I've been a customer of Crest Café for years. I'm disappointed to say I've been experiencing changes in the food and customer service for the past few years. Positive things about the restaurant: It is located in the heart of Hillcrest and places to have a good breakfast in this area are limited. This is the reason why I'm still being a client (less and less) of this place. The Caroline's Corn Tortilla is a small tasty plate that satisfies my appetite and it has everything: eggs, cheese, avocado, salsa, mango, and tortilla...great choice for a small breakfast: $8.50. Negative things about the restaurant: The only issue is that this plate used to be served with a side of fresh mango and another side of salsa fresca. Now is served only served with half the portion of a combination of both. It is a disappointment. The owner is a lady that is always in a rush and with a little of standoffish attitude. By checking other reviews, I find interesting I'm not the only one that thinks the same. Most of the time, the restaurant has a couple servers, even in rush hour. This really affects customer service, even to request a glass of water or the check is a drag. Conclusion: The three stars are due that I still have a soft spot for my favorite dish; the location of the place is in the heart of Hillcrest and you get to see so many cool, interesting people. I might come back once in a while if I'm craving my Corn Tortilla dish. Otherwise, Nordstrom Café is a better breakfast choice. read more

I didn't get a chance to review this place last Sunday, so here we are. This place has an old school, welcome vibe. I ordered the creme brûlée toast. I've enjoyed this toast elsewhere so I assumed I'd enjoy it here too! The syrup they use, mixes in with the creme brûlée sauce and makes it really runny. If you don't eat the toast in a timely manner it will get soggy, unless you like your toast soggy. They also added way too many strawberries, the dish would of been find with 4, not 10. The strawberries also had a very sour taste to them, which wasn't my cup of tea. I also ordered the snickers latte. This was definitely my favorite out of what I ordered. It was a well balanced drink! I could still taste the coffee, and no over powering sweetness. I'd definitely suggest this place to have a social meal with your friends and have a little snack and drink. The menu has no pictures, so bring your reading glasses! read more

Ate here on Sunday with a party of 8! And all we could do was talk about how happy we were with this place!! Everything on the menu all day long!! Breakfast was delicious tried lemon ricotta short stack, cafe eggs and breakfast sandwich all which were delicious! I personally had the pulled pork sandwich with Avocado and jicama slaw and not only was the portion huge it was fabulous!! The Mexican hot chocolate was also totally to die for!! What a little gem tucked into hill crest!! Also Guy from diners, drive ins and dives has praised this wonderful establishment!! It's a must try !! read more

I went to Crest Cafe last weekend for brunch. Me and my friend split the bacon pancakes and the breakfast quesadilla. Both were excellent. All pancakes should be filled with pancakes....the sweet and the savory go so well together with a dash of maple syrup. Also, the breakfast quesadilla was very good. It was filled with cheese, hash browns, eggs, cilantro and came with a yummy green salsa. The sandwiches are also very good here and the french fries. I recommend the meatloaf sandwich which is served cold and the tuna melt. The breakfast sandwich is also very good. I will be back soon for my next bacon pancake craving read more

I had high hopes for the butter burger and the creme brulee french toast. Guy, you disappointed me yet again! The toast was drenched in sauce that I felt was too sugary. Also, I like my french toast sitting in batter overnight and this didn't taste like that. The crust of the Challah bread (sp) didn't soak up any syrup and was too thick for my liking. BF liked it a lot but hey, this isn't his review. The burger was all grease. Frankly, I didn't taste the garlic mayo but I couldn't stomach more than a few bites. Kudos to making everything from scratch and being family-owned and operated. Service was excellent, even if the food was less than. read more

Ok food, service is so-so. Prices are overpriced for the quality and quantity. Better off hitting Snooze a block over. Trying to oversell Triple D experience. Not really sure why he visited in the first place. read more

