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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?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Outdoor seating
    Good for kids

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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.

    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.

    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.

    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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    6 years ago

    Every time we are in Monterey from Texas we enjoy breakfast here. Everything is fresh and the service is always great.

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    9 years ago

    Fantastic food and amazing pancakes. Definitely get here early as a line starts to form. Fast service and great servers. Would recommend.

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    8 years ago

    Delicious breakfast and lunch! Traditional diner fare with some Mexican accents. Friendly and efficient service.

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    6 years ago

    Best dang hot sand-witches ever and the orange juice is amazing and the coffee is to die for you gotta check it out 10/10.

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    6 years ago

    No wait and fast service, we enjoyed a nice breakfast. Walking distance from our hotel made this breakfast place really convenient.

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    8 years ago

    Good omelettes and waffles. Great service. Only so-so biscuits and lousy gravy, but I'd go back in a heartbeat!

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    Page 17 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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    Rosine's Restaurant

    4.1(3.2k reviews)
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    I finally was able to make a trip to Monterey/Pacific Grove, sadly it's been years. That being said…read morewe chose Rosine's because it was always a favorite of ours. Our order consisted of a steak salad/fries and a calamari steak sandwich. I can't comment on my daughter's food because she ate all of it with no complaints. Mine was ok, wasn't bad nor great but I was excited (I'm a fatty) about the slice of key lime pie I took home. Unfortunately I was really disappointed. No key lime "zing" to the filling and the whipped cream only had a small hint of sweetness. The sliced almonds were really unpleasant, they had the old rancid taste/smell. Overall I wasn't thrilled with the food nor the price. Service was below average, I say that because it was not busy at all yet we had to get the servers attention more than once, meaning she didn't check on us. On a positive note I was able to spend the day with my beautiful daughter.

    We had such a wonderful brunch at Rosine's! We were told the wait would be about 20 minutes, but to…read moreour pleasant surprise, we were called to our table in just 14 minutes. I ordered the breakfast special, the Crab & Avocado Benedict, and it was absolutely delicious! The eggs were poached to perfection, and the combination of crab and avocado made every bite rich and flavorful. Definitely a dish I would order again! My husband ordered the Brunch Burger, made with Angus beef and cooked perfectly medium. It was topped with house-made bacon jam, cheddar and Jack cheese, bacon, and a sunny-side-up egg. The burger patty tasted hand-formed, was incredibly juicy, and all the toppings came together beautifully. From the shorter-than-expected wait to two delicious meals, Rosine's made for a fantastic brunch. We'll definitely be back!

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    El Bistro By The Sea - Chilaquiles, green salsa, chorizo and Sunny side up egg

    El Bistro By The Sea

    4.5(463 reviews)
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    The restaurant has a nice indoor area, but the patio is awesome. Covered from the sun and a sort of…read moresecret garden vibe. Very nice reprieve from the heat. We chose to share a Carnitas Omelette with cheese from the area and the salad was locally sourced farms. The service was quick and kind. Would come here again when in Carmel

    I looked up brunch places in Carmel for my sister's bday and El Bistro popped up immediately. Very…read morepopular place, quaint and modern with Bohemian accents. Full for a Wednesday lunch! Valeria waited on us. She was attentive and helpful. She asked if we needed anything else and answered any questions. Eats: Iced Cafe Mazapan Latte Chilaquiles Red Sauce with Chorizo Chorizo Burger By The Sea Omelette Caesar Salad add Shrimp Tiramisu French Toast Food was great overall. My friends love chilaquiles so I decided to try it out. I got red sauce over green. Excellent portion size. They gave a good amount of chorizo. While the dish was plated well and tasted good, I'm not a huge fan of soggy chips so maybe the chips could be piled on top or requested on the side. Dad liked the shrimp filled by the sea omelet. Caesar salad looked great and was satisfactory, according to Mom. Sis had the loaded chorizo burger with such tasty amazing fries! I love the way they cook them. Tiramisu French toast looked incredible. Barely sweet, the cream was lightly sweetened with a sprinkle of cocoa powder. Not much of a coffee profile. The brioche slices were burnt a bit though and flavor-wise it was missing something. Check out their Instagram account for the secret menu. I asked if they had churro French toast but it's no longer available. Street parking and possibly a few lots nearby. Take a walk on the cobblestone streets and do a little shopping after a nice meal. The Main Street goes all the way down to the water. Nice views!

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    El Bistro By The Sea - Inside leading to outdoor seating

    Inside leading to outdoor seating

    El Bistro By The Sea - Churro French toast (secret menu)

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    Old Monterey Cafe - breakfast_brunch - Updated September 2026

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