La Mesa Bistro & Bakery

Had one of the best eggs Benedict breakfasts here — perfectly poached eggs, crispy hash browns, and a sauce that was rich and full of flavor. Everything came out hot and fresh, and the presentation was on point. The service was friendly and fast, and the atmosphere made it a great place to relax and enjoy the morning. The fresh orange juice was a perfect match with the meal.

The ultimate breakfast spot! So many food options with big portions. Fresh squeezed juices & smoothies. My favorites were the French toast and blended mocha. Yum! Food came out quickly too!

​I recently had my first experience at La Mesa Bistro, and I was thoroughly impressed! It's a fantastic spot that I'll definitely be visiting again.

The food was great, and that one waiter was super nice! But there wasn't an accessible table outside. We had to move the heavy tables ourselves, and the umbrellas so I could fit my wheelchair. The staff saw us struggling and didn't even offer to help. Luckily, a customer helped me with the umbrella because the sun was brutal. Besides that, the capuchino and food was delicious, fast, and hot. Ordering and paying was all self-service.

Good selections but most dishes have cheese 🧀 but menu descriptions don't state that it has cheese. I tried the corn beef hash with eggs. It was okay but the hash was very salty 🧂 I suppose if you mix the potatoes and eggs with the hash it will tame the saltiness of the hash. Coffee ☕️ is good especially since there is a selection to choose from.

This is a nice and clean establishment to visit. The service is very fast and always friendly. The food selection is also quite extensive. Parking is not particularly too hard to find. The location is close enough to the freeway exit that it's fairly easy to find.

The stuffed French toast was delicious! You order at the counter and they will bring the food out. Inside and outside seating is available. Only 4 stars for service because no one ever came out to check on us, but not a huge deal. If we needed something we could have gone in. In the end, it's the food. Super yummy. We will definitely be going back.

Absolutely loved this place. We keep thinking about when we are going back. We actually set out for breakfast and were at another location nearby, but they stopped offering breakfast items. We drove a street down and found this gem. We are so happy we did. The service inside was awesome. Freshly made coffee made me so happy. We got a red velvet pancake, an omelet, and stuffed fenwch toast. Oh my, were they all delicious and beautiful. We sat outside and wished we brought our pup as it was pet friendly on the patio. Please head ovet.there soon and they out anything on the menu. I bet it's all yummy.

Our family recommended this place for brunch and just by looking at the menu prior to coming, some of the photos looked good so I was pretty stoked. There's a ton of options with fairly large portion sizes, so it was perfect for sharing amongst each other. I ordered the Italian Sausage Scrambler with a side of potatoes and had a hot chocolate. I like how they made the potatoes crispy and the size of the hot chocolate was huge (as it should be imo - thank you!). Since portion sizes were big, we were able to share and try out the açaí bowl (as pictured) with my family and my cousin's corn beef hash (which was huge and crispy). My family and I ideally look forward to breakfast and brunch when we eat out, and we weren't disappointed coming here! It was a very family-friendly ambiance, employees and customers were very nice and friendly people, and it seemed to be an overall good community! We appreciate the staff for helping our big family today and handling all our orders with amazing customer service to the T! Thank you!!!

As many times as we have eaten here in the past, and told others about it, I will officially say never again. La Mesa Bistro has grossly gone down hill. The food was lousy. Pastrami Melt: $15.50 and had more cheese on it than pastrami. Two thin slices of cold cut pastrami was laughable. Then on to the service. The tall guy working there has a horrible demeanor. Very unwelcoming and unfriendly. We will never be back to patronize this mom and pop shop again.

We were looking for a breakfast spot to go to after church somewhere in the La Mesa area and ran across this place on Yelp. This is not a place where you wait to be seated and then order your food. It's a self service place where you stand in line, order your food and find your own table. And if you order coffee, you have to go back inside if you want more. Same goes for water, I'm sure. We ended up sitting outside since a majority of the tables inside were taken. There were so many things on the menu to choose from, which if you're standing in a long line like we were, gives you plenty of time to decide. They do have some items not on the actual menu posted on the chalkboards behind the register. As for our order, my husband got the steak and eggs and had no complaints. I opted for the Lobster Benedict. The eggs were more boiled than poached, so that was disappointing. I didn't care for the asparagus that was mixed into it, which felt stringy to me. There was a good amount of lobster so that was a plus. I also got a Chai Tea Latte which was very good, in my opinion. My son ordered the Country Fried Steak and he approved, considering he's a picky teenager. Overall, not hateful. We definitely have to come back another day and try other things on the menu.

