I'd recently heard that a place near and dear to my heart was up for sale and would be closing its doors; Lucky's Breakfast. From the first time I set foot thru those doors back in 2008, Lucky's has been a sentimental favorite of mine. Beyond the old-school breakfast, it was the owner, jack of all trades, who took your order, bussed the tables, served the food, and cooked everything, Lucky that was the reason I visited. Even though I used to drop by every so often, I'd do a post about every five years it seems. But, I hadn't visited since before Covid, and when I did drop by, usually on weekends, the place would be pretty busy, so I'd just wait. It seems that various social media outlets had made Lucky quite popular. Though, having been a customer for over 15 years, I know Lucky would never change.
Having a weekday off and having heard the news, I headed on over.....
And the place wasn't busy, so I had a seat.
Looking at my old photos, I guess I always sit in the same spot here? I always take a few minutes to appreciate the kitschy beauty of the place....it reminds of diners from my "small kid time". As I've said and repeated on all my posts on Lucky's "I'm sure thousands of stories have echoed off the walls" here.
Of course, there are changes. Of course, breakfasts are no longer $4-$6, but the prices are quite inexpensive for the area.
And of course, that calendar keeps moving. Lucky does look older now, he moves a bit slower, and maybe should take a "second" retirement (his "first" retirement was when the place went from a Chinese restaurant to only serving breakfast).
But there are those things that hold steady; Lucky's always trying to refill your coffee, he hates waste (one of the hipsters left a piece of toast and Lucky wrapped it for him to take with him), and while things move a bit slower these days there's the ever present wit.
I heard the classic "Lucky line", which I've heard many times during my visit to here. When a "mature" woman would order coffee, Lucky would tell them the classic line I heard on my very first visit; "you too young for coffee, it will stunt your growth!"
As for my breakfast.....
It did the trick. And at $9 bucks, this is bargain these days!
As for Lucky selling? Well, I'd heard that the listing was pulled. I thought of asking, but really didn't want to be nosy and the place was filling up. I just wanted to enjoy my visit and take in the "atmosphere".
And of course, Lucky makes sure you get some fortune cookies.....
And in this case; I'll let Lucky's Fortune Cookie have the last word!
Lucky’s Breakfast
3804 Grim Ave
San Diego, CA 92104
Current Hours:
Mon - Sat 715am - Noon
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