Ecclectic local diner with good, clean food. Lots of options for any diet! They cater vegetarians, vegans and omnivores. Large pancakes, buttered toast, eggs and bacon abound here. Enjoy a good conversation with other patrons or relax on the back patio. Also, Coffee is offered before Water :) read more

See all

Definitely a prime spot! Food is great and place is fill tons of history! The staff is very friendly and welcoming and it's great for families! read more

Been going here for over 25 years. Best fresh OJ and their pancakes are so delicious!

Simple breakfast. Not complicated. No fusion something or other. If you want a great straight up home style breakfast made with lots of love, this is the spot. Picture Reading Rainbow meets great breakfast spot and Levar Burton is played by Judy! Judy brightens your day with that infectious smile. She may just sing, "you are my sunshine" to you. Or she may simply bless you with her presence and a bit of conversation. I don't live here, but when I come to visit my brother, this is a definite stop. The prices won't break the bank and you never leave hungry. Judy and the staff make sure you have everything you need. Try the coffee cake, it's awesome, "but you don't have to take my word for it." read more

Big Kitchen Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

Wasn't even eating here. Just sat at an outside table to wait for my dad and they checked on me multiple times and were super nice. Very good customer service read more

It's a very casual place. It was also pretty pricey, in my opinion. We were staying at a nearby airbnb and thought we would give it a try. The neighborhood is pretty cute. Lots of people walking their dogs strolling by. We originally planned on eating inside, but I tried sitting on one of the wobbly wooden chairs and opted to sit outside instead. It was just a card table, not very fancy. As other reviews have mentioned, the service was not very good. After we were seated they didn't come for our order for at least 10 or 15 minutes, I was afraid they forgot about us. The orange juice was fresh, very good. The food wasn't memorable. My husband had to go inside to look for the waiter to pay. He was on break eating (which is fine, just get someone to cover for you). Wouldn't return since there's so many other local options. read more

Awesome food, and awesome service. Had the raisin bread French toast, and it was the best French toast I ever had.

Service was absolutely the worst. Left without even ordering - after 20 minutes and not even a hi from servers. Not worth it to be ignored :/ read more

The place to eat breakfast if your visiting or living in San Diego... It's a little busy during weekends but it worth every minute. I've been coming here for about 8 years... read more

Big Kitchen Cafe - Outside Tables very nice - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

This place is not good and had questionable sanitary conditions. The 5 star reviews on Yelp are deceiving. The eggs were likely cooked in resused butter or oil. Potatoes were completely burnt at the bottom and inedible. Coffee was watered down. Customer service was okay. I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone. read more

Down one cook today. Things happen. This made getting food an unusually long wait, though. The staff gave complimentary coffee cakes (delicious) to those waiting. I ended up not having real room for the breakfast so I took it home. Don't underestimate the size of their pancakes. One pancake is a whole breakfast by itself. I'll be returning for sure. Great place for breakfast / lunch. read more

My boyfriend had been wanting to check this place out for years, so we made a breakfast date of it. It was busy, so service was a bit slow. The Whoopi breakfast consisted of two eggs, strips of bacon, two slices of toast, potatoes, and a large glass of fresh-squeezed OJ. The juice was excellent, but the rest was just average. For $16, we were expecting more flavor. I got Cindy's scramble: eggs with green chillies and toast. I swapped out the potatoes for fresh fruit. The swap was an extra $3.50 and gave me a small slice of canteloupe, a quarter slice of watermelon, and two strawberries. They all tasted rather old. We'll be finding the next $40 breakfast elsewhere. read more

Big Kitchen Cafe - Whoopi's breakfast: eggs, bacon, potatoes, and fresh-squeezed OJ Cindy's scramble: eggs, toast, and I swapped out potatoes for "fresh" fruit - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Diego, California

The best brunch in San Diego, hands down. The location and atmosphere are perfect, Judy is a legend, and no matter what you order it's amazing. The breakfast burrito and the chorizo omelette are my go-tos. Always a treat to hop over to South Park and enjoy a chill breakfast and this community staple. read more

I'm not a fan of high prices that do not correlate with food quality. I understand this place is a staple in the community, but it's time for a deep clean. It's difficult to eat an, at best, mediocre meal while worrying about 20 year old dust clumps falling into your food. Tip: Clean weekly, or at least a deep clean once per year. read more

