Caterina's

We ordered the Coconut Caramel and their Creme Brulee lattes as well as Stella's Breakfast Tacos and the Turkey & Avo Panini Sandwich. The coconut caramel was to sweet, the staff fixed it without any addtl charges. The creme brulee was ok. The Stella Tacos tasted bland, needs something added to it. The Turkey & Avo sandwich was over the top. They went over the top with the avacados. Plenty of seating. Parking available for a fee nearby. Nice view of the beach across the street. Place was clean. They have a good option of ice cream and chocolates.

⭐️ 1 star — HORRIBLE DISGUSTING ALMOST DISCRIMINATORY RIDICULOUS Disrespectful, unwelcoming, and wildly overpriced I stopped at Caterina’s Caffee on the San Clemente Pier planning to grab gelato/ice cream while waiting for my wife and child to arrive. I sat at an outdoor table, pulled out my MacBook Air, and connected to my own personal hotspot (not their Wi-Fi) so I could get a little work done while I waited. Within moments, the owner approached and told me I “can’t use a laptop here.” Not politely. Not professionally. Not like a business that appreciates customers. The tone was abrupt, hostile, and unnecessarily rude — like I was doing something wrong simply by sitting quietly at an outdoor table, minding my own business. To be clear: I wasn’t taking up a whole section, I wasn’t being loud, I wasn’t bothering anyone, and I wasn’t asking for anything free. I was literally waiting for my family and trying to be productive for a few minutes. If there’s a “no laptop” policy, fine — but then post it clearly and communicate it with basic decency. The way this was handled felt like I was being singled out and treated with contempt. The overall vibe was shockingly unwelcoming — the kind of place that makes you feel like customers are a nuisance instead of the reason the business exists. For a pier café where people naturally sit, wait, and relax, this makes zero sense. And then the pricing… outrageous. I’ve seen expensive tourist spots, but this was next level. $27 for ice cream/gelato is not “premium,” it’s just excessive — especially when the service and attitude are this bad. If you’re going to charge luxury prices, you need to deliver luxury hospitality. This was the opposite. Bottom line: Beautiful location, but the experience was unpleasant enough that I won’t return. If you value friendly service, basic respect, and reasonable pricing, I’d strongly suggest taking your money somewhere else on the pier.

The staff was very nice, the atmosphere and location was AMAZING, however…. the food was AWFUL. Maybe they have good deserts but I spent 24$ on a 12 inch pinch and it was the worst pizza I had in my life. Visually it was very sad and underwhelming and the flavor was also not good. The worst part was how my jaw was getting sore from chewing my pizza dough so hard because it was SO chewy. Awful, I would definitely NOT recommend the Margarita Pizza.

This place reminds me of little cafes I have been to in Cuba. Very authentic very cute with a big difference though which is the selection of the foods and beverages. I wouldn’t mind their chocolates but the bakery section is amazing. So is the coffee.

This little gem 😍 the staff is super friendly, the food is awesome I had the avocado toast with balsamic and a over hard egg on gluten free toast yoooooooo it was sooooo good. I will come here every time I come back to this part of California!! So many things to choose from gluten free and vegan also regular. It was a true delight to have lunch here! Thank you so much

We went in to grab pastries and bottled water for quick calories so the teens could keep surfing. The lady yelled at the boys who were looking at the menu outside because they had surfboards, no big deal, they moved of course. I ordered brought them their food on the street and went back in to wait for the bagel. When it was ready she told me I couldn’t sit outside because I had a coffee from another cafe. Didn’t matter that we spent $35. Seemed so unnecessarily rude, had she been polite I’d have just finished the coffee and sat but it was too inhospitable.

Had lunch at Caterinas today and was really impressed!!! I've enjoyed their yummy Avocado toast for brunch or the authentically Italian gelato before but had never eaten lunch there. The hubster and I had the Italian Sub and the Turkey Avo Panini, respectively. Both were mouthwateringly Deee-lish!!!! I mean as good as the best deli sandwich you've had since your last trip to NYC!! Seriously!! Added bonus was the ocean peeping through the palms. Try it...you won't be sorry.

