breakfast at nate’s garden grill

On Mother’s Day this year, Jake wanted to take Carin out for breakfast to Tobey’s 19th Hole but Carin dropped a hint that she would like to go to Nate’s Garden Grill. She had never been there and it’s very close to Jake’s house, so we figured we’d drive by and see how busy it was and use Tobey’s as the backup plan. The place was not busy at all, lucky for us! Nate’s Garden Grill is located inside the City Farmer’s Nursery so if you’re not really paying attention, it can be easy to miss. If you see a big fence and a lot of greenery though, you’re there – just pull in and park and you’ll see the restaurant’s patio right away.

At Nate’s Garden Grill they have live music in the evenings (Tuesday – Saturday) and also in the afternoon on Saturday and Sunday. We were there too early for any shows. There’s a little stage for the singers to perform.

You can see the grill right from the patio and can watch the cooks doing their thing. We wondered about flies, insects, and other creatures but actually we didn’t see any at all. Seemed safe enough. We ended up sitting on a bench outside since it was such a lovely morning.

You place your order inside the restaurant at the counter and then they will deliver your food to you. There’s an additional menu inside for desserts and drinks. If you look closely, on the far right there’s a tiny balcony featuring Statler & Waldorf from the Muppets! 

There’s also plenty of beer for your thirst quenching needs. 

I hadn’t visited Nate’s since before the remodel. My last official post on them back in 2007 when they were still just Nate’s Cafe. Hoo boy. That post is OLD. Too bad they don’t offer those awesome pancakes anymore.

The inside is a little spiffed up from before with matching furniture now and a nice cozy lounge area. It used to be very kitschy and eclectic, like walking into someone’s house. 

[dark horse cold brew on nitro / $4.50]

I decided to get the Cold Brew. Because… hello, I love cold brew! Carin thought I had ordered a beer. As if I would drink beer that early in the morning, haha. It does very much LOOK like beer though with that crazy foamy head on top. That’s what you get when you order a cold brew on nitro, I suppose. 

I added some creamer and it started to look like an upside down Black & Tan. I ended up having to put a bit of sugar in it, too, as it was on the bitter side. Good though, still enjoyed it, but I think my current favorite cold brew is Secret Squirrel. 

[pulled pork hash with seasonal vegetables, poached farm eggs, sourdough toast / $10.50]

Jake ordered the pulled pork hash. After asking, it sounded like the veggies were a side dish and not mixed into the hash, so I encouraged Jake to get the veggies so I could try them. But they arrived all mixed together and he made a bit of a frowny face after trying them. It came with kale and peppers and things and he wasn’t into that at all and asked them to remake it without the veggies.

It tasted pretty good, they got a nice crust on the bottom of it. The smoky pulled pork creates a different flavor from your normal corned beef and is a nice twist on hash. I had actually made something similar for breakfast at home and Jake told me it tasted no different than my homemade version!

[biscuits and gravy]

T went for the biscuits and gravy which was served with their housemade biscuit, scrambled eggs, and sausage gravy (there’s also an option for mushroom gravy). I had a little bite of it and it was good – though I thought the gravy needed a little extra touch of seasoning. I’d also want those eggs to be separated from the rest! 

[housemade biscuit with strawberry jam]

I wanted to try the biscuit on it’s own and I’m glad I did since that sucker was delicious! It wasn’t quite like other biscuits I’ve seen and you can tell this biscuit is made fresh. It was weirdly shaped with a nice crunchy top and a fluffy interior. The freshly made strawberry jam was a great accompaniment. It was slightly sweet and tasted wonderful with the fresh biscuit.  

[breakfast plate]

Carin and I both got simple breakfast plates. It came with scrambled eggs with a little pesto on top, bacon, a hash brown cake, plus a side of grilled sourdough toast. The bacon was not as crispy as I like it – it was a bit on the chewier side. Eggs are eggs, you know, nothing special there. I liked that they griddled the toast with real butter, though it could have stayed on the grill a minute longer. 

The hash brown cake was a very nice touch! It has a chunky mashed potato consistency on the inside and a nice golden brown top. The large potato chunks threw me for a loop since I was expecting it to be smooth all the way through, but it gave it a nice texture. 

Overall we had a very nice breakfast for Mother’s Day with Carin. Nate’s Garden Grill is a very nice little spot for breakfast or dinner!

Later in the day we stopped by my house to visit my mother with Church’s Chicken and presents in tow (my parents love Church’s Chicken) but of course, she wasn’t even home! She went to the casino for Mother’s Day instead. Hah!

Nate’s Garden Grill
(inside City Farmer’s Nursery)
3120 Euclid Ave.
San Diego, CA 92105
(619) 546-7700