Gooseberries kafe

I miss this place so much. I started coming here when they first opened, and now I've moved away, but I still think about it. They have the best pickled vegetables ever, they're so addictive!! I wish I knew how to make them at home lol. The baked goods are also fabulous, using in season produce and not too sweet. They have vegan & GF options. I don't drink coffee so no input there, but my friend liked the drink she got. I had a sip and liked it, which is very rare for me lol. The hamburger is good and the avocado toast is really good too. Everything they do is very very high quality, and it is quite evident that they care deeply about what they do. The staff talks to you like you're a good pal. There's a guy with a huge beard here who is one of the owners, and he is so freaking sweet. I love the open air feel of the cafe. It's very chill and a nice place to relax. I only ate in here a couple of times and mostly got my stuff to go since I lived nearby. I wish Gooseberries Kafe all the success in the world, and hope to visit when I come visit SD :)

Excellent coffee here. It is a pity I went when they were almost closing as I enjoyed the ambiance and would have loved to see more people. I was the only customer at almost 2pm which is when they close and still I received an excellent service by the girl working there. I like the comfort of the tall chairs, the flowers they get from the plant shop across the street, the presentation of the pastries and the whole design. Will be back when in Hillcrest. Very quaint.

gooseberries in Hillcrest his hands down the best breakfast in town! Don't let the modest exterior or the less and fancy neighborhood fool you. This hidden gem serves up some of the freshest, most lovingly, prepared food in all of San Diego. The husband and wife team create everything from scratch using only the finest ingredients. You can truly taste the care and passion in every bite. My personal favorite is the avocado toast, and my husband swears by the homemade coffee cake, warm, crumbly, and absolutely divine. The baked goods are unmatched - light flavorful, and clearly made with pride, Gooseberries is a reminder that you should never judge a book by its cover because what's inside here is something special -a must visit for anyone who loves quality, comfort, and heart in their breakfast

We stopped in on a weekday and enjoyed lunch at this small, outdoor cafe. I had the bread with butter and gooseberry jam, grilled vegetables with chicken-apple sausage and the butterfly lemonade. It was a light, fresh and healthy meal. The portions were more than adequate and I took leftovers home. I would be interested in returning to try more of their menu. The owner was friendly and welcoming. Our server could have been more polite. She didn't come across as a happy employee or perhaps was having a bad day.

Just review is for two visits combined when I stayed at the hotel which houses this cafe. The first time they were 5 star. Extremely nice & everything I ordered was great. I even told a friend who lives in Hillcrest I need to bring you to this place. The 2nd time the food was served & great as well. Here's where it the rating drops. I checked out. Stopped at the cafe, ordered, ate. I had some time to kill before I went to OC. So I thought I would do some computer work done in the beautiful sun. While I sat & did my computer work I sipped on water. Another waitress/cashier person could be heard in the distance complaining about me sitting there working & drinking water. This was most likely what she assumed as she wasn't there when I ordered everything earlier. She made me feel so uncomfortable that I didn't finish my work & left.

Thanks fellow yelpers! You gave this place great reviews and you did not disappoint! I had the biscuit breakfast sandwich and it was wonderful. The biscuits are very thick and that makes this a shareable in my world. My partner had the biscuits and gravy with the ground sausage. Definitely not to be missed, but again, huge portions, we could have shared. The location is outdoor and very comfortable. The owner is also a chef, excellent! Mostly locals it looked like, very chill atmosphere.

This place has been on my list for a while now and I'm glad I finally stopped in! If you can't find street parking-there is a parking lot directly next door. It has nice outside patio seating. The staff is all so sweet and friendly and give excellent suggestions (like getting the crispy prosciutto-trust me just do it, you'll thank me later). Definitely recommend the rolls because you absolutely MUST try the gooseberry jam! Also, the basil vinaigrette on the pasta salad is *chef's kiss* If you're looking for a nice little spot to get brekkies, this is the one for you!

