The Dojo Cafe

A few days ago was PCaRH's 12th anniversary of existence.

I was happy to spend the morning with MN (my neighbor) who was game to do a blogaversary crawl....

The week prior, Bert and I had passed up this place after one of our morning coffee runs. It was raining that morning but I made a mental note to check this place out during the break.

The Dojo Café occupies the corner of 44th and El Cajon Blvd; its owners call it “a safe place for residents of City Heights, especially millennials and minorities" (according to their website).




Coffee is served from a trailer with a diverse drinks menu. There is something for everyone here. I tried the New Orleans cold brew (made with chicory) while MN had the Horchata latte.


We enjoyed our drinks during the early morning hours. We noticed local folks stopping by to get their morning caffeine before we left.  When we arrived at 8:15'ish, the outside tables and chairs hadn't been set up yet.  The young man who served us turned out to be Carlos McCray, one of the five owners. He was so personable and friendly. He even brought our drinks out to us unlike some places that just call out your name and expect you to get it.  This was very nice customer service.


The coffee cart is on an empty lot which will mostly likely be developed in the coming years.  The space is used by the local community such as nearby Hoover High, dance groups and even car clubs. There are activities for children with giant games and toys. There is even a colorful mural on one of the buildings/sheds in the back of this space.




I'm so glad that we stopped by!

Articles:
This one was written by the father of one of the owners:
"So proud of my son and the Dojo Cafe" San Diego Free Press, October 2017

plus this more recent one featuring the five owners:
"Meet Kristina Lersbuasin, Carlos McCray, Tayari Short, Nancy Vallejo, and Pete Thomas of The Dojo Cafe" SD Voyager, Jan 18, 2018

and this recent writeup from the SD Reader, "Coffee that inspires", Jan 8, 2018

The Dojo Cafe
4350 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92105
(619) 957-2512

thedojocafe.com / fb page + reviews from you know where

I"ll have to come back again with Bert and TC...