The patio at Happy Does is a great spot to post up for drinks + snacks. | Photo via Monica Garske + SDtoday
Happy hour, anyone? For our glass half full kind of locals, we’ve rounded up 35 places to find deals on drinks + snacks around downtown SD. Cheers.
Keeping spirits up
Union Kitchen & Tap | Monday-Friday, 4-6 p.m. | Try a $6 Lagunitas IPA or $10 signature cocktails like the Union Old Fashioned.
Biggest bargains
Happy Does Bar | Thursday + Friday, 3-6 p.m. (except during Padres games) | Get more for less with $3 Crispy Chicken Sliders + Happy Sliders, seven brands of $5 beers, and $6 house wine and seltzers at this spot where the patio (and lawn games) are always poppin’.
Hungry for meal deals
Cafe Sevilla | Sunday-Friday, 4:30-6:30 p.m. | Pair your $7 beer and wine or $8 sangria with a robust selection of Spanish tapas between $6-$13 like papas bravas, baked empanadas, and queso fundido.
Toad The Wet Sprocket | 7 p.m. | Balboa Theatre | $65+ | The SoCal rockers known for 1990s hits like “All I Want” and “Walk on the Ocean” perform their “Good Intentions Tour.”
Disney Descendants/Zombies: “Worlds Collide Tour” | 7 p.m. | Pechanga Arena | $62+ | Disney Channel fanatics in your life will get a kick out of this interactive concert experience featuring stars like Kylie Cantrall, Freya Skye, and Malia Baker.
Friday, July 18
Del Mar Racing Season | Friday, July 18-Sunday, July 20 | 2 p.m. | Del Mar Racetrack | $11 | Cue the trumpets and bust out your fanciest hat — the annual horse races return to the famous seaside racetrack “where the turf meets the surf.”
Filipino American Friendship Festival | 11 a.m.-6 p.m. | NTC Park at Liberty Station | Free | Celebrate Filipino culture with food, dance, karaoke, and local vendors.
San Diego Pride Festival | Saturday, July 19-Sunday, July 20 | Times vary | Marston Point at Balboa Park | $40+ | This festival will feature community resources, booths, and four stages of live entertainment — head there after the Pride Parade.
Sunday, July 20
Whiskey & Fire San Diego | 3:30-7 p.m. | Liberty Station North Promenade | $125+ | Indulge in live-fire cooking from chefs highlighting products sourced from local farms and vote on your favorite bites of the day.
Iration | 3:45 p.m. | Petco Park | $30+ | The reggae rock group known for hits like “Time Bomb” and “Falling” will headline the ballpark — sway a while.
Tuesday, July 22
High Tide Dinner Series | Tuesday, July 22-Thursday, July 24 | Times vary | The Marine Room | $165+ | Watch the waves dramatically crash against the La Jolla restaurant’s windows as you enjoy the spot’s beloved seasonal dinner series.
Wednesday, July 23
Comic-Con Trivia | 6 p.m. | City Tacos OB Playground | $11 | Put on that cosplay and test your Comic-Con knowledge on the eve before the big event — there are prizes, so bring your A-game.
Pacaso plans to expand to Italy. | Photo provided by Pacaso
How do you follow a record-setting year? By getting stronger.
Take Pacaso. Their real estate co-ownership tech set records in Paris and London in 2024. No surprise. Coldwell Banker says 40% of wealthy Americans plan to buy abroad within a year, so Pacaso’s planned Italy expansion is big.
They’ve already made $110 million+ in gross profits to date, including 41% YoY growth last year. (They even reserved the Nasdaq ticker PCSO.) And you can invest for $2.90/share. †‡‡
Hop into this life-size Barbie box for your very own doll moment.
Photo via Monica Garske + SDtoday
Try This
Come on Barbie, let’s go party. The traveling Malibu Barbie Cafe is open at 2137 Pacific Hwy. through Sunday, Oct. 12. The pop-up features a roller rink, cute photo opportunities, and — as if that wasn’t Kenough — a menu created by “Chopped” champion Chef Becky Brown. Snag tickets.
