Pacific Beach is one San Diego's many beach towns, bordered on the south by Mission Beach, the north by La Jolla, the east by Clairemont, and best of all, the west by the Ocean. Dotted with restaurants, bars and cafes, as well as clothing stores, beachwear stores, surfboard, bike and rollerblade rental places, it is a great place to spend a sunny afternoon, of which there are plenty. Many P.B. residents are in their 20s and 30s, as a result of the booming nightlife.

Understand

• http://www.pacificbeach.org/ - Business development and tourist promotion.

Talk

Get in

From Downtown and areas south get on Interstate 5, referred to as “the 5,” and exit Mission Bay Dr. Hang a left on either Grand Ave. or Garnet Ave. and follow them into the heart of Pacific Beach. Be prepared to sit in traffic during rush hour and busy weekends, this is the one of the few entrances to Pacific Beach and it creates an absurd bottleneck.

From La Jolla and areas north you can take the 5 and exit Garnet Ave. After exiting, you’ll be on Mission Bay Dr. and need to need to make a right on Garnet Ave. From coastal La Jolla, it might be faster and definitely more scenic to take the surface streets. Follow La Jolla Blvd. south until it intersects Mission Blvd. and you’re in North Pacific Beach. Make a right on Mission Blvd. and you’ll be driving south, parallel to the beach with the ocean on your right. Turn left on Garnet Ave. to access most of PB’s restaurants, shops and bars.

From Ocean Beach, take Sunset Cliffs Blvd. to West Mission Bay Dr. or Ingraham Street which will take you to the west part of Pacific Beach and the central part of Pacific Beach, respectively. All the overpasses and underpasses can get After you go over the dry San Diego River, loop around once for Ingraham or stay right and loop around again for West Mission Bay Dr.

Get around

Once you're in PB, the best way to get around is by any means other than a car. Beach cruisers are the vehicle of choice in PB. Rent a beach-cruiser or roller skates or buy a skateboard. It's more fun and you don't have to worry about parking. There's many facilities that rent all of these and more by the hour, day and even week. One of them is Cheap Rentals which has a Mission Beach and Pacific Beach location.

See

Do

Go the beach. Drink.

Buy

Eat

With over 151 dining establishments, even the pickiest of eaters can find a restaurant that suits their taste, fast or fancy. Most of the restaurants take advantage of San Diego’s signature weather by offering outdoor and sidewalk seating. Pacific Beach has restaurants for all three meals of the day and more. Start the day with a morning smoothie and end it with a midnight burrito.

Mexican

There’s practically a Mexican joint on every corner in PB, most of them could be considered holes-in-the-wall but at least they don’t have wheels. None of them are bad, most of them are good and a handful of them are great. Every San Diegan has a place in their heart for their favorite Mexican restaurant. Ask a local and she’ll definitely share with you her opinion. For a start, you can check out these establishments:

Cotija’s 1092 Garnet Ave., +1 858 273-1241, has no frills or gimmicks, just delicious Mexican food. Located in a strip mall next to barber shop, the painted windows lure you in off the street with 99 cent fish tacos and bean and rice burritos. For a little more you can order a quesadilla (but don’t let the name fool you, quesadillas at Cotija’s are like burritos with cheese). Also tasty are the multiple breakfast burritos, one of which has hash browns—and they’re not limited to breakfast. For true San Diego flavor, try the Shrimp Burrito (also available in the fiery but amazing "Diablo" version). The line to order crowds the dining area as the bars close but there’s nothing like a gut brick to put you to sleep after a long night on the town. And be sure to bring cash because they don’t take plastic.

Fred’s 1165 Garnet Ave. +1 858 483-8226, is more of a food place for people who like to drink. It addition to the regular Mexican fare of tacos, burritos, fajitas and enchiladas they offer burgers and salads. The portions are big and the atmosphere is fun. The 5th of every month is celebrated as “Cinco de Fred’s” and every Tuesday is “Kiss My Taco Tuesday”. Both events feature drink and food specials. If you’re in town long enough and daring, you can join Fred’s Tequila Club by taking shots of 50 different tequilas. 10 shots gets your name on the wall, 15 gets your picture on the wall and 50 gets you airfare to Cabo or Vegas. Ask the waitresses for more details.

