26 Best Restaurants in North County and Around, California

Get ready for a true French garden experience, where you can sip espresso, pluck flowers from galvanized buckets, and even hold a bunny. This flower shop-meets-café experience has lite bites and pastries that will have you sinking your teeth into a flaky croissant and saying “merci!”

In 1984, “Mom” (aka Anita Nichols) opened her first pie shop in the old Julian Café building. People lined the streets for a slice of the guilty pleasure, known for its buttery crust, not-too-sweet filling with local apples, and commitment to quality. Two bakeries later—plus training at Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Institute—the integrity of Mom’s pies remains the same. And although apple is the moneymaker, you can’t go wrong with peach, bumbleberry, or pecan pies, or other sweet treats like chocolate chip cookies and apple dumplings. For something savory, there are soups, salads, sandwiches, and chicken potpies. When the wait is too long at the Main Street location, head five minutes outside of town to Mom's Wynola on Highway 78, or better yet, call in your order and they will ship a pie right to your door.

For four generations, recipes have been handed down the line of this Sicilian family who opened their first restaurant in 1920. From Milwaukee to Julian, they set down roots in the quaint pie capital in 1982 and never looked back, creating this casual, red-checked-tablecloth kind of place, where you can dine outside in good weather. The menu is consistently on-point with Sicilian classics like spiedini—stuffed slices of rolled beef on skewers—calzones that are big enough to share, pizzas, and pasta dishes. All sauces, dressings, ravioli, breads, and desserts are made from scratch. There's a small bar (serving beer and wine only) that's popular with locals.

Every morning at 3 am, chefs are hard at work in this scratch, stone-hearth kitchen where nearly everything is produced in-house, including the sauces, dressings, and breads baked with a sourdough starter dating back 120 years. Handcrafted sandwiches range from steak-mushroom melts with smoked blue cheese to turkey with aged Brie and balsamic compote, and the pizzas are large enough to share, though most people find themselves walking out with a to-go box—especially if they start with “Mother’s Meatballs,” made with Kobe beef, bubbling in a cast-iron skillet. If you didn’t save room for dessert, take a leisurely stroll around Old Town and come back for the bread pudding, a treat that lures people time and again.

A diner dating back to 1928 is both a local hangout and the headquarters of the historic Highway 101 movement. Find all kinds of Highway 101 memorabilia here along with old-school ambience, prompt service, and great prices. The bountiful breakfast menu (served all day) lists omelets, eggs any way you want, buttermilk pancakes, and French toast. On offer at lunchtime are burgers, sandwiches, and chili fries. The thick milkshakes and root-beer floats will take you back in time.

This bakery tucked down a narrow alley proves there’s no such thing as too many pie shops in Julian. After mastering the apple-to-crust ratio, they took on lunch specials by offering a soup–sandwich–pie combo for $13. Wraps, salads, and other wholesome goodies are also available. Apple crumb is the biggest seller, but few can pass up their lemon tarts, molasses cookies, and berry strudels.

Void of GMOs, colorings, preservatives, or enhancers, this family-owned business taps into locally sourced ingredients to offer great food at a remarkable price. Located on the edge of Old Town Temecula, it's as simple as point, grab, and go with an online kitchen firing up bowls, burgers, sandwiches, and entrées like grass-fed tri-tip, free-range chicken, and sustainable salmon. The Thai-chicken curry bowl comes with coconut, lemongrass, and chilies, while the En Fuego Burger is piled high with double-smoked bacon, organic avocado, and jalapeno aioli. There’s plenty of gluten-free and vegan options, as well as family packs, perfect for four.

The understated chocolate chip cookie might be the best you’ve ever had.

Before dawn, owner and chef Narciso Dorado preps all of Carmelita's meat, sauces, and sides to create the generous portions served at this friendly family-run eatery tucked into a back corner of what is called "The Mall." Carmelita's draws locals and visitors all day whether it's for a hearty breakfast, a cooked-to-order enchilada or burrito, or a brew at the bar. If you're still hungry, they'll serve you plenty of chips and salsa. It's the best place to escape the heat with a margarita on the rocks.

Breakfast foodies religiously line up for a table at this cheerful A-frame restaurant for the chance to dig into wholesome food made from scratch like organic quinoa Benedict, multigrain pancakes, and French toast stuffed with fresh ricotta. Built from reclaimed wood and salvaged bricks, the eatery has a green roof, solar panels, and is insulated with recycled denim—all of which helped it earn platinum LEED status. Breakfast is served all day, but you can opt for sandwiches, salads, and burgers for lunch. You also can’t go wrong with the Thai steak salad made with grass-fed Angus or the cucumber and avocado sandwich with a side of homemade potato chips. The attached grab-and-go bakery opens at 7 am for train commuters. There is even a doggie menu for patio-side pooches. 

The parking lot in front of D'Carlos is always full, a sure sign that Ramonans like this casual family-style dinner house. The menu offers something for everyone: burgers, sandwiches, salads, steaks, barbecue, seafood, and pasta. Old-time favorites include chicken-fried steak and homemade meat loaf. Monday is all-day happy hour and daily drink specials feature up to 50% off cocktails. The place can feel chaotic, but friendly waitresses are surprisingly efficient. There's also patio dining in good weather.