Very good! Everything fresh and tasty and great staff Good vibe and great food I had a sandwich and fries but breakfast looked amazing Recommend

Me and my boyfriend love coming here, he has a strict diet and they have alot of heathy options. The prices are reasonable, and the food is always hot. There is little to no wait once you place an order. I love how many different coffees they have. Never had a bad experience here, we been coming here almost once a week' super cozy and we love it because its never slammed packed!

I Love this place! It is truly a home cooked meal! :) Chilaquiles were delicious! Service is great! Outdoor seating is my fave.

The La Mesa Bistro is reliably great, in terms of food and service. I tried a different dish this time: the buttermilk banana walnut pancakes. Once you try their buttermilk pancakes, you'll never want to order pancakes at other restaurants. I only get pancakes here. They taste like cake! The buttermilk really makes a difference in the taste. Pay the extra few dollars- it'll be worth your while. I also ordered a Mexican mocha again- which has become my favorite drink here. It's strong and chocolately.

The food was delightful. I had the grilled ham and cheese, french fries crispy. The other person had macaroni and cheese. Both meals were plentiful and fresh. You can tell this is a neighborhood haunt the outdoor seating is very nice. It comfortable inside this is where we ate. It is nice and clean and presented a comfortable atmosphere to engage in a conversation Well, worth going to this hidden treasure. my only suggestion is the person taking your orders may want to glue a smile on her face. Check the place out the murals and wood work is nice I will definitely go back

I love this place! Large portions and tasty food, but the crowd is bringing down the atmosphere. I think redirecting the ordering line to outside would be better for all. There is no space for the line to grow inside and so close to guests eating (doesn't feel sanitary) and the servers are having trouble trying to serve their guests since the line is in the way.

We had highhhh hopes. When we arrived there was one line about 8 people deep and one girl working the register. Seems odd on a weekend to not have more hands helping out. Husband ordered omelet. Asked for no potatoes. Got lots of potatoes. He was sad. Can't eat them on keto and they sat on his plate staring at him!! I ordered the Benedict. SOOOO salty. I could only manage to eat about 30% of the plate. We ordered 2 iced coffees that were honestly - TERRIBLE. We sent them back. I did get my son the Nutella pancakes to go and OH MY they were good!!! Super good!!! Hence the 3 stars. We would not return for the line and less than average food/beverage.

We were first timers to this breakfast spot and we loved it. Food was tasty. They also have a lot of items on the menu, both healthy and of course my favorite unhealthy. Well not that unhealthy. Can't wait to come back.

Local gem. This is my family's go to spot and we enjoy it every time we come in. Yummy food, warm atmosphere, and great consumer service. Always!

This place has a huge menu, the food is definitely sharable and delicious !!! I enjoyed my breakfast and saved the other half for later. The service is great. Pay first and they get the order right to you in a timely manner. I appreciate that. Look forward to trying out other entrees next time!

Guys this spot has great food, my favorite is the Blueberry, Lemon, ricotta, pancakes. They come out fluffy with crispy edges, just delicious! The Asai bowl is great as well. You basically can't go wrong with whatever you order here. Oh and the coffee is great as well! ENJOY!

What a charming and unassuming DINER posing as a bistro! I'm pleasantly surprised at the quality and extensive menu options. At first glance, I thought this was going to be a generic spot for gathering up the grannies but I was humbled on the rainy day that I met up with my friend for a no frills birthday breakfast. Don't get me wrong, this is still a granny gathering spot but at least you can get your gluttonous foodie groove on because the portions are massive and the combinations are endless. The options are so plentiful that it gave me anxiety because they expect you to stare at several lists' worth of hieroglyphs prior to ordering at the counter. My freaky foodie self was stuck between the stuffed French toast and about 5 other selections so by the time I got to the counter, I was frowning at all the pressure I was under. Do I go for potatoes? Do I want an omelette? Am I strictly sweet? Savory? Wannabe healthy? Do I want to knock out first thing in the morning? As you can see, I was befuddled. However, I ended up ordering the stuffed French toast with a side of bacon and scrambled eggs because I was sold on the word "stuffed". It was sinfully fulfilling. The French toast is stuffed with cream cheese and topped with strawberries. Of course the eggs and bacon were mediocre but I wasn't expecting them to do a dance. After all, we're in La Mesa. If you're looking for spice and intriguing flavor... travel to the inner city ;) Final verdict is that I would return while I'm gathering up my grannies aka taking my mom out while I'm hungover.

