Spice House Cafe – Portuguese Sausage, well sort of….

Breakfast/Brunch, Diner, Local Kine Stuffs in San Diego

****** 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.

Spicehouse01_1

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…..

Spicehouse01_2

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:

P1000307 Spice House Cafe
9035 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92123
(858) 565-1028

32 comments

  2. Hi Clare – Portuguese Sausage, or linguica, that I grew up on, is technically not linguica – it’s sweeter, more moist, and less spicy (supposedly) than the real Portuguese Linguica. But to answer your question, no it’s not like chorizo. The sausages are pork, not cooked, solid casing, uses paprika and I think garlic, have some sweet overtones. If there was a “state of Hawaii” breakfast, it would be Portuguese Sausage, Eggs, and Rice. Even McDonald’s in Hawaii serves it!!! In fact I think Reid should do one of his posts on that – wadda ya’ think Reid? BTW Clare, did you like my rendition of the vegemite song that I did on the Rutt’s Cafe post???? ๐Ÿ™‚

  3. Hey Kirk,
    Are you asking me to post breakfast at McD’s? OK. You’re just going to die, but in addition to Portuguese sausage, eggs and rice, they also have a breakfast with Spam in it now too! Woo hoo!

  4. You can get cooked and not cooked potugese sausages here… they call both chorizo…???
    Yeah do a post Reid *grin*!!!
    Oh I loved your vegemite post it was great! Do you actually like it?

  5. Kirk-I always wondered about this place. There always seems to be a wait outside everytime I pass it. What was on the Greek menu? Thanks for the tip about where to purchase portuguese sausage here in San Diego. I bought a few for my mom and she cooked up some breakfast the other day.
    Everytime I go to Hawaii with “newbies”, I have to take them to a McDonalds so they can see for themselves that you can get portuguese sausage/spam/rice and eggs and sometimes saimin.

  6. Hi Reid – Yeah, I think you should do Mickey D’s – especially since you’ve got a real international group of reader’s – it’ll quite a hoot.
    Hi Clare – I guess I’m thinking of Mexican Chorizo, or he type that’s cooked and comes in a can. Portuguese Sausage in Hawaii is called Linguica. I’ve never had vegemite, the little bottle I have as a paperweight, is a gift – but I’ve been thinking of trying it, but don’t know how to best “prepare” it – can you provide some guidance – I’ll even post about it! ๐Ÿ™‚
    Hey Jack – There are the usualy Greek Specialties, they were really fast here and grabbed the menu away, fast…but for some reason I remember $10-$15 for lunch? There also that Greek place on the other side of the street further West. Spice House seemed very popular, and most seemed to be regulars. I get the “no way” reaction when I mention the portuguese sausage McDonald’s thing…I think it’s really entertaining!

  7. Hey Clare! I can source Vegemite here pretty easily, let us know how to eat it and I’ll do it when he comes up next week. Then we can all fight over the computer and post on it! ;o)
    In Spain, where I always thought chorizo originated but I might be wrong… They use pork, paprika, garlic, and “stuff”. Trouble with point of origination here is that peppers came with tomatoes from the New World. Anyhow, Portugese Linguica is very much like Spanish Chorizo, the biggest difference being that linguica is typically thinner than chorizo. And of course both are completely different from the Mexican chorizo…

  9. Yea, I’m gonna have to give those a shot. Along with Hawaiian hot dogs. I was a bit put off by the redness of them. That kinda freaked me. I can get them here at the GP. I’ll have to verify the brand before purchase though.

  10. Hi Jo – Should be Redondo Hawaiian Winners – that;s not a typo “Winners”. I’ve got a picture, you can click on to enlarge – /2005/07/02/local_kine_stuf/ If that freaks you out – the original Maui Hotdog was bright red and the coloring used to come of on the rice or bread – that’s how we knew it was the real thing!!!

  11. Ok.
    To make vegemite
    You need some nice white bread that will toast well. Toast it up. Make a nice cup of Tea. Spread toast with butter, then just alittle vegemite there should just be a fine scraping of dark drown. Remember less is better, especially at first.
    Eat toast with tea. YUM!
    It just tasts salty? mmm

  14. Hi Kirk,
    Don’t forget the crunch everytime you bit into one.
    I guess I’ll eat breakfast at McD’s over the next couple of days and do a little blurb on it. =)

  15. OK Clare – I’ll do it soon!
    Hi Reid – I think it’ll be quite entertaining! Crunch and maybe a few other sound effects???

  16. Heaven’s to Mergatroid! Reid is gonna blog MickyD’s breakfast! I wanna hear about the spam ok?!?!
    Kirk, red rice? red bread? Who has lice? Uncle Fred? Say it twice? Who is dead? Was it mice, were they pulling thread? Might be nice to have a head! Dr. Seuss is officially rolling in his grave!
    Clare, I’ll try to have the vegemite here. I have an assortment of teas, but for my b-day Mills gave me Jasmine Downey Pearls, would that go nicely?

  20. OK folks. McD’s will be on the blog tomorrow, but just the photo. They have a “Local Deluxe” breakfast that has Spam AND Portuguese sausage. How’s that! =P

  21. OK Guys – I’m totally lost…I’ll have some vegemite on white bread toast – this weekend sometime, I’ll need to go get some butter – we don’t keep it in the household, believe it or not, not too much butter in Asian cooking after all. And if I live i’ll post.
    Reid – I think it’ll be a hoot…

  23. OH yea! I’m dying to find out how McD’s can muff SPAM. Speaking of which, where exactly will you go? When we were there we stayed at a really poo house hotel that was a couple blocks away from the back entrance of the International Market. Between us & the market there was a McD’s where the prices were twice (at least) the normal prices here at home. Then we went to the one in Ala Moana (Mike worked there several eons ago as a kid) and there the prices were normal. What was up with that?

  24. Jo – You’re paying the “Waikiki Premium” – basically rent/lease is soooo high in Waikiki, that prices are raised – also think tourist trap…sort of like the price orf food in airports – you see why many locals don’t go to Waikiki! BTW – Reid’s post is up!

  26. Hi Kyle – Thanks for your comments and the compliment. I’ve always thought Purity/Rego was the best tasting – but it’s also something I’ve been “told” since small kid time.

  27. What brand of portuguese sausage does mcdonalds use? It doesn’t seem like purity or redondo.

  28. Hi Tim – You know, I have no idea. It’s NOT Purity, Redondo’s, or any of the local brands…..maybe someone out there can help you, I’m too far away here in San Diego to walk into a Mickey D’s that serves Portuguese Sausage and ask.

  30. I have heard comments that the Sonoma Sausage Company in Napa California produces the best tasting sausage which is named Hawaiian Portuguese sausage available today. Even Julia Child raved about it when she came to Sonoma.

  31. Hi Vance – Now I know you’re not just raving about the sausage at Sonoma Sausage Company because you are associated with them, right? I just find it interesting that the President and CEO of Sonoma Sausage Company is named Vance Sharp III. I think i’ll switch to Spam for breakfast….

  32. you know… i have portguese sausage in my freezer that my mom sent up from the last time they made. we just finished off the ones we made and she sent some up.
    it’s pretty easy to make. the hardest thing is getting a smoker. i have my grandpa pavao’s sausage grinder. it’s just the right amount of the hawaiian chili pepper, paprika, garlic, salt and pig. but you do have to get a good mix of meat and fat. and gut…which i only can really find cleaned gut at an escondido butcher shop.
    cause i’m never cleaning gut ever again.

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