The line out the door—especially during happy hour—is a clear sign you’re at the best place in North County to find locally sourced, sustainably caught fish at a great price. Owned by surfers-divers-fishermen, John Park and Ray Lowe, the vibe is SoCal at its best, with a chill staff serving fresh-shucked oysters, thick clam chowder, and fish sandwiches grilled to perfection; a chalkboard menu displays the day’s catch and what’s been shucked on ice. Fish plates like mahimahi with flash-fried Brussels sprouts and Baja fish tacos with killer salsas are great options. They've got wine on tap, their own micro brew, and a second location in Cardiff. Don’t be surprised to see pro surfers and skateboarders enjoying a cold one: Fish 101 sponsors some of the biggest names in action sports.

Fast-casual takes a healthy spin at this cheery spot—think Technicolor peace sign, floral wallpaper in the bathroom, and power-boosting juices. The menu evokes the same colorful vibe with bowls like the Mother Earth (ancient grains and sweet potato) or the glow bowl (sweet potato noodles, bok choy, shiitake mushroom, and coconut milk); soups; mix-and-match sides; wraps; and salads mixed with fresh ingredients like organic kale, ginger miso vinaigrette, and proteins that include sustainable salmon, grass-fed steak, and organic, non-GMO tofu.

Pick up a basket of fresh-cooked fish-and-chips at this dive and you're in for a treat. The shop has been serving clam chowder, shrimp cocktail, and fish sandwiches since 1969. Trophies and photos of big catch are on display. Outdoor tables offer terrific views of the Oceanside Marina. Early risers and late-night diners should look elsewhere since this spot opens at 11 am closes at 7 pm.

Overlooking the water in Oceanside, this beachside restaurant serves oysters, clam chowder, fish tacos, and several fresh catch options, which can be enjoyed from their rooftop lounge.

Fans of Top Gun—or the 2022 Maverick comeback—can get a taste of the historic house featured in the original 1986 film. In 2023, the 100-year-old home was moved to its current beachfront location, which operates as a pie shop serving hot hand-held pies in cherry, apple, blueberry, and seasonal favorites.

Don't let the bars on the windows or the illuminated billboard covered in skate stickers deter you, as the line of hungry surfers-in-waiting is a sure sign you've found the best taco bar in town. Tacos are served on paper plates and burritos are rolled in parchment paper—you'll need both hands to hold these bad boys—at this no-frills hole-in-the-wall that's open until midnight, but that makes it easier to munch street-side, or better yet, take your feast to the beach and ride on. The shredded meat is tender and the salsas have a kick.

The apple pies that made Julian famous come from the Smothers family bakery in a one-story house on Main Street. In pleasant weather you can sit on the front patio and watch the world go by while savoring a slice of hot pie—from Dutch apple to apple mountain berry crumb—topped with homemade cinnamon ice cream. The Smothers family has been making pies in Julian since 1986; by 1989 the family had bought its own orchard, and by 1992 it had built a larger bakery in Santa Ysabel that makes and serves only pies.

Arrive by 9 to avoid the lines that wrap around the building.

In 1981, Señora Mendoza created a home-cooked menu that is still used today, making this one of North County's best Mexican restaurants. Across the street from Cardiff Beach---you can grab a margarita or some fish tacos before heading off to view surfers awaiting their next wave---expect big platters of fajitas, chiles rellenos, and chicken taquitos served with rice and beans.

The elevated Mexican cuisine, margaritas, mariachi, and Talavera pottery may transport you to central Mexico before you dip that first chip into homemade guacamole. Pull up a colorful barstool and watch Julian go by from a wraparound porch where street tacos, enchiladas, and organic carne served in a stone molcajete come out sizzling hot. The spiked horchata with rum is like a milkshake for grown-ups. Note that this small restaurant closes by 8 pm. 

Get ready for savory perfection with a concept built around locally sourced ingredients from ranchers, fishermen, and farmers who are dedicated to their harvest and sharing the beauty of their bounty. While the all-day breakfasts are a hit, it’s what’s between the bread that matters, like Brandt beef patty burgers, smoked tri trip sandwiches, and beef sliders with house-made chips. Order at the counter for breakfast and lunch, or take it up a notch after 4 pm with full-service dinners offering dry-aged Brand beef with Chino Farms greens. The Chef’s daily Brand Beef Tasting menu is what keeps customers loyal. If you fall in love with a cut, simply order any dry-aged steak from the onsite butcher with a bottle of wine from the in-house market.

For inexpensive comfort food, this desert diner serves sandwiches, pasta, burgers, and chicken-fried steak with thick fries. This is the area's best breakfast joint, with menu highlights including cinnamon French toast and smoked salmon eggs Benedict. For super fresh ingredients, request organic goods plucked from their adjacent vegetable garden. The full bar and pet-friendly patio are great on sunny days.

It's worth the wait for breakfast or lunch at this cozy café, where everything is fresh and made to order. The breakfast standout is eggs Benedict, both classic and vegetarian. For lunch you can choose among several classic salads and homemade soups.

Willy Wonka would be impressed with this authentic candy shop with barrels and bins piled high with gummies, drops, jellybeans, sour candies, and other nostalgic treats. There’s even ice cream to cool you down on a hot summer day.

Order any one of just seven menu items and then dig into mouth-stretching sandwiches on the small patio with communal picnic tables. The turkey with Swiss comes on perfectly toasted sourdough, while the Philly cheesesteak is heaping with shaved New York strip and pickled peppers; just about everything pairs well with their selection of beers on tap, and of course the beef-fat fries. As many customers who roll in for the food, there are just as many coming to grab cuts off the block from the butcher.