Aunt Emma's Pancakes image

Aunt Emma's Pancakes

Restaurant Breakfast restaurant Brunch restaurant Creperie Pancake house

One of the Top rated Breakfast restaurants in National City


Address

214 National City Blvd, National City, CA 91950

Website

www.auntemmaspancakes.com

Contact

(619) 477-6900

Price rating

$ $$$

Rating on Google Maps

4.30 (2.6K reviews)

Open on Google Maps

Working Hours

  • Monday: 7 AM to 2 PM
  • Tuesday: 7 AM to 2 PM
  • Wednesday: 7 AM to 2 PM
  • Thursday: 7 AM to 2 PM
  • Friday: 7 AM to 2 PM
  • Saturday: 7 AM to 2 PM
  • Sunday: 7 AM to 2 PM

Featured Reviews


Frequently mentioned in reviews: good (21) breakfast (15) pancakes (12) service (11) delicious (10) great (8) eggs (7) time (6) Service (6) order (6)
Reviews are sorted by relevance, prioritizing the most helpful and insightful feedback at the top for easier reference.
  • 5/5 Charene R. 2 years ago on Google
    We stopped in for a quick breakfast while in town for a couple of days. Wow, we had a great breakfast! Staff were all super friendly, food arrived quickly and even with some specific changes, everything was prepared perfectly. I have a super picky eater son and he loved his pancakes.
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Jerome C. 7 months ago on Google
    It was my first time visiting this venue and it was really great. The prices were amazing for the portion size and the food was super tasty! They were busy but had our meals made quickly and service was very friendly. I loved the old school diner atmosphere and feel like everything on their menu would be a good choice. I highly recommend!
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 3/5 Vance S. 2 years ago on Google
    It, Wasn't what I thought 🤔 it would be. Perry's and Denny's Were better in my opinion. They, don't completely cook Hash browns. And, the food was warm. I, sat at the bar which is 10 feet from my seat. Food, was 🚫 Hot or completely cooked. Like, THE Corned Beef Hash! The, pancakes Are 🥶❄️ won't even melt butter. Everytime, I eat here. There's, a temperature issue with the cold food you get.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Chris S. 7 months ago on Google
    Our first time here and what a fantastic spot for breakfast! We all loved our food, including the avocado toast, coconut pancakes, and chilaquiles. The coffee was tasty too, and the service was very good. Just be sure to get there by 9am on the weekend, as it gets busy!
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Erlinda S. 10 months ago on Google
    The delicious scent when you walk in the door. You know it's a good place to eat when closing time is 2 PM. The menu has much more than pancakes. I had a Denver Omelette w/ a side of hash browns & pancakes w/ whipped butter. Huevos con Chorizo w/ refried beans is another good choice. Grilled cheese and fries were amazing. Our server Mary Jane provided exceptional service, thank you!
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Ms F. 9 months ago on Google
    Very home style restaurant. I have passed this many times over the years and finally decided to stop in. My service was top notch and my server was amazing, I her name began with an S. I would definitely come again. My only complaint, for my pecan waffle, I really believe those where walnuts 😬
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 3/5 Steven S. 8 months ago on Google
    Very crowded. Service was super slow. The hostess seated customers before me because there is no order or signage on where to stand. The food was really good. Pancakes are easy and they make them well. The orange juice is fresh squeezed and tastes amazing. Coffee is great too. The only failure is the service. It was just dismal. Otherwise it's a noisy and crowded place.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Robin A. 11 months ago on Google
    Triple threat! 5 stars on food, service, and atmosphere! I'll eat here every morning while I'm in San Diego.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Musho P. 1 year ago on Google
    Big servings!! Nice large pancakes 🥞😊 Delicious breakfast burrito. The hash brown are a bit mushy.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Daniela A. 1 year ago on Google
    This place is pretty decent and well known through the town for its diverse and delicious menu! I’ve been coming here for years but haven’t been for a while. So we had to take a tip down here for some work and decided to grab breakfast first! We ordered a hot chocolate, a California omelette, the bacon and cheese omelette and the churro pancakes. The hot chocolate was delicious, the forgot the chocolate drizzle on top but maybe they don’t do that anymore? The California omelette was really just an egg omelet with the sausage, cheese and avocado place in it before folding and then placed on top.. I prefer for omelettes to have ingredients cooked in them but that is my preference, it was still very much delicious! The egg was nice and fluffy in the omelet, the sausage was delicious, the avocado was fresh and the cheese brought it all together, over all delicious! My only complaint was it looked like they short changed me on my hash browns.. but I enjoyed the meal. The bacon and cheese was also good, simple ingredients so that’s hard to mess up.. and the churro pancakes were sweet with cinnamon and tasty! Honestly even their standard pancake, the buttermilk pancake, was delicious! Service was great and very tentative! Over all enjoy this place!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 3/5 Juan Luis G. 2 years ago on Google
    Aun Emma's place is always busy and with good reason, Breakfast is always good. Nothing over the top, just good. I had the stuff French toast and my wife had the Huevos divorciados. Great for Families and military gatherings.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Eric Y. 1 year ago on Google
    Service was a solid 5 stars; our drink order was taken soon after being seated and food order shortly after that. Our server was very personable and attentive. Unfortunately, some of the food we had wasn't that great. The pancakes tasted somewhat dry and one was a little overcooked. The apple crepes were fluffy but tasted bland. The bacon tasted like it was sitting under a heat lamp (not freshly made). On a positive note, the eggs, hashbrowns, sausage, ham and toast were perfectly prepared. We would come back to give it another chance the next time we're in the area.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 1/5 Cristian C. 1 year ago on Google
    Food was decent. The reason for the 1 star is that.. the staff made us feel like we were dumb.. apparently we "entered the wrong way". Yet non of the 4 people that saw us bother to tell us.. we sat down..and they kept looking at us like we were aliens.... finally after 10 minutes the waiter told us " oh you entered the wrong way". Like seriously.. who does that? This was our second time coming to this place.. 1st was during covid . Man we seriously gonna think about returning here

