From my stay in Capitola, I noticed there aren't many breakfast spots to choose from here. That's why Avenue Cafe has every reason to be mediocre and bland, yet still stay in business. Thankfully, it's anything but. I went for simplicity--Dani's breakfast sandwich with hash browns, and I was surprisingly delighted. The English muffin was buttered and toasted perfectly (albeit a tad greasy), the cheese perfectly melted, and the egg perfectly fried. My friends ordered the Benedict and pancakes--both insisted they were delicious. All while the servers made sure our coffee cups were never empty--what a delightful breakfast. The place tends to get crowded, so a wait is expected. Our party of 7 had to sit apart, which was fine. What was odd is that they still gave us a joint check, despite sitting across the room, but alas, it was a nonissue. I'd definitely say Avenue Cafe is worthy of a visit! read more

We found this charming cafe during our stay in Capitola. It is one of the brightest spots of our visit. The food is amazing...huge servings and really delicious. Tony, the owner, and our server Olaf were happy and gregarious, quick to smile with contagious laughter. Olaf was very helpful in advising about everything from where to park to menu suggestions for vegetarians. The coffee and food are seriously the best. The restaurant is in a sweet house with indoor and patio seating. We went back to eat again on the day we left, saving the best for last so as to savor that sweet experience. My advice? Go! Eat! Laugh! read more

Not impressed. Ratings made me think this would be something special, but the food was really not good.

The service was unfriendly, the food was not good either..avocado was unripe and not eatable

This restaurant doesn't have a view of the ocean but is conveniently located across the street from the public parking lot and away from the more crowded areas. The food is good and reasonably priced. Staff is friendly and service was fast. I'd definitely come back to this place again. As a plus, they also don't over salt their food. read more

After trying to pick a restaurant for our 14th Anniversary Breakfast, we couldn't find anywhere we'd rather go than the Avenue Cafe! The staff are so nice and helpful, the ambiance so easy going, and the food is to die for!. Summer had the Carnitas Benedict. English muffin, Perfectly poached eggs, carnitas, avocado and hollandaise sauce. Such a beautiful plate! I had the Carnitas Machaca con Huevos with extra Jalapeno. It comes with the most silky refried beans, tomato & lettuce and tortilla. Truly the best breakfast ever! Thank You Again Avenue Cafe! What a great start to a great day! read more

Avenue Cafe - Carnita Benedict & Carnitas Machaca con Huevos - Cafes Near Me - Capitola, California

Good Food Isn't Cheap Cheap Food Isn't Good- While leaving San Jose, the Wife riding shot-gun, went on Yelp for a breakfast spot. After a few selections and reading through the B.S. that some Yelpers cry about, we ended up here at the Avenue Cafe. I parked my rig across the street in the municipal parking lot next to the Capitol Police station. It cost .50 a hour. Yes, I did park aways because I like to walk off my meal... After checking in with the hostess, we waited outside.. What if it rains?! Where do I wait?! The Avenue Cafe is a converted house. We were seated in the center of the dinning room. I counted 8 tables and a small bar that you can sit at. After ordering, I noticed that it was loud inside!! Why is everyone yelling at each other?!? Are they hung over?!? The fireplace is still intact. Don't know if they still use it or not. The Wife & I had Mimosas. She had a Cranberry, I traditional OJ. My was Superb!! Made with some quality bubbles! The Wife agreed! We ordered the Little Yelpers mini pancakes. After chopping it up my little one, I took a bite...YUMMY!! The pancake syrup had a spice to it.. We couldn't identify it. I ordered Chicken Fried Steak w/Biscuits and gravy. This was a great dish! Be warned the gravy has a lot of bacon and bacon goodness in it!! I will order this the next time I come. The Wife had the Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict. Beautiful Presentation! The avocados it paired nicely and added texture due to the eggs being overdone. The hash browns were crispy, just they way she like them. I did eyeball the dishes that the kitchen was sending out. They all looked delicious.. I do have to say, we didn't wait long for our meal to come to the table. Until next time- read more

See all

Wonderful food and service! Our group ate here for Sunday breakfast. The carnitas was marinated to perfection and very fresh. The BLTA was super! The servers are kind and happy. Fast, friendly service. I recommend!! read more

Delicious and extremely friendly service. Clean and perfect during these times of social distancing.