Crest Cafe - Spinach Omellete - Cafes Near Me - San Diego, California

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My husband, daughter, and I came for breakfast on a Saturday - mainly because of the wait at Snooze. There were a few positives: very clean, I liked the church pew seating, sweet waitress, and the food was fresh. Not so positive: too crowded (even when not busy) it felt like people on either side of you are sitting on top of you. Super hot and stuffy - open a door and remove some of the tables. The poor waitstaff must feel like they are constantly tripping over customers. I had the eggs Benedict, it was ok but it was drowning in hollandaise sauce, which would have been ok had the sauce been good. My husband had the hangover scramble which he loved, and my daughter had the blueberry Belgian waffle which was good but nothing special. read more

DDD stop and I got the crème brulee French toast and wife got the eggs benedict with hash browns. My wife liked her dish and I got to try the hash browns, the hash browns are really good and the best thing I ate. My French toast was just ok, I wouldn't order it again. it was very mushy and soft. if we ever come back it would be to try the butterburger read more

One of our go to spots for quick service and amazing delicious food. Saw this place featured on Guys Diners, DriveIns and Dives. I ordered the creme brûlée French toast which Guy recommended and it was delicious. We have since been back number out times and love taking family and friends there. The servers are all amazing and all very attentive!! Love this place!! read more

Crest Cafe - Cafes Near Me - San Diego, California

Awesome place for breakfast. The wait is usually pretty long but it's worth it. My favorite is the lemon ricotta pancakes. A second favorite is the veggie breakfast mess, I like to add the chicken sausage. For lunch, I highly recommend the butter burger. The meat always tastes so fresh and the garlic mayonnaise they use is really tasty. I give 4 stars because of the Herb Crusted Chicken I tried one time. The pasta was undercooked and had no flavor. read more

Crest Cafe - Lemon ricotta pancakes - Cafes Near Me - San Diego, California

My husband and I have been looking for a breakfast place in San Diego area. So far we have no luck. We used a groupon to try out this place. It is a cute nice atmosphere but it was hard for us to find parking since it is not provided. Besides worried of getting a ticket, I felt comfortable eating at this place. The waiter was nice and friendly. The cook was also polite and friendly. I really like their cabo quesadilla. It was very good and tasty. However, my husband had huevos ranchero; he said the eggs were not well cook. This is why he believed it was not good and he had a hard time finishing up his meal. I guess we are still on a search for a breakfast place... read more

I really wanted to give this place more stars, but the service doesn't deserve more than 3. The location and food are great. I have yet to be disappointed in any dish that I've had there. It's the service that makes me think twice about going sometimes. The last time I went with friends we paid with cash and asked for the rest to be put on a credit card. The manager looked at us like we were crazy and made us write the exact amount to be put on the card after the cash was applied. It was simple math that could have been done at the register, but she was very rude in making us feel like we were putting her out. Our server also laughed at the fact that we were paying with cash. Not sure how she expected to get a good tip after that. They were also not subtle in letting us know they needed our table. I wasn't even finished eating yet and the manager was trying to take away my fork. She would come by to pick up any little thing she could and ask if there was anything else she could get us. I know they get busy on the weekends, but I pay to be there just like every other customer. read more

In the heart of Hillcrest lies the quaint and quirky Crest Cafe. I am never ready to order no matter how many times I come here. Just when I decide, a server walks by with another persons order. I have to ask what it is and then decide all over again. It doesn't matter what you get, really, it's all wonderful. On our most recent visit, my wife had the patty melt, grilled rye stuffed with a burger, cheddar cheese & grilled onions, and I had the Mac Truck Grilled Cheese. Fresh mac & cheese, parmesan, jack & cheddar with beef chorizo and kosher beef hot dog slices. I did say it was quirky. Don't miss the Jicama Slaw if it's available. Light and fresh flavors that are better than regular coleslaw. The house made fries are crispy and delightful. A true slice of uniqueness. Stop by soon. read more

