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Biang biang noodle dish at Shan Xi Magic Kitchen Shan Xi Magic Kitchen

Where to Eat on Convoy Street

The dynamic neighborhood has plenty of places to please every palate

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The Convoy District has long been a dining hub for locals, but in recent years, Convoy Street has established itself as a major culinary showcase for San Diego’s food scene. It’s easy to eat your way around the area for days without repeating restaurants. Though Asian cuisines still dominate the neighborhood — you can find anything from Peking duck to Korean fried chicken — it also offers stellar craft beer, tacos, and more.

With each strip mall chockablock with restaurants, we know that choosing which spot to try can be an intimidating prospect, so here’s a curated overview to help you get started.

Don’t see what you’re looking for? Eater’s guides to ramen as well as hot pot and Asian barbecue also feature a number of Convoy Street standouts.

Note: Map points are not ranked.

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Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process.

Realm of the 52 Remedies

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Gaining entry to this secret speakeasy behind Common Theory is well worth the trouble. Leaving a brightly lit apothecary room via a secret door, patrons feel like they’re time-traveling to another era. Try themed cocktails like Saigon Dreamer (reminiscent of a Vietnamese iced coffee) and Lapsang Souchong, made with Cool Hand Company’s pineapple turmeric shrub, a local product.  

An elegant, backlit cocktail bar in Realm of the 52 Remedies
Realm of the 52 Remedies.
Haley Hill Photography

Hidden Fish

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Chef John Hong serves up an intimate omakase experience at his corner Japanese restaurant. The dinner-only establishment serves seasonal sashimi with omakase that includes 18 pieces. Book a reservation well in advance, as seats fill up fast. 

Sashimi on a small plate at Hidden Fish Hidden Fish.

Eastern Dynasty 粤品

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Chinese roast meat dishes shouldn’t be as hard to come by as they are in San Diego, but Eastern Dynasty has risen to the challenge. The latest Hong Kong-style eatery gives customers plenty of choices for their combo meat platters. Try the Peking duck two-course meal that comes with bao buns. 

Plate of half a roast duck sliced from Eastern Dynasty.
Eastern Dynasty.
Candice Woo

Song Hak Korean BBQ - San Diego

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If you’re hankering for Korean barbecue, try this homestyle joint that specializes in different types of marinated beef intestines, like gop chang. The high-quality meats are half-cooked in the kitchen, then brought out to the table where customers can finish barbecuing on the table grill. Song Hak branched out from Los Angeles, but the San Diego location has other favorite Korean noodle dishes, like jia jang myun.

Korean barbecue dish called gop chang at Song Hak Korean BBQ Song Hak Korean BBQ - San Diego.

O'Brien's

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A neighborhood bar with a super friendly staff, O’Brien’s has been welcoming patrons since 1994. With 28 beers on tap and streaming sports, including English Premier League soccer, regulars and newcomers easily settle in. Tasty bar fare, like crispy chicken sandwiches and loaded tater tots, makes it easy to hang out for hours. 

Beer and fried chicken sandwich at O’Briens Pub O’Brien’s Pub.

Tasty Noodle House

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Fantastic Chinese restaurants from LA are starting to branch out to San Diego. Tasty Noodle House, with branches in Hacienda Heights and Beverly Hills, serves Shanghainese cuisine in a busy space with limited seating. House specialties include ginger scallion beef with noodles as well as fish filet and beef with a spicy sauce. Shanghai grilled pork buns topped with black sesame seeds are a must-try. 

Shanghai Grilled Pork Buns at Tasty Noodle House Tasty Noodle House.

Taco Stand

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One of the most prolific taquerias north of the border has expanded to the district, snugly slotting into a popular Convoy Street strip mall. Favorites include al pastor (spit-grilled pork marinated with pineapple), carne asada (Angus steak flamed on a charcoal grill to give it an extra ting), and fish tacos, with either battered swai or grilled mahi mahi. Don’t pass up the churros made on the premises.

