We stopped by Budget Café on a Saturday morning, and overall it was a pleasant experience with a few misses. The waitstaff was very accommodating, and the spot itself has a quaint, cozy feel. I ordered the French toast with eggs and sausage, and my daughter got the kids pancake meal, which also comes with an egg and a choice of bacon or sausage. The pancake was shaped like a giraffe head, which was adorable, and she loved it. She's not a fan of eggs yet so we got two slices of bacon. They also gave her crayons and activities, which kept her entertained--big win for parents. The French toast, unfortunately, was a letdown. It was basically just bread with powdered sugar--no cinnamon, no nutmeg, and not much flavor. I believe it was sourdough, but it didn't justify the price, especially since I went with the three-piece option. Definitely wouldn't order that again. On the positive side, the eggs and sausage were good, and the orange juice was perfect. They also added some fresh oranges on the plate, which was a nice touch. Overall, I'd come back, but I'd try something different next time and skip the French toast. read more

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This is definitely a small, quiet neighborhood gem. Friendly service, really good food, definitely the place locals go. Huge pancakes, large amounts of food served. Great breakfast location. read more

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Absolutely a great spot to have breakfast when you're visiting SLO. Everything is delicious here. The service is fantastic and efficient. I will definitely come back when visiting. My recommendation is to try little bit of everything; you have nothing to lose but gain a healthy balance meal. ;) read more

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Cozy cafe with tasty food and friendly service--my favorite place to take friends in SLO. All food freshly made. You will become a friend there on your second visit. Open for breakfast and lunch. read more

SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA Just in a little under 2 miles away from Downtown SLO, we found this little yet comfy ans cozy Breakfast Cafe. Still close enough and within the City, right off South Higuera St. They have plenty of parking, Front and Back. On a Sunday it can be full and you may have to add your name to the list. This is a local gem of SLO in my opinion. I have been comming here for almost 17 years! And yes you'll mainly find locals here. The breakfast and coffee at Budget Cafe are neither excellent, nor bad. It is just decent and simple and nothing more. They are consistent in delivering a very OK breakfast and a very OK customer experience. We walked in on a busy Sunday. 4 people ahead of us and yet the Buss Boy immediately spoke to us and found us a seat. Whithin a minute we had menus, and within 5 minutes hot coffee was at the counter. We order and the food came out in under 15 min. Buss Boy is your entire customer service experience here... he aknowledges you, he brings you menus and coffee and that Smile dude!!! Keep it up. Our Waitress was pleasant. Not friendly just Pleasant. The other Waitress was very friendly. Owner walks by and aknowledges every local or face she recognizes. A nice lady. Food. I recommend having their pancakes. I believe these are some of the best in SLO. 5 stars. Scrambled eggs... average taste Breakfast potatoes.... average taste Salsa....average taste Toast.... average Sausage & Bacon.... good / hit or miss Coffee... good / hit or miss Pancakes... Excellent In this case I think the best approach is knowing what you're getting into: Good pricing, average or good choices, plain and pleasant service, hot coffee. Timing is decent. Local spot. We will always be back. read more

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Fantastic service! We came for breakfast and the food was great, it's exactly what you'd hope for from a neighborhood diner. Our server was super attentive and kept checking in to see if we needed coffee refills. read more

Yes they had a steady stream of "regulars", but this place was awful. (our waitress spent time chatting up "regulars" and was snooty towards new customers . I had the chile verde omelette. The meat was tender but bland , like perhaps it was canned. The chile verde was watery and their eggs weirdly soft and wet, like maybe they are an "egg product". If you are hungry and don't feel like cooking, but also don't care what food tastes or looks like, then this is the place for you! read more

I thought I had written a review, as I've been here many times. We got to the restaurant about 9:30 or a Saturday, just before the place filled up. We got to pick our booth which was great. Sorry didn't get the servers name. I got the special Chili Verde, not as big as some other restaurants but perfect for me. I choice fruit over potatoes for an extra $3. My husband had the ham special, bone in, eggs over easy and hash browns. We were both very satisfied. Coffee was pretty good and I bring raw sugars with me in case the restaurant doesn't have it. There were some pictures on the wall for sale and proceeds go to the SLO food bank. read more

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Family owned, great breakfast and lunches the best family breakfast . They take their time to get to know you, and the food is perfect!!

