Keith’s Family Restaurant

Every time I go in here, I can’t help but look for Chargers players. I heard they all mob this place, but I have not had any luck so far :(
Last time I didn’t see any Chargers players so I went in the bathroom and sobbed uncontrollably for like 45 minutes. The staff kept reporting complaints of a hysterical woman crying in the mens room. Sadly, it was me.
The food is pretty good too. Whatever… FML.

Awww, 17 years of going here for homie hangout times is finally gone. Closed for its last day on 5÷30÷11, I had their version of eggs Benedict and short stack of Strawberry pancakes. Reviewing this place is worthless now, but how were the pancakes so good? Both the pancake and fruit compote were delicious. What did they put in the hash browns? It must have been some sort of crack.
Told by waitresses that it will go on a 2 month reconstruction to become an IHOP, the homies will have to look for another non-​chain go-​to place for food to build new memories. Rest in Peace Keith’s, you’ll be remembered.

This place is great… the food is awesome and the wait staff is awesome.
UNFORTUNATELY THIS PLACE IS CLOSING AND WAS (reportedly) BOUGHT BY IHOP.
:(

Why would you even go to Denny’s? Food is simple but flavorful, aka what all the trendy restaurants aspire to be. Fun collection of elderly and family for Saturday brunch. Open 24 hours over the weekend and pretty late on weekdays.
Turkey broccoli mushroom omelet has a bit of gravy in there for taste. Hash is the perfect combination of crispy and soft, but somehow not greasy (not saying it’s healthy…). French toast is eggy and dense. Awesome random find when taking the car to service. :)

Wanted late night food but not IHOP or Dennys. Something different but still local, it was past 12am. Unilocaled «Diner» and this showed up. Mini road trip time!
Giant lit sign can be seen from the freeway so you can’t miss it.
A table of very drunk people talking very loud about… intimate subjects… made my night more interesting.
I ordered the Chicken Fried Steak which came with hash browns, eggs and 2 pieces of toast for about $ 10. Really good Fried Steak because most places end up making it way too salty but this was perfect.
Server was really nice and I really enjoyed the food.

It’s a greasy spoon restaurant that looks like it got stuck in 1983.
Chicken friend steak is greasy, but it’s super hard to screw it up. I liked it, Val hated it.
Fries were subpar. Green beans from a can? /​sigh.
Chicken strips were thin breast slices, pretty satisfying. BBQ sauce is better than most, honey dijon is worse than most, ranch is the star for dips here.
The wheat toast that comes with a kid’s breakfast is actually good, and buttered with actual butter. Better than most.
Ceasar salad with dressing on the side was better than you will get at most places, but nothing amazing.
It’s a solid late night choice I would guess, but a midday visit leaves a bit to be desired. IF Studio diner is the best in class for San Diego (which it is), then Keith’s is in the bottom third of the class. But I must reiterate, there were no issues with service, food or location, except that it wasn’t standout.

So i lived down the street from this place for 9 years, and have never stepped into here until a couple days ago. Thanks Unilocalers! you helped me decide what i wanted! the TACO SALAD which i gotta admit was pretty delicious! perfect ratio of greenery, cheese, avocado (about a full avocado!), beans, sour cream, BUT i could have had more shredded beef. no biggie i still enjoyed my first meal at keiths.
I never knew this place was 24 hours 6 days a week! sundays they close early!
Dining experience wasn’t anything special, a more homey-​feel than other restaurants i’ve been to. has random décor all around that’s pretty interesting.

Denny’s style food for your late night, drunken needs. The wait-​staff here is surprisingly patient. There have been many a time where we’ve come here drunk, stupid, annoying, loud and downright ridiculous and they’ve always been really nice rather than kicking us out.
The food isn’t really amazing or anything, but sometimes you just really want eggs, hashed browns or mashed potatoes when you’re drunk.
I like to get the Chilada Ranchero which is basically eggs benedict with a jalapeño hollandaise sauce.

