On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Categories: Diners, Burgers, Sandwiches [Edit]
Neighborhood: La MesaMon-Sun. 6:30 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Loading...
So you've been held captive in the basement of that creepy old guy that lives across the street from you for the last two months. He's done things to you that are unmentionable (which may or may not include him performing an interpretive dance while he blasts Abba's Greatest Hits). You've finally managed to escape and you KNOW the first thing that needs to be done (aside from finding out when Michael Jackson's "This Is It" comes out on Blu-Ray). Forget revenge. Forget calling the Po Po. You're f*ckin' hungry as your stomach has been growling for the last 7 weeks. Where should you go that will give you enough food to gain back that 20 pounds? The Lake Murray Cafe, is what I say.
LMC (breakfast spot # 27) was packed and crawling with those that were EASILY eligible for Social Security. Our waitress was really nice and I'm surprised that this girl did not have Popeye forearms considering the heavy plates of food that she carries around. What did she bring us?
The Spanish omelette (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) was great, so I was told. I ordered the Lumberjack which consists of three (3) pancakes (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) which were great. On the second plate was bacon, sausage, eggs and hash browns (http://www.yelp.com/bi...). I was actually given a plate with home fries (as you can see in the picture) but the waitress quickly realized the mistake shortly after the fact.
I was given so much food that I couldn't even finish it all. It was damn good and I can't deny that it was DEFINITELY worth the money. It took a while for us to get our check but the girl was busy so I have no problem cutting her some slack, jack.
The conversation going on behind me was classic. There were two old guys asking the waitress if she wore Victoria's Secret lingerie (!) and if she was into handcuffs (!!).
If she happens to be reading this, I hope she stays far away from those two as I'm sure at least one of them probably owns a basement!
My boyfriend, myself, and out two friends went here this past Sunday morning for brunch. The parking lot was so full that we needed to park on the street.
When we got inside it was indeed busy, but not to the extent I had imagined judging from all the cars in the parking lot. All the girls at the host stand seemed to have no idea what they were doing, they would say "right this way" and then turn around and start helping someone else. CONFUSING! So we eventually sat ourselves.
Our waitress 'Dasha' is the name that was on the reciept was absolutley HORRIBLE. I'm sorry but I don't think this woman can speak OR understand english. When she greeted us she brought out two waters for a table of four, and didn't bring the other two for atleast five minutes after. Then she took our actual drink order, and that took about another five minutes to be brought to our table... for two coffees???
The menu was quite extensive and had what sounded like a lot of tasty dishes. I settled for the veggie/fruit platter with cottage cheese, luckily I pointed at what I wanted as I ordered it, to be sure that she did not get it wrong. My boyfriend ordered an omlette, and our two friends both ordered dishes with egg sides, only one asked for NO cheese on his eggs as he is highly lactose intolerant, and his eggs sunny side up. The other asked for cheese on the eggs, and eggs scrambled.
When the food was brought out, our friend who ordered the cheese-free sunny side up eggs, got scrambled eggs WITH cheese, and the other got scrambled eggs without cheese. They eventually just transfered there eggs to different plates, even though I told them to send it back.
Not only did Dasha never come back to ask us if our food was okay or refill our waters, we had to wave her down to get our bill. Did she really forget about us? Or was she just on crack? Also when we asked our bill to be split she just split it 50/50 instead of putting the two separate meals on different bills.
Oh yes, and the avocado on my dish was totally brown and nasty looking, which was a shame because I love avocados, the fruit also tasted less than fresh.
Coffee was okay.
THANKS DASHA. My first and only time I'll go here.
3 dollar tip on an almost fifty dollar bill seems perfectly fair.
My boyfriend said he's been there three times and he always has Dasha... do I even need to tell you what he has to say about her?
I THINK NOT.
Next time I want crappy service and mediocre food I'll go to Dennys and save 25 bucks.
The parking lot is always packed, which I took as a good sign when deciding to check out LM Cafe. The french toast was good, not great, and I suspect that they are salting the bacon, rendering it inedible.
I will say that the fresh salsa and service was excellent. This place would also be good for groups, as I saw at least four parties of more than six people there. But I probably won't be returning because the food is just so-so and the prices are a bit high.
