came in on a random day. Staff was quite friendly until I think I got someone mad because we had a misunderstanding. sat outside which was okay. Close to the parking spaces so the atmosphere wasn't great. but cool, sunny day which was nice. They have Mr.Pibb...absolutely excellent!!!! girlfriend ordered strawberry pancakes and boy was that a huge portion. I ordered the country fried steak which on the menu said it was known for. its my favorite breakfast item so I eat quite a lot of these. The portions were great but I felt the seasoning lacked. As I mentioned, my fav breakfast item and compared to others I've ate, it was quite forgetful. I was able to substitute my bread for a biscuit WITH gravy which was absolutely amazing. when the staff placed the steak down they said chicken fried steak, which I didn't ordered so I stared at it for a bit. Flagged the staff down to ask if it was Country fried steak, with beef or chicken. there was confusion in that conversation and I think the person left annoyed at me. but service was great and food hit the spot but not memorable. neat place in an unlikely area. read more

This is such a great local café. The service is great and friendly. The food is delicious. I have even run into friends here.

Cafe 126 is such a gem. A real local spot and family restaurant kind of vibes. I've been here a handful of times now for breakfast and really just find that you can't beat the service, portion size, and tastiness of the dishes they have. Definitely my go to breakfast and brunch spot when I'm in the area. Cute mom and pop diner type feels. The restaurant is relatively small inside, so to beat the rush on the weekends you definitely need to be here by 8/8:30am at the latest. Trust me! They do have plenty of outdoor seating now since covid times, so that does help. But again, to avoid a long wait time I'd highly suggest making this trip early. The service is always friendly and they make you feel at home. Now their breakfast is just hands down AMAZING. 126 Cafe has THE BEST chicken fried steak I have ever had! It doesn't compare as it genuinely is better then any other spot I've tried in Ventura or LA. But what's even better then the chicken fried steak - is the CHICKEN FRIED CHICKEN. Crunchy batter and white meat chicken topped with the perfect gravy, it's a food coma and Foodie lovers dream. I am also super impressed by their eggs Benedict. Super classic, nothing fancy but just a spot on A+ taste and recipe. If your in the mood for an amazing breakfast and want to try somewhere new, you've got to come to 126 Cafe. It will easily become one of your new favorite spots. read more

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Looking at some of the other reviews I would say the low reviews are because this place gets slammed daily, the food is that good. East Ventura is growing and is out pacing the availability in the area. Depending on what your eating communication with your server will better your experience. My wife asked for an egg white omelette with white onions, mushrooms, avocados, and spinach and it came out just as she had asked. Perfect! I will say the hash browns are not my favorite type and the texture isn't my preference as I like them fresh and crispy. The Chicken fried Chicken and gravy is the bomb though, all white meat, breaded crispy and smothered in creamy gravy. The chicken fried steak (beef) is good too-and is why I keep coming back. The overhead train wasn't working today and we like that when we sit inside, must be down for maintenance. Outside seating is good too, sometimes we walk from home and bring the dog! Service was good, most weekend days this place gets slammed, best before 10am. Bon appétit! read more

Cafe 126 - Chicken fried chicken, all white omelette as requested, hash browns, biscuits and gravy, wheat toast, coffee, and tea. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Ventura, California

My husband and I went in to have some lunch and we shared a club sandwich and also shared a bowl of clam chowder on Friday. It was amazing thank you, Sandra. You're the best! read more

El Centro Huevo terrible. False advertising.it was not home made. Also corn tortillas on the plate seemed to come right out of the refrigerator and warm food placed on top. Service was horrible as in slow. Wife enjoyed her grilled veggie sandwich read more

Absolutely delicious food and plating. Pancakes were right on point, no need of syrup. That's how good they are read more

Cafe 126 - Pancake Combo - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Ventura, California

Great food, great service. It's always consistently good. The owner Frank kept the great menu when he bought it from the previous owner. Many of the same amazing servers are still here. read more

One of our favorite breakfast places, such a great environment with friendly staff. The food is delicious and plentiful-no skimping or small plates for the hungry patron. My opinion, THEE best "country fried steak" in Ventura County! Don't miss out on this amazing local breakfast and lunch place, happy faces ready to fill your appetite. Well done Cafe 126, will be back many more times. read more

