Beach Street Cafe

Hole in the wall place! 100% coming back!! 🥞🥓🍳 Scouting for places online and came across a place I’ve always wanted to try but saw some shady reviews and decided to investigate. After reading further into the reviews my crew decided that we’d give it a shot and the pictures people had posted looked really good and our eyes were right. The food was amazing!! The pancakes are a must try if you decide to go here. Something to shout out is the wait staffs excellent service. They were so sweet and quick and even made accommodations to the menu for dietary reasons. (smaller portion sizes) They were easy to talk to and maintained a constant flow of the restaurant. The place is super cute inside and even has bathrooms upstairs - it is kind of small so I would recommend keeping it to a smaller party size if you can but overall everything was great and I really encourage you to try this place!

We read reviews and found it interesting that it appeared that people were trying to make it seem like this place was horrible and I found a fantastic review with a lady to actually posted pictures of her food, so my niece and I decided to prove these poor reviews wrong and went for breakfast this morning with my husband & daughter too. The restaurant was clean, a little small, but nice, and the staff was great and the food was delicious! Service was outstanding, we even mentioned the poor reviews we saw online and they weren't surprised at all, I told them we were going to give them 5 stars, and that I was going to take pictures and post all of this ave they were extremely grateful! It really hates me sad that people want to post bad reviews on mom and pop places like these, it was a great little place a I highly recommend going to eat here, we will definitely be going back again. Chief did an amazing job, host and service was outstanding! They were even very kind to our kids! Big deal to me!

Before my family and I even entered we were stopped at the door and asked to collapse down our stroller so that it's not in other customers way. We were literally the ONLY table in there. We started to have second thoughts about staying when we were charged $5 for a can of soda. We are a family of 5, 2 adults a teen, a small child, and a toddler. We had a total of 3 full meals, and 4 drinks. The entire time we sat there the 2 waitresses were having personal conversations about their relationships, about "having a shitty day yesterday " and using other profanity in front of my children, very unprofessional. As I was eating the waitress approached our table several times; once to ask if I needed a box, then to ask if I wanted her to clear my plates (mind you I was still eating) When I asked if I could get a refill on my daughters apple juice there were no refills on the $6 child size juice. My family and I started feeling uncomfortable and rushed (again we were the ONLY table in the place) We received our check with a $15 gratuity added "because we are a party of 5" so because my toddler sat in a chair that automatically means they are going to tack on an outrageous tip, then charge an additional 6% for using a card. I was extremely unhappy with my visit to this establishment, unprofessional, EXTREMELY OVER PRICED, and we just did not feel welcomed from the moment we got there. Definitely not returning. I dont see this place lasting longer then 6 months. Save your money and go somewhere else.

This place was just utter complete ass. I came in with family and from the start this place just felt like a shake down. 4 dollars for a can of soda no refills... coffee was like 5 dollars in a very very small mug. Creamer they provide sucks. Most of the breakfast on menu says only comes with 1 bacon or sausage... and the home fry potatos taste like dishwasher soap... stay away from this place and find a different breakfast spot... over priced never felt this robbed in my life...

Way overpriced. We had two people in our party that we were waiting for. The wouldn't seat us until they showed up and told us to wait outside, even though there weren't very many customers in there. Very unfriendly. Our bill was close to $200, but the food quality did not match the high price tag.

I came here with my family during off-season so we were the only ones in here. No one else was here. The waitress was very nice and sweet. We ordered and then I went to my car to bring in my baby’s food. When I came back in with it, the cook (who I assume is the owner) began SCREAMING at me that I can’t bring in outside food. He didn’t speak nicely or say “excuse me, no outside food.” He yelled at me across the empty room and scolded me like I was my toddler. I told him that I understand his policy except that it’s just baby food and he’s freaking out for no reason, and that I would happily oblige if he didn’t yell. He didn’t say anything further when I spoke to him but the waitress was extremely apologetic and kept apologizing, we only didn’t leave because of her. I took my baby and fed her outside. I’m sorry she has to deal with what is clearly a mean and awful boss. So if you want to get yelled at, definitely come here. Food wasn’t even good and it was expensive. Go elsewhere and support businesses owned by humane people.

