Sometimes... you can go home again. Having graduated from Vista High in 1986, Allen's Alley was always a mainstay for weekend breakfasts or the mid week lunch. I moved away a long time ago and I hadn't eaten here in over 40 years. I was glad to see that it was still a running restaurant (though the name changed a while ago) staffed with some of the original cooks. I had to order my same order which consisted of 1/2 order of biscuit's and gravy, crispy hash browns and a single over-medium egg. I sat in the back, sipped on my coffee, and just wallowed in the nostalgia of that little hole in wall breakfast place that still serves a decent breakfast at a reasonable price. My entire meal with coffee was around $12 and that's a bargain anywhere. If you are driving through Vista, CA and you need a decent meal at a fair price, do yourself a favor and visit Mom's Kitchen (there a small framed photograph of it as Allen's Alley inside near the door - give it a gentle tap for good luck). read more

Mom's Kitchen - 1/2 order of Biscuits and Gravy (hash browns included) for $7.50 and an over medium egg for $2. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Vista, California

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Stopped in for Breakfast on a Tuesday. This location has had a little restaurant serving breakfast and lunch here for over 50 years. Originally "Allen's Alley." It has changed hands a couple of times over the last 10-15 years. We regularly ate here as part of our Vista rotation for breakfast/lunch, but we had a poor experience a little over a year ago, so this was our first time back to see how things were. I lasted Yelp reviewed in 2018. There still is a small counter for service inside along with four tables for four and one table for two. Six or so outside tables for service also. One table inside occupied and two outside when we entered. We were greeted by a very pleasant wait staff who were extremely helpful and efficient. We had waters, coffee, Tea, very quickly. Coffee was very good with an assortment of creamers to choose from. I ordered a special Omelet with Chorizo and cheese off their chock board. Side of fruit ($2.50 up charge) instead of potatoes along with Rye Toast. The Toast was just one slice of bread. $17. My better half had the pancake combo, two pancakes with two eggs over easy, one sausage patty. $14.50. We enjoyed the food and service. The prices were fair for the portions and quality of what we ordered. We will add Mom's back into our Vista rotation. read more

Nice little spot. Easy to miss if you're not looking for it. Sat down right away, greeted, brought coffee, a good brew. Very busy spot. Three stars because because I kept having to flag them down for something. They are nice people read more

According to their website, Mom's is the oldest diner in Vista. I love old things, so we stopped by on a late Friday morning around 11:15. You can tell that the building has been around for a while. It's giving cute, 'greasy spoon' diner vibes. The coffee is diner coffee, light and drinkable. We decided to share the Cinnamon Roll Pancake Combo (gluten free) which came with a short stack of cinnamon roll pancakes, 2 eggs, and sausage or bacon, and the Florentine Omelette (add onions and peppers - $1.50 each). While the presentation of the pancakes didn't match the photos on their website (maybe the cream cheese icing melted?), the flavors were cinnamon-y and sweet once we added syrup. The omelette was filling, and the hollandaise sauce was flavorful. The hash browns could have used more seasoning and a few more minutes on the grill to brown them up. My true rating would be 3.5/5. While the food was satisfying, the prices weren't reflective of the quality. The menu available on the restaurant's website needs to be updated, as the prices shown online are outdated and lower than the in-restaurant menu prices. I do appreciate that they offer gluten free batter for their pancakes and waffles, and would return for these. read more

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A nostalgic restaurant with nostalgic prices. But the reasonable bill is hardly the main appeal of Mom's Kitchen. Even though I had never been before, I felt an immediate sense of familiarity upon walking in for the first time. Here's why I rated it four stars: Ambiance: Mom's is welcoming, cosy, casual. It has an authentic air of another time without being kitschy or effortful about it. Sounds like the only thing that's changed in 50 yrs is the name. The historical photos hung around the spot are proof enough. Food: I didn't have anything that blew my socks off; the omelet and pancakes (I forget exactly which one's we ordered) were still quite good and worth ordering again. But when I saw one of the specials pass by en route to another table, I thought, "One day of high cholesterol wouldn't have hurt." Service: Even the chatter from the kitchen seemed friendly... as someone who's worked in kitchens before, this DID blow my socks off haha! The wait staff were helpful and nice, though it takes a while to get your food and you'll have to flag a server to top off your coffee. My recommendation: Come with time to hang out and unwind for a bit. Bring a friend and leave your phone behind, or come solo and pull up to the bar and get to know your neighbor and server. Splurge on the specials (they're "special" for a reason). And remember to leave a good tip for the good people who keep a place like this running in times like these. read more

