This is a wonderful cafe with everything one could ask for when spending time at the beach or walking around San Clemente. We enjoyed everything we tried, and sampled something from each section. We enjoyed a sandwich, two different flatbreads, and two of us went for the French bread pizza. The next night we went in for dessert. They have a great selection of chocolate, had a s'more that was a perfect nightcap to a day at the beach. The staff were pleasant and helpful to our kids that probably had too many samples before picking their gelato. It's at the trolley stop and right across from the pier, worth stopping in as they seem to have something for everyone. read more

My best friend, who is active-duty military, and I (a local registered nurse) came to Caterina's for lunch. My friend arrived a few minutes before me and sat down to look at a paper menu while waiting. When I arrived, I was about to sit down to look at the menu myself before deciding what to order when the owner approached us and told us we could not sit down unless we ordered at the front first. What was disappointing wasn't the policy itself, it was the way it was communicated. We weren't greeted, asked if we had any questions, or offered any assistance. Instead, we were immediately told we couldn't be seated until we had ordered. After I placed my order, I asked if I could now sit down, and she said yes. I then politely clarified whether customers are ever allowed to sit before ordering, and she replied, "No." Since there were no signs explaining this policy, I asked for her name. She responded, "You don't need my name. I'm the owner," and then said, "Do you want the flatbread pizza or not? Otherwise, you can leave." I found this interaction unnecessarily rude and unwelcoming. As the owner, first impressions matter, and this was not the type of customer service I would expect from a business. It's unfortunate because the employees we interacted with were very kind and courteous. I hope this feedback encourages a more welcoming approach to future customers. read more

I've never received worse service in my life. The old hag and her son that I'm guessing are owners kicked us out when we were sitting after ordering and finished eating the gelato from their store. The place was pretty empty and there were open seating everywhere. They said we have to order more, if we want to sit and I told them we just finished eating. They then said we have to leave now then. I asked to speak to the manager and owner and she proceeded to threaten to call the sheriff. Wow, what a way to treat customers. I should have listened to the poor reviews here. It's poorly reviewed for a reason. Also they charge $10 for the tiniest Gelato cup you have ever seen. Go next door for ice cream instead. read more

We've had their Dubai chocolate ice cream a few times when we go on a walk near the pier. Their drinks are always very good too. The ham and cheese croissant was a little soggy, but the portion was perfect for a light full meal (lunch). You cannot beat the view of the pier, the ocean, people watching, peaceful, San Clemente vibes. Metered parking in front. Also, the trolley stop is right across the street. Great location and a nice place to come with friends, enjoy a casual date, or a nice family spot. The food menu is extensive, serving: paninis, sandos, ice cream, hot or cold drinks, pastries, and much more! Friendly staff making you feel "at home". Thanks, guys and see you soon! read more

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Conveniently located across from the pier. It offers several options for food and pastries. Their coffee/drink menu is ambitious. I appreciate the amazing staff for everything they are doing here. I made the mistake of sitting near a water bowl for pets. My daughter was bitten by mosquitoes while eating. Additionally, I did not appreciate one of the locals allowing their pet to roam while we ate. read more

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Very cute location I very much love the way the shop looks! It's very cozy inside, the staff was pretty nice and very patient while we look over their drink menu! We got the peanut butter latte, lavender caramel latte, raspberry mocha and a s'moke latte! They were very comforting especially with how cold it was I do wish they had a bathroom since I struggle walking up and down the hills here but it was worth a visit. read more

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Great spot across from ocean. I use to come regularly for lattes but stopped since they charged $1 more for milk substitute. I hope they eliminate the extra charge for those that choose a more humane alternative. Came recently with some of town family for lunch so we could relax, eat and get an ocean view. I thought the food was just decent and overpriced. My vegan chicken sandwich ($18) was dry and hard. The truffle pizza ($22) was better but not worth coming back for. Clearly pay for the view not the quality of food. read more

