5 Best Restaurants in Julian, North County and Around

In 1984, “Mom” (aka Anita Nichols) opened her first pie shop in the old Julian Café building. People lined the streets for a slice of the guilty pleasure, known for its buttery crust, not-too-sweet filling with local apples, and commitment to quality. Two bakeries later—plus training at Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Institute—the integrity of Mom’s pies remains the same. And although apple is the moneymaker, you can’t go wrong with peach, bumbleberry, or pecan pies, or other sweet treats like chocolate chip cookies and apple dumplings. For something savory, there are empanadas, sandwiches, and chicken potpies. When the wait is too long at the Main Street location, head five minutes outside of town to Mom's Wynola on Highway 78, or better yet, call in your order and they will ship a pie right to your door.

This bakery tucked down a narrow alley proves there’s no such thing as too many pie shops in Julian. After mastering the apple-to-crust ratio, they took on lunch specials by offering a soup–sandwich–pie combo for $17. Wraps, salads, and other wholesome goodies are also available. Apple crumb is the biggest seller, but few can pass up their lemon tarts, molasses cookies, and apple strudels.

The apple pies that made Julian famous come from the Smothers family bakery in a one-story house on Main Street. In pleasant weather you can sit on the front patio and watch the world go by while savoring a slice of hot pie—from Dutch apple to apple mountain berry crumb—topped with homemade cinnamon ice cream. The Smothers family has been making pies in Julian since 1986; by 1989 the family had bought its own orchard, and by 1992 it had built a larger bakery in Santa Ysabel.  Arrive by 9 am to avoid the lines that wrap around the building.

The elevated Mexican cuisine, margaritas, mariachi, and Talavera pottery may transport you to central Mexico before you dip that first chip into homemade guacamole. Pull up a colorful barstool and watch Julian go by from a wraparound porch where street tacos, enchiladas, and organic carne served in a stone molcajete come out sizzling hot. The spiked horchata with rum is like a milkshake for grown-ups. Note that this small restaurant closes by 8 pm. 

It's worth the wait for breakfast or lunch at this cozy café, where everything is fresh and made to order. The breakfast standout is eggs Benedict, both classic and vegetarian. For lunch you can choose among several classic salads and homemade soups.