Rudford's Restaurant

If you happen to be in the area or just came back from TJ or Rosarito, you gotta try this spot! Diner lovers will LOVE this iconic family owned and operated restaurant. I had a burger that was epic! They also have a monster burger challenge, and they you 30min to finish it.......deadly! The food looks and tastes great, the portions are spectacular, and the place is open 24hrs! The shakes are like when you go to "Bob's", you get glass plus the metal container with another "almost full shake" inside. Aw yeeeeah! The regular size burger is beautifully cooked and is a very hefty size, i have no idea how someone can actually finish the "Big Nick Burger". Definitely stop and give it a go! (Check out the wall of fame and the various objects in the restaurant).

Delicious food. Eggs cooked to order, crispy bacon, fluffy cakes and french toast. Expensive, but that’s what you get in San Diego. Came to $40 with a tip for the two plates.

I've been wanting to check this place out for a long time. We definitely were not disappointed. A well preserved example of what the diner experience used to be like. Killer neon signage!

Cayman is such a good vibe, and great talker! I appreciate his service and attentiveness! The food was great, and classic Americana! They also had some spanish dishes i may grab next time! Thanks for the late night early morning bite!

Super great place for a late night bite. Steak and eggs is an absolutely solid choice! The service was super on point. Will definitely recommend going to this place for some good food. Very nice retro diner setting as well.

I tried the Big Nick’s challenge and came close, but close doesn’t win trophies. It was good but the closer I got to the finish line, the meat got dry and had a hard time chewing. After the clock rang, I was still hungry and tried the French Toast my daughter ordered and it was delicious. Not too sweet, but a perfect balance. I do recommend dining here but don’t recommend doing the Big Nick’s challenge unless you haven’t eaten in 3 days. If you do accept the challenge, good luck to you.

My friend warned me not to come but wanted to give it a try. The counter did not have enough leg room we requested a booth, the booth seats were not adjusted. My friend suggested me to leave within 15 minutes to leave since they weren’t taking our order but then I was curious to try so we had to wait another 15 mins just to get our order. They were out of stock with mozzarella sticks I ended up ordering onion rings. My friend ordered a turkey sandwich, the onion rings were tasteless but I felt worse for my friends turkey sandwich 🥪 where the bread was so bland, he mentioned he could of made a better sandwich at home. This place has been there for years and lately it seems like it has been going downhill with its service and food.

We use to love coming here after a padres game late night. But it seems like the last 3 times the service, the food has been getting worse and worse. We decided to take a break for a couple months and came back last night hoping for redemption. Terrible, worse then how sorry the padres played that night... Our waitress took a while to come to our table even though she usually handles business normally. We ordered omlettes and I couldn't even eat it. It was so overcooked and burned that the eggs tasted like rubber. The potatoes had zero seasoning. It was a $19 plate of trash. Upon reaching the register to pay I mentioned to the cashier my disappointment of the burnt omlette only to be met with a scarstic smirk and remark by Chance (yeah that's the guys name) "aww, I'm sorry , did you want me to do something about that?" The face and gesture of "oh well" and taunting was infuriating. I wooo saaah'ed myself paid and left. I took a final "Chance"on Rudfords. They are over priced for low quality food and rude staff with chips on shoulders. Should have went to Denny's. Please Hire people with customer service and professionalism... especially someone who knows how to make a decent omlette. P.s The bathroom is disgusting. Picture referenced shows my burnt omlette and my kids scrambled eggs to show side by side comparison.

Rudford's is a retro dining San Diego institution-sit at the counter or one of their massive booths for some old fashioned personal attention from a great wait staff. The coffee flows, sodas are refilled, and the milkshakes are delicious. Today it's their French Dip, made to order with piles of tender beef on a grilled bun, tasty au jus, and golden onion rings. All night, every night, all day, everyday. Parking lot and metered street parking. Bus stop one block. Cash or credit.

