I was really looking forward to my smoothie, especially since I could literally see and hear the staff blending it fresh while I waited in the restaurant. But when I received it just minutes later, it was incredibly watery--practically undrinkable. For something freshly made on the spot, I expected better consistency. read more

Went here around 2:45pm; super busy, and lots of younger people. I ordered a turmeric latte + shot of espresso. Person taking orders was kind of aloof and didn't ask whether it was "for here or to-go". Barista called my name when beverage was ready... it was not in a to-go cup so I mentioned the miscommunication and the barista seemed perturbed with me about asking for it to be put in the other cup. On top of this, my latte was not turmeric. It was just a regular latte. I didn't bother asking for it to be fixed because I already felt like there was a negative vibe between the barista and I. Not my fave experience. read more

Ambiance and area looked nice, but experience was disappointing. The cashier taking our order definitely had an attitude. She did not seem like she wanted to take our order. On top of that, the matcha tasted like water... also got the tres leches latte and it also tastes really watered down. read more

Blue Whale - Tres Leches Latte - Cafes Near Me - La Jolla, California

See all

The service is sooo terrible! The employees are incredibly rude: They didnt inform me that the drinks arent brought to your table and neither are utensils so I was waiting for my drink the entire time and it was sitting by the register melted. I asked for utensils and they told me to get it myself. I was waiting in line for 10 minutes and got to register at 3:01 and they said i just missed the breakfast and they cant do it anymore for me. Horrible all around theres better places in La Jolla read more

While I really wanted to like this place, it was just okay in that the food didn't exceed my expectations and the seating was quite limited as well. I got the big wave burrito which tasted very good, but in comparison to other burritos in SD, there is definitely better and bigger. It ended up being around $17 with tax and was extremely small for said price. Also, I wish they had workers seating people so people were not reserving seats while the rest of their party was in line because there was very limited seating here. Would I come back? Maybe, but I probably would get something else that was more worth the money. read more

Blue Whale - Big wave burrito - Cafes Near Me - La Jolla, California

BEST. UBE. PANCAKES. Bring yourself over here! Those pancakes had so much ube flavor, they didn't taste like some other places where they just taste like regular plain pancakes with some ube syrup drizzled on them. These actually tasted like ube. Small cute little restaurant with a front counter where you order and sit yourself. Stumbled upon this place for breakfast after seeing a couple of neighboring places that had ridiculously long wait times. Glad we stopped by. Employees were friendly as well and we got our food and coffee drinks quick. read more

Holy inflated prices batman. I ordered the classic French toast. What arrived was a *single* slice of bread, with a tiny side of syrup. Cost in the restaurant is $14 On Uber Eats, this cost me $18.20! If they had at least thrown in 2 slices, no harm no foul, that's how most places serve food, with decent portions. Paying $18 for a slice of bread is highway robbery. The one saving grace is that the food tasted fine. read more

Food and ambiance was great. Restaurants around the comers had over an hour wait, this one was a wait in line but team was efficient (wait 15-20 mins roughly) and helpful and polite. Even picked up a couple of their super cute T-shirts Definitely coming back and enjoy it all over again. Thanks Blue Whale read more

Blue Whale - Ube pancakes and French toast, vanilla lattes with oat milk and orange juices - Cafes Near Me - La Jolla, California

Most insulting service ever. They let customers find their own table. So many people standing around and waiting for the table. People who are waiting feel awkward and people who are eating feel uncomfortable. Our food came before we were able to get a table. The lady who brought out food asked us whether we wanted to take food to go because she can't return food back to kitchen. We still want to wait for a table. I said no. She said that she was going to pack food in to go box regardless and left. Which kind of service is it? We got a table 2 mins after they sent our food back to the kitchen to be packed. No one came to clean the table. I had to walk in to ask them. A server came to clean the table eventually. But She left with half table of plates and said she was going to come back to take the rest. But she didn't come back. I had to take dirty plates for them. I have never experienced this kind of service. Once we finally sat down, our food were already cold. We didn't have any appetite to eat. We barely touched our food or drink. I am the person who doesn't like to give bad reviews. If it's not so good, I prefer not to leave any reviews. I am all for supporting small business. But I have to say this is the worse experience I got for years. They seem to put lots of efforts on their presentation on the plates. But they for sure didn't care when they had to pack your food when tables were not available. The ube pancake and waffle they packed just looked awful. Also some people hold the whole table after they finished their food. They took out their computer out for work while there were about 10 people waiting for tables in a crowded area. I have no problem as long as the restaurant let them. But the restaurant should not let the customers to wait for tables by themselves. Because we don't know after 30 mins waiting for one table, they are staying longer to use computer there. Anyways, waiting for your own table in a busy restaurant is very stressful. And people can be rude. We also encountered a couple cutting in front of us to crab a table. We were all outdoor waiting for tables. The lady saw an almost finished table and sent her husband to stand next to the table. 4 mins later, people at other table stood up and prepared to leave. I told my kids that let's go and get that table. The wife who just sent the guy to wait for the other table immediately cut in front of us and sat down at that table. I understand everyone is stressed out. But it's still rude. It's like a dramatic reality show there. Can't be too polite if you want to grab a table from other 10 customers. read more

