San Diego Record Stores: A Local Guide for Every Kind of Digger
Whether you’re chasing a limited release, hunting down a weird used gem, or just looking for an excuse to spend more time in the kinds of places that make a city feel like itself, San Diego County has a seriously good spread of record stores.
For Record Store Day on Saturday, April 18, 2026, a few local shops have already posted specific plans.
North County
434 N Coast Hwy 101, Encinitas, CA 92024
A North County institution since 1980, Lou’s is one of those shops where collectors can lose track of time fast. It’s known for its huge mix of new and used vinyl, CDs, cassettes, turntables, and those hard-to-find releases that keep people coming back.
Record Store Day 2026: Lou’s has a dedicated Record Store Day 2026 page live now. They note that it’s first come, first served, with no holds or pre-orders, they open at 10am, and they’ll start handing out numbers at 9am.
466 Chestnut Ave, Carlsbad, CA 92008
A Carlsbad shop with a strong owner-driven personality and a wide spread of vinyl across rock, jazz, R&B, punk, and more. It feels less corporate, more dig-and-discover. Voted Best Record Shop in San Diego 2024!
370 Grand Ave, Carlsbad, CA 92008
A longtime Carlsbad shop that’s been serving local diggers since 1989. Expect the classic coastal record-store energy: vinyl, memorabilia, and plenty to flip through.
Record Store Day 2026: DJ sets from Doctor Droolittle & Cat City, RSD limited releases. First come first serve!
216 E Broadway, Vista, CA 92084
A smaller Vista shop that still gets a lot of love from locals for affordable prices and solid digging. It’s a good reminder that some of the best record stores are the less flashy ones.
Central San Diego
827 W Washington St, San Diego, CA 92103
A family-owned Mission Hills mainstay and one of the city’s best-known record shops. Great for both collectors and casual buyers, with a smart mix of vinyl, rare finds, and new releases.
Record Store Day 2026: Exclusive releases and high volume. Line starts to form at 6AM! All used items will be 20% off. Official Record Store Day swag bags will be given out to the first 20 customers.
PLUS, they will be giving away concert tickets to major shows in San Diego every 30 minutes
2235 Fern St, San Diego, CA 92104
A favorite for serious record collectors and newer vinyl listeners alike, with a carefully curated selection and a welcoming neighborhood feel.
Record Store Day 2026: Vinyl Junkies is opening at 8am with hundreds of exclusive releases, used gems on the walls, DJs spinning all day, and a drawing for special prizes.
909 E Street, San Diego, CA 92101
FeeLIT is part record store, part creative community space. Along with new and used vinyl, it carries local music, art, tapes, supplies, and has a strong downtown identity.
550 15th Street #102, San Diego, CA 92101
A community-focused East Village shop with a highly curated feel and a strong reputation for quality used vinyl.
2148 Logan Ave, San Diego, CA 92113
A niche gem in Barrio Logan specializing in rare funk, soul, and hip-hop. Definitely one for collectors who like their shops with a point of view.
3044 N Park Way, San Diego, CA 92104
A North Park staple specializing in punk, hardcore, and hard-to-find titles, plus retro video games and consoles. Very personality-driven in the best way.
2834 N Park Way, San Diego, CA 92104
Part record store, part vintage band-merch haven. Strong for punk, metal, indie, classic rock, vinyl, CDs, and cassettes.
3834 Fifth Ave, San Diego, CA 92103
Part label headquarters, part shop, part punk-history stop. A must-know for punk, hardcore, ska, and underground collectors.
3335 Adams Ave, San Diego, CA 92116
One of the city’s great old-school institutions, beloved for its vintage vinyl, collectibles, and very specific personality.
3535 Adams Ave, San Diego, CA 92116
A community-minded Adams Avenue shop built around the ritual of vinyl and a more curated, neighborhood feel.
3610 University Ave, San Diego, CA 92104
A true San Diego music institution and one of the oldest record stores in California. A mandatory stop for collectors and local music history nerds.
Record Store Day 2026: Open at 10am with RSD Exclusives. Live music all day + other surprises. After party at Part Time Lover with Jeff Harmon
5040 Newport Ave, San Diego, CA 92107
An Ocean Beach classic with new and used LPs, CDs, cassettes, and more. Very much a brick-and-mortar neighborhood staple.
2820 Historic Decatur Rd, San Diego, CA 92106
Located inside Liberty Public Market, Mo Records is an easy stop for a casual dig that can quickly become part of a full Liberty Station day.
Record Store Day 2026: (not announced yet) Mo's usually has stuff going on for RSD, so check back on their socials later to see if they released anything fun!
3545 Midway Dr Ste J, San Diego, CA 92110
A big-selection Midway shop with records, CDs, movies, and collectibles. Good for variety and treasure-hunt energy.
3191 Sports Arena Blvd, Suite C, San Diego, CA 92110
Part hi-fi destination, part record store, with a strong audiophile and jazz reputation plus a huge used and new vinyl selection.
4746 El Cajon Blvd, San Diego, CA 92115
More than a straight-up record store, this is a vintage-junk-store-meets-vinyl-shop kind of place, which is exactly why people love it.
A few quick Record Store Day tips
Record Store Day titles are usually first come, first served, and stock varies by store. If there’s a must-have on your list, get there early.
Some San Diego shops lean punk, some soul and hip-hop, some audiophile, and some are best for used-bin treasure hunting. That’s the fun of doing this city by neighborhood.
Support the shops on Record Store Day, then keep going back the rest of the year.
