I'll first say that the food was ok. The service was decent. Well, kinda... Went in with my mom, husband, and daughter for lunch last week after kicking around Hillcrest a bit. I've been in before and remembered having a nice lunch. We stood by the door and someone said he was cleaning a table for us, and after doing so we waited about 15 minutes with no menus, drinks, etc. A woman walked by and my mom asked for menus, which she brought, and then waited another 5 minutes or so for our server. When he came back I asked for a kids menu, and he said "oh, it's only for kids under 5." I told him my daughter was 4, and he said, "ok, be right back!" He came back a few minutes later and said, "Sorry. The manager said she can't eat off the kids menu." So here's where I got upset. My daughter, at 4 1/2, is taller than most kids her age. Skinny as anything, but really tall. I get it. People ALWAYS make remarks about this, but almost always positive: She's gonna be a basketball star! She's gonna play volleyball! She's gonna be a supermodel! That girl's gonna be a really tall accountant! Whatever. But to seriously nickel and dime someone for a pancake? This was a first for me. I said, "Really?" and he said, somewhat embarrassed, "yeah. i'm really sorry." So we got up to leave. The manager was coming through and I stopped her and said, "You're really not going to let my 4 year old daughter eat off of the kids menu?" She said, "Oh, fine. I didn't realize she was 4." Um, no. You didn't think someone would call you out on being an asshole. Anyway, we should have kept quiet. She would have eaten off of my plate for $6 less and been happy. The food was fine. Our server was mortified. But that lady is a total jerk. Truth be told, we should have just left, but I was starving. Either way, that will be the last time. So as the math works out, parents who read this review may not want to come here. If they lose just a few diners from it, I'm happy. read more

This is one of the worst dining experiences I've had in a long time. Dining experience includes two main factors: (1) food and (2) service. The food here was BAD; the service was worse. We were lured in by the sign "Healthy Comfort Food." We thought we'd get delicious traditional dishes with a healthy/organic flip. Methinks not. We ordered a side salad to start, a fish and chips meal to follow and an apple crisp to finish. The waiter was a young attractive guy who went out of his way to make us feel like he had MUCH better things to do than take our order/wait on us/be helpful in any way. When we ordered the fish and chips he asked us what side we wanted. "Oh, we get a side with that?" I asked. Because normally the chips of the fish and chips is the side. "Yes" he replied without hesitation. So, we ordered the mashed potatoes. The various problems with the ensuing meal: The side salad arrived with the meal rather than before. And this was about a 1/2 hour after we got to the restaurant. There was hardly anyone else there. It's not like the guy was bombed. or double seated. or anything stressful. no, he was busy socializing with another waiter at the front of the store. The fish and chips had no chips. The chips had been substituted for mashed potatoes. So, obviously, the cook had told him that he wasn't supposed to do both chips and a side and, instead of coming back and asking us which we would like (or giving us both as most restaurants would do), he simply substituted them. Next, I asked him if he had any malt vinegar. He (1) made a point to look as annoyed as he could that I'd even asked the question, 2) glanced up at the counter (on which a thing of oil and vinegar was sitting) and gave me a look that screamed "get it yourself," (3) i heard the message loud and clear, yet, in astonishment, i just stared back at him, then 4) he sighed and said "i'll get it for you." 10 minutes later he delivered the oil and vinegar. It was not malt vinegar. It was weak, bad, red wine vinegar. Grease oozed out of the fish. I guess this was the "healthy" part their sign referenced. It was a special type of healthy grease. Even after multiple napkin blots, the breading was still limp and gross. Much to my dismay and HORROR my boyfriend proceeded to order a dessert after the meal. He insisted that despite the gross meal, he'd heard the desserts were good. He ordered apple cobbler. When it came, the ice cream smelled like it was just starting to spoil. Based on the smell that wafted up to my nose as the waiter passed the dish by my face, I refused to taste it. But, my boyfriend only had a few bites and pushed the dish to the side. I have never, IN SIX YEARS, seen my boyfriend fail to finish an apple desert. Never ever. And he eats a lot of apple desserts. The most telling part of the meal was me, arguing with my boyfriend at the end of the meal, asking him to leave only a 10% tip. 99% of the time the conversation is just the opposite...i'm trying to convince him to leave 20-30%. We compromised and left. I will NEVER go back to this restaurant and would recommend that you save yourself the wasted time and money! read more

