San Clemente’s Miramar Food Hall Promises Diverse Dishes
- Sharon Stello
- 2 days ago
- 11 min read
Locals and visitors alike are invited to dig into a wide range of new eats in the culinary hot spot’s communal setting.
Food halls, a continuing trend in Orange County and beyond, are a practical answer to the age-old question, “What’s for dinner?” Couples, families and groups of friends can easily gather around the same table and each find a dish they crave, noshing on pizza, sushi, burgers and more in a casual setting.
An elevated version of the shopping mall food court, modern food halls are often filled with innovative eats that push the boundaries (think fusion foods and twists on favorites) as well as tried-and-true comfort classics. Bars, live music, patios with communal tables and yard games like cornhole or Jenga are also often in the mix. Several food halls have sprung up in OC during recent years, from the Anaheim Packing House to Rodeo 39 Public Market in Stanton, Rodeo River Street in San Juan Capistrano, SteelCraft in Garden Grove, 4th Street Market in Santa Ana, Mercado González in Costa Mesa and more, with Katella Commons planned to debut in early 2027 in Anaheim’s OC Vibe project.
Entering the scene in late May or early June, the brand-new Miramar Food Hall is set to open in San Clemente – just a few blocks from the beach – and will be serving up ocean views along with 15 eateries and two bars in the restored historic Miramar Theatre and Bowling Alley complex at 1720 N. El Camino Real. Featuring a wide array of cultural cuisine within more than 12,600 square feet, Miramar Food Hall will be operated by Tiger Hospitality Group, which is also opening food halls in San Diego and some of the restaurant concepts within these spaces.
“We wanted to be as diverse as possible – give everybody as many choices as we can and pull in cuisines from all over the globe,” said Jim Krieger, chief operating officer of Tiger Hospitality Group. “We can create a really restaurant-quality experience, but you still have the ability to get a pizza, I can get tacos, the kids can get burgers. You know, you can really curate your own experience, but you’re not giving up the vibe of the dining element …. And they’re large party friendly. A lot of restaurants aren’t. You know, you can go into a food hall, you can be loud, you can have fun. You can celebrate with six, seven, eight, friends. You can’t do that in a formal dining setting.”
Reimagining the Space
Designed in the Spanish colonial revival style with a barrel-vaulted roof and red shingles, the original bowling alley structure dates back to 1947, but was dismantled and reconstructed for the food hall project, incorporating many of the original materials. For example, some of the wood from the bowling lanes was used to construct the indoor bar. Meanwhile, the building next door first opened in 1938 as San Clemente Theatre, designed by Clifford A. Balch, an acclaimed architect who specialized in movie theaters across California. The theater side has been reimagined as Wedgewood Weddings & Events venue.
A long time coming, the food hall project was started back in 2020, but the attention to detail will no doubt be worth the wait. “We kept some integrity … of what that (landmark) used to be for the community,” Krieger said.
The hospitality group was drawn to this location, Krieger said, because of what San Clemente had to offer and what the food hall could add to the coastal city, allowing locals, surfers and anyone else coming from or going to the beach to stop for a bite.
“We thought this was really kind of a nice addition to … that area and, just overall, the nature of the city. You know, being able to bring everybody together, really highlighting Southern California, take advantage of the weather with a … huge patio, having the ocean views from the interior bar. It just felt like a really nice fit and something that we thought the area really needed.”
The food hall’s patio, complete with an outdoor bar, will also offer peek-a-boo views of the ocean. “The front facade … will have some tables and chairs and will also have a pretty solid ocean view from the corners. It’s gorgeous,” Krieger said.
For entertainment, he anticipates bringing in musicians from the area. “The idea of some local artists is what really excites us more than anything …. Trying to just create a nice, you know, soft vibe that kind of enhances the space,” Krieger said. “Local musicians that want to come in and have an ability to showcase … what they do. I think that’s always a fun vibe for a place like this.”
And there might be a few paint nights offered as well. “They’d have a chance to teach people how to paint a little bit, and they have some fun with it. You know, people have some cocktails and some snacks … and it’s a way for a local artist to also expose their work.”
Dishing up Diversity
While the ambience is important, of course, most people will be coming for the food. Among the concepts are a few developed by Tiger Hospitality.
“We’re extremely proud of Lobster Lab,” Krieger said. “It’s such a unique concept to be able to get something that everybody views as luxurious and high end and, you can … get that on a daily basis. I think that’s really cool.”
A seafood concept with a location already in Carlsbad’s Windmill Food Hall, Lobster Lab offers a variety of lobster roll iterations, including the popular lobster grilled cheese. In fact, in 2024, the eatery earned Yelp’s top lobster roll ranking in San Diego.
