What We Do

We are a group of people who expect to be the best neighborhood restaurant in America (for people who care where their food comes from). We start with the premise, articulated by Wendell Berry, that "eating is an agricultural act".

Our job is to find folks who employ the most wholesome possible means to grow and make the finest stuff in the world, and share it with our community. We aim to bring people closer to the production of their food and drink, both by incorporating local, regional and sustainably-grown ingredients, and by introducing folks to the people who make their meal.

We're open every day from 5pm to at least 11pm.

What To Expect

Our menu presents the best stuff we can find, farmed and created with love by passionate people.

We serve only natural, farm-specific meats including heritage breeds, grass-fed beef, and pastured pork. We seek out fresh seasonal produce and fresh, wild-caught local fish. We make our own sausages, hams, bacon and other cured meats.

We regularly offer real ale (aka cask-conditioned beer). We feature wines from the Guadalupe Valley and San Diego County, the best handcrafted beers from San Diego, and sparkling mead and real cider from California. We also offer the best wine, beer, coffee, and tea from around the world.

If you're coming in for the first time, feel free to check out our primer.

Questions & Answers

What's with the Linkery?

Even though we're just a casual neighborhood joint, we are fanatics about food and where it comes from.

Unlike almost every food business in America, we serve no commodity meat. All the meat we serve comes from independent farmers and co-ops, whose reputation and livelihood are bound to the quality and integrity of the animals they raise. Many of these independent farmers raise their animals outdoors according to traditional, sustainable methods considered by modern industry to be too expensive or inefficient. As we progress, we will work exclusively with farmers who use these traditional methods.

We use mostly local and regional produce, because it tastes best and is real.

Similarly, we use almost exclusively whole, unprocessed ingredients and don't use food that has factory-made ingredients in it. (The only exceptions are a few pantry items like mustard and sauerkraut which tend to have small amounts of processed ingredients in them, and which we are still figuring out how to make ourselves at high quality). Our beer and wine is handcrafted by the finest artisans in the world.

We make our own sausages and cure our own meat. We bake most of our own bread, and the rest we buy from a local independent baker. We buy cheese from artisinal creameries.

OK, but what kind of cuisine do you serve?

The current term for our kind of food is "farm-to-table". We get the best, freshest, most flavorful, most sustainable ingredients we can, and then try put them together in delicious ways.

What exactly is on your menu?

It changes daily. See a recent night's menu here.

Why did you name yourselves The Linkery?

Because we make our own sausages; because we work to be a community place that brings people together; because we believe we can link our guests with the people who make their food and drink.

What are your prices?

We aim to be affordable, with the caveat that real food is much more expensive than factory food. Most of our main dishes run from 11 to 19 dollars. A single course meal with a beverage runs around 20-25 bucks before service. A three-course meal with wine is typically around 40 dollars per person before service. Of course, we also carry some more expensive bottles of wine and beer, and we often offer some very precious meats and fish, so if you order those things it gets pricier.

What's with this no-tipping rule?

We charge for what we do -- both for food and for table service -- and don't accept any payment beyond that. It's part of seeing ourselves as both members of the community and professionals who care about our craft.

This policy runs so against American tradition that it generates a lot of questions, and we have a whole 'nother section devoted to no-tipping. Get started reading it here.

Is there a dress code?

Nah, this is North Park.

What vegetarian options do you have? How bout for vegans?

While our menu changes daily, usually about half of our menu is vegetarian (typically 11 of 22 items). This includes starters and mains. As for vegan items, we always have at least two or three, sometimes four or five, particularly if you just ask us to hold the cheese.

What are your hours?

We're open every day, from 5pm to at least 11pm. If you come in at 10:55pm, we will still happily serve you. Really.

Where are you?

We are at 3382 30th St, just south of Upas in the Morley Field area of North Park. We’re close to the Northeast corner of Balboa Park. Our web page has a map and directions.

What about parking?

There is parking behind the building, marked “Lyn Hurst Parking Only.” That’s for our customers and for the other tenants of the building. Go ahead and park there. There’s also lots of street parking within a block or two of the restaurant. Even though 30th street is often full right in front of the Linkery, I’ve always been able to find parking on 29th Street and also on Ray Street. Upas west of us, 30th Street north of us, and a couple blocks east are also places that often have parking.

Can I make reservations?

We seat on a first-come basis. This means that we don’t take reservations. Come on in and we’ll take care of you. If we happen to be full, we keep a waiting list on a chalkboard (like the waiting list for the pool table at your local tavern). We’ll write your name on it, and you can hang out at our bar and have a drink or a nibble while you wait.

