Quaint? Sort of. Expensive, sort of - $21 for all you can eat fish. I will say that it's acceptable cod, however. This is a dusty, ya-hoo sort of hick, dive cafe all by itself in the middle of nowhere. One eats at long, plastic-covered tables in a funky, old dancehall with heaps of obscure decor on the walls. Crap service from a bossy, know it all waitress. Had an attitude like Kathy Bates in Misery. Mediocre sides served family style. Fill up on the fish and the salad and you'll be ok. Steer clear of the refries, the hard hush-puppy/corn balls and the yellow pilaf-stuff. Â NOTE: Several times it felt like an old Twilight Zone rerun.
Review Source:Have been here several times but after last experience probably no more . We drove from Chula Vista to have the breakfast buffet , we have had this before and it had been descent. We arrived early and the waitress was kinda grumpy and inattentive, fine it's a buffet i can deal with that . We got our plates and either the trays were almost empty or things were overcooked, burned links, bacon the biscuits were hard gravy lumpy not good . We had to wait for fresh things to be brought out which took forever, and getting a coffee refill wasn't any better  when i asked for juice we were given Sunny D and i told the waitress i wanted Juice and she looked at me like she never heard of Orange juice before and said Sunny D was all they ever had for about $12 bucks a head for this i expected more not worth going out of my way again ., fail!
Review Source:DO NOT BUY ANYTHING FROM THE MERCANTILE! Â I wasn't wearing my glasses, long story, but I bought what I thought was a metal sign for Area 51 in a frame for my husbands birthday. Â I even talked to the manager about it telling him how cool it would look on our cabin. Â It cost me $50. Â Overpriced but I thought it was cool so was willing to overpay for it. Â When I got home and went to remove it from the frame, I realized it was a photocopy of the sign. Â $50 for a photocopy! Â A really good photocopy but still! Â I called the manager and asked if I could return it. Â He said he would have to have the owner call me. Â I left my name and number and have not heard back. Â RIP OFF! Â I was willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. Â That they,too thought it was a metal sign encased in a frame. Â Otherwise, why would they be asking $50 for it?
Review Source:me and my husband ate at the cafe this morning , my husband enjoyed the ribs ,the bar b que sauce was on the side,the ribs were meaty and tender, i love the the beans thier like my moms, the cook jeronemo is very nice, the fish fry was delicious,not too bready just right , the cod was very good.we enjoyed the drive it was worth it, we missed the train ride, only on the weekends.
Review Source:Stopped on the way home from Baja for the first time - unfortunately it was about 20 minutes BFR turning the grill off. Â Waitress was very crisp and sharp. Â I was hoping this could be a regular stopping off point for us but I won't bother - if Im spending my hard earned money I want someone at least to be nice. Â Wasn't impressed with the food either.
Review Source:My family use to frequent Barrett quite a bit when I was kid, so we decided to bring my dad for his birthday. The fish fry is still as good as I remember, which I would give this place 4 stars, but very disappointed in the waitress who was very rude and acted put out if we asked for anything. We had a large party and we called a head to let them know, but since there were a few extra people she scolded us and said she was going to send some cooks home because she didn't know our party was that big. Mind you it was only 4pm and they were open until 7pm. We would ask for refills or just basic restaurant needs and she made us feel like we were putting her out! Also, she was very strange about breaking up the check. Probably not coming back. Â Very disappointed in the service!!
Review Source:Here we've been camping at Potrero County Park (one of our very favorite places to just kick back and relax--beautiful campground!) for many years, but we never had stopped at the often busy Barrett Junction Cafe. Â Was that ever our loss! Â Last Saturday, we took the whole family here, and we all ordered the fish dinner. Â OMG, we couldn't believe how incredible it was--a good salad, delectable fish perfectly fried, hush puppies that were outstanding, excellent freshly made refried beans, and pilaf (good, but the least special of the dishes)--all served family style. Â Our son also ordered a side of french fries and absolutely devoured them--we tried them and they were awesome. Â Everyone was just blown away at how good the fish dinner is here. Â They also brought around samples of their pulled pork fresh off the fire and it was also outstanding--may try that next time if I can get my mind off of the fish for a minute. Â We had tons of leftovers, which we thoroughly enjoyed on subsequent days.
We've been a stranger for all these years, but we won't be again. Â We also want to try out their breakfast. Â If it's anything like their dinner, then it will be special too.
I have been eating here for just over 40 yrs and have never had a bad piece of fish. Â They do have other things on the menu, and I must have had something else, but there have been so many fish dinners that I think I forgot all the rest. Â Fish served home style, salad, wheat pilaf and hush puppies. Â It is worth the drive, it is a place stuck in time (but in a way that it ought to be - preserved for my kids), and it has always been excellent. Â My most recent trip was Friday this past week and it was a fine afternoon.