One of the best breakfasts in Ventura county. My son and I go frequently on Saturday mornings. Always greeted immediately by the staff. The food is so consistent. Eggs cooked exactly as ordered, hash browns always cooked right, meats hot and fresh, coffee always good. My son loves the pancakes and waffles. Service is always relaxed and friendly. The food and service show the care of a family restaurant that cares about the product they put out. read more

Food was good, stopped here for breakfast while my dog got groomed! So good and it was fast which was great

Food was great and service was amazing! Definitely recommend if you looking for a good breakfast or lunch spot!

We had the pleasure of having our first brunch at Cafe 126 and it was absolutely amazing! What a hidden gem of a cafe, serving home style comfort food in behemoth portions. The star of their breakfast menu is (hands down) the chicken fried steak and eggs. Creamy sausage gravy smothers the dinner plate sized, masterfully prepared chicken fried steak! It's definitely a must try. For a bit of nostalgia...try the "pigs in a blanket"... juicy and meaty breakfast sausage, wrapped in a pillowy soft pancake. You'll be certainly glad you did! Our server, Jennifer was phenomenal...friendly, efficient, and very helpful with menu recommendations. Cafe 126 is definitely going to be our choice for great meals at reasonable prices!!! read more

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On our way home from Santa Barbara and this place was highly recommended to us by our family. Based on the reviews there's often a wait however today there was no wait so we got lucky. We ordered breakfast and it was great. I had the veggie omelette and home style potatoes. My husband had the French Toast breakfast. My other family members ordered the chicken fried steak that made me a "pescatarian" just say ,"wowzers" lol. It looked amazing but I'm not converting back.....I'm still remaining a pescatarian. Our server was Jennifer and and she was attentive and awesome. Overall, it was a great experience. Till next time! read more

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Classic roadside diner with proper cafe food. Good portion size, without being excessive. The staff are all great and friendly. The owner is there most days and is very caring and attentive. My favorite dish is Beth's skillet with hashbrowns and avocado. Abby is our favorite waitress. Best of all, you can grab a donut next door and they will make it into French toast! read more

Cafe 126 - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Ventura, California

Best southern style food around! I got the chicken fried steak and it reminded me of home. Thank you! read more

Food was delicious and soooo much. The service was great. Plenty of staff on hand. The ambiance was nice lots of cheerful people enjoying breakfast. read more

Cafe 126 - Table barely held all of our food. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Ventura, California

Always the best!!! Best chicken fried steak in the West. Come on the week days to avoid the crowds. read more

Cafe 126 - Kids Menu - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Ventura, California

This place never lets me down! The ambiance gives off an old school diner feel. Service is A+ and is reasonably priced so it won't hurt your pocket books! Always love to come for the hot cocoa as well! Just make sure you come early on the weekends cause it gets packed! read more

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A Hidden Gem with Tasty Food! Café 126 in Ventura is such a charming little diner! The food was really good, and the service was warm and friendly. It's the kind of spot that makes you feel right at home. Perfect for a laid-back meal--definitely coming back! read more

Got the food to go it was super good and fresh! Biscuits and gravy were really good. Also the chicken fried steak. We will be revisiting.

Since ownership changed, slowly the quality has slipped. Sure you get a plate load but eggs and bacon came out cold, probably waiting for the pancakes. I've been eating there since 2009 and it's just not the same. The employees are wonderful but I won't be eating there much anymore. Saddened by another restaurant on the east side off the list. read more

Still great service and great tasting food. Everything on the menu is good. This place gets busy so it would be best to get there early. read more

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We are part of the Cafe 126 family and enjoy the ambience and wait staff and food which is excellent. No one is perfect. This treasured place or another. We enjoy it all. Thanks Frank, wait staff and cook staff and staff in training, We love eating here. Thanks for keeping a consistent eatery that is unforgettable! Bev and Lou read more

Standard good diner food. It's been a while since I went so I don't remember too many details. I had brunch here with family during COVID and we ate outside. I believe this restaurant serves only breakfast and lunch. It has great proximity to the 126! read more

