Take 5 on the Greens at 19th Hole Restaurant

While Garage Buona Forchetta does Italian technique and MooTime does waffle-cone theater, Take 5 operates in a different category entirely — it's the spot you can only access if you're military, stationed, or visiting someone who is. That changes everything about how it functions. This isn't competing for tourist traffic on Orange Avenue. It's serving the people who actually live and work on base, which means the fried chicken plate that drops every Thursday isn't a marketing stunt — it's a genuine weekly ritual that keeps people coming back three days in a row.

The reviews mention coins, which tracks for a military dining spot. The vibe is casual in the way only on-base restaurants can be — no pretense about being a "destination," just solid food in a setting where half the customers are in uniform. Wings get called out as the best on North Island, which is the kind of claim you can only make when your competition is limited to what else exists behind the gate.

What's notable is how many reviewers express surprise at the quality. "Expecting something that tasted canned" is the baseline assumption for military dining, and Take 5 apparently clears that bar with room to spare. The staff friendliness gets multiple mentions, which makes sense — when your customer base is this specific, you're not cycling through random tourists. You're feeding neighbors.

Practical note: you need base access, which means this isn't a casual drop-in for most Coronado residents. But if you're stationed, working on base, or visiting someone who is, the Thursday fried chicken plate is apparently worth planning around. The location next to the golf course means it's as tucked away as it gets, even by navy town standards.