Gloria, you’re the reason why this establishment is so amazing.
The food here is comforting, affordable, and the staff is honestly amazing. Sometimes, one of my friends gets a little too rowdy, but Gloria totally takes control of the situation with the greatest of ease, and with a smile on her face – it might be her laughing at my friend, since she’s ridiculous as times, but yeah.
Order any breakfast combo! They’re totally worth it! A LOTTTT of food (and most come with a coffee/​juice/​soft drink) for around $ 5? What’s not too love!
Their chili cheese fries, among my group of friends, have unanimously been declared the best in San Diego. Order ‘em.

Sometimes you need to chill out with a cup of coffee and biscuits and gravy on a drive home from Downtown San Diego to Escondido. You may or may not have had a couple of drinks. If you find yourself in this predicament, this is the place to be. It is open 24 hours and delivers in good, greasy spoon grub.
I actually ordered one of the breakfast specials that included eggs, bacon, hash browns and biscuits & gravy. It was heavenly! I am not much of a coffee drinker, but I made an exception since it came as part of the special… and it was late.
The best part about going to a 24 hour diner in a non-​hip part of town (i.e. this is not Rudford’s or Brian’s), all the weirdos complaining about their medical problems come in at that hour, yet they order a prime rib dinner. Bizarre.
The waitress was very nice. I always feel for the staffers who have to serve the late night, quasi-​intoxicated crowds. Sometimes, the shenanigans have to not be worth the tips.
Long story short… this is a diner’s diner and you get good food at a good price. Stop by at ANY HOUR… day or night!

I’ve lived in Mira Mesa for 21 years and have seen the broken neon sign of Keith’s FOREVER. I’ve always imagined some grungy dusty diner with senior citizens, outdated newspapers, bad lighting, brown aprons, and servers with hats embroidered with white and red stripes. Yeah, I have NO idea why, but that’s what I thought.
Last night the boyfriend and I were scavenging a quick new place to bite for the night. We were thinking that Shozen BBQ place off of the 15 on Mira Mesa Blvd. While heading there, we looked up the menu, and intentionally passed the restaurant after seeing prices. Sorry Shozen. One day, but not some random Monday night…
We hopped onto 15 South and saw the bright lights that lured us in: «Keith’s Resta». Like I said, neon lights, broken. «Sure!», we thought! I mean, we both have lived here most of our lives and have NEVER set foot on that side of the road.
It was kind of dead there. Whoa, BIG surprise. There were, however, just a FEW booths occupied. The place is cute and quaint; the homey-​ness is something Denny’s and iHOP lacks, not that I care too much about. We were greeted by a hostess/​server. She was very sweet and said «Your Welcome» a 1000 times in the EXACT same way and tone of week. Anyways… here’s what we shared:
Fish and Chips: 7÷10− The portion was decent. I think there were 5 pieces of cod (about 3 – 3.5 inches in length) and hefty amount of papas. Served with malt vinegar (packet) and tarter sauce! All was yummy, but nothing out of the ordinary. The boyfriend didn’t enjoy it as much, however, he doesn’t enjoy a lot of «average» tasting foods. Cost: $ 11ish
Pork Cutlet: 7÷10− Portion was again decent. Served with mashed potetehs (our pick. you could choose from papas or even a baked potehteh after 10p). Country gravy. Don’t get me started on country gravy. I wish other white things tasted just as good.
…
Anyways. The pork cutlet was MOIST. I was pleasantly surprised by it actually. Everyone knows pork tends to dry quick. Good job Keith’s for being brave while cooking. Green beans. I LOVE green beans, but oh sweetie, not these. These were from a can, I’m 109% positive of it. Cost: $ 12 ish
Each of our entrees came with a soup or salad. Caesar salad was AWESOME (That statement is quite biased. I almost ALWAYS love all caesar salads). Hail Caesar! I tried a cup of the split pea soup. I’m sure half of the people reading this are scrunching up their faces right now. Oddly, I was the child that ate everything. I ADORED my mom’s split pea soup as a kid. YUM! Keith’s soup was good! I mean, it tasted like it, but not like home. The ham was scare and so was the salt, but I appreciate the efforts of trying to make homey dishes. The entrees also came with bread rolls! Haven’ tried it. They are in fact, hardening in my fridge as I speak/​type.
Overall, I wouldn’t say that I’m never coming back here. This place isn’t as cheap as we thought it would be, but it does provide a lot of comforting foods. Service is a big one for me and our waitress nailed it.
Thanks Keith’s for a lovely dining experience! Until next time (:

