Bonny's Cafe — Restaurant in El Cajon

We went to Bonny's Cafe for the first time on a Wednesday morning. It was really slow, as expected for a Wednesday. It was my mom, my two daughters, my granddaughter and myself. We drove separately and met at the restaurant. The parking lot is small and shared with a few other businesses, I'm not sure if there was more parking behind the buildings. We all had upfront parking as it was a slow day. My mom was the first to arrive, seated immediately, so when we got there we just sat down. The waitress was very friendly and took each of our drink orders as we arrived. They had a booster seat for my 2 yr old granddaughter and a little toy game that was too old for her to play, idk if they had more or different types of toys/games. My daughter just saw and grabbed that one in case the baby was bored with the toys she brought. The menu was large with all the usual breakfast meals. My mom is crazy and compares every breakfast restaurant's pancakes to her favorite restaurant, Izzy's. (I don't usually name competitors businesses in reviews, but in case you'd like to compare too.) So my mom ordered a short stack of pancakes, My oldest ordered pancakes and hash browns, my youngest ordered herself and my granddaughter Clown Cakes, so cute pancakes with whipped cream and fruit to look like a clown. I ordered a make your own omelet with red potatoes and pancakes. The omelet was hot and delicious, and the red potatoes were cooked perfectly. The pancakes however... We're unfortunately dry and flat, not fluffy and the butter wasn't easily melted And looked curdled, I'm not sure if that's a thing with butter, but it looked funny. The waitress offered and did take my mom's pancakes back and bring her strawberry crepes instead. She said those were so good she ate the whole plate. I would definitely go here again, I'm not a pancake snob like my mom, no pancakes compared to my own, I like the food and the slow quiet atmosphere. I would also recommend Bonny's Cafe, unless you've had Izzy's...

The restaurant is located off of Broadway and there is easy access to the parking lot. Parking is on the west side of the building.

Upon entry we were greeted by a friendly staff and fabulous fifties atmosphere. Great oldies were playing a the red and checkered decor.

We sat in a comfortable booth and were quickly greeted by our server. She was kind and had a great smile. Unfortunately I didn't make note of her name. Our drinks were delivered quickly and she was patient with us while we perused the menu. I appreciated that she kept our cups full with refills.

The menu is limited, but it is a good variety of options. We were a little disappointed that some of the items from older menu photos were no longer available. The prices are a bit on the higher side, but it is to be expected with the increase in the cost of their supplies.

We ordered the French Toast with a side of bacon and the Chicken Fried Steak and eggs with hashbrowns and a side of biscuits and gravy.

The French Toast was a large portion of fluffy thick toast. It was served with butter, syrup, and powdered sugar. It was DELICIOUS! The side of bacon was cooked crispy and had great flavor. I HIGHLY recommend this breakfast.

Unfortunately the review of the Chicken Fried Steak platter isn't as good. The steak was a good size for breakfast. I was glad I asked for the gravy on the side, it turned out i did not care for the taste. The gravy was a bit bland and the chunks of meat in the gravy was not good. The scrambled eggs were cooked just right and were fresh and fluffy. The hashbrowns were extremely greasy and smashed into a thin serving. The hashbrowns tasted as though an old oil was used to cook them. The biscuits and gravy, also left something to be desired.

While I didn't enjoy my breakfast as much as my companion, I will come back to try something else...

WHAT IS BONNY'S CAFE? A homestlye diner with oldies nostalgia and background music with a plethora of good homecoming meal choices from breakfast omelettes to pork chop dinners.

Closes at 2 PM. I arrived on a Saturday at 1245 PM and was not rushed. I had immediate seating. When I came at 10AM there was a 2 minute wait.

WHAT MEAL DO YOU SUGGEST? The food is just plain delicious. I used to eat here every week for 10 years when I lived in El Cajon. I stopped by after completing the Iron Mountain Hike.

I only order the Popeye Omelette with a pancake and hash browns. Gosh this food is so good. The hash browns are crisp on the outside and soft in the inside with a slight buttery flavor. So good, no ketchup needed.  And when I bring friends their feedback is similar with their meal choices. It's good.

WHAT IS THE ATMOSPHERE? Diner style table service with the option of counter seating. Waitpersons assist each other without the side-eye :). Prices are reasonable at $13-16 per plate. Kid and senior menu available. Wheelchair and scooter friendly accessibility. Indoor seating with limited outdoor seating.

"I love oldies just kind of sweet, slinky, Fifties music. The slow stuff. And Billie Holiday." ---Nastassja...