I had breakfast at Gooseberries Kafe a nice little café off fourth Avenue. I ordered the breakfast plate which came with eggs of medium perfectly cooked, apple sausage patties, fresh fruit, and two delicious mini baked bread. I also ordered a cup of hot coffee and some delicious banana bread with frosting. Everyone was super friendly from my server to the Cook and especially the owner who is very amicable and welcoming. I couldn't be more happy with the service they provided. Highly recommended..

We got an English breakfast tea and some sort of Galette. Not sure how much the pasty cost, but it was super tiny and our total was almost $13. So overpriced!! The tea came in a cute pot and it's a nice area to sit and chill at but the service wasn't great, we felt awkward and had to ask twice for milk to go with the tea.

First time here, I just looked up a local spot since I was just in town for a day and this place was amazing! The egg plate with crispy prosciutto was delicious! I'm definitely saving this place and coming back when I'm in town!

First time here and we had a wonderful experience! Even though around 70 photographers showed up, the staff managed to keep up with the demands to serve quality drinks and meals. The atmosphere was perfect for this warm day. A nice breeze blew through the dining area. My husband and I sat at the corner of the bar, where we could watch all of the action in the kitchen. It was so relaxing, I even managed to crochet a mushroom, which I ended up giving to the lovely lady who waited on us. We will definitely be back!

I really love the feel of this place! Staff was so friendly and there was a great deal of seating, both outside and also under the roof. Food, however, was just okay. Here's the breakdown: Soup of the Day (Potato&leek): (3/5) I got the soup of the day. It wasn't served, hot, it was more between lukewarm and warm. After about 4 minutes of eating it, it was a little too cold to be enjoyable. It was also not very flavorful; I'm sure it was healthy though! I added salt to help with the flavor. I will say that the bread that came with my soup was really good! Strawberry danish (5/5): Great pastry! Sweet and tasted fresh. INCIDENT: Burger: My friend ordered the burger. On the menu, it said it came with cheese, but while eating it she realized that they had left it out. She went to go ask for the cheese...since it said it came with it... but they told her it would be $2 to add a slice. $2 isn't breaking the bank, but I think they need to be a little more transparent on their menus. I would hate to pay for something just to learn that I have to pay more, even though the menu did not specify at all that cheese was an extra charge. Overall, I really liked the ambiance and staff was kind; I did not enjoy my lukewarm soup and the hidden $2 charge for cheese.

If you would like to be yelled at by someone in the morning, this is the place to be. Average food with extra rude service! We visited the place while we were visiting San Diego and my god, the person that took our order was soooo rude! She behaved like I was interrupting her by placing the order. She was busy clearing the plates at the bar and I mentioned that I would need a high chair for the baby but she didn't acknowledge. I wasn't sure if she heard me so I asked her if she could check on the high chair after placing the order. So she yelled at me and asked if I couldn't see that she was busy. ‍ Later she got the high chair and slammed it in front of us and scared my baby and 0 eye contact and no apology! I should have just left but unfortunately I had paid and tipped already!

What a great lil find for a breakfast spot. Staff were great, which made the food taste even better. You could tell everything was cooked w/ love. What my family ordered... 2 iced cold brews 10/10 2 chai lattes 1 hot choc 1bread basket w/ their gooseberry jam 1 soup of the day 2 avocado toasts w / egg, one w/ prosciuto, the other w/ sausage 3 burgers w cheese Pros...Food 10/10 Con... hard to find seating

WOW WOW WOW. An absolute must try cafe. My girlfriends and I all got different menu items. The açaí bowl was to DIE for. I opted to add their homemade nut butter and holy cow. So yummy. Highly recommend. I wasn't the biggest fan of the lavender latte I got, but the food made up for it. Will definitely be coming back. Their ingredients are made in house and can be bought separately! Such as their nut butter!

