Food is amazing, but the people are what makes this place special. Short version -- I somehow left my wallet on the table when we stopped for a great breakfast on our way back to LA. Next day, I realize my wallet is gone but can't figure out where I left it. Before I can start the painful search that I suspect will end with no wallet, I get a voicemail message from the owner Scott. He has used my home address to figure out my home phone number. He has my wallet! Better yet, it has all of my credit cards and all $450 in cash. I thank him profusely and offer him a reward as a thanks, but he doesn't want it. He then goes to the FedEx store on his own time and sends it to me by overnight and I had to twist his arm to let me at least pay for the shipping. It arrives back, every dollar is there. Ain't it great to know that there are still some awesome, honest people out there?! It would have been super easy for anyone at the restaurant to grab the cash and throw my wallet away, or turn it in saying the cash was already gone. This just shows you how great these folks are! We already eat at Esau's on our trips, but they've just earned lifetime loyalty! THANK YOU for not only serving great food every time, but for caring so much about your customers! read more

After two weeks in the field, this was a welcome find a short walk from Carpinteria Beach State Park. All the usual done well, and some great options with Hawaiian and Mexican influences. I particularly enjoyed the Pasillo Omelet, which included roasted, cheese-stuffed pasillo chillies in it's filling; combining the essence of two of my favourites: omelets and chili rellenos. read more

Have stopped in twice for breakfast with my grandson, who can eat like there is no tomorrow. He has the breakfast sandwich with french-fries or hash browns. PLENTY of food there--I have basic eggs,hash browns, toast with good jelly. Fresh, lots of food, diverse menu. Can't miss for sleepy Carpenteria. read more

Very good meal here. The corned beef hash was just okay but the huge portion of potatoes and eggs that it came with made up for it. Overall good value and good service so I would recommend. read more

We had the Baja Fish Tacos. It was a lot of food and really good!! They lose a star for slow service. Friendly, but slow. Outside seating is nice. read more

Great breakfast stop with good food and quick service. Portions are large and prices are reasonable. The only negative is that is a little run down and the tables are sometimes sticky, which is not that big a deal but knocked off a star anyway since it is not perfect.. I have been there many times and will go there again. read more

Unfortunately this restaurant seems to be going down hill. We went on a Sunday, around lunch time and unfortunately wish we had just gone somewhere else. We were seated outside at a table (on their patio) under a window that had spider webs and dirt all over the window sill. The table opposite of us was next to a pillar crawling with ants. We waited for five minutes after being seated for someone to give us menus. When the waitress did finally address us she stood back away from our table because there was another couple at the table opposite of us that had a dog and she was afraid of it. When the food arrived it was cold and the blueberry muffin was hard (they didn't even asked if we wanted it warmed). Don't waste your time . . . . there are much better restaurants with better tasting food and better service in Carp!!! read more

Had the French dip. Was not too impressed. The meat was dry. Tasted like it was day old meat. And the dip was salty. I was looking forward to eating here, as I heard it was good. Very disappointed. read more

On vacation with my husband in Santa Barbara and it was our last day. Stopped to have breakfast here and weren't disappointed. Even though it was busy everyone was smiling and on top of things. Husband got pancake combo for under $10. Their buttermilk pancakes are delicious. Coffee from El Salvador was also tasty and cup was never empty. read more

Really cute one block from beach. Orange naugahyde seats, great old fashion menu. The food is great and big portions, a real throw back to American eating! read more

Eggs Benedict-California style was delicious. High price points but HUGE serving-plenty for two people to share. Very relaxed atmosphere. Had to ask for more coffee, but goes with the laid back beachy vibe. read more

Came in here for a coffee to go, and got treated with kindness and extra great customer service. The young man behind the counter brewed fresh coffee, offered to warm up our muffins, AND put frosting on them, and delivered this all with a great genuine smile. We wish we knew his name to tell him what a nice experience we had, and next time we are in CARP we are for sure going to have more than a coffee here :) read more

Great breakfast and lunch, fish tacos are excellent. Surf atmosphere and pet friendly seating outside.

This is another cafe that's a step back in time. I wish it was open for dinner. Old fashion breakfasts, eggs over easy for me, hash browns, bacon and a biscuit with country gravy. There are some south of the Border inspired dishes that are very good. But then, how do you eat the biscuits and gravy? read more

Esau's Cafe - A basic breakfast. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Carpinteria, California

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First time at Esau's Cafe. My husband, my two children & I had breakfast. Everything we ordered was perfect & delicious!!! We'll for sure come back from Orange County when we visit Carpinteria. read more

Really good breakfast spot, but if you skip the pancakes, you will have missed out on the best thing they serve... light and fluffy with just a bit of crispness arounf the edges... how good is that. read more

The waitress was super friendly, and all of the food we had at the table was awesome. The portion size was amazing, and by that I mean I accidentally ordered way more than I intended on eating but also put it down because it was so good. read more

Terrible terrible terrible. Don't go here, just go to Dennys for better food at a better price.

