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    Native Son

    3.7 (58 reviews)
    Open 6:00 am - 11:00 pm

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    Espresso martini and a cupids something
    Cecilia S.

    We had a lovely nightcap here. The staff was friendly. The bar is quite perfect for a date. The drinks were good.

    Sweet Potato inside of a chorizo breakfast burrito is not it. Intense sweetness takes away from the flavor of chorizo, egg, and bits of avocado. You can't taste anything but sweetness from the burrito. Also 85% of the burrito was just sweet potato. Very little amounts of egg and chorizo. The old burrito recipe was better.

    Dez A.

    I asked our server what he would suggest and I ordered that. It was a wonderful choice. The chicken was moist. I was surprised to have one odd tasting tomato? I think it was a tomato... in my meal. Other then that it was delicious. My husband had a wrap? He was vey please with his meal. The best part honestly was the service. It was slow so we did get a lot of attention, but we have been there's in-the past and I am always impressed with the service. I think our host/ server was Gregg? Long curly hair? I just so appreciate him and his professionalism. Thank you for making our evening enjoyable.

    Our amazing coffees from RAINBIRD

    Just walked in for breakfast with hubby there's only one other couple inside. The two girls don't say hi or offer menus. You can directly go up to the counter or have them approach you. They weren't hospitable at a simple Welcome or Hello. I grabbed the menu myself took a glance, & decided to go next to Rainbird, super helpful and attentive direct eye contact and offered coffee immediately. Go to Rainbird! They're open for breakfast everyday, Google has not adjusted the schedule.

    James K.

    I had a nice meal here with colleagues. The pork chop was done well - cooked just right and not dry; it was delicious. We got the charcuterie board to share, and everything was pretty standard and good.

    Debbie S.

    Located inside the El Capitan Hotel, Native Son is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner with a full bar. Pastries are made in house. Portions are generous so bring your appetite. Prices are very reasonable for a restaurant based on a hotel. Order at the counter and they'll bring your food to you. Or sit and they'll take your order. Food is available for takeout. I had dinner and breakfast here during my short one night stay. I totally get why locals have been coming in to ear here and at the Courtyard. You can read the reviews under the El Capitan Hotel. Dinner: Caesar Salad - loved the addition of endive, really made the dish colorful. Perfectly dressed with great flavor and two white anchovies. Croutons were massive but soft and airy. Would have loved fresh Parmesan and black pepper. But would happily order again as is. Burrata - don't let the look fool you, this is one tasty dish. The burrata was fresh and stringy. To really enjoy the full flavor of this dish, spread honey on a bite of the sourdough then top with the burrata and pesto sauce. Chocolate martini - not on the menu but they have a full bar and was able to make one. A must if you like chocolate martinis. And a great price, only $9! Breakfast: Breakfast sandwich - lightly toasted brioche roll with fried egg, bacon, cheddar cheese, and avocado (I opted out on the avo). A hearty protein packed way to start the day. Great for grabbing and going. Yogurt parfait - nontraditional parfait. Tasty layers of granola and yogurt topped with a giant sliced fresh juicy strawberry and strawberry sauce in a very large bowl. Yogurt was light and fluffy similar to whipped cream. Granola included pepitas, pecans, dried pieces of pineapple and apricot or mango. A nice combination of sweet without being overbearing. Service; Dinner service: Different service for visitors vs locals. Only 3 of us in the restaurant during dinner. I arrived about 15 minutes before a local couple who've eaten here three times. Once the server found out that they were locals I was ignored. She literally turned her back to me. I had to ask for my order to be taken. However he replacement server was awesome and continually checked to see if I needed anything. Breakfast service was fantastic. Both servers were extremely friendly, helpful,and attentive. Not docking any stars because the other servers made up for the one "bad" server. I'd definitely eat here again.

    Very good tomato soup

    The Tomato Soup is very good, service was very nice and it was fast I recommend this place they also give kids stick

    Blt and Turkey panini
    Daisy G.

    This restaurant is located in the hotel but there is a separate entrance, so you don't need to go into the lobby. You can simply enter through the street entrance. The vibe is chill, very modern and clean. I ordered the BLT wish I would of added chicken. The bacon was perfectly crispy. My brother ordered the Turkey panini and that was packed with meat and cheese. I had a bite and it was bomb! I almost felt like switching plates. The service was quick. It's fairly small but there is outdoor seating as well. Perfect for the summer. We did notice the table next to us drinking and the cocktails looked goodz

    This is their bagel and gravlox plate.
    Jerry W.

    Service was pretty good. This place opens at 6:00 a.m. but I was the only one in the place. I got the gravlox plate. Not bad. The salmon is a little thick but still good. The lox, capers and the pickled onions come on the side and you assemble it yourself. Not a fan of pickled red onion so I removed them. The lox were good, not the best I've ever had but good. The meal cost $13 which isn't a bad price. First meal I've had here so not a bad start.

