La Jolla's Toast of the Town
since 1960

Harry J. Rudolph, Jr. was born in Brooklyn, New York in the 1920’s. He grew up an avid baseball fan and became a batboy for the iconic Brooklyn Dodgers. Though he loved New York, when the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles he took a leap of faith and followed his beloved team and the sun to California, and he never looked back. After a couple of years spent looking for a place to call his own, Harry found the ideal location in La Jolla, the Jewel of California. Harry’s Coffee Shop was founded in 1960, inspired by the coffee shops and diners of Brooklyn. Harry and his wife Catherine set out to open a restaurant that conveyed the same nostalgia, neighborhood comfort, friendliness and style that was found on so many street corners throughout the boroughs of New York City. For decades, Harry turned the key to open the restaurant bright and early every morning. He was on his second cup of coffee by 5 am. Harry walked the floor daily at his diner and knew the names of each of his guests. He oversaw every detail of the coffee shop for nearly a half a century.

Harry’s has become more than a restaurant. It is the place that remained the same in the midst of San Diego’s constant growth and change. Harrys is the place you could come home to. You could count on it. It became the place to rekindle memories from high school, beach days, honeymoons, vacations and life’s simple celebrations. Harry and Catherine rooted themselves into their new town and constantly expressed gratitude for the gift of raising a family and owning a business in such an extraordinary village.

Before the sun rises, the coffee is already flowing at Harrys Coffee Shop. Like all classic diners, breakfast is always available and there are no shortage of delicious temptations. If you want it, and Harry’s has the ingredients in house, you will get it! The locally roasted family blend coffee, the farm fresh eggs, fresh produce, and irresistible cinnamon rolls are just the beginning. Cozy up in a booth or grab a barstool at the counter and become part of the place, that is the essence of Harry’s Coffee Shop.

There is certainly more to the history, although knowing that Harry and Catherine raised nine children, each having worked behind the counter at one time or another, adds more flavor to the story. Currently, three siblings operate the restaurant and carrying on the tradition of serving great food to great people in one of America’s finest cities. Ever since Harry opened the front door for business on Girard Avenue back in 1960, the family and dedicated staff, continue to serve the American classics to loyal guests who regularly return and keep Harry’s busy year-round.

The legends: SD's oldest restaurants