The Lazy Hippo Reviews

We're pretty sure this food is made from Love. A simple restaurant serving excellent breakfast. We will definitely go back next time we're in the area.

Lox, Lox fixes a lot of things . And Chicano music. The kitchen knows exactly what it's doing. Front staff aight.

Met my wife and daughter for breakfast this am, and the meal was great all the way around. Fluffy pancakes, fresh ham, good coffee and attentive service. Would go back and recommend to all

Here again. Food was great as always. Daughter loved the cinnamon roll pancakes. I had the $16 meal (picture attached)

Love the homemade tortillas- orange juice- skillet meals- service and atmosphere! Great location in the Gaslamp historical neighborhood!

Our server, Lais, was fantastic. Her friendly demeanor was so appropriated! The food was served hot, the fruit we ordered was freshly cut and delicious. The veggie omelette,$12.95, was also delicious. The owner has remodeled and the restaurant looks beautiful,

We were encouraged by good reviews to seek this place out. It was a bistro style restaurant with a small outdoor patio. We liked the atmosphere and the food looked great. The day we went was a Sunday at breakfast/brunch time. In fairness to them, this is probably one of their most busy times of the week, but they had a young girl (about 11 or 12 yrs of age) standing at the front taking care of the seating. We sat on the patio and we could tell she was over whelmed with the number of people wanting to eat there. Some had reservations and some were walk ups, but she was not able (due to being so young) to advise them professionally how long it would take before they would be able to have a table. She would roll her eyes (due to being unsure of how to tell them) that it was going to be a half hour or in one case, 45 minutes before they could be seated. We counted that they lost at least 18 customers due to this. It never took more than 15 minutes so the lost customers could have been avoided. Some people complained they had a reservation and some were a little angry with her. She was trying to deal with it, but we could see that there needed to be a mature person at the front as this is the restaurant's first point of contact. We received our order after about 40 minutes of waiting and our eggs were cold. My scrambled eggs were cool to the touch. My potatoes were lukewarm. We did not complain since we knew it would most likely mean waiting a long time to get a new order. Sorry but cannot rate this place higher due to our experience.

Small place, great breakfast. Decorated in classy black and white. Although service was great, it was slow - mainly the kitchen's problem. Food was good - bring your wallet! $5 for OJ is off the wall!

The Lazy Hippo is a new addition to Downtown San Diego. They try to make the meals as healthy as possible which means local and organic where possible, cage free eggs, etc. I don't mind paying a bit more for quality ingredients, but the Lazy Hippo is about in line with other breakfast spots so that is a positive. Love the food and atmosphere and great coffee as well.

Sauntered in on a lark having seen that outside seats were available. The food was a welcome surprise - jicama-chicken tacos + salad; mushroom soup were delicious and just the right size. Excellent beer selection, i had the a local Dark Seas which turned out to be full-bodied and nutty, just they way i like it. Friendly waiters. Service is slow but the weather is nice and what's the rush, anyway. The tacos - highly recommended.

This little out of the way place is a great substitute for the "IN" spots for breakfast. Get there before 9:30 and you have your choice of dining inside or out. Delicious food, interesting specials, and attentive service. Really enjoyed the experience.

I decided to visit the Hippo based on its online reviews. It did not disappoint! The banana pancakes were awesome! The decor is cozy and artsy - it was Christmas season when I visited. The waitstaff was attentive and friendly.

Extensive breakfast menu to cater to every taste - something for everyone. Pancakes, waffles, fried eggs, sausages, bacon, pork chops(!), washed down with coffee, tea and juices. Kid friendly.

So glad we stopped there for late breakfast. Place was busy but service was very friendly, prices reasonable and food was delicious. Serving size was more than adequate. Will def visit again if in the area.

Had a group of 8 of us going to breakfast and all the breakfast places we had looked into had at least a 30-60 minute wait, so we decided to go to the Lazy Hippo. We got there and didn't have to wait for a table. The menu had a nice selection and we were all pleased with our food. This restaurant is located right next door to the Whiskey House and they even share restrooms together. The food was reasonably priced and we had a good wait staff. I would definitely return here, if I am in San Diego again.

This was a great place for breakfast. The lunch menu looked good, but we were not nearby during our trip. Went here 2 times this trip. The food was good and a good variety to pick from. Next time I want to try the lemon ricotta waffle.

Fairly small, quiet spot that had a great breakfast menu. The food was excellent and the prices didn’t break the bank. Would recommend to any locals or visitors.

