Who doesn't love a good diner? Peek inside and the place looks like it stepped out of the distant…read morepast, maybe the 1950s or the 1960s. Surely they are masters at greasy bacon and eggs, day old coffee, and probably little else.
Wrong. Very wrong.
This place may look a little ordinary from the outside but there is nothing ordinary about it. It may look like a classic diner inside but it does not sling food like an old diner. The menu is well-written and the food is high quality, excellent, and borderline gourmet. Do not order eggs, bacon, and toast here. Swing for the cheap seats.
We tried the Ham, Avocado and Tomato Eggs Benedict. The hollandaise sauce was fantastic. If I didn't care about remaining somewhere under 350 pounds, I would return every Saturday and eat my way through every single eggs benedict concoction on the menu and there are many such benedict creations from which to choose.
The Banana Nutella crepe, with "whip" cream (not "whipped," apparently, we're gentle with our cream here, folks), was decadent. If you like your breakfasts on the sweet side, you will enjoy this one.
The Tres Porkitos omelet (made with ham, bacon, sausage, and cheese) was hearty and just as good as it sounds.
The breakfast potatoes were very nicely done but could have used a little more seasoning. There is a salt shaker (and numerous hot sauces) on the table for just these types of emergencies.
Do NOT leave here without getting a freshly-made biscuit with butter and honey on the side. You have made a serious error in judgment if you leave without getting one of these.
Even the freshly-squeezed orange juice was delicious.
Our server was wonderful. No complaints.
They have dining inside or on the patio. Encinitas is a delightful community. While I loved the old school diner feel inside, you cannot go wrong with the people watching outside on one of our almost always sunny days in So Cal. If you live here, you already pay the Sunshine Tax so get your money's worth and sit outside, if you can.
10 stars.
