Convoy Street restaurants: know exactly where to go
104 spots in San Diego's Pan-Asian district, each with what to order, where to park, when to show up and the house rules nobody tells you until the check comes.
eatconvoy is an independent local guide to San Diego's Convoy District in Kearny Mesa, telling diners what to order, when to go and where to park. Built by a local, no pay-to-rank. How we build it →
Convoy at a glance
Full map →FoodBoba & SweetsKaraokeMarkets & Shops Ring = parking: easy medium brutal Prefer a list? Every spot A to Z
Best of Convoy
New on Convoy
All openings →Yonny Mini Hot Pot
The former Fish With You, renamed in 2026: the same big bowls of Sichuan suancai fish soup — tender boneless fish, tangy pickled mustard greens and chewy sweet-potato noodles — plus a new build-your-own malatang bar. Everyone gets their own bowl, from numbing mala to no-spice tomato and lemon.
Yuki Yuki Handcrafted Beverage & Kakigori
A roomy new kakigori and craft-drink cafe (opened spring 2026) in the 3904 Convoy plaza: huge bowls of fluffy Japanese shaved ice with ice from Japan, organic milk and surprise fillings, plus seven-times-scented jasmine milk teas, real-fruit smoothies and creamochi, a drinkable mochi. Plenty of seats; kiosk ordering.
Midnight Skewer
New Chinese BBQ skewer bar upstairs in the China Max building, open until 2am six nights. Cumin-spiced lamb and beef skewers, a garlic-buried eggplant and whole grilled fish to share, with a free snack bar, free ice cream and a karaoke stage.
Oi Shiba
The Pacific Beach ramen shop, moved to Convoy in September 2026 in a shiba-themed, zen-calm room (one table has a little stream running through it). Five bowls led by a tori paitan duck ramen and a black garlic tonkotsu, plus fresh-fish inari you won't find elsewhere on the strip.
K Bakery
A small, family-run Korean bakery that opened in August 2026 in Sunrise Towne Centre, in the old Sage Bakery space next to Nijiya. Shelves of individually wrapped Korean breads — red bean, soboro, mammoth bread, mugwort cream bread, curry croquettes — plus whole cakes and slices in the case, priced under the big chain bakeries.
Coco Bomb
Cocobomb brings Thai coconut desserts to Convoy Pointe, next to Bonchon: house-made coconut-milk ice cream (vegan and dairy-free) in coconut, pandan, mango, taro and Thai tea, served three scoops deep in a young coconut with fresh mango and coconut meat for $11. Mango sticky rice, coconut cake and Thai sweets like lot chong round it out, until 10pm (11pm on weekends).
MOTW Coffee & Pastries
A big, all-halal Middle Eastern coffeehouse on Balboa just west of Convoy, from the Muslims of the World brand (its first California shop). Yemeni chai brewed for 90 minutes, pistachio and date-cardamom lattes, kunafa made in-house with a real cheese pull, and Argentine-style empanadas — with a patio, board games, outlets at every table, and hours until 10pm (midnight Friday and Saturday).
Pho Nom
New, stylish pho house on Convoy where the broth is poured at your table over giant bowls, with the $28.50 Pho Nom (bone-in rib, short rib and brisket) built to share. Red booths, lanterns and flowers overhead, and a short menu built around big bowls.
Food
All 73 →Tajima Ramen Convoy
Where Tajima began in 2001, and still the chain's flagship: a big wood-and-bar room with sports on the TVs, noodles now made in-house, bowls until 11:30pm on weekends and one of Convoy's longest happy hours. Come for the carnitas ramen, the Tajima Black and a table of izakaya plates.
RakiRaki Ramen & Tsukemen
Convoy's busiest ramen house, with doors open until 1am but last orders around midnight. Rich tonkotsu, oxtail and spicy miso bowls on chewy mochi noodles, a separate vegan menu after 5pm and a $15 weekday lunch special. Expect a wait at dinner and a tight Convoy Court lot.
Monsta Ramen Curry
Budget ramen and Japanese curry in the Convoy Village plaza — most apps $5-7, curry rice from $9, lunch specials from about $10, and none of the big-name lines. Regulars say the curry beats the ramen, so order accordingly.
