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    Rudford's Restaurant

    3.7 (1.7k reviews)
    Open Open 24 hours

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    RUDFORD'S RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Rudford's Restaurant

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    Corned beef sandwich more like a BLT
    Don D.

    Today is St. Patrick day and I wanted a corned beef sandwich. I called Rudfords and ordered a corned beef sandwich on rye with a side of potato salad for take out. It was ready for me when I arrived in a plastic bag. To my disappointment the sandwich was prepared exactly like a BLT: lettuce, tomato, and mayo on the bread. When you don't know better leave the sandwich without the lettuce, tomato, and mayo. Those can be separate. Next the corned beef was over cooked and dry. I don't know the chef, but that person should be given a lesson on how to prepare a corned beef sandwich to go.

    Mushroom Swiss BurgerMushroom, yummy!!
    Bella S.

    Mainly good things to say about this place!! I love the fact that it's 24/7, it was in a nice place in the city where it's always busy so it seems like a great place to be. LOTS of food options ranging from savory to dessert, and that dessert option list was huge!!! Our waiter was nice.. the only thing that happened is my friend didn't get the toast that came with his meal and we saw it sitting on the hot food shelf but no one brought it and our waiter hadn't come back to check if we got it but no worries, just some toast. I got the mushroom Swiss burger which was yummy!! So happy they had ranch. Definitely coming back for a late night munchie again

    Fried cod fillets with fries
    Ann H.

    I've visited this place late night with my husband on 2 occasions now and they've hit the spot both times. The wings are moist and delicious- we've tried Thai sweet chili and lemon pepper wings. We've also had the tuna melt and fried cod fillets- everything was great- no complaints about the food. The servers have always been friendly and helpful when we have questions about the menu. It's your standard diner with the cushioned booths- highly recommend if you need some late night eats.

    Corned Beef Hash
    Charlotte R.

    I know this restaurant has been serving nostalgic American classics for years, and I've had good experiences here before. Unfortunately, the food didn't quite meet expectations this time. The gravy on the biscuits was thicker than I prefer and a bit one-note, and the corned beef hash could have used more seasoning. I understand food costs have gone up everywhere, and restaurants have had to adjust. At this price point though, I was hoping for a little more flavor and consistency. Our meals arrived slightly warm rather than hot, and overall they felt pretty standard. They do offer weekday breakfast specials, which may be a better value option. I know many people who are longtime fans, so clearly it works for others, it just wasn't my best experience.

    Liver & Onions with Mashed Potatoes and Gravy.  Delicious!
    Wendy B J.

    Rudford's est 1946 is a staple in San Diego, Ca. Located on ElCajon Blvd, it's a great place for retro meals. There's a small parking lot and depending on what day you go, street parking is a challenge but worth the extra footwork. You can sit at the counter or wait for a table. I sat at the counter. I ordered the Liver & Onions lunch which came with salad, garlic bread, beets, mashed potatoes and gravy. I had a water with lemon and a Mr Pibb. The portions are large and very tasty. I ended leaving with a doggy bag which most customers did. A nice culinary journey from the past!

    Menu Jan. 2026
    Josh C.

    02:45 on a Sunday morning after the bar not as busy as I thought. Place was vibing, servers servin. Chilequiles with green salsa and over easy eggs were waaayyy too good. Their salsas have always been legit, so I don't know why I'm so surprised.

    Isabelle B.

    Every time we're in Diego we come here. Food is always flavorful, the service is always fast and friendly with reasonable pricing. This is on og spot and a favorite of ours.

    Katelyn P.

    Rudford's is such a classic diner spot and everything we ordered tasted great. The pancakes were fluffy, the waffles were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, and the eggs were cooked exactly how we wanted. The bacon and sausage were solid too and the portions were huge. It is the kind of breakfast that just hits perfectly. The vibe is super nostalgic with that old school diner feel. It is casual, bright, and really comforting. It also feels perfect for a late night bite when you want something warm and reliable. Prices are very reasonable for how much food you get. Service was also great. The staff was friendly and the food came out fast even though they were busy. If you want a solid breakfast or a late night meal that actually tastes amazing, Rudford's is an easy five stars. I will always come back!

    Dara T.

    We came here for breakfast on a Saturday and it was delicious. Three words to describe this place: Simple, humble, authentic. This place opens 24/7 and has been open since 1940s. We got seated almost right away and the vibe in here feels like you went back in time. Music was great and even customer service feels unreal, almost like we went back in time to the good old times. I ordered one of those classic 24/7 breakfast with the eggs, toast, and potatoes with a side of grits. Pricing is also very reasonable and the taste was delicious as expected. This was definitely a nice find. We see that they are even open on Thanksgiving day and on all holidays. Would definitely come here again.

    Bacon & Avocado Club Sandwich
    Christopher G.

    Let me start this review by saying that I go here way too much and know everyone who works here. This is a classic 24-hour diner right in the middle of the North Park neighborhood of San Diego. They serve beer, wine, and mimosas until 11:00pm. My favorite items are the lemon pepper/teriyaki wings, the navy bean soup, #11 (two eggs, toast, has browns), chicken fingers and fries, the bacon cheeseburger, and the PECAN PIE (legitimately the best I've ever had). There are about 100 items on the menu so there's something for everyone. They have an Andes mint milkshake! They have an extra lot just behind their normal parking lot in case it's full. All the homies work on the graveyard crew!