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I'm a frequent walker of the San Clemente beach trail and love to stop at Caterina's for a reward of their avocado toast, loaded w chunks of fresh avocado on multi-grain (my favorite) or sourdough. The artichoke flatbread is also yummy... and the pier view is awesome! read more

I went to Caterina's to get some ice cream and hang out with some friends, and we were playing a game after all of us had ordered a drink or ice cream. The owner later came up to us with an awful attitude and was very unkind in telling us that we couldn't play games even though we were paying customers. As we were cleaning up, which only took about 3 minutes, she proceeded to come out and shout at us again, and send her worker out to tell us to get out. As the only people of color in the store at the moment, we felt very unwelcome and will not be returning. The ice cream is not worth the horrible service, and the manager needs an attitude check because she's absolutely awful. read more

I don't know why people are complaining about this place! How this place is rated below three stars has me doubting the rating system! We visit this location EVERY TIME we come to San Clemente and have nothing but great things to say. The breakfast bagels are great, the coffee is incredible, and the ice cream is fantastic! The patio is very accommodating and allows consumers to enjoy their food and beverages while looking out over the ocean! MUST VISIT WHEN YOUR IN TOWN!! read more

Caterina’s - Gelato Near Me - San Clemente, California

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Friday am We decided to dine in our condo this a.m. I walked down to order to go. The restaurant is outdoor dining only. The menu has a lot of options some of the options are duplicated as wraps and/or paninis. The service was awful. The woman with gray short hair is kind of rude and curt. Not too helpful either. We ordered panini sandwiches one with smoked salmon, herb cream cheese, red onions, sliced tomato, capers and arugula. I ordered the porchetta with Italian porchetta, carmelized onions, , Dijon, mustard, arugula, Swiss and provolone cheese. I ordered an iced mocha with light ice it was a little on the sweet side. Everything was great tasty and perfectly toasted. Saturday afternoon We were at the beach and decided to grab a sandwich. We ordered their club sandwich it was tasty. A little overpriced for what you get. It is very conveniently located near the beach to order to go. Their outdoor seating is great. read more

Caterina’s - Italia Italian Club - Gelato Near Me - San Clemente, California

DON'T GO ENOUGH SAID Owner is rude Take your business software. I went there a few days ago, and as I walked in, I got yelled out immediately and left. read more

$20 for two itty bitty gelatos. Ok. We'll deal, kiddos were so excited for gelato. We sit, they eat, we move to padded benches to look up train schedule while my daughter rests a bit. She had spinal fusion earlier this year and has orthopedic impariment. Kiddo just needed ten minutes before we went to train. Ten. Minutes. The place was empty. Owner comes out all huffy because I forgot my bag at the table and someone might want to sit there. Then she sends out this middle aged man to kick us out for not ordering anything. She backs him up. We ordered from her. She kicks us out, won't even hear us out on we did actually purchase stuff, and that our little just needs 10 min. Nope. Don't go. Unless you want to troll a horrible human being. Then yes. Please. But don't buy anything. TLDR: Old lady owner kicks out family with special needs daughter, claiming we didn't buy anything when we purchased directly from her. Boycott this place. There is a lovely bustling shop up the block and I'd put money on them being better than these wretches. read more

Caterina Cafe What should have been a simple coffee stop on a beautiful pier turned into one of the most unpleasant customer experiences I've had in a long time. The service was shockingly rude and unwelcoming from the moment I approached the counter. No greeting, no patience, no basic courtesy -- just irritation and attitude, as if customers are an inconvenience rather than the reason the place exists. The coffee itself didn't come close to justifying the price. Bland, forgettable, and rushed -- which somehow made the bad service feel even worse. When you're paying pier prices, you at least expect basic quality and professionalism. This had neither. What really kills it is the location. You're standing on one of the nicest piers in Southern California, surrounded by ocean views and tourists having a good time -- and this place manages to suck all the joy out of the moment. There are plenty of nearby spots where you'll be treated like a human being and get better food and drinks for your money. This isn't one of them. Won't be back. Not recommend hmmmmm grrrrr read more