This use to be "the place to go" in La Mesa for breakfast and lunch. It was always expensive but not ridiculous . It has surpassed ridiculous. Portions have shrunk and prices are grown! Seating is lousy. Lines are often out the door. Overhead must be minimal. But, you can go to a restaurant, with waiters, table cloths, linen napkins, and alcohol and come away cheaper than a party of two here.

I got here around 10:20 today and ordered ricotta lemon blueberries pancake and strawberry mascarpone French toast I waited about 30 minutes at 10:55ish I asked if my order was ready they told me they are only waiting on the ricotta lemon blueberries pancakes I noticed my French toast and eggs and bacon where sitting on the counter another 15 minutes pass I asked if my order was ready and the guy went to the back 5 minutes later came out and said your order is ready it was 11:15 by the time I got my food and it was disappointing my French toast was cold the mascarpone was all melted and soaked into the toast my eggs and bacon for both orders where ice cold I'm very disappointed I paid almost 35 dollars for food I didn't even get to enjoy and no one there cared to do anything! They act like you don't exist after you order. They ignore you and try to take as many orders as they can and when they still have time they stand there and choose to ignore you not even an eta was told nothing just pancake are what we are waiting on (photo below of the disappointing "ricotta pancakes" that where the driest pancakes I ever had! And the mess of the mascarpone French toast) Summary don't eat here not worth it

This is a very neighborhood type of spot. They offer free coffee and everyone seems to know everyone. I ordered the guacamole club sandwich and blackened steak sandwich. Both sandwiches had great flavor but was a little on the greasy side. Price point was very very reasonable.

La Mesa Bistro is a delightful gem. It is a warm and inviting atmosphere. The menu, is extensive and everything I've ever tried has been fantastic. The staff's courteous and attentive service ensuring every visit is great. Highly recommend!

Outstanding selection and service. We loved the lox on an everything bagel, the La mesa omelette, cappuccino and drip coffee. Lovely people run the bistro and work there. A delightful find.

This place is a great value and has good food and coffee. I just usually get drip coffee--you get a mug and they have gallons of various kinds and you serve yourself. They have omelets and various gluten free options, like one day they had a gluten free waffle that other places usually don't. Also lots of seating inside and out. The menu's pretty huge. There's usually a wait on the weekend but there's pretty good turnover and fast service.

Local breakfast and lunch diner. Wanted to take my dad that wasn't his go to. The setup and menu is similar to swami's in that you stand in line, pay at the counter, and then get a number and your food is brought to you. The menu is similar in that there's lots of healthy options, including açaí bowls and smoothies. I ordered the Popeye omelette - which was filling and cooked well. I wanted less carbs, so I opted for the fruit. What was great about it was that it wasn't the standard cheap fruits, but has blueberry and strawberry mixed in. My toast came with homemade berry jam / compote which was a nice surprise. My dad got blueberry pancakes and added bacon and eggs. He liked the pancakes a lot! Any restaurant that he says it was okay and he takes a menu or picture off the menu is a good sign. Finding new places that aren't too fancy is a challenge with him, but he walked away satisfied. The next time I get breakfast in the area with my dad, this will be an option.

Wonderful neighborhood spot. The menu here is vast & everything looked so tasty that it was tough to decide just what to get. Luckily I came here with a small group so we were all able to share a little bit of our picks so we could taste a range of options. In the end, we had a tough time picking who had the best item. That's a great sign. Definitely left me wanting to come back (which I certainly will next time I'm visiting family in San Diego). Throw in very reasonable prices for the serving sizes and it just sweetens the deal. Staff is very friendly and helpful. They do a good job of giving each customer the time they need to pick their dish while also keeping the line moving at a decent rate. Even if there is a long ordering line, don't be worried. You will get to the front of the line quickly. Seating can be a bit limited. We got lucky & found a table in the back big enough for our party of 6 but we saw plenty of people hovering around waiting for something to open up. Luckily it seemed like most of those people were able to find a place to sit before their food came out.

