East County Eatery - Gus's Subs #2 in La Mesa, CA

Gus's Subs & Pizza #2
5620 Baltimore Dr
La Mesa, California
619-462-4877

Their subs are good, their pizza is better, and their breakfasts are out of this world! I discovered Gus's #2 when I moved into the Lake Murray neighborhood and I was looking for a pizza joint to satisfy my craving for something other than the typical chain-bred cardboard fare. I wanted a pizza with personality and this little, unimposing place on the corner looked like the perfect candidate.

I quickly discovered their pizzas are pretty good, with a wide variety of toppings available including some rather unusual ones like chorizo and Portuguese sausage. The cheese is piled on thick, the sauce is flavorful and the crust a perfect combination of crunchy, crispy and chewy. I was hooked. Later forays proved their subs to be pretty darn good too, and a huge value for the price.

But, it was when I went there for breakfast that I got the shocker. That little place does a brisk morning business, and I soon understood why. Out of the little and somewhat cramped looking kitchen comes some of the best breakfasts I've ever had. Their Eggs Benedict are wonderful with a creamy, smooth sauce, perfectly turned eggs and nicely crispy, chewy muffins. The Rib Eye Steak and Eggs breakfast is more than any one person should ever eat in one setting, and it's just fabulous. I think one of my favorites, though, is actually a side dish option - it's their house fries. These things take fried potatoes to a whole new level! I'm picky, and I order mine extra crispy, with onions, mushrooms and bell peppers added in; the server doesn't miss a beat and they come to my table just as ordered, big chunks of potato, fried crispy brown, with just the right amount of grilled onions, mushrooms and bell peppers.

The other fun thing here is reading their menu. This is obviously a family affair with breakfasts being named after family members and friends (I'm rather fond of Eddie's and Zandra's.) On weekend mornings, it's not uncommon to see the owner, Gus, manning the griddle, his wife helping out at the cash register and son George doing server duty. My friend and I have become such breakfast regulars, we don't even need to order our drinks; we walk in, take our seats and someone calls as we walk by, "Coffee and iced tea with lemon?" We just nod and sit down.
It's not a fancy place and the atmosphere is strictly home-town eatery, but the service is quality, friendly and fast, the food is terrific and I admit it, I am a sucker for finding those little Mom and Pop places where everything hasn't become a corporate cookie cutter and the staff knows what you're going to order when they see you walking in the door.

Prices on their pizzas are in the top edge of what I call affordable; subs fall into the same category, but are so huge you should pan on splitting one. Breakfasts are the real bargain at Gus's and the prices are downright incredible! There is a Gus's #1, I haven't been there yet, but it's in Point Loma. Gus's #1 isn't open for breakfast, but I've been told it does an incredibly brisk lunchtime business.