I stumbled into this little cafe. I was not disappointed. The service was great and the eggs Benedict with avocado and bacon was amazing. The sauce was special and the flavor was great. I loved the crispy hash browns and the bowl of fruit the accompanied my meal. You have god to try this. read more

Avenue Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Capitola, California

Not what we expected. Nothing we ordered was great. Bacon wasn't even fresh, but tasted microwaved.

Place was delicious but could use a little more flavor on the eggs. Small cute place quite but great atmosphere. I would definitely come back. Great prices oh oh great Bloody Mary read more

I had a day off during my business trip to Santa Clara, and decided to drive to Capitola and then south on Hwy 1, to relax. On my way to the beach I saw this Cafe place, and it looked attractive, a small local place (not for tourists), and packed, a good sign. I got seated at the only available table. Only locals and a couple with a small child from Belgium. My waitress was very nice. Being from Miami I wanted to try something that I rarely get... the Eggs Benedict with smoked salmon, avocado and home fries. Man it was good, prepared right. Then I ordered the flan... that was a type of flan popular in Brazil, thus I was surprised. They told me they thought it was a Mexican recipe, but I told then... I have that before and it is a Brazilian dish... anyway, it was excellent. Cozy place, friendly staff, great food, decent prices, recommended! read more

See all

Cute little breakfast spot in Capitola. Very crowded/popular on weekends. Wait time is around 30 min. read more

Avenue Cafe - Breakfast quesadilla and Chile gueles - Cafes Near Me - Capitola, California

Absolutely in love with this place - be prepared for a wait for a table on the weekends, but if you go early enough you beat the crowd. I think this hidden gem has been discovered lately as it's been busy when I ride by. Anyhow, every meal I have gotten here has been above and beyond expectation. Their house salsa is to die for, ASK for it! Their specials are typically worth trying as most the guests I bring there are always enthused by their meals when they get the special. I on the other hand love there eggs benedicts, I get a bacon avo bene most the time and it's the "best I've had in a long time" everytime! I found these guys in the paper and have been so happy to share it with others! I Definitely will continue to patronize this place as often as possible and you should to. Seems like they strive under pressure when the lines out the door the turn over is relatively fast and the quality doesn't fade which is ever important! read more

Avenue Cafe - bacon avocado bene - Cafes Near Me - Capitola, California

The gals working Monday morning we're very nice and friendly our mimosas were tasty. My friend and I ordered the eggs Benedict. The first thing that bothered me is our food was lukewarm including the Hashbrowns and our Canadian bacon was so thick and super grizzly to the point where we both twice had to spit it out in a napkin. Probably won't be back! read more

Always great Salmon Benedict! Staff is super sweet, they make you feel like your at home! read more

Avenue Cafe - Smoked Salmon Avocado - Cafes Near Me - Capitola, California

Such an adorable cafe with great service and yummy food. The Avocado Bacon Eggs Benedict was delicious...my eggs were perfectly poached and my hash browns were crispy perfection. The serving portion to price is very reasonable and the cafe is located in the cute Capitola Village. Also ask what the soup of the day is, if it is clam chowder than you will definitely want to order it. It is creamy deliciousness that disappeared from our table in the blink of an eye. We liked it so much we got a bowl to go read more

Avenue Cafe - Avocado Bacon Eggs Benedict with hash browns - Cafes Near Me - Capitola, California

Everything tasted reasonably good. Execution could be better. I got an eggs Benedict with avocado, tomato and bacon instead of the traditional Canadian ham. The avocado wasn't underneath the poached eggs. It was on the side, which made things difficult because I had to reassemble the stacks so I could get some of each thing in each bite. Crispy home fries were very good. This place is good but nothing to write home about. read more

I love this restaurant. The eggs Benedict come out perfectly every time! The hollandaise sauce and the pouch eggs comes out perfectly every time. Their cranberry mimosas are tasty as well. Their pancakes are fluffy and perfect. The french toast here is delicious, and I'm a french toast snob because my husband makes them very well. I also love their Mexican breakfast. Chilaquiles with salsa verde and huevos rancheros are delicious! If you get here in the mornings it's not so crowded. However during lunch hour there can be a long wait. This makes me sad because we've been coming here since 2014 and it didn't used to be this crowded. But that just happens to good restaurants. read more