Upon arrival, we were not greeted. She didn't tell us anything so we assumed we had to seat ourselves. We had to wait 20+ minutes for our menus. The waitress just seemed really out of it. It was really awkward. We had to remind her twice for our coffees, and it took her a while to take down our orders. There was another couple who left before ordering their food, I'm sure it was because of the same reason. It was fairly empty when we walked in, like I had mentioned earlier, there was only one couple seated before us. Gave me mom and pop shop vibes. But here's the kicker: do not let that stop you from ordering the food here. If you can withstand mediocre customer service, the food here is phenomenal. My husband encouraged me to stay even though I wanted to leave and I'm glad we stayed for the food. I ordered the country fried steak and eggs and it was absolutely delicious. It was nice and crispy even though it was smothered in sausage gravy. The home fries were tasty too. It was crispy and tasted perfect! My husband got The Frenchie, and he liked it a lot. He said shout out to the hard working Latinos in the kitchen. And my son got the Cinnamon roll pancakes. Overall, this place would have been a 3/5 if the waitress would have been more attentive, or at least communicated with us. read more

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Unfriendly staff and they served me biscuits and gravy cold. Also very loud inside and it took quite a while to get my cold food. Disappointing. read more

Amazing food very friendly crew very wholesome. It's a great place to sit and enjoy a meal. The people working are friendly and attentive. Highly recommend read more

Mom's Kitchen - Vista Village Omelet, biscuits and gravy - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Vista, California

We stopped by on a busy Saturday morning, and even though the place was packed, the service was warm and welcoming. An older woman (I'm really hoping she was "Mom" herself!) greeted us with the kindest smile and made the whole experience feel like breakfast at home. We sat at the bar, and our food and drinks came out fast. I ordered the mimosa flight, and wow -- each one had the perfect ratio of crisp champagne to fresh, flavorful juice. The cinnamon roll pancakes were absolutely to die for -- fluffy, sweet, and perfectly glazed. Everything from the vibe to the food just hit right. I'd 100% come back again -- such a gem of a spot in Vista! read more

Mom's Kitchen - Mimosa flight - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Vista, California

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We love Mom's Kitchen! They have the best gluten free griddle I've ever tasted. We love this place and have never had any food we don't like. We love the Lox, biscuits & gravy, the cinnamon roll French toast is out of this world and the sandwiches are all great as well. Outdoor seating complements the indoor dinner with counter service. The only downside is that it's popular and small so you'll usually encounter a wait on the weekends but the location is a nice place to walk around for 15 min while you wait your turn. read more

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Cute small hole in the wall, but the food was a solid 3/5. It wasn't amazing but it wasn't terrible. My veggie omelette was kind of bland so I needed to pour cholula all over it. Hashbrowns were very mediocre, wasn't crispy at all. My husband ordered the chicken fried steak and it was very average. read more

Mom's Kitchen - Chicken Fried Steak - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Vista, California

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Definitely your traditional old skool diner. Food is ok, service is ok, ambiance is cool being in the heart of the village. Overall has the look & feel of a diner which feels cozy & nostalgic. I got steak & eggs. The steak was supposed to be medium but was cooked medium-well/well. It was tough and chewy. It seemed as if there were only 3 people working and we were sat immediately on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. That should've been the sign that it wasn't maybe the best spot. Our server was sweet but because she was the only server and food runner service is more on the slow side. read more

Mom's Kitchen - Mimosa flight. Pineapple, grapefruit, cranberry, and orange juice. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Vista, California

