50 Best Cafes near National City

“We loved our egg 🥚 and fruit 🍉 sando and grilled chicken onigri ! 🍙I had the taro 🧋tornado and my sister had the Kyoto matcha 🍵 it was so delicious even in the soft open. Authentic and creamy. Our new favorite spot. Beautiful cafe and lots of parking!“

“The Well Deck is a hidden gem inside Navy Base San Diego. The atmosphere is clean, welcoming, and has a relaxing vibe that’s perfect after a long day on base. The staff is always friendly and professional — they really make you feel appreciated.

The food is fresh and well-prepared, with generous portions and great flavor. Whether you’re grabbing a quick bite or sitting down for a full meal, everything tastes like it’s made with care. Their burgers and pizzas are top-notch, and the drink selection is surprisingly good for a spot on base.

It’s definitely one of the better dining options around — great food, chill environment, and solid service every time. Highly recommend stopping by The Well Deck if you get the chance!“

“I had the beef biryani delivered to my place. I wanted it spicy. They did and it was perfect. The food was delicious! I will be ordering from them again for sure!“

“great staff. great food. so far I've had a few of their different plates, and all have been good“

“After eating here I can't help but ask, " where have you been all my life?"
The Oriental Cafe offers generous portions for generous prices and unless you've fasted the whole day you will be bringing home Leftovers.
The staff is friendly and efficient as they tend to the constant flow of customers that filled the humble establishment.
Some may take mark down this Cafe for its simplistic decor; but others, like myself, find it charming. And after trying their dishes, it only adds delight to find a nice whole in the wall that let's their dishes speak for themselves.
I recommend dining in because you will get a serving of their egg drop soup and it is absolutely worth trying. It's hearty flavor reminds you of the soup you wish you had on a cold day or when you're feeling under the weather.
This is an establishment that deserves its business and I am already planning on coming back and bringing more family to experience it themselves.“

“Great food and service. We didn’t have to wait. We were seated right away and I food came out quickly.“

“Very nice environment and outstanding food and entertainment 👌 😀“

“Tastylife™️. Would buy treats again.“

“Enjoyed Madi again. Food is always great. Potatoes were a bit undercooked. Everything else was tasty. Started w churro waffles - always recommend them. One of the best waffles. Chicken fried steak was a 8 on a scale of 10. Shakshuka is delicious but it is not shakshuka anymore.. it is more of a carnitas w a poached egg and cheese. Name is misleading since it is a regional dish.. (check the recipe) Setting is great and simple. Service is always friendly. Our waiter was great - once he noticed that our coffee (2 cappuccinos) was not delivered on time.. he got us replacements asap. Very thoughtful.“

“Really cool and unique coffee! I went in and just asked the barista to give me two coffees he recommended and it did not disappoint! We got the black nitro cold brew and the honey lavender and both were delicious! Also got a donut and it was also great. The barista was so friendly! I would totally make this my go to coffee spot when we visit Coronado.“

“I’m a local customer for over 25 years. I love this place every thing is well prepare with love. The owners are always happy to see the customers! One of my favorite is the Mexican Mocha, the breakfast sandwich. To say the least everything on the menu is excellent. I’ve rather support this small family coffee shop, then Starbucks. Thank you so much for caring for you’re customers and the great food. Many Blessings!“

“Great food, fun and quirky vibe.“

“highly recommend this place! AMAZING coffee, DELICIOUS acid bowls and incredible breakfast croissants. The owner is awesome and the staff is incredibly friendly. I will definitely be returning (:“

“Highly recommend- tell them it's your first and you get the tour of the menu and art. Great prices, food, drinks and outstanding service. See you there.“

“Very community-friendly safe space cafe with never-miss menu options. I come here for the 6 butter scone flight. The French toast is spongey, custardy, & crispy to perfection. Try the Pandan Latte, my other favorite is the black sesame latte“

“Great fun to be had at Coffee Cycle. Fun people, great coffee and if you ride a bike to the shop you will receive praise!“

“Food was good. I can't give 5 stars when orders are messed up. There were only 3 of us and they switched our orders so I had a steak that was undercooked and my friend had one that was overcooked. Really? You want to charge us over $200 each and you can't get a basic restaurant function right? If you want to charge prime/premium prices. Get the details right!“

“
Normally, one of the better quiet café spots in San Diego, and so the 4.9 rating.

The Xtra thick breakfast sandwich is fantastic...one of the best I've had in over a decade..had it made by the middle aged fellow on Sunday at noon for $11. No meat, no extras. Don't need it. Vegetables on it were very fresh and thick as was egg. You will need patience in preparation. If you have a smaller toddler, ask for a second egg on the side, it's perfect size.

House, Americano, and Expresso are excellent for the reasonable price.

Order at counter, take paging coaster, rings when ready, you have to pick it up yourself. But usually drinks are taken to you first. It's not full service. But food makes up for that.

Improvement? Keep the small backpatio clean and foilage manicured, add some more flowers or plants. Add one-person coffee tables outside to free up larger tables, smaller umbrellas in vacant tables. and stay true to modern and folk Portuguese music (owner) to complement the relaxing vibe, or keep other music quieter as you shouldn't have to prevent people from enjoying conversation or reading.

