San Diego grocery stores
 

Hello, we're spending spring break in San Diego in a condo on Mission Beach. Could anyone recommend a good place to pick up a few groceries between the airport and Mission Beach? Ideally I'd like to stop at a high quality place like Whole Foods where we can get good meat to grill, cheese, produce, wine. I see there is a Trader Joe's on the way, but I don't love their wine selection. Does anyone have any tips? We arrive very late in the afternoon and I don't want to get stuck ordering pizza for dinner, since my research shows MB is not a big restaurant area. Thank you!

https://www.google.com/maps/search/s...17.1819724,12z

Albertson's is a good chain. Sprouts is another good store with a very nice liquor department.

This is on way: http://obpeoplesfood.coop/

I would try Trader Joes, they're inventory in CA may be quite different from your local TJ

Thank you!

Seconding Deb's reco on Trader Joe's. The wine sections in CA TJ's tend to be much, much better than the selection in other parts of the country. TJ's prepared foods are always fun.

You will find that most supermarkets here have great produce sections. Even Ralphs (a Kroger brand) has organic sections for meats, dairy and produce. I'm a bit cool on Albertson's in my area (a bit run-down); the Vons/Pavilions chain has better selection all around, although it's a bit pricier. Ralphs is always acceptable-- a good mid-range choice. Note that the major grocery chains have full liquor licenses, so they sell hard alcohol and wine/beer.

If you have a Sprouts on the way, the meats, eggs, dairy and produce have wide selections in the organic/free-range arena and great fresh seafood, and on a whole it's much cheaper than Whole Paycheck. However, the Sprouts I've been to up here in LA Metro only sell beer and (a nice but concentrated assortment of) wine.

In Pacific Beach within a mile or two of Mission Beach, you can find these grocery stores:

Sprouts
1260 Garnet Ave, Pacific Beach (San Diego) 92109
(858) 270-8200

Trader Joe's
1211 Garnet Ave, Pacific Beach, 92109
(858) 272-7235

Whole Foods (which you asked about) is not close but the one closer to you would be in Hillcrest (you'd want to go there first directly from the airport). I wouldn't bother as it'd be about 15-20 minutes out of your way (each direction).

Whole Foods, 711 University Ave, San Diego 92103 (619) 294-2800.

Von's in La Jolla on Prospect Ave near Girard Ave. (which is about 10 minutes north of MB) has a very nice (small but growing) section of organic produce & products in addition to a very large wine selection.

There's also a Vons (= Safeway) in Pacific beach - not 5min drive from Mission Beach. 1702 Garnet Ave

Trader Joe's is great.

Sprouts is Whole Foods for everyone (with prices about 30% lower than Whole Foods).

Albertson's you should know about if you're Texan, it's sub-Kroger and sub-Safeway/Tom Thumb.

Albertson's has recently switched back to USDA CHOICE meats, at least in my neighborhood. Vons is still carrying the inferior "USDA SELECT" which they sometimes label "Rancher's Reserve" or some such nonsense.
Sprouts quality is hit or miss, aren't they owned/operated by Smart n Final? The bakery section is particularly bad, and lots of their store-brand products are iffy, like cottage cheese full of carrageenan, yogurts full of gelatin, etc.

"Albertson's you should know about if you're Texan, it's sub-Kroger and sub-Safeway/Tom Thumb."

Does this mean is a SUBsidiary or that it is subquality of those chains??

Here in NM, Albertson's is our top of the line large chain grocery store.

And if it meant Albertson's is a SUBsidiary, they are not.

"Albertson's you should know about if you're Texan, it's sub-Kroger and sub-Safeway/Tom Thumb."

Does this mean is a SUBsidiary or that it is subquality of those chains??

Here in NM, Albertson's is our top of the line large chain grocery store.

And if it meant Albertson's is a SUBsidiary, they are not.

TTT..what a welcoming thread!!!

In January 2014, Albertson's announced the closing of about a dozen stores in SoCal and another dozen elsewhere in the western U.S., all occurring by the end of February 2014.

rjw, if 'your' Albertson's is at 450 LB Blvd., it's gone.

Yikes, where's the nearest In N Out Burger?

https://www.in-n-out.com/pdf/locations_printable.pdf

But I prefer: http://www.habitburger.com/locations/all/

http://www.burgerlounge.com/

They serve grass feed meats. And I think their salads are organic as well. They also have quinoa and veggie burgers as well.

Their Cesear Salad is no longer on the menu but you can ask for it. It's my favorite.

clark: "Sprouts quality is hit or miss, aren't they owned/operated by Smart n Final? The bakery section is particularly bad, and lots of their store-brand products are iffy, like cottage cheese full of carrageenan, yogurts full of gelatin, etc."

