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Categories: American (New), Tex-Mex, Asian Fusion [Edit]
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Long wait and it was worth it. I can be picky about some things, but I am the most picky about breakfast. My eggs have to be just so. My bacon has to be crispy. My toast has to be hot and brown, not soggy. My pancakes have to be tender. My coffee has to be hot and strong. And the server has to be on the ball.
Coffee Cup pays off for the most part - the service was excellent. The eggs were just right. The bacon was really crispy. The coffee was hot and they have espresso for when I need it to be really strong. The pancakes were the only bit of letdown: while they were very tasty with the bananas and blackberries, they were also made from very overmixed batter which made them tough as hell.
Pricewise I'd say it's expensive for breakfast, but they use high quality ingredients making it worth the extra few bucks.
The restaurant isn't that clean - everything from the menus to the chairs and the floor was covered in drops of coffee, milk, toast crumbs, syrup, etc. But even so, I'd still eat there again. I thought the food was THAT good.
So wait....is this owned by the same people as The Mission in Mission Beach and North Park? Can anyone confirm this? I mean...it's called MISSION Coffee Cup and they have the same rosemary potatoes and banana blackberry pancakes, but their web site doesn't mention it at all. Hmmmm.
Anyway, this place has similar items on the menu compared to The Mission, but I have to say I like The Mission better, just because you feel a little bit cramped in this place and the staff at The Mission is much more on top of things. When I have to tell the host 3 times my name and how many I think that's a little excessive. Food came out slower than at The Mission too, but the food is just as good...although as I remember it was a little bit on the cooler side(temperature-wise). I had the rosemary potatoes, always a good choice. The blackberry banana pancakes are awesome but just know it's a pretty large portion, might want to split with a friend!
Also, another thing I don't enjoy about this place is the prices are definitely higher than at The Mission. I know it's in La Jolla, but come on. It's not even on the beach view side!
Parking is a bitch, but there is an underground lot that's only $2 on one of the streets running perpendicular to the street this place is on...can't remember the name, but it's one the first ones when you're going down Prospect.
Oooh and...in case you find yourself at home and don't want to venture out in the morning, but you want some mission breakfast deliciousness, they have a cookbook you can buy! I'll have to check next time I'm there, but if they have the recipes for the potatoes and pancakes I'm so in!
The Coffee Cub Café, which sits right in the heart of La Jolla Village, is one of San Diego's best places for breakfast. There is no need to worry about the La Jolla hob snobbery in this joint. Its funky and retro furnishings add to the simple, laid back vibe. The simplicity of the Coffee Cup allows them to keep their focus on producing great and innovative cuisine, by breakfast standards.
Good luck choosing something off their menu; it is fairly large and is full of different tempting options. You can select from the banana blackberry pancakes to their Zen Breakfast, which features grilled tofu, egg whites, brown rice and zucchini. They have a section of their menu that is dedicated to Spanish contemporary cuisine and a "power" menu section, which features high protein, low-fat options. The choices may be vast, but from personal experience it would be tough to go wrong with anything on the menu.
They have seating inside and out along the sidewalk, but there is not a lot of it. On the busy weekend mornings, expect to wait a little bit. Do as I do and put your name in and take a stroll around beautiful La Jolla Village, it's not a bad way to kill a little time.
The Coffee Cup has yet to disappoint me and doubt it will you. They have taken breakfast to another level. In case you were wondering, the coffee is pretty good too.
This place was good. Located in downtown La Jolla just a two minute walk from Girard. I went here for Brunch this past Sunday after finding out that the Cottage (which is amazing) had a 45 minute wait so we were quite alright with the 20 minute wait from the Mission. I have been to the one off Mission street and that location is verrry good. I usually get the Chocolate Chip Happy Face pancakes, not because I yearn to regress or enjoy the feeling of being 6 again but because it makes me so very happy to eat a chocolate chip pancake in general and to add a happy face to it.... yeah that makes my day!
So we waited outside of the restaurant while sitting on the padded bench and we watched several families enjoy their food in front of us in the pleasant outdoor seating.
Now for the food. When we were finally seated I got some Mexican Hot Chocolate, with a south of the border type of spice and a sugar high waiting to happen I enjoyed half of the drink, it was huge! I may have burnt my nose due to the fact that I am of the Jewish faith and it might be what some people call a "schnoz." It's not that big but still.
