I can not decide what was worse the food or the service. My server was Kent. He seemed very uptight, overwhelmed and pretty much bitter about the job he was doing. I came in after hearing a lot of great things about the place! I have to wonder did a bunch of people lie to me, or did I hit this dive on a bad day. As I looked at the menu which I give kudos for the mountain of options. I started with a cup of Coffee. This was strike one I drink black coffee with nothing in it. As I got half way through the what I would say room temperature coffee I had the gift of a sugar packet stuck inside my mug. Trying to understand things happen I kindly pointed it out and got great attitude when I asked for a new cup. My lunch date looked at me and said wow you pissed him off pretty quick. Silly me I thought perhaps I would get an "I am sorry let me get you another cup" Nope I got Attitude with a capital A. So I moved on to the Main course and asked for a suggestion of the Cobb Salad or the Billy Burger. I think once again I pissed the server off! So I decided it be best to make my own decision. I ordered up the Billy Burger medium rare with fries and Sarah ordered the BTCA with homemade chips. So I am chill-axing working on my second cup of coffee without the sugar packet chatting away with my guest. Ouch 2 plates slapped down on the table a bottle of ketchup and Mustard. Apparently we were not going to get offered a refill we were not going to be told to enjoy our meal and we were not gonna be asked if we needed anything else. My Lunch guest looked at her BTCA with this smile like she was willing to forgive anything! I decided we were not gonna let a tired old bitter server ruin our meal. Sara took one bite of her BTCA and she said it was amazing. I flagged this tall slim guy down for mayo as its a must on a burger that also looked to be amazing smothered in mushroom and onions. I got a snappy what and then proceeded to ask for the mayo. I smothered my rather wonderful looking bun in Mustard and Mayo I had to use two hands to pick it up. I wanted to love this burger but it was well done I mean really well done I mean it was dry like leather and very well done. I never got a check back from the Server and I had only taken two bites. Our plates were cleared with no inquiry on how the meal was and there was no offer of desert. All we got was a check. This place was just amazing There was not an ounce of love. I will not be back even though Sarah said the BTCA was Bomb. Treat you guests a little better cook the food as requested and perhaps you will have a busier establishment. read more

I settled in this morning with my paper. In need of a cup of Coffee. I was craving the Heuvos Rancheros. I spent days thinking about it knowing I was gonna have it this morning. I guess gave it so much hype in my hunger for it. It is usually spicy to the point of soft tears coming out of your eyes. Today there were no tears.and the flavor bland I asked if they where preparing them differently and suddenly got greeted with attitude. I mean once I ordered the Blueberry biscuit French Toast and it tasted old. I asked if it was fresh and was told no it was from last week the fresh ones are not out of the oven yet. I mean french toast that is 6 days old since it is a weekend special. It was sad I come in often enough to feel like it I did not like something they would just make it right. I was wrong. I did not expect a lecture from my server. lets be real I arrived knowing what I wanted,If it I was not nasty and different I would not have asked the question . I feel I am owed an apology and certainly can no longer suggest this place. I mean The Crest Cafe Face book page is asking its fans to write nice things because they got some complaints. I think they need to ask why are people complaining. I mean it is ok to complain right. I think so, they are complaining about the complaints! These are just my opinions and the way I feel, not an attack, not defamatory I am sure I am not the only one who has had week old french toast or a bland meal. I mean are all the weekend specials from the week before. Yikes I mean some people say left over should be used in 3 days. that would make it a mid week special. Well perhaps my next experience will be a little better. Perhaps they had an off day twice because at strike 3 your out. read more

Update on my review: 12/03/2007 No I haven't been back, but I thought I might explain I didn't drive down to San Diego just to see if the reviews of Crest Cafe servers being rude as the only reason I tried Crest Cafe. I visit socal fairly frequently. The visit is just a way of me confirming if the reviews of the people I read on yelp are worthy or not. My conclusion is they do talk the truth about this place. Rude servers and an owner that has WAY TOO much time on her hands, not me. pay attention to all the reviews that that owner makes herself to raise the star rating. She is very easy to see. A lot of no picture and this is the only place she has reviewed. I'm going to lower you Crest to one star because of your deceiving ways. ---------------------------------------------------- Wow does Crest set out to hire rude jerks on purpose? The food was good, not great just good. But the dude server was a dick. I started with a cup of chicken tortilla soup. It wasn't bad but it tasted like it had been stewing all day long making the chicken a bit tired. Then I had the East Texas Fried Chicken, a chicken breast dredged in batter made with garlic, jalapeos, buttermilk and tabasco. It was moist and not bad. I guess what made me visit was all the reviews calling out the service. What you read is true. A funny thing to me is it so obvious the owner or her people are posting reviews on yelp saying the total opposite of the bad reviews giving herself five stars. It is easy to see her reviews as they are all no picture, just joined, only the one review, and it is for Crest. I say spend the energy on customer service training. read more

