Didn't have to wait for a patio table at 12:30 on a Friday. Friendly staff, quick and delicious food. They were careful with covid procedures for anyone who's concerned about that. They pre-butter your toast and pancakes, which I consider an asset, but ask for it on the side if you don't. read more

Great brisket! I always shy away from it at most places, even if they boast about it, because it's just a tough thing to cook. However, this place has figured it out. It was absolutely tender, with a great bbq sauce that didn't cover up any flaws. The ribs were also stellar, with a good layer of smoke, and tender but still retaining a little bite; Just how I like it. Nice little hidden gem. Would greatly recommend a stop here, be ye local or traveling down to San Diego. read more

Overall the service was fantastic. The staff was very attentive and the food came out quickly. The food I'd say was about a B. It was good, but the country fried steak was tough and kinda bland. The eggs were cooked perfectly and the fruit was fresh and crisp. read more

Fav is the corned beef hash, my husband loves their hot cakes. great quick service and we love the cute coffee mugs(they are varied, from random businesses or have random sayings are on them). Usually they are quite busy but we've never really had a long wait -definitely worth checking out for a nice old school diner breakfast. The decor is really cute too, with license plates and vintage posters/pictures on the walls. Very homey and welcoming. read more

This review is for one item/visit. I love a good CFS chicken fried steak and heard Izzy's had one. The steak itself was as advertised; terrific. Real deal meat, great thin tasty breading. The gravy on the other hand seemed to be that canned bland white stuff, but the steak prevailed anyhow. (Best CFS gravy is at Bobs hideaway cafe in Carlsbad-amazing) I recall the taters being good too. Now the coffee... Hmmm; good food recipes need not change; that can be a bad thing. Coffee on the other hand HAS EVOLVED! Coffee from the 50's sucked (weak, bland, dead) and that's apparently what you get here. Maybe starbucks has made coffee snobs of us all but oh well. I personally will not revisit a breakfast place with lousy coffee; it's half the experience and unfortunately has been a dealbreaker for many a pThe saving grace with Izzy's is I ask asked the waitress if I could bring my own and she proclaimed absolutely! We'll see how it goes I'll be back... starbucks cup in hand; don't gimme no stink eye Miss Izzy. Take two- while I originally visited Izzy's for the CFSTEAK, I now return often for the BRISKET n Eggs. Upon visiting the restaurant, the Smoke aroma eventually led me to try the Briskets seductive smoky tender tasty goodness; and oh my... how good it is. Not to mention probably the only place in town that offers it for breakfast. Get the bbq sauce ON THE SIDE! as the meat needs no masking/ruining; it gloriously stands alone with just a little salt and extra pepper, Oyeah. You can dabble with the sauce. And I do now bring my own coffee in a Swell bottle paying for an empty cup. No problem, as this great meat/meal simply merits great coffee. Maybe no stink eye but a little silent treatment depending on the server. ALL good in the neighborhood read more

We love the brisket here and the portions are more than enough. Wait staff is friendly and attentive. Food served quickly

I intentionally drove all the way out to this town in order to experience what seems to be the last of the "down to earth" breakfast cafés that once existed abundantly throughout Southern California but now unfortunately, so few exist. Those cafés that offer you simple breakfast with grits and homemade gravy. When they ask you if you want to slab of ham, they really mean a slab. And when you order steak and eggs for breakfast they give you a real steak that is cooked to perfection, a little bloody. When you order a homemade muffin it is really homemade. When you order butter biscuits they actually taste like butter, a lot of butter. You know it's authentic when there are license plates on the wall dated 1955. And the servers and cooks have been working there for over 30 years and they probably are the children of the original owner. read more

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Been here a few times and I love it. Service is good and food is good. Taste like diner food and it just reminds me like a home cooked meal. Love the pancakes very fluffy. And you can tell that everything is made there and not pre made or pre bought patties or mix or whatever. Will keep coming back here for breakfast and lunch. I also love the decor inside reminds me of restaurants I would eat at when I've been on a roadtrip. Will be returning. read more

Awesome food and service! I invited my granddaughter Jazzy out for brunch and she informed me she got a little puppy. I searched Yelp for dog friendly restaurants close to her house and came across Izzy's. We sat outside on their patio. For $11 which is a great price I had the 1/3 rack of mesquite smoked baby back ribs, 2 eggs over medium, well done hash brown and buttermilk biscuits. I asked for country gravy on the biscuits. Everything was perfect. For $11 Jazzy ordered the Izzy's deli brisket and a garden salad. The salad was big and she said the sandwich was very good. The brisket had that smokey flavor. Our server Faith was top notch and checked on us 3 or 4 time to refill drinks and see if we needed anything. Looking forward to trying something else on our next visit! read more

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Love Izzy's cafe their food is delicious and the service is always great , our favorite spot after church or just any day.

