Overpriced and mediocre. But sadly, not too many choices easily found in the area. I can't recommend. Another breakfast place just phoning it in. The server was great but the food is meh. Nothing special and a little over priced. Inflation don't you know. read more

Support local business! The atmosphere was pleasant and artsy. Located right on the plaza in Arcata. Food was fresh and the staff very delightful. Quiet and quaint. Breakfast was wonderful! read more

The Big Blue Cafe - Menu cover - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Arcata, California

Looking for breakfast in Arcata and found this spot- nice ambiance, very bust but service was reasonable. It is located across from the love Arcada town square which is bordered by cute shops and businesses. I had scrambled eggs, bacon, home fries (doesn't anyone do hash browns anymore?) the hubs had the special with French toast, eggs and sausage. Coffee was spectacular from a brewer in Eureka I believe the server said. Good food- good service nice spot and across from our table was a small table with a few things kids would like - a toy truck, some other small toys to keep littles occupied while waiting for food. It was modest- not like a noisy kids play area and when we were eating there were no kids -just a nod to being kid friendly- read more

I had such a great time at The Big Blue Café, I would go back in a heartbeat. I was in town visiting friends for the weekend and we decided to hit up their epic farmers market. However, before we did that, we had to get some grub. We are all slightly hungover from the night before and our appetites compared to that of a grizzly bear right out of hibernation. To our pleasant surprise, there wasn't a wait and we got seated right away. Our server (I believe her name was Vicki) was one of the highlights of our experience. She was on top of everything! Before we ordered water and coffee was passed around and food suggestions were made. Everyone at the table got something different. I went with my favorite breakfast (no matter where I am) and that simply includes two eggs over medium, toast, and hash browns. Our food came out quickly and the coffee never stopped pouring. Heck, by the end of our meal, we were laughing at how often folks were coming by topping off coffee cups. We were even offered coffee to go. Needless to say, the service was top notch. This quaint breakfast and lunch café is exactly what you would hope to find in a little town like Arcata. From the moment we sat down, we were treated like family. read more

Big blue is our fave Arcata breakfast joint. Breakfast bagel sandwich, HUGE chocolate chip blueberry pancake, and pretty much anything at this place is delicious and I love their coffee. Their view is the plaza is awesome and so convenient! Kind staff and a little play area in the back for kids make add to the awesomeness of this restaurant! We'll be back! read more

The Big Blue Cafe - Bagel sandwich - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Arcata, California

We came here because Renata's up the block was backed up and they couldn't manage takeout orders at the time. * JEFF'S CLAM CHOWDER Pretty tasty, but not impressive either. It came with a few packets of oyster crackers. * GRILLED VEGGIE SPECIALTY SANDWICH This is where I feel like I got jipped. Inside the grilled veggie specialty sandwich (it actually comes wrapped in a pita) is various sautéd veggies and some lettuce, AND you get to choose fries or a green salad on the side. I opted for the green salad and he asked if I wanted it inside the wrap. Going off of his recommendation I got the salad inside. I literally got 3 pieces of lettuce and the wrap already comes with lettuce inside, so they pretty much conned me out of a salad. Looking at previous photos the side salad is definitely more than 3 pieces of lettuce and comes with cucumber, tomatoes, and olives - none of which were inside the wrap. The wrap was nothing remarkable and I think roasted veggies would've tasted better. I would've rated it as a 3 star experience if I didn't get cheated for what I'm paying for :/ read more

They've become too expensive and the food isn't like it once was: The ginger beef sandwich (Sunday lunch) was only grilled beef on a French bun with jack cheese, and a ginger garlic paste. Per the menu (and previously) there was supposed to be; onions, green peppers, cream cheese, and pepper jack cheese..!!! The salad option was just a small side dish. My husband had a bean dish he didn't much like. The bill w 2 cups of coffee = $52 w tip. (I didn't even finish the sandwich. It was so boring!!!) read more

The Big Blue Cafe - This is the half I didn't eat.. boring. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Arcata, California

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Absolutely loved everything from the food and the service, not to mention the music playlist! Very very good experience! read more

The Big Blue Cafe - Delicious bacon mushroom omelette with salsa and avocado to add! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Arcata, California

Oh boy do I love this place. Our server was the definition of a southern bell, I think his name was Parker? Anyway, amazing food, & even more amazing service. I would eat myself to death if it meant hanging out in this restaurant for as long as they'd let me stay. I usually don't like when male servers show some chest hair, but if it's Parker, we don't mind a few buttons down ;) 10/10 recommend checking this place out! read more

Food is better than average but the prices for a sandwich (20 bucks) is downright stupid and so are people who pay for that.