Cecelia Moreno, the co-owner of Crest Cafe in Hillcrest, San Diego (our gay section) posted on her Facebook that if you have a problem with people that voted for Trump than you are the problem in America. This is a straight women with a business in our gay area milking the community. I always went to Crest with my family and friends and told her the following and have a screen shot of my comment...the reason I have a problem with people that voted for Trump is because my rights are in jeopardy of being taken away. She doesn't live with this fear as a straight woman and her response was to take my comment off of her Facebook, and block me. I than found comments on line about Moreno using gay slurs at the HBA. She has used the word "nelly" and felt that was ok. Cecelia Moreno's twitter and facebook rants concerning the gay community are not acceptable and are what's wrong with America. Why would any business owner act this way? Gay people shouldn't be supporting businesses that support Trump and can't understand how they are attempting to undermine our rights as citizens. The community has been very good to her and her family and for her to take this stance when our community is in pain and fearful of the future, shows the true feelings that the Moreno family that their only connection to the gay community is to take our money. So, I ask my 5,000 Facebook friends and 100,000 twitter followers to not support people that don't support us, like Cecilia Moreno and Crest Cafe. This is my opinion and my experience read more

At Wade M.: Unfortunately your facts (like your service and attitude) are grossly misstated. We came in the day BEFORE it expired and we had 4 vouchers that we PURCHASED with MONEY. There was a limit of 4 per account purchased. In any case, read the past reviews, we are NOT the only ones who have complained about the inept servers and rude owner. You must be related to her. Pretty sad that their own waitstaff has to come in here to defend themselves! Is the 27yo owner going to write a comment now to all the people who complained about her too? Owning and working at a restaurant is hard enough, but when you add a lack of service to the mix, it's going to be a recipe for disaster. Don't work too hard! FYI a lot of the businesses like Crest Cafe that need extra advertising via social media (FB, Living Social, twitter, etc) are pretty desperate for business. Crest just advertised on Living Social again last week selling $10 vouchers for $5 (thank goodness I wasn't a fool again this time and didn't buy the certificates). They pay $2.50 to LS and only keep $2.50 themselves to give $10 in food away. This desperation is to make up for turning customers away by being blatantly ignorant. In any case, thank goodness for the power of the internet and a public forum. For those of you coming on here to give a negative rating, don't forget to file a complaint with the BBB!!! read more

It's been a while since I've eaten at the Crest Cafe. I remembered it as being somewhat cramped and a little pricey for slightly above average diner food. After yesterday's meal, I would still agree with all of the above statements, however the silver lining is that my meal was actually very good, as was the service. I ordered their Crest Chicken Cobb Salad for $12.99. I was impressed when they brought out the salad because it was very well put together and visually pleasing....and they always say that you eat with your eyes first! There were several strips of tasty grilled white meat chicken on top of the salad, and there was also lots of real bacon, two kinds of cheeses (feta and cheddar) and plenty of avocado too. The greens were a nice upscale salad mix. I asked for sugar free dressing, and our server offered their house balsamic vinaigrette, not sugar free, but very good. I would definitely come back for this salad. My nephew had the grilled Turkey Club Sandwich ($9.25) which he seemed to enjoy. Also I really enjoyed their iced tea which you could tell was freshly brewed. Delicious! Pluses: 1 - Fun neighborhood location, with good people watching 2 - Big menu with lots of choices 3 - Decent food and service (Big portions) Minuses: 1 - Slightly pricey for diner food (Half portions would be nice) 2 - Cramped (Tables are close together) read more

