Convoy Restaurants
73 spotsThe Convoy District packs Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Taiwanese, Vietnamese, Thai and Lao kitchens into a few blocks of strip-mall plazas. Every listing below has what regulars order, real hours with a live open-now badge, and a parking rating for its lot.
The short answer
73 restaurants on Convoy, across 20 styles: Korean BBQ (10), Hot Pot (8), Korean (8), Ramen (8), Sushi (7) and Chinese (6) and more.
- Open late: RakiRaki Ramen & Tsukemen, Yakyudori, Handoo Korean BBQ, Yokohama Yakitori Koubou, ZZan Sushi & Soju, Midnight Skewer, Thang Thang and DalBam Moon Night (late-night list)
- Easiest parking: Karami Ramen, Kitakata Ramen Ban Nai, Hidden Fish, PT Eatery, Matoi, Flama Llama, Lolita's Mexican Food, Brother's 3 Mexican Food, YGF Malatang, Yakitori Tsuta, Itacho Sushi, Phuong Trang and Yuk Dae Jang
- Guides: Korean BBQ, Hot Pot, Karaoke, Ramen, Chinese Food, Dumplings & Dim Sum
Korean BBQ on Convoy
Manna BBQ
The OG all-you-can-eat KBBQ on Convoy, freshly remodeled — two AYCE tiers under $40, tablet ordering, a long meat list, corn cheese and steamed egg on the side, and free self-serve ice cream to finish. Join the waitlist before you hunt for parking, especially Friday and weekend nights.
Olleh Convoy Korean BBQ
Big, fast AYCE Korean BBQ in Convoy Village, a few doors from Manna — and usually the quicker seat of the two. Premium ($34.99) covers about two dozen meats including LA kalbi, bulgogi, pork belly, shrimp and octopus; Prime ($45.99) adds ribeye, beef tongue and tiger shrimp. Solo diners welcome.
Handoo Korean BBQ
Old-school AYCE KBBQ workhorse in Seoul Plaza, open until midnight every night — affordable tiers, unlimited marinated LA short rib (most places cap it), a deep bench of non-marinated cuts and a new wagyu tier, with staff who swap grills without being asked. Pick it for a late, meat-heavy group dinner.
SOT BBQ
The critics' KBBQ pick — premium cuts up to A5 wagyu grilled on a sot cauldron lid, with kimchi and bean sprouts crisping in the drippings underneath and servers cooking every piece to your temperature. Not AYCE and pricey, but a sampler feeds more people than you'd think, and the banchan refills are free.
The Fire Spot
Northeast Chinese-meets-Korean BBQ over real charcoal — the AYCE that TikTok and Xiaohongshu can't stop filming. Marinated hand-cut beef, short rib and five-spice lamb pick up real smoke, the kimchi is made in-house, and the regular tier is $37.99. The catch: a tiny room, no reservations and waits of one to two hours.
Champs Korean BBQ
Roomy, spotless AYCE KBBQ in Convoy Center that cooks on a flat stone griddle instead of a grill — meat doesn't stick, and the night ends with cheesy kimchi fried rice crisped right on it. Lunch is $24.99 every day, dinner starts at $29.99, waits are rare, and the service is some of the fastest on Convoy.
SongHak Korean BBQ
A la carte Korean BBQ in Seoul Plaza that specializes in grilled beef intestines — gopchang, daechang, makchang and abomasum — alongside prime brisket, wagyu beef belly and pork jowl. Servers cook at the table, and the combos come loaded with corn cheese, steamed egg, a stew and banchan. Not AYCE, but you leave full for less. Open until midnight on weekends.
DJK Korean BBQ
Old-school Korean BBQ on Engineer Rd that switched to $38.99 all-you-can-eat in 2026, and one of the few spots in San Diego grilling over real charcoal. The other half of the menu is serious home-style cooking — soondubu, galbitang, naengmyeon and hot pots — which is why Korean families fill it at lunch.
Jeong Won BBQ Buffet
Convoy's old-school self-serve Korean BBQ buffet: walk up, take exactly the meat, banchan and sauces you want, and grill at your own pace with no time limit. Family-run, a little worn, and full of regulars who have been coming for 20-plus years.
Prime Grill Korean BBQ
A long-running Convoy KBBQ room next to Min Sok Chon with five all-you-can-eat tiers — from $28.99 at weekday lunch to $59.99 for prime rib eye and short rib — plus a full Korean kitchen for anyone not grilling: galbi and cold noodle combos, soondubu, galbitang and casseroles. Order on the table iPad after your first round; staff change the grill often.
