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    The Kitchen MCASD

    4.1 (92 reviews)
    Open 9:00 am - 2:30 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

    The Kitchen MCASD Photos

    Business Info

    THE KITCHEN MCASD ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Dogs allowed
    Outdoor seating
    Happy hour specials

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    Recommended Reviews - The Kitchen MCASD

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    Reviews With Photos - The Kitchen MCASD

    Kids breakfast selection - eggs, potatoes and sourdough bread

    Yum! And what a beautiful view of La Jolla Shores! We came here for a mommy-daughter date and had such a lovely experience. My daughter ordered the kids' egg scramble with potatoes and sourdough bread, while I had the smoked salmon latkes. Everything was delicious, and the service was great. I especially loved dining outdoors while overlooking beautiful La Jolla Shores. Great food, gorgeous views, and quality time with my daughter, it was the perfect reminder of how lucky we are to call San Diego home!

    Shakira E.

    The Kitchen at MCASD is a gem! This restaurant is a perfect way to start your visit to the Museum. The food is fresh, vibrant and delicious. Inside seating or outdoor whatever you like both are great!

    Salmon salad
    Taura G.

    Absolutely wonderful experience here. This restaurant is attached to the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego and is located in La Jolla. I contacted the manager to discuss having a group of women (14-15) for brunch on a Saturday at 1p. They responded to me and we were able to finalize a reservation for a 13 ladies. They offer a wonderful family style Prix Fixe meal and the pricing is pretty good. On the day of our reservation, we had some RSVPs that had conflicts so we had to pivot our finalized party of 13 and let the restaurant know that it would be 11 attendees. They adjusted so well and still accommodated us! From the moment I walked up to the moment that our party departed, the customer service here was phenomenal. Our hostess had brown curly hair and she was VERY CUSTOMER SERVICE ORIENTED. She smiled and was very welcoming. The party had not all arrived on time, so she was very patient with us as we filed in. The Concourse D'Elegance was happening on this date so La Jolla was PACKED, and parking was a challenge. Our server was Dakota. He was VERY CUSTOMER SERVICE ORIENTED AND a natural people person. Dakota took care of all of our needs. He even answered any questions that we had about the menu with a smile. He took our drink orders and then came back for our food orders. Dakota even took a photo of us at the dining table and also one outside on the restaurant patio overlooking the beautiful ocean! Our food came out and was DELICIOUS! Everything was made perfectly and no one had any complaints. The serving staff brought out a salt and pepper shaker set and some of the ladies in our party used it. I thought that this was a very considerate thing to do by the serving staff. Our time here was spent well! We absolutely will return! We worked on our reservation with Varisa and she was EXCELLENT! Thank you! This is a truly special place to have brunch in La Jolla. Upon our departure to go to the museum, the Instagram Famous "Cake Picnic" was setting up in the restaurant courtyard. It was AWESOME! I highly recommend this location for dining in La Jolla.

    Cara N.

    We did not go to the Kitchen but there doesn't seem to be a way to leave a review for the museum. We saw the Giants exhibition partly sponsored by Alicia Keys. It was amazingly well done. Everything laid out beautifully. Staff was helpful. Art was beautiful. Maybe we will get a chance to eat there next time.

    Mozerella and peach sandwich with hibiscus tea.
    Lori D.

    Expensive but worth it. The view was amazing. I had the mozzarella and peach sandwich. So unusual and yummy. I think it was a nectarine tho. Service was great. I also had a $7 hibiscus tea. Tasty but not worth the money.

    Bevies and cold goodies
    Jane L.

    After our lovely museum tour we were in need of a refreshment. My friend ordered a latte and I got an Aqua Panna. It was quite busy for early Thursday afternoon. Lots of healthy offerings and snack Heaven. We got our drinks and enjoyed them on the patio as we people watched. Space was clean and service was good. Cute cafe, will try food next time.

    Gail C.

    A pleasant restaurant for lunch, food and fine ambiance. The hamburger was slightly over cooked and the Artichoke and Chicken Salad is a misnomer. It was very good, but you needed a microscope to find the itsy bitsy artichoke pieces. It should be called Chicken salad lightly tossed with a few artichoke pieces.

    Panisse
    Demi N.

    Is this a hidden gem??? Friday morning I really wanted to have a nice dinner somewhere in La Jolla. But my problem was that any good place in La Jolla will either have a long wait for walk-ins or have no reservations available on the day of. But then I discovered The Kitchen MCASD, and they had dinner reservations available for the same day!! We arrived around 6:30pm for our dinner reservation, and it was the perfect time of the day to see an amazing view of the ocean. We sat outside, and they offered blankets in addition to heat lamps! We were very comfy. Panisse -- 8/10 We ordered the panisse because I've never heard of this dish before. From my internet search, panisse is a dish from Italy/France that is mash chickpeas that are fried. Imagine if you shaped mashed potatoes into a square and then deep fried it so that the outside is nice and crispy, and the inside is soft and mushy. So the chickpeas in the panisse were enjoyable because they remind me of mash potatoes, while the outside was nice and crispy. I loved it!! Definitely a fun and enjoyable dish. Chicken schnitzel - 8/10 A good portion of chicken with a refreshing salad Salmon - 7/10 - a standard salmon dish Overall, this place is great for that seaside ambiance. Any other location that has this kind of view of the ocean would be BOOKED or very expensive. I don't know why this place isn't more crowded!