See all

I'm sorry but this place is so overhyped. The coffee was disgusting , the smoothie was gross and the food was so mid. I feel that you're paying for the location rather than quality. $20 for a smoothie and coffee is crazy and at that , bad coffee and smoothie. read more

The drinks here were not the best, i ordered a blueberry matcha and the blueberry flavor was nice but no where near enough matcha for my taste. The saving grace here was the acai bowl, you can customize it to your liking with any toppings or bowl filling you want. The staff weren't overly friendly but the atmosphere is super cute so that made up for it. Drinks were not worth the price. read more

Blue Whale - Acai bowl and matcha lattes - Cafes Near Me - La Jolla, California

There was somewhat of a long line but the line goes by really quickly. The food is great and the ambiance of the place is amazing.

Their fries are amazing! The store is very cute with the ocean vibe and the plants decorated. Their mango tajin smoothie is the best! The kiddos I baby sit say "their food is delish on the dish!" It's overall a very great place to eat. read more

We ordered burrito and open faced tuna melt both very good our coffees were okay. The line was very long but went fast and the ambiance was very cute read more

Blue Whale - breakfast Big Wave Burrito SO GOOD - Cafes Near Me - La Jolla, California

GLUTEN-FREE GLUTEN-FREE GLUTEN-FREE Chicken, and waffles. I repeat chicken and waffles! Fun little experience here in La Jolla great food. If you're gonna get mad at the price, just stay home and go to Vons! Fun little Cafe style spot! We will be back! There are new business, so be patient and be polite. read more

Blue Whale - Cafes Near Me - La Jolla, California

See all

The food was okay lobelster roll wasn't a roll It came out on sourdough. The tables were cleaned and wiped down. The high chair was sticky and not clean. read more

Came across this spot while looking for lunch in LJ and it didn't disappoint. Compared to other nearby restaurants, Blue Whale definitely gave me the mom and pop/casual and friendlier vibe. They have an extensive and creative menu of both breakfast and lunch items (served after 11). Got myself a lobster roll and it was absolutely delicious. My friend got the ahi tuna and it was good too, maybe not as good as my lobster roll. Overall great small local business you should support, they have something for everyone and the service is great. read more

Blue Whale - Lobster Roll - Cafes Near Me - La Jolla, California

Outstanding food, efficient staff/service. I had a breakfast sandwich that was made to perfection. The chipotle sauce adds just enough kick to add a SD feel. The staff was very efficient despite being busy and having a large crowd. If you're visiting the area, definitely stop in. This place is great! read more

Food is good, balanced flavors. Ambiance is chill with surf boards and sun drenched chairs! read more

Blue Whale - Lox on bagel with cream cheese and sprinkle of chopped red onions and tomatoes. A nice flat white on far side. - Cafes Near Me - La Jolla, California

Ok first of all, if ube is on the menu, I'm there...with bells on...every single time! So of course I had to try the ube pancakes at Blue Whale! They are PHENOMAL! Light, fluffy, and bursting with flavor. I visited with my husband who ordered their chicken and waffles and the presentation made me wish for a second I ate chicken. Just gorgeous! He raved about it with each bite. A perfectly crisp, barely breaded, juicy, generous portion of chicken atop a flavorful waffle with the perfect balance of sweet and spicy! We both had coffee which we thoroughly enjoyed. Service is great - They were packed when we got there but the staff members were still welcoming and patient. It's a gorgeous little place...but it is LITTLE so don't be like us; get there early so you aren't waiting for a table only to grab a tiny uncomfortable table crammed too close to other tiny uncomfortable tables. The nice thing is that they have outdoor seating options too but we went on a rainy day so not ideal for outdoor seating. To be honest, the food and service were so good that I might've been open to sitting on the floor. I don't know how we hadn't heard of this place sooner but we will definitely be back!! read more

