SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — If you work up an appetite while exploring everything Comic-Con 2026 has to offer, several San Diego restaurants and bars are serving up food and drink specials inspired by the pop culture event.
Many of the featured spots are located near the Convention Center in the Gaslamp Quarter, though restaurants and bars across the city are also joining in on the Comic-Con fun.
The Smoking Gun
555 Market St.
https://www.thesmokinggunsd.com
-- Come to the The Smoking Gun to play some games and enjoy the retro arcade-themed food and drinks.
A couple of menu highlights: The Power Up Punch (Volcan Blanco, elderflower, Italian aperitif, bitters, and lemon) and Pac-Tai (described as “a boozy secret blend of rums with a limit of two per person”); the Final Boss Burger (two quarter-pound wagyu beef patties, American cheese, roasted garlic aioli, and pickles on a butter-brushed brioche bun) and Frogger’s Frito Pie (crunchy Fritos topped with wagyu Texas-style chili, cheddar cheese blend, and green onions).
Barleymash
600 5th Ave.
https://www.barleymash.com
-- The popular restaurant and bar is transforming into “Area 619,” complete with unique food items and drinks to mark Comic-Con week.
The Mothership (Patron Blanco Tequila, ube, coconut, and lime) and the Close Encounter (Grey Goose, melon, lime, mint, and melon balls) are among the drink specials.
When it comes to food, patrons can munch on the Drax-A-Roni and Cheese (ale braised pork, salsa verde, Mexican street corn sauce, and tortilla crisps tossed with tajin, and topped with cotija all on mac and cheese) or Pizza Planet Pockets (pepperoni pizza empanadas with za sauce).
Extra note: An invite-only cocktail lounge known as the Space Smugglers Cantina will have some exclusive drinks and food items but you’ll need to direct message the @barleymashsd Instagram account to obtain the password to get in.
Tajima Ramen East Village
901 E St.
https://tajimaramen.com/tajima-east-village
-- Check out the ramen restaurant’s Con specials: The Pokemon Sake Flight (3 colorful sakes that pay tribute to the original starter Pokemon) and the Naruto ramen (egg noodles, pork chashu, half a ramen egg, naruto, green onions, corn, baby bok choy, fried garlic and sesame seeds).
Spill the Beans
555 Market St.
https://www.spillthebeanssd.com
-- The coffee shop’s Gaslamp Quarter location will have two lattes inspired by Peanuts: The Great Pumpkin Latte (hot or iced espresso with pumpkin pie sauce, homemade vanilla, caramel drizzle, and milk) and the Charlie Brown Lemon Bar Latte (homemade lemon bar syrup, milk, and espresso, topped with lemon bar cold foam and wafer cookie crumble – a nod to Charlie’s yellow shirt).
Borrego Rooftop Kitchen + Cocktails
509 9th Ave.
Ninth floor of Hotel Indigo
https://www.ihg.com/hotelindigo/hotels/us/en/san-diego/sanis/hoteldetail/dining/borrego-rooftop?gad_source=1
-- For Comic-Con, guests can order drinks from the Toy Story-inspired menu such as the Woody (made with Woodford Reserve bourbon) or a Mr. Potato Head vodka cocktail.
Cloak and Petal
1953 India St.
https://cloakandpetal.com
-- The Little Italy restaurant is offering some food and drink items inspired by comic book heroes. Snack on their Spidey Sense Roll and Deadpool Sashimi while you sip on the Shinobi Logan, Ronin Wolverine, or Berserker Weapon X cocktails.
Union Kitchen & Tap
333 Fifth Ave.
https://www.gaslampunion.com
-- One of the Gaslamp’s most popular spots will have a secret Pokemon speakeasy with these special cocktails that each include a surprise Pokemon figurine inside a Poke Ball (while supplies last):
- Eevee: Tito's Espresso Martini (optional bourbon cream)
- Flareon: Angry Orchard + Fireball
- Glaceon: Herradura Frozen Margarita
- Jolteon: Jack Daniel's Lynchburg Lemonade
- Leafeon: Fords Gin Garden Mojito
- Vaporeon: Parrot Bay Blue Hawaiian
A Pokemon-themed brunch buffet will be open for fans from 8 a.m.-10:30 a.m. on July 25 and July 26.
Lionfish Modern Coastal Cuisine at the Pendry
435 Fifth Ave.
https://www.lionfishsd.com
-- The eatery located inside the Pendry San Diego Hotel has concocted three cocktails named after the alter egos of Spider-Man, Batman, and Captain America.
- The Peter Parker (shot with white rum, blue Curacao, lime and coconut foam)
- The Bruce Wayne (black-hued cocktail made with vodka, Chambord Liqueur, lemon, simple syrup, activated charcoal and topped with a lemon wedge)
- The Steve Roger (cognac, allspice dram, Cherry Heering, honey and lemon)
Lionfish is open 5 p.m.-9 p.m. (Mon.-Thurs.), 5 p.m.-10 p.m. (Fri.-Sat.).
