Outcast Grill

Where Snooze runs a pancake assembly line and Calvin's locks into one fried thing, Outcast now functions as a trilingual kitchen — Mediterranean kebabs, Mexican lunch plates, and American weekend brunch — all coexisting in the same menu without any of them feeling like filler. The new ownership (as of 2025) didn't gut the beer list or the outdoor patio, but they did reshape the food around what actually moves in University City: shawarma wraps for the UCSD lunch rush, gorditas for the families anchored near the Sprouts lot, and Benedicts for the weekend crowd who've memorized which parking structures have two-hour validation.

The **hummus and kebab plate** keeps pulling repeat traffic — charred lamb, tahini that isn't grainy, pita that shows up warm. The **pizza** holds up for kids who won't touch shawarma. The **gorditas** get mentioned specifically in the hot sauce context, which tells you the kitchen isn't phoning in the Mexican side of the menu. Brunch runs **mimosa flights** and dishes built to soak them up, though specifics on what lands best haven't fully crystallized yet under the new rotation.

The outdoor seating sits closer to Regents Road than you'd expect, but reviewers consistently note it's quieter than it should be — good soundproofing or lucky wind patterns, unclear. Metal chairs mean you'll want cushions if you're camping through multiple rounds. Parking benefits from proximity to the shopping complex; weekends stack up but weekday lunch moves efficiently. This is the spot you send someone who needs gluten-bearing options, doesn't want a chain, and won't complain if the menu reads like three restaurants duct-taped together.