Potato Shack

Always such a great place to have breakfast at. Manhole size pancakes and delicious potato’s made the way you want. Patio is dog friendly.

Wonderful service great homestyle food super yummy!! They don't take credit cards but they do have an atm,absolutely worth stopping in,if we are ever back out here in Ca we will be back.

Best breakfast place we have been to in a while! Delicious food .. manhole pancake is a must. Awesome service - very flexible easy in and out - have to try. We visited twice in a week and will be back again….

There's both indoor and outdoor seating in a peaceful location, the owner was kind, and the food was SO GOOD! I got the chicken fried steak and my husband got a breakfast burrido. The potatoes were delicious (why we came here of course), and the gravy on the steak was amazing. Portions were big too! Not from San Deigo, but absolutely would come back on future trips. The perfect stop for driving up the coast!

Family friendly — really wonderful staff made us feel so welcome! The huge chocolate chip banana pancake was so great!

If you ever get a hankering for some good breakfast food, look no further. These were genuinely some of the best biscuits & gravy I have ever had (sorry Nana!). The pancakes genuinely are "manhole covers" (see my picture of the chocolate chip one with a fork for scale)! My boyfriend and I split the country fried steak with a half order of biscuits & gravy, along with the aforementioned monster pancake. Everything was incredibly tasty, the pancake was cooked thoroughly and the chocolate chips were nicely distributed. The country fried steak was not breaded to hell and had a very nice flavor. The prices are honestly incredible for the amount of food, even though we shared, we had to take some home (probably good for our health). The staff are incredibly welcoming and polite. I can't wait to go back and get more.

We were doing a local kids' running race and wanted to try something new in town. We love potatoes and really enjoy The Potato Shack's small-town feel. It was Saturday around 11 a.m., so as expected, the parking in the area was terrible. The eatery was busy, with a pretty good amount of tables outside, booths inside, and a short wait, nothing too bad. The service was a bit slow even after the crowd left, but the food was excellent. Eggs, potatoes, (the homemade salsa was really good), biscuits and gravy, yummy. Eggs Benedict for my wife and a plate-sized kids' chocolate pancake for my son. All were very good. The pancake had a nice crunch on the outside. The hot chocolate was really good, coffee was meah, typical diner coffee. They don't take cash, which was surprising but kind of cool for some odd reason. Haha. They do have a cash machine on-site and take Venmo. This reminds me of an old diner in the Midwest—older inside, cozy feeling with hearty comfort food and very large portions. We really liked it here. Check this place out with a big appetite, patience for parking, and some cash in hand.

Very good food, salsa was yummy! Pancake was great! And plenty for 4-5 people. The steak was pretty good too! BRING CASH!

Potato Shack Cafe was a great stop, absolutely amazing breakfast, can’t say enough for the manhole size pancakes they serve to the eggs and sausage, by far one of the best places for someone who just loves biscuits and gravy, biscuit was light and fluffy, gravy had amazing taste. Great little out of the way place, hats off!

This is was our 2nd experience dining at Potato Shack, but 1st time eating indoors. We sat quickly, and had incredible service from Robert. He was attentive and friendly, and left us with a "we'll return soon" good feeling. The food was delicious, and we were even sent on our way with some to go salsa. We'll be back!!

**VENMO ACCEPTED / CASH ONLY NO CARDS** Pictured is what I got 🤤 2 eggs, 3 bacon strips, 1 thick sausage patty, thick wheat toast & breakfast potatoes (seasoned cubed potatoes). My friend got the half order of biscuits and gravy, 2 eggs and breakfast potatoes. Ask for house salsa and grab a bottle to go! Slight kick (a couple kicks below tobacco in my opinion) but may vary between batches. Inside and outdoor sidewalk seating with umbrellas. Great service for minimum staff which was communicated. We had time on a beautiful sunny morning so we stayed. Didn't order drinks so both meals before tip under $35😃

A great place to eat. Only open for breakfast and lunch. The food is awesome and unbelievable. Cash only... Great pictures are on the walls. The biscuits and gravy is to died for... you need to stop by.