Just had breakfast at the Lazy Hippo with several great recommendations. I read the reviews online and decided to take the poor reviews with a grain of salt. (Hah!) The atmosphere is cute, all in purple, white and black with low lighting. That is the only part of the meal which I enjoyed. The ladies in the group (2) ordered tea. After ordering we realized the tea was $4.95 each. We felt a little better once we each received a pot of tea. If we had known we would of ordered one pot with 2 tea cups. Shame on the waiter. I ordered the egg and veggies entree. Upon ordering I had 2 options of bread, wheat and sour dough. Not liking sour dough, I asked if the wheat bread had seeds, the waiter said yes and I asked, in the bread or on the crust only? He said only on the crust. The meals took awhile to prepare, even though there were only 3 tables occupied in the restaurant when we initially ordered. This was tolerable since we wanted to enjoy as much of the herbal tea as possible. Also note, the cute pots did not keep our tea hot as much as an steel pot. When my meal finally arrived, my bread was not what I call wheat bread, but rye bread which seeds throughout. Also my first bite was warm eggs, not hot. Everything was lukewarm and salty! (possibly the waiter did not immediately allowed our meals to sit while waiting on other customers). Salt was generously sprinkled on my spinach and potatoes. After we left the restaurant, everyone else commented that their food was lukewarm as well. One may ask why did not complain. After asking the waiter about the bread and not offering any additional alternatives, he appeared annoyed and never stopped by during the meal asking if everything was okay. Possibly he knew what we already discovered. Shame, shame, shame, for such glowing recommendations, salty and lukewarm food! Enter at your own risk. I highly recommend, the breakfast place from the day before Cafe 222.

We were looking for a place to eat breakfast but everywhere seemed to have a long wait time &/or line. We're glad we drove into this spot. No wait, nice quiet spot. The staff was friendly. The food was basic breakfast but hit the spot :) The buttermilk pancakes were yummy! I was surprise to see it was empty Saturday a.m. until our waiter mentioned restaurant has only been open for a few months. There's no sign outside except "Breakfast/lunch served daily". If you're in the area stop by for breakfast- it's worth the friendly service!

The Lazy Hippo has a solid breakfast menu and is very low key. Having spent the past few mornings at the famous Du-par, which can suffer from a service standpoint. The Lazy Hippo, is a small, intimate, quirky boutique featuring unusual antique decorations, great food and one on one service.

We can't say enough good things about the food here. We all cleaned our plate. It did take a while to get us seated, like the other reviews said. They seemed to be short staffed, and although there were several open tables, there weren't enough workers to clean them off, get people seated, and wait on everyone. With that being said, the restaurant is super cute, and we enjoyed drawing hippos as we waited for our food. After all was said and done, we all agreed it was worth the wait :) I would definitely recommend

3 of us stopped in here on New Year's Eve morning for brunch. Everything on the menu is what you would expect for a brunch-heavy business: omelets, pancakes, mimosas, sandwiches, Benedicts, etc. Cute, quirky setting with indoor and outdoor seating. Everything we ordered was prepared decently, but the service? Slow!! It took about 30 minutes for orders of eggs and pancakes and there were only 3 other tables of diners (and three servers present). Not only was the service slow, but the dirty tables of diners who had recently left weren't cleared away, so we sat looking at the remains of a large brunch party who had eaten next to us throughout our meal. Good location and cute atmosphere, but this place needs a management (or kitchen staff) overhaul!

Waited 30 minutes for a table during ComiCon weekend. Poached eggs were perfect, the potatoes and bacon were excellent. The bloody mary was as advertised. Overall, one of the best breakfasts in all of our travels. Right there with the Jail House in Moab and the Toasted Mango in Sarasota. Bravo.

We found this place by accident and was so glad that we did. Country Shabby Chic decor, brown butcher paper is used to cover the tables and color pencils provided to draw or play games while waiting for food. We loved everything we order and even stopped by on our way back to Arizona. Highly recommended.

We just popped in for a quick coffee fix as it was just short walk from our hotel at the Horton. Served very quickly. We were after a latte but unfortunately they didn’t have the machine to do this. Settled on filtered but it was of decent quality and were more than happy. Prices acceptable and would be happy to recommend

Cute place for breakfast. Crowded on weekend but not so much during the week. They have a $5 deal weekdays featuring eggs and bacon or sausage.

The food was soooo good it was worth the wait. Something about their chocolate milk....mmmmm. Cute place.

