San Diego Comic-Con 2025 Food & Drink Guide

Unique Comic-Con-Themed Drinks and Dishes to Try in San Diego

As the annual San Diego Comic-Con approaches, the Gaslamp Quarter is buzzing with excitement, not just from the convention itself but also from the variety of unique food and drink offerings inspired by popular characters and fandoms. From themed cocktails to special menu items, local restaurants and bars are rolling out limited-time creations that will transport guests into the world of their favorite stories.

Barleymash: A Nostalgic Blockbuster Experience

Located on the corner of Fifth Avenue and Market Street, Barleymash is celebrating the legacy of video rental stores with its “Barley’s Blockbuster Weekend” event. This tribute includes themed giveaways, membership cards, and popcorn buckets, along with four standout cocktails inspired by classic films:

• Make it a Blockbuster Night: Angel’s Envy bourbon, Crème de Pêche, fresh lemonade, and Red Vine
• Give Me Sugar Water: Clarified mojito with Bacardi Silver, lime, and mint
• His Dudeness, the Duder, El Duderino: Grey Goose vodka, salted caramel, coffee liqueur, and heavy cream
• Midnight Margaritas: Cazadorez Blanco, coconut, pineapple, lime, and black salt rim

In addition to these drinks, the restaurant is offering four special food items for the weekend:

• Krabby Patty Deluxe Sliders: A quarter-pound burger patty, crab cake, American cheese, and more
• Shell Shocked: Pepperoni, pineapple, pickled jalapenos, and three cheese blend on flatbread
• La La La Lava, Ch Ch Ch Chicken: Crispy corn chip nachos with jalapeno braised chicken and ghost pepper cheese sauce
• Bogtrotter’s Defiance: A multi-layered chocolate cake with dark chocolate frosting

Borrego Rooftop Kitchen & Cocktails: Fantastic Four-Inspired Drinks

Housed on the ninth floor of Hotel Indigo San Diego, Borrego Rooftop Kitchen & Cocktails is offering a special menu of drinks named after members of the Fantastic Four. Each cocktail brings a unique flavor profile:

• The Thing: Mezcal, carrot juice, Nixta corn liqueur, and lemon juice with a Tajín rim
• Human Torch: Sage and serrano-infused tequila with a chili garnish and half Tajín rim
• The Invisible Woman: Barr Hill gin, Beefeater gin, Lillet aperitif, and Luxardo liqueur
• Mr. Fantastic: An electric-blue cocktail featuring gin, lemon, rosemary juniper syrup, blue curaçao, and egg white

El Chingon: A Joker-Inspired Cocktail

El Chingon, a Mexican cantina in the Gaslamp Quarter, has created a special cocktail called the “Madness Like Gravity,” inspired by the Joker. This vibrant mix includes tequila, lime, melon liqueur, agave, and Tajín. For an extra $13, guests can enjoy it in a goblet with a Tajín rim, candy straw, and a Mexican paleta (popsicle).

Greystone Prime Steakhouse & Seafood: A $50 Dinner Deal

Greystone Prime Steakhouse & Seafood is offering a $50 deal during Comic-Con, which includes one entree, one add-on, and one drink. The options include:

• Truffle gnocchi with ricotta, cream, parmesan reggiano, and black truffle
• Prime New York steak, 21 days dry-aged
• Linguine al Pesto with sundried tomatoes and pesto
• Roasted bone-in chicken breast with pancetta fingerling potatoes and tomato coulis
• Wild Isle’s king salmon with a honey dijon glaze and garlic mashed potatoes

Havana 1920: Bane and Poison Ivy-Inspired Cocktails

This Cuban establishment is introducing two new cocktails inspired by Batman’s villains. One pays homage to Bane, while the other references Poison Ivy:

• I Broke The Bat: Havana 1920 Rum, lime, Demerara sugar, and activated charcoal
• Poison Ivy: Havana 1920 Rum, fresh lime juice, Cuban mint, sugarcane juice, and club soda

Lionfish Modern Coastal Cuisine: Pop Culture-Inspired Sips

Lionfish offers a range of limited-edition cocktails inspired by fan favorites like “Doctor Who” and the “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.”

• Regeneration Refresher: A Dirty Shirley with Grey Goose vodka, grenadine, and Sprite
• Cowabunga Cooler: A bright-green cocktail with Sipsmith gin, Midori, cucumber, honeydew, lemon, and simple syrup
• Joker’s Jive: An espresso martini featuring Belvedere Vodka, espresso, St. George Espresso Liqueur, Baileys Irish Cream, and simple syrup
• Elven Elixir: St-Germain Elderflower liqueur, rosé wine, and Fever-Tree pink grapefruit soda

Meze Greek Fusion: Batman-Themed Dishes

Located at 345 Sixth Avenue, Meze Greek Fusion has several pop culture-themed dishes on its menu, including:

• Two-Face Taquitos with lettuce, pico de Greco, feta cheese, and avo-crema
• Birds of Prey – crispy meatballs with mint, onion, garlic, and cumin
• Bat Signal – jumbo shrimp pan-seared with garlic, tomato, green onion, and feta

Drinks available during Comic-Con include:

• The Caped Crusader: Divino Maguey Destilado con Tamarindo y Chiles Mezcal, Aperol, passion fruit, lemon, and a Tajín rim
• The Sidekick: Prohibition Whiskey, Curious Junior Juniper Blackberry, ginger, and lemon
• Pennyworth For Your Thoughts: Prohibition Whiskey or El Chingon Vodka, DropKick espresso concentrate, orgeat, and R&D Sarsaparilla Bitter

Prohibition: A Penguin-Inspired Speakeasy Drink

DC Comics fans can visit the underground speakeasy Prohibition to try the “Gentleman of Crime,” a whiskey-based drink with flavors of lemon and ube.