Cafe 222 is a local restaurant with delicious breakfast options. Their portions are very generous and service was attentive. They offer a kids menu as well. I opted to use the Yelp Waitlist and good thing as when we arrived, there were at least 15 people waiting outside to be seated. Lucky for us, we were seated in about 10 minutes. My family had the breakfast burrito, corned beef hash, and two kids menu waffles. What stood out for me was the corned beef hash. It's not the stuff you get from the market. The corned beef was shredded and the potatoes were homestyle, Yum!. Haven't had corned beef has like this in a while. I am a fan of Cafe 222 and would definitely stop by their again. read more

There so many places to eat in San Diego, but my friends recommended this place for brunch. This place was amazing! Food: I loved the green eggs and spam that came with toast and crispy potatoes. I highly recommend this! Our table also got the peanut butter and banana stuffed french toast. It was featured on a Food Network show by Bobby Flay, so we had to get it. It was definitely packed with a lot of warm peanut butter and sweet bananas. It was too rich to finish, but glad I tried it. Ambiance: It's a casual diner like restaurant. Seating is limited due to the small space, so be patient as you wait. Service: The waiters and waitresses were super nice! Our waiter came to our table frequently to ask for refills and was attentive. Tips: If you check in on yelp, you get a free coffee with any entree. Also, this place is super popular, so I would recommend getting on the waitlist on yelp. That is what my group did, and we literally got there and got seated in 5 min while others were just standing there waiting. read more

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Breakfast is thee best!! Our waitress Sam was super sweet & helpful! If you don't try the Cornbread Blueberry Waffle is the ishhh!! Sooo bomb!! Treat yoself!! read more

Cafe 222 - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Diego, California

So happy to visit again. It had been four years since the last time I was here. It is consistently excellent. The atmosphere is cozy. The food is fast and delicious. The potatoes are the best around. Senad is the best server and makes you feel so welcome. I recommend this place to everyone I know is going to visit San Diego. read more

I loved it!! Swung by for an early breakfast before a Teacher convention. The service was great. Waiter checked in and gave us some recommendations of the specialities in the Cafe. Food was delicious!!! All of San Diego's favorites with a hint of Mexican mix as well! Definitely am coming back in the future! read more

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Wow, what happened? Such a formerly great cafe that we stopped in to today. Despite it not being too busy, the food was so disappointing. Orders were mixed up, food was cold and staff harried and distracted. How hard can it be to prepare a nice hot bowl of oatmeal? And accoutrements on the side are what I expect when I order out. I'm not usually one to send food back to the kitchen but it happened today. And my companion's order was mixed up too. Yikes, please do better Cafe 222. read more

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Two stars for a restaurant that delivered the unique and yummy cafe eats it promised to, but no good service. I visited the establishment on a Monday so there was not much of a wait. We were escorted to our table by the polite host. Then our waiter came to take our order, she did not seem as friendly or bubbly as the other personnel in the restaurant. I ordered the blueberry cornbread waffle, which didn't come with any sides. Although I was still hungry afterwards (if you want a full meal, I recommend getting a side), I had no regrets. The waffle tasted just like it sounds, and for someone who loves cornbread that's exactly what I wanted. It was not too sweet which makes it a perfect start for the morning. As I mentioned before, the waiter was cold towards us and this continued throughout the visit. She didn't smile when she came to greet or at any time when she was interacting with us. I needed an extra straw for my water and when she was alerted by another employee, she rudely exclaimed 'I thought I brought straws already," and then placed the straw down in a rude manor. I apologize but she wasn't even listening. To make things worse, there was a table right next to us that walked in after our order had been taken, and she greeted them politely with a smile; and none of this politeness ever made it to our table. The coldness of the waiter continue to throughout her whole visit and in the end she did not even bring us our checks; one might say this is because she was busy but due to her previous treatment of us, I would beg to differ. This experience was especially disappointing because one of the things the Yelp reviews highlighted about the establishment was the friendly servers. I don't care how good the food is if I come into the establishment and someone thinks they have the right to treat me this way, when I have done nothing to them and they treat other patrons with kindness, I will not return and will not recommend it to anyone else. read more