We stopped here for breakfast on a Sunday morning. Originally we were told a table would be available in 20mins. That soon became 35mins. We had a group of 4 and when we got in we found another group of 3 who turned up after us (and without a reservation) had been seated on a table for 4 before us. Not good guys, get your table etiquette sorted. That's the bad bit. If you can be bothered to wait the food is pretty good. My advice, book ahead if you can.

Wanted a typical USA breakfast and found this gem behind our hotel. Although we felt a little bit more expensive than some, the food was excellent. Everything fresh, lovely fresh fruit, and plenty of it. My friend and I had French toast with strawberries and blue berries, yum. Husband had cold,porridge with banana but said although didn't look appetizing was actually delicious, friend had the Burrito, and when it came we could not stop laughing, he said he wasn't that hungry when we sat down, my certainly had money's worth here, huge meal. Coffee and English tea excellent. Yes this cafe deserves to do very well.

Attracted to this a one- of the best breakfasts in SD. The food was decent and small (but reasonably) portioned compared to the local area but did not live up to the hype...perhaps we were expecting a bit much given what has been written and told to us about the place. Commendable but did experience better in SD.

When you think of Southern California food, this menu is right on target. The food is fresh, true to the region and served beautifully in sizable portions. I loved it so much that I brought a 5 other colleagues with me the next day. The atmosphere was charming and I felt as if I was in a fun Parisian cafe.

Not shockingly good but reasonable. Prices were reasonable Service was quite bad. I am thinking perhaps they call it the lazy hippo due to the speed and enthusiasm of their staff...

A quaint little cafe with breakfast and lunch selections in a moderate price range. Average coffee and limited menu selection though. The outside seating area is tight with little space to move. Inside seating is alright.

If you see a crowd outside the restaurant, run away! I've been here twice and gave up the second time. The people working there have no idea what they are doing (and are rude to boot) and can't even keep a short wait list straight. The one time I did eat here the food was pretty good but we got yelled at for trying to sit four people together outside. The second time, we gave up after being told that the wait was 20 minutes and then an hour a few minutes later. The poor girl they have working the front clearly has no idea what she's doing and was snapping under the pressure. It was kind of sad as there were a lot of other upset people.

During our recent trip to San Diego we found a breakfast and lunch cafe just around the corner from out hotel in the Gaslamp Quarter.The Lazy Hippo opens its doors at 8AM, for dinning inside or an outside patio. The waitstaff were pleasant and laid back, the restaurant was clean, and the coffee was good. They have a good selection of breakfast items from just enough, to as large a meal as you would like. The prices are moderate and fair. The food is mostly organic, taste very fresh, and these folks can poach an egg the way you request. It was an excellent choice for breakfast and I will return.

Great food and excellent service . We went for breakfast . Both of my kids loved the cinnamon pancakes. I had the vegetable omelette. The food presentation is excellent and the staff is very friendly and helpful .

Stopped in for lunch. the burger was very tasty. the wait staff was great. this is a cute little restaurant.

We stopped in here for breakfast on a Sunday morning. It is a cute little place with some outdoor seating. We ordered the American breakfast, the happy hour breakfast and the turkey eggs benedict. All of our food was ok. The items we ordered were all pretty simple so I don't think you could go wrong. My potatoes were a bit hard, that was a bummer. For what we got this place was way over priced. The highlight of this place was the staff. Every person who walked by said hi and asked if they could get us anything. The service was great.

Conference combined with vacation we visited The Lazy Hippo twice. Excellent food, great service. The natella cafe con leche is amazing. Highly recommend

We loved this restaurant! Awesome food, service and a very charming atmosphere! The Cinnamon Roll pancakes are amazing! Breakfast Burritos are awesome as well! Staff was super friendly! We will definitely go back!

After a long waterfront walk, refuel at the Lazy Hippo. Ask for a patio seat to gwt the breezes. Friendly staff....just enough service to be attentive but no rushing. Delicious egg white omelet with vegs, crisp potatoes and fruit salad. Bread a bit bland and not toasted. But worth the stop!

We dined here for breakfast and while the staff was very friendly there seemed to be confusion as to who was servicing which table. We had 3 different people help us which was not something that improved the service. When it came time to pay we had to ask 3 people and then wait another 10 minutes. This is not how a good meal should end. The food by the way was very good.

Good food and service. Nice place for breakfast. Been here before and I'm sure we'll be back again. A+

This is my VERY FAVORITE breakfast spot in SD!!! Im i. Town about every 2 year. It's dependable quick service and delicious. I live the french toast. Every time I'm in town, it's my first stop.

Found this little gem off the beaten path. It’s close to the convention center and the Marriott Marquis Marina as well as several other sights. The place is small, but great decor, fast service and great food. Open for lunch and dinner. Highly recommend.