Two types of tacos at Taco Stand Taco Stand/Facebook

Tofu House

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For tofu stews in stone pots, such as kimchi jjigae, this establishment serves them up rapid-fire. With a basket of endless raw eggs as accoutrements along with Korean side dishes, customers don’t leave hungry.

Korean tofu stew at Tofu House Tofu House.

Crab Hut

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Looking for Cajun-style seafood west of the bayou? Pull up your sleeves and prepare to dig in to shellfish slathered with copious amounts of seasonings like Old Bay and garlic butter. Choose popular seafood boils, like S “N” S, which comes with head-on shrimp and snow crab clusters. This is also one of Convoy Street’s best options for cocktails.

Crawfish, shrimp, and corn on the cob in a seafood boil at Crab Hut. Crab Hut.

Dumpling Inn & Shanghai Saloon

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Dumplings are satisfying comfort food as a meal or afternoon snack. The versatile little things can be fried, boiled, or steamed. What better way to pair the dumplings than with a house cocktail? Try the pork potstickers or juicy soup dumplings.  

Shanghai soup dumplings in a metal steamer basket at Dumpling Inn & Shanghai Saloon Dumpling Inn & Shanghai Saloon.

Jasmine Seafood Restaurant & Express

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One of the iconic mainstays on Convoy, Jasmine’s spacious dining area fits the bill for large groups, banquets, or dim sum. They’re one of the few places in town that still use rolling carts to serve dim sum highlights, like seared taro cake and sweet rice wrapped in lotus leaf. Elaborate chef specialties include sweet-and-sour rock cod filet and Peking duck.

Chinese Rock Cod Fish at Jasmine Seafood Restaurant & Express
Jasmine Seafood Restaurant & Express.
Allen Chan

Cross Street Chicken and Beer

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If you’re craving Korean fried chicken, the original location of this popular spot offers crispy wings and hot chicken sandwiches to accompany its wide selection of soju and more than 20 beers on tap. Recently featured on the nationally syndicated Food Paradise show, it offers its fried chicken in a variety of flavors, from Thai chili to soy garlic.

Korean fried chicken wings at Cross Street Chicken and Beer Cross Street Chicken and Beer.

Shan Xi Magic Kitchen

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With a toothsome, bouncy texture, the house-made, hand-pulled noodles are what make this eatery enchanted. Biang biang spicy hand-ripped noodles are the star dish, and can be ordered with spicy cumin lamb or beef brisket. 

Biang biang noodle dish at Shan Xi Magic Kitchen Shan Xi Magic Kitchen.

Shancheng Lameizi Hot Pot

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This upscale hot pot outpost, with headquarters in Beijing, has a 30-year history of providing a fancy version of the Chongqing specialty. Customers can choose from various soup bases, including red-hot spicy Szechuan style and mild pork bone broth. Try the house-made mashed shrimp paste as well as the Kobe beef to cook at the table. 

Szechuan hot pot soup base and bone broth hot pot soup base at Shancheng Lameizi Hot Pot
Shancheng Lameizi Hot Pot.
Helen I. Hwang

Two Hands Corn Dog Convoy

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Korean corn dogs are making a splash stateside, and these corn dogs are more than just cornmeal-battered sausage on a stick. Choices include all-beef sausages, mozzarella, or a combo of sausage and cheese. Try the potato corn dog or the crispy rice version. 

Korean corn dogs, including the potato corn dog, spicy corn dog and classic corn dog, at Two Hands Corn Dog Convoy
Two Hands Corn Dog Convoy.
Helen I. Hwang

Wa Dining Okan

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This understated Japanese eatery serves up a slate of homey dishes. The longstanding family-owned restaurant, which sits in a strip mall with a small indoor space and sidewalk patio dining, and specializes in bento boxes with such broad options as grilled mackerel and katsu curry. Add a shrimp tempura mini bowl or buta kakuni (braised pork) to sample more dishes.