Cafe 222 - Blueberry Cornmeal Pancake. Taste exactly like it sounds; no disappointed, yum. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Diego, California

Meh.... Denny's with a touristy twist. We should've gone to Starbucks. Prices are insane, plus the extra "living wage" fee that you see downtown. read more

I'm not one to typically write negative reviews, especially for a small business since I work at one myself, but I would be doing potential customers a disservice by not sharing my experience. The owner, whose unique... "management style" has been mentioned in other reviews, was so rude and unprofessional. In the short time I was there, I witnessed her less-than-welcoming attitude towards waiting customers, as well as a sad display of her berating an employee. Maybe it was just an off-day (or week, month) for her, but as a business owner, there should be a base level of respect shown to the employees who work hard to make your dream a reality and the customers who support you and keep your doors open. It was such a disheartening experience. There are SO many amazing restaurants in SD. Consider supporting businesses with more ethical practices. read more

I had a weekday off, so i decided to go out for breakfast as a nice relaxing treat! I looked up homemade corned beef hash on yelp and decided on Cafe 222. Parking was a piece of cake, as all the parking meters downtown are free before 10 am. While walking there, it was a bit unclear where it was because there was no apparent sign at eye level. I actually walked past it thinking this must be the place but didn't see a sign. There is a large sign above, which you could see if you were a block or 2 away. Some decals on the upper glass windows would make it more readily recognizable. It's a cute, intimate, little diner that maybe holds 20 or so guests at a time. So i don't encourage large groups. I looked for the corned beef hash that i had read about in other reviews but didn't see it, i also asked the waiter about it, they said that it used to be on the menu but they no longer offer it. I opted for the Croaker ($10.95), their version of the classic Croque Madame - A Ham and gruyere, grilled cheese sandwich with 2 eggs, topped with a béchamel sauce. It came with a side of griddled potatoes and i ordered my eggs over medium. The sandwich was great! Eggs perfectly done, and the béchamel sauce was nice and creamy and flavorful. Its so odd how the french can take something so simple as a grilled cheese sandwich and refine it to make it so much better. I do prefer crispy home fries, but these griddled potatoes were good, the outside had a nice crust but yet was tender on the inside. Service was excellent and attentive, I really like this type of restaurant, its a small, intimate, upscale diner thats not overly fancy or trendy, just good food done right! read more

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This place is a must try if you are a breakfast foodie. Be prepared to wait but it is worth it. They have a cute waiting area now with chairs outside. Orange fence. It's not under construction ;) the hostess/owner is awesome. How many in your party? Inside or outside or first available? Time was 10 minutes that morning. When it was our turn she showed us to our table- window seat/counter with swivel chairs inside. Inside is super small. Maybe 10 tables/areas of various size. Coffee served piping hot and fast with cold ice water. She came back! Would you like a table instead? Husband wanted a chair with a back- he was a happy camper when she moved us- we didn't ask even! Super intuitive and pays attention to the operation. Ordered fast and food came just as fast and hot! Tamale and eggs is my go to here. The Mexican gravy is yummy. Husband had the corned beef hash and eggs. Wasn't his normal American go to breakfast and in fortunately not what he liked. I tasted it. I was a fan but very rich for him to eat the whole serving. Think entire plate is crispy griddled hash. I know we will be back- as we have been coming here for 10+ years. Husband will be back to his pancakes or waffle. His two favorites. I'll have more tamales!!! (Which you can order a side too). Keep doing great food and service. Until next time! read more

Cafe 222 - Corner booth inside with cute coffee cup fixture - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Diego, California

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This restaurant is mediocre despite being in magazines and food shows. The food is pretty un flavorful and overpriced. Definitely not worth a repeat visit. read more

