Cafe Rae just keeps getting better. My wife and I have been going there for years now and have always loved the good and the owners. I have never had anything bad there, but I do lean towards the weekly pancake or a nice egg white omelette. Each week they seem to change up what they put into it based on what fresh fruit is out there. For example peach and pear, pear and cherry, and one of the best, the toasted coconut and banana. Yum. Stop by and support a small family owned business. read more

Cafe Rae - Peach and Pear #Pancake with a side of #bacon - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Clemente, California

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We had breakfast here yesterday morning and it was surprisingly delicious!! I had the special salsa verde on Huevos Rancheros and it was outstanding!! My kids had giant pancakes with bananas and chocolate chips! And my dad ordered a breakfast sandwich on a croissant which he said was delicious. The staff were super friendly and engaging. We had fun speaking with the chef and the server. I would definitely recommend Cafe Rae!! read more

My favorite breakfast in San Clemente! The service is fast and friendly. It's hard to choose a favorite but I'd say the huevos rancheros are my favorite breakfast item and the meatloaf melt my favorite lunch item. You literally can't go wrong whatever you choose. The food is fresh and consistent with all the sauces, salsas and dressings being house-made. read more

Cafe Rae - Blueberry stuffed french toast! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Clemente, California

We have been going to Café Rae for 10+ years and their food has always been consistently good. Everything is so fresh and delicious and homemade . They have many healthy options too, including vegetarian and vegan choices. They have specials that change daily . The atmosphere is cozy Bohemian and very inviting. read more

First time there we walked in and stood at the door for about 5 minutes without anyone acknowledging us. The waitresses do walk by without saying a word. So the other reviewers are correct about the awkward standing around part. A few other people walked in and sat down, so I'm not sure how the seating actually works. Finally A guy waved us over to sit in the corner. We sat down and 10 min later the waitress came up and said we needed to wait to be seated, it was not self seating. We said the guy behind the counter told us to sit and she walked away. A few minutes later a diff waitress came to take our order. The food alone is good and deserves 3.5-4 stars. We both enjoyed our meals. Not just typical diner breakfast stuff. Some of it seemed very interesting and unique. The waitress even stopped by to refill our coffee and told us she didn't want to seat people that's why she was doing coffee refills. We sat, had breakfast, and watched a few more couples come in and stand awkwardly at the door like they didn't know what was going on. The place is small inside so there is not much room to stand without being in someone's way or blocking the door. Overall food was good, decor is cute , price is not bad for what you get, service is definitely lacking and 1 star worthy. Seems like the kind of place that accommodates regulars well, but not overly welcoming for your first time. read more

Love the crusted French toast. Their oatmeal is delicious and the avocado toast is the best.

This is my favorite place in San Clemente. It is small and has great service. I like to try whatever is on the board as a special. Huevos rancheros are a sure thing and if they have them as a special with chili or chile verde on top they are a home run! If you try this place once you will return. read more

I hate when I have lived in town for like five years and hadn't been to this gem before! Cafe Rae was great. The small quaint location is comfortable and quirky. The staff was immensely friendly and helpful. And the Huevos Rancheros are outstanding! Love the beans and guacamole! MMmmmm! Closed Tuesdays which was a bummer one morning but will be back nonetheless! read more

This review is solely based on service as we left before ordering. Upon walking in we were quickly rushed out to wait outside so they could get a table together. No biggie, it's small but the tone of voice and attitude wasn't appreciated. When we were approached our table was ready the waitress demanded we don't try to move the table as it was "as close as it's gonna get" waitress had such a shitty vibe. We ordered our drinks. Our waters had no ice. Waited about 10 mins for her to come back to take our order but she was more concerned with talking about sweatshirts with other visitors. My father in law felt bad that we got up and left and gave her $20 :/ for waters and 1 coffee. Definitely a bummer and will never go back again read more