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Ordered from doordash, not only had cold french toast but there was a hair in it! To make matters worse the sausage was completely raw inside and when ordering a biscuit even though they have the picture with gravy, its just a plain tasteless buscuit with butter. Dont bother eating here! read more

Mom's Kitchen - Full French ToastFrench - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Vista, California

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We felt like we'd stepped back in time, to the homey diners. The menu is simple but varied. The other customers talk back and forth across tables and the counter. The staff checked in periodically but not too pushy. read more

Well named breakfast place. Met up with some friends for brunch and this worked great. I had an omelette that was perfect! Easily back and trying more on the menu read more

Im not one to write reviews but I have to for this one. As we walked in we were greeted by such a welcoming waiter. The ambiance was cozy and homie. My husband and I went for their mimosas which definitely hit the spot. I got myself some chilaquiles and the hubs got huevos rancheros, two items that i usually hold back on when going to many breakfast places. To my surprise both dishes were made to perfection. The over easy eggs ln my chilaquiles were goozing out as they should while the fried tortillas remained crispy all through out the time being there. The sauce was definitely made with love and care because it tasted just like the mexican home sauce ive known. I added some sour cream on the side because thats just another add on to the deliciousness. My husband really loved his huevos rancheros as well with his stack of cinnamon roll pancakes. Definitely will be back again to try their other items. This place has the right people in that kitchen and we walked out super satisfied. Thank you Moms Kitchen! Keep up the good work:) read more

Food was in very small portions Service was bad no refiis Prices were very high for the portions 3adult 1child 2drinks 1water 3plates 1kids meal 80 dls No etiquette whatsoever No refills read more

Cute little mom and pop breakfast place right in the heart of downtown Vista. They have AMAZING food and equally amazing service. Love that it is not too crowded if you get there before 9 am. The vibe is very homey old school diner. I need to go for lunch soon! :) read more

Stopped in on a Saturday morning for breakfast what a cute place. The minute we walked in we were greeted with smiles, and a welcoming spirit sat down at the counter and immediately received great service ordered a mimosa flight, which was yummy and was excited to find out that they had gluten-free pancakes and waffles, which allowed me to order their special gluten-free Cinnamon roll, pancakes and boy were they good! Can't wait to return if you're ever in Vista this is a must visit. Stop for breakfast or lunch. read more

Mom's Kitchen - Gluten-free cinnamon roll pancakes - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Vista, California

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Food is regular breakfast food. Getting a three since they were listed for vista nicks and they refused to get the manager to help utilize vista bucks. Major bummer on the service overall. read more

Good basic and good enough There were things I do not eat so they switched me to plain is a good food source. read more

First time coming to this restaurant with my family today. The place looks like a nice hole in the wall has decent service, but the food is atrocious. I ordered the chicken fried steak, with hash browns, eggs over medium, with sour dough toast. The eggs were not cooked properly, it's one thing if they had been over easy but the eggs weren't even fully cooked. The whites were still translucent for a good portion of the eggs. The hash browns shouldn't be called brown as they also had not been properly cooked and were watery and were mush inside the lightly colored exterior. The chicken fried steak was middling at best as well as the gravy. Will not eat here again or bring my family here. read more

Mom's Kitchen is a very cozy little mom and pop shop we found on Yelp before heading to Handel's for some ice cream. There are a few tables inside, and they also have patio seating. Park on the street, but not in the lot next door. The food was great, and so was the service. We each loved our dishes, and my Super BLT Sandwich was no exception. I chose potato salad as my side. It lacked flavor, so I sprinkled a bit of salt and pepper to make it come alive. My friend devoured their dishes, too! It was hot inside, as there is no a/c, so if you're bougie you might be better off on the patio. They do have fans running, but it still felt a little stuffy. I wouldn't count that against them though. This place hs rock solid offerings and the prices are on point. I would highly recommend Mom's Kitchen if you're looking for a hearty brekkie/brunch in the Vista area. =) read more

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Got broken up with here but food and service was great and the ambience and music definitely helped from stopping me from crying in public