Was really excited for this place! Saw a lot of good things about this and, upon arriving, really liked the look of this cafe. It had a lot of chairs for everybody and this half open air half inside layout. It also had a really nice records shop in it. The food was pretty good. I loved the bread they had in the sandwiches and the deli sandwich was great. Always loved prosciutto and the selection of veggies went well with everything. The eggs and biscuit was ok, but nothing really stood out except the bread. As for the chai, it wasn't the best chai I've had, but it was still good!

Such a lovely spot in Hillcrest -- perfect for brunch! We love how dog-friendly it is, and the staff is absolutely amazing. Super welcoming, quick with the food service, and just all-around great vibes. Definitely one of our go-to spots!

Love the Gooseberries Kafe! My usual dishes are the grilled vegetables, soup of the day, and a cup lavender latte. The grilled vegetables are out of this world. I've dined all over the world and I can't thank you enough for such delicious foods. There are other items on the menu that are homemade - mouth watering tastiness and wholesome ingredients. Just awesome!

I WILL be coming back here. But for the time being this is a 3 star (should have honestly been a 2)... Why? When we tried to order food at 10 am on a Saturday the hostess told us that it could be 1 hour to 1.5 hours until we got our food... this seems crazy to us, as the breakfast sandwhich seemed very simple. We diverted and just got coffee here. And it was really good! Although the latte only had 1 shot of espresso... so we had to add a second. Also there were pastries that you could get asap. So do keep that in mind! Coffee and pastries are perfect for this spot. Great outdoor area where you can bring your dog! Like I said! I'll be back! I just don't know what was going on with the kitchen today.

Gooseberries has been on my list forever and I'm so happy that I finally tried it! I ordered some breakfast to go: avocado toast with prosciutto, eggies, and their signature gooseberry jam blueberry muffin. Avo toast: Generous amount of avocado on their charcoal bread. The bread is so special and really elevates this simple dish. The crispy prosciutto was also delicious - I'd say I prefer it to bacon! It was lighter, thinner, and less oily than bacon normally is. This also came with 3 pickled veggies on the side that had the perfect amount of vinegar taste (not too much or too little) and helped to cleanse my palate while eating. Eggies: Interesting flavor as they were slightly sweet and tasted very bready (I couldn't tell they were egg-based at all). Still enjoyed them but not what I was expecting. Muffin: Loved this! The topping was perfectly crumbly and the jam was very yummy. I will warn that the jam made it a bit messy to eat - not dry like other muffins. I took my food to-go and ate in Balboa Park, but their covered patio is so cute and would be a great vibe to enjoy their thoughtfully prepared food.

Food is a 10/10. Fantastic portion sizes, fresh bread and pastries, and even plentiful options for gluten free needs as well. The family that runs the place are kind, helpful, and you can tell they care about delivering a great experience for their guests. Fantastic - will be back a third time asap!

Excellent- everything is scratch made and oh so freaking delicious. My friend and I enjoyed every single morsel of food, drop of heavenly coffee and house made chai. The owners are pretty cool also- Dress warm on a cool day

I just found my new favorite spot. I went here with some friends to celebrate birthdays, including my own. We left feeling absolutely in love with everything. The ambiance was so relaxing, with cute decor and a welcoming vibe. The staff were INCREDIBLE. We interacted with every staff member at some point (including I think the owner(s)?) and they were so helpful, patient, and kind. We tried a couple of items on the menu and it all tasted incredible. I had the lavender fog, the French toast, and their cinnamon swirl bread. All of it was amazing. But we were especially in love with their charcoal bread. So so delicious! On top of the excellent food and great service, they were so attentive and noticed that we were celebrating birthdays. So they surprised us with cookies that they lit candles on at the end of our meal!!!! We couldn't believe it and we're so touched. When I say we were SO happy and had a beautiful day thanks to the meals and staff here, I mean it earnestly. I am lucky to live close by and can't wait to support this business regularly! Affordable prices, everything is made in house, and the service is amazing. You couldn't ask for more.