Review Source:On News Years Eve Day my husband and I drove out east on Hwy 94 to the Barrett Junction Cafe. Â We hadn't been there for a number of years. Â I had forgotten how Old West and quaint the buildings and surroundings were. Â But that's only the initial experience. Â The fish fry is the BEST! Â Now they've added BBQ back ribs to the menu. Â We enjoyed the culinary delights so much that we went back again on New Year's Day. Â Two days in a row were definitely the very best two days we've enjoyed in a long time.
Review Source:Recently, I returned back to the Barrett Junction Cafe on a hot summers day while making my way from the Mexican border back to San Diego. Â The experience that I had on this visit was a vast improvement over my previous visit.
I bellied up to the bar and had an ice-cold Karl Strauss beer. Â The gentleman working the bar was very polite and made me and my entire group to feel very welcome.
A good time was had by all. Â We did not eat any food, only beers
I'll be back...
Anybody know a good exorcist? Â I need to get that demon food out of me. Â The whole experience was an assault on the senses designed to cripple your ability to function and therefore write a review; or perhaps they hope you'll blackout and have to try and piece the meal back together later, filling in the blanks with memories of happier times. Â
The first wave of attack is directed at the olfactory nerve. Â Nothing says dinner like the smell of dirty snatch. Â Granted, they tout their "fish fry" so I suppose I should have been ready. Â Alas, I was unprepared but quickly retaliated by asking to take a seat outside. Â While on the tour, be sure to take in all the bullshit trinkets littering the place. Â If that's your thing, then fine; apparently it's not mine and they hurt the eyes. Â
I ordered the pulled pork sandwich and my girlfriend got the BBQ chicken plate. Â The pulled pork comes with coleslaw (which I don't eat anyway, so I won't offer an opinion) and a side of demon sperm. Â They assured me it was Ranch Style Beans, but I fail to see how that could be anything other than the seed of Satan. Â I now know what Evil tastes like. Â The sandwich was the worst I've had, but at least edible. Â The BBQ chicken is where they really pulled out all the stops; the Hiroshima of food. Â Instantly devastating to the taste buds, leaving a barren wasteland from which few pleasures will ever again arise. Â I don't know what the nearest grocery store is, but if you went there, bought some frozen breast filets and threw them in the microwave, you'd be approaching this culinary abortion. Â Seems like the BBQ sauce was thrown on as an after thought, to avoid false advertising claims. Â It had its own variety of sides; none of which had any redeeming qualities. Â
And all this for only $20 folks! Â My girlfriend spent the ride home brushing the taste off her teeth with red vines and club crackers while I envisioned methods of scrubbing my soul of that sin. Â I feel dirty.
I've enjoyed several meals in my life at the Barrett Junction Cafe, even as a kid my parents took me into this place. The food seems to remain constant, meaning it still tastes the same GOOD! I had the fishfry (is there anyother way?), my wife had the pulled pork, my daughter had the fried chicken which I stole a piece and it was awesome! my other daughter had a hamburger and she was happy. The owner talked my ear off but that's what country folks do and that's OK with me. Our server was a young lady from Santee who was really nice and quick to serve our food and refill our drinks. The price was a little high for me, but HEY! I'm cheep and want the lowest price possible. Overall I plan to continue going back and in fact I'm planning a fundraiser to be held here. If you're looking for good home style country cooking, this is it! Oh did I say the Hush puppies were OFF-DA-HOOK!
Review Source:This is the country in east county of San Diego and it has the feel  and people Real good fish and even better bbq, full bar and huge dining area, outside area and plenty of parking. Recommend weekend breakfast buffet. Bring your appetite, they don't serve by the spoon, its by the platter!
Dan
The wife saw this place on Dave Scott's highlight the other night. We took a Sunday drive and walked in and noticed lots of people waiting to be seated in a half empty place. The people at the tables looked like they were waiting for their checks. The guy paying his bill was there for what seemed like quite a while. Anyway, life is too short to stand around if your business is not looking to feed a paying customer. Off to The Mandarin Cafe in Chula Vista for awesome Salt and Pepper chicken wings we went. We were not disappointed there!
Review Source:Great, old-fashioned family restaurant with good food at great prices. Â Four of us went and stuffed ourselves on the fish fry dinner - great fish, great hushpuppies. Â More beans and rice than we could eat. Â Service was a bit slow when it was time to go, but I think this was a function of family pitching in during tight times more than a lack of attention. Â We'll definitely go back.
