Five star all the way! A must stop by and eat here! I never had acai berries before. This is like breakfast and dessert all in one dish. Very nice people! read more

Swami's Cafe - This place is awesome! The acai berries with strawberry, coconut, raspberry, banana, and granola. Absolutely fantastic - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Perfect spot for a quick breakfast in Carlsbad. Definitely go for the steak or salmon benedict! The staff was attentive and so kind. Perfect location within Carlsbad to grab a quick bite and head right down the road to the beach. read more

I can't believe I haven't reviewed Swami's yet. This is my go to breakfast spot in Carlsbad. The food is delicious and the staff is always friendly. I've had the açaí bowl which never disappoints. The eggs Benedict are classic. They do many variations on the Benedict but the regular one is my fave. The Salmon Benedict has a big portion of grilled salmon. You get your money's worth with this dinner sized salmon portion. The salmon was delicious. However, my taste buds don't personally like the combination of grilled salmon with egg and hollandaise sauce. Next, I tried the lobster Benedict which has a mashup of what is supposed to be lobster meat yet I feel it tastes more like an imitation crab mixture. Again, not my favorite. I'll stick to the regular ol classic Benedict. The ABC quesadilla is great too and again a big portion! Their juices are delicious or just stick to plain old coffee which is also good here. Plus they have flavored creamer, yum! The only bad thing is parking. There are very few spaces behind the restaurant. It's easier to park parallel on the street. read more

Came in on a Sunday morning and ordered the salmon eggs Benedict and acai bowl with no bananas and everything came out quick and yummy. I've had the lobster Benedict at a different location and it was way tastier but I'm not saying this is a bad location just go for the Lobster eggs Benedict if you can. Service was good though, brought out coffee quick, and never let my water cup go empty read more

Swami's Cafe - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Carlsbad, California

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Third time coming to this location. It seems like they never really greet you. There is a hostess stand but if there isn't an employee standing there you have to go find someone to be seated. We were there yesterday and the lady looked at us and walked away and continued about her business. Wiping down tables etc. They could work on greeting and acknowledging their customers when they arrive and are looking to be seated. Or remove the hostess stand all together. Food was good. read more

Great local place for breakfast; fresh ingredients, big portions and friendly service overall. read more

Swami's Cafe - Swami's Breakfast Combo - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Let me start this review by saying that I understand the stresses of working at a restaurant. I've been waitressing for around 3 years, so I rarely feel like walking out of a place because of a bad experience. The ambience of this place is very SoCal inspired, laid back, dog friendly, tattooed waitresses. And I love that vibe! But the issue I have isn't particularly with the service. Only go if AMBER is working. She's a sweetheart and you can tell she puts up with a lot of shit. The juices, smoothies, and acai bowls is the only thing going for them. I just don't like their food. It always comes out wrong, usually through no fault of my server. Last time I came in, my pancake wasn't cooked all the way through (and ONE pancake is $4.95?) and what sent me over the edge was hair in my eggs. I understand it happens! Cooks can't help their hair occasionally falling out. But they seem to always be arguing with the servers. My friends food had to be taken back 4 times and it still wasn't right. We could hear the cooks fighting with our waitress and eventually ignoring her. I felt so bad! To top it off, the manager then came over (which we didn't ask for) and seemed almost confrontational. I've lived here my whole life and can say that there are many other patio places that have solid food and good prices. I cannot support a local business that has brash cooks and over stressed waitresses. All in all, foods not great, and the management needs to work on creating a more positive environment for their workers. You walk in and can feel the stress and tension. read more

Great menu options for vegetarians and health conscious individuals. I love the soy chorizo, as well as the fresh juices. Not to mention the service. The servers are attentive and actually serve with a smile! read more

Swami's Cafe - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Carlsbad, California