Odd little place. Had to write our name on a clipboard outside and wait there for someone to allow us inside. Only 1 other couple was inside. Servers were nice and food came quick. Food was about like you’d expect from a Denny’s but was much pricier. $55ish for two regular breakfast meals and 2 drinks. Wouldn’t go back.

We were visiting for Ironman 70.3. The yelp reviews were questionable, but we were hungry. I waited 5 mins to get seated for lunch, got water, and ordered almost immediately. They were busy but not bad. I got food in a reasonable amount of time. The food was excellent, good old home style cooking. Service was also good—lovely young ladies and always there when needed. I would highly recommend this place. Probably not best for any picky eaters as menu is small but all items look good.

Shared a benedict with my boyfriend (pictured), it was delicious! Young server with the vest kept trying to take my plate when I was obviously not finished, but other than that the service was lovely. $3 beers on weekends, come get some!

The food is fantastic. The waitstaff do WAY too much cocaine speedballs tho, and it's hyper... I wish they'd sprinkle it on my crepes! The food and location are just the best. Great ambiance. You'll be happy in here. They are great with elderly and women and children .

Man we wanted this place to be good. Looks super local, but... First off, they make you wait outside to be seated, even if the place is empty. Also. $5 for a can of soda, really? $5 for a split plate charge.20% surcharge for party's 5+, and 3% for card. There were 5 of us, my wife didn't order food, yet, we still got charged for having 5 people. 3 "pesto" chicken sandwiches - mostly mayo, and an overcooked burger was $120! The burger looked like to was made from frozen. They charge basically for everything. Servers were all over us under we ordered, then showed up once to ask if we wanted another $5 can of soda, and drop off the bill.

Still just as amazing! Came on Monday morning at about 11am and there was no line , only had to wait about 3 minutes to be seated. Food is always so good here. The French toast was a new item we choose and we didn't like it as much. We got our usual and I love the salsa for my burrito!

Beach street cafe update your hours!!!! Yelp says u open at 8am and u have a sign that says opens at 8:30am! I stood outside at 7:45am thinking u will open at 8am! Not gonna wait another 30 mins til u open! Update your real hours on yelp. I saw workers inside just standing around. U could have at least let us know u open at 8:30am!! Lost my business!

Not sure why there are such negative reviews about this place... sure wasn't the experience I had. Yes, there is a waitlist on the door where you sign in and wait outside for a table. This is because the place is tiny and there's no room inside for people to just be standing around. When I arrived I was immediately greeted and seated. Ordered the Denver omelette & Eggs Benedict with an orange juice & mimosa. The portions were large and everything was delicious. Service was attentive and friendly.

You will get nickeled and some to death You want one egg .. no you have to order two eggs $16 with a small muffin and small Amount of potatoes. Want an extra plate? $5.. the only thing that wasn't expensive was the water! Service wasn't that great either. It just wasn't a pleasant place to relax. $5 coffee .... Save you money especially if you have a family . There is better places around

Extremely rude and racist hostess. We were yelled at before even being seated. They separated our party with children into two tables forcing us to leave one baby and one adult completely outside because they refused to seat us and we had starving kids. There were also open tables when we entered contrary to what the hostess told us. She yelled at my cousin to compact her stroller before entering although just a few mins before they let another person walk in. The last straw was when she went to the party right after us and told them they will all be seated together as a party of 6. Extremely rude establishment. We left right away and did not eat there. Just because their location is convenient doesn't mean it's worth going. Before leaving the hostess said a rude remark and I spoke back. Never coming here again.

We decided to check this place out after a 5k run not too far from the boardwalk. It was in such a convenient location near the ocean. The decor was so adorable inside especially since I love antiques so much. The service was amazing I felt really well taken care of the whole time. The food was delicious and full of flavor as well. And let me tell you they definitely arn't stingy with the food portions!! I'd definitely recommend trying this place out if you are in the area!

Great place to have family breakfast. Staffs from here is helpful, courteous and respectful. I enjoyed my family time here in the morning. Food was delicious. Thank you so much for providing an amazing service!