I came here with a group of coworkers after a fun night playing Pictionary at #1 around the corner. We came in around 10:30pm and I told the waiter that we had a group of 6 people. He set up a table for us, and we were sat quickly. There were about 3 other tables filled in the restaurant. The waiter, who was the only one there besides the cook, was very unfriendly. We are all a group of hospitality employees who are very outgoing and are very friendly, so we joke around a lot and like to have fun. We spoke with our waiter in this friendly manner, and he was NOT having it. The waiter came by at one point and told us we had to settle down and be quieter because WE were the cause of two tables of people leaving the restaurant. I highly doubt that. Yes, 6 people talking at a table is going to cause some extra noise, but we were in no way being disruptive. Really uncalled for to say that to us. The food was okay. I got hash browns as my side and they were really undercooked. No one was really overwhelmed with happiness about their meal, but nothing was bad. Bad service makes for a bad meal. Sorry! read more

Delicious delicious food!!! You won't be disappointed! Stellar customer service as well! 5 stars all the way!!!

Crest Cafe is somewhere I have been coming for a long time. Let's start with the good... their food is pretty amazing. A nice eclectic twist on casual diner fair, Crest has dishes brimming with tons of healthy veggies like avocado, creates unique mouth-watering dishes like creme brulee french toast, and has one of the best milkshakes in town, which they make with Haagan Dazs chocolate chip ice cream. Their food alone has had me coming back for years, bringing friends and family whenever they visited. Now why am I giving them two stars? Their service. A multitude of servers have come and gone over the past 3 years, all citing their disdain for the owner. At first I just brushed it off as a bitter employee or two, but after so many of them have complained to me (just a regular sit-down customer), I know there has to be a big problem. One of the servers went over the ludicrous policies they have to follow and how the owner made her cry in front of everyone when she had messed something up. Looking at the menu and seeing the plethora of rules regarding split plate fees, credit card transactions, and $1 for a slice of lemon (yes just a lemon) with your water is ridiculous. Today I went there and experienced the owner myself. I had a Groupon and wanted to pay for the rest with my card, which was under $10. She came back with the check, placed it on the table and told me I had to pay with cash, walking away as I was still talking to her saying I didn't have any. My friend had to go to an ATM a couple blocks away and pay a bunch of fees to get money while I waited. It was ridiculous and all our server could do was shrug. As much as I really want to like this place, this was it for me. I refuse to go back and have reported them to MasterCard for a violation with their Card Agreement (they could lose their merchant account for requiring a minimum). There are plenty of other restaurants I can support that treat their employees and customers better. It's just such a waste because this place really does have a lot of potential. read more

I have to agree with Jeff J. I had a friend write a review a year ago on Yelp and the owner emailed him directly, chastised him for leaving negative feedback, and basically said he wasn't welcome. Well, duh, he didn't want to go back. I've noticed his review and another friend who had a similar experience don't even show up on here now, so I wonder if she's going in and trying to flag people. The staff is usually not nice, the owner has shown her true colors via email, but the food is decent. But for me, a good dining experience includes good service where you feel like you are a priority to the owner, not just cash in the till. I can't wait to see if she'll email me too to tell me I'm banned from the restaurant. I don't care, I don't plan on going ever again. read more

Found out that the Business Woman of the Year just 86'd my wife because we used a BOGO from her (crest cafe) facebook page. Amazing we have spent just under 300 dollars since June 1st. I guess that is what you call customer service. "good afternoon: we feel the need to request that you and your husband no longer redeem any future offers/promotions for our business. it appears that this is the only time you patronize our business and we cannot afford to continue to offer you any more discounts. we hope you understand. thank you very much for your cooperation. sincerely the staff and management of the crest cafe." read more

Honestly i dont know how this place stays in business. The lady with the super bright lipstick who I think is the owner was sooo incredibly rude to a party of 9 people while they were trying to figure out the seating arrangements. They all just left except one woman stuck around and gave the lipstick lady a piece of her mind. She didnt even care. 9 people in a place like this is easily a $200 tab and for her to treat people like this blows my mind The waiter comes to our table and says "are you ready?'' in the rudest tone. french fries were cold my poched eggs were rock hard I ordered the chicken apple hash it had all of 2 pieces of chicken in it that were about an inch long. It was so bland. I hate this place I actually encourage you to go in and see for yourself its quite a spectacle. dont spend too much money though read more

