Major Beer and Food Hall Project Planned for National City

Big things are happening in National City. From a wave of Korean fried chicken to a new multi-use development, the South Bay community is squarely in the spotlight with news of another large-scale project that promises to bring an influx of food and a community gathering place to the neighborhood. Currently under construction, Market on 8th will span 9,000-square-feet of eateries and commercial space, with eight kitchens and four retail shops dedicated to everything from coffee to clothing.

Founding partner Joel Tubao, who owns other properties in National City that he told Eater he plans to develop, is also part of Novo Brazil Brewing Company which will have a tasting room and bar inside the food hall. The project, a renovation of a 1940s building that features a barrel ceiling, will include food stalls and plenty of communal seating as well as an outdoor beer garden.

The vendor lineup is a mix of established and new-to-market eateries that includes downtown roastery and cafe Moe Coffee and La Central Urban Grill, which serves the Mexican menu at Novo Brazil in Eastlake and has a stand-alone restaurant in Chula Vista. This outpost will offer grilled steaks, tacos, and burgers as well as vegan and vegetarian items.

Wicked Maine Lobster, which operates stalls at Liberty Public Market and the Little Italy Food Hall, will bring its East Coast-style seafood to National City along with Smitty’s Taste of the Bayou, a Cajun spot in North Park, and Poway’s Pacific Poke. Popular Filipino pop-up Serbesa is debuting its first permanent space in Market on 8th, and rounding out the roster is a Thai eatery called Ping Yang and a dessert cafe called Yeti’s.