We were looking for a quick breakfast while visiting our daughter, who is a student at CalPoly Humboldt. We saw good reviews on Yelp, so we decided to give this place a try. We were seated right away by a friendly hostess. We started with regular coffees, which were excellent! Our server, Skye, was friendly, helpful with recommendations, and had all around great vibes on a Saturday morning. My steak and eggs were delicious, the potatoes were tasty, and even my side of rye bread was incredibly good! My husband had the Denver omelette which was delicious, and I normally don't like Denver omelets. Skye recommended the pumpkin pancakes, and I'm so glad she did...they were great!!! The food was yummy and the service was amazing! Highly recommend!!! read more

The Big Blue Cafe - Denver Omelette and Steak & Eggs - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Arcata, California

We had the best brunches here, the food quality is very good and the service is friendly. They were super accommodating and let us bring in our little dog with us. Very much appreciate this in a dining establishment. Did I mention how excellent their food is? Fluffy scrambled eggs, bacon cooked just right, delicious scrambles. This place is delish. read more

On my second visit to The Big Blue, I really wanted to like it. We were greeted with friendly service and the table in the front window cleaned quickly for us upon our arrival. All going well. Good coffee and mixed chai served promptly. Sample of the cheesy leek potato soup provided. Good but even a little too cheese for my tastes. What?! Had just missed national croissant day by a day, so decided to go for the breakfast sandwich on a croissant while the hubs went with one of his faves, huevos rancheros. Unfortunately, both were subpar. My croissant was dense and doughy and undercooked while the huevos had too many beans and not enough flavor. The quasi cheese skirt and pull on my sandwich and the plentiful bacon and added avocado were the highlights, along with the chai and service. read more

The Big Blue Cafe - Doughy breakfast croissant sandwich, mixed chai, huevos rancheros and cup o' joe. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Arcata, California

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The Big Blue Cafe is an adorable brunch spot on the Arcata Plaza that serves delicious comfort food and amazing hot chocolate! Every meal that I've enjoyed at this restaurant has been fantastic. Our servers have always been friendly and attentive, and the restaurant is clean and well-maintained. Parking near the front can be a little rough at times considering it is in the Plaza, but it's worth the walk from your parking place. If I have any complaint at all, it's the portion sizes in relation to the price. Although the food is yummy, it is a little pricey considering you need to pay extra for some sides with some dishes (e.g if ordering a croissant sandwich, you need to add on a side of home fries instead of it coming with the meal). That aside, I'm very satisfied with the meals I've eaten here! I highly recommend this spot if you're looking for a good breakfast/lunch/brunch spot while traversing through the Arcata area. Some of the best food in the area, for sure! read more

The Big Blue Cafe - Hot chocolate with fresh whipped cream! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Arcata, California

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Honestly for 10 bucks The sandwich could've have been at least cooked or the croissant itself I got toasted points And nothing else is toasted then my egg was completely rubberized way over cooked so from being undercooked on the croissant to being over cooked on the egg for $10 I probably won't go back read more

The Big Blue Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Arcata, California

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Excellent food, service, prices and very convenient in downtown Arcata. Location on the Arcata plaza. Always good seating.

Great food, good service and decent prices. I love how eclectic the place was. It was a perfect spot to stop.

Hands down best breakfast spot in Arcata. It does not matter how busy they are, the service is always on point. The food is always fantastic especially the Karen's potatoes. Place is a little snug but adds to the overall laidback ambiance of the restaurant. Big Blue is always the right choice when it comes to breakfast in Arcata. read more

The service is impeccable here. Sky, our server, was great and our food was delish! The dining room was very clean, accommodating large and small parties. They didn't have a place for 3 to sit so they gave us their larger table to get us seated. I'm a huge brunch person and my guy likes lunch so this menu is great for us both. I never get to order biscuits and gravy because I don't eat pork. They have a non meat gravy that is tasty. I usually miss brunch because it takes me a bit to get up and going on Sunday so closing at 3:00PM is a huge +++++!!!! We live in Trinidad and drive to old town to Green Lily but often miss brunch and have to go somewhere else. I'm looking forward to having a place closer that is really good. Oh! Mimosas are so yummy. We had the grapefruit carafe. I suggest you go here if you haven't been. It's amazing read more

