Lafayette Beginners Diner…read more Spontaneously, decided to visit Lafayette Hotel yesterday. Walked straight towards Beginners Diner outdoor patio which overlooks the pool, it was crowded. Despite the crowds, there were a few seats available to sit and dine. Usually one must check in with the manager inside the diner, but this time the manager happened to be a few steps away and she said I could sit anywhere I wanted...YAY! I had my pup Fendi in tow and we sat down for a while to enjoy the usual cool music and be voyeurs. As with most diners, it would be better if all the selections on the menu is available to order 24/7. Many items are only available to order during particular times. It was a sunny hot San Diego day, which called for an icy mocktail, a Greek salad and small french fries. The yogurt dill sauce enhanced the taste of both the salad and fries... so good. Service from the manager and servers were cordial, attentive and friendly. A bowl of water was offered for my baby and I always appreciate that extra effort. Because of a much improved overall experience and positive vibes, it merits this review and recommend.

I stopped by around 9:15 PM on a Friday, and the place was packed and full of energy. It was rather…read moreloud, but you could still make conversation. There were only a few stools available at the counter, but I was greeted right away by the hostess and seated immediately. A waiter quickly brought me a glass of water and a menu. I ordered the: * Country Fried Steak (3/5): The breading was nice and crispy, but the steak itself was pretty mediocre. It also didn't come with nearly enough gravy, so I asked another server for extra, and she was kind enough to bring me some. The meal comes with two sides. You can choose from creamed spinach, green beans, sautéed corn, or broccoli along with a carb of mashed potatoes, a baked potato, fries, or onion rings. I chose: * Sautéed Corn: Unfortunately, this had a strange flavor. It really could have used some butter and salt. * Mashed Potatoes: The potatoes themselves were fine, but the gravy wasn't the traditional style you'd expect with mashed potatoes, and I wasn't a fan. One positive was how quickly the food came out; it took less than 10 minutes from ordering to being served. The prices are definitely on the higher end. My country fried steak was $32, and my total came to just over $40 with tip. One thing that stood out was how disorganized the service felt. There was a hostess, around five different servers, and even the manager helping on the floor. I never had one dedicated server throughout my meal. One person took my order, another brought the extra gravy, the manager delivered my food, and someone else cashed me out. Even though it was busy, it's not a very large restaurant, so the service felt unnecessarily chaotic. They could definitely improve the overall customer experience with better organization. Parking can also be difficult, so keep that in mind if you're visiting during peak hours. Overall, it's a cute spot, and I appreciated finding country fried steak since it's not something you see on many menus anymore. Unfortunately, both the food and the service were pretty average. I'm glad I tried it, but I don't think it's a place I'd go out of my way to return to.

I absolutely loved the '50s vibe!…read more The colors, outfits, hairstyles, and décor really made you feel like you stepped back in time when life seemed a little simpler. I especially loved all the old-school photos on the walls it added so much character and nostalgia. The food was okay overall. The wings were good, and the fish & chips were decent, but my daughter loved them! The Cobb salad and chili were both just okay. The Fruity Pebbles shake and cinnamon toast crunch shake was REALLY good! Overall, I'd come back for the vibe and experience more than the food. They also have an arcade, which makes it even more fun, especially if you're bringing the kids. Definitely a cute, nostalgic spot to check out!

We were hosting some friends from out of state for her son's birthday and decided to go to Corvette…read moreDiner. We were seated quickly which was a wonderful thing considering we had 3 kids with us. Our server was Frenchie and she was great. Our food was surprisingly hot. Our first notice to the oddness of the night was the balloon guy. Throughout the night we noticed the servers would form groups of 5 plus to sing birthday songs for the birthday kids. When it came to our turn, we had only 2 servers show up to sing for us. Frenchie even yelled out for help with no one coming to help out with making this evening special for us. One guy came by but quickly made a left to go into another area. Our little guy didn't notice because Frenchie made him feel special. As we sat there questioning what just happened, we noticed that 4 tables down someone was getting sung to. Guess how many were there singing? A minimum of 5 servers. We also noticed that we were not offered the birthday hats that that same party received. We asked to speak with a manager regarding what just happened. Ricky made excuses for what we observed and how we felt regarding what happened. My wife got upset at him minimizing our experience. When he noticed her tone change, he changed accordingly. He recommended we speak with the GM. We paid $200 for our meal and nowhere in that amount did we ask that we be looked over and go unnoticed. From where we sat, I was able to see the majority of the area. I don't know if there is a moral to this story or a silver lining but this experience ruined our evening and a little boy's 7th birthday. Im not saying to not eat here but i am saying that if you are a person of color, keep your eyes open to how you're being treated.

