Lucille’s Cafe, located on San Diego Avenue in Old Town San Diego, 1955. Photo, Pea Hicks collection.
Lucille’s Cafe (1952-1957) was a small vernacular restaurant originally built and operated as “The Blue Spade” in Old Town San Diego. Probably named after Blue Spade playing cards, the shingles wooden structure was built in a “spade” (♠) shape.
When it became Lucille’s Cafe in the early 1950s, it was painted red and fondly became known as the “Heart of Old Town.”
By 1959, it was an interior design shop. The spade shaped building has since been demolished, and the location now houses Miguel’s Cocina in a new Mexican adobe pueblo style building.