Came across Gooseberries Kafe on my way to run some errands in the area and oh my goodness I'm so glad that I did! The service was great (they knew everyone who came through their cute outdoor space and everyone said goodbye when we left) and the food was delicious. I love a good biscuit and they definitely know how to make a proper one. Thank you for such a great brunch - I will be back!

Stopped here on a walk from downtown to Hillcrest. It's a very casual neighborhood spot, kind of like eating on your neighbor's patio. We both plumped for the eggs over grilled vegetables. The eggs were perfectly cooked, the veggies had a lot of flavor. A side order of bread brought small rolls with gooseberry jam. A nice introduction to the neighborhood.

Great teas, coffees, food, all made to order with extremely kind and pleasant service. Laid back atmosphere, and very pet friendly ...they even have home-made dog treats if you've brought your furry friend along for a walk. For downtown "K"afe's, this goes straight to the top of my list!

We really enjoyed our breakfast outing to Gooseberries. The staff were attentive and lovely. The food was fantastic. It is an outdoor cafe, but plenty of area in the shade to enjoy our meal.

Delicious latte and scones. Very personable owners. Plenty of comfortable seating. Go!

I love coming here for breakfast! My favorite dish is French Toast that comes with their delicious gooseberry jam and nutter butter (very addicting ) My favorite drink is the Matcha Latte sweetened with lavender syrup. The staff and service is very friendly and inviting and they always make you feel so welcome. I like the open air, outdoor space seating. The place is Dog friendly and they offer homemade dog treats for $1 each. Highly recommend.

Food- Everything is supposedly made on premises. Tastes like it so that was fun. Service- Excellent. Checked in on numerous times even with others running around. Ambiance- It's a hotel restaurant (I think) as people can stay upstairs. The open air environment isn't busy busy but feels like a place to begin your day. I got the: Egg -n- Biscuit - Yep, "just" a breakfast sandwich but a delicious one. Served on a plate with an actual gooseberry, the crispy prosciutto was fun. Biscuit- homemade with cheese melted on one side. Runny egg, etc. was ideal. Breakfast plate was also delicious. Housemade sausage and jam were highlights! Plenty of GF stuff. Jam was a gooseberry preserve.

Beyond delicious!!! We've been wanting to try this place for a really long time. We happen to be downtown for appointment and celebrating our anniversary so we said we'll give this a try. The food was beyond amazing. I had the biscuit sandwich, which was extremely delicious. My husband had the farmers breakfast? Two eggs their homemade bread and handmade sausage. The tea and coffee were delicious as well and we are beverage snobs. (Having our own espresso machine in house). The team working there is extremely friendly. They went out of their way to have conversations with us. One of the employees asked us what we were going to do for the day? We said we wanna go for a walk. She recommended the seven Bridges walk. It was so perfect we've lived in San Diego since the 80s and have never done this walk and we were really enjoyed it!!!! An excellent start to the day with a delicious breakfast and a beautiful walk .

Really chill cafe spot in Hillcrest. The staff here was really nice and welcoming. It was my first time and they recommended me to get the RAF coffee which they said was their most popular one and it did not disappoint! 2 shots of espresso which blended really well with the vanilla sugar. The French toast were great as well and their jam is really good. Plenty of seating available, great to come here and do some work or study.

The person who came to take my order was pretty rude and I very politely asked to just look at the coffee menu, they asked me to step aside to order so people behind me could order and there was absolutely no one behind me, I just wanted to take 30 seconds to look at the coffee menu. I just left after that.

This place is a hidden gem that has the most welcoming service and best food and drink options perfect for brunch! Loved the outdoor and quiet seating to enjoy the San Diego sunshine while you are eating or doing work. We had the Breakfast plate w/crispy Prosciutto and egg n biscuit with sausage patty - the special bread, jam accompanied the other pieces of the meals perfectly, the portions were generous and presentation was amazing. Drinks: The Raf iced and hot lavender fog - 10/10 for the drinks as well. Quality and presentation amazing all around and we will be returning to try out the other items their menu has to offer.

