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Steak and veggies on a plate with wine in background. 
Winesellar and Brasserie.
Winesellar and Brasserie

Where to Find Lunch in Office-Heavy Sorrento Valley

Whether you’re grabbing a business lunch or just filling up on your lunch hour, these Sorrento Valley restaurants are the best bets for a mid-day meal 

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Winesellar and Brasserie.
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Sorrento Valley isn’t necessarily the first neighborhood that comes to mind when considering where to go out for lunch, but the area is known as an epicenter for biotech, IT, and other local businesses as well as being in close proximity to UC San Diego.

With more and more San Diegans going back to the office and needing a spot to fuel up for lunch, here are some great options whether grabbing takeout, dining solo, or catching up with clients or co-workers.

Health experts consider dining out to be a high-risk activity for the unvaccinated; the latest data about the delta variant indicates that it may pose a low-to-moderate risk for the vaccinated, especially in areas with substantial transmission. The latest CDC guidance is here; find a COVID-19 vaccination site here.

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Sue’s Korean Kitchen

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The Plaza Sorrento Shopping Center houses several good options for a quick lunch, including this spot for homestyle Korean food. Open for takeout only, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, the restaurant offers weekday lunch specials and traditional dishes that include bibimbap, kimchi fried rice, and galbi.

The WineSellar & Brasserie

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This longtime neighborhood spot features a retail shop where you can browse a variety of wines and an upscale restaurant space where the lunch menu features traditional French favorites like escargot and duck confit.

Steak and veggies on a plate with wine in background.  Winesellar and Brasserie.

LuckyBolt Kitchen + Takeaway

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LuckyBolt is committed to bringing San Diegans local food from farms and artisans in the area. The menu changes by the week, but some great items include soups, veggies, hummus, and even local olive oil. You can either eat at their flagship store in Sorrento Valley or order a home delivery with goodies for the week.

Overview of table with food. LuckyBolt/Instagram

Mr. Holy Gao

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Located within the Sorrento Mesa Business Center, this Chinese restaurant is know for serving large portions of Chinese food, with many dishes from the Szechuan region of China. Lunch specials, offered on weekdays, range from $9 to $13 and include options like hot and spicy fish filet, ma po tofu, and beef with green onions.

Gravity Heights

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This brewery, restaurant, and beer garden from Whisknladle Hospitality is the perfect spot to enjoy soup, salad, burgers, sandwiches, and wood-fired pizza with co-workers. On weekdays, the restaurant is open at 11:30 a.m. , and on weekends they open up an hour earlier for brunch. 

View of restaurant interior. Gravity Heights/Instagram

Karl Strauss Brewing Company

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This local brewery/restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sunday through Thursday, and until 10 pm. on Friday and Saturday. Overlooking a tranquil pond, it’s a fine spot for a casual lunch with a menu that ranges from beer pretzels to harissa hummus, wings, tacos, burgers, and more.

Woman’s hand holding beer with plate of food on table. Karl Strauss Beer/Instagram

Park Commons

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This area food hall, run by Whisknladle Hospitality, holds a multitude of options for a quick lunch. Open Mondays through Fridays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., it offers Middle Eastern fare, fried chicken and burgers, and poke bowls.

A large dining room with communal tables. Park Commons

Punjabi Tandoor

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With two locations in San Diego and one in Carlsbad, this restaurant has been a longtime local favorite for Indian and Punjabi cuisine. Its lunch specials, features vegetable, chicken, or lamb-based mains include rice, naan, and raita.

Green Acre Campus Pointe

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A quick drive from Sorrento Valley, this expansive restaurant is ideal for groups of friends and co-workers, offering a large and varied menu that ranges from snacks and salads to wraps, sandwiches, pizzas, and main dishes like ricotta gnocchi and braised tri-tip.

The Greenspot Salad Company

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When you’re looking for something light and nutritious, the Greenspot Salad Company offers a delicious range of salads, bowls, flatbreads, and wraps. The Baja steak bowl topped with grassfed steak, black beans, and pico de gallo.

Salad bowl. [Official photo]

Rough Draft Brewing Company

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This beer-lover’s spot is only open three days a week at the Sorrento Valley location: Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. (The Del Mar location is open seven days a week, though.) While its main focus is house beer, the kitchen offers several options for a relaxed lunch or after-work snack including a charcuterie plate, antipasto salad, and salami flatbread.

