The Most Anticipated New San Diego Restaurant Openings, Fall 2016

As summer winds down, here's a look at a fine group of local restaurants that hope to fuel and excite us this fall. From pie and poke shops to fast-casual concepts, these are some of the most-anticipated openings in store for San Diego. Clear your dining calendars now.

Good Time Poke/The Grass Skirt
Address: 910 Grand Avenue, Pacific Beach
PROJECTED OPENING: Early November
The thirst and hunger for tiki drinks and poke will come together under one roof in a project from SDCM (Kettner Exchange) that'll feature a casual poke shop that leads into a fanciful Polynesian-inspired speakeasy with its own menu of Hawaiian-themed eats from corporate executive chef Brian Redzikowski. Cocktails, including those poured into The Grass Skirt's custom Tiki Farm-designed mug, will be from the group's resident tikiphiles, beverage director Steven Tuttle and Ryan Walsh. 

Photo: Courtesy

Pop Pie Co.
Address: 4404 Park Boulevard, University Heights
PROJECTED OPENING: September
This new pie concept has been honing its menu at pop-up events as it readies its first brick-and-mortar eatery. The gourmet pie shop will serve both savory and sweet varieties for breakfast, lunch and dinner along with beer and wine and an array of espresso drinks fueled by the city's top roasters.

Photo: Facebook

Red O Restaurant
Address: 4340 La Jolla Village Drive, UTC
PROJECTED OPENING: November
This growing cluster of SoCal restaurants that features Rick Bayless, master chef of Mexican cuisine, as a consultant is nearing completion in The Plaza at University Towne Center. Red O is rolling out a new food menu that will be featured at the La Jolla outpost, which will boast the chainlet's first indoor/outdoor bar and lounge as part of its over 10,000-square-feet of dining space.

Photo: Courtesy

Buona Forchetta
Address: 2880 Sims Road, Liberty Station & 250 N Coast Hwy 101, Encinitas
PROJECTED OPENING: September & November
Buoyed by its overwhelming success in South Park, this Italian eatery is in the midst of a serious growth spurt. Buona Forchetta currently has restaurants in the works in Liberty Station, where its family-friendly space will open later this month offering an assortment of pizza styles; it's also headed to North County, where it will likely launch in Encinitas in November. And we're hearing there may be more locations to come. 

Photo: Eater

Harvest by The Patio
Address: 369 Tenth Ave, East Village
PROJECTED OPENING: Early October
The Patio Restaurant Group's foray into fast-casual is another partnership with chef Antonio Friscia's Legal Restaurants brand and a showcase for chef Amiko Gubbins' health-minded menu that will include salads, grains and bowls, and breakfast items plus sandwiches and entrees along with fresh juice-based craft cocktails. Look for Nutty Monkey Toast with almond butter, banana, hemp seed, bee pollen and raw honey and a grilled tri tip sandwich with roasted peppers, arugula and chimichurri aioli.

Photo: Facebook

Lionfish
Address: 550 J Street, Gaslamp
PROJECTED OPENING: Early December
The signature restaurant of downtown's new luxury hotel Pendry San Diego will be helmed by local chef Jose "JoJo" Ruiz, formerly of Ironside Fish & Oyster, whose menu of "modern coastal cuisine" will include prime meats as well as seafood and a focus on seasonal, local ingredients. Also opening concurrently in the Pendry — an all-day cafe, beer hall, lobby bar and nightlife venue.

Photo: Courtesy

Flower Child
Address: 2690 Via De La Valle, Del Mar
PROJECTED OPENING: Early December
Joining the dining lineup at Flower Hill Promenade is this fast-casual option from Fox Restaurant Concepts, which runs True Food Kitchen in addition to a slew of other brands. The Del Mar outpost will be just the second California location for Flower Child, which was founded in Arizona and features a clean-eating menu of veggie and grain-forward salads, bowls, plates, and wraps and proteins that range from grass-fed steak to sustainable salmon, and organic tofu.

Photo: Facebook

Yakitori Hino
Address: 7420 Clairemont Mesa Blvd, Kearny Mesa
PROJECTED OPENING: September
Executing a level of yakitori above the rest, Yakitori Taisho has become a beloved local dining spot despite its tucked-away location and relative lack of seating. Which makes the upcoming Yakitori Hino from the same ownership so exciting; the new eatery will reportedly cater to fans of Taisho's high-end, quality skewers.

Photo: Eater