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After running the Carlsbad 5000, I really wanted a smoothie, so I was delightfully surprised to see a giant SMOOTHIES sign on the building for Swami's. They were nice enough to make me a smoothie "to go" so that I could get back on the course to watch my friends run. The smoothie menu is full of incredible sounding concoctions. They make me a beautiful fuchsia-colored tropical beverage that tasted as amazing as it looked. I'll have to come back and actually eat at Swami's the next time I'm in town. read more

Swami's Cafe - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Great stop for lunch for us we were hungry for a good burger. The absolute best burger we had with frys and salad. Good service and I'm glad we stopped here. Loved the 70's music too. read more

I love Swami's! I've only been here for breakfast, and it's never disappointed me. The food is a good value for being located along the coast in a touristy area. Their smoothies are delicious, and taste better than Jamba Juice in my opinion. The staff is very friendly and accommodating. Swami's is definitely a local favorite :) read more

Here's the deal. I've been to swamis a dozen or so times and each time I cannot come to a solid conclusion as to whether or not I love or hate this place, putting me at a solid "meh." Confusing af. Let's break it down. Pros: Great menu variety Cool location Friendly service - everyone has been so nice Açaí bowls are pretty good and huge portion Decent pricing Cool location Cons: I'm still waiting for my side of bacon and it has been 20 minutes (ie, incredibly slow/inattentive service) Hit or miss quality on food Moldy grapes in today's açaí bowl No one has ever brought me a napkin in all my times eating here, so like... What As you can see above, the pros and cons are about equal. So how are you supposed to judge?? You keep coming back for the pros but are left disappointed by the cons. It's quite unsettling. Swami's please up your game so we can appreciate all the good things! read more

I've been here twice, it's time for a Yelp review. Breakfast places are a dime a dozen. I've been to Swami's Cafe in Encinitas before, and got annoyed by the neo-con environment (anti-Democrat and impeach Obama stickers EVERYWHERE), so tried this one. Same owner most likely, but this one is closer to my house anyways. On both trips here, service has been slow, underwhelming, and left an impression - annoying. On my first visit I ordered an acai bowl. In the description it read it had strawberries, blueberries, banana and a whole bunch of other delicious fruits and healthy perks. When our waitress delivered it, all it had was strawberries and bee pollen. I was surprised and asked her where the other items were. Her response was,"Oh, I think we ran out." Really? Shouldn't you have notified me of that? Very strange, and very off putting. Today (second visit), I ordered the ABC omelet. It was good, but it took 45 minutes to get it. I was with one girl friend. They also never refilled our water cups, which were served in plastic bendable cups. Classy. Also, no utensils when we sat, nor when our food arrived. You should never ask to ask for a fork people. There is no excuse for laziness, here it runs rampant. Because of these reasons, in addition to the building construction being downright hideous, I will be frequenting other breakfast places, because they are clearly better, with much better service....cough cough Beach Break in Oceanside. It's kind of sad because this is a brand new location for them, and it is dismal at best. My suggestion? Hire servers who know a thing or two about service and customer satisfaction. Also? Paint this structure. read more

Used to love this place but yesterday will be the last time I eat here. Having significant food allergies, I ordered a salad with gluten free bread. When it was delivered (not by our server) I asked them to double check if it was g/f. He took the plate to another server who said it was. So today I am off work and really sick. They were wrong. I tried to call the manager at a time that should be between rushes, but even when I explained why I was calling (that I had gotten ill) he (Luis) was still too busy to take my call. So not only did I pay extra for g/f, and asked them to double check, I am sick anyway. The staff needs better education on how important food allergies are and the harm they cause. Don't trust this place if you have allergies. read more

Could eat here every day !!!!!! The only place in Carlsbad that I frequent ....and I live here !!!!! The food is diverse ....organic, meat, vegetarian, healthy, bring on the calories.....you name it !! My favorite is the pitiya bowl with granola...but there are times I go for the french toast...any thing on the menu is great even if it is vegetarian !!!!! The wait staff has started to recognize my face !!!!! I go with friends or even alone !!!! The line is usually long but they move very fast with setting ~ it is worth the wait ~~~~ The food is freshly prepared and therefor sometimes you wait up to 15 minutes but like I said......~~~~ Worth the Wait....... Quality food, Great Service and a great atmosphere with ocean breeze !!!!! read more