We were actually on our way to another breakfast spot and they were so friendly when we walked by, that we ended up coming back here. The owner and staff were very friendly. The cinnamon pancakes and Nutella and banana waffles were great and the coffee good and plentiful. It was a great find. We enjoyed breakfast on the patio and visited with a regular who lives nearby. We'll keep this on our list of things to do when visiting here.

From start to finish this was perfection. We arrived just before 9am on a Saturday and the place was very busy - so get there early. The service was exceptional. Professional and very friendly and nothing was too much trouble. The food was delicious and fresh. Generous portions without being over the top. We both had a poached eggs with our breakfast and they were spot on - lovely, runny yokes and the side of pancakes (well it was a Saturday!) were delightful. Highly recommend the Lazy Hippo!

The food was really good...love the strawberry cinnamon french toast! Generous portions. Atmosphere is fun. Servers are friendly.

Long wait on a busy Sunday but food well worth it. Not impressed with the Bloody Mary's but they were at s fair price. Service was to be expected on such a busy day. Will definitely go back! All five of us were delighted with our breakfast. Nice clean restroom as well.

Stopped in here for lunch while heading back to convention center. Had the fish tacos with side salad. Both were very good. Nice salad dressing, tasty tacos in soft shells

Small quaint restaurant next to Chinese historical museum. I ordered pork chops and eggs which was served with breakfast potatoes. The taste was good. The portion was large. I was there late morning day in 70's. Was seated in back of restaurant and did get warm and would recommend seating in front of restaurant for this reason.

We stumbled upon this cute spot while on vacation. We sat outside and it was perfect. The hot tea was great. And our breakfasts were very good. Only negative was the sausage. Bland, grainy and too big. Definitely would be a staple in my life of I lived there.

Friendly atmosphere and staff, great blueberry and chia seed pancakes and wifi while you're waiting, what more could you want for when you want a quick, nutritious and delicious breakfast

Spend the morning trolling around town on my super sexy Bird scooter impressing all of the ladies and I see this super sleek place called the Lazy Hippo and my belly was like... mmmm I miss breakfast. So I parked my sled at the door and entered the Lazy hippo and got me some of the house coffee and sweet OJ to put in my belly. That stuff was good and decided hey, I want to spend more and get me some shandy good food. Ordered up a super special with an extra egg .. I suggest one minor edit to the order.... Order your bacon crispy if that is what you prefer. I forgot. Other than that.. .Man on man that food was wonderful. The pancakes are like super strudels or something IDK but I really like them. Cinnamon toast crunch maybe? The taters were good and so was the sausage. If you love food... You will love this place. Temple in Kentucky!

Great place for a family Saturday, waffles are great, fruits are French and the Salmon eggs Benedicts are so tasty. A place to visit if you stop by San Diego!

Breakfast was very nice but they started watching us when their friend with dog came. They stopped offering coffee refills and gave us the bums rush to leave as they obviously wanted the seat for her and her dog. Won't be going back.

Quaint little place off the beaten path but very good service and the food was fresh with very adequate portions. Good menu for breakfast and lunch to satisfy all appetites.

Staff was polite and attentive. Charming colorful decor. Excellent choice for breakfast. The Cinnamon Roll Pancakes and Chocolate Chip Pancakes were delicious. Lazy Hippo is within walking distance from all the main hotels near Convention center and Gaslamp district, ect. Most importantly, while the big main chain breakfast place had a 45 min line out the door, we were seated right away at the Lazy Hippo! It was a small enough place to be quiet enough to visit with our friends. I loved the decor, the food, the service, I would highly recommend the Lazy Hippo. :)

Well this beats the other place we went to yesterday hands down. This is a fantastic place for atmosphere, looks and more importantly... food. As a Scotsman I appreciate a good start to the day and this did not disappoint. Overstuffed breakfast burrito PLUS potatoes. Warm and friendly staff to boot. If your in the Gaslight area I know there are many good places to eat but certainly for breakfast this will not disappoint.

Very pleasant, more intimate, low key spot for a quality breakfast. Very good food, nice change of pace. Loved my egg caprese sandwich. Check it out!

I was somehow really tempted by the place's name, so decided to get a breakfast there. Choice was OK and food itself was fine, but the service was really, really slow. We were the only clients at the time and we had to wait way too long. Lazy hippo was lazy indeed;)

Between my husband and I we had a meat lovers omelet and a 2+2+1 breakfast with French toast. The food was awsome; fresh butter, thick cut bacon cooked crisp and eggs cooked perfect. The wait staff was prompt and friendly. Highly recommend the lazy hippo.

