By TR Robertson
Connie Ambacher has been in the restaurant business for 45 years, a resident of Vista for 44 years and for the past 10 years the owner of Connies Café in Vista, building a loyal clientele and serving new customers each year. Connies Café is located at 1688 S. Melrose, #206, in Shadowridge Square, catacorner from Rancho Buena Vista High School and across Melrose from Albertsons. The small café is known for a great variety of delicious entrees at reasonable prices, friendly service with a warm welcome including a greeting from Connie and a free, tasty cookie for each diner after your meal. There are six tables inside and four outside tables for customers. You could spend an hour or more reading the funny and witty placards hanging on the walls. Connies son, Bill, helps run the café along with help on weekends from grand-daughter Mackenzie. Bill has been at Connies for the past eight years. Connie also has a daughter, Amanda, who lives in San Marcos and another daughter, Brandi, who lives in Apple Valley.
The café is open seven days a week, open at 10 am until 2 pm.
There have been some ups and downs for Connie, as most businesses go through. During COVID, Connies Café stayed open, serving pick-up-to-go meals from out the front door of the restaurant until they were allowed to serve meals at the outdoor tables. Connie also had a personal fight against cancer she dealt with, never letting this keep her down. She said she would go through her treatments and be back at work, although some days were harder than others. She said she is happy to report that she is now cancer free. Connies Café had to shut down for eight months due to a kitchen fire a few years ago as well but reopened as soon as clean-up and repair work could be completed.
Connies Café is an extremely popular breakfast spot for many people. On the Classics side of the menu, you can order Chicken Fried Steak and eggs, covered with great tasting sausage gravy (my sons favorite), and even find Meatloaf and eggs on the menu. There are nine Omelet choices, including the Shadowridge Special with avocado, spinach, tomato and mushroom topped with Feta cheese as well as one called the Kitchen Sink. Hash Browns, Home Fries or Fruit are offered as additional choices. Some of the Specialty offerings include Biscuits and Gravy, four different Benedict choices, a Breakfast Sandwich and a Breakfast Burger with bacon. For those that like Griddle items there is Apple Pie French Toast and Classic French Toast, Pancakes, and Waffles. A kid’s breakfast menu is also available.
If lunch is something you want from Connies, the choices are extensive. There are five large salad choices, nine sandwich choices and eight burger choices. On the sandwich side a Fancy Grilled Cheese includes avocado, tomato and red onion on sourdough. The Grilled Roast Beef comes with grilled onions and Pepper Jack Cheese and the Meatloaf Sandwich are popular choices. The French Dip is loaded with roast beef and Swiss Cheese with onion rings. Some of the burgers Connie serves up include the ABC Burger (avocado, bacon, cheese), the Hawaiian with pineapple and teriyaki sauce, the Jalapeno Burger and the Mushroom Swiss Burger. There is also a Fried Chicken Bacon Ranch that is another popular sandwich, listed on the burger side of the menu as a chicken choice. For all burgers and sandwiches there is a choice of either Parmesan Garlic Fries, Potato Salad, Soup or Garden Salad. A kid’s menu is also offered for lunch.
This popular eatery is well worth stopping in and choosing from a variety of items on the extensive menu, you will not be disappointed. For more information on Connies Café go to Facebook, Instagram, Next Door, Yelp or Trip Advisor. You can call Connies Café at 760-597-1700 and don’t forget those Wednesday dinners.