The "grease trap" of greasy diners. American diners have a certain aura- Rudford's is like if you tried too hard to recreate all the worst parts. The coffee is truly terrible, the burgers are dry, the fries are soggy, and the service is unironically rude. The tables are greasy and covered in crumbs and the floors are sticky. The bathrooms are horrendous. There are way too many locally owned and operated authentic diners in north park to stop by this overpriced imposter. Very sorry I stopped by.

Historic breakfast spot in San Diego. Not sure if JFK ate there or if he just passed by in his time but, there are lots of pictures and references to him in there. Inside has a classic old school diner feel to it. The food is typical american breakfast, lunch and dinner with lots of good choices. Service is fast and friendly. I have no complaints. Definitely a must try spot in SD. And they are open 24 hours!

Great little old school dinner, great food and good portions perfect for sharing. I got the liver plate the bf got a hamburger and my son got some wings. Prices are average, staff is nice and there is plenty of parking. Clean place and the sitting has been remodeled its a cute place.

2024 is the 75th anniversary of Rudford's Restaurant as this North Park diner is an OG institution in San Diego. Not only do they operate 24/7, but the dedicated parking lot to the side and back of the building was a bonus so you don't have to locate a curbside spot on the side streets of this neighborhood. A long countertop with ten seats was available along with numerous booths that made the total capacity between 50 to 60 customers. A waitress handed me the two-sided menu as I sat down at an empty seat at the counter. One page was made up of the breakfast offerings and drinks. The other page contained everything else for the rest of the day although you could order anything at anytime. There was a list of Daily Entree Specials which featured a different meat for each day of the week. During my visit, Roast Pork was the special. I picked that plate which came with a choice of soup or salad, potatoes, vegetable, roll, and dessert. Beef barley soup, mashed potatoes, corn, and bread pudding were my selections to accompany the meat. The tomato-based soup came first with packets of saltine crackers. It was pretty ordinary. The toasted garlic roll was brought on a separate small dish. A large oval plate held the entree and remaining sides. For the $17 price tag, the amount of food was generous. The pork was mixed with stuffing and a brown gravy covered that and the mashed potatoes. There was a poster when you entered that displayed an eating contest (The Rudford's Challenge). If you can finish The Big Nick in 30 minutes or less, then the meal is free, you get a t-shirt, and your name is placed on a wall of fame. The Little Nick is a half-pound chuck patty topped with lettuce, tomato, onion, egg, hash brown, cheese, gravy, and salsa. Based on the challenge photo, it appeared The Big Nick was at least three times the size of its smaller sibling. I did deduct from my rating because the counter area was a bit untidy. A couple of settings served as holding spaces for supplies, and others had used plates and cups that had not been cleared away yet. The food quality was average for a diner, and the service from the staff was acceptable.

Rudford's is definitely a great classic diner, and will definitely become an SD go to! The atmosphere was lively, and it had a very classic diner look. We were seated almost right away, even though it was pretty busy. Our server was super kind and attentive, and the service was quick as well. I started with just a black coffee, and it was great for a drip coffee. I ordered the bacon cheeseburger, which was much larger than I anticipated. I'm not a big bacon fan typically, but I was pleasantly surprised by the flavor! The crinkle fries were crispy and way better than I expected as well. Overall I was very satisfied! My friend ordered breakfast (served all day), and got the chocolate chip pancake combo and a side of toast. He was also surprised by the quality of the bacon, and enjoyed the fluffy pancakes. Everything else was pretty standard to what you would expect a diner breakfast to be like. I will definitely be returning to try a famous milkshake!

DONT SLEEP ON THIS 24/7 open DINER!!! Went here to grab some cinnamon rolls around 10:30.. the place was packed with a 15 minute wait. Not bad, but just shows you this diner is worth it and to try it before you deny it. 2nd time coming because I had to share how great their cinnamon rolls are. They come out warm and gooey, oozing with soft semi-melted icing. We also ordered a tuna melt that was 10/10 with a side of frings (fries and onion rings) Definitely coming back for a milkshake and a burger next time! Let me know if you try it out and how good the cinnamon rolls are (:

Iconic dinner in North Park area of San Diego!!! Has been at the same location for 60+ years, and in fact looks exactly the same as it did in 1963 when Kennedy motorcade drive by...that day is illustrated on the side of the building! Interior is a classic old dinner establishment! Counter seating, booths and 1950s style furniture! Food is a typical dinner: breakfast omelettes, Benedict's, pancakes etc!! We showed up in the morning and service was great and prompt. Omelettes were good sized, and coffee refills were plentiful. Did I forget to say they are open 24 hours a day, and are proclaimed as best breakfast in San Diego???

