RESTAURANT SPOTLIGHT: AMERICAN JUNKIE MAKES IT’S DEBUT IN THE GASLAMP QUARTER!

Brand new to the Gaslamp Quarter, American Junkie opened up a couple weeks ago on 5th Avenue. This hip hangout is a classic eatery, serving a “modern American tavern menu” plus classic American cocktails, craft beers made in the USA, all American whiskeys and bourbons and wines primarily from California vineyards.  The spacious venue also features a slew of big screen TVs for sports viewing and hosts DJs at night. Alex and Erin from the Gaslamp Quarter Association stopped in to check it out!

What we enjoyed:

• Alex enjoyed the housemade guacamole with avocado, orange, blistered jalapeno, cotija, and lime served with chips, and award winning salsa brava! The salsa brava won best salsa in Arizona 3 years in a row!
• Erin enjoyed their sweet corn and avocado ceasar salad, made with sweet corn, avocado, romaine, kale, cotija, crunchy tortilla strips and jalapeno lime cilantro dressing.
• Both Alex and Erin shared a bowl of their homemade potato chips garnished with parmesian cheese, scallions and white truffle oil and served with a housemade carmelized French onion dip

American Junkie Grand Opens In San Diego's Gaslamp On April 21

Debuting in San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter this week at 628 5th Avenue in the combined spaces that previously housed La Fiesta and neighboring Ocean Room is American Junkie, an Orange County-based bar/restaurant/lounge concept.

American Junkie is a modern sports bar and restaurant that currently has locations in Hermosa Beach and Newport Beach, with former outposts in Chicago and Scottsdale that have since been sold. The restaurant offers a modern American tavern menu, with frequent nightly specials and happy hour and the usual gastropub menu items like wings, nachos, sandwiches, sliders, burgers, hot dogs, pizza, etc. The eatery also serves large cocktails in mason jars and a tap list that spans the spectrum from big beer to craft. Other locations of American Junkie are known to offer a DJ-fueled, club-like atmosphere late night on weekends and San Diego will be no different. The eatery intends to introduce a boozy brunch in the coming weeks.

American Junkie San Diego officially grand opens on Friday, April 21. Once open, the eatery will offer happy hour Monday through Friday from 3-6pm, offering 50% off all drinks. They will also host a Taco Tuesday with $5 all-you-can eat tacos, $5 margaritas and $3 Coronas.

For more information, visit americanjunkiesd.com, and check out the below menus.

NEW GASLAMP BAR BRINGS UNIQUE INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCES

American Junkie will open in the Gaslamp in April. (Courtesy photo)

A fresh new restaurant/bar/nightclub is hitting the Gaslamp this month when American Junkie opens its doors at Fifth Avenue and Market Street. The concept, first opened in Scottsdale, Arizona, has additional locations in Newport Beach and Hermosa Beach.

American Junkie promises some unique interactive experiences for guests, including a photo booth, prize wheel and 40-foot projector wall, in a fun, unpretentious atmosphere. The new Gaslamp space is 6,000 square feet and will include two full bars, plus sidewalk seating. While the vibe will be relaxed during the day, at night it’s sure to be one of downtown’s hottest spots, with DJs every night, light show-like effects and a high-definition LED wall.

Expect a menu with high-end bar food and a cocktail menu with some specialty drinks, including a watermelon mule and “spark plug” drink made with cold brew. Happy Hour will be from 3- 6 p.m. every day and Taco Tuesday will offer all-you-can-eat tacos.

Look for a performance by Dirt Nasty to celebrate American Junkie’s grand opening, scheduled for later in April with more details to come. Learn more at AmericanJunkieSD.com and on Facebookand Instagram (@americanjunkiesd).

American Junkie Moving Into the Gaslamp

As Hooters prepares to exit the Gaslamp after a long tenure, our tipsters noticed that another sports bar brand known for its "less is more" staff dress code is headed our way. American Junkie, which has existing locations in Newport Beach and Hermosa Beach, will land on 5th Avenue where it will replace the recently-shuttered La Fiesta Restaurant.

The all-day eatery, which serves a "modern American tavern menu" plus "classic American cocktails, craft beers made in the USA, all American whiskeys and bourbons and wines primarily from California vineyards", features a slew of big screen TVs for sports viewing and hosts DJs at night. American Junkie partner Josh Royal tells Eater that the San Diego outpost’s food offerings will be most similar to the Hermosa Beach pier location. It’s set to open in March 2017.

American Junkie To Take Over San Diego Gaslamp's La Fiesta & Ocean Room Spaces For 2017 Opening

The culinary landscape of downtown San Diego is in the midst of a transition. We recently announced that Dick's Last Resort closed after 25 years in business. Hooter's is in the process of selling after a nearly two decade tenure in the Gaslamp. And the latest news is that both Dining On Fifth restaurant groups's La Fiesta and neighboring Ocean Room, which both quietly shuttered last month, have been sold and will be turned into American Junkie, a bar/restaurant concept with locations in Orange County.

Both La Fiesta, which opened in 1999, and Ocean Room, which debuted in 2004, are owned by George Georges' Dining On Fifth company, which also owns Chianti Restaurant and the now-shuttered Urban Bar & Grill. Chianti is still operating under normal business hours and seemingly has no plans on shutting down. We reached out to the company for comment but have yet to hear back.

American Junkie is a modern sports bar/lounge/restaurant that currently has locations in Hermosa Beach and Newport Beach, with former outposts in Chicago and Scottsdale that have since been sold. The restaurant offers a modern American tavern menu, with frequent nightly specials and happy hour and the usual gastropub menu items like wings, nachos, sandwiches, sliders, burgers, hot dogs, pizza, etc. (see below). Other locations of American Junkie are known to offer a DJ-fueled, club-like atmosphere late night on weekends. American Junkie San Diego is anticipated to open as early as March 2017.

For more information on American Junkie San Diego, visit americanjunkiesd.com, follow on Facebook, and check out the below menu from the Hermosa Beach location.