Blue Whale
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Very busy spot so prepare to wait, but the food and drinks come out fairly quick. Not good for big groups, all little tables, except for one inside. Don't recommend the coffee or at least the banana latte. Matcha was decent. The Cali burrito and the pastor tacos were great! Ube pancakes were good too, not too sweet. Also shoutout to the food runner this morning, she was working hard.
Great local. Nice little place. Reasonable prices. Good food (not excellent). The blasting music was annoying - way too loud. Probably won't go back, but it is worth trying
Visiting San Diego for the weekend and saw this place trending on social media, so we had to try it! We were short on time and the restaurant was busy, so we ordered ahead through DoorDash. I can't speak much on the service, but the space itself is super cute and I'd definitely come back to dine in. My partner and I got Iced Vanilla Lattes with oat milk and Vanilla Cloud, plus the Big Wave Burrito with turkey bacon. The burrito was good, but for the price, I felt the portion and flavor were a little underwhelming. Adding the chipotle aioli definitely helped! The latte was really good, a bit on the sweeter and milkier side, but still very flavorful and rich. Overall, it's a little pricey and parking is tight, but we also visited around 10 AM on a Saturday during peak brunch time. I'd come back to try more of the menu, especially their matcha!
I'm back!! They changed up their interior look and its so cute. I got the same cali burrito and it was delicious and not too heavy. I paired that with their banana matcha which was okay, like a 6/10 felt too milky. The seating here is always rough at around noon. But we walked by again around 2 ish and it was less crowded. A staple if you're near the area!
The place is very beautiful, I love the wooden seating to the side as well as the surf vibe inside and the umbrella seating outside. I got their special, which was the s'mores latte and the marshmallows were great- it wasn't super sweet so add sugar if you like that and it had a hint of coconut overall great I didn't feel sick after drinking either Service and staff were super nice
Cute aesthetic inside and outside. Food was just your typical breakfast, nothing crazy but solid and reliable. Line can get pretty long on weekends and tables are first come first serve. Food takes some time to come out. Lots of younger crowd here, good for girls brunch! Matcha wasn't very strong, would get coffee instead
Teen picked this place off of Instagram. Drove down from LA and found a line but luckily it moved fairly fast! Got the ube pancakes which were very good but the standout here are the breakfast burritos perhaps, the best one we've had and we've had a lot. Great coffees and drinks too. Really busy but managed to find a table at the last minute.
I found Blue Whale on TikTok and was really excited to try it, but unfortunately it didn't live up to the hype. The food was good, but the service and overall experience were disappointing. They seem to have gotten a lot busier from all the social media attention, but they really need a better system for handling large crowds. There was a long line, no clear directions on where to stand, and employees were repeatedly yelling at everyone to line up "along the ramp" even though there wasn't any obvious ramp or signage. If it's your first time visiting, it's incredibly confusing. It's also a first come, seat yourself setup. We ordered our food only to realize there wasn't a single table available, so we were left standing around waiting for somewhere to sit. It would've been nice if that had been explained before ordering. The girl who took our order was especially rude and showed zero hospitality, which set the tone for the rest of the visit. Between the confusing process, lack of organization, and unfriendly service, it just wasn't an enjoyable experience. The food was decent, but not enough to make up for everything else. Next time, I'll just go across the street to the other brunch spot instead.
My family was spending the weekend in La Jolla Shores, and I wanted to go to Shell Beach to see the tide pools. Low tide was early in the morning, so I wanted to get some breakfast first. A photo of the Ube pancakes at Blue Whale popped up on Yelp and I had to try them. First of all, Ube is the food of my people. My parents would often bring back a jar of Ube from some monastery in the Philippines. Plain Ube is pretty tasty in itself. It's funny and good to see it in different forms now. My next favorite might be Ube ice cream, and then an Ube cheesecake I had. These Ube pancakes were good, but maybe a little too sweet with the amount of syrup they put on it. If you've ever had an Ube donut, it kind of tasted like that with some syrup on top. Would I get it again? Yes, but maybe a healthy dollop of whip cream instead.