I'm so torn So as far as quality of breakfast food in Santa Cruz it's pretty average. Very 3 stars. Hollandaise was good but not excellent. Clearly homemade but could have been a bit richer. Eggs Benedict could have used more of it on it though. One of my poached eggs was perfect. The other was over done. Potatoes were also fine. Could have been crispier. I appreciated that the meals came with a muffin - a nice touch. Coffee was definitely diner quality. Portions were hearty. But it IS directly across from the beach - so that has to count for something. The staff was kind. It feels homey inside. Nice and bright. On a Tuesday at 10am it was not busy. We were seated and served quickly. I wonder if that might not be the case on weekends as it's a small space. Oh, they do have booze - so if you are looking for a breakfast cocktail that's a plus.

This is a great breakfast spot located across the street from the north end of the Board Walk. There is a sign-in board outside the door and the wait really depends on how quickly customers eat LOL The staff is very friendly and our waiter was knowledgeable of the menu. The place is pretty busy so if you like to linger after your meal this is not the place for you because there is a line to get in. My Son had the Salmon Scramble w/ sour cream & breakfast potatos & I had the French Toast Combo w/ bacon & egg. Both meals came out quickly and were delicious!!! I highly recommend, this is a perfect beach town breakfast cafe :)

My first visit here; breakfast on Dec 26th, 2024. I'm traveling around California to visit friends and family. You can see and hear the ocean from this place. Friendly and accommodating staff; I'm here in off season so parking, is easy. Plenty nearby. Relaxed decor, nice menu choices. I went with a time honored favorite of Eggs Benedict. Side of roast potatoes and a muffin and orange slice. Glass of fresh squeezed orange juice to complete the meal. All of it was very tasty; eggs were poached just right. Prices are good; after all it's beach front!

Great food and great people! The cafe is such an amazing quaint little local cafe, and the close location to the boardwalk provides a nice break from the greasy overpriced food that is in that area. I ordered the pesto chicken sandwich as a recommendation from our waiter, and it was so good! Not too greasy or dry, and it's incredibly flavorful. The pesto sauce was so good and would have definitely liked just a little bit more on each bite. The bread was fresh and perfectly soft and toasted, and the veggies inside the sandwich were fresh and crisp. The chicken was a little bit dry on its own, but when it was inside the sandwich you really couldn't tell. Finally the portion sizes were perfect. Not too big or too small. My friends ordered the inlets (breakfast is served all day) and the Ruben sandwich, and every bite was eaten on the plate. And the staff.... Where to begin! Every person in the restaurant was amazing! They provided great menu recommendations, and interesting facts about the decor of the cafe. They were always right there to check on us, and our water glasses never got below half empty. This is such a good place to stop at if you are at the boardwalk and want better quality food and pricing (as the restaurant is right across the street), or if your just in the area and looking for a good meal.

The food was subpar. The service was okay. The waitress was very friendly but the older woman was cranky and we were told so was the cook. My sister was cold and asked if they could close the half door and they said no because the cook had a heat stroke. Very strange. The atmosphere was cute but the kids said the bathroom was scary. My first bite of potatoes had dirt in it. The food was way overpriced and they charged us a gratuity for having seven people. We wouldn't have known that unless we questioned the bill. Not cool, they should've listed it on the menu that that's their policy. I wouldn't recommend this place. Go further inland and find Linda's seaside Café much better food.

The food was amazing. I got an avocado sandwhich and my boyfriend a bacon and cheese omelet. Each delicious. Price is ok. A little pricey but not terrible. The waitress looked as though she wasn't happy about being at work but still polite. Fast service.

Food was good, it was kinda tight in there. The customer service was ok but the employees all looked like they came back from a smoke break. Tired and not too happy to be there. The best part is that it's literally across the street from the boardwalk. Very old timey feel inside.

Small cafe located right across the boardwalk, but had a decent seating area. Wasn't really busy on a Friday afternoon with many tables open. If you can bring *cash* since a 3% charge is applied to credit cards Pancakes were light and fluffy, but the stack is deceiving eating it at once. The chorizo breakfast burrito was pretty big and filling. The salsa was thinly diced and paired well with it. Was a tasty burrito but more minimal fillings with just eggs, potato, cheese and chorizo and a bit on the pricier side at $16. Most dishes seemed to be priced more given its location.