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Went here for breakfast and we got the French Toast and it was really good. The creme bulle sauce was just sweet , I would ask for it on the side so you can control the sweetness. This was featured on the diners drive in,and dives show. There is awesome artwork on the outside and plenty of other resturants in the general vicinity. So once you find a place to park, you can definitely spent plenty of time walking of the great food. The only thing that I wasn't a fan of was that their were not many plates that had everything you wanted to you have to add a lot of the Ala crate menu...bacon,hashbrowns. Oh coffee was really good also. read more

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The food was fabulous! I went for Sunday bruch and split the veggie omelet and orange marmalade french toast with a friend. Both entrees were cooked to perfection and quite decadent. We also had coffee and mimosas. I usually hesitate to order mimosas since they typically come in champagne flutes and cost way too much for a few sips...but these were huge and delicious. Our waiter was a fairly unpleasant, which knocked one star off, but not bad enough to prevent me from going back. Bring your appetite and wear your eating dress! read more

After reading some of the reviews I almost didn't try this place. But since there is a surprising lack of take out options in Little Italy, I decided to give it a try tonight. HAPPILY SURPRISED!! It took somewhat long, about 45 minutes, but it's a Friday night, so no huge shock. The food was great! Since there was no kids menu, I ordered my son the sliders off the appetizer menu. They were really great sized, great quality & yummy! Ordered the Fruit Salad with cottage cheese, which seemed high at $10, but my son has this strange obsession with always eating fruit with his burgers. HOLY COW! It was a TON of fruit & good stuff at that. It will last us a couple days. I couldn't have made it for less. I had the Ranchero Chicken salad & it was really good. If I ordered it again for delivery I would asked for the cheese not to be melted, or put on the side, since it was slightly "congealed" when it got here. But the dressing? Honey Jalepeno. AMAZING! I wanted to drink it! Last, but not least, dessert. I asked the guy on the phone what was best & he said deep dish apple pie & he was not lying! It was really excellent! Finally we have a great place to order from, something other than pizza or hotel food, on the occasional night that we don't cook or want to venture out! read more

Came in yesterday because I had heard great things about the Creme Brule French Toast. The staff was super friendly and everything was nice and clean. The station the music was on was perfect for my taste (not the music most diners play). The service and food were AMAZING!! The server was super nice and attentive and the food didn't take long to come out at all! The Creme Brule French Toast was absolutely HEAVEN!! I'm sure I'll be making this a routine stop... Can't wait to try the Butter Burger!! read more

Ordered the classic French toast & chicken sausage for delivery, both were at best average and at their worst pretty dry. If you like juicy tender sausage then I do not recommend you order their chicken sausage. As for the French toast it just lacked the trademark cinnamon, rich creamy flavor I was expecting and had to be drowned in the margarine and corn syrup they provide to taste okay. read more

Nothing to give me the desire to come back...I ordered a vegetarian chili to go, service was fast which is great! But not if it was too fast to give me warm food, potatoes were cold, precooked from yesterday? Pieces of potatoes were dark or spoiled, food didn't taste good, maybe because it was cold? I just hope I don't get sick, I just couldn't finish the food... read more

THE WORST SERVICE EVER. Honestly I understand working alone on a SLOW night May not be the most fun time, but i believe LUIS took my order and was beyond rude and made it known he was not happy to be working this day. I ask a simple questions and he answered with so much attitude. When I asked to add something more to my order he sighed rolled his eyes and shook his head like it was the hardest task in the world right in front of me. Rude on a whole other level. Hopefully the food is better than the service. Definitely disappointed. read more