There is a bit of a line and there is a good amount of seating but it goes pretty fast so if you really wanna sit down, just keep an eye out and take a table as fast as you can but the decor is cute inside good vibes. The people behind the counter were very helpful. Very nice. It was good. I got the best coffee I've ever had in my life here. I didn't even take a picture of it. I drink it so fast. It was a Hawaii honey latte with walnut milk. It was so good. I have no words I want to come back just for this and I would come back 100 times for it. The breakfast was OK. I'm not big on breakfast. Nothing bad with it. Nothing great about it but come for the coffee. Trust me.
So glad we stopped by here. The food was delicious and came out quickly! So quickly, the seagulls grabbed themselves a slice as soon as the box touched the table (make sure to protect your food ). Everything here is tasty. The staff is friendly & informative. Great place to go before or after your visit to the aquarium Burger & pretzel were my fav
There was a pretty long line, and it was definitely hot inside, but the wait was worth it! The coffee was excellent--probably one of the highlights--and everything we ordered tasted incredibly fresh and flavorful. The ingredients felt high quality, and the food was simple but really well done. They have both indoor and outdoor seating, so you can sit outside if you prefer some fresh air. The inside was quite warm when we visited, so keep that in mind. Despite the heat and the wait, I'd definitely come back for the great coffee and fresh, delicious brunch!
Food was good but I would just get it to go. Inside was so chaotic and stressful. Burger was good, but needed a tad bit more sauce because it was a lil dry. Fries were delish.
3 years ago
Blue whale is a little cafe with limited seating but the beach is nearby so we had our food to go and ate by the ocean! The staff were all so nice and patient and everything came out promptly even though they were busy The morning sando hit the spot with bacon, avocado, and a runny egg. Paired with the latte, which had a strong espresso flavor, it made for the perfect brunch food! read more
4 months ago
8 months ago
2 years ago
First time trying this spot with the kids. We traditionally take in a new brunch spot every Sunday. Pros: atmosphere definitely casual beach vibes and service was quick once we ordered. Food was tasty and fresh. Food experience:Ordered Hot Vanilla dirty chai it was very good. Recommend whales workout smoothies for the kids. Burritos are decent breakfast is better than lunch burrito. French toast is thick but very dry, recommend ordering extra sauce because the sauce is good you will need it. Sando was worth it for the value. Avo toast with goat cheese is nothing special but ok. Ube pancakes were also very dry and gritty .. if it didn't have any sauce you couldn't eat it. Cons: very small, not for you if you have a party of more than 4, Small tables. No waiter service as you order at the register, so you have to go in for your drinks and self serve water etc. Although it's La Jolla, it's a bit pricey for what it is a beach cafe. You can go for more options, full service & cost in the area. read more
1 year ago
I love coffee and I LOVE some sweet cake! Everyone was super friendly, super clean inside the shop, and quick service. The menu had a good variety of options and we got our drinks very fast. I would recommend this place for coffee. read more
Blue whale is a cute intimate spot with both indoor and outdoor seating available. Drinks are delicious, especially the vanilla chai latte. Ube pancakes have been a bit inconsistent - the first time I came, some were slightly burnt whereas the last time I came, one seemed slightly undercooked. The morning sando was good without being too heavy. Service inside is okay - the workers seem very laid back. Street parking usually is easy to find if you come on a weekday. read more
2 months ago
Came here with two friends for brunch on a Sunday and it was such a great experience and wasn't too crowded when we got here a bit after 12 PM. You order at the counter and then you find a table either outdoors or inside. I got the Bloomberry Matcha and the Morning Sando. The matcha drink was a special, but I'm so glad I ordered it because truly it was one of the best matcha drinks I've had. It was the perfect amount of sweetness and the blueberry flavor wasn't too overpowering. The breakfast sandwich, was good but I don't think it was as much bang for your buck as some of the other breakfast options -- it was basically just a half sandwich with a small hash brown as a side. I was still hungry after LOL. My friends got the Breakfast Bowl, Big Wave Burrito, and the Blue Whale Bowl, which they all really liked as well. read more
2 years ago