I came here on Christmas morning. In the Christmas spirit I planned to come in here and give my waiter/ waitress a $100 tip for Christmas The bacon was soft and looked microwaved. Hashbrowns also tasted microwaved. None of the food tasted fresh. It came out approximately five minutes after ordering it like fast food. It was a sad Christmas breakfast. I'm not the type of person to not pay for food once it's ordered and always feel bad asking for that but this time I asked to not pay for the hash browns that I did not eat and the waiter named James was angry with me and then when I asked him to go over the bill with me I was berated and he stormed away from me and would not answer my questions. He yelled at me. It was the worst start to my Christmas Day Ever I'm going to try and turn this Christmas day around. I was so sad to not tip at all when having the intention to go in with the Christmas spirit with $100 tip. The bad food I could handle but being made to feel so poorly on Christmas I could not I hope James has a better day. I'mgoing to try too read more

I would have to say the Crest cafe has done it again. Every time I come here the food gets a little less desirable, the service goes further down hill and the attitude that is in the air gets thicker and thicker. The owner is cold and seems to cheer on the angered bitterness of the staff. I think its funny in this economic environment one would think you would welcome your guests instead of make them feel unwelcome. I had Lemon ricotta pancakes this time,as the last time I had them they were just amazing. This time they had a sour flavor not lemon sour I mean sour as in spoiled. The only thing worse then the sour flavor would have been that of onions. Onions do not go with pancakes folks. I took two bites and stopped. I did enjoy my bacon. I left a plate on the side of the table 99% untouched and was not even asked if it was ok. the check was slapped on the table and that was it. Well I think the lesson learned here is fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice shame on me. Guess what I will not be back for a 3rd! read more

This place leaves so little to be desired and if you complain the owner will stalk you on face book and call you crazy. Hmmm that is a little crazy I think. Well lets cut to the chase and talk food. Hit or miss, more miss then hit. Lets talk value. i see fewer people in here and higher prices. Kent as a server Kind of grumpy kind of above the world. I would say this server is a want to be washed up Diva. You get service with attidtude. The owner just raises the prices to compensate for the loss of business or to keep up with the botox. For real who wants to see her personal pictures on the business page for facebook. Many people make it to Bloomindgales and most of us keep the stuff we buy instead of return it. The younger she trys to keep the face the more of a chicken neck we see. Lets not mention the waffle on the head. That belongs to the owner of cafe 222. You see they have class and actually made it on the food network. Give good food good service and they will come! read more

just moved to central san diego and found my new go to place for late night after theatre food!! Curran and Juan helped me navigate my way through the menu and the specials. On my first visit Curran insisted that I try a burger and then topped it off with a creme brule for desert. The burger was topped with gouda and canadian bacon and was so unique and great! I had their homemade potato salad with it, and a beer called flying dog old scratch...The place is cool and funky inside with some great dog prints that Curran said are the owners and her favorite becuse she loves big dogs!! Anyway the creme.....oh please..this was soo incredible and rich and burned to order and just perfect. The second time I went I had the iceberg wedge and the jalapeno fettuccine which was very spicy and a huge portion that I had to take some home..no room for desert; but I will be back soon to this little place with the huge portions and sweet vibe! read more

i feel the need to defend my favorite cafe in san diego; especially for late night yummy dinner!! I have been coming her for a very long time and I know the foodservers some by first name because they have been there for as long as I have been dining there. I have nerver had a bad experience...as the food and service are consistently...I mean everytime great!! They have kept their prices low and have homemade soups and desserts that I know will always be good. I especially like the shrimp bisque soup on Tuesdays. Kent usually waits on me and he is very professional and welcoming. When I have come in the am I usually have whatever breakfast the waiter recommends..he likes their cabo quesadilla which is huge and served with a great green spicy sauce..very good....the owner has always been sweet and friendly..by the way there is a very funny story to go with the photos..so I say lighten up and enjoy!!.. You will not be sorry. read more

New to San Diego living, we've been pickiing a part of town to explore on foot every month adding lunch to the fun of the task. Hillcrest was our pick in June. We parked, walked and window shopped; we delighted in the residential architecture and house-front gardens that had some time ago adopted water-wise plantings. And we looked for a place to eat lunch. A bit off the main 6th and University routes we found the Crest Cafe, crowded with diners. The corner venue delights in so many ways. Obviously, it's a beloved locals' spot probably because the comfort fare is just about perfect (my tuna melt was superb). Throw in old church pews for seating, walls painted peach, colorful Fiestaware on the tables and a good-looking waitstaff dressed in jeans and buttoned-down white Oxford shirts and the scene just gets better and better! read more