We bypassed a different breakfast place for this one and were sadly disappointed. We had to ask to be served. The breakfast meats (sausages) were pink in the middle. When we asked about it the waitress said that was cooked to medium but we could get them well done if we wanted. We sent them back. I asked for bacon to be well done and crispy. It came out chewy and soggy. I sent that back too. The waitress was not nice about the requests, she treated it like a an inconvenience. On the flip the lemon ricotta waffles were a nice flavor balance, however mine were missing the mascarpone cheese. Other than these mishaps, the food was good. However we would find a different place for future breakfasts. Just a so-so experience.

Great breakfast with lovely staff. Many locals with family/young children. The portions were huge, but manageable. I had the oj, mango and grapefruit juice which had been freshly squeezed. It was delicious. Banana, peanut butter French toast was also delicious and filling.

When we’re in town, we usually go to Cafe 222 for brunch, but they had a long wait and we found ourselves here. We’d been here before, but somehow forgot about it. Never again. We had the Enfrijolados Loaded and the combo pancakes. Delicious! We still had a wait (but people who came in after 12 were able to be seated immediately). The Enfrijolados were full of flavor. The pancake trio were cinnamon roll, chocolate chip and blueberry. Surprisingly, I liked the cinnamon best, but all were good.

This restaurant has the best decor I've seen in a long time. It's one of those places where your eye never stops--all kinds of art and paraphernalia adorn the walls and side tables. Wonderful. The menu selection was great--enough vegetarian choices to make me happy. And the coffee? Good heavens. Locally roasted and fresh and PERFECT. And strong! I had the two-egg veggie plate, which came with mushrooms and spinach, and my friend had traditional eggs and ham, which she couldn't finish, there was so much. The mushrooms were perfectly grilled and were large, and the flavor was as great as the coffee. So why the mediocre review? Both our meals were barely warm, and the waitstaff, although polite, wasn't particularly attentive. I didn't get a coffee refill until nearly the end of the meal, and I had to ask. If both these things change and I return, I'd gladly add two stars.

We just walked by and and were seated readily. I had breakfast enchiladas and my friend the caprese sandwich. Fresh and extremely tasty come to mind. House drip coffee was only option but helped wake me up. A good selection of teas for those who want to step down from caffeine high. Well worth it.

Came here with the family to share a great breakfast. Service was not that fast, maybe the young male server was new in the team, but we weren't in a hurry. All the meals were great and the restaurant is cute and one of a kind.

I called the owner to let him know I was over charged 3.00 hadn't realized there was too busy listening to a friend. I also stated the floors were filthy dust bunnies all around the baseboards - and the waitress and cook were so busy chatting she never came back for my coffee refill. He called me a lot of names and said I'm not allowed in there again he would not serve me ?? like I'd ever go back ??.

I stopped here for breakfast prior to heading to a conference. It was a Saturday morning, but they were not busy and there was an open table on the patio. Since it was just me, I was immediately seated there. I have no complaints about my meal at all. It was tasty, good portions, seasoned well, and hot. However, service was incredibly slow. There was only one server doing outside, and I don't know how many tables she had inside, but it took about 15 mins after I was seated before I was even given a menu and asked if I wanted coffee. If you're not in hurry, the bacon eggs benedict was quite tasty.

We received incredibly slow service. Food was good, but I might as well served myself. Finally got my coffee when the meal was finally served. I got my own coffee refills as well. Below is a picture of my $2 almond milk. No, that's not a giant coffee mug.

We went there for breakfast because of the vegan options. Although it was already 11:00 a.m. the place was full but not too busy, the service however, was one of the worst ever experienced. Long waiting time and wrong dishes served. My daughter is vegan and ordered the vegan pancakes and asked the waiter, whether the maple syrup on the table is vegan. He confirmed it is vegan and my daughter used it. Just as second before she started to eat, the waiter came back and told us the syrup on the table is not vegan and we need to order a special vegan syrup. Ok, fine, but they had to make the pancakes again which was taking ages again. Overall a very bad experience service wise, which is a petty, because food was tasty.

We visited San Diego on business and found this little gem close to the conference centre. Fresh, innovative, delicious breakfast and lunch. We returned everyday for breakfast and just tried the lunch menu. Outstanding! Jicama tacos filled with steak. Lettuce wrapped chicken tacos.Had a Stella along with that! Don't miss this one! Beyond reasonable pricing and lovely little patio!! Great friendly staff. Saw the crepes..wow!

