This place is worth driving from VP to get a wonderful breakfast. The customer service is wonder, food is great and very home style. My hats off to the chief and the servers they all make you feel like family. The customers seem down to earth when arrive they speak to you and let you know what their favorite food is and how they enjoy the environment and atmosphere. I have been there several times and the food has always been wonderful and it is worth the morning drive and spend the day down there with family and friends. read more

Food was super delicious. Prices are moderate. Service lacked a little bit. With 2 customers in the restaurant and 3 girls working I felt like they could have been more attentive. I'd definitely come back. read more

Cafe Rae - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Clemente, California

Had a great omelette. Chef's Green Omelette. A little pesto, asparagus, spinach, green peas and mozzarella. It was so good. I will be back. read more

Cafe Rae - Chef's Green Omelette!! So good. Had spinach, asparagus, peas and a little mozzarella cheese. Fruit and dry multi grain toast. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Clemente, California

Amazing food, great service, a must if visiting or a local. I loved the homemade applesauce oatmeal, but my husbands banana stuffed crusted French toast was incredible. Mmmm read more

Came here after my first OC Cars & Coffee experience, via Yelp. It's a very small, with very minimal parking. You can also park on the street, if you're lucky. The ambience is very hippy-dippy-stoner vibes, with friendly, chill staff. There really isn't any room inside; it's a very tight squeeze, so not recommended for more than a 2-3 top. There was only 3 of us, and we waited about 20 minutes for a table, otherwise we'd have to sit at separate tables, because they couldn't move the tables. No Yelp check-in specials, but if you like them on FB, you get 5% off your next visit. Or, if you follow them on IG, you get 10% off your next visit. These don't apply to your current visit. Food was delicious! Simple 2-egg breakfast, turkey bacon, potatoes, toast was good. Pulled pork breakfast sandwich was amazing! The fluffy, made-from-scratch pancakes were SO good! Get those last 2 items, mentioned, for sure. Oh! The syrup for the pancake was really good. It was not overly sweet, at all, and this is coming from someone who doesn't each much sugar, if at all. read more

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The service is ok the food sucked! Was sat first with my daughter. 2 other couples came in and were sat after us, however they received their food first before my daughter and I . Took forever to make a short stack of strawberry pancakes and 2 eggs breakfast with potatoes. The potatoes were burnt! My English muffin was too hard to eat like a rock slate and i guess they don't know how to make basted medium eggs because mine were soggy and runny....I don't know if i just got bad luck and had an awful cook cooking my breakfast or what for a place that had good reviews, it was a low grade breakfast ! read more

Brunch with good vibes found here! Best bacon I've had in a while! Made my over medium eggs perfect! Their pancakes were gigantic! And you can add almost anything to them! Very cute environment! It is kind of small so I can imagine some days may have a wait but we were seated right as we walked in. Only negative was our waitress (dark hair) was not friendly and didn't check on us when we needed things instead her hostess checked on us. Check it out! read more

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Came here for brunch to catch up with some friends. It's a tiny little place with a tiny little parking lot, but they've got street parking. Arrived on a Saturday at about 10:30am, and the four of us were seated right away. I had a difficult time choosing between cherry coconut pancakes or banana pancakes. Banana pancakes have a soft spot in my heart, and it's difficult to find a place that actually cooks them in the batter. This is one of those places. I ordered the short stack, which was 2 pancakes. They were large and perfectly cooked. They were delicious. Also ordered a small orange juice, and regretted not getting the large. It was so dang delicious. I wish I didn't live 70 miles away because I'd love to come here more often. read more

Great little place! We enjoyed the Stuffed French toast (strawberry) and the 2 egg with pancake breakfasts. They were excellent. Neither of us cared for the potatoes (seasoning), but they were cooked very well. The coffee was good. Service was great; very personable. The decor was vacationy & inviting. We'll definitely come back again. read more

