Delicious brunch! We enjoyed the Somali Malawian which was absolutely delightful—cheesy, hearty, and spiced. We also had the duck and sweet potato hash that was topped with a super fresh salad. If you enjoy a savory dense bread, the Afghan sweet bread was a great end to our meal, as the citrus butter was to die for. Will definitely be going back!
Brenda Fernandez
The food and coffee was incredible and the portions were great! Loved the atmosphere and the service, they were super attentive! Will 100% be back! I've already recommended it to two friends haha!
I've never felt so good about spending money at a restaurant. Seriously. The fact that MAKE Projects is a non-profit and is self-sustaining gets a lot of the press, but it goes so much deeper than that. They also offer a 12-week program for first-generation kids to learn a trade and if they decide the service industry isn't a fit, they will help them put a resume together and offer ESL assistance to get into other industries. I'm doing a terrible job with my overview but you get the gist.Oh and by the way, the food was amazing. We went family style and tried about 7 different dishes between 3 of us. The Afgan chicken was my personal favorite but everything was fabulous. And we were all so impressed and touched by the mission. Ashley the manager was great as well.Keep up the great work and I'll be back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Mike Shess
This is an amazing restaurant. The mission and ethos behind this business is righteous. The flavors stand up on their own, however.I love trying new things and I’d never heard of a Shakshuka before. It was supremely tasty.The service is great. The prices are fair. The venue is cool. I can’t wait to go back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Shakshuka
Alex Daniels
Awesome place and wish we had come sooner! The pancakes and breakfast tacos are delicious and everything tastes fresh. Also a plus that it's a nonprofit for a very worthy cause.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Rozzi Hafner
One of the best restaurants in San Diego. The food is unique and absolutely delicious. The service is impeccable.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Spiced Breakfast Potatoes, Shakshuka, Pancakes with Orange Syrup
J C.
I read about this place in San Diego magazine, and decided to try it out. The restaurant has a mission quote to empower, refugee and immigrant women and youth with the job readiness skills to achieve their dreams." It has an interesting brunch menu within ethnic flare. We came for lunch on Saturday at noon. It wasn't very busy, which was surprising, considering the quality of the food.We started off with the trio of spreads served with focaccia bread. My wife really liked the eggplant spread. For entrees, I had the North African Shakshuka, and my wife had the trio of chicken brunch tacos, which had a little bit of everything: spiced potatoes, cucumber tomato salad, fruit medley. It was all very tasty and so much food. The only criticism/suggestion would be to improve the attentiveness of the serving staff. Maybe because it wasn't that busy, they were a little more lax. At any rate, it's a good training opportunity if they'll be working with the public. I would definitely recommend it and look forward to coming back to support their cause: giving refugees the skills and confidence to become productive members of our community.
Lauren W.
Really great food! The service wasn't perfect but considering that everyone is training and it's such a great place, we didn't mind at all. Would definitely go back!
Shay M.
When was the last time you dined at a nonprofit restaurant? Have you ever? I don't believe I had either, until I tried MAKE Projects (shout-out to Jennifer A. for the review that brought me here). The experience left me overjoyed and beyond excited to return; one could say that I was full, and fulfilled.Nonprofit restaurant??? Some of you may be asking, "How?" or "Why?". Well, this mostly sustainable restaurant, isn't just looking out for our planet in terms of growing their own produce, but they're also looking out for our people, and growing them too. You see, Make Projects has several very special missions in mind, when serving you these unique and delectable eats. "Make Projects merges agriculture, kitchens, and employment; it is their mission to empower refugee and immigrant women and youth with the job readiness skills to achieve their dreams". Their vision is "to see San Diegans cross social, racial, economic, and geographic lines as we gather over our love of food, flavors, and culture". With MP, it's more than just words. Once you dine here, you'll see this vision come to life, as you soak in the genuineness and kindness of the staff, and the flavors of the food.Now unfortunately, the restaurant is no longer in the garden next to the church. I wish I had dined here then, as I was really looking forward to dining in the garden setting. However, expanding to the new location on University has allowed them the ability to serve more guests, and empower more young women; it's a win-win in my eyes.The service: Although the hostess and the manager were both new in their roles, they both did a great job. The hostess was great at recommending several dishes that you could tell they really liked; their recommendations were spot-on. The manager did a great as well, answering all of my questions, as well as giving us insight into the restaurants future endeavors. I'd just say keep in mind that there is a lot of training, and care, that goes into the food and the service, so be kind. The staff were gentle, kind, and smiling ear to ear, we should be too.The food: Don't be afraid to try things you might not have heard of. We did just that, and I am thankful for that opportunity. The Afghan breakfast taco plate was full of fresh fare, and came with a fruit salad, crispy breakfast potatoes, a cucumber and tomato salad, and 3 well built tacos. This plate was not only delicious to eat, but all of the beautiful and vibrant colors made it a pleasure to look at; it looked so good I hesitated to dive in, but only momentarily as I was ready to get my grub on. We also enjoyed a sample of the beignet-like African Mandazi (Thanks Chef Andrew), a must if you're looking for something warm and slightly sweet. The homemade apple jam that accompanied the Mandazi was excellent; I would have loved to slather that all over a double cut Duroc pork chop. Lastly, we also had the smash burger, which wasn't much of an actual smash burger, but it was tasty nonetheless. I prefer the thickness of a robust burger over a smash burger, so I wasn't bothered by this at all. I would recommend the burger only as a third or fourth dish, as the plate wasn't as substantial as the taco plate, and the burger was pretty standard.Thank you to MAKE Projects for their wonderful mission of empowerment and inclusivity! Thank you to all of the wonderful staff for making this a dining experience to remember.We'll see you soon.