See all

We chose this place as it offered good gluten free options. We had the Ube pancakes and were pretty disappointed. For $20 each with a tip it was a very small portion of grainy dry pancakes with a few blueberries. The place looks great in online photos, but in reality it's a disorganized mess of fighting for a table while you wait for your food. Add to that the servers try to insist on you taking away your food if you don't have a table. I mean, if I wanted cold pancakes I would have made them at home and bought them with me! The server was rude when I asked for a coffee insisting they didn't have what I was asking for, which seemed simple enough as it was an americano? Their menu lists all kinds of espresso drinks? Overall an overpriced disappointing disorganized meal with pretty rude staff. read more

Food was excellent! I had the BW Smash Burger and i can confirm that its one of best burgers out in SD. Beef was high quality and juicy which was paired well with their secret sauce. What brings my review down to a 3 was the service. I hate talking down on workers because you never know what someone is going through, but my party just felt unwanted and uncomfortable. Workers weren't friendly towards us and seemed to ignore us unless we asked for something. It sucks because I really enjoyed the food and the atmosphere. read more

The food is incredible. The smash burger was sooooo good and the smoothie bowls are absolutely worth the wait during a rush.

Food and svc was good. Avocado toast was good but not great. Has some sour taste that was kind of weird to me but I like the bread and amount of smash avocado in it. The Ube pancake needs more Ube flavor but it's soft and just sweet enough for me.Bathroom takes forever to wait since there is only one neutral gender. read more

Blue Whale - Avocado toast - Cafes Near Me - La Jolla, California

See all

Waited an hour for our food! The teriyaki chicken bowl was super salty and the broccolini was burnt beyond recognition. The staff was super rude. Would not come back to this place!! read more

I went here because I got a recommendation from a friend that the food was good. This one was definitely a swing and miss. For starters, the girl taking our order at the register was scrolling on her phone the whole time and was very rude while we tried to ask questions about the menu. That was already a bad sign to start off with. The three of us ordered some food and drinks. The strawberry matcha was good but everything else was plain and overpriced. Definitely would not recommend this place to anyone unless you want bad service and overpriced food. read more

Food was very good. I ordered the breakfast bowl and it was healthy, filling, and tasty. The service was friendly and fast even though it was a weekend morning and they were pretty swamped. Indoor seating is a bit limited so you may have to wait a few minutes on a busy day. The decor was cute and cozy. Solid breakfast read more

Blue Whale - Turmeric Latte & Chicken & Waffles - Cafes Near Me - La Jolla, California

See all

We had grinch coffee that was very good and the steak and fries which were amazing. We really needed a nice quiet Spot to take a break And this place was perfect. The staff was super helpful and nice. We will be back!!! read more

The food and coffee were delicious!! Service was quick and loved the putdoor seating!

What a great spot. For such a small restaurant they sure do get a lot of business! Their available seating area is their biggest downfall by far, the tables they do have are small and so anymore than a group of 2 really is an interesting game of chess. Majority of the reason for the 3/5 stars and not more: The service was so/so, took awhile to get our food and to get a refill on my coffee took several reminders and I eventually just forwent the refill entirely. The food was very good! **Although I did recently just learn that the man behind the food (Chef Taylor) may have just parted ways with the restaurant and so I am not sure how this will affect the food.** I will be curious to see what reviews are coming back as a result of the chef change and would like to also try it myself again sometime to see firsthand. read more

The perfect new coffee/brunch spot!! I was blown away by this little cafe. I had originally seen it all over my instagram and thought it could be overhyped but it is definitely not!! I am a huge açaí bowl fan and have tried many many places. Blue Whale is definitely in my top 5 of not top 3!! I built my own and got the açaí and coconut bases (the coconut is incredible if you like coconut). It truly tastes like summer in a bowl. They have a ton of other savory breakfast options too that looked delicious. Their coffee is also fantastic. I highly recommend the vanilla dirty chai. Will definitely be back here soon. Such great vibes and a decent amount of outdoor seating on a sunny day! read more