I've eaten here a handful of times and for some reason I have never posted a review. Yesterday my sister and I stopped in for lunch, and were seated (and greeted) by two very friendly staff members. It was very nice to be engaged in friendly conversation while we perused the menus, I felt like they were going out their way to make us feel at home. My sister ordered a grilled vegetable sandwich, and I ordered the black bean burger. I told the waitress I had always wanted to try a black bean burger, but every time I'd been to a place that served one the waiter or waitress had advised me against it. I tried it here, finally, and it was absolutely delicious. I was so pleased, because as I'm normally a carnivore I felt that the burger was not only delicious but it tricked my stomach into feeling like I'd had a proper protein. My sister enjoyed her grilled veggie sandwich as well. At the beginning of the meal I ordered a beef cheesesteak sandwich to go, and as we were finishing it was promptly delivered to the table with our check. I very much appreciated that they neither forgot the order or delivered it immediately where it would have sat on the table and gotten cold. The service really was wonderful. I will be eating here again. read more

Really clean, bright, and friendly. Great food with large portions. I had a breakfast burrito and it was delicious and my husband had an omelette that looked outstanding. Sat next to some locals that love the chef and asure that all the ingredients are always fresh. The stuffed French toast looked amazing, they highly recommended the juevos rancheros.REALLY SMALL PLACE! Quaint and nice but really small. Surprisingly walked in Sunday morning at 8:30 AM no wait. read more

Cafe Rae - Small bright and clean - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Clemente, California

Small cafe in San Clemente. Service was outstanding, all of the staff was helpful and very friendly. Delicious food for breakfast lovers. read more

Cafe Rae - Favorite meal of the day! Bacon, eggs, and a giant pancake. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Clemente, California

This is a small cafe it is a hidden gem! The food is amazing and the staff is super sweet and nice! They have a lot of good stuff to choose from would highly recommend the huevos rancheros. read more

First time in San Clemente. One of the locals suggested my coworker and I come here for breakfast. We got their French Toast Special stuffed with raspberries and Nutella. It was crusted with cornflakes and it was amazing. Perfect balance of sweet and nutty and the bread wasn't soggy. We also got the Florentine egg special with a tomato hollandaise, spinach, tomato and homemade potatoes. Everything was incredible. I would fly back from the east coast just to eat there again! The staff was so friendly and you can tell the owner really puts a lot of love into the food. read more

Cafe Rae - Nutella raspberry stuffed French toast, florentine eggs Benedict! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Clemente, California

I am not in San Clemente too often, but when I am I try to come here for breakfast! This place is SO CUTE and just my vibe. A friend/boss told me about this place and to check it out- he was right, it doesn't disappoint. I have been here twice. Alone the first time, and memory was I LIKED IT! So I returned with my hubby. He doesn't eat meat much. He hates Dennys which was probably where we would have ended up if I had not remembered this lovely place. Lucky for both of us that we ended up here. The breakfast choices are great! They offer everything. I got a smoked trout on a bagel with onions and capers. It was amazing and it came with fresh fruit. I wish every morning could taste that good and be so healthy! I believe we were extra lucky because it was a Saturday morning and there was no wait to be seated (no idea why, usually busy place) Service is always great. These people are doing it right! If I lived nearby they would know me by name. lol We will return!! read more

As an update to my prior review for Cafe Rae, DO NOT forget to ask for a "Berry Bar." I promise you will want to buy all of the individually-wrapped goodness and not share with anyone ... even those you love the most. These Berry Bars are so fresh and delicious! My mouth is drooling just writing about them. OK, I gotta go and get one NOW!!! read more

My family & I were driving to San Diego and needed a place to stop for some brunch. We just so happened to stumble into this place and it was the best decision I've ever made. The wait was not long at all, 5 mins. for a table of 3 even though the place was full! I was actually surprised we got seated so quickly, but I am not complaining! The food was delicious. I had the huevos rancheros and they might be the best huevos rancheros I've ever had. Don't tell my mother-in-law! The guacamole was fresh and the salsa was just right. If I'm ever in SoCal again, I will NEED to come back & stop by for another meal. We left full & satisfied! The place is right by the beach so you really get that local feeling. I really enjoyed it. read more

It's okay. The food is okay, the service is okay, the brisket is not exactly the specialty of the house, but the other breakfast items are pretty good. So it's pretty good overall. read more

