Where to stay in California, for good ethnic food choices?
December 14, 2024 12:03 PM Subscribe
I spent January in Oceanside CA. I enjoyed the beach and walking daily in a no snow environment. That was the point of that vacation. This time I would like to add, good affordable food for eating out. I am a food truck, cafe, dingy diner kind of person. I want good ethic food of any kind. Live music would be much appreciated also.
Oceanside was disappointing, only in that regard. Where might I spent a few weeks to get sunshine, walking, music, and ethnic food? If you have a suggestion for a destination other than California, please do make it.
Oceanside was disappointing, only in that regard. Where might I spent a few weeks to get sunshine, walking, music, and ethnic food? If you have a suggestion for a destination other than California, please do make it.
I just spent 10 days in Long Beach, Ca and it was great for that. Though I didn't go to any of the places playing live music as I was walking around I saw a bunch advertising it
posted by Higherfasterforwards at 1:17 PM on December 14, 2024
posted by Higherfasterforwards at 1:17 PM on December 14, 2024
Long Beach has Cambodia Town! And a huge variety of other Asian cuisine (and communities). Downtown LB and the waterfront are great.
posted by atomicstone at 1:20 PM on December 14, 2024
posted by atomicstone at 1:20 PM on December 14, 2024
What’s will be your transport situation? Will you have a car / are you happy to take Uber? Or does everything need to be within walking distance?
posted by kickingtheground at 1:26 PM on December 14, 2024 [1 favorite]
posted by kickingtheground at 1:26 PM on December 14, 2024 [1 favorite]
Also, the LB Amtrak station is right there on the coast, and you can hop on to Oceanside or up to LA.
posted by atomicstone at 1:38 PM on December 14, 2024
posted by atomicstone at 1:38 PM on December 14, 2024
San Diego
More specifically:
Mexican food: just try finding a place without taco shops all over in San Diego.
East Asian: Scattered throughout, but particularly huge and varied concentration on Convoy, south of Claremont Mesa Boulevard.
City Heights also has quite a few East African places, is home to "Little Saigon", and I've seen a halal carniceria while driving in the area.
Most of those places aren't great for walking, might not have much in the way of lodging, and I don't know about live music - the kind I know of typically happens more in the outskirts of downtown, like the Casbah, the Music Box, or House of Blues.
posted by LionIndex at 1:39 PM on December 14, 2024 [2 favorites]
More specifically:
Mexican food: just try finding a place without taco shops all over in San Diego.
East Asian: Scattered throughout, but particularly huge and varied concentration on Convoy, south of Claremont Mesa Boulevard.
City Heights also has quite a few East African places, is home to "Little Saigon", and I've seen a halal carniceria while driving in the area.
Most of those places aren't great for walking, might not have much in the way of lodging, and I don't know about live music - the kind I know of typically happens more in the outskirts of downtown, like the Casbah, the Music Box, or House of Blues.
posted by LionIndex at 1:39 PM on December 14, 2024 [2 favorites]
Oceanside has great Mexican but you have to go inland. There’s also a lady at the farmer’s market who makes excellent Ghanaian food, if she’s still there. But Oceanside otherwise in kind of underrated for the cost of lodging in proximity to a pretty underrated beach.
In California generally the good cheap ethnic food (other than some Mexican options) is inland, or in LA (usually inland, though I had great Thai in Malibu) or in SF (a lot of best Chinese is in Richmond or Sunset.) so you could try places in Orange County and there will be excellent Vietnamese, especially, maybe also Korean, Persian?, certainly Mexican. But you’d be venturing inland for the best stuff. This is a fun Reddit thread for you.
Watsonville or maybe Pebble Beach are other options for good Mexican near(ish) the coast. There’s a burrito place in an industrial area in Salinas that I loved.
posted by vunder at 2:07 PM on December 14, 2024 [2 favorites]
In California generally the good cheap ethnic food (other than some Mexican options) is inland, or in LA (usually inland, though I had great Thai in Malibu) or in SF (a lot of best Chinese is in Richmond or Sunset.) so you could try places in Orange County and there will be excellent Vietnamese, especially, maybe also Korean, Persian?, certainly Mexican. But you’d be venturing inland for the best stuff. This is a fun Reddit thread for you.
Watsonville or maybe Pebble Beach are other options for good Mexican near(ish) the coast. There’s a burrito place in an industrial area in Salinas that I loved.
posted by vunder at 2:07 PM on December 14, 2024 [2 favorites]
Morro Bay California,
Bayside Cafe on the South Bay
Taco Temple on the North end near the beach.
