"Where's the party tonight?" That's a frequent question in Pacific Beach, one of the areas of San Diego that competes for the attention of the "just over the drinking age" market.
Pacific Beach, like the name suggests, hugs the ocean. From the roller coaster of Belmont Park to the foothills of La Jolla, "PB" is home to many young, good-looking, upwardly mobile people, many of whom love to relax in a comfortable atmosphere filled with unique ambiance and lots of loud, thumping music.
Moose Restaurant Group is a chain of a number of small brands that successfully fills this unique niche in the marketplace. It operates restaurants in Southern California and Hawaii. Most of them are concentrated in San Diego.
The group's marketing strategy is to feature good food and drinks at inexpensive prices and to create an ambiance that is bright, colorful and heart-poundingly exciting. Special nights are added to this marketing mix, on which food and drinks are discounted even more. The strategy seems to work. Whenever I visit, the places are filled.
Another element of the group's marketing strategy is to operate several brands in close proximity to each other. Many of the restaurants are actually next door to each other. That way, customers can wander from venue to venue and be given more choices.
Pacific Beach is a great area for this kind of operation. Many young people love PB for the proximity to the ocean. Surfing and lying on the beach take up a lot of leisure time.
Moose McGillicuddy's, the chain's namesake, is located in the Gaslamp, with a menu that features "comfort food," i.e.: hamburgers, salads, steaks and Hawaiian ribs. Its outdoor patio is a great place for an afternoon beer, watching the people walking by.
Fred's Mexican CafÈ, another one of its operations, is located next door to Moose's. It also has a comfortable outdoor patio for dining or drinking. The Fred's located in the Gaslamp and the one located in Old Town are both conventional restaurants. That is, diners sit at tables and servers come by to take orders and bring food.
Fred's in PB, though, is smaller. Here, diners line up to order food at the counter. It is then delivered to a table by servers. The place is often filled with customers enjoying the inexpensive food and drinks.
"Kiss My Taco Tuesdays" and "Cinco de Fred's" are popular promotions. Tacos are discounted every Tuesday. On the fifth day of every month (except May 5), margaritas and "cerveza" (beer) just flow. Happy Hour offers discounted drinks every weekday until 7 p.m.
Fred's menu features traditional Mexican dishes. Quesadillas, tacos, burritos, enchiladas and fajitas come with a choice of fillings -- chicken, beef, shrimp and lobster. Burritos are huge, weighing a pound or more. There is even a "veggie" burrito for guests who don't like meat.
Most dishes come with rice and black beans. What they do not come with is a big bill. Prices are so low they make less than a dent in the wallet. And, the quality of food is surprisingly good.
The walls at Fred's PB are covered with colorful signs and posters, with hardly any blank space left. The floor features oddly shaped black and white tiles. The music is exciting, barely able to overpower the voices of young people talking and laughing. A colorful pi"ata hangs above the cash register, full of promise of good fun.
The group operated Big Bertha's and Typhoon next door, offering more diverse food and dancing. But, that's another story.
Fred's in Pacific Beach offers good food, good fun, good music and great prices. It is located at 1165 Garnet Ave. Call (858) 483-8226 for information.
Rottenberg is editor of Dining San Diego Magazine and member of the California Restaurant Writers Association. Send comments to the editor@sddt.com. All letters are forwarded to the author and may be used as Letters to the Editor.
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