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Filter a growing collection of firsthand recommendations by name, cuisine, or neighborhood.
Roger's 2022 answer for Mexican food in North Park, built around a surf 'n turf he described as bigger than most people's forearms.
One of the two omakase counters Roger named when asked where to take a visiting friend for sushi in 2022.
Roger's University Heights omakase recommendation from 2022, paired with Tadokoro as his two go-to sushi counters.
A Mission Hills dinner-and-drinks choice with a menu built for a proper night out, especially when pork chops and whiskey cocktails are the brief.
A University Heights restaurant where the cocktail program is a genuine reason to stay for dinner, not an afterthought to the food.
Vegan soul food with enough savory, fried and comforting appeal to bring meat-eaters to the table without an apology tour.
A vegetarian Thai favorite where the panang curry is Roger's personal starting point and the menu gives mixed groups plenty of room.
A Little Italy coffee stop for serious brewed coffee, with nitro cold brew as the dependable move and Geisha pour-over as the special occasion.
Now closed. In 2022 Roger's Liberty Station coffee tip was to let the barista build an espresso drink of their own design here.
A longtime Convoy-area Japanese favorite for robata, small plates, and an intimate dinner that rewards ordering across the menu.
Comforting Hong Kong-style cooking in Clairemont, with the kind of unfussy menu that makes repeat visits easy.
A polished Cardiff stop where the coastal setting is part of the appeal and the menu works best for an unhurried brunch or lunch.
A tea-first boba shop that stands out for brewing with real leaves instead of leaning on powder and artificial flavoring.
A projection-mapped dinner show at the Hilton Gaslamp. Roger documented the experience with a three-star Google review, so this is a mixed visit record rather than a recommendation.
A made-to-order Asian fusion kitchen on Third Avenue that Roger gave five stars across food, service and atmosphere, calling its chicken wings some of the juiciest he has had anywhere.
A small-batch roaster where, in Roger’s words, Ethiopian coffees are imported straight in and roasted in-house — and should be drunk black.
A Poway lunch spot where Roger always orders the steak with chimichurri and recommends Steve’s Sandwich.
One of Roger’s favorite spots for bún bò Huế and bún riêu, with seafood dishes he says you rarely see at typical pho houses. Cash only.
A grab-and-go coffee and gelato counter at Portside Pier: an easy fix on a Harbor Drive walk, though Roger said the coffee is better in Little Italy.
A ginger beer tasting room Roger called home to one of the best ginger beverages in Southern California — start with the original flavor.
Roger’s pick for Cantonese roast meats in town: roast duck and char siu, bought early and paid for in cash.
A Northern Chinese skewer spot Roger found overpriced for tiny portions, with slow vegetable dishes and a check-in discount it refused to honor.
A Little Italy pizza-and-cocktails hall where Roger found the pizza cooked just right and the whiskey drinks on point, but the salad too salty.
A longtime late-night default that lost Roger after new management: a bland $13 noodle soup and frozen fish sold as sea bass.
A Third Avenue restaurant whose 72-hour braised short rib earned five stars from Roger.
Once Roger’s backup when Sushi Ota was booked; a later dinner came with over-vinegared rice and fish he called mediocre at best.
A self-serve Filipino skewer joint Roger called legit: pick your skewers, then give them extra char on the patio grills.
Good for one thing in Roger’s book: a dog-friendly patio. The Black & Bleu burger was bland on a cold bun.
Top-notch service and date-night ambiance above Landini’s, undone for Roger by pasta he found very disappointing.
A Japanese ramen chain Roger knew from Asia whose San Diego branch let him down on hygiene and a flagship bowl he called Average But Consumable.
A North Park bistro Roger had enjoyed for years until a Restaurant Week dinner brought rude service and no apology from the server.
Roger’s long-running Ocean Beach burger stop: a double bacon cheeseburger, frings and a massive Neapolitan shake, best at the original location.
A La Jolla sushi spot Roger visited consistently for five years, until a hostess’s attitude soured a Saturday afternoon in May 2014.
Great food, slow service: the birthday dinner where Roger was charged $1.50 for a truffle nobody ordered.
A Kearny Mesa Vietnamese spot Roger praised for freshly made, generous portions — nothing mass-ordered frozen — plus made-to-order coffee and wings he ranks among the only two worth ordering at an Asian restaurant in town.
A low-key Convoy-area grocery Roger called a one-stop shop for a Chinese household: herbal remedies, dried seafood, nostalgic HK/China/Taiwan sodas and whole-leaf teas, tucked in a warehouse half a block west of Convoy.
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