Japanese bento box with tempura shrimp bowl and side dishes at Wa Dining Okan
Wa Dining Okan.
Helen I. Hwang

Woomiok

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This Korean kitchen specializes in beef bone broth stews, teeming with protein and vegetables, that you season to your own taste. The Beef Bone “Emperor” Soup — with brisket, ox knee, and oxtail — is a favorite among regulars, as is the house kimchi.

Korean beef bone “Emperor” soup with brisket, ox tail and ox knee, with side dishes at Woomiok
Woomiok.
Helen I. Hwang

Realm of the 52 Remedies

Gaining entry to this secret speakeasy behind Common Theory is well worth the trouble. Leaving a brightly lit apothecary room via a secret door, patrons feel like they’re time-traveling to another era. Try themed cocktails like Saigon Dreamer (reminiscent of a Vietnamese iced coffee) and Lapsang Souchong, made with Cool Hand Company’s pineapple turmeric shrub, a local product.  

An elegant, backlit cocktail bar in Realm of the 52 Remedies
Realm of the 52 Remedies.
Haley Hill Photography

Hidden Fish

Chef John Hong serves up an intimate omakase experience at his corner Japanese restaurant. The dinner-only establishment serves seasonal sashimi with omakase that includes 18 pieces. Book a reservation well in advance, as seats fill up fast. 

Sashimi on a small plate at Hidden Fish Hidden Fish.

Eastern Dynasty 粤品

Chinese roast meat dishes shouldn’t be as hard to come by as they are in San Diego, but Eastern Dynasty has risen to the challenge. The latest Hong Kong-style eatery gives customers plenty of choices for their combo meat platters. Try the Peking duck two-course meal that comes with bao buns. 

Plate of half a roast duck sliced from Eastern Dynasty.
Eastern Dynasty.
Candice Woo

Song Hak Korean BBQ - San Diego

If you’re hankering for Korean barbecue, try this homestyle joint that specializes in different types of marinated beef intestines, like gop chang. The high-quality meats are half-cooked in the kitchen, then brought out to the table where customers can finish barbecuing on the table grill. Song Hak branched out from Los Angeles, but the San Diego location has other favorite Korean noodle dishes, like jia jang myun.

Korean barbecue dish called gop chang at Song Hak Korean BBQ Song Hak Korean BBQ - San Diego.

O'Brien's

A neighborhood bar with a super friendly staff, O’Brien’s has been welcoming patrons since 1994. With 28 beers on tap and streaming sports, including English Premier League soccer, regulars and newcomers easily settle in. Tasty bar fare, like crispy chicken sandwiches and loaded tater tots, makes it easy to hang out for hours. 

Beer and fried chicken sandwich at O’Briens Pub O’Brien’s Pub.

Tasty Noodle House

Fantastic Chinese restaurants from LA are starting to branch out to San Diego. Tasty Noodle House, with branches in Hacienda Heights and Beverly Hills, serves Shanghainese cuisine in a busy space with limited seating. House specialties include ginger scallion beef with noodles as well as fish filet and beef with a spicy sauce. Shanghai grilled pork buns topped with black sesame seeds are a must-try. 

Shanghai Grilled Pork Buns at Tasty Noodle House Tasty Noodle House.

Taco Stand

One of the most prolific taquerias north of the border has expanded to the district, snugly slotting into a popular Convoy Street strip mall. Favorites include al pastor (spit-grilled pork marinated with pineapple), carne asada (Angus steak flamed on a charcoal grill to give it an extra ting), and fish tacos, with either battered swai or grilled mahi mahi. Don’t pass up the churros made on the premises.

Two types of tacos at Taco Stand Taco Stand/Facebook

Tofu House

For tofu stews in stone pots, such as kimchi jjigae, this establishment serves them up rapid-fire. With a basket of endless raw eggs as accoutrements along with Korean side dishes, customers don’t leave hungry.

Korean tofu stew at Tofu House Tofu House.

