Terrific breakfast, amazingly delicious hash browns especially. Adorable server, the whole place is friendly & alive. Also so fast! Was worried about the wait, but no problem though it's tiny and just wait in line, no signing In. In and out under an hour, even with a line, and never felt rushed at all. What a sweet spot. We'll be back 100% read more

Waited over 25min for a table, once we finally got seated, we waited an additional 15min without a single word from the staff. Finally we just got up and left... (party or 6) read more

Worst experience in town. Waited for more than 10 minutes near two empty tables for them to set up for sitting for four people. They kept telling us to wait for one more minute. And we waited and waited with two toddlers. Then a white couple came and we are skipped and they are being seated. They don't have reservations also. Then the owner said there's no table for four. We need continue waiting. Ended up with much better breakfast choice just couple steps down the street. read more

Stopped by after wandering around Monterey for a nice morning walk. Flipped open Yelp and found it. Glad I did Coffee OJ and a scramble with eggs ground beef, onions and spinach. Great with a little fresh salsa ready for you. Great place filled with locals rather than tourist, but I am sure with Yelp around some of the patrons were visiting. The service was great. Street parking. Definitely will be back. read more

Old Monterey Cafe - Spinach, onion and ground beef scramble. Make sure to use the fresh salsa! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Monterey, California

Bigots. If you are not their culture and heritage they will let you know you are not their kind of people - and then make you feel unwelcome. The food was okay, just be careful with the uncooked egg whites that may appear on your plate. read more

This place is not what it used to be. Food took forever to come out and when we requested waters multiple times, no one fulfilled the request. Food was tasteless and overpriced. We were overcharged for items we didn't even order as well. Checked my CC statement and it looks like they overcharged me again that what the receipt says. read more

Solid Juevos Racheros. Kids had cinnamon raisin French toast that was so good! Street dining available but they could have used some heat lamps. Overall I would return but get there early. read more

Old Monterey Cafe - Outdoor seating available. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Monterey, California

Great food and service! We sat outside on the patio and had a wonderful breakfast. I got the egg sandwich w/ bacon instead of ham and my husband had the chorizo and eggs as well as the half order of cinnamon French toast to split. Everything was delicious and we even took half the French toast home. Very reasonably priced! read more

This is an old Monterey favorite for breakfast. Portions are large so consider sharing. Service is efficient just not so friendly. The restaurant is long and narrow and tables are close not really wheelchair accessible but they'll move things around to accommodate you. Prices reflect today's Economy. There is parking in back of restaurant but gets filled fast it's a shared parking area. read more

Prices are reasonable, food is good and staff is friendly. Really what more do you need?? Atmosphere is nice too!!

Don't trust this cafe for charging on your credit card. I charged my meal on my credit card and when my statement arrived it showed that they changed the amount I charged. My bill was for the amount of $35.23 and I gave them an 18% tip which was $5.81. So the total was $41.04. When my statement arrived it showed the amount charged was a total of $47.59. That's an extra $6.55. So the tip total will be $12.36. That is almost 38% tip. I only had breakfast for two. What a rip off. Don't trust this business with your credit card. I suggest paying CASH so they can't rip you off by changing the total on your charges. read more

Everything about this place was good the food, the staff, the time in which we got our food. Will be back to try more! Cinnamon french toast was fire. read more

The two stars are because the food was delicious. Minus 3 stars for pretty awful service. It started when we called about hours- the person said yes we have seating and immediately hung up on us. When we arrived, we were seated promptly but waited almost ten minutes before a "server" came over. When she arrived, we were greeted with "Are you ready?" And "what do you want"? - a bit rude and off putting. As we ordered, she seems distracted- not asking us about what kind of toast we wanted, whether we wanted potatoes or grits, and walked away. Our food arrived and we had to ask for the toast, I had gotten potatoes which I wanted; but we didn't have ketchup, salt or pepper, or any table condiments. I didn't have a chance to ask her as she had already wandered off. The food was really good- my omelet was large with the correct ingredients and tasted yummy. The hash browns had a nice flavor with bits of onion. My husbands bacon was thick and all our portions were generous. We had to wait for a nice busser to bring us a box and wanted 15 before I had to go to the counter to ask for the bill. I'm glad I checked, because our server also incorrectly order charged us! Leticia was an awful server, just make sure you don't sit in her section. We would have had a much better experience if there was any semblance of service. read more

