Diners' Choice: Best Food restaurants in East County

OpenTable

Updated June 05, 2025

Looking for restaurants with the best overall cuisine in East County? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Antica Trattoria

4.7

4.7 (2452)

$30 and under

Contemporary Italian

La Mesa

About the restaurant

Antica Trattoria is a warm restaurant with an old-fashioned sense of hospitality that quickly became a gathering place for dinners in Lake Murray and the rest of San Diego when it opened in 2001. For Executive Chef and Owner Francesco Basile, good cuisine is about honest flavors, fresh ingredients, and simplicity. That's the kind of food he grew up eating by the seaside in Sicily and it's what he learned in culinary school in Italy.

Why eat ordinary when you can eat extraordinary?

About reservations: We have a 15-minute grace period. Please call us if you will be running later than 15 minutes. If a later time slot is available, you may be able to switch your reservation.

We may contact you, so please ensure your email and phone number are up to date. Your table will be reserved for 1 hour 30 minutes for parties of up to 4 guests; 2 hours for parties of 5 to 8 guests; and 2 hours 30 minutes for parties of 9+. We cannot guarantee special request for tables.

Top review

Terry

Dined 7 days ago

As always, the food was excellent, the service even better. Always enjoy eating here. We'll be back soon

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Banbu Sushi Bar & Grill

4.7

4.7 (424)

$31 to $50

Seafood

La Mesa

About the restaurant

Here at Banbu Sushi Bar & Grill we are committed to providing our customers with an excellent dining experience. Each dish on our menu is prepared using only the freshest and highest quality ingredients. Banbu Sushi Bar & Grill is unique with its classic Japanese design, fused with a modern bistro look combined with earth tones and lighting to create a visual atmosphere one can't forget!

Top review

Rosie

Dined 7 days ago

Service was great . Did not wait table was ready. Food was DELISH! atmosphere super pretty n elegant perfect for a date.

Brigantine La Mesa

4.8

4.8 (4306)

$30 and under

Seafood

La Mesa

About the restaurant

A San Diego tradition since 1969, the Brigantine has received many accolades in our 40+ year history: "BEST SEAFOOD", "BEST CASUAL SEAFOOD", "BEST HAPPY HOUR", and even "BEST SWORDFISH IN THE WORLD", according to USA Today - just to name a few.

Well-known for our signature Clam Chowder, Grilled Swordfish, and Crème Brûlée, the Brigantine is a favorite among locals for consistently fresh seafood, succulent steaks and grilled meats.

With an updated nautical decor, the busy Oyster bar is hands-down the local favorite. Lush flowering foliage outdoors creates an elegant dining experience on one of two charming patios.

The La Mesa Brigantine serves dinner 7 nights a week, lunch Monday-Saturday, and brunch every Sunday.

Join us for our signature Happy Hour.

Top review

Chas

Dined 2 days ago

Our server Rose was the best! Super nice and top of it the whole time!

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Popular dish

Blackened Salmon

Grove Steakhouse at Viejas Casino

4.5

4.5 (1811)

$31 to $50

Steakhouse

Alpine

About the restaurant

The Grove Steakhouse has been awarded the prestigious AAA Four Diamond Award. Resplendent with luxurious décor and a warm, inviting atmosphere, The Grove offers classic and contemporary cuisine for the definitive gourmet experience. Relax in calming ambience while you’re pampered by our world-class service. Our attention to detail and gourmet selections will make your dining experience a pleasure long remembered. Experience an exciting new menu, which includes an array of tantalizing entrées and desserts that are sure to satisfy and inspire you to return again and again.

Top review

MonicaVIP

Dined 2 days ago

Celebrating a special occasion, this was a wonderful location. Very large servings, excellent attention and service. We will be back.

Lemon Grove Bistro

4.5

4.5 (113)

$30 and under

American

Lemon Grove

About the restaurant

In addition to offering comforting American favorites, our menu provides a selection of flavors inspired by our chef’s culinary experiences, ranging from classic Spanish fare to Italian favorites. Our menu changes seasonally to feature the freshest ingredients and provide an exciting dining experience throughout the year.

The Lemon Grove Bistro is in a historic mission-style building in the heart of Lemon Grove. Since 1912, it’s been a place where locals meet and build connections, whether they were picking up their mail at the Sonka General Store in 1944 or ordering custom cakes at the Grove Pastry Shop in 2012.

Come for the food. Stay to experience the inviting ambiance of the historic building and its new garden. Let’s build community--together.

Top review

Lynn

Dined on Jun 12, 2025

Wonderful food, great service, we could hear each other talk! Everything from the salad to the gnocchi and the lamb ragu to the desserts were perfectly prepared. They have an extensive menu and it was hard to decide what to eat. That’s a good problem! We’ll be eating there again, soon!

