What do you get when you take your basic cheese sandwich and mix it in with exotic spices and other tantalizing ingredients?
To find out the answer, drop in sometime at Cheesy Express, at 3219 Mission Blvd., in Mission Beach.
The counter-serve eatery offers a range of grilled-cheese sandwiches and dessert melts in a casual space.
“We wanted something cheesy and delicious,” said the restaurant’s owner Jason Daung, of his business model. “We wanted to keep it simple and basic.”
Daung noted that his is alternative cuisine.
“I didn’t want to go with pizza or burgers,” he said. “I wanted an alternative to the usual stuff. I liked ham and cheese. I thought, ‘Why not add something?’ So I started with grilled cheese and then did “a little twist to it.”
Under Daung’s watch, basic ham and cheese has transformed into menu items like: Korean bbq grilled cheese; Zuckerman’s Crunch, a pork lover’s delight with ham, bacon and American cheese on French bread; Veggie Goodness, with onions, sundried tomatoes, basil pesto and Swiss cheese on wheat bread; and a chili cheese sandwich with American and cheddar cheeses, which Daung recommends and whose taste he likens to “an explosion in your mouth.”
The Cheesy Express menu varies from Mom’s Classic grilled cheese to the popular BBQ and Kansas City-styled BBQ pulled pork, as well as offering “Make Your Own” sandwiches with lots of options to mix and match. Along with these amazing sandwiches, Cheesy Express also offers cups of tomato soup and mac ‘n’ cheese.
Cheesy Express has come a long way since Daung, formerly employed with the PF Chang restaurant chain, started the eatery in the back corner of a Santee gas station.
The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner seven days a week from 11 a.m to 9 p.m., an hour later during the busy summer months.
Cheesy Express also has delectable desserts including a cake melt, an apple melt and an “Elvis Presley favorite,” named for the rock ‘n’ roll icon who loved bananas and chocolate.
But don’t forget the shakes.
“We’re known for our shakes,” Daung said, adding he’s got the flavors like Oreo crunch, Reese’s pieces, vanilla and strawberry, to please any palate. “People love it. It’s something to die for,” he said.
The restaurant also carries another dessert delight, Mumdeez Macaron Ice Cream.
There’s also a kids menu with three different grilled-cheese sandwiches and a mac ‘n’ cheese dish.
Located kitty corner from Belmont Park, Daung said he ultimately chose Mission Beach because “it’s more touristy and has families with kids. Kids love grilled cheese. And parents go where their kids want to go. So I settled on Mission Beach.”
If you check out Cheesy Express, you won’t be able to stay away, claimed Daung.
“Ninety percent of the people who come in here — they come back,” he said.
The restaurateur is always experimenting, always blending and mixing and matching to come up with all new taste sensations for his cheesy concoctions.
He noted a shrimp chipotle melt could very well be a coming attraction on a grilled-cheese sandwich.
“Come on in and give us a shot,” implored Daung.
For more information, call (858) 886-7480 or visit www.cheesyexpress.com. Cheesy Express
Where: 3219 Mission Blvd. Hours: Open for lunch and dinner seven days a week from 11 a.m to 9 p.m.
Info: (858) 886-7480 or www.cheesyexpress.com.