This place has the best potatoes I've ever had. They are all you eat and they are outstanding. Another thing that is amazing are the gigantic pancakes. All around is a great place to eat. Bring cash, but it's definitely worth it!

Small local spot with GREAT breakfast. Had omelet and it was really good. Toast is locally made and thick. Not crowded when I was there and service was great.

Love this place! Great food and great atmosphere. I go out of my way to eat there! Just had another great omelet at the Shack, and I was waited on by a sweet and very attentive waitress named Lilliana. She's heading off to college soon and I will be praying for her! The Shack is a great example of a small business that makes me want to return over and over.

It's nice to know dome things just don't change, and the food at the Potato Shack is the same high quality that they served 33 years ago when we lived in Encintas. Definitely, one of my must stops when we are back in the area, 5 stars all around!!!

Greg Pita

We were doing a local kids' running race and wanted to try something new in town. We love potatoes and really enjoy The Potato Shack's small-town feel. It was Saturday around 11 a.m., so as expected, the parking in the area was terrible. The eatery was busy, with a pretty good amount of tables outside, booths inside, and a short wait, nothing too bad. The service was a bit slow even after the crowd left, but the food was excellent. Eggs, potatoes, (the homemade salsa was really good), biscuits and gravy, yummy. Eggs Benedict for my wife and a plate-sized kids' chocolate pancake for my son. All were very good. The pancake had a nice crunch on the outside. The hot chocolate was really good, coffee was meah, typical diner coffee. They don't take cash, which was surprising but kind of cool for some odd reason. Haha. They do have a cash machine on-site and take Venmo. This reminds me of an old diner in the Midwest—older inside, cozy feeling with hearty comfort food and very large portions. We really liked it here. Check this place out with a big appetite, patience for parking, and some cash in hand.

Ryan Needham

Very good food, salsa was yummy! Pancake was great! And plenty for 4-5 people. The steak was pretty good too! BRING CASH!

Randal Pettyjohn

Potato Shack Cafe was a great stop, absolutely amazing breakfast, can’t say enough for the manhole size pancakes they serve to the eggs and sausage, by far one of the best places for someone who just loves biscuits and gravy, biscuit was light and fluffy, gravy had amazing taste. Great little out of the way place, hats off!

Celina Cubillas

This is was our 2nd experience dining at Potato Shack, but 1st time eating indoors. We sat quickly, and had incredible service from Robert. He was attentive and friendly, and left us with a "we'll return soon" good feeling. The food was delicious, and we were even sent on our way with some to go salsa. We'll be back!!

Sarah Schiff

**VENMO ACCEPTED / CASH ONLY NO CARDS** Pictured is what I got 🤤 2 eggs, 3 bacon strips, 1 thick sausage patty, thick wheat toast & breakfast potatoes (seasoned cubed potatoes). My friend got the half order of biscuits and gravy, 2 eggs and breakfast potatoes. Ask for house salsa and grab a bottle to go! Slight kick (a couple kicks below tobacco in my opinion) but may vary between batches. Inside and outdoor sidewalk seating with umbrellas. Great service for minimum staff which was communicated. We had time on a beautiful sunny morning so we stayed. Didn't order drinks so both meals before tip under $35😃

steven

A great place to eat. Only open for breakfast and lunch. The food is awesome and unbelievable. Cash only... Great pictures are on the walls. The biscuits and gravy is to died for... you need to stop by.

Carina D

This place has the best potatoes I've ever had. They are all you eat and they are outstanding. Another thing that is amazing are the gigantic pancakes. All around is a great place to eat. Bring cash, but it's definitely worth it!

Scott Geddis

Small local spot with GREAT breakfast. Had omelet and it was really good. Toast is locally made and thick. Not crowded when I was there and service was great.

