The Mission - Mission Beach — Restaurant in San Diego

This is a restaurant that claims to specialize in "simple, healthy, tasty food." That's right, a good, healthy breakfast! Except that I look at their menu of caramel nut brownies, large croissants (yes, their menu uses the word "large"), and burritos stuffed with eggs & potatoes smothered in cream & gooey cheeses, and it's not clear that they're any healthier than my neighborhood Denny's. At one point I asked my waitress about all of the restaurant's subtle suggestions of "healthy food" and was told I could add "granola and bananas and stuff" to an already highly caloric stack of pancakes drenched in syrup and butter. There's a special place in hell for any restaurant owner with the temerity to call this kind of food healthy.

For my part, I started with the "Rancheros Verde," consisting of flour tortillas, fried eggs, black beans, cheese, and a chile verde sauce. In a dish like this, it is so important for the sauce to be excellent, as it is the only reason this plate of food has a name, and that's where The Mission failed. The sauce was overly tangy and tart, without any real heat or salt to properly balance it. I was close to sending the plate back and refusing to pay for it, which I rarely do unless a dish is an absolute disaster.

I ordered a plate of pancakes and they were better. In fact, a lot better. They were airy and spongy, soaking in the syrup, but still firm enough to be properly cooked. They are just pancakes, though. There are hundreds of diners and cafes in San Diego that make good pancakes. I make good pancakes. My wife makes good pancakes. You make good pancakes. But here at The Mission, they use squeeze-bottle fruit syrup to decorate the plate the pancakes are served on. Because they're offering "simple, healthy" food.

Parking is terrible around here and unless you come before 8am, so you should not expect to find a spot within a half mile of this restaurant under typical circumstances. Rideshare is your friend -- except that I wince at the thought of spending money on Ubering to the Mission Cafe when there are so many more deserving places to...

What wonderful surprise, this little gem. In spite of the COVID-19 pandemic and the necessity of wearing those rotten face masks, The Mission provided just the right amount of respite from the inconveniences long enough to remember that there ARE good things worth waiting for out there, things waiting to your make life just a little better. With out DOUBT, The Mission is one such place! We vacationed on Mission Bay for 7 days and had breakfast at The Mission 6 of 'em .. And that's only because we didn't find it until our 2nd day there. Now... The food. It all began with an EXCELLENT cup of coffee. Deep, dark, complex and, oh so, important, NOT BITTER. It gets better. Their take on breakfast items is unique and satisfying. Everything from a cinnamon French toast, the size of a football, to a great take on Huevos Ranchero with a chili verde sauce. Flower tortillas, adorned with cheese, black beans and one other creative tweak... Creme fraiche. All of this plethora of flavors and textures topped off with a beautifully balanced mild verde sause with the perfect amount of picante. Yeah. I think it's safe to say why you might be asking yourself, "Should we try it, ourselves?". Shall I tell you about the Hanger Steak Hash and Eggs? Another dish WELL worth waiting for.. Oh... The flavors, textures and.... Well... You'll just have to go there and try it for yourself. I'm confident that you will be pleasantly satisfied.

Kenneth...

I’ve heard many great things about this place, but I have to say I was not impressed much. I’ve tried their House-Made Cinnamon French Toast with a side of eggs and bacon, and the Mixed Mushroom Frittata. One dish was spectacular and the other was a huge let down. I’ll start with the best dish, which was the Mixed Mushroom Frittata. It had excellent taste and harmonious flavor. The potatoes popped with texture and excellent taste with help from the rosemary. The ingredients stuffed into the eggs were well-balanced. The chicken sausage was also balanced between fat and meat ratio. Overall, it was an excellent dish. Next, the House-Made Cinnamon French Toast with a side of eggs and bacon. I was disappointed when I looked online for this dish and I saw that there was a shortage of blueberry purée on my plate. All I received was just a drizzle compared to other dishes served. Not only that, the eggs were horrendous. I’ve had better eggs served at a breakfast buffet for free in motels. Seriously, the eggs were so soggy that it tasted like it was swimming in dish water. However, the French Toast was well-balanced and sweet. It had fluffy texture and delicious cinnamon taste. Plus, the bacon was well-cooked and had a nice crispy texture. I loved it. Yes, the eggs were that bad. I should really give this place 1 star, but the saving grace was the French Toast and...