mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog, usually has posts written by Kirk. However, He and His Missus are enjoying each other and doing research for future posts. Cathy is writing today.
The corner of University at 58th used to house a great little Chinese restaurant. The Mister and I went there many times when we first moved out here in the early 1980's. Its signage has been preserved and the area has expanded into University Square, a shopping area anchored by a Food 4 Less, 99 Cent Only store and Marshall's.
On this corner to the right of this famous sign, is Lee's Sandwiches, which began in 1982 as a family venture with 500 food trucks in Northern California and currently is a franchise in four states with 60 Brick and Mortar locations.
The Menu Board includes six inch breakfast sandwiches (on baguette or a croissant) served all day.
Beverages and Korean Rice dogs are available; quite a variety.
Asian Sandwiches, served on ten inch baguettes as well as 
European Sandwiches ("American" fillings) served on a large croissant or baguette.
There's also a hot food display case and some offerings on the counter.
The Pate Chaud ($2.75) is offered in chicken or pork and both fillings are excellent. 
The herbs and flavoring in the ground chicken and also in the ground pork are fresh and flavorful. The pastry is crispy-flaky and each bite is quite nice. The egg rolls sold from this case (five for $6) also have the same fillings and are a crispy snack.
As mentioned, the breakfasts served all day are smaller. 
The #82, ham, bacon, egg and cheese on croissant ($5.49) was quite hearty and filling. The six inch croissant appears to have been baked in the baguette tray, so it's the dough but not the shape of a croissant. Everything on the sandwich is good. 
The #90 ($5.49) sausage, egg and cheese on a baguette was also filling. The bread/crust ratio is good, bread is fresh baked and the sausage was a better quality than I've had in other breakfast sandwiches.
We returned for lunch. I've been choosing yogurt drinks lately and the mango yogurt ($6.25) was a great choice; just enough sweet from the mango chunks and tart from the yogurt. Of course, we had to have a Lee's Cafe original (Cafe su da)($4.49). The strong coffee and sweetened condensed milk over ice is indeed a perfected beverage.
The #1-combination ($6.99) is made on a ten inch baguette and includes house pickled daikon and carrots, onion, jalapeno, cilantro, mayonnaise and soy sauce. 
Jamon-Head Cheese-Pate are the meats.
The cured ham is not smoky, the Head Cheese has a black pepper heat which is cooled by the Pate. Each bite was a great combination of complimentary flavors. 
The #35 Roast Beef European ($9.49) included lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise and cheese (I was not asked which type of cheese I wanted, but the menu shows a choice of American, Swiss or Provolone). Condiments are on the side (mustard, onion, pepperoni and pickle). Plenty of roast beef on this fresh baked, soft crusted croissant. Satisfying. 
The matcha green tea ($5.99 large) is another favorite beverage; a nice strong matcha flavor and not very sweet.
A good place to stop if you are in the neighborhood.
Lee's Sandwiches 5801 University Ave Suite B1 San Diego 92115 Open daily 9-8 (619) 915-5562 Website
Fortunately Brothers Family Restaurant has survived, since 1994. 
When you walk in and see people seated at the lunch counter, know that it's a busy day and you may have to put your name on the Wait List for a table.
From the breakfast menu, the Belgium waffle with fruit and whipped cream ($9.95) was ordered by The Mister for lunch one day (the Breakfast menu is available until 2 p.m.). The light crispness of the waffle edges covering the puffy (not cake-like) filling is one of His cravings…plus we share our meal choices, so I was happy. 
The cup of soup and half sandwich ($10.99). I chose roast beef on rye toast and the Soup of the Day was vegetable beef. Two different types of beef and each very flavorful- the large chunks of stew pieces with the still slightly crisp vegetables in a strong beefy broth really hit the spot. The sandwich came with lettuce and tomato and mayonnaise and the meal was quite filling.
The Half Tuna Salad ($11.99) was my choice another day. The tuna salad is lightly seasoned with finely chopped celery, very little mayonnaise and some fresh herbs. It is basically all tuna, which I like. Served on lettuce with tomato and a sliced hard boiled egg, the house made Thousand Island dressing pulls every bite together with great flavors. This 1/2 size is a good size meal.
The French Dip ($14.99) is served with a choice of sides, so, of course, The Mister chose onion rings. Nice, crisp batter surrounding whole onion ring slices (you know, made here and not frozen). The thin slices of warm roast beef were served on a very soft, freshly toasted French roll. The au jus is not salty and has some herbs for flavoring. Quite nice. 
On days when the Soup of the Day is clam chowder, a bowl is ordered ($5.99). Thick, creamy, some chopped potatoes and plenty of clam meat as well as clam juice, this is a great choice. Soup bowls are served with a half slice of that soft French Roll made into a crisp topped garlic bread; delightful.
As you walk to the seating area, you'll pass the refrigerated dessert case. Save some room. (Yes, they make rhubarb berry from scratch!)
The menu is the same and the price of each item has increased by $1, to $8.50.
Coffee (accompanied by sweetened condensed milk) remains at 70¢,
as does the hot tea.
This is #3, Fried Noodles with Bean Sprouts and Soy Sauce; always satisfying having a crunch for breakfast. #1 and #2 are also noodle dishes.
#31, all the way at the bottom of the menu, Fried Rice w/ Lunch Meat, is the only rice offered at breakfast and has a wonderful, smokey 'wok hei' flavor along with the "Spam", egg and peas and carrots. Sometimes we will order it just to we can take home for lunch. 
#10, Shrimp Dumpling Noodle Soup, is quite satisfying. The dumplings are quite large, with pork and shrimp and the bok choy and egg noodles are satisfying to round out the meal.
#8, Fish Filet Porridge, is almost always ordered just because it's a comfort-breakfast food. 