If your favorite flavor is paper this is your spot. When you were in little league if you would rather chew on the leather strings holding your mitt together than the big league chew the normal kids had stuffed into their heads you'll love it. If your tastebuds are so old and delicate that any sensation might send them into cardiac arrest Lake Murray Cafe is for you.
Worst french dip ever. Bottom piece of bread was mush. Meat was the taste and texture of the insoles from last years' running shoes. Au jus was coppery and oily. Paid extra for cheese, no provolone in the place, had to settle for sweaty swiss. I couldn't bring myself to eat more than half of it, so I boxed up the rest to feed to my neighbor's dog, but figure I could get arrested for being cruel to an animal so tossed it in the trash. Just glad for the 4 dollar heineken to wash the taste out of my mouth.
Before today it had been a few years since I'd been here thanks to the worst breakfast ever. I'd walk past this place to eat breakfast a 7-11. I'd rather have corn nuts and a slurpee to start my day than eat the paste that these folks try to pass off as biscuits and gravy. Sausages like week old cat droppings...
Enough. I don't like it. You get it.
This place has got some good motherfuckin meatloaf.
A few weeks ago, I realized that I'd gone off on an ethnic food tangent. It was time to bring it back home and start having some comfort food.
I had a tasty pork chop and my wife had meatloaf. Both of us left fat and happy, but after having a taste, I think my wife left more happy than I did. DAMN that was some good meatloaf.
Positive
+Tasty home cookin.
+Friendly and efficient wait staff. Young as hell, but they got em trained well.
+Price is right
Negative
-People watching wasn't that great... mostly just old folks.
Bottom Line...
Definitely a good place to stop when you want to be reminded of home. Now that I'm back in the North County, I'm gonna have to try out Cafe 56.
This place is awesomely delicious.
Let's start with why I'm knocking a whole star off! The wait is never long to be seated at this place, they've recently expanded the location and its helped with that issue.
Once you're seated and place your order in it takes forever and a day to get your food!!! Not a good thing when you have a growling tummy like mine.
Once the food arrives its nothing but yummy goodness. I've only ever come for breakfast and their entire breakfast menu rocks!!! Large portions for your money, even splittable the food is so plentiful!
My favorite is their french toast, and they make some killer pancakes too. Good coffee is always a plus!!!
This place is very family-friendly and always clean. You don't see much of that anymore at many places. We always come in a large group which could also be another reason why are food takes for ever to come out but other than that this place is a keeper!!
Went there on a Sunday afternoon, 11ish. Was torn between breakfast and lunch, and settled on lunch after looking at their extensive burger list. Ordered a Mexicali burger, coffee, onion rings, and a water. The wait was very reasonable and I had the luxury of eating outside on a very pleasant day (during a time where it has been downright balmy). Food came and the portions blew my mind. Loved the fact that they asked me how I'd like my burger cooked, which is (to me) always a sign that the meat is fresh.
Was able to down the full order of freshly-made onion rings and 1/2 of the huge burger. Plan on going there tomorrow a bit earlier to gorge on their breakfast menu. If breakfast is as good as their lunch, I have found my new go-to spot for comfort food.
I ordered the Bacon&Eggs a couple weeks ago with hash browns and a biscuit and let me tell ya, I'm never eating breakfast at Denny's again. Lake Murray's equivalent to the Grand Slam is just incredible. They claim you get 2 eggs, but they must be ostrich eggs or something because those things took up half a plate. The hash browns took up the other half, and the duo was topped with 4 beautiful pieces of bacon. It was one of the hottest presentations of breakfast I have ever seen.
FTW!
If I lived in the apartments across the street, I'd come to this place everyday.
I first heard of LMC…
Read more »
Food is decent, service is bad.
The waitresses don't really listen to what the customers say. I had phoned in an order for a breakfast burrito and went in to pick it up. I told the waitress three times that I had called in. She still managed to somehow double order. It kinda annoys me because these people speak English. I've been to restaurants before where the wait staff's English is limited but they've never mess up my requests, ie China Max understands Sriracha sauce.
Meh is right! I waited about a half-century to get some decent food, which our waitress had obviously forgotten despite the place not being all that busy.
