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    Old Monterey Cafe

    3.8 (1k reviews)
    Closed 6:45 am - 2:30 pm

    Old Monterey Cafe Photos

    OLD MONTEREY CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Old Monterey Cafe

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    Old Monterey banana pancakes
    Jacob R.

    These pancakes were so big! The butter was perfect and the hot syrup wasn't too sweet so that was great, very friendly staff and quaint setting

    Calamari steak and eggs which
    Jennifer G.

    Conveniently located on Alvarado Street, this cafe is a solid spot for breakfast. It does tend to be busy, even on weekday mornings, but they turn over tables quickly. The space is quite tight and you have to squeeze past tables trying to navigate towards the bathroom or the exit. The service is super attentive and prompt. Your coffee cup will never run dry! On my solo visit, I ordered the calamari steak and eggs which comes with hashbrowns. I also upgraded my toast option to a pancake for an extra charge. I enjoyed my plate. The calamari steak was super thin, I was definitely expecting thicker. However, it was still delicious and crispy. The pancake was super fluffy. Overall, I enjoyed my visit and would definitely return.

    California omelette with jack and the hash brown and biscuit side.
    Daniel S.

    4.5 stars. California Omelette with Jack added was surprisingly delicious. I think the dated ambience was pushing my expectations down. The ungodly dollop of butter I just let soak into the bread and that was fantastic. $21 spent for the amount of food I got was fair value.

    The Virginian Omelette with biscuits and gravy
    Joshua G.

    The food here was pretty good. Service was spotty. One gentleman was on top of it with the coffee but the other lady was kind of inattentive. Overall a good little breakfast joint.

    Monica C.

    Average at best but seems to be a popular spot. The restaurant was full when I arrived. Service is a slow but understandable since all the tables were full.

    Toast
    John H.

    We were looking for a little more than a pastry for breakfast. The old Monterey Café is small, but it is a good sitdown restaurant. It was early on a Thursday morning, so it wasn't very full. We got waited on promptly. I ordered the sautéed mushroom and avocado omelette with a side of hashbrowns. My wife got a bowl of oatmeal with sourdough toast. The oatmeal came with cinnamon. That's a plus. My omelette was cooked perfectly with lots of avocado and mushrooms. Unfortunately, the hashbrowns contain onions. I wish I had known that. I don't like onions. The interior is quite fun. It is filled with old Artifacts. Antique posters, statues, all kinds of memorabilia pack the walls. If you're downtown Monterey, try the old Monterey Café.

    Keep in mind they charge for straws and also juice and the juice used is charged which is a lil wild to me but ok
    Amira G.

    Service can improve greatly and some cleanliness throughout the restaurant can improve very much. I didn't take photos of food but did throughout the restaurant. I also called ahead to see if there was a wait time I was told no so I show up it was very busy. Our service leticia was not very friendly, seemed like she was irritated and frustrated taking our order didn't explain anything to us. Asked her for some water was told I don't do that he's goin to do that and pointed at this male working. I thought it was rude, could've just took the order and relayed the message. Also I wasn't given correct change when payed in cash, it was .64 but still it's the principal. Especially with the attitude I would not recommend this place especially on a busy day the size is very small. Also the sausage was burnt and I also noticed other diners eating and spitting food out. Not sure what they got but made me second guess a lot. Please improve customer service as it makes a big impact on your business.

    Never heard of a fee for not paying cash!! So, we took it off the tip, which we left in cash.
    Anita R.

    Visited mid March. The orange juice is freshly squeezed and divine. The pancakes are also amazing!! A major reason for not giving is a 5th star is the pork chop being undercooked and flavorless. Service was not up to par either. They were attentive but not friendly, warm or inviting. We felt rushed. It is a very cramped space. We were charged $2.12 for not paying cash.

    Monte Cristo
    Bernave N.

    Don't order the Burrito with Chirizo. No flavor Don't order Monte Cristo, Pig in Blankets was delicious Beautiful day eating outside, a little noisy, but nice. Server really attentive.

    Canadian bacon Eggs Benedict with hash browns
    Raelene P.