We had the good fortune of dining at The Crest Cafe (breakfast and dinner nearly every day for six weeks!) while our kitchen was undergoing a remodel. It has always been our go-to lunch spot for dining with visiting friends and family. During our remodel, we tried branching out, thinking we would take the opportunity of being without a kitchen to sample all the wonderful restaurants in Hillcrest as well as North Park. We always found ourselves back at The Crest for the following reasons: The menu provides a wide range of choices from vegetarian to burgers; The waitstaff is always tremendously friendly, competent, and in general an absolute joy to be around; Not only is the menu extensive, everything I have tried has been excellent...even the oatmeal! read more

Been always meaning to eat here because someone said the mango brie quesadilla was amazing. It's basically store bought flour tortilla, with sliced/melted brie and underripe mangos inside. I can probably make the same thing at home, and it seemed like all the ingredients did not go well together. I also ordered the fried chicken which was pretty dry and all i could taste was spiciness cause there were jalapenos all over it. I ordered it cause it was starred in the menu, assuming it's one of their best dishes. Oh, and it came with a side of veggies, aka diced raw bell peppers. Who eats raw bell peppers on the side? Anyway, I noticed the people commenting on horrible service, but mine was pretty decent. Food is equivalent to Denny's, possibly lower. read more

This is not the best place for a meal in Hillcrest, but it is not the worst either. The food can be hit or miss. The Service can be hit or miss. I assume its because the staff gets it from the top and it just trickles down. The pancakes can sometimes taste like onion. I suppose it is because they cook them next to the potatoes. I think it can be a bit pricey for the quality. If you fill out a good comment card you will get a coupon for a free meal. I have found as long as you go and don't complain it is safe. Once again not the best place but not the worst. I coud say for a better Breakfast try Richard Walkers. Its fast its friendly and the pancakes are so good. I think this keeps coming down. It is all the truth so whats this issue. read more

This place is a regular spot for me, especially when I'm in that part of town, usually for breakfast. The prices are a bit higher than some others, but not unreasonably so. My go-to orders are typically The Works with pancakes. If I'm feeling a variation, I opt for the Cafe Eggs dish, essentially an egg croissant sandwich. Both options are reliable, and you can't go wrong with either. The service is friendly, and they've even remembered my preferred orders from previous visits--excellent personalized service. However, I have one complaint regarding the Cafe Eggs croissant dish. The option of fresh fruit, which used to be included, is now an extra charge. It would be great if they could bring back this option as part of the dish. read more

This place used to have crappy service, but great food... NOW, they have crappy food with great service. My wife & I used to come here at least once a month, but slowly over the last year or so, we've come less & less & today was the clencher for us to say we don't need to come back anymore. The hash browns tasted like something out of the frozen food section at the grocery store. The eggs were bland & not really cooked properly. The biscuits & gravy were descent, but only available as a side dish, so if you want anything with it, you have to order everything as a side. We had to ask for butter/jam to be brought out for the toast we ordered. The waiter was very nice, but the food was not good. read more

This is one of our absolute favorite restaurants in San Diego. The food is delicious! They have the best tuna melt and hamburgers of any place in town. And the french fries are fabulous. I know I probably shouldn't eat french fries too often, so when I do, I want to make sure that they are really good. At the Crest Cafe they are. (My other favorite are the shoestring potatoes at Ruth's Chris; a totally diferent style, but equally delicious). They also excell at breakfast. Basically, they have a really big menu, and everything is very good. The ultimate place for comfort food. The service is good and the best part is that it is so reasonably priced you can come everyday. Leonard G read more

This place is hot and cold. More Cold then hot. I asked for lemon with my tap water I paid a buck. Then I got and Ice tea, that tasted like it was a week old. The kicker was the herb crusted chicken it looked great on the menu. It showed up a watery cream base I got over that. The final straw was when I bit into the rubber like chicken and chewed on a tendon that I knew I needed to give up. So the first time I came and had the lemon ricotta pancakes. they looked fluffy and great. They had no lemon flavor, it was more the overwhelming flavor of onion that hit that back of my throat. The waiter said well I am not surprised they cook them right next to the home fries. read more