Our server was unfriendly until the end of the meal when the bill came. It took her 10 minutes to come to the table and check on us. Food was ok. Nothing to brag about. Even though we didn't think she deserved much of a tip, we tipped anyways in cash. When we checked the bank account, Leticia, the server decided she was going to charge us another $6 on top of that. So BEWARE of your account when visiting this place. Also when calling the manager Iticeo sp? She said we could have our $6 back lol and made some excuse that the cash register did it. Wow Take you business to Rosines or anywhere else and get treated like your business matters!!!! read more

Always great! Servers are friendly, attentive and prompt. Food is delicious! We've been going there for years and will continue to do so

By the reviews, best breakfast in town. Perhaps it was related to it being the day after Christmas Our experience was not great. It was very busy but we got a table pretty quickly. Our waitress was very impatient when we asked for more time to look at the menu. We asked for hash browns to be extra crispy however they were not even close to that. We had two orders of raisin toast on our order. We tried repeatedly to flag someone down without success. One order of the toast finally came at the end of our meal. We asked for the other order but it never appeared. We had three different menu items. The completely food was woefully under-seasoned. Mediocre at best. The ambiance was American nostalgia featuring Photos of stars like Marilyn Monroe, classic Christmas ornaments & the like. Very cute. The tables were crammed so close together that you heard several people asking others to move so they could get in or out of their table seating. Won't be eating there again but if you like bad service in a cramped restaurant with under seasoned, bland food then the Old Monterey Cafe is the spot for you! read more

The plates looked really dirty and our table was really wobbly. The waiter was super kind thou. I ordered some eggs with bacon and the eggs tasted really waterie. Wished I took a picture so you'll see what I mean but it just wasn't worth it to take a picture. I dont understand the hype because this place is not it. read more

Cute little cafe great breakfast big portions good service and friendly staff parking is a pain but the wait wasn't long to get served.

This is my parents' favorite breakfast place in town, for pretty much the same reasons I give it a solid but unspectacular three stars. The food is basic lunch counter fare, with some local flare and a few streaks of originality (I personally like the Castroville, which features artichoke hearts and garlic mixed into one's eggs). It's not that outstanding, but it's never been awful, either, so for what it is -- standard, hearty, plentiful breakfast at slightly-rasied-for-the-tourists prices -- it's perfectly fine, and it beats going to Denny's around the corner. The service is (usually) prompt and friendly, although they seem to have the all-too-common problem of being late on giving one one's check. But my folks love the willingness of the staff to talk or not talk, depending on the customers' mood. So a modest nod in that direction. I do provide the caution that the overall quality of both food and service seems to be on a slow but noticeable downhill path; my parents had a bad experience with both several visits ago, but nevertheless went back again the next time, so I suspect their overall experience was positive enough to keep them coming back. If that seems like faint praise, perhaps it is. The ambiance is random kitsch, with various knick knacks put fairly randomly about. The interior a bit narrow and long, but there's a skylight and they keep the narrow front window open when the weather allows for some air circulation, which is very nice. If you can get one of the little tables at the front you can do a little people watching. The tables are a little close together and you may find yourself bumping against another patron, but on the other hand the clientele at this place seems unusually friendly and an agreeable mixture of regulars and out of town visitors. We've had some problems with the bathroom being a bit grody here from time to time (we have little kids so notice these things, so this is a poor rating within a range), certainly something I wish they'd work on. read more