See all

Great breakfast spot. It's a small place, but very welcoming and cozy. The food was great and attentive service. Interesting menu, with lots of choices. I had pigs in the blanket (which I hadn't eaten in decades) and it was delicious. My breakfast date had a scramble with yummy avocado and lots of veggies. But, no toast! Overall a place that doesn't disappoint. read more

Avenue Cafe - Breakfast scramble with potatoes on the side. - Cafes Near Me - Capitola, California

See all

What a delight! This cozy place is just up the street from downtown Capitola and is definitely worth seeking out. Favorites were the Eggs Benedict Florentine, chilaquiles, and the Capitola Chaos. Service was exemplary. Check it out! read more

Avenue Cafe - Capitola Chaos at Avenue Cafe. - Cafes Near Me - Capitola, California

Great food and service!!! Will definitely eat there again!! It's dog friendly which is awesome!!!

Great food, fast service and everyone who works there is friendly. It's small, but clean and well decorated.

So my boyfriend is a connoisseur. A connoisseur for what? Hash browns. Funny, because he is a fairly picky eater, but when we were leaving the beach this morning he was dying for some food. Not wanting to go to a random spot or IHOP (shudders), I typed into yelp "best hash browns" and Avenue Cafe popped up. Being from Arizona and staying for the weekend, we decided to take our chances. Let me tell you, this place did NOT disappoint! We were seated pretty quickly in the small cafe and though the dining area is small, we were still able to converse without major distraction. My boyfriend ordered the sausage with eggs and hash browns (of course), and I ordered Dani's breakfast sandwich. The food was hot, the sandwich was delicious, and the hash browns and home fries were seasoned and cooked to perfection. We just wished that Arizona had a gem like this! read more

Avenue Cafe - Dani's breakfast sandwich - Cafes Near Me - Capitola, California

Really great hidden gem! Tried it for the first time today and was very pleased with the experience! First the ambiance is comfortable and inviting. Second the staff is friendly and efficient, they greet you as soon as you walk in the door and make you feel at home. The food was fresh and delicious and served pretty quick. The place was clean and very organized. You can tell they love what they do!!! read more

See all

The best service and the best Carnitas Eggs Benedict I have ever had! We will definitely be back.

This review is over due . This happened about a month ago or so . I went to this cafe on a Saturday around 2pm when I arrived (they close at 3). I noticed the minute i stepped into the door nobody approached me, ok I let the slide. Second I sit down , their was 3 girls working that day ( 2 younger ones and 1 older women ) finally the older women decides to come to the table. We order my son wanted fries when she took our order we clearly told her we wanted fries for the kind of potatoes we order , but she brought back country potatoes . I immediately told her that what we wanted was French fries then she goes I'll take the country potatoes back and get you French fries . So she takes the plate back . And minutes later comes back with fries and tells me it's extra . I never seen in my life someone take the plate like that . Its clear that if we didn't want the county potatoes we weren't gonna eat them ! I had to raise my hand every time I wanted to get more coffee . Their is no re fills at this restaurant so if you order another coke (which is not can or bottle ) you have to pay for a whole new one! Common you don't see that anywhere unless it's a new can or bottle! My point here with this review is their staff is not very welcoming the 2 girls at the register should be working at a bar instead of A local restaurant with the way they were acting maybe I walked in little close to closing time .. who's knows !! but definitely very dissapointed . FOOD WASNT THAT GREAT EITHER Like other reviews say . :( And y'all need to stop charging for refills like if you were ordering a whole new drink !! read more

Sal has the best restaurant in Capitola. Consistently delicious food and excellent service. Wishing you many years of continued success Sal! This is one of the places that should be on every one's "go to" lists when visiting the Santa Cruz area. read more

This little place was a great find! Larger inside than it looks, & breakfast until close is what we were looking for. HOME MADE sausage/bacon gravy, fluffy biscuits (didn't even need to add butter!), home style chicken fried steak, two eggs over medium that were done to perfection & thick, crispy bacon hit the spot! Food came out super fast & the staff/owners were very attentive & on top of refills, & giving extra gravy, etc. WILL BE BACK!! read more