Wish I could give this ZERO stars!!! Swore off this place for several years due to bad food and even worse service, but a friend ask me to meet him there, so I said OK...maybe it improved. Nope...still the same rude, indifferent staff, terrible food, and even worse owner...who is a total "see you next tuesday"!!! Sent my food back because the patty melt tasted like dirty grill and the fries we undercooked...Ordered scrambled eggs instead. My friend ordered the salmon burger which needed a lot of seasoning and when he asked for tartar sauce to jazz it up, the server said they ran out...can you make some more...he asked. So he opted for a chicken salad sandwich instead. To our absolute astonishment, the owner then flew by and said that they are unable to please us, so we aren't going to bring you any new food. WHAT??? I tried to explain the food issues and she didn't want to hear any of it...and this was the owner! In my 40 years of eating at restaurant, I have never been treated so poorly as a customer. I just know karma will take care of her...give it time! 9/13/10 UPDATE: The owner has now called me a liar...her feeble attempt to recall what happened is just plain sad and pathetic! Just so we are clear... I was NEVER apologized to! She NEVER came over to my table, she was standing 10 feet away and blurted out, "there's no pleasing you" Hey, here's an idea, how about walking over to my table, (instead of me having to call you over) introduce yourself, (like any professional and competent restauranteur would) and asked what my food issues were and what you could do to make me happy! NEVER happened! She was NEVER polite or regretful, but surly and highly confrontational! I was NEVER given to opportunity to be made happy or for the situation to be made right, which is the source of my anger! Sadly, the 6 days a week you spend in your dirty restaurant (tables, floors, glassware, restroom, and yes, your kitchen) is definitely not paying off for you. Please do yourself a BIG favor; take some time off, really learn the restaurant business and how to prepare delicious food, take a class on the proper etiquette and professionalism required when running a restaurant. And by ALL means, learn how to treat your customers and listen to them...the good, the bad, and the ugly! The fact that you even have one poor review should be a wake up call, but after scrolling through several of these reviews...you DEFINITELY have much BIGGER problems than me :) read more

An all-around horrible experience. Should be called Crust Cafe. The manager has serious people issues. I do not like to tear down places on Yelp, but it is going to be a long time before I conjure the interest and stomach to give this place another try and write an actual more substantive review. read more

Sunday morning the kickass wife and I were discussing where we should eat breakfast when we decided to just "get in the car and drive 'til we find something." This is a strategy that almost always ends up with two grumpy and hungry people pickering about who's dumb idea it was to leave without a specific plan before angrily pulling into the nearest Denny's for a "Moon's Over MyHammy" with a side of failure. Well we must have saved up some serious food karma because after a short drive down the 163 we found ourselves pulling up to the Crest Cafe. It was early so we obviously beat the morning rush, and to be honest our server was both friendly and efficient. (from the reviews on here it appears that we may have gotten lucky with that.) We opened the menu and both started letting out "Oooh"s and "Mmmm"s" as if we were taking in some serious food porn. There was a great variety and some of the items seemed truly unique. There was a "Sloppy Joe Omelet" , "Creme Brule French Toast" and enough other options to create a real struggle regarding what we should order. I settled on a breakfast quesadilla and the wife ordered a big breakfast sandwich. Our now highly anticipated food arrived quickly and it was...well, I can't say it was bad....um..(deep breath) I guess the best word is "boring". Everything seemed pretty bland and although perfectly edible, it was pretty forgettable {--RIP Johnny Cochran). So the service was good, the menu looked great, the food was blah and the prices were nothing special. We had set out to to "drive 'til we found something" and ended up at Crest Cafe which was exactly that: something. read more

When dining here, you have to realize that this cafe specializes in home-style meals, not deep-fried processed garbage plates. You'll find specific dishes that few other restaurants offer and waiters that, despite their occasional moments of sass, really care about their little bistro. Their excellent iced tea pairs well with their formidable dessert selection. At the very least, visit long enough to see Catherine Zeta-Jones' face pasted on an employee's photo. Some actually believe she worked here once! LOL read more

