The Hilliker family has been selling eggs in San Diego since 1942. They started in Southeast San Diego, back when that part of the city was still canyon and farmland. At some point they moved the operation to Lakeside, where the ranch sits today on El Nopal, just off Highway 67. Eighty-four years later, the family is still running the place.
The Ranch
Hilliker''s Ranch Fresh Eggs operates three state-of-the-art cage-free aviaries, each housing around 10,000 hens. That''s roughly 30,000 birds producing eggs on a working ranch in the middle of Lakeside. The aviaries are designed for the hens'' comfort and safety. Automatic feeders, waterers, and waste management systems keep things running. The hens roam, mingle, and do what hens do. The only thing they''re missing, as the ranch puts it, is a flat-screen TV.
Eggs are collected daily and processed (washed, weighed, packed) every other day on-site. That''s about as fresh as it gets without owning your own chickens.
The Farm Store
The farm store at 11329 El Nopal sells Grade A eggs in white and brown, from small to jumbo. Prices are reasonable, and the quality is a step above anything you''ll find in a grocery store. Regulars say they can taste the difference, and there''s a simple test for freshness: put a Hilliker''s egg in a bowl of water. It sinks straight to the bottom. Try that with a store-bought egg. You''ll see the difference.
But the store sells more than eggs. They carry raw goat and cow milk from Claravale Farm in Panoche. Local honey from their own beehives. Cave-aged Gouda. And seasonal vegetables in the summer. It''s a real farm stand, not a hobby.
Community Roots
The Hilliker family has been a fixture in the Lakeside community for decades. They donate eggs to breakfast fundraisers. They sponsor youth sports teams. They support contestants in the Miss Lakeside Scholarship pageant. And they show up at community events year after year.
With 1,000 monthly Google searches for "Hilliker''s Ranch Fresh Eggs," the brand carries weight across the county. Restaurants and stores use their eggs. Home cooks drive from as far as Chula Vista to buy from the farm store. And the reviews speak for themselves: "The only eggs I''ll ever buy" is a refrain you''ll see over and over.
Hilliker''s is open Monday through Saturday, 8am to 5pm. Closed Sundays. From Highway 67, turn onto El Nopal and look for the sign. It''s an easy add-on if you''re heading to Barona Resort & Casino or coming back from a hike on Lake Jennings. Browse the full Lakeside shopping directory for more local finds.
