Pacific Terrace Hotel – If you are going to San Diego, specifically to the Pacific Beach area, the Pacific Terrace Hotel is the place you need to stay. Right on the beach and walking distance from PB’s greatest bars, restaurants, and shops, it is practically impossible to be bored at Pacific Terrace.
On top of a great location, their rooms are absolutely top notch. With a gorgeous ocean view balcony, tons of space, and the comfiest bed I have ever slept in, I could probably live comfortably in this hotel room forever. The Pacific Terrace Hotel is perfect for families, couples, or any adventurer. From their great location and fabulous rooms to their small special touches such as fresh cookies served every day and complimentary beverages by the pool, this is the hotel of Pacific Beach.
The Breakfast Republic – The place you simply cannot miss, not only because you can spot this huge white building with its buzz of customers from down the street, but because it is one of those delicious, hearty, huge menu, great service kind of breakfast places.
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This spot has a fun vibe from the outside, with egg waiting seats to the inside with a breakfast bar, colorful seating, and modern lighting. The menu is plentiful and delicious, with each item being not only instagram worthy but delicious. The food is delicious with a complete smorgasbord of flavor. Breakfast burritos can be tricky, but this one is perfect, not too filling but extremely flavorful, a perfect start to the day.
AND THE COFFEE, wow the Mexican blend Cafe De Olla is truly one of a kind, a cinnamony-smooth treat, definitely something you come back for, and I did… three days in a row. The Breakfast Republic is your go-to for coffee, eggs, bacon, and all things breakfast in PB.
PB Ale House – Another fun, can’t miss spot. PB Ale House is the perfect spot for a pregame beverage, full on dinner, or even just a sunset viewing. This is the kind of place you go to for more than just the food and drink as the ambiance is breathtaking.
However, you absolutely do go for the food and drink as well. The beer is brewed in house and is beyond refreshing, and so are their cocktails. You cannot go wrong with anything on the drink menu, but I recommend asking their fabulous waitstaff what they recommend!
As for appetizers you simply have to go the giant pretzel, brought with a cheese based dip and honey mustard, this pretzel is soft, fluffy, melt in your mouth goodness. This pretzel alone is a reason to visit Pacific Beach… and I will be back.
Crushed – A locals favorite, Crushed is cool, fun, and welcoming. From the beer to the burgers, everything served here is a favorite of the wait staff. This place truly honors small business and local products, from beverages to ingredients, they are proud to serve only products they truly love.
Known for their famous Pacific Beach brunch, craft beers, and mouth watering tapas, their experience is A1 from breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Crushed gets creative offering flights of mimosas, beer, and even margaritas. I was feeling adventurous and went with the Marg Flight, which was a gorgeous display of 3 unique, handcrafted margaritas, and it was absolutely delicious. Each drink was different, refreshing, and incredibly aesthetically pleasing.
I absolutely love tapas and Crushed offers it all, from selections of American, Mexican and Italian cuisine. We started with the Spinach Dip Wontons, an incredible mix of spinach and cream cheese served with a sweet chili dipping sauce.
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We followed up the wontons with the renowned Ducking Good Fries, which were topped with DUCK BACON… amazing, cheese, home-made sriracha sauce, and scallions, these fries definitely live up to their “ducking good” name.
We then moved onto some of their adorable, flight styled, PB BBQ “slider brigade.” The three home-made beef and bacon burgers were melt in your mouth good, topped with jalapeños, mozzarella cheese, onion rings, and BBQ sauce these sliders were simply done right.
The Crushed team was one of my favorites, they are the kind of people you want to hangout with, so obviously we took each of their recommendations seriously. However, there was one I was questionable about… The Stinky Goat flatbread, but let me tell you that all fear vanished after I took a bite. Topped with prosciutto ham, goat cheese, mozzarella, spinach, mushrooms, and truffle oil this flatbread provided full on flavor.
Everything was absolutely fabulous thus far, but the best was yet to come. As mentioned, Crushed is known for their famous brunch items, some so good that they are served all day long… including the “Bresserts,” a brunch dessert that is available from dusk to dawn. We ordered the famous Cinnamon Roll, and WOW… literally one of the best desserts I have ever had. These slices of pancakes rolled with a cinnamon/brown sugar filling and topped with a decadent, maple glaze, I will be dreaming off this dish for a very, very long time.
Waterbar – This place is gigantic, a literal can’t miss – Waterbar is a gorgeous, spacious hangout right on the ocean. With an ocean view so beautiful, the entire wall facing the beach is practically all open windows, a perfect place for a sunset watch on Pacific Beach.
This place is perfect for any occasion, a family dinner, big game watch, or even girls night out; Waterbar has a gorgeous bar, great decor, and even live music! The food and drink are fresh and innovative. I started with the “ganga” which yes, kind of sounds like “ganja,” but it is in fact pronounced “ganGA.” A super refreshing mix of Aperol, Pamplemousse Rose, lemon, and sparkling wine, this beautiful drink was a perfect start to our meal.
Right by the water, it seemed wrong to not order some seafood, so we went with the fried calamari, which I swear is the BEST calamari I have ever had. Perfectly crusted in cornmeal and served with sweet drop peppers and ancho remoulade, this dish was fresh and delicious.
We continued the seafood trend by ordering the Rockfish as an entree, and let me tell ya… it rocked (sorry). Served fresh daily with coconut rice, shiitake, almonds, lemongrass, basil and bay shrimp this is the kind of dish that is filling, but in a perfectly light way.
Crushed is definitely known for their seafood, but also has a very modern spanish twist on it, so we ended the experience with their gorgeous churro sundae. This homemade churro cake is served hot with vanilla ice cream, bourbon caramel, chocolate sauce, and whipped cream, the most perfect cherry on top of the Water Bar experience.