Ocean-Air Dining in Oceanside

Anyone headed to Oceanside for a bit of SoCal “ocean therapy” can rest assured that outdoor dining options are plentiful throughout our beach city! Visitors can soak up the fresh ocean air while also experiencing the exciting culinary variety that has made Oceanside the food-forward destination it is. For those ready to dine out, take a peek at our list of killer resto recommendations sorted by Oceanside neighborhood to help you decide where to savor your next meal!

Thanks to a complete streetscape reimagining a few years back, Oceanside’s newly coined “Mid-Mission District” along Mission Avenue at the entrance to downtown boasts numerous sidewalk cafes complemented by native landscaping. Here, visitors can enjoy outdoor dining at places such as Mission Ave. Bar & Grill, a fun neighborhood eatery with elevated cuisine by rising chef William Eick, or the recently opened Rosewood Kitchen featuring a creative, multi-cultural menu. Other spots include Rim Talay a long-standing local favorite for Thai cuisine, Swami’s Café Oceanside and Coomber Craft Wines, which offers small bites and craft wines on an expansive back patio available during nightly seatings at 5:30 pm or 7:30 pm. 

Steps from the beach and historic pier, Downtown Oceanside has been a hotspot for restaurant openings in recent years thanks to redevelopment projects and restoration of historic buildings. Today, visitors can dine al fresco at the French Mexican inspired Carte Blanche Bistro & Bar that not only features a large outdoor patio with firepits, but also a “hand sanitizer bar” for an elevated safety focus. Blade 1936, which recently became one of just two restaurants in San Diego to receive a prestigious AVPN certification for authentic Pizza Napoletana, has a newly created outdoor dining area, and 333 Pacific, known for its craft cocktails and date-night cuisine, offers a large covered patio with gorgeous ocean views. Hello Betty Fish House is another go-to for outdoor dining thanks to its rooftop lounge complete with vintage VW “Mas Taco” bus. 

Oceanside Harbor Village was naturally designed to include outdoor spaces that allow diners to enjoy views of the yachts and bustling harbor activity! Enjoy sunset views from the second-floor patio of Lighthouse Oyster Bar and Grill or boat activity from the waterfront patio at Stratford at the Harbor— a popular spot for breakfast and lunch. Nautical Bean serves up craft coffee drinks that can be enjoyed from sitting areas along the Harbor boardwalk. To the north of the Harbor Village area is Oceanside Broiler, a local venue for fresh seafood and steaks that features a scenic covered lanai.

Oceanside’s Coast Highway corridor is a magnet for some of Oceanside’s most popular restaurants and watering holes. The ever-popular Local Tap House has expanded its outdoor, dog-friendly seating area, as has Flying Pig Pub and Kitchen, Oceanside’s original slow food venue located just off the main highway. Dija Mara, an award-winning Balinese fusion restaurant, is serving up its cuisine on the patio of neighboring restaurant Exhale. Visitors also can sip al fresco at Pacific Coast Spirits, North County San Diego’s only craft distillery serving a fun selection of grain-to-glass house made spirits.

At the southern tip of Oceanside is the quirky and fun South Oceanside neighborhood, affectionately referred to as South O by locals. South O’s popular neighborhood restaurants have found creative ways to move dining outdoors by taking over parking lots and adjacent patios. Ocean-air dining options include craft pizza and pastas from Privateer Coal Fire Pizza, epic breakfast burritos at Beach Break Café, eco-friendly vegan cuisine at The Plot, traditional Mexican dishes at Anita’s and fresh fish and sushi at Wrench & Rodent Seabasstropub.