Development
The Port of San Diego approved a proposal to bring a new hotel, retail, and sports complex to the Chula Vista Bayfront. The “Pangaea” would be anchored by a tennis center “affiliated with an elite professional athlete,” and would take shape about a mile south of the new Gaylord Pacific Resort. (City News Service via CBS8)
Announced
Legoland California Resort will launch a space-themed zone in 2026 that will feature a high-tech, indoor roller coaster and two other new rides. Visitors can also expect a junior astronaut training zone for toddlers and space-themed food + merch. Access to the new area will be included with park admission. (Patch)
Open
Popular SoCal burger chain For the Win recently debuted a location on Garnet Avenue in PB — its first eatery outside of the LA area. The SD menu features loaded smashburgers, fries, and milkshakes in classic flavors. It’s open daily, 1-8 p.m. (Eater San Diego)
Coming Soon
Tijuana’s Quimérico Café is expanding to San Diego County. The coffee + breakfast restaurant will officially open on Tuesday, July 22 on South Coast Highway 101 in Encinitas. Patrons can expect brunch dishes like “chilaquiles from another dimension,” breakfast burritos, French toast, and specialty coffee drinks. (San Diego Magazine)
Civic
The city has started mailing notes to residents with a code to use on a website to pick out their trash bin size. The city’s new monthly trash pickup fees range from $32.82-$43.60 and will be added to homeowners’ county tax rolls this fall. (CBS8)
Number
The FAA awarded a $15 million grant to the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority’s Quieter Home Program to provide sound insulation for 250 homes near the airport. Surrounding communities with eligible residences include Ocean Beach, Bankers Hill, and Golden Hill. The program has retrofitted 5,929 homes since 2001.
Eat
Only the fearless can be great.Fork n’ Film is going down at The Laundry at Hotel del Coronado on select nights through Saturday, Aug. 9. The “full sensory” dining experience features a multi-course menu timed to match scenes during a screening of Pixar’s “Ratatouille.” Reserve your spot.
Cause
The San Diego Center for Children is collecting donations through Friday, Aug. 8 for its Back-to-School Drive. Help support local students by donating items like reusable water bottles, binders, headphones, composition notebooks, erasers, pencil boxes, glue sticks, and more.
Read
July is Disability Pride Month, a time to celebrate the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act and advocate for inclusion. To learn more, the San Diego County Library has put together this list of powerful stories “honoring the history, achievements, experiences, and struggles of the disability community.”
Sports
SD faces some major trade deadline decisions. Can the Padres capitalize on their wild card position? Go beyond the scoreboard and behind the scenes of the San Diego Padreswith Locked On’s daily, team-focused podcasts.
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Home
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Wellness
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Hers offers personalized care with no insurance hassles and regular check-ins to keep you on track. | Photo provided by Hims & Hers
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San Diego Pride’s main events begin tomorrow evening with the Spirit of Stonewall Rally, followed by the free Pride Parade in Hillcrest on Saturday, July 19 + the ticketed San Diego Pride Festival all weekend at Marston Point in Balboa Park.
Save hundreds when you shop Nordstrom’s Anniversary Sale for top deals on apparel, home, beauty, and more. We’re adding these five to our cart before they sell out:
The fun doesn’t have to end here. After reading the newsletter, head over to our games page. Games refresh with new challenges every day at 6 a.m. from crossword puzzle to Sudoku to themed word search.
We’re one week away from San Diego Comic-Con International, and we’re pumped to see the pop culture takeover in downtown San Diego. SDCC released its programming schedule this week — check out who’s coming to town. We’ll see you there.
‡‡This is a paid advertisement for Pacaso’s Regulation A offering. Please read the offering circular at invest.pacaso.com. Reserving a ticker symbol is not a guarantee that the company will go public. Listing on the NASDAQ is subject to approvals. Under Regulation A+, a company has the ability to change its share price by up to 20%, without requalifying the offering with the SEC.
‡Paid upfront in full. Actual price to customer will depend on product and subscription plan purchase. Not available in all 50 states. Weight Loss by Hers is a holistic program that includes nutrition support, technological tools, and medications prescribed based on what your provider determines is medically appropriate and necessary for you. See website for full details, important safety information, and restrictions, including online provider consultation requirements.
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