Yuck! I had no idea. Will check this out. That's why I do like to shop at Farmer's Markets or Whole Foods. Even though I pay a little more - it's better quality and WF in our area sources a lot of local stuff.

beckytx-we have been renting in SD in Pacific Beach for a month now and while I totally agree it isn't cuisine central-we have enjoyed a couple of places here that we think are pretty good-so if you get stuck the first night-the places we thought that are better than the rest are The Fishery on Cass (loved the mussels with linguica in particular):

http://www.thefishery.com/

And also we enjoyed California Kebabs especially because it is also a local micro brewery, Amplified Ale

http://www.cali-kebab.com/zgrid/them...ntro/index.jsp

I don't think you would disappointed in either of those if need be.

Thank you all! It sounds like Von's or Ralph's will be great. Our Trader Joe's here has either high end California wines ($25+) or their cheapo house brands, not much in the $15 range, but its still worth stopping in for cheese and some goodies of course.

I've heard several folks mention the Fishery, so will def check that and CA Kebabs and burger places you all mentioned.

Yeah TJ's wine is kind of like that here-but one good thing they do sell is a good selection of the local craft beers if that interests you. I prefer the Ralphs here to Vons but both are fine.

The big advantage of Vons is that in the same little complex there is a great cupcake place called Pure Cupcakes:

http://www.purecupcakes.com/

They have an amazing salted caramel cupcake that is to die for :)

For excellent wine selection you also might like Bevmo-the Point Loma store will be right on the way from the airport if you don't take the freeway but go Harbor to Rosecrans

3210 Rosecrans Place
San Diego, CA 92110

Doesn't look like you have BevMo in Tx-it is great they have MANY bottle that are full price for the first and then 5 cents for the second bottle-so if you normally buy $15 bottles-you can 1 for $15 and the second same one for 5 cents-and they have bottles like that at all price points.

Anyway I better stop before everybody thinks I am too decadent with my cupcakes and wine ;)

Have a great time-we leave on Monday and have had a great time here.

okay one more thing before I stop-the other great little lunch place we like in Mission Beach is Rubicon Deli-huge portions so try the "half" size first because it is actually not half-just a smaller version. They make 6-7 kinds of breads-all yummy-I really liked their meatball sandwich and love their twisted Caesar salad: http://therubicondeli.com/

The Fishery (on Cass St) is nice. Not too far away are a few other great restaurants. We like Fig Tree Cafe (on Cass) for breakfast and lunch.

http://www.thefishery.com/

http://figtreeeatery.com/

http://www.thefrenchgourmet.com/

http://www.lupivinocucina.com/

Our favorite (kinda expensive but they have a bar happy hour menu which is great). Downtown La Jolla
https://www.tapenaderestaurant.com/

Karl Strauss Brewery Downtown La Jolla
http://www.karlstrauss.com/breweryre...s/lajolla.html

The food is typical Calif cuisine - but the real draw is they have a lot of IPA's which are interesting along with traditional brews - some of which they brew on site.

So many good places for casual dining in PB - including the Duck Dive on Mission (yummy french fries fried in duck fat), the Boston Lobster sandwich place across the street, Rocky's Crown Pub for burgers, loads of sushi and mexican food places, World Famous for ocean views as well as the deck at Lahaina's - for brunch and Broken Yolk for brunch, JRDN, the Cass St Bar and Grill for old style atmosphere - plus very good/reasonably priced fresh fish, and on and on.

Not enough time in a month to try them all.

And Trader Joe's has a good selection of wines - Bev Mo even more.

So glad Tomsd and nanabee sent some more neighborhood places-we only have 4days left but have my sister coming down from Seattle so it would be nice to try a couple new places close by! Thanks so much.

I have been so busy at work I forgot about my thread! Thanks Tomsd and nanabee for the local recs! We are going to dinner one night at George's in La Jolla...reservation in the modern/upscale part. Can anyone advise how dressy this is? I get the impression everything is pretty casual in SD, but want to be prepared. Leaving tomorrow and the forecast looks great!

This response might be too late. Hopefully not. George's is upscale but you can pretty much wear whatever. Seriously! Make sure by modern/upscale they seat you on the highest level which is outdoors. The prices are better and the food is better IMHO. Plus it's a little more hip and fun. If you go too late and the sun has already set - it will be dark and you won't see the ocean. I suggest you go fairly early or at least before sunset.

Pretty sure the "Modern/Upscale" is downstairs, inside and more expensive. I also prefer upstairs on the Terrace.

If you haven't made it here yet - we too prefer The Terrace at George's and it's quite casual.



For another great view/super deal- check out the Happy Hour/cocktail hour at the Cohn group's C Level (next to the more upscale Island Prime) - by the airport - on Shelter Island.

You can make a tasty meal of the small plate offerings - all around $5 - and great deals on beer/wine during that time - with a view second to none of the Bay/Coronado/Downtown.