Harry's Coffee Shop

Harry's Coffee Shop sits under the flat La Jolla sun, stubbornly unchanged and properly honest. Vinyl booths, black and white photographs, and a giant portrait of the owner with Willie Mays give the room a lived-in, mildly sentimental edge. Coffee comes in a stainless steel carafe. Pancakes arrive towering and syrup-slick; the chocolate pancakes with honey and butter make a meal feel like dessert. Hash browns crackle to a perfect golden brown. The chicken-fried steak is fried until the coating flakes, then drowned in rosemary-scented white gravy. Servers move fast when the line is long, and they will produce a plate of mini pancakes and whipped cream for an impromptu birthday. Locals and families fill the tables on weekend mornings. Sit outside if the ocean breeze is up, and count the vintage photos until the bill shows up.