We are from out of town and decided to try this place after seeing that it was featured on tv!! First off the waiter took at least 15 mins to take our drink order by the time he came we had decided on the food and drinks. he brings out drinks with NO straws he then took forever to come back to the point that we had to get his attention and when we asked for straws he gives me 2 straws and we ask him for more straws for our waters and with an ATTITUDE says that they dont give straws for water when a few seconds before a couple next to us got a straw for his water without him asking!! So then he brings out our food and does not ask us if we need anything else! we start on the food and the food is pretty good but we were already a little irritated by the waiter we didn't fully enjoy it! so we have to get his attention AGAIN for refills, he doesn't ask hows the food or if we need anything else. After a while he brings the check with NO thank you or ANYTHING. We ask for the manager and this lady comes out and we explain EVERYTHING and she gave us a PATHETIC apology and thanked us for the feedback! she says shes the owner and it seemed like she didn't CARE! so i pay for my food and the waiter comes back and says "IM SORRY YOU ARE IN A BAD MOOD"!!! we couldn't believe it and oldl him and he denies everything and claims he said "im sorry i couldnt make you happy" that is still not a nice thing to say from a waiter!! on our way out we tell the "MANAGER" and she also denies and says he didnt say that when she clearly wasnt there!! Long story short food was good and the service was HORRIBLE thanks to our waiter FAUSTINO and the "MANAGER"!!! if you go here make sure you dont get FAUSTINO as a waiter!! wish we could give NEGATIVE stars read more

I was vacationing in San Diego for a week and out of all the places we tried this was by far the best. The food is amazing I recommend the chicken and waffles or French toast. The decor is really cute it's a small diner that had a line out of the building on Saturday morning so I suggest getting there earlier to get a table. Would definitely return when I go to San Diego again. read more

Crest Cafe - Cafes Near Me - San Diego, California

Good little neighborhood diner. Not great but very good, especially for the price. The service was actually very good. Portions were large. Atmosphere is comfortable and casual. I had the East Texas Fried Chicken. I expected fried chicken but received a chicken breast cooked like chicken fried steak. I enjoyed it but would try something different next time. Overall .... B-, with extra credit for great service. read more

Crest Cafe - East Texas Fried Chicken. Great vegetables. Not what I had pictured in my mind, but it was tasty. - Cafes Near Me - San Diego, California

The boyfriend and I are trying desperately to get out of this food rut we've been stuck in for the past... forever. He and I have both never been to this place and we've heard such great things so we decided to check this place out. The restaurant is cute albeit very small. Cute decor though. We came at the right time, there was only 2 other parties dining in so it was really quiet -- the perfect setting for time with my boo. The food is pretty good. I ordered the Spinach Ravioli while the boyfriend ordered East Texas Fried Chicken. We did that annoying thing couples do where they switch entrees halfway through the meal. Disgusting, I know. The ravioli was excellent. It was really light but filling. The fried chicken was something I could've done without. Not that it was bad, but it was really greasy and heavy. But I'm a fan of this place. Will definitely come back. read more

Absolutely loved the Texas fried chicken . Quite possibly the best fried chicken I have ever wolfed down. It was so crispy and had lots of spicy heat to it because of the added jalapenos and dashes of Tabasco sauced mixed into the batter. Very clever and certainly a piece big enough for any hungry man such as myself. Mashed potatoes were good and the steamed veggies felt like I was eating healthy when in reality I was really just pigging out on Americanized comfort food with lots of added butter and salt. Had a taste of the herb chicken pasta and even though the menu stated linguine noodles the noodles tasted overly thick and almost as if they were Japanese udon noodles. Only reason why I didn't award a perfect score was because those noodles weren't up to par. Beautiful artwork hanging inside but the tables are placed a little too close for my comfort. Luckily it wasn't that busy but I could imagine the chaos if the diner was reaching maximum capacity. All of the staff encountered during visit had cheerful and positive attitudes and treated all guests with generous hospitality. read more

This place came highly recommended and it stood true! Service was very quick and efficient. We were there midweek so there was no wait. Almond joy latte was amazing! We had the breakfast sandwich scramble, the breakfast burger, Apple French toast and a hash and everything was delicious! Portions were Big but priced accordingly. Totally worth it! read more

