Can you believe another year has gone by? Me either! Just when I thought I had an insane amount of bloody marys in 2017, 2018 certainly showed 2017 who’s boss. From Portland to Las Vegas and Minneapolis to San Francisco I had the pleasure of trying over 100 bloody marys this year! With the addition of over 50 new bloody marys in San Diego to my repertoire, I’m giving you my new and improved list of best bloody marys in San Diego! 

Update 12/2021 - Post-pandemic and a lot has changed! Unfortunately some former favorites on here have closed or scaled back their brunch and bloody mary offerings quite significantly so I wanted to update the list for you all so it is accurate! Not to mention I have drank another obscene amount of bloody marys! It’s a tough job but someone has to do it.

Farmer’s Table

The Barnyard Mary at Farmer’s Table is quite literally one of the most outrageous bloody marys I’ve had, ever. The farm-to-table restaurant brings the entire farm to this bloody mary as well as some friends from the sea, served in a pitcher with a whole roasted chicken, house-made sausages, shrimp, bacon and much more! Food Network recently featured this behemoth and you can now grab one in La Mesa, Bay Park, and Little Italy! Farmer’s Table also has four other "smaller" bloody marys, if you're not feeling a whole chicken at 9:00 a.m.!

Cafe 21

Cafe 21 makes incredible bloody marys, all made from the freshest ingredients and completely from scratch! That's right, even the juice itself is made fresh and sourced from local and sustainable produce tomatoes and Chef/Co-Owner Leyla ferments the juice, pickles her own veggies, and bakes her own bread for the delicious 4 cheese grilled cheese garnish. Fresh, to death!

Saltwater

Fresh seafood, black lava salt, and a savory umami mix lands Saltwater in the Gaslamp on the list of best bloody marys in San Diego. Saltwater’s bloody mary with a full crab leg, already cracked and ready to go for your enjoyment will take you from feeling a little crabby to absolutely clawsome in a matter of moments. Pro tip: bloody marys go great with all kinds of fresh seafood all available at Saltwater!

Terra American Bistro

Purveyors of “house-made,” Terra Bistro is committed to bringing local, sustainable, and organic, ingredients not only to their food but to the bar as well, #farmtobar. Their bloody mary bar has you first “choose your poison” from house-made infused spirits and build your bloody with a house-made mix and house-made garnishes such as pickles. In case you didn’t get it, they like to make things in-house!

JRDN

Located beachside in the Tower 23 Hotel, JRDN has one of the very best bloody marys in Pacific Beach. The bloody mary is refined and graceful and JRDN uses cilantro and jalapeños to infuse the vodka. It’s not too spicy, light and refreshing, which is perfect for those beach days! Sit on the patio and soak up some sunshine while you sip your classy beverage. If you’re more of a beer lover, their michelada is also killer!

Davanti Enoteca

One of San Diego’s best build your own bloody mary bars is in the heart of Little Italy. Some of the toppings include an extensive amount of hot sauces, pickled veggies, hard-boiled eggs, and prosciutto wrapped asparagus. My favorite part of the experience is that you have a bloody mary assistant who builds your cocktail for you, to absolute perfection! You can also find Davanti in Del Mar and Chicago!!

Snooze: an AM Eatery

With rotating seasonal cocktails and bloody marys, the Bangkok Bloody Mary from Snooze has remained constant and a favorite of Snoozer’s country wide. The best way to describe the Bangkok Bloody Mary is herbaceous umami! Fish sauce, Siracha, basil, cilantro, and what I believe is an award-winning house-made mix! The Bangkok Bloody is my favorite but you really can’t go wrong with any of their bloody marys!

Greystone Prime Steakhouse & Seafood

Oh you fancy huh? Probably the most elegant bloody mary I’ve ever had; Greystone Steakhouse’s infamous Bloody Truffle is truly a one of a kind. Bloody Truffle is made with Gresytone’s house-made truffle mix and topped with freshly shaved truffle dust. Truly an experience in itself the Bloody Truffle will tantalize your taste buds and expand your bloody mary horizons!

Sally’s Fish House + Bar

Sally’s Fish House is sophisticated seafood with picturesque views of the Seaport Village Harbor and home of the Ultimate Bloody Mary. Apart of their “Insta-worthy” cocktail list, the Ultimate Bloody Mary is a refreshing and herbaceous bloody mary mixed with cucumber vodka and topped with a seafood lovers delight! An exquisite piece of blackened shrimp and a foot-long king crab leg make this bloody mary a sea-inspired meal in a glass! Available #alldayeveryday

C Level Lounge

Level up your bloody mary with one of the very best views of the city skyline and Coronado. C Level’s Seafood Bloody Mary is a bold and spicy number, topped with shrimp and a crab claw! It’s pretty easy to drink this bloody mary in a matter of minutes! The best part is it’s available during ALL business hours! #alldayeveryday

The Roxy Encinitas

If you are heading up to north county San Diego then you can’t pass up The Roxy, in Encinitas! The “Everything but the Kitchen Sink,” bloody mary has a super-secret house-made mix that is delicious and literally garnished with everything but the kitchen sink. The towering 24oz bloody mary also comes with a Miller High Life pony, a Midwestern staple for bloody marys!

