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    Active Culture

    4.2 (840 reviews)
    Open • 9:00 am - 8:00 pm
    Updated 3 weeks ago

    Order Active Culture Takeout or Delivery

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    ACTIVE CULTURE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Hipster
    Classy
    Casual

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    Recommended Reviews - Active Culture

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    Janette N.

    Active Culture is always packed on the weekends because it's honestly such a good meal post beach break. It's healthy and quick which also makes it a good option to take out and eat at the beach directly. I'm so happy they finally added chicken as a protein option you can add on, but the star of the show had to go to the nachos and the orange creamsicle smoothie!! I'm not kidding when I say this, I'd take this smoothie over the erewhon's orange kinsicle smoothie.

    Kerry S.

    The food here is always fresh and plentiful, with generous portions and great quality. They frequently offer specials for locals, which is a nice bonus. The frozen yogurt flavors are consistently delicious, and the staff is friendly and patient. There's also plenty of both indoor and outdoor seating, making it a comfortable spot to enjoy a meal or treat. Highly recommend!

    Toppings for the fro-yo.
    Jenn R.

    The space felt cozy and casually charming with a coastal bohemian aesthetic that fit San Clemente perfectly. Dining tables inside, but most sit in the small outdoor patio tucked neatly into the front corner of this cafe; ideal for sunny days and people-watching. For this visit, I opted for a beverage (no food). Oh, and I did fro-yo tastings too. THE DRINK. - Orange Creamsicle Shake. Sweet, creamy, and citrusy with a subtle tang that nailed the nostalgic creamsicle flavor. Highly recommend! THE PARKING. Street parking was available nearby, but we had to pay attention to the posted time limits because it seemed a little complicated (to me, at least). THE VERDICT. Loved the orange creamsicle shake, but I also spotted a date shake on the menu, which only means another visit is needed!

    Tacos
    Patsy L.

    This place is on the Main Street of San Clemente. Cute place & service was great. There's indoor and outdoor seating. Parking can be tough. I came with some friends and we all got some sort of bowl or tacos. Everything was good. After our meal, I ended up getting a peanut butter smoothie. It had coconut in it and it was delicious! I would definitely come back.

    Trinity G.

    So refreshing and tasty!! Inside the restaurant is clean and so many froyo options to choose from. They have a ton of fresh and flavorful toppings that you can add to your bowl as well. The froyo is made and serve yourself. Highly recommend if you are looking for a healthier sweet treat.

    Ann V.

    This was my first time at this family-owned business and found it thru my trusted Yelp App. I was in the mood for something healthy and fruity. I walked into a very chill shop. The staff behind the counter was friendly and helpful since I was new to the AC family. I ordered a meduim Bountiful Acai Bowl. It had greek yogurt and organic Sambazon© Açaí topped with organic granola, banana, blueberries, strawberries, flaxseeds, as well as organic agave nectar. Sooo yummyyy!! It's exactly what I needed to nourish my body. Thank you AC for your dedication for serving foods that fuel our bodies and souls :-)

    Potato Tacos (2 Tacos)
    Madeline S.

    I love Active Culture more and more, every time I come. I love their healthy ingredients. I recently had the potato tacos and holy decliousness! They were filled with crisp slaw, ripe avocado, and had a super yummy drizzle of fresh sauce (maybe a tahini ?). They have fresh cucumber and regular water, as well as various drinks like kombucha or sparkling waters. Also, if you're not hungry for a meal, I highly recommend their fro yo. I'm craving it right now. They even offer gluten free and vegan options and have an array of various toppings. So much good! The only negative is there's very little parking around.

    Kevin S.

    Incredible local SC spot! This has been on my list for the last 2 years. Since I am moving here in the next few months I am digging deeper into the local spots. I'm not super into vegan food, i love vegetables but a lot of the food is GMO soy and seed oil focused, which I am not into at all. I noticed Active culture does it right and goes lighter in these ingredients. Today I had a protein shake with house made almond milk and butter, hello protein, bananas and ice. It was Excellent! I will 100% be back.

    Wholesome bowl
    Michelle G.