One of the best breakfast experiences I've had in a very long time. Food was fresh and made with love. Customer service was awesome, you can tell the people who work there take a lot of pride in their craft. The seating area is lovely, we had our dog and they were welcoming of it! I can't wait to go back.

I was looking for a brunch spot that wasn't focused on gigantic portions and the kafe at the Abpopa was just what I needed. The cafe sits under the Abpopa Hillcrest Hotel and is outdoors. What took us by surprise was that the food was all made from scratch! We tried their Avocado Toast, Egg-N-Biscuit, and ABC smoothie. The biscuit is a must try with crispy prosciutto! It was like eating a better bacon strip. The avocado toast was intricately made on two slices of their own baguette and came with a pickled artichoke and a cauliflower. I asked for hot sauce for some more flavor. Btw, the toast is also vegan! The ABC smoothie was quite pricey but consists of healthy ingredients like honey, black cocoa, almond milk, banana, and nut butter. I thoroughly enjoyed my meal and what this cafe offers. There's lots of seating and it's quite private and calming to enjoy a meal here, I'd recommend if you're looking for a local brunch spot.

Outdoor cafe nestled between apartments which is perfect if the weather is nice! I like they you can look into the kitchen and it's very clean and transparent about the prep process. As for food, I got the egg biscuit with added crispy prosciutto for an additional $4 and it was soooooo worth it!!! 10 out of 10!!! The biscuit was stellar!! So much flavor and butter and nice density to the sandwich without being too heavy! Egg was perfectly sunny side up which made for sloppy experience but wouldn't have it any other way! The crispy prosciutto was the star! Reminded me a lot of bacon but better because it wasn't as smokey. It also had a much-welcomed crispy texture add. The arugula and tomato in it was also a necessary touch to make the bites feel more refreshing with the dense biscuit. The gooseberry at the end was my fave touch! Excellent meal where I scarfed all of it down. It was massive too so at first, I wished I had shared it until it was gone before I realized it lol! That good!

Food is out of this world. Very unique and so fresh. People are amazing too, service was top notch. Outside seating is super nice too. Must visit

There is a reason why this place has five stars. Let me start off, it's a little hole in the wall that can be easily missed. Sitting on a one way street, middle of the block makes it a little difficult to find so keep your eyes peeled! Starting off, the French toast - epic, healthy and different yet elegant in taste. The bread is not your typical bread, I believe it's a French bread but without the hardness. Their mixture is subtle but with the jam and syrup it mixed to be an excellent French toast! The egg and biscuit (my favorite) now I've had a hand full of biscuits leading up to this moment but I will have to say, this one, was a life changing experience in taste for me. Every single bite was to savor and wishing for more. Don't get me wrong the sandwich was delicious but the biscuit topped it off for me. It was flaky and buttery yet not overwhelming. The biscuit must be freshly baked and home made to taste this way. I will say, it's probably the best or if not top 3 biscuit I've ever had in my life. Highly suggest a recommend the biscuit, beware, it's only eggs and some greens so maybe add additional protein as it didn't fill me up but it did satisfy my taste buds! Also, it's a little small so you're required to order at the counter top. The workers were fast and prompt , they cleaned and checked in on us enough to know they are there when we need them. Will come back for the other food choices next time!

I'll start off by saying the food was perfect. Everything we've tried on the menu was spectacular and made from scratch (and tasted like it). The service left both my partner and me with a bad impression of the experience overall. We weren't greeted at the door by the lady up front, while many others were. When food was brought to us by the same server, we didn't get utensils. When we were almost finished with our food, the server took our plates without asking or speaking a word to us. I don't know if she was having a bad day or something, but it sucked for us to get the brunt of it. While the food was great, we won't be back.

Quiet spot on a busy street. Went for brunch. The food and gooseberry jam was yummy and the host was friendly.