See all

The energy was very uplifting, beach-y, and positive. They played amazing music to go along with the amazing food! Food was so good, I went to get another order of food to take home for later! Would 100% come back. read more

Great food and great service! Not too long of a wait and the dishes are beautiful. Give them a try

If you're looking for a wholesome breakfast with lots of variations and want a low-key vibe, this is the right place. Choices are interesting and creative and everything is prepared and presented with care. The only drawback is that it's not conducive to groups since it's pretty small and counter-order without wait service - and given it's well-deserved popularity, it can take a while to get orders from the kitchen. But if you're solo or a small group, not in a rush and want to have a chill meal, go here. read more

Blue Whale - Cafes Near Me - La Jolla, California

See all

The restaurant was very small and it was hard to find seating as a big group because most of them were taken or the only seats left were for only two people. I loved the decor of the restaurant. Everything about it was very coastal vibes and beachy. The service was amazing as they helped to quickly clear away tables. They were also very patient with us as we tried to order our food. The food was very pretty and beautiful. I think it was great! We ordered the chicken and waffles, ube pancakes, and California burrito. We were not a fan of the chicken and waffles because it had an odd spice to it that we were not expecting. The ube pancakes and burrito were amazing! I think it was an overall cute place to grab brunch with your friends. read more

Blue Whale - Ube Pancakes Chicken & Waffles Cali Burrito - Cafes Near Me - La Jolla, California

While the food is absolutely beautiful, it does not taste as good as it looks. First, for the salmon, toast, whatever cream cheese spread is used was not as good as regular fresh cream cheese, it tasted almost like a big hunk of butter. For the Verde bowl, it says that the vegetables are charred however, I think that they are fried. The broccolini tasted like it was deep fried, for a place that is centered around health conscious items. I do not know why it says that these vegetables are charred when they are definitely fried. Also, they were out of the mushroom latte, which was disappointing even though I waited in line for half an hour. As busy as this place is, and I see a huge potential, I think it was disappointing that the meal was not as good as I had hoped. read more

Blue Whale - Veggie Verde Bowl - Cafes Near Me - La Jolla, California

See all

The place looked very cute. The food was fine. What was incredibly disappointing was the service. We asked for a to go cup for our daughter's smoothie but we weren't given one. When we asked for a straw we were told we had to go get it ourselves. And we ended up going to the front to get the to-go cup. We gave a tip so this made it especially disappointing. Suggestion: why not just place the napkins, straws, and utensils on the tray when bring things out if you don't want to bring anything for the customer. Also, the bathroom had no soap left. That is an obvious sanitary issue. (Someone should be checking that regularly). I asked a staff to replace it so I could wash my hands and get to my lunch. The staff kindly agreed, but instead of replacing it immediately I think she had to use the bathroom herself which is fine, but ultimately when she tried was unable to replace the soap. Then someone else tried and couldn't until they got the manager who replaced it. I was waiting about 15 min for this whole process and in the meantime my food got cold and the rest of the family was mostly done eating. This was an unpleasant experience. These are very basic issues that this restaurant can address if they care to do so. read more

Food is aesthetic not good. Chicken and waffles was mediocre. The horchata waffle was a weird combo. Food tasted half hearted, just like the service. Vanilla chai latte tasted like milk and cinnamon. I asked for more chai and it still tasted just like milk. The tres leches latte was flavorless. Didn't even taste like coffee. 2 stars for the flavor of the lobster roll which came from the dill. The texture was tough and tastes chewy and old. This place is lame. Overpriced. Service is lame. Dont waste your time or money. read more

Hey my gluten free people! This place has so many options for us and it's not labeled on the menu yet. Make sure you ask the staff what gluten free options they have so you don't miss out. I got the chicken and waffles (gluten free). Best I've ever had with soooo much sweet and spicy flavor! Highly recommend this spot. Kind and helpful staff, good options as well as execution, great ambiance, and fun vibes all around! read more

Tres leche latte: This was the best latte I have had in a long time. Unique blend of savory and sweet. Order it, it will bring you much joy. Chicken & waffle: Execution was divine. Crunch on the chicken held up and the waffle was able to withstand the sweet syrup and did not devolve into a purple of mush. Blue Whale Brekky: Interesting combination, it's good for you and not on the side of indulgent. Get it if you are wanting a meal that won't bloat you. read more