I got a quesadilla that was a sort of half-quesadilla, half-scramble with bacon, eggs, tomato, avocado, green onions and all that good stuff. It was good but there was one tomato and it was limp and sitting off to the side of my plate. My avocado was crappy guacamole with giant chunks of avocado. Do not like.
And to top it all off, no liquor license means no Bloody Marys or mimosas! Whaaaaat? I need booze with my Sunday breakfast, people!
Wow, mediocre; these two words generally never coincide with each other, but here they apply.
When I walked into this spacious restaurant, I was immediately overwhelmed by the smell of dust and meatloaf. I cant say, with all of my heart, that this permeating aroma made me want to dash into my booth and start rattling my silverware in a ravenous tirade.
When I sat down, I looked to the window next to me. The entire slab of glass was matted with children's handprints - I felt like I was in a bad horror film, waiting to be accosted by the ghost of a toddler. A bottle of Windex would exercise these demons, I think.
The menu at Lake Murray Cafe is like flipping through an unabridged version of War and Peace; there is so much to look at, I had a difficult time finding one specific thing. The restaurant, in fact, reminds me of a poor man's DZ Akins. The big thing here is that, no matter how many times I thumb through blotchy-looking pages of laminated food items, the dishes themselves really dont taste that amazing.
I suppose I cant say anything bad about Lake Murray Cafe, but there is no reason why someone should suggest it - unless you want to blacklist Denny's. I do appreciate the fact that there is a lot of seating for large parties. I wouldnt suggest you haul a lot of teenagers to the place, however, as this place is like Carrows 2.0 with the amount of seniors waddling around.
On a side note: Why oh why did you get your liquor license suspended? Did a rabid wolf latch onto your calf, distracting you, before you checked an underaged person's ID? Did a helicopter blade slash through the roof mid-liquor sale so that you couldn't complete the transaction in a ethically suitable fashion, making you skip your moral obligations, and scoop up a Corona in panic?
Oh well. I'll come back - if in the area - for seconds. They have friendly service and decent breakfast plates. I just want someone to clean off the windows.
At the insistence of my son, who was perturbed at my rating this place with "only" three stars a few months ago, we returned to Lake Murray Cafe last week. I have bumped my rating to five stars.
As someone else pointed out on Yelp, an establishment should be rated according to others within its class. It simply isn't fair nor even practical to judge a place any other way. And so, if we put Lake Murray within a category of similar eateries, it rates a five.
Consider this place if you want an eating experience similar to what easterners would consider a classy diner, but much larger in physical size and with a much bigger and more interesting menu. Think about Lake Murray Cafe if you have had it with Denny's, but want that level of casualness.
We once again had lunch. Service was fine and the food was very good. It's probably not going to be rated by Zagat but why should it be?For what it is, it's doing just fine.
Okay, Greg?
My son is a student at SDSU and he and several of his friends have developed an affinity for this… Read more »
What an excellent establishment.
-HUGE menu on which everything I've ever seen/tasted happens to be amazing
-GREAT service (quick, accommodating and attentive)..our waitress even ran after our car in the parking lot because we forgot our leftoevers
-lots of seating in large, comfy booth with huge tables if you want to spread out work or something
-and clean bathrooms!
I'm sad I wasn't aware of how great this place was when I was at SDSU!
Went on a Friday night right after work with the folks. Mom & I got there before Dad and my bro, they seated us, got us water and gave us rolls. Oh my gawd. They are fresh baked and HUGE with real butter on the table. Inside half is booths and half is tables. Outside seating too.
Large menu with wide variety of choices with a senior and kids menu. The senior menu btw is just a lower price not a smaller portion. The dinner salad is large. Enough to be lunch anyway. Homemade croutons too.
Mom ordered the turkey dinner. Real breast meat. I tasted her stuffing and veggies both seasoned well. the stuffing was nice, light sage flavor without it being overwhelming.
The rest of us had the all you can eat friday night fish - not just chips choice of baked potato, mashed potatoes or fries. Dad said the tarter sauce was good but the coleslaw was a little wired. None of us could place the flavor but it was sweet without being sugary. The fish was well cooked - its not Chef Johns but its better than most places.
