Great Maple

They might be more well known for their breakfast and brunch, but don’t overlook them for dinner. None of the appetizers disappointed. Steak tartare ($ 17) might be old news to some, but I still crave a good dose of raw beef and their version topped with arugula is excellent. The calamari ($ 12) with lemon caper mayo, chili flakes and olives was crispy and delicious. The beet tartare ($ 12) was a thing of beauty with its sweet diced beets stacked and held together by goat cheese and topped with lavash and arugula.
For entrees, the fried chicken ($ 15) was plenty to fill me up despite being on the list of «petite» dishes. With one tender, two drum sticks, and one wing it was a great rendition of a classic. Crispy, herbaceous, well seasoned. The fries were good too. The beef bourgnignon ($ 17), on the other hand, was only ok. Tender and savory, but the one note flavor of the dish was less than stellar.
They’ve got a kid’s menu too — one of the reasons I brought my family here. Portions sizes are huge and should be shared. Both the butter pasta and fish and chips were hits with the little ones in our group.

I take brunch very seriously. It’s really disgusting how much I care about it. That being said, I think Great Maple delivered. Great Maple isn’t located in the most picturesque part of San Diego. There’s a DMV, a run down church, and lots of speeding vehicles. What isn’t there is ample parking. About 12 – 18 parking spots are in front of the restaurant, then you and your Jetta need to take it elsewhere to find parking because they WILL all be occupied. We looked for about 15 minutes, then – when in Rome – we ended up parking in an impromptu parking lot on the median with about a dozen other cars (it sounds more horrific than it actually is, promise!). Because we allotted about 30 – 40 minutes for looking for parking – oh, we also have a problem with overwhelming prompt-​ness – we hit up the nearby farmer’s market to waste some time. Anyway, back to the goods. It wasn’t barely 10:20 AM when we first drove by, and there were already hordes of people outside. Ten minutes to our 11 AM reservation, we went to check in with the hostess. The rest of our party got there at 11, and we waited about 10 minutes to be seated.
Once seated, we weren’t addressed too promptly. Had we been starving or had less to catch up on, it would have been quite an issue because we waited at least 15 minutes to get our drink order taken. To our server’s credit, the restaurant was insanely packed and he still managed to be sociable and humor us, which is more than I would be able to say if I were in the service industry. We got two bottles of champagne to mix with watermelon juice and honey-​lavender lemonade which I thought was perfect for four people. Also keep in mind I was slightly hungover because I do not do brunch any other way. Both were quite delightful.
The menu is pretty expansive. We got truffle fries to share and to my great delight they came with a generous topping of parmesan and smelled of earthy truffle oil. Yes please! The brunch-​naïve MAY be overwhelmed with entrée choices. There are dozens upon dozens of options for benedicts, scrambles, omelettes, and other brunch faves. Keep in mind that they don’t indicate what dishes are, say, gluten-​free friendly, which could put you in a pickle if you’re either too shy to ask or if you’re server is swamped. Luckily for me, I’m obnoxious and have no problem asking what dishes accommodate whatever food allergies because mama doesn’t carry any epi pens with her so let’s avoid the need for those entirely, mmkay? So being me, I scoped out my top draft picks the night before and asked about those. I got the scrimps & polenta. I never say no polenta. NEVER. It was delicious! It comes with a lobster bisque drizzle that mingle with the tomato sauce the scrimps were curled up in, all on top of creamy polenta with some dollops of melted mozzarella curds – gluten-​free if you were wondering (I asked, remember?). It really isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s heavy but who cares because every body is a summer body if you just don’t give a shit. But back to the point: you owe yourself to try it. I wasn’t able to finish it myself because months and months of yoga and green juice (basic basic basic) have simply put a limit on how much I can intake, but luckily for me I have an absolutely wonderful physical specimen of a bf, whom I can vicariously live through as he helps me polish off whatever delicious scraps I have at the end of 95% of our meals.
I was seriously digging the vibe of Great Maple, right down to the long wooden board of fresh pastries two servers walked around with, tempting every table as they passed, dim sum style. Such a novelty! Everyone in my party thoroughly enjoyed their food, leaving me with very little, if at any, complaints. The only thing here is I don’t recommend it if you’re looking for a laid back, relatively quiet place to catch up with your peoples over brunch. It’s incredibly loud, but luckily, SO ARE WE. Eat in silence or yell across the table, the choice is yours. The price point isn’t the friendliest either, so be prepared to ball out of control or go home. All in all, Great Maple gets an A and a to-​visit-​again stamp in my Little Black Brunch Book.