Gravy like Mom used to make! Very good biscuits. Great service. And excellent coffee.

The food was okay but they were not "Budget" friendly. No senior menu. Service was fine.

It's a fantastic, Yumtastic mom and pop diner. Food is always delicious. Loco Moco not on menu but will be made for you! Service is friendly, lots of smiles and perfect! Rhonda is always around. She's the added spice of life at Budget Cafe. Ambience? Homedown, roll your sleeves up perfection. 15+ years and still humming it! read more

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One of our favorite breakfast eateries on the Central Coast - period. Fluffy pancakes, tasty omelets, and the occasional Chinese delicacy snuck in, this place won't disappoint. The owner, Rhonda, is beyond friendly and will come out to greet customers throughout the morning, which makes this much more than a simple stop-by experience. GO! read more

My wife and I have been regulars here for decades. If you haven't eaten here, you must be a foreigner! We love this place and you will too.

The place cute and a little retro but the service was good and friendly. I had the mini pancake breakfast which came with 1 pancake 2 pieces of bacon and 2 eggs. The pancake was GREAT and I would definitely get again. The eggs taste like powdered eggs and they were runny and had no texture, hence the powdered eggs feel. Don't they there from a shell but like a carton. The bacon had a good flavor because it was cold and hard to chew it took away from the possible enjoyment. The bacon also appeared to come from a precooked pancake. This was my experience but I would try again and not order bacon or eggs but definitely will get the pancakes read more

Budget Cafe - Mini pancake breakfast with 1 pancake 2 bacon and 2 eggs - Cafes Near Me - San Luis Obispo, California

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First time here. We were seated quickly, service was really good. The food came out fast. Really no complaints. We will definitely be back. read more

Budget Cafe - Ham and egg special with biscuit and gravy. French toast with eggs and bacon. - Cafes Near Me - San Luis Obispo, California

Trying out a local spot and boy are we glad we did. I ordered the chicken fried steak and eggs with hash browns and a side of biscuit with gravy. Chicken was crispy on the outside and deliciously juicy in the center. read more

Budget Cafe - Chicken fried steak and eggs - Cafes Near Me - San Luis Obispo, California

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Kind staff, with decent food. It's what you expect from a small breakfast place. Please respect the staff, they're busy and overworked, don't be rude. read more

Budget Cafe - Cafes Near Me - San Luis Obispo, California

What a charming cafe!! Was in town for an event and happened to find this gem of a diner. Great atmosphere, food and service!! Highly recommend so yummy read more

Love this place for breakfast . Extensive menu. Excellent food. Always consistent. Locals place. read more

Budget Cafe - Country scramble. - Cafes Near Me - San Luis Obispo, California

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Excellent service. Food was good. Portions were small but I like that. It was well priced. Will return.

Thanks to Yelp, we discovered this diner which was completely full with mostly locals (they knew the waitresses and vice versa). It's a fun place that was worth a visit. My wife ordered Joe's special, eggs with spinach mixed with a ground beef patty, quite good. My son's omelette at first seemed to have only a dusting of cheddar cheese, until we realized there was an abundance of dairy once you cut into the dish. My younger son had the country fried steak, nicely prepared with a generous helping of gravy. I had the strawberry waffle special, at first I was a bit surprised it lacked whipped cream but that allowed me to enjoy my the fresh fruit that much more. The waffle could have been a bit crisper, but the strawberries were sweet and wonderful. Service is good, prices are reasonable. We visit SLO regularly, the Budget Diner warrants a return visit. read more

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I usually don't think that DMV and great diner food go together...but if you are near the dmv in Higuera, watch for the Budget Cafe. The standard for me with this type of food if the hash browns--must be crispy! These were perfect. The French toast was sweet and delectable and the gravy, well, yummmy gravy! The service was fabulous, considerate and helpful. They have tables on the sidewalk, fairly well spaced out, and the staff is masked. read more

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Budget cafe is awesome. Food was so good! 5 of us were happy with what we got. The service was fantastic! As a chef I highly recommend budget cafe for a good breakfast!! read more