Nom nom nom nom. Yay for diner food!!!
That’s how I felt when I came in there this evening. I ordered the sausage omelette. Hello for cheese coma!!! With a side of crunchy buttered hash browns. Hummina hummina hummina! The sourdough toast was a nice touch.
My BFF ordered the tuna melt (which, by the way she loved) with a side of fries. I tried one of those fries, and honestly, I would stab somebody for those fries. They are the seasoned steak fries. Delish!
Waitress was extremely nice!!!
Tips:
1.) Because of the shitty economy, they’ve changed their business hours. They are only 24 hours on thursday, friday and saturday. Sunday through Wednesday they close at 10am.
2.) If you order a side of regular country gravy… it’s free!!! Woohoo for gravy!!!

So, I’ve been here a few times over the years, but after a night of bowling I was feeling a bit nostalgic for Keith’s.
The freeway sign (and come to think of it, the diner itself; a couple of the booth chairs were ripped) may be a bit rundown, but the place still has that nostalgic, old-​school Mira Mesa feel to it.
I ordered the chicken fried steak dinner — while the accompanying green beans were overcooked, the steak itself was quite tasty. The clam chowder was pretty thick, even though the cup was overfilled.
While Keith’s isn’t open 24 hours as it used to be, it still gets quite a few visitors. I was expecting the restaurant to be empty, yet when I got there around 10, there was a steady rush of customers.
Also, they have take out! Hard to believe a diner has takeout service, but it’s still nice to see.
Good comfort food, decent prices, comfy ambiance (much better than Denny’s) and ample parking (even if it is a bit creepy at night)… I’ll be coming back. After all, gotta try those mozzerella poppers and omelets!

:(
Why does their sign say «Open 24 hours» but it’s not open 24 hours everyday? Pretty please change your sign.
P. S. I still love you :)

I’ve had cabin fever from fighting a cold all weekend, but this girl still had to eat. I bookmarked this place for a few weeks now and thought I’d finally give it a try. I haven’t eaten anything in 15 hours, so I was starving when we got there.
Fortunately, we got seated right away in a nice booth in the corner with the window behind me to look over at the rain coming down outside. I gave up french fries for Lent (I know, woo woo, but it’s really a big deal for me) but got the potato skins to share with my friends because it sounded so good!
I wanted steak & eggs, so I got that cooked medium with eggs (also cooked medium). My buds ordered eggs, sausage, bacon, pancakes, etc. When the potato skins came out with a side of sour cream, it hit the spot. It had melted cheese, scallions and a generous serving of extra crispy bacon to top it off. It was so good!
My steak tasted okay, it lacked any flavor, but oh well (maybe that’s because my taste buds are still off from my cold). The hash browns were well done with crunch which is how I like it, but I guess I wasn’t in the mood for the eggs since I barely touched the stuff.
Service was great all around. Our server paid more attention to my male friend sitting next to me, asking him if he wanted refills, asked how was his meal, asked if he needed anything else. I was like what the heck? I almost felt like chopped liver over here… lol!
It was a little bit of a drive for me to get here, but I enjoyed my meal so it was worth it. The thing that caught my eye was the crane game packed with stuffed animals near the door as we were leaving. I used to be really good at that game and was so tempted to play it. Yes, I’m five years old. What?

