Urbane Cafe — Restaurant in El Cajon

Everything is a 10/10. I go here quite often with my girlfriend and it's always the choice when we want to get something quick to eat but healthy too. I get the southwestern sandwich every time and it's ALWAYS good. When you get the app, you rack up points quickly which is great, this business isn't sleazy with their point system and the app is very easy to navigate so anyone can use it. The cookies are like stupidly good. At first my girlfriend and I kind of thought they looked unappetizing for the longest time but when I got a free cookie from some points on the app, I thought why not so we tried it, and it was seriously one of the best cookies I have ever had. I got chocolate chip which isn't hard to mess up but pretty hard to make taste different and it was good. It was warm, soft, and not too sweet. The salads are not bland they are very good.

More specifically I love this location. The environment is amazing, it has nice indoor and outdoor seating. The customer service is no joke out of this world good. I have never had one single bad customer service experience. The employees don't look like they hate their job. The manager actually works! I couldn't catch her name, but she is always back there helping her employees, checking on customers, and making everything is running well and it is obviously working. It's nice to see that good work environment, it does reflect on how people view the establishment.

Lastly, is an employee there by the name of Marley I believe. Marley is always there every time we go, and she is exceptional at her job. Amazing customer service. To the second we walk in it's a welcoming greeting, when we order she is very helpful, and she usually delivers the food to us too and always ask if we need anything else at all. Even when there is downtime and we're eating I see her always working. Restocking cups, checking on orders, cleaning. Her service just stands out and is another reason I am always recommending urbane cafe to others. Someone...

The food is great or not very good depending on when you go. I think it's the team making the food that makes a difference. Sometimes the bread is fluffy and delicious, the salad is fresh and crunchy, and the staff don't miss a thing with orders. When the staff aren't on point for the day the bread is always thinner, stale, and crunchy, there's clearly bad leaves in the salad, little sauce in the sandwich, which is also lacking in size that it doesn't normally lack and the staff miss a lot on orders. For example when the staff isn't on point my friend will order a meal without any changes, just how it is on the menu and the staff will forget his salad dressing and skimp on the sauce in his sandwich while I order my meal a little different, usually no cheese, no tomato if it's on the item and substitute ranch dressing, they forget to remove the cheese, put the tomato on the side and give me the wrong dressing. When the staff is on point, they don't miss a thing, and we are always thrilled with the meal. Haven't quite figured out if it's a specific day of the week or a specific group/person on shift when we visit, but the quality difference is obvious when it does occur. So I urge anyone trying this place out to give it a 2nd try if your 1st...

I hate having to reduce service to two stars. This used to be my favorite place to eat, certainly the food is good. But lately ordering for pickup from El Cajon has been hit and miss. One time they sold aquafrisca, a drink my kids really wanted. Only to be told "sorry" and handed two cups when I arrived with instructions to pick something else out.

Other times the food is hidden for pickup in the back and they treat you like a shoplifter when you pick it up. I'm hungry, I just want my food and go.

But the last straw was moments ago. I intended to buy the drink in store to be sure they had it. I saw the food was ready and waiting in front. So I proceed to the counter to order and the ladies are all back there gibber jabbering away. Not a care in the world about us or what we needed. I finally told my daughter enough, we won't come back here. And as we are at the door, a lady suddenly arrived at the register and told us to have a nice day. I was going to order the drinks but she was gone as fast as she arrived. 🤦‍♂️

Won't be back. May try another location. Hopefully East...