We came here on the recommendation of a friend. We were in SD for the weekend to celebrate my bff's birthday. There are so many great places to brunch in San Diego, and this is one of them. Everything we tried was delicious. The interior is bit cramped, which is part of its charm. We were seated in the outdoor area which was still narrow, but there was ample room for the five of us. Our server was sweet and genuine, and my coffee cup was never even half empty. Now that's service! We ordered: Kona coffee-my favorite kind! Nice and smooth flavor Hot chocolate-great version of this. I believe the whipped topping was homemade...or tasted like it anyway. The whipped cream was streaked with chocolate syrup. So good Andre's Suggestion (biscuit and gravy w/eggs and bacon)-fluffy biscuits and the sausage gravy was peppery and full of flavor. Bacon was thick slices and cooked to perfection...not too crispy, not too fatty Damian's Breakfast Burrito-scrambled eggs with salsa, avocado, cheese, topped with sour cream and potatoes. The accompanying sauce was mild but flavorful. Huge burrito! Mexican Cheese Omelet-chorizo, mushrooms, onions, green peppers, cheese. The same yummy salsa came with this dish too We shared one HUGE pancake and added strawberries and walnuts. This pancake was no joke! Just one pancake alone would have filled me up. I'm glad we were all sharing. This pancake was super fluffy inside, and came with 100% maple syrup. I highly recommend their pancakes! A bread basket was also served with our meal and came the some outstanding homemade jam. I don't know what mix of berries were in it, but it was some of the best jam I've tasted. It came in a round glass container, but didn't come with a top (just covered with saran wrap). When we asked our server what happened to the top, he said they have to serve it that way because people kept stealing the jam! I ain't gonna lie...I would have done the same thing if given a chance! Now that's good jam ;) This place gets pretty crowded, so get here early, especially if you're with a group. read more

See all

Great atmosphere some days they have live music outside. The most friendly staff ! The food is great , I try to come here often

Absolutely loved this little diner! Stopped here for coffee and breakfast while my dog got groomed. Their outdoor seating was covid-safe and the food was great. I got one of the specials with fresh salsa, scrambled eggs, potatoes and corn tortillas. They serve it with fresh oj and it was amazing! The lady who walks around and checks in is such a breath of fresh air!!! She was singing laughing, dancing and creating genuine conversations with the customers. Totally set the tone for a great weekend. I will be back!! read more

Big Kitchen Cafe - Bfast special with homemade salsa - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Diego, California

I am a fan of going to Big Kitchen for a weekend leisure breakfast. I love quirky little weird Mom and Pop style places for breakfast and this is one of them. You do have to wait a while to get a seat because it is a small little place. They have tables and chairs set up outside with coffee and you can relax and read the paper. The owner named Judy is a trip. She is very friendly and she goes around to all of the guest and makes small talk. Her signature saying is "Tre Bien" that she says with her raspy voice. The food is great and they serve good sized portions. read more

Big Kitchen Cafe - Big Kitchen - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Diego, California

We read about the Big Kitchen Cafe in Rachael Ray's book "Best Eats in Town on $40 A Day." It sounded good, so we decided to give it a try for our first breakfast in San Diego. It's away from the touristy areas, so we mapped out the directions. The place doesn't look like much on the outside, but you could tell it was a local favorite by the number of people there having a good time. Although they were crowded, we were immediately seated. We were led through the crowded/cramped dining room to the outdoor seating area in the back. There was a row of 5-6 booths in the screened-in area. It was fun and like being outside on someone's back porch. We didn't realize it at the time, but we were seated by the jovial owner of the establishment, Judy. We soon discovered that she was an extremely friendly, welcoming, and warm person; a woman of the 60s. Ironically, we also discovered that she was originally from the same area as my small hometown in Upstate NY. What are the chances of that? It took us awhile to peruse the menu. They offered an extensive breakfast menu, and too many things sounded good. I finally went with the Huevos Rancheros, which were good and generously portioned, only to really fall in love with the omelet that a couple of others got (and I sampled) that was filled with bacon and literally smothered in fresh melted, crumbled blue cheese. The accompanying breakfast potatoes were delicious, too. You really got a lot of food for your money. We were surprised when we went to pay for the bill that they only take cash, but fortunately, we had enough on us. All in all, we had a fantastic first breakfast experience in San Diego and would recommend Big Kitchen Cafe to tourists and locals alike. Tres Bien! read more

