For the love of food

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Cafe Vahik — good bagel sandwiches DO exist in San Diego

Good bagel sandwiches DO exist in San Diego

Cafe Vahik has both outdoor and indoor dining areas

Neighborhood: Wind and Sea neighborhood of La Jolla.

Price: $

Vibe: Little neighborhood coffee shop vibes, with a few tables inside and outside on the patio. It can get crowded so if there are no seats, grab your bagels and walk a block down to Wind and Sea Beach and find a nice bench to enjoy your brekkie.

Great bagel sandwiches…in San Diego?

Have you heard of Café Vahik? My guess is, unless you are living in Birdrock or nearby, you haven’t – and you need to. Café Vahik is located on La Jolla Boulevard, right up the street from Wind and Sea beach. During pandemic times, we would pick up our meal and walk down to Wind and Sea beach to enjoy. Who doesn’t love a little beach picnic?

This unassuming little spot is family-run and is putting out some of the best bagel sandwiches and paninis in San Diego. Bagels are one of those things that you don’t really crave in San Diego because let’s be honest, there aren’t many great bagel spots here. I can’t help but compare all bagels to NYC and if you’ve been you know what I mean. But Café Vahik has changed my perception of the San Diego bagel scene – and not just because they source great bagels, it’s what they do with the bagels.

My absolute favorite is the Farmers Bagel, comprised of egg, spinach tomato and goat cheese. The amount of filling is just right, unlike others where your first bite pushes all the remaining ingredients out the backside of the bagel, and you find yourself rebuilding your bagel in between each bite. Now I’m not saying it won’t get a little messy, but this is the good mess. Worth coming back for again and again.

The yellowtail salad or yellowtail sandwich are also delicious selections, especially if you are looking for something on the lighter side. I wish I could eat bagels every day, but alas, I cannot.

They serve great coffee, whether you’re an espresso or roasted coffee connoisseur, everything is good. Next time you’re in Birdrock, stop by this wonderful little cafe for breakfast or lunch.