Cute beachside café and gelato/coffee bar. Good food and Gelato. Unfortunately staff is unable to accept cash if change is required and there is no signage indicating this. Would love to rate higher but this is a deal breaker for me. I was basically forced to pay with a card. Visitors be advised, owners please correct with a clearer policy or signage.

Friday am We decided to dine in our condo this a.m. I walked down to order to go. The restaurant is outdoor dining only. The menu has a lot of options some of the options are duplicated as wraps and/or paninis. The service was awful. The woman with gray short hair is kind of rude and curt. Not too helpful either. We ordered panini sandwiches one with smoked salmon, herb cream cheese, red onions, sliced tomato, capers and arugula. I ordered the porchetta with Italian porchetta, carmelized onions, , Dijon, mustard, arugula, Swiss and provolone cheese. I ordered an iced mocha with light ice it was a little on the sweet side. Everything was great tasty and perfectly toasted. Saturday afternoon We were at the beach and decided to grab a sandwich. We ordered their club sandwich it was tasty. A little overpriced for what you get. It is very conveniently located near the beach to order to go. Their outdoor seating is great.

This place is amazing. I lived in Orange County for seven years and they have the most extensive gluten-free menu. People don't talk about that as much as they should. The food is delicious the people are nice and the ambiance is overlooking the San Clemente Pier. The cute pink umbrella tables are what brought us to look at the menu, but the food is what kept us coming back. It's open late as well which is a bonus! When everything else was closing at five, we could still go to them when we wanted a late night bite. Great food, great ambiance, amazing gluten free options!

I try to eat clean ingredients. When I asked the owner if the sourdough bread was made with "enriched flour" (which is horrible for you BTW, he said, "sourdough is sourdough." Sir, some of your customers actually care about what they put in their body, and it would serve very well to know the ingredients in the food you buy. I'll go to Maison in Dana Point where the owner is well aware of what ingredient constitutes inflammatory hell in food and doesn't use seed oils. ^since I can't respond to what the owner posted I'll respond here, first of all, I didn't know high schoolers had tattoos. Second of all, I was right there when she turned and asked you and you responded with the rude comment instead of the answer I was looking for, so your argument isn't even valid. Kick rocks dude.

No wonder this place has 3 stars. I don't typically go out of my way to write reviews when places are ok, but after experiencing the older lady at this restaurant to be so rude to me and her staff, I needed to say something. We had already spent $50 dollars at the restaurant and my kids wanted one cup of water. I asked one of the employees and he nicely gave me a water cup. The lady proceeded to come from behind him and say. Did she pay for that? We don't give water or cups out for free. She then proceeded to tell me that legally she didn't need to provide free water even though I was eating in and spent money there. Snatching cups out of peoples hands and no apology? How do you expect to stay open and when tourists are the main people who are supporting you. All the locals clearly go next door. If you look at the other reviews, there's a theme to their customer service and penny pitching quality.

Caterina's was a godsend on a hot beach day, when we really needed some cold drinks, shade, and good food. The patio was spacious and misted, which plenty of comfortable outdoor seating. Their menu is super extensive, and they have every type of snack, sandwhich, dessert, candy, or gelato you can think of. I know they also have a lot of good gluten-free and vegetarian options as well. We tried their brown butter latte, and it was very creamy and sweet, I really liked whatever flavoring they used. The prices were all super reasonable, more so than many of the surrounding restaurants and cafes. I absolutely recommend for anyone wanting to spend the day on the beach or pier, or who is in the area and needs a quick pick-me-up!

Every time I have come to Caterina's lately I'm so surprised by how empty it is. They have great seating on their covered and non-covered patios. I love the outdoor couch and accent wall...and the pink umbrellas. Totally cute and really inviting. Their food is A+ and they have nearly every type of latte you could imagine. They also have delicious gelato and chocolate treats too! I will continue coming to Caterina's for the great food, drinks and views!