    I eat here at least once a month. Excellent clean and healthy food. Great vegan options. I love that they have locals day once a month 50% off makes it even tastier. Got the hummus quinoa salad, vegan chili soup, and blue dream shake. Great service, upbeat music, lots of seating. Excellent health food and place overall!

    Leeza D.

    I have been to the Actuve Culture in Novato, California and it was a memorable experience. I just recently found out that they have a couple of locations in Southern California. I visited the one here in San Clemente on the way back from a long hike. I was very dehydrated and what I usually go for is açai bowl. I went ahead and tried the protein açai bowl which has nuts and fruit. The bowl is a very good sized portion and even though I was hungry, I could not finish it and had to take some home. They have self serve yogurt and free samples also. Additionally I grabbed their lentil burger to go because it is so good and flavorful and very filling. It had a hint of curry, which I like. I like the shop. I like the walkable location. I like the menu. The staff is very friendly. Casual. Street parking. Please come and create your own adventure .

    Exterior signage
    Roben B.

    Food: Clean food using simple ingredients. Their menu emphasizes choices that are vegetarian friendly. I got the quesadilla with OG sauce and was genuinely impressed by the flavor of sauce. The presentation was nice, but I wish the avocado were mashed like they are in the nachos so that you're not stuck trying to dissect giant slices. The nachos were really good and the creamsicle was a good blend of cream and sweetness. Service: Everyone was really friendly and you leave your plates at the table to be bussed by the staff. Ambiance: the interior is very clean, modern minimalist and well organized.

    *SPECIAL* Pecan Pie Shake
    Andrew G.

    We've been a few times and haven't been let down yet. This time I got a velvet acai bowl with peanut butter. I really want some fresh fruit and it hit the spot. My wife got a pecan pie smoothie which was very tasty. It was basically a date shake with pecans and maple syrup. It was a little sweet but nice to share.

    froyo!!

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    8 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    6 years ago

    Great spot for healthy food with a friendly staff. Highly recommend the wholesome bowl, add an egg, extra og sauce. Check it out!

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    6 years ago

    Best everything ever! Yogurt! Nachos! Salads! And friendly, courteous service. I love this place.

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    9 years ago

    This is my go to spot in San Clemente. Everything is delicious, fast & served with a smile.

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    8 years ago

    This place is great for açaí bowls, smoothies, and frozen yogurt after the beach. It's always nice to come here after the beach!

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    8 years ago

    They don't accept cash? I just can't understand why they would do that. Food looks great, but you have to have a credit card to try

    Business owner information

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    Faye C.

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    4 years ago

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    9 years ago

    Siracha burger was yummy, sad about no cheese, but still do yummy. Sweet potato fries were yumms

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    9 years ago

    So tried the bowl and the hamburger hamburger was okay didn't really like it but their wholesome bowl was to die for it was really good

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    6 years ago

    Love active culture! Free delivery is an extra bonus!! Matt who delivered our food was friendly and timely as well.

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    7 years ago

    Delicious wholesome food bowls! Very friendly service and nice outside patio area. Will be back!

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    Page 14 of 21

    Active Culture Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Active Culture

    Where's a good place to park?

    I usually park behind it in the churches parking lot

    Where can I find the nutrition info?

    I just asked this yesterday. They do not have nutritional info available online. You can ask at the location and they have it available there, but it's not something you can take away.

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    Parlor

    Parlor

    4.6(194 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    •$$
    Outdoor seating
    Romantic vibe

