Where to Dine in San Diego: Hillcrest

Bronx Pizza

Pizza is subjective and everyone has a favorite place, and pizza shops are a dime a dozen in every neighborhood. And then there's Bronx Pizza. If you're a fan of thin crust, New York-style pizza where they are called pies, look no further than this iconic take out joint. These pies are commonly available by the slice: Cheese, Pepperoni, Porko, Mushroom, Pepperoni Mushroom, Bronx Deluxe, Veggie, Sausage, Primavera, Artichoke, Tomato Garlic, Eggplant, Pesto, Whitestone, Whitestone Spinach, Whitestone Mushroom, Whitestone Pepperoni. Cash only.
111 Washington St (between 1st Ave & 3rd Ave)
San Diego, CA 92103
(619) 291-3341

Hash House A Go Go

It's always busy and the portions are huge, and the parking sucks. But Hash House A Go Go is such an institution because it takes comfort food, tweaks it, and turns it on its head. Oh, and did I say the portions are huge? Flapjacks include flavors like Snickers, Butterscotch Almond, Apple Cinnamon, Mango Coconut, Strawberry Frosted Flake. There's also sage fried chicken, stuffed meatloaf, one pound stuffed burgers, and a slew of hashes like Mushroom, artichoke hearts, sundried tomato and fresh spinach hash.
3628 5th Ave. (between Brookes Ave & Anderson Pl)
San Diego, CA 92103
(619) 298-4646

Bread & Cie

The cinnamon rolls. And the turnovers. Oh, and the bread. All flaky, crusty, delicious. Bread & Cie is the city's most distinctive producer of artisan bread, supplying the bread to many local restaurants. In fact, if you've been dining out and have said, "Yummy bread," it was probably supplied by Bread & Cie. Baked seven days a week in a European stone hearth oven using age-old artisan bread making techniques. The sheer variety of bread and pastries make it worth visiting, but there are also soups, sandwiches and salads on the menu. Order some coffee and pastries and imagine you're having a leisurely meal in Paris. Did I mention the cinnamon rolls?
350 University Avenue (between 3rd Ave & Albatross St)
San Diego, CA 92103
(619) 683-9322

Jimmy Wong's Golden Dragon Asian Bistro

Back in the day, Jimmy Wong's Golden Dragon was one of the few places besides Denny's where my college friends and I could find food late at night (or early morning). And it's still open until 3 a.m. every day. It's been renovated, a little more upscale and less tattered than my college days, but it still serves up good Chinese food. Oh, and the neon dragon sign out front is still one of the coolest ones in town.
414 University Avenue (between 4th Ave & 5th Ave)
San Diego, CA 92103
(619) 296-4119

Urban Mo's Bar & Grill

Urban Mo's Bar & Grill used to be Hamburger Mary's. The name may have changed a few years back, but it's still the place to go in Hillcrest if you want to experience, shall we say, the gay atmosphere of the neighborhood. As the restaurant says, Urban Mo's is a hetero-friendly gay restaurant that makes the best hamburgers in San Diego, hands down. They're colorful. They're fun. They're the best time you'll have on any given afternoon, and an even better time in the evening. And they believe that cocktail glasses should be adorned with plastic farm animals. It all spells out fun, yes?
308 University Ave (between 3rd Ave & 4th Ave)
San Diego, CA 92103
(619) 491-0400>br>

Ichiban Sushi

First things first: Ichiban is not your sleek and shiny upscale sushi bar. Instead, it's old school Japanese food where you order at the counter and find a seat - it's small and always crowded. Oh, but it's a great value and the food is always solid. The sushi served up at Ichiban is standard fare and nothing exotic, but it's always fresh and tasty and ample. Ichiban also has sushi happy hour where the sushi is half price.
1449 University Ave. (between Richmond St & Normal St)
San Diego, CA 92103
(619) 299-7203

Crest Cafe

Every neighborhood should have a signature diner, a place where the food is comfort and solid. Crest Cafe fits that niche perfectly for Hillcrest. The stalwart diner serves up a lineup of breakfast, lunch and dinner, from burgers and homey comfort food, to Mexican specialties. Not a greasy spoon diner, Crest Cafe is more of a relaxed and cozy place that serves up decent food at not too bad prices.
425 Robinson Ave. (between 4th Ave & 5th Ave)
San Diego, CA 92103
(619) 295-2510

Lucky Buck's

Lucky Buck's is a burger joint, plain and simple. And if you're indecisive about what to choose to eat while in Hillcrest - and that is a common thing - then why not just have a decent burger. And Lucky Buck's will serve that up for you. The burger's are tasty and decently priced in the $5 range, the fries are really good, and they serve beer, too. It's just a good place to kick back, have a burger and brew and watch Hillcrest unfold.
1459 University Ave
San Diego, CA 92104
(619) 297-0660

Yakitori Yakyudori

Yakitori is the Japanese variation of the kabob. In Japan, the skewers served up are primarily chicken, and at Yakitori Yakyudori, they serve up along with grilled chicken they serve up a variety of meats such as pork and beef. By grilling items on skewers, fat and oil content is reduced but increases the juicy flavor. But it's not just your standard meat cut skewers they grill up - here you can get everything from chicken hearts and gizzards to beef tongue and even quail egg. Each skewer runs about $4-5, and they're open until 1 a.m. every day.
3739 6th Ave. (between Evans Pl & Pennsylvania Ave)
San Diego, CA 92103
(619) 692-4189

Kemo Sabe

Kemo Sabe is one of the many restaurants in the Cohn Restaurant Group empire, and it's had a presence in Hillcrest for a number of years. Headed by noteworthy chef Deborah Scott (Indigo Grill), Kemo Sabe features a fusion of flavors from the Pacific Rim - despite the Native American connotations of its name. And like all Cohn endeavors, the dining room atmosphere is always complementary of the food served up.
3958 5th Ave.
San Diego, CA 92184
(619) 220-6802