Serving Up Crepes, Toast, Salad and Coffee This Local Cafe Has Locals Buzzing
Written by: Jessica Young Refill Cafe
If sating your hunger is your primary concern, Refill steps up to the plate with a variety of options. With everything from avocado toast, to sweet and savory crepes, to healthy and filling salads, this menu will not leave you hungry.
The most popular crepe is a nod to a San Diego classic, the breakfast burrito. Eggs, bacon, cheddar, spinach, and bruschetta are all wrapped up in a delicate and warm crepe, creating pockets of flavor-packed deliciousness.
“The key to a great crepe batter is extra eggs, which [I] learned through trial and error, and a friend’s French grandmother,” Owner Nathan Tobiason said.
Refill also offers a variety of toasts, all stacked with fresh and local ingredients. The most popular, the avocado toast, has fresh avocado, micro greens, and truffle oil, heaped on a thick slab of Bread and Cie sourdough toast. Every bite is enhanced by the combination of flavors, from the creamy avocado, to the tang of the salt and the crunch of the flaky, toasted bread.
Tobiason wants Refill to be a place, “where people can come in, enjoy good-quality food and drinks and feel comfortable—whether they were with friends or solo. People come to Refill to study, work, write and meet. I love the undercurrent of energy it creates having people here who are pursuing various passions.”
Refill’s signature mugs, speckled and earth-toned, are handmade locally just for the cafe. They are used exclusively in the restaurant, and diners can also buy their own.
“Drinking good coffee in a handmade mug has always felt a bit special. I used to do quite a bit of ceramics and luckily, my old teacher and local artist, Steve Cook, was willing to make mugs so that Refill could provide that experience to our customers as well,” Tobiason said.
While the mugs themselves are hand-crafted and unique, the delicious coffee that fills them is also special. Refill offers four rotating cold-brew coffees on tap, which diners can sample until they find the perfect flavor.
“I started to cold brew a lot of coffee for myself and friends. I really fell in love with cold brew coffee and felt like it was something that wasn’t being fully explored in San Diego. The concept of Refill began with the idea of having a variety of cold brews on tap to allow customers to find what coffee they enjoy the most,” Tobiason said.
Despite no previous experience in the food industry, Tobiason has made Refill a success. With six months of operation under his belt, he’s figuring out what works, what doesn’t, and still working hard to give his customers the best experience possible.
“I got as much information from friends (and strangers) in the restaurant industry as I could, and and jumped in. I still have a lot to learn, which is part of what makes the job so stimulating,” Tobiason said.
Refill
3752 Park Blvd #104
San Diego, CA 92103
619.677.2242
Fill Up Your Cup at Refill Cafe