Living up to high expectations! Blue Whale is a health-conscious beachy brunch place to sip on a smoothie or latte and enjoy their French toast or breakfast sando. Everything was delicious and perfectly portioned. My daughter loved their pineapple smoothie with kiwi, mango and hemp seeds. The staff of girl were all friendly and helpful. Small and cozy interior or sit out on the sunny patio. Would definitely come back when visiting La Jolla and have recommendated Blue Whale to several friends. read more
1 year ago
Yum!!! I can see why this spot is so popular. Super cute coastal aesthetic with delicious, well portioned food. read more
1 year ago
The plates look appetizing; I got the french toast and it was great, and judging from other reviews the ube pancakes seem to be really popular. My other two friends got chicken and waffles and the chicken was really bland and so dry. I can't say I would come back here as there wasn't anything too special about this place. I came on mother's day (today) and obviously it was really packed, crowded with not enough seating. We were just given a number and we had to scavenge a table for ourselves and we had to pick up the utensils for our plates at the cashier (and they only had spoons available, dirty too). I know how so many people can cause service oversights, so there should be some grace. read more
2 years ago
UBE pancakes FOREVER! I crave these regularly. The open seating kind of sucks bc of the amount of people that visit lol We waited like 5 minutes for a seat but it's like a busy parking lot where you low key panic to get a spot before someone swoops in before you... Anyhoo~ Service was good- the waitresses were busy and cleaned up tables & brought out food quickly. Ambiance is cute. This place gives very beachy vibes. I deducted one star bc the panic parking of a table situation is not ideal. I'll keep going back for those pancakes tho! read more
2 years ago
I would not recommend coming here for breakfast. Everything was sub par and way overpriced for what it offers. We paid $55 for breakfast that hardly filled us up. The food was so drab. We got the chicken and waffles and the big wave burrito. The burrito was fine (small and bacon was reheated, but hash browns were well done) but the chicken and waffles was bad. Chicken was overcooked, dry on the inside, and tough to bite into. The waffles were overly sweet and soggy. Lavender latte was good but not as good as other places, and iced americano was decent. Service was fine. They bring your food out to you, but you have to listen for your name to get called for hot drinks, which doesn't make much sense. Ambiance was mid. Good if you're looking for a gimmicky place in La Jolla. Seems like they are still in business because of people who don't want to wait for a table at The Cottage next door. read more
2 years ago
You order your coffee and food and then take a number and find a place to sit. It's very busy during the weekend so you may not find a table right away! I waited a second before a group left to get a table and then realized after a few moments that they don't actually bring coffee to your table. You have to hear it get called out or wait by the coffee station so you don't miss your coffee being called out. I'd be mindful of that coming here! I had the breakfast burrito and iced caramel latte and thought it was good. The ambiance was very busy but I didn't mind that at all. read more
5 months ago
1 year ago
10 months ago
I've been wanting to go to Blue Whale for a while, and after a hike in La Jolla, our group took the opportunity to visit this cute beach house-themed breakfast cafe. We got lucky and found an open table once we arrived! Blue Whale takes your order at the cash register. I shared an Avo toast with my friend. The bread was delicious, the avocado (they call it mousse) was tasty, and the veggie toppings with goat cheese were perfect. I also got a Whale's Workout smoothie, which they customized for me with ease--I asked for cold brew with it. My friends and I have no complaints. Not pictured is an acai bowl that a friend of mine ordered. He really enjoyed it! I can't wait to come back and explore more of their delicious menu! read more
1 year ago
Genuinely one of the best breakfast sandwiches I have ever had. Long line, but worth the wait, and did not take long at all to get our food. Elite outdoor seating right on the street, which made it feel very lively. May feel a bit pricy, but worth every penny read more
6 months ago
Super cute place to visit for a breakfast! Came to try out a new cafe in La Jolla with a friend, we didn't get to try their drinks but the food we had was great! We ordered the ahi poke bowl and a build your own acai bowl. Interior is super cute, definitely a great place to have a conversation with a friend over coffee or a meal but not to study in. read more
Blue Whale is a good grab and go spot! The food was a 10/10! The service was pretty good as well. However, it was very crowded and the seating is first come, first serve which is not ideal. The decorations were beachy. Overall would could back, if I was gonna grab food to go. read more