Came with boyfriend. found hair in my ahi tuna sandwhich. he found a lighter hair in his benedict. nasty.

This was my 1st time here and I ordered the best corn beef hash in San Diego. The salsa needs to be bottled as well as the fresh squeezed orange juice. Everything was amazing I will be back!!!

I stumbled upon La Mesa Bistro & Cafe by chance and am so happy I did. My family was happy with all the meals we ordered and the service / staff was very warm and personable. The prices were very fair and reasonable. The ambiance both outside and indoors was lovely. Overall this was a fantastic experience and we will definitely come back the next time we're in La Mesa.

Good service guy was very friendly definitely putting this place in our restaurant rotation

We usually do pick up and it's quick and delicious! My favorites are the la Mesa omelette or the Ensenada omelette. Huge flavor and huge portions! Tip: ask for the fresh fruit jam!

went in to get a bite to eat, gentleman who I assume must be the manager or owner was on his phone the whole time, and wasn't interested in really taking my order. As I looked on the menu on the wall was very busy and really hard to read , I decided to go with a wrap. which I asked if it had cheese, and he said yes swiss. of course, not interested in the transaction. It didn't so I sat down and brought me with the wrap sand bummer I had hopes for this place

First time here. was expecting a full service restaurant, instead you must stand in line to order your food then hope that there is an open table and its clean, get your own drinks. Food was horrible , omelette was very dry and no flavor, toast was barely buttered, potatos hardly cooked and extremely plain. Husband is a big coffee drinker and he ended up tossing his coffee out. We were looking for a new place to eat once a week but I guess we are still on the prowl.

Food is always great. Large selection to choose from, and portions are decent in size. Staff is always friendly and courteous.

The food here is always AMAZING! I like the Baja Shrimp Omlette and today my boyfriend got the Nutella French Toast and it was to die for they are short-staffed (as are so many service-providing places now) but the staff maintains a great attitude and they're incredibly hard working. Family friendly, not really a romantic date spot

AMAZING EVERY TIME. decent service but the food makes it worth it. very nice outside seating. cute and preppy colors everywhere it's nice just go!

A very favorite place for brunch or lunch with a menu filled with a variety of yummy choices. I haven't had a food item that has yet to disappoint & recommended this establishment to anyone who is looking for a satisfying meal. It also offers a dog-friendly patio...closes at 2pm.

Came in for a quick and simple breakfast. I was assisted by a handsome gentleman who was happy to help. I got a 2 egg and toast breakfast that came with refillable coffee or tea and many to choose from. My eggs were cooked as asked and came out quickly. The restaurant is very clean. You order first, they give you a number, then you can pour your own drink and wait for your order at your table. If you want to be left alone, but still go out to a restaurant for breakfast or lunch, it's perfect. They have a large menu with many options as well. The salsa and preserves with my breakfast taste like they make it in house. I will come back here.

It was really busy and I can see why. Food was delicious had the stuffed French toast w the nirvana smoothie. 10/10 would recommend

I had high hopes for this place but 2 stars seems accurate. The service isn't the best. Upon ordering, the person in the front was too busy talking to his friends that he didn't recognize a line forming in the front. An elderly lady had to flag him down to start taking our orders. No one is bussing and all the tables were dirty. I got the El Paso eggs Benedict and my boyfriend got the country fried steak. The food came out pretty fast but my chorizo was sooooo dry and hard. It looked like it was left in the pan from a previous order then placed on my plate. I told the worker about it and he gave me a bad excuse. However, he did offer me to get another plate, so I got chilequiles instead, which was a plus. All in all, food not worth the bad service here. Probably will not come back again.

Recently very disappointed. I have been to this place in the last once or twice and recall breakfast being good. At the most recent visit , ordered omelette breakfast with potatoes. Once getting home realized that the potatoes were extremely salty, there was very bad avocado and burnt toast. It was not a very hot day and we had gone straight home about 10 minutes away so it's hard to know why someone would think this was okay to serve. This completely ruined the meal, I didn't want to waste time going back for a refund but probably would not go back.