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    3 years ago

    Small menu, Big flavor! Server was attentive and helpful. Loved the vibe and decor. If you must stop in Merced, stop here!

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    Vinhos - Nice jazzy atmosphere with vintage movies playing on the main screen. Super friendly staff and very tasty food.

    Vinhos

    4.4(39 reviews)
    0.2 mi

    Vinhos is a gem on Main Street! We happened upon this lovely place looking for a good meal and…read morewe're big fans of tapas. We stopped in just before 6:00 and we're greeted by a friendly woman getting the restaurant ready for opening. We later came to find out she was an owner. She was so sweet and offered to seat us before the servers actually showed up, as they had worked a local event that day. The waitress soon came and our wonderful experience began. They have a great wine list and wine cocktails. We ordered three dishes and were pleased with the presentation and flavors. Pica-Pau - a traditional Portuguese dish with beef and spices in a delicious broth. It's served with bread for soaking up the broth. I really enjoyed this dish, especially the broth. Crostini di Mare - shrimp on crostini's with a tangy garlicky sauce on top. This was my favorite and I wouldn't hesitate to order this again. Sea Legs - octopus over a sweet potato mash. This was tasty as well and the octopus was cooked perfectly. The sweet potato mash is divine!! We also had a Caprese salad, pretty average, but nice presentation. The outdoor seating area is comfortable and so nice to people watch on the main drag. We really enjoyed ourselves and plan to go back next time we visit. The service is excellent, portions in line with tapas and atmosphere is great.

    This place is always packed on Friday and Saturday nights! My mom and I came in on a Wednesday…read moreevening and it was a great vibe. Andre, the owner, showed us class and hospitality and was helpful and attentive. Michelle, the chef, was extremely classy and served us delicious food with finesse. There's a huge selection of international wines to choose from. My mom ordered the Moscatel dessert wine and I ordered the White Blend from Spain. I enjoyed my wine and if you're a sweet tooth, dessert wine is the way to go! We ordered the Spicy Moroccan Lamb Meatballs with some cornbread and really enjoyed it! I do think the dishes are slightly on the pricier side, but the quality and finesse of the dishes makes them definitely worth it. Our meatballs were so soft and tasty. And we couldn't help but finish all the leftover sauce it came with by dipping our bread in it! I enjoy the vibe of the inside. I love all the blue dim lighting and there's even a small stage for folks to perform on busier nights. The patio is in a prime spot if you wanna enjoy the sidewalk vibes, especially on a Friday/Saturday night or on Thursday's if downtown is hosting a street fair! Def coming back!

    Photos
    Vinhos - The back lounge area with couches and awesome lighting.

    The back lounge area with couches and awesome lighting.

    Vinhos - Musician's stage area.

    Musician's stage area.

    Vinhos - Long wine bar with screen and artwork.

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    Long wine bar with screen and artwork.

    Mimosas cafe - Breakfast Skillet

    Mimosas cafe

    4.0(66 reviews)
    2.5 mi

    Found this spot through Yelp and it did not disappoint!!…read more First off the pancakes are huge. You could easily share them between two people and they let you choose a sauce for the pancakes, whether that's syrup Nutella or condensed milk. The espresso shots were actually really good. I was shocked because they are literally shots of espresso. They are not alcoholic unless you ask for alcohol in them. This spot actually offers complementary soup before your meal. For us Mexicans, it's called Sopa de Fideo. This soup was actually authentic, and it was really flavorful and good and was basically an appetizer to the breakfast. The espresso shots did come with a side of bread. Personally, I'm not a big person on espresso by itself however, these espresso shots were really good! Now the actual service here was great. Our waiter was attentive She was constantly refilling our water cups and she was able to give us recommendations for what to eat. Also I will add her recommendations were spot on. The inside of this restaurant is really aesthetically cute. There's a bunch of green anywhere outside. They have a cute patio area where you can eat. If you decide to do that! Anyways, I would definitely come here again. It was reasonably priced and it was really good for a breakfast spot. I will say that and the soup was a nice touch because I love soup!

    Finally gave this place a try and it's a great place for breakfast/brunch…read more They give you a little cup of sopa de fideo as an appetizer. I got the breakfast skillet with bacon. Boyfriend got the chilaquiles. Then we also got French toast on the side. Everything was delicious and portion sizes are huge. We definitely took leftovers home. Casual ambience and family friendly. Wait staff was really nice. She managed both patio and inside tables on her own before another person came in. Recommend!

    Photos
    Mimosas cafe - Inside wall

    Inside wall

    Mimosas cafe - Fideo soup

    Fideo soup

    Mimosas cafe - Veggie breakfast skillet - no egg

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    Veggie breakfast skillet - no egg

    Native Son - cafes - Updated August 2026

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