2 years ago
The ambiance is cute and they used to serve really good matcha here. Used to be a dark green color and sat on top of the milk. I ordered the matcha latte and I think they changed it, it was really watered down and light green. Tasted like straight up almond milk. I also ordered the breakfast plate and it had NO taste and was disappointing. For $8 matcha and $18 for breakfast I would definitely pass this place unless they make changes. read more
I had high hopes for this place, but was disappointed in their savory breakfast options and drinks. I ordered ube pancakes, a kyoto matcha latte, and the chicken and waffles. The ube pancakes were the best out of everything I ordered although very sweet, so I would still recommend their sweet items off the menu. However, the matcha latte reminded me of dyed watery milk. I normally finish everything I order, but I left my matcha latte unfinished. The chicken in the chicken and waffles was soggy and rubbery :( I could have air fried it better at home. Overall, if you're looking for a social media worthy location, this place is great for pictures but I would stay away from their matcha latte and chicken and waffles. read more
6 months ago
2 years ago
3 stars because this spot if more for aesthetic than food/drink quantity and quality. I ordered the Kyoto matcha latte and the big wave burrito. The matcha latte was dark green/brown instead of vibrant green so I knew it was either poor quality or had oxidized - the taste reflected this as it was very bitter. I'd recommend avoiding the matcha and stick to coffee. The burrito was good, but small, especially for the price. It was not as filling as the employee lead me to think. Glad I tried this place out but I'll try others before coming back. read more
There is so much positive energy in this place. The small lanterns add a whole vibe to the place with the very nicely decorated art pieces like paintings and chandeliers. This coffee shop is a walk away from the beach and I highly recommend a visit if you are a beach and coffee like myself. read more
6 months ago
horrible customer service. ordered a 16 oz and got a 12 oz. when asked to remake it the girl just dumped our bowl into a bigger bowl and added more base with a side of attitude. We brought it back for them to remake it the second time and they said they "ran out" of chia pudding...just wow read more
Honestly was doubting my decision to come here because the wait was so long but it ended up being so worth it! The morning sando was incredible - might be my favorite breakfast sandwich ive had. And the amaretto coffee was unique and tasted amazing as well. Cant wait to come back! read more
This place is so cute! Parking is easy and there is inside and outside seating. I ordered the Baja bowl with tempeh and was completely blow away by the flavor! Best bowl I've ever had with tempeh. I would have given it 5 stars if it wasn't for the cold black beans which threw off the meal and made it cool down quickly. If the black beans were warmed up It would definitely be a five star meal. I'm excited to go back and try what else they have including the drinks. read more
6 months ago
1 year ago
Blue Whale is a 10/10. Ambiance is great, food is great, and staff are great. When people visit San Diego, I take them to Blue Whale for the ultimate SD brunch experience! :) What I recommend: - Ube Pancakes: Soft, pillowy pancakes with good ube pancakes. Good portion too and I love the ube infused whipped cream. - Morning Sando: Sourdough is crispy. Just a great brunch sandwich. - Ahi Poke Bowl: delicious, good if you need to get in your poke fix Other dishes: - Breakfast Bowl: It was pretty good, but the grain they used wasn't my thing. It was a thicker quinoa aka farro, but I did like the oyster mushrooms. Everything tastes healthy and fresh. Will be back again and again! read more
1 year ago
Amazing food! Hard to find seating especially if you have a group larger than 3. I got the lox toast, AMAZING BREAD. Drinks were good for the most part but the matcha was a little watered down. Still recommend for a casual breakfast. read more
Stopped by Blue Whale for a quick bite to eat around lunch time. Loved the soyrizo burrito (with a yummy salsa on the side) and tried a lychee soda, which was great. Will absolutely have to come back to try to ube pancakes that everyone's been raving about! Food: 1. Big Wave Burrito with soyrizo (5/5) Drinks: 1. Sparkling Lychee drink (5/5) read more
More info about Blue Whale
834 Kline St
La Jolla, CA 92037
La Jolla
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(858) 352-6580
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https://www.bluewhalesd.com
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I recommend going really early. Its street parking.
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Blue Whale - cafes - Updated September 2026
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