Food was good, I had an omelette, it was nothing special to be honest and may have given my stomach problems a little bit later but that could still be leftover distress from a terrible venture to the Comedy store months earlier. Or my hangover.
I give it a 4 because it was a good brecky, I did not love mine but I know everybody else was satisfied, my I am picky, and why not.
The Coffee Cup Cafe has a terrific breakfast and lunch menu! It is located on Wall Street with no assigned parking area. Knowing the parking situation in La Jolla and how bad those meter maids can be, I'd say, find a 2-hr parking place someplace further away and walk to the cafe. When you get closer to the Coffee Cup Cafe, you'll notice a long line waiting outside of the building. There's even a built-in padded window seating area outside the cafe for people to sit as they're waiting to be called.
When you ask the slender lady how long the wait will be, she'll reply "not that long," and then you'll wait outside the cafe for approximately 20 min as the people clear out. Go ahead and put your name down though, because it's WORTH the wait.
We got a seat outside which was really nice because La Jolla is warm and breezy in the summer, with a high of 70 F. I got the Mexican Mocha and Omar's Special.
The surfer dude waiter was really nice and didn't pressure us to get anything more than tap water with lemon. I liked that. Upon further inspection of their menu, I realized that they do have a nice selection of coffee drinks. The Mexican Mocha was excellent!! For $4.50, you get this large white ceramic mug with a mocha, topped with whip cream and cinnamon-nutmeg. It wasn't too sweet and not too spicy. Very delicious!
Omar's special is a plate of egg whites with mushrooms, some sausage and a cilantro-green-avocado sauce drizzled on top of everything, plus some brown rice on the side. It's very very filling and very very good. Price for Omar's special? $12.
We also got the Avocado Scrambler for $10 which was okay. There's a large omelet with just jack cheese and eggs, with avocado folded into the omelet. Then 3 pieces of avocado on top. You get this with their rosemary potato hash and some mushrooms and some salsa and 2 toasted pieces of rosemary bread. For some reason I thought there could have been more flavor to this dish.
All in all, I really liked the Coffee Cup Cafe here in La Jolla. Definitely sit outside and get Omar's special.
First impression: this place is small, quaint and cute. We went during a bustling lunch hour and the three of us were squeezed into a two top, which didn't bother me any, but the two heavily bejeweled ladies at the next table over seemed a little disgruntled by my being too close for comfort.
Two out of three of us ordered breakfast. I had the poached eggs with zucchini and rosemary bread. My boyfriend had some kind of elaborate scramble thing, that once his plate was cleaned he practically licked the last few remnants off of, so, it had to be good. The third in our party had a sandwich and soup combo, she raved about both. We all kept commenting on how good the rosemary bread was.
The service was extraordinarily friendly. We had unlucky timing and waited over 20 minutes for our food because of a wave of large volume to go orders that were entered just before our order; This was the only bummer of the meal.
I will write a follow up; I have every intention of going back and trying their pancakes and french toast!
We ate here on July 4th weekend and were happy to walk around La Jolla for twenty minutes while we waited for our table. Servers were friendly and quick, menu was funky with good variety. I had Omar's special, which was delish, but at $12, is on the pricey side for a plate of breakfast food. (Also pesto garnish all over the plate looked a lot like bird turd, which was an odd presentation.) Hubs had the french toast upon our waiter's recommendation. Given the vibe of the place, we were sure they'd be using real maple syrup -- which makes all the difference. But it was the fake sweetened stuff, and that made it much less yummy.
As we paid our bill, our waiter informed us that they DO have real maple syrup, you just have to ask for it and pay $1 more. That would have been great to know ahead of time. Good meal, nice time, we won't rush back, but will stop in when we head to La Jolla again.
****NOTE: I also posted this same review under the restaurant The Coffee Cup Cafe****
The Coffee Cup Cafe is run by the same people who run The Mission chain. This location is small compact but surprisingly not cramped. There are eight or so tables inside, and half a dozen more outside. Seating is limited and, as you can imagine, this place can get really busy.
Since The Missions are touchstones of breakfast for many San Diegans, it is no surprise that the CCC shares many of the same menu items. If you love such and such dish at The Mission, then it probably appears on the menu at CCC. Same Rosemary Potatoes, same squiggly fruit sauce on the dish for the pancakes, same Cafe Moto coffee roast.