I love this place. I was so happy when the decided to open up shop in downtown Carlsbad right next to the beach. I think the food is consistent and most of the staff are amazing. I've gotten pretty much everything on their menu. Lobster Benedict, avocado toast, Abc omelette, breakfast quesadilla. You name it, I've probably had it. I think what they're best known for is their stellar Açaí Bowl. If you haven't had that, at least come down and try it. Easy walk to the beach and close to some local stores. Dog friendly patio and usually plenty of parking. read more

Swami's Cafe - Just another breakfast with the pops and the pup! - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Dear god the service here is ALWAYS horrible. I'm writing this as I sit here for the 3rd and final time. First thing they do is have you park in the back but check in front when theres a walkway in the back. Big inconvenience. Then at the host stand (no host by the way) we wait while the buffoon of a manager I assume is on the phone and a worker is standing staring at us and nothing. Then we finally get sat but the worker just picks a random spot, throws down the menus and walk away. Advice, when you're ready to order, keep you're head up. For a relaxing place like swamps, they move around really hectic like it's busy but it isn't and it just makes people rushed (i overhear). Basically management is inept and rude. The location doesn't match the service and one star for decent food. Go to naked cafe, dons country cafe or hell even daily news cafe. read more

Alway stop here when I'm filling my water jugs at the Alkaline Water Station across the street. There really isn't a better spot for brunch. Healthy, price point with excellent presentation! Bravissimo! read more

Swami's Cafe - Swami's Salad - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Carlsbad, California

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I'd give the food here a 3, and the service a 4, so really this is more of a 3.5 review. We came on 4th of July so there was a little wait as the restaurant is not that big. There's inside seating as well as patio seating but we were starving so opted for first available. We got a great booth inside next to a window. Our server was super sweet and friendly. I ordered a bloody, which she made herself and even gave me extra pickled carrots. I ordered the lobster benedict. The flavor was good, but the lobster is really more like imitation crab, and the eggs were overcooked, so no runny yoke at all, which is the fun part of an eggs benedict. My boyfriend got the chicken artichoke scramble, which I think was just okay. I had a bit and it seemed bland. The bloodies were great. I think next time I'll try something else and hope it's better. Still worth a visit if you're in Carlsbad. read more

I used to love to go to this location until my last experience. I had been debating about writing this review because I had so many great memories until the last experience that happened to me which has me never wanting to come back to this location. The service that day was decent until things went wrong. My friend and I had brunch and she and I got a Bloody Mary I tried hers and it was delicious so I ordered one. Then mine came tasting awful so I politely asked for a new one. The server whom was also the manager said that there was birthing wrong with it and decided to just treat me terribly and didn't know I spoke Spanish he told the lady who makes the drinks in front of me give this stupid white girl more Vodka. So I spoke to her in Spanish and told her that's not right for him to say that about customers and she apologized. He brought my drink out and this one has a black hair in it so I asked to speak to the manger to one of the bus boys the bus boy said my server was the manager. So he pulled the black corse hair off the celery form the bloody Mary's and said the black hair was not in fact black it was blonde and it was mine and started speaking in Spanish to the other coworkers thinking I didn't know Spanish and I replied in Spanish to him " would you like to be treated poorly and embarrassed at a restaurant?" And he was shocked and started to be so nice but it was too late and I was far beyond upset. He tried to charge us the drinks that were messed up and the one that had the hair which was outrages but finally discounted them after arguing with him. I do not recommend this Location and will never go back read more

Amazing eggs Benedict! Yummy! This is such a great location, super casual and cute! You can bring your pups to the patio and the food is really really good. Our server syndi was really nice and efficient ! I would highly encourage the bacon eggs Benedict. read more