Hot Pot on Convoy
Liuyishou Hot Pot
The Convoy branch of the Chongqing hot pot chain, now an all-you-can-eat wagyu deal: $28.95 covers unlimited wagyu chuck, 20-plus meats and seafood, soup base, a big sauce bar and a self-serve bar of veggies, hot dishes and dessert. Bring a group — and respect the spicy broth, which runs hot even at mild.
Jomaru Hot Pot
The Convoy branch of Jomaru, Korea's big gamjatang chain: a bubbling pot of spicy pork-bone stew with perilla, potatoes and fall-off-the-bone meat, finished with fried rice made right in the pot. Huge portions, free banchan refills, and it opens at 10:30am every day — the hangover breakfast Convoy is missing.
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.
YinTang Spicy Hot Pot
Yin Tang on Convoy: build-your-own malatang paid by the pound — grab a bowl, load it from a big bar of meats, seafood, veggies and noodles, pick a broth and spice level, and they cook it and bring it to your table. About $14 a pound, spiced grilled skewers on the side, and open straight through the afternoon when most malatang shops close.
Mikiya Wagyu Shabu House
The premium end of Convoy hot pot, from the Chubby Cattle group — all-you-can-eat wagyu shabu with sashimi, seafood platters and wagyu nigiri, plus free drinks, milk tea, soft serve and a big sauce bar. Dinner tiers run $55 to $98; the $34.98 weekday lunch is the deal. Opened in early 2026.
Shabu Shabu House
The district's Japanese shabu shabu institution, 25+ years on Convoy and run by owner Kirby, who'll walk first-timers through it — individual pots at a counter, house-made broths, goma and ponzu sauces, and rice and noodles to finish. Order a la carte by weight or go all-you-can-eat from $34.
YGF Malatang
The San Diego branch of Yang Guo Fu, one of China's biggest malatang chains, in Independence Square on Clairemont Mesa Blvd. Fill a bowl from a long fridge of meats, seafood, tofu, veggies and noodles, pay $13.99 a pound, pick a broth and they cook it for you — then finish it at a free sauce bar. Bright, clean and self-serve, with free fruit tea.
Kanpai BBQ & Shabu
All-you-can-eat shabu shabu and Japanese-style BBQ in the 3904 Convoy plaza — or both at one table. Shabu gets you your own pot with two of nine broths, ten meats from Prime Angus chuck eye to Australian wagyu brisket and a self-serve bar of vegetables, noodles and seafood; BBQ adds M-8 wagyu steak and cubes, short rib and tongue. Drinks, appetizers, curry, rice and ice cream are included. $39.95 at dinner, $34.95 at weekend lunch.
Korean on Convoy
Chon Ju Jip
Tiny mom-and-pop Korean kitchen run by Korean aunties — bubbling stews, raw marinated crab, bossam with oysters and banchan that keeps coming. The spot on Convoy where you'll hear the most Korean spoken.
Friend's House Korean
Twenty years on Convoy, dressed up like a little Korean village with a heated patio out front — soondubu, stone-pot bibimbap and plenty of banchan. Friendly staff make it an easy big-group pick.
Tofu House
The hot-stone spot: bulgogi and crispy-rice bowls arrive literally sizzling, plus soondubu you crack your own egg into and purple rice on the side. Quick and cheap by Convoy standards.
Thang Thang
Late-night Korean pocha next to DJK on Engineer Rd, serving big shareable bar food and soju until 1:30am, with a Sun-Thu happy hour. Dim lighting, partitioned booths and K-pop on the screens — a drinking spot first.
Woomiok
Korean comfort food in the Nijiya plaza, built around milky beef bone soup (seolleongtang) simmered for hours, plus galbitang, oxtail soup, braised short rib in a stone pot and bossam. Soups come with rice and a spread of refillable banchan, the LA galbi and cold noodle combo is a summer favorite, and weekday lunch knocks a dollar or two off most dishes.
DalBam Moon Night
A small Korean pocha (drinking-food pub) on Convoy open until 1am most nights — glowing moon on the wall, soju caps in the woodwork and K-pop videos on loop. The draw is the bossam, marinated boiled pork belly with garlic, jalapeno and radish for wrapping, plus seafood pancake, spicy cheese pork belly, chadol yukgaejang and army stew, all in shareable portions.