Boba & Sweets
All 19 →Yun Tea House
The prettiest boba tea house on Convoy — cloud lights, a little river running down the long table, and teas brewed to order so the tea actually comes through. One of the top-rated boba shops in San Diego, open until nearly midnight on weekends, and they'll pour you samples before you choose.
It's Boba Time
The long-running, roomy boba shop in Convoy Village with one of the biggest menus around — milk teas, slushes, smoothies, shakes, frappes and fresh juice, plus popcorn chicken, fries, acai bowls and shaved ice. Boba comes free in every drink, and there's plenty of seating to hang out or study.
Boba Bar and Desserts
A long-running, purple-themed boba and dessert shop in the Jasmine and Dumpling Inn lot. It's best known for puffles: hot bubble waffles stuffed with frozen custard and toppings, big enough for two. It also makes milk teas, brown sugar drinks, smoothies and Dole Whip, and it's open until 10:30pm (11pm on weekends).
Karaoke
All 6 →HIVE Bar & Karaoke
Private-room noraebang behind a full Korean bar — big rooms, food and drinks brought to your door, and more English songs than most Convoy KTVs. Pricier than rivals, so pick it for a birthday or a big group night.
Carriage House Cocktails & Karaoke
Convoy's real dive bar: cheap, strong drinks, three pool tables, darts and full-size shuffleboard, sports on every TV, and open-mic karaoke for the whole bar every night from 9pm to 1:30am. There's no kitchen, but outside food is welcome, and it stays open until 2am.
Min Sok Chon
The classic Korean pocha, open until 2am every night — wooden hut-style booths, flavored soju by the pitcher, share-size plates of wings, galbi and pajeon, and private karaoke rooms on the side. Happy hour runs 5 to 8pm daily, and it's one of the few real kitchens still cooking on Convoy after midnight.
Markets & Shops
All 6 →Mitsuwa Marketplace
Kearny Mesa's Japanese supermarket, open 365 days a year — fresh sushi, onigiri and bento, a food court with Santouka ramen, a bakery, a matcha cafe and crepes, Royce chocolate, a Japanese home-goods shop and a One Piece card game store. Come for lunch, leave with a basket of snacks.
Tokyo Central
The former Marukai on Balboa, now a three-building Japanese shopping complex from the Don Quijote family: one building for produce, sushi, bento and hot food, one for snacks, rice, noodles and tea, and Tokyo Central & Main next door for anime figures, Sanrio, cosmetics and housewares. Japanese shoppers call it the closest thing to a supermarket back home.
99 Ranch Market
Kearny Mesa's big pan-Asian supermarket, with a food court under the same roof. Live crab and lobster tanks, a fish counter that will clean, fillet or fry what you pick, a Chinese bakery, roast duck and hot-food combos, and aisles of Chinese and Taiwanese specialties. Open 8am to 10pm every day.
How to do Convoy
Park once, eat twice
Convoy runs on shared plaza lots. 25 of the 104 spots we rate sit in a lot we call brutal: expect to circle at dinner or park on a side street. Pick a plaza, park once and walk the row. Easiest parks for a meal: Karami Ramen, MNGO Cafe, Kitakata Ramen Ban Nai, Sweet Vibe, Hidden Fish.
Lot-by-lot parking guide →Beat the rush
Dinner lines build fast, and the popular rooms run waitlists instead of reservations (28 spots here usually have a wait). Get your name on the list before you start hunting for parking, or go at opening.
Watch the clock
17 spots close mid-afternoon between lunch and dinner, and several stop seating 30-60 minutes before their posted close. Every listing shows its real hours and a live open-now badge, so check before you drive.
Still hungry at 11?
14 spots serve past 11pm at least five nights a week: ramen, KBBQ, noraebang and a soju bar. When the rest of San Diego is closed, Convoy isn't.
Late-night list →Read the fine print
Some spots add a service charge or automatic gratuity (RakiRaki Ramen & Tsukemen, Karami Ramen, Handoo Korean BBQ, Liuyishou Hot Pot), and paying cash gets you a discount at YinTang Spicy Hot Pot, Chon Ju Jip, Jeong Won BBQ Buffet. Check each spot's "Good to know" box before you order.
Order like a regular
Every listing has an "Order this" list pulled from what regulars actually get, and many flag what to skip. Share family-style, since most kitchens here portion for the table.
First time on Convoy? Start here →