Breakfast of Champions, old school revisit edition: Lucky’s Breakfast (Golden Phenix), Perry’s Cafe

There's something about old school, simple, American style breakfasts that I love. None of that frou-frou stuff. Just eggs, meat, potatoes, and toast…… So here are two revisits or my breakfast files:

Lucky's Golden Phenix:

**** Sadly Lucky Wong passed away at the end of 2024

I've actually been back to Lucky's a couple of times since my post back in 2008. Lucky is quite a character, quick with the dry remark, don't even think about asking for decaf, Lucky told a gentleman, "why you decaf, it's full of chemicals, you're already looking like you have too much chemicals!"

I once asked for my toast "dry" and was told "are you a health nut? You gonna be old and look like me one day, do you want to stay that way forever?" Though I later asked him why he serves both white and wheat toast, "I have to do something for health nuts like you….just drink black coffee, that's the most healthy….no cream or sugar!" Aaaah, nutrition according to Lucky!

Though the place still looks like it has come of the set of Big Trouble in Little China, which I actually went to see at the old Cinerama Theatre. Sorry, I digress, having these old school breakfasts at places like Lucky's will do that to you.

I must have not been here in a bit since the interior has been cleaned up a bit…all the  Arnold Schwarzenegger stuff is gone, perhaps Lucky was a bit unhappy with his role as the "Governator"? Things are less cluttered here now, but the really cheap prices look about the same as they were almost four years ago…..

Another thing that hasn't changed……it's still a one man show at Lucky's.

On this day, I had two eggs over easy, bacon, hash browns, white toast…….$3.60….yes three dollars and sixty cents.

 Man, this was better than I remembered….especially the hashbrowns which were nice and crisp on the exterior….it might be SYSCO potatoes, but if you do it right…….

It's really hard to get negative on a breakfast that's under four bucks…especially when it's pretty good.

 I do recall one other thing about Lucky's….one evening, the Missus wanted something from Heaven Sent Desserts. The only parking was on Grim right across from Lucky's. It was pretty late and Lucky's is only open from 7 to noon Monday thru Saturday. It was pretty late in the evening….as we walked past Lucky's the Missus said, "look at that lonely looking old man…." She pointed into Lucky's (this was before the curtains went up). And sure enough, there was Lucky, watching a little portable television in the corner of his place. I felt quite sad…..after all Lucky probably has a story, not sure what it is, behind that somewhat curmudgeonly exterior……

Lucky's Breakfast (Golden Phenix)
3804 Grim Ave
San Diego, CA 92104

Open Monday – Saturday 7-12

Perry's Cafe:

**** Sadly Perry's has closed after 39 years

A coworker asked me if I've been back to Perry's since they reopened after the fire. I replied that I hadn't….I was then informed that they reopened back in April of '10! Seeeesh…..time sure does fly! I mean really? Two years???

 

 Arriving in the parking lot, it looked like business as usual at Perry's. There was a line out the door waiting for a table. This being a solo breakfast, I easily snagged a seat at the counter….. Which is a pretty nice place to sit as you get to watch the Servers do their thing. You can count the plates the balance on one arm as they make their way to tables…on this day, the winner, a tall blond who looked like she was all business actually took nine plates out in one trip!

I really didn't feel like bacon or sausage, so on this day I went with two eggs, hamburger patty, hashbrowns, and toast($8):

For some reason, this just didn't do it for me. I can overlook the cooked in a ring, somewhat overdone easy over eggs, or the mass produced textured burger. But if you've read my earlier post on Perry's, you'd know that for me, it's all about the hashbrowns here. Cooked on a well seasoned flat top with liquid butter goodness……man, I'm so there! But this time around, it hadn't spent enough time on the griddle and I didn't enjoy it as much. Bummer…..maybe I needed to order some au jus to pour all over it????

Perry's Cafe
4620 Pacific Hwy
San Diego, CA 92110
(619) 291-7121

Open Daily 6am-2pm

So there you go…..perhaps not as fascinating as Stadium Club (though it's hard to beat Lucky's)….but this is breakfast old school style. Where's your favorite "old school" breakfast joint?