Old Monterey Cafe - The Castroville Scrambler (eggs with artichoke hearts and garlic) - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Monterey, California

My husband goes to Monterey for work occasionally and ALWAYS makes sure to stop by here for breakfast... he absolutely loves it!!! read more

Old Monterey Cafe - Out front with his bike :) - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Monterey, California

Such a good breakfast spot! They just did outdoor seating due to Covid, and it was such a beautiful day out! The food was delicious and we had fast service! read more

Old Monterey Cafe - Papas Abuelo - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Monterey, California

I would give 0 stars if I could. The food was bland. The scrambles were basically filling and definitely weren't farm fresh eggs. Castroville scramble was watery. Corned beef hash was lacking corned beef, grits were just okay- like the hasbrowns. Biscuits were salty, gravy not worth mentioning. Service was worse than the food. It's pretty small and they cram asany tables as they can. But my coffee was always full. I won't be going back. read more

Pretty good local business. Got the Huevos Valdez Burrito. Came with hash browns, sour cream, guacamole, and salsa. Was a good size for the price ($11.75) and there was a ton of potatoes. $4.99 for an OJ was kinda high though. Everything tasted good. Service was kinda slow, but the staff was friendly. A lot of great looking stuff on the menu, would try again. read more

Old Monterey Cafe - Huevos Valdez Burrito, $11.75. Orange juice, $4.99 - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Monterey, California

The burgers here are delicious! I've come here a few times with my mom, and I took my boyfriend here recently so he could see how good it was too. We came in on a Saturday at noon, so it was super busy but we were seated fairly quickly and we were served our food quickly too! The server checked on us a good amount of times, and always checked to refill my boyfriend's coffee. I ordered a medium rare cheeseburger with added bacon and avocado. I was expecting a couple slices of each, but I got half an avocado on my burger! I was pretty impressed with the generous serving considering how stingy California restaurants are with avocados. But anyways, my point is that this place is great. Ambiance is cozy, food is delicious, servers are quick and attentive. Everything you need for a nice local diner! read more

Old Monterey Cafe - I ordered a cheeseburger with added bacon and avocado. They literally gave me half an avocado -- very impressive. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Monterey, California

We were in Monterey for a long weekend and didn't want to have breakfast at the hotel so asked the valet for a good recommendation for breakfast. He suggest the Old Monterey Cafe...spot on!!! It was crowded when we first got there but the wait wasn't long. I had 2 eggs, hash browns, country sausage patty and English Muffin with coffee. Food was so good and service was outstanding. read more

Old Monterey Cafe - 2 eggs, hash browns and country sausage patty - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Monterey, California

We were seated quickly, service was friendly and efficient. The food was excellent. My only gripe was that the table was super sticky. We were eating outside and they were slammed so I can understand. read more

Old Monterey Cafe - Eggs benedict and mimosa - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Monterey, California

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Well we had a great weekend in Monterey, so we just had to have a good breakfast before we left. Staff was friendly and the food was amazing!!!! read more

Old Monterey Cafe - This is how to start the morning - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Monterey, California

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Grossly crowded seating. Felt stressful to dine there. Slow service except for when the bill was dropped.

I loved this cute little mom and pop shop definitely a must go to!! Service there is really good, the food is amazing and also I had a hot chocolate... Yummmm read more

Old Monterey Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Monterey, California

Met family there for breakfast-we recommended the place. We had had great breakfast there over the years. We were all disappointed with food. Servers were in such a rush that they were almost rude. The food was ok, nothing great. I could gone to Denny's and Got the same quality of food without the wait. read more

Great place for breakfast. The sizes are big so be warned. A short stack of pancakes are two dense plate sized pancakes. The food is awesome. I highly recommend the Belgian waffle and the French Toast. Also get a fruit bowl. Each meal can feed two people. They also turn tables quickly so you don't have to wait forever. There is a front door and a back door. The line starts at the front door so avoid the backdoor. read more