Hongdae Dakgalbi
San Diego's only restaurant that specializes in dakgalbi — Chuncheon-style spicy chicken stir-fried with cabbage, rice cakes and sweet potato in a big pan at your table, cooked for you by the staff and finished with torched mozzarella and fried rice made in the leftover sauce. Opened in 2026 in Hive Plaza, with gopchang, pork belly platters, cold buckwheat noodles and stews alongside.
Yuk Dae Jang
The San Diego branch of a Korean soup chain from LA's Koreatown, in Independence Square. The name dish is yukgaejang — spicy shredded-brisket soup with glass noodles, fresh pasta or ramyun — alongside milky ox bone seolleongtang, buckwheat cold noodles, herb-boiled bossam, handmade mandu and big hot pots for the table. The kimchi and fish cake banchan get as much praise as the soups.
Ramen on Convoy
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.
Karami Ramen
A tiny, family-run ramen shop styled like an old Showa-era Tokyo stall, tucked in a corner of Sunrise Towne Centre. Creamy tori paitan chicken broth in bowls from the mild signature Karami to the extra-hot Aka Oni, plus a real vegan soybean ramen on spinach noodles, curry rice and some of Convoy's best karaage. Rarely a wait, and parking is easy.
Menya Ultra
The first US shop of Akita's Menya Ultra (here since 2017) and the Michelin Guide-listed ramen most people mean in San Diego — rich tonkotsu, black sesame tantanmen and huge Nagoya fried chicken in a small, Japan-feeling room in Kearny Plaza. Join the waitlist before you go.
Nishiki Ramen
Opened in 2015 by two Japanese ramen veterans, in the Mitsuwa plaza just off Convoy — rich tonkotsu, the garlicky Smoke Bomb Black, curry ramen and the fiery Akuma, plus vegan bowls, gluten-free noodles and a kids' ramen meal. Fast, family-friendly and open until 11pm on weekends.
Kitakata Ramen Ban Nai
Fukushima-style Kitakata ramen in the Costco Business Center and Target plaza on Othello Ave — a light, clean shoyu broth with thick, chewy hand-crumpled noodles, plus spicy miso, tan tan, dipping ramen, a real vegan bowl and some of the best fried chicken around. Huge parking lot. Card only.
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.
Sushi on Convoy
Hidden Fish
San Diego's first omakase-only sushi bar, tucked behind El Gordo: an 18-piece, nigiri-forward omakase at a 12-seat counter, with one chef for every four guests and fish flown in from Japan, Spain and California. Michelin Guide-recommended, $160 a head, three seatings a night — book on Resy well ahead. It's the Convoy splurge.
Kura Revolving Sushi Bar
San Diego's only revolving sushi bar: nearly every plate is $3.95, anything not on the belt comes by express lane when you tap the screen, a robot brings your drinks, and the Bikkura Pon prize game rewards a big stack of plates. Not the district's best fish — it's the most fun table on Convoy for kids and groups.
Matoi
Reservation-only Edomae omakase at a counter of about ten seats — seasonal fish flown in from Japan, cured and aged the old way, served by owner-chef TJ to a 90s hip-hop soundtrack. A one-hour option makes it easier to try.
ZZan Sushi & Soju
Late-night Korean soju bar with a sushi counter — rolls and sashimi alongside corn cheese and jjamppong, flavored soju by the bottle, K-pop on every wall and private karaoke rooms. Open past midnight every night.
Harmony Cuisine 2B1
A small, Japanese-owned sushi bar in the Yokohama Yakitori plaza, known for some of the best nigiri on Convoy: bluefin and toro, zuke chu-toro, kinmedai, local and Hokkaido uni, plus a daily sushi-of-the-day sheet. Order a la carte by the piece, ask the chef for omakase at the U-shaped bar, or keep it simple with the $35 lunch set. Creative extras too — uni pasta, wagyu risotto, lobster chowder — and a deep sake list.
Kumi Sushi Grill
An easygoing, everyday sushi and Japanese grill in the Mitsuwa plaza on Kearny Mesa Rd (the old Chopstix Too space): $17-19 specialty rolls, poke and teriyaki bowls, big bento boxes, ramen and udon, plus Korean short ribs and bulgogi. Reviewers rave about the friendly, attentive service and the portions for the price — the reliable pick when a group wants sushi and some people don't. Open daily 11am-9:30pm.
