SD Foodie guide
Some nights call for one reservation that handles both dinner and the drinks. Roger’s 2022 picks for that job were Fort Oak in Mission Hills, for pork chops and whiskey cocktails, and Madison in University Heights, for house barrel-aged mezcal and whiskey drinks. Madison closed temporarily in September 2026 for a renovation and rebrand, so check its page for the latest before planning around it.
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.
Published 2026-09-16. Last editorial update 2026-09-16.