Diners' Choice: American restaurants in San Diego

OpenTable

Updated February 05, 2025

Looking for restaurants with the best overall American cuisine in San Diego? You’re in the right place. Each month OpenTable analyzes more than 400,000 new diner reviews. We sort the results by category to help you discover new favorites. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Public House 131

4.8

4.8 (48)

$30 and under

American

Scripps Ranch

About the restaurant

Welcome to Public House 131 our Chef Shahob Pourteymoor has designed a menu full of your pub favorites all made from scratch in house and sourced locally whenever possible or when seasons allow. We are located in beautiful Scripps Ranch and offer a wonderful outdoor dining experience. Our Craft cocktails are our specialty and our tap list includes close to 20 local San Diego beers.

Top review

vanessa

Dined 2 days ago

Great place, great food and drink selection. Food quality was great

Lemon Grove Bistro

4.8

4.8 (94)

$30 and under

American

Lemon Grove

About the restaurant

In addition to offering comforting American favorites, our menu provides a selection of flavors inspired by our chef’s culinary experiences, ranging from classic Spanish fare to Italian favorites. Our menu changes seasonally to feature the freshest ingredients and provide an exciting dining experience throughout the year.

The Lemon Grove Bistro is in a historic mission-style building in the heart of Lemon Grove. Since 1912, it’s been a place where locals meet and build connections, whether they were picking up their mail at the Sonka General Store in 1944 or ordering custom cakes at the Grove Pastry Shop in 2012.

Come for the food. Stay to experience the inviting ambiance of the historic building and its new garden. Let’s build community--together.

Top review

Michelle

Dined 6 days ago

Love this little Bistro! Great food and great service!

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Experience

Weekday Happy Hour

Nick’s on State

4.8

4.8 (1935)

$30 and under

American

Carlsbad

About the restaurant

Classic American comfort food, crave-able bar snacks, plus unique cocktails & an extensive wine list in an upscale yet casual environment. Our intimate restaurant features a chic island bar, walls of glass and a spacious covered patio, perfect for people watching. Our exhibition kitchen highlights the talents of our passionate culinary team.

Nick’s is dedicated to perfecting the dining experience through continuous innovation, offering the highest quality food and beverage, and executing impeccable standards of hospitality. The deeply instilled Nick’s culture is personified by its Ladies and Gentlemen – professionals who share a single focus and are inspired and committed to offering great service and creating positive, memorable experiences.

Top review

Pat

Dined 5 days ago

Very noisy in general - not sure how to solve that.

Nick's Del Mar

4.8

4.8 (1434)

$30 and under

American

Del Mar

About the restaurant

Top review

Scot

Dined 2 days ago

Had a wonderful 30th Valentine experience with my beautiful Beloved wife. The only thing we would have improved was my Beloved’s steak. We had ordered well done, and it came out medium done, not well done - although it was of course delicious - as we have come to expect from Nick’s. Thank you for a wonderful 30th Valentine dinner.

Rancho Santa Fe Bistro

4.7

4.7 (341)

$30 and under

American

Rancho Santa Fe

About the restaurant

Welcome to The Rancho Santa Fe Bistro located in the heart of the beautiful downtown Rancho Santa Fe, CA. Our unique bistro offers an amazing menu and a superior wine selection for any lunch or dinner occasion. For lunch walk-ins are welcome.
Owner / Chef Mozy Jahanguiri, who has run restaurants in Chicago, Minneapolis, and Dallas, has opened The Rancho Santa Fe Bistro in the space formerly occupied by The Pantry on Paseo Delicias. Mozy has prepared a menu that offers a wide variety of healthy and stylish fresh grill and more offering a balanced approach to food and wine along with bistro favorites including Oysters Rockefeller, traditional escargots, baked brie with grapes and honey and more for starters. Entrees to satisfy any taste of carefully sourced meats, seafood and much more. Be sure to check out Bistro's beautiful wood wine cellar, housing an extensive collection that spans an impressive 100 years (1897-1997) at a variety of price points.

Top review

Robert

Dined 3 days ago

Good food, good service, good value equal happy guests and repeat customers. Thank you.