I only went once and had the Cinnamon Roll pancakes. Awesome, would love to go back and try other things but if you can extrapolate from this dish then it is a great place.

This was a beautiful little restaurant. We only popped in for breakfast and we loved the place! It had a very timeless elegant feel and felt like a little oasis of calm. Great staff make you feel so welcome and the chia blueberry pancakes are a knockout!! Just a stones throw from The Horton where we stayed. Also had the bar next door which was open for steaks etc in the evening. Can’t wait to go back!

What a great find in San Diego. The food is delicious whether or not you choose eggs, waffles or pancakes. The portions are a very healthy size...you won't go hungry. Our server was lovely and we never wanted for anything. In addition she helped guide us through the menu. Highly recommend stopping in for breakfast or brunch; does not disappoint!

Referred by friends to this spot and we weren't disappointed. You can eat inside or out if the weather is fine. Nice choice of usual breakfast items including porridge, eggs and bacon and some local dishes including waffles. $30 for two for breakfast is great value

This was the first time I have had the chance to visit any of the restaurants in the Glasslamp. I truly enjoyed this place. It was quaint, the staff very friendly and best of all the food was tasty. Service was fast. I will definitely go back.

We sat at our table for 10 minutes as the waitress walked by 3 times before we had to ask for a menu and water. Someone else brought those and we never saw anyone again. Us and two other parties walked out.

This breakfast/lunch venue is very popular with locals & visitors and a quick walk from the San Diego Convention Center. It is somewhat small with indoor/outdoor seating, no reservations. The food choices were very good and the food was wonderful including the crepes. However, for some reason, on a Tuesday the wait at 10:30a was 15 mins, but it took approximately 60-70 minutes to get our food & hey forgot several orders. To their credit, they comp’ed the crepes. The service was otherwise pleasant.

not usually too busy, week ends can be an exception. good food, decent service, good portions/value, in historic China town next to a small but interesting Chinese San Diego museum. Good area to explore.

This was our third breakfast in three days at different top spots in San Diego and it was tops. The crepes on a stick were awesome. Get them as an share item. All of our meals were great. Waitress told us the cinnamon bun pancake was what they are famous for so we shared one. It was delicious! Make this one of your breakfast stops.

Cool decor, yummy pancakes. We went early and. I queue, food ready quickly and very tasty. Will be going back again.

Visited twice in one week. Love the atmosphere. The decor is an Italy theme. Service with a smile. Our food was freshly made and served hot, not to mention delicious. Feel right at home here with the friendly staff.

Excellent breakfast at this eclectic restaurant. Highly recommend the custom made sausage as well as the freshly squeezed juices. We had very little wait even though the place is located in the Gaslamp District.

The Lazy Hippo is a funky, fun place for breakfast and lunch. Our eggs, ham and bacon were good. The pancakes were a little over cooked, but OK. There is indoor and outdoor seating and we enjoyed the beautiful morning on the patio. The only real negative is that it took an inordinately long time for the waitress to take our order, and a long time to get our food. This is an enjoyable place to eat, if you have nothing else planned and don't mind waiting, a lot.

The staff here is SO friendly, but, they are definitely understaffed. The pancakes, bacon and eggs were OK, the coffee was just OK, the breakfast burrito was good, the wait was about ten minutes when there were many tables free (but, I understand they were running around a lot), service was slow. That said, we ate long before we would have at other places in the area for Sunday breakfast. And, there were crayons on the table for those with kids, so that was a plus.

I happened on this place while wandering around looking for something else in the neighborhood. It looked interesting, so I stopped in for lunch on a whim. I had the chicken cilantro crepes, which were very good.

This is a small little, unique place offering a good variety of food. Who can beat a crepe on a stick with Nutella and bacon? Perfect meal for a kid. Fish tacos were really good as well. Wait staff was quite friendly and helpful but the service was a bit slow. Know that going in and there won't be a problem. Fun place to eat for sure!

I had a breakfast meeting at the Lazy Hippo and had a great meal. The eggs were exactly the way I ordered. The coffee was so good that I didn't need to doctor it with cream, and the cinnamon roll pancake? Let us pause for a moment and reflect reverently on the truly remarkable dish known as the cinnamon roll pancake. The waiter recommended it to me--and he was absolutely correct. Amazing!

Small place with a decent selection of breakfast items. Our server was friendly. They have several outside tables.