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This place is pretty killer! I came with a few friends while visiting Humboldt County, and this place seemed like the best for brunch. The service was really great and they let us sit outside and add a chair so that we could have our dog with us. The food was scrumptious and I really liked that the french toast breakfast club had everything I wanted combined into one! I would come back. read more

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A friend recommended I visit The Big Blue Cafe for breakfast - so I did! It's a popular place, when I arrived, there were a few people inside. After I was seated, a whole bunch of people showed up and the place filled up quickly! I ordered what I think is called "The Butler": Toasted English Muffins topped with slices of tomato, scrambled eggs, sausage gravy (a vegetable gravy is available), cheese, scallions, and I opted for chopped bacon and avocado as well. I asked for the English Muffins to be toasted a bit on the crispy side - my server laughed and said that is how she likes her English Muffins too. Plus coffee and water. The dish came out - and was very photo-picturesque - and very tasty! As usual for this type of breakfast food - I love Black Pepper and hot sauce - and added a bit to spice it up! Delicious breakfast! Lots of other yummy sounding breakfast options. When I come back to Northern California - I will be coming here again! #TheBigBlueCafe read more

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First time we've been here and it was extremely packed which makes sense since they just opened back up. Had to wait a while before being seated but it was soo worth it! Even though it was non stop busy it did not keep the staff from being very pleasant and nice. We ordered the french dip and the biscuits and gravy with traditional gravy (ate it too fast to get pictures) and they were both extremely good! I've had a hard time finding good biscuits and gravy since I moved here, and I'm so glad I tried them here. It was also a nice flowing restaurant, and we will be coming back! Also, I'm glad they reopened after having been closed for so long, I've always wanted to try this place and have heard nothing but great things about it read more

It appears, unless you have blue hair and facial piercings, they'll treat you like dirt. Food wasn't anything to write home about either.

Beef chili is delicious. The breaded fish, in fish and chips and in the fish burgers, had no salt at all. Would have tasted better a little salted. Fries were good too. read more

Took my grandkids here for breakfast. The food was delicious. The kids portion was large. Service was good.

First time eating here while in Arcata and I WILL definitely be back again when I come back to visit. It's a small cozy restaurant tucked away in the Plaza. Easy find and easy to walk to. The ambience is cute, not too loud either. The service was great. Everyone here is so friendly and helpful. The wait time for food was fairly quick as well. You can tell everything is made fresh and with love! I had the ginger garlic roast beef sandwich with ginger garlic potatoes..... this was AMAZING. My partner had a hot chocolate and one of the Benedict's. And my partners mom had the country fried steak. All was sooo good! Portions were awesome too. Loved it all! read more

The Big Blue Cafe - Hot chocolate - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Arcata, California

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Ate here Saturday and Sunday while there moving my son into his dorm. Skye was our waitress and she was great! And seeing her smiling face on campus after we got him all moved in made him feel more at home! Food was great too! read more

Good food, regular portions,average service,college ambiance. Faces Arcata's plaza so crowded onFarmers Market day (Saturday). read more

In short: amazing service and great food. Not much more needs to be said Very helpful crew who love their jobs and do it well read more

The waiters were not professional. They were moody and pretentious. Probably with hangover since it's holidays?! We dunno. Anyways, my partner convinced me not to leave a tip so.. sorry but you suck! read more

Shrink-flation got the better of them and the $20 omelet is now half the size. Super bummed.

One of my favorite brunch spots in Arcata! Wonderful coffee and mimosas, everything on the menu is made with care. Cozy warm spot id recommend to anyone. read more

They weren't busy, but for some reason took forever to get us seated. We tried to get on the list, & the hostess sat a larger table before us... because she knew them personally. After we were sat, we sat there waiting for about 15 minutes before being helped. The coffee & food took FOREVER to get to our table. The food was pretty good. Our server was nice. Overall... hard mid. read more

The Big Blue Cafe - Rancheros - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Arcata, California

Big blue Café is my go to for breakfast in Humboldt County. Everything is fresh, organic, and locally sourced. The wait staff is nice, pleasant and efficient. The coffee is good. I would definitely recommend going to this spot for breakfast. I've been there a bunch of times, I speak from personal experience. read more

Great food and service for a good price. Best breakfast in town, great drinks and kind service. read more

The Big Blue Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Arcata, California

