Outdoor Dining in San Diego

[seitaikei]

With September around the corner, I'd like to enjoy a nice outdoor dinner with a group of my "dinner club" buddies. Does anyone have a favorite patio dining spot for a party of 8? (Views are a plus, but not necessary). Even better would be a restaurant that serves something besides "CA cuisine" as we supped on this at our last meet-up. However, if the only place you can think of serves California/American food, please still throw the suggestion out! Thanks so much!

[eatemup]

Have eaten outside at Cavaillon a couple times. Very nice and they food is outstanding.RB Inn's Veranda restaurant has a great patio. Food is OK. They have a paella buffett on Friday nights, I think.

[lmmsdca]

Hacienda de Vega in Escondido. Lovely patio with waterfall and garden, excellent mexican food, fantastic tamarind margarita.

[Beach Chick]

George's at the Cove on the Terrace, LJ
Island Prime, Harbor Island
FIsh Market, SD Bayfront
1500 Ocean, Hotel Del
Baleen, Paradise Point
JRDN, PB
Green Flash, PB
Crab Catcher, LJ
Trattoria Acqua, LJ
Posedian, Del Mar
Peohe's, Coronado
World Famous, PB
Piatti's, LJ
Prado, Balboa Park

[DiningDiva]

C Level Lounge on Harbor Island has a great patio and spectacular views of the bay. Food is okay, not great, interesting specialty drink list.

Casa de Pico in the Grossmont Shopping Center also has wonderful patio seating with lush foilage and strolling mariachi's. Food is average, but this place is not about the food, it's about the experience and getting together with family and friends. Be prepared to wait for a patio seat on most weekends as I'm not sure they take reservations. Casa de Pico used to be in Old Town before the State mandated change of concession vendor.

3rd Corner in Ocean Beach has a small patio set up for dining.

[phee]

Casa de Pico will take reservations for a group of 8 or more. We were there recently for a birthday celebration, and we had a reservation.

[stevuchan]

Mama Mia in PB has great food, all house made. They have a patio and it overlooks beautiful Grand Ave and a peek-a-boo view of a run down alley. Food makes up for the view, and it's BYOW (no corkage). Word has spread on this spot, so make a reservation, ask for the table in the back, if you want some privacy. Price to quality ratio is off the charts (in a good way).

Cheers

[MrKrispy]

C Level has great views of the Harbor, especially if you can dine before and after the sunset. Food is definitely hit or miss but okay as Diva said.

[DoctorQuality]

i had a nice meal at alexander's on their back patio in north park. they had a comfortable bench style seating and it was great on a warm evening. especially with their wonderful sangria. their related restaurant, old venice in point loma, has a similar outdoor seating area.

[JeetJet]

Probably the best view in town. Reserve an outside table close to the water and near the walkway railing. I really like the Peohe's salad, any of the shrimp they offer, the Maui onion rings, the lobster. Even sitting inside there is a very good view from most of the tables but if you sit inside reserve a table next to the windows (I think they have large tables near the window -- not sure, we had four once). The inside layout is my idea of a very well designed restaurant. If you sit outside you must still walk through the whole place.

see the replys about Peohe's
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/87874

The View from Peohe's and the menu
http://www.peohes.com/

[Alice Q]

The last time I ate at Peohe's, I thought the food had gone downhill and the interior was a little dingy - but they do have a nice outdoor patio. My hands-down favorite venue for outdoor dining has to be George's Ocean Terrace, though the food is definitely ordinary CA/American cuisine. Poseidon in Del Mar, JRDN in Pacific Beach, and Azul in La Jolla also have good views and decent, if not great food.

[Alice Q]

I forgot about the patio at California Cuisine - no view, but a nice courtyard. Jayne's Gastropub also has a patio, but it wasn't open yet as of my last visit, you might want to give them a call.

[JeetJet]

I last ate at Peohe's in May. The food has not gone downhill. The steaks were never great but only average to above average. The seafood mentioned was excellent. The desserts are also very good. IMO the Mens room is nicer than 90% of dinning rooms in the state. The interior is simply the best designed dinning room in the country and was so intended to be when on the drawing board. Consider the booth seating that is set above the floor level (as if on a hill) and the high windows. This all goes to providing a view (the best view of the city across the bay -- not just "the bay") for as many customers as can be done and cuts down on noise at the same time. You would never know that all those tables, booths, the bar, and much of the kitchen were all in the same very large room because you can not see, and therefore cannot hear, more than 25% of the people in the room from any seat.

[JKP]

Jayne's patio is now open.

[jturtle]

I totally second the recommendation for JRDN. Although service was a little spotty the last time we went on a Friday night the view and food made up for it. By spotty I mean a little inconsistent and lacking in knowledge but very well meaning which sort of makes up for the first two problems. Also, I think Poseidon has an amazing view (very similar to JRDN) but I find the food just simply terrible.