I have seen this place many times and never try it before, my first time here and it's such a nice place, I love everything from the menu, menu is very big they serve almost everything during the entire day, their selection of drink menu is also really good. Inside the place the do have like to go things when it is very convenient and big ice cream bar menu which I love. The whole restaurant is pretty, they do have a nice sit down area indoors and outdoor, but something that I did not like was the costumer service was not so great they were probably tired and about to close when we came and they seem not in their best mood.

Gelato and cookies and more right by the beach. Lovely place to stop by after a walk on the pier. The outdoor seating area is so nice with great views. The gelato is good and they also have variety baked goods and drinks. The ambiance is great here. Customer service is ok could be more friendlier. Overall a great stop while in the area.

Extremely rude staff (older woman). Sat down with my work computer and a coffee from a different restaurant, was going inside to buy food and was told that I can't bring "outside" food or drink and that this is "not an office" so I had to leave. Even when I said I was going to buy food...horrible customer service and probably why they have such a poor rating

I am fantasizing about gluten free bagels with smoked salmon but no cream cheese or red onion just tomato on top and found exactly what I needed at Caterina's. The crabby guy wasn't here this time, luckily!!

Needed a sweet treat after dinner so we stopped here for gelato. Cute shop with various treats and drinks to choose from. I went with a small cup of their hazelnut gelato, so good!

Okay, not great - I absolutely agree with the 3 star overall review (which usually means the place has a couple of great things so stick to what they do good and leave the rest). For the good: This place is just across the street from the beach & pier so it was nice eating listening to the sound of the waves crashing onto the sand and the cool ocean air since it is an open restaurant. The other great thing about this place is their specialty coffee & lattes. Breakfast not so much. For coffee, I had the Lavender Caramel Latte ($5 for small $5.50 for large) which was Ghirardelli caramel, lavender syrup, double espresso & milk - and it was FANTASTIC! My girlfriend got the Brown Butter Latte (same prices) and that too was FANTASTIC!! We both got the SoCal Breakfast Burrito ($12) which is scrambled eggs, black beans, cheddar cheese, bacon and potatoes and ice assembled it is heated up in a panini press which kinda dried it out and made it crispy and dryer than I like. It was also too hot and stayed hot the entire time, which is an odd note but I don't like burning my mouth with every bite. It has the ingredients of the breakfast burritos I love but they were a bit lackluster and wee not very big. We both thought the taste was just meh. We would definitely come back for the coffee but not the food.

Probably one of the worst places. The lady was super rude and was kicking so many people out because they had an item from the local place next door. I talked to the people being kicked out and they said they were ordering as well. There's no sign that says that they don't allowed outside food, all the people who the lady kicked out were outside the business. Please do not come, Go to the place next door and get a coffee with better service .

Seems like a cool spot Close to the beach Open later than other nearby coffee shops Comfortable Couches outside I liked this: _hot chocolate

I love the selections, so many items looked delicious. My coffee was average and the warmed cinnamon roll was very good! I would definitely order the cinnamon roll again. However, I wasn't a fan of the service. We felt rushed when ordering. And when asking a question about one of the menu items, I was met with a rude response. Seating is limited, but the area is cute with a nice view of the beach. Easy access. But service is such a huge component, it's three stars for me.

We thought we hit a gem. One that my mom with Celiac could eat nearly anything because next to the description of the item it said (gf). Don't be fooled. I worked in restaurant hospitality for nearly a decade. I designed menus and collateral. I know a thing or two about how to identify allergies. We offered the Surfer Breakfast Panini. In addition to assuming it was made with gluten free bread because of the "gf" we also assumed that because the description says turkey sausage that's what we would get but turns out they typically give it with pork sausage. We are used to asking for the item to be gluten free. No big deal but if your menu implies the item will be gf then it should be. Instead they told us we had to pay for another sandwich plus $4 up charge for gf bread. Our total bill for two people to have breakfast sandwiches (no hashbrowns or sides) was $96. We tip very well and had three coffees.

Great spot for people watching in San Clemente. I got the breakfast tacos and they were good. They were only 2 but they were good size. Overall the menu was extensive so plenty of options to chose from. They also sell pastries, gelato and candies/chocolate. My family ordered lattes but they were inconsistent even though they were the same drink. Service was okay. I think it's a good spot for a quick bite and the location is great. The trolley stops right across the street.