Breakfast at 8am and the place is packed! No wonder, portions huge, flavor fabulous and the four vegan meals we had spectacular! Patrick our server was amazing, fast efficient, anticipating our every need and such a friendly sweet demeanor! We had breakfast burritos, pancakes and enchiladas...everything cooked perfectly- yum!

cool little place that offered traditional breakfast items as well as mexican breakfast items. As always, I’ll give the pros and cons. Pros: Quick service Clean everything! (thank you) Friendly staff (Our server Jago was great- super friendly- great job Jago!) Fantastic food. We ordered traditional breakfasts and everything was perfectly cooked and tasted great. Nothing bad or even less than perfect about anything we ate. Great coffee Great atmosphere. Sit inside or outside (your choice but we sat inside for the atmosphere) Saturday morning breakfast: 2 min wait. No complaints. Cons: Nothing we could find. Definitely go here for a great meal.

Breakfast is amazing as it's served really fresh and in traditional American Style. apart from the food you can enjoy to draw your own persoanl Hippo on the paper and then they attach on the windows. so funny.

Just a short stroll from or hotel, this place was delightful for a late breakfast. We sat at the sidewalk tables with plenty of shade. There seemed to be more pedestrians than cars on the street, so not too noisy. I had the peanut-butter-banana-caramel French toast while my wife had an omelette that was basically a bit of egg trying desperately to hide a tasty mass of meats. Yum. The only downside was that the place allows dogs, and there were three at the outdoor tables. Each time another dog walked by, the place erupted in a chorus of howls and yaps. Another couple with a dog decided not to come because the dogs already there were too intimidating. Leave dogs at home!

Quaint, best hidden gem for breakfast. Brown paper on tables with color pencils to keep you occupied. Every bite had fabulous flavor. Sausages were to die for. Cinnamon roll pancakes, lemon ricotta waffles, even the water has a citrus tone. Worth every penny! We had the meals~14 each

Came here twice on our trip and the gf choc chip pancakes did not disappoint. The waitress was reassuring they were actually gf because they tasted so good!

We stumbled across this gem of a great breakfast place. Good food, nice decor, and great service. Don't be in a hurry, enjoy talking to each other.

They apologized repeatedly for being slow and understaffed. Unfortunately the sincere apologies were the highlight of the meal. The waffle was cold and tough. The bacon was delivered to another table and when it came was inedible. Nearby tables had similar problems.

Lovely breakfast. Helpful and friendly staff. Lots of vegan options. Really nice little place, glad we found it. Cinnamon pancakes were delicious- but you’ll need to have them boxed up to go as too much to finish!

We ate breakfast here during a weekend in San Diego and it is an excellent choice. The huevos were excellent as were the pancakes ans french toast. The fruit was super fresh. Coffee was strong and plentiful. Service was attentive but not at all intrusive.

We chose Lazy Hippo because the other 3 brunch spots had at least a 30 minute wait. There was no wait at all here. The four of us (2 adults and 2 kids) sat at 2 tables across from each other for 2 because there were no tables available for 4. With all the good Yelp reviews I was pretty confident in choosing this place for breakfast. Sadly, we were all highly disappointed (except for the 9 year old). I ordered the breakfast special - a huge Cinnamon Roll pancake, regular bacon, chicken sausage, scrambled eggs with cheese and potatoes. I received the cinnamon roll pancake and it was just as good as everyone on Yelp said it was. I did not receive the bacon, which I was looking forward to. There was so much cheese on the eggs that I had to take the cheese off and added a few pieces of cheese with each bite. I hope you caught that. My eggs were loaded with cheese, you could barely see the eggs! The chicken sausage was house made so I was looking forward to trying that too. Unfortunately the chicken sausage taste as if they should have been on a bun with mustard. It didn't compliment the breakfast meal at all! DO NOT ORDER COFFEE! It's weak, very bland and watery. I had to send it back. The waitress asked if I was from there. I told her No. She smiled and said I knew that because we have some of the strongest coffee in this area. If you don't like ours you won't like anyone else's *shrugs* My partner ordered the same but with a fresh pressed juice - the Apple, Cucumber, lemon and ginger drink and loved it. It was delicious. The teen in our party ordered an omelet. This too was LOADED with cheese. She also had to pull all of the cheese off of her omelet to enjoy it. She ordered an iced coffee to drink but sent hers back as well. It was flavorless! The little one ordered the kid's pancake meal and loved it. Now, his scrambled eggs with cheese was cooked with a slice of American Cheese on top, not shredded cheddar like the rest of ours so his eggs were not smothered in cheese. If in in the area again we'll wait the 30 mins for something better.