  • 5/5 Jay 5 months ago on Google
    We had a party of 12 for lunch. The staff was very good with setting up the tables. It seems the crowd was here before 1200. Once we were seated the dining room was halfway empty. I had the Monte Cristo sandwich with a side of hash browns.

  • 3/5 Ebony R. 2 years ago on Google
    Service was fast, but food was not good at all only thing I enjoyed was the hash browns and fruit. My bacon was not cooked all the way eggs was like powdered eggs to me I said soft eggs and got hard scrambled eggs. Need to do better cooks price was excellent.

  • 1/5 Shaun W. 2 years ago on Google
    Terrible, wrote my name down, 2 groups in front of me. I was a party if one just looking for a quick breakfast. Open seats at the bar but no one running the front desk. Waited for 30 min before I left. Never even got seated. Terrible customer service. I never write reviews but this was ridiculous. Never eating here.

  • 5/5 Wes s. 1 year ago on Google
    Great breakfast spot disappointed I've driven by this place so many times and never tried it. The breakfast was delicious. The peanut butter chocolate pancakes were large and yummy. The portions on the eggs, meats and hashbrowns was good for the money. Will come again.

  • 5/5 Julio B. 7 months ago on Google
    Good for breakfast! Always a pleasure to come back to Aunt Emma’s… The Pancakes were good or course! Everything here is delicious! The waffles, the crepes, the omelettes… Prices are reasonable for the portion and the quality. Service was excellent. I had never had an empty coffee cup or water glass. Excellent option for breakfast.

  • 5/5 Chloe L. 11 months ago on Google
    We love coming to this place to eat breakfast. It's a little bit of a wait to get your breakfast. But it's good

  • 4/5 Brian C. 10 months ago on Google
    It's a nice restaurant. The food and service were good. At one point, a hostess (the one who sat us actually) tried to take a chair from our table for another group while one of our group was in the restroom. It was a little weird, but she did ask if we needed the chair before she went away with it completely.