If I could give zero stars, I would. You might as well call this place Big WHITE Café as they perpetuate white privilege by letting their white customers dictate who gets served first, ahead of other people who are waiting, including people of color, families with kids and pregnant women. If you want to support people of color in this community, I recommend you #boycottbigblue. I called ahead to get my name on the list and was told it would be a 30-minute wait. That was fine because it was going to take us 20 minutes to drive there. I walked in with my Black husband and mixed-race 3-year-old son and waited to be greeted. There were two other couples in the small waiting area. We all waited and waited and waited. At one point, someone greeted one of the other couples, but not us. After waiting for about 10 minutes, I walked up to the counter and let one of the employees know we were there, and that our name was on the list. We were told to wait a bit longer until some tables opened up, so we did. After another 10 minutes (40 minutes after we called to put our name on the list), a big older white man barged in and went up to the counter and told the manager, Karen (who I believe is also the owner), that since he had four people in his party and the other parties waiting were smaller, he should be seated at the large open table. I heard Karen tell him they weren't seating that table because they were so busy and behind on orders. But of course, the man got his way after dictating to the manger and owner how to run her restaurant and he proudly ushered his family members, two of whom were un-masked, into the restaurant past everyone who was waiting and sat down in front of all of us. One of his family members looked at all of us waiting and smugly said: "I guess the squeaky wheel gets the oil." I was upset about this, so I walked up to the front as well and pointed out that several other parties, including my family, had been waiting for a while and it was not okay to seat others before us. The employee I spoke with agreed and specifically said: "That should not have happened." I pointed out that I'm pregnant and have a hungry 3-year-old and he shook his head and apologized. I then walked back to my husband and he wanted to leave, so we did. Everyone else waiting left in frustration, too. I called and spoke with Karen about half an hour later and expressed my frustration about the issue. I have to admit I was very upset, so the conversation was not the best example of good communication skills. But I am SO TIRED of white privilege and unconscious bias rearing its head everywhere my mixed-race family goes - so what I said was admittedly governed by emotions. Karen said she felt bad and said she "felt dizzy" in the moment and didn't see us waiting there because of the way the bright light comes in through the window. Seriously? Are you kidding me? We were waiting there for 20 minutes with at least four other people. NONE of the employees greeted us. I had proactively spoken with another employee at the counter, and my name was right there on her waiting list. And my husband is tall and Black, and we have a loud toddler - you kind of can't miss us, especially in Arcata. I told her that she perpetuated white privilege by letting an older white man dictate to her how to run her restaurant, which resulted in her seating him and his family before others who had been waiting, including people of color. She kept saying "It's not about that." But that's the whole point. It is about that. I asked her: if my husband would have come up and loudly told her that since our party was larger than the others waiting (it was, because we had three people and the other parties had two), she should seat us first...would she have reacted in the same way? She was quiet and didn't say anything. Then after a few beats, again she said: "It's not about that." YES IT IS Karen; yes, it is. And until people like Karen recognize that and admit it, we will continue to prolong white privilege and racism in this country and this community. read more

French toast was good but everything else was just alright. Pretty pricy as well. Service is a bit jarring. We had just sat down and needed time to look over the menu but we were interrupted four times by the different people working. We couldn't figure out who our actual server was. read more

Service (**) respectful but very slow. Ambiance (****) small town cafe restaurant, clean, large windows facing the park. Coffee / drink (*) watered down, below the quality of gas station coffee. Surely their espresso drinks are good... Food (*****) biscuits and gravy absolutely delicious. Be sure to order a side of breakfast potatoes to mix in with the gravy. Even though the scrambled eggs look dry in the pic they were moist and not over cooked. The French toast was moist but next time I would order maple syrup. The average comes to about *** 1/2 stars rounding to 4 read more

The Big Blue Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Arcata, California

Good service even when busy. Good food and coffee. Pleasant atmosphere. I like to admire the lovely wood work was done by a local artisan. read more

Their tofu "scramble" is not a scramble at all, it's literally just cubes of plain tofu fried in oil. No added spices or veggies or anything. The rest of the food was average, but the tofu really brought the meal down. It's not hard to add some flavor while cooking tofu! No sure what's going on with that. They offer this tofu "scramble" as a substitute for eggs, so if you don't eat eggs then a lot of your options are going to be veeeery bland. I should have taken a picture but I forgot - just imagine white cubes of tofu that are slightly yellow from being fried in oil. Giving two stars because the restaurant and the people were nice. read more