    Parlor has been on my San Clemente list for 2 years. And now that we've lived here for 4 1/2 months…read morewe were due for a visit. We picked my birthday of all nights! Our waitress name was Claire and we hit the jackpot. So personable, friendly and made the night super special. We also met the manager/operator Joe. He made us feel like we were weekly locals and welcomed us with open arms! We want to come back ASAP just to see Claire and Joe again! Special people. The food, OMG this place is such a gem. We started with the Herloom Tomato Burrata appetizer which was very good. This fresh tomatoes (which needed a pinch more of some crunchy sea salt) with a light pesto, micro greens and burrata. Perfect combo eating bites with the grilled sourdough they bring along side. If you have Claire she'll bring you fresh butter and hot honey. Pro tip!!! This combo is undefeatable. And the wings. They are all half flats, extra crispy in a spicy and sweet sauce. Very very yummy. That blue cheese needs a little thickening but besides that, FIRE! Next we got the Organic Arugula salad with hazelnuts, shaved pecorino and mint. Damn this salad was sleeper hit. Eat it with your pizza, the richness needs something to cut through it, this salad! We got the wild mushroom Pizza which Claire recommended, which ABSOLUTELY blew me away. So perfect crispy yet perfectly chewy at the same time. I think this is my new fav pizza in all of OC. Lucky me I live 1.7 miles away. OMG ya'll this pizza is worth a 2 hour drive to get here! To end the meal for my birthday they surprised us with a Panna Cotta. Beautiful like a perfect creme bruele in a latte cup topped with a nut sort of crumble and a mint leaf. PERFECT ending to an absolutely perfect meal. Thank you Parlor for making my 48th birthday one to remember. We cannot wait to come back soon.

    2nd visit to the speakeasy and enjoyed it a lot. Secret password is "Joe." He's the owner…read more It's a cool hidden spot behind and below the kitchen area. It's dark and cozy with a small but fully stocked bar and a separate private room with a pool table and big screen TV. The drinks are delicious as well as any of the food you can order from the restaurant above.

    Photos
    Parlor
    Parlor
    Parlor

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    Coastal Cowboy

    Coastal Cowboy

    4.3(305 reviews)
    0.2 mi
    •$$
    Kid friendly
    Pet friendly

    Finally got to try this place! Been wanting to come here for quite some time, and we finally did…read morewith family visiting from Vegas! They too were WOW'd! It was perfect timing we arrived after the major rush...apparently the 30th annual classic car show had just wrapped up for the day! It was a beautiful day as always in DTSC, but we opted to sit inside since we found a table for our party of 6! You place and pay for your order at the counter and they give you a number, and your order is brought to your table. There were plenty of food and drink options on their menu. I went for the Carne Asada Tacos (seriously, one of the BEST I've ever tasted, bonus points for the tortilla keeping its form till the very last bite!), and my husband went for the Cali Brisket Cheesesteak, which he enjoyed wholeheartedly (omg, those housemade chips though!!!). I washed mine down with a Ginger Lime Booch, which was so refreshing! This place was a hit for me, and we will definitely come back again very soon! Side note: We even got to meet the owner that day (super nice and chill guy) and saw his classic car parked out front, which was a beast with the roar of the motor equally majestic!!! LOL. Thank you for the great hospitality. Looking forward to coming back soon! CHEERS and happy eating till next time...

    We moved to SC in early May and have been wanting to try Coastal Cowboy ever since. No seed oils…read moreand garbage in their food, our kind of food. The first move is you walk in and order at the counter, the line moves quickly and the girl who took our order was very knowledgeable and friendly. You can tell these employees are trained well. They give you a number and you grab a table. We were there on a Saturday night at 6:45 and we had no problems getting a table. Pro tip: Order beers & appetizers at the counter and then hang and have a couple of drinks and order dinner with your waitress. The food: Tallow Fries - Must order, the best fries you'll ever have. With the homemade ketchup good lawd! We got 2 baskets for 4 of us. We should have gotten 3 baskets. Coastal smash - 2 Pattie's, no seed oil sauce, pickles, onions, cheese on a fabulous brioche style bun. My wife LOVED this. Brisket tacos - An absolute winner. Smokey, salty, tangy, plenty of umami with cilantro and pickled onions. Fire! The only thing i would have loved was some sort of salsa. Maybe there was and I missed it. Caesar salad wrap chicken - this was a sleeper hit. My daughter is a Caesar salad conissuer and this was right up her ally. And with avocado oil Caesar dressing, no garbage! Comeon. Grilled fish tacos - very fresh and good. I think there was a sauce but these were dry. It needed more sauce and some salsa. Mind you the quality was there, so I had no problem eating them. But they were a bit bland honestly. 10/10 friendly service 10/10 easability if ordering and seating. 9/10 Food This will become one of our favorite family spots no doubt. Thank you Coastal Cowboy for caring enough to be seed oil free and health conscious with your cuisine.

    Photos
    Coastal Cowboy
    Coastal Cowboy
    Coastal Cowboy - Dinning area

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    Dinning area

    Brussels Bistro - Mussels Provencal!