Everything was great from the service to the food! for Being Father's Day. They really did a great job.

We were asked to come back for another try, so today we made the time! We got the exact same meal as last time, Corn Beef hash and Biscuts and Gravy. There was definitely a huge improvement. The Gravy had flavor and it's old consistency. The corn beef hash was not dry and had fresh onion and pepper like she remembered. We are very happy we came back and will be back again.

This was a great suggestion from my nephew while we stayed in SD! Old school style diner, super charming and great food. We had a party of 8 and didn't have a long wait at all on Mother's Day morning. Everyone ordered something different except my oldest daughter and I, we both had omelets. Hers was over cooked and she couldn't eat it and that was unfortunate. Other than that it was good. I didn't get to get the Tshirt I wanted to buy but maybe online? Definitely would've liked that souvenir! Highly suggest this place as a place to visit if you're in the area. Check out our photos! It's a great part of history, pictures speak for themselves!

Cayman is excellent, and should get a promotion. Fantastic customer service, always takes care of us. I was offended by Anthony, but Cayman redeemed it as the best experience. Anthony needs to take a chill pill, it was too much.it was embarrassing for myself and my friends, Thank you Cayman.

This place always feels like home. Happy 75th Anniversary Rudford's! Stopped in for late night chili after the movies. Delicious! No modifications were needed! I usually add pepper and Cholula but this did NOT need it. I skipped the cheese and asked them to grill my onions. It was perfect! I couldn't resist the Butter Cake special. It's a little mini Bundt cake smothered in old fashioned vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce. Heaven in a bowl. Brian and Imari took excellent care of us in a tag team sort of way. My drink was kept fillThe classic diner ambience here is great. I don't remember when they refreshed the booths but the place is well maintained enough that my 12 yr old remarked on the good care they are taking here. I can't recall if I've ever done a review here and if I didn't I should have since I've been coming in since 1997. I love the blue sky feel of the ceiling too. I still miss some old menu favorites like Oyster Stew and Fried Oysters but they still have a killer Monte Cristo and you can create your own shakes. At any rate I'll be back!

Nice simple dinner after having some drinks seemed like a solid plan. Though they were packed the service was fast and the food came pretty quickly after placing an order. I went with the chocolate chip pancakes combo with eggs and bacon and thought it was good. I wish they would've put the chocolate chips inside the pancakes and not on top of each stack though.

The best diner I have ever been to! This 24 hour diner is perfectly placed in North Park with the best diner food you could ever want. The service is always outstanding and today was no different. Megan and Miguel went above and beyond and are so attentive! We ordered the chiliquiles, beyond burger, mimosas and a bloody mary. I love this place and everyone in SD should make this their go to for a great diner meal! We have been going to Rudfords for years and I will come back for many years to come. Thank you Rudfords!

I thought the food was pretty good. My friends & I did have to wait for a while to get our food because it was super packed

Delicious food, open late, wonderful service! Came here after for a late night meal with a group of friends. I asked for the server's recommendation and got the Chilaquiles. Portions were huge, my plate was absolutely loaded, and food tasted great, better than any other food you can get at 2am. We came here after a night out so we apologized if we were being a little annoying but the server was very friendly and super nice about it! I'm not from SD but I wish we had such a great 24hr diner around me. I'll definitely be back when I visit SD again!

Love coming to Rudford's! Food is always great no matter what time of day you come by! Today I had the eggs Benedict with avocado and spinach with hash browns. The wait time was approximately 15 minutes on a Sunday which is great! We got our food right away and our waitress did a great job keeping our cups full and checking on us every so often. There's parking behind the restaurant but it's small and you might have to find street parking if it's full.