Service was friendly and prompt. Coffee was good, but cream was flavored. Food was excellent. We had eggs, biscuits and gravy, sausage, country fried steak, and has browns. They were all good. One of our party thought the gravy needed more pepper. Cute little place in a strip mall read more

Passed by Budget Cafe so many times and never realized it was there! When I walked in, it felt like I went back in time with the wooden walls, booths, chairs and tables. Very warm and welcoming. There's small signs before you walk in with directions to sit in any of the clean, available tables, and asks nicely to not sit at those still waiting to be cleaned. I assume this is to help keep the staff focused on their tables, especially when it's really busy. The staff was attentive, and kind. Not too talkative, which personally I like! It started to get busy as we left so I totally understand the process of seating with a limited wait staff! We ordered the Strawberry Waffle Special and the French Toast. The waffle was absolutely delicious and sweet with super fresh strawberries and whipped cream. The French toasts was good, but not my favorite. I like mine with a bit more cinnamon. The bread didn't feel super soaked through. The coffee was basic and did the job! And enjoyed my small glass of orange juice as well. Overall, we'd definitely come back to try some of their egg/omelette options! read more

Budget Cafe - French Toast & Fresh Strawberry Belgian Waffle - Cafes Near Me - San Luis Obispo, California

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This is second time stopping at this little place hidden in a small shop area. Again , no issue with parking and this time had lunch. The 1/3 pound bacon cheese burger was great. Included bacon that they always cook crisp. Very friendly service , sat outside this time which was great. Only two smaller outside and one bench style , but limited crowd so perfect. Look forward to coming back read more

Budget Cafe - Cafes Near Me - San Luis Obispo, California

This cafe is located directly across the street from the DMV on South Higuera St. The restaurant is a little hard to see from the street, as it is somewhat hidden in a small strip mall. They have been in business for over 20+ years, and appear to be frequented by regular customers. One may choose a table, booth or counter seating for one's dining experience. The decor is simple & comfortable, yet a bit tired & dated with stained carpeted floors, and a few tears in the booth seats. The restrooms were not clean. Their menu offers a huge selection of breakfast offerings, with early breakfast specials from 6 am to 9 am. The lunch selections include hot & cold sandwiches, soups & salads, as well as daily lunch special. They are open: Monday - Saturday, 6 am - 2 pm & Sunday, 7 am - 2 pm. We were warmly greeted when we entered the cafe. One waitress was very friendly, while the other one (blond) was rather indifferent to everyone. We were never asked about our meal, nor were our drinks refreshed. Overall, our late breakfast was fair. read more

Budget Cafe - Three egg bacon & cheese omelette with hash brown potatoes. - Cafes Near Me - San Luis Obispo, California

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Your quintessential Mom and Pop style diner. It is a place that the locals go to and has many regulars. A word of warning about their website! It does not appear as though they own it. There are several embedded calls to suspicious Russian sites, and it looks like their Menu PDF queried a site with a known Trojan. read more

This place has been around for a long time but it was my first time here. Defiantly an old timers spot. The food was great . They have a lot of nice specials if you're not a big breakfast eater. The portions were very sizable, and my over medium eggs were cooked perfect which I hear is a hard thing to do... It's a good test for kids and if they can make a really good over medium egg. I also had a pancake on the side which was very good sized and delicious and I like the fact that they offered me boysenberry syrup as well as maple. The coffee was good as well and they offered flavors of cream too. Give this little joint a chance. They have regulars I'm sure as it's got that hometown feel! It's in a small strip mall space off of South Higuera. read more

Budget Cafe - Cut little place - Cafes Near Me - San Luis Obispo, California

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Lovely outdoor space! Staff was very accommodating with our big group (party of 15) and coffee and french toast were delicious to boot! read more