We had the following items on our last visit:
House Coffee
Rosemary Potatoes with Scrambled Eggs and Rosemary Toast
Plata Tortillas with scrambled eggs and black beans
Yeah, basically the same thing we would have eaten at The Mission. Ain't that the shit?
Therein lies the rub, although I really like this location from a size point of view -- how did they fit a full restaurant in such a tiny space is amazing -- and a location sense, there is very little original about it. I don't think I would choose The Mission as my go to breakfast joint, so how could I rate this any higher? The service was kind of spotty, but they tried hard. The food was kind of uninspired, but they copied the recipes faithfully. The location was smart, the restaurant interior was cool, but I can really see that they added the La Jolla luxury tax to all of the dishes.
I would go back, but I won't go runnin'.
Disgusting breakfast.. not worth waiting even a few minutes for this place. The eggs and omelet was drenched in grease. The toasted break was also a grease sponge. I could feel my arteries hardening with every bite.
Awesome - friendly service, GREAT food (organic, too) and nice atmosphere.
I LOVE going to Mission Coffee Cup! It's a great place to bring out of town guests.
It is re-opened! Pretty much the same...not too cozy, service a bit half-assed, but the food is gooood.
Banana-Blackberry pancakes? Gooood.
Avocado scramble? Gooood.
Rosemary toast? Gooood.
You still gotta deal with the La Jolla "scene," but that can be fun on a boring Sunday with nothing to do except sit and judge!
Go back and enjoy!
Coffee Cup is a quaint little breakfast place set in La Jolla. If the place gets busy, I doubt if you can even find a seat; it is that small. The menu is vegetarian friendly and I liked the choice of breakfast items they had. The waitresses were prompt and friendly. However, I really didn't love my food that much. It was a 4 egg white scramble with rice and beans and I found the quantity a tad less and the taste not out of this world. I will reassess my rating after eating again.
Oh, btw, parking is a big pain in that area. Good luck finding a spot, or else, make sure you have at least 3 dollars in cash for the parking garages.
Banana blackberry pancakes, chicken apple sausage, soy chorizo and eggs: there are so many delicious, healthy options at this great breakfast spot. They also serve lunch, but after the massive breakfast you get here, there's no need for it. Great art, funky wait staff: so un-La Jolla.
Minus one star for the crowds, but best breakfast in La Jolla.
good stuff.
was recommended by a local and she was spot-on.
good food, super friendly service and appropriate pricing.
get there early, it gets packed because it's small.
If I'm in La Jolla for brunch, I always go to the Cottage on Fay Ave. Unfortunately it usually has wicked long lines (up to 45 minutes), especially if church just got out. While waiting the other day, I remembered how much I used to love the Mission on Wall Street and wondered if it had been re-built yet (I was under the impression it burned down a bit ago).
We headed there and were pleased to find it open and with only a 10 minute wait. The inside is quite cramped, with small retro tables and chairs. But the food is totally worth it. I'm a huge Hash House pancake fan, but my Mission blueberry pancake was better. That's right, I said it. It was thick, fluffy, and the blueberries were sweet, tart, and somewhat intact (not a pile of mush like some places). It was also nice to have just one normal-sized pancake - as Mitch Hedberg says "pancakes are all good at first, but by the end, you're f***ing sick of them. " For that reason, I ordered a side pancake with my breakfast tamales. The breakfast tamales consisted of tamales with eggs, black beans, pico de gallo, and sour cream on the side. I had imagined stuffed tamales, not just breakfast + tamales, but it was very good. The tamales were a bit dry and the plain eggs a bit bland, but they were great mopped up with everything else. Indigo Grill still has the best tamales in town.
The Mission is also well-known for their coffee (mmm) and all the organic ingredients. The menu includes several Mexican dishes as well as some diet and power-up options. All in all, I'll go back for those sublime pancakes again.
Mission Cup always will always keep you guessing. Besides the regular items on the menu, many of which are far from being regular, they also usually have interesting specials. Some of the great regular items include, banana blackberry pancakes, artichoke scramble, and my favorite, breakfast tamales. In addition to wonderful food, the staff is friendly and helpful, but the area itself is a bit cold and cramped- the only downfall I believe to my favorite breakfast joint in San Diego.
