Whether in this charming seaside town for a relaxing retreat or an action-packed getaway, you’ll find food to enhance your visit.
Carlsbad, located in northern San Diego County, California, was named after a famous spa in Karlsbad, Bohemia. Today, Carlsbad is renowned for its own historic mineral spa, Legoland, flower fields, gorgeous beaches, famous shopping, and delicious dining.
Nicknamed “The Village by the Sea,” Carlsbad also boasts five-star resorts, stunning golf courses, and a charming, walkable downtown that contributes to the small-town feel.
Whether you’re visiting Carlsbad for the first time or returning for another visit, you’ll find a wide range of dining experiences. Here are my nine best restaurants to try in Carlsbad, California.
7 Mile Kitchen
Carlsbad’s seven miles of coastline inspired the name for 7 Mile Kitchen. Located in the Sheraton Carlsbad Resort & Spa next to the Westin Carlsbad Resort & Spa, where we stayed, is an open, modern restaurant.
Families and friends enjoy Chef Jason Luke’s classic American comfort food. Woodfired pizzas and tall-stacked burgers, including happy hour food, items are popular. Try a creative cocktail or one of the rotating local brews on tap. We were seated on the breezy patio overlooking the gorgeous hotel pool.
You can select from a mouthwatering list of Between The Buns burgers. The Classic Bacon Cheeseburger made with Applewood bacon and white cheddar comes topped with lettuce, tomato, pickle, and onion and served with fries. My husband nodded with approval as the burger disappeared before our eyes.
I chose the Coastal Cobb salad. Large shrimp, Applewood bacon, cucumber, egg, avocado, and feta, combined with luscious ranch dressing, made my taste buds happy.
My OG Scramble with cage-free eggs, smoked ham, bacon, cheddar, and scallions served with 7-Mile seasoned potatoes hit the spot for breakfast.
Other choices include the classic Coastal American with eggs, bacon or sausage, and potatoes. A vegan Sweet Potato Quinoa Hash with mushrooms, spinach, avocado, and almond romesco caught my eye. The Strawberry Shortcake Waffle was incredible, served with vanilla ice cream and strawberries.
Were you looking for dessert, perhaps? You might try a scoop at the gelato bar or fire pit s’mores.
20 Twenty Grill NZ Rack of Lamb ©Janie Pace
20/Twenty Grill
The eclectic northern Spanish 20/Twenty Grill is in the Westin Hotel. It featured tangy main dishes and creative cocktails. Try the Hemingway Daiquiri or Writer’s Block, which mixes whisky, fruit juices, and matcha green tea. Large glass doors opened to our patio table with a brilliant sunset view.
Simple creations embraced local harvests and international influences for a coastal California flair.
My tempura battered stuffed squash blossoms with mascarpone and spicy marinara melded zesty Italian flavors.
Cardini Caesar salad served with sourdough croutons, heirloom tomatoes, and Parmigiano Reggiano satisfied my cravings for greens.
New Zealand Rack of Lamb was fit for a queen. It was tender, with parsnip puree and roasted cauliflower topped with a concord grape glaze.
The raspberry tart with crème fraiche gelato and the heavenly three-layer Chocolate Mousse Cake were delightful for dessert.
Breakfast options: I loved the special 20/Twenty omelet. Egg whites, asparagus, mushrooms, spinach, and white cheddar topped with basil pesto. The lemon ricotta pancakes were divine, too. Toppings included blueberry, candied orange, and sugar dust.
Weekend brunch features a robust continental breakfast for two or a brunch board. Its offerings included breakfast bread, fresh fruit, meat, cheese, hummus, crudites, deviled eggs, and condiments.
Hearty plates include chilaquiles, the all-American breakfast, or steak and eggs.
You can get a fresh-from-the-juicer green monster, a carrot refresher, or recharge with local Carlsbad strawberries, bananas, blueberries, dates, almond butter, almond milk, and chia seeds.
Carlsbad Food Tours
Reserve your leisurely, walkable, eat-like-a-local three-hour guided Carlsbad Food Tours and experience the historic downtown of Carlsbad. Eat through the heart of Carlsbad Village. You’ll get a laid-back SoCal vibe while sampling local favorite Italian dishes, Mexican tacos, French crepes, and dreamy desserts, all within walking distance.
The Goods Artisan Doughnuts
Our first foodie tour stop on the Taste of Carlsbad tour was the Barille family-owned The Goods Artisan Doughnuts on State Street.
Stay a spell at marble-topped tables and blue velvet banquette seating, savoring freshly baked aromas of homemade artisan doughnuts.
You may delight in creative flavors like Boston cream, strawberry cheesecake, Tahitian vanilla, and marshmallow s’mores doughnuts, a throwback to my Girl Scout memories made in-house in small batches throughout the day. The maple bacon and brown butter doughnuts melted in our mouths.