Finally able to make it back here to try this place again. I made my first visit to Izzy's Cafe during a UYE hosted by Omar S. This restaurant on the outside looks like a regular greasy spoon cafe but it proves to be much more than simple diner food. Izzy's has been a staple to El Cajon for quite some time, so I'm not the least bit surprised this place served me another great breakfast during my second visit. I really wanted to try out some of their famous bbq brisket, but the make your own frittata option caught my eye on the menu. The frittata bar costs $11 and includes four toppings of your choice along with potatoes and side of bread. I thought it was a bit expensive, but when they bring out your plate you'll see how massive their portions are here. My frittata (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/izzys-cafe-el-cajon?select=UfUOZ8ov4XCKj2gw8eJEhQ&userid=H1x-M7zrDWbtnSAW6ZZznQ) was about four large eggs, blended cheese along with my toppings of spinach, onion, tomato, avocado and bacon. This thing was HUGE, you could easily share it among two people. They managed to cook these eggs perfectly and added plenty of sauteed vegetables throughout. Although they added lots of crispy bacon and cheese, it ended up not being too greasy. Make sure to ask for some of their house salsa, it goes excellent with the eggs. My side of country potatoes (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/izzys-cafe-el-cajon?select=lZohkq6h_l0Axdr-SzVmbA&userid=H1x-M7zrDWbtnSAW6ZZznQ) were extra crispy just like I had asked for and had plenty of seasoning. Instead of biscuits or pancakes, I opted for some of their house made coffee cake (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/izzys-cafe-el-cajon?select=UKNh29FeY7ZMPpGL9xT6YQ&userid=H1x-M7zrDWbtnSAW6ZZznQ). The small slice of cake was light and moist topped with litle bit of sweet icing. The sweet aftertaste went good along with their coffee. My waitress Colette did a fine job at keeping my coffee refilled and making sure my food came out correctly. This friendly service is exactly what you'd expect from a small place like this. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed all my food and thought the prices were okay for the portions, you might want to get a to-go box. I really can't say anything but good things about Izzy's Cafe, they provide a damn good breakfast. It's easily one of the better cafes you'll find out in east county. read more

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Was looking for a brkfst place in el cajon an stumbled akross this little gem. its a small friendly hole in tha wall place with Great ambience wonderful service and really really good food., 5stars for sure. Thank you guys.. read more

Came here this morning for the first time at the recommendation of a friend who lives in El Cajon. I read some of the yelp reviews and decided to order the bbq brisket and eggs. I was not disappointed as it also came with hash browns and toast (my choices). It was ALOT of food. The brisket was awesome and overall I was totally happy with this breakfast. Major bang for the buck! Our waitress was also very nice and attentive with our coffee refills. I am coming back for sure! - T read more

They have a great breakfast. Everything done just the way you like. Their cheeseburgers are the best. We've been going here for years.

Probably the best American breakfast in El Cajon proper. It's that coffee shop type joint with the funky farming decor on the walls where the servers are named Flo and call ya "Honey". I LOVE it! WHEN YOU GO- I've only been here for breakfast, but everything, including the coffee is excellent. Chicken Fried steak is an actual steak instead of one of those beaten cubed and frozen patties. VERY good. The gravy and pancakes rock as well. You can get breakfast and coffee for two, slap a $20 on the table and you will have paid for your chow and tipped the server about 22%. And you won't be hungry till dinner! read more

