I apologize, but it's been too long. The North County Surf blog was set up over a decade ago (11 to be exact) to let me ramble on about things that interest me in and around North County. Whether it was wave & weather conditions to plan your weekend, new housing being built, bargains to be had, best beaches for groms, or the possibility of a wave pool in our neighborhood (almost 10 years later), I've neglected to post anything in a LOOOONG time about new businesses popping up. So here goes! Drumroll please...
First up is the old Lumberyard Tavern in the Lumberyard shopping center (in downtown Encinitas). One of my favorite places to grab a burger and a brew (rest in peace Priority Public House, Islands, Chilis, Hamburger Hula, Denny's, etc. etc. etc.), it was closed during the pandemic and unfortunately didn't open back up.
Located at the southern end of the Lumberyard shopping center (across from Fish Shop and next to Cardiff Classics auto sales), the corner location and outside seating is prime.
I came across the permit on the window this weekend and the new occupant is going to be Cocina de Barrio. If you're not familiar with the restaurant, they have 2 locations in San Diego- Hillcrest and Point Loma. And before you say 'oh no, another taco shop'- it's not. Lucky for us North County residents, Cocina de Barrio was a 2022 critics pick in San Diego Magazine for one of the top restaurants. So yes, it will be a sit down restaurant- with cocktails might I add. They even serve brunch and have a happy hour. Now I don't know what the exact menu will be, but have a look at their website and what they serve at the other 2 locations- I'm guessing it will be similar. I also don't know how the remodel/permit process is going, but I'm guessing it won't be open until later in the fall.
Also new to the Lumberyard in Encinitas is Bird Rock Coffee Roasters. Seems like everyone down south is moving north for the winter- even the Bird (sorry- bad joke). With 8 locations in San Diego, the old Starbucks was the logical location for their next store.
Winners of various coffee awards, it's nice to see another SD company move into the location. It's amazing how many coffee houses we have in Encinitas- and all of them are fairly busy. Besides being a place to grab a quick cup of joe or a bite, they're a neighborhood hangout. So the sense of community is appreciated. I think all the coffee stores should put together a softball rec league and we can watch Lofty Coffee, Philz, Java Dog, French Corner, Better Buzz, Ironsmith, Pannikin, Queenstage, Bird Rock, Coffee Coffee, Gordy's, Zumbar, and Starbucks (pick your location) battle it out for best cup of coffee!
And of course with a lot of coffee shops, you can pick up a last minute birthday gift.
And last but not least, what the heck in going on in that big brick building at the south end of downtown Encinitas? With various tenants over the years- the last being Electra Bike's headquarters- the new space is almost done being remodeled into...
A Trek Bicycle superstore?! But I thought they somewhat recently took over the old Nitro store in downtown Encinitas?
They did. But... it was a fairly small store for the amount of bikes in the
Trek family. Even though Trek is known for having some of the best high end road bikes in cycling, they also make mountain bikes, electric bikes, kids bikes, beach cruisers under the name Electra (big fan- I've got 3), apparel, accessories, etc. This new store is going to be a 1 stop shop for the weekend cruiser up to the pro and it's a BIG retail footprint with LOTS of stock. They also will have a service center. Rumor has it they're aiming to open for the Labor Day weekend. So if you're cruising the coast in your car, make sure to stop by- and pick up a bike instead.