Breakfast prices are reasonable, food is delicious! Service was fast, although I will say our family was there early on a Sunday morning. Veggie omelette was $12.95. Served with toast and fruit. It was very good. The two American plate at $11.95 was also delicious. I would recommend the side fruit dish at $3.00, and a side egg at $1.95. Total charge for a family of four $50. I would definitely recommend this restaurant, its on 3rd Avenue both indoor and outdoor seating!

I had egg, ham & cheese sandwich on sourdough, my husband had the same only on a bagel. Next time I would try their pancake. It looked yummy.

A wide choice of selections, well prepared and reasonably priced in a comfortable place, indoor s or outdoors. Friendly staff. I only wish they opened before 8 so I could have gone there and made it to the convention center for 8 AM meetings. It seems to me htat a breakfast place should open at 6:30, but perhaps San Diego is different.

Had breakfast here for the first time. Wife's bagel too cake like - recommended they get there bagels elsewhere - perhaps Brooklyn bagel locally. I had breakfast burrito which was good - not great. Bacon not crisp. Green salsa excellent. Potatoes excellent. Coffee lukewarm.

Fun decor, friendly/attentive staff and excellent food. I had huevos rancheros. Amazing. The restaurant is clean. With music playing in the background. It might be my new favorite breakfast location in San Diego.

Arrived about 8:50 am for breakfast Mon Oct 28, 2019. Restaurant was 1/3 to 1/2 full. Service was incredibly slow. Coffee was not hot. Orange pekoe tea was served as camomile, and cost $5.75 for one bag!! Home fries were room temperature and the waiter did not care at all when so informed. Had to wait at least 8 minutes to get a coffee refill. Waiter always avoided eye contact. A small “ingredient cup” (stainless steel, held about 2 1/2 tablespoons) of pourable peanut butter (it seemed diluted) was charged at $2 and without us being informed that peanut butter was an up-charge. Overall terrible service, followed by “sticker shock” at the prices charged for the tea, the coffee, and the peanut butter. Perhaps 3 times in my entire 65 years I have not left a tip. This was one of them. Previous day’s breakfast at Horton Grand Hotel was infinitely better in every way.

After having been told at one of the IN places that we have to wait for 40 minutes we were extremely surprised by the friendly&professional service and the delicious breakfast. Try it!

I love this place. The cinnamon roll pancakes are definitely worth getting!! You really can't go wrong with a classic breakfast but they also have options like acai bowls. Dogs are welcome on the patio but kind of a small space. (two tops mainly). This is a great spot to take your mom for brunch! Has a cozy and sweet vibe - off the beaten path but still near 5th. Fun fact - I believe the owners also own "whiskey house" next door. I support both businesses!

I love this cozy breakfast, brunch place!! There's so many in Gaslamp area to choose from & i'm so happy we went here for breakfast! Food is delish!! Service great and the ambience is lovely. Prices decent. Menu has various choices. Very relaxing brunch!! Can't wait to come back!!

The food was good. The staff was friendly but a bit slow. There were not many people there but with one loud table, noise really echoed. They have a great outside area to eat. Think I would have been happier if we sat out there. Would go back.

We love small breakfast and lunch restaurants, and the Lazy Hippo is an attractive option in the historic Gaslamp District. We were actually on our way to a different restaurant when we saw the Lazy Hippo and decided to stop. I can't say we were rewarded for our change of heart. It's a comfortable, small place, and friendly enough. My fresh squeezed OJ was great, but it should be for $6. My wife ordered an expensive juice combination with ginger that sounded great. Unfortunately, she never got to try it because it never arrived at our table (though reviewing the total we paid, it appears we paid for it, nonetheless). There are quite a few breakfast and lunch selections here that sound inviting, and looking at some of the review photos, they look inviting as well. Our waiter recommended the jicama tacos, three small chicken and jicama tacos with a side salad for $13. The tacos could have been great. But these gringo tacos had chicken breast cubes that were dry and unseasoned, tasting like they came from one of those Costco bags of pre-cooked chicken breasts. No bueno. The jicama tried to compensate, but couldn't quite pull it off, and the salad, while it was fine, had an overly sweet dressing. The flavors of the tacos and salad, and the lack of flavor in the chicken, did not work well together. Evidently, the Lazy Hippo has a lot of fans. They have drawings people have done of hippos all over the walls, and they even have a souvenir shop of branded merchandise. It's a cute place, and I wish them well, but we won't be back. The food was far too average and when you factor in being charged for something you didn't get, we cannot recommend the Lazy Hippo, as the "lazy" part of the name appeared in our visit, to extend to the food preparation and service.