First time here in a looong time and it looks as though things haven't changed very much. We dropped by for an early dinner a couple of days ago, really looking forward to the BBQ that everyone is so stoked about. We had breakfast a few days before and it was legit, so we were hoping for a great experience. It really blows to be one the person that didn't fall heads over heels in love with the joint but let's be real...Izzy's leaves a lot to be desired. We walked in and no one said a word, there's no sign to say "wait to be seated" there's no friendly shout out "sit wherever you like, be with you shortly" there's only a clipboard on some makeshift hostess stand that you think you're supposed to write your name on. We finally seat ourselves and wait for about 10 minutes to be acknowledged. We received our menu's and now would've been the perfect time for the very NON friendly older waitress to say " Hey guys, we just got two HUGE takeout orders and your food might take a while, but we will get it to you as soon as we can." NOPE, nothing, nada. After she took our order, we waited 40 minutes in an empty restaurant to get our food. 15 minutes after we sat down, another young, very unfriendly server drops three menu's on our table without a word. Not a hello, drop dead, welcome, nothing. My daughter looks at here and says "We don't need those, we've already placed our order." That quick, she picks them up, NEVER SAYING A WORD, and leaves. I try very hard not to be paranoid in East County because I'm a native San Diegan and it bums me out to know that bigotry exists in my town, but that is the overall feeling we received the entire 90 minutes we were there. As people came in after us, they were all greeted with a loud "Hi there, sit wherever you want!" It may have been a coincidence that they were all much older and not brown, but there it is. But the food, that's why we came right? My philosophy has always been to give a place a chance if the food is legit, even if the server is the pits. Not so here. The food is nothing to return for. We were told before I even placed an order that ALL the ribs were gone, "strange, it's never happened before." We ended up with brisket which was decent but entirely forgettable. The famous fried corn fritters were bland, the beans and cole slaw had to be from SYSCO or Smart and Final and the corn on the cob was definitely frozen about 15 minutes before it landed on our plate. Disappointing and a waste of my money, we will stick to Phil's in Santee or Coops in Chula Vista for BBQ. PS. If you take the time to read the reviews that are not recommended, you will see that many of them were for the poor service. Yikes!! read more

I love this place! I've been coming here for almost 5 years. I'm here like once a week! It's a small place, but the service is quick so the wait isn't that long. The food is homestyle deliciousness. The waitresses (and a new dude waiter) are really nice and friendly. The customers are local El Cajonanites. Ye-haw. I love the Country Benedict!! read more

Awesome. We came to Izzys after a really hard morning workout and a post-workout trip to the animal shelter. Feeling like we wanted to try something new, we drove east to see what we could find. According to Yelp, Izzy's was a must-try. Izzy's is an old-school greasy spoon type place with the addition of outstanding BBQ thanks to a smoker on site. The service and food were fantastic. I had eggs and brisket, and Man Candy had an omelette with chorizo and green chile. Awesome stick-to-your-ribs food. I'd eat here all the time if I had the metabolism... read more

We love everything here, it's our go to breakfast spot ever since we moved to El Cajon. We had a favorite waiter, he no longer is there and we noticed the lack of customer service ever since. But still nice breakfast spot. read more

The burgers are awesome here the fries need work staff is friendly and they aren't super expensive

Came here on a busy Saturday morning and got an open table with no wait. I didn't know what to expect, the most recent review before mine seemed to have a miss experience (rather than a hit). The setup and decor were absolutely adorable. The ample parking lot didn't have us circling, and we were greeted right upon entering this establishment. Everyone was super cheerful, and our waitress was a doll - she even ooooh'd at how sparkly our nails were. At any rate, the food - the more important matter here, my goodness. I ordered what was called a pancake, but this behemoth arrived on the table with it's edges overflowing from the sides of the plate. Yeah - that big. Not only that, it was freaking delicious. I ordered a banana & chocolate chip pancake, and my goodness - that thing didn't even need syrup - just an awesome chunk of pancake to start my morning off fantastically. Hubs ordered the brisket - that thing was equally on point. Seriously - there's a reason it's mentioned in the reviews on both Yelp and comparable sites. Don't pass on it. Here's why I'm even going the extra distance to rate five instead of four. Hubs and I don't prefer cole slaw. Really, we never touch it. But they were out of an array of sides that we do get, so we just said yes to it. And guess what - we ate it. Willingly. Ate the whole darned cup. Now you may not know us personally, but that's saying a lot. read more

Me and my husband use to come here at least twice a month, sometimes once a week! Now we can't because of the hour changes. We use to go Thursday nights and the food is amazing and love the service. I give three stars because of the new schedule and new ownership. The Thursday and Friday night schedule was nice so we can actually go because of the limited hours. Me and my husband work Monday through Friday and it's usually very busy on Saturday and Sunday. It's not fun for us to go on the weekends. When it came in to new ownership we did go in one weekend day. The owner was in the building. You could tell he was stressed and watching what his employees were doing. I saw him pull two of his employees to talk to them alone. Not a good business plan to be micromanaging and then pulling employees to talk to them in the middle of a breakfast rush. You can feel the tension and you could tell the employees were stressed that day. I haven't been back since because of the new ownership. I do recommend the food and the great service but not happy with the new ownership. read more