The Pony Room

4.8

4.8 (1538)

$50 and over

American

Rancho Santa Fe

About the restaurant

The Pony Room is a favorite among locals and resort guests alike. In addition to an extensive selection of all expressions of agave spirits, it is also home to one of Southern California's most impressive wine and hand-crafted, seasonally inspired signature cocktail lists. The Pony Room serves exceptional, American inspired comfort classics with daily specials.

Live Music 7 nights a week

Join us every Saturday and Sunday for Brunch on our beautiful hacienda inspired terraces from 11am to 2pm.

Top review

DanaVIP

Dined 6 days ago

Consistently yummy food. One of the few places left that hold onto their staff, and it shows with great service. Atmosphere is very chill at lunch and cool/lively at dinner and bar, especially on weekends.

Great Maple San Diego

4.8

4.8 (4452)

$30 and under

American

Hillcrest

About the restaurant

We Serve Dinner, Lunch, Brunch and Weekday Breakfast. We are a modern American eatery featuring seasonal fare, fresh house made pies, and local produce cocktails. We have a full bar and a social wine list. Open for Outdoor dining!

Top review

Caren

Dined 3 days ago

I booked this place due to the fact it already had great reviews and it truly did not disappoint! I loved it here, definitely will be back!!

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Popular dish

Maple Bacon Doughnuts

Popular dish

Great Maple French Toast Logs

Popular dish

Key Lime Pie

Seasons 52 - San Diego - UTC

4.8

4.8 (5050)

$31 to $50

American

University City/Golden Triangle

About the restaurant

Seasons 52 is a Fresh Grill and Wine Bar offering a seasonal menu that is naturally lighter and always flavorful. Our seasonal menus feature ingredients at their peak of freshness, oak-fire grilled or brick oven roasted (without a fryer in sight) to be naturally lighter and more flavorful. We also offer an extensive list of wines by the glass and bottle. Here, you'll always feel free to enjoy every bite, every sip, every moment. Lunch and dinner daily with happy hour Monday-Thursday from 3-6PM.

Top review

Filiberto

Dined 2 days ago

Great food and Service minimum waiting time even do it was Valentine’s Day

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4.9

4.9 (562)

$30 and under

American

Solana Beach

About the restaurant

Newly remodeled, the much airier Tavern is all about art, music, and above all great food. Open for lunch and soon to include evening dining, the Tavern adds a distinctly Mexican/Pacific Coast set of flavors to the local fine dining scene.

We are located in the heart of the Cedros Design District, within walking distance of the Amtrak station. The style is casual with indoor and outdoor dining ( plus bar seating). The patio, which can accommodate 18 guests, looks out onto the shop-lined Cedros Avenue and can be separated from the main dining area for private events.

*Please note* Our restaurant welcomes walk-ins during our Lunch hours from 11:30 am- 3:30 pm.
*Tavern restaurant will be closed for dinner (Lunch will remain open Monday and Tuesday when the belly up is dark)
*Please check our website for the most up-to-date hours*

Top review

Jeff

Dined 5 days ago

Four of us went prior to the Ottmar Liebert show. The cocktails were great. The poke stack and lobster dumpling appetizers were super. Our mains were all delicious. No complaints.

The Henry - Coronado

4.8

4.8 (2563)

$30 and under

American

Coronado

About the restaurant

Welcome to the greatest neighborhood restaurant, a place where you can always count on a warm welcome from baristas, servers and bartenders who know your order by heart. A fusion of industrial and classical influences, our open dining spaces are bursting with charm and energy. Come and go with ease for your morning coffee, enjoy lunch with a colleague, gather the family together for dinner, or treat yourself to a post-work drink at the bar. For craveable eats and downright delicious cocktails, look no further than a place where you'll always be among friends, a place that feels like home: The Henry.

Top review

Justin

Dined 2 days ago

Everything about this place was perfect!! 5 stars!

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Popular dish

Molten Butter Cake

Popular dish

Cinnamon Swirl French Toast

Popular dish

Korean Prime Skirt Steak

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