    Love this place for good food, big portions and reasonably priced. Can't go wrong with Eggs Benedict!! Oh the grits.. Sweet Jeezus they were delicious! I recommend to start your day here if you are planning a day trip in Monterey,CA.

    Pancakes
    Jeff K.

    Last meal in Monterey here for Big Sur marathon. This was a great final send off breakfast! Menu is huge as are portions. Had Joe's Special (great! Short stack pancakes (huge and great too)

    Strawberry pancakes
    Teuila G.

    There were so many cute eateries within walking distance from our hotel that we just started searching for local places to brunch in Monterey without a wait. The second place that popped up on my Yelp search was Old Monterey Cafe. They offer a pretty extensive menu that our picky kids could both choose from. My only request was a bite of a buttermilk pancake. We walked in and were greeted and helped right away, our bus person was a friendly gentleman that took great care of us. Our receipt says, "Ray" was our server. He was attentive to our needs as well. Our food was served hot and cooked perfectly. The portions were massive and their prices were fair. I loved the ambiance of this older diner. Where we sat doubled as an exit or entrance to the patio tables. I loved sitting out and people watching while we brunched. We looked over our receipt later and saw upcharges for guava juice that no one had that nor were we expecting such large juices brought out. Besides that and the credit card charge, everything was phenomenal. We would definitely return next time we're in Monterey and bring cash.

    Side Hash Browns
    Tiffany S.

    Oooh how I love a good diner! Got the waffle combo which came with choice of 2eggs, and either sausage or bacon. And a side of hash browns. Everything was great, and came out so quickly which I appreciate. The server checked in on us multiple times to make sure we were good. This place gets packed but it seems to filter in/out quickly

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    Photo of Kim H.
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    8 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Excellent food and customer service. Food was brought out quick and has a timeless diner look!

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    3 years ago

    The bacon was atrocious. It was old and cold like a corpse. The toast was severed like a limb and had no butter to moisten it.

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    4 years ago

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

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    5 years ago

    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.

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    4 years ago

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

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    Page 7 of 26

    Old Monterey Cafe Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Old Monterey Cafe

    Do they serve, buckwheat pancakes?

    Yes

    Do they serve gluten-free pancakes or gluten-free waffles yet?

    Hopefully they have changed their menu to add either gluten-free bread or gluten-free pancakes. Does anyone know?

    Is this place dog friendly?

    Yes but only outside. There are several tables for outside seating.

    Do you serve gluten-free bread, pancakes or French toast?

    I didn't see any gluten free pancakes, bread nor French toast on the menu :/

    Are dogs allowed on the outside seating area?

    Yes. Last time I was there dogs were allowed at the outside tables! Enjoy.

    View All 11 Questions

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    Kafe Toribashi

    4.5(53 reviews)
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    The staff seemed super friendly and were able to get my drink out quick despite it being a busy…read moretime. The ambiance was quite interesting. You're hit with the smell of ramen the moment you walk in and it's a bit loud. I ordered to-go so I can't say much about the dine-in experience but it was nice that they had seating both inside and outside. I got the Mango Matcha Latte with soy milk which was great! The purée was sweet but not overly sweet and balanced out the matcha. I'm not a matcha snob so I can't tell you if it's high quality but I loved the color and it tasted rich. My only complaints are that the matcha was a bit bitter and this drink was $10. They charge $1 for soy or almond milk substitution so keep that in mind if you don't drink cow milk! Overall, I think it taste great but I feel like it should be around the $7-8 range instead of $10-11. This is definitely a touristy area so I was expecting higher prices.

    Been here a couple times while roaming the wharf because we love the little outdoor balcony…read moreoverlooking the ocean! Such a calm and beautiful spot to relax for a little. The coffee is delicious. Our latest order was a lavender latte and it's got a great flavor. We haven't tried their pastries yet, but they have some available if you need a snack, as well as Marianne's ice cream. The inside of the cafe is nice too! There's plenty of tables to sit at and they have board games to play. Been here a couple times while roaming the wharf because we love the little outdoor balcony overlooking the ocean! Such a calm and beautiful spot to relax for a little. The coffee is delicious. Our latest order was a lavender latte and it's got a great flavor. We haven't tried their pastries yet, but they have some available if you need a snack, as well as Marianne's ice cream. The inside of the cafe is nice too! There's plenty of tables to sit at and they have board games to play.