I stayed in San Diego for a week while attending a conference. I went here based on a recommendation from the hotel and went back every single morning of my stay - which means I got to try a good chunk of the menu and it was all really great. While I truly loved the food, the best part of the experience is the welcoming staff, they remembered me (and my sparkly dog) every day - They even remembered my morning drink. I felt so welcomed while I was here and that means everything. My two menu favorites were the Peanut Butter Banana French Toast and the Huevos Rancheros, they also have super yummy biscuits and gravy. As the conference extended I brought along colleagues they raved about the breakfast burger and the potatoes. Said it felt like "love on a plate" I know they've been included in a few Food Network shows, and they obviously deserve it. If I lived locally I'd be there every week. read more

Cute cafe on a cute corner next to gaslamp. AMAZING WAFFLES. The cornbread blueberry waffle is my favorite. Service is very friendly too. Love this place! read more

Cafe 222 - Cornbread blueberry waffle - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Diego, California

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The service was great, however the food not so much. We ordered the peanut butter french toast which was absolutely disgusting, not sure how it was featured as "the best thing I ever ate," but it'll go down as one of the worse breakfast items I've ever eaten. The peanut butter was most likely a gross jiffy and it made for a weird consistency and artificial peanut taste. We also ordered the corneal blueberry waffles, which they added brown sugar to for sweetening. My fiancé didn't care for this considering the waffles were EXTREMELY sweet and nowhere on the menu was there mention of the brown sugar. Everything was a sugar bomb, if I could return those calories and redo breakfast all over again I would, considering San Diego has some great breakfast foods. After this meal I went and had "real" breakfast elsewhere. read more

Cafe 222 - Peanut butter french toast + cornmeal blueberry waffles. Sugar bombs. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Diego, California

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We came down for Brunch on the last day of SDCC. Thankfully I made a reservation while on the trolley and in the midst of all the crowds and people we were seated fairly quickly. Service: Super friendly and personable waitstaff. They had great interaction with us and we never had to flag anyone down for utensils or for refills- they were always on top of it. FOOD: They are not kidding that their waffles are famous. So fluffy and flavorful as were their pancakes. So delicious! My husband enjoyed his meal as well and the kids ate up their fluffy pancakes in no time. We never felt rushed despite the long line waiting for tables. We enjoyed our meal, the recommendations and will bookmark to come back when we visit San Diego next summer. read more

Cafe 222 - Kids pancakes meal! So fluffy and delicious! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Diego, California

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I always love breakfast here. The nice gentleman serving us was as attentive to our 4 kids as a doting grandfather. We had a ridiculous amount of pancakes - portions are generous- with strawberries and whipped cream. Kids size is good enough for this adult. The service was outstanding and they went above and beyond, letting me and my 2 sit at a larger table until the rest of the group arrived. Such a great location right next to the Children's Museum and always so comforting and welcoming. Good hot fresh coffee to start the day off right. Parking can get tricky on weekends so I only visit on weekdays. Go early always to avoid a line. read more

Cafe 222 is a friendly little eatery that proves to be a prize overall. The atmosphere is clean and inviting. The service is exemplary. Some establishments should take lessons from the staff at Cafe 222. The food is fantastic! My Pumpkin Waffle with Whipped Cream was absolutely delicious. My eggs were cooked perfectly and the sausage patties were spiced with just the right amount of heat. 100% satisfied! Highly recommended! read more

Cafe 222 - Pumpkin Waffle with Whipped Cream, Sausage Patties and Eggs over medium. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Diego, California

Expect a wait but the food is well worth it! We were looking for a good breakfast/brunch spot that was walking distance from our hotel. After about a 10 minute walk, we reached this cute cafe. We waited a bit for a table but we were able to track our place in line using the tablet where we checked in. My partner ordered a cup of coffee. As a self-proclaimed coffee aficionado, it met her standards. The menu says they're famous for their waffles so we had to have one. We ordered the golden waffle which contains malt and a green eggs and Spam omelette. The waffle was so light, fluffy and delicious. The omelette was perfection...spinach, cheese and the delicacy that is Spam lol. The omelette came with potatoes and toast. The potatoes were tasty. We didn't touch the toast because the waffle provided all the bread fix we needed. It was a great start to our first day in SD! read more

