Café 9-7-6

Café 9-7-6 in Pacific Beach offers much more than just a bite to eat. The menu is extensive, and offers options for vegetarian dining as well as heart healthy choices. Breakfast is served from early morning into the afternoon, as it should be for surfers hitting the daybreak breakers or for the rest of us on our lazy beach days. The breakfast menu is pretty normal: eggs, bagels, burritos, waffles, French toast, bowls. There are some local influences here giving props to the Mexican border just a few miles away, with items like Huevos Rancheros – eggs cooked in a Mexican salsa.

Lunch is served until 3pm, and after that the menu is limited. Bu the selections before 3pm are extensive, with salads, soups, sandwiches, pizza, and more Mexican options like quesadillas, tacos, and burritos. The lunch menu I have found to be hit or miss. The Spinach Burger is dish not to miss – fresh, unique, and totally delish. But the Spicy Eggplant Sandwich always seems to fall short of my expectations by skimping on the toppings.

There is always a barista (or two or three) on duty to make the extensive coffee and hot drink menu. The basics are covered, as well as a few regional specialties like Mexican Hot Chocolate, and of course the 9-7-6 specialties like the 9-7-6 (espresso, white chocolate, hazelnut, and milk), the Almond Joy (espresso, chocolate, coconut, almond, and milk), and many more. They serve locally mixed teas that are loose-leaf teas placed into a large bleach-free tea bag just before serving. The tea selection is extensive and unlike many coffee shops the baristas know how to make a good cup of tea. My favorite is the Cherry Sakura – a Japanese green tea with cheery flavor. Just don’t over brew it after you get to your table or it will become bitter.

Also of note is the newly refurbished décor, both inside and out. The café is inside an old house, with a huge patios dining area surrounded by flowers and many native plants. The wooden chairs outside have recently been repainted with a rainbow of bright colors. The inside has also been redone with new paint in bright pastels, and new counter that retains the same homey feeling, but more easily services the customers.

The walls have always been home to rotating art by local artists, and that is the same after the re-painting. In the hallways and restroom there is a permanent collection of old photographs of Pacific Beach, including one of the hosue that is no 9-7-6!

On a sunny day be sure to grab a table outside. If it’s chilly I recommend the sunny nook with booths inside, although it’s usually taken!


Cafe 976
976 Felspar Street (at Cass St)
San Diego, CA 92109
858-272-0976