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If I could put zero stars, I would. Probably one of the worst coffee shop/ gelato experiences I have ever had in my entire life. Quality of coffee is worse than cheap gas station coffee, hot chocolate tasted literally like it came from the Swiss Miss powder , and their chocolates are stale. On top of all this, whoever the guy is at the checkout is manager or the owner - had so much attitude l, was so rude, sour and un welcoming. Definitely not coming back to displace ever again. read more

The food was overpriced and the steak burrito had maybe 5 pieces of tiny steak bites. The monkey bagel we ordered came out wrong as well. The service was decently fast and attentive. The tables were dirty. However they don't even have water for you, you have to buy it. read more

Their Vegan Breakfast Panini was so delicious. I'm definitely coming back. Glad that they had vegan options. read more

Caterina’s - Vegan breakfast panani - Gelato Near Me - San Clemente, California

Every time I have come to Caterina's lately I'm so surprised by how empty it is. They have great seating on their covered and non-covered patios. I love the outdoor couch and accent wall...and the pink umbrellas. Totally cute and really inviting. Their food is A+ and they have nearly every type of latte you could imagine. They also have delicious gelato and chocolate treats too! I will continue coming to Caterina's for the great food, drinks and views! read more

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Absolutely terrible experience. The owner was incredibly rude and completely unprofessional. I had a coffee from next door, while my wife--who is 38 weeks pregnant--purchased a matcha from this shop. The moment we sat down, the owner came over and started yelling at us to leave because of my drink. Not a polite request--straight to hostility. There's a way to enforce policies, and then there's treating paying customers like garbage. Showing zero patience or basic human decency, especially toward a visibly pregnant customer, is unacceptable. If this is how they treat people, I would strongly recommend staying away. Plenty of other places nearby that actually value their customers. read more

That surfer breakfast panini was so good! As were our lattes and cinnamon roll. A really delicious beach brunch!

Today I had one of the most unpleasant experiences I've ever had at a shop. I was simply trying to pay for my order when the owner suddenly raised her voice at me, saying something completely unrelated like, "We don't provide service here," and then rushed to take the next customer behind me. I was also a paying customer, yet she treated me as if I was in her way. It was shocking and extremely disrespectful. I honestly don't understand why I should spend my money only to be yelled at by the owner. I ordered two small gelatos and one coffee, and the total came out to $19.98. The coffee alone should be around $5, so I have no idea how the total ended up that high. To be fair, the employee working there was very kind, and I actually felt bad for them. It must be incredibly difficult to work under an owner who behaves so aggressively and hysterically toward customers. The gelato itself didn't taste fresh at all--it had that old freezer taste, like it had been sitting there for a long time. My kids wouldn't eat it and left most of it untouched. Overall, the experience ruined my mood for the entire day. I still don't understand why I had to be treated that way. read more

This place has some of the best food in San Clemente. Don't let the reviews deter you. Do they have a habit of chasing people away from their patio who haven't purchased anything from them? Sounds like it from the reviews. I'm legitimately wondering if any of these people have tried the food here, which is phenomenal. Two recent favorites were the Brie, pear panini and the Brekkie Biscuit, both some of my favorite meals I have had eating out in a very long time. Do yourself a favor, try it!! It's the bomb! read more

Gelato and cookies and more right by the beach. Lovely place to stop by after a walk on the pier. The outdoor seating area is so nice with great views. The gelato is good and they also have variety baked goods and drinks. The ambiance is great here. Customer service is ok could be more friendlier. Overall a great stop while in the area. read more