If you are one who enjoys a gourmet breakfast with a twist, Mission Cup will surely become one of your breakfast favorites.
I made it a goal a few years back being the coffee lover that I am, to try as many coffee shops as I could while living in socal! (basically I won't lie, in the category of cute coffeshops/restaurants socal beats norcal hands down). Having tried Goldfish, Starbucks, and living room by this point, I decided to give Harry's Coffee shop a try. However it turned out to be a breakfast joint, and not really a lounge around coffee place like the others. Inside it looks hip and retro? and the food seems very southwestern. Not exactly my favorite, but i loved the decor, and though the table was super squished in the aisle (I have no idea how the employees can stand to be so cramped) It wasn't bad.
Heard this place is great...I tried to go yesterday (12/01/07).
But I guess because of the fire it is still closed. Looks like its about to re-open.
please send me a message if you know its been re-opened.
Thanks!
The delicious food of the other mission locations (North Park, etc), but crammed into a tiny hole in the wall, cute and cozy cafe in snooty La Jolla. It boggles the mind, honestly. I love this place, the food is great, and I like the awkward charm afforded in its tiny location.
It's well worth a trip--I'd recommend the Papas Locos or Desayuno Burrito.
This place is delicious, small... but delicious! Very limited seating which can lead to long waits on weekend mornings ... I enjoy sitting outside, when I have the option, but the small spaces on the sidewalk can be kinda akward and cramped at times.
It was closed for awhile, due to a fire. I have yet to go back, since they reopened, so I'm sure it has changed.
The rosemary toast is always a must for me, as is a big cup of coffee.
This is my fav breakfast place in LJ. Better than the Cottage, Brockton, or Harry's.
The pancakes are soo good. The bananna blackberry is great with good presentation. The seating is pretty limited on the inside and out, but it's worth the wait.
We finally arrived at Mission Coffee Cup after driving the La Jolla 500 and getting some unintentional scenic tour. Awaiting us at 9am was the long line. Great I thought! This makes the Yelp reviews look even more promising. This must be really something and so I ordered what has been recommended... the blackberry banana pancake with bacon and 2 eggs. Nevermind the fact that I just vowed to lose some weight. I figure I got 2 more days till new years.
As described, the pancakes were quite fluffy and yummy although I could do without the bananas. The presentation was immaculate. However, my hubby didn't seem to impressed with his hash beef.
Overall, I'd give this place a 3.75 if I could.
I came here on Friday for brunch with a friend. We didn't have to wait and the service was pretty good! My friend got oatmeal and a smoothie, and I got oatmeal with a bowl of fruit. I will definitely go back just for that fruit bowl... Came lightly dusted with powdered sugar and it was HUGE!
Yep, primarily a latino-breakfast place, but with a heavy emphasis on chic super-healthy options. They have a whole "Power Menu" with things like brown rice, egg whites, etc.
Personally, I find the food to be a bit ... unfriendly is the best word I can think of. Or better, "uncomfortable", in that this is the opposite of "comfort food". The toast is dry (but heavy on rosemary), the syrup thin, the sauces scant. Really I've found only one dish here that I really like, the Roast Beef Hash and Eggs, which is actually nice big nuggets of steak with eggs.
This place is way more "hip" than The Cottage up the road, but you'll get far, far better food at The Cottage, in my opinion.
Maybe I don't do enough Yoga to understand :)
This is one of 3 "chino-latino + breafast place" Mission restaurants in San Diego. This one is my favorite breakfast place (the menu, however, is not limited to breakfast!)
The mission has a great array of hot beverages, fantastic blackberry pancakes, and I can't seem to escape my #1 item -- Papas Loco with eggs.
For a great blend of healthy, tasty, and inspired options, this place can not be beat.
Notes: some outdoor seating but La Jolla weather can be fickle. There can be a wait in the late morning and not just on weekends -- this is socal!
Best breakfast I've had in ages and I've been craving it since! It's small and might get crowded but definitely worth it!
Figures, Narendra was the first to review.. He does get credit for finding it back in the day, when the first one opened in Mission Beach.
Marla, who is now Isabella gets credit for starting one of the best breakfast places, you will ever find..
California breakfast with a Nuevo Latino flare, that produces a ton of innovative choices. Papas Loco with eggs is still my favorite, with a side of french toast, the best you will find, especially after being in the water for a couple of hours.. It is made with fresh baked cinnamon bread.. Now a days you have to order it with a side of real maple syrup, to make it perfect. The plate comes with a design of blackberry puree that is always tasty.
