****** Sadly Spice House Cafe has closed
This is another one of those places that I drive by constantly, but never really had an opportunity to try. Until someone mentioned to me that they served Portuguese Sausage for breakfast! I immediately added The Spice House Cafe to my list. I went in with no real expectations since it was a Non-Kama'aina who gave me this recommendation, in the "hey, you're from Hawaii, do you know this place serves Hawaiian Sausage for breakfast" kind of way. So having woken up pretty early on a Saturday morning a few weeks ago, I decided to drive on over.
The restaurant is located in a structure that had to have been "something" else in a previous life, though it was hard to figure out; maybe a Carrow's, maybe an Denny's, I'm not quite sure. The restaurant was pretty busy(7 am on Saturday!!!) when I arrived, it seemed that many of the customers were "regulars" and knew each other and the staff. I was seated in a quiet alcove to the left of the main dining room, so I never really got a look at the main dining area. The waitress was at my table and instantly took my coffee order, while I read the menu. There it was; Portuguese Sausage a Hawaiian Specialty – $9.25, yikes! Nine bucks for Portuguese Sausage and Eggs……and no rice!!!! It was too late for me to run out though, so I placed my order, Portuguese Sausage, Eggs scrambled, and the waitress recommended the Hash Browns over the Breakfast potatoes. So with a refill on my coffee (decent) and a delivery of ketchup and Tabasco Sauce to the table, I waited…..
And in no time my breakfast was delivered. It was pretty huge, that's 3 eggs scrambled there, and an entire sausage link! First thing I did was cut into the Portuguese Sausage; it was pretty dense, and alot leaner than what I was used to. The color was a much deeper red than the norm. So eagerly took a bite…..and it was "not" really the Portuguese Sausage that I'm used to (either Purity or Redondo, or a similar brand), there where some different herbs, I distinctly tasted oregano and cumin. It wasn't bad, but not what I would've wanted. I know why the ketchup and Tabasco was delivered, the eggs were the "season your own" type, not even salt on them and not very "fluffy". The crust on the Hash Browns were good, and though the insides were a bit mushy, they had a nice buttery taste.
Notes: The service is very efficient and friendly. Most breakfast dishes are between $8-$10, a bit on the expensive side, but the portions looked pretty huge. Breakfast from 6am Monday – Friday, and 7am on weekends.
The place was totally packed when I left. I don't know if I would return, but the portions are large and the service good. Oh, and this is the type of Portuguese sausage I expected:
Spice House Cafe
9035 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92123
(858) 565-1028