The Walnut Avenue Cafe

This place sets the bar for a breakfast and lunch restaurant. The food is excellent. The service is friendly and efficient, and the vibe is comfortable. We hadn’t been back for some time and everything about the place was great. The staff is busy and the joint is busy for good reason. I had the chorizo with eggs and my wife had bacon and eggs. My bride was thrilled and mine was one of best I’ve ever had. Thank you❤️🐣

We walked in on a Saturday 11:20am, and would need to wait around 25min for a table of three adults. Once we are seated, another 10min for waitress to serve, and another 20min for dishes to serve, this is due to the busy hour around noon time, that is acceptable. But I would still recommend if the restaurant owner could consider improve the dish wait time? Because when our plates are served, all of them were not freshly hot, just a little warm... As of the dish flavor, my mom liked the signature shrimp benedict. She enjoyed its flavor and its homefries.

If I was a local, I'd go here. That being said every time I come to the Santa Cruz area, I do go there. The menu is pretty large , so again, if I was local I'd be going here to try all their offerings. It's always busy, so the best thing to do is put your name up and walk the downtown for a bit. The food tastes clean and the portions are good.

An excellent experience, local place with amazing food and exceptional service. We highly recommend this place. Awesome scrambles and Eggs Florentine

The french toast breakfast is the item to order. The staff is young but very helpful and attentive. Plenty of food and comes quickly. The Mexican plate lacked taste and heat. Over all mice place for American favorite meals. Plenty of parking next door.

We dined in during memorial day. Had a wait for almost 20 minutes and was seated inside. Orderd patty melt and california burger. Both were tasty. It can get crowded inside so keep that in mind.

Really good food! The place was poppin' on a Monday morning and the service was still awesome. We visited from Seattle and if we're ever back in town we'll be coming in! Thank you

It is worth not to stay on the beach boulevard, but to walk towards the center to have a delicious lunch here. The service is fast and the prices are good, do not expect high-quality cuisine, but the price quality ratio was good.

The food portions were large, the service was great, and the dishes were tasty. :) I got the chilaquiles, eggs benedict, and quevos mexicanos. The cafe was very cute inside and outside. They seem to be pet friendly too!

This is the second time we have been to this cafe and it was as good as we remember. I was surprised that our wait wasn't too long for our large party of 8 on a Sunday morning. Shy was our server and she gave us amazing service. We enjoyed our time and didn't feel rushed even though the restaurant started to get busy after we sat down. We sat on the outside patio and surprisingly it wasn't too loud even though the outside seating is located in the front of the restaurant. I ordered a vanilla latte and it was beyond AMAZING!! It was just the right mix of sweet and coffee tasting. The egg scramble was cooked perfectly and their house fries were seasoned just right. If you are looking for a good breakfast spot this place is it! I will be back next time I'm in the area.

Wow, I'm surprised at the high reviews for this place. It is your typical brunch spot with everything being okay. Scramble was okay, portion was pretty small. Potatoes were overcooked/burnt. Chilaquiles weren't very flavorful. Their "special" zucchini muffin was dry. Nothing special, it's a place to stop if you need breakfast before going to the beach or boardwalk. Get there earlier than 10am, otherwise you will have to wait.

The only downside? Protein portions (not thee king egg obviously) are small (got one slice of ham for my eggs Benedict & lox salmon pieces were tiny for the Salmon Benedict special). Otherwise, we loved the ambiance and service as well as the flavors of the food (the eggs + hollandaise sauce were probably some of the best for Benedicts we've tried so far). Also, we loved the abundance of perfectly seasoned, crispy potatoes.

Classic breakfast spot with extensive menu and traditional dishes. Prompt service as well.