What a great experience. Sat at the bar seating looking out on coast hwy. Service was great, food was epic, great job on the building, company was sweet! Felt homey. read more

Swami's Cafe - Lobster Benedict. I can't wait to dig in. - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Carlsbad, California

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Swamis is a conundrum. Brief synopsis: Food: 5 stars Service: 1 star In most situations, you evaluate pros and cons. Either the Pros outweigh the Cons, or the Cons outweigh Pros, and you can come to some kind of conclusion: l like this place or I don't like this place. Not the case with Swamis. The food is great, but not good enough to make you forget about the incredibly slow service. The service is incredibly slow, but the food is good (and there's a great variety - healthy, indulgent, new, traditional, etc). So you're stuck in this weird limbo -- do I actually like this place? Do I hate this place? We waited 20 minutes for a glass of water once we were seated, but the waitress was SUPER friendly... HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO FEEL?! read more

Breakfast food is awesome & they've got a lot of options for people who prefer lunch as well. It's in a good location with a nice patio and lots of seating indoors. I've been here a couple times, the customer service is always great- they're quick and friendly! I ordered a sandwich to go this time and while I was waiting at the front I had 3 people different people to make sure I was taken care of. It's a relaxed atmosphere perfect for locals or if you're visiting from out of town! read more

Swami's Cafe - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Carlsbad, California

I can't even tell you how many times we've walked by Swami's when we are in Carlsbad. It just looks like a good place to walk by - not a super inviting exterior, and it's small so it's easy to walk past. It's also right on busy Carlsbad Blvd. Oftentimes, many restaurants in tourist towns located on the main road tend not to be good- they attract one-timers and don't necessarily attract the locals or repeat business. Consequently, we tend to go off the beaten path and try to find where the locals eat. I think Swami's is one of the exceptions. We stopped in for breakfast and we weren't disappointed in the least. The inside eating area is small, but there is a nice sized eating area outside. All of the wait staff was friendly and checked in on us frequently. I wasn't overly hungry for breakfast, so I thought I'd go with the ABC quesadilla (it had me at 'avocado'!) Well, it was huge! Stuffed with goodness! Lots of avocado, cheese and scrambled eggs. The salsa was a perfect compliment. I ate more than I should've - I just couldn't help myself! The multigrain granola waffle with fresh berries was also a big hit. You don't feel so bad eating a waffle made with multigrain and granola!! The place was super busy for breakfast - a large group inside and when we left, the patio area had filled up a lot. We got the feeling a lot of the patrons were local - so another myth dispelled!! Swami - you got a good thing going here. See you next time we're in Carlsbad! read more

My wife and I have been coming here since they opened this location. At first it was great, but it seems the past few months it has lost it's luster. We would normally have breakfast here at least once every 2 weeks. For some reason the service has gotten worse and the food is just ok. I've had to wait to long for a coffee and water refill. The one older gentleman that is always working outside is probably one of the hardest workers I've seen. But he is only one person, and can't do it all. read more

Let me just clarify that this review is for the Carlsbad location. The service was TERRIBLE! They advised me that they ran out of what I ordered about 10 minutes AFTER I ordered it! Fine, so I ordered something else. I told the waitress to bring out the rest of the table's order so they wouldn't have to wait. She assured me that wasn't necessary since the food was on the way. Bullshit! 25 minutes later the food arrived. They were only at 60% capacity. I doubt they were slammed. Waitress never apologized for the wait or refilled my drink. Shit service! BTW, I do eat at the Oceanside location and I have always received good service and good food there. read more

