Cafe 222 on Island Avenue in the Marina District of San Diego. Photo courtesy Cafe 222.

With San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer waiving the need for permits, local restaurants are rushing to expand outdoor dining in the wake of new COVID-19 restrictions.

Indoor dining is forbidden under state order for a three-week period that began at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday to slow the recent surge in coronavirus cases.

Among the restaurants moving aggressively to expand dining options are:

Cafe 222 at 222 Island Avenue downtown will serve breakfast and lunch from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily on its upper garden patio and street-side patio. Curbside pickup is also available.

Bankers Hill Bar and Restaurant at 2202 4th Avenue is offering outdoor patio seating and curbside pickup Wednesday through Sunday from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., with takeout beginning an hour earlier.

Lionfish Modern Coastal Cuisine at the Pendry Hotel in the Gaslamp is offering Baja and fresh-catch inspired dishes on its outdoor patio overlooking 5th Avenue. The restaurant is open from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, and 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Duke’s La Jolla is serving Hawaiian cuisine in outdoor lanais overlooking La Jolla Cove. The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, with weekend brunch beginning at 9 a.m.
Serẽa at the Hotel del Coronado is offerings its sea-to-table fare on a two-tier patio with expansive ocean views. The restaurant is open from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday, and from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
The new health order allows outdoor and patio dining until 10 p.m., but customers must leave by 11 p.m. If alcohol is served, it must be accompanied by food.

San Diego is one of 23 counties in California that have had to close indoor dining because of the surge in coronavirus cases.

Chris Jennewein

Chris Jennewein is Editor & Publisher of Times of San Diego.