Hillcrest fixture Hash House A Go-Go is suing the city of San Diego, alleging a city storm drain replacement effort caused a dramatic drop in business.
According to the lawsuit, the storm drain project turned Fifth Avenue into a construction zone, removing parking, blocking traffic, churning up dust, and driving away customers.
Hash House’s suit said the project, which lasted from late 2025 through June of this year, not only cut off traffic along Fifth Avenue but also closed nearby side streets, further preventing customer access.
“The city, through its conduct in performing the [construction] created a condition
which repeatedly and continuously obstructed and interfered with [Hash House’s] free use and enjoyment of the property,” reads the lawsuit, obtained by Times of San Diego.
The restaurant was not the only small business in Hillcrest upset that construction drove customers away.
Hash House, and several other small businesses impacted by the construction project, filed tort claims with the city, asking for reimbursement for their economic losses from Dec. 2025 through June 2026.
The tort claim for Hash House A Go Go claimed revenue was down over $40,000 in February, a 17.8% loss over a three year rolling average.
May was less dire for the long-standing restaurant, with a 9.5% loss of $28,000.
The city denied those claims. The city declined to comment for this article due to pending litigation.
Some of Hash Hash’s other neighbors also said the construction negatively impacted business.
Victoria Robertson, who owns Divo Diva Cafe, said in June that while the cafe was impacted, she did not want to take on the added expense of litigation after already losing thousands of dollars during the construction.
“We’re just trying to stay positive and be grateful that the fence is gone and that the construction is gone and the tractors are gone and sort of hit reset and keep making a great experience for the customers,” she said.
Dorian Hargrove contributed to this report.