Rubio’s 4504 E. Mission Bay Dr. +1 858 272-2801, http://www.rubios.com, is now a minor fast food restaurant chain in the western United States with over 150 locations. What’s significant about the one in PB is that it was the first. In 1983, founder Ralph Rubio capitalized on the unique flavor of Baja California taco stands by replicating one in San Diego (accommodating, of course, for local health codes). The beer-battered fish tacos, the carnitas and carne asada tacos were an immediate hit and no longer limited to the otherside of the border. Now hungry Americans as far north as Portland can enjoy the Baja-styled Mexican food. Rubio’s corporate headquarters is located in Carlsbad in north San Diego County.

American

Italian

At first glance, you might not notice Rafaela’s Italian Restaurant 5119 Cass St. +1 858 272-0466. It’s located on a residential block and used to be a house. Just look for the white Christmas lights and all the plastic patio furniture set up in the front yard. The menu has a selection of salads, sandwiches, pizzas and pastas. The wine list, however, leaves something to be desired. In fact, there is no wine list. But there’s also no corkage fee—Rafaela’s is BYOB, making it more affordable and more popular amongst the locals. If you’d like wine with your dinner, make sure to stop by a liquor store on your way. Due to its precarious location, the kitchen is only open from 5-9pm, daily, so get there early.

Seafood

Attached to the seafood wholesaler and retailer Pacific Shellfish Seafood Company is their restaurant, The Fishery 5040 Cass St. +1 858 272-9985, http://www.pacshell.com. The company was founded in 1979 but the restaurant debued in 1998. With many different species of seasonal fresh fish in their cooler, you’ll be able to find something to tickle your taste buds from a simple tuna melt to a wild-caught Alaskan salmon. Since it’s a market too, you can verify that all the fish are fresh. And just in case you didn’t know what your particular entree looked like before it was caught, there are taxidermied models on the wall, displaying the fish in their full glory.

Asian

• Karinya Thai Cuisine, 4475 Mission Blvd., +1 858 270-5050.

Brunch

Kono’s 704 Garnet Ave. +1 858 483-1669, open 7am-3pm. Located across the entrance to Crystal Pier, this eatery has the best budget breakfast in town. A sign on the wall boasts how many days have passed since they last raised their prices; a figure which is easily over 365. On weekends the line outside gets so long you’d think it was nightclub, but the food is well worth the wait. They specialize in Big Breakfasts and Breakfast Burritos.

The Broken Yolk Café 1851 Garnet Ave. +1 858 270-9655. As you can guess, the Broken Yoke specializes in eggs and omelettes but they also serve the regular breakfast fare of pancakes and French toast. It’s great for sitting down and recapping the previous night’s events. If you’re hungry enough, you can try their 12 egg omelette, loaded with all sorts of goodies to make it hard to finish. If you do, it’ll only cost you $2 and your name will be forever engraved on the wall. Eat between 6am-3pm daily.

Café 976 976 Felspar St. +1 858 272-0976. is a café and restaurant as well with a large selection of coffee drinks, breakfast pastries and whole entrees. Located one block away from busy Garnet Ave., this Café 976 offers peace and quiet within the confines of its garden patio. Outsides guests are surrounded in all three dimensions by plants and trees. WiFi internet access if provided at the rate of $1 for 5 minutes.

Dessert

The French Gourmet 960 Turquoise St., +1 858 488-1725, http://www.thefrenchgourmet.com, has been serving delicious pastries and desserts to San Diego since 1979. You can stop in and try one of their many desserts or you can sit down for a whole meal. Their main entrées are just as tantalizing as the desserts. The breakfast menu includes omelettes, crepes and French toast and is served on weekends from 8am-2:45pm and on weekdays 10am-2:45pm. Lunch is served until 3pm and dinner is served everyday except Sunday and Monday. They are also a full service catering and wedding cake company.

Drink

Entertainment is the business in Pacific Beach. Youngsters all over San Diego who aren’t fortunate enough to live in Pacific Beach come here day and night to enjoy themselves. The nightlife is the second biggest attraction next to the beach. The weekend nights are always busier than weeknights but the most loyal patrons will begin their weekend celebrations on Thursday. Most of the bars are located on the west end of Garnet Avenue which gets the most foot traffic at night. For a more laid-back environment, try one of the bars that isn’t on Garnet, like Froggy’s or the Australian Pub.