Parking is limited but there is a hidden dirt lot to the left of the restaurant. The service was good. They were busy but the server was on top of keeping drinks filled. Our food came out in a timely manner. We noticed that the bus boys were on the ball when it came to clearing tables. We also noticed that nearly everyone had a to go tray because the portions are so large.
4 adults ate well for $55.
Came here a few times with my cousins
and its an okay place to eat. It gets pack
though, they do give a pretty good portion
size food, and sharing is always caring :)
But if your around the neighborhood and
you want some pretty reasonable priced
food this place can be a choice to go to.
Especially on a sunny/breezy Spring
day :) perhaps after a stroll around Lake
Murray hm...
MEATLOAF.
If you are a meatloaf lover, dis b da place!
Until yesterday, I had not found a place that made meatloaf like my moms: chopped green bell pepper added..and still crunchy! Even the onions you could see and still had a but of crunch to them! Excellent!
Great brown gravy, and the meatloff was moist.
PRO:
And, yes, this place feeds you........so anorexic, vegan gals and their skinny, hipster boi toys beware. "This is not the place you are looking for.
Be on your way."
I had the garden salad, mashed potatoes, with brown gravy, meatloaf,(3 large pieces) roll, veggies(zucchini, carrots, onions, red bell peppers).
Needlesstosay,,,,,,I had a doggie bag for lunch the next day. Rolls are sublime. Portions are HUGE. Prices are real decent. Place is clean.
I've had the Chicken Fried Steak, and it was basically like all other joints: same pre-processed *steak* patty, breaded. Gravy was good white, sausage gravy.
CON: My only complaint: the chain is called San Diego Home Cooking, but only one location is actually IN San Diego way up in Rancho Penasquitos.
So, this restaurant along with the others(Lakeside, Escondido, Rancho Penasquitos)is a destination eatery, and not unless you are a HUGE fan, not worth the drive just for home cooking, as you pass up Mimi's, Coco's or even Denny's.(!!)
$9.99 early bird dinner.(B4 5:30pm). ..but who can get there B4 5:30pm? Seniors Only & Unemployed, as their locations are in the suburbs, where most folks work & commute.(ever try to drive to Lakeside or La Mesa or Rancho Penasquitos by 5:30???....can we say, gridlock?)
Good spot if you are in the area.....like a once a month thing..and want good meatloaf.
I would maybe go back here for lunch or dinner, seems like the reviews are good for it. But I will never go back for Breakfast. Everything was par to not that great. Biscuits and Gravy was soupy with a very bland mild taste. The fruit was just the green melon, no variety. Nice enough people there but just not worth the money... So, far in this area if you want a good breakfast stick with Brothers on Waring Rd.
Back on my mission to find the best French Dip Sandwich, I tried the fair at Lake Murray Cafe. (It's pronounced Murr-ray, not Mur-ee)
The sandwich was Ok, so three stars for that, but I have to give another star just for the rest of the menu. It's way above the Denny class for a Diner. Portions are large, service is good and the prices are very reasonable.
Back to the Dip, the Au-jus hinted of the can it came in so no spectacular reviews for that, and as always, too salty. The meat was tender and sliced thick, and the roll was fresh. (BTW, they have the most awesome dinner rolls here too). I was disapointed to find that the fries were extra. And they were nothing to speak of, pretty average.
Place is clean, restroom decent, and we had no trouble parking.
I want to come back and try breakfast on the patio.
Oh yeah, watch the mail circulars for coupons they occasionally put out for this and their other three locations.
i'll start with this: eggs benedict - hands down my fave.
for years, i've watched other people eat eggs benedict... not really knowing what it was, afraid to try it (cause it had that weird sauce that i didn't know how to pronounce). finally, my curiosity broke me down, i googled eggs benedict (and whatever that damn sauce was made of) and decided i needed to try it.
lake murray cafe broke my virgin yolk... and i fell in love instantly. the eggs are always poached just right, the sauce is never to lemon-y, the muffins toasted perfectly, a healthy slice of ham, and with a nice helping of well-cooked hash browns. makes me crave breakfast just thinking about it.
i've always been a steak and eggs kinda guy, but this dish makes me forget steak altogether (which is hard to do with my eating habits).