Stay away if you have kids. They were unfriendly to us because we had little ones. Made a huge deal of if there would be room for our 2 month old at our table who was literally being held. They put tape on the lids of kids cups to prevent spills. Awesome. When our two year olds drink split, our server was super nice but the manager/head waitress was super upset about the water mess and snapped at her about that being why they put tape on cups. You're a tourist town and a top recommended place. We were so uncomfortable. That's unacceptable to treat families like that. read more

I had eggs and bacon here with a side of fruit! Our waiting with his Italian accent was such a doll! He was so sweet and had the best customer service! Instead of potatoes he gave me a side of fruit! I would go back when I am in San Diego just to have him as a waiter! read more

I've never had a breakfast meal this delicious before! The waffles are crispy and nicely golden brown and everything comes so jam packed with flavor And out serve was amazing!! read more

Cafe 222 - Strawberry short cake waffle/ dirty potato's with bacon/ peanut butter French toast/ waffle with Nutella-Strawberry-Bannas - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Diego, California

My wife found this looking for a breakfast spot in walking distance. We didn't have a wait time but that's because we went on a Monday when people are at work. I had the Super Biscuit and gravy. The gravy was perfect to me (not watery or too thick). My wife had Green Eggs and spam. We had a great experience. My only concern I had, was the fork I had was not clean. Other than that, we had a great experience. It has been opened for 30 yrs and we celebrated our 30yr Anniversary today as well. read more

We Really enjoy this spot. The food is great, the service was beyond great. We had pancakes with strawberries and whip cream and waffles the same way. Delishhhhh read more

Cafe 222 - Pancakes with strawberries and whipped cream - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Diego, California

We got to this just in time to get one of the last table outside. This was a great way to start the day. The service was great. The food was delicious and huge portion. We ordered Huevos Rancheros and Biscuits and Gravy. The potato that came with both dishes were so yummy. The only thing I didn't like is the corn tortilla but that is just a personal preference. read more

Cafe 222 - Huevos Rancheros - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Diego, California

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Hubby was looking for gravy and I was looking for waffles, so Cafe 222 was a perfect choice for us. Also, it was super close to our hotel, so bonus! We opted for a seat at the counter, so we were seated immediately. There seemed to be a bit of a wait if you wanted a table. Our waiter was super friendly and made sure my coffee was a full capacity all the time. He was rushing around making sure everyone was taken care of. Hubby's biscuits and gravy were delish. The biscuits were very flakey and so soft in the middle. The gravy was very rich and full of sausage bits. It was a little more brown than white, but was sooooo good. The eggs tasted very fresh and were perfectly cooked. My strawberry shortcake waffles were perfect. How can you go wrong with whipped cream and strawberries. One thing that was kind of weird, but definitely not a deal breaker....they served cans of soda. They deliver it to the table with a cup of ice. Like I said...totally fine, but just took us by surprise. read more

Cafe 222 - Strawberry Shortcake Waffles - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Diego, California

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Exceptional service...hands down the best service I received on my recent trip to San Diego. This cafe was highly recommended and promoted by Bobby Flay some years ago. It was really great. Simple menu with great flavor! This place is not anything fancy but it's simple done perfectly. The banana and peanut butter French toast was wonderful. They offer turkey bacon which was crispy, the way I like it. My daughter had the strawberry pancakes and it not only looked beautiful, it tasted delightful. Two in our party shared the spam and egg breakfast. They split the dish between the two, which was a nice surprise and it was the perfect example of simple done right. read more

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My daughter and I came here a couple of years ago. Sorry I didn't post them, but I just remembered because we were going to eat here again a week ago but the wait was too long. The food is really good and the service was awesome. read more

Food is off the hook. Great atmosphere and service is impeccable! Definitely a spot not to miss! read more

