The Tractor Room

SO my dinner companion said "OK, you pick the place, but not any of that wierd food." But I did want something a tad out of the ordinary!
So this was a great compromise! Midwestern solid food with a Parisian Flair. We both loved it.

ITS ABSOLUTELY TRUE:
Everyone raves about the M&C.
It's rich. It's filling. It beats Kraft to h### and back. It defines what Mac n cheese is all about.
In fact, I am now inspired to make a list of the places in town that serve great M&C.
Wanna join me? Just add to my list!

I also enjoyed the honey & butter glazed grilled corn on the cob with melted brie on top. Well, the melted brie was the best part, the corn wasnt the freshest. In their defense, corn sugars turn starchy every minute that passes from the moment of picking.

My companion loved the braised buffalo Sloppy Joe with Carmelized onions and horsey sauce. I swiped a few forkfuls and much agreed. Of course, guess who made off with far more of my mac n cheese!

All dishes were beautifully plated, and arrived sizzling hot.

Table decor is, well NOT there: consisting entirely of cutlery wrapped in a napkin on top of a rough wood table.

The waitress was very nice, absolutely on top of the menu, kept the table bussed and filled with appropriate things.

The restaurant is not spacious, so be sure to sit against the wall so as to not be bumped as diners pass by - to and fro their seats.

Parking is dreadful. Just dreadful. No lot, all street metered parking, which seems to be generally full. The wait staff mentioned that you can pay to park in a bank a block or so away. (sigh)

The table next to us had the skillet of cornbread, so we're definitely coming back. My companion mentioned favorable memories of The Tractor Room from the "tasting" at the Taste of Hillcrest.

I AM REALLY CRYING OVER HERE THAT THE TRACTOR ROOM IS CLOSED D':

I'm from Washington state and we were on vacation in San Diego and came across this wonderful, wonderful restaurant. My S.O. got the lamb scramble and I got the waffle tower.

Best. Damn. Breakfast. I.HAVE.EVER.HAD.

D': *cries profusely*

I know this place is gone already but I'm paying my respects.

The Lamb Scramble:

Good lord. Best home fries I've ever had. Crispy on the outside and perfectly fluffy on the inside. The lamb scramble had sun-dried tomatoes, ground up lamb, chives, basil, and goat cheese... Oh the magnificent goat cheese!! I don't even like eggs that much and this was glorious.

The Chicken and Waffle Tower:

You all probably think I'm joking when I say I'm crying. But I'm here to tell you that this dish brought tears of pure happiness to my eyes. Now I have tears again since the news has been slapped in my face that I'll never get to eat this meal again! :'(

This is the best meal I think I have ever had as long as I've been alive.

The fried chicken was cooked to perfection, incredibly flavorful, and the crust... Oh my, the crust... The crust on that chicken was so crispy and had green onions in it. All on top of a huge pile of waffles. Waffles COOKED WITH BACON INSIDE OF THEM. BACON. All of this held together with a rosemary skewer that just added to the flavor, topped off with their delicious syrup. Every flavor just complemented each other and could not be more perfect. Phenomenal is an understatement when it comes to this dish.

I think this is the first time my heart has been physically broken; just by the thought that I'll never get to eat this unworldly meal ever again.

If I ever find a magic lamp, you can bet that one of my 3 wishes is that the Tractor Room will open again (hopefully this time in Portland!).

Rest in peace Tractor Room. I'll never forget you.

I'm seriously going to miss this place and it's amazing to think of how many memories my group of friends has shared here. Love has blossomed here, love has failed here. Some of us have shed tears of joy here while others have shed much more painful times here. Tractor Room was special and my connection with this old house on 5th was unlike any other I've ever had other restaurants.

It was great spending the final day of TR's existence with some of the friends that made so many of these lasting memories and I think it's safe to say that Tractor Room went out on top.

Goodbye, old friend.

Unique food and they serve super huge portions!

I finally had the chance to come here for brunch with Maridel A. on Saturday. The wait for 2 people was about 45 minutes for a table. We put our name down but we were lucky enough to snag a spot at the open-seating bar.

I wanted to order the Iced Pistachio Mocha but the bartender said that they were out of pistachios :( so I ordered the iced white mocha instead which was just okay. I think the Starbucks version is better. I was kinda annoyed though because they didn't even have the stuff to make the pistachio mocha but they still charged me $6 on the bill for that item that I didn't even get. I feel like a plain white mocha should be cheaper but whatever.

I had the House Smoked Salmon & Shrimp Cake Benedict $18.95- This was good and the kick on the chili cream but I feel like it should have been served on an English muffin instead of a biscuit. The biscuit kept on crumbling, not sure if it was fresh. Other than that this was a good dish.

Service was okay at this place. The bartenders weren't that friendly. I thought that they could have interacted with the customers more or at least smiled.

Tractor Room is alright, I don't know if I'll be rushing back here though.

Before I begin. Let me first thank Omar S. for not only planning this brunch but, for inviting some of the greats in the San Diego Elite community.

