Swami's Cafe La Mesa — Restaurant in La Mesa

After coming here multiple times, the food is just okay. But, my problem isn't the quality of the food. They have messed up my order twice. The first instance was I specifically asked them to not put bacon onto my sandwich. I was eating the sandwich normally, until my friend had pointed out something in my sandwich. Opened up my sandwich to find out that they had put bacon in there when I explicitly asked them not to, but they were nice enough to remake my meal. However, once again, I go to eat there today and I asked for mock turkey and no bacon on my sandwich since I recently went vegan. They bring out my sandwich with real turkey and bacon after I specifically ordered it without! As soon as they brought out my sandwich I went up front and told them that this wasn't my order. The chef in the kitchen then gave a bad attitude, acting all offended and rude. What's worse is when the chef went to remake my sandwich, it seemed like he just took the turkey and bacon out of the original one and put the mock turkey. They literally brought out my "remade" sandwich in two minutes. There's no way they could've remade the sandwich that fast when I had to wait 15 minutes for my first order. The chef that was there today was honestly disrespectful and it's also disrespectful to mess up a meal that I'm paying for. If you're vegan, vegetarian, or have any dietary restrictions, avoid coming here. They will mess up your order and act like...

Swamis has been a neighborhood favorite for many years! It’s a comfy, feel good venue w/ a cozy, friendly ambience. The wall murals really add a cool feel and appreciation for our very own San Diego. The food selection is great. There are many healthy options from smoothies and juices to açaí bowls, beyond burgers and many salads. But then there are huge pancakes of varying “flavors” and yummy eggs benedicts. I like how they do their breakfast potatoes. Their breakfast menu is pretty big. They even have huevos rancheros. If you’re hungry for lunch or an early dinner, there are many sandwiches and salads, and even burritos and soups from which to choose. One thing you know you’ll get here is a very generous portion of whatever you order. They don’t skimp on your orders. About the only thing I don’t really care for is the coffee. It’s ok. Self serve from a selection of carafes in the front area. (But, if you must, just grab some amazing craft coffee next door at Public Square. It’s usually what I do. But I also order plenty from Swamis. Even buy juice with my food.) There is plenty of seating inside in several areas with chair and booth seating. But, if the weather is nice (and it usually is) I prefer to sit outside at a sidewalk table to enjoy the quaint life of La Mesa Village. Even with the carafe coffees I still give Swamis 5 stars. They are the kind of place you want to always...

It feels like such a local place (and you might get stared at by some, too). It is a little odd to navigate if it's your first time. You walk in and order your food from the counter. They have menus in the front or try to read the chalkboard. The counter help I encountered kept saying, "What else?" very quickly after I said my items. Honestly, I haven't ever felt nearly so rushed at a fast food place, and yet here, at a sit-down restaurant, it seems like they are rushing you off. They handed a fork and knife wrapped in a single napkin and off I went to go find a seat in the place. It is spacious, but I can see it getting busy on weekends. They do bring your food out to you but don't expect to be attended to after that. I had to go back to the counter to ask for more hot water. They have another counter with teas and coffee fixings, but it's a help yourself type of station. No extra cutlery or napkins in sight though. Food also did not come out at the same time. We ordered three things and each came separately. The customer service leaves much to be desired. The rating is mostly because the food was good and came in large portions. I had a yummy acai bowl (it has A LOT of granola). The person I was with had a chorizo breakfast special that was large and tasty but very spicy. Last was a carrot spinach juice, which...