Cafés in San Diego are overpriced and noisy. Nice to find a gem. Keep up the good work“

“Todo riquisimo muy amables y atentos“

“Charming atmosphere and wonderful tasting as well as beautiful dessert s.“

“Audrey was the best! We came from Maine and short notice we were able to get a dozen cupcakes ordered for pickup with 2 days notice. They were fantastic and gone quickly!! Thank you again!!“

“Cannot wait to go back and enjoy the the food, excellent service and ambience of this restaurant. We often each brunch here and their chef events are amazing! I savor every bite 🤤“

“Because they have good music and they sing good love sherry“

“I would’ve loved to give this place 5/5, but the heat in the store is miserable. I feel extremely bad for the girls working efficiently in the heat. Coffee is good, matcha looks good but not my thing.

I recommend the owner look into getting a real AC instead of dingy fans. I understand it’s a store-front coffee shop, but the heat was circulating in the shop from those fans. It felt unclean, sticky, and muggy inside.“

“Awesome little coffee shop! Kim's baked treats are to die for. She brightens everyone's day and makes you feel like family. The 1st Avenue neighborhood is lucky to have her.“

“I absolutely love this restaurant. I discovered this place about a year ago, and ever since that day I have enjoyed every single moment spent there. The retro 50s style with oldie legendary music just fills the atmosphere with a touch of comfort, sophistication, and happiness. The food was extremely good especially the burgers, with affordable prices. The waiters are also kind and caring.“

“Love the bakery and matcha latte!“

“We had awesome service by Dern! He was polite, friendly and outgoing. (Killer now tie too!) He made our experience so fun! I even witnessed his care for his customers as I watched him ensure an elderly man did not fall walking to the bathroom. Also, he seemed to interact positively with his teammates too. Thanks Dern! The facility and restrooms were clean. It was like stepping back in time. There are a lot of nostalgic things to take in. My husband and I split a classic hamburger, crinkle fries and a strawberry malt. All of it was delicious. My husband said, “if we lived here, I’d be a regular.”“

“Nice place to relax and chill away from the house“

“Met Toran at our work event and he shared his story… What an amazing business! Everyone needs to go and try this pudding!!! I will always support a business that supports the community and will always show up when asked! Thanks for the amazing pudding, and for showing up!“

“The Turkish eggs and fried rice were outstanding. Some of the best I ever had. Atmosphere was great. The only negative mark was the lobster omelet. It was plain a bit overdone and not special. Particularly in comparison to the other plates.“

“I really enjoy the coffee here, it’s consistently great but the overall experience could be improved. The atmosphere tends to feel warm and stuffy since there’s no AC, which makes it uncomfortable to work for long periods. The music is also quite loud, making it hard to have a conversation with friends. Because of these issues, I’ve stopped recommending the café, even though the drinks themselves are excellent.“

“Amazing cultural events. Ongoing. Something for everybody: music, dance, celebration.“

“la nieve muy deliciosa(Gelato) matcha late no esta muy concentrado como ami me gusta, el pan que venden muy rico, la chicas que atienden muy amables, pero sobre todo una vista maravillosa... P.D. precios accesibles.“

“Quaint . Great service and food“

“Exelente servicio y todo de primera calidad súper recomendado“

“Phenomenal service. Be warned this is cash only, but luckily I carry cash on me usually for these reasons. Cheap coffee and definitely good quality. Nice drive through makes it an easy stop before work as well. Would recommend if you're in the area“

“Always great service and delicious food prepared fresh. Family atmosphere and worth the wait.“

“Great customer service great food Great coffee Highly recommended“

“Always a fun visit. Every location has been great.“

“Awesomeness had great time“

“Was only in town for 2 days, saw this spot thought I would try it out, and was not disappointed! They have great coffee, food, and bread! And the customer service was amazing as well!“

“1st time, won’t be the last....“

“The chillest Grill and Cafe. The food is fresh, crispy soft chibatta bread, Chai tea latte is perfect and the Berry smoothie is flavorful. Definitely will come back. The atmosphere is blend of city and home style. The staff is very helpful and attentive.“

“Great ambiance. Was a great scene to see a kitten being walked on a leash. I appreciate the dog friendliness. Reminder of better times. Hopefully all is well in sunny San Diego.“

“This is the closest restaurant to the Chevrolet dealership where I was having some service performed. Odd setup on the 4th floor of a nice commercial building. Expected cafeteria food and ended up with an absolute bomb of a sandwich. This place is seriously a diamond in the rough. Will be back“

“Great service & good menu options! I’ll come back 😁😁😁“

“I love La Mesa Bistro team working is very nice, friendly and efficient. It’s clean and you can eat indoor or outside The food is all very good and ready quickly! My favorites açaí be wil and grilled Cheese on sourdough with artichokes and avocado. It’s fabulous- sorry I can’t remember the benefits of it. ?“

“Service is always fast, it can be little busy and loud but the crepes are so delicious, I make the drive to this place since there aren't any good ones in my local area. I never have been served anything incorrectly made and the workers are attentive to what I ask for (added/taken off items).“

“Great drinks and food - with fantastic customer service!“