Food quality excellent
Prices way too high — 22.00 breakfast for a motel 6 ambiance rather then Manchester Grand Hyatt ambiance is a good 5.00 per item over what it shroud be
Service — manager was on top of refilling coffee frequently –waitress not as attentive
I’m giving a generous 4 star because of the taste of my food — great coffee-​attentive mgr
If the prices were what they should be in the area I may have even given 5 stars

My girlfriends and I came here this morning for brunch. The food was nice and portions were good too.
So why the 2 stars? Service. Our server was Gina, I think (that’s what the receipt says). She didn’t seem very welcoming of our group and stopped by maybe once to check up on us. Here’s the more annoying part: my friend and I ordered coffee and it came with a little cup of creamer. We both put some in our coffees and that’s when I discovered a big black mysterious chunk of gooey stuff on the side of the creamer cup… Which we just drank. I told another waitress and asked her to replace the creamer and our coffees. Later on, our waitress stops by and says «sorry about the creamer.» That’s it. Nothing else. No compassion and I highly doubt she really felt bad.
I know it’s busy and mistakes happen but she could’ve at least comped the $ 4 coffees we ordered.
I will not be returning because for the $ 16 omelet and $ 4 coffee I ordered, I thought the service would justify all that.

Decided to check out this place since we were looking for a place to eat brunch. Parking stalls are tight since diners weren’t properly parked in their own stalls. This made it difficult for one to get in and out. If the parking stalls in front are full your only other option is street parking.
We were greeted by the hostess as we entered. I requested the corner booth on the left since it wasn’t occupied only to find out that people reserve this popular booth. Our server was attentive and came to check on us even though it was a little busy. We ordered the quiche of the day and the crab salad. The quiche of the day came with salad and a glass of champagne. I was satisfied with both and surprised how good the quiche tasted.
Overall this is a great place for brunch and I would return.

Was invited with friends to this place and would have never know it was even here. I went to the DMV a few weeks ago and never even saw it.
To start, Wait time was less then quoted, always great ;)
We started with the maple bacon doughnuts as an appetizer and they were soooo good.
I wanted to blueberry pancakes and I went with eggs and fruit with potato cake thing and it was all very good.
I really enjoyed this place.

3.20.16: Hoping there was no wait, we put our name down and was told about 30 – 45 minutes. Well that’s not bad at all.
Seats apparently opened up in the patio so we end up only waiting about 20 minutes. Record time! The patio area is pretty crowded, I had a hard time getting to me seat, but other than that it’s always nice to sit outside with the fresh air.
On this day we ordered the Popover and the healthy Salmon Plate.
Popover: Perfectly cooked poached eggs and the one I ordered was with the goat cheese squash blossoms. I love goat cheese. The only thing I didn’t like was that they put the popover right on top of the hollandaise sauce so when i got it, it was super soggy. Other than that it was perfect.
Smoked Salmon: Pretty straight forward dish, smoked salmon with capers.
I love the atmosphere, it does get pretty packed. Definitely check the bar counter seating because it’s first come first serve. So if you find a seat just plop on down.
Great service considering how busy they were.
Until next time =)

I didn’t see very many dinner reviews so I went in not knowing what to expect, but overall it was a great experience. We made reservations for 6pm on a friday night and were seated right away. Little flutes of complimentary champagne glasses were being passed around as we were getting settled in, and we all cheers-​ed «To the Weekend!». It was a great start to our evening.
Appetizer — Lobster Poutine Fries: Oh My these were delicious. Fries were nice and thick, generously covered in ooey gooey gravy. They were not shy about their lobster portions as there were huge chucks just swimming in the gravy.
Entrée– Beef burger: The meat was very juicy and cooked medium just as I had asked. It was a very simple burger… not the best burger I’ve ever had, but it was tasty.
Dessert — Maple Bacon Donuts: There are not enough words to describe how the donuts hit every sweet and savory tooth in your mouth. Again, they were not shy about their bacon portions because I had to scrape off a lot of it. Usually, I can’t have enough! But the donuts come out piping hot, fresh out of the deep fryer. And the Maple frosting is to die for.
Cocktail — Two of a Pear: When I ordered it, I imagined it was your standard pear martini, but it came in a whiskey glass with a huge ice cube (which normally comes in Old Fashion type drinks) which I LOVED! As a garnish there was a cinnamon stick stuck into a slice of pear which sits on top of the huge ice cube. I wish I had taken a picture but I got too excited and guzzled it down.
Overall, great experience. Our server was very friendly and personable. Let us take our time sit and chat and eat and drink. Would definitely come again.