Caterina’s - Gelato Near Me - San Clemente, California

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Caterina's was a godsend on a hot beach day, when we really needed some cold drinks, shade, and good food. The patio was spacious and misted, which plenty of comfortable outdoor seating. Their menu is super extensive, and they have every type of snack, sandwhich, dessert, candy, or gelato you can think of. I know they also have a lot of good gluten-free and vegetarian options as well. We tried their brown butter latte, and it was very creamy and sweet, I really liked whatever flavoring they used. The prices were all super reasonable, more so than many of the surrounding restaurants and cafes. I absolutely recommend for anyone wanting to spend the day on the beach or pier, or who is in the area and needs a quick pick-me-up! read more

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I am fantasizing about gluten free bagels with smoked salmon but no cream cheese or red onion just tomato on top and found exactly what I needed at Caterina's. The crabby guy wasn't here this time, luckily!! read more

Caterina’s - Outside is so pretty - Gelato Near Me - San Clemente, California

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I have seen this place many times and never try it before, my first time here and it's such a nice place, I love everything from the menu, menu is very big they serve almost everything during the entire day, their selection of drink menu is also really good. Inside the place the do have like to go things when it is very convenient and big ice cream bar menu which I love. The whole restaurant is pretty, they do have a nice sit down area indoors and outdoor, but something that I did not like was the costumer service was not so great they were probably tired and about to close when we came and they seem not in their best mood. read more

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I have to agree with others regarding the poor customer service and the overly strict policy about outside food. Unfortunately, the owners were quite rude about it, which made the experience uncomfortable. What shocked me most was when we asked for two takeout boxes, the owner felt the need to double-check what we were putting inside them. I've never experienced anything like that before especially considering we were paying customers who ordered two meals and a drink. I did enjoy their nitro coffee, but the food itself wasn't anything particularly memorable. I wouldn't recommend coming here specifically for the food. That said, the location is great, and the seating area has a beautiful ambiance. Overall, because of the rude and unwelcoming experience, I wouldn't return. read more

This place is amazing. I lived in Orange County for seven years and they have the most extensive gluten-free menu. People don't talk about that as much as they should. The food is delicious the people are nice and the ambiance is overlooking the San Clemente Pier. The cute pink umbrella tables are what brought us to look at the menu, but the food is what kept us coming back. It's open late as well which is a bonus! When everything else was closing at five, we could still go to them when we wanted a late night bite. Great food, great ambiance, amazing gluten free options! read more

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Needed a sweet treat after dinner so we stopped here for gelato. Cute shop with various treats and drinks to choose from. I went with a small cup of their hazelnut gelato, so good! read more

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I tried the Trolley Stop panini today and it was so good I wanted to update my review and recommend it! I also love the smoked salmon panini and the breakfast burrito here, but will definitely be getting the Trolley Stop more often now that I've finally tried it. read more

Okay, not great - I absolutely agree with the 3 star overall review (which usually means the place has a couple of great things so stick to what they do good and leave the rest). For the good: This place is just across the street from the beach & pier so it was nice eating listening to the sound of the waves crashing onto the sand and the cool ocean air since it is an open restaurant. The other great thing about this place is their specialty coffee & lattes. Breakfast not so much. For coffee, I had the Lavender Caramel Latte ($5 for small $5.50 for large) which was Ghirardelli caramel, lavender syrup, double espresso & milk - and it was FANTASTIC! My girlfriend got the Brown Butter Latte (same prices) and that too was FANTASTIC!! We both got the SoCal Breakfast Burrito ($12) which is scrambled eggs, black beans, cheddar cheese, bacon and potatoes and ice assembled it is heated up in a panini press which kinda dried it out and made it crispy and dryer than I like. It was also too hot and stayed hot the entire time, which is an odd note but I don't like burning my mouth with every bite. It has the ingredients of the breakfast burritos I love but they were a bit lackluster and wee not very big. We both thought the taste was just meh. We would definitely come back for the coffee but not the food. read more