Big Kitchen Cafe - Live music outside - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Diego, California

This place was pretty good. Got the biscuits and gravy and scrambled eggs but it only came with 1 biscuit for like $12. I would highly recommend Antique Row Cafe if you want Biscuits and gravy because they have something called the Lumberjack with 2 biscuits and gravy and eggs for like $7 Monday-Friday mornings from like 6-10 am and it is off the chain. Breakfast came to over $40 for two people here and went to IHOP thr next day for brunch and it was $35 for 2 people. So the only negative thing is the cost with this place. The fruit platter wqs very fresh! read more

Big Kitchen Cafe - Biscuits and gravy, fruit platter - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Diego, California

Wow, just left Big Kitchen and loved it. I've lived here over ten years, have heard about the Whoopi story....passed it several times but just never made it. I had the biscuits and bacon gravy and eggs/bacon and it's probably the best I've ever had at a restaurant. My moms side of the family is from the south so I grew up eating it homemade & know good gravy. The atmosphere reminded me of a San Francisco everything in the Haight. (See pics) I'll definitely be back and bring visitors here for a good taste of San Diego history. Sorry to my bf who probably won't dig I posted a pic w him in it. read more

Big Kitchen Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

First off, anyone who lowballs this place with 1 or 2 stars with their pretentious B.S. or unrealistic expectations (I imagine) are not the type of customers Judy would want. If you are looking for fancy food and polished staff this is NOT the place for you. However if you are down with good food and an experience you can talk about for years and to connect with an amazing human being who will share as many stories as you can handle, then this is your place. Judy is truly a very special soul and I feel honored to have met her. We will be back! Also they can accommodate vegetarians and vegans! read more

Big Kitchen Cafe - Très bien! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Diego, California

Burnt omelet, cold food, asked for silverware about five times. We thought this place would be a gem of South Park based on the kitschy diner tables outside, etc but it was just exceptionally bad diner food and bad service all wrapped into one. Sad because there aren't enough breakfast places in South Park and this one has prime real estate. read more

Big Kitchen has big personalities! What an experience! So I had the pleasure of meeting owner Ms. Judy the Beauty. It was like meeting your long lost aunt and her welcoming you in. Showing you around her house and introducing you to other family members aka other customers lol. So fun here and she makes you feel special and welcomed. I sure needed her vibrant energy today. No wonder Whoopi Goldberg worked here. Her positive attitude and humor fits right in. In the kitchen Whoopi autographed the wall with an arrow saying "Don't paint over this Goddamit. My oven." LOL I sat in the back patio with a fan, Scooby-Doo and Tibetan Prayer flags waving about. The Menu is the most original, fun and humorous menu I've read all year. "Welcome to Golden Hill. The Center of the Universe." LOL I had avocado toast with roasted potatoes. They have vegetarian items so this was nice. The food was good but I really enjoyed the workers. The eclectic decor. Such an honor to share laughs and get to know Ms. Judy the Beauty. I wish all my co-workers and friends were of her rare breed. San Diego is lucky to have this Wonder Woman. Oh don't forget to read the "House Rules." They have rules here lol. Hey Ms. Judy! Mel will be back Tres' bien!! Mel M Yelp 17:84 read more

See all

I like quirky and local just as much as the next person but it doesn't mean service should be sacrificed. Delay taking our order...delay bringing water, delay picking up our check. even after several wave downs. The preface to almost everything that came out of the server's mouth was sorry and to multiple tables. I Witnessed multiple people waiting for someone to simply take their check come to find out you pay inside. Perhaps you should mention that when you drop off the check?? If you only take cash and because your local and hipster, fine (I don't really get the appeal) but at least tell people via a sign, on the menu or before they order. It constantly catches people off guard and the ATM across the street charges you so maybe people can plan better if they know or not feel like an idiot when they're expected to pay and don't have cash???? The music is the real perk and obviously that credit goes to the musicians. There are so many options in San Diego. Keep moving. Quirky didn't cut it for me. Side note the bussers and serving assistants made the extra star on here. Promote one of them to server and split the section. It obviously couldn't be managed with one person. read more

