I stopped by Broken Yolk Cafe in downtown San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter for a big American brunch, and I left impressed by both the food and the sheer size of the menu. This casual all-day breakfast spot serves classic American brunch fare with a strong Mexican influence running through a good part of the menu, no surprise this close to the border, from carne asada to barbacoa to housemade ranchero sauce.
I went with the Sope Benedict: two fried sopes piled with shredded beef, a pair of perfectly poached eggs, tangy ranchero sauce, avocado, crumbled Cotija cheese, salsa fresca, cilantro and a dollop of sour cream. A small chili pepper icon next to the name flags it as one of the spicier options, but honestly the heat stayed mild. The ranchero sauce brought warmth and flavor rather than a real kick, so if you’re chili-shy, don’t let that little pepper icon scare you off. What it lacked in spice it made up for in flavor. The beef was tender, the sopes held their shape without going soggy under all that sauce, and the poached eggs were cooked exactly right, runny yolk and all.
On the side came a generous pile of crispy hash browns, which rounded things out nicely.
What struck me most, beyond my own plate, was how much ground the menu covers. There’s a Chicken and Waffle Benedict, a Border Benedict with sweet corn cakes and carne asada, classic eggs Benedict, chilaquiles bowls, a vegan option built around JUST Egg and Beyond Sausage, chicken fried steak, and a full lineup of sandwiches and burgers for the lunch crowd. Whether you’re craving something sweet, spicy, hearty or lighter, there’s a real chance you’ll find it here.
The dining room has that easygoing, sunny diner energy you’d expect from a place with a cartoon egg and palm trees for a logo. Casual enough for a solo coffee and eggs, roomy enough for a group before a game at Petco Park or a morning at Seaport Village.
