Del Mar · Best Waterfront Restaurants in San Diego
Jake's Del Mar Review
Last updatedRanked #3 of 8 in Best Waterfront Restaurants in San Diego
The best casual beachfront table in North County.
Score breakdown
- Experience89/100
- Consistency90/100
- Value82/100
- Atmosphere94/100
- Uniqueness86/100
The verdict on Jake's Del Mar
Ranked #3 of 8 — 88/100 in our Best Waterfront Restaurants in San Diego coverage
Jake's sits right on Del Mar's sand with a bar that fills at sunset. The seafood is dependable rather than adventurous, and the hula pie is a local ritual.
What to order at Jake's Del Mar
Across our coverage the recommendation is consistent: Fish tacos and the hula pie.
Walk-in to the bar side for the same view without the reservation.
Is Jake's Del Mar worth the price?
Jake's Del Mar sits at $28–48 — the budget band for this category. Nothing else we ranked in this category lands in the same price bracket, so the comparison is against cheaper or pricier alternatives rather than a like-for-like rival.
Jake's Del Mar FAQ
Is Jake's Del Mar expensive?
Jake's Del Mar is priced at $28–48, which puts it in the budget band for this category. There is no other option at the exact same price point on the same list, so treat it as its own bracket.
Is Jake's Del Mar worth it?
It scores 88/100, 1.1 points above the 86.9 average for its list. That's a solid recommendation within the category.
What should I order at Jake's Del Mar?
We recommend the Fish tacos and the hula pie.
What else is nearby Jake's Del Mar?
Addison (92/100 in our best restaurants in san diego list) and Del Mar City Beach (85/100 in our best beaches in san diego list) are also ranked in the same neighborhood, so it's easy to pair a visit.
What works
- Strong atmosphere — scored 94/100 in our ranking
- Strong consistency — scored 90/100 in our ranking
- Strong experience — scored 89/100 in our ranking
- Top-3 finish out of 8 spots we scored in this category
Know before you go
- Walk-in to the bar side for the same view without the reservation.
The full review
Jake's sits right on Del Mar's sand with a bar that fills at sunset. The seafood is dependable rather than adventurous, and the hula pie is a local ritual.
On our weighted scale it earns 88/100 — good for #3 of 8 places we evaluated for best waterfront restaurants in san diego. We eat at the places we rank, pay full price for what we order, and re-score when a kitchen, chef or menu changes.
What to order at Jake's Del Mar
Fish tacos and the hula pie
Price: $28–48
How we scored Jake's Del Mar
Every score on this page comes from the same editorial rubric we apply to the whole category: experience, consistency, value, atmosphere, uniqueness. The criteria are weighted toward what matters most in the category, compared against every other place we ranked in the same list rather than against an abstract ideal. We eat at the places we rank, pay full price for what we order, and re-score when a kitchen, chef or menu changes. Scores are editorial judgments rather than aggregated user ratings.