Downtown Just Got a Lunch Upgrade, and You’re Going to Want in on This Immediately
Board & Brew opened its newest location inside the RaDD District on San Diego’s downtown waterfront, steps from the USS Midway Museum. The locally born sandwich shop, a San Diego staple since 1979, now offers waterfront patio seating, 12 craft beers on tap, daily happy hour and free validated parking. Here are five reasons this is the downtown bay move you didn’t know you needed.
1. Prime Waterfront Location
This isn’t just any downtown address. Board & Brew’s newest spot sits inside San Diego’s transformative RaDD District, with patio seating tucked into the district’s pedestrian alleyway. There’s even bartop seating overlooking the waterfront corridor. You are steps from the USS Midway, the cruise docks and the Embarcadero, making it an easy and memorable stop for families exploring the waterfront. This means the walk from your table to an iconic San Diego view is about 30 seconds flat. For Co-Founder and President Clayton Wheeler, the parallel isn’t lost on him.
“The Midway is an iconic staple of San Diego, and we feel the same way about Board & Brew,” he says. “It is a pretty amazing sight to sit on our patio enjoying a sandwich, a cold beer, and rad vibes while looking up at that flight deck. San Diego’s waterfront is officially our front porch.”
And since San Diego is where the brand was born, Wheeler says this location feels extra special.
2. Legendary Sandos, Legendary Secret Sauce
The full Board & Brew lineup made the trip downtown. You’ll find made-to-order sandwiches, wraps and salads featuring locally sourced, no-nitrate ingredients and the brand’s signature Secret Sauce, a closely guarded recipe fans have obsessed over for decades. Wheeler is direct about what sets Board & Brew apart:
“If you have never had a Board & Brew sandwich, the Secret Sauce is the first thing you need to understand about us. It is not just a condiment we squeeze out of a bottle, it is the thread that ties every sandwich on our menu together.”
He adds that the Secret Sauce represents the entire philosophy behind the company: no shortcuts, no corner-cutting and never a compromise on quality or value. Whether you’re a Turkado devotee, a Left Coast Pastrami loyalist or an Italian Sub purist, the quality that built Board & Brew‘s reputation for over four decades showed up downtown.
3. Daily Happy Hour With $2 Off Every Draft Beer
Twelve local craft beers on tap, and every single one of them gets $2 knocked off the price from 3 to 6 p.m. daily. Wheeler points to the full setup as part of what makes Board & Brew stand out: local beers on tap paired with an indoor/outdoor bar setup that’s hard to beat on the waterfront. It’s the perfect stop when you’re clocking out from a waterfront office, wrapping up a day of sightseeing or just starting your evening right. The Board & Brew happy hour is the kind of deal that turns a quick stop into a proper hang.
4. Free Validated Parking in Downtown
Yes, really. Board & Brew offers free validated parking for guests in the underground RaDD parking lot. For free. Anyone who has circled the block near the Embarcadero knows that free parking downtown is not something you take for granted. Skip the pricey garage fees and pull right in. This might be the most newsworthy thing to happen to the neighborhood all year, and it basically removes every excuse not to make the trip.
5. The Ultimate San Diego Afternoon Built Right In
Once you’ve grabbed your order, walk to Waterfront Park for a bay view picnic that hits different on a San Diego afternoon. Or if the Padres are in town, Pro Tip: Petco Park lets you bring outside food in as long as it’s wrapped or bagged for individual consumption. Translation: your Board & Brew sando is fully ballpark-legal and a whole lot cheaper than anything at the concession stand. Elite sandos, bay views and a ballgame. Whether it’s a quick lunch break between meetings or a Saturday with the family and nowhere to be, Wheeler says the goal has always been the same.
“I want that Board & Brew stop to feel like the start of the good part of your day, not just a food transaction. We are not trying to be a quick bite you forget about. We are trying to be part of how people experience and remember San Diego.”
San Diego, your new downtown go-to just arrived and it is absolutely worth the trip.
Board & Brew Downtown San Diego
825 N Harbor Dr, Ste 109
San Diego, CA 92101
619.889.9400
Daily: 10 a.m.–9 p.m. | Happy hour, daily: 3–6 p.m.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Where is the new Board & Brew downtown San Diego located?
A: The newest location is inside the RaDD District at 825 N Harbor Drive, Suite 109, San Diego, CA 92101. It’s steps from the USS Midway Museum on the downtown waterfront.
Q: What are Board & Brew’s hours at the downtown San Diego location?
A: The downtown San Diego location is open daily from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Their happy hour is every day from 3 to 6 p.m. featuring $2 off all draft beers on tap.
Q: Is there parking at Board & Brew downtown San Diego?
A: Yes. Board & Brew offers free validated parking for guests in the underground RaDD parking lot. It’s a rare perk for a downtown San Diego location.
Q: Can you bring Board & Brew food into Petco Park?
A: Yes. Petco Park officially allows outside food for individual consumption as long as items are wrapped or bagged. That makes Board & Brew, located just minutes from the ballpark, a smart and budget-friendly stop before a Padres game.