Savor various flavors like Vermont Maple, Vermont Maple Bacon, chocolate ganache glazed, rosemary eggnog, and blackberry cobbler. Don’t miss trying the Banoffee, a doughnut with chunky banana custard topped with Dulce de Leche glaze buttercream and banana chip, then drizzled with milk chocolate. These doughnut delicacies sent my glucose levels on a rollercoaster ride.
Other delectable choices include a Nutella buttercream-stuffed doughnut, a churro cruller coated with cinnamon sugar, a classic house-made cinnamon roll with cream cheese frosting, or a Granny Smith apple fritter with classic glaze.
The one-of-a-kind cruffin, a croissant in muffin form made with imported European butter, is filled with various creams like house-made pastry cream sprinkled with coarse sugar or Nutella buttercream.
You’ll also find vegan and gluten-free options every day. Enjoy a gluten-free Boston Cream doughnut, a chocolate ganache with sprinkles, Vermont maple or maple bacon, and Tahitian vanilla glaze with sprinkles.
Cicciotti’s Trattoria Italiana & Seafood
Fresh seafood, hearty Italian meats, vegetarian dishes, and wood-fired baked thin-crust pizzas are among the menu offerings at Cicciotti’s Trattoria Italiana & Seafood. This rustic-chic Italian restaurant and outdoor patio is located on Grand Avenue and Roosevelt in the Village of Carlsbad.
I purchased the chef’s cookbook Cicciotti’s Kitchen, written by native Italian Chef Gaetano Cicciotti, and took home some of his best Italian recipes to try in my kitchen.
You might want to start with my favorite, the Cuori Di Carcio Al Forno Con Gamberetti, baked artichoke hearts with provolone cheese, garlic, and parmigiana, served with tender shrimp.
Additional picks include Ravioli Al Pollo Genovese, ricotta cheese-filled ravioli with chicken in a creamy pesto and sundried tomato.
Don’t pass up the traditional Cannelloni, filled with beef, pork, veal, spinach, and ricotta cheese, served with besciamella and Bolognese sauce. Veal Scaloppine Al Funghi Porcini is out of this world. Thinly sliced scaloppine is in a creamy, brandy sauce with porcini mushrooms.
Indulge in the classic Cioppino, mussels, clams, calamari, shrimp, scallops, and fresh fish of the day in a red sauce over linguini pasta, subject to availability, and I see why.
Explore six amazing calzones and sixteen different 14-inch pizzas from the wood oven. Try the Pizza Sorrentina, topped with tomato sauce, calamari, clams, mussels, shrimp, tomatoes, and mozzarella.
Save room for the classic, irresistible tiramisu for a superb dessert.
Strawberry Shack, a Carlsbad California restaurant
Stop at the world-famous Strawberry Shack in Carlsbad Village for unforgettable California strawberry treats.
Taste the strawberry shortcake, Belgium-imported chocolate-covered strawberries, and strawberry lavender sundae. How can you resist the chocolate-covered strawberry marshmallows, pudding, cannoli, and pina colada soft-serve?
As part of Carlsbad Gourmet, you can also shop for strawberry-themed products. These include strawberry spread, jalapeno spread, cinnamon fig spread, Carlsbad Gourmet ruby red strawberry BBQ sauce, or roasted strawberry chili sauce.
Senor Grubby’s
Award-winning Senor Grubby’s is the go-to place for margaritas, tacos, and happy hour. Additionally, it is an excellent choice for breakfast chilaquiles, lunch tortas or burritos, or dinner shrimp diabla or la familia beef.
For dinner, order my favorite—shrimp by the pound, Baja style, sauteed in the famous citrus salsa with jalapeno, cilantro, and onion. Enjoy the top sirloin carne asada with pico de gallo, French fries, and Mexican cheese for fresh, south-of-the-border Mexican food.
Try the hormone-free grilled chicken breast, fresh pico de gallo, lettuce, pinto beans, and guacamole wrapped in a wheat tortilla. You’ll find famous street tacos and hand-rolled tacos. The torta is a hot Mexican-style sandwich served on torta bread with sliced avocado, lettuce, tomato, onion, melted cheese, and a thin layer of beans and chipotle cream sauce.
For breakfast, the three egg scrambles and omelets, which feature avocado, bacon, and cheese or shrimp diabla salsa, fresh pico de gallo, and spicy pepper jack cheese topped with a chipotle cream sauce, do not disappoint.
My favorite is chilaquiles—two scrambled eggs, corn tortilla strips, salsa, and cheese, with a side of beans.
You get vegan options when you order nopales chilaquiles with vegan chorizo cheese, scrambled with Just Eggs, and served with beans, rice, and corn tortillas. The veggie burrito comes with veggies, is scrambled with Just Eggs, and wrapped in a vegan flour tortilla.
Froglander’s – French Crepes and Yogurt
Founded in 1986, Froglander’s – French Crepes and Yogurt is a family-owned creperie serving sweet and savory crepes, frozen yogurt, fresh smoothies, and Thai boba tea.
Froglanders is a small place with little seating, but don’t let that fool you. It earned the best-frozen yogurt by Jolla Village News eight years in a row.
