Lemon Grove Cafe — Restaurant in Lemon Grove

This place is awesome!!! Let me tell you, I've never had a good deal in a long time! We ordered the beef nachos supreme which was less than $8. I think their salsa is homemade too so definitely none of that Tostitos salsa or that pico de gallo that they usually serve on other restaurants. I had the country tried steak and eggs with a side of hash brown and another side of pancakes (They have different options for 2 sides included in your main order) and that was only for $11! My wife ordered chorizo fritatas with a side of fruit and toast! Everything was good and the drinks were refillable! We had to wait a little on a Sunday around noon but it was worth it. Nothing beats the food and prizes here. No wonder many go to this little cafe! We had to wait a little during the beginning as we were seated since our server seemed too busy but another guy got us and served us the whole time we were there. He was pretty attentive! There was another server who was going around refilling everybody's drinks too. All in all, I would definitely come back here for a brunch. They serve breakfast all day which is awesome. Their parking on the back is limited but there is a parking a block away down the street so thankfully we didn't have to street park. They start slowing down around 12:30pm but in the mornings, there's going to be a definite wait but we'll worth it. The place looked a bit run down and it seemed quite dark on the inside but for me that doesn't matter much because of the great food and prices they have for their food. Thank you for existing Lemon Grove Cafe! You never disappointed us on our first visit and thankfully we stayed through the wait instead of going somewhere...

It's almost not fair to leave a mediocre review, given how hard the staff works, but here goes: I arrived a few minutes before 6PM and stood at the counter for almost 5 minutes before the only server told me to sit anywhere. There was LOTS of seating available, and the place wasn't particularly busy. However, the line server was extremely busy, working very hard to satisfy her customers. It took a full 15 minutes after I entered the building for her to take my order, and another 15 minutes before she brought my Greek salad, which was quite good. I wanted spanakopita but they were all out. I wanted iced tea but they were all out ❓The entree arrived about 10 minutes later, so by the time I began eating the main part of the meal it had been a full 40 minutes since I walked in. I have been here several times before but had never ordered from the Greek or Mexican menus. Some of the gyros and skewered chicken meat was fine but a little dry, and some was overcooked and inedible. The rice pilaf was extremely buttery flavored. The pita bread was oily but tasty until it cooled off, then it was dry and not so good. The portion was HUGE and could easily have fed two people if it had all been edible. There is MUCH better Greek food nearby and I already know (without tasting theirs) that there is much better Mexican food nearby. I think I will stick to their traditional American menu in the future. I believe there was a single cook and perhaps a dish washer. The owner must be trying to squeeze out a profit by running the place with only 2 or 3...

Discovered this place while looking for a spot to have breakfast and read a chapter. What a find! This place has a rich atmosphere with this Route 66 theme that doesn't feel at all pretentious owing to it's scruffy urban feel. There's a feeling of history here, a bit of hand painted sign peeks out from under a neon replacement that feels like layers. The interior has these tall expansive booths covered with a Route 66 themed fabric that would look out of place anywhere else. It feels old but we'll cared for. The staff could not have been more warm and welcoming with a kind of edge, toughness that feels like classical diner waitress without feeling cliche. I was surprised and pleased to see a Greek influence on the menu! I ordered a Greek breakfast dish that was served with a deconstructed gyro that is simple and works really well. The joint (it feels a bit Noir) was not packed, but full and very busy both times I've been here — obviously a popular spot. And it just feels comfortable being here. I'm from North County and only get down here occasionally, but I'm in love with this place and look forward to breakfast whenever I'm...