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Where to Eat and Drink at This Year’s Comic-Con
The pop culture phenomenon returns to downtown San Diego
Updated
Helen I. Hwang is a freelance journalist who covers food, travel, and news. She worked in the food industry as a mechanical engineer for eight years, training as a “supertaster.” She then worked as an editor for the now-defunct Philadelphia City Paper where she first began writing about food, lifestyle, and news.
Comic-Con International is returning to the San Diego Convention Center from Thursday, July 23, through Sunday, July 26, bringing with it crowds of cosplayers, celebrity sightings, and sneak peeks at upcoming movies and TV shows. Over the weekend, hundreds of thousands of visitors will descend on San Diego in search of everything from fast-casual to sit-down meals to refuel after hours of standing, walking, and being fully immersed in pop culture.
While there are plenty of restaurants and bars within walking distance of the Convention Center and its hallowed Hall H (check out our handy maps of eat in the Gaslamp and the East Village), here’s a curated list of venues offering Comic-Con-themed dishes and drinks inspired by everything from Star Wars to superheroes, and Marvel to anime arcade games, along with some other standout spots that are great for a breather.
Here is where to eat and drink at this year’s Comic-Con.
Candyland Cafe
Paying homage to the iconic board game that was invented in San Diego in 1948 by a schoolteacher, Candyland Café is popping up at the Bayside Kitchen and Bar space. The restaurant serves Princess Lolly’s berry patch salad, rainbow burgers, Molasses Swamp beef and pork meatballs, colorful milkshakes, Sweet Dreams barbecue chicken sandwich, and a shareable “Chocolate River” fondue. Splurge on the Sweet Adventures Cupcake Cart, which involves picking a mystery card to see which cupcake tower you’ll receive. Mocktails include Cotton Candy Cloud Soda with a glitter bomb and edible glitter, while the grown-ups can try the peppermint schnapps-flavored Mint Tini, candy-dusted Sugar Trail with coconut rum and Midori liqueur, or a shareable cocktail like the Cherry Power, made with gin and cherry-flavored candy powder. A Sweet Adventure Checklist takes guests through Jolly’s Gumdrop Mountains to a do-it-yourself cookie decorating station, and ends at King Kandy’s Castle.
Animae
Even though Animae isn’t offering any Comic-Con specials, it is a must-visit for any convention attendee looking for an outstanding meal. At the restaurant, James Beard Award finalist chef Tara Monsod prepares a menu that highlights her Asian heritage with modern takes on tuna kinilaw, Taiwanese chicken, and lobster palabok. Don’t skip the wagyu steak menu, which offers cuts including Japanese A5 Miyazaki to American wagyu. Anime-inspired cocktails, such as the Artemis (gin, lychee liqueur, white peppercorn orgeat) and the Spirited Away mocktail, pair nicely with the dishes. Reservations are recommended.
Tajima Ramen East Village
For Comic-Con, homegrown Japanese restaurant chain Tajima Ramen is showcasing sake flights and a special noodle dish, alongside its other signature dishes, including carnitas ramen and traditional tonkotsu. Don’t skip the shareable izakaya plates, such as karaage, takoyaki, and pork gyoza. The ramen chain’s East Village outpost provides a welcome respite, making it a comfortable spot to take a breather between events and panels. Dive into Naruto ramen, filled with egg noodles, pork chashu, Naruto, baby bok choy, and fried garlic. Be sure to indulge in a Pokémon sake flight featuring colorful sake cocktails that come with two Pokémon figurines.
James Tran
Tacos El Gordo
The Gaslamp location of this Tijuana-style taco specialist is consistently busy. Still, lines move quickly, allowing Comic-Con attendees to fuel up between panels with its famous street tacos and more, made with handmade corn tortillas and meats like carne asada, adobada, and lengua. Although the lines may look long, note that each type of protein has a separate queue, so be sure to step into the correct line. The handmade corn tortillas, as well as the scratch-made guacamole and salsa made fresh each day, make Tacos El Gordo well worth the wait.
Tacos El Gordo
The Lion’s Share
Near the trolley tracks in front of the Convention Center sits Lion’s Share, a whimsical, safari-themed restaurant that’s a well-loved local institution. Brothers Danny and Dante Romero (Addison, Wormwood) took over the restaurant, revamping the menu with classic French techniques and Mexican and Southern Californian influences. The food menu spans venison sliders, duck and rabbit terrine, or a wild-game burger, while upstairs offers a pool table, arcade games, and animal artwork.