You can order a Chinese Donut ($2), which is made fresh (used to have to run across the hallway to buy one at the 99Ranch steam trays ) and it is freshly fried. 
Tearing the crisp, airy donut into the porridge brings up the comfort food factor. 
#23, Roast Duck Lo Mein, is a great savory item. The herby and savory 'soup' is just perfect for dipping both the duck and the noodles. 
#24, BBQ Pork Lo Mein, is also a good choice on some days. It all depends on what you are craving. 
The hot food display window is filled in the morning. The steam tray choices next to it are 'To-Go' or you can eat at one of the two tables in front of the display.
The exterior design is themed.
The interior also looks like you are inside a cabin.
The menu is a printed 'newspaper'.
The Mister chose the waffle "Bear's Choice" ($13.79) with the optional upgrade of the sausage patties ($1.99)(the kitchen makes their own). The eggs were perfectly over easy, the sweet cream waffle is more cake-like (denser interior) and served with warm syrup. The sausage patties are wonderful; menu states mild or spicy Italian and the mild flavor is just right for breakfast. 
I chose the Shasta Scramble ($13.99) with grits and added "loaded" ($1.99). The Scramble had spinach, tomato, onion, bell pepper and Jack cheese, topped with slices of avocado. The menu stated it was two eggs, but those must be the extra-large size, since this scramble was quite filling. All of the vegetables were quite flavorful/fresh. The grits were a tasty porridge of cornmeal and the 'loaded' part was cheese and bacon. Sometimes I only want salt, pepper and butter on my grits, but this topping made them special and more flavorful. 
It's self check-in at a touchpad at the hostess stand. Soon, a text message arrived that our table was ready.
We were seated, hot tea ($2) was promptly brought out and we could order from the photo menu as well as from the passing carts. 
Additional beverages were also available from a cart. 
Shrimp Noodle Roll ($5.99) came from a cart and was filled with large, plump, flavor filled shrimp. Slippery and satisfying.
Our order from the kitchen (each item $5.99) was delivered quickly. The Shrimp Har Gow was filled with the same large shrimp and wrapped in a not too thick nor too chewy tapioca based dough.
The steamed Tofu Skin Roll was filled with pork, carrot, mushroom and crunchy water chestnuts. 
The Black Mushroom Sui Mai was really tasty. The Sui Mai filling (pork/shrimp/ginger/mushroom/scallion/water chestnut) was a large serving size to facilitate holding the large black mushroom. Flavors in every bite! 
We ordered the soup dumplings from a cart. None were leaking. The dough was chewy, especially at the top folds but overall the filling was quite nice. 
The fried shrimp balls ($7.99), ordered from the kitchen, were a great choice. Very large, cut in half and simply a mass of cooked shrimp formed into a paste then rolled in breadcrumbs and fried, this serving could be a complete meal if I could control my cravings. 
The picture menu had this "Sweet Tofu-available only on Saturday-Sunday", so I had to order it. What a great way to end the meal! Soft, warm, fresh made tofu served with a sugar-ginger sauce. It was quite perfect. 
Our Order Card. Seven items plus the hot tea ($49.95). A very nice special meal. 
There is seating outdoors in front as well as inside tables and there is a lengthy counter for the sushi bar.
I ordered the Shrimp and Veggie tempura appetizer ($9.95) to check out the frying technique here. The veggies (two each of green bean, onion, carrot and potato) were battered and the two shrimp were also dipped in bread crumbs. The tempura sauce (soy, sugar seaweed and bonita flakes) (each sauce is made here and ingredients listed on the menu under the “Glossary of Sauces”) was a perfect compliment to the crisp, non-greasy fry.
I ordered the "Modern Sashimi Salad" ($15.95). Assorted sashimi (tuna and salmon this day)-(a very large amount) topped with the House dressing (soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, onion and black pepper) on top of a crisp spring mix. This was a wonderful choice. Fresh, flavorful and plenty; I will order again.
The Mister ordered the Tonkatsu Bento from the Lunch Special menu($13.95). {Lunch specials served from 11 until 4:30} Breaded pork topped with a ponzu sauce (bonito flakes, soy, seaweed and citrus juice), rice, salad and tempura. The pork was cooked about 30 seconds too long and was a bit dry but not terrible; the breading was not burned or too crisp. It was on top of some sautéed cabbage, carrot and onion which was quite flavorful. 
The lunch special came with a good quality miso. Hot tea (as I always order) was a quality green with the grass-like flavor that I like and no charge.
When I finally had another opportunity, I arrived just as the very friendly young lady was folding up the blinds on the front door. And as during the soft opening, only one party is allowed inside the shop at once. I recall seeing chicken karaage on the menu when I did my aborted visit, but that was no longer offered. There are four sandwiches on the erase board menu; chicken katsu, menchi katsu, egg salad, and fruit and cream.
Compared to the Japanese version; this was chopped too coarse, there wasn’t enough mayo. There was a bit too much black pepper and it edged on the sweeter side. Liked the visual of the quarter tamago. The bread was slightly moist, but a bit too firm and chewy for me. Like I said before, I prefer my shokupan fluffier and softer.
It was also quite dry. This did the bread no favors. There was some flavor though it was quite mild. I could have used with a bit more katsu sauce to added a nice savory-umami-sweetness to things. It’s a sad day when I think that the shredded cabbage is the best part of the sandwich.
Which was soggy and peeling off the protein. Man, this was not good eats at all. It seems that the only thing I could taste was the katsu sauce. Again it was the cabbage that was the headliner of the sandwich, bummer!
My goodness, this was a lot of noodles. I moved the noodles to a large plate, which turned out to be a good idea. Because when I poured the sauce over it there was all this "stuff" on the bottom.