For example, tantalizing Yogurt flavors such as salted caramel pretzel, dreamy dark chocolate, or vanilla kiss come in tadpole (8 ounces), smallish (12 ounces), and bullfrog (16 ounces) sizes. Fruity seasonal flavors are blueberry burst tart, banana cream pie, mountain blackberry, or Hawaiian pineapple. More luscious flavors are coconut, cookies and cream, Reese’s peanut butter, chocolate milkshake, famous Irish mint, peppermint candy cane, cake batter, and pistachio.
Savory French cuisine crepes: we tasted the Perfect crepe, a luscious buckwheat gluten-free crepe topped with prosciutto, arugula, mozzarella, balsamic, and tomatoes.
Go with the zesty Loco Crepe, buckwheat batter, topped with chicken, jalapeno, gouda, and mozzarella. The Greek boasts chicken with pesto, cheddar, and tomato.
Want a sweet crepe? The Amazing with Nutella, banana, and fresh strawberries is impressive.
Pb Monkey comes with peanut butter, including French imported Bonne Maman and banana. The Naughty Banana crepe is an enticing mix of banana, caramel, and walnuts.
My favorite shake was the Chocolate Grasshopper, made with blissful chocolate yogurt and mint cookies. The Hangover shake is a hearty mixture of vanilla yogurt, espresso, half and half, banana, and whey protein, sure to boost your day.
Napatini Bistro and Wine Bar
Enjoy a unique wine-tasting experience at Napatini Bistro and Wine Bar. It is owned and operated by Lynn and Gary McLean. Both have military backgrounds: Lynn is a Navy veteran, and Gary is a retired Marine Corps Infantry Officer. They also have IT services, sales, consulting, and operations backgrounds.
The McLeans opened the business on January 14, 2023, to much local fanfare as a family affair with their four boys.
You can choose from over 100 wines from 50 California wineries, with many wines unavailable to the public outside the winery.
A “Wine Wall” Offers a Wine-By-The-Glass System
The concept of the “Wine Wall” captivated me. Napitini uses enomatic, a wine-by-the-glass system that preserves opened bottles. This allows it to offer self-paced tastings in small amounts from wines usually sold only by the bottle.
You’ll find six stations with eight bottles each. Click on the bottle at the Napatini Wine Wall online to learn more about the wine and the winery. Station One features roses and white varietals, and Station Two features chardonnays and white blends. You’ll find light and medium-bodied red wines at Station Three, while at Station Four, you’ll experience red varietals. Explore full-bodied red blends at Station Five and enjoy cabernet sauvignons at Station Six.
I selected the Paso Robles DAOU Vineyards Rose, made of 100% Grenache Noir. It offers hints of honeysuckle and pineapple, with a luxuriant finish of peaches and cherry.
The red blend I chose was the 2021 Tapestry Vineyards by Beaulieu Vineyards in Paso Robles. It boasts dark berry aromas and notes of dark chocolate, mocha, and spice.
Read the winemaker notes commenting that the continued drought produced small, concentrated berries, perfect for winemaking. This blend combines 72 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 16 percent Syrah, and 12 percent Petite Sirah and pairs well with pasta, cheese, or red meats.
Plentiful Food and Wine Pairings
For food options, I chose a small cheese board and selected three cheeses from ten available. I also paired my wine selections with a French baguette and a meatball marinara skewer. We shared the Mediterranean flight of hummus, tapenade, and Chef Armando’s Mediterranean salsa.
Other delightful skewer selections included chicken, mahi-mahi, and short-rib boneless beef. Super tasty flatbreads were Italiano with pepperoni and mushrooms, burrata-fig, mushroom, or pesto chicken with artichoke, and a gluten-free option with a cauliflower crust.
You might be able to catch a wine-tasting class. Chef Joshua Holt presents wine-pairing dinners featuring a specific winery.
Campfire a Carlsbad California restaurant
If you’ve ever been camping, enjoyed cooking a steak over an open flame, and raved about how savory it tasted, you’ll love Campfire.
Headed up by Executive Chef Eric Bost, the kitchen features food inspired by the California forests, mountains, deserts, and coasts, all cooked over a wood fire.
We started with the olives and roasted farmers’ market vegetables. The oysters cooked over hot coals with pickled onion were a tantalizing surprise.
I went with the brisket, smoked with a coffee rub, polenta, and pickled green tomato. A friend selected charred chicken with chipotle, cacao, yogurt, and grilled eggplant and seasoned it with Oaxacan spices.
If you are a gambler, play your cards and go all in with the fire-roasted octopus with puttanesca, heirloom beans, blood orange, and chicory.
The best part was the trail’s end; we moved outside on the patio with our hot coals to roast s’mores with chocolate, marshmallows, and graham crackers.
To discover some activities to enjoy between dining at these restaurants, check out Carlsbad: A Quintessential California Vibe.
Visit Carlsbad sponsored my visit to Carlsbad.
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Janie Pace blogs at Journey Mapped.