The Nolen Rooftop

Do you love blue skies, unbelievable views and great food and drinks? Look no further than the 14th-floor rooftop destination bar, The Nolen, for “The Sunday Requirement.” With a diverse menu of four bloody marys with unique spins on the traditional recipe, I say choose the Sunday Morning  Remedy or Penelope. Breath in the fresh air and sip away your hangover with your brunch squad, sex in the city style!

Hello Betty Fish House

Sea life’s beauty with swaying palm trees, oceans views and a savory, warm bloody mary. Every morsel of the Hello Betty Bloody Mary has a umami flavor that is rich, deep and elevates the warmth of the tomato juice. Bloody Mary oyster shooters, bloody maria’s and a michelada mary bring options galore for the bloody mary lover. The salty and acidic bloody mary options pair perfectly with Hello Betty’s fresh local seafood fare!

Breakfast Republic

You can’t go wrong with the Jurassic Pork Bloody at Breakfast Republic. There’s nothing archaic about this bold, tangy, peppery, savory bloody mary. The thick piece of Jurassic pork on top will satisfy any carnivore and make your mouth water. Lucky for you they have several locations to choose from, with what seems like a new one every week, so you’re always close by a Breakfast Republic!

The Smoking Gun - San Diego, CA

The Smoking Gun in the Gaslamp Quarter downtown San Diego boasts an incredibly flavorful and robust bloody mary using the same rub and seasonings they use on their famous brisket in their house-made mix. The Smoking Michelada is rimmed with dripping Pelon (tamarind candy) with crushed watermelon and mango and a house chili rub for a sweet and sour contrast to the savory cocktail. Garnished with a bacon wrapped Flautirikko Tamarindo stick and a peppered and crispy piece of bacon, it’s clear why The Smoking Michelada was voted #1 in San Diego!

OB Surf Lodge

Beach, breeze, bloodys are all one needs. OB Surf Lodge looks right out into the ocean and the OB Pier. Not only are the views stunning but the Kitchen Sink Bloody Mary is 100% vegan and the garlic, horseradish, and veggies are freshly squeezed and grated daily for the mix! Yum! Add some excitement to your morning and order it with habanero vodka!

Morning Glory

Glorious mornings and bloody marys will be had at Morning Glory in Little Italy. If you value flavor over garnish than this no-frills bloody mary made with umami juice, garlic bitters, and celery foam with your choice of vodka, gin, or tequila will broaden your bloody mary horizons. If my juice cleanse doesn’t consist of umami juice, than I don’t want it!

La Valencia Hotel

Find four stellar bloody marys at The Med restaurant situated inside the “pink lady” aka La Valencia Hotel in La Jolla. One of the best bloody marys in La Jolla combined with million dollar views of the Pacific Ocean make La Valencia’s bloody mary menu too good to pass up. My pick is the Bayou Bloody Mary with a fried oyster and jumbo shrimp on top! Feeling a little sassy? Go for the Bloody Maria with tequila!

Great Maple

One of my favorite ingredients to use in a bloody mary is pickle juice! Great Maple’s Famous Pickle Mary is not only refreshing but the pickle juice brings a briney garlicky goodness to their house made mix. All the flavors just work, and if you can’t get enough of pickles the bloody mary is topped with a gigantic, you guessed it, pickle! It’s DILL-licious

Breakfast & Bubbles

“Happy Days Are Here Again,” with Breakfast & Bubbles Barbara Streisand hair of the dog bloody mary. Breakfast and Bubbles Bloody Mary is robust and flavorful topped with everything bagel spice on cream cheese, mini bagel, and smoked salmon, so delish! So, “Put On Your Sunday Clothes,” and head to Hillcrest’s newest breakfast and brunch spot for one of SD’s best bloody marys!

So there you have it folks! The latest and greatest list of the best bloody marys in San Diego! I still haven’t turned into a tomato so, on we go! Thank you so much for following along this bloody good adventure with me! If you have a favorite that you think I should try out, drop a comment below!!!

*Keeping it 100 with you all….I did receive some of these bloody marys complimentary but I personally tried ALL of them and received no compensation for including them on this list! This is just my personal opinion :) A lot of hard work, time and dedication went into finding the very best for you all, so you don’t have to!