14, 4-10 p.m.) and the 6th annual Downtown Drunken Leprechaun Bar Crawl (March 13, 14 and 17, 8:30 p.m.-2 a.m.) both in the Gaslamp Quarter, a bar crawl and block party in Pacific Beach (check in at The Beverly by 4 p.m.).
• The San Diego Padres season opener is Thursday, March 26 against the Detroit Tigers with first pitch at 1:10 p.m. The East Village Padres Block Party is Saturday, March 28, from 11:30 a.m.-4 p.m.
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