Small town makes easy to get around .
Google's food map might be helpful here.
posted by hortense at 2:38 PM on December 14, 2024 [1 favorite]
Bayside Cafe on the South Bay
Taco Temple on the North end near the beach.
Small town makes easy to get around .
Google's food map might be helpful here.
posted by hortense at 2:38 PM on December 14, 2024 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: I like the train, but can also rent a car. I am flexible.
posted by woman at 3:34 PM on December 14, 2024
posted by woman at 3:34 PM on December 14, 2024
Santa Monica / Venice gives you a beach and access to good food (points in a sweeping arc) all over LA, including plenty of walkable places in Venice and transit/cab worthy spots all over (Koreatown being one).
posted by zippy at 4:24 PM on December 14, 2024
posted by zippy at 4:24 PM on December 14, 2024
Best answer:
posted by kickingtheground at 5:51 PM on December 14, 2024 [1 favorite]
I like the train, but can also rent a car. I am flexible.To follow up on this - I think Long Beach is unusual in that a lot of the best restaurants are within a reasonable walk of the shore. There's way more stuff to do in LA, and much nicer beaches in San Diego, but in both cities overwhelmingly the places you'll want to eat are at least a short drive (or Metro trip, in LA's case) away from the beach.
posted by kickingtheground at 5:51 PM on December 14, 2024 [1 favorite]
This question is quite broad. What's your definition of affordable? Is there any food you're especially interested in? Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Mexican, Korean, and Indian cuisines are all well established in California. Cuisines from Central and Eastern Europe, South America, Africa, and the Middle East somewhat less so.
The challenge is that a lot of the best and most affordable food (of any kind, not just "ethnic") is usually not found right near the beach areas. Not sure there is one single place that combines all of beach + warm and sunny + car optional + live music + great food. I think of "beach-centric vacation" and "food-centric vacation" in California as being kind of separate (although based on responses above I may check out Long Beach myself some time).
In Southern California I found a number of my favorite restaurants in nondescript strip malls or inland areas located far from the beaches and downtown. E.g., lots of great Chinese places in the San Gabriel Valley east of Pasadena.
You mentioned you have a few weeks to spend so maybe you can move around a bit?
Great beaches + sunny weather + good food + car recommended: San Diego, probably overall best fit for you
Great beaches + sunny weather + excellent food + car centric: Los Angeles
Okay beaches + foggy weather + excellent food + great walkability: San Francisco
posted by 4rtemis at 4:47 AM on December 15, 2024
The challenge is that a lot of the best and most affordable food (of any kind, not just "ethnic") is usually not found right near the beach areas. Not sure there is one single place that combines all of beach + warm and sunny + car optional + live music + great food. I think of "beach-centric vacation" and "food-centric vacation" in California as being kind of separate (although based on responses above I may check out Long Beach myself some time).
In Southern California I found a number of my favorite restaurants in nondescript strip malls or inland areas located far from the beaches and downtown. E.g., lots of great Chinese places in the San Gabriel Valley east of Pasadena.
You mentioned you have a few weeks to spend so maybe you can move around a bit?
Great beaches + sunny weather + good food + car recommended: San Diego, probably overall best fit for you
Great beaches + sunny weather + excellent food + car centric: Los Angeles
Okay beaches + foggy weather + excellent food + great walkability: San Francisco
posted by 4rtemis at 4:47 AM on December 15, 2024
I think it's worth mentioning Oakland was ranked as the "best food city" in California in the Condé Nast readers choice awards.
posted by skunk pig at 1:26 PM on December 15, 2024 [4 favorites]
There’s no wrong neighborhood from which to start exploring Oakland’s staggeringly diverse food scene. In Temescal, located in the north of the city, you’ll find buzzy soul food spot Burdell, as well as out-of-the-box pizzas (think toppings like Monterey Bay squid and chanterelles) at fan-favorite Pizzaiolo; Fruitvale, named after the fruit orchards that dominated this part of town in the mid-19th century, is packed with taco trucks that serve some of the best birria in the country. The city also has a strong taproom and winery tasting room scene, making it easy to plan your entire visit around eating, drinking, or some combination of the two.Some places are safer for walking than others, and I can't comment on that, but if food is the priority, I feel like Oakland should be on the list. You can find info on places to try on KQED
posted by skunk pig at 1:26 PM on December 15, 2024 [4 favorites]
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