Kevin Taylor

Love this place! Great food and great atmosphere. I go out of my way to eat there! Just had another great omelet at the Shack, and I was waited on by a sweet and very attentive waitress named Lilliana. She's heading off to college soon and I will be praying for her! The Shack is a great example of a small business that makes me want to return over and over.

I would give 10 stars on all of it if I could! We were visiting the beach and needed a brunch pick me up and this place was recommended . Food was amazing and the staff was just lovely. The salsa was to die for and they gave me a big containers to have chips and salsa on the beach! Can't wait to come back this will be a regular stop for us. Note: they are cash only but also venmo!

Quaint little cafe with good coffee, ummm, and good food. Good portion for the price too. Very relaxing for brunch or lunch. Would to back again.

Alyson Auffenberg

Great food, service and ambience. I had a great morning with my daughter here and highly recommend it for anyone.

Ajin Thapa

Quaint little cafe with good coffee, ummm, and good food. Good portion for the price too. Very relaxing for brunch or lunch. Would to back again.

Sarah

Family friendly — really wonderful staff made us feel so welcome! The huge chocolate chip banana pancake was so great!

Aspen Tavenner

I would give 10 stars on all of it if I could! We were visiting the beach and needed a brunch pick me up and this place was recommended . Food was amazing and the staff was just lovely. The salsa was to die for and they gave me a big containers to have chips and salsa on the beach! Can't wait to come back this will be a regular stop for us. Note: they are cash only but also venmo!

Good food but the portions are huge and the price for teo eggs, two sausages, toast, and potatoes was $20. Add an orange juice and the total with tax comes to $27. Inflation is terrible for small businesses. It would have been nice to have small plates for half the price and half the portion. Good quality food though and nice place. I will not be lazy and cook my breakfast at home next time. Yikes.

Food was solid. Local dinner feel. Service was very good and prompt. Potatoes were good but not great.

Used to go here 20 years plus ago. I feel like it was better then. The service was just horrible. Literally had to go find the lazy waiter to order. There were 4 tables eating. The food is still pretty good depending on what you get. Pancakes are great, sausage and bacon on point. The patty melt was about dennys quality. For $20+ dollars a plate (late bfast $125 for 5 of us) I would maybe expect a made to order patty, not a frozen one. Lots of frozen and canned products. The owner has always been really nice and it’s a decent spot, just not what it used to be. I think if the service from the other staff was good I may return but not when I have to go track down the waiter for everything we need.

Not the most popular place any more because there are so many other options along the 101 now. 20 years ago this was the place for breakfast ... and things haven't changed much. Large plate of breakfast potatoes for $7. Two eggs potatoes, home fries and toast $8. I don't think they even charged me for coffee. No wait at 10 am on a Saturday. Lines were 20 deep out at Better Buzz and the 101 Diner.

+1

Blueberries in pancakes 🥞 delicious. They only take cash 💸 or check if you own a check book 😄.

The pancakes are simply enormous. Feeds 3. The biscuits and gravy are vile. Way too much gravy, not enough sausage or biscuit. Everything else is decent. I ate the biscuits and gravy, hence my score of 2/5.

Whelp, it has been a few years since I visited this place. Today was great, Shack was quiet. The staff were full of enthusiasm and had great menu recommendations. The potato patties were an awesome generous portion worthy of sharing. The manhole sized pancakes were full of fruit blueberries and bananas large enough for 3 people to share. The 2 eggs, potatoes, toast, and 4 slices of bacon was large enough for leftovers. Coach is a great conversationalist.