This place is full of love and wort a try! Real espresso and very fresh food. If your near Hillcrest in the morning it's a required stop.

My husband and I have been staying at the abpopa (the hotel above the cafe) and had breakfast here this morning. We were very impressed. Amazing food, amazing coffee and amazing service. All food is homemade and it makes a huge difference. We plan to return every morning during our stay. Highly highly recommend :)

4 people 4 completely different dishes All tastefully and beautifully plated Delicious and cooked to perfection made with attention to detail And love

I absolutely fell in love with this place this past weekend and am already looking forward to the next time I get to go again! This cafe is so charming and classy. Everything from the service, the ambience, the taste & presentation of the food, the quality of the coffee and pastries, and the energy of the space and team are all top notch & memorable. Upon walking in, I was intrigued with the simple, but very intentional nice design choices of the furniture, the architecture, & even the pretty/unique color of the tables & chairs. I really appreciate these sorts of things! After already being very intrigued, we were warmly welcomed by the owners of the cafe, which happen to be a small team consisting of husband & wife, their son, & another friend. Let me tell you - although small, this is one mighty team & you can tell that they really put their heart & soul into their craft & in making people feel comfortable / at home! I really enjoyed their personalities & warmth. In addition to all that, the food & coffee were freaking amazing. We got the avocado toast with the crispy prosciutto add-on, the eggies, the raf (an espresso-based drink with milk of your choice, intertwined with a house-made vanilla syrup), & a double espresso. This avocado toast was undoubtedly the best one I've ever had. I usually leave places sad that I spent a large amount on a standard toast I could easily make at home, but this was worth the money. The bread was delicious, unique, & the presentation was well thought-out! We really loved the eggies too, which reminded me of mini quiches, but with a slightly sweeter taste with a hint of corn. I would definitely get this again. Overall, the aura of this place was just super lovely & cozy to me. I felt at peace & felt tucked away from the juxtaposed hectic neighboring streets of Hillcrest. Also, as an FYI - this spot has more of an outside & open air feel, so keep that in mind if you happen to get cold easily! P.s. there is also an adorable shop called "Soet" located in the same space, which sells gifts/things like vinyl, apothecary, vintage clothing, & ceramics. We were happy to find out that they're going to have live music Fridays-Sunday starting September 1st, & will have both DJ's and live musicians. Just when I didn't think this place could get any better, it sure did!! So grateful for this little gem - thank you for the wonderful experience & for the additional ones to come :)

the acai bowl at gooseberries kafe is amazing! the ambiance is also super warm and lovely. it's an outdoor concept cafe with a small gift/record/vintage store. i wasn't expecting much for being the cafe in a hotel, but the acai bowl really blew my mind. the acai texture is soft and creamy but not too sweet. the toppings are all great quality - the peanut butter, flaxseed, and granola are so delicious and give the acai bowl a perfect crunchy aspect. the service was nice, friendly, and quick. i'll definitely be back and would recommend the acai bowl to any acai lovers. it's also a great place to grab a coffee or pastry! highly recommend :)

OMG. Simply one of the best breakfast spots in SD. Everything is made by Gooseberries, so the food quality is excellent, and ervers are attentive and accommodating. At one visit, we sat at the counter where we able to view into the kitchen where the magic happens :) At another visit, we selected Gooseberries not just for the quality food experience, also so our toddler friend could safely run around the enclosed open courtyard. There are no handicapped parking spots anywhere nearby and if street parking is full, expect to pay $14 to park in a nearby lot.

Very cute space that is indoor / outdoor, and gets a great breeze. I got the special, homemade biscuit with pork sausage, an egg with a perfect running yolk, arugula, tomato. It was delicious, made from scratch, highly recommend! Service was great, everyone was friendly and the space had a neighborhood feel. Definitely will be back.

Amazing place and food!! Great service and vibes!! Cozy and a must try!! Order the Mary The do Gooder worth the wait since it's made fresh!