Food was delicious and there is a wide selection to choose from. Service was great. The coffee was delicious. Definitely recommend the eggs Benedict! Nice ambience and seems to be a popular hang out for locals.

This place has been a top 5 for breakfast for me. Food is always good and the portions are great! They're usually very quick at getting the food out to you considering they're always busy! Definitely a popular place to eat. Long lines but quick service and their self serve coffee is pretty good.

Great food, very very fast service! Fair prices too. Order up front then sit at a table. Its nice, simple, and has an accommodating outdoor area as well. Will be back often for sure!

The food here is really good, they're only open until 2:00 pm for breakfast and lunch items. You order at the counter and grab a seat. No waiting for a server to take your order. A variety of coffees are available in a self serve area. Plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. Even on the busiest day the line to order moves quickly.

If you love eggs Benedicts and coffee this is the place for you. They offer a huge variety of different eggs Benedict's you can choose from and also a huge selection of coffees. The coffees are self served so you can help yourself to as much caffeine as you like.

Been going here for years and keep coming back. Banana or pumpkin walnut pancakes, vegetarian omelette and some dark Northwest blend coffee for a rich and satisfying breakfast out. Staff are so friendly, food is consistent , hot and fresh . There's plenty of seating choices, at a table, a booth, a cafe table or Al fresco in outdoor seating. Stop in for a hot crafted cappuccino, latte or double espresso then visit the thrift shop next door to flip through some old vinyl records or find something nostalgic to decorate your home with. A nice morning out.

It breaks my heart to write this review as I've enjoyed this restaurant for many years. On Wednesday, August 2, my friend and I had lunch at the bistro. As usual, I enjoyed the food. Unfortunately, while I was eating, I noticed an employee wiping down the counters. He dropped the rag on the floor, and to my shock, picked it up and resumed wiping. When I tried to call the next day, the phone rang and rang, and eventually hung up. When I tried again later, the same thing happened.

The food was great with very kind staff. Our party visited for a long time and they were very accommodating. Always a cute place.

I like to try Huevos Rancheros at different places. This is the leader on my list. Tasty. A chunky ranchero sauce. A good portion for the price. Not too spicy. The Açaí bowl was really good too. There is a good variety of options. The staff was on top of things. Expect a wait because it gets crowded. It was to the point where the line winds around the room then outside. We arrived around 9:30am on a Saturday, so lucky for us it wasn't that bad. The inside was nice and clean. They also have an outside patio area. Parking is tough. My only thing is that it was our first time there and we didn't know what the ordering process was or how we get refills. When we first entered, we went straight to a table and didn't realize until later we had to order first then sit down. Somebody brings your food out to you. For refills, you go to the counter to ask. No biggie, but some info for any newbies like us. I will go back to try the other dishes. Note that our experience there was a couple of months ago so I don't know if the process has changed.

The food is great, some classic items on the menu. Some classic items on the menu and some innovative items. Some of the staff is very nice and some of the staff is extremely rude. I didn't catch the woman's name but we asked her for 2 extra things and she was very rude. It is a nice area with clean seating and nice artwork. Pretty crowded but overall quick service

Food was good and fairly priced. My partner liked their food more than I liked mine. They have a large selection to choose from which is nice. Free coffee refills inside. The space isn't anything fancy but they had the AC on nice and cool during a very warm day. The patio is dog friendly and pretty comfortable too. The service is great. Keep in mind they do charge you 3% surcharge for using your credit card. That would've been nice to know ahead of time. I'd check it out again.

I just moved to a new position at work to La Mesa. It's a beautiful community East of San Diego with great places. My first stop was La Mesa Bistro that is in a small shopping center with plenty of parking. The menu is extensive and it is hard to select from all the yummy items. I had to take the menu and sit down before I ordered. I chose the coconut pineapple pancakes with eggs and bacon and they were fluffy and delicious. They have a huge selection coffee and I selected the Hawaiian hazelnut coffee and it was perfect. My guests had the French toast and the Greek omelette and they left nothing on the plate. The service was great and fast. I would definitely go back.