North City food and drink offerings - San Marcos, CA

A few hours of exploration was in my weekend forecast at the new North City described as "An urban, mixed-use development in the heart of North County San Diego". I was able to join several social media ladies to check out the new restaurants serving the area.

Grit Coffee

To start was Grit Coffee for some coffee and tea from the neighborhood coffee shop. Order from the barista on the left and sip nonchalantly on the barstools or tables to the right.

influencers at Grit Coffee in North City San Marcos

The friendly group of foodies and life style influencers did their thing... snapped pics of the drinks, the shop and themselves having a good time! 

cold brew coffee from Grit Coffee in North City San Marcos

I mostly mingled since I don't drink coffee but did smile at the glasses filled with dark brew. The colors made me think of a beautiful stout!

Fresh Healthy Cafe

The next stop was more to my tastes... smoothie bowls and other refreshing options at Fresh Healthy Cafe!

i heart smoothie bowls from Fresh Healthy Cafe in North City San Marcos

Do you heart this kind of food too?

smoothie bowls and juice smoothies from Fresh Healthy Cafe in North City San Marcos

Acai is my preferred base though their new spirulina dish was a contender with its unique taste and flavor too. I especially enjoyed the green colada smoothie! Stop by for a light breakfast or snack anytime of the day.

Prep Kitchen San Marcos

Besides Del Mar and Little Italy, Prep Kitchen has this third new location within North City! The chefs were generous and provided plenty of samples from their menu including bites and cocktails!

food samples at Prep Kitchen in North City San Marcos

Samples included salmon, tuna sashimi, mini sliders (my fav), chicken slider, etc.

chicken burger at Prep Kitchen in North City San Marcos

Example of the full size chicken sandwich... I'll take fried chicken skin and moist meat any day... feed me more!

Newtopia Cyder

We have Newtopia Cyder in Mira Mesa which Dennis frequents often. I had no idea until now that they had a second tasting room!

ciders from Newtopia Cyder in North City San Marcos

A range of flavors to choose... everyone has their own preferences when it comes to drinks but we would recommend "Chai Me a River". Ask the staff for tasters to explore the options.

cider from Newtopia Cyder in North City San Marcos

Cheers to the new location! We are lucky to be so close to the original.

Umami Japanese

Sometimes you need a little sushi in your life. Umami Japanese is that place to happily fill the void.

salmon at Umami Japanese in North City San Marcos

This salmon bomb was an explosion of deliciousness in my mouth. I wouldn't hesistate to order this sashimi dish again!

sushi roll at Umami Japanese in North City San Marcos

Everything was so fresh and we were dazzled by the presentation! I would visit more often if it were closer to home!

Mason Aleworks / Urge Gastropub

North City even has a brewery in the vicinity! There is an entrance to Mason Aleworks that goes through Urge Gastropub.

pouring a beer at Mason Aleworks in North City San Marcos

Would you like a glass of beer?

beer from Mason Aleworks in North City San Marcos

The can artwork is vivid and colorful. Nice beer can designs here.

food samples at Urge Gastropub in North City San Marcos

And on to the food at Urge Gastropub, which has two other locations in Rancho Bernard and Oceanside... We arrived to a table full of goodies of which all aren't even pictured. On the bottom left, they don't look fancy but I could NOT stop eating these addictive buffalo cheese curds! Also available for tasting were fried shrimp, mac and cheese balls, etc.

flatbread at Urge Gastropub in North City San Marcos

I'm also a fan of flatbreads so had to have a slice of this too. The options are great at Urge.

North City San Marcos

There's still quite a bit of construction but the main walkway we took had restaurants on both sides with Mason and Urge in their own section nearby. Parking is available in the nearby garages and I am expecting this community to grow better with time.

Disclaimer: I was invited to dine here and the food and drink were complimentary. I was not otherwise compensated and all opinions are my own.

North City San Marcos
250 North City Drive
San Marcos CA 92078

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Comments

Soo's picture
Submitted by Soo (not verified) on Mon, 06/17/2019 - 11:53am

That was a good selection of restaurants you visited! The chicken sandwich is very tempting.

lynn's picture
Submitted by lynn on Fri, 07/26/2019 - 10:27am

it was a very relaxing morning of food and drinks! :)

Faye's picture
Submitted by Faye (not verified) on Thu, 07/25/2019 - 3:55pm

Was this an all day event? Looked like so much fun with great food and company. I tried the Mason Aleworks in del mar and didn't like the food. The Umami restaurant looks delish esp with the low carb roll. I sometimes work in that area so will have to check out these findings when I'm back in that part of town. Great photos !!

lynn's picture
Submitted by lynn on Fri, 07/26/2019 - 10:30am

it was stretched over 3 hours or so. i wonder what kind of food is served at the mason aleworks in del mar. the food here was part of "urge gastropub" so i'm not sure if they are related? it is very PUB food but those buffalo cheesecurds were really addicting! i really want to dine in at umami one of these days so that's what i would hit up if we came out here again! :)

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