The best, super thin, clam chowder I've ever eaten was my late Father's made during clamming season each year in our home's kitchen...Now, as of yesterday, the title of BEST CLAM CHOWDER transfers to Esau's. Not "thin" for sure, however, unlike the other 100's of chowder I've tried from Maine to San Francisco, always searching for my Dad's simple milk, clams, onions and potato recipe, Esau's is over the top, BECUZ, the clams can actually be tasted, and, instead of a doughy floury after taste normally experienced, Esau's chowder is filled with particles of vegetables wonderfully blended in five star gourmet fashion. Truly BEYOND a perfect execution. Can I request the recipe? OTHER PATRON'S NEGATIVE COMMENTS: I've just read a few negative comments about the staff and Wow! My wife and I experienced the exact opposite after we signed in. And yes the Saturday morning crowd was packing the house, however, Esau's hostess had time or took time to greet us, seat us and stand with me, as my wife found the bathroom, to relate a few (two) funny Esau's stories. Nice to have a meal which starts with a little historical humor. WAITSTAFF: All I can say is that they were at our beckon-call. Whether we needed an additional napkin, more water, more butter, take-home containers, becuz the portions are huge, or our check, the non hovering staff were spot on....and always caused us to meet their respective smiles. THE GENTLEMEN IN THE KITCHEN: The front door was blocked by newly arriving customers and so we exited the side patio door, and in so doing, pasted the kitchen in full swing. I stopped, got their attention, and praised the group for their efforts and and tossed the question..."Our meal lead us to believe you all love what you're doing? To which I received "thumbs-up" gestures and from the one chef closes to me a reply of, "Absolutely!!!" We'll be back....becuz yesterday's early-early morning dining experience at Esau's was an experience we need to repeat.... read more

Awesome experience, Kim is the best waitress, great food and even better service. A+. The food was amazing, definitely recommend the eggs Benedict and the drakes burrito ! SOOOO GOOOD :) and the Bloody Mary's are delicious read more

Oh my gosh....a bison burger with sweet potato fries? Need I say more? The place is almost always busy, but for a very good reason. The food is fabulous and the waitstaff always friendly. Prices about right for this little beach town. Highly recommended! read more

Alright - so I don't understand the reviews on Yelp that drew me to this place. I also can't believe how much we paid for this food. There were some interesting items on the menu like the tasty Loco Moco and the Cornflake French Toast, but that was only after they took the first order back because one slice was cooked atop about 15 grilled onion rings. Nasty (unintentional) combo! My son's chocolate chip pancakes tasted "weird" to him (how can pancakes be weird you ask? Well when the center is so undercooked that it's totally runny). For a group of 10, 4 adults & 6 kids 3-9 yrs, it cost us well over $130. Good food, gracious service, poor kitchen control. And the cost? That's definitely not my idea of "sooo cheap" as another reviewer found... read more

I love this place! I love the old skool decor and I love the comfort food. Friendly service too. Try the grits for breakfast! read more

5/5 service. 5/5 food. And good, never empty coffee. Definitely try the Chile Omelet. It is amazing.

Best food. Try the eggs benedict.Donnie was a great server with great recommendations.

Fantastic selection of eats. Service is great, portions large and prices good. Had the Chilaquiles, different than I'd expected but tasty none the less. If you're hungry, it's the place to go. read more

This place was empty and it took forever for the waitress to even take our food order because she would rather get her homework done. She sat at the bar counter, with her back to us, nose in a text book scribbling away. Food took an hour to come, and when it did, my partner's food was disgusting. The cheese sauce looked like cheeze wiz from the spray can, and it was just .... inedible. Hash browns looked like they had been prepped and then left on the stove for hours... read more

Not a favorite. There just wasn't anything delicious about the food and it gets super packed with the campers at the state park. So expect to wait. read more

Great breakfast place. Everything is fresh and the portions are huge. Friendly service

Best kept secret in Carp! So we've lived in Carp for 7 months now and always see Esau's as we head to Carp state beach. It's always packed with people. We decided to finally give it a try. When we first approached Esau's we noticed the sign that says seat yourselves. With in 2 two mins our busy boy gave us water and coffee. Got to mention they have the best coffee! Its from El Salvador and so mild yet strong! You can even buy it there too, 1lb for $9! So from reading past reviews I saw people ranting and raving about the blueberry wheat germ pancakes. We ordered 2 stacks and the special of the day which was an omelet with bacon, cheese, and avocado and vegetables. The meal also came with hash browns and toast. After waiting about 7 mins our food came out. Every bite was WOW!! The pancakes were so fresh and melted in your mouth, the omelet was so flavorful and the salsa that same with it was superb! From the service to the food and the nice hawaiian theme this place gets an A++ You can also have your dogs sit outside with you! It doesn't get better than this! Great job guys! We definitely scored a home run with this place! So excited to find a great place to eat! read more

