Location:
2236 Avenida De La Playa
La Jolla, CA
(858) 459-3300
Hours:
Monday to Tuesday — 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Wednesday to Sunday — 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
(barista and pastries open at 7 a.m.)
The experience of every responsible brunch enthusiast starts miles away from the restaurant. It is hard to feel adventurous in the morning, so, to avoid possible disappointments, it’s always best to take a look at a restaurant’s website prior to your visit. This is when Shorehouse Kitchen, a restaurant conveniently located near UCSD, starts to win a foodie’s heart. The site is easy to navigate — the “About Us” section includes exactly what a potential client wants to know; instead of a long and useless history of the eatery, it tells us about top-notch ingredients used to make a delicious Shorehouse Kitchen brunch. Local beans? Real maple syrup? Pastries baked right before you eat them? The UCSD Guardian could not miss this!
What makes Shorehouse Kitchen ideal for UCSD students is its location. Whether you have a car or not, you can get to this place in less than 20 minutes. It is also a block away from the bus stop, which makes quality breakfast food closer than ever. The restaurant is not only conveniently located but also designed in a very clever manner. From the outside, it looks like a little farmhouse or a fancy horse stable, a great move that rightfully convinces customers that all the food Shorehouse Kitchen serves is fresh and organic.
The “house” itself is divided into four sections. First, you’ll notice a small outdoor waiting area with four tables and umbrellas — a great decision considering there are often a lot of people waiting to be seated on a busy Saturday morning (the waiters seem to have a “no-rush” attitude). The second section is a small coffee bar where you can grab a coffee made from Calabria Coffee Roasters beans and a pastry to go. The third section consists of indoor seating. It is almost empty in the morning but gets busier as the sun goes down and the cold sets in. Last but not least is the patio. This is where the most action happens, creating a vibrant and cheerful atmosphere of the restaurant. Occupied by families, couples and groups of young people, Shorehouse Kitchen becomes the center of attention in a quiet La Jolla neighborhood.
In spite of rather long working hours, Shorehouse Kitchen is specifically renowned for its late breakfast — offered until 2:30 p.m. It is not surprising, since the restaurant is well-equipped for providing you with the first meal of the day. Craving eggs? Shorehouse Kitchen has three types of omelets ($12.50), five types of benedicts ($12.50 to $13.50) and simple egg and toast options ($6 to $9.90). Woke up late, hungry and looking for something meaty? Take a look at the “More Favorites” section with Brioche Breakfast Grilled Cheese ($12.50) stuffed with bacon, sausages, eggs and tomatoes, Short Rib Hash & Eggs ($13) or Pork Carnitas Chilaquiles: tender pork and two eggs served over a mix of Mexican-style vegetables. Sweet tooth never satisfied? Delicious buttermilk or cornmeal pancakes ($7 to $10) with the option of fresh blueberries (+$1.50) or two slices of Caramelized Tahitian Vanilla Bean French Toast ($10 or $12 with grilled pineapple, fresh berries or bananas and Chantilly Cream) will do the trick!
Shorehouse Kitchen does not add anything revolutionary to the breakfast experience. However, while the food is well-made to average, one should still give Shorehouse Kitchen some credit for its impressive variety of drinks. There are 13 types of soda ($3.25 to $3.50), including Mexican Coke, 14 kinds of coffee drinks ($1.75 to $4), 13 different beers ($4 to $6) and, ladies and gentlemen, “the freshest orange juice around” made from Valencia Oranges — the most popular juice oranges in the U.S. Keeping in mind how hard it is to find good fresh-squeezed orange juice, do yourself a favor and order a 9-ounce glass of O.J. ($3.50) or a 12-ounce glass ($4.25) or even one liter ($11)! And don’t forget, mimosas contain orange juice too, so consider grabbing a glass of Shorehouse Mimosas ($7) to complete your brunch.
Shorehouse Kitchen is a traditional brunch place that does not disappoint. With its convenient location and late breakfasts, what would be a rating of 3.5 for an average customer becomes a solid 4.5 for a college student. Why not a 5.0? Well, because we all are still broke.