Was looking for a quick breakfast Play in California. We stopped at Cafe Rae just A cute little hole in the wall. It was kind of small but huge personality. The service was amazing our waitress was phenomenal and so was the ambience. The food was epic! We ordered the stuffed French toast with cream cheese and we added Nutella and let me just say it was the best thing I've ever had in my entire life! I also ordered the eggs with bacon and potatoes and they were just amazing! My fiancé ordered the breakfast burrito and he was amazed as well. My mother-in-law and sister-in-law ordered the blueberry pancakes which were really big and delicious and they also had the burrito and loved it as well. They're very eco-friendly and everything they do and almost everything they use is recyclable even your leftover water. It seems like a family owned business that should be supported 100%. 10 out of 10 would definitely come back again highly recommend! read more

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To be honest the food was a three but the service was a four as our server was very attentive and friendly. Also the location is in a very cute friendly neighborhood. I ordered the spinach, mushroom, avocado omelet. Not very seasoned. My friend ordered veggie burrito, very large (almost oversized) but tasted better. The breakfast potatoes were actually delicious. I can't say I would recommend for a brunch spot due to lack of alcohol. To me a brunch should have the option of mismos, Bloody Marys, or at least baileys and coffee (Irish coffee). We drove from San Diego to LA so much better than stoping at a gas station or fast food restaurant. Was not very crowded but that may be due to us arriving at 10:30am on a Friday when most people are still working. Recommend but not highly. read more

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Came here for breakfast. Had the Pastrami breakfast sandwich and Beef Brisket omelette. Delicious!! Service was excellent. Highly recommend to anyone looking for a very tasty meal. read more

'Was in the San Clemente area the other morning & yelp*d a spot for breakfast... ''And one of the spots that came up - "Cafe Rae" w/a solid 4 Stars. When I walked in, there were only three other tables w/patrons, total of six people... Photo - http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/cafe-rae-san-clemente#bmsT94AnJyx4KEEoinpFlg 'Seemed like most of them were local regulars, good sign. Jenny, my hostess/waitress was very open and friendly. ('And from what I gathered, also one of the owners, along with her husband.) "First time here?..." Jenny went through some of the more popular breakfast items, stuffed french toast, breakfast burritos, to their omelettes... 'And it all sounded great. I ordered a coffee and took a few more minutes to look over the menu. Coffee - http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/cafe-rae-san-clemente#392MlXl-QmAxyrr3tnDKMA They had a brisket omelette and a variety of breakfast burritos... 'The brisket sounded good & so did the breakfast burrito. Decisions, decisions... 'Hmmm, what to do? So, I asked, "Is it possible to get a Brisket Breakfast Burrito?..." 'And so it was! 8) Mahalo! Photo - http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/cafe-rae-san-clemente#_Tf37GJVqujEw4xK5sDDug The brisket in my burrito was nice and tender, good portions but a bit too mild in flavor. I ate a third of the burrito w/o any sauces, wanting to taste the savory brisket, potatoes & eggs... 'Not as robust in flavor as I hoped. (shrugs) The provided sour cream, fresh guacamole & salsa complimented the breakfast burrito nicely. Photo (Cross section) - http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/cafe-rae-san-clemente#7Mw78vnfZS5VSwoBMHCAUg On each table they have bottles of Tapatio, Tabasco, and a green habanero sauce, available as well... 'I tried a little bit of each of the sauces in the above order. I'm usually a Tabasco kinda guy but oddly enough, the ultra-green, habanero sauce worked best. (Although, the unnerving saturated, fluorescent green color was a bit off-putting.) 8/ Overall, clean and the restrooms rooms, very clean. Cafe Rae has a great laid-back vibe. Jenny also hand makes some great retro/throwback items! 'Very cool. Photo - http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/cafe-rae-san-clemente#4kmDj1c4bhkHeZNmoHpQ2Q Overall, a very solid Three Stars. 'Would definitely come back & try more of their menu items... 'Like the stuffed french toast. Brisket Breakfast Burrito: $10.95 Coffee: $2.50 Total w/Tax: $14.53 (+ $5.47 tip) Grand Total: $20 - Aloha! Food 3+ Ambiance 3 (Cool vibe) Service 4 Value 3+ read more