Never the type to leave reviews but this place exceeded expectations. The bacon was thick, we loved the coffee, and the food was overall exactly what we wanted. (Not pictured because we dug in before thinking to snap a photo). Service was quick and our server stayed on top of refills. The atmosphere was also very cozy, with plenty of paintings and a shelf of books on the way to the restrooms. We fully plan on returning whenever in the area.

Hearty food that was absolutely perfect for a day at the beach. Also, it was nice to have a waiter that was so attentive and dedicated to his job. I really enjoyed my time there in this corner Café that was rather crowded, which was the good news because the food was quite nice and the atmosphere was exactly what one would hope to find in a little beachside café of this sort.

Cafe was super cute. Loved the vibe of it. Workers were super nice and the food came out super quick.

Food was delicious, coffee was great, servers were kind and helpful, and location is cute and convenient. Also, bathrooms were clean which is a huge plus!

Horrible woman, older probably 45, behind the counter was incredibly rude to me. Other guests approached me and commented I can't imagine why she was so rude to you. I asked her name so that management could know that they have an obviously bad employee but she refused. Reading other reviews on yelp suggest that this is an ongoing problem

My wife and I were walking the Boardwalk on March 21 and stepped out of the Arcade building to see the Beach Street Cafe across the street. This was on a weekday before the rides at the Boardwalk opened for the season, so it was not busy. We decided to give it a try. We were welcomed and seated immediately by a wonderful and friendly server. I ordered the eggs Benedict and my wife ordered a small french toast. Both were great. The Benedict was topped with paprika. The "Sauteed Potatoes" are seasoned baby reds without added veggies. We paid in cash, as there was an added 3% charge for using a card. We both really loved the food, the service, the location and the view. Good job. We will be back.

Service was good but extremely overpriced. Online it says the average spending range is 10-20 per meal. This is untrue. It was extremely difficult trying to find a meal under 20 dolllars. The eggs Benedict I ordered was 20$, and extremely underwhelming. My friends ordered the crab Benedict and the crab was completely rancid. Not to mention the window was wide open the whole time and it was super chilly! The place has potential but could use a lot of work.

This is by far the worst dining experience EVER the crab and rancid it made my daughter throw up. Not to mention the OUTRAGEOUS prices. A small can of soda was 5 dollars and pretty much every meal on the menu was at least 20$. I have nothing good to say about this cafe do not go here.

Me and party were in Santa Cruz for a friends wedding. tried to eat here the morning of, the door was open and seemed inviting. BOY WERE WE WRONG. We start to walk in and are immediately pushed out by the hostess. And then she shut the door on us! Did not eat here because they decided to boot us out to sign in. Very rude and terrible service attitude

They don't make you feel very comfortable here. Some lady just stands behind the counter on her tablet and ignores her customers, no good morning or thank you for coming in. Dirty walls from coffee or syrup. No fruit! No oatmeal! Most of my family doesn't eat eggs. Not a lot of options for that: only 1 other table when we got there and it seemed like it was made a big deal we had a party of 5 they had us wait outside to get a table ready?? Pretty weird experience. Only thing that made it ok was the waitress that seemed afraid to do her job. Food wasn't anything exciting. Had a bagel and the chef (if that's what you can call him) was Too lazy to spread out the cream cheese so it was just a hard ball on the bagel. Avoid! They don't appreciate they're customers

Rating purely based on the customer service... went in with my kids from the beach & was told we needed pants to be seated. This location is directly across the street from the beach, I don't think it's uncommon for people to be in bathing suits. I then asked if I could just get a coffee to go and she said no, we can't do take out either. So no bathing suits. No to go food or drinks. That's ridiculous & she was extremely rude about it. Not worth trying the food if you can't even make in the door without the service sucking.

