Top 12 Budget-Friendly Restaurants Near You in in San Diego, CA

Thomas J. Nelson, Realtor One of San Diegos best kept secrets is La Gran Terraza at The University of San Diego Campus. What a lovely university to stroll around and and wonderful restaurant. We enjoyed our first visit here this week with tasty 5 star quality food! We were fortunate to experience Restaurant Week Menus when we dined here, so I ate off menu and it was amazing. My bride enjoyed the Crab/Shrimp Louie and their mocktails were delicious. The service can be spotty, attentive overall and polit, but sometimes long gaps of waiting to be checked on. Warning, no alcohol is served at lunch, we did not know that and we were there to celebrate a birthday, so if you like to have wine or cocktails, dinner service is better for that. The students seem to make up the staff and they are professional and polite. The views are amazing out to the bay and ocean and much of Tecolote Canyon. Parking is easy with a short walk, cutting through the student union. 2024 Note: There is a lot of construction on campus right now so we did see a lot of temporary eyesores due to that and there was no sense of valet parking mentioned on the website due to construction detours. The food was delicious, the service overall wonderful and the experience has us discussing our next trip there; I highly recommend it! I cant believe it took us 20 years of living here to discover this gem!

Zan Lee Stopped in last night as a party of four on a rainy December 27 evening and I am happy to report that we all had a wonderful meal. Half of us have been here quite a few times and the other half it was their first time. Cowboy Star is unique to San Diego in that it is an elevated country themed steakhouse. Imagine something you would see in Austin Texas or somewhere along those lines and almost has a saloon feel to it. Inside is very dark and romantic, and not very large which really adds to the coziness of it. They don’t have any dedicated parking or valet so it will be a pay lot or street parking, we were able to find a street spot a block away, so it wasn’t too bad, luckily we had umbrellas. In the front of the restaurant is a large full bar with tons of wine and cocktail options. It’s a great place to stop in just for a drink or if you’re in the mood for dinner, the second half of the restaurant is filled with booths, tables, counter seating at the kitchen, and a large private room in the back. I love how dark and styled it is inside and it’s really a sort of place that you want to spend many hours. Our server was very polite and everything that we ordered came out pretty fast. They have a fairly large menu so there are a lot of great options on it, but their specialty is steak and cocktails. I started off with the Steak Tartare and really enjoyed it. It had some very hearty flavors and the portion size was nice, it was not too large or too small. We also ordered the Bone Marrow, which wasn’t as good as I usually get. This version was a bit too buttery, but it still had some nice flavors, I would just go easy on the butter in the future. For my entrée, I chose the 8oz Filet Mignon with a side of Peppercorn Sauce and honestly really liked it. The steak was cooked perfectly, seasoned well, and I really appreciated the side of broccolini and mashed potatoes. After all this, we were too full for dessert, but they had a lot of great options on the menu, if I had some more room in my stomach, I would’ve got the Bread Pudding. Overall, I would say this is in one of the top 3 best steakhouses in San Diego. Steak 48 is still king, but this is a wonderful option and would be fabulous for a date, dinner with friends, or a work function. Cowboy Star is much better than Born & Raised in Little Italy, which shouldn’t be as popular as it is. I would highly recommend and plan to be back more times in the future and would happily send any friend or acquaintance here, knowing that they would have a great meal.

BSM Great little traditional Italian spot nestled in Little Italy, San Diego. It was my first time in the city and while exploring the area for dinner, I came across this place through Google reviews — so glad I did. The restaurant is very cute and classic, with a pizza parlour downstairs serving authentic Italian pizza. I had the seafood pasta, which was excellent. The complimentary bread was fresh, and I also ordered the bruschetta, served on a perfectly toasted crouton — delicious. The rosé paired really well with the meal. My server was fantastic — very attentive and helpful, especially when recommending seafood options. Overall, I had a very good experience. Not too busy, very authentic, and quality food. Highly recommend to anyone visiting Little Italy.

Sam Williams Such a fun vibe. The restaurant/hotel is so cute and hip. The food is also really good too. The outdoor movie night was so fun and all the guests were really into it. Beetle juice was a perfect screening to get into to the Halloween spirit!

Rodney Regala Almost like a spot across the border without going into Mexico. Freshly made tortillas made and you can watch them make. Margaritas were kinda too good so beware! Food is always great and staff were nice. Great spot to take visitors!

Shelby Riley BEST BURRITO OF MY LIFE. genuinely all the food was so good, lots of flavor perfectly cooked and portion sizes. I got the california burrito and my mom got the chimichanga and we both loved our meals. big portions enough to share. Very nice service, worth the wait but it was definitely busy for a reason!

elham mojadedi This place is great. Its on the base off Barnett and midway. Ive ordered a few different items during their lunch hours and its been good each time. The people who work there are so nice and they remember you by name. Ive attended weddings there, and their venue is beautiful. The bay is right outside the venue so the pictures come out amazing. Anyway, its a nice little place with a lot of charm. Update ** I actually ended up having my wedding here. And it was absolutely amazing. They did a fantastic job. The coordinators were on point with every little detail, even the flower person they referred me to did a breath taking job.

gc ortiz Visited Filippis Pizza today for our dinner. Upon entering the establishment, you would think it was a grocery store. You would be mistaken. I must say they have a large assortment of Olive Virgin Oil. As you progress into the place, you will run into the Hostess who will show you your table. Our waiter was Derrick, he did an excellent job in providing quality service. This place filled up fast after we arrived. The food was on point. We had the chicken parmesan with spaghetti, salad, and bread. Salad lettuce was super fresh and crispy. Bread had just the right amount of butter and some basil. The chicken and spaghetti was very flavorable. We also had their Tiramasu for dessert. It was ok, but we have had better. Missing a shot of espresso coffee. I intend to come back.

Rafael T I went to The Red Door in Mission Hills about two weeks ago with my uncle Ramón. I ordered the Wellington steak and a banana cream pie, and everything was absolutely delicious! The service was great and the staff was super friendly. The Wellington steak was exactly what I was recommended — perfectly cooked and full of flavor. Definitely worth the visit!

Jack Wolfe Fantastic! The food was amazing, as was the ambiance and service. The falafel & hummus appetizer and lamb shish kabob plate were both delicious. I accidentally left my camera behind at the restaurant, and the owner went above and beyond in getting it back to me. Parking was easy to find in the very cute Gaslamp Quarter, and it is a short walk from waterfront hotels. Highly recommended!

Julie Acomb This place has such fun ambiance. We ate on the patio and it was all decorated for Dia de Muertos. We went for my mom’s birthday and this is one of her favorite places. The food was good but not over the top delicious. This place is definitely all about the ambiance. We had the fajitas, enchiladas, and a chicken salad. My sister had a peach margarita and ended up ordering two, it was so good.

Dave R Came in for dinner and was not disappointed. We enjoyed our caprese and the fired zucchini blossom appetizers. Pasta dishes were excellent and the lamb shank was nice and tender. Wine selection was good, with prices so suit different budgets. Saw another table order the cheese wheel pasta and had it prepared by their table which is very interesting and entertaining to watch. Will definitely be back when in the area.