After 10+ years of saying I wanted to come here for breakfast, I finally did, and it did not disappoint! I mean I was expecting it to be good based on the seemingly always long line of people waiting. It's always a dilemma between sweet and savory for breakfast when dining out, luckily my mom and I decided to share two items so we didn't have to pick between the two! We went with the mushroom avocado and cheese scramble and french toast, then got a side of bacon because why not?! The scramble seemed small compared to other restaurants I've gotten scrambles at, but it ended up being plenty of food by the end of the meal. The eggs were cooked well, not overdone at all, and the scramble had a good amount of flavor without having to add additional salt or pepper. I did get a side of the salsa though, which was a nice bright and fresh addition. The french toast was delicious with those cinnamon-y bananas and whipped cream, didn't even need syrup. We were able to substitute the toast with our scramble for the french toast meal which saved us a few dollars, while not minimizing the portion at all! Bacon was also cooked perfectly, nice and crispy without being too crispy or having any burnt bits. Service was great and everyone was friendly. Would absolutely come back and order everything we did again. We also arrived early, before 9am on a Sunday and didn't have to wait at all!

First time eating here and it was an amazing experience! Our servers name was Shy and she was incredible! A very diverse menu with very healthy food and just plain old comfort food! It is a popular place so it gets crowded but it's worth the wait! Parking garage is right next door. I will be back!

We checked Yelp on Monday for a place to eat lunch while shopping in the area and were headed to a different spot when we saw the surprising - to us - turnout at the Walnut Ave. Cafe about 11:30am. I mean the place was jumping with what looked like happy eaters so we decided to give it a try. Took just a couple of minutes to score a table outside. And not too long later our curry chicken and walnut salad and a plate-sized carnitas tostada were at our table. We enjoyed them both. Staff is friendly. And the satisfied customers make the vibe happy. Main wish is that they would sell half-orders.....if you get my drift.

Such a cute brunch spot downtown! My friends and I stopped by on a Sunday morning and waited 40 minutes before we were seated. Menu is expansive and although it's not cheap, portion sizes were huge! Food came pretty quickly which was surprising for how busy it was. I had a scramble and was able to substitute and add a few items to make it more tailored to me. The eggs were just warm when they got to me, so they were probably sitting out for a bit. Still delish! Potatoes were a lottt but had yummy char and seasoning. Good portion size and a classic brunch. I didn't think it was anything special, but it was a fun experience.

this place is the best lunch spot in santa cruz!!! i loved my turkey ham&avaocado sandwich, and the salad is so good with the vinegar sauce! I really enjoyed putting the cranberry sauce with the sandwich and for the price, it's super big and delicious. the mushroom burger had mushrooms that were sautéed so nicely and onions were grilled right and was so good altogether! one of the best burgers i had in so long! the coleslaw was also yummy and had raisins in it, which was actually super nice! great service and atmosphere, it feels so cozy! it's super popular so there's usually a line but it's definitely worth the wait!!!!!

Walnut Ave cafe is a great and reliable breakfast or brunch spot. I have been going for years whenever I'm in town since graduating from UCSC. They've got all your traditional breakfast favorites in very generous portions. My favorite thing about Walnut Ave has always been their fresh apple juice but the last time I went it tasted less concentrated so they might have changed how they make that now.

We went on a Saturday morning and it was busy, but we got seated immediately! The server and host were really nice and attentive. It's a super cute cafe, very cozy. I ordered the Huevos Mexicanos and they were delicious, it came with tortillas of corn (you can also opt for flour) and beans. I also ordered a Chai Oat Latte which was also delicious! I definitely would come again to try their walnut waffles that my friend ordered.

This is a really solid brunch spot! I got their turkey and avocado scramble and potatoes. What worked: -- quick and friendly service -- reasonable prices -- super tasty scramble! The idea of warm avocado usually weirds me out but this absolutely works -- I adore the little booths they have all over the restaurant, it feels very cozy -- good portion sizes -- lots of variety on the menu. You've got standard breakfasts and some more fun/exciting options to try What didn't work: -- I think the one thing they need is an ultra decadent and sweet pancake/waffle option on the menu. I may be saying this because I desperately want an ice cream sandwich right now but hey, who doesn't love pancakes smothered in Nutella and whipped cream?