I got the chicken brunch tacos. They were super good!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Aileen Acayan
My sister and I love the food here. They got the pancakes and was sold with the orange syrup. I had the smash burger that I devoured in 5 minutes. All in all 5 stars.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Persian Spiced Smash Burger, Pancakes with Orange Syrup
jenny w.
Delicious food and drinks, really nice service! I loved the interesting flavors but one on our party was a little overwhelmed with the pickles and spice so ask your server lots of questions! Loved the yuzu shandy and extremely strong coffee!
Courtney H.
Come and support an amazing organization! I have been following this non-profit and their cafe since they were in their garden spot by the church but didn't make it out to try the food until they moved to Crushed's old location. The spot is huge, room-y, and beautiful. We tried:- Afghan Lagharaq- East African Mandazi - Somali Malawah- Afghan Chicken Brunch Tacos Really big portions for the mains, really yummy, and filling! We also ordered coffee and it was huge. I love that I am able to try things I typically would not find on other brunch menus. We also received great service from everyone. Parking was relatively easy since we came right when they opened. I will definitely be coming back to try more of the menu!
Golnaz P.
Wow there is so much to love about this place. First of all its mission is all about kindness, inclusion, and education. Love that! Besides the wonderful reason why they are present, the food is delicious. We went for brunch last week and let's just say that everything was super yummy! We ordered the following: -warm apple rose cake-house made pickle plate-Somali malawah -Afghan chicken brunch tacos-botanical sunriseBesides being so happy with the taste, the service was great too. We loved watching the team work together. Can't wait to come back over and over!
Delicious brunch! We enjoyed the Somali Malawian which was absolutely delightful—cheesy, hearty, and spiced. We also had the duck and sweet potato hash that was topped with a super fresh salad. If you enjoy a savory dense bread, the Afghan sweet bread was a great end to our meal, as the citrus butter was to die for. Will definitely be going back!
The food and coffee was incredible and the portions were great! Loved the atmosphere and the service, they were super attentive! Will 100% be back! I've already recommended it to two friends haha!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Spiced Breakfast Potatoes, Breakfast Burrito, Fish Sandwich, Cucumber Tomato Salad
I've never felt so good about spending money at a restaurant. Seriously. The fact that MAKE Projects is a non-profit and is self-sustaining gets a lot of the press, but it goes so much deeper than that. They also offer a 12-week program for first-generation kids to learn a trade and if they decide the service industry isn't a fit, they will help them put a resume together and offer ESL assistance to get into other industries. I'm doing a terrible job with my overview but you get the gist.Oh and by the way, the food was amazing. We went family style and tried about 7 different dishes between 3 of us. The Afgan chicken was my personal favorite but everything was fabulous. And we were all so impressed and touched by the mission. Ashley the manager was great as well.Keep up the great work and I'll be back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This is an amazing restaurant. The mission and ethos behind this business is righteous. The flavors stand up on their own, however.I love trying new things and I’d never heard of a Shakshuka before. It was supremely tasty.The service is great. The prices are fair. The venue is cool. I can’t wait to go back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Shakshuka
Awesome place and wish we had come sooner! The pancakes and breakfast tacos are delicious and everything tastes fresh. Also a plus that it's a nonprofit for a very worthy cause.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
One of the best restaurants in San Diego. The food is unique and absolutely delicious. The service is impeccable.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Spiced Breakfast Potatoes, Shakshuka, Pancakes with Orange Syrup
I read about this place in San Diego magazine, and decided to try it out. The restaurant has a mission quote to empower, refugee and immigrant women and youth with the job readiness skills to achieve their dreams." It has an interesting brunch menu within ethnic flare. We came for lunch on Saturday at noon. It wasn't very busy, which was surprising, considering the quality of the food.We started off with the trio of spreads served with focaccia bread. My wife really liked the eggplant spread. For entrees, I had the North African Shakshuka, and my wife had the trio of chicken brunch tacos, which had a little bit of everything: spiced potatoes, cucumber tomato salad, fruit medley. It was all very tasty and so much food. The only criticism/suggestion would be to improve the attentiveness of the serving staff. Maybe because it wasn't that busy, they were a little more lax. At any rate, it's a good training opportunity if they'll be working with the public. I would definitely recommend it and look forward to coming back to support their cause: giving refugees the skills and confidence to become productive members of our community.