I’m pretty sure you looked through all the photos before scrolling down to read this review. If not, I highly recommend you do because you will drool. Do not be ashamed.
I had been eying the Great Maple for some time, and then even more so when I was doing a juice cleanse. Cleanse be damned, that beef brisket looked GOOD, so I headed over for breakfast. I ordered a pickle bloody mary and the house beef brisket popover plate, which was EVERYTHING. Not only was the brisket I-​only-​need-​pull-​it-​apart-​with-​a-​fork tender, but it had thick cut maple bacon mixed in. Then I accidentally cut into my poached egg and the yolk runneth over…
Yes, my eyes are rolling into the back of my head, reminiscing.
The plate also comes with Pee-​Wee potatoes and, of course, a popover. As a struggling Paleo, I avoided these two things. Besides, the sizable portion of the brisket and bacon was filling!
As a side note, top off the meal with an espresso. The bartender John mentioned that they use Café Moto beans, and it is the smoothest espresso I’ve ever had.
I will have to return with friends, because there are soooo many scrambles I want to try!

Came here on a Sunday afternoon for brunch and found some creative food options, very interesting drink options, delicious maple donuts, good service but for a pretty hefty price. The bill ended up being around $ 30 per person with each person getting their own main entrée, a couple mimosas, and splitting an order of the maple bacon donuts. Was it worth? quite questionable.
Some notable things:
–The maple bacon donuts were definitely good, can’t really go wrong with donuts slathered with maple icing and crunchy bits of bacon on top — but I will admit it satisfied all my snapchat/​instagram needs for a beautiful picture.
–Beef Brisket Popover: this came with delicious, tender beef slices underneath an egg benedict and surrounded by a flakey popover biscuit. It also came with potatoes on the side. This was pretty good but was around $ 20, so not sure if it was $ 20 worth good.
–Grilled chicken with egg whites, avocado, salsa verde: This healthy option was also good– the chicken breast was soft and perfectly seasoned, the egg whites were buttery and seasoned well, and the avocado and salsa verde perfectly complimented the chicken and eggs!
–Watermelon Mimosa: pretty good but had a bit too strong of a cucumber taste in my opinion.
Service was okay, the waitress we had was nice but definitely kept forgetting about us; maybe because we were sat on the side near the door, but still, we had to wave her down vigorously and many times to get what we needed. But, we also kept in mind that it was pretty busy.
Parking is an absolute nightmare, especially because the Hillcrest Farmers Market was going on at the same time so the parking situation is horrible– prepare for this if you’re planning to come on a Sunday afternoon!

A Bloody Mary To Die For (OR Die From, Take Your Pick) ;)
SITREP
Incredible option breakfast & brunch in San Diego that will not leave you disappointed — from eclectic drinks to traditional breakfast fare, there is something here for everyone!
BLOODY MARY — Oh.My.GAWD!
Let’s start with my Bloody Mary — it was a very special concoction indeed called «Johnny’s Hangover Bloody Mary» — it contained:
* A full 20 ozs of 42 Below Vodka,
* Lots of Spices that would make your tongue curl (make sure you have a tall glass of ice water there with it); and, last, but not at all least,
* Crowned with a most scrumptious fresh slice of toasty baguette with melted cheese and pepperoni — AMAZEBALLZ!
Now, my Bloody Mary could very well have been my «breakfast» in and of itself, but I had no freakin idea of it’s size and had ordered my breakfast addition in any event. Ce la vie!
QUICHE-​OF-​THE-​DAY
A nice cheese & spinach quiche: this was such a tasty option that came with roasted country potatoes. I will say that it was pretty standard fare, and nothing to shout home about (like the Bloody Mary), but very yummy and probably would be very satisfactory for someone just wanting «comfort food».
STEPHANIE
Our server was a dynamic and so I have to give her a well-​deserved shoutout, since we had nothing but stellar service from her, and she was managing our entire group of just around 30 peeps. So no small feat.
PARKING
The main drawback at this location. But if like us and you can’t get a spot in the lot in front of the restaurant, go around back and around the block and find a spot on the street — OR, even go into the DMV lot (the back lot) and catch a spot there.
THE LOWDOWN
A terrific choice to have brunch at in San Diego, AND make sure you try one of their very cleverly named and made Bloody Marys that they specialize in here!