First time at this popular beachside breakfast diner - the pancakes were manhole-sized pancakes which can easily be shared with two to three people. They are huge! The potatoes were delicious. The omelette was done very well and so tasty. The surprising winner of the morning was the TOAST ( not the French toast - just the toast) - we got an order of sour dough and wheat toast and it was off the charts amazing - not expecting that at all. I would go there just to get a piece of toast. With regard to the other toast we ordered - the French kind - French toast was not good. Orange juice was not good. Also CASH ONLY! There’s an ATM inside the restaurant-so it’s convenient. Service was excellent - we had a great server!!!

Loved this place. Hole in the wall kinda place. Handful of people running it so it can get a little busy. Food was good. Very filling since the portion sizes are huge. They serve food with salsa on the side which was delicious. Indoor & outdoor space. They take payment with cash & Venmo only. Would love to visit again

I love the potatoes! They have HUGE, delicious pancakes! The sausages, english muffins & sourdough bread are also good. Love the waitresses, they friendly & funny! Warning, it's CASH only (but they do have an ATM inside).

Greg Cobb

Whelp, it has been a few years since I visited this place. Today was great, Shack was quiet. The staff were full of enthusiasm and had great menu recommendations. The potato patties were an awesome generous portion worthy of sharing. The manhole sized pancakes were full of fruit blueberries and bananas large enough for 3 people to share. The 2 eggs, potatoes, toast, and 4 slices of bacon was large enough for leftovers. Coach is a great conversationalist.

Nancy Arenas

First time at this popular beachside breakfast diner - the pancakes were manhole-sized pancakes which can easily be shared with two to three people. They are huge! The potatoes were delicious. The omelette was done very well and so tasty. The surprising winner of the morning was the TOAST ( not the French toast - just the toast) - we got an order of sour dough and wheat toast and it was off the charts amazing - not expecting that at all. I would go there just to get a piece of toast. With regard to the other toast we ordered - the French kind - French toast was not good. Orange juice was not good. Also CASH ONLY! There’s an ATM inside the restaurant-so it’s convenient. Service was excellent - we had a great server!!!

L M

Loved this place. Hole in the wall kinda place. Handful of people running it so it can get a little busy. Food was good. Very filling since the portion sizes are huge. They serve food with salsa on the side which was delicious. Indoor & outdoor space. They take payment with cash & Venmo only. Would love to visit again

Wendy Rees

I love the potatoes! They have HUGE, delicious pancakes! The sausages, english muffins & sourdough bread are also good. Love the waitresses, they friendly & funny! Warning, it's CASH only (but they do have an ATM inside).

Started coming here in the late 80’s when we would camp at San Elijo. Love the vibe of the place. Back then it was the only place in town. Now there’s a lot more options. Our taste in food has changed so we don’t eat here as much as we used to, but it’s still a great place to try. The Cajun fries and banana pancakes were my favorite. But I don’t eat like that anymore. Which is kinda sad. It’s definitely the OG Encinitas breakfast stop.

Randy Marx

The pancakes are simply enormous. Feeds 3. The biscuits and gravy are vile. Way too much gravy, not enough sausage or biscuit. Everything else is decent. I ate the biscuits and gravy, hence my score of 2/5.

I used to go here all the time back before Covid when I used to live in Encinitas. Recently went back and was surprised to see they don’t have “endless potatoes” anymore and the scrambled eggs were nasty and tasted like microwaved cafeteria eggs from a box and not fresh eggs. It’s a shame because the staff is nice, but the food has really fallen off since I used to live here.

Cute place. We went with no wait for indoor seating. Table was made from a tree slab and was irregularly shaped, so one corner had almost no space to squeeze between table and booth. Luckily we out my youngest there and it worked out. Maybe the host anticipated that. Food was mixed. My biscuits and gravy were good, though the eggs felt a little thrown together. The pancakes were massive, but to be honest quite rubbery in a way I've never experienced with pancakes. I definitely wouldn't call them "fluffy." All the waitstaff were nice, and the vibe was relaxed, so no complaints there. Food just wasn't as good as it could be. Maybe focus on the savory items if you go. Apparently the breakfast fries are famous but we didn't try them. Cash only. They take Venmo on an honor system basis, and there's an ATM on site.

