Seafood-Off the Hook

Name: Off the Hook Seafood Grill

Cuisine: Seafood

Opinion: Great

Area: Encinitas, Carlsbad

About: Located in one of Encinitas's busiest shopping centers with Best Buy and Stater Bros., this is a great place to quickly relax and enjoy a great meal.

What to order: Fish & Chips, Albacore with lemon butter bowl with brown rice

More info: To order from the main menu you choose a type of fish, then a type of oil or flavoring for it to be cooked in, and how you want it served to you (salad, bowl, plate, sandwich). They also offer various other seafood items. The bowl I ordered came with steamed vegetables and steamed rice which went well with my albacore. The fish was fried perfectly and the french fries were delicious in the fish & chips. Definitely try this place for a quick lunch!

Address: 1042 N El Camino Real, Encinitas, Ca 92024

Phone: 760-632-8553

Fish & Chips

Lemon Butter Albacore Bowl with Brown Rice and Steamed Vegetables 

Japanese-Tomiko

Name: Tomiko Restaurant and Bar

Cuisine: Japanese, Sushi

Opinion: Good

Area: Encinitas

About: A very romantic setting with a great view of Encinitas. The bar area offers a very good happy hour, with different menu items costing only $4,$5, or $6.

What to order: Las Vegas Roll

More info: This Japanese fusion restaurant is definitely on the higher end, I have only tried their happy hour menu which was alright. The happy hour menu was slightly limited not offering any sashimi, mostly rolls and appetizers. There are plenty of other sushi restaurants I would try in Encinitas, but I think their specialty is non-sushi items. The service was great and the atmosphere was worth it.

Website/Menu: http://tomiko.com/

Address: 87 Encinitas Blvd, Encinitas, Ca 92024

Phone: 760-633-3587

California Roll, Spicy Tuna Roll

Mexican-Juanitas Taco Shop

Name: Juanitas Taco Shop

Cuisine: Mexican

Opinion: Great

Area: Encinitas, Leucadia

About: An Encinitas favorite, this hole in the wall taco shop offers great food at an amazing price.

What to order: California Burrito, Breakfast Burrito, Number 10: Fish Plate, Number 2: Taco & Enchilada

More info: The taco shop is open on weeknights until midnight and on the weekends until 3 a.m.. A perfect place for lunch, a break from the beach, dinner, or after a late night pub crawl. This is one of the cheapest restaurants you will find in Encinitas. You can probably feed a  family of four on $20 here and everyone would be satisfied. Make sure you bring cash because they do not take credit cards! The ingredients they use are very fresh and filled with flavor. The taco shells are very crunchy and topped with really good cheese.

Address: 290 N. Coast Highway 101, Encinitas, CA 92024

Phone: 760-943-9612

#2 Plate: Taco and Enchilada 

Mixed Burrito

#10 Plate: Fish (Choice of corn or flour tortilla)

Peruvian-Q'ero Restaurant

Name: Q'ero Restaurant

Cuisine: Peruvian, South American

Opinion: AMAZING

Area: Encinitas

About: A very exotic restaurant, which without a reservation don't expect to get a table easily.*

What to order: Pescado con Salsa de Chupe de Camarones (pan roasted fish filet), Pate Festejo (Duo of house cured Woodland Farms duck confit and seared duck breast)

More info: Located on the Coast Highway, this tiny restaurant serves up a big amount of flavor. An average dinner will cost anywhere from $28-$35. The food is so fresh and exotic I wish I could afford to order the whole menu. The first page of the menu tells you the story of how the chef was inspired by the beauty of Peru and wanted to bring the flavor and spirit to America. We were lucky to nab the last table outside with out a reservation but then we watched countless people be turned away. I didn't know we were that lucky until the food arrived. The flavors were so foreign but yet familiar. Every bite just melt in your mouth. The culinary genius, Monica Szepesy serves the food in perfect portions, each plate the waiter carried resembled a piece of art.

Outside you are not allowed to have alcohol which is a bit of a shame because a good glass of wine would have made the experience more outstanding. Also, outside is very noisy because of the street and people walking by, but is still enjoyable.