Cute spot for breakfast/ brunch with a good atmosphere. Prices were fair, a bit expensive for what it is but that's to be expected with downtown Santa Cruz. We got the cafe Florentine, bacon/ eggs combo, and vanilla latte which was surprisingly good. Also ordered an orange juice which said "fresh", but later saw an employee pouring gallons of store-bought juice into the serving pitcher. Although, the food came out pretty quickly and the service was good, so overall a nice experience.

I was visiting Santa Cruz for my gf's birthday and this was a busy but lovely brunch spot downtown! You know it's going to be good when the place is packed and they did not disappoint! Service was quick but the booth was very small for the two of us. Menu had breakfast and lunch options and I ordered a burger that sounded pretty unique. I've never seen the bun options they've had but the Sweet brown bun I got was really good! I got a pesto burger and it was pretty incredible. Good sized burger with a side salad and that burger filled me up quick! My only complaint would be that the side options were pretty weird, only offers were a side salad (1 option), potato salad, cole slaw, or potato chips. Would love the see some fries here but I think they are going for the healthy side option vibe which works for some people! Overall I would come back again to try some breakfast option and other menu items!!!

10/10: The girls helping us were all so sweet and have nothing but good things to say. The vibe is nice for a day out. The tables outside have a summer picnic decor, very cute! 6.5/10: Curried Chicken and Walnut sandwich was surprisingly better than I thought. Walnut taste wasn't there, was more so for the texture. The curry was also very subtle and not pungent. The chicken was sauced on the heavy side, which compliments the coarse bread. It tastes better as I was eating it. 3/10: The Eggs Benedict was watery? We popped it open and just juice came out... edible but would never get again. The potatoes also weren't salted and when there's a lot of starch, eating it whole, super bland... The fruits were also not good at all.

Ok first of all we have been here before and the ambiance for a breakfast place is real nice!! The service of all the employees is great!!! There is always a little wait so prepare yourself !! The food is really good and the portions are a lot . If you are in this area come try it!! You won't be disappointed!! I will put up a few pics and will be back to try the French toast plate I saw when walking out!! Omg!! Looked good!! Check it out!!!

One of my fav brunch spots in Santa Cruz!! I came here a lot during college and have even come back years later and brought friends. We all love the food, so yummy and lots of great options, the vibes are always so lovely and nice too and staff are very friendly. My favorites are the waffle and the eggs Benedict!

The French toast was really good!! Smaller in size then most places, but it was perfect portion for me. I came here for brunch with my husband for Father's Day. We waited maybe 40 mins and seated us outside. Our waitress was real attentive and nice. I also loved the smoked hickory flavor thick bacon. This place seems to be very popular and I see why.

Great breakfast/brunch location in Santa Cruz! It does get crowded on weekends, but I heard it's easier to get in on weekdays. Be sure to try any dish that includes potatoes; they're awesome!

Walnut avenue cafe is a cute place to grab breakfast or brunch in Santa Cruz. I came by after running Wharf to Wharf with a couple of friends and we came around 1045AM for a table of 3 on a Sunday. Total wait was about 20-25 minutes and they seem to turn tables pretty quickly. They offer both indoor and outdoor seating. After running 10k I was feeling pretty hungry and wanted something more substantial than just a breakfast item. I ended up opting for the southwest chicken sandwich which is bbq chicken with peppers and pepper Jack cheese on a francesc roll. My friend got a curry chicken sandwich due to all the reviews about it. Overall we both liked the southwest chicken sandwich better just because it was a hot sandwich option with good flavor. That being said, the curried chicken on a sweet roll did taste very good but we both enjoyed the hot sandwich better. The banana nut French toast was also very solid with a generous side of whipped cream. We ended up ordering 4 dishes for 3 ppl and ended up paying ~$28 each. Pretty solid place for brunch, wouldn't mind coming back if I'm in Santa Cruz!

