Papalulu’s

The food has a wide variety and it is just terrific. The owner once owned the cottage and she knows food and how to prepare and present it. I love the food

On my first visit back to San Diego in nearly 2 years, there was a whole slew of people that I really wanted to see. One of them was an old buddy doing the startup thing and I really wanted to catch up and pick his brain on a new project I’m working on. We decided to meet up at La Jolla Shores and grab some breakfast at the very dog-​friendly Papalulu’s and talk some shop.
Being a meat-​lover, I ordered the bacon and sausage omelet with potatoes and fruit. The omelet was nice and meaty and potatoes were well-​seasoned. The fresh fruit was a nice, refreshing touch too.
Service was slow, as it seems to be all over the block, and we didn’t receive a whole lot of attention despite it being a totally manageable dining room. The outdoor, dog-​friendly patio area is fantastic on a beautiful day such as this one and it was so nice being outside. Papalulu’s has an amazing location and somehow prices are pretty reasonable. Definitely a bargain for what it is, just don’t get your hopes up about quick service.
Food: ⁷⁄₁₀
Service: ⁵⁄₁₀
Price: $$
Atmosphere: ⁸⁄₁₀

You must come here to try their Papadillas! Quesadillas stuffed w/​seasoned mashed potats, cheese, grilled onion & topped w/​diff things like chipotle pork, bbq chicken… and they’re huge! I eat the whole thing and I’m ok with that. Wait I lie. I almost eat the whole thing… someone else always want a piece.
Great place to bring out-​of-​towners for a quick lunch at an interesting spot, plus it’s right by the beach!

Pro-​tip: ignore their «Please Wait to Be Seated» sign and just walk the hell in there. Especially if it’s dead.
Had to deduct some stars for how slow these guys are. I had time to go the the surf shop next door for quite some time before my food was even close to ready. Frustrating.
However, their pulled pork sliders were OM NOM. And their smoothies were very tropical. So there’s that. But other reviews have bashed on their burgers and that they’ve gotten cold food. I have yet to experience this.

Stopped in before kayaking on a Friday morning… there were very few ppl there… we walked in and saw the «Wait to be Seated» sign, but nobody in sight… we finally walked in to the restaurant and were told to sit anywhere by a visibly flustered waitress… We didnt get menu’s and were left to just sit there until we were remembered. We watched another group come in and the waitress walked by them 3 times without even so much as an «I’ll be right with you» or anything.
The patio was the perfect place to take in the morning sunshine so that was a plus.
The waitress answered her cell phone 5 – 6 times while we waited for service and when she took our order she complained about how tired she is and how she’s been there since that morning (it was ONLY 10!) She even checked her phone while we were placing our orders! I overheard another table getting the same sob story and they were even telling her to take a deep breath! You shouldn’t be doing this to customers! Go find a co-​worker to break you.
Food wasn’t bad… not memorable though. Took forever to get. The breakfast burrito was loaded with way too much cheese and was hard to get through. Their special salsa was the highlight of the meal but I barely got any and our waitress was nowhere to be found.

Casual spot by the beach, reasonable prices and good service. Try the papadilla — a quesadilla filled with mashed potatoes grilled, then topped with cheese and meat (try the one with kahlua pork and homemade BBQ sauce). The only reason I’m not giving them 5 stars is because my cup was not clean when I got it, but I’m hoping it was just an oversight vs the restaurant has a cleanliness problem.

The food is fantastic! The staff is a bit slow but I blame that on the chill atmosphere of being right by the beach… they are obviously too laid back but it’s okay… they were very friendly. The bathroom is very cute, I didn’t mind hanging out in there for a few minutes. Back to the food… SO GOOD! I had the macadamia nut banana pancakes with coconut syrup… OH YES!!! Next time I’m in La Jolla I’m definitely stopping by again :)

This is what I would consider a typical off the beach restaurant. I came in for a bit of breakfast before I head out for a surf session at La Jolla Shores. I was craving a breakfast burrito and they had just what I was looking for.
I sat indoors so I could watch CNBC. I was able to watch the orders head out to their tables and was surprised to find that each plate looked very good. When my burrito came out, it was hot and looked very tasty. It tasted just as it looked. I was very satisfied with their food and service. Tables were dirty, though.
I will probably come back.

