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

This was my 2nd time here and it is always great. I felt like we waited 20 mins, but they wasn't a lot of people so I'm confused there. But the staff is very friendly. Food is great and I like that it's dog friendly. I got biscuits and gravy &my bf got chicken fried steak & an Arnold palmer. Portions were huge and my bf pretty much finished his plate. The Arnold palmer was great because it tasted as if the tea was freshly brewed. I struggled through my plate & didn't finish it and took the potatoes home. My goal towards the end was just to finish my Dr. Pepper & water. There was so much gravy in my plate, that everything could have swam in it, but everything was delicious. read more

Mom's Kitchen - Biscuits & gravy - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Vista, California

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

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

My husband and I are quarantined for exposure of Covid so we decided to ordered from here for the first time , I was looking forward on my food but was very disappointed, my food was dry and had no flavor I order the abc omelette and I had 3 little almost black pieces of avocado and egg looked like it was tossed a few times with a bunch of cheese all Over it was not good , my toast was burnt and potatoes were dry and tasteless . I was so disappointed and threw my food after a couple of bites . read more

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Hands down best breakfast in vista! This place is outstanding from the food, to the service, and to the extremely affordable prices! The wait can be a bit long but it's well worth it! You have to write your name down on a white board outside. The inside is absolutely tiny, not more than 10 tables and the counter. The food is incredible! The best biscuits and gravy in vista is definitely a fact, and they definitely own up to that statement. The gravy has so much flavor and it's just cooked perfectly. The pancakes are the best I've ever had. The portion sizes are very generous for the price! This place is very affordable! The menu is quite large and can satisfy any and all cravings for breakfast or lunch! Staff is wonderful, very friendly and frequently checks up on everyone. I highly recommend stopping in if you want some delicious food that won't break the bank. read more

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I went in for a late brunch with 3 friends and it was pretty busy on a Saturday morning. We were lucky we got in at the time we did as many people came in after us. The service was decent, but nothing notable that made our experience any better. The food is pretty good.. but could use a bit more flavor. I got the Denver omelette with house fries (just breakfast potatoes) and toast. It was exactly what you'd expect. I did have to use hot sauce on my food - which I rarely do since I am not a fan of too spicy foods but I felt the food could have been more flavorful. I was also not a fan of the American cheese on half- I did like the Swiss. The server did not ask which cheese I would like so I asume these two were the default. Two of my friends got the French toast and it looked really good. Another got a country fried steak with a croissant and made herself a breakfast sandwich- which looked delicious! There's lots of options on the menu, so I would come back again to try some other options that may be better than the omelette. read more

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

So I've lived here for 25 years and I can't believe I've never eaten at this restaurant. A friend wanted to get together for breakfast and I picked a place I haven't been to. A couple places Carlsbad came to mind but I knew we were going to linger. Carlsbad Brunch places don't like it when you linger because you're taking up valuable real estate. Where can we go to get a good breakfast? Pulled out the handy Yelp app and I find moms kitchen. From everyone's reviews it looks like good food, good prices, and they wont mind us hanging out and lingering on a Saturday morning. Got there promptly at seven, greeted and given our choice of tables. I quickly scan the menu but had already look at it online and knew I was getting the waffle. Because if there's a waffle on a menu it's got my name on it. But I decide to go for the combo because it waffles, eggs, and hashbrowns! My friend get the chicken fried steak and said it was good. Overall it is a standard diner breakfast food without any fancy. Good food at good prices. What more could you want? I love the cute little blue Mason jars for water. The long counter long is perfect for solo diners and one tops. It seems like people just kind of stroll in by themselves and they strike up a conversation with someone at the counter. Which is kind of fun and reminds me of a diner in a quaint little city which is exactly what Vista used to be. I'll definitely come back because there's some interesting things on the menu and the price is good. The atmosphere is casual and it's easy to find parking and the food was served relatively quick. read more

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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

Cute tiny place. Great service, check hours of operation. Splitting salads at no extra charge when I asked. read more

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We have eaten here for years... dating back to when it was the "Alley Cafe". It's a fun place and the service is excellent and friendly. But the food is good... but not anything to rave about. The Tuna melt was "wet"... tuna wasn't drained enough and the sandwich dripped juice constantly. The fries were ok..Ok... but bot crispy. We enjoyed our meal but won't be rushing back or regular customers. Guess we are spoiled by Home Sweet Home in Escondido read more

Mom's Kitchen - Tuna Melt and fries - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Vista, California

This place has been here longer than I can remember. My dad would bring me here for lunch sometimes. It still has a very homey atmosphere and the name is very appropriate, Mom' Kitchen. How can you go wrong? I like keeping my spending money local. read more