One of my very favorite places to eat. An eclectic, almost upscale diner without feeling too fancy. I think I've loved every dish I've ever ordered there. Be sure to check-out the quesadilla, it's a fantastic appetizer to share for two. Everything is fresh and served hot. The seating is mostly not very comfortable. read more

Still completely terrible and rude. Why did I even try it again!!!???!!!! Don't ever go here. The food sucks and the people suck. Came without the kids this time since a diner thinks the can call themselves "not kid friendly" still a bunch of crap. Im pretty sure unless your a strip club, porno store or a bar it should be at least slightly kid friendly. How are these people still in business? With how rude they are to your face imagine what they do to your food when you can't see it!!! DO NOT GO HERE! read more

I HAVE NEVER BEEN TREATED SO POORLY! My hubby and I just moved into the Hillcrest area a couple months ago and were stoked on all the food options. We had walked by Crest Cafe a few times and finally decided to try it out for dinner one evening. The food was fantastic and the server was so-so. At first he was kind of snotty because I think he thought we were tourists but warmed up when we told him we have just moved down the street. We were so intrigued by the menu that we returned the next morning for breakfast., which was also very good. We thought we had found our new breakfast / cafe nook and started recommending the place to everyone and anyone who would listen to us. Then we eventually discovered they delivered and were loving our little local find even more. Last monday was the second time we had ordered delivery. We ordered 2 lg salads, a pasta and 3 burgers - plain, billys and the oui oui which totaled over $60. Delivery came and we tipped the delivery guy $10. We opened up our food and everything was fine except that they had given us two plain burgers and no Billy's burger (which has cheese, mushrooms and onions). My hubby was so bummed that there was nothing on his burger and didn't really want a plain burger either. So I called Crest and was put on hold until a man answered and asked what the problem was. I explained that everything looked great in our order but that we didn't receive the Billy's burger but instead received a plain burger. He then put me on hold and came back and asked what I ordered. I repeated the order to him and he said 'well it says that the billy burger went out.' I said that there was no billy burger and suggested that maybe the delivery guy mixed up our order with someone else's. The guy told me ours was the last order that went out so that it was impossible. We then sat in silence for a moment and rather than offering a solution he asked what I wanted. I said that we just wanted our order right. That we were good customers who really enjoyed the food and wanted it the way we ordered it. I said bring us the Billy's burger and I'll swap it our for the plain burger. He didn't say anything for a few moments and then reluctantly said, 'alright I guess that's fair.' Then a moment later he says 'are you sure you didn't get the Billy burger,' to which I responded that yes I'm sure, I'm looking at two plain burgers and I'm not an idiot. He got quiet then said 'well because it says here the billy's burger went out already.' I then responded by saying I just spent over $60 on my order why on earth would I be trying to rip them off for some mushrooms and a slice of cheese, I simply wanted what I ordered and paid for. At this point, he gave me total attitude and said that I just didnt make sense because the order had gone out as ordered. I told him that if that were the case I wouldn't be staring at the wrong order and that I was starting to get really offended that he was questioning me when all I wanted was my correct order. He again continued to go on the defensive and questioned whether I was being truthful, at which point, I said fine, if this is how we were going to be treated, that we'll just never go there again and that they had just lost a customer and that I thought it was absolutely ridiculous that I was being treated this way after THEY are the ones who made a mistake. At this point, he started to back down and said 'fine we'll bring you the other burger.' I told him no thank you, keep your burger, we're just never eating there again. 30 minutes later the delivery guy showed up again with the correct order. I told him to take it back and asked for the name of the guy I spoke with. He said he didn't know his name. I asked if he was the owner, thinking that only the owner would have the gull be that rude and short sighted with local customers. I was told that he was not the owner, only an employee. The whole encounter was infuriating. I am a local business owner too and if I heard that one of my employees had treated a client so poorly, they would immediately be fired. So I thought about writing the owner a letter and decided to come on here first. From what I've read not only would she not care that her employee was so rude, but it appears she perpetuates this type of behavior. What a poor business move. You would have customers for life. I've now called every single person who I recommended this place to and told them beware, if their employees screw up and you call them out on it, they will in turn call you a liar. Not once was I apologized to, offered any solution (they made me ask instead) and I was very polite and understanding of their mistake until they accused me of lying. With all the choices in the area, I'd rather go where my money is appreciated. read more

