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    Swami's Café

    3.4 (874 reviews)
    Closed 7:00 am - 4:00 pm

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    SWAMI'S CAFÉ ATMOSPHERE

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

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    Recommended Reviews - Swami's Café

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    El Paso Benedict
    Julia R.

    Out of all the swami's cafes, this one is my favorite! I believe it is the original (right across from swamis beach). Feels like a little surf shack. The menu is pretty extensive, with lots of yummy breakfast and lunch items and specials. Last time I went, I got the El Paso Benedict, and my mom got some sort of egg white veggie omelet. Both were delicious. Staff are helpful, and service is good. Perfect little spot, that fits the quirky vibe of leucadia,

    BLTA Sandwich (no A)
    Kelsi B.

    Counter service, and then go find your seat. I liked the area and it was right on the main drag. Patio was nice to sit outside & enjoy the weather. I got a swami's club which was a turkey bacon sandwich. my friend got a BLT. both were honestly pretty dry, but good besides that. I wish there were other side options - just chips & salsa, fruit, or a salad.

    My favorite. Swamis pitaya bowl
    Christina H.

    What I love about this place is they the food is great, the staff is great, and the vibe is unpretentious! I always get the pitaya bowl. It's so delicious! Fresh fruit and granola yum! Then I add a side of chicken sausage to add more protein

    El Paso eggs Benedict
    Samantha C.

    To round out our weekend escapade in Encinitas, we went to Swami's for Sunday breakfast. Another fantastic local spot serving up hearty breakfast on a beautiful 101 Freeway stretch! The building looks like an old surf shack, but there is plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. Also a couple of gender neutral restrooms that were clean and spacious. Menu looks really similar to Honey's down the street. Lots of hot and cold options, and also a complimentary endless coffee bar! I had the El Paso eggs Benedict (comes with chorizo and a side which were potatoes for me) while my husband had the huevos rancheros. Both were hits! Check out the portion sizes. While we waited, we tried multiple coffee flavors... the blueberry, vanilla nut, Hawaiian hazel nut, and Guatemalan. Mmmmmmm! "Great vibes all around" - my husband

    Swamis Acai Bowl
    Sofia A.

    An açaí bowl was the perfect treat after a nice sunny beach day! The granola is delicious and the portion size is great (honestly I think you could share it in my opinion). The service was great, and the staff were super friendly.

    Swamis size in patio area
    Crystal S.

    Food was good, the side options didn't go with the main dish, I was offered a side salad, fruit or chips and salsa but over all the burger was good. My wife ordered the California delight sandwich with tortilla chips and salsa. We learned that at this location they do not have fries as they do not have a fryer. Service was good and quick. Good outdoor seating causal spot.

    Swami's
    Zan L.

    I've been coming to Swami's for about two decades since I was in high school and it's always consistently really good. It's right on beautiful PCH right across from the self-realization center and just above the ocean cliffs. The location truly is one of my favorite parts of coming here. You order at the counter and then they bring the food to you so it's not a traditional full service breakfast restaurant but that just means the tables turn quicker and the wait times are never too long. It does get especially crowded on summer days, especially when the beach is popular so that something to be aware of. They have a small parking lot next-door, but there is also free street and neighborhood parking close by. For this visit, I chose the El Paso Benedict and really liked it. It's basically traditional a Benedict, but with chorizo and avocado, which is a great combination for me. One of the things I also love about this place is that you choose what sort of coffee you want from about 10 different options. I chose three different ones while I was there because it is self-serve I was able to make it just how I like. I would definitely recommend to anyone in the area or especially to anyone visiting San Diego.

    ABC Burger and they forgot the A and B (I asked for no C)
    Trevor T.

    Swami's Cafe is a local landmark that is very popular. I unfortunately have had two experiences that were not great. First one was during breakfast and ordered a dish without cheese and it arrived covered in dairy. They apologized, but it was particularly agonizing due to how long the wait was to order and receive the food in the first place only to have to wait even longer for them to remake the dish. The food was delicious when made the way I ordered it, but probably would have enjoyed anything since I was starving. A year went by and decided to give Swami's another try by ordering the Hormone Free ABC burger with no cheese or mayo. Surprise! I get a burger with no A or B either! They did a good job with no cheese or mayo, but why pay extra for no avocado or bacon? I could have ordered a cheeseburger with no cheese and saved $2. The food is good, but if you need to make any modifications know that they will get it wrong.