Itacho Sushi
All-you-can-eat sushi in Independence Square, next door to YGF Malatang — unlimited rolls, nigiri, appetizers, salads, ramen and teppanyaki for $29.99 at weekday lunch or $42.99 at dinner, when AYCE sashimi is added. The $57.99 Ultra tier adds up to 8 pieces of premium nigiri like uni, wagyu and lobster. The whole table goes AYCE, and big leftovers cost extra.
Chinese on Convoy
Steamy Piggy
Convoy's most-reviewed restaurant — Chinese-fusion comfort food made in-house: soup dumplings, huge bao, the bulgogi roll, chili wontons and big noodle plates, served in a pink room and a shady patio. Portions are large, so share, and time it for one of the two daily happy hours.
Dumpling Inn & Shanghai Saloon
Family-run since 1994, when it started with eight tables — now a 230-seat room shared with Shanghai Saloon's bar, lanterns and murals. Soup dumplings, potstickers and big family-style plates of Chinese-American favorites come out fast. Lunch and dinner only, closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
Ten Seconds Yunnan Rice Noodle
Yunnan crossing-the-bridge rice noodles on Engineer Rd, just off Convoy: a stone pot of near-boiling broth and a tray of about ten little dishes — quail egg, shrimp, corn, wood ear, yuba, fish tofu — that you tip in and cook at the table. A huge bowl is $14.99-16.99, and the food lands minutes after you order.
Tasty Noodle House
Family-style Shanghainese in Convoy Court — pan-fried pork buns, soup dumplings and big platters of noodles at small prices, with fast service and a walk-in table most nights.
Shan Xi Magic Kitchen
Northwest Chinese noodle house next to Yun Tea — thick, chewy hand-ripped biang biang noodles, cumin lamb and cold liang pi in share-size portions. Fast once you're seated; get there before 9.
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.
Vietnamese on Convoy
Pho Mignon + Seafood
Big, modern pho hall in Sunrise Towne Centre with a full bar and claw machines — filet mignon and bone marrow pho, a seafood-heavy menu and an AYCE Vietnamese BBQ option. Open till almost midnight Friday and Saturday.
PT Eatery
Phuong Trang's newer sister spot in Independence Square — pho, broken rice plates and garlic butter wings in a big dining room, with the easiest parking near Convoy. The pick for a group Vietnamese dinner.
Cali Banh Mi
Cali-style banh mi on soft, fresh-baked bread, plus rice bowls, Vietnam-imported coffee and acai — open from 8am for a breakfast or grab-and-go lunch. Pricier than the old-school shops, but one sandwich feeds two.
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.
Phuong Trang
The family-run Vietnamese institution of Convoy, on the street since 1992 (and open since 1988) — a big, bright dining room in the Convoy Plaza center with a huge menu: pho, bun bo hue, broken rice plates, rice paper wraps you roll at the table, banh xeo, hot pots and its famous garlic butter and fish sauce wings. Whole oven-roasted catfish is the group order. Sister restaurant to PT Eatery.
Izakaya on Convoy
Yakyudori
A small, lively yakitori-and-ramen pub on Convoy: order skewers on the table iPad until 11:30pm, chase them with spicy miso or tonkotsu ramen and cheap draft beer, and catch the Padres on the big TV. Lunch on weekends, dinner every night, and one of Convoy's best-value late-night meals.
Yokohama Yakitori Koubou
A busy, Padres-decorated yakitori izakaya that feels lifted from Japan: jidori chicken and beef skewers off the charcoal grill, a weekly specials board, green tea soba, big mugs of Asahi and plenty of sake. Dinner only until midnight, closed Sundays — and call ahead, because the walk-in wait can run an hour or more.
Wa Dining Okan
A tiny, long-running Japanese home-cooking izakaya next to Nijiya Market — bar seats in the middle, a few tables and a covered patio, with specials taped to the walls. Known for creamy mentai udon, kamameshi (rice cooked to order in a kettle), grilled beef tongue and fried baby octopus, plus small plates, skewers and sashimi at dinner and miso-soup-and-salad set meals at lunch.
Yakitori Tsuta
A tiny, reservation-only yakitori counter by Nijiya Market where chef Tatsuro Tsuchiya grills nothing but chicken — heart to tail — over binchotan charcoal. Six counter seats and one table, two seatings a night, and a $120 omakase that runs from chicken consomme and chawanmushi through eight skewers to chicken paitan ramen and dessert. No sign outside, just a lantern.
Mexican on Convoy
The Taco Stand
The San Diego taco-shop chain, planted in Convoy Court — handmade tortillas, a loaded salsa bar and churros worth the trip on their own. Mostly takeout; open till midnight Friday and Saturday.
