Are there any great restaurants in El Cajon, California?

Question

I'm going to California ( El Cajon, close to San Diego) in a week and am staying with a friend who is not very familiar with the area either. I am looking for some good shopping and places to eat. any suggestions?

Answer 1

I grew up in Fletcher Hills, which is a community of El Cajon on the Western most border. San Diego is a shopping mall mecha, they seem to be everywhere. Parkway Plaza, as was mentioned, and Grossmont Center are both close by. At Grossmont Center there is a Mexican restaurant that used to be located in Old Town, called Casa de Pico. That is one of the restaurants I have to go to when I visit SD. Great food and wonderful margaritas. As for restaurants in El Cajon, nothing really comes to mind that isn't a chain. If you aren't concerned about that, then you should be fine located something. You will be so close to San Diego and the beach, head west.

Answer 2

I live about 5 miles from El Cajon and wouldn't go in any of those listed above. Parkway Plaza is the only shopping mall in EC. Fletcher Pkwy. Across the street is "On the Border" mexican and Applebees. Both are good, not great. On Main and Magnolia there is another mexican that is better (cannot remember the name) & there is another one next door that is nice. San Diego is about 25 miles West of El Cajon. The only thing I agree with above is the go to the GasLamp area. The trolley will take you right there. There are about 100 really fine resturants down there. Anything from McDonalds to very upscale. Down there also is Horton Plaza, a really nice shopping mall. 3 stories and it's outside.
El Cajon is fine but I wouldn't plan on staying there all the time. Also downtown is an area called Little Italy that has really good Italian food of course. Hope you have a good time here. There is a variety of everything. Of course the beaches. La Jolla Shores or Pacific Beach. There is also Coronado Island. Big bridge you see off the plane. Nice area to walk around. You can take a ferry over there or drive.

Answer 3

I live in El Cajon and there aren't really any good restaurants to boast about here. I will say that in the shopping center that has a Ralph's grocery store and a Dairy Queen, on the corner of Jamacha Road and Fury Lane, there is an Appleby's restaurant. There is also a Jamba Juice in that same shopping center, a Subway Sandwiches, a small Mexican Food restaurant (I forgot the name), and a McDonalds (which I no longer go to because their service is terrible), all in that same shopping center.

If you go south on Jamacha Road toward Highway 94, which is just a couple blocks past where Appleby's is, you will see a shopping center on the left side of the road (Appleby's is on the right side of the road as you are going south). Albertson's grocery store is in that shopping center, along with Edwards Cinema movie theater, Coldstone Ice Cream (yum), another Mexican restaurant (forgot the name - it's fast food), a Kentucky Fried Chicken/A&W combination restaurant and a TGI Fridays. I recommend TGI Fridays, as their food is very good.

For anyone not familiar with El Cajon, Second Street runs east-west, and as the road curves toward the west, toward Highway 94, the street becomes Jamacha Road. You will know when you are on Jamacha Road when the road changes from being in a city feel area to being in a rural feel area. You will pass a Kohl's Department Store and a Ross and a Michael's crafts on the right. A Shell station will be on the left, along with a 7-11. Just a couple of blocks down will be the places I mentioned. A little farther down will be the onramp to Highway 94 west, toward San Diego.

Answer 4

Not much food places in El cajon..lived there and always went into La mesa or mission valley which is west on the I-8....Cheesecake Factory has marvelous food..Thats in Fashion Valley...The Islands is great for a scrumpcious Hamburgers and a huge baskets of fries that feeds 4. MiMis is close by..(Also down in Fashion Valley next to Costco.).Anthonys on the right as you go on the I-8 west for Seafood..just out of el cajon...Dont even go to Perrys..Yuk...Im in Texas now and miss, the great Restaraunts in San Diego..Although they have some great ones out here too.

Answer 5

There are no good restaurants in El Cajon. I worked there 2 years; tried to find one good restaurant, came up with zero. The restaurants there were the subject of many running jokes in our office..that tell you something? Probably the least bad restaurant I ever ate in there was a Marie Callendars. Perry's Cafe is not too bad for breakfast but only if you like your breakfasts to be huge, greasy and fattening.

In close-by La Mesa, you could try Anthony's for fish, or JK's Greek Cafe for inexpensive, good quality Greek food. Por Favor for Mexican food in downtown old La Mesa is pretty good. Sala Thai on El Cajon Blvd on the border of La Mesa and San Diego is good thai.

If you really want to visit some great restaurants, hop on the trolly or drive to downtown San Diego Gaslamp district (get off by baseball stadium). Many, many good restaurants there and you can listen to music. Horton Plaza downtown San Diego is a nice place to shop, also walking distance from Gaslamp. Fashion Valley is another great mall. Best outlet stores near the border with Tijuana in San Ysidro at Plaza Las Americas.

El Cajon is about 20 miles inland from San Diego with a claim to fame of less expensive housing there than closer to the coast; also a lot hotter in summer...maybe 20 degrees or more. So don't waste your time trying to find fun in El Cajon unless you are so young you can't travel without adult supervision.

Answer 6

Just to add an idea, if you don't mind driving a little further east of El Cajon(15 miles) you might want to try our local gambling casinos. They all have great buffets and one (Viejas) has a great outlet mall.

Answer 7

If you like Mexican Food try Salsa......in El Cajon off of Avocado and Chase. Also Las Parillas....off of Magnolia and Madison. Tylers is good to but switched owners a while back and we thought they kind of went downhill after that....they do have great sweet potato pancakes!! Also, Santanas is a great mexican place....

Answer 8

There are couple of places that spring to mind in the El Cajon area:

Tyler's Taste of Texas
Perry's Cafe
DZ Akins (not QUITE in El Cajon, but close enough)

With all these places, be SURE to bring your appetite....you get a LOT of bang for your buck. And it's all good "comfort" food, too!