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    East Village Cafe - Breakfast Burrito (Plant Based) - Impossible Sausage

    East Village Cafe

    4.4(149 reviews)
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    Super friendly lads behind the bar. We asked if we could see the art work on the other side of the…read morecafe and very kindly welcomed in. We then asked about the wonderful spicy aroma in the air, and were told that was the daily fresh brewed chai. So we ordered a two iced chai with oatmilk, I instantly loved the abundance of cardamon in my drink. My wife and I are going to try and stop by when ever we are in town. On our way out we also had the pleasure of meeting the owner and a regular who had been coming in since the opening of the East Village Cafe. If only we lived closer we'd become regulars too.

    I was honestly pretty annoyed with this experience. I ordered a matcha with raspberry syrup, and…read morewhen I got it, my matcha was literally white. I asked the employee about it, and he told me it was because of the raspberry syrup, which honestly made absolutely no sense. I went back to the counter and asked if I could just get an iced coffee instead. Rather than making a new drink, he said he could add more matcha powder to the cup I already had. He did that, and somehow my matcha went from being white to gray. At that point, I was already pretty frustrated. I finally just asked for an iced coffee because I was over it. They handed me a completely black iced coffee. So I essentially paid $6 for them to pour coffee and water over ice. By that point, I was genuinely so irritated hearing the two coworkers make jokes about doing better next time etc that I just walked out. I completely understand that mistakes happen, but the entire situation was handled so poorly. I tried multiple times to resolve the issue, and somehow I still ended up with a drink I didn't want, after wasting both my time and my money. $6 might not seem like a lot, but paying for something you didn't order and then having the situation handled this poorly is incredibly frustrating. Definitely not the experience I expected, and unfortunately, not one I'd want to repeat.

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    Tidal Coffee - Ham and cheese crossiant.

    Tidal Coffee

    3.9(407 reviews)
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    With no schedule on a Friday morning, I decided to get something for breakfast. A short walk from…read moremy hotel on the less busy side of Cannery Row, I walked in a little after 9 am. A few people were waiting to order and more customers walked in as I studied the menu. I jumped into the line and after a short wait, placed my order. Rather than carrying my breakfast and beverage back to my hotel, I decided to enjoy the sights and sounds from their outdoor dining area. The expediter called my name and I shortly brought my purchases to a table facing the bay. I started with a hot chocolate, medium (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&select=SGdMOIoQV6_t-uothYYbfw, perfect for this foggy Friday morning. It was perfectly hot and not overly sweet. I enjoyed this as it's been a while, drinking this. I also got a sausage English muffin, cheese, egg, jalapeno aioli, onion (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&select=WgF_AQ-xeUkLIxZF6dRZlg); I was surprised by the size as it towers over the golden arch version of this. The jalapeno aioli was subtle and the onion added a nice crunch and flavor to the sandwich. The filling (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&select=NZaPMZCiCXJhrKg3VKuZgw) is generous. I also brought an item that I'd never seen to take back for a future snack or breakfast, the peach fritter (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&start=0&select=t303wZ8QRnuNuXk6rP16bw). With the staggering number of things that I bought from a downtown bakery, I didn't get to it till several days later. The dining room was about half full and the outdoor dining area was about the same on this cool, slightly foggy morning. Here's a shot of my view as I had breakfast (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&start=0&select=GTQiFiqy226JtcYrGIauwg). Big thanks to the kind and efficient cashier and expetiter. I would return here for breakfast if wanting something light and quick. It's directly next to the Monterey Plaza Hotel.

    Five stars for the location alone. Huge patio overlooking the bay. I ordered a raspberry iced…read morelatte. Not too sweet but I wish I could taste the coffee a little more. I should have asked if their syrups are made in house and/or the brands. I did not get a chance to try any food items but they sounded delicious! Service was very kind, casual, and patient! Their website is awesome by the way! Very coastal zen.

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    Old Monterey Cafe - breakfast_brunch - Updated September 2026

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