    Sunshine-y flowers at the entrance/sign! Puts you in a great mood :)
    Chi N.

    Food: 8.5/10 Ambiance: 9/10 Service: 9/10 Cost: 8.5/10 What we ordered: 1) PItaya Smoothie: I LOVED the pitaya smoothie! Definitely ordering it again next time I go -- get it with bee pollen! 2) Chilaquiles: Always our go-to for our post-surf hangs! ;) 3) Tropical Salmon Salad: I usually order this, and this time the slab of salmon was WAY bigger than normal -- in fact, the whole entire salad was much bigger than normal! What was a bummer was the salmon was kind of fishy this time... and I think it may have been what gave me a huge stomachache :( But otherwise I thought the rest of the salad was pretty fresh. Request extra basil vinaigrette salad dressing for this one -- I felt like mine didn't have enough, and that salad dressing is de-LISH! 4) Acai Bowl: I only had one spoonful of this but it was pretty good! Location/Ambiance: PERFECT post-surf spot! ;) Service was great the last time that I came here! You do have to get up to request things a lot of the time, but I loved that the staff helped you with a smile :) Cost was reasonable! I was bummed about my salad this time around... but I do appreciate this local business & I guess I'll just order something next time I'm in :)

    Club & Smoothie
    Nadia S.

    Came on a Sunday after rush. Smoothie hit the spot and sando was generous portion. Felt just right after fun surf session.

    Takeout for my dad
    Jiyoung K.

    7/10! Quintessential California beachside cafe -- convenient location, good food, good vibes! Outdoor seating close to the beach, friendly and quick service. Lots of teeny birds We ordered the breakfast sandwich, pancakes, and the spinach salmon salad. Pancakes were fluffy, not particularly unique, the breakfast sandwich was harmonious and savory, and the salad's vinaigrette + ingredient balance was OK. Big servings. Was going to take pictures when the food came out, but we dug in right away!

    Ultimate veggie sandwich made vegan & fries

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    7 days ago

    Excellent food was delicious and not pricey. Service great. Great location and ambiance.

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    3 months ago

    Always get the chorizo and has, be warned it's always very packed. Like to order for pick up and eat at the beach

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    1 year ago

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    8 months ago

    Every experience I've had here has been great. Food and service are top notch. Can get kinda busy so go with an open mind.

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    5 months ago

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    10 months ago

    Got the Swami's Eggs Benedict. The service was fast ans friendly. Total beach vibe..

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    11 months ago

    The food was Fesh tasting the service was quick the Orginal Swami,s Cafe Encinitas California

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    3 years ago

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    Honey's Bistro

    4.1
    (883 reviews)
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    Had a fab breakfast today at Honey's. As other restaurants shrink their portions Honey's continues…read moreto serve appropriate servings and quality food. Great variety of food and their fruit is actually fresh. Lots of choices so let's support the really good ones!! Cobi the young man taking orders is super friendly and had something positive to say to each guest!! We will be back! You should visit.

    Came here on a sunny Monday afternoon to meet a friend and her kid. As I approached the entrance, I…read moregot a little nervous as there was a huge line, but it turned out to be Taco StandBell, and I let out a sigh of relief. I have no doubt that this cozy spot is crowded AF on the weekends though. They have outdoor seating with umbrellas for shade. Most of the shaded tables we're taken so I opted to sit inside. You order at the counter and coffee & water are self service. After looking at the menu I decided on the corned beef hash and my friend asked me to order her kid a grilled cheese sandwich so she wouldn't have to wait to eat since it was a long drive for them. The hash was good. I should have asked them to make it a bit crispier though as is it has a lot of flavor and I saw some celery in there. Happy to eat more fiber I asked for my eggs to be medium over and they were cooked as asked. Food came out in a reasonable time and overall experience was good.

    Photos
    Interior seating
    Interior seating
    Half Order Benedict
    Half Order Benedict
    Mocktail

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    Mocktail

    Swami's Café - juicebars - Updated July 2026

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