Juan Jasper Kitchen & Wine

On our list of the best wine bars in San Diego.

A hole cut through the wall of a neighboring space, after a hairdresser moved out, turned a former butcher shop in Golden Hill into what the owners call a porch with a stove. Juan Jasper is named for their fathers, and it seats almost nobody: three tables outside, plus narrow counters where diners sit elbow to elbow. The burger blends minced prime rib with New York steak, the Caesar comes mustardy and thick with anchovies, and the wine list runs European and Californian bottles poured by the glass off shelves lining the room. There's no phone, no reservations, and no cards, just Venmo or cash and a line that forms out front.