Crab Hut

Looking for Cajun-style seafood west of the bayou? Pull up your sleeves and prepare to dig in to shellfish slathered with copious amounts of seasonings like Old Bay and garlic butter. Choose popular seafood boils, like S “N” S, which comes with head-on shrimp and snow crab clusters. This is also one of Convoy Street’s best options for cocktails.

Crawfish, shrimp, and corn on the cob in a seafood boil at Crab Hut. Crab Hut.

Dumpling Inn & Shanghai Saloon

Dumplings are satisfying comfort food as a meal or afternoon snack. The versatile little things can be fried, boiled, or steamed. What better way to pair the dumplings than with a house cocktail? Try the pork potstickers or juicy soup dumplings.  

Shanghai soup dumplings in a metal steamer basket at Dumpling Inn & Shanghai Saloon Dumpling Inn & Shanghai Saloon.

Jasmine Seafood Restaurant & Express

One of the iconic mainstays on Convoy, Jasmine’s spacious dining area fits the bill for large groups, banquets, or dim sum. They’re one of the few places in town that still use rolling carts to serve dim sum highlights, like seared taro cake and sweet rice wrapped in lotus leaf. Elaborate chef specialties include sweet-and-sour rock cod filet and Peking duck.

Chinese Rock Cod Fish at Jasmine Seafood Restaurant & Express
Jasmine Seafood Restaurant & Express.
Allen Chan

Cross Street Chicken and Beer

If you’re craving Korean fried chicken, the original location of this popular spot offers crispy wings and hot chicken sandwiches to accompany its wide selection of soju and more than 20 beers on tap. Recently featured on the nationally syndicated Food Paradise show, it offers its fried chicken in a variety of flavors, from Thai chili to soy garlic.

Korean fried chicken wings at Cross Street Chicken and Beer Cross Street Chicken and Beer.

Shan Xi Magic Kitchen

With a toothsome, bouncy texture, the house-made, hand-pulled noodles are what make this eatery enchanted. Biang biang spicy hand-ripped noodles are the star dish, and can be ordered with spicy cumin lamb or beef brisket. 

Biang biang noodle dish at Shan Xi Magic Kitchen Shan Xi Magic Kitchen.

Shancheng Lameizi Hot Pot

This upscale hot pot outpost, with headquarters in Beijing, has a 30-year history of providing a fancy version of the Chongqing specialty. Customers can choose from various soup bases, including red-hot spicy Szechuan style and mild pork bone broth. Try the house-made mashed shrimp paste as well as the Kobe beef to cook at the table. 

Szechuan hot pot soup base and bone broth hot pot soup base at Shancheng Lameizi Hot Pot
Shancheng Lameizi Hot Pot.
Helen I. Hwang

Two Hands Corn Dog Convoy

Korean corn dogs are making a splash stateside, and these corn dogs are more than just cornmeal-battered sausage on a stick. Choices include all-beef sausages, mozzarella, or a combo of sausage and cheese. Try the potato corn dog or the crispy rice version. 

Korean corn dogs, including the potato corn dog, spicy corn dog and classic corn dog, at Two Hands Corn Dog Convoy
Two Hands Corn Dog Convoy.
Helen I. Hwang

Related Maps

Wa Dining Okan

This understated Japanese eatery serves up a slate of homey dishes. The longstanding family-owned restaurant, which sits in a strip mall with a small indoor space and sidewalk patio dining, and specializes in bento boxes with such broad options as grilled mackerel and katsu curry. Add a shrimp tempura mini bowl or buta kakuni (braised pork) to sample more dishes.

Japanese bento box with tempura shrimp bowl and side dishes at Wa Dining Okan
Wa Dining Okan.
Helen I. Hwang

Woomiok

This Korean kitchen specializes in beef bone broth stews, teeming with protein and vegetables, that you season to your own taste. The Beef Bone “Emperor” Soup — with brisket, ox knee, and oxtail — is a favorite among regulars, as is the house kimchi.

Korean beef bone “Emperor” soup with brisket, ox tail and ox knee, with side dishes at Woomiok
Woomiok.
Helen I. Hwang

Related Maps