I love this restaurant the best breakfast in San Diego everything is perfect even the service is great I come here every chance I get

It's too bad because I had high expectations and really wanted to like this place. We went after church on Sunday. Wasn't too busy yet. I ordered the cinnamon roll french toast and my bf got the Izzy bbq combo with pulled pork & brisket. The OJ tasted fresh, coffee was ok, hair on the table when we sat down. Amy was our waitress and was super nice. The ranch dressing tasted like it was out of the bottle. Which wasn't a problem, but she said it was homemade so they ran out. The French toast was ok, little carmelized on the bottom so it stuck to my teeth. And when I was almost done eating, another hair in my food. My bf was unimpressed with the bbq. The house salad came with hair in it so we sent that back. The sauce was tangy and good, but probably not homemade. The brisket was dry like maybe reheated from yesterday's batch. We decided we probably won't go back. read more

When I first moved to El Cajon a few years ago, my daughter calls me and say, "You live right near Izzie's!" With barely anything unpacked, we had our first restaurant to visit! When I asked what the big deal was, she just said that she used to travel from San Diego to El Cajon for one of Izzie's breakfasts. Suddenly, I was interested. While not a regular visitor, because, let's face it, a good ol' 'Merican breakfast is more calories than you need to consume in a day on most occasions, Izzie's really stands out. I've had their French Toast, Blueberry Pancakes, Veggie Omelet (holy crap, was it packed!), and associated side dishes, like panfries, etc., and everything was great. Good food, great taste, and no shortage of portions. You will live the 'Merican dream breakfast here. I should mention that this isn't a low-budget breakfast establishment. The portions are great, but expect to spend about $10 - $15 a person depending on your needs. Pretty much all the breakfast items on the menu cost $7.99 or more, and when you add drinks and tip, and maybe another side order, you'll be right at around $20 - $25 for a really great "Merican breakfast. Go to Denny's if you want something less. What are you waiting for? read more

Really good comfort food in the east county. Choose from breakfast or lunch items all day long. Portions are good and the prices are reasonable. The servers are very nice as well. Our server the last 2 times we were there was Nikki L., and she was very attentive and friendly! I'd definitely recommend Izzy's for someone looking for some good old fashioned midwestern type of food. read more

This place was bomb.com. Excellent country Benedict with biscuits and gravy. The cinnamon French toast is AMAZING!! Loved the servers. Glad we found a new local breakfast spot. Gave five stars because this place made me want to leave my first review ever! read more

Izzy's Cafe - Country Benedict - Barbeque Near Me - El Cajon, California

The food here is awesome. If you don't get the country scramble (scrambled eggs and sausage on biscuits, with gravy and taters) you're missing out big time. The place is packed on Saturday mornings, and you can expect a wait. But the breakfast is worth it. The service is adequate, considering how crazy busy things can get in there. read more

Ok, so been here a few times in the past year, food was ok, service was sub par, but today was the worst, waitress was so unorganized, got my coffee, my wife wanted ice tea, she said she had to wait for it, ( it was already brewed ) My omlet was more like scrammed eggs flipped in half, over priced too. Giving 1 star coz I have too, my rating is more like - read more

I've lived in east county for some years now and am So disappointed that I just found out about this place! Let me begin by saying that anywhere that starts off not by offering you a drink, but by offering you tea that comes in a mason Jar is great. The decor is cute, lots of Route 66, license plates etc. The food was great. I ordered the mexi salad which was delicious. The only down side was that our waitress was either having an "off" day or she was not very personable. Overall, I would definitely return. read more

If you like breakfast and lunch this place is great. If the owners are on the premises the food is cooked properly. Scrambled eggs are fluffy, warm and pleasant tasting like buttery. BBQ is always on the menu. Specials daily. Excellent pancakes and waffles. Mexican choices abound as do omelets. Burgers, Ruebens and other fine sandwiches on lunch menu. This is my first local choice for breakfast and lunch. read more

This place is very unassuming, but excellent. I had the brisket and it's literally the best I've ever had in my life. My husband said the pancakes were excellent also. Highly recommended by us. read more