BIG SERVINGS ALERT!! My boyfriend and I came to Big Kitchen Cafe on a Tuesday morning and successfully avoided any lines! The tiny tiny indoor seating area is surrounded by trinkets, photos, notes from famous people all over the wall. It's cool. The vibe is comfy, but progressive? You can tell there are a lot of fans, friends, and family connected to this neighborhood spot! We ordered a protein pancake, the diet breakfast (poached eggs, fruit, orange juice, english muffin), the veggie omelette (omg the taters are to freakin die for), and a side of bacon! We had plenty of leftovers. The orange juice was so fresh and tasty but watch out for all the pulp! Staff was helpful, a little cut-to-the-chase... but they are used to a long wait! Glad we tried it. Would be fun to come back and try some other menu items. read more

See all

We love big kitchen cafe! We come here at least once a month , and always bring our out of town visitors. Everyone we have brought has always commented on how much they enjoyed this cafe, for the food, ambience and service. It's a very warm, friendly, neighborhood, quirky kind of cafe. Super cute. Live outdoor music on the weekends. Reminds me of a cafe in Europe with trees hanging over the seating, lights in the trees. The food is also very delicious. Home style, big portions and very flavorful. We always get extra potatoes because they are so delicious! We usually share the veggie omelet with added green Chile's. It never disappoints. The jam is homemade and goes great with the buttered bread they serve you. Also, Judy, the owner, is super friendly and always makes sure we have everything we need! Thanks Big Kitchen, for your excellent breakfast!!! read more

Big Kitchen Cafe - Veggie omelet - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

What a fun place. It didn't take us long to figure out who Judy was... what a hoot. Live band shaded sidewalk. It was so nice. I had a turkey club. It was decent. My wife had a burger. That was better. My daughter had breakfast. She really enjoyed hers. Definitely will be back, if for no other reason than to see Judy again!!! read more

*CASH OR CHECK ONLY* I really enjoyed the atmosphere here. The staff were all very welcoming and friendly. Judy, the owner, is very energetic and quirky (in the best way). The menu has all the breakfast staples: omelettes, scrambles, pancakes. They also serve lunch, but I didn't pay attention to that part of the menu. I will say the portions are on the smaller side for the price, but it is filling. I ordered the mushroom, spinach, and cheese omelette with homestyle fries or rice and biscuits and veggie gravy (~$12). Most dishes come with home style fries or rice and a carb (toast, biscuits & gravy, coffee cake, muffin). The omelette was fluffy and cooked well. The potatoes were good, but lacking something. The biscuits & gravy were just ok. I don't typically like biscuits & gravy, but it was recommended. The gravy was seasoned nicely but the texture was too gloppy to me. The biscuit itself was dry and needed more butteriness for my taste. The inside is small and you have to go through a couple doors to get to the back patio. I hear there's usually a wait but we went on Memorial Day morning around 930 and we're seated right away. read more

See all

This was a great place to have breakfast! Great gem of a restaurant in a neighborhood with friendly staff, great place to relax, and have a great meal. Don't forget to let Judy, the owner. read more

Eating here makes you feel like you've been taken into a large hippie commune (in a good way). There are very few times where I've felt such warm genuine service in my life and eating at The Big Kitchen is one of them. We had several waiters taking our order, refilling coffee, and asking if everything was alright. Toward the end of our lunch an older women (assuming she was one of the founders) came up to me and said "oh, you're so hungry. You had a very interesting night last night. Let me get you some coffee cake!" Within five minutes I had a huge chunk of warm complimentary coffee cake sitting in front of me. As if this wasn't the creme de la creme of service already, because then the waitress said we could come back to pay next time if we didn't have the cash (we paid). Wow!!!! My food was very homey and delicious. My turkey sandwich had slabs of freshly roasted turkey breast on it accompanied by roasted potatoes. To be honest, this place almost makes me want to move into the neighborhood. read more

This place is the very best and it's a small treasure in a big city. I was so lucky to stumble upon it and I truly fell in love with it. Bring your friends and sit outside for incredible food and community. Judy, the owner, has live music playing outside and no one ever takes themselves too seriously around this place. They make incredible, home cooked food and they offer a very laid back service that feels like visiting with old friends. The entire neighborhood is wonderful. Great coffee shops, there's a beautiful flower shop next door (native poppy) You should probably just move here. read more