This is my first order from Mom's Kitchen. I always enjoy trying out new restaurants because every time it's a new adventure for me. I placed my online order on the Door Dash App this morning for my breakfast meal. I also read these Yelp Reviews and Mom's Kitchen has received really good ratings from their previous customers. I love French Toast! My order was The Frenchie, it included the 2 slices of the French Toast, their bread is from Oasis Bakery it is thicker sliced bread which is dipped into an egg mixture and then grilled on in a pan or a griddle. This French Toast had cinnamon and confectionary sugar is added to this French Toast for flavor. The price is $16.95. I also added the sliced strawberries that was an extra charge of $2.00. The original price was $14.00. but when I added my order of Strawberries it added up to the $16.95. These sliced Strawberries are really sweet and very delicious. I received 2 thicker slices of the French Toast. I didn't receive any syrup with my French Toast Order today. This French Toast with Strawberries and the Confectionary Sugar tastes really delicious by itself it doesn't need this maple syrup added to this French Toast and it is also a healthier option for me and is much less calories. This Frenchie Order also includes the two eggs of my choice. I chose the 2 scrambled eggs because I enjoy eating my eggs this way and I also chose the 2 bacon strips. These 2 strips of bacon were very crispy and very tasty. The 2 scrambled eggs were very fluffily and really flavorful. I only added some salt to these 2 scrambled eggs and no pepper on my eggs. For my beverage, I ordered the one regular size orange juice. The price is $3.95. I saved a total of $5.38 on my Door Dash order today. This is because I have a Door Dash Pass Membership. The delivery fee was zero but the original delivery fee was $4.99. The service fee was reduced to $1.88 but was originally $3.87. The estimated tax was $1.72. The dasher tip I had chosen for Vania was $5.50. My total bill was $30.00. My bill was charged to my credit card account today. I also called Mom's Kitchen before I wrote my Yelp Review. I needed to ask Morgan who is the manager of Mom's Kitchen, what kind of bread does their cook use on their French Toast? Morgan said their bread that is used for their French Toast is from Oasis Bakery. Morgan also talked me for a few minutes she told me that all of their Food is made with fresh ingredients every day and nothing is frozen. This was great news for me to hear Morgan tell me this information. I want to spend my money on a restaurant that serves me fresh food not frozen. Morgan also told me that Mom's Kitchen has been in business for 30 years now but that building has been there for 40 years. That restaurant was another business before Mom's Kitchen bought their restaurant 30 years later. I told Morgan I loved my breakfast meal today and I wish I knew about Mom's Kitchen much sooner because I would have eaten at their Mom's Kitchen in person or did the Door Dash Delivery Service. I was very satisfied with my breakfast meal today. I told Morgan I will stop by sometime next week to order their food from their lunch menu. I really enjoy dining inside restaurants because I am people person. I also received excellent customer service from Vania. I highly recommend Mom's Kitchen. read more

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The food was good and well priced, but we most likely won't be back. It took about 40 min to get our food, and although the service was kind, it was not very attentive. No updates we're given while we sat there for 40 min, no refills we're offered while we sat there, and once the food was given we weren't checked on until we we're basically done eating. The food was yummy and well done, the menu options are great, and the setting is comfortable. It's a nice cozy spot with good food. If you consider yourself a low maintenance customer that has time to wait and doesn't mind not being waited on too often, then this place is great. read more

I've been wanting to check this place out and I finally was able to! I took my mom here a few weeks ago and come to our surprise it was such a small but quaint breakfast spot! Super cute and friendly staff! Breakfast was delicious and I would definitely come back here! read more

Mom's Kitchen - Breakfast sandwich minus the ham - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Vista, California

This place definitely lives up to the reviews. This cute place has a friendly environment and the staff is very attentive. Their house-made salsa is delicious, I tried the green salsa and it wasn't too spicy but a great addition to eggs. The French toast was very light and flavorful- definitely recommend this location! read more

Mom's Kitchen - Half French Toast Eggs Benedict - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Vista, California

What a nice little surprise. I've past this place for years and never stopped by to try it. I'm so glad today was the day we did. This little restaurant was nice. The food was so good. The staff was super friendly. I would recommend this place. read more

