the SJ Downtown Association has a list of pretty much all the places to eat downtown -
http://www.sjdowntown.com/bus.htmlThe thing with SJ is that most of them are either fast food or super expensive sit-down places.
Some places I know from experience are pretty reasonable for a sit-down meal:
Gordon Birsch, $8-15 for lunch (pasta, pizza, burgers, sandwhiches, oh yah.. beer)
Johnny Rockets (burgers, fries, milkshakes, retro 50s diner)
Peggy Sue's (burgers fries, milkshakes, retro 50s eatery)
Le Boulanger $4-8 (sandwiches, soups, bakery)
Sonoma Chicken Coop, $7-13 (salads, rotisserie chicken, pasta, sandwiches)
Old Spaghetti Factory, $7-11 (Italian - pasta)
La Victoria (Mexican -burritos)
Iguana's (Mexican - burritos)
Tengu Sushi (Japanese - sushi, donburi, teriyaki)
Pizza Chicago (Italian - pizza)
Pizza My Heart (pizza)
House of Siam $8-14 per dish, but it's family style so you'll typically order 3 dishes for 2 people (Thai - fried rice, curry, prawn/beef/chicken/seafood dishes)
Dac Phuc (Vietnamese - pho, rice plates)
If you're in for a snack or some fast food
Cafe Boba (Bubble Tea)
Hydration (Bubble Tea)
Quiznos (Sandwiches)
Starbucks (Coffee)
Subway (Sandwiches)
Togo's (Sandwhiches)
Jack in the Box (fast food)
Ben & Jerry's (ice cream)
Stay away from:
McDonald's - They have really horrible and slow service, kinda defeats the purpose of fast food
P.F. Chang's, The City Grill, Eulipia, Agenda, restaraunts inside the nearby hotels - They're all pretty pricy not to say they aren't tasty
Original Joe's - I've been, it wasn't very good.