Had to give two stars, loved this place but past 2 visits food has been cold, cold pancakes, cold eggs..... 2nd time so that's not good. Servers are nice but food has gone done hill. Hope things improve, I wont go back anytime soon but hopefully they listen to customers. Cheers, Carrie read more

To be fair, I've never eaten here and it is a South Park staple and many people love it. This is about your weekend performer. I live near by and his amp is incredibly loud. With windows closed I have to turn up the volume of my TV or wear ear plugs to not hear it. I'm not suggesting he stop because I'm sure your guests love it, but can he please turn it down. For those of us who live here, it's pretty repetitive read more

The service was very slow. We are usually very understanding and it takes a lot for us to feel like service is bad. We were ignored, it took almost 2 hours for us to get our food. We never got the smoothie we ordered and just cancelled it. The service just seemed disorganized, maybe they were having an off day. The only saving grace was that the food was good, but we seriously considered cancelling our whole order and just going somewhere else. read more

The food was really good the service was probably less than 3 stars and that is being generous. I had the huevos rancheros and my friend had the really big pancake. We were served our beverage and waited and waited for a server while it wasn't really very busy (10 am on a Monday). We finally got up and flagged down the guy who gave us the water and he sent over a server. Then the guy went outside for a cigarette break. He must have been standing right outside the door, which filled the restaurant with stinky smoke so I was glad I wasn't eating yet. I liked the music but it was SO LOUD we practically had to shout in order to hear each other. I paid with cash and they weren't able to give me any change. I hadn't been there in quite a while and not sure when or whether I'll be going back. read more

I wanted this to be better. I last visited 17 years ago in 2000. Not much has changed with the place - still friendly, still connected to the neighborhood, menu mostly the same. But maybe my palate has changed. My breakfast was 2 stars at best. The salsa was a bit off - the tortillas were sub par. But I tacked on another star for nostalgia. Maybe I ordered wrong. Too bad I can't come back for a second try... read more

Big Kitchen Cafe - Still the same friendly vibe. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

This place deserves love and respect. I have been here many times and I just love it. Not only did Whoopi Goldberg work here, but the owner is a sweet hoot. One time I came here with my dog, expecting my husband to show (who was running seriously late) and she not only chatted me up, but let me come inside and enjoy a break from the cold breeze. Her homemade raspberry preserve is soo good, you'll wish you could take it home. The breakfast options are varied and delightful. Excellent biscuits and the price is right. Just remember, cash only, but if you forget, there are ATMs close by. This is a fabulous hidden gem and you would be mistaken to see it any other way. I love this place and will visit it until I leave San Diego. Thanks Mama, for the great food, excellent company, and care that you put into each visit we make. Ps. check out the pics if you get a chance. This place and mama have see read more

Excellent hole in the wall spot! The food was exceptional and a little bit different from the average. The coffee cake was a super little plate to get started. The egg and green chile scramble was very good, and the chiles were fresh and not canned. The potato wedges were better than just about anywhere - great seasoning, no big slices of "filler" onion - just tasty potatoes. The pancakes were humongous - believe them when they say to start with one. Didn't have an opportunity to try the protein pancake, but that leaves us something for the next visit. The French toast was thick and yummy. It was a really good find and we're glad to have this as a local option. Our server was excellent and really working hard - she was running non-stop. I did notice there were 3 other workers there, that didn't work a quarter as hard as she did. She served absolutely everyone. The dudes went around with water or coffee, pretty infrequently. (Granted, maybe they waited on the few tables inside, but there's nothing near the number of tables outside where we sat.) We were sure to tip her very well, she definitely deserved it! read more

This is THE cutest little spot. Especially on a Saturday morning. Unfortunately, the food just made me wish I had made breakfast myself. My husband and I both got the biscuit and sausage gravy with a side of scrambled eggs and bacon. The food came out lightning fast! Like too fast. I couldn't get through it. The food was warm at best. The biscuit looked thick and fluffy. It would have probably been best hot out of the oven. The gravy was too thick, lacked sausage and was kind of bland. Salt and pepper couldn't save it. The bacon was hard and tasted more like char than bacon. The eggs were just eggs. The super nice waiters, and the music make this place worth stopping and ordering something small to support them. read more