    Alixandra E.

    Sorry to say this was not my favorite experience and I REALLY wanted to love it. We love finding diners and this one just wasn't a hit for us. The food was ok, but nothing to drive 25 minutes for. The sign outside says 24/7 which is pretty cool if you need something at 4 am. The booth we had was in good shape and comfortable. The inside looked like a modernized diner which we liked. There was bar type seating in booths. I believe it was either that or booths. From where we were sitting, it would be difficult to have a wheelchair inside. We were not in the back corner so I may be wrong. It was pretty loud but it was completely full. We waited about 15-20 minutes for a table. It was very bright inside in a good way. We were not fans of our server. I understand it was busy but we had to wait awhile for her to come back for a refill. She just seemed like she was not happy. Could have been a bad day for her- so maybe this experience was a one off. I'm giving it 3 stars because overall we weren't happy with the food or service.

    the counter
    Zan L.

    One of, if not the, oldest diners in San Diego. This 24 hour diner on El Cajon Blvd in North Park is really popular for many reasons but for some reason I had never tried it until this past weekend. I say that as someone from San Diego whose family has been here since the late 1980s. Inside is very large and has many different seating options from booth, to counter, to table. Our server was very polite and everything that we ordered came out very fast. They have a very large menu with all sorts of diner classics on it. There's also a large free parking lot attached so parking is easy to find. The only issue we had was that the food itself was not the best, it was not bad, but the experience was better than the food. We started off with a Cinnamon Roll and thought it was pretty good, but it was not gooey enough in my opinion, and it was overly large in size but was not large in flavor. For my meal, I chose the Chilaquiles with green sauce and even though I love spicy food, I thought they were overly spicy and my eggs were a bit overdone. It is diner pricing so it's not really a big deal but I would like to try again to see if I had a one off experience. I would suggest if you are in the area or are interested in San Diego dining history.

    Counter area
    Armando D.

    Service was fast and friendly. Wings were very tasty and plentiful. Cheeseburger was very good and had all the fixings. Philly sandwich was very good and filling. The portions were big so we all had to take home half our order. One order feeds 2 easily. This restaurant has been open since 1949! It's known for president kennedy driving by it in a limo in a parade. They have done a great job keeping it clean and open 24 hrs! A must if you're looking for a huge breakfast! First time here in north park!

    Weekday early bird specials

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    Thank you for returning Josh!

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    Rudford's Restaurant Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Rudford's Restaurant

    How is the coffee? Not many make mention of the quality/flavor.

    I like the coffee. It always seems fresh and they offer half & half OR non-dairy too. The staff is very pro-active on re-fills too! They work together to make sure everyone is served.

    Are you serving Thanksgiving dinner this year?

    Yes we are. We will begin serving holiday meals at 11am

    Do they have wifi?

    Yes

    Do you serve breakfast in evening?

    Yes, 24 hours

    Is the tuna melt albacore or just regular brown tuna?

    Albacore tuna !

    Are you guys open for table service?

    Yes we are!

    Do they have big parking spaces for limousine bus or limousine?

    No they don't but you might be able to see if they'll let you park behind the building.

    View All 9 Questions

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    My wife and I took a day trip down to San Diego to celebrate our 4 year anniversary, and somehow we…read morestumbled onto one of the highlights of the whole trip. We had spent most of the day around Bankers Hill and decided to grab an early dinner at Books & Records. Getting reservations was easy, but from the moment we walked in, the ambiance alone already had us sold. The place was still pretty quiet when we arrived, and to our surprise it was happy hour, so naturally we ordered a bunch of items off the menu along with drinks. Everything was ridiculously good. Not one miss. What really stood out though was the attention to detail. The host brought us a complimentary glass of champagne after hearing we were celebrating our anniversary. Small gesture, big impact. Stuff like that matters. As the night went on, the restaurant filled up, live music started playing, and the whole atmosphere just came alive. Our waiter never rushed us once, which made the experience feel even more intentional and relaxed. We were able to actually enjoy the moment instead of feeling pushed through dinner service. Good food is one thing. Great hospitality is another. This place gave us both. Next time we're in San Diego, we're absolutely making it a point to come back. Lovely spot. Lovely experience.

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    It's definitely a novelty breakfast/brunch spot with tons of options and massive, and I mean…read moremassive portions. Service is great and atmosphere is very nice as well. But, the food.... "Over medium" eggs came barely cooked, still had clear egg gel floating around. The table next to us had the same issue. The fried chicken, which is beautiful looking, was strangely flavorless. Another table was also talking about this issue. Bacon was way overcooked as well. I also really dislike when food timing for a table is way off. I rather it stay in the kitchen under a heat lamp and come together rather that spend 5 minutes staring at my food being polite. So, for a fun "wow that's a ton of food" experience this is it. But I much prefer quality ingredients and attention to detail and flavor over unfinishable portions at a premium price point ($100 after tip for 2 ppl).

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    Rudford's Restaurant - diners - Updated May 2026

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