Extremely disappointing experience. No French fries available, even though we saw home fries served with other sandwiches. Ours came with potato salad--without being asked if we had a preference. We were served pancakes but had to ask for syrup, which should be a given. The breakfast burrito bizarrely had some sort of sweet syrup inside, which completely ruined it. The avocado sandwich was downright embarrassing: two flimsy slices of bread with a single slice of avocado, cheese, tomato, and red onion. It looked unappetizing and didn't even qualify as a proper sandwich. When asked if we needed anything and replied no, we were handed the bill right away. It felt rushed and dismissive, as if we were being kicked out. The entire experience was awkward, and the wait staff seemed clueless and untrained. The final bill? $93 plus a $3 surcharge--for a grand total of $96 for terrible food and worse service. Save your money and go elsewhere. We won't be back.

I don't understand why the overall rating for this restaurant was low!? We almost didn't come in because of that but we are so happy we did!!! the portion sizes were great, the food was delicious, and the server Crystal was so kind and attentive super quaint little cafe making us feel right at home with a beautiful view of the pier

Little spot with big flavor. This is the second time I've been here. This restaurant has been here for years. It's located in a very convenient location if you are staying or visiting the Santa Cruz boardwalk. I ordered the 3 egg breakfast that comes with country potatoes and I added sausage as well, also includes a muffin. . This is a simple breakfast but it's the little differences that make places stand out from each other. And this is one of those. The potatoes were delicious. Excellent flavor. The house muffin is just incredible. So good. We also got the Denver omelet. The omelet size is huge. But was made with care that stands out. Again this was a simple dish but still very good. Since the inside is small I could see this place getting packed very quickly. The service was good. You can see the boardwalk from inside the restaurant so it's in a very cool location. I highly recommend giving it a chance if in the area and looking for breakfast or lunch. You won't be disappointed.

Visited this place while spending some time in Santa Cruz. Overall, I would say this place is just above average. The food was ok, came out fast, and the service was average for being such a small place and plenty of help. The food was ok and nothing to write home about. The ambiance is small town diner with just average food and if I had to narrow it down, I would say convenience because it's close to most everything. Next time I will enjoy breakfast else where.

This go-around the French Toast was hard, not fluffy, (like perhaps they didn't soak the bread in the egg long enough,) but the Breakfasts Burrito was excellent. Service was quick and efficient. It's a small cafe, not conducive to a group larger than four, really. Typical Santa Cruz parking, but if you're coming to the Boardwalk anyway, park there and walk across the street for a decent breakfast or brunch.

Service was super friendly. We ordered french toast, chorizo scramble and eggs sandou. All were really good but the eggs sandou really stood out!

Someone should educate these ignorant folks! We were just kicked out of their "prestigious" place because we were bringing my son"s food. He is a child with disabilities and life threatening food allergies. As we don't expect anyone to accommodate all of his allergies, we always bring his food. We have done that everywhere!: At very good restaurants in Saratoga, Santana Row, even in Paris! They should know that under ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act), food allergies (especially when the individual already has other disabilities) are considered a disability on their own. About to be famous on Social Media... stay tuned!

For some reason this place has gotten a bad rap. Today we had a fantastic breakfast. My crab and spinach Benedict was delicious as were the orange cranberry muffin and the potatoes. My husband loved the burrito, but it was so huge he couldn't finish it. The service was excellent. Is it a little rustic and no frills? Sure, but I like that in a breakfast/lunch joint.

Nice cozy place to have breakfast, food was great only thing is that it was a little overpriced. Service was good and fast it's just a small place .

Whoever is voting down this hidden gem is a toolbag. Had the pastrami sandwich and iced coffee, son had kids pancakes and scrambled eggs with cheese. Everything is fantastic and the staff are so friendly, our server even offered to make an off menu custom chocolate iced coffee drink but I felt bad about it being labor intensive. The fact she was going to do it says so much. Super kind and the place is decked out with beautiful art by Maxfield Parrish! Huge win.

Food actually wasn't bad. We had Benedicts with potatoes. But the problem was the Bloody Mary literally tasted like it was mixed with BBQ sauce. Absolutely terrible! My boyfriend and I were in shock, and confused. The service wasn't great, but what was really awkward was when I asked questions about the menu, the waiter literally acted like she had no idea what I was even talking about. As if she has never payed any attention to the food. It was bizarre honestly. Anyways, I'll never go back.

Very cute and convenient location. It's quite small inside, and I don't believe they take reservations, so come prepared to wait right outside after joining the waitlist (they don't take phone numbers or anything). The food has always been good but is expensive. Manager can be a little rude but is usually kind if you're kind.