This place is great, and I think the bad reviews are uncalled for (and no, no one asked me to write this and I dont know anyone who works here personally). 1. It's true of ANY place that you can't bring in outside food or sit on their patio without buying anything or bringing food from other businesses 2. I've only ever had good food here. The paninis, breakfast burrito, pastries, and chocolates are all delicious. 3. No one has ever been rude to me here. And you know what? As someone who worked in food / retail for 13 years when I was younger, I think it's out of touch to expect your service workers to not only wait on you, but put on a show for you too. Their job isn't always fun (in fact it's almost never fun) and they deal with sooooooooooo many personalities and tourists every day. Cut them some slack. Overall, I'd rather eat here than most cafes in SC. Will 100% continue to support.

Excellent gelato and service! Great way to end a day at San Clemente right after sunset.

It was the prime location and quaint tiled exterior which led us to choose Catherinas. The menu was very basic, nothing extraordinary. Ordered an egg , bacon, and cheese muffin sandwich as I wasn't able to order a steak breakfast burrito because they ran out of steak. The egg muffin was just fair. Went next door to bear coast for coffee.

The pink umbrellas and colorful tile drew us in. I like the variety of pastries, gelato and breakfast. We both settled on the avocado toast. It was great sitting outside and enjoying the sun, wind and view!

Love Caterina's!!! The gelato is always fantastic. Also have great sandwiches here. A must visit when you're in San Clemente.

My wife and I were in San Clemente Pier area for an hour. She ordered an $8 grapefruit juice and within 30 minutes of sitting at a table, the owner asked us to leave. There were maybe 4-6 other customers at the property, and nobody else had ordered food. There were at least 12 open tables. The management is extremely disrespectful. Expensive, rude, poor management. Go next door.

Terrible service, extremely rude staff and overpriced items. Food is bland. Paid $8 for a small bottle of grapefruit juice and was asked to leave the outside sitting area because I'm not eating - even though there were other seats available and other people with empty coffee cups and no food. If I could give a 0, I would. Terrible.

Very friendly service. Great seating area. Super clean with great view. Lots of food and drink options. We got the turkey jalapeño panini and two iced lattes. The sandwich was great but the coffees were just ok.

insane homemade ice cream!!!!! location could not be more stunning. A+ across the board for everything except for the price. I understand rent might be high in this location in addition to their quality ingredients, but $20 for a small cup of ice cream is outrageous. We discovered the hack is getting the ice cream cones that are only $12 and seem to come with more ice cream than can even fit in those little cups lol so much that our second time back I asked for a cone half the size of the first and still paid the same $12 and it was perfect lol. Overall incredible just be aware of the prices!

Cute little beachside Café. I would come here for a coffee and pastry, perhaps. Been here twice and, ironically, ordered the same thing both times. It was a French dip. The roll was fine but both the meat and cheese lacked flavor. Perhaps, the meat had no taste because the beef was so lean The au just pulled it together but not enough to make me want to order it again. Breakfast looks promising that might be worth a return visit. It felt like the woman who took our order was doing us a favor and that always rankles me. When I asked for a small cup of water for my dog, she said they had no cups but had a big water bowl for dogs. That they did but I'd rather my dog not drink out of a communal bowl. When my sandwich came, the au jus came in a nice little cup, which was big enough for water for a small dog. Grrr. We might come back for coffees and pastries, which looked fabulous.

I've come to this restaurant for many years and have never been treated with such rude service. The person that placed our order said we can only have one cup of ice after paying for Snapple and Cafe Cream brûlée.

The food here is good and they have some fun coffee flavors however they are so strict and will not let you bring a coffee from next-door to enjoy while you consume one of their burritos or baked goods and are often rude about their patio even when I only had to sit down for a moment to organize my bag when the patio was completely empty. The young kids that work here are excellent and it seems to be the owners or managers that are sticklers and very unwelcoming. Such a bummer as that is outside of normal San Clemente culture and what we would expect from a local company.