ever since discovering eggs benedict, i've been to many other breakfast spots to try them out and i can say that lake murray cafe really knows what's up.
as for the restaurant... they tend to always be busy during the weekends, which is always understandable. sometimes its difficult to get a seat on the inside, but it's been an improvement with their expansion. i prefer to sit outside anyway, since my puppy likes to sit on the patio with me. yes, they are dog friendly. the staff friendliness is average, although depending on how busy they get, you can sometimes feel a little neglected. it's a nice, clean place to eat with damn good breakfast dishes (the steak and eggs are really tasty, too) as their menu's state they have "the best breakfast in town."
i have to give it four stars because i love the eggs benedict and they're always nice to my puppy.
it's only downfall: there's never any parking and i'm forced to park down the street... every time.
Very good diner for breakfast and brunch. They have real maple syrup here. Waffle, french toast, or everything else-all good.
Right price, right service.
Lake Murray Cafe has a vast menu for any taste: They have great burgers, and salads, and a whole array of breakfast, lunch, and dinner items.
They have good home cookin lick homemade dinner rolls,and mashed potatoes. Indeed, there is something for every taste.
So after a beach clean up at Crown Point a group of us went to Lake Murray Cafe for lunch. Megan got the veggie scrambler and I had the breakfast burrito [minus the bacon and sausage].. Considering it was a Saturday and we had a group of eight, service was pretty good. The food was good too. The portions were HUUUGE! And the price almost unbelievable considering the amount of food on your plate. Give it a try if you're ever in the area.
Ps. Parking may be a problem
I really want to give this place 4 stars because of my first visit, but my second visit made this place a breakfast hell hole for me. The first time the food was alright but our waitress was so incredibly nice that it made the time spent there fantastic.
However, the other waitress we got on our second visit must of been on her period or something because she was a BITCH! I have never had a waitress be so rude and inattentive. The hostess sat us down and she was sweet, but then the demon waitress marches towards us and just says "drinks." No "hey guys" or "Good morning" or even a "Hi". Once we both said what we wanted to drink she just walked away. She didn't make any eye contact or say she will be right back. She drops off our drinks after waiting several minutes. I know its sometimes rude of customers to be on the phone when we are trying to order, but since we were waiting so long my bf got a phone call and took it. She comes over and says "what do you guys want" and I just looked at her and kind of nudged my bf to get him off the phone, once he does he apologizes and she didn't even respond to his apology. After taking our order she just takes the menus and walks away.
Maybe its just me, but I think when you go out to a breakfast joint its a start to your day. So you would want a friendly person taking your orders. BUT WAIT FOLKS, IT GETS WORSE! So after bringing out our food she didn't ask if we needed anything else, but she did say that my muffin wasn't going to be ready for a few minutes and I said "well that's okay" by the time that came out of my mouth she was already walking away. She then came over and said "Don't worry I didn't forget about your muffin", I was like great we are turning a new leaf and she must of just been cranky, now we will get some real customer service. WRONG! She then brings out my muffin and just slides it on the table and turns her back to us and I said "Oh Thank You" and she responds with "Okay"...Okay...I don't even know how that applies to the thanks I said. Mid-Meal she dropped off the check and didn't say anything. She never came to stop by and ask how our food is, she never said thanks for coming in, she never said anything at all remotely close to what you should say while waitressing.
Now my bf and I have never done this, I mean never. But we didn't leave a tip, we were so upset that the food was ruined by her lack of personality and professionalism while working.
The food was so-so. The eggs I got were a grayish color and didn't taste good at all. The muffin I waiting ten minutes for was good, but the rest of my meal was mediocre at best. My bf said his food was good but he was so turned off by our waitress that it began to ruin his appetite.
This food isn't as great as it seems it would be. It i always busy and brings in the crowds. But I would say if you want crappy service and mediocre food, then stop by this La Mesa hot spot to be severely disappointed.
This place may serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner...but I only come here for breakfast.
I'm pleased with their Portuguese (Cherize) Sausage and their Biscuits & Gravy.
Their biscuits are homemade and you can really taste it in their B&G dish.