Stopped in late last night for a bite; I ordered the raisin french toast and a glass of water. While the raisin bread was just okay, the waiter we had was phenomenal! He was funny and quick witted making the experience even better! I also liked the elephant artwork on the side of the building very much as well! read more

Crest Cafe - The 3 raisin french toast - Cafes Near Me - San Diego, California

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I honestly had no idea what to expect. I drove passed a few times before and thought it seemed pretty rundown. My expectation were set pretty low, but I was excited to find that it was very homely diner-ish. Very unpretentious.. The kind of place that you wouldn't feel like a leper eating by yourself. There is no flash or frill - except for the menu. We had a really difficult time ordering - so we decided that we couldn't go wrong with ordering about 3/4 of what the offered. Umm.. let's see.. Steak artichoke salad, potato cake things, pot pie, turkey asparagus sandwich, and bread pudding.. It was shared among my boyfriend, my 3yr old, and I. We're disgusting. Oh and a vanilla latte and 2 beers (flying dog?.. yum) Anyway, the food was awesome because it's a twist on homecooking classics. The pot pie had curry chicken filling, the turkey slow roasted and folded into the cheese, their house dressing is tangy and creamy - but not overwhelming.. and you can't go wrong with Croissant Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding with Hagaan Daz vanilla ice cream. This food offered here is solid! So onto the service, maybe we were just lucky, considering some of the unhappy yelpers below. Our server, Nicholas, was da bomb. He was witty without trying. He made me the girl who laughed and then repeated the line a couple of times while chuckling softly. Lame. But he was so attentive - without being disruptive. Graceful interruption, it's an art. The only thing I have to complain about was how Nicholas brought out the bad girl in me when I discussed the possibility of ordering dessert. He gave me the puckered lip and glare that said, "Do it bitch. You know it sounds good. You can pay for the consequences later." That's all it took. And as he put the devil's work in front of us (Chocolate chip croissant bread pudding with Haagan Daz vanilla ice cream) - he laid the forks down and said... "Do it." read more

You know those days when you just don't want to go searching for food?You just want to run into a restaurant, ordered and eat. Well, today was one of those days and we walked into Crest Cafe. I didn't have huge expectations but I'm always down to find new go to spots in my hood so why not? It wasn't too busy when we arrived and we were seated right away. We ordered the Grilled Tuna Sandwich and the Turkey and Brie both on sourdough. Bread was crispy and greasy---diner crispy and greasy! Food was good but it definitely didn't knock my socks off. They didn't have any honey mustard but the server did offer me a honey jalepeno dressing which was awesome! Service was decent...I'm surprised at some of the low reviews but I enjoyed my visit and food here. I'll be back to check it out again for their breakfast. read more

This place was amazing. We went on a Saturday morning at 10 and we were seated right away. We ordered the breakfast scramble sandwich, the breakfast burrito and the eggs Benedict. Every single plate was delicious and amazing. The potatoes were even delicious. Great service. Our coffee cups were kept full the entire time. We will definitely be back read more

Crest Cafe - Cafes Near Me - San Diego, California

One of the few places that is open late and offers pretty good food. I am a fan of their salads (basil dressing is great) and we just tried their turkey enchiladas last night, they were really tasty. I always have a hard time choosing what I want because of their extensive menu and everything just looks so appetizing. Service can be hit or miss I've had unbelievably great waiters but last night was pretty mediocre. read more

I had ordered the tuna melt the first time I ate here (I usually always like tuna melts) and it was overly fishy, to the point I couldn't stand the smell let alone the taste. My boyfriend thought so as well. I wanted to give this place another chance, so I ordered fish & chips and it was the same exact taste and smell. Idk what sauce or whatever they cook there fish items with, but I'm sorry to say it was horrible :-( and I had spent almost $80 each time. So I wasn't very stoked about that. Also, I love peach cobbler!! Like... loooove it. The first time I tried ordering it and they were out but it was the end of the night so that's understandable.. but I was able to get it the 2nd go round. And that to, was bad. It was all mush & maybe a half slice of peach. I couldn't taste anything peachy, just raw dough or something. And the texture was just all wrong. Im sure they have something on the menu I would like but I'm not willing to spend another $80 to find out. The virus did not effect the food, either. Unfortunately. But I love the set up of the place and the dude that was working was super cool. read more