Things I’ve never had:
A cold tuna melt
Buttered hash browns
Things I had tonight:
A cold tuna melt
Hash browns OOZING butter
Warm french fries
Two slices of pickle
an orange slice
Today I was craving a tuna melt. Like super craving.
I had a coupon for Keith’s and my mom suggested we use it. So off to Keith’s we went.
I ordered a Tuna melt with french fries, my mom ordered an omelet with onions and tomato’s and an English muffin. I got Hot chocolate and my mom got herbal tea for our beverages. (Her omelet came with hash browns)
The Chocolate milk was good, no real whipped cream but i wasn’t expecting it, and I’m not picky in the whipped cream department. The VERY first thing i noticed about my tuna melt was its coldness. This is how i guessing it was made:
1) Put the bread in the toaster, butter it
2) Throw some Kraft cheese slices on it, hope they melt
3) Scoop some tuna mixture fresh outta the refrigerator on it.
4) Slap the toast on it, cut in half. Serve
I ended up taking out about 90% of the tuna and eating the «grilled cheese» I just couldn’t get over the cold tuna.
The fries were nothing special. Potatoes with ketchup.
Lets talk about my moms omelet. She loves it. I didn’t think it was special. It was warm, and juicy, but I’m not exactly sure what the juice was. Maybe from the tomatoes.
The hash browns??? I am not even sure how or why they made these. I took two bites. My mom doesn’t like hash browns. They were most likely sprayed with an entire can of butter cooking spray.
I have another coupon for Keith’s but i don think ill be using it.
Sorry we didn’t work out Keith =(

It’s been awhile since I’ve been here, but I’ve gone so many times over the years and since it has remained exactly the same as the first time I stepped in the door, I think I can write a decent review.
Keith’s is one of those places you go to when nothing else is open, because it is open all the time. It is also one of those places you go to when you want nothing fancy to eat and a quiet place to do so. It is exactly like a Denny’s except better food and a lot quieter. The food is not fancy or memorable, but it’s decent and it is reasonably priced. I have many good memories of coming here, especially late at night absolutely starving for a meal and nothing is open in good old UTC (back when I went to UCSD).
Good times.

This place use to be Corvette Diner in the early 80’s for few months; Then it closed down.
I’ve been going to Keith’s for ages now; it’s a great place to study; it’s a great place to eat after you left the bar; it’s a great place to come to cure a hang over or for that late night coffee…
!!! FYI: Their hours of business have changed; Weekends is 24 Hours; Weekdays shuts down a bit early; call for more information. !!!
The staff is super cool; & won’t make faces or fuss if you want anything added to your meal or taken out…
Keith’s is a greasy spoon restaurant with good comfort food; nothing fancy; but if you want skip late night drive troughs this is the place to be.
Although I don’t care much for their pancakes; they have awesome sandwiches, fish (Friday’s), salads, soups, & desserts.
Now that I think of it; their Turkey Dinner & chocolate soda is awesome too!
This place does get crowded on Sundays; so be prepared to wait.
Again, Service is always awesome; food is consistent and Gloria (works late nights) will HOOK YOU UP.
My husband ordered a Cherry Pie tonight & man; this is a meal on it’s own. I’m not fond of Cherry Pie; not fond of anything Tart or sour. But this was some awesome warm home baked pie. The crust was flaky; the filling was well balanced between the tartness and sweetness.
Have a look…

I’ve noticed really only two groups of ppl who come here — truckers and senior citizens. It kinda threw me off the first time my friend took me here b/​c she swore by their chicken fried steak and their awesome service.
I’m use to going to Original Pancake House for breakfast — so coming here, a kinda hole in the wall diner off the 15 fwy, was a stretch for me. It does seem like a sketchy place — not sure if it’s b/​c it’s right off Miramar exit or the lonely trucker guys sitting in the booths w/​their trucker hats and heads bent down reading something.
BUT the chicken fried steak is great. Comes w/​lots of gravy, crispy hash browns, and side of toast. The steak isn’t great quality but i think the gravy seriously makes up for it.
Service has always been great. Fast and friendly. I don’t like their coffee — mostly b/​c they don’t offer milk/​cream or ½n1/​2 with it. They use some sort of coffeemate or milk substitute (that’s what they said last time).
I’ve only been for breakfast before work or so. It’s usually pretty quiet — i’ll ask for a quiet booth where i can enjoy my CFS and my Peet’s ice coffee (that i get beforehand).

If Ralph’s has Von’s.
If Henry’s has Trader Joe’s.
If Starbucks has Coffee Bean.
Denny has a cooler cousin named Keith.
They have the best mashed potatoes. Maybe it’s just me, but dang, it’s thick. Short of putting straight-​up potatoes in my mouth.