Not only that, but their hashbrowns are freshly grated at the restaurant, not the frozen kind.
The service was good, coffee cup stayed empty a minute or two, but that's because I'm a hob goblin when it comes to caffeine. I can't expect the peeps to keep up with me! :o)
Overall, a good breakfast place.
Pros: I LOVE the breakfast here. Definately the best in the area. Big fresh portions, not greasy, really homemade and delicious & very reasonable prices. It's not that big but they just knocked down a wall and added an extra dining rm. Also, the wait goes really fast, the longest I've had to wait was 10 min and it was very busy.
Cons: It's always busy and they have very little parking and usually the St. parking is full but I like it so much I'd park across the St. @ the church. Also, they just got bought out (new ownership sign) so it doesn't seem to be family owned & operated anymore. There are alot of new faces & it looks like they hired a lot of 18 and under yr olds who are still getting the hang of it. I was there yesterday and our waitress forgot one of our sides which sucked but the portions are so big it didn't matter plus she was very apologetic and took it off the bill and also gave us an extra discount.
They really have a sweet breakfast place going here. The lunch and dinner are ok, but the breakfast food is fantastic!
What do you want? Pancakes? Delicious. Waffles? Delicious. French Toast? Delicious. Eggs? Well, it's tough to fuck up eggs, but... Delicious.
The frequently Eastern European waitresses are tough to understand at times but they always get your order right and are helpful when you need them. Sometimes they're spread a little too thin when the place is busy but they get the job done still.
Yay Lake Murray Cafe! You make me wish I was up in time for breakfast more often!
What the eff is up with this place?
I've been here many times, and I always leave disappointed. And apparently, I'm in the minority! This place always seems to be packed (with old geezers, btw).
I came here this afternoon with my family and MIL. We were seated and it took about 10 minutes before we were given menus and had our drink order taken. I hate waiting when I'm freakin' hungry/thirsty/pissed. And I was pretty much all three at that point.
Once we ordered, it didn't take long to get the food. The food was decent. I got the Monte Cristo (see pic). Big Daddy got the club and he kids split a pancake and egg.
The service is weird here.
Have been here about 3times, everytime it was good food and great service. Parking seems to be lacking, I think each time i went i had to park on the side street.
Overall I recommend this place and its nicely located as well.
This place is definitely a nice diviation from the commercial eating establishments you can find around town, the place is small, cute and well kept, although the parking lot is small for the amount of business they get.
My food was alright, but a little bit more expensive for being a small, simple, independently own joint. I only ordered a burger and fries.
Our waiter was high school age but very polite and attentive.
Overall the experience was nice, although I was freezing because the AC was high.
I give this place a 3.5....but I will round up to 4.
I would recommend this place if you are live or find yourself nearby, but I wouldn't suggest going out of your way to come here.
Parts of Lake Murray Cafe are great; parts of it need work.
5 stars for service.
5 stars for cleanliness, including the bathroom (and an extra star for having a changing table).
5 stars for the menu - lots of choices and a great kids menu.
3 stars for the wait - somehow our food took a lot longer than the food for the tables around us, but the server did stop and check in with us, so that was good.
3 stars for the food, but next time we're in the neighborhood I'd be willing to give it another try. Fries - soggy and greasy. Dinner roll - fantastic, tasty and huge. Onion rings - greasy but pretty good. Patty melt - the first one that came out was BAD...way, way overcooked (I ordered medium and it was charred and dry), hugely thick in the front and no meat on the sides or in the back, all of which made it almost impossible to eat. I sent it back and the replacement was much better - cooked medium, piping hot, thinner patty that fit the bread. Good news - I got fresh hot fries on the new plate, Bad news - they were hot, but somehow still soggy and greasy.
Beer and wine is a nice addition ("is" or "are"? I mean "beer and wine" is kinda one thing - you know - beerandwine. My wife the grammarian will know...anyway...) and they take credit cards. A little on the pricey side, but the kids menu prices are good. A/C is VERY cold.
All in all, a mixed experience. Will try again and report back.
I must give it one extra star for feeding me while my home was being remodeled and I didn't have a kitchen available.
