The Miramar property at El Camino Real and Avenida Pico sat largely vacant for decades, and this fall it has the most dependable hours in North Beach. Miramar Food Hall opens at 8 a.m. every day. Across the tracks, the San Clemente Beach Trail is still under construction. One stretch opens only after crews finish for the day and on Sundays, and another stays closed until the project is done.
In practice, that turns the old plan around. Before, the beach came first and you ate wherever was nearby. For the next several weeks, the hall's hours set the plan and the ocean side fits around them. Once you know which side is on which schedule, a North Beach weekend this fall is easy to plan.
The Building That Came Back First
The San Clemente Times put it this way: "More than 30 years after the historic Miramar Theatre property fell silent, the site is bustling once again." The hall is inside the restored former Miramar Bowling Center, which was once part of an entertainment complex that included the San Clemente Theatre. The Orange County Register reported that it opened on June 18, 2026, with 15 food vendors and two bars. The Times describes one bar as indoors and one outdoors.
The hall's website lists all 15 vendors: Cosmos Burger, Egg&Out, El Puerto Street Tacos, Graciously Thai, Hen Haus, Immersion Coffee Co., It's Allll Rice, La Vida, Lobster Lab, MOTO Pizza, MOTO Swirl, Norigiri, RolledUp SC, Sidelines Sandwiches and The Pita. The hall gives its address as 150 W. Avenida Pico. MOTO Pizza and the Register list 1720 N. El Camino Real. Both point to the same corner property, so either will get you there.
MOTO Pizza is the hall's biggest draw from outside the area. The San Clemente location is the company's first permanent restaurant in California. MOTO also operates in Washington state and runs a Palm Springs location during the BNP Paribas Open. Owner Lee Kindell makes pan pizzas that blend Detroit and Sicilian styles with flavors from his Filipino heritage. The menu includes a Dungeness crab pizza, a beef adobo pizza and the "Mr. Pig."
"It's always a challenge, especially when you're dealing with a historic building. There (are) a lot of more difficult challenges when you do that, but I knew we would eventually get there." Lee Kindell, MOTO Pizza, speaking to the San Clemente Times
The hall's hours are what make it the anchor for a visit. Different counters keep different schedules, so the posted hours are worth knowing before you go:
| Counter | Posted hours |
|---|---|
| Food hall, general | 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily |
| Bars | 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily |
| Egg&Out | 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily |
| Immersion Coffee Co. | 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily |
| MOTO Pizza | 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily |
The San Clemente Times's opening coverage listed slightly different hours: 7 a.m. for most stalls and 3 p.m. for Egg&Out. The table above uses the hall's current listing, but vendors can set their own schedules, so check before planning around a single counter.
The Ocean Side Runs on a Work-Crew Clock
West of the hall, the schedule comes from the Orange County Transportation Authority's Coastal Rail Emergency Project. OCTA's October 2 update says crews have removed the temporary K-rail barriers along the tracks. Work is continuing on landscaping, irrigation, handrails, trail surface preparation and site restoration.
For anyone walking down from the Miramar, here is what that means right now:
- North Beach parking lot to El Portal: closed during work hours, reopened at the end of each workday, and open all day Sunday.
- El Portal to Linda Lane: closed until the project is complete. OCTA expects the trail to reopen fully in fall 2026.
- Mariposa underpass: closed.
- Dije Court and El Portal beach access points: temporarily closed.
- Open routes to the sand: the El Portal beach underpass and the Linda Lane beach underpass.
OCTA describes the finished trail as restored with new landscaping and handrails. That is the payoff of the current closures, and the agency still describes it as a fall 2026 goal, not a fixed date.
The rail line itself is running again. High surf shut the corridor on September 6. Voice of OC reported on September 14 that Pacific Surfliner and Metrolink service had resumed.
The sand is on a separate timeline from the trail. On September 15, the City Council unanimously approved up to $1 million for sand placement and protective berms on North Beach. The berms are meant to protect city structures along the shore, including the bathrooms. In the council discussion, the city manager said sand on North Beach already reached the base of structures that erosion had threatened before. That approval allows more work but doesn't set a start date. OCTA has also declared its own emergency to speed up shoreline protection along the rail corridor. It is trying to move forward with about 690,000 cubic yards of sand placement, though permits and environmental review are still required.
The pier is about a mile south and on the slowest timeline of all. The Labor Day high tides knocked out a pylon and 17 braces, and a city staff report estimated repairs at about $300,000. A September 15 city agenda report recommended a consultant agreement of up to $116,213 for structural inspection and repair design. The proposed scope asks the designer to prepare a construction schedule for repair work in winter and spring 2027. That means the actual repairs are being planned for after this fall. Check the city's current notices before planning a walk that includes the pier.
Why Sunday Is the Easy Day This Fall
With both schedules side by side, the best times to visit become clear. Sunday is the one day the trail from the North Beach lot to El Portal is open all day, and the hall is open from 8 a.m. on Sundays as on every other day. On a Sunday morning, you can get coffee at Immersion Coffee Co., walk the open stretch of trail and be back before Egg&Out closes at 2 p.m. Nothing in the plan depends on a crew's schedule.
Weekdays work later in the day. The North Beach-to-El Portal stretch reopens when the workday ends, and the bars stay open until 10 p.m. A late-afternoon walk followed by an early MOTO dinner fits within both schedules. A weekday morning walk to El Portal doesn't, because that's when crews are working.
In both cases, the hall does what the beach can't do this fall. Its hours are published and don't change with the day's construction work.
Avenida Pico's Fall Calendar
The Miramar's revival also lines up with the biggest evening event on the Chamber's fall calendar. The 35th Taste of San Clemente is on Friday, November 6, from 6 to 10 p.m. at Casino San Clemente, 140 W. Avenida Pico. That's the same stretch of Avenida Pico as the hall's listed address. The program includes tastings, live music, dancing and a silent auction.
The rest of the season's dates are spread across town:
- October 8 to 11: Carnival Colossal at Vista Hermosa Sport Park, 987 Avenida Vista Hermosa. Admission is free and rides are paid, with a beer garden and live music on the weekend.
- October 9, 11:30 a.m.: Chamber ribbon cutting for Pelican's Pocket at 152 Avenida del Mar.
- October 24, 7:30 a.m.: The city's Monster Dash and Creepy Crawl Fun Run, starting at the Community Center, 100 N. Calle Seville.
- November 2, 2 to 5 p.m.: A free Día de los Muertos gathering at Max Berg Plaza Park, 1100 Calle Puente.
- November 7 and December 12, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.: The Village Art Faire on the lawns around the library and Community Center at 242 Avenida Del Mar.
- December 5, 4:30 to 9 p.m.: Santa's Village by the Sea at the Community Center.
Downtown is changing too. Broken Yolk Cafe plans to open at 201 Avenida Del Mar, in the former H.H. Cotton's space. The operator is aiming for December but says construction could push the opening into early 2027.
The trail is set to reopen in full this fall, and when it does, the North Beach lot will once again connect to Linda Lane along the water. Until then, El Portal and Linda Lane are the open underpasses to the sand, and the hall at Avenida Pico opens at 8 a.m. every day.
Coastal repair work, emergency sand placement and a pier on a design timeline all change how a waterfront neighborhood functions day to day, and those changes are exactly what owners and buyers along San Clemente's shoreline ask about. If you'd like a calm, informed conversation about what this season's work means for a property near North Beach, Janine Stratton at Stratton Estates is glad to talk it through. Let's elevate your next move. Contact Janine for a private consultation.