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This is such a great local spot that I would definitely go back to. The staff here was very helpful, maybe too much by checking in every other minute, which we laughed about later on. The food here is just so so good. My friend got a sandwich, I forget what, but he said it was really good. The fresh fruit was truly fresh. I got the ham And cheese omelette with English muffin and home potatoes. I just kept eating and eating and eating. I felt like I was going to pop! Worth it! read more

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Mom's Kitchen is always a great spot to grab a good breakfast. Local spot that is small and the food is great. I really enjoy the staff and the country fried steak with biscuits and gravy. read more

Mom's Kitchen - Country Chicken Fried Steak - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Vista, California

I haven't been here since it was Allen's Alley, so that's been a minute. Glad to say that the food is very good - I had a Southern Scramble with hash browns and my wife had a French Dip sandwich (breakfast and lunch coexist here). Staff are pleasant, atmosphere is throwback-homey, and prices are reasonable. Nice to revisit; we'll keep it in mind for the future. There's not a lot of Old Vista left, so it's nice to see this remaining piece treated with the respect it deserves. read more

I haven't been here since the ownership/name change. I visited on Saturday around 8am and it was fairly busy but we were able to get seated right away. I wasn't sure what to order because everything on their menu sounded delicious!! I ended up ordering the Greek omelette which consisted of 3 eggs with sun-dried tomatoes, feta cheese and spinach. The home fries it came with were so scrumptious. I opted to get a French toast instead of regular toast since I was also craving something sweet. My mom ordered the French toast plate that came with eggs and bacon. She really enjoyed it as well. Everything was delicious, even the coffee! Check them out if you haven't already. Plus, you'll be supporting a local business! read more

Mom's Kitchen - Greek Omelette. A must try! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Vista, California

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The cutest little cafe & the food was 10/10! Can't wait to come back & try more of the menu read more

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This adorable restaurant is cozy and offers a rather nice view of the street, perfect for people watching and perfect for admiring the mural on the wall. We were seated promptly although it looks as though it was rather busy, so that's a win! My group and I were seated outside and I was rather indecisive as to what to choose. The waitress was beyond helpful and suggested I order chilaquiles with green salsa. I wasn't sure if I wanted cubed potatoes or hashbrowns, so the waitress was kind enough to split them for me. The food was lovely; the salsa had flavor (which is hard to come by in good chilaquiles, they are usually lacking for me, but not here) and the service was excellent. If you're in the area and love Mexican comfort food for breakfast, I highly recommend! read more

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let's see, both waitresses are eating while we're waiting to be seated, then we finally get seated, only to have to wait to put in order while both waitresses are still eating. i love this place but the last couple times there hasn't been any type of management. i'll try eating here one more time, but if the service doesn't change this will be the last time. read more

Food is always on point, the wait staff is always so nice and if there's a wait - it's worth it.

I ordered this on DoorDash... pancakes came with no syrup or butter... the biscuit came with no gravy like they advertised it which is false advertisement... very disappointed and won't be ordering or eating here again read more

I've been coming here for years, not as often as I'd like, but when I can. It's small, consistent, and very friendly family-owned place. If I came every week or two I'd try more things, but as it is I just get a simple bacon and eggs breakfast. I like my bacon and my hash browns crispy, and I don't know how they do it but they managed to get my order out in about five minutes - perfect! I would sit and read the paper if I still bought the "dead tree" edition, but as it is I read my phone, which seems somehow less sociable. Glad they're open again; they now have outside seating which I hope will stick around for a while. read more

Mom's Kitchen - Bacon and eggs, hash browns, toast. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Vista, California

Moms kitchen in Vista has been a favorite place to eat for many years and this morning was no exception! We got a table by the window..our server came over right away to get our drinks. My Mimosa was good..my son had fresh orange juice. I had the red chilequiles and it was not too spicy and the eggs were perfect over easy..refried beans and home potatoes were really good and I ended up taking some home it was so much food! My son loved his waffle and eggs plus sausage..he didn't leave any leftovers! We love the small diner atmosphere..a local favorite place for sure! So many menu options to try next time ! read more