“We’re (also) super excited about Egg n Out,” Krieger continued. “Being a breakfast spot … surfers and the people taking their morning walks will be able to have that type of venue to combine with such a great coffee experience that Immersion (Coffee Co., another food hall vendor) provides …. Sitting outside, having a great cup of coffee, a nice breakfast sandwich and having that ambience, I think is really cool. Those are a few that I can highlight a little bit, but I really am excited about all of them.”
Other eateries by Tiger Hospitality are Cosmos Burger, which uses premium, fresh ingredients and is known for its Spicy Jam Burger and Monkey Fries, with locations already in Oceanside and Windmill Food Hall; and La Vida, which also has a spot at Windmill, offering healthy meals from salads to wraps, sandwiches, toasts and smoothies.
A line up of burgers and loaded fries will be available at Cosmos Burger at the Miramar Food Hall in San Clemente. Photos courtesy of Tiger Hospitality Group
Among the outside vendors is El Puerto Street Tacos, expanding to San Clemente from its two Carlsbad sites and serving authentic Mexican street tacos as well as burritos and quesadillas. Thyda Sieng of the acclaimed (but now closed) Fire Bird Nashville Hot Chicken in Long Beach is opening a new woman- and family-owned concept called Hen Haus. Sidelines Sandwiches joins the lineup, expanding from its origins as a pop-up at Del Mar’s Surf Sports Park, where it sold sandwiches on the sidelines of youth soccer tournaments. A Middle Eastern concept called The Pita, owned by the husband-and-wife team behind San Clemente’s Rocket Fizz soda and candy shop, will have a menu filled with gyros, shawarma, hummus, pita and more.
Immersion Coffee Co., formerly operating as Manivela coffee truck, has locations in the Little Italy and La Jolla neighborhoods of San Diego and will open a spot at Miramar. And Seattle-based Moto Pizza will be making its “odd pizza” in the food hall; it’s the chain’s first permanent location outside of Washington state for these pies combining Detroit, New York and Roman styles with Filipino influences (following a successful pop-up at BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament in Indian Wells earlier this year).
For Moto Pizza founder Lee Kindell, San Clemente’s food hall seemed an obvious choice.
“Miramar felt real to us,” Kindell said. “It did not feel overbuilt or over polished. It has history, energy and a real point of view. We believe food should bring people together, and food halls do that better than almost anything because they create a shared experience around one table. This felt like a place where we could truly become part of the community, not just drop in.”
The brand name Moto “loosely translates from Japanese to ‘an original idea’ and, in Latin, it connects to the idea of being in constant movement,” Kindell said. “The logo itself is inspired by the Japanese hanko, a business or family stamp, which gives it another layer of identity and intention.”
Kindell and partner Nancy Gambin started the eatery during the pandemic when they needed to pivot from their hostel business – and it quickly caught on. The deep-dish pies come in two sizes: “shareable” squares or “solo” rectangles.
“I call it odd pizza because it is really a culmination of all of my pizza-making styles rolled up into one odd pizza,” Kindell said. “There are elements of Detroit style in the foundation, but it is not about fitting neatly into one category. It is more about taking everything I love about pizza, all the styles and influences I have worked through, and creating something that feels original to Moto. That is why it stands out. It is its own thing.”
Distinctive flavor combinations range from Dungeness crab to “Clam Chowda” (clams, smoked bacon, cheese, chives and Chowdah Swauce) to one with shrimp, pineapple and chile oil, and another with pickled cabbage and garlic sauce. Purists will be happy to know there are also traditional cheese and pepperoni varieties while those seeking a flavor adventure can try the Mr. Pig, layered with Filipino pork belly, spicy pork sausage, onion and cheese, topped with tomato sauce, calamansi lime sauce and Mr. Pig sauce. Mushroom lovers will no doubt enjoy Root, which features, well, mushrooms as well as black olives, onion, cheese, tomato sauce and balsamic glaze. Kindell said a sense of curiosity led to development of these different combinations.
“It comes from travel, night markets and being around food that does not always follow rules,” Kindell said. “We respect tradition, but we are not boxed in by it. If something tastes great and creates a moment for people, we are open to trying it. That is where a lot of the menu inspiration comes from.”
Moto will bring its core menu to Miramar Food Hall, but Kindell anticipates new toppings may be added along the way.
“California is a creative market, and we expect the community to help shape what comes next over time,” he said.
Pacific Palates
Several Asian-inspired vendors are also planning to set up shop in the hall. Rolled Up, with a location already in Windmill Food Hall, boasts sushi rolls and customizable bowls and burritos: Think proteins like Korean sirloin, spicy tuna, ahi tuna poke, shrimp tempura and more, plus sauces from ponzu to spicy mayo, teriyaki or sriracha. Rolled Up’s burritos and bowls include lettuce, cabbage, cucumber, fried garlic, crispy onion, wonton chips, sesame seeds and a side sauce; burritos are wrapped in a large nori (seaweed) sheet.