Bacon bacon bacon mucho tocinos gusta y las mimosas son frescas y grandes la pizza con huevo es la mejor del sur de California

Finally had a chance to come here. This place is always packed and they didn’t have reservations for today so we decided to come in without a reservation. The wait time was 45 minutes but we found great seats at the bar.
We tried a lot of their stuff, and a lot of it is sweet. Instead of coffee I got the salted caramel espresso and was surprised when it came out. It was a giant mountain of whipped cream drizzled with caramel sauce on top of my espresso. It was really pretty, tasty, and probably high in calories.
Next up we were tempted by the wooden trays the staff were carrying around that had cinnamon buns on them. We said yes to one of those too, the way they sell them reminded me of dim sum when they come around with a cart. The cinnamon bun was very sweet and delicious but I couldn’t finish it.
For my meal I had the braised beef popover. It was mixed with bacon and had two poached eggs and hollandaise sauce on top. There was a fluffly croissant/​biscuit sitting next to it and it came with two pieces of fruit (not sure why there was only two) and potatoes. This was a very delicious meal and I am sad I couldn’t finish it all :(
I’d come again and maybe next time I will make reservations. Oh parking was awful, there is a farmer’s market next door on Sunday’s and thus there are more people in the area than there are parking spots. Be prepared to look for parking for a few minutes.

My 555^th review! (A three 5’s indeed review!)
What can I say? This is the most sensational local restaurant that I’ve ever dined in right here in San Diego! Friday morning on 5÷13÷2016, I decided to checked this place called, «Great Maple.» Great Maple brings the customers to taste their amazing collections of well-​made foods from breakfast to dinner especially desserts too! As I entered, the atmosphere is quite relaxing and elegant as I welcomed to the servers and hosts. The concept is much like mixture of French Canadian and North Eastern American twist all in one.
The service is doing a fantastic job for making the customers like me an enjoyable, friendly assistance. No cons at all!
Now onto the food! Since it’s almost brunch time clocking in at 10:00 am PST, I ordered the Bacon Scrambled. This entrée contains scrambled eggs with bacon pieces, garnishes, and roma tomatoes along with fingerling potatoes, a slice of cantaloupe, and a slice of baked loaf bread. I did also ordered their signature latte too. As I ate it, that scrambled entrée tasted remarkable! The eggs cooked very well and puffy to eat especially the bacon too! The potatoes on the other hand tasted not bad. Perfectly baked and seasoned well. The rest of the entrée did make this plate a perfection without any mishaps. Delicious. Furthermore, their latte is also tasted very good too which I did feel the taste of original roasted coffee. A great morning meal start for me!
There’s a limited amount of parking available, so take an advantage to park as you can because it will get busy during brunch hours. You can also ride a bike, walk, park at surface street parking or use public transportation easier without the hassles.
To conclude, Great Maple is the most noteworthy local restaurant that I’ve ever enjoyed the most. I’ll mostly come back for more for my next San Diego trip in the future! A well, worthy experience! My rating: 5 solid stars.

Ok so here we go. This restaurant took over for a restaurant that I adored for years while living in SD so I resisted going to it until right before I moved. I have been twice on two different trips since I moved.
I remember the first visit vaguely… I remember loving the maple bacon doughnuts and the jam/​jelly they brought to the table. That was the extent of my memory but then it was 2 years ago at least.
First time I visited since moving was just in March, my friend talked a LOT about it. So we went for brunch. She had the French Toast logs (as we call it) and I had Chilaquiles. I was not at all impressed with mine — maybe it is because I am used to them being amazing in San Diego since we are so close to real authentic Mexican food… no idea but they were soggy and lacking severely in flavor. The French Toast logs — WOWZAH… I mean really? they are awesome. They are two extremely long bricks of french toast. Covered in maple bacon syrup (yes you read that right) where the bacon is in huge chunks. Then there are fresh blueberries as well. Basically it is heaven in the mouth. This is TRULY the reason that I gave this place 4 stars.
Second time was just this past Monday. The day after my birthday. It was my birthday brunch. Same friend… she got the same thing and we decided to split what we got so I could enjoy some of the french toast and she could try something new. I decided to try one of their burgers. They were good. But they were not $ 18 good. The meat was tender, maybe 8 oz BEFORE cooking MAYBE— grilled onions and avocado were good on it. Eh I just didn’t think it was worth the price, organic or not. Nothing wrong with the burger AT ALL and the fries were awesome… just not worth $ 18.
Iced tea was good and refreshing.
Basically this place is pricey… but that french toast though…
Additionally, the service is extremely attentive. The location is clean. The wait is crazy too long but that french toast though (did I already say that??)…