Food was okay. They nickel and dime you. No cups for water. Went back to ask for a little balsamic vinegar for my bland avocado toast and the rude lady told me it would cost me. I spent $40 for two avocado toast plus 20% tip they asked for up front and they wouldn't even give me a cup of water or a little vinegar for my boring toast.

Nice location, but pretty $$$ for some sandwiches after tip $45 for 2 with a bag of chips. The portions were big enough though! The wait staff is kind enough to take your paper plates to the trash when you are finished. Plenty of options, I'm sure you'll find something you like.

I need to start checking yelp before eating at restaurants. We just wanted a simple breakfast and to enjoy the ocean view. I did like the fact that the menu was labeled with gluten free options. They did have a nice amount of gf options. We ordered the breakfast tacos and eggs and avocado bowl. Cost was $27.62. You have to order at the counter and they bring the food out to you. The portions were small and served on paper plates and cups. Average cost was $13.41. My "bowl" was probably one avocado and 2 eggs scrambled if that. The tacos were small and had little in it except avocados. The cost was high for the amount of food we received. We did enjoy the view but they do have free public picnic tables a little further down. The tables were clean though.

I'm torn on this review.. giving it 3.5 stars. The shop is cute, we showed up on a weekday and the employees were nice. They let us sample, and were patient with us and our kids. Of course the kids wanted cones. I asked for a single scoop in the cone, but they said "we only have one size for cones." Ok... so I get two cones for my kids. It ends up being massive double scoops for a whopping total of $24!! I was stunned. That's the same cost as a good pint of ice cream! It was good quality but nothing soooooo amazing? It melted so fast too. I was disappointed about the hidden cost, but I know their rent is probably expensive and the gelato was good.

It's pretty comical that this place is only three stars. Fantastic sandwiches at reasonable prices along with really good ice cream and some chocolates. If you're at the beach, try it.

Such a good vibe! I loved their s'mores latte so much, that I went four different days to grab a cup. The service staff was extremely kind and always helped with a smile. I loved the ambience in this restaurant/bistro. They also had different sweet treats like gelato, Pastries and chocolates. I noticed usually in the late afternoon they were pretty busy. It's always a good sign when I see a bit of a line! I genuinely enjoyed this place! Can't wait to return.

This spot was perfect for a snack or breakfast on the beach. I picked up a couple gelatos while we fished on the pier and it was the perfect snack to cool us off. The small size was more than enough and at just under $7 it really hit the spot.

Cute place right on the beach. Yet we ordered a coffee and it tasted "old and burnt", when we tried to return it and get another coffee, the owner abruptly said get back inline and buy another coffee. She wouldn't subtract the price of the original coffee essentially paying for both. Not recommended. Go to Bear Coast next door instead.

Had lunch at Caterinas today and was really impressed!!! I've enjoyed their yummy Avocado toast for brunch or the authentically Italian gelato before but had never eaten lunch there. The hubster and I had the Italian Sub and the Turkey Avo Panini, respectively. Both were mouthwateringly Deee-lish!!!! I mean as good as the best deli sandwich you've had since your last trip to NYC!! Seriously!! Added bonus was the ocean peeping through the palms. Try it...you won't be sorry.

2 - Great gelato, poor attitude from owner We're new to the area and were excited to try this place after hearing about the gelato. The location is great, the staff (especially the person behind the counter) was friendly and helpful, and the gelato was delicious. Unfortunately, the experience was spoiled by the owner's attitude. We walked in in a good mood, and everything was fine until the owner came over to take our order. He didn't greet us, make eye contact, or show any basic courtesy just very cold and dismissive. I asked about getting a half-sweet latte, as I usually do at more artisanal coffee spots where drinks aren't overly sweet. He couldn't (or wouldn't) explain how sweet their drinks are, and I ended up with a latte that was overly sweet anyway. It wasn't the mistake that bothered me--it was the lack of professionalism and attitude that made the whole experience uncomfortable. When you run a business, especially in customer service, basic friendliness should come standard. Sadly, we won't be returning.