Lion’s Share
Barleymash
Enter Barleymash, a lively Gaslamp Quarter restaurant on the corner of Fifth Avenue and Market Street, and be transported to Area 619 Alien Abduction. Accessible only by invitation with a secret password, search for the wormhole that’ll bring brave explorers to the cocktail lounge, Space Smuggler’s Cantina. To fuel up on food, grab a Pizza Planet Pocket, a spicy pepperoni pizza empanada, or a Zoidberg-er, a crab rangoon patty dressed with sweet chile sauce and wonton crisps on a brioche bun, accompanied by fries. Pair meals with the Warp Speed cocktail, made with rum, pineapple, blue curaçao, and lime, or the Mothership, which comprises tequila, ube, and coconut.
Barleymash
Prohibition
Stumble upon the hidden door marked “Law Office – Eddie O’Hare, ESQ,” and enter an underground world through a set of stairs to the depths of the Gaslamp Quarter to find Prohibition, a subterranean speakeasy. During Comic-Con, the underground den transforms into the Smuggler’s Bar, offering a secret hideaway for post-con drinks. Among its well-crafted cocktails are Star Wars-themed drinks dreamed up just for Comic-Con, like the Endor Hunting Club, made with toasted rice-infused rum, mango, whole egg, and club soda, or the Smuggler’s Code, made with whiskey and cherry apple bitters. Show your badge for bottle specials.
Prohibition
Galpão Gaucho
Not far from the festivities, find Galpao Gaucho, a Brazilian steakhouse with Rodizio-style all-you-can-eat service and premium meats. The extensive salad bar features over 45 items, including farofa, Brazilian chicken mayonnaise salad, black bean and pork stew, salads, soups, and appetizers. Servers roam the floor with 18 types of grilled meats, such as rib-eye, salmon, and picanha served three ways. Splurge on the extravagant 24-karat gold steak, wrapped in gold foil and unwrapped tableside, showering specks of gold flakes across the meat. For a trimmed-down experience, drop in for the three-hour happy hour (weekdays from 4-7 p.m. and weekends from 3-6 p.m.) with drink and steak specials, such as filet mignon or a 14- to 16-ounce marble-cut rib-eye, accompanied by country potatoes and salad. Pair meals here with the popular caipirinhas.
Puesto at the Headquarters
An easy walk from the Convention Center, Puesto at the Headquarters specializes in Mexico City-style tacos that come on corn tortillas cloaked in crispy cheese, like the filet mignon taco dressed with pistachio serrano salsa or short rib quesabirria punched with Jalisco salsa. The lobster taco, stuffed with Maine lobster, black beans, and crispy onions, is another option. Don’t skip its excellent cocktails, which include a spicy margarita spiked with habanero and a refreshing watermelon version made with fresh fruit.
Puesto
Borrego Kitchen
Overlooking Petco Park and the Gaslamp Quarter, Borrego Rooftop Kitchen and Cocktails provides an ideal perch for the Comic-Con festivities below. This year, Borrego is celebrating Toy Story 5 with cocktails and dishes named after main characters like Woody, Buzz Lightyear, and Jessie. Launch into cocktails, such as To Infinity and Beyond, comprising vodka, blue curacao, alcohol-infused honeydew and watermelon, glammed up with edible glitter. Or try Woody’s Round Up – There’s a Snake in My Boot, a flight of three Woodford Reserve bourbon cocktails with different components, like Aperol, orange liqueur, and Abasolo. Menu highlights include Mr. Potato Head’s loaded tater tots, topped with carnitas, carne asada, or chicken al pastor, or Bo Peep’s poke nachos with yellowfin tuna and avocado.
Lionfish Modern Coastal Cuisine
Chef JoJo Ruiz’s sustainable seafood standout Lionfish offers a special cocktail menu for the duration of Comic-Con. Sit down for dinner at sustainable seafood standout Lionfish from executive chef JoJo Ruiz and sip through Comic-Con specialty concoctions. Con-themed drinks include the Bruce Wayne, a vodka and Chambord cocktail, blackened with activated charcoal; Steve Rogers, a cognac cocktail with allspice dram; and Peter Parker, a rum cocktail topped with coconut and lime foam.
Robert Reyes
LandShark Bar & Grill
For Comic-Con, the streetside casual restaurant and bar at Margaritaville Hotel will morph into the Lunar Landing Bar, decorated as an immersive tropical spaceport. Find cosmic cocktails, such as Blue Moon Drift with mango rum, blue Curaçao, and blueberry popping boba, or the Orbital Paloma with tequila, Squirt, and glowing ice cubes. Fuel up on space-themed bites like the Lunar Harvest Bowl, made with quinoa, pineapple ponzu tofu, mushrooms, and figs, along with asparagus and mushroom fries. There will also be live music and character photo-ops with space smugglers, beach lovers, and bounty hunters.
