I have to throw in the disclaimer that i haven't eaten here in like 4 years. Hmmm, what a pleasant surprise. I walk in to eat something since I'm doing laundry (I hate laundry) and have some time to kill. I show up and the place is packed! Good sign, right? Ummm, yep! Two ladies working and two cooks. Uh oh, slow service and long waits, right? Wrong!! I sat at the counter which I typically never do but it works here. Diet Coke stat! Must have caffeine in my blood now! Ok, now that that's over with let's browse the menu.... Lots of choices with coastal or highway type names that confuse at first but once you read into them it becomes kind of clear. Chicken fried steak it is! Hopefully it isn't a "Toaster Pastry" like so many disappointments lately. I inquire as to what comes IN the home fries and I'm told "Nothing. Oh wait, season salt". Ok, sounds bland-ish but I'm feeling lucky and sourdough toast please. Um, and a refill. Surfing on the free wifi I find the charger game and discover they're losing...... AGAIN! After a shorter than expected wait my food arrives and looks promising. Gravy has larger than usually encountered chunks of sausage and there's plenty of it without being smothered. Two eggs perfectly over medium as requested and toast that's toasted but not the least bit burned. Perfect so far. Wait for it......... The chicken fried steak is fabulous. Not too big, not too small (for a fat guy that's saying something) and crispy on the outside without being turned to a boot inside. Nice job! Taters are just as described. Season salt and potatoes. Good, cooked well and just enough of them. A little Tabasco and a pinch of salt and they're just right! The staff working was great, friendly and fast and busting their asses with a smile and a refill. I'll be back for sure. I saw a couple things I want to try. Crap, back to laundry! :( read more

I've been going to the 101 for many years now. It's a '20s-era 20-seat diner, expanded and added-to over the years, serving good ol' American diner food - fried chicken and mashed potato dinners, big, juicy hamburgers, Tuna Melts, meat loaf, and the full gamut of omelettes and breakfast dishes. I love the 101 for a lot of reasons. First, the food is homestyle and it's definitely comfort food - no "lite" menu here; about the only concession to low-fat eating is the substitution of cottage cheese for your French fries ;) I love a big, fat Ortega burger, dripping with Jack cheese and a plump grilled green chili. I'm also partial to the home-made milkshakes, made with real ice cream and served in a tall glass with the remainder in the silver mixer cup, all white with frost. The turkey sandwich features big, 1/2"-thick slabs of turkey, not some pressed "luncheon meat" of indeterminate origin. It's real food for real people. Speaking of real people, I'm also very fond of Katie, David and the rest of the crew. The service is personal, friendly and the atmosphere is 1950s Americana from start to finish (without the annoying knick-knack clutter kitsch of some places that try too hard - the 101's '50s veneer is authentic). Within easy walking distance of the beach, too - just 4 short blocks to the sand. One thing to know before you go: the 101 does not take credit cards. Cash only, so go prepared (although there is an ATM on premises). read more

I need my 101! I'm away from home right now and am craving the goodness that is 101 cafe. I always mostly get THE patty melt, or the chicken fried steak, or the burger, or the club, or the omelet, or the french toast or the......hand dipped peanut butter shake, O M G that thing is desert heaven! Seriously great consistent food! A+ Fries Terrific and personal service! hand dipped shakes - (do you remember what those are?) Pretty cheap eats, cute historical dinner on the 101!!!! read more

Fun little historic diner right on the coast highway. Staff was really really friendly. Typical diner food but good prices. If you're passing through Oceanside stop in. read more

This place is AMAZING. Small but cozy. The food was great! Large portions and the food is very good. Service by was outstanding! This was like stepping back into the past where the service was great, the food was great and the people you meet had amazing stories! Did I mention the hand dipped milkshakes! REAL ice cream, REAL milk!!!! read more

I had the half turkey sandwich with a side salad. My dad had the Ortega Burger and fries. My turkey was super moist. Loved it! My dad's burger looked really good. And their fries are seasoned with Cajun seasoning, thick and perfectly cooked. Delicious read more

I ate breakfast at the 101 Cafe in Oceanside, CA on 12/28/2015. I've eaten there several times before. My cousin and I had their Denver Omelette ($10.19 each) while my aunt had their Centerline (whatever that is) for $9.59. Good food and plenty of it. Our server, Chandra, did a fine job as well. Warning: cash only and limited hours. Plus, I took photos. read more

101 Cafe - Photo taken 12/28/2015 - 101 Cafe (interior) - American Near Me - Oceanside, California

The food is okay but the ambiance has a classic 50s diner feel. The window view is awesome for watching Oceansiders go by.

