5 pork belly dishes you need to try now

A lot of pork belly has been appearing on San Diego restaurant menus in the recent year, and rightfully so. Pork belly is damn good and deserves to be an offering as often as possible.

With a variety of different options readily available each time you find yourself out to eat, here are five top choices to get your pork belly fix:

Urban Solace

This tasty pork belly entree is unique and offers a Southern twist that’s hard not to love. It’s made with creamy grits, red pepper, jicama slaw and braised pickled greens that tie it all together. The tender pork belly is, of course, the star of this Southern-inspired dish.

3823 30th St., North Park. urbansolace.net

barleymash

Unlike your typical for-dinner pork belly dish, this one dares to be different with its appearance on the barleymash brunch menu. The All In barleyhash features a mixture of pork belly confit, stout-braised short ribs, honey porter pulled pork and a pepper jack cheese beer sauce. It also has a roasted potato hash (thus “barleymash”), a three-cheese blend, mixed peppers and onions, all topped with two fried eggs.

600 Fifth Ave., downtown. barleymash.com

Carnitas Snack Shack

Looking for a stellar appetizer before ordering that Snack Shack burger? Look no further than the pork belly app. Enjoy this filling appetizer made with braised Duroc pork, a sweet-spicy glaze, apples, frisée salad, radish and a lemon vinaigrette. The best part? This tasty meal can be purchased at both of the meat-loving locations.

2632 University Ave., North Park or 1004 North Harbor Drive, Embarcadero. carnitassnackshack.com

Mastiff Sausage Company at North Park Beer Co.

One of San Diego’s very own, local sausage companies has a plethora of cult favorite classics. One of the most popular menu items at it’s North Park Beer Co. location is the Pork Nugs. This entree stands out among a strong, meaty menu. The nugs are created with crispy pork belly, sesame seeds, peanuts and gochujang (red chili) glaze, with a pineapple and jicama salad.

3038 University Ave., North Park. mastiffsausagecompany.com

Bo Beau

This bohemian-chic restaurant has two locations, one in La Mesa and one in Ocean Beach. This means double the pork belly. Choose from the applewood smoked bacon, white cheddar and caramelized onion flatbread at the La Mesa location, or the Kronenbourg beer-braised pork belly that is glazed with lavender honey and served with a fennel and herb salad.

4996 W. Point Loma Blvd., Ocean Beach or 8384 La Mesa Blvd., La Mesa. cohnrestaurants.com