My family and I arrived first and were directed to the outdoor seating area where tables for not only our group but, a separate table had been set up for my three kids.

As everyone arrived and introductions were made, it didn't take long to figure out that this elite group are true ambassadors for Yelp and for the City of San Diego. Omar S. Nicole F. Justin J. Isabella and Rebecca. It was truly a pleasure meeting you all and your guest.

Because we were having such a great time talking and getting to one another, it took some time for our group to finally get serious and get around to ordering. I thought it was funny when we finally did ordered that my kids, sitting at the table next to our had already received their food and were about halfway done.

I normally order what my eyes see to be interesting, exotic or new from the menu and that's what I did today. I ordered the Elk Sausage Hash Brown with soft stabled eggs. And finally, someone got my eggs the like them (worthiness of 4 stars alone).

The Elk was flavorful and not gamy in the lest. You could taste the true flavors of the Elk and it wasn't overpowered by the country potatoes or cheese it was mixed with. The potatoes were bland and not seasoned. Imagine taking a bite of a freshly boiled potato as a reference. My eggs, PERFECT! Cooked soft and a bit runny. Just the way I like them. To add one note about my usual eating habits. I normally have to doctor up my food with hot sauce or pepper for more flavor but, that wasn't the case today.

I didn't get a chance to really check out the interior of The Tractor but, I can offer a restroom report. It's DARK!

The food was great. The company was awesome and our server was on the ball. Thanks so much for being patient with us Jordan.

Dined in her at 5pm sharp right when they open for dinner on a Friday night. Had my 2 out of town parents with me on this visit as well.

Seated right away in the front outdoor patio area. Manged to nail the happy hour that goes till 630 as well, score!

We got a very big variety of food items to really let my my folks (and even me) since I had never outside of brunch at TR. What I got and tried.....

turkey fritters- loved them! super good in the dipping sauce!
sage fried chicken skewer- chicken nugget on steroids x 10
grilled corn o cob- nailed it!
green beans and almonds- done to perfection
cobb salad- my favorite version of any classic salad and they did it just right!
famous corn bread side item with salad entree- did not try as i dont do flour but it smelled heavenly!

My total was about $40 with tax so not bad at all if you saw my spread of items I had before me.

Let the pictures do the talking as to how good everything looked.

Our sever was very nice, professional and informative. Got everything we needed and assured we were all taken care of. Service was fast and the food was as good for dinner on Friday as I have found it to be for brunch on the weekends. Love me the TR!

Finally got to try the Tractor Room before it closes thanks to Omar and his social ingenuity. He invited out of town yelpers Tony A. and his wife along with locals, Isabella, Rebecca and Justin. This was a last minute throw down on Omar's part and it was the perfect sunny San Diego 70 degree brunch kind of Saturday to meet new friends and see old ones.

Started with a strawberry mojito that was loaded with muddled mint and strawberries. It was the perfect fresh drink to start the holiday weekend. I knew that this restaurant was the sister to Hash House and having eaten at Hash House I know that the portions are huge. My dining partner did not want to share the fried chicken so I thought I would try something that might be a little smaller....the salmon & shrimp benedict over biscuits with asparagus and potatoes. Not much smaller so looks like Easter breakfast is covered! The potatoes were hot and crispy but my favorite part was the chipotle cream on top of the benedict. Love the spin on the classic hollandaise and might have to recreate this at home.

Only complaint is that the restaurant itself is dark inside so the outside dining area is the place to eat. The portions are huge so realize that sharing one entree could easily fill two people. The service was outstanding and our waitress happily split the checks for our party of 8.

Thanks again to Omar for setting the Yelp Springbreak mood!

Tractor Room had been on my list of places to try, and I can see why it has received such acclaim, based alone on their portion sizes (prices commensurate).

I was part of a large group of 18, and we had a side of the outdoor patio, in a very cramped, yet private area.

My order was the Wild Boar hash w sunnyside eggs (see photo). Food was only 2.5-3 stars. I attribute this to a combination of the kitchen staff, and the service. While the portions on everyone's plate is humongous, and one portion can easily feed two large hungry adults, and are very photogenic, there is a fair amount of blandness, at least in my wild boar hash. Fellow yelper Bert G expertly wrote about his experience a few weeks ago, and he hit the nail on the head, so I won't repeat his sentiments!!

Additionally, my sunnyside up eggs were ordered medium, and yet they arrived soft....very, very runny. This of course is the kitchen's fault. I also recognize that having a large group (I think we were 18), usually means plates arriving at different times. However, getting a cold dish of eggs, is the fault of service...either our individual server, or the restaurants' runner system which should be in place to get food out fast & hot!!

So, while I'm very glad to have joined others for a very friendly and generally positive experience, I won't be venturing back to Tractor Room anytime soon.

Great place!!
Come hungry, or share the portions are enormous!!
We came here with a large group, its a small place try to make reservations.
My friends recommended the wedge caesar salad and the braised buffalo criss cross fries. I barely put a dent in it so big. But also very tasty.