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I have to admit I was a little apprehensive about going to a place called the 'BudgetCafe'. This place has been in SLO for ages. Ever since my father-in-law told me a bad food related story from this place, that happened many years ago, I was definitely not gonna go! I guess maybe it's now under new owners? And I heard the food was good, so my husband and I decided to try it. The atmosphere is old school diner feel. I tend to like that home style blast from the past feeling. I had the country scramble with a biscuit and my husband had pancakes and eggs and bacon. My scramble was delicious. Topped with cheese and had sausage, potatoes, onions etc. The biscuit was also delish! Husband said his pancakes were good and they were huge! Also served with boysenberry syrup. They have whipped butter, too. Price was reasonable and the food was good. Our waitress was nice and attentive! We will be back read more

Let me say right off the back, service was excellent. Great servers. We were seated immediately and served our cold water. Frank ordered the polish sausage with bacon sandwich and potato salad. I ordered the short stack of pancakes, home style potatoes and sourdough toast. Our meal was served in a timely matter. The pancakes are massive. As big as the plate. If I had of known, I would have only ordered1. Tasted great but rubbery. Unfortunately, the potatoes were less than Luke warm. Toast was somewhat burned but I said I was ok with that. Frank said his sandwich was good but they forgot the bacon. Frank said something and 2 pieces of wimpy bacon arrived. I might have ate 1/3 and Frank 1/2. What I did like was the dog paintings on the wall for sale. Painted by inmates at CMC and proceeds to to a veteran program to help vets get service dogs. Good program. Will I go back? Maybe. read more

You can pretty much count on a place having good food when there is a line outside waiting to get in. Breakfast is my favorite meal and it was well worth the wait. My Chicken Fried Steak was awesome, just wasn't a fan of the light, creamy gravy. It had no flavor and really tasted like it had come out of a can or jug. Hash browns were perfect, well done as ordered. Coffee was good. My only other complaint was the fake sour dough bread. That's a pet peave of mine when getting breakfast out. It's just "sour dough flavored" bread and it definitely doesn't cut it, especially in SLO where they bake the best Sour Dough anywhere. My son loved his Polish Sausage. Got out of there for a little over $50 read more

Budget Cafe - Chicken Fried Steak - Cafes Near Me - San Luis Obispo, California

An outstanding restaurant in many ways. First, the menu is varied with great offerings, especially breakfasts. I've enjoyed eggs, sausage, bacon, hash browns and toast often . Every time they exceed my expectations. Too, I've had the waffles and pancakes..simply outstanding, bathed in lots of butter and syrup ( maple and raspberry). There are many other breakfast items as well. All great!. I've also enjoyed the lunch items, especially the many sandwiches and daily soups ( navy bean & ham my favorite). Second, the great menu and quality of the food is significantly enhanced by the wonderful staff. Rhonda, the owner, and her team, are exceptional and create a home-style environment with their efficient, friendly service. It's SLO's " Breakfast Cheers, where everyone knows your name"....and genuinely cares about you. It's a must!!! read more

Budget Cafe - Cafes Near Me - San Luis Obispo, California

The food was phenomenal. The bacon was nice and crisp and the pancakes and hash browns were fluffy. My girlfriend does not like the non crispy parts of hash browns, but said these were the best she ever ate. The staff was quick, friendly and efficient. I would DEFINITELY come back here when I'm in the area. read more

I have to admit, I wasn't expecting much from a place called "budget cafe" but I was pleasantly surprised. The food was priced well and very good. It was definitely better than the breakfast we had at IHOP the day before. We will be back. read more

Good food at reasonable prices. The waffles were fluffy and light. The gravy could've used some seasoning and a little thinner. We ordered the Country scramble. It was delicious. Thick cut bacon instead of sausage for me. Yumm. The whole place smelled of fresh coffee. Friendly staff and Covid-19 safe. read more

Budget Cafe - Entrance - Cafes Near Me - San Luis Obispo, California

What an AMAZING local gem! My parents took me to this place when I was a kid and I continue to visit even as an adult. The staff are always so friendly and warm. The inside of the restaurant feels like an idyllic, local breakfast spot you would see on tv, full of quaint, local vibes. The food is wonderful and hot and well worth the price. If you want a delicious, classic breakfast, this is your go-to in San Luis Obispo County. Shoutout to Kathy who is a GEM. read more

Our favorite place for breakfast. Country fried steak and eggs is top tier! Customer service is always on point. The setting is great as well, nice cute vibe and a great spot for locals. read more