El Cajon
Come for Iraqi breakfast and clay-oven masgouf, then add Western art or a show at downtown's Magnolia.
Start here
7 in total
Neighborhood Guides7 Places Worth Your Time in El Cajon, Ranked7
MarketsThe 6 Best Middle Eastern Markets in San Diego, Ranked6
MarketsThe 11 Best International Markets in San Diego, Ranked11
Cheap EatsThe 10 Best Cheap Eats in San Diego, Ranked10
Sports & GolfThe 9 Best Public Golf Courses in San Diego, Ranked9
Cheap EatsThe 10 Best All-You-Can-Eat Restaurants in San Diego, Ranked10
Every list that covers El Cajon
Updated as places change
7 rankedNeighborhood Guides7 Places Worth Your Time in El Cajon, RankedUpdated Jul 27
6 rankedMarketsThe 6 Best Middle Eastern Markets in San Diego, RankedUpdated Aug 2
11 rankedMarketsThe 11 Best International Markets in San Diego, RankedUpdated Aug 2
10 rankedCheap EatsThe 10 Best Cheap Eats in San Diego, RankedUpdated Jul 27
9 rankedSports & GolfThe 9 Best Public Golf Courses in San Diego, RankedUpdated Jul 27
10 rankedCheap EatsThe 10 Best All-You-Can-Eat Restaurants in San Diego, RankedUpdated Jul 23
11 rankedGlobal KitchensThe 11 Best Middle Eastern Restaurants in San Diego, RankedUpdated Jul 23
The neighborhood itself
14 verified places · 5 eat & drink and 2 things-to-do listsEl Cajon's strongest plan starts with its Iraqi food. Choose breakfast at Al Azayem or clay-oven masgouf at Nahrain, then move downtown for the Olaf Wieghorst Museum's Western art and cactus garden or a show at The Magnolia. Crafted Greens covers lunch or dinner.
Keep the route compact and check the stop that sets your schedule. The museum keeps short late-week hours, and show nights come with specific parking rules. In summer, an early breakfast also gets the day moving before East County's hotter afternoon.
If you only do 5 things
1Crafted Greenseat2The Magnoliashows3Wieghorst Museumart4Nahrainmasgouf5Al AzayembreakfastKnow before you go
Heat: East County runs hotter than the coast — use Al Azayem's 6am opening for an early start during summer
Show nights: The Magnolia's free public lot is at 233 Magnolia Ave; the Courtyard Marriott lot tows
Short hours: The Wieghorst Museum is a late-week stop — call ahead before crossing the county
Where they are — 14 verified places
The index
Ranked places pulled from all 7 listsThe Magnolia is a comeback story on East Main Street.
Olaf Wieghorst came to the United States from Denmark as a teenager in 1918, speaking three words of English.