El Gordo Mexican Food
Big, colorful drive-thru taco shop on the corner of Convoy by the car dealerships, open from 6am on weekdays. A huge picture menu, handmade corn tortillas and a seven-salsa bar — go for the quesabirria, cabeza or carnitas, and skip the carne asada.
Lolita's Mexican Food
A San Diego taco-shop institution in Independence Square, open 7am to 9pm every day in a big, renovated dining room with a patio and fire pit. Known for carne asada fries and California burritos with its red salsa — pricier than most taco shops, and burrito fill has slipped lately.
Brother's 3 Mexican Food
Family-run counter spot in the Mercury Village center at Clairemont Mesa and Mercury, with a menu that runs from breakfast burritos to molcajete, mole and ceviche tostadas. Burritos are forearm-sized, the red and habanero salsas are the draw, and parking is easy. Closed Sundays.
Korean Fried Chicken on Convoy
Bonchon Convoy
The Korean fried chicken chain done right — double-fried wings that stay crunchy under the sauce, beer on tap and a big, lively room. $1 wings Monday and Tuesday; open till 1am Thursday to Saturday.
bb.q Chicken Convoy
The Convoy branch of bb.q, Korea's biggest fried-chicken chain, in the Convoy Village plaza with Olleh. Double-crispy whole chicken, boneless thigh or wings in 14 flavors — from Golden Original and honey garlic to cheesling cheese powder and the very hot Wings of Fire — plus rose tteokbokki, kimchi fried rice and $15.99 weekday lunch combos. Roomy dining room with K-pop on the screens.
Thai on Convoy
Mekong Cuisine Lao & Thai
A women-owned Lao and Thai kitchen in a plant-filled, remodeled room: crispy nam khao tod, khao piak sen chicken noodle soup, boat noodles and Lao sausage alongside some of Convoy's best pad thai, drunken noodles and curries. The heat is real — a 1 on their 1-5 scale is already medium.
Koon Thai Kitchen
Colorful, made-for-photos Thai dining room with a menu that goes well past pad Thai — boat noodles, khao soi, crispy whole fish and a braised lamb shank curry. The spice scale runs hot.
Cantonese on Convoy
Dim Sum on Convoy
Dumplings on Convoy
Japanese Curry on Convoy
Peruvian on Convoy
Seafood on Convoy
Sichuan on Convoy
Taiwanese on Convoy
Yakiniku on Convoy
Food on Convoy: common questions
What kind of food is on Convoy?
73 spots across 20 styles: Korean BBQ (10), Hot Pot (8), Korean (8), Ramen (8), Sushi (7), Chinese (6), Vietnamese (5), Izakaya (4), Mexican (4), Korean Fried Chicken (2), Thai (2), Cantonese (1), Dim Sum (1), Dumplings (1), Japanese Curry (1), Peruvian (1), Seafood (1), Sichuan (1), Taiwanese (1) and Yakiniku (1).
Which restaurants on Convoy are open latest?
Midnight Skewer (until 2am), Thang Thang (until 1:30am), Bonchon Convoy (until 1am). 8 serve past 11pm most nights.
Where is parking easiest for restaurants on Convoy?
Karami Ramen, Kitakata Ramen Ban Nai, Hidden Fish, PT Eatery, Matoi, Flama Llama, Lolita's Mexican Food, Brother's 3 Mexican Food, YGF Malatang, Yakitori Tsuta, Itacho Sushi, Phuong Trang and Yuk Dae Jang have lots we rate easy. Most other spots share busy plaza lots — see the parking guide.
Which restaurants on Convoy take reservations?
Tajima Ramen Convoy, RakiRaki Ramen & Tsukemen, Jomaru Hot Pot, Mekong Cuisine Lao & Thai, Yokohama Yakitori Koubou, SOT BBQ, Mikiya Wagyu Shabu House, Jasmine Seafood Restaurant, Hidden Fish, Pho Mignon + Seafood, PT Eatery, formoosa, Tasty Noodle House, Spicy City, China Max Dumpling House, Eastern Dynasty, Friend's House Korean, Matoi, ZZan Sushi & Soju, Tsuruhashi Japanese BBQ, Flama Llama, Koon Thai Kitchen, SongHak Korean BBQ, DJK Korean BBQ, Pho Nom, Prime Grill Korean BBQ, Hongdae Dakgalbi, Yakitori Tsuta, Harmony Cuisine 2B1 and Kumi Sushi Grill.