A couple weeks ago I ordered a mock turkey sandwich with soy cheese. Got a real turkey sandwich with real cheese. Our waiter said that they ran out of mock turkey so they just used real turkey instead, without asking me! I don't eat any meat or dairy so this really grossed me out. He gave me no excuse for the real cheese. Today I tried to go here again, put my name on the list and was waiting when the same waiter (he may be a manager because he always has normal clothes and a baseball cap on) seated two young ladies ahead of my party and a couple other parties as well. If my business isn't important to you then I will go somewhere else! (Like Swami's in Oceanside haha) Update - Tried this place again and they still gave me Swiss cheese when I specifically asked for mock cheese. Then the waiter started arguing with me on what I had ordered. I understand people make mistakes but it's how you resolve them that counts. If you are looking for a place where you can actually get what you ordered without any attitude, don't come here. read more

One of the good restaurants for breakfast in Carlsbad. A little expensive but the taste is really fresh. Try the orange juice and you will agree with me. Pineapple pancake is another delight here. Usually crowded during weekends so be prepared to wait for a while. Coffee is nothing extraordinary but the service is great. People are very very friendly and it always brings me back to this place for a nice breakfast every now and then. read more

Swami's Cafe - Pineapple pancake - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Honestly, I think the one thing this place really has going for it is that it serves breakfast a lot later than all other places in Carlsbad. That's really the only thing that made me choose to eat here the last 3 times. What? I need my beauty rest!! I feel like the portions are too big and the prices are too low. Like, if they served less on a plate maybe they'd be able to pay more attention to what's going out? Or if they charged more, they couldn't get away with churning out sub-par, greasy food without getting called on it sooner? Every single time I've eaten there I've felt a little queasy after. Too much cooking oil. The pancakes are a little greasy, the potatoes are very greasy, the over easy eggs come with grease sitting on top of the whites...getting the picture? I will say, their coffee is outstanding. Always strong and hot. As for the service...meh. Overall, servers are usually nice. But yeah, it's not like any of 'em have a fire lit under them to do an extraordinary job. Location is wonderful. Though, it is Carlsbad and I'm not sure if there is a location in the Village that isn't awesome! If they could cut back on grease and salt, and work on service I would gladly come here, and not just when I get shut out of Don's or Naked Cafe at 2pm. For now, I'll just try to get up a wee bit earlier to make it in time for breakfast at one of those places. read more

Great vegan burrito options! Consistently good food and good service! Would highly recommend!!

My boyfriend and I came here for a casual lunch. Both of our meals were exceedingly mediocre. I had the huevos rancheros and he had the veggie burger (two things which I would find pretty simple to make!) His was dry and mine had no flavor.... I think we will be sticking to Naked Cafe as usual ! Was a let down. read more

I write this after a single visit, so the usual caveats apply. First off: if I hadn't written down the address from Yelp, I would not have found this place. There isn't any sign; even when I walked up to it I wasn't entirely sure I had found the right place until I saw some menus out front. They need to project a better name image! That aside, we had an excellent lunch! We split a very-berry smoothie, which was very good. I had the chipotle veggie burger--excellent, and with a generous portion of really good french fries. Sweetie had the Ana's sandwich (fake turkey), and she liked it too. The servers were extremely friendly and checked up on us several times. And even though the Yelp screen showed this as a $$ restaurant, really it should show $ because just about every meal is under $10. A very good bargain and very good food. We'll be back next time we go to Carlsbad. read more

Three of us for lunch today around noon. Place was busy as all tables outside were taken so we grabbed a booth inside. Service was prompt and so-so friendly. Many servers working the lunch rush scurrying all over the place with no time to waste at a single table. We were checked on many times during our stay here. I noticed the place has a lot of healthy oriented items on the menu like smoothies, fruit, and salads. They also had a good choice of beers too. We did three sandwiches. The Mahi-mahi wrap was excellent with avocado and plenty of delicious fresh fish inside. A side of fruit to accompany my meal but many plates coming out has sweet potato fries as a side. The second was a Seared Ahi Tuna sandwich on wheat bread with lettuce & tomato. This was a nice piece of fish that was fresh and tasty. Third was a Corned Beef sandwich which was reported to be extra good. I looked around after we got our plates and the entire inside dining section was full. The place thinned out closer to 1:00 pm. Good place and fresh tasting food. read more