People in Oktoberfest outfits holding beer. Roughdraft/Instagram

Pauly's Pizza Joint

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Serving fresh New York-style pizza, Pauly’s is a local favorite in Sorrento Valley. Stick to a signature thin crust pie for a simple and delicious lunch, or enjoy one of their many salads, calzones, strombolis, or sandwiches. 

Man throwing pizza dough up in the air. Pauly’s Pizza

Sue’s Korean Kitchen

The Plaza Sorrento Shopping Center houses several good options for a quick lunch, including this spot for homestyle Korean food. Open for takeout only, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, the restaurant offers weekday lunch specials and traditional dishes that include bibimbap, kimchi fried rice, and galbi.

The WineSellar & Brasserie

This longtime neighborhood spot features a retail shop where you can browse a variety of wines and an upscale restaurant space where the lunch menu features traditional French favorites like escargot and duck confit.

Steak and veggies on a plate with wine in background.  Winesellar and Brasserie.

LuckyBolt Kitchen + Takeaway

LuckyBolt is committed to bringing San Diegans local food from farms and artisans in the area. The menu changes by the week, but some great items include soups, veggies, hummus, and even local olive oil. You can either eat at their flagship store in Sorrento Valley or order a home delivery with goodies for the week.

Overview of table with food. LuckyBolt/Instagram

Mr. Holy Gao

Located within the Sorrento Mesa Business Center, this Chinese restaurant is know for serving large portions of Chinese food, with many dishes from the Szechuan region of China. Lunch specials, offered on weekdays, range from $9 to $13 and include options like hot and spicy fish filet, ma po tofu, and beef with green onions.

Gravity Heights

This brewery, restaurant, and beer garden from Whisknladle Hospitality is the perfect spot to enjoy soup, salad, burgers, sandwiches, and wood-fired pizza with co-workers. On weekdays, the restaurant is open at 11:30 a.m. , and on weekends they open up an hour earlier for brunch. 

View of restaurant interior. Gravity Heights/Instagram

Karl Strauss Brewing Company

This local brewery/restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sunday through Thursday, and until 10 pm. on Friday and Saturday. Overlooking a tranquil pond, it’s a fine spot for a casual lunch with a menu that ranges from beer pretzels to harissa hummus, wings, tacos, burgers, and more.

Woman’s hand holding beer with plate of food on table. Karl Strauss Beer/Instagram

Park Commons

This area food hall, run by Whisknladle Hospitality, holds a multitude of options for a quick lunch. Open Mondays through Fridays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., it offers Middle Eastern fare, fried chicken and burgers, and poke bowls.

A large dining room with communal tables. Park Commons

Punjabi Tandoor

With two locations in San Diego and one in Carlsbad, this restaurant has been a longtime local favorite for Indian and Punjabi cuisine. Its lunch specials, features vegetable, chicken, or lamb-based mains include rice, naan, and raita.

Green Acre Campus Pointe

A quick drive from Sorrento Valley, this expansive restaurant is ideal for groups of friends and co-workers, offering a large and varied menu that ranges from snacks and salads to wraps, sandwiches, pizzas, and main dishes like ricotta gnocchi and braised tri-tip.

The Greenspot Salad Company

When you’re looking for something light and nutritious, the Greenspot Salad Company offers a delicious range of salads, bowls, flatbreads, and wraps. The Baja steak bowl topped with grassfed steak, black beans, and pico de gallo.

Salad bowl. [Official photo]

Rough Draft Brewing Company

This beer-lover’s spot is only open three days a week at the Sorrento Valley location: Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. (The Del Mar location is open seven days a week, though.) While its main focus is house beer, the kitchen offers several options for a relaxed lunch or after-work snack including a charcuterie plate, antipasto salad, and salami flatbread.

People in Oktoberfest outfits holding beer. Roughdraft/Instagram

Pauly's Pizza Joint

Serving fresh New York-style pizza, Pauly’s is a local favorite in Sorrento Valley. Stick to a signature thin crust pie for a simple and delicious lunch, or enjoy one of their many salads, calzones, strombolis, or sandwiches. 

Man throwing pizza dough up in the air. Pauly’s Pizza

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