“We wanted to make a concept that’s easy to eat and also have good, fresh sushi ingredients,” said Rolled Up founder Lorna Ramos, who noticed a similar concept in San Francisco and decided to embellish on the idea in San Diego, where burritos and Asian food are a staple, so fusion made sense.
Rolled Up opened in 2021 and, when Ramos heard that several vendors from the Windmill Food Hall were expanding to San Clemente, she decided to join them. “We can’t wait to have another location,” she said.
Rolled Up is a family-owned small business. Ramos’ parents are originally from the Philippines, with her dad proudly serving in the U.S. Navy for 23 years and her mom working in the University of California, San Diego chemistry department for more than 25 years. Ramos and her son were both born in the U.S. and he works at Rolled Up with her, however, “we consider our whole Rolled Up team as family,” she said.
Rolled Up has also found success at the I Love Poke Festival at San Diego’s Bali Hai Restaurant, winning in 2024 and placing second in 2025. “We plan to win the title back this year,” Ramos said.
In addition to Rolled Up’s award-winning poke and other menu items, Ramos hinted at some possible additions for the San Clemente location.
“We don’t want to reveal too much yet, but we will have different grab-and-go items, particularly for the beach, i.e. Beach Bentos,” she said.
In addition to Rolled Up, Irvine-based Norigiri has a fresh, modern take on Japanese onigiri: Served fast, the handmade rice balls feature bold, flavorful fillings. And Temecula-based Graciously Thai is the place to go for traditional, homestyle Thai food such as curry and noodle dishes, chicken curry puffs and bacon or crab fried rice.
Speaking of fried rice, that’s what fills the menu at It’s Allll Rice, which offers many fusion versions of the versatile dish. Formerly a food truck that started during the pandemic – parking at Chapman Avenue and Harbor Boulevard a few miles south of Disneyland – options range from K Town Kimchi Fried Rice with apple wood-smoked bacon and roasted kimchi, topped with an egg, to the Surf and Turf variety with succulent Maine lobster tail and high-quality filets. Rounding out the menu are Gio’s Island-Style Hawaiian Fried Rice, a drunken tiger version, orange or teriyaki chicken options and a peppered steak selection.
The idea came about simply because owner Kittrell Cage loved fried rice and, during the pandemic, he was sitting at home and craving a dish from a Thai restaurant he remembered in Las Vegas, where his relatives ran a soul food eatery called The Family Affair in the early 1980s. He started playing around with different types of fried rice and watched YouTube videos to figure out why his rice kept sticking to the wok, learning that he needed to season the pan. Once he got that down, he started imagining all the fried rice varieties he could make if he opened a restaurant and coming up with fun names for them. His wife at the time got the ball rolling when she said, “My dad, he knows somebody who builds food trucks. We’re gonna get a food truck,” Cage recalled.
While the San Clemente location will have a slightly updated menu, the food truck’s most popular dishes were always the K-Town Kimchi and the Surf and Turf. But another unique one is the South of the Border bowl with beef chorizo, a fried egg, queso fresco and habanero crema. “The flavor is, like, magnificent,” Cage said.
Cage’s friend and business partner Kenyon Jones came across the food hall opportunity in San Clemente before he passed away last fall. Cage and Jones grew up together in Las Vegas where Jones went on to find success in the nightlife and hospitality industries.
With Jones and his surviving son in mind, as well as Cage’s own son, who passed away in 2020, Cage plans to give back to the community through the restaurant venture.
“We are big on families, we’re big on community and … it will be charitable …. We will be giving back to the community of San Clemente and doing kid-friendly things, because … of the unfortunate incidents that have happened throughout my life,” Cage said. “I have an 8-year-old now, so I just value the importance of kids and giving them something to do, something to look forward to.”
Cage said he believes food halls have proven popular because these venues provide a place for “friends and family, all gathering together, not having to go and be super formal and sit down at a fine dining (establishment)” and they offer freedom for each person to pick a different type of dish.
Kindell, the Moto Pizza founder, echoed that sentiment.
“People like food halls because they are built for people, not just transactions,” Kindell said. “They offer choice, energy and discovery all in one place, but the bigger value is the shared experience. Everyone can get what they want and still sit down together. That sense of community is what keeps people coming back.”
Miramar Food Hall
Where: 1720 N. El Camino Real, San Clemente
When: Opening in late May to early June; hours will be 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily except Egg n Out will be open from 7 a.m.-2 p.m. and Immersion Coffee Co. will be open during the day, starting at 7 a.m.
Website: miramarfoodhall.com