*Reservations can be made by calling in or from their website.

Website/Menu: http://qerorestaurant.com/

Address: 564 S. Coast Highway 101, Encinitas, CA

Phone: 760-753-9050

Menu

Pescado con Salsa de Chupe de Camarones (pan roasted fish filet)

Pate Festejo (Duo of house cured Woodland Farms duck confit and seared duck breast)

Sandwiches- Carlsbad Board & Brew

Name: Board & Brew

Cuisine: American, Sandwiches

Opinion: AMAZING

Area: Carlsbad, Encinitas

About: Because of how nice the workers are and how clean this location is compared to Board & Brew Del Mar, I have to change the rating for the other location to a lower rating.

What to order: Turkado (really try every sandwich, they are all good), no matter what sandwich you get ask for two secret sauces on the side per sandwich. 


More info: A friend and I were craving Board & Brew and I remembered there was a newer location in Carlsbad, so we decided to try it. Coming to this location was the best decision I have made in a long time. Everything is so clean and inviting, while the other Board & Brew seems dirty, and I never feel welcome there. The ladies working at the counter were so kind, it was really refreshing compared to walking into Board & Brew Del Mar, where I feel like I am inconveniencing the workers by ordering a sandwich. Also the food seems a lot more fresh and better prepared. The shame is that this restaurant isn't located next to the beach, but I am sure it still receives a lot of business from the office buildings in the area.


The secret sauce has a sweet & sour taste, which is a little bit different but goes well on any sandwich. 


Website/Menu: http://boardnbrewcarlsbad.com/


Address: 2675 Gateway Road, Carlsbad, Ca 


Phone: 760-929-2739

Turkado

Chicken Club

Italian-Rosanna's Pasta Shop

Name: Rosanna's Pasta Shop

Cuisine: Italian

Opinion: AMAZING

Area: Encinitas

About: This is a hole in the wall Italian shop with some of the best Italian food in San Diego! Very cheap and very filling!

What to order: Spaghetti with meat balls, lasagna, salads

More info: They sell pasta, sauce and italian groceries for home cooking also. Rosanna is amazing and she makes the place well worth it. Also, there is a younger girl who works their who is such a sweet heart. I have brought friends here who's grandparents were from Italy and always cooked for them, after eating there, they said this is some of the best Italian cooking they ever had.

Phone Number: 7607536867

Address: 270 N El Camino Real
Ste I
(between Encinitas Blvd & Via Molena)
Encinitas, CA 92024

Inside the Shop

Sausage and Peppers Sandwich

Spaghetti with Meat Balls

Pepperoni Pizza

Spaghetti with Meat Balls

Spinach Ravioli with Pesto Sauce 

Indian-KC's Tandoor

Name: KC's Tandoor

Cuisine: Indian

Opinion: Great

Area: Encinitas

About: You can smell the greatest right before you get in the door.

What to order: 92. Safed Massia with chicken, chicken curry

More info: This place is kind of hidden in one of the large Encinitas shopping centers, it's next to El Torito. I really like this place a lot, unfortunately I am not a big fan of spicy food, so you are on your own for figuring that out. The portions aren't huge but they are still filling.

Website/Menu: http://www.kcstandoor.com/main.html

Address:1070 N. el camino real, suite a
              Encinitas, CA 92024

Safed Massia with chicken

American-Stadium

Name: Stadium Sports Bar and Restaurant

Cuisine: American

Opinion: Bad

Area: Encinitas

About: The atmosphere is awesome, there are tvs everywhere. I was first caught off guard when the waitress asked us if we wanted a booth with a tv, I thought there would just be a tv next to the booth, but the tv is sitting on your table, and you have complete control of it. With that being said, I wouldn't come here for the food, maybe next play offs I'll go back just to see a sport's event there, but I wouldn't go back for the food.

What to order: Maybe a burger...Not quite sure, but I can tell you not what to order: fish and chips, and parmesan chicken.

More info: I had higher expectations for this place, on a Friday night at 6pm it was completely empty so that's gotta tell you something.

Website: http://www.stadiumsandiego.com/

Address: 149 S. El Camino Real, Encinitas CA 92024