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Such a cute spot. Excellent food and great service. The croissant breakfast sandwich is a must. read more

Cafe Rae - A special that day. Chorizo breakfast sandwich on a homemade English muffin. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Clemente, California

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The best thing about this Cafe ia not the food. It is the warmth of the staff. The Chef took our order and then checked on how our meal was at the end. Simply great service. The food was delicious. I had the strawberry and cream cheese filled french toast. Definitely get a half order unless your are sharing. It is also super sweet so you may want to have them hold back on the filling. The compote filling tasted like a strawberry jelly instead of a freshly made compote. Overall it was still the second best filled french toast I ever had. Unfortunately I have to deduct points for the bacon which was tough and limp. My brother had the brisket omelet and he thought it was good. Tender but flavorless. Wonder woman had the strawberry pancakes and she thought they were delicious. She enjoyed the batter but felt the strawberries were just ok and the syrup should have been warm. Kenisha thought her meal was great. Her eggs were light and fluffy and she like the bacon. Great happy decor, clean bathrooms. We would all definitely go back. read more

Cafe Rae - Strawberry and cream cheese filled french toast. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Clemente, California

First time trying this little place and loved it. I'm so happy they had vegan options. I got the vegan burrito and it was DELICIOUS (and HUGE). My husband got a brisket sandwich and it was consumed within 3 minutes, so I guess it was good. I was hoping they would have some outdoor seating set up during these COVID times, but they didn't. Also, it didn't appear that the cooks were wearing masks. We ended up getting our food to go just to be uber safe. Overall, service was very friendly and they have a tremendous menu. I can't wait to come back for breakfast! read more

Love love love love love this cute little cafe! It has a very earthy-peace-lovin' theme and the food is great! We came in a party of 10 and they were able to accommodate everyone in our party! The atmosphere was very friendly and their servings are very generous. Everything on their menu from their breakfast menu to their lunch menu is delicious! We tried to order a little of everything and every single dish we had was scrumptious! This place will definitely not disappoint! If you haven't eaten here, you're missing out! It's also friendly on the wallet :) Will definitely be back soooon! read more

Tried this place due to great reviews... The food was good, good portion sizes. Cute small place with a hippie flair. However, when I was eating, I witnessed the cook in the back first chopping up something bare handed and then eating a piece of whatever it was while plating a dish for a customer. He handled all of the food bare handed... I shrugged it off and continued eating. But, at the end of my meal, I looked back over and witnessed the same cook using his bare finger to get the last of something off a spoon and on to a customer's plate... Something sticky like sour cream. Then, moments later with another goopy food, like Nutella. Sorry Cafe Rae, that is really gross - and I'm guessing a health code violation. read more

Found this on the way back from LAX to San Diego, on a Saturday when we were STARVING and CRABBY! It came up on Yelp and we said why not. Parking is very limited or off street. I have this weird parking karma that let us park right in front. LOL. We got seated a right away at a long table for eight that had a guy at the end by himself. The place is very bright and TINY. I mirrored wall makes it seem larger. Cute decor with lots of Battik stuff for sale on the walls. The bathroom is a riot: you have to practically walk through the kitchen to get to it. It is very tidy and neat for a public restroom. I wasn't afraid to touch things! Our waitress was very helpful and friendly when she found out it was our first visit. I had an omelette with cheese, spinach and fresh mushrooms. Very good and big. The potatoes were slightly spicy and good. My only "beef" was the multi-grain toast, which seriously tasted like rye bread. (I am NOT a rye fan). So I didn't eat much of it (any jam on rye is just plain weird IMO). Hubby had one of the specials and said it was great. Now we have a place to stop on the way back from LAX. Note: my 12 year old is a picky eater so I am not sure I'd go back with him. read more