There is nothing about this place that I don't like. A little noisy perhaps, and the tables are a little close together...but that's all I got. The food is great, all from scratch. It's an easy place to take vegetarians. The soups are outstanding (and I've tried all of them but the albondigas is the clear winner) and I usually go with the soup and half sandwich special. Generous portions, so get a to go box and enjoy it for two days. If you sign up for their mailing list they send out buy one entree get one free coupons every once in a while. I haven't been for breakfast, which where I see some of the complaints on yelp coming from. However, the burgers are great, the salad dressings are excellent and did I mention the soups? read more

Wonderful cafe with a charming atmosphere! They give you large servings, so you definitely get your moneys worth! read more

I have been eating at the Crest since I was a wee little kid. On a scale of 1-10 you should place a high bid. The vibe is queer friendly which makes me feel at ease, the food tastes so good it brings me to my knees. Spicy pasta in cream sauce and burgers filled with butter, It is these comforting delights that give me a happy shudder. Salads are piled high with fresh greens and some veggie, Sitting at their tables never makes me feel edgy. The staff is always kindly and the food tastes jut right, Crest Cafe of San Diego: you are my shining dining knight. read more

Wow! That would be the best word to describe our experience at the Crest Cafe. We came as a family based on the Triple D show and unlike many others places we ventured out to try-only to be disappointed, this place did not dissapoint!! I tried the brûlée French toast, my wife went with the chicken pot pie. My 4 kids ordered all manner of pancakes, and they were all licking their plates clean. The atmosphere was great, our server from Toledo was equally great and our experience was a-one! My only regret is that I was too full to try the butter burger!! Next time.... read more

Just in town for the weekend and wanted the simple breakfast lucky for me I found this special cozy joint. As I sat down the waiter was on it and say me down immediately the menus and a flyer that shows the the famous shows Triple Ds was here Awesome !!!! That's a good sign but I was really impressed to see that the waiter Faustino knows his regulars by first name and that they know him that's a great sign of customer service and just that he really cares about this place. By the way the food is great I don't think I have seen a plate come out that didn't look yummmmmyyyyy. I recommend this place to everyone you will love it. read more

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Stopped in for breakfast at this spot. Best decision! The food was delicious. I had the lemon and ricotta pancakes. Staff was quick and friendly especially server Jason. I would definitely return to sample a few of the other items on the menu. read more

The food is good but the service is shocking.... No one seems to be on a section so the staff run around like headless chickens. You wait forever to get services and when they ask you can they get you anything else... You don't get it.... 3 times I have been and it's the same thing over and over again.. the management needs to look how things are run in this restaurant.... The food will not keep this place going on it's own read more

I wanted to try a different place to eat from my normal routine so, my son took me here for Mother's Day. I was a bit nervous. The outside was a little dated and that made me start to wonder about the food. Once inside I started to relax a little. It had it own personal charm. The decor was fun and playful, which to me made it a perfect relaxing place to eat with the family. The host Daniel was pleasant and attentive. I was not sure want to eat, so I ask him what was good. He gave me a few suggestions. I ordered the lemon zest pancakes, and my sons ordered chicken and waffles, and a mediterranean breakfast dish. Let me tell you I was most delighted with every dish that was put on our table. The pancakes were light and fluffy, the chicken was so moist, and I have never seen a over easy egg cooked so perfect. I am kind of a chatty person, so I was happy when the host stopped by and talked with us (even though he was busy) even the cooks took the time to talk. Over all I was pretty impressed with this sweet little hidden gem. I am definitely going back and taking all of my friends. read more