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Experience

Weekday Happy Hour

Casa Gabriela

4.7

4.7 (885)

$30 and under

Mexican

La Mesa

About the restaurant

Chef Gabriela Lopez brings her elevated Mexican cuisine to Downtown La Mesa. Using her grandmother's recipes from Guadalajara crossed with her cosmopolitan upbringing in Tijuana, Chef Gabriela's menu features authentic hand-crafted dishes and imaginative takes on classic dishes. All of Baja California is represented along with influences from other regions in Mexico.

The spacious outdoor garden, cozy loft, and private dining areas are the perfect places to enjoy tequila and mezcal based cocktails, family celebrations, or brunch with friends.

Top review

Val

Dined 2 days ago

We have eaten here several times now. It’s consistently good food and a nice place to sit and relax for dinner or brunch. We love the empanadas!

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Jalapeno-Cilantro Tempura Cauliflower

Giardino Neighborhood Cucina

4.8

4.8 (1130)

$30 and under

Italian

Lemon Grove

About the restaurant

Located in the middle of Lemon Grove’s charming downtown area, Giardino is a welcoming and casual Italian inspired cucina where the neighborhood gathers for fresh and flavorful classic dishes found throughout Italy.

Giardino offers an Italian-inspired menu of seasonally-driven dishes that use timeless Italian techniques and fresh ingredients. Guests will find items such as fresh seafood, pastas, pizzas and salads, as well as a variety of elements made in-house.

Top review

ChristinaVIP

Dined 6 days ago

We love this restaurant! We have been a number of times. Such a hidden gem. I loved the roasted pear salad, the penne salsiccia and the short rib. They also have gluten free penne and gluten free pizza crust, which gives me a lot of options.

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The Riviera Supper Club and Turquoise Room

4.6

4.6 (52)

$31 to $50

American

La Mesa

About the restaurant

The Riviera Supper Club & Turquoise Room features a unique experience of service where you can choose to grill your steaks yourself at the communal grill and offers numerous cuts of meat. Not interested in doing the grilling? We will grill for you and we also have a great selection of entrees and appetizers that are prepared for you. Extensive craft cocktail list, great beer selection and live music most nights in the turquoise room.

*RESERVATIONS ARE ONLY OFFERED FOR THE DINING AREA, THE TURQUOISE ROOM IS FIRST COME FIRST SERVE.*

Top review

connie

Dined on May 17, 2025

Excellent service, food, drinks and atmosphere! We are always well cared for here! Thank you!

Prime Cut Steakhouse - Jamul Casino San Diego

4.7

4.7 (1507)

$50 and over

Steakhouse

Jamul

About the restaurant

Prime Cut is a classic American steakhouse located inside the lights and flash of an upscale Vegas-style casino just twenty minutes outside the city center. With Chef de Cuisine Greg Coyle leading our kitchen, an award-winning wine list designed by Manager Christina Ambriz, and a full bar featuring some of the most unique hand-crafted specialty cocktails, Prime cut is the perfect place for conversation or an intimate dinner.

Specials
Experience the best brunch in San Diego! Join us from 10:30 am to 3:30 pm every Sunday for Prime Cut’s Lobster Brunch. Enjoy a picturesque mountain view, sample from our award-winning wine list, or sip on your favorite craft cocktail while you indulge in delectable creations by Chef de Cuisine Greg Coyle.
Lobster Brunch • Sunday • $59.95

Only guests over 21 years old may attend.

Top review

Jessica

Dined 2 days ago

Our server was very welcoming and enjoyable. Walked us through the menu as it was our first time visiting the restaurant. Food was excellent. Ordered the filet 10 oz, asparagus, whipped mashed, truffle Mac and cheese, wedge salad. Our sever also explained that we could try as many of the sauces as we wanted, we tried one of each! I will definitely be back.

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Popular dish

Seafood Tower

Popular dish

Braised Prime Short Rib

Bull & Bourbon Steakhouse

4.7

4.7 (1795)

$31 to $50

Steakhouse

El Cajon / Lakeside

About the restaurant

Bull & Bourbon is a cut above other steakhouses – literally. Our innovative approach to classic steakhouse cuisine makes for a multi-sensory experience. Enjoy steaks prepared on our custom wood burning grill paired with our extensive and hand-selected bourbon menu for flavors that beautifully complement each other. Because we source local coastal California seafood, use steaks cut from our in-house butcher program, and choose select cuts from our on-site aging room, we always start with top-quality ingredients to create mouthwatering dishes. You will always know from where your food has been sourced, and our chefs approach cooking as the true art that it is.

Top review

Christine

Dined 2 days ago

The French onion soup was incredible and Daniel or waiter was great as always !

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