Mom's Kitchen - The daily special! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Vista, California

Sorry to say seems like they've got some RACIST WAITRESSES NOW. I've been coming here for years with my husband, and when my parents come to visit they've been loving the food and vibe too until today. My dad just received terrible service, this morning may 7 2025 around 9:45/10am. He walked in for a pick up order I called in (on the phone she sounded nice enough) and there was a bigger pale woman who refused to acknowledge him or even look at him. My dad is polite to a fault, and assumed she was busy and waited. She didn't look at him, kept her back turned to him, then walked away and it was about 10 minutes later that my mom walked in to check what was up and this lady immediately noticed her, talked to her and offered her water and STILL IGNORED MY DAD WHO WAS RIGHT NEXT TO HER. She probably didn't even realize they were together at first. My mom walked away for a second and my dad still wasn't acknowledged, this lady only spoke at all to my mom. I'd hate to assume the worst, but it seems like it's because my parents look very different from each other. I'm almost full Japanese, but my mom is much lighter skinned and wider eyed than my father probably because she's mixed, and my dad was also wearing a construction long sleeve highlighter green shirt and if you don't look too close, he could pass for Mexican. We're also from Hawaii so my dad has a pretty dark tan. They were so taken aback from how my dad was treated they say they don't ever want to go back, and I'm telling my husband we're not going back either. I've been going there for over 10 years since before the name change and they've been many times on their visits to see me, and usually the younger girls who have helped us are always so nice. It was a favorite and my dad was always the one who wanted to eat there every morning of their visits they can. We're going to end that as of today because of how this woman completely acted like my dad was not worth her time, but catered to my mom with no hesitation RIGHT IN FRONT OF HIM and still chose to ignore him after very obviously seeing he was there. No insults on the cooks, the food was good as usual, but it's a shame that this experience left a terrible taste in our mouth and we will no longer be spending our time or money there. Oh AND when my dad paid, she assumed it was all for her and didn't give him or offer him his change. VILE WOMAN. read more

This place has a lot of cons but the food is delicious!! They are really busy so you have to write your name on a chalkboard and wait. However we did notice people skipping this and just taking open tables outside.. We literally waited about 20 minutes and then another 10 minutes before anyone came over.. The service was good once we got seated and they finally came over. We ordered and waited and waited... The food took a long time and by the time we got it we literally had to take it to go so we could make our next appt. So with everything it took like an hour total before we had our food. The food was delicious but the wait for a table and for the food was crazy. I probably would give this place another try if it's not busy and hope that the food would come out in a reasonable time.. read more

I wasn't going to write a review, but I am just so over lousy food and service these days. Salmon eggs Benedict. Poached eggs were not poached. Salmon tasted scary slimy, hollandaise sauce tasted like it was from a can, hash browns had zero taste, and it took a long time to get our food. Yet.....people who came in before us received their meal after we did. read more

Was looking for a place to have breakfast up in North County and ended up in downtown Vista at this cute cafe! Not too many seating inside, so I can imagine there could be a wait at times. Their signs and menu talk about the biscuits and gravy, but I was in the mood for a salmon benedict! Hubby got the California benedict. These were sooo good we almost licked the plate clean! Mine was extra "yolky" and totally loved it! Oh, and got the hash brown extra crispy! Yum! Now, I want to try the biscuits and gravy to see if it's all that! The staff is really friendly and make you feel welcome. That's always a good thing, especially sine you're spending money on their establishment! Definitely want to come back! Oh, and I guess, according to hubby, this used to be called Allen's Alley Cafe. Basically, the same cafe, different name. read more

Mom's Kitchen - Salmon benedict and California benedict - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Vista, California

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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

Y O U R. M O M. I S. H O T (under the collar) 10 phrases you'll hear when Mom is annoyed (#MomSpeak): 1. 'I'm sorry for interrupting you while I was talking.' 2. 'I brought you into this world, I can take you out.' 3. 'Use your head for more than a hat rack.' 4. 'If you can't dazzle them with your brilliance, baffle them with your bullshit.' 5. 'I've taught you everything you know, just not everything I know'. 6. 'Are your ears painted on!?' (anytime you weren't listening). 7. 'What do you think you are, just a souvenir of a good time?' (never stops being weird). 8. 'I'm sorry, did I put on my give-a-shit face today? Because I didn't mean to.' 9. 'Always remember your six p's: proper planning prevents piss-poor performance.' (It applies to absolutely everything). 10. And finally... 'Listen to me now and believe me later.' (she was right). Pro tip: Breakfast or lunch just like mom would make. Sit indoors or out, enjoy hot-off-the-grill food, and bring your mom if you have an extra 45 minutes to learn about the health problems of people you don't know. Bonus tip: Be sure to grab the reasonable check, so mom won't try to pay with that Cheesecake Factory gift card circa 1998. read more