I love the feel of an old dinner! My scrambled eggs with cheese had very little cheese, dry and zero favor. Unfortunately I was not impressed

Classic Dinner vibes! This place is Awesome! It's open 24/7 and serving up hot entrees, deli sandwiches and breakfast all the live long day! The service was fast, friendly and gave great recommendations!! I will defo be stopping back at this lovely treasure again soon!

This place was awesome! Very packed which is a great sign. I really enjoyed the customer service and the wait for the food to arrive wasn't long at all. I'll be coming back soon.

Excellent customer service and delicious food. The breakfast meal is excellent! There are plenty of excellent menu options. Calista wonderful waitress. Thank you

04/03/24 8pm You know that satisfying feeling when you bite into an over easy egg on a burger? Didn't get that, even though that's what I ordered.. Everything else was excellent though!

Good old 24 hour diner, what more could you ask for? We weren't too hungry so we choose the build your own shakes: -Vanilla base with Oreo -vanilla base with peanut butter, bacon, and malt Both were delicious and were served up quickly!

10/10 Always good here. Classic American diner with occasional south western twist! Friendly service, good food and prices.

If you're hungry and wants to get hardy food and great service you come to Rudfords and ask for Kevin, he's a true gentleman and my food was pipin hot!!

came in at 930 pm, hot wings and zucchini sticks, great food and service!! you can tell the workers really love their jobs!

The people here are so nice. Went with a friend to do the Big Nick Challenge (unfortunately he didn't complete it), but they were so helpful and supportive. My friend is on the spectrum and needed a little support after what he considered a loss --- but they were amazing! I really appreciate Alex and Jahir (didn't catch the hostess' name, but she was awesome too)! Thank you guys for being kind and letting us stick around for a bit. Really appreciated you singing him a Happy Birthday.

Great food, service, and ambiance. 10/10 Cant go wrong with the omelette and french toast

Dropped by in the evening after a drinking spree across the street at Pure Project and this was the perfect place to wind down with some friends and absorb all the alcohol. THE FOODS | Diner foods. I ordered... - Chili Cheese Fries | Love the crinkle cut fries and diced raw onions on top. The chili is good, but a little dry. I would've liked more melted cheese too. - Onion Rings | Perfectly battered and fried to a golden crisp. These things are worth ordering. - Mushroom Swiss Burger | Nice, thick juicy patty with a good amount of mushrooms and melted swiss cheese. The bun is buttery and toasted for that extra little crunch. Honestly, one of the best mushroom swiss burgers I've ever had. Highly recommend. THE DRINKS | Coffee, tea, fountain drinks, etc. I stuck with my usual... - Iced tea | Great tea flavor, bitterness and all. THE RUDFORD'S RESTAURANT FEELS | It feels like I went back in time when I walked into this diner. There's a long dining counter that faces the kitchen. Plenty of booth seating is situated around the perimeter of the restaurant. Teal colored furnishings and stainless steel tables dominate the scene. It feels cozy, but also a little cold from all the stainless steel. I will say that the staff were really attentive and came by several times to make sure we had everything we needed. Awesome service. THE PARKING SITUATION | They have a free parking lot that accommodates maybe 20-30 vehicles. There's also street metered parking around the diner. WOULD I COME BACK? | Absolutely! I need to come back to try out their breakfast dishes, which is touted on their front window as the "Best Breakfast 'n Town."

I love their poached eggs (perfectly soft-boiled) and corned beef hash. They make a delightful combo. You can easily make two meals with the corned beef hash. The staff is friendly.

Foods alright. Service is alright. Ambiance is classy. I say food is alright bc while it is good, I found the bacon on my Benedict to be very hard such that even the knife wouldn't cut through.

