After 69 years in business, Saska's restaurant in San Diego's Mission Beach shuttered in spring 2020. Known as San Diego's longest running steakhouse, Saska's was owned by the Saska family since 1951 before selling to Gina Champion-Cain's The Patio Group in 2015. Champion-Cain eventually converted part the neighboring Saska's sushi concept into a Surf Rider Pizza location. Both spaces sold to San Diego-based OMG Hospitality Group after news broke that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission had filed a complaint against Gina Champion-Cain for allegedly operating a "multi-year, $300 million scheme that defrauded approximately 50 retail investors. After pleading guilty to criminal charges, Cain was ultimately sentenced to the maximum term of 15 years in prison.
OMG Hospitality Group is a San Diego-based restaurant collective founded in 2008 by CEO Eric Leitstein. OMG operates such San Diego bars and restaurants as Pacific Beach Alehouse, Backyard Kitchen & Tap, Waterbar, Sandbar, Encinitas Fish Shop, Pacific Beach Fish Shop, and Union Kitchen & Tap locations in downtown San Diego and Encinitas. OMG originally planned to resuscitate the Saska's brand as a classic steakhouse, as well as reopen Surf Rider Pizza and its second tier rooftop, but they decided to rebrand both spaces. Moe's opened last March in the former Saska's Steakhouse space with a menu of classic American steakhouse favorites.
Sited directly next door to OMG's Moe's Steakhouse restaurant, Molly's will open next weekend in the bi-level space that was last Surf Rider Pizza. Named after Leitstein's paternal grandmother, expect a menu of Mexican-inspired hearty bowls, salads, brunch dishes, and more, as well as beer, hard seltzer, kombucha, cider and wine. In addition to a green-filled ground floor dining room, and a side outdoor patio, there will also be a rooftop deck with views of the Pacific.
Molly's is anticipated to start hosting soft open hours on March 31 at 3770 Mission Boulevard in San Diego's Mission Beach neighborhood. A full grand opening is scheduled for April 13. For more information, visit mollysmissionbeach.com.