I had a new pancake today, Raspberry,Lemon poppyseed. Incredible..only matched by Zazi's Gingerbread pancakes.
Service is always nice and the food will leave you with a smile, that matches the sunny weather..
A must if you are in La Jolla!
I forget how I discovered this place, but I've been coming back over and over again since then. I moved down here 10 years ago to go to UCSD, so the go-to place for anything good was always downtown La Jolla (my hairstylist, my dentist, breakfast...). The Mission Coffee Cup is so good that I keep driving there, even though now I live way closer to the one in North Park. I love the location, despite the parking problems, and the food is always great. I usually go for the blackberry pancakes or the mission rosemary (I *love* rosemary). This place is one of my all-time favorite breakfast places.
Best breakfast spot in La Jolla, eggs, omelette's and rosemary potatoes are awesome, great pancakes as well. Either downtown or La Jolla equally good. Bring an appetite and be prepared to wait on a weekend morning. Cheers
This place has breakfast down. I have tried almost everything on the menu here and I have yet to be disappointed, left hungry, or able to finish everything on my plate. The service is always welcoming and attentive and the coffee has some real fuel to it. Try the Vincent Vega if you dare.
I liked the menu, but wasn't impressed with the service. We sat outside so we could people watch. It seems like this place could have been cleaner- maybe that's why it closed down.
The BEST breakfast place in La Jolla -- it's where I take all my business clients and friends. LOTS of unique and tasty food options -- you'll never run out of something new to try. The Cottage is a good place to take your grandparents -- they'll be comfortable with the menu -- and Harry's is good if you prefer the good-old-American diner experience. And Brockton Villa has a view that far exceeds its offerings. But the Mission is the best if you like your breakfast just a bit outside the box -- it's edgy, but VERY tasty all at once. Best to go during the week -- weekends are BUSY.
The best breakfast you can get.
Besides the fact that the location does not allow for an ocean view and the space is a bit too narrow, the extensiveness of the menu is notable. What sets this place apart from other cafes is their chino Latino and seriously thought out healthy dish options: Zen breakfast(marinated grilled tofu, eggs white, brown rice, zucchini and salsa) and nuevo roll-ups constitute just a few examples of that aspect. I like to roll in here to indulge once in awhile into a different breakfast dish, such as artichoke scramble or coffee cup rosemary. It's a nice change from your average breakfast's usual suspects.
I used to work here when it first opened up and it was challenging to say the least mostly because the space is small and the food so outrageously good that it was always busy. Opened only for breakfast and lunch, the Coffee Cup is owned by the same owner that started the Mission Cafe in Mission Beach. Many of the recipes are similar since Marla created them in the first place. She did expand on them and created some awesome new dishes that have become classics in their own. Tex-Mex with Asian influence. The rosemary potatoes and her spicy peanut sauce is to die for. Can't wait to go back.
Everytime I think about the Mission Coffee Cup, I start to drool uncontrollably. I never knew breakfast can do that to me! The prices are pretty good for La Jolla and really good for the food you get. I enjoy the pesto egg white omelette. The only problem is that the wait could be long and the indoors is small and slightly cramped (but I like this kind of environment).
When I was in San Diego the first time to check out my new company, I had bought a Zagat San Diego, and they recommend Mission Coffee Cup as the best breakfast in La Jolla. I tried it and I have been back many times since. Mission was not the reason I moved to San Diego, but it was an added bonus. There are 2 Cons: 1. Getting a table, because it so is popular 2. Finding a parking spot, as it is in the village. Otherwise highly recommended
a good breakfast spot that offers balanced meals. i was told the chicken is free range, but i was also told it wasn't. when it is good it is really good and when it is not to so good it can be greasy and bland. i think it depends on the kitchen staff. i would only give it 3 stars but i ate there the other day and the espresso was pretty good, it was really cafe crema disguised as espresso, but in the barren espresso wasteland of SD I'll take what i can get.
Neighborhood: La Jolla
Category: Breakfast & Brunch
Neighborhood: La Jolla
Category: American (Traditional)
Neighborhood: La Jolla
Category: Delis
Neighborhood: La Jolla
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: North Park
Category: Breakfast & Brunch
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