The Mission/ East Village — Restaurant in San Diego

The Mission Misses the Mark: A Disappointing Vegan Breakfast in East Village

Transitioning to a plant-based diet six years ago has made me deeply appreciative of restaurants that take vegan dining seriously. Since I primarily cook at home to ensure fresh, high-quality ingredients, I’m always intrigued when I stumble upon a local spot offering dedicated vegan options. This morning, while on one of my usual neighborhood walks, I decided to pop into The Mission in East Village to see what they had to offer.

At first glance, I was encouraged to see that they provided a separate vegan menu—a promising sign in many cases. Unfortunately, my experience at The Mission did not live up to that initial optimism. With only a few vegan options available, I found myself limited in choice. Ultimately, I settled on the Vegan Zen Breakfast, the only dish that truly appealed to me.

From the first bite, disappointment set in. The tofu—presumably the star protein of the dish—appeared to be deep-fried, making it overly spongy and chewy, while the teriyaki sauce (which, to my surprise, contained honey) left it saturated rather than balanced. The black beans had an oddly fatty flavor and texture, lacking the bright seasoning or freshness that could have elevated them. Instead of a nourishing, well-composed breakfast, I was left with a meal that felt heavy, uninspired, and carelessly assembled.

Adding to the letdown was the overall atmosphere. The restaurant and table settings had a slightly unclean feel, giving off an air of neglect rather than the warm, inviting ambiance I’d hoped for. Service was slow and inattentive, further diminishing any potential enjoyment of the experience.

For a city like San Diego, where plant-based dining options continue to expand, The Mission missed an opportunity to provide a thoughtful, well-executed vegan offering. With a little more care—both in ingredient choices and execution—their separate vegan menu could be a highlight rather than a letdown. As it stands, I’d be...

I’ll take breakfast for lunch, any day.

With a menu including a bakery, coffee options, breakfast, lunch, healthy choices and Mexican-inspired cuisine, the Mission is your one-stop-so-we-can-make-everyone-happy-on-Saturday-afternoon destination.

But really, it’s all about the breakfast here. A variety of pancakes with all the trimmings; breakfast burritos that will put (sadly) some taco shops to shame; fresh cup of coffee coming your way; eggs, bacon, sausage, oh my! Your stomach will be happy all day long.

If heavenly morning goodness is not your thing though, they do have healthier bowl options including steamed vegetables and brown rice. I’ve tried the ginger sesame bowl with tofu, which was a top-notch healthy and tasty lunch option. Their peanut sauce could use a little work, but then again, if you want amazing peanut sauce, go to a restaurant with Asian fusion type cuisine. There were a few flies flying around in there (which is to be expected with any restaurant leaving its doors open), but it was quite distracting and concerning.

They do have bakery options that are $1! Yes, $1. But mind you they are the neglected nobody-loves-me baked goods that were abandoned the day before. Still tasty, nonetheless.

Also, the booths inside are really, and I mean REALLY upright, where you’ll feel like grandma is trying a painful and sneaky way of correcting your posture. The Victorian style of the booth makes up for it in my opinion. It is, after all, a downtown sight to see the restaurant’s transformation of a historical/Victorian home. The outdoor patio makes you feel like you’re on the front porch of your Auntie Sue’s country home…until you see a homeless man run in front of you screaming at the invisible person on his shoulder. Yes, welcome to the East Village.

Overall: tasty food, charming Victorian inspired décor inside a Victorian style home, but yes, still...

Here it was, my last day in San Diego. I had eaten a lot of great stuff. It was one amazing restaurant after another. And this was no different. The Mission I had identified as one of the best breakfast spots in the city, so here I went. And it did not disappoint. Located in probably what the locals call, "the young kid, " part of town, all the doors are open, and the sunshine shines right down on you as you're deciding what to eat.

This place had one of those rare menus were every single dish sounded like an absolute banger. I had to resort to asking the server for help. And my suspicions were confirmed. I ordered the Steak & Eggs (Grilled CAB Steak + horseradish cream + rosemary potatoes + grilled rosemary bread + scrambled eggs).

The steak was cut up in cubes. You know what that usually means, overcooked, tough steak. Not in this case! Juicy, tender chunks of charred deliciousness. Very impressed. On top of Mega crispy potatoes. With fluffy eggs. Crusty bread. This dish had everything, and I am very glad that I got it. You should get it, too.

I also got to sample the Mission Rosemary (Crispy rosemary potatoes + scrambled eggs + tomato + scallions + rosemary bread) (Add two strips of chicken sausage). This was also really good. All the secondary components of the meal were here, the potatoes, the eggs, etc. Then they added the chicken sausage. Which was nice. They were plump and juicy and very flavorful, making up for the inherent blandness of chicken.

Overall, this restaurant was a banger. If you're thinking about coming here, and you read this review, come here. There's a lot of breakfast competition in San Diego, and I carefully chose this place for a...