We were so excited to have a new cafe open (almost four years ago) and we gave it a fair try. However, about a month later in one of our several visits to this cafe, we sensed the smell of sewage inside the cafe. We smelled this at least two more times and decided to never return.
Sometimes the service can be VERY slow. The food is not bad and they are always very busy.
Conveniently located around the corner from my house, this place has come to my rescue a few times now.
The last morning I ventured in was after a huge party we had at my place. A group of the 5 last standing went in around 8 am. I unfortunately fell asleep at the table, but my friends were pleased and said the waitress wasn't to upset by my drunk antics. I also left my cell phone in the booth that morning. They could have given me a lot more dirty looks and shit when I came back later that day for the walk of shame, but they were kind and had my phone waiting for me at the host stand. They even knew my name when I walked in, odd.
Now, for the times that I do remember. Good Food. But how do you run out of gravy? GRR! The first time we ate here we ordered the biscuits and gravy plate and didn't find out until 5 or 10 minutes after ordering that they were out of gravy. 5 or 10 minutes are like hours when you are out for breakfast. The server apologized and made up for it with her cuteness and service.
On other occasions I have ordered the omelets and been pretty content. Good on coffee refills. The orange juice is way overpriced. Actually, for being what it is, and for being located where it is all of the menu items should be about a dollar or two less. The tab ends up being a little too expensive for eating at your diner around the corner.
The restaurant itself is nice. Clean, nice artwork, nice bathrooms, cute patio and natural light from all of the paneled windows around the joint.
This is a place to go eat if you live with in a reasonable range. I wouldn't drive here from the beach or north park, but if your choices include Carrows, Dennys or that crappy little place that used to be Bakers Square.... go here.
ps. minus kudo points for not serving alcohol. Come on, get with the program!
Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day, especially after a night of copious drinking and wanton debauchery. Give me an unending cup of coffee, eggs over medium, whatever else on the plate is optional and a paper - and I am good to go.
I only eat breakfast at Lake Murray Cafe, so I cannot speak to the service or non-breakfast items. But from those experiences, I am very very happy with the food and service. The tall lady with the Slovak accent is very attentive and great at keeping my coffee cup full.
And the portions. The portions are awesome. When I order the corned beef hash and eggs, corned beef takes up about 60% of my plate. The eggs, no matter the style I order them are spot on. Get there early enough for the waffles made to order that are the size of an adult's head.
Sitting outside on the patio is a nice bonus, but also brings my only complaints about the Cafe. First, since you're outside there are the flies to contend with - hey it's nature right? Then you also have to contend with people's stupidity, as they BACK their cars up to the patio where people are eating. Hello, people, exahust! Get a freaking clue!
Other than what was just mentioned, I would HIGHLY recommend Lake Murray Cafe.
Went to this Cafe today with a friend. Great for breakfast. I had a Denver Omlett, yum. My friend had the Chicken Fried steak and was very happy too. The portions here are huge. It is good home-cooked food.
Parking is tight (not many spots). You will wait for a table if you get there after 9 AM on Sunday.
The place fine...if you have several hours to kill. I've been their twice and have waited WAY to long for food. First time was New Years Day, so I thought - hey, well they must be busy because of the holiday. But this last time -- regular weekend -- several empty tables-- and I had to wait 53 minutes for french toast. 53 minutes from ordering -- really? The french toast was fine, but not 53 minutes fine! I sat outside both times. If that makes a difference I'll never know -- because after this trip I'll never bother with this place again.
Well. I am trying very hard to figure out a reason why I shouldn't give Lake Murray Cafe a 5 star rating... but I just can't think of any.
I love this place. I came here today after a long hike up Cowles Mtn. It was about 10:30am, Saturday and I was ready for some pancakes. I ordered the Lumberjack and my GF, the Baja Omelet. I cannot tell you enough, about how much we enjoyed our meals.
The Lumberjack. So good. Back to basic it is; 3 eggs, 3 link sausages, 3 slices of bacon, my choice of potatoes, and 3 pancakes. OMG, that was so much food. Just check out the pic I uploaded. So good. Like, how could you make this dish any better, right? Well, they made it better. Everything was perfectly cooked the way I wanted it. Plus, a big big big plus, my home fries (aka country potatoes) had grilled onions and bell peppers in it. Just a little extra ingredients made em go from "mmm, tasty" to "Oh so delicious".
