A strong contender for the best breakfast in San Diego is The Mission Cafe. Great food, exceptional service, and a dedication to their community and local artists. Hard to not like that. They have three locations – in Mission Beach, East Village, and North Park. This review applies to all locations (which are equally great), but we will be focusing on the North Park location.

1. North Park – 2801 University Ave, San Diego, CA 92104
2. Mission Beach – 3795 Mission Boulevard, San Diego, CA 92109
3. East Village – 1250 J St, San Diego, CA 92101

How much do we like it?

We would have a crisis if it closed.

See or rating scale here.

Why We Like The Mission Cafe

At The Mission Cafe the food is eclectic, healthy, and downright delicious. They serve creative breakfast options like homemade lemon curd pancakes, a mixed mushroom frittata, and sweet corn and chili tamales, alongside more standard breakfast fare. They also offer lighter dishes like granola, fresh fruit, and avocado toast. We absolutely love the crispy rosemary potatoes which are exactly as advertised – crispy and infused with a buttery rosemary flavor that can stand as a meal on its own.

Our favorite dish is their house made cinnamon French toast, made with huge slices of bread swirling with gooey cinnamon deliciousness, making it possibly the best French toast in San Diego. If you fall in love with it like we did, you can always buy a loaf of their cinnamon bread to take home. They also have a full cafe menu with coffee, lattes, and freshly made fruit smoothies.

The Mission Cafe always has a pleasant ambiance. It is a simple and homey place, not an Instagram venue, and the food is priced accordingly. It is more akin to a cozy cafe from the 90’s with local artwork on the walls for sale, which is not a surprise given it was created in 1995 by a trio of restaurateurs named Fay Nakanishi, Deborah Helm and Thomas Fitzpatrick. Having sold it in 2021 to a restaurant group, the new managers have made an effort to maintain the easy going atmosphere.

So what is their “mission?” Besides providing creative and delicious food in a great setting, they promote local artists and donate to a number of community driven charities in the San Diego area. We like that.

Final Word

The Mission Cafe in San Diego is a wholesome place that serves absolutely delicious food in an unpretentious setting. They care about their community and have been serving it for years. Local San Diegans know that this is some of the best breakfast you can get in San Diego.