  • 3/5 Jacob 11 months ago on Google
    A few things were weird. I wanted to change my order, almost immediately after i ordered, but the waitress said she wasn't able to because she had already sent the order (through a tablet) and there wasn't a manager to change it. Ok, fine, I'll stick with my original order. Food comes, and i find a piece of foil in my pancakes. We tell the waitress, and she informs us that we can wait for the manager, but she's "very busy." After we were told there wasn't a manager. ??. We elect to wait, and no one comes by. 15 minutes later, another employee comes by, and we find out there are two managers. Neither employee would grab one nor tell us who the managers were. Ultimately, the waitress solved it by crediting some of the meal. Hopefully, the next visit doesn't have a surprise.

  • 1/5 Lori R. 1 year ago on Google
    It’s incredibly loud in the place, not the environment I expected on a Friday morning. Food was okay and service was kind. There were kids watching TV on the loudest volume, large parties over 15 people, it was just really crowded and loud. I recommend you don’t come here if you get overwhelmed easily or overstimulated. One more thing, they don’t do substitutes for eggs just as a note.

  • 3/5 Berenise T. 2 years ago on Google
    Food was amazing! The wait wasn’t bad even though it’s a busy restaurant BUT our waitress Vanessa O had such an nasty attitude. The other waitress today was more helpful to us than her. It was simple questions that were asked to her but even answering them seemed to be so hard for her . She should really work on that nasty attitude of hers.

  • 5/5 Jacob P. 1 year ago on Google
    I’m a single diner. Never awkward here! Really great people and fast service. Food is good to! Probably have ate most of the specials - loved them all. Not the cheapest breakfast I’ve had though. Average $25+ here.

  • 3/5 Nathalie L. 1 year ago on Google
    Ordered through Doordash. Order was 45min late, without any heads-up. French toasts got here without maple syrup. Fruits were good. Not very happy but the food was good.

  • 5/5 Jakob Hans R. 1 year ago on Google
    Loved it, great variety of dishes, hot coffee, and very kind people. Everything was delicious and they have kids friendly dishes

  • 5/5 Chris P. B. 1 year ago on Google
    Highly Recommend. Affordable quality food. Super Busy and friendly staff

  • 5/5 buster b. 1 year ago on Google
    In San Diego for a few days and we went to meet my wife’s relative for breakfast. Being bored with the other 2 big breakfast franchises and their VERY poor quality, I googled the area and found Aunt Emma’s Pancakes. WOW!!! The quality and service was top shelf. Finding quality Eggs Benedict was a bonus. Vanessa, I use to slave in the restaurant for a long time and i have to say you did an excellent job. Shout out to the kitchen as well. Remember brothers, you are the heart and soul of a good feast. Cheers

  • 5/5 Jason W. 1 year ago on Google
    The omelet and pancakes were fantastic. Service was very friendly. Lots of different options to chose from.

  • 4/5 Heather R. 1 year ago on Google
    We were recommended to this lace by friends and were not disappointed at all. There was quite a line outside to be seated but we were glad we waited. Only room for improvement is the orange juice is SO for concentrate and not very good. Our server was great. Food was good. Check out was fast.


Call (619) 477-6900 Open on Google Maps

Amenities


  • Pets
    • ✓️ Dogs allowed outside
  • Parking
    • ✓️ Free parking lot
    • ✓️ Plenty of parking
  • Payments
    • ✓️ Debit cards
    • ✓️ Credit cards
    • ✓️ NFC mobile payments
  • Offerings
    • ✓️ Beer
    • ✓️ Coffee
    • ✓️ Cocktails
    • ✓️ Quick bite
    • ✓️ Comfort food
    • ✓️ Small plates
    • ✓️ Healthy options
  • Popular for
    • ✓️ Breakfast
    • ✓️ Solo dining
  • Accessibility
    • ✓️ Wheelchair accessible seating
    • ✓️ Wheelchair accessible entrance
    • ✓️ Wheelchair accessible restroom
    • ✓️ Wheelchair accessible parking lot
  • Dining options
    • ✓️ Lunch
    • ✓️ Brunch
    • ✓️ Dessert
    • ✓️ Seating
    • ✓️ Breakfast
  • Service options
    • ✓️ Dine-in
    • ✓️ Takeout
    • ✓️ Delivery
    • ✓️ Curbside pickup
    • ✓️ Outdoor seating
    • ✓️ No-contact delivery

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