Wow! What a nice day my Daughter and I had in Old Town on a recent gorgeous Fall day! We shared some precious moments at Rust General Store on this sunny, warm day. It was the perfect Fall temperature in San Diego, so off we went!
A trip to Old Town is always a big adventure in itself, but what drew us here was the desire to eat lunch at Rust General Store's Cafe. And was that ever a great decision! More on the food we ate later.
But first, a little bit about this super quaint place.....The Rust General Store is an unassuming little building right next to the famous Cosmopolitan Hotel. There is so much history in Old Town, that whenever I go to visit, I'm always finding something new to learn about. I learned a lot from the employees at Rust. Everyone we chatted with was so kind.
Richard Rust was an influential man in San Diego in the 1800s and ran a business out of this building, but it's unknown what that business was. He did go on to be San Diego's first County Clerk, and later, Post Master General.
The cheerful young ladies who work here are very informative. Most of the store's space is dedicated to a mercantile business set up like a general store from back in the day that sells various and sundry items, in keeping with the 1800s in mind, but bumped up to the 21st Century.
They have various things such as loose leaf teas, decoratively packaged teas (Harney & Sons tea tins are now in, and that's one of my favorites!), coffee beans, soaps, fruits and nuts, spices in tins, sarsaparilla, cured meats and cheeses, hot pretzels, unusual and old fashioned candies, imported food stuffs, and so much more. They are bringing in more European food stuffs all the time.
They boast having the largest selection of licorice, 50 kinds, and I found my favorite Australian black licorice here. It's soft, with a touch of anise in it. I bought 1/4 pound and let me tell you that it's delicious! It's amazing how helpful the young lady was in having me locate just the one I was looking for. She let me taste several samples until I found the right one!
The ladies dress in cute period clothing from the 1800s era, with long flowing dresses to the floor. You will find the employees in most of the stores in Old Town dress accordingly to their business. It's cute and festive.
We ate out back, shaded by 100+ year old trees and foliage. Each table was beautifully set up with fresh Fall flowers (mums and succulents), along with seasonal decor. There also are about four or five tables out front on and near the small porch if you want to sit in the sun. Very nice. You order inside in an obscure area off to the left-hand side of the mercantile store upon entering. Then they bring your food out to you shortly thereafter.
We both ordered GRILLED CHEESE sandwiches (of course!), since we are both on this kick about finding the best grilled cheese sandwich in San Diego! This one was delectable (Mrs. Robinson -- $6.50). It had a great crunch to it, with several cheeses inside the sandwich, and grilled with a Parmesan crust onto it. Alongside it was Rust's signature tomato chutney that was out of this world, and an oatmeal/chocolate chip cookie. It was so filling I had to wrap up my second half, and then ate it later!
We asked about their tomato chutney to see if they sold it there. It's brought in by a vendor. I'm not surprised, as it's a small space to be able to carry everything they do, including some collectibles. They pack a lot inside its space and it is well utilized space, inside and out.
They have a very extensive menu, including many types of sausages (which I want to try next), salads, breakfast sandwiches and breakfast items, baked goods, designer sodas, and many other yummy treats.
Rust General Store's hours are Monday--Thursday 9:00 am until 8:00 pm, and Friday and Saturday from 9 am to 9 pm.
So go here and step back in time! You will have fun! Touristy, but that's entirely part of the charm!
A FABULOUS FIVE STARS!!!!! read more