Where can you find one of the best burger and fries combinations in San Diego? At the downtown Santa Fe Depot!
You don’t need to be an Amtrak or Coaster passenger to enjoy this tasty, restaurant quality meal. Simply walk into the train station and place your order at the Silver Streak Cafe.
What you’re seeing is today’s cheeseburger and French fries lunch, which I enjoyed inside the beautiful old train station. The historic Santa Fe Depot was built to accomodate people arriving in San Diego for the 1915 Panama-California Exposition.
And here’s a smile at the Silver Streak Cafe kiosk that will greet you!
Feast your eyes on this tasty street art at a busy intersection in Escondido!
I used to drive past the corner of West Valley Parkway and Auto Park Way and think I should take photographs of this electrical box. I finally did yesterday.
The cheeseburger and fries looks particularly good.
Several eateries are located nearby. This colorful food art seems to be strategically positioned!
Will you be in Balboa Park tomorrow: Sunday, September 7, 2025?
Would you like to devour Chicken Adobo, a Chicken & Pork BBQ Stick, Pancit Noodles, Lumpia, or Turon (banana dessert)? How about a Combo Plate?
You’re in luck! The San Diego History Center has a Filipino feast ready for you!
Taste San Diego Filipino Culinary Journeys, a special event inside the History Center, will be offering delicious Filipino food ready for purchase! Hours are 11 am to 4 pm.
Why this special catered feast? Balboa Park’s International Cottages (including the House of the Philippines) are celebrating their 90th anniversary this weekend.
Where is the San Diego History Center? It’s inside the Casa de Balboa. Look for signs as you walk along El Prado.
I had one of those barbeque meat on a stick offerings. The food is prepared by Gabina’s Cuisine, which is headquartered in Chula Vista.
Yummy!
…
I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.
Hungry during your weekend visit to Balboa Park? Do you love Filipino food, such as pancit and lumpia?
Head over to the San Diego History Center, where they’re serving up authentic Filipino food and culture!
Taste San Diego: Filipino Culinary Journeys is the name of the museum’s free exhibition, where displays tell the story of Filipino-American identity through the rich flavors of cuisine. It’s also where, on Saturdays and Sundays, tasty food is available for purchase at the Bataan Café!
What’s on the menu? Pancit, Shanghai Lumpia, and for dessert, Ube Crinkle Cookies and Dubai Ensaymada. Beverages include Ube Cold Brew, Calamansi Lemonade, Ginger Beer, and alcoholic Ube Wan and Jeepney.
When I swung by for lunch on Saturday, I was met by smiles and a neighborly vibe.
A family was enjoying their meal at a very special table. The table’s surface is actually a large video screen. Its looping video shows a Filipino boodle fight: a communal Filipino meal where food is placed directly on the table and eaten with bare hands. (My own table had me eating delicious lumpia by hand, but the pancit noodles made their way into my mouth by fork.)
I recommend you visit Taste San Diego: Filipino Culinary Journeys at the San Diego History Center. In addition to the great food served on weekends, there are walls full of heartwarming displays. They tell stories of Filipino family life and culture in San Diego.
Service with a smile!
I took the next photograph on a weekday, when the café is closed. My photo shows the scale of this exhibition at the San Diego History Center.
On weekends you’ll find people at the tables enjoying Filipino food!
The museum exhibit includes many displays.
This historical photograph shows how social fiestas help Filipino immigrants and Filipino-Americans stay connected to their roots and share rich traditions…
One display shows ingredients that are often used in the making of Filipino food…
Okay! It’s now the weekend and I’m hungry!
Time to eat!
…
I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.
Did you know there’s a farm immediately next to Snapdragon Stadium’s parking lot?
Did you know that on Saturdays this farm is open to the public and offers a café and fresh vegetable stand? (Not to mention tours and fun activities.)
Yes!
The MAKE Farm is a Community-Supported Agricultural (CSA) Program that empowers refugees and immigrant women. So when you eat here, you’re helping other people as well!