This is a little (leetle) unassuming place across the street from the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk Arcade. In the summer, the door is closed in order to accommodate the paying customers with good air conditioning. The drill is you walk up to the door (which is closed, the only hint that it's open is smallish sign on the door and the people outside waiting to eat), put your name with a ballpoint pen on the paper list, and wait for the waitress to come out and call your name. This is NOT the place you go for a leisurely meal catch up on life with a friend you haven't seen in years, or go with friends for a mini-high school reunion. This place makes enough $$ from 8:00 am - 1:00 pm and they don't do it by being hospitable. Seriously. They do it by serving good food, efficiently turning tables over (and over) and cleaning up at 1:00 pm, and getting ready for the next day. The food here is very good. It is all standard hearty breakfast fare. My favorite was the chorizo scramble (3-ish eggs, I ordered 2-ish, scrambled dry, like I don't mind if the eggs are brown). It came to order with corn tortillas. I swiped a sausage from the hubby (yum) and their special Orange Cranberry Muffin was OMG delicious! The wait staff is super efficient. They don't want you hanging around, but at the same time, they were nice, I would say cordial. When I ran out of tortillas and still had some chorizo scramble, I asked for 2 more tortillas and was told "Uh-uh, we don't do that". Like I said, no catching up with a long-lost friend here. If you are looking for a table and somehow walk into the restaurant, you are met by the gatekeeper who says, "Go outside, write your name on the pad, and wait for your name to be called". When you leave and don't close the door, the wait staff unceremoniously slams the door. It's actually quite comical. So yes, as long as you know what you are in for, go here! The food is good, the special muffins are to DIE for! After eating here, there's more time to spend on the Boardwalk!

We were walking on the boardwalk looking for a place to eat and stumbled upon this cafe. The Yelp hours seem to be wrong, they were definitely open after 2pm. The restaurant was small and not too crowded with bathrooms upstairs, cool artwork all over the walls, and great music playing. The staff was extremely friendly and took good care of our group. We ordered a bottle of champagne and glass of orange juice which was a good amount for 4 people. I had the florentine omelet with Monterey Jack and it was so fluffy and delicious. My only complaint is that they add 20% gratuity for a group of more than 5 people which I think is a bit too much. Definitely a good spot for a classic breakfast.

The service that i was given here was absolutely horrible. The old lady that works there was so disrespectful and looked miserable the whole time. If you are looking for a place to enjoy breakfast save yourself the trouble and do not come here.

My group came here since it was across the street from the boardwalk. It was super convenient since we needed to just grab food then continue our day at the boardwalk. I got the pesto sandwich which came with potatoes and a pickle spear on the side. I thought the sandwich was okay, I wish the chicken was a bit more flavored or juicier. My table ordered orange and cranberry mimosas ($9) and they were pretty strong! I didn't really taste the orange or cranberry but definitely tasted the champagne XD.

Food was below average. Only the pancakes were slightly enjoyable but still wouldn't go back for them. The eggs Benedict were overcooked- I can make better poached eggs at home. The hollandaise was dreadful. The French toast also wasn't good. While the young waitresses were nice, the lady behind the counter who told us where to sit was not friendly, almost rude. I assumed she was the owner or manager. She seemed annoyed at her staff too, and wasn't shy about letting diners hear it. We were so hungry so we just decided to ignore it. But after reading some reviews on google I realized i wasn't imagining it.

It was bomb. I didn't get pictures tho :/ They have these little orange muffin things, they come out warm n u can put a lil butter on 'em. Soooo good. Sofa king good!

Hold in the wall place with a great breakfast. Breakfast is all day and lunch items start at 11. Wasn't too sure when we first walked in since it was empty (middle of week on off season though) but was pleasantly surprised. Breakfast burrito with chorizo and bacon was soo good and nice size. Husband enjoyed his over easy eggs with ham and homemade cranberry orange muffin. Pancakes were nice and fluffy with that buttery taste. Really good and will be back. Only got a pic of the pancakes. We ate the rest too fast

Fast and friendly service! Food is to die for! Definitely coming back every time I'm in Santa Cruz