This location was top 5 on yelp review for breakfast and I see why it was. This place is a small location, but OMG does it pack a punch. I will say that it is a first come first serve when placing your name on the list to be seated, but it moves fast and the staff there from the hostess to the servers were the greatest people I've ever came across at a restaurant. From greeting us with the most greatest attitude and the waitress being super patient and helping us with the menu because this being our first time. I got to create my own monster omelet and everything was fresh and cooked well. I also added the mango jalapeno sausage and OMG, was it the greatest sausage I've ever had - LOL! I don't like fruits in any of my savior dishes, but the mango sausage was different and I like it A LOT! Their potatoes that they also serve with their breakfast is honestly the BEST potatoes I've ever had on any breakfast food. I wish all breakfast places served and cooked their breakfast potatoes like Walnuts. Everything about this place SHMACK so much, that we're planning on making a trip down here just for more. This place is a definite MUST TO TRY OUT!

This place was packed when I parked my car so I thought I'd give it a try before I headed back towards the South Bay. The male hostess was cranking, working hard, and pleasant, this was nice. It was a beautiful day so I requested a table outside, and I had my puppy. A table for 1 + doggie was approximately 10 minutes, not bad. After I got to my table, my waitress was either working the inside tables along worth me. I really couldn't tell who else she was serving so we'll give her the benefit of the doubt that she was slammed. Another server noticed I had not been served and asked me if I had been helped and I said no, she told me Megan would be with me shortly, ok. She finally came, I ordered my Stella and Patty Melt with a side of potato salad. The Stella was good, the patty melt had more onions than cheese and meat, and the potato salad had more onions to potato ratio. Not good, not good at all. I'm not sure why this place has as many good reviews as it does. Maybe I ordered the wrong thing. Overall the waitress was slow and the food was not good. It was $27 and change so not terrible but not a lot of food for that price either.

I was looking for a quaint little cafe for Breakfast in downtown Santa Cruz and this was the perfect place. It was a weekend morning but we were able to slide into a table for 2. We had ordered the regular Coffee and Orange juice while checked out the menu. Wifey had ordered the Huevos Rancheros with Carnitas and I had ordered the Chiliquedas. Both breakfasts weee good and the portions were perfect. We e had ordered the Ahi eggs Benedict to go and it was ready pretty quick. They also had outside seating but it was a little chilly outside. Definitely a nice place for Breakfast and Lunch in a small locale restaurant.

Had really high hopes for this place because of the reviews and how crowded the restaurant was but it fell short. I got a Benedict which I thought was just okay. My gf got waffles with a side of eggs and bacon and she said it was only okay as well. Pretty standard breakfast spot, nothing mind blowing. Despite the long line, we did get seated pretty quickly and the service was friendly. Ok food overall but definitely not worth waiting for.

Busy/noisy cafe. Thin patties, like Wendy's hamburger thin. Thin chicken patties too, they're consistent. Waitress had zero personality. Man who processed my check was friendlier in our 5 second interaction. Raisins in the coleslaw was a surprise but good.

Cute little cafe in downtown Santa Cruz. Needed to find a breakfast place before adventuring around Santa Cruz. Yelp reviews helped narrow down our list and we went with the Walnut Ave Cafe. Ordered their special: Crab Benedict! It was delicious. The hollandaise sauce had a little too much lemon but was otherwise it was creamy and Rich. Will definitely come back here again!

Came here for breakfast, seated promptly. The food was very basic and they have all your regular breakfast items. Our dishes were just ok. Nothing to brag about. This place is busy because it's located in the mid of downtown and it's conveniently next to a big parking lot so parking was easy. Besides that everything we ate and drank was mediocre. Service was ok too.

