Photo credit: Krista

“Waffles are just pancakes with abs.”

– Quote on a drawing in the Royal Art Gallery at Waffle Spot, San Diego.

In the heart of Mission Valley, Hotel Circle parallels the Interstate 8 Highway in the center of San Diego. The 8 Freeway, as the locals call it, runs west to east from Ocean Beach to the junction of the I-10 Freeway in Arizona. In the part called Hotel Circle, and the surrounding area of Mission Valley, there are obviously many hotels as well as other businesses, shopping, and restaurants. One of these hotels on Hotel Circle South is Kings Inn and located in the lobby is Waffle Spot, a hidden gem of a breakfast and lunch place.

Waffle Spot located inside Kings Inn | Hotel Circle | San Diego, CA | Photo credit: Krista

I cannot count the number of times I have driven past Kings Inn and Waffle Spot through the years on the 8 Freeway and yet I only recently ate there for the first time. It started with seeing a guy wearing a Waffle Spot t-shirt one day at lunch. The cartoon characters on his shirt looked fun and I thought to myself, “I should check out Waffle Spot one of these days for a blog post.” A few weeks later I saw a Groupon offer for Waffle Spot and decided this seemed like a perfect way to try out this place. The Groupon was for Monday to Friday ($20 certificate for $11) and we went for my birthday on March 31^st… I definitely felt like a “backyard tourist” as we parked our car in the large parking lot.

Waffle Spot is a family-friendly diner that is open from 7:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. daily. The breakfast menu is available 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and the lunch menu is served 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Daily Specials are also offered. On the day we visited it was during spring break for many schools and Waffle Spot was crowded with diners – it was hard to tell how many people were tourists simply here for vacation or locals who eat here often. We waited a few minutes and then sat at the counter. The décor of Waffle Spot is light and bright – the west wall has windows and the east wall has a colorful mural with caricatures of animated breakfast foods. The seating includes booths, small tables and chairs, and a counter with swivel chairs.

Waffle Spot Mural inside dining room | San Diego, CA | Photo credit: Krista

The breakfast menu has many options, including pancakes, omelets, and a variety of other delectable dishes. However, you cannot come to a place called Waffle Spot and not try the waffles!

Photo credit: Krista

Both my husband and I ordered the “Just Plain and Delicious” waffle and I customized mine with strawberries and whipped cream. We also shared a side of bacon and each had a glass of orange juice. The menu has drawings of the colorful characters with clever names like Sir Robin of Flapjack, Sir Wafflelot, Sir Up, The Court Eggster, Miss Muffin, Frenchie, and Squire Browns.

While we waited briefly for our food to be served, we looked around at the “Royal Gallery” of artwork on the walls above the counter. One of the pictures caught my eye, especially the quote with the child’s drawing. It said: “Waffles are just pancakes with abs.” I found this observation to be pretty humorous and shared it in a tweet to my followers on Twitter.

Photo credit: Krista

Our food arrived and it looked amazing. Better still, the waffles were delicious – perfectly prepared and hot off the waffle iron. I ate every bite – it was almost too much food! Waffle Spot says it is “Home to San Diego’s Best Waffles” and I would agree with this statement. Now I’m eager to return to Waffle Spot and sample some of the other breakfast and lunch selections.

It’s funny how some of the best treasures of a town can be hiding in plain sight. Waffle Spot is an example of this — an inviting and friendly diner along one of the busiest freeways in San Diego. I would highly recommend Waffle Spot for breakfast (or lunch) the next time you are in San Diego.

Maybe you and your family have already discovered Waffle Spot. If so, what are your favorite items on the menu?

“Waffles Are Just Pancakes with Abs” — Liam, age 11 | Waffle Spot Royal Art Gallery | San Diego, CA | Photo credit: Krista

Comments welcome and shares appreciated. Find me on Facebook to discuss this post and more. Subscribe for email notifications when new posts are published. Please feel free to leave me a message with suggestions for future blog posts – I love hearing your ideas!

Follow me on social media: Facebook | Bloglovin’ | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”