The San Diego Padres Opening Day is a reason to celebrate in this city and several bars in the Gaslamp Quarter and beyond are having food and drink specials. The date is Thursday, March 28 and the opponent is the San Francisco Giants, now managed by previous Padres manager Bob Melvin. First pitch is 1:10 p.m.
Just a few blocks from Petco Park on Market Street, The Smoking Gun has Stone Brewing’s salt & lime lager Bueanveza for $3.94 – the number represents Tony Gwinn’s batting average in 1994– from opening at 10 a.m., until the game ends. It is also selling $1 hot dogs and has a Padres Paloma Special with Patron silver, grapefruit liqueur, sugar and lime.
The always popular barleymash has The Ron Burgandy cocktail Templeton rye single barrel whiskey, angostura bitters, orange bitters, and sweetened with sugar) and The Mash barleymac, an ale-braised pork shoulder, bourbon BBQ sauce, fresh jalapeños and crispy tobacco onions with cavatappi noodles, poblano beer-cheese sauce, pepper jack beer, three cheese blend and breadcrumbs.
All season at the Margaritaville Hotel San Diego just steps from the stadium, there is live entertainment at the downstairs Swing by LandShark Bar & Grill and a DJ on the rooftop pool bar 5 o’Clock Somewhere. There is also beer pong, a Sonoran hot dog cart and drink specials like the Pina Machado, Fernando Tatini and Joe Musgarita upstairs. Score a free margarita with a Petco Park ticket stub at Margaritaville after the game (limited offer). The hotel has a Ballpark & LandSharks package, which includes two nights with a 20% room discount plus a bucket of five LandShark Lager bottless and chips & dip at either restaurant.
Lionfish has Karaage Baseball Sliders (milk buns filled with chicken karaage, Asian slaw, gochujang aioli, wasabi mayo, cilantro and negi), paired with a shot of Crown Royal whisky for $25, from 4-10 p.m
There Padres opening day afterparty is at Oxford Social Club from 10:30 p.m.-2 a.m. The swanky nightclub is setting aside its traditionally upscale dress code by allowing fans to wear their jerseys. Padres staff and team officials are expected at the club that night.
Then there is the East Village block party on Saturday, March 30.
Away from the ballpark in Mission Beach, Miss B’s Coconut Club has .394 Alesmith for $3.94 and Estrellas are $5. Miss B’s will also be having rotating food specials on game days throughout the season.
In Carlsbad Village, PRK 101 has an array of specials such as $5 Swinging Friar Drafts—Ballast point, $7 LFG IPA, $7 Estrellas, & $5 Skrewball, Jameson and Altos.