Food: Great Price: Great Environment: Small, Crowded Service, over zealous, I know who complains about to much service, but when you don't get enough time to even look at the menu or take a bite of your food before being asked how it was, then it is to much. Also it looked like the lady working was babysitting someone's, or her children. Children were running through the restaurant and the kitchen. I would be curious to see what the kitchen looks like. read more

This was the perfect stop while waiting for freeway traffic to die down. Glad I found this place! First Impression: colorful, fun decor. Cozy interior (seats 40 max). Not a lot of parking but parking on the street is no prob. Clean unisex bathroom. Service: this was a major reason for the 5 stars. Patty (think younger Olivia Wilde) was awesome! Very friendly, nonstop checking on customers, refilling drinks, bringing food, cleaning tables, working the register, not stressing, not being pushy with the ladies that quite literally took 15 min to decide what to order. Food: try the brisket omelette! It's worth the price as it is filled with juicy, tender meat. The potatoes were hot & seasoned. The only thing I wasn't a fan of was the fresh salsa - the heavy onion flavor overpowered everything else. Good thing I ordered it on the side, so it didn't interfere with the omelette. I'll definitely be back next time I'm headed north, hungry and need to get away from traffic! read more

Food is great, love the music & ambiance. Prices are very reasonable. I would have liked them to have stronger coffee but that's okay. read more

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

Visited this little restaurant this past week. One of my friends highly recommended it. Went down to San Clelmente to check out the Thrift Stores and Antique Stores. Decided it was time to try this place. I had the Brisket Melt on Challah Bread. Very tasty. It came with a side of a cold brown rice salad. It was different and good. My friend had a cup of soup, tomato basil and a Cafe Rae salad with a scoop of tuna fish salad. She really enjoyed it. We can't wait to go back and try something else. Service was good. Love the decor. I just couldn't understand why it wasn't busy. There were two other tables with customers at noon on Friday. No one else came in while we were there. read more

Looking for a place to have brunch in San Clemente did not prove to be easy... I found this place on Yelp a few months ago, but we never had the chance to try it out. Finally, we had a Saturday morning to ourselves... perfect for some brunch gluttony. Spinach/Mushroom/Cheese omelette: I got this one. SO good. I don't know what it is with their mushrooms... but they are seasoned well. I really enjoyed my omelette with the multigrain toast. Brisket/Mushroom/Cheese omelette: He got this one and nearly fainted. He's a big brisket fan, and with the promise of having it for breakfast, just about died. The brisket was delicious and soft and, amazingly, the same price to get any other topping in your omelette. Challah French Toast: He got this on the side of his omelette and mmm was that good. The cinnamon/sugar combo was just about perfect, too bad I was too full from my own omelette to fully appreciate this french toast. Overall: I think I've found my go-to brunch place in the area. read more

Excellent breakfast spot. Had a delicious breakfast burrito. Service is super friendly and attentive. read more

Cafe Rae - Ate a massive and delicious breakfast burrito with sausage. Was planning to only eat half, but could not restraint myself - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Clemente, California

Got the Vegan Bowl for brunch the other day and it was absolutely fantastic! The veggies were sautéed perfectly, and the onions were deliciously carmelized. I'm not an onion fan, but I couldn't eat enough of them! read more

Excellent breakfast! You can tell the chefs takes pride their work. The breakfast enchiladas were excellent- went on a Monday morning table for 6 and we all ordered different and everyone loved their meal. Small seating area, very cute and colorful inside. Parking right in front. read more

This bright, cheery surprise is tucked away inside a strip mall and serves up delicious breakfast. Try the brisket omelet as an unusual savory twist. Or you can customize your own (I just tried bacon and feta). The bacon is thick, applewood smoked with generous servings on the side or inside an omelet. Also try the light hallah toast. And the coffee is quite good. My husband enjoyed the fluffy pancakes, too. The ambience is so friendly and relaxed with an eclectic soundtrack of Bob Marley, Elvis Costello or whatever might strike them. Cafe Rae is now one of our favorite places for breakfast! read more

Cafe Rae - Omelet with hallah toast. Delicious. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Clemente, California

