Caleb T.
Yelp
When I think of breakfast spots, I generally think of corner shops or stand alone buildings with big store fronts and plenty of outside seating. It's a bit out of the ordinary to find a breakfast nook in the middle of shopping center; but with Manna BBQ right next door, it isn't completely unheard of.
Anyway, new to the neighborhood and free for breakfast with my family, we headed to Yelp to find close diners that could satisfy our need for a hometown feel to replace our old morning spots of Honey's in Encinitas and Hideaway in Solana Beach. Upon entering the first things we noted were the coarse carpeting and cheap furniture, both which you may see in an office setting. This may not really be the restaurant's fault, as again, this is a shopping center; but it does feel like Debbie's may have taken over an H&R Block and kept what was on hand. They are trying to give it more of a diner feel with towels hanging from wall hooks and some pillows and benches for homey flair. Still, the cramped setting and overall atmosphere are slightly off-putting.
I had the House Special Chicken Livers, something I was really looking forward to as I grew up eating them in a variety of ways. And I'm not sure what I was expecting, if I thought it would be the bacon wrapped roasting my father used to make before Padres games, or the seasoned fried and gravy coated bowls at Roscoe's, but here their chicken livers are a bit ordinary. Fried well and still having that fresh and unctuous texture I like, but a bland seasoning, made them just okay. The best part of the breakfast was the fruit cup which was overflowing with very sweet and ripe pineapple and cantaloupe.
I also had scrambled eggs which were average and a Cinnamon Roll that was split among the table. My 6 month old daughter was a fan.
My wife chose the House Special Chicken Fried Steak, which is her basic go-to whenever we go anyplace new for breakfast. The meat itself was small, had a bit of a uniform cut, which made it feel more like a breaded hamburger patty instead of a cube or round steak. I didn't have any myself, so I can't personally critique the flavor; but I'm pretty sure eating here at Debbie's was the beginning of my wife's on-going rant that no diner will ever be able to match Hideaway in terms of this dish.
The Home Fries she had on the side were cooked well, the peppers and onions soft and a good amount of caramelization on the potatoes. But, they suffered from too little salt and seasoning, leaving them nice to look at, but very bland. I assume this is just because it's safer to trust the customer to add their own salt and pepper.
And our son had the Kids' Menu Pancake with Sausage. They're served basic, silver dollar style, instead of with a smiley face or Mickey Mouse head like you'd see elsewhere. Most kids won't care about the presentation, being happy as long as there is syrup on the table. But, as a parent, it would be nice to see that extra effort. Strawberries and cream on top, blueberries or even chocolate chips as an option.
All in all, a slightly below average outing for breakfast. It's been a while since we've been here and not once has anyone had any interest in coming back. One day, we may try grabbing a pie, but until then, when you can get a bit more wow out of a fast food breakfast for cheaper, it's tough to justify coming agin. Especially when there's better fare at Mamma Kat's or Beach Plum nearby.