Another day to remember: High Wind Warning (60 MPH)! But this isn't stopping me from getting brunch!

When Hash House and Tractor Room have (almost) identical menus but one takes reservations, why not Tractor Room?! So it took me a bajillion phone calls before I realized that Tractor Room is actually closed on Monday, Tuesdays AND Wednesdays. They officially open at 5 PM Thursday but I was pleasantly surprised when I received a phone call Thursday 4 PM to confirm my reservation for Sunday, party of 8, at 11:30 AM.

Half of our party didn't arrive until 12:30 (way to be on time...) so I greatly appreciate the owner (I am assuming, since he had a more dominant presence) for accommodating to us and just giving us a heads up that we should probably order in a few minutes.

On this fine, fine Sunday, I got to try the following dishes:

-1 Andy's Sage Fried Chicken Waffle Tower ($19.95) // Obama should try this out! (Roscoe's, anyone?) 4 warm, thick pieces of Belgium waffles on the bottom with thick cuts of chicken breast well-cooked and a huge piece of rosemary sticking from the top. YUM. I always see other brunch places selling chicken and waffles but they do not come close to what they serve here! MUST GET. I love the maple reduction--not to overpowering and you just want more and more! It would be nice, however, to have some type of fruity side to it. Or crack eggs two on top (+$1).

-1 Braised Free Range Buffalo Quesadilla ($18.95) // YUMMMM. I love that it's in a shape of a pyramid, and the sauce accompanied well with the whole dish! I opened my quesadilla and was really shocked to find REAL TOMATOES AND EGGS. That's right! Most places used canned tomatoes and liquid eggs, but this is THE REAL DEAL. And no sour cream! HUZZAH. Would be nice if there was more meat though...My only issue is that there was wayyy too much potatoes on the bottom. It's delicious (and tastes great for leftovers too) but it was A LOT. Literally two potatoes. Or maybe I'm just exaggerating...

-1 Free Range Wild Boar Hash ($18.95) with the side of cornbread skillet // Good portion size! It would be nice if they had filled the whole bottom of the skillet and topped the eggs on top (because it looks imbalanced when served) but the quantity was great. Meat was a bit dry for me, a bit too much cream but delicious. Can't ever go wrong with a hash! Cornbread was good! I'm not a huge fan of cornbread but it looked amazing and it tasted great! Great choice of side.

-1 The Tractor Room Famous Super Flapjack Combo with Turkey Sausage ($15.95) (+$1) for upgrading to the Raspberry Macadamia Nut flapjack // GENEROUS PORTION (or maybe I should say that for all dishes)! I LOVE that they use REAL MACADAMIA NUTS in the mix! I didn't taste as much raspberry though...This is my first time having flapjacks (versus pancakes?) and it wasn't too bad! Definitely need more syrup though and powdered sugar. It was dense for me, but a good palate cleanser when things were getting hectic. Turkey sausage was good! They were generous and gave two links. YAY! MUST SHARE.

-1 Roasted Chicken Hash ($16.95) with the side of cornbread skillet // I didn't get to try it myself, but it looked mediocre to me! Great portion size of course, but I never get chicken unless it's special....like CHICKEN AND WAFFLES!

-1Andy's House Sage Fried Chicken Benedict ($19.95) // Looked just as epic! The only complaint though, is that in the hot mess, you don't really know what you're eating anymore. And the closer you get to the bottom of the dish, the less sauce, which made it harder to consume. BUT, REAL EGGS. And lots of fresh spinach!

Pros:
-Beautiful presentation. Just look at the pictures. Please.
-Good selection. Simple but classic! And they have their own twist on things!
-HUGE PORTIONS. Need I say more? And great quality! Everything was pretty spot-on AND they were true to their meals.
-Reasonable pricing! No doubt, you get what you pay for!

Cons:
-Meh service. Server was pretty busy and he wasn't super attentive after he dropped off food. I wanted more water to wash down my food!
-Meh seating. It's hard sliding between tables to get to my corner in the couch area. My buttock was literally hovering above the skillet of someone else's dish...

Tips/Observations:
-The online menu price is NOT updated! Everything is actually $1 more in comparison. (Which isn't bad at all!)
-Parking is horrendous. Do definitely drop off your party off and circle around a bit. But at least it's free on Sundays!
-Outdoor patio seating too! I love that it's at the same level as the rest of the restaurant so people weren't gawking at your huge portions as you ate (if you were at ground level).

Overall, a great spot to bring non-locals (or even visiting locals)! Show em how SD does brunch!

One of the best restaurants in Hillcrest. I recommend the cornbread mini corndog -- fresh, crunchy with bits of corn. You have to try their crunchy lobster taco it's sooooooo good. You can taste the crunchy lobster in every bite--- no additional sauce needed. Perfect as is.

My new go-to spot for micheladas. The 2nd best micheladas I've ever had in San Diego.