So so at best. Small portions and average quality food. Serving was decent and the place is quaint. But nothing exciting.

jerry Z

So so at best. Small portions and average quality food. Serving was decent and the place is quaint. But nothing exciting.

Had to wait 34 minutes for bland and cold Huevos Rancheros - also the bill was incorrect - $14 added to total ?? Disappointing experience

I literally just got done eating here. I’m in my car leaving this review. I saw that they offered a second helping of potatoes on the online review and I love country potatoes so this is why I chose this location. I did not have one, but the pancakes are huge and they look delicious. I went with the eggs Benedict because it said it came with smoked ham on an English muffin and let me tell you it was really thin ham. It wasn’t the thick good ham that you’re used to and it was also not very good. It was just average eggs Benedict. The potatoes were also undercooked. They seem to be catering to the local bikers and the place got very busy and they sat me at a table for four so everybody was looking at me like I was some kind of asshole and then people gathered around my table and it was very hard to enjoy my meal and the service was very strange. I didn’t feel welcomed or like they were happy to have me. I left a good tip and said thank you with a smile. Very underwhelming unless you get the pancake 🥞 Felt so rushed I never got a second helping of potatoes

Seems like a cool little spot until you talk to anyone. Server wasn't particularly friendly. I was lucky to have cash as they don't take cards. It's 2025, really? I had the chicken fried steak. It was pretty horrible. Really stringy and tough meat. The biscuit was ok but not great. I found a hair in the gravy. Definitely not fresh ingredients here. If it was a cheap spot the quality would be expected but it's definitely not the cheapest breakfast place around, it may be the worst though.

Easily the worst breakfast I’ve ever had. The huevos rancheros was like slop. Had to have come straight out of a can. My wife had the French toast which was dry. Their potatoes weren’t even good, which was the whole reason we pit stopped there from the freeway. We hardly ate anything, yet still walked out of there $100 poorer. Someone in my group said how sad it was that they actually wish we went to Dennys instead

The quality of food was poor. I ordered the Huevos Rancheros and it was on a stale (uncooked) corn tortilla and the sauce had zero flavor. The scrambled eggs were from a container and you could tell. All of it was pretty expensive and so disappointing. I would not recommend.

Literally THE MOST SHOCKINGLY OVERPRICED basic diner food on THE PLANET. You have been warned. I used to frequent this place in years and decades past. A simple cheap place for locals and surfers etc. I have no idea what would make them jack up their prices over the years to a SINGLE EGG toast and typical potatoes to ELEVEN DOLLARS. A cheese omelette is $16. A breakfast burrito is $18.50. Do you see what's going on here? Unbridled greed. And it's a complete small dump off of a side street. Nothing has changed since 1983, except the prices which have QUADRUPLED. Look at the menu online or walk by to see for your self. You will simply not believe your eyes. Shame on these people. Utter insanity. You can get a French omelet at a gourmet French bistro for less than their "cheese omelet" with nothing in it but cheese. The additional items will keep jacking the price up, until your mediocre diner omelet will be $25. The tuna sandwich (boring typical) is $17.00. What world are we living in now? Sad. This used to be a charming landmark. NOT ANY MORE.

Possibly the worst breakfast ever. The food was cold and tasteless. The potatoes tasted old. And the price was very high. We would not recommend this at all.

Service was good but the food was honestly sickening. I’ve never experienced Huevos rancheros like this in my life… canned sauce? Old sauce perhaps? It tasted like old spaghettios. They did not make us pay which was nice but I wouldn’t recommend this food to anyone with taste.

Bishop

Service was good but the food was honestly sickening. I’ve never experienced Huevos rancheros like this in my life… canned sauce? Old sauce perhaps? It tasted like old spaghettios. They did not make us pay which was nice but I wouldn’t recommend this food to anyone with taste.