Top Breakfast restaurants in El Cajon, United States

Reasonably priced food…and the food is abundant! My medium sirloin was cooked correctly, very good taste, and my over medium eggs were also prepared correctly. Everyone enjoyed their meal, and there were leftovers too. Ramone was a gem as our waiter, and he continued to predict what we needed, what we might want, and kept us guessing with his wit.

I had fish n chips, coffee, wife had pancakes, eggs, sausage.
Coffee too.
Everything was delicious, 60's vibe, good music, atmosphere, bathrooms are cleaned, servers are incredible and friendly.
I highly reccommend this restaurant!
(Sorry no pics, to those reading this, i will post next time!)

This place was so delicious. I got a cabasa omelette only ate half of it, took home and then made myself a little sandwich with it later for lunch.

Best pancakes I ever had in San Diego. The Blueberry pancakes were delicious 😋🤤. I highly recommend this place. It is worth your time and money. Everything is so fresh. Love the ambience of this place. It feels like you are at home.

The host/server/waitress, Debbie (hope I spelled that correctly), was very hospitable and kind. They had a very 50’s diner atmosphere as well as decor. Had lots of old pictures of San Diego and Delmar, which was a trip down memory lane. I got the AYCE Fish and chips which was cooked nicely! Only complaint that I have was that the coleslaw taste a little old. But other than that, the food was great for a very great price! I will definitely be going back there again.

Have you gone somewhere and felt like you were in your gramma's house? Huge servings, great attentive service, very popular. How have i lived here 25 years and this was my first visit? Going to invite all my friends.

Great place for breakfast or anytime.
Not too many restaurants like this are still around. Very clean, comfortable, good food, nothing fancy, bring the whole family and grandma too. Debbie was my server, sweet and delightful. There is plenty of free parking.

Had to edit my review here from 5 stars to 1.

The reason is because we could not use two coupons for different checks. We had our waitress separate our bill so we could use our 9$ off coupon (buy one entree, get $9 off the second entree.) We ordered 4 entrees. Our waitress Debby said there's no way to use our second coupon on the 3rd entree because we are all on the same table and her manager will see. The reason why we came to this establishment is so we can enjoy good food, enjoy a good atmosphere , as well use 2 of our coupons. Unfortunately we only used 1 coupon.

5 star review back in 2023:
The sweet potato pancakes are so good, I highly recommend it!

Really good hash browns, bacon, and ham slices.. the sausages were kind of spicy and oily. The sunny side up eggs were also really runny.

The place could use a interior renovation. But the food quality and portions are awesome. It is always 2-3 meals for me and plenty for my husband's meal. The service is great and if you stop by a few times they remeber you. I am always asked about my dog.

Amazing breakfast. Huge servings. Great service and cool atmosphere with unique antiques and keepsakes as decor.

Love mary etta . It was my favorite breakfast , lunch place to eat at when i lived in alpine. I love there small boy omellete which really hits the spot when ur hungry. Oh and they also make a biggie omellete of the same ingredients if your really hungry..

Food presentation was good. However the scrambled eggs were either powdered or something else because they had some crazy aftertaste. The French toast was terrible due to them being dipped in whatever was passing for scrambled eggs. Service was good. Water stayed full. The pancakes were not impressive. Overall the experience was not good.

I loved this cute little cafe. It was delicious. The country fried steak and eggs were the most delicious I’ve ever had. And their salsa paired with it adds a great kick. Not too spicy, it’s just right. The seating was comfortable, the staff were extremely friendly and attentive. It was the best meal to have the day after our wedding. I can’t wait to come back!

Good food. Huge portions. You can problably share. Excellent service even when they are busy. I will go again and I recommend this place. Older cafe style with character.

Based on my experience here, this is one of my favorite breakfast places overall. The food was served hot and fresh. It was very good. Customer service was fine without any issues presented. Comfortable atmosphere. Large portions of food. Would recommend and would return.

Good food great atmosphere been taking my family here over the years... Been recently going with my grandson and taken him to Flinn Springs park next door.. Making memories😊🙏💯✌️

A small diner with a very cute aesthetic, the food is good and the service is very prompt. It gave me vibes of a Waffle house but with a more intimate interior.