    Selection of salads at a party they catered, from grilled eggplant to nectarine and burrata
    Alyssa S.

    Came to a party at the museum which was catered on the patio by the kitchen. I can't speak to the price value proposition for catering or for the menu prices in the restaurant, but I loved the selection of vegetarian and pescatarian salads. Really delicious grilled eggplant, quinoa salad, nectarine and burrata, and salmon in lettuce cups. The only note would be that the nectarines needed to be a little riper. But everything was delicious and beautifully presented. They also had four mini desserts, of which the best was the chocolate cookie. Definitely a great venue for a party with a great in-house caterer.

    patio
    kira l.

    I really enjoyed a nice dinner here at the Kitchen. the view is just stunning, and the service was very kind. the burger was pretty good in my opinion, and massive!! There was a 3% service fee on the burger which I thought was interesting. overall a nice place to eat if you are going for a nicer dinner.

    Churro French toast - 5 stars
    Colby D.

    I hesitate to write this review because I don't want this place to get any more crowded than it is currently, but I also want to recognize this restaurant as being one of my favorites in San Diego. This restaurant is perfect for a La Jolla art museum. The architecture and layout blends nature with industry, and with the retracting window doors and almost universal natural lighting, begs the question, "Where does the beach end and the restaurant begin?" Just kidding, but it does work really well in this area. We first came here for brunch earlier this year, as it's become my partner's and my mission to try all the brunch spots in La Jolla. For brunch, this spot is my #1 in San Diego. We ordered their salmon Benedict and churro French toast, and tried a latte and a cocktail. If I had to describe everything we've tried here in one word, it would be fresh. The hot food is piping, the fruits and vegetables are bright and crisp, the dressings and sauces are light and complement the dishes well, and even the cocktails feel...somehow healthy? I especially want to highlight their churro French toast, which is one of the best dishes I had in 2024. Cinnamon sugar bread topped with mandarin oranges and mint is a combination I never knew I needed. Sweet, tart, and herbal, both crunchy and juicy, it satisfied most of my brunch cravings. So we've been back a couple times, once for brunch with friends and another time more recently for their happy hour menu, where we ordered one of everything. Although I was impressed with their happy hour items and found them all to be delicious and satisfying, I do still prefer this place for brunch (though the sunset views were choice). I love that their menu changes frequently, and that they periodically have special menu nights where they highlight an ingredient to be used in every dish. Recently they had a squash night, and a few months ago they had a tomato night. I can't wait to go to one!

    Artichoke chicken salad sandwich
    Zana K.

    This spot has a beautiful patio outlooking la jolla shores. It was a bit gloomy when we arrived but on a sunny day this would be killer. The staff is friendly but not very attentive. I ordered the artichoke chicken salad with side salad. I requested sourdough as a substitution but was sadly given the multigrain which didnt settle with my stomach. Otherwise, this sandwich was good but bread was far too thick for my liking. My friend had the breakfast sandwich which had good flavors (in her words). Overall , i would come back and probably try other items. Took off a star because it wasnt amazing (the food) but other items looked a lot better.

    Hamachi crudo Corn Fritters
    Jeff L.

    A hidden gem that most people won't find without looking hard.... I only discovered this place thanks to our CM Hannah! I plan on taking my parents here one day for breakfast/sunset. The views and ambiance are very "San Diego" for those looking to experience the city if you really enjoy La Jolla. (do expect La Jolla pricing !) Service was prompt and our waitress was courteous and timely in checking in. The recently starting serving breakfast though I haven't been here for that yet and am looking forward to what they do with the place!

    Panissa - so delish!!

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    Ask the Community - The Kitchen MCASD

    Is the sea view terrace the best seats?

    It depends on what you're looking for--the ocean view dining room provides roof cover with two walls of floor-to-ceiling windows, one wall being fully retractable, and you get a ~135° view of the water from an elevated position. The terrace is… 

    Do you access the restaurant via the front doors of the museum (Prospect Street) or through the back of the building? (ocean side) Thanks in advance!

    You can find the restaurant on Prospect St. The entrance to the cafe is to the right of the front door (you will see the cafe patio to the right of the museum entrance), and if you walk around to the back side of the cafe you will find the… 

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    Immersion Coffee

    Immersion Coffee

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    The Kitchen MCASD - cafes - Updated August 2026

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