Z Cafe — Restaurant in California

It was pretty busy when we arrived at Z Cafe, around 10am, Friday, 3/24/23. We'd waited approx. 10 minutes, when the hostess escorted us to our table.

This place has 2 parking areas & entrances. The main entrance is on the uphill side of the building, where you'll enter the restaurant/ dining area level. A secondary entrance is from below, where you'll enter a large, high-ceiling foyer area, & proceed up a two-tiered staircase, to the upstairs dining area.

Palm tree & tropical flower beach prints, in vibrant colors, done by artist Barton, flamboyantly decorate the inside walls. The second floor of this building, a long rectangular space, has plenty of dining tables inside, & feeds out to a smallish-sized outdoor patio. We sat outside, where views of the green rolling hills were pretty, as were the puffy white clouds today. They have propane heaters outside, as well, for when it's chilly.

I ordered the $10.95 Sunrize Omelette, which has ham, sausage, bacon, & mushrooms in it, topped with a slice of Swiss Cheese. The omelette wasn't super fluffy, but it more than made up for it, by having plenty of flavorful ingredients inside. I got this with hash browns, which were golden brown & 😋. I asked for a biscuit, as my bread choice, plus a side of gravy, ladled on top of the biscuit. Their sausage gravy was 👍, with nice chunks of sausage, in a creamy white gravy. The biscuit was soft & fresh.

My wife got bacon & scrambled eggs. They give you 4 nicely-cooked strips of bacon, plus she asked for the cottage fries, which she wasn't crazy about. The eggs & bacon were delicious, though.

Z Cafe breakfast menu prices are very reasonable. Our server was speedy & personable, plus I liked the patio views.

I'd definitely come...

I have lived in North County all my life and have come to visit almost all the little dives and breakfast spots. We went here today for Mothers Day for my first time. These photos were taken just before the forks hit em. Loco Moco w 2 extra eggs, Beef plate and Chicken plate (siracha added by wife)

The atmosphere is open and nicely painted with a mix of Hawaiian and California vibes blended into an upscale cozy location and nicely painted room. The tables are roomy and chairs comfy.

The service is spot on and the food came out quickly in terms of timing...they nailed it. We had the onion rings with ranch as an appetizer...they didnt make the photo shoot for obvious reasons. The bar is large also looks very inviting for a relaxing pass thru meal. We saw a patio as we left and are looking forward to using it on out next visit.

The beef from the beef plate was amazing! The teriyaki coating is nicely done and doesnt override the meat itself. The macaroni is very fresh and almost has a Reisers taste to it...but better. My Loco Moco was outstanding!!! The beef patty they make is full of flavor, kinda smokey and perfect moisture. They seared it beautifully for the crisp edges and char flavor that blended flawlessly with the brown gravy.

The mimosa here is the best ive ever had!!! They use Cooks Champagne apparently.

I highly recommend going here for any reason, make one up if you have too...its worth it. Prices are well within reason and you will leave feeling very happy and satisfied. I am gonna take my food nap...

I happened to be near by, and noticed in someone else's review they serve Loco Moco. So I decided to give it a try. My reviews are based on staff, location, and of course the food.

So first the staff, I was promptly seated, even though it was fairly crowded. The staff was friendly, and my server was very prompt on checking if I needed anything, and if I was ok.

Second, the location. The establishment looks very new, and is exceptionally clean and well maintained. I will admit the location is a little confusing in that what I thought was the front door might not have been. So if you parked where I did, you need to go upstairs to be seated, and i did not see any signs saying to do so.

The food, this is of course the first time here, so I currently only have what I ordered to base this on I ordered a Loco Moco, with no onions. First I would like to say this cost $8.25, which I feel is a bit pricey, considering it's a hamburger patty on rice, with a fried egg covered in beef gravy. This is a Hawaiian comfort food, and a favorite of mine ever since having one while in Hawaii. Now on the flip side the beef patty in this case is Angus beef, cooked to medium consistency. The egg was over medium as I asked for it. The gravy was very tasty and did not need any seasoning. The rice was perfectly cooked. So all in all it was very good.

Will I come back, yes I will to try more...