If you read the signs on the door, you immediately know this is a pretentious place. Please control your kids.- actually this one is awesome Sharing meals will result in a fee. $XX minimum order. Substitutions may result in a fee. No more than 2 electronic transactions person table. No Splitting checks. Usually a place can pull off a bunch of ridiculous rules because it is delicious, this is not the case. All the meals I have had at this restaurant are NOT good. Like-I cannot finish my meal because this tastes bad. The real question is, why did I keep returning to this restaurant despite hating it? (it was convenient, close to my house, open late, and my friend was all about the milk shake) The desserts at this restaurant are actually amazing. The haagen daze milkshake is worthy of its expensive price. The waiter informed me that all the rules were to prevent people from hanging out like it was a coffee/dessert shop. Its a very small restaurant, they need to move people in and out fast. I do not advise eating dinner here. EVER. If you can make friends with the waiter and get just dessert late at night, then maybe. read more

I keep trying to love this place, but I keep striking out. Let's start with the good: service is great, portions are big, and the restaurant is quaint and cozy. Now for the reason it's only three stars - the food is meh and pretty expensive. Now of course, not all the food is meh, but all the main courses I have had there have been meh. The appetizers and soups have been good. Last time we were there, we started out with the tortilla soup (delish) and the cheese butta squares. Now the cheese butta square was a meal in itself. It's multi-grain, spread with gorgonzola cheese butter on both sides, and stuffed with pears & sundried tomatoes. It was very tasty and I would definitely order it again. The soups were good as well. The main dishes is what let us down greatly, sadly. We ordered the Crest pasta and the garlic chicken bacon linguine. First of all, the pasta was not linguine. They were thick spaghetti like pasta, reminiscent of bucatini but not hollow in the center. The sauces of either dish were not nearly thick enough to stick to the pasta, which made both dishes lackluster in taste. The bacon in the garlic chicken was limp, flavorless, and salty and the sauce for the Crest was ridiculously thin and soupy. Both dishes were a great disappointment. We paid $70 for two with no alcohol - for that price, I had higher expectations. If we go back, perhaps I should stick to burgers as it seems to be what people rave about. read more

I love coming here because the food is good and I can bring my little one and she grubs on the food too! I've been here for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and all were fabulous. I've never complained about ANYTHING I've eaten here, and always have a hankering for this place. Also the service is very friendly. My only complaint would be the seating, but that has never stopped me from coming! read more

Oooh, another brunch spot. This is definitely another for my official brunch list. Great comfort food with a bit of a twist. Between me and three friends, we had the pancakes, french toast (like cinnamon buns!), mash potato omelette, and carolenas con tortilla. It was all consistently good, and my carolenas were a nice light breakfast. Went there around 1pm on a Saturday and while it was packed, the wait was manageable and way less terrifying than somewhere similar in the neighborhood (like the Hash House). Cute decor, and I'm definitely coming back! read more

5 stars because Becky gave it one. I would have been happy to see that kid leave. The management should step in if the parents are inept. Food here is always good, the wait is always acceptable and the staff are always sarcastic to some degree (at least with me). I will keep coming here for years to come. read more

ordered a side of onion rings and got a pile of clumpy fried onions which had to be about 3 onions. Also were cold. both sandwiches were on the wrong bread. This was delivery with yelp's app. read more

Three of us went for breakfast and were talking together at the table. Our waiter was a tall skinny guy named Wade with a bad attitude who started to take our order and promptly walked away abruptly for 5 minutes before returning. When asked if we offended him, he said that he wasn't going to wait while we "bickered" (we were actually just laughing and talking with each other). He was rude, obnoxious and offensive. He made the situation worse with his response. I like the food at Crest Cafe but this guy should not be in the hospitality business. Personally, I would fire him and had the manager/owner been there I would have made sure she knew how her staff behaved. read more

Without a doubt the best burgers in town. Want to explore the rest of thier menu but the burgers are so good that I never want to order anything else. Otherwise, clean...nice and funny staff...and never a disappointment. read more