Caterina’s - SoCal Breakfast Burrito - Gelato Near Me - San Clemente, California

This was the worst experience I've had a restaurant in a long time. Lady behind the counter was beyond rude and even began yelling at her fellow employees while I was there. Not only were they out of the item I attempted to order, they also messed up the order I pivoted to. Breakfast burrito is $15 and they just heat up in a microwave. Cold brew is also $9, criminal. Could not recommend avoiding a place more. read more

DONT ADD AVOCADO. It's 6 bucks extra and they don't tell you. Not listed on menu. Felt like a scam

This store is located at the base of the pier bowl. A lot of out of town people go in as it serves gelato. The owner and I think her son work the store. The both of them are the most unfriendly servers I've ever encountered. I was born and raised in San Clemente and I also work in a popular retail store in town, if I ever treated customers in the same manner as these two I wouldn't have my job!!!! If you don't like what you do, then get a new job. Or at least smile!!!!! read more

Seems like a cool spot Close to the beach Open later than other nearby coffee shops Comfortable Couches outside I liked this: _hot chocolate read more

Caterina’s - Gelato Near Me - San Clemente, California

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Bad customer service!!! Despite the beautiful location, the manager/owner Josie is flat out rude!! The gelato is good, but not worth the price especially when the service is so terrible. I refuse to go back and spend money somewhere that treats others so poorly! Don't you want customers to come back?!? read more

We thought we hit a gem. One that my mom with Celiac could eat nearly anything because next to the description of the item it said (gf). Don't be fooled. I worked in restaurant hospitality for nearly a decade. I designed menus and collateral. I know a thing or two about how to identify allergies. We offered the Surfer Breakfast Panini. In addition to assuming it was made with gluten free bread because of the "gf" we also assumed that because the description says turkey sausage that's what we would get but turns out they typically give it with pork sausage. We are used to asking for the item to be gluten free. No big deal but if your menu implies the item will be gf then it should be. Instead they told us we had to pay for another sandwich plus $4 up charge for gf bread. Our total bill for two people to have breakfast sandwiches (no hashbrowns or sides) was $96. We tip very well and had three coffees. read more

Caterina’s - Gelato Near Me - San Clemente, California

Great spot for people watching in San Clemente. I got the breakfast tacos and they were good. They were only 2 but they were good size. Overall the menu was extensive so plenty of options to chose from. They also sell pastries, gelato and candies/chocolate. My family ordered lattes but they were inconsistent even though they were the same drink. Service was okay. I think it's a good spot for a quick bite and the location is great. The trolley stops right across the street. read more

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Will never return. We brought our visiting Australian family here for breakfast and had an appalling experience. While my father was at the counter placing a sit-down breakfast order for himself and our whole family, my husband briefly stepped next door to Bear Café for coffee (they're quite literally two steps away). An older woman--clearly the owner or someone in charge, overheard this and refused us a table, speaking rudely and dismissively to my father in the process. The level of hostility was shocking and completely uncalled for. I would understand for non paying patrons, but we were literally in the process of ordering food from Caterina's. Turning away paying customers because they have coffee from a neighboring café is absurd, especially for a cafe/breakfast and lunch spot. Needless to say, we cancelled our order promptly and went to the pizza place at the end of the row. I recommend everyone to do the same. We come from Australian beach café culture, where hospitality actually means something, and I have never witnessed behavior this unwelcoming. You didn't just lose our business, we will warn everyone we know to avoid your business. No food or view is worth it when the hospitality is rude and unwelcoming. Learn to treat your customers better. read more

Worst experience ever! Me and my family came to enjoy Mother's Day coffee and pastries. First of all what seemed to be the owner or manager had more attitude than a teenage girl. Secondly, The coffee tasted like cheap instant coffee that was sitting out for a day, the pastries were stale and dry and didn't seem fresh. The only complaint I have is the other workers, there where 2 girls working and they where respectful and way easier to work with then the old man (manager or owner) if you want a good caffe bring your service to the spot to the left of Caterina's (bear coast coffee) I had a much better experience there. read more