Celebrating 75
As the birthplace of California and the cornerstone of the Golden State, San Diego knows a thing or two about being original. Some of the oldest businesses in the state call SD home, meaning plenty of places our grandparents and great-grandparents loved to go are still around, if you know where to look. We’ve put together this list of some of our favorite SD OGs, so next time you’re grabbing a bite or a drink, catching a movie, or getting a tattoo, you can connect with SD history (and maybe even spot a relative’s picture on the wall). oldest restaurants, bars, theaters, and more offer a view to the past
BY RANDY DOTINGA that's now a mainstay of North Park—opened downtown in 1938. We can’t decide which dessert pie we like best. Right now, it’s coconut cream versus peach. Meet the Oldest 24-Hour Diner Rudford’s Restaurant, North Park OPENED IN 1949 Honorable Mentions: Tobey’s 19th Hole Café opened at the Balboa Park Municipal Golf Course in 1934, making it the oldest diner in town. It’s been family-owned for four generations. And the beloved Chicken Pie Shop —a one-time Hillcrest landmark
Don’t worry about the little plaques at Rudford’s that honor patrons who’ve passed away. There’s no evidence—we swear!—that they all chowed down on the patty melt before they met their demise. Like them, we love the greasy-spoon atmosphere, the wild mix of customers, and the fact that Rudford’s is open 24 hours every single day. Make sure to check out the giant photo plastered across the outside wall on the restaurant’s west side. Yes, that’s President John F. Kennedy riding in a motorcade down El Cajon Boulevard with Rudford’s in the background. According to local historian John Fry, JFK came here for a speech in 1963, and a junior-high student playing hooky snapped a photo of him going by. If Kennedy looks quizzical, it’s probably because the kid and his pals were yelling out “Cuber, Cuber, Cuber!” to make fun of the way he pronounced “Cuba.”
102 AUGUST 2023
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