On the Menu: Come out of your shell at Miss B’s Coconut Club in Pacific Beach

Miss B’s Coconut Club is just a frisbee toss to the beach, between the street and the boardwalk at the corner of Santa Clara Court and Mission Boulevard.

It evokes a tropics club vibe after undergoing a series of transformations rolling back to the 1940s and ‘50s when it started out as a desolate gas station. Evolving from a petroleum pit stop to a paradise hangout, Miss B’s will be celebrating its seventh anniversary in April.

Eddie Jurado, the eatery’s general manager for the past five years, is an original team member who started as a bartender when Miss B’s opened. Juarado said he embraces, “the tropical, laid-back ambiance with an approachable, inviting warmth, that strangely doesn’t feel like you’re in San Diego, but rather the Caribbean.”

Jurado attributes this special distinctiveness to the mash-up of background music from disco and reggae to funk and rock that streams throughout the joint. There is also the eye-popping, kitschy décor featuring hanging pineapple light fixtures, flamingo beer taps, vibrant turquoise leather booths and matching bar seats, dark pink industrial-style chairs and murals plastered on the walls of the fictitious, bikini-clad Miss B. serving cocktails in coconut hulls on an island paradise.

A mural at Miss B’s Coconut Club in Pacific Beach.

(Courtesy of Miss B’s Coconut Club)

The exotic mood trickles to the outdoor pooch-friendly patio decked out with lush plants hanging from trellises, warm ocean breezes, salty sea air and cozy fire pits.

Let’s shake things up with the club’s fun specialty drinks emblematic of the Caribbean cocktail culture starting with the Havana Good Time blending vodka with house-made cucumber lemon cordial, pamplemousse liqueur and bubbly kombucha served n Miss B’s iconic drinking vessels, whether a copper flamingo or pineapple hull.

There is also the Crazy Joe Davola that mixes spiced rum with cold brew coffee, crème de banana, coconut crème and pineapple juice; and the Oaxacan Dead that combines tequila, mezcal, pomegranate, cinnamon, falernum and grapefruit juice.

Plantain coconut shrimp is a signature dish at Miss B’s Coconut Club in Pacific Beach.

(Courtesy of Miss B’s Coconut Club)

These lively drinks pair well with Miss B’s signature dish — jumbo, panko-battered Plantain Coconut Shrimp with a side of sassy sweet chili and pineapple mojito sauce. (The recipe can be found below.)

Other faves include the El Cubano that piles marinated lechon asado (Cuban braised pork), smoked ham, and bread and butter pickles on a grilled Cuban roll with a slather of house-made garlic aioli and spicy mustard, a side of fries, and salad or salty plantain chips.

Or try the Jerk Rub Chicken Wings with a choice of side sauces (roasted garlic aioli, Caribbean rum barbecue, buffalo rum and zippy chimichurri).

Jurado also touts the award-winning Coconut Club Burger as, “one of the top around town,” that snagged a Best Burger award through Diners’ Choice 2020 on Open Table, using fresh beef patties prepared daily, a sweet, soft kolache roll warm from the ovens of Olive Bakery, dressed with classic toppings and smeared with garlic cilantro aioli.

For a side kick that hogs the center stage, try the everything and the kitchen sink Lechon Asado Fries with a mound of sofrito (chopped and seasoned peppers, onions and garlic), braised pulled pork and Jamaican beer cheese on top.

With vegan Chef Troy Williams behind the griddle, some meatless wonders that pop onto plates include the Jerk Jackfruit Wrap dressed with spring mix. There is also the pineapple mango salsa wrapped around a tomato tortilla, the Impossible Burger on a kolache roll with roasted garlic cilantro aioli, and the Island Salad tossing mixed greens with papaya, jicama slaw, pickled radish, avocado and chimichurri dressing.

“But it’s so weird how well the chef cooks the meats,” jokes Jurado.

Then there’s the brunch offerings that are served daily until 2 p.m., like the Cubano Benedict — “a ridiculous combo of garlic buttered kolache toast, duroc ham, spicy mustard and lechon asado topped with poached eggs and house-made hollandaise,” Jurado said.

Let’s continue with the Breakfast Burrito with scrambled eggs, sofrito, bacon, seasoned fries, beer cheese and jerk chicken or grilled pork. For those with a sweet tooth, try the Coconut Rum French Toast smothered in mango berry syrup and whipped cream.

“The brunch vibe is big on weekends, especially thanks to the bottomless mimosas,” Jurado said.

Of course, there is a kid’s menu to please young palates. It offers grilled cheese, burgers, tiny dinos (chicken nuggets), quesadillas, and fish and chips with fruit or green salad sides.

“It’s pretty cool to see how many kids eat fruit with their meals,” Jurado added. “Shows some good parenting out there.”

Enjoy the tropical setting at Miss B’s Coconut Club.

(Courtesy of Miss B’s Coconut Club)

There’s still more. Check out the daily specials, kicking off the week with Mojito Mondays ($7 mojitos), Taco Tuesdays (taco plate and Mexican lager for $16, and margaritas for $7), Wednesdays are Cubano Sandwich and Draft Beer Night (for $16), Thursdays Burger and Beer (for $16) and Fridays feature specials on mojitos and daiquiris.

“Miss B’s Coconut Club has something for everyone,” Jurado said. “We cater to guests of all ages whether families, college kids, locals, seasonal tourists or service industry people, and celebrating all occasions like wedding rehearsals, bachelorette parties, birthday parties.”

Other eateries besides Miss B’s Coconut Club under the umbrella of the Grind and Prosper Hospitality Group include the Cococabana, a Caribbean-inspired cocktail bar in Oceanside; Coco Maya in Little Italy that serves seafood dishes with a mesquite mystique; the Louisiana Purchase in North Park is influenced by the flamboyant and diverse cuisine of New Orleans; Park 101 in Carlsbad serves smoky barbecue and there is also the Q and A Restaurant & Oyster Bar in Oceanside.

As they say in the islands, “Yes man! We in di lime tonight!”

Recipe from Miss B’s Coconut Club

Plantain Coconut Shrimp

Ingredients:

1 pound of jumbo shrimp, tails intact

1/2 quart of buttermilk

For the first dry batter:

2 C. of all-purpose flour

1/2 C. of cornstarch

1/4 C. of our jerk seasoning (substitute whatever seasoning variety you’d like).

Mix all these ingredients in a bowl thoroughly so the cornstarch is evenly distributed

For the second dry batter:

3 C. of Panko breadcrumbs

1 C. of coconut sweetened flakes

3/4 C. of plantain chips ground (processed) to about the size of panko consistency.

Mix all these ingredients in a second bowl.

Also needed: a deep pan to fry shrimp, and high smoke point oil like grape seed or avocado.

Directions:

1. The shrimp are deep-fried at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Preheat your oil while preparing the shrimp.

2. Butterfly thawed shrimp and set aside on ice.

3. Take a butterflied shrimp while opened up and thoroughly batter it in the first dry batter so it is completely covered except the tail.

4. Take the shrimp by the tail and dip it into a bowl with the quart of buttermilk up to the tail.

5. Next, open up the butterflied shrimp and set it in the second dry batter and completely cover it while pressing the batter on it so it sticks to the shrimp.

6. Next, submerge the shrimp in the preheated oil and let fry until golden brown (usually around 2 minutes).

7. Eat and enjoy hot!

Tip: top with fresh lemon juice to add a bit of brightness.

Courtesy of Miss B’s Coconut Club