We stopped by The Original 101 Diner for breakfast while spending the day in Encinitas, and it was…read morea great choice. The diner is conveniently located right along the main street, surrounded by local shops and restaurants. There was both indoor and outdoor seating available, and we chose to sit inside. Everything was clean, the atmosphere was welcoming, and the staff was friendly and attentive. We were seated immediately when we arrived, but by the time we left there was a small wait, which tells me this is a popular spot with both locals and visitors. I ordered the two-piece French toast with a side of bacon. The portion size was just right, the French toast was delicious, and the bacon was cooked exactly the way I like it--crispy around the edges without being overdone. I have to laugh because I started eating before I remembered to take pictures...haha! So my French toast photo is missing a few bites, but I guess that's a pretty good indication that I couldn't wait to dig in. Overall, we had a wonderful breakfast and enjoyed our experience from start to finish. If you're looking for a classic diner while visiting Encinitas, I would definitely recommend stopping by. Next time I'd love to come back and try lunch. (I'll take better photos ).

Mediocre food quality and way overpriced. The bacon served to our child was so greasy as it was not…read moreproperly drained to make it look presentable at a restaurant. The place is dirty. They have two dirty high chairs and one of them was missing safety straps. The service was ok. Update: The owner's response to my review was simply, "Yeah relax." Unfortunately, that response reinforces the concerns I had about this business. Rather than addressing the issues I raised--food quality, cleanliness, and child safety--they chose to dismiss a customer's honest feedback. Reviews exist to help businesses improve and to inform other customers about their experiences. I wasn't trying to be disrespectful; I was sharing what we genuinely experienced. A professional response would have acknowledged the concerns or explained how they planned to address them. Instead, the dismissive reply speaks volumes about how customer feedback is valued here. Based on both our visit and the owner's response, I won't be returning, and I hope they choose to take customer concerns more seriously in the future.

Past visits have been great. Today was disappointing. After being seated, the server Nevah took our…read moredrink order and disappeared. Literally. We noticed her several minutes later serving other tables. More minutes past when I asked another server, Brook, if she could bring us another server to take our order. Brook was exceptional in taking an interest in our visit. Brook brought us our beverages immediately and took our food order. Nevah later came by with what seemed like a less than sincere apology. We told Brook we would ask for her in future visit. Upon leaving to pay, the young short girl, her name tag was turned over. She had extremely long thick eye lashes. She was extremely rude and stand offish. No kind words after taking our payment she immediately went back to her conversation with a co-worker. We will be back and will ask for Brook.

Big bear Burgar & onion rings are great. Just fries was to salty…read more warm . Not Hot fresh I would go back. nice place for FAMILY

Went here for breakfast on a Sunday. Fast service, friendly, service. Solid diner food and Mexican…read morefood. The pancakes are enormous and crispy at the edges; meaning the were flawless. The omelette was fresh, flavorful, and hit the spot. A tight fit, but the food tastes great and the prices are reasonable. definitely worth the visit

I went in to get quick lunch. I didn't feel well and order Greek Chicken Salad. I thought it was a…read morebit expensive but it was worth every penny. It was family size salad that lasted 3 days. Very generous amount of chicken. Freshly chopped romaine lettuce. Green olives, cucumbers and onions and the cotija cheese. Amazing. ​

Was on the hunt with the boys to find a good brunch spot after a long night and went with Fay's…read moreafter a gametime decision. The first place we went to had too long of a wait and Fay's had no wait time. They have inside and limited outside seating and parking wasn't a problem here. We sat at one of their booths and I ordered their Country Fried Chicken Steak and it was delicious. The gravy was made from bacon and sausage I believe and was probably the best gravy I've had for a country fried steak. The portions were really good along and I loved their potatoes and eggs. All my friends and I left happy and full.