Papalulu’s hit the spot for us before our morning kayaking the reserve. We got seated quickly (this was a weekday), the coffee was hot and fresh, the service was friendly aloha and the food was good. The price matched the quantity and quality.
What really put me off was the grunge couple (who were probably some neo-​riche residents just moved in from Hyannis Port) strutting in ragged, ball-​capped, barefoot and seated next to us. I’m surprised they bothered to wear tank tops. Now I’m no prude but this was a restaurant not some taco stand in the sand. Save your «too cool for shoes» attitude for your own home or the beach, not where people dine out. And didn’t your parents ever tell you to take your hat off at the dinner table? I know my brother could expect a slap on the back of his head if he did that in front of my dad. Or mom, for that matter. How I miss class.
Aloha

Slow service, not the greatest food in the world and the OJ isn’t even fresh squeezed, but still this place is cute and a has a nice setting to sit, relax and chat with friends.
My one pancake was like a heavy sponge. I barely use syrup and it was just not that great. The teaspoon of syrup weighed it down like a brick. The burrito was large and they had no problem skipping the eggs, but it was rather bland and the salsa they serve with it was watery and flavorless.
Server was nice enough, but very slow and food took a long time to come out.
Prices were pretty inexpensive, especially considering the neighborhood. So 2.5 stars. It gets the job done, but if you want really awesome go somewhere else.

Hmm. well, the setup is cute. The coffee was good, service was friendly, but the food?!! No way Jose… I ordered french toast, but it had barely even been touched in the milk/​eggs because it was so dry and was basically like eating toast with syrup.. Also, I ordered it with strawberries which was a $ 1.25 add on, but there were only 4 paper thin slices on the french toast, that maybe equalled ONE strawberry. And they charged that much for it?
My fiancé ordered a egg and bacon sandwich, but asked if there were any substitutes availabel for the bacon. The waitress suggested deli sliced turkey and he agreed. What she failed to mention was the fact that this was an ADDITIONAL charge of $ 1.95. Pretty lame, because we were not ADDING an additional meat, we were swapping it for the bacon.
UGHhhh
Won’t be back…

I went a few weekends ago for breakfast because I friend was in town and it was close to where she was staying.
The food was ok but for the price I would have rather gone somewhere else. Just So-​So with eggs and toast.
However, I remember the service being very on top of things.

A family owned restaurant and catering business located in La Jolla Shores. Located between some touristy shops, this establishment is inviting with it’s sunny patio complete with bright blue floral tablecloths. Perfect for day time, which is great as this place only serves breakfast & lunch!
Service is friendly from start to finish– checking on you throughout your dining experience. In the mood for coffee? They have a few options– mochas, lattes, americano, …not just your basic black coffee, which if that’s your thing is also available. All coffee is their own blend by the way.
Food was pretty good. Comfort style. Do not recommend driving across town for it however perfect when in the area. Papdillas… Yum! –Basically a quesadilla stuffed with mashed potatoes, cheese, and grilled onions, comes topped in your choice of 6 different styles. The grilled mahi-​mahi tacos, they were good, not over the top great however but we do live in San Diego where fish tacos are everywhere, so it’s hard to compete.
It’s a relaxed establishment, perfect since most will be in their beach attire when they dine here!

Papalulu’s is all about having a relaxed, non-​pretentious breakfast near the beach, on a nice sunny morning.
The majority of the seating is in an outdoor courtyard, hemmed in by the store windows and entrances of adjacent shops. Tables have a somewhat cheesy, plasticky, hawaiian-​esque table cloth, which oddly fits well with the sunlight, brightly colored plastic water cups and table umbrellas.
The service is very friendly and relaxed, and the food… well, the food is also relaxed, if that makes any sense. Nothing over the top and sensational, but still a consistent, comforting breakfast. The hash browns aren’t all that good, but the biscuits and gravy special they had last time I was there made up for it.
Overall, this is a great place for a chilled out beach morning breakfast, with much less of the pretense of La Jolla proper.

The breakfast is pretty decent. not the best in town and not the cheapest, but for La Jolla its okay.
DO NOT eat the dinner there though. It had the chicken dish, which was overcooked and way to sweet… I could barely stomach eating the dish. Go to of the great italian spots in the block or just starve yourself.

One star purely because the waitress was nice. The food was seriously horrible. Lobster tacos the had nothing on them. They were langostinos by the way. Which is ok but you need to put that on your menu. Nachos had no cheese and a little bit of salsa.
They serve beer but their booze is that fake stuff. They were out of practically everything. This is one of those businesses that has a good spot close to a tourist area that basically serves crap but gets away with it because none of their business is repeat. Beware and be sure to check your Unilocal before coming here.