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My husband and I went here for breakfast because that's where Yelp led us. We both really like us some corned beef hash so that's what we ordered. Let me tell you, I'm sorry that I did. HOWEVER, when I asked the waiter to trade out something that resembled canned dog food (and I'm pretty sure tasted comparable), he was absolutely polite and apologetic as he told me that it did, indeed, come from a can. I didn't want to judge the place based on something that was from a can. I felt that would be unfair. Don't get the corned beef hash, I wish it wasn't on their menu because I think it gives them a bad name to anybody that makes the mistake of ordering it. I traded my canned dog food for a sausage breakfast that came with 2 eggs, toast, hashbrowns and 2 good sized sausages that tasted of HEAVEN! Really, they were delicious! Our server was the happiest, nicest person I think I've ever had as a server and made our visit super pleasant. I wish I could remember his name because he was seriously awesome! After the corned beef hash mishap, I walked away really enjoying our visit and will probably be going back for the barbeque everybody kept telling us about. To the owners: Please take the corned beef hash off of the menu or make your own! I would hate to think that people judge this place on that dish! read more

Awesome breakfast!!! I had the old timer (biscuit w/ gravy, 2 sausage patties, 2 eggs of your choice) husband got ranch omelette and because we had medicated before we ordered short stack of hot cakes for good measure! The hot cakes were so yummy!! The old timer biscuit and gravy with the sausage were supreme. So glad we stopped by. read more

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GREAT cafe! Been eating here for about 6+ yrs now....great service and amazing food!! Turkey Delight is one of my favs. Although the breakfasts are great too! I've tried it all! ***Update*** They are VERY pet friendly! They have doggie bowls for your lil gems! read more

Sometimes when I walk into this place I think I am in the twilight zone and have walked into the midwest in the 60s or 70s. I think I look like an alien to the workers there as well as the patrons there in that I do not have lilly white skin. Service was not good today for me and I was ignored. Possibly because I was by myself. The food was just passable today. The brisket was a big disappointment. I have gone here several times and the bbq has been very inconsistent. A few times I came it was good but I have completely given up on the ribs which they say are baby backs but they are spares. The brisket today was sliced really thin and dry and they gave me cut up tiny little scrap pieces of brisket to fill up the plate. Maybe they were running out but the last time I went it was far better. I did come the last time with my elderly caucasian friend so hopefully that wasn't the reason I got much better service and food. The country potatoes were lack luster and had black bits of burnt pieces of onion and green peppers. Also the potatoes looked like they were sitting around awhile. Definitely a whole lot better last time. The eggs were slightly overcooked but at least the english muffin was good which they served me as the last thing. I really like this place but the inconsistencies in service and the quality of the bbq leave me disappointed as I know that they can serve good food with just a little more attention to detail. I know who I will bring with me next time as my dining partner..... read more

I feel kinda dumb for not coming to this place sooner! I passed by several times and never bothered to go in. But I'm so glad I did. The service and food are excellent. Plus you get to look around all the historical decor they got going on while you wait for your food. Love it!! read more

Izzy's Cafe - The healthy omelette (egg whites,mushroom, and spinach. Topped with avocado and a side of fruit - Barbeque Near Me - El Cajon, California

We were kid free for a weekend and decided to go out and do a nice breakfast. After Yelping for a bit we decided on Izzy's. This place has since become our favorite breakfast restaurant. We love the mom and pop feel of the place. The decor is cute and reminds me of an old school dinner. Almost everything that we have tried has been great! The only not so great thing is the corned beef hash...pretty sure its out of a can. But there are so many other options, you won't be disappointed. The wait staff is super sweet and accommodating. Sometimes they are a little slow, so don't go if you are in a rush. read more

This pulled pork plate supposedly has 3 eggs mixed with the pork. I asked for sunny side eggs instead. They gave me 2 eggs and very little pork. I guess this plate helps in your slow transition to becoming a vegetarian. Flavor was mediocre but, excellent customer service. Keep the waiters, scrap the cooks! read more

Izzy's Cafe - Barbeque Near Me - El Cajon, California

Barbecue for breakfast?!? YESSS! I must admit I was a bit apprehensive about the idea but after ordering the pulled pork with eggs and hashbrowns, Lawd have mercy I haven't had a breakfast like that in my entire life. I annihilated the entire plate. Hubby got the southern scramble which was also amazing but nothing on what I had. However he was somewhat disappointed since we decided upon this location because they serve grits. As they were serving us we were informed they were out of grits. The waitress said to come early since they are very popular. (Before 12pm) Not to mention the service was some of the best I've ever received. Greeted as we walked in, given seating options, multiple servers and waitresses constantly refilling our beverages and checking in with us just enough. The only down side about this place is I live in Oakland. Whenever I visit the San Diego area I will be making a stop at this lovely establishment. read more

Izzy's Cafe - Pulled pork, eggs over medium, hash browns and zucchini muffin. Yummmmmmm - Barbeque Near Me - El Cajon, California