It's an expensive breakfast but worth it... delicious and healthy portions. Service is spot on! read more

Cafe 222 - Cafe 222 tea cup chandelier - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Diego, California

I was genuinely disappointed! The server was sassy at the door and the waitress did everything she could to let us know that we were an inconvenience to her. The only positive food is the Nutella waffles are great and my daughter loved it. read more

From NYC and was looking for a diner that serves a wholesome happy breakfast since A lot of the diners nearby give more flashy vibes. Cafe 222 was very cozy and quaint with cute decor. Don't recommend for large parties especially on busier weekends like Comic Con (not a whole lot of seating) but service was impeccable. Friendly attentive staff especially Senad, he was so sweet. Food was delicious and exactly what I ordered and their menu has a good variety of options which is always pleasant when your veg. Will definitely be a regular spot when I visit. read more

Cafe 222 - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Diego, California

Great service and good food. Waffles, eggs, bacon and tea for less money than my hotel wanted for lox on toast.

This place is absolutely amazing. My friends and I always make it a point to come here for breakfast when we are in town. The service and food quality is unlike any other; the staff is like family to us at this point. read more

Unlike Broken Yolk...these folks know what eggs "OVER MEDIUM" actually means. Delivered quickly and with friendly service despite the rush of all us conference attendees. The bread was fresh, counter and dishes were all super clean. I see why this place was crowded. Yes, I had free breakfast at the hotel but I wanted to support a woman-owned business while I was in town. I just hope the guy that was running the front like a boss Wednesday morning got some help later in his shift cuz he was literally SKATING through that place. read more

The service rocked! She was totally in the weeds and still made sure we all had what we needed. Food was good too!

Delicious breakfast experience this morning! We often walk by this quaint little cafe whenever we are in SD, but today we got here early (8:15am on a Sunday) and the breakfast wait was only 10 minutes. We sat on the patio and had a nice view of the city. Our server Chelsea was friendly, attentive, accurate and efficient. We couldn't believe how quickly our food came out after we ordered. My husband ordered the Two plus Two + 2 ( 2 buttermilk pancakes +2 eggs +2 turkey bacon). He also got a side of real maple syrup. Normally I'd say $1.75 for real maple syrup is a bit steep, but they bring you more than 2 ounces which is plenty to cover the huge pancakes. He said they were good. He's a pancake snob, so good is good. I got the Eggs Italia, with egg whites, a side of rye toast and griddled potatoes. There was a generous portion of everything and the egg whites were cooked thoroughly, which sadly seems to sometimes be troublesome for some establishments. The pesto, tomatoes and goat cheese really made the scramble light yet savory. Chelsea checked on us often. By the time we finished eating, I saw a huge crowd waiting to eat (via our patio dining perch). I noticed you can add yourself to the wait list via the Yelp app, so when we come back again, which we will definitely do, I'll be sure to make use of that if it's later in the morning. read more

Cafe 222 - Two plus two + 2. Buttermilk pancakes, 2 eggs, 2 bacon - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Diego, California

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What a surprise! Café 222 is a very cool breakfast destination. From the super kind and friendly hostess, Sam, to the very, very good food and quick service, I'd highly recommend this place! The outside patio is cozy giving you a sidewalk-size view of passing cars and people. read more

Cafe 222 - Joe's Special, Cornbread Waffle, Tamale & Eggs, yum! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Diego, California

This place was amazing! The food was really good. The service was great, every one was super nice. It was a cute little place.

This cafe is in an excellent location, lots of parking available and a kind staff. We were greeted warmly and seated promptly on the patio area, surrounded by greenery and a heater for the cool morning weather. Our server, Sam, truly made the experience memorable. Sam was kind, personable and hilarious. She brought the most beautiful energy and she truly made my husband and I feel at home! The food was fantastic, the ambiance was lovely and I would return upon every visit we have to San Diego. read more

Cafe 222 - All American breakfast, tamale with gravy, biscuits and gravy - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Diego, California