Cannot beat this place for old school vibe. A slice of pie and coffee at an old fashioned counter. Come for the breakfast or lunch. Amazing burgers, club sandwiches and decent salads. Old fashioned malt and burger combos. Open face turkey and gravy sandwich. Although they stopped selling it, they used to have liver and onions which is seriously old school food. Try it you'll like it! read more

I'm sure it was just an off day but man, the service is absolutely terrible and they don't pay attention to what they charge you for and they forget to bring out your complete order ... didn't get toast for our meals till after we were done. It was just weird. We sat outside but we didn't have any pepper or jelly or sugar and when i requested it the other waitress was shocked that we were served at a table with no condiments or napkins and not only that we were given coffee with no creamer or sugar offered with it? and had to get a refill from a different tables waitress. They were out of a menu item and by the time she came back to retake the order other people's food was finished and we got charged for what they didn't have and we had to mention it as we were paying and it was just an awkward experience. Honestly Oceanside had gotten shitty with their waiting service at every single restaurant besides dons country kitchen and start fresh cafe. I grew up here and haven't had any good experience at any other restaurant and prices are thru the freaking roof nowadays... don't expect tips JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE A SERVER , Actually do the job respectfully and you get tipped great. Foods wayyy to expensive to pay for that just to get crap service and crap food. Screw that! So I'm not surprised. Pretty much all waiters and waitresses in this town are shit workers. Stick to the local faves and it's not this place. Sorry. Or hire competent people maybe ?? read more

I would love to give this place 5 stars because the food is amazing and I love the friendly servers. It just seems always a bit dirty and the booths are in need of repair. But if you can get past the visual aspect the food is totally worth it. read more

101 Cafe - Ham Benedict with jalapeño cilantro hollandaise. So fantastic! - American Near Me - Oceanside, California

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Im a HUGE breakfast freak! and when it comes to good diners, all I know is Dennys lol. But boy let me tell you, this gem has been around for a very long time and is a very iconic restaurant to the Oceanside community. Its a very small diner with outside seating as well, so bring the pets too! Their menu ranges from as far out to burgers but they always stay in the breakfast area so you dont get so overwhelmed to what to eat. I normally get the Spanish scrambled eggs with corn tortilla, I had it with beef this time and didnt enjoy the quality of the beef. It had more fattening parts to eat that was hard to chew. I only wish they were more carful with that part, otherwise this wouldve been a killer dish! I tried their new raspberry coffee cake which is to die for!!! They brought it out nice and warm, and good enough to share if your stomach lets you ;) Theres always one to two waitresses working here and service could be a hit or miss depending how stressed the waitress is. Overall, the prices are affordable and its a neat historic place to kick off your day with some tasty food! read more

Great Customer service and the food was Really good!!! I totally recommend this place for friends! read more

101 Cafe - Very Good! - American Near Me - Oceanside, California

We have breakfast here almost every week. Kelsey, our usual server, always greets us with a big smile. She remembers what we like to drink and usually has our beverages at our table before we sit down. She welcomes everyone who comes in and makes the atmosphere feel like a big family, involving all the diners in conversation. The food has always tasted great. The banner advertising the best chili in town is true. Our eggs are always cooked perfectly. We recommend this restaurant to everyone who comes to visit. read more

Classic diner, I love it! Been many times always and have always have great food, usually breakfast, although the burgers are really good. The shakes, love 'em! Service is always great but gets busy in there and sometimes people tend to get impatient but I say what a great place to hang and have a nice relaxing meal just a short walk from the beach on PCH! Chandra, thanks for doing your part to make my special breakfast with my granddaughter a great start to a beautiful day! read more