When’s a good time to come in when I'll be less likely to have to wait for a table?

If you'd like to be sure to avoid a wait, we encourage you to come in early or late (before 6pm and after 9:30pm are very good), particularly on the weekends. Also, Sundays after 8:30pm are a good bet.

Can I come in and hold a table for my party?

Because space is at such a premium, we have to wait until everyone is present before seating any party.

Can I order food to go?

Yup. Just call in your order at 619 255 8778. Food to go gets put in the same queue as table orders, so it can take anywhere from 10 minutes if we’re not busy to 45 minutes if we’re really busy. Also, be aware that food continues to cook when it’s sitting in those little to-go containers, so pretty much everything is going to taste better if you eat it at the restaurant. We charge a dollar deposit for each container, which we'll give back to you if you bring it back.

I’m having a barbecue/making gumbo/cooking breakfast tomorrow. Can I buy sausages from you?

Absolutely. Just come on in and pick them up. We charge $4.50/link for cold sausages. They’re poached (cooked) already, all you have to do is heat them up. If you want to buy a lot of links – say, more than a dozen – call a couple days ahead so we can be sure to make enough to have to sell you. Also, if you’re going to buy a dozen or more, and you have a specific request for a certain type of link, there’s a good chance we can accommodate you. Just email Michael a week or so ahead of time at mcguan@thelinkery.com. Or call us at 619 255 8778 in the midafternoon.

Why don’t you use only organic produce? Why don’t you use only Niman Ranch meats and Chino Farms produce, like other top restaurants?

Niman Ranch and Chino Farms represent just two faces of the huge variety of independent producers committed to sustainability and quality. We aim to connect our community with the diverse spectrum of independent farms. There's more than one sustainable way to skin a cat, or, in this case, raise a pig. Plus, hunting around for new producers and vendors of great food is really fun.

Can you let me know when you’ll have [a certain kind of sausage]?

You bet! Sign up for our mailing list and every week you'll get a rundown on what sausages we're making, among other highlights of that week's menu.

Can we bring the kids?

Yes. We have high chairs and booster seats, and usually we have a few kids' books lying about. We don't have a specific "kid's menu", but we can make some "mild" things like plain quesadillas and unadorned burgers.

Our dining room is small and tends to get loud really easily, so we ask that you keep that in mind and be considerate of our other guests.

Do you have Wi-Fi?

We used to, but now I can't seem to get it to work reliably. Probably best not to count on it.

Do you serve real ale, also known as cask-conditioned beer?

Yes! We have cask beer available all the time. We rotate the selections, but it's almost always beer from one of our great local breweries.

Um, what exactly is this "real ale" or "cask-conditioned" beer stuff?

The short answer is that "real ale" (aka "cask conditioned beer") is beer which is made and served according to traditional methods. These methods were nearly made extinct with the explosive growth of mass production in the post-WWII era. Beer made and served in the traditional style usually tastes much better and is more enjoyable to drink than draft beer. However, making and serving it costs more and requires much more skill and attention than draft beer.

For the longer answer, read this post on our blog.

Who are you?

We're a bunch of people who live nearby and want to create a fun, welcoming place for the neighborhood that serves great, wholesome food, beer and wine. You can read a little more about all of us here.

Where are you from?

Jay (full name for Google-friendliness: Jay Porter) grew up in Del Mar and has lived in Golden Hill for nearly a decade. Michael is from Cleveland. Flanny's from Philly. Other Linkery people are from Pittsburgh, Seattle, New York, San Francisco, Washington DC, Mexico City and even San Diego. Almost everyone now lives within walking distance of the restaurant.

I've only just heard about you. Are you new?

Our official Grand Opening was 25 February, 2005.

Can I buy a gift certificate?

Yes, we sell gift cards in all amounts. Just come on in and buy one from the bartender.

Can I work for you? Would I want to work for you?

Maybe, and maybe. We are still growing and we do hire periodically.

We don’t make a ton of money compared to working at many other restaurants. On the other hand, we work really hard, which is fun. We also have a difficult menu to master, which is also fun, and a lot of great guests, which is the most fun of all.

Many of our colleagues live in the community and got to know us and our food by coming here often as guests. This seems to work out well.

We want to get great to people to work with us and have them stay a long time. We offer employer-subsidized health insurance to everyone who works at least 20 hours a week.

If you’re interested in joining us, send an email to Jay at jay@thelinkery.com. Attach your resume to the email. (This is important).

How can I find out more about what’s up at the Linkery?

The best way is to come in and ask us what the new happenings are. And sign up for our email list by going here Another idea is to regularly check our blog, Casing the Joint.