Really great food! The service wasn't perfect but considering that everyone is training and it's such a great place, we didn't mind at all. Would definitely go back!
When was the last time you dined at a nonprofit restaurant? Have you ever? I don't believe I had either, until I tried MAKE Projects (shout-out to Jennifer A. for the review that brought me here). The experience left me overjoyed and beyond excited to return; one could say that I was full, and fulfilled.Nonprofit restaurant??? Some of you may be asking, "How?" or "Why?". Well, this mostly sustainable restaurant, isn't just looking out for our planet in terms of growing their own produce, but they're also looking out for our people, and growing them too. You see, Make Projects has several very special missions in mind, when serving you these unique and delectable eats. "Make Projects merges agriculture, kitchens, and employment; it is their mission to empower refugee and immigrant women and youth with the job readiness skills to achieve their dreams". Their vision is "to see San Diegans cross social, racial, economic, and geographic lines as we gather over our love of food, flavors, and culture". With MP, it's more than just words. Once you dine here, you'll see this vision come to life, as you soak in the genuineness and kindness of the staff, and the flavors of the food.Now unfortunately, the restaurant is no longer in the garden next to the church. I wish I had dined here then, as I was really looking forward to dining in the garden setting. However, expanding to the new location on University has allowed them the ability to serve more guests, and empower more young women; it's a win-win in my eyes.The service: Although the hostess and the manager were both new in their roles, they both did a great job. The hostess was great at recommending several dishes that you could tell they really liked; their recommendations were spot-on. The manager did a great as well, answering all of my questions, as well as giving us insight into the restaurants future endeavors. I'd just say keep in mind that there is a lot of training, and care, that goes into the food and the service, so be kind. The staff were gentle, kind, and smiling ear to ear, we should be too.The food: Don't be afraid to try things you might not have heard of. We did just that, and I am thankful for that opportunity. The Afghan breakfast taco plate was full of fresh fare, and came with a fruit salad, crispy breakfast potatoes, a cucumber and tomato salad, and 3 well built tacos. This plate was not only delicious to eat, but all of the beautiful and vibrant colors made it a pleasure to look at; it looked so good I hesitated to dive in, but only momentarily as I was ready to get my grub on. We also enjoyed a sample of the beignet-like African Mandazi (Thanks Chef Andrew), a must if you're looking for something warm and slightly sweet. The homemade apple jam that accompanied the Mandazi was excellent; I would have loved to slather that all over a double cut Duroc pork chop. Lastly, we also had the smash burger, which wasn't much of an actual smash burger, but it was tasty nonetheless. I prefer the thickness of a robust burger over a smash burger, so I wasn't bothered by this at all. I would recommend the burger only as a third or fourth dish, as the plate wasn't as substantial as the taco plate, and the burger was pretty standard.Thank you to MAKE Projects for their wonderful mission of empowerment and inclusivity! Thank you to all of the wonderful staff for making this a dining experience to remember.We'll see you soon.
The smash burger is
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
I got the chicken brunch tacos. They were super good!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
My sister and I love the food here. They got the pancakes and was sold with the orange syrup. I had the smash burger that I devoured in 5 minutes. All in all 5 stars.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Persian Spiced Smash Burger, Pancakes with Orange Syrup
Delicious food and drinks, really nice service! I loved the interesting flavors but one on our party was a little overwhelmed with the pickles and spice so ask your server lots of questions! Loved the yuzu shandy and extremely strong coffee!
Come and support an amazing organization! I have been following this non-profit and their cafe since they were in their garden spot by the church but didn't make it out to try the food until they moved to Crushed's old location. The spot is huge, room-y, and beautiful. We tried:- Afghan Lagharaq- East African Mandazi - Somali Malawah- Afghan Chicken Brunch Tacos Really big portions for the mains, really yummy, and filling! We also ordered coffee and it was huge. I love that I am able to try things I typically would not find on other brunch menus. We also received great service from everyone. Parking was relatively easy since we came right when they opened. I will definitely be coming back to try more of the menu!
Wow there is so much to love about this place. First of all its mission is all about kindness, inclusion, and education. Love that! Besides the wonderful reason why they are present, the food is delicious. We went for brunch last week and let's just say that everything was super yummy! We ordered the following: -warm apple rose cake-house made pickle plate-Somali malawah -Afghan chicken brunch tacos-botanical sunriseBesides being so happy with the taste, the service was great too. We loved watching the team work together. Can't wait to come back over and over!