More like 2.5 with the benefit of the doubt. First let me say that our server was great-- super friendly and accommodating. Blue cheese in a caesar salad? Ew. No thank you. Attention Crest Cafe: when people see a chicken caesar salad on your menu, they KNOW what a chicken caesar salad tastes like and therefore, in all likelihood, they cease to read the rest of the description. This is why it's just simply not fair for you to throw us a curveball by putting blue cheese in a caesar salad. C'mon! Aren't your chefs tired of remaking caesar salads? Also, the caesar dressing wasn't good. It was mayonnaisey and bland-- definitely needed some kick. The chicken was super gristley and completely lacked flavor. The only positive thing I have to say about the salad is not about the salad at all but, instead, about the foccacia bread it came with: yummy. The homemade french fries were okay but could've stood to be a little crispier. Props for serving them with ranch dressing, though. They claim to be healthy but I didn't see much on the menu to support the claim. It's comfort food. I respect comfort food well enough but it's almost entirely exclusive from healthful. I would probably not come here again unless my friends could persuade me. read more

Oh man. I went here for the first time this weekend for breakfast and it was beyond scrumptious! My boyfriend and I both loved what we ordered. I had the lemon zest ricotta pancakes and he had the chicken cobb scrambles (with bleu cheese - sooo good!). 5 stars for the food and the price + 3 stars for the service and the atmosphere, and I ended up with 4 stars. Looking forward to the next time! The Creme Brulee French Toast sounds amazing! :-) edit: Went back, and the creme brulee french toast IS amazing!!! :-) read more

After eighteen months on my "Do Not Support" list, I decided to give the Crest Cafe another chance. What a mistake!! This joint is as bad as ever, and I was quickly reminded of why I decided not to support this $hithole in the first place. Burger came out totally overdone....the bun was burned black instead of toasted...the meat was so overdone is was dried out...and the Mac and Cheese was disgusting and had to be replaced with a grilled cheese sandwich. The waited was no better. Sorry Crest, but you're back on the $hit list! read more

The Crest Cafe is a place everyone should check out. I suggest you get on their website and check out the menu. One thing I love, is that they have so many things to choose from. Plus, they have such unique dishes that you just can't find other places. I usually go for dinner at least once a week. If you love burgers your in luck! Salads, pastas, sandwiches... you really can't go wrong. The staff is proffessional and courteous. You really should try it once. It's one of those places you'll go "I wished I would have found this place earlier". Bon apetit..... Mike M. chula vista read more

I can't wait to go back to Crest Cafe. I went for breakfast and had the creme brulee french toast. It's my favorite french toast dish I've had in a long time. I also had the potatoes, which were nice and crispy. The portions here are large enough to keep you full all day. My only complaint is that the service was SLOW. Don't expect to make this a quick meal. read more

The service really sucked considering the food was just mediocre at best and super greasy. There was a list for those waiting for a table so we put our name on the list and waited outside since the diner is tiny and we felt like we were in the way just waiting. It turns out the owner/manager crossed our name off the list because she thought we left. It was a misunderstanding since we were just outside waiting but her rude attitude about it was unnecessary. That kind of gave us a clue about what kind of place this is. When we were finally seated it took forever to put our food order in. A table that sat down after us already had their food while we were still waiting to order! The food really wasn't that great. My boyfriend ordered the sirloin cooked medium, but when it came, half of the steak was medium rare while the other half was well done. I guess if you're being technical you could consider it medium, but seriously, how does one piece of meat have two different cooking temperatures?? On top of that my friend ordered eggs over-medium but it came out sunny-side-up and extremely runny. My friend took it back and told the waiter that he wanted over-medium eggs that weren't runny and the waiter actually argued with him about how over-medium eggs are supposed to be. I'm sorry, but even if the customer is wrong, you NEVER argue with the customer. Being on DDD does NOT give you the right to treat customers that way. Overall, the food wasn't really that great, it was over-priced and greasy, and the staff's attitude made sure we'll never be back at this diner again. read more

Oh my gosh, this place brings me back so many pure memories. I was really young when I first visited here, perhaps at the age of 17 and a trip to SD was like a weekend galore to me at the time. I had a couple sandwiches and breakfast items here, although I do not recall what they were (most likely a club sandwich & waffles). I just remember loving Crest Cafe and always wanted to make a stop here during every visit! Crest Cafe is located in Hillcrest, so do not make the mistake like I did when I was 17, I didn't know Hillcrest was a very friendly area. My guest at the time and I were a little confused for a while x read more