«It must’ve been the hair in the tuna sandwich that took 45 minutes to cook.»
So let me ask you a question: Is it ok for restaurants to give you crappy service and put hair in your food if you don’t tip them? I thought tips are usually given based on your experience so how would I know how much to tip before I even sat down? I was planning on tipping after my meal, but I am suspicious that Papalulu was mad about getting $ 0 tip when we paid at the register and purposefully treated us bad for the remainder of our time there.
Reason #1 why I thought we were being punished: The food took over 30 minutes to come out after we paid. My friend’s burrito came out first, then my papadilla… And my other friend was still waiting for her tuna melt. 5 minutes after getting our food, my friend walks up to the counter and they say they’ll check in the back for the missing order. The receipt said 12:07 and it was already 12:43 when we finally asked for the tuna melt. Finally it comes out piping hot: they totally forgot the order until we asked for it. They also forgot to bring out her fries so again we had to go and ask for it.
Reason #2: My friend and I traded half a sandwich for half a papadilla. As I was getting to my last quarter of the sandwich, I noticed a hair MIXED in with the tuna, NASTY!!! I told the girl who was cleaning a table that there was a hair in my food and she just looked at me and kept on wiping the table down. THANKS FOR CARING, BITCH!!! I was going to leave a tip at the end of the meal based on the service, but I decided to leave the tuna hair on a napkin with, «It must’ve been the hair in the tuna sandwich that took 45 minutes to cook» written on it instead.
I probably would’ve given this place a 4 or 5 star review if it weren’t for the terrible service! Super convenient location to the beach, cute outdoor patio with lots of seating and bright flowers on the tables, great menu, good food, and reasonable prices (for La Jolla). The papadilla (quesadilla stuffed with mashed potatoes and topped with cheese and other toppings of your choice) was different, but DELICIOUS. I really hope that Papalulu didn’t put something sketchy in my papadilla though… Hmm, something white could be mixed in with the mashed potatoes :(

Hmm. I guess I’m going to be the bad guy today. because I’m the first to give Papalulu’s less than 4 stars =(Forgive me for not adhering to the consensus!
It’s not that Papalulu doesn’t serve amazing food, they do! I’d give them 4 stars for everything from the ambiance (outdoor seating, fresh flowers as cute little centerpieces, great décor — everything’s brightly colored) to the service to the food (a wide varietiy of burritos, omelettes, sandwiches, papadillas, coffees, smoothies, shaved ice). However, since we came for breakfast, it was disappointing to hear that they were no longer serving breakfast (especially after contemplating for 10 minutes which breakfast burrito or omelette to order!). I GUESSSSS it’s not their fault since we got there at 12pm. Haha.
I decided to order the Grilled Mahi Sandwich, which came with pasta salad and stuffed with lettuce, tomato and pesto aioli. I asked for extra lettuce and my wish was granted. However, the tomatoes were nowhere to be seen =(Since I was hungry, I didn’t bother asking them to add it. My sandwich was delicious! It came on wheat bread and the grilled mahi was thin and crumbled in my mouth. The pesto was orgasmic with the mahi. If there were tomatoes, I’d probably be going gaga over how good the sandwich would have tasted! On the other hand, my pasta salad was bland. It came with baby tomatoes, one piece of broccoli and a shred of basil. If they had added more basil, it may have tasted a lot better. I also ordered the Bahama Breeze smoothie, which was supposed to be oj, mango, and pineapple. I specifically chose one that didn’t have banana… and…I still tasted banana =(Because of the above three reasons, I knocked off a star.
My friend ordered the club sandwich with fries. His club sandwich was HUGE!!! It came with three slices of bread, turkey AND ham, tomatoes, lettuce, cheese, the works! What was even better were his crispy seasoned fries dipped in ranch! I had to refrain myself from constantly picking off his plate ;P
After reading the reviews, I definitely want to return to try their breakfast; most likely the tomato, basil, and feta papadilla. However, I’m not sure why there’s only one dollar sign for Papalulu’s on Unilocal.If you get a drink with your meal, you’ll definitely go over $ 10. My sandwich and smoothie was $ 13 and my friend’s club with a soda was $ 12. I guess that’s a fourth reason why I knocked off a star as well!
Edit: it WAS one dollar sign before I posted this review ;P Just so you don’t think I’m a LIAR!

The thing this place has over other local places is they kill you with kindness. Always with a smile no matter what the request. Napkins, refills… no matter.
The food is delicious and plentiful. I personally love the burgers but their menu is huge! Come give it a try. The Papadilla’s look very good and unique as well.

I really like this place. It’s supercute and has a unique menu. The Kitchen offers breakfast, including specialty coffee drinks, lunch including burgers and sliders, and smoothies.
My favorite and consistent go to is the tomato, basil and feta «papadilla.» Pretty self explanatory… potatoes put between tortillas like a quesadilla, with toppings. I’m a potato girl. This is some good shit. Seriously. Just the right portion with this dish, too. There are other good sounding papadillas that have meat.
Fresh fruit smoothies are pretty good, but it seems like there is mango in every smoothie. I love mango but sometimes a girl wants something else. They do have strawberry banana one, though… it’s seriously one of the best I’ve had. Balanced taste and perfect smoothie consistency… omggg it was great. They have some salads I would like to try eventually, too.
I don’t eat meat and just don’t care for eggs, but I’m sure if I ate these things I would try some of their yummy sounding sliders and breakfast burritos.
Really cute outdoor seating area.
Downsides: Slow service at the counter. There is only one chick who works the counter at a time. They need to get another register or something because this girl also makes the drinks, gives orders to the chef, cleans tables, and serves you your food. A LOT for one person. They’re always supernice but like… come on. Give the ladies who work here some help.