Swami's Cafe - Seared Ahi Sandwich hit the spot! - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Carlsbad, California

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We wanted to try a new place for our lunch break and tried Swami's for the first time. We got in fairly quickly (the host was very nice and seated us immediately on a weekday afternoon) I did notice this place has that very divey beachy vibe, and seems to be a great place if you have a dog, but for me it seemed a bit too divey when the first thing I noticed was dirty dishes stacked high right in the open which attracted a lot of flies. We hit a few snags on this visit: I ordered the Swamis club and they forgot the cheese, dijon, and onions, so I just got turkey, mayo and lettuce/tomato on untoasted bread. A bit dry and plain. My lunch partner got the veggie burger, and they brought him out a chicken sandwich, which he had to send back. The host (not the water) later returned and apologized, which was nice. We agreed the fries tasted like fish, since they probably use the same fryer for everything, and I asked for watermelon juice and the waiter looked confused like he didn't know they offered that, then said the machine was broken. He later brought it out (guess they fixed it) and it tasted pretty good, so no complaints there. They do have a lot more vegetarian options to choose from, which is fantastic, and the prices are pretty inexpensive for the area. My lunch partner really enjoyed his black bean burger, (sans fries) so we will probably try this place one more time. The granola waffle sounded really good, so we shall see! read more

I have been to this place a few times in the past when it was Carlsbad Beach Grill. The menu is much, much better now, the service is on the slow side. It's a hippie vibe so that's what you get. Went in for breakfast on Sunday morning around 9am, got a table outside right away, the heater near us was out of propane which was a bummer because it was cold outside. We managed. 4 breakfasts, a chai tea, 2 coors lites, one bloody mary, 2 wheat grass shots came to $65 before tip. The breakfasts themselves were really tasty and large, I could only eat half and took the rest to go. The Acai Bowl is interesting...was like Acai Ice Cream with raisins and stuff in it. My BF's daughter just got braces though, so it seemed like a painless meal for her new grill. I got the Chicken Sausage and Artichoke Omelette, was very good, I added asparagus (75 cents). I will go back, it's a chill place. Parking sucks, but I knew that from when I had been to the previous restaurant. read more

Delicious food, large portions, and friendly staff! Had an issue previously at this location with customer service but the owner was able to make it up. We love to eat here and is a great stop for Breakfast or lunch. I am Vegan and my husband is not and we both enjoyed this place. read more

Why is it always the small "hole in the wall" type places that are the best? My friend and I went here for lunch on Friday, and it was really good! It's kind of a small place and in a random location, but they have outdoor seating which was great on the sunny day we went! My friend got the clam chowder and a veggie burger and I had the Mahi wrap, and the food was all great! The wasabi mayo is delicious also!! The only thing I really have to say that isn't so great is that the service was a little slow. I'm sure they were busy, and everyone was very friendly, so it wasn't such a huge problem. Maybe I went on an off day? Either way, I plan on returning and maybe I'll update! read more

My husband and I love this restaurant! The service and food is always exceptional. The staff know us by now, as we try to go as often as we can. Great atmosphere and location! Shoutout to Luis for always taking great care of us! You guys rock. -Sean and Brittney Skopek read more

I'm a little confused as to why this location rates less than the other ones? I think the restaurant is a nice setting. Big booths and huge windows. You can see Carlsbad Blvd. which isn't a bad view. The lady who greeted us was very nice and welcoming. We quickly took a seat and pondered over the menu. I had read and been dying to try my first Acai bowl. It was HUGE. I mean, I didn't even make a dent in that thing. It's something that I would split between people. The eggs benedict with bacon was divine. The green omelet had amazing flavor. The potatoes were really great too. I was really impressed. All the hype surrounding this place is true. I like it. **The only thing I was sort of put off by was the trash that was on the deck. A bunch of egg cartons, paper, boxes, etc. Kind of took away from the whole experience in my books! read more