Review Source:I really disagree to some of the reviews of this place. The fish here is awesome, and I thought the service was great. Also, if you actually like the food here, you may want to reconsider not going back there, because  the owner is having trouble keeping the business going, so please, keep a nice family owned business that has been there since the 1800's alive, awesome fish, and great service, I give this place 5 stars.
Review Source:when with a group of 18 called week before so they would have more help. the only thing there is the fish 22.00 all you can eat or 13.75 for 3 med, size peace. the hamburger  about 8 of us got and fry's were the worse hamburger all of us ever ate cold fry tasted like freezer burn , hamburger a frozen burger microwave no sauce .it was bad .
we had to find own table and get our our menu very slow service never got refills on drinks women taking order not a nice person kind of mean over priced for what you get don't want to eat there again will look for a better .
This place has the BEST hush puppies I've ever had. Â The food was decent, the chili cheese fries were very tasty. Â The service is lacking though - we had a very slow, forgetful waitress, but she tried to make it up by offering us a free dessert. Â We were full so we declined but the attempt was appreciated. Â
The decor's neat too.
A bit of a drive up to Potrero but so worth it!  A great afternoon drive on the weekend for some delicious food! The fish fry is so GOOD!  It's actually great to plan a weekend camping trip up at Potrero campgrounds and maybe go to Barrett Junction for dinner one  night.  The people there are super friendly and between the fish fry and hush puppies, you never leave disappointed!  Cool little atmosphere as well....
Review Source:the back country is IT for me in San Diego County - forget the beaches.
in terms of junction cafes, I prefer Descanso, but then again, the Descanso Junction Cafe is like the big city compared to Barrett Junction. Â
Stopped here on the fourth of July expecting drunken shenanigans but nothing, nothing but overpriced "antiques" (I'm cheap) and two local ladies who looked all too sober for my tastes.
I've eaten here four times every time I have had the fish fry, I went for the four piece fish fry as opposed to the all you can eat. Gluttony is a sin after all. My husband wants to spend some serious alone time with the hush puppies I think he is in love. I don't care go ahead Sam it's just a deep fried corn ball after all. I like all the sides you get with it, the rice pilaf is fresh and good, the beans are homemade, I like to cut up the marinated carrots and put them in salad. The salad is served soup style. A innovation I've never seen before.
 Be prepared to get darling-ed to death, I bet the waitresses can dish out more than just chunks of deep fried goodness. Nothing seems to phase these sweethearts er darlings. A little friendly banter is just what you need after riding your quad runner in the ditch going up Otay Mountain. The food and ambiance is not five star, but neither am I when I get off the mountain.
 So the next time you are in a state of shock from the gas prices and you find yourself driving out in the sticks maybe for a Sunday drive spending your kids inheritance on gasoline just grin and bare it at the Barret Junction Cafe.
Picture a country dance hall, meets country dive bar, meets disneyland, meets country store, meets hillbilly hell, and you've got yourself the Barret Junction Cafe.
Located on HWY 94 just two miles north of the Mexico/US line is the tiny town of Barrett Junction home of the Barrett Junction Cafe and Mercantile, which is neither a cafe or a mercantile. If having three bars of soap, some antiques, and some candy makes you a mercantile then I will stand corrected, and if have 60 chairs, a bar, and a 55 lb fake Large Mouth bass (with tall tale to go with) on the wall make you a cafe then once again, I'll eat my shoe.
However, if you're looking for a burger, fish fry, pulled pork sammy, or just a place to ride to on a gorgeous Sunday afternoon then this is your place.
After riding from LA to south San Diego county on some gorgeous roads this was our lunch stop. The one waitress (Betty) handled two large groups of people one out Motorcycle club, the other a bunch of Austin-Healey guys with wit sass and what seemed like ease.
My patty melt was pretty good, and the rest looked decent. Nothing to writ home about, but still a fun place to check out.
Famous for the all-you-can-eat fish fry which is $14.95 (kids and seniors are cheaper.) The fish fry is outstanding. Lightly battered cod with homemade tartar sauce and a ton of sides that are refilled as many times as you have belt notches to move. The sides are a simple salad with a vinaigrette that you will want to drink, refried beans better than your Abuelita makes, yummy wheat pilaf, and perfect hush puppies drizzle maple syrup on them to make a heavenly dessert. Once you go you'll make the winding trek at least once a year. They have other things on the menu (BBQ, Burgers, etc.) but why would you order anything else?? If you are looking to take a drive on a weekend afternoon this restaurant makes a nice stop. You eat family style on long picnic tables shared with others... very country. On the weekends the parking lot is usually filled with vintage cars and motorcycles. Before you leave grab some country goodies like candies, jams, and salsas to take home.
Review Source:
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