I can't believe I've been coming here almost 6 years and I've never done a review. This is one of our favorite local Breakfast spots! Whether you're looking for a healthy omelette and fruit or a delicious cinnamon roll pancake or even a flavorful mouth full of their famous gravy and biscuits! This is a perfect local dive place that I recommend to locals and visitors alike! The staff is extremely friendly and helpful! They have a cute diner bar top or regular seating. They've expanded their outdoor seating because of covid which just means less wait time! Because let me tell you the wait is around the block on a weekend! Or even a weekday after 9. Highly recommend! They're even great for lunch with their delicious deep fried fries! Formerly known as Allen's Alley, moms kitchen is a must!! These pics are from our visit a couple Saturdays ago! read more

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I always love starting my day with a visit to Mom's kitchen. It's delicious home style cooking in the heart of Vista and always a pleasant experience! Evelin was my waitress today and she did an outstanding job! She was quick with my food, kept my coffee warm, and had a smile on her face the whole time! It was pretty packed this morning too but she handled it with poise and grace. Way to go Evelin! I'll be back very soon for some more steak and eggs! read more

Mom's Kitchen - Steak and eggs! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Vista, California

Love the food, dislike the servers and their attitude. They always seem annoyed or bothered when serving you. I've been coming to moms kitchen for over 10 years and this is worst customer service that i've seen. Cooks are great, servers too busy having side conversations. I witnessed a customer get up and leave because the server forgot to put his order in and laughed about it. Management/Owner- hire better! read more

OMG. They have a cinnamon roll pancake. I thought it would be blah. Boy! Let me tell you wut. I was wrong! The item really felt like a perfect blend of the two concepts. Food was amazing. Every bite. Great local brunch place. I would say it is my favorite brunch place in Vista. I am partial to Richard Walkers in Carlsbad Bressi Ranch; however, this place, is my favorite non-chain. The service was friendly. The chef/cook in the back said everything was made with love. We felt it. We tasted it. Highly recommend Mom's Kitchen. read more

Felt completely ignored! Waited 35 mins to put in my order, they didn't bother to check on us for that long, and after we did put in our order we were ignored again for the remaining time, another 30 mins! Not coming back, they made me feel not welcomed. To top it off, the waitress said she was going to give me a discount for the wait, she lied. We paid full price, worst experience, I have never felt discriminated like today read more

Perfect example of home cooking at its finest for American breakfast or lunch. We had breakfast on a weekday and while it was busy were seated quickly. The server was quick and food came out a short time later. Place was packed. This Vista hideaway has been in existence since the 1950's. There is a counter and a fair amount of tables. Although small it didn't make you feel cramped. First time visit today and we got exactly what we expected. A great breakfast and experience. They are only open 6:30am - 2pm Monday to Friday and 6am-2pm Saturday and Sunday. Our server said the wait wasn't very long on the weekend. We will be back again for sure!! read more

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This place used to be amazing, but I was very unhappy and not satisfied with my recent breakfast here. It was very expensive for the price per food ratio. read more

No stars Terrible. My husband ordered Philly steak omelette and it had jalepenos. Never again. Told the waitress and she said oh. Never checked till the end to see how everything was. read more

Mom's Kitchen - Overcooked eggs. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Vista, California

MOM'S KITCHEN Got lost driving through Vista. Wrong turn. Low and behold Mom's Kitchen. Looked busy, homey so we decided to patronize. So glad we did :D!!! Momma cooks delicious down home food. Biscuits, salsas, whipped cream, pumpkin and red velvet cake pancakes, country style gravy all made from scratch. Mom's Kitchen is a family style eatery with family style seating. Service is wonderful, very friendly and fast. It's a locals favorite. Make it yours :D read more

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OMG!! I can't remember the last time I had a breakfast that tasted so good and FRESH!! This place is very cool! Honestyle feel worth great friendly service! The food was soooooo good!!! Thank you for starting off my day in such a great way!!! read more

Great service, great coffee and breakfest comfort food. Nice and quite atmosphere. Little nice and hidden on main street. read more

Mom's Kitchen - Waffles juice salmon - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Vista, California

Solely on service. Called and asked about table for 5 was told no wait arrived 4 min later and had to stand there for 5 min before anyone offered to help. Say party of 2 at a table for 6 to then tell us we had to wait. This is why we only do Curbside! read more