Always drove by 101 Cafe, so I decided to stop by for breakfast & have to say the staff was very friendly and the pancakes was awesome. 100% going to stop by again. read more

101 Cafe - It was good, Try the Long Haul - American Near Me - Oceanside, California

I love coming here! It is cheap, the staff is super friendly and you get free coffee refills. I am always waiting for Flo to come walking out, chomping on her gum and calling me sugar. Fries with gravy, yummy! Also, great breakfast!!!! The meals are cheap and there are always some memorabilia that I feel I must purchase. It is one of those roadside attractions you must stop by when driving through! read more

The best fresh roasted hot turkey sandwich with real homemade mashed potatoes!!! A must try !!! read more

101 Cafe - Hot fresh roast turkey sandwich with real ( not instant) mashed potatoes - American Near Me - Oceanside, California

Food was DELICIOUS,hot, fresh and home made. You can't ask for more than that. Umm. Great service also. Will definitely come back if I get in town. read more

My take out experience w/ Doordash has been horrible for the 2 times Iv'e ordered. I never received my raspberry coffee cake & the previous time they didn't have it & the only other option was toast because they were out of half of the other side options to choose from & never received utensils . Also it would have been nice if the restaurant could have accommodated my order with either extra hash browns or sausage or bacon. The food is good but I will not be ordering food from here anymore due to the poor service I have received for the 2nd time. read more

The staff is what killed it for me. I ordered a hot chocolate, and when I told the waittress that the powder wasn't stirred good enough (all in one lump underneath the whip cream), she gave me a dirty look and stomped off. When she brought me the new one she dumped double the powder in the same cup, didn't mix it AGAIN, and the cup was all covered in powder. She couldn't understand why this was unacceptable???? At that point I paid for the crappy beverage and walked out. Clueless and pretty rude I must say. Never again!!! read more

This is the kind of diner that should attract tourists all around, so you would think and hope. It's one of the historical diner located in Oceanside right off of the 101. It's got a retro diner feel and the food isn't bad either. It's your typical diner with Americana food. My suggestion, when you ask for the fries, go ahead and ask for a side of gravy. It's one of their specialties, and it's dee-lish! read more

Not impressed. Cinnamon roll french toast special with eggs and sausage. Also tried the hash browns. First, the coffee wasn't great. Gotta have good coffee. The french toast, kind of soggy. Sausage a big cold. Eggs, okay. The hash browns, really crispy, but the flavor wasn't there. With so many places around, this is one I can take off the list. read more

I'm having trouble giving this a rating. The food was average, nothing to complain about but the service just isn't good. There was ONE waitress working on a Sunday morning. It took her quite a while to bring our drinks, then to take our order. Granted, she's the only one working with 6 tables and 3-4 people sitting at the counter. Plus bussing, and running from the kitchen. Shame on the management for not staffing adequately. By the time we left, the place filling up even more & now they had 2 waitresses. I can only imagine how much slower the service would be. The food is average at best but it's super cheap. Come here if you're not starving and are willing to be extremely patient. read more

Not gonna lie: I was feeling blue when I woke up and decided to make the drive up north because I knew a yummy Sunday breakfast at Cafe 101 would make me happy. It never disappoints! This vintage spot is kinda small but big on character. Are there hipsters taking photos of fancy food there? NO, BUT THERE IS BACON. Count yourself lucky if you nab a seat at the counter between the old Navy veteran and the motorcycle rider grabbing a bite. The menu is full of classic diner food, but I always get the eggs Benedict, and I am always happy. The wait staff is on top of every table, pouring a coffee warm-up before you've even asked. Last but not least, the cafe plays great vintage music, everything from Elvis to the Cool and the Gang. You can even get a little fresh air after your meal walking the few blocks down toward the ocean. If I died and went to heaven, Cafe 101 is pretty much what I'd hope for. Until then, I hope to be enjoying their breakfasts for years to come. read more

Been there, won't be back again. Ordered two breakfasts which were okay although overpriced (e.g., almost ten dollars for two eggs, hash browns and toast). The decaf coffee was delicious although not as hot as I like it. The loss of two stars is due to the extremely bad service. I had to stand up twice and go to the two waitresses. First, to take our two cups for a refill and second to place our order. The waitresses weren't busy and one of them was occupied with her cellphone. The lack of customers while we were there might be due to the prices and poor service. read more

