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Tuna tune-up

Ryan Bros lead the way to guilt-free tuna melts

Jesse James once drank at this counter
Jesse James once drank at this counter
Place

Ryan Brothers Coffee

1894 Main Street, San Diego

My friend Sorin and I have come through the sunny doors of Ryan Bros Coffee here in Barrio Logan. Beautiful place they gutted after taking over from Chuey's old school Mexican bar/eatery/dance spot and transformed into a coffee importing and roasting outfit, with some of the best coffee combos on da planet, I.M.H.O.

Ryan Brothers' main entrance

So we're standing at the bar that - true! - Jesse James hisself used to put his elbows on.

I ask this gal Sandra for a couple of cawfees (today's roast: Brazilian) in nice ceramic Ryan Bros cups, for $1.55 each. Deal. And deal-icious too.

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Sponsored

But there's a little menu on a blackboard on the countertop. "Hot Sandwiches: Mexican-American tuna melt, with green onions, parsley, lemon, Dijon mustard, pepper, mayo, jalapeño (optional)." It's $7.95, chips or fruit included.

They have seven other sandwiches, including BLT, Very Veggie, BBQ, plus a burger and fish tacos too.

But the other thing that's staring me in the face is this patriotic-looking sign:

"American tuna, pole-caught wild albacore, proudly served here."

Then it goes on to outline things that kind of, uh, catch your eye. "Pole and line caught," "certified sustainable," "tested low mercury," "omega-3 rich."

Sandra

"Sustainable, that's good," says Sorin. "Species like the bluefin - the ones the Japanese pay maybe $10,000 for one, they're almost fished out."

Plus, now I think of it, net-caught tuna bring their own "collateral damage," dolphins, manta rays, sharks, thousands of other fish, are caught up in the dragnet, drown, get tossed back, dead or dying. Not nice.

"The Ryan brothers are very eco-minded," says Sandra. "About everything, from coffee to tuna."

Sorin, coffee, pedicab, tuna melt sandwich

Long story short, we decide to get and split the tuna-melt. We sit in comfy chairs next to the Indonesian pedicab the brothers brought back from Indonesia where they were brought up, and chomp in.

"I swear, it's tastier, like less mealy-mouth flavored than your average Bumble Bee," I say. And it does fit right in with the coffee.

"Why didn't you tell me about this place before?" Sorin says. He looks around at the exposed brick, the ancient hooped roof, the coffee brand signs from around the world. "This is so cool."

"Just another surprise of the Barrio, vato," I say. "Hey, if it was good enough for Jessie James..."

More in upcoming Tin Fork.

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Jesse James once drank at this counter
Jesse James once drank at this counter
Place

Ryan Brothers Coffee

1894 Main Street, San Diego

My friend Sorin and I have come through the sunny doors of Ryan Bros Coffee here in Barrio Logan. Beautiful place they gutted after taking over from Chuey's old school Mexican bar/eatery/dance spot and transformed into a coffee importing and roasting outfit, with some of the best coffee combos on da planet, I.M.H.O.

Ryan Brothers' main entrance

So we're standing at the bar that - true! - Jesse James hisself used to put his elbows on.

I ask this gal Sandra for a couple of cawfees (today's roast: Brazilian) in nice ceramic Ryan Bros cups, for $1.55 each. Deal. And deal-icious too.

Sponsored
Sponsored

But there's a little menu on a blackboard on the countertop. "Hot Sandwiches: Mexican-American tuna melt, with green onions, parsley, lemon, Dijon mustard, pepper, mayo, jalapeño (optional)." It's $7.95, chips or fruit included.

They have seven other sandwiches, including BLT, Very Veggie, BBQ, plus a burger and fish tacos too.

But the other thing that's staring me in the face is this patriotic-looking sign:

"American tuna, pole-caught wild albacore, proudly served here."

Then it goes on to outline things that kind of, uh, catch your eye. "Pole and line caught," "certified sustainable," "tested low mercury," "omega-3 rich."

Sandra

"Sustainable, that's good," says Sorin. "Species like the bluefin - the ones the Japanese pay maybe $10,000 for one, they're almost fished out."

Plus, now I think of it, net-caught tuna bring their own "collateral damage," dolphins, manta rays, sharks, thousands of other fish, are caught up in the dragnet, drown, get tossed back, dead or dying. Not nice.

"The Ryan brothers are very eco-minded," says Sandra. "About everything, from coffee to tuna."

Sorin, coffee, pedicab, tuna melt sandwich

Long story short, we decide to get and split the tuna-melt. We sit in comfy chairs next to the Indonesian pedicab the brothers brought back from Indonesia where they were brought up, and chomp in.

"I swear, it's tastier, like less mealy-mouth flavored than your average Bumble Bee," I say. And it does fit right in with the coffee.

"Why didn't you tell me about this place before?" Sorin says. He looks around at the exposed brick, the ancient hooped roof, the coffee brand signs from around the world. "This is so cool."

"Just another surprise of the Barrio, vato," I say. "Hey, if it was good enough for Jessie James..."

More in upcoming Tin Fork.

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4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
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