So good. So so goo Just after 8 am on a Friday morning, and we didn't have to wait to be seated. Since many of the reviews I read talked about wait times, I was indeed glad we were here after the summer/vacation months. All juices are fresh pressed on demand. The apple juice was wonderful!i definitely recommend you sip that while looking they the packed menu. Lots of options. Price wise, great value. The portion sizes are large. If you eat everything on your plate, I imagine you'll be stuffed well into the afternoon. Service was also good. Our waiter was down to the point (yes, a line formed right behind us, so just an FYI), as they shuffle a lot of patrons through this small joint. At any rate, he was polite, fast and very efficient. We hit this place for breakfast two times over the long-weekend stay. First time: Joe's Special. Scrambled eggs (opted for whites only), ground beef, spinach and mushrooms. Loved the sautéed spinach. Comes with hash browns, but I traded for a bowl of fresh fruit. Warning! The fruit is a hearty bowl. Great strawberries. Excellent meal. Second time round, picked the Crab & Avocado Benedict. Super choice! Flavors were, again, on point. Hash browns, this time, and tit paired well. Very efficient service-with-a-smile. Yes, I recommend you stop by this tiny breakfast/lunch spot, if you're around Monterey/Carmel! I'll definitely keep this stop bookmarked for next year. read more

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Came here for brunch on a Saturday close to 10:30 AM. It's first come first serve, so if you have a big party, definitely come early. I was in a party of 2 so we didnt have to wait as long. They sat us near the back towards the kitchen, but service was good for the amount of people there were. Cute spot, great solid brunch food. Pancakes are very fluffy. read more

One of my favorite establishments to have breakfast/brunch!! They are always accommodating in customizing your order just the way you like. There is one waitress we adore and after just a couple visits, she pretty much memorized our orders- she plays a big roll in our enjoyment of our visit. Food is always consistent (which is a big deal for me) and delicious (I typically order the cilantro scrambler without the tomato and instead have fresh sliced tomatoes and avocado on the side). I enjoy having a Mimosa with brunch at times and appreciate that they serve them. Five stars all around for great service and great food! Heads up, there is often a line to be seated as they are quite popular. Larger parties will often have to wait longer in order for them to have enough clear tables to combine. read more

Old Monterey Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Monterey, California

The food here was delicious. I had Thursday avocado Benedict. We didn't have a wait although a line grew quickly after we were seated. The menu had many options to choose from. The staff was very courteous. The back of the menu had a few noteworthy detail about the establishment that were helpful in knowing what to expect. I would definitely go again. read more

I really enjoy good service and this place has it, my coffee cup was always full and the breakfast was great not heavily greasy. I was originally going to have breakfast at Rosines across the street but they didn't open until 9am so I looked around and found the Old Monterey Cafe, so glad I did because this is going to be my go to spot for breakfast whenever I visit Monterey! read more

If I was able to leave 0 stars I would leave a rating of 0 stars. Me and my family are never eating here again!! I should of listen to all the reviews they had here posted before even coming to try out the food. It's horrible,nasty silver ware looks like it hasn't been washed properly,they should do an inspection at this place as soon as possible if not I will contact health department my self.I order and had hair on my food! I told them about it and they didn't want to refund me or give me a new plate this is not good customer service! Very disappointed.Staff is not well educated. I don't recommend this place at all. Bad business the owner should focus on setting high standards. Stay away this place is nasty! Go to Lighthouse cafe instead !!! read more

Friendly, fast service. Good basic breakfast dishes. My friend would've liked his Belgian waffle a little crispier though. Attentive with coffee refills. Nice rustic feel, comfy. read more

Yummy breakfast Delicious coffe Can't complain at all I will go again if I go back to Monterey read more

SO GOOOOOD!!!!!! The service was great, the people were nice, and the food definitely satisfied read more

Old Monterey Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Monterey, California

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