The Baja Omelet. Pic also uploaded. Pure perfection. I wish I had ordered this, it was that good. Asking the GF now, she can't remember what was in it but it was a Mexican style omelet and came with a very tasty salsa.
To top it all off, the service was superb. I could not be happier. I was more than happy to smack down a generous tip. To top it all off their coffee was pretty darn good too. I left Lake Murray Cafe saying, "Oh yeah. I'm coming here again... and again".
Fat, dumb, and happy. That is exactly what breakfast at Lake Murray Cafe will leave you. It did me =)
I went to breakfast with a friend on Denny's free grand slam day. We intended to swoop in, wolf down breakfast, and head to our 8am class. I guess half of SDSU had the same idea. Frantic and hungry, we were stuck finding a plan B. I suggested Lake Murray Cafe. We sat there in the deserted parking lot at 6:30am until we saw an elderly gentleman enter. Are they open? I don't know? Should we go in?...We finally did and discovered they start serving food at 7. We explained our predicament to the waiter who was very understanding and promised she would put our order in as soon as the clock bonged 7. A few cups of coffee later, I was devouring a delicious breakfast amongst an undeniably quieter crowd than I would have found at Denny's. In conclusion: yes, $9 is more than FREE, but really, you get what you pay for.
I went here for breakfast 2 days in a row last week after some "finals" (at times I love being an… Read more »
It's a hard concept for some people to grasp that not everything within the proper definition of a city is great or everything within the proper definition of a suburb is horrible by default.
The Lake Murray Cafe serves some pretty tasty food and is a great alternative to the larger chain restaurants like Coco's and Denny's that typically control the suburban areas. It's a nice neighborhood spot without a pretentious feel and is worth a try. My mom and I sat outside during our visit however the interior looked like most diners with old memorabilia decoration.
If you're the kind of person who believes a place CANNOT be good unless someone is riding past on a bike out front, a major bus-line is nearby or the neighboring building is 30+ stories, challenge yourself to eat in a "less hip" part of town sometime. You know, like the part of town you most likely grew up in. You might be surprised.
yay for having a yummy breakfast joint close to my house!
this is a cute little restaurant that offers breakfast all day! that in conjunction with them offering turkey sausage makes them stars in my book. i don't eat pork or beef products and i've noticed that there aren't many places that offer turkey products with breakfast. this place has options and it makes me do this :)
i'm a big fan of the country omelette (i get it with turkey sausage instead of regular but i'm sure either way is delicious) and the turkey sausage scramble. their portions are generous and come with all sorts of choices for sides and bread. i suggest to get breakfast potatoes and say yes when the ask if you want bell pepper and onion added...soooo good. i'd also invest in a cup of their coffee...especially if you're nursing a hang over.
the only con to this place is that the service is a little hit or miss. most of the time, our service is just fine but i have been twice (both times we sat outside) where the server was less than par. i suggest sitting inside in the big comfy booths.
overall, a tasty little spot. do your tummy a favor and check this place out.
At first I was skeptical about this place when I first showed up and sat down, but the staff was pretty nice and friendly. There is a lot of selection in the menu, it took me a bit to decide what I wanted. I heard their breakfasts were pretty good so I ordered the french toast and Portuguese sausage and eggs. Their portions are pretty big and the prices are decent, one plate is enough to make you full, I had to take the rest to go. Overall the food is pretty good, my new favorite breakfast place.
Daily Specials
Neighborhood: Rolando
Meal Deal - All Day Every Day!
Neighborhood: Golden Hill
Neighborhood: La Mesa
Category: Pizza
San Diego, CA
Category: Breakfast & Brunch
Neighborhood: La Mesa
Category: Restaurants
Neighborhood: Lakeside
Category: Food
El Cajon, CA
Category: Restaurants
My local dry cleaner, watering hole, deli, cafe,…
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the…
This is an ever evolving work. I will continue to…
i've moved down south and away from the city of…
A few of my favorite places to clog my arteries…
Okay, I've been putting off making a La Mesa/East…
My local dry cleaner, watering hole, deli, cafe,…
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the…
