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    The Small Café

    3.9 (359 reviews)
    Closed 7:00 am - 2:00 pm

    Order The Small Café Takeout or Delivery

    The Small Café Photos

    THE SMALL CAFÉ ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Happy hour specials
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - The Small Café

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    Angelina C.

    The cutest darn cafe that gives you that hometown diner feel but with a cool breeze because you're only a couple blocks from the beach. The food is good, and the service is great. Coffee stayed full and hot. I ordered the veggie omelet but forgot to take a picture but the presentation was great. This is my 2nd visit and whenever I'm in the area it's my new go-to.

    Evan K.

    Oof always drove by this cafe and it looks so cute and SMALL! Definitely looked like a vibe and brunch always makes me happy no matter what mood i'm in. Once we arrived we got sat outside and had our fur pup on our lap while dining. They are a dog friendly cafe! I don't exactly remember what I got, it was either an omelet or the special spud ( I think it was the special spud) which was pretty good but I was super scared I was going to get a stomach ache. The potatoes and food was very very greasy. The plate was covered in grease, I feel like they could've at least wiped some of it up but it felt like a puddle in my meal. We overall thought the cafe was average and we never have talked about it ever since :/. Looking at other reviews, they also said their potatoes were drenched in oil.

    Julia J.

    First time come here for lunch with my Lovely. I've driven past this shop for many years on my way