We love Faye's and have gone a handful of times over the past few years. They have a patio with a…read morefew tables outside and it was nice to enjoy the fresh air before the mid- to late-morning rush (we arrived at 9:30am and sat right down). This past weekend, we had a family of four and our total on the bill came to $126 with tip. We didn't get anything special - just a couple omelets and a couple benedicts. One person ordered coffee. The quality is great and the service friendly, but unfortunately costs have gotten too high for a simple breakfast so the value wasn't there for us. I hope this family-owned restaurant makes it! We'll remain fans.

The hubby and I stopped by for breakfast this morning and we are so glad we did. We've been here…read morebefore but I've never put in a review and Camryn was a standout today! She knows her stuff-knows how to ask the right questions so that you get what you really want. For instance, I was on the fence about having biscuits and gravy but I asked if the gravy was really peppery. She offered to get me a small taste and although it was delicious, I've been a little under the weather so I decided I didn't want anything really heavy. Instead I ordered the 3 egg scramble with their smoked ham and added cheese-it was really good and a huge serving including their potatoes and English muffin. I'll probably be able to make two more meals from this serving! My husband ordered the eggs Benedict and asked which potatoes they would be able to make the most crispy as we both like our potatoes crispy. She suggested the hash browns and even asked if he wanted them crispy on both sides which was a great way to get them the way he wanted. Those kinds of gestures really make the difference when you're dining out. The eggs Benedict and the hash browns were delicious, btw. :) Camryn had a great personality too-very friendly, bright and quick. She did a great job of checking in on all of her tables. When we go back I hope we are lucky enough to have Camryn serve us again but all of the servers seemed very friendly as well. Great job, Izzy's and Camryn!

Well dang. After consistent letdowns from this place it's time to say something and change my…read morerating. This place used to be top 3 for me in terms of breakfast. I've made this my destination breakfast for birthdays, weekends, friends brunches. This was literally the spot. The last 3 times though.... A bummer. The first letdown... these cooks have a tendency to overload their scrambles with uncooked green onions. While it may be good for others, it's not good for me. So i will CONSISTENTLY ask for light green onions. The first let down... a waitress who has been there for a while.. tried to gaslight me into thinking that if I had asked for light green onions, it'd be "a laughable amount". I asked for it anyways and it came packed with green onions. She ate her words, apologized and discounted our breakfast. The second time, the same waitress... the same interaction... but this time it came with zero green onions. She came back and said "it's either all or nothing haha". That was unnecessary. The third time... asking a completely different waitress.... Completely different interaction. 30min later, the omlette comes out packed with green onions and the waitress ignores us for the duration of our stay. So no breakfast for me lol. I understand I'm the picky eater. But dang. I wanna waste the food and not a literal bunch of green onions from the prep bin. The one thing they seem to be consistent on is goofing up my order, so it's time to move on.

We stopped here on the way home from Mexico and were very pleased…read more Our food was delicious. In fact, my wife said her breakfast burrito was the best breakfast burrito she had ever eaten. The staff was very very friendly and we will try to visit again.

This place is a classic little cafe. It has a very homey feel and each dish is made with love…read more There's some indoor and outside seating. Parking is a bit tough. Their hash browns are so good and crispy! I really enjoyed my strawberry pancakes. Pancakes were fluffy and the syrup were a perfect touch. The omelet was really good but kinda heavy. I prefer the shredded cheese versus slices of cheese on top. I'll be back again to try more dishes!

It's been a while since I've been here, too long and I really wanted a nice breakfast which these…read moreguys have lots of, but I just found out they're closed permanently. They've been here for a very long time, and I'm sad to see it go.

Updating my review here. I ordered omelettes from this place about a week or two ago and there were…read morelong strands of dark hair all throughout the meal. I received a refund from Grubhub but I am awfully disappointed in how the quality has gone downhill. We will not be back to this establishment. I also contacted them on Facebook as I follow their social media and they denied having the hair in their food. Looking through reviews, I see that I am not the only one who has experienced having things in their food that came from this restaurant. The fact that I've never had an issue with this place (of which I've been going to for years now) and once an issue is brought to their attention, their unwillingness and denial to take accountability for their actions tells me all that I need to know about them. I will never come back here again.