Yummy, fairly priced, quick and friendly service. Look fwd to trying more things on the menu

I always get so excited trying new restaurants!! Walking up it's the cutest place! A house converted into a cafe. A small seating area makes for a quaint and personal breakfast. Two seats at the counter were available and right in front of the Kitchen and grill area ( may fav ) Eggs Florentine stuck out to me immediately...spinach and fresh tomato all on top of an English muffin smothered in a delicious hollandaise. The hubby went with chicken fried steak and eggs. Both dishes were outstanding!! Large bits of sausage and bacon with the country gravy....fried chicken was perfection! My bene was delicate but hearty. That wonderful full feeling but not glutinous. The service was lovely and the overall experience was just what we needed. Thank you Avenue Cafe! See ya soon!! read more

See all

Cute little breakfast shop on a corner and a few blocks from the beach. The eggs Benedict with a few splashes of the pepper sauce was delicious. Hash browns we're crispy and the coffee was nice and strong. Expect a wait but they do have benches to sit on around the corner (coming out the restaurant, on the left side)... clean bathrooms and very reasonable prices. Took two stars down because while we had great customer service while we were patrons and in the restaurant eating (note they will rush you to order but that's because there are lots of folks outside waiting)... when we left and returned to get quarters to feed the parking meter the girl (with a lot of makeup!) was quite rude. She said very dismissively- they don't have quarters, to go somewhere else, when we asked if she knew of any change machines in the area- she just turned around and started helping someone else. I get you're busy, we saw it firsthand, but her inability to be polite left us with a real downer impression of the place after the good breakfast. It takes less effort to listen to your customer than it does to ruin an otherwise positive impression of the place. read more

This place has been one of our favorite morning stops for many years. However, this was our first time visiting in over 6 months whereupon we immediately found out they were under new ownership. The good: The service was decent and the food came quickly. The omelette I has was pretty good too. The bad and unfortunate: The place has lost some of its inner charm especially since they no longer display local artwork. We miss the fun servers they used to have. The place was not very clean and they were not quick to bus the table. The coffee was awful. And the food was anything but exceptional. Pancakes are flavorless and the hashbrown tasted like burnt grease. I seriously hope the new ownership figures out the right formula because this place could do very well for them if they address their issues. read more

The best place for breakfast in Capitola Village! The chorizo/Ave Benedict is a family favorite. I personally love the veggie scramble, (I add cheese), it is full of vegetables and tastes delicious! Ask for a side of the tomatillo salsa, it's bomb. The menu has all the breakfast favorites and lots of Mexican dishes-- you can find something for everyone here. Coffee The service is always excellent! the waitlist to be seated can be long as it's a small place, but it goes quick; we've never waited longer than 20 minutes. It's so nice to have a bright, cheerful breakfast/lunch spot in Capitola that cares about the food try it, you'll love it! read more

sat for 45 minutes after order was taken. watched 2 tables come and go finally our food came and it was just okay. the waiter did comp our coffee read more

I've never been so confused by Yelp reviews. We went here expecting 4 1/2 star food... it's a 2, if that. Our breakfast burritos were dry, bland and boring. A few pieces of avocado, tomatoes, onion and eggs. No sauce. No cheese. (Who doesn't put cheese in a breakfast burrito?) The potatoes were dry and burnt. It was edible but we will never be back. read more

Disappointed they apparently don't do takeout orders anymore as right when you call it goes directly to a voicemail box. I've tried on multiple occasions. I'm sure you can go in and place a takeout order and wait, but that kind of defeats the purpose of takeout. Otherwise, my rating would be a 5. read more

Staying in Santa Cruz, we did a quick Yelp search for a breakfast place, and this one popped up. Firstly, this place is small. Really small. Super small. Tiny even! ....did I mention it was small? But holy crap it was good! I don't remember our server's name, but she was friendly, energetic and generally all round awesome. The food was yummy (technical term) and very reasonably priced. Simply put, if you are looking for a good breakfast (and don't mind driving past a place three times before you find it), then this is it. read more

Loved this little beach town. Ton of little shops and we had decided to have breakie here. My chorizo Benedict was wonderful and full of flavor! My husband got the biscuit an gravy Benedict and it was equally tasty. read more