Most breakfast places stick to a standard spread, general dishes that satisfy an array of tastes. Others might focus on a single dish or ingredient, eggs at the Broken Yolk ("We have a 12 egg omelette!"), Pancakes at the ... Pancake House ("Over 30 styles to choose from!"), or crappy food at Denny's ("At least we're not Rimel's in Encinitas!"). And then some places have a shtick, a specific thing that makes stand out (or, at least, makes them think they stand out). Contrary to the name of the place, it ain't the potatoes for this little diner.
The Potato Shack Cafe lies on the outskirts of downtown Encinitas, between Anahata Yoga and Colonics by the Sea. When you walk in, you are greeted with the dark varnish of a wooden interior replete with tables carved out of tree trunk slices. One wall proudly displays a beautiful American Flag. Another wall gives a salute to the launch of the U.S.S. Ronald Reagan. By the door is a quaint ATM that signifies that they are cash only.
Eating in Encinitas, you get used to seeing typical patrons, beach bums and bunnies, SUV moms and dads who apparently don't work during the week, those who have to walk their dog everywhere, hipsters in glasses and knit hats, old couples that are always smiling, nerd girls in headsets and hooded jackets ... it's an eclectic mix that runs the gambit of people who live in a coastal town. Come in here, though, and you might see a dog walker and happy older couple outside, but the majority of the people we saw coming and going were older diners eating solo (3 out of the 5 we counted were wearing trucker hats, I kid you not) and a pair of middle aged guys, wearing suits, who had finished eating long before, and were just sitting and talking finance until we left.
Don't get me wrong, it's not off putting in the slightest, it's just something you take note of pretty quick because it's just so ... stereotypical. Anyway, enough time wasted on that, about breakfast.
I had what the Potato Shack seems to have become known for in all the reviews I saw, their Manhole Cover Sized Pancakes. And while they do measure up in size, their chocolate chip offering got tiresome less than a third of the way through. It was oddly bland, only the chips giving any sweetness, and only the burn giving any taste to the breading. They should be a good mix of salt and sugar, not just something to shovel in and make you feel full. And it came with below average scrambled eggs and a very tasty turkey sausage patty.
The woman I love had their Western Omelette, which turned out to be very good. The ham was nicely salted, the veggies were fresh and well cooked, and the cheese was moist and unburned around the edges, a good recipe and well made. The American Fries that came with it, on the other hand, were a huge disappointment. Unseasoned, underdone to the point where they were soft, but not crispy, just a very basic style that made them all starch and no flavor.
It might be our fault for not having something off of their baked potato menu, but breakfast here was average at best. Large portions don't really make up for lack of taste. Mix in slower service (which is not really the fault of the place, as there was only one server taking care of at least 5 tables at once) and being cash only (which sucks when you only realize this right before the check comes), and this place comes up to a weak three stars.
On the plus side, they do have a lot of Mr. Potato Head parts for kids to play with; our toddler took full advantage of that. And the location is nice, downtown Encinitas where you can partake of a morning stretch, at Yoga next door, to prepare for all the starch and carbs you're about to eat and then have warm water squirted up you, at the Colonic place, to clean yourself out of them when you're done. That's my Thursday morning all wrapped up into one corner. read more