Came here about 2 weeks ago on a lil mini vacation to visit a friend of mine, and it was the cutest breakfast spot I've ever been to. The atmosphere was relaxing and very welcoming. The waitress we had was super friendly and attentive. There was very limited seating, but we managed to get a booth quickly. It does get packed though, but now I know why. The food is amazing! I got a sausage omelette with their homemade hash browns, and these hash browns were the best I've ever had, not too salty and crunchy, yum! I will defiantly be back to visit this place again. read more

101 Cafe - Sausage omelette w/ hash browns. - American Near Me - Oceanside, California

I have been going to 101 Cafe for 20 years. They have now "changed the menu" to a generic, everybody has this menu. I have always gotten the Ortega Burger. They don't have it anymore. The prices were outrageous - over $26 for a 101 Burger (i.e. cheeseburger) and fish sandwich on wheat bread. The service is mediocre at best. If you have been here before, don't come! You will be disappointed. read more

Wonderful breakfast... Biscuits and gravy was killer! Nice atmosphere! read more

101 Cafe - American Near Me - Oceanside, California

The food was decent but the service was AWFUL! The waitress did not come back to our table unless we waved her down. We could see our food sitting there and she did not bring it for 15 minutes! We ran out of water and when we FINALLY got her attention she yelled across the restaurant at us. Honestly the staff seemed way to young to be handling the responsibility of being a waitress. P.S. If you talk bad about the customers in ear shot we will hear you, and you will not get a tip. read more

Great food, great service! Great atmosphere, very relaxing. Met cafe expectations. Steak and eggs, pancakes and bacon wonderful. Server was very nice. read more

The staff were polite. Service was fast, and the food tasted good. The place nice and clean I do recommend this place.

I enjoy going to 101 Café... The food is good my portions were a little late this time... But for the most part I enjoy stopping by about one to month more often in the summer time read more

It's unfortunate, I was a proponent for this place and then this morning happened. My fiancée and I walked in, sat down and ordered. A full hour later after watching people come in, order, eat, pay and leave, we left. I never did get my order and I won't ever return. They were not unpleasant, but they occasionally came by and lied, telling us our food was coming up next. More people would come and go, and more dishonesty. Short version, their food is pretty good, if they are in the mood to make it. Skip this place and go to the beach break or Don's just down the street. Don't give them your money, it's just not worth it. read more

We were on a bike ride and stopped here for breakfast. The place was packed although there was seating in the back of the room. We waited for the table to be cleared away and were seated. There were 8 of us all starving. Service was prompt - the old guy that brought our waters was quite the comedian. Our waitress was knowledgeable on the menu and for a crowd like us she did well. The food was ok. Not too impressed. It was cash only and a few of us was not ready for that. The restrooms were in a separate building across the parking lot. They were clean. Not sure if I'll be back.. read more

Great chef salad. Can't complain. I liked the old pictures on the walls, too. Service could be better, but it's a diner so I wasn't expecting much. They close at 2 pm so I guess get in early. read more

We came here for Father's Day breakfast. The food was delicious and the customer service was awesome. The restaurant was kinda small but it was very clean. I will definitely come back. read more

Everyone wants to be a diner but this place really is an authentic diner. What comes along with that is greasy diner food that may hit the spot or turn you away. I have always been satisfied with my meal and service here but it's a little pricey for breakfast. For two people, including tip, expect to spend around $24. Note that 101 Cafe is a cash only establishment so plan ahead. As a 90 year old establishment, they do pay tribute to Oceanside history with some neat old photographs of what the town used to look like. read more

Amazing food, severs are very attentive, the milk shakes are super super delicious!!! Yummm

So, the 101 Cafe changed owners and extended their hours recently. Glad to say they still deliver great classic diner food. My go to is their cold turkey sandwich. The turkey is moist and flavorful and pairs great with their classic fries or onion rings. read more

101 Cafe - 101 Cafe Turkey sandwich and onion rings. - American Near Me - Oceanside, California