Ordered a Reuben to go. I asked for extra thousand island dressing and the girl who was taking my order asked if I wanted it on the side. I said, yes, that would be great. Was ready very quickly and I asked the guy who brought me my order if he included the extra dressing. He looked puzzled and then disappeared, I assumed to go get it. While he went to get the dressing, I checked the sandwich which was quite literally drenched in dressing and then I knew why the guy looked so puzzled when I asked about extra dressing. Meanwhile the girl who took my order came by as I was looking at this mess and said, oh, I told them to put the extra dressing on the sandwich. Okay, but that's not what I wanted nor was it what we discussed. When I got home the rye bread was so soaked with dressing it just fell apart and it was no longer a Reuben but a mess of sauerkraut, overly salty corned beef and super greasy, soggy bread. Sound good? If so, all of this can be yours for a pricey $18.72 (including service charge for using a CC)! Never thought a simple take-out order of a sandwich could be so screwed up. After two bites I tossed it in the garbage. It was just awful.

My first time not distracted here or talking with the owner, a former classmate in culinary school; or, like today, a sighting of a San Diego television personality or two hiding near the backside of the huge historically symbolic American Diner bar. Thanks Chef for the great lunch of an excellent and very large Cheese Burger with Frings, and a plate of your quite good Buffalo Wings. Service was again on top, but I did drink both of the two glasses of iced water brought to the table immediately after ordering. Very personable and pleasant staff. We have been looking to stop in for a while, but today was our luck. A great lunchtime meal. The place is a huge stainless steel nightmare (in my brain) but gorgeous throughout. What a historical landmark. This is "The American Cafe". Dicks

All American diner, Rudford's Restaurant, is serving classic diner fare round the clock in a retro setting that will make you feel like you have gone back in time. FOOD 4.5/5 You're My Boy, Blue - Chef's Specialty Burger: a big burger with a nicely cooked beef patty, very fresh lettuce, crispy bacon, grilled onion, tomato slice, blue cheese sauce and my side of choice - crispy fried onion rings 4/5 chili cheese fries: perfectly cooked fries, that could use more chili and cheese SERVICE 5/5 Staff were friendly, helpful, and attentive.

I've heard Rudford's has a lot of history and was excited to try. They have a parking lot however it's relatively small and fills up quickly. There can be a bit of a wait to get seated. Overall, everything gave me the vibe of a slightly better Denny's. Food was good but nothing special.

I have been here a few times. The food is decent. But the service is extremely poor. Very long wait times especially in the late hours. Hard to get your order placed, hard to ask for anything else once your food is brought out. Forget asking for a refill on any drinks or napkins. Once your all done and your trying to pay your going to be there a while waiting for the check. So the service is that poor. It's sad because they have so many food options. And its a kool little diner. But I refrain from coming here more often for that reason.

The lack of diners on the west coast compared the east coast could easily be made up for by how good Rudfords is. Just a perfect spot to bring a group of friends and there's absolutely something there for everyone.

It's the place to go for breakfast, Lunch, and dinner. The food is spectacular. Megan and Alex have provided me with the most Excellence in customer service I've ever experienced In any restaurant in San Diego. Both are attentive and respectful. I know that if I go and I see any of them and have them as my waiter, I know my experience will be spectacular. Thank you, Rudfords, for having them. The ambiance is fun, and the music is not loud. I can talk with whoever I go. Thanks for the upgrade I love it.

Ever visit of my is very enjoyable but I will have to say Easter Day was very busy yet the food was extremely delicious the salmon was perfect and the roasted turkey had to be the best I've had To top it all our server Megan is by far the nicest and server and we all look forward having her as our server hope everyone has a wonder Happy Easter.

Our go-to for o'dark-thirty breakfast. This lil cupcake is *the* best at taking care of us. Service with a smile at its finest!! #Friendsgiving #brekkie with Heloise @ one SD's #legendary diners #friendswhoarefamily +TopherWaite Food is 4-stars. Bonus star for wonderful service we always receive!

