revised August 2023
Dock and Dine in San Diego
Pulling up to a restaurant and docking your boat for a night makes for an exceptional experience, especially in San Diego which has minimal rain and is great for boating year-round. The below locations are broken down into a few major boating locations and a map can be found at the bottom. Locations are ordered by popularity and restaurants from north to south. Some of the docks can get crowded and in those scenarios, you can never have enough fenders!
San Diego Bay
This is the main portion of San Diego Bay and the highest concentration of marinas. You can find many options for docking your boat and dining at nearby restaurants. It can get busy, so getting there before prime eating times is highly encouraged. Many places do not take reservations, but there are a few who do and some that will be able to tell you how crowded the docks are before attempting to go there.
Vessel - There are two areas to available on Dock A for this restaurant, which is part of the Kona Kai Resort. First come first serve for guest slips on Dock A.
Fathom - While it's also a fishing dock, there are free slips available while you eat at Fathom. First come first serve.
Bali Hai - There is a private dock that can accommodate up to 6 boats depending on the size. First come first serve.
Pizza Nova, Mitch's Seafood, and Point Loma Seafood - Space for 4-6 boats are available at Sun Road Marina's guest dock. There is a 2-hour limit. First come first serve.
Jimmy's Famous American Tavern - There are two slips available for docking at Point Loma marina. First come first serve.
Coasterra, Island Prime and C Level - Reservations for docking must be made in advance (see Cohn Group), for a slip at Sunroad Marina. Reservations required.
Brigantine, Ketch Grill & Taps, Miguel's Cocina - There are four free spaces available to dock right in front of the restaurants at Portside Pier. First come first serve.
Roy's, Marina Kitchen, Tequila Bar & Grille - Docking is available through the Marriott Marquis Marina. You can also walk to The Headquarters which has multiple options for dining. Reservations are a must and they offer overnights.
Joe's Crab Shack - Two slips are available for up to 40 feet. It can get shallow, so be sure to check your draft and tide before going. First come first serve.
Peohe's and Il Fornaio - Dock at the Coronado Ferry Landing, a free public dock with a 4-hour limit on docking. First come first serve.
South San Diego Bay
This is the furthest south you can go in San Diego Bay and much quieter than the north part of San Diego Bay. There is no outlet as the bay is closed by the silver strand on Coronado. There tends to be less traffic and sometimes easier to find an open slip to dock and dine. Be careful to stay in the channel markers as it shallows fairly quickly and some areas are exposed at low tide.
Crown Landing - Part of Loews Coronado Bay, there is a guest dock available. First come first serve.
Waterfront Grill - Located at Pier 32 Marina in Chula Vista, south San Diego Bay, this dock and dine restaurant has a reservation process for reserving docks. Reservations required.
Mission Bay
Once you get into Mission Bay, you will notice lots of smaller craft traffic as it's a popular place to rent jet skis and other smaller watercraft. There is a scattering of marinas and it's a great place to anchor and go to the beach on Fiesta Island. Options are limited for dock and dine.
Dockside 1953 - Located in Mission Bay at Bahia Hotel 50-foot dock. First come first serve. See information on the Bahia Resort Marina.
Barefoot Bar & Grill and Tidal - Located at Paradise Point resort. The dock is shared with Action Sport Rentals. You can call to check available space at (619) 241-4794. First come first serve.
Oceanside
This is one of the smaller boating locations in the city of Oceanside, in Camp Pendleton. Access is restricted to active duty/retired military or DoD civilians. There are great restaurants there and plenty of activities and rentals. There are multiple great places within Oceanside Harbor for docking and dining. So grab a baja bucket at Rockin' Baja Lobster, catch the game on at Tony's and enjoy a bloody mary, visit Stratford for an amazing french toast, some fish and chips at Harbor, or class it up at Oceanside Broiler.