The crowd is typically young and single and consists of college students and working professionals. Most bars don’t have dress codes and sandals are seen on men as frequently as they are seen on women. Men usually wear designer (sometimes ripped) jeans and either a t-shirt or an untucked button-down dress shirt. Women usually wear tank tops with jeans or miniskirts. A general rule of thumb is that if you’d wear it to the beach, then you’d most likely get away with wearing it at a bar in PB.

Pacific Beach Bar and Grill 860 Garnet Ave., +1 858 272-4745, http://www.pbbarandgrill.com. Referred to locally as PB Bar and Grill, it's the biggest and frequently voted the best bar in Pacific Beach. It’s only a block away from the beach. It’s divided into three sections, the first being an inside section with a jukebox and two pool tables. The next is a canopy-covered outside section that’s just as big as the inside. This area is good for lounging or smoking a cigarette. Behind the patio is the third section: a dance floor where the DJ spins hip hop and dance music. A separate door with the façade Club Tremors can take you directly to this area from outside the bar. If you arrive after 10, there’s usually a line to get in but there’s never a cover. And don’t forget the “Grill” part of PB Bar and Grill; they serve up some great grilled American dishes and appetizers. Inquire about their happy hour specials and nightly drink specials. Tuesdays are “Taco Tuesdays” and Thursdays are $2 you-call-it’s.

Next door to PB Bar and Grill is Moondoggies 832 Garnet Ave +1 858 483-6550, http://www.moondoggies.com, which could easily be confused as PB Bar and Grill. The line is usually shorter and the clientele and the fare are almost identical. There’s a large outdoor patio on the street where you can watch people coming and going through half-inch thick glass. Thursday nights are $2 you-call-its and there’s a $5 cover. All other nights are free.

Sinbad’s 1050 Garnet Ave. +1 858 866-6006, http://www.sinbadcafe.com. For an alternative to drinking, why not try smoking? Although they serve beer, the specialty at is hookah smoking. Their menu includes 30 different flavors of premium hookah tobacco. Relax on the front porch with a hookah and watch all the passer-bys. Since it’s not technically a bar, you only have to be 18 to enjoy a toke. It’s also open after all the bars close on weekends –till 4am.

Cass St. Bar and Grill, 4612 Cass St., +1 858 270-1320. This comfortable, laid-back bar with deep sea fishing themed decor has a good crowd at practically any time of the day, night or week. It's a beer and wine bar, so be advised any cocktails drinks actually use an weak asian vodka called Han Vodka, but the twelve or so beers on tap and various other bottled beers are enough to keep most customers happy. The profusion of TV screens make it a popular daytime sports bar, the pool tables and shuffle board table keep it popular at night. The menu has some great seafood and burgers, served until about 10pm, and has great breakfast options too. This bar has a much more neighborly feel compared to the meat-market atmosphere of some of the more popular Garnet Street bars.

Sleep

Rooms can get pricey in Pacific Beach during the summer months of June-September and they’re always cheaper during the winter months. They also have a tendency to fill up, so make sure you call ahead of time to make reservations. A general rule of thumb is that the closer to the beach your room is, the more expensive it’s going to be. For instance, a room on Crystal Pier, where you’re not only on the beach, you’re over the ocean is $270 a night during the summer. For cheaper options, look outside of PB, like Hotel Circle.

The Crystal Pier Hotel & Cottages 4500 Ocean Blvd. +1 858 748-5894, is the closest that you can get to staying on the beach. Built on the historic pier, these rooms offer amazing views and soothing ocean sounds to put you to sleep at night. With a room, you can actually drive out on the pier and park in front of your quarters.

• The Beach Cottages 4255 Ocean Blvd. +1 858 483-7440, http://www.beachcottages.com
• Mission Bay Motel 4221 Mission Blvd. +1 858 483-6440, http://www.missionbaymotel.com

Banana Bungalow 707 Reed Ave. +1 858 273-3060, http://www.bananabungalowsandiego.com. Is a small chain of tropical hostels. Feel like a VIP when you’re sitting on the deck overlooking the beach and boardwalk. It might be restricted to international guests only.

Stay safe

There are lifeguard towers [1] all along the beach that are manned from 9am till dusk during the summer months. The main lifeguard tower is manned year round and is located on the beach at the foot of Grand Avenue. They can administer first aid and contact the police and fire department if need be. The west end of Garnet Avenue can be a rowdy place in the wee hours, generally populated by the 21 to 30 age group. Alcohol-fueled behavior can lead to rude and occasionally aggressive activities.

Get out