Terrible food and service at high prices! I ordered the grilled pastrami with fries. Not much meat and grilled to burnt crunchiness. The fries were soggy and greasy and tasted old. All for 11.95! When the waiter came to pick up the dishes, I told him how bad it was. He asked why I didn't tell him sooner. ..Hello ..we never saw him after he delivered the food until he came to clear the table, or I would have sent it back. I will never go back! read more

I'm pretty sure the staff at this place thinks I am half of a gay couple because my roomate and I used to end up here a lot when it was late and we were hig -- I mean, hungry. But that doesn't really bother me. (It certainly doesn't bother me enough to keep me away.) In fact, this is probably my favorite approachable restaurant in San Diego. (By "approachable" I mean this restaurant is a really cute girl, but not she's not like model-hot and holding Louis Vuitton stuff and scowling.) If I was a kid again and it was my birthday and my Mom asked me where I wanted to go to dinner there is a very good chance that I would request (actually, it would be more of a demand) The Crest Cafe. The high quality homemade-ish food here is an absolute tour-de-force of the "Cafe" genre. Great iced tea, malts that come with that extra tin full of milkshake, and sweet marinara-based pastas that come with plain-old bread and butter would probably be the highlights. And they are open until 12:30 am. Go there now. AV read more

Surprisingly good food here. Short wait for tables. Don't go here if you're claustrophobic as you will be "rubbing elbows" with whomever happens to be seated next to you. I've always had the burgers here and they've always been good - big enough that you have to cut them in half to eat them decently. This is Hillcrest. Need I say more about parking. You may score a meterless space further N on Robinson or you may snap up the "always short in supply" meters on 4th and 5th. If not, you'll be stuck with pay parking at the WaMu lot across the street or the Rite-Aid lot across 5th. This place really is not the best for groups due to the tight seating depending on when you go. read more

They deliver. The portions are huge. Their hours are convenient. It's right in the heart of the hustling' bustling' Hillcrest district. But their Crest Pasta gave me runny diarrhea. read more

This place left a lot to be desired. I've never tried one of Guy Fieri's places, but hubby wanted to try this place based on that alone. Mistake. Let me start off by saying that our server was extremely nice and helpful. We were seated in a wooden booth. Hubby ordered a coffee and I had a white mocha. Then he ordered the Cabo Quesadilla (I think that's what it was called) and he liked that. I ordered the Creme Brûlée French Toast & it was terrible, IMO. I eat French toast everywhere. It's always my "go-to" when I don't know what to get cause I always like it. But this? Ugh! First off, it comes to you smothered in sauce, which is okay if you're getting your food right away. This seemed to have sat for a while like this. It was barely warm & soggy to the max. I didn't even eat the middles of the toasts because it was just too soggy. So I ate the edges, which weren't good either. The bread tasted stale, honestly. I did eat most of it, as it wasn't repulsive, but it definitely could've been better. We ordered the omelette from the kid's menu* for our 3 year old, which said it came with "potatoes". I assumed this meant fried potatoes, which she loves. But it meant hashbrowns, which she doesn't care for & can't eat well (at 3, it just falls off her fork & all over the place). A little disappointed there too. So after I finished my food, I went to sip my white mocha. I stirred it first and the spoon swiped off this gross layer of who knows what from the top of the coffee. It was disgusting. Once that layer was gone, I could see oil bubbles all through the coffee. I have no idea what that was from, but I didn't drink anymore of that stuff. Under our table & booth was extremely dirty, which would be expected in the afternoon, not at 7am. Not a fan of this place at all. *By the way, the "kid's menu" is literally just that - a laminated menu. No coloring, no games, nothing. So we wound up having to pull out our iPad, which we never do because we entertain her with the activities that are given to her. This place had none. read more

Crest Cafe - Soggy Creme brûlée French toast leftover - Cafes Near Me - San Diego, California