Just had an amazing breakfast at Cafe Rae. I had the breakfast burrito, and my husband ordered their brisket omelet. The fresh, flavorful guacamole on the side of my burrito was what REALLY did it for me, though. The portions are generous (especially my burrito, which I am now eating the other half of as a separate meal). The decor of the place was also really nice. Bright and cheerful-looking. I understand the complaints of my fellow reviewers about the service. The woman serving us was fast and efficient, but she didn't exactly give off the friendliest vibe. We didn't care a whole about that, as overall this is a wonderful place for breakfast or lunch. (Part of the reason why this place didn't get a 5 was the quasi-unfriendly service, although I want to emphasize the fact that she IS very efficient. She brought us our food quickly, refilled drinks and got us butter when we asked for it. I'm trying not to be petty here. If you've read my other reviews, you know I give out 5's like cereal box prizes.) read more

Brunch is fantastic. Some of my favorites: brisket omelette, chocolate chip pancakes, and stuffed French toast. read more

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

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We met some friends here for brunch on a Sunday. As others have mentioned, the dining area is a bit small, so there was a little wait. But that was OK ... once you're in you don't feel rushed and it has a cozy, comfortable feel. The food was delicious ... we had the stuffed french toast and the breakfast burrito. Unique enough without trying too hard, and delicious! One thing that really stood out to me was the colorful flowers outside the restaurant. As we were waiting we noticed that every once in awhile the waitress would bring the water that a customer didn't drink, and use it to water the flowers. I thought that said a lot about the mindset ... would definitely come back to support this festive, local restaurant with delicious food! read more

the best breakfast in San Clemente --- eggs are perfect- pancakes beyond my dreams I am always satisfied and happy when I leave read more

Cafe Rae - Awesome scrambled eggs breakfast plate - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Clemente, California

Great food. Excellent vegetarian/vegan options, fun vibe. Overall 5/5. Small dining area so order Togo if you don't want to wait for a table. read more

This place is amazing! Food is quality and atmosphere is intimate like family but not uncomfortable. Patricia always has a positive attitude and is quick to make sure I am taken care of 100%! Her energy and smile lights up Cafe Rae! read more

My husband and I have been to Cafe Rae what seems like a zillion times...it's the kind of local place you can go to when you just want a basic breakfast in a casual spot. I want to give it a much higher rating because it really is an adorable place, has a great beach town feel, good music, and our experience with the owners is always positive. But, unfortunately, the food is hit or miss. My husband loves the omelets. I've had some good oatmeal. But as much as I want to love their pancakes, because I love pancakes in general, they always seem to taste like something else, like maybe the cooktop wasn't cleaned off all the way? And the toast, maybe it will be hot, maybe not. It kind of sucks because, like I said, it's a cool place to go and hang out. I guess the fact that we go back says something, right? read more

Definitely found our new breakfast spot. My girlfriend and I decided to try this place the other day, and it was awesome. She had the special breakfast of the day, i had the brisket omelet. Eveything was crazy awesome and french toast was killer. I would highly, highly recommend this to anyone. -J.Q.H. read more

Love their food! Have been in for brunch and also ordered to go. Burritos and pecan pancakes are highly recommended. Have had really good service every time we are there. The place is very small so not great for large parties. Always busy so be prepared to wait outside but it is worth it!! read more

I have no idea why its taken me this long to finally eat at Cafe Rae. After reading the reviews, it seemed like we had a 50/50 chance. Honestly, I cant imagine why anyone wouldn't like it here! The ambiance is warm and inviting, reggae on the stereo. The menu features all the usual breakfast/ lunch options, as well as some funky ones- brisket burrito, challah. Service was prompt and friendly, and the prices are more than reasonable. I will definitely be back. read more

Cafe Rae is a laid back beach cafe away from the hustle of the downtown and pier areas of San Clemente. We enjoyed a two egg breakfast and a very large breakfast burrito. A good value for the money, the portions were good sized and there were some fun options. The service was a bit spotty, definitely not a place to go in a rush or with a big party, but a solid option for breakfast. We would go back! read more

Amazing food as always. Beautiful decor and great service. Thanks Terry. Now I need a NAP... read more

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

Our first visit. It looks like a popular place but we were able to get a table without a long wait. Great vibe, friendly staff, and good service. I love the decor. Oh! The food was outstanding too. read more

Cafe Rae - Good food, good energy, great staff - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Clemente, California