Super cute place for breakfast and brunch! Can't believe I've been living here and I didn't know about it sooner. Sad, I know! They have all of the breakfast essentials on the menu: eggs, omelettes, toast, pancakes, waffles, and more. They've also got some lunch foods going on. I decided to keep it simple and get scrambled eggs with the potatoes and pancake. Yes, it is just one pancake, and it is huge! I couldn't finish, though it was good! I do wish their syrup was sweeter... Service was great and friendly. My friend and I got a quick brunch here and then walked to the MetroLink Station for a nice morning hike along the San Clemente beach trail! Awesome was to spend a nice, relaxing, and beautiful day! Would do this all again :) read more

Wow! The whole package is the real deal -- the service, the food and the laid back atmosphere. I had the huevos rancheros, which comes with two eggs to order on top of homemade frijoles on two corn tortillas topped with mozzarella cheese. Sides include pan fried potatoes and small servings of guacamole, sour cream and homemade salsa. Oh my... the salsa. Top that with a hot cup o' joe and it's breakfast fit for a king. Other dishes that brought smiles to the faces of those in our party include French toast, pancakes and a made-to-order omelet. read more

Cafe Rae - Cafe Rae - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Clemente, California

Great little spot, would highly recommend coming in for breakfast, have not tried the lunch here yet. The staff was very helpful and make some excellent suggestions. I ended up taking up one of them, the spinach spanakopita eggs benedict. They were so delicious. The spinach spanakopita is made in house and truly was delicious. I am definitely coming back in the future for another helping from this beautiful San Clemente gem. read more

Cafe Rae - Spinach Spanakopita Eggs Benedict, nothing more pure on earth than this. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Clemente, California

Cute place. Large portions. Friendly staff. Yummy coffee. Hole-In-the-wall type place with good music (VERY cute) Clean bathrooms! read more

Cafe Rae - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Clemente, California

My fav breakfast burritos in San Clemente, and the biggest pancakes I've ever seen. All delicious!

Great local vibe and art work! Good food and lots of breakfast and lunch options. Friendly service! Had veggie omelette and a pancake! A little pricey but big portions! read more

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Went there for lunch on 4/28/23 after reading positive reviews. Will not be returning! Ordered soup which was supposed to be carrot broccoli, but I couldn't taste any carrot or broccoli flavor. My daughter ordered a veggie burrito, which was huge, but off-putting. It had a weird, horrible taste. She left most of it on her plate, as did I with the strange soup. My granddaughter ordered chocolate chip pancakes. They forgot to put the chocolate chips in, but she said they were good anyway. The cook offered to sprinkle some chips on top, but she declined because they wouldn't be melted. After seeing most of our food left on the plates, the waitress asked if we would like a box to take it home. My daughter said "no, it wasn't good." At this point, one would think that the cook would come out and ask us what the problem was, but the clueless waitress didn't even mention it to him. We expected much better service & edible food after reading the reviews. As I said, we won't be returning. Oh yeah, by the way, they did comp the pancakes, but that was too little, too late. read more

Outstanding! Best homemade food! Love the breakfast burritos and roasted potatoes. Huge servings. Oh and the spicy salsa!

This place is fabulous! Amazing food! Fun atmosphere. We had a great chat with the waitress and some locals. So much fun! All around great experience! My Cafe Rae salad with avocado was INCREDIBLE! I am a big salad eater and that was one of the best I've had yet! Well done Cafe Rae! read more

Cafe Rae - Yummmmm - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Clemente, California

Cafe Rae had the absolute best breakfast and lunch. Terry makes things from scratch so they are fresh and delicious!! There are fabulous specials each day that are so unique and also so tasty!! It's one of our go tos for breakfast!! read more

What happened to Cafe Rae? I've been a regular customer in the past, and have taken a break for a bit. Well today I came back and whoa, what a disappointment. Started out good enough, got in right away with a table for 3 on a Sunday. Waitress took our drink orders, drinks came, took food order, then it was all downhill from there. Food came out luke warm, that's being generous. 2 orders of pancakes, no butter or syrup. How does that happen? After waiting a while to see if she would come check on us (she never did), I had to get up and ask for butter, syrup, more water and a coffee refill. Food was tasty but kinda cold. My son had to get up and ask for another water refill. Basically what I'm saying is the server, who didn't bring the food never came by once except to bring the bill. And when she did bring the bill, it had no prices or total on it. I actually had to get up again to ask if the meal was free, joking of course. But what the heck, how do you bring a bill with nothing on it? The server took the bill, said 'oh sorry' and pencil whipped in prices, total, and tax. See pic....Paid the bill and left, probably never to return again. So disappointed in Cafe Rae, and Rae should be sad. Lost a good customer. Won't go through that again. read more