Everyone that works here is so nice! From the hostess to our barista to the server...big smiles and lovely beyond words. And the food was delightful. We had the TURKEY, AVOCADO & PEPPER JACK on FRANCES ROLL w/ cole slaw. Wifey had the CURRY CHICKEN SANDWICH on BROWN BREAD w/ potato salad. The HAZELNUT LATTE was perfection.

Great place to grab lunch downtown. The staff is always extremely friendly and attentive. They have a large menu and lots of choices. Love the turkey avocado and all of their salads. The dog menu alone scores 5 stars in my book! Seriously a nice selection on the dog menu. Lucy selected the chicken chewies and had plenty leftover for her doggie bag.

Thank you Yelpers for the reviews here. First time here and it didn't disappoint. While it was after 11am, we both ordered a Benedict dish. Hubby for the Florentine and I had the blackened ahi in the outdoor parklet. It was a perfect day to be outside as the sun was shining. While waiting for our food, I enjoyed an iced tea and hubby had a coffee. Both were good and I would say my tea, with a squeeze of lemon and a sweetener, was delicious! The visual of the food is great and the taste is outstanding. Both of our eggs were cooked perfectly and the hollandaise had the right consistency and tanginess I'm guessing from lemon juice. The home fries are seasoned well and have lots of crispiness from the flat top. Service is very friendly and attentive. Plenty of street parking and they are next door to a parking garage. Please support this local business. Looking forward to coming back to this part of town a short walk away from the boardwalk.

This is the best brunch my husband and I have had here on our trip to Santa Cruz so far! Accessible parking options, kind and quick staff, and delicious comfort food! Highly recommend!

Enjoyable, solid brunch service for 30 years is a lot to brag about and Walnut Street can brag. It's a tried and true local business. We waited about 45 minutes on a recent Sunday and service, once seated was efficient. Our water glasses and coffee cups were repeatedly refilled, like clockwork. We appreciate that. Walnut Cafe struck us as solid, big portions, traditional brunch spot. Clearly it's a local favorite if the lines here are any indication. Our order of French toast with grilled bananas and whipped cream was enormous and comforting. Our mushroom spinach scramble was exactly what you'd expect. The Eggs Benedict had a disappointing, thick, yet vinegary hollandaise that just about broke my heart. If you are in the market for a traditional big breakfast spot, with some hit or miss classic items, Walnut Avenue may be your jam.

omg this french toast might be one of my favorite french toasts i've ever had!! it was amazing i definitely recommend this brunch place if you're in Santa Cruz! there might be a wait time, but the service here is super friendly and loved the ambiance of the place :)

Had a wonderful breakfast at this cafe. The breakfast menu has many excellent and healthy choices. I had the eggs Florentine and savored every bite. My husband had the eggs chilaquiles and cleaned the plate. Service was excellent, huge place, very busy but they never skipped a beat. Definitely a place we will come back to. Much much better than Zachery's.

1/29/23 Great brunch place! On weekends dominated by UCSC students. Our food came out quickly. I'm certain they put something extra in their hollandaise sauce because their benedict is more addictive than some other benedicts I've had. I DO recommend the blackened ahi tuna benedict. I always feel risky when I order seafood Benedicts, but it was not fishy at all!). I also enjoyed the fruit and yogurt smoothie, which was less than five bucks. The big breakfast ensured I'd got enough energy for the rest of the day! I will come back because Benedicts are served all day. Plus if I arrive at 11 am and after, I have access to the whole menu to order.

Service was good. We got seated within 10 minutes after being told it would be a 15-20 min wait. Tables were clean and servers were all friendly and polite. Inside the restaurant it gets noisy and a little crowded, but I personally enjoyed it! The food was tasty. We ordered a chorizo scramble with flour tortillas, it came with house fries. Soooo good!! The flour tortillas tasted like homemade, didn't ask if they were though. Portions were good. The French toast I was slightly disappointed with. They were a bit soggy, but the toppings were good and they served plenty of whipped cream :)

First time here and glad we picked the right spot for breakfast. They have outdoor seating and since we had our dog, a waiter showed us to our table. Shortly after, our waiter greeted us. We ordered, and I'd say we waited longer than expected for our food to arrive. Milk and iced tea were served immediately. When we did get our food, it was so good. Worth the wait. Husband had pancakes and chicken apple sausage (best sausage we ever had!), I had the Huevos Mexicanos. Portions are generous so we each had leftover to-go box. Next time we visit SC again, we'll remember this spot.