Pendry San Diego
Located just a few blocks away from the Convention Center on the corner of Fifth Avenue and J Street, Pendry San Diego is the place to start the Comic-Con experience. Beginning at 7 a.m. PopUp Bagels will park its Volkswagen bus in front of the hotel, serving warm bagels and two types of schmears: plain and scallion. From the streetside patio of Provisional Kitchen, Donut Bar will sling character-themed doughnuts, like Spider-Man, Hello Kitty, and Son Goku. Diners can also sit down for the shareable sunny-side-up Ostrich Egg breakfast accompanied by sourdough bread or birria skillet. As a prime people-watching spot, Nason’s Beer Hall will also pay tribute to the upcoming Spider-Man: Brand New Day film with photo ops with the webbed hero and samples of Tom Holland’s non-alcoholic beer brand, Bero. At Fifth and Rose, grab a cocktail, like Scofflaw President, made with rye whiskey and sweet vermouth, or Playa Papaya with rum, pineapple, and papaya, paired with bites, like a burger or Wagyu and caviar skewers.
The Deck at Moonshine Flats
An easy walk from the Convention Center, the lively restaurant and bar on Seventh Avenue will be taken over by the Marvel Cinematic Universe for the weekend. Step inside to find themed décor, such as Spider-Man webbing hanging above the expansive, open-air patio, and Captain America shields scattered around the bar. Take a Comic-Con break with cornhole, pool tables, and a giant beer pong table. Find cocktails, like Loki Lit, made with coconut rum, dark rum, and pineapple juice, or the shareable Wanda-melon Magic, a 32-ounce bucket of cocktails made with vodka, watermelon liqueur, and watermelon Red Bull. Pair with fast-casual fare, such as burgers, wraps, and wings.
Good Time Design
Maruchan’s MaruMart
For the first time at Comic-Con, the Japanese instant ramen brand, Maruchan, is collaborating with Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba for an immersive Asian convenience mart experience. Located inside Petco Park in the Interactive Zone, the free experience doesn’t require a coveted badge. Dive into complimentary samples of Zenitsu’s chicken yakisoba, Inosuke’s spicy chicken yakisoba, and Tanjiro’s beef yakisoba in anime-themed packaging. There are also other interactive experiences on hand, such as claw machines, giveaways, and photo ops.
Lou & Mickey’s
It’s hard to miss Lou and Mickey’s, a classic American steakhouse at the foot of the Gaslamp Quarter welcome sign, across the street from the Convention Center. There’s usually a Comic-Con activation right outside as well. Step inside for dry-aged steaks, meticulously prepared on-site in a temperature- and humidity-controlled room featuring a Himalayan sea salt wall. All the steaks are cured for at least 30 days, but try the meats with a longer dry-aging time for more complex flavors. Don’t skip the butcher’s bread, a version of Parker House rolls with whipped quince and goat cheese as an accoutrement, along with the succulent jumbo lump crab cakes. Try the restaurant’s cocktails, like the White Linen, made with organic gin, cucumber, lemon, and elderflower, served on the rocks.
Omni Hotel San Diego
Not only does the Omni San Diego host a few Comic-Con panels, but it’s also a venue with several dining options. On the ground floor, diners can indulge in a wagyu Noir burger, Groot salad, and House of the Dragon wings in the lobby restaurant, Ace Porter. Hunt for the Walking Dead Tostilocos pop-up for a taco break. Find a Wolverine-themed cocktail, the Madripoor Sunrise Slushie, on the hotel lawn to cool off after the long queues. Adjacent to the rooftop pool on the sixth floor is the outdoor restaurant, Tortuga, and the Tiki Social pop-up for cocktails, like Omni Zombie, made with dark rum, Pamplemousse liqueur, and a touch of cinnamon, and tuna poke bowls.
Hudson & Nash
Located near the Convention Center, the Hilton Bayfront Hotel offers several dining options, including Hudson & Nash, Pool Club, and Odysea Bar. During Comic-Con, the Pool Club becomes El Luchador Tacos, featuring Showtime Strut achiote chicken tacos, Deep Sea Dasher battered fish tacos, Crismon Horn flame-grilled Angus steak tacos, and Nacho Nova loaded nachos. A photo booth will be set up in the lobby for Comic-Con-goers to pose for commemorative snaps.
Hudson & Nash
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