    Brussels Bistro

    4.4(499 reviews)
    0.3 mi
    •$$

    MAKE SURE TO TRY THE LAVA CAKE!!! Will go back for that cake and coffee ice cream on top!! The…read moreBranzino was also amazing. Also the bread. We loved the ambiance. Very nice decor and cute overall vibe. Felt authentic. Great restaurant and great people. Both servers were very kind and made the experience great. We did not catch their names but the male (curly blonde hair) was very nice and made sure we got the beer and food we wanted. The female (brunette) made sure we got the dessert we wanted. The hostess was very nice and was able to accommodate to get our requested table right away. Everyone was lovely and made us very happy to be there. Thank you all!

    came on a Saturday afternoon. the street of Avenida Del Mar was pretty packed with customers and…read morestreet parking was pretty much all occupied. they were located on a popular area for sure. we came a bit early for dinner. the restaurant was not biz yet. the place looked clean and bathroom was as well. We sat on a booth. the server had an accent, almost felt as if I was in Belgium. he took care of our orders but we never saw him again afterwards so his service wasn't bad but it wasn't great either. we ordered few things: 1) beef carpaccio- looked like any other beef carpaccio dish but this one wasn't as good. the meat wasn't cut as thinly as others. it was adequate dish but nothing great. 2) small mussels and fries- pretty good. wish there was more pieces for $29 3) pork shank- the presentation was avg. But this dish was fantastic. the meat fell off the bone, literally. meat was very tender. great dish. 4) beef bourguignon- very good dish too. not salty like most places. meat was flavorful and tender. 5) brazino- not bad but I've had better. felt like the skin needed to be crispier. 6) Profiteroles au chocolat- I've never had this before. amazing dessert. perfect. the ice cream inside the dough, choux pastry, was superb.

    Photos
    Brussels Bistro - Inside decor

    Inside decor

    Brussels Bistro - Lettuce wrapped burger

    Lettuce wrapped burger

    Brussels Bistro - Inside

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    Inside

    Nick's San Clemente - Asparagus Fried excellent.

    Nick's San Clemente

    4.4(2.5k reviews)
    0.2 mi
    •$$

    It's Monday afternoon and the weather is perfect. The hostess seats us in the front, an L-shaped…read morebooth where we both sit facing outside. Rectangular bistro tables in front of us run along the wall. The rest of the restaurant is darker with more intimate lighting. My friend and I have the same order, Bistro Plate. It's a little bit of everything; soup, salad, and entree. Soup of the day is a Red Pepper Bisque topped with a crostini and a dollop of goat cheese. Salad is slaw style, lightly dressed. Filet mignon, ordered medium rare, is definitely petite; sitting on crispy garlic toast, topped with what seems to be chimichurri (though the menu only mentions steak butter). All of it, perfection. We enjoyed our cocktails as well. Both of us with a Coco Rita in hand. It felt like a vacation. We enjoyed the cocktail so much that we sat in the bar for another one after paying the bill and moving our cars (due to the 3 hour parking limit). I live in Oceanside and would love to come back here. Old Town San Clemente has it's own charm. It felt like a little getaway though was only a girls day outing.

    Most everything was great here. I had the prime rib dip. It was delicious. Offered different…read morehorse radish options. Au jus was tasty and the meat was sliced thin and cooked perfectly. My wife got a burger cooked the way she liked. Had fries and my wife ordered the tomatoes with blue cheese. Some of the best tasting fries I've had. Both of us really liked the tomatoes. The restaurant was well decorated with a varied menu. Aldan, our server did a terrific job. Never left us for too long, kept the water filled as well as the ice tea. Their desert was great. It was huge and very flavorful. I had two minor issues. They only had mango ice tea. Also I ordered a Diet Coke, it was $4 for a miniature bottle. Maybe only 6 oz. Kind of skimmpy. Other than that I loved this place.

    Photos
    Nick's San Clemente - Fried asparagus

    Fried asparagus

    Nick's San Clemente - Asparagus fries

    Asparagus fries

    Nick's San Clemente - Steak salad

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    Steak salad

    Active Culture - vegetarian - Updated October 2026

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