Wow! 4:30am the day after Cinco de Mayo. Because I am leaving for a fishing trip today, my husband and I decided to have breakfast together before I hit the road. Looking for a breakfast spot where we can eat this early, Rudford's pops up. Whaaaat?? Open 24 hours?? We've eaten here before and this historic San Diego North Park staple has always been a favorite. However, I didn't know it was 24 hours. Even this early in the morning, it didn't disappoint. A fresh, fully awake fully present crew of servers, bussers and cooks were completely present with their hospitality hats on and in full swing. As always, I was awed by the old 50's diner charm. Obviously remodeled to keep it in looking great, all of the counter chair stools and booths were freshly upholstered showing no rips, tears or signs of age. The stainless steel table tops designed for easy cleaning and durability were clean with no sticky. You know what I mean. I ordered the chicken fried steak and had them to substitute the potatoes for grits. They put cheese in them...... Angels singing. The steak was so tender that if I had dentures I could have taken them out and still enjoyed it with no extra effort. The eggs were so buttery I thought I had cooked them myself. But those servers..... Man! What a crew. I don't think I've ever been this impressed with early morning breakfast service. As I said, this is May 6th Saturday morning. It seemed that none of them went out and partied for Cinco de Mayo. They were young and party age yet showed no sign of hangover. Lol. Maybe it was just me who over partied in my 20's and tried to work the next day. Great breakfast today.

The service was extremely slow, the lemonade was nasty, the dishes (cos, silverware) was dirty

5 star place all around great ambiance super clean I cannot believe is open 24/7 the food is spectacular great customer service This is now a family's favorite

The service was great and the food was amazing! If you're looking for a late night diner that isn't I hop and dennys this is the right place! Calista was so fun and made me and the girls valentines even better!

Me and my friend were sat at the front counter and received friendly, quick service from Cayman as we usually do because this is a regular spot for us. However, Piero who I believe is a busser, was cleaning the booth behind us and dropped a shake on the floor which splattered all over my friend. We understand accidents happen however he left the spilt shake there for over 20 minutes and just continued to bus different booths. Seemingly forgetting about the mess all together and not apologizing to my friend at all for spilling it on them. We love rudfords but it's obvious he doesn't care about this job at all or the customers.

Been here a few times and it's almost consistent that the service is lacking. Once you get your food, the servers don't come by anymore. My water was never refilled. And in a different occasion, I ordered the tuna salad sandwich but got the chicken salad sandwich instead. The server never came by so I wasn't able to switch the sandwich. The corned beef is alright. I think I prefer the flavor of the canned corned beef better than this. On the bright side, the pancakes are good and they cook the egg right. Plus they have parking available.

I'm from Texas and I remember coming for my first time to Rudfords and meeting Eiicka. Whch she no longer works there and we would chat up the whole night!! Friends tilll this day. The sever now said to, Alex, I'm only here to take an order, ugh!! I wanted to leave at the disgust of his response!! I inky stayed because of how good the Buffalo Fries are. ALEX SUCKS AS A SERVER! GOOD NIGHT!!!

Arrived around 7:45 pm. Greeter/Seater 'Chance', offered me a table for 6... I opted for the front counter... I did not want to take up the space. Ordered T-Bone Steak, Mashed Potatoes, Brown gravy, and corn. Options were limited due to what was available. Side-order I opted for Chili w/Cheese & Chives. BAM!!! Had my Chili in 5 min. Got the rest of my order 5 min after. fabulous.., no complaints. I don't like to be wasteful... and devoured everything. It was like a symphony of delight, being absolutely fabulous. At 7:45... it was slow... 'the calm before the storm.' The pictures tell the rest of the story. Chance, Stephanie, and Brian, Made an old school diner an amazing place to have a meal at, before retiring for the night.

I have been wanting to go to Rudford's for some time now. It has the kind of curb appeal that makes you want to come in and check it out. It's the holidays and all the windows had fun scenes painted on them! On the inside, the decor is not exactly as exciting. It is meant to look retro but some aspects could use a facelift, like the ceiling tiles that have stains on them. Regardless, I was not letting that ruin my experience. I got the Steak & Eggs and I was surprised at how good they were. I destroyed my food. I mean it was gone in circa 8-10 minutes. Did I mention that breakfast is served 24/7? I was so excited to see this! Service was great and everyone seemed to be in a good mood! Radford's will definitely get a return visit from me!