Cafe Rae - Bill came with no prices or total, how does this happen? - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Clemente, California

Quaint little cafe with delicious food and friendly service. I have eaten here several times and can honestly say the food has been wonderful every time. The stuffed french toast, pancakes and breakfast burrito are my favorites. I thought the salsa for the burrito was great. The portions are large so keep that in mind. A half stack is 2 pancakes/full stack 4 and they are the size of a dinner plate! Come here for breakfast, brunch or lunch. Trust me you will not be disappointed. read more

great place for breakfast and lunch!!! low key, funky, not a chain. you can eat healthy...or not!

If you want a good comfort food breakfast plate, this is your place to go. Portions are large, food is good, and the vibe is even better. Service is great. read more

Love this place and it's in walking distance from our house. Bright, colorful decor and amazing food. I love the build-your-own omelet; hubby likes the pancakes. read more

Loved the food, had 1/2 turkey sandwich and butternut squash soup, their brown rice salad and portions are huge for a very good price, my friend had 3 egg omelet- no grease whatsoever- not a big fan of the side potatoes but over all a great find for bfast/lunch. Did not care for the decor much and it is "cozy" though loved how clean the bathroom is and their outside flowers are amazing! read more

The food here is delicious! Our server was kind and very attentive. The huevos rancheros are bomb. The french toast are amazing too! Prices are very reasonable. We are definitely coming back!! read more

Cafe Rae is an unassuming gem of San Clemente. The exterior, and for that matter, the exterior, are simple and ambiguous which can fool those more impressed by the cover of the book and not the contents. Once you see and taste the diverse offerings you'll understand that the owner and cook may be the closest we have here in San Clemente to a culinary genius. There is the menu which offers the normal fare, but I encourage those seeking a higher elevation of eating to look to the "Daily Specials" on the chalkboard where the cook applies his creativity. For example, today for breakfast the Daily Specials offered: "Pastrami Omelet", a "Chorizo Breakfast sandwich", something else I have forgotten, and always a variety of pancakes and stuffed french toasts. Each one of these are paired together with ingredients that reveals the cook's appreciation for his craft. If I had to knock something it would be the coffee - pretty industrial restaurant coffee. read more

It's time...I have been delaying this experience for a bit because I want it to be special. But alas, I can't seem to find the words to describe number 400!!! Yes folks, this is my 400th review. Some of you say...so, I have 3000, but for me...it is special. :) So I decided to write a review of a place that hit all those special spots. And Cafe Rae amazingly did. I had the stuffed french toast with strawberries and bananas. This ain't for the faint of heart..this was clearly diet food! ;) It probably was nearly 3000 calories...I am guessing. :) The french toast was crispy on the outside and decadent in the inside. It was creamy and sweet and tangy. I mean foodgasm all the way. I kept saying ummm...yumm...ooohhhh...yeeahhh! This was just the best french toast I have ever ever had. :) Check out my photo! I am in LOVE! Now if I can figure out how to marry it. read more

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Eh. Food was whatevers and service was whatevers... Had the strawberry french toast, too sweet for me. And my bf had the philly cheese steak and he said it was bland. It came with some cold rice thing on the side that was really bland. Nothing worth coming back for. Sorry. read more

Cafe Rae - french toast w/ strawberry preserves - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Clemente, California

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I wish I could give this place 6 stars! The Owner and Chef Terry puts 100% into every dish and the atmosphere here makes you want to come back again tomorrow. Cool vibes, great food, and options for all types: Meat-Eaters, Vegetarians, and Vegans. Try the Huevos Rancheros, the Stuffed French Toast, the Cafe Rae Salad, the Brisket Melt, or anything on the Weekly Specials board!! read more