Toronado
4026 30th St.
North Park
619-282-0456
On most nights, you’ll hear Toronado before you see it. As you walk up to the bar on 30th Street, the sound from inside reaches you before you reach it—a rumble that carries through the open half of the Dutch door (the same entrance that fronts the original Toronado in San Francisco). The noise ratchets up to a roar if there’s a big game on TV or if it’s a Monday evening, when thirsty dozens pack the house for $3 glasses of any of the 50 beers on draught. Something heavy on the jukebox adds to the bedlam, and I usually take shelter at one of the tables in the alcoves that flank the doorway or seek a little bit of peace on the quieter—although usually smoky—back patio
Don’t get me wrong, I truly like Toronado; I just love it better in the light of day than the din of night.
In the relative quiet of the weekday, all the other freelancers and I can work or just relax because the bar is a comfortable space to be. The bartenders, all friendly and beer-educated, are unhurried enough to have time to chat or share a few recommendations. A long, leisurely lunch with a friend feels less like grabbing grub in a bar and more like having a meal in a bistro, only with really good beer.
When Ian Black, a former employee of the Lower Haight location, opened San Diego’s Toronado last year (with the blessing of the original Toronado’s owners) Toronado aficionados wondered if Black would replicate the sort of partnership that the original bar had with Rosamunde’s, the takeout sausage shop located next door. Black did, serving a variety of homemade sausages from T&H Prime Meats in San Marcos.
For awhile, sausages were all that Toronado served, food-wise. Though totally tasty—served on lengths of Bread & Cie baguette with sautéed peppers and onions (the Moroccan lamb and chicken-apple are favorites) and accompanied by a side of cucumber or potato salad—there’s only so much sausage one can eat. There’s no such limit on beer, however, and so Toronado became more of a pre- or post- stop for a drink, before or after I’d eaten elsewhere in the neighborhood.
But earlier this year, the bar expanded its menu beyond sausages to add other, more substantial dishes. Best are the burgers, made with grass-fed beef from Estancia, a company with ranches is the U.S. and South America.
This lean but delicious meat is best when not cooked above medium-rare so that it stays juicy and moist. Toronado serves the half-pound patties on Bread & Cie buns with different toppings. I like the Spicy Jalapeño, with pepper jack, house made chipotle mayo and sliced jalapeños.
Other beer-friendly sandwiches, like barbequed pulled pork, a BLT with avocado and a yummy grilled cheese on sourdough with three cheeses melted with tomato and caramelized onions, also come with sides, including the creamy, yet not heavy, cucumber salad with bleu cheese and the rich, bacon-laden potato salad. A friend of mine raved about the beet salad, but it’s a seasonal item and hasn’t been on the menu for a few months.
I’m not as fond of the mac-and-cheese, which could use a dose of salt. The sausage platter, which comes with two plate-sized shredded potato pancakes, homemade applesauce and sour cream, would be great if some of the potato hadn’t still been raw on a couple occasions. And though they once offered a few sugary treats, there’s currently nothing sweet on the menu. Good thing there’s a bottle list full of chocolate-y stouts and fruity beers—because there’s nothing wrong with drinking your dessert.