Now this is not the first time we have indulged here. And I have forgotten what we ate at that time due to «somebody’ forgetting to write a review (finger points at me). But the «feel good» memory most certainly influenced us to return.
This is the kind of place you want to visit early in the morning hours. They call themselves «Great» for a reason. The wait times are a testament.
Great:
The coffee — A rich dark brew that «puts hair on your chest». My kind of coffee!
The Quiche of the day (mine had broccoli, yellow cheddar, bacon, and onion). So creamy it was causing me to embarass myself. It came with a tender green salad and sweet balsamic dressing.
The Oyster Scramble — nice oysters, but you better like bacon. It came served in a little baking pan that was lined with thick bacon (the good stuff), then fluffy eggs, cheese, and topped with 2 fat, fried oysters. Mr. B thought the amount of bacon was overkill and made it greasy. We bacon lovers know… there is no such thing as too much bacon. If it were mine, I’d say, too much oysters.
The Buttermilk Pancakes — Ok, here is where they shine. We ordered a side (8 minis). Some of the most perfect little «pancakies» I ever tasted, edges with a little crunch, dressed up with softened butter and whipped cream. And a mini carafe of maple syrup. Trust me, you want them.
Not So Great (it seems I am bucking the crowd here):
The Beignets — Light, fluffy, fried pillows of mostly air, drowned in powdered sugar. If you are into that sort of thing, you may be more impressed than I. We found them dry. The presentation, however, was fun. They are presented in a paper bag filled with the sugar (and complete with grease spots), shaken, then dumped into a small stainless bowl.
The Lavender Mimosa — Ok. I guess mimosas are not on my «must try» list.
Forgiven but not Forgotten:
The service, good not great, hard to get our server’s attention. Both times we were glad we chose sitting at the counter, since the predicted wait times did not suit us, the space a bit snug, and the frenetic pace distracting. But there were no such things as lazy servers here!
Parking…next to impossible… another good reason you will want to arrive early.

I came here for brunch on a Sunday morning. I tried their french toast, boy that was the biggest piece of french toast. My friend and I weren’t able to finish it. The texture of the toast and the mix of syrup made it so good. The bacon bits were great also!
I would love to come back with more people to try their donut!

I had the French toast logs. They were good but there wasn’t anything special about them.
As for cleanliness, the bathroom was a total disaster. Long wait and really messy.
The customer service was no good. Our server was friendly but service was too slow.
Note — on a weekend you will have to wait anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour to be seated depending on what time you arrive and how big your party is.

Now I see why the wait on the weekends is insane! It’s because it’s wellll worth the wait! Decided to come in on a Monday when it wasn’t so busy. We sat at the bar and were helped by an amazing, knowledgable and super friendly waitress, Ashley.
I chose the Chilaquiles & he choose the Fruit Pebble pancakes with bacon and eggs. Mine was savory and amazing, greatttttt recommendation! He really enjoyed the bacon, even said it was above average. He now wants to re-​create this dish at home. lolll! Coffee was amazingggg, some places have cheap, crappy coffee. not this place!

I REALLY wish I wouldn’t have waited so long to post this review… I’m having a hard time remembering how awesome brunch was at Great Maple!
This place is great… love the vibe and the old school outside of the building. Parking is tight, but that’s expected for the area. Also, I would expect a wait (a long wait on the weekends). Try and make a reservation if you can — which we did, via Open Table.
We both ordered mimosas (duh) and I had the daily special, which was a pork belly popover… OMG was it delicious! Lots of fresh vegetables and just YUM! I would say it’s on the pricey side, because it cost more than $ 50 for 2 of us, but I am a bit spoiled by $ 2.99 breakfasts in Las Vegas.
Overall, it’s a really great place and I can’t wait to go back. Not sure when that will be, since I have a NEVER ENDING list of brunch places to try in San Diego. But I’ll be back for sure.

I was introduced to Great Maple by a good Unilocaler friend, Sandra M.
I ordered the following:
— Florence Brunch — creamy polenta, seasonal mushrooms, pecorino cheese, with two poached eggs
— GM Honey Mule — Stoli honey vodka, fresh lime & mint, fever tree ginger ale, on the rocks (served in a cute bear glass)
ENJOY!
Tip 1 — there is usually a wait (so bring a snack if you’re hungry so you don’t get too hangry)
Tip 2 — parking might be hard to find due to small parking lot so take Über or Lyft there