4 Best Restaurants in Oceanside, North County and Around

Pick up a basket of fresh-cooked fish-and-chips at this dive and you're in for a treat. The shop has been serving clam chowder, jumbo fried shrimp, and fish sandwiches since 1969. Trophies and photos of big catch are on display. Outdoor tables offer terrific views of the Oceanside Marina. Early risers and late-night diners should look elsewhere since this spot opens at 11 am and closes at 7 pm.

Fans of Top Gun—or the 2022 Maverick comeback—can get a taste of the historic house featured in the original 1986 film. In 2023, the 100-year-old home was moved to its current beachfront location, which operates as a pie shop serving hot, hand-held pies in cherry, apple, blueberry, and seasonal favorites.

Blocks from Oceanside Pier, Paris comes to the beach at this corner café and bakery where pastries, cookies, cakes, and chocolates will have you oh la la-ing over the French selections. If you're hungry for something a little more substantial, the breakfast and lunch offerings don't disappoint—try the breakfast sandwiches or bowls or the delicious chicken salad.

Zero waste with root-to-stem consumption has this plant-based restaurant turning beets into catchup, cashews into cheese, and carrot tops into pesto. Sustainability rules the menu created with fresh produce from local farms and the regenerative gardens out back. Tastebuds are in for a pleasant surprise with the Kombu cauliflower, the Cubano (mojo marinated shredded jackfruit), and the kimchi bowl with red-lentil "spam." Weekend brunch rolls out “chicken” and oat-milk waffles along with other classics with a healthy spin like “sausage” and biscuits. If you can’t finish your meal, never fear. Leftovers are composted and nothing goes to waste, including veggie stock that makes its way into risotto and banana peels turned into tacos.