Wanted to love a nearby breakfast restaurant, but it was not to be. My large family group all agreed the food was not seasoned and mediocre. Hashbrowns not cooked through, gravy had scarce sausage in it, eggs overcooked. Waitresses looked worn out/ haggard and it was very hot (no A/C) and one of them had a big hickey on her neck. Classy. read more

great little place! We came right after the morning rush (around 10 am). It was perfect, we were seated right away and the waitress was very attentive. The food has good portioning and flavor. Our coffee cups were never empty. What a lovely cozy place to have breakfast! read more

Customer service. Customer service is a quality that can either make or break a well prepared meal. I have been coming to this place before the birth of my 22y/o son. Prior to Charlie passing away, this was buzzing with laughs and excellent customer service. Since his passing, it has slowly deteriorated in the sense that the people who work here are the most unfriendly, rude and lack the ability to read the room. I come here for one reason and that reason, is the corned beef hash and eggs. Some might say it's from a can, but I don't care, it's good to me. The part that is most distracting from here is the horrible customer service. The attitude is one of, I'm being forced to serve you. Why do you keep asking for more coffee. No we won't heat up your ham sandwich. It's sad to see Charlie's legacy squandered away and ruined by the servers here. If you come visit expect horrible service. Sad to write this review but I just couldn't take watching how these servers treat and talk to their customers. read more

There's always a long wait for the food we order. The food is good, we have tried breakfast only, had some cinnamon roll pancakes and they were very tasty. Did notice a lot takeout orders were out fast and still our food was not coming out after 15 minutes and I saw other 2 tables there with no food that came before us. I feel that priority should be giving to the people that are dining in. Or maybe have one person be in charge of takeout so the people dining in don't have to wait so long. Overall, in regards to the food I will recommend, nothing out this world but better than Dennys or IHOP. read more

Always look forward to trying new local places when I'm traveling. Previous reviews were strong on Yelp and the Alphabet site, so I gave this place a try. On a Sunday morning, it took 10 minutes just to get seated, even though there was an empty table that none of the staff was interested in getting cleaned off. But at least this gave me time to review the menu. Once table was finally cleared, I was seated and placed my order right away.... had to try the "famous" biscuits & gravy so I ordered the Country Benedict and hash browns. Well, I guess the "fame" must be the biscuits because i was served the blandest gravy I have ever had. No spices, no bits of sausage, nada. I had to sprinkle copious amounts of pepper and salt just to get SOME flavor into the gravy. Was also disappointed with the small portion of also flavorless hash browns. And no toast??? Maybe they were having an off-day, but I am afraid I can't recommend, nor would I return to try something else. It's a quaint little Cafe with moderate prices (for San Diego), but unless they put in some flavor into the food... I am better off making breakfast at home. read more

Amazing food and service! The girls are always so nice and don't cut any conversations short. It's definitely a home feeling when you walk in there. Last time in there i had their wet breakfast burrito and it was amazing! My family is a regular to this spot. My 2 sons 7yo and 9yo always ask to come here. The diner coffee is the only coffee i can drink black. read more

Love their biscuits and gravy, chicken fried steak and pancakes!!! Can't go wrong with any of them. Give them a try won't be disappointed read more

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For a small spot situated in an alley, I rather enjoyed their outdoor eating option. The hustle of the flower shop across Artist Man Alley and other small businesses surrounding its location felt small town. Set a way from Santa Fe and Vista Way, it was a great setting to leisurely enjoy breakfast and enjoy breakfast, we did. I knew I wanted to try the biscuits and gravy (always!), but the chilaquiles caught my eye, too. I heard my dad's voice say, "You don't have to eat it, you just gotta pay for it." and ordered both. Our server said the salsa ranked, from mild to spicy, was red, ranchero, green. I opted for ranchero and it was tasty! It was just enough to not make the tortillas soggy with the right amount of heat and a whole lot of flavor. Next time, I'll ask if I can substitute rice for the potatoes. That would've hit differently. When the biscuits and gravy came out I couldn't tell if the biscuit was split. That's a big deal to a southerner. The biscuit was tender and would've been great with butter alone. The gravy was okay, better than most I've had in North County, but I doused it in black pepper cuz if you ain't sneezin', it ain't seasoned! I ordered hash browns with both dishes and they were delicious. Perfectly crisp on the outside and tender inside. I freely admit that I cleaned that part of both plates. I would gladly visit Mom's Kitchen again to further explore their menu. read more

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Old school diner. A few tables and a number of seats at a long counter. A good selection on the menu. The food is cooked fresh and yummy. It is definitely worth a visit. read more

Great spot for a great meal!!! Super attentive and polite servers. Quality great tasting food! Portion sizes that are worth the cost and costs that won't break the bank!! read more

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