MAKE Farm is located immediately south of the large Snapdragon Stadium parking lot, a little east of the Stadium trolley station. According to signs I spotted today, their offerings include Garden Veggie Wraps and Yogurt Parfaits, and you get a free cookie during your visit, too!
Going to a Saturday game at the stadium? Enjoy a unique and healthy lunch in the outdoors here.
I suppose I’ll have to swing by some weekend!
Late last year, before they opened their on-site café, I toured the farm. You can see that blog post by clicking here.
…
I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.
The Sonic the Hedgehog Speed Café pop-up fast food restaurant has returned to San Diego for Comic-Con 2024. And they’ve opened before the convention begins!
I swung by 910 J Street today shortly after the the Speed Café opened at 11 am. Not many people were about. In a few days, during Comic-Con starting Wednesday, there will probably be a line halfway down the block–like last year!
I took these photos of the fun Sonic the Hedgehog themed interior, then ordered a milkshake and chicken sandwich (that I consumed a moment ago) from the super friendly people behind the counter.
I must admit the mocha shake and spicy fried chicken sandwich were actually really good! Better then some other fast food joints! The chicken was tasty, crispy and moist inside–yum!
When the Sonic the Hedgehog Speed Café pop-up officially opens on Wednesday, I’m told Sonic himself will be present for the kids. And, of course, there will be Sonic video games that can be freely played, too!
…
Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
If you’d like to view my coverage of Comic-Con so far, which includes hundreds of cool photographs, click here!
San Diego’s world-famous Donut Bar has moved its downtown location and greatly expanded! Their fresh new location at 1 Columbia Place opened yesterday, and early this morning I swung by to see my friends in action! Chef Santiago and staff were smiling and ready for another busy day!
All the usual great donuts were on display at the front counter, and a new section up front will soon be featuring cakes and other sweet bakery items! I saw that every sort of coffee awaits those who need a morning injection of caffeine, and the fun vibes are stronger than ever!
One super fun feature of Donut Bar’s new location is . . . the walls. That’s right!
The walls are covered with black-and-white graphics depicting San Diego. The cartoony graphics turn into a dynamic, colorful, augmented reality experience when you aim your phone at them! Donuts fly through the sky! A boat crosses San Diego Bay! Jets fly off the USS Midway! A baseball flies out of Petco Park!
The new Donut Bar location is 401 West A Street on the ground floor of 1 Columbia Place, a block west and north of the San Diego Central Courthouse. They’ve got outdoor seating perfect for sunny San Diego, too!
Now which yummy donut to choose…
…
Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X (formerly known as Twitter)!
If you driven up College Avenue a block north of El Cajon Boulevard you’ve possibly seen this cool mural. It’s painted on the south side of a sushi restaurant called Fish Pit (I don’t know if they are still operating–their website no longer exists.)
The art is by graffiti artist Unity. It appears that a toothy octopus is enjoying a bowl of rice!
Unity is San Diego artist Jonathan Wenner. You can check out another mural that he painted here. He has a very distinctive style.
The Fish Pit mural was painted in 2021. I really like it!
…
Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X (formerly known as Twitter)!
I enjoyed a long talk and was shown a little of the historic Simon Levi Company building, where Fairweather is located. I also spied some beautiful artwork by the outdoor bar.
It might be a bit difficult to find the rooftop bar and grill, so follow the signs. As you can see from my first photograph, this would be an ideal place to watch a future Gallagher Square concert or hang out during a Padres game!
…
Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X (formerly known as Twitter)!
A large crowd has gathered on San Diego Bay today for Lobsterfest!
The big extravaganza for lobster lovers is taking place this morning on the pier between Seaport Village and Tuna Harbor–the same pier where the Tuna Harbor Dockside Market is held every Saturday.
Spiny lobsters on ice, freshly caught by local fishermen, are for sale to the public under a row of canopies.
Lobsters are also being prepared for eaters sitting at shady tables. The smell of lobsters on the grill is mouth-watering!
There’s even a band playing live music!
I walked along the pier this morning as Lobsterfest got underway and captured these photos…
…
Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X (formerly known as Twitter)!