Service was great, but the food wasn't up to par. FOOD: - Eggs Benedict: It tasted pretty good, but the eggs weren't drained all the way because it was super watery. So the texture was pretty off-putting and it felt like I was eating egg soup. The potatoes didn't have much seasoning and there were some really small burnt pieces and some not yet golden big pieces. 3/5 for flavor, but 1.5/5 overall. - Curried Chicken & Walnut Sandwich: Tasted very basic and underwhelming. The main flavor I tasted was celery. My sister thought it was basic too, but it tasted better the more she ate it. 3/5. SERVICE: Service was good since our waitress was very sweet and attentive. We never had to call her over for anything since she was quick. We also sat outside and it was quite clean.

Great lunch. Was here years ago and remembered the food. Happy to report, the food is still awesome

We decided to go to this place after reading about so many great reviews about walnut Avenue. It was very yummy breakfast we had for our breakfast.

Pretty good food. Outdoor seating. Bar seating. Prices fair. Small menu. Street parking. Ok service. Waffles are good. Benedict just ok.

Hanging out with my friends in Santa Cruz. Breakfast serves until 4 pm. Seem like it's popular spot in town.

Stopped by for brunch with my roommate and 10/10 cannot recommend enough! For starters, they don't take reservations so plan for at least a 20-30 min wait time. We arrive at 11am and we're sat within 15 minutes. During that time we browsed the neighboring shops so not such a big deal. Once sat, we order our drinks and food and the food arrive within 10 mins. I got the food waffle with all the add on and holy cow, BEST CHOICE EVER!! It was the perfect mix of salty and sweet! My friends were also happy with their choices and we have agreed we need to come back!

Doing this review as I sit here: Upon arrival: Short wait time! Told us to wait around 10 minutes but was seated in 3. Great atmosphere and friendly waitress. Fiona brought us out a bowl of water for the pup! Brought our drinks out extremely quickly as well. Food: Food was great. Everyone all around said they enjoyed. We had the Zucchini, Mushrooms, and Tomato Scramble with muffins, Huevos Mexicanos, and the Carnitas Rancheros. Food was nice and balanced with great flavor. Would highly recommend if you are looking for a spot to eat. Priced great and high quality!

Sophie(?) was so sweet and kind! She knew exactly when to come take our order. When she asked what kind of bread I wanted, I looked at her for a second before she launched into the perfect description of them without me having to ask. And the food was delicious and the bathrooms clean. Very cute and delicious place!

This place is amazing! I love going here and no matter what age, you will love it. Outside seating might have a bit of a breeze well because Santa Cruz so bring a jacket. You get sit down very quickly even on a popular day. There are tons of options, savory and sweet whatever you like. If you sit outside there is always people watching to pass the time and inside there are a lot of decor on the walls. 10/10 place and you SHOULD go here.

Line was crazy long when we got there and it's a pretty small place for how many people come here. The food itself is alright, nothing amazing.

Great spot to grab brunch on a relaxing weekend. This place seemed pretty popular -- there was a long line on a late Saturday morning. My group was relatively large (8 people), but we were still seated quickly. Servers were all very kind. My group all got brunch food, and everything looked amazing. Their sweet breakfast waffles were all great; fluffy and well garnished. I got the feta, tomato, and basil scramble. Was a little lackluster and I think they forgot the basil, but it still tasted good. Whole group was very satisfied. A bit pricey, but good atmosphere and food. Would come back.