• Buddy’s Diner now open in PB.
If you like the ’50s and are partial to nostalgic food and décor, look no further than Buddy’s Diner, which just opened at 1564 Garnet Ave.
Look forward to a trip back in time as Buddy’s will transport you there with its atmosphere and décor, particularly its juke box. Owner Vito Tutino has pulled out all the stops in re-creating the look and feel of yesteryear.
Located partially in the space previously taken by Potts By Pats, the 24-hour, ’50s retro-style diner serves up traditional, all-purpose American cuisine for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The menu includes plenty of milkshakes, piled sandwiches and other comfort food.
Totino previously owned, then sold, Da Boyz Pizza & Pasta chain back in the ’90s, which he noted still has a dozen locations in San Diego and elsewhere.
More recently, Totino was general manager at The Tap Room bar-restaurant nearby on Garnet.
For more information, call 858-263-7599. • L& L Hawaiian Barbecue opens.
A bit of the Hawaiian Islands just blew into PB courtesy of L&L Barbecue, which opened at 747 Turquoise St., Suite 200. The menu of the island-themed, Asian-fusion fast-food chain features traditional Hawaiian plate lunches.
Johnson Kam and Eddie Flores Jr., purchased the original L&L Drive-In in 1976 in Honolulu and expanded from its original base in 1999 coming to California markets. The restaurant chain now has some 200 outlets seeded throughout the United States and in New Zealand and Japan.
Founders invented the term “Hawaiian Barbecue” when the expanded to the U.S. To give mainland customers a better idea of the traditional Hawaiian plate lunch, which consists of two servings of rice, a serving of macaroni salad, and features a generous serving of a hot entrée.
L&L Hawaiian Barbecue’s success has earned the company many awards and continued rankings in various local and national magazines.
Restaurant hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. For more information, call 858-291-8852 or visit www.hawaiianbarbecue.com. • Tiki bar, poke place to open.
The Grass Skirt and adjoining shop, Good Time Poke, will be opening in the space formerly inhabited by Good Time Charlie’s in PB at 910 Grand Ave. in late 2016.
Paying respect to classic tiki, guests can expect a creative flair and quality food and drinks from award-winning corporate chef Brian Redzikowski and beverage director Steven Tuttle. Menu items will include chef’s crispy duck and shrimp roll with shiitake, green curry and sweet and sour, tender belly farm pork buns and his hamachi tostada.
The Grass Skirt will serve fine-crafted tiki drinks including traditional favorites.
and innovative twists such as the Oaxacan Dead featuring Mezcal, Grass Skirt Rum blend, pineapple, lime, passion fruit, pomegranate and absinth.
With ample booth seating, fire pit tables and “swings” for the more adventurous, the space with be comfortable, fun and memorable. The entrance to the hidden-access tiki bar will be through the small day-time poke shop, Good Time Poke. The shop will offer Pacific Beach fresh, traditional and innovative poke bowls along with kombucha on tap. • Moonshine Beach, PB’s only major live music entertainment venue, has opened. A product of Good Time Design, Moonshine Beach and Cerveza Jack’s are at 1164 Garnet Ave., taking up the space of the former Typhoon Saloon/Fred’s Mexican Cafe. The dual-concept project is housed in 20,000 square feet.
Moonshine Beach has a Southern Gulf coast-hospitality feel mixing country attitude with Pacific Beach’s easygoing vibe. It will host live music on weekends, featuring today’s best, young, and high-energy country acts.
Moonshine’s summer concert lineup includes: John Pardi (June 30), Russell Dickerson (July 11), Cassadee Pope (Aug. 4), Kellie Pickler (Sept. 23) and Granger Smith (Sept. 30).
“Expanding the Moonshine concept into Pacific Beach is an exciting next step for the brand and for Good Time Design,” said Ty Hauter, owner/operator of Good Time Design. “The response from the community, as well as major record labels and national touring artists alike, has been overwhelmingly positive. We’ll be showcasing rising country acts from Nashville and introduce them to new audiences, which allows us to cultivate and grow country music in the San Diego market like no venue has done before.”
Guests enter Moonshine Beach through an outdoor patio, which connects to the neighboring Cerveza Jack’s.
The entryway features a large American flag and a motorcycle embracing the “Live Free Rock Hard” spirit. Guests are greeted by a large dance floor, stage and three bars throughout. Additionally, the nightly entertainment includes linedancing lessons, two old-school barber “shot” chairs, arcade games and more. Moonshine’s bar will serve classic cocktails with a beachy, country twist.
Moonshine Beach is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays with a DJ format from 7 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. and will have live bands every Friday and Saturday from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. For concert tickets, visit moonshinebeachsd.uvtix.com.