We've had mixed experiences at Caterina. On our first visit, my mother ordered a cappuccino which was not to her liking, it was very bitter no sweetener at all. She politely asked to exchange her drink which she had only took a sip from and the older woman at the counter (cashier) refused and said she had to keep what she ordered. It felt unnecessarily strict and dismissive. We gave the place another try later in the day and came back for ice cream. Thankfully, we had a different server this time who was very polite and welcoming that was a refreshing change. However, the original cashier/server was there again, and her attitude toward us still felt cold and uncomfortable, almost like we were being profiled. We want to support local spots and appreciate good service when we see it. One staff member made us feel welcome, but the inconsistency in treatment really stood out. Hoping Caterina takes this kind of feedback seriously.

Love this place! It has a little bit of everything you would want to eat! The food is made fresh, the service is great (even when it's busy), and it's right across from the pier so you can sit outside and enjoy the view as well as the people walking by!

Ordered two different lattes and 2 chocolate truffles... tasted both coffees and honestly tasted burnt and just not drinkable asked to just get a refund as we were not going to even drink them.. was told I need to speak to owner (Tim) who first ignored me... than turns around no apology nothing with just a blank stare and "no" not a can we make something else for you I apologize nothing just no. Surprising how unfriendly they are with a location that has so many locals/ tourist come! Fix your faces and attitude it's a bad look... also the older women scolding the cashier on how to hand back cash was quite awkward also.... sad because the view and location are top tier but man that attitude and horrible customer service won't get you far...

They don't offer free water with food purchases (against the law). Force you to buy a bottle of water. Update: it is, in fact, a law. "According to California Civil Code Section 114376, restaurants in California are required to offer free, fresh drinking water to their patrons. This law to all establishments, including chains, restaurants, and trucks. Must provide water to customers request, and cannot charge for it."

DO NOT SUPPORT THESE PEOPLE*** I strongly advise against visiting this establishment. I recently had a very disappointing experience here. The food is overpriced for the quality, and the treatment from the owner (old angry bitter woman) was unacceptable. After purchasing food, I sat down at a table waiting, my husband walked up after buying an iced coffee from Bear Coast next door. Instead of welcoming us, the owner ran up and approached us (mid eating) with a hostile attitude, scolding us for having the coffee and insisting we couldn't be there even if we were HER CUSTOMERS. Her comment, "I don't care, Bear Coast doesn't pay our rent," was shocking and unprofessional, especially as we were paying customers. This kind of behavior towards patrons is beyond comprehension. I do not know how they can stay in business with this mentality. I will not be supporting this business again and will be sharing my experience with others in the community.

This place has gone down hill. Prices go up which that's understandable. This place a couple of years ago had some delicious speciality coffees. The food was also so much better. The owners have such a bitter look on their face.

The Gelato had many good flavor choices (I had a decadent Caramel Popcorn) and was really SWEET. I think they hand make all the product on the premises. Of course, the location is absolutely prime. I see many negative reviews re. the owner, but she was very kind to us, when we kept coming back for samples, and also asking why we heard no trains all day; she took the time to explain the whole situation to us, even though it was late (close to 7 pm on a sleepy Wednesday) and she was trying to sweep up. We actually really appreciated her kindness. We'll be back!

Look- this is my first yelp review but I just had to say something. This was, by far the worst "breakfast burrito" I've had. It was just a panini and the temperature was so hot I had to wait 15 minutes before I could even eat it. I got the steak burrito and I'm not even kidding when I say this, there was 1 small piece of overcooked steak on each side of it. It cost $14 and was served on a paper plate. Not to mention a bottle of water costs 6.50. Honestly guys, just give up. If you're charging this much for 711 quality food, I'd sell the spot

The workers there were pretty rude. I agree with the other reviewers. This older lady said I couldn't sit there with coffee from next door even though I had purchased a burrito at their restaurant. I understand the issue but the way she said it was unkind. Will not be returning ‍

Owner who took my order extremely rude no customer service and then watched her throw a fit after. Do better