Visited Antique Row in El Cajon for my Sons Birthday breakfast. Our server had such a great disposition, he was very attentive. The portions are a good size, and everything was very tasty.
Also enjoyed the antiques. If you can recall the 1950's, 1960's or 1970's, you will love this place. Highly recommend!

Really bad food really and overpriced .. ppl friendly and good customer service . $37 breakfast all American breakfast looks like.

A classic dinner feel straight out of the 50s with some exceptional customer service.

The location is one of those forgotten spits every one drives past and doesn't even notice it.
Before Dennys and IHOP took over this is the style and actual place for a breakfast Diner.

The inside would be a great film location for a period piece. They even have some original dishware and appliances. The atmosphere is straight 50s maybe 60s amd original design. They do have a lot of pictures all over most of which does not contribute to the atmosphere and seems to jest be there.

The food,
the pancakes are typical but pretty good.
Philly cheesestake sandwich was surprisingly good.

Service is where thos place really shined. The sole waitress/hostess/busser, was way busy servicing everyone but still made everyone feel important.

I would say the downside is the menu is so massive it makes ordering hard.

If your looking for a classic look andbdont want to support the mass market dinner of IHOP or Dennys give this place a try.

Gotta go 5 here as they’re very welcoming, the food is delicious and it’s like taking a step back in time. Portions are also so big I had to bring my dude wipes in my cargo shorts just to do the premeal space clearing routine, but the bathroom is also top notch. It’s a one stalker though so bring your wipes to be considerate of time 👌

My first time here! Why did I wait! Home cooked and omg delicious! Small, friendly, awesome service. Pancake 🥞 yummy! Delicious home potatoes, nothing fancy but you feel like family.

I've been coming here every Tuesday for about a month or two now. The food is consistently great and the staff is very friendly. They make you feel welcome, there are a couple of waiters who are jokesters and make the place fun to dine at.

Their Steak and Eggs are great, always cooked well. Their pancakes are really good, the Kielbasa omelet is delicious and I love their biscuits and gravy. The coffee is free refills and is always really good.

Anyone looking for a nice place to sit down and have breakfast should absolutely give this place a shot!

This was my second time here in one week because the first time was excellent! Great tasting food, good-sized portions, and awesome service! It only took two visits to make it one of my go-to breakfast places! The cafe is on the smaller side so it has a neighborhood feel. I highly recommend making a visit if you're in El Cajon.

Best omelet in San Diego best homemade salsa hot and mild been going there for 15 years and still the same everything is huge, they also make the best hot batch of salsa anywhere in San Diego for breakfast if you like a little kick with breakfast and it's home made and fresh .

Great mom and pop cafe for breakfast and lunch. Large portions at a fair price. Got the daily special, Chicken Fried Steak with 3 eggs, fried potatoes, and wheat toast. Also got The Biggies omelette with sausage, mushrooms, onion, tomatoes, peppers, and chili on top, fried potatoes and wheat toast. Both were very tasty.

Very lovely restaurant…
Customer service is amazing!!
I haven’t tried the food yet but needed cash to enter Flinn Springs park and they have treated me very polite…

I have decided to come back with my family next time…

Mary Etta's Cafe in Flinn Springs has been serving delicious food since 1949. They are located at 14809 Olde Highway 80, El Cajon, California. My husband brought me here 30 years ago when we first started dating. The food back then was absolutely delicious. The staff was efficient, funny, and inviting. Even the chef would turn around and interact with all the customers. It was a very pleasurable dining experience. It was more like a family gathering instead of customers at a restaurant. My husband and I were in the area this morning and decided to stop in for breakfast/lunch. I ordered a hamburger and my husband ordered the sausage patty, eggs, and potatoes. Much to our sheer delight nothing has changed...the staff is still efficient, warm, and inviting, and they still have absolutely delicious food. Thank you for remaining the same great place that you have always been. Love this place!

Had the No 1 Breakfast with 2 eggs, potatoes, a giant warm and buttery biscuit and a humongous sausage patty. The sausage is quite possibly the best I've ever had, and had a district black pepper taste. It would be fantastic on pizza. The booth for 4 was tight but not uncomfortable for 200# men. I will certainly be coming back to try other dishes.