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Cramped and uncomfortable seating, indifferent-at-best service, non-competitive prices and hit-or-miss food can best describe this place. I used to actually like this place. But the last time I was in - about a month ago - the following happened: I ordered eggs benedict (mind you, the place wasn't busy - perhaps four tables of customers including mine) and about 40 minutes after ordering, the waiter finally brings me my "eggs benedict," drops the plate on the my table wordlessly and walks off. Problem is that it really isn't "eggs benedict," it's a poached egg on a piece of toast with some potatoes on the side. No english muffin, no ham, no hollandaise sauce. "Hello!" I call out to my errant waiter. "Are you out of english muffins?" "Oh, yeah," he says. "We were just talking about that." (Whoever "we" were did not include me, evidently.) "And there's no ham on this?" I ask incredulously. The waiter starts to take my plate away with a little smirk but I grab the sides of plate before he can. I was starving by now and not about to wait another 40 minutes for the cook to slap a gristly piece of ham between the soggy toast and runny eggs. I had had the foresight of ordering a side of bacon; it was a rather large and greasy side of bacon which had come just moments before my eggs. I had an idea: "Don't charge me for the side of bacon and we'll call it even." The waiter blinked for a moment and then agreed. "Besides this minor mishap, everything all right?" he asked me with a straight face. read more

Crest Cafe is a nice little place. Great breakfast, good coffee, and quick. A no-hassle type of place that we can walk to and get seated pretty quickly on a Sunday. I took my sister, visiting from Seattle, and her sandwich was "grilled veggie" without the grilling (like, RAW veggies) ...so she asked them to cook it a bit more and it was fine. The server seemed a little annoyed, but he took care of it anyway. I really like this place - good food, good coffee, not so over the top. Maybe the only ding is the fiestaware - it is radioactive after all... ok, ok, insignificant amounts, but just thought I'd throw it out there. read more

I have seen some good and bad reviews on this place. I went because I was hungry and asked someone where a good place to eat was. Directed by this word of mouth I went with expectations. This was the wrong thing to do. There was only one server and a man behind a bar / counter. The server was busy and the man behind the counter just stared at me non-communicatively -- if that's a a word. Finally the server who later doubled as my cashier got around to noticing me. Everything would have been fine if I did not want to ask questions about the menu items. Having not smiled at me in the beginning he acted positively annoyed that I would ask about the menu. The man was harried and not happy in my opinion. Now to the worst part. I asked if the 8.50 was for a full plate breakfast. Some of you may laugh at this, but I don't see why a breakfast would be much more than this and the menu did not specify, The server looked at me funny and said yes. So I ordered and waited and got my "full" plate of three or four pancakes. They tasted great in spite of the service. I was surprised to get the bill as I was expecting the rest of my breakfast. When I questioned my server he acted like he did not comprehend that a full plate of breakfast consists of more than three or four pancakes and insisted that I received a full plate. So I paid, not happily, but I paid and then tipped accordingly. So to sum it up, the pancakes were good yet thin. Service sucked and price was way higher than it should have been for a few pancakes. I will not, if I can help it, ever be back to try this place again. But if you don't mind paying just shy of 10 (tax) for a few cakes and like crummy service then you will be rewarded with good food. read more

Yesterday, my family and I ate lunch at the Crest Cafe. My wife feels like she and I ate there four years ago. My family went in first as I had to park and walk to the restaurant. A significant amount of time (probably 5 - 6 minutes just in the time that I was there inside the restaurant) went by before a server came to our table to take our order. The food is so-so. Very much diner food. The wall decor has some nice artwork. When I asked for the check, the server told me she would get it. I also asked "May I please have a voucher for the parking lot?" She told me "You are supposed to get that before you park. You probably got a ticket. Ha-ha." She then walked away. An hour after we left the restaurant, I called and asked to speak to the manager. I was put on hold for 3 1/2 minutes. The owner asked how she could help. I explained that one of the servers at the restaurant treated a customer in an unprofessional way. The manager (I think she is the owner - Cecelia Moreno - linkedin.com/in/ceceliamoreno) told me "she was probably just kidding. Can't you take a joke?" After that comment, I ended our conversation. Rude people. read more

Came to Crest Cafe after taking my glucose test during pregnancy = I was hungry pregnant lady that had been fasting for 16 hours. I was hungry Stuck to the basics, eggs, hash-browns, bacon, toast and some OJ. Simple right? Ughhh I was quite disappointed. My eggs were okay but didn't taste like much. My hash-browns and toast were a little extra crispy for my liking and so was the bacon. I like my stuff crunchy but not that crunchy. I had a sip of coffee and that was a little roasted for my liking too. Service on the other hand was great. We were helped right away, our server was friendly and came by to check on us often enough. I'm open to giving this place another try. I came during the week, maybe they're better on the weekend. read more