This place was very good! The breakfast burritos were nice, and the food was incredible. The staff were sweet and made sure if we needed anything else. Over all 9.5/10 read more

Excellent service! Food was awesome! Location ehh! Patio dining not a fan because they have a major fly problem :o( constantly shooing flys off our food ugh! Again the food was great! Loved their homemade corned beef hash! Probably the best I've had yet! My husband loved his chicken fried streak! I have to say, their gravy was too heavy on the flour, tasted very bland & floury. Not a fan of the biscuit either. Did not taste at all like what a biscuit should taste like. Not fluffy at all but very dense, hard & dry in the middle :o( If you're in the area? I would recommend giving them a try... a bit out of the way for us-not sure we'll be back? read more

Poor service. Price's have been raised too high..portions smaller. The restaurant used to be excellent and always busy. The last 3 years it has gone down hill read more

Once again Sunday breakfast on the 126. We paid another visit to Cafe 126 for a quick breakfast to start the day. This time I brought the wifey. I had the Chicken Fried Steak something new for me and she had the Chile Verde Omelette. Again I can help but say the customer service here is Great. Fast, Friendly, Helpful. Our order came out so quick. Hot, tasty and large servings. Probably more than we should have eaten but oh well. We have the rest of the day to burn it off. The Chile Verde was super tender. The Chicken fried steak was good. Not greasy at all. We both enjoyed breakfast. It was a bit chilly out so having the heaters was spot on. Thank you for bringing them out. Next visit we're doing the eggs Benedict. See you again soon. Thanks. Cafe 126. Keep doing what your doing. read more

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I love very close and asked for eggs Benedict to go. They asked if I wanted mushrooms, tomatoes and such which I answered yes. I got none of that that and the eggs were not runny! So why ask if you are going to give me basic stuff! I even asked for avocado and didn't get that either! Just sad read more

Cafe 126 - Eggs be Eggs Benedict - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Ventura, California

Their service is bad I went to pick up something and they said it'd be 5 minutes it's been 20 qnd still nothing all it was was 4 pancakes‍‍

Food was terrible service was friendly but food waa so shitty . dont ever get the chile verse they under cook the pork

don't pass this place up if you're hungry!! Great food, Great service, all around great experience. My fav go to for Breakfast!! read more

Cafe 126 - a woman eating breakfast at a table - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Ventura, California

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The food is okay, but the prices are very high. The portions are quite large, so if you're willing to split a meal, it's a decent place to eat. read more

I work nearby and order lunch on occasion. I hadn't been in a while but when I stopped in today to pick up my order, a kind server recognized me and greeted me by name- it really made my day! read more

East side of Ventura needs more restaurants! The lack of options allows restaurants like this to serve crap and charge high prices. My husband and I got lunch at Café 126 today and without drinks our bill was $38. I ordered a grilled ham and cheese with a cup of soup and he ordered a chicken club sandwich. The grilled ham and cheese lacked real cheese, there was a little bit of shredded cheese that was not fully melted. The ham was not grilled all the way and tasted like it had been boiled. French fries were super soggy and my husband's chicken club had maybe 3 ounces of chicken on it and was served on what resembled a hot dog bun. I was so surprised when we got our food because of the price we paid and the poor quality. When I asked the waitress for more cheese on my sandwich, she gave me a odd look and just took my plate and didn't say anything. The picture below is after the requested additional cheese. I think it is safe to say we will not be back to this restaurant. Bummed out because the options are so thin on this side of town. read more

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Ordered the turkey sandwich with fry's and let me tell you, sandwich was really good, very flavorful and there fry's come in a paper bag!! It was so convenient for me to have them that way. The serving portion is great too! read more

Best place for breakfast on the East side of Ventura, if your looking for a hearty breakfast with big portions this is ur place! Recommend the chicken fried steak read more

Top notch breakfast spot. Service is always quick and pleasant. One of my favorite places to go in the morning!

Hands down our favorite breakfast spot - their country fried chicken with biscuits and gravy is to die for! They also have the best eggs benedict. Service is always great too! Definitely a hidden gem! read more