Went here twice while on vacation in Carp as it , and The Spot, were a short walk from our cottage. Great place to take kids for breakfast. The eggs Benedict were good, not the best as they advertise, but quite tasty. The gnarly scramble was also good, fresh and filling. The crunchy french toast was good and cooked well. They brought kids coloring sheets and crayons for my boys and the kids menu is great. The wait staff are young as others commented but nice. Because our boys don't understand the concept of sleeping in we went before 8:30 am each time and had good service as only a few others were there. So this is a great spot for early birds. When my wife's wheat germ blueberry pancakes came they were just plain pancakes with a few blueberries. The waiter noticed this before we said anything and quickly took them away. They came back with wheat germ poured over the top. The menu clearly stated that it was mixed into the batter and this was a lazy attempt to fix it. When I brought it up the waiter tried to justify and said "we don't mix a separate batter just for wheat germ pancakes" so I'm not sure why they advertise it. Dry wheat germ sprinkled on top and WG cooked into the pancakes are two very different things. I shared my disappointment, more over the attempt to defend the mistake rather than own up to it, and he took it off the bill. Not sure if this experience kept me from giving 4 stars as I try to give 4 for places I can't wait to go back too. Nothing terribly unique but it is a good breakfast spot for families' if you go before the rush, and if you are in Carp. read more

We were visiting Carpinteria for the first time and walking down the street when we saw three older gents walking into this place. They said: You should stop in, we've been coming here for years, and the portions are big. Nuff said. I had some crazy omelette which was big enough for two and it was fabulous. It had cheese, artichokes, sun dried tomatoes and avocado. And a biscuit (which was my least favorite part). We would definitely stop back if we hit the area again. Also, we sat outside and our service was great. read more

Great breakfast and casual atmosphere. It fits Carp's casual atmosphere and an after breakfast walk to the beach after your omelet is an essential part of the experience. read more

Not sure what happened here, because it was okay before, but my breakfast was pretty brutal. Ordered the veggie omelet with egg whites -- and literally every vegetable was so brown and overcooked and limp that you couldn't tell a tomato from spinach. I'm NOT exaggerating. Just awful. I asked for bacon inside the omelet and there was MAYBE one strip worth -- for the low low price of $3.50 extra. And then for an additional $1.75 I subbed fruit, which was a fruit bowl made with the cardinal Restaurant Fruit Sin of having grapefruit mixed in, rendering all the fruit "grapefruit-esque." (Side note: is it 1975? Who the hell wants freakin' GRAPEFRUIT at this point in civilized society?) The "famous" biscuit was dry and crumbled to the touch rendering it impossible to put jam on. The price for this awfulness, with added egg whites, bacon and crappy grapefruit? $18. I would expect to pay that at a high-end bfast joint in L.A. but not at a diner with no a/c, flies EVERYWHERE and mediocre coffee. Next time we're in Carp we're going elsewhere (obvs.) ** after I said something, they gave me half off my omelet. Still wasn't worth $9 but I appreciated the gesture hence two stars instead of one. read more

we always stop here on our way up the coast. great food, friendly & just right. you can take Amtrak from LA & get off across the street! omelettes are big & delicious. read more

My favorite breakfast place sitting outside is nice. Eggs Benedict is the best I've ever had. The service was excellent and friendly.

Just so you know, my 5 stars doesn't mean that it's as good as the ritzy Biltmore Hotel or whatever . . . but for a back-in-time casual coffee shop I really like this place. Where ever you're coming from, Carpinteria is a cute little city that is worth dropping in to. And when there, Esau's is the place to go have a hearty breakfast or lunch. I love the comfy bright orange booths, generous servings, fair prices and (generally) good service. One thing that really stands out to me is that the place can be packed, and you can still carry on a conversation without having to yell. The acoustics are really good in this restaurant; how come other restaurants aren't like this??. After my meal I enjoy walking down to the beach before heading back to Santa Barbara. read more

I wonder if they are really good at breakfast. I was not impressed. I had poor service place was messy and the good was no good. Hour later got sick off their fish :( won't be coming back read more

Chilaquiles are outstanding and almost worth the drive from SF alone. Earlier in the week, the sliced bananas I asked for on my pancakes were overripe to the point of being gross (I guess stick to having the bananas smashed up in the batter). Hence the 4 stars... Be prepared for a wait on the weekend even in the off season. read more

The food isn't as good as the Santa Barbara location was, but still decent. Also, I thought I'd use the restroom before leaving-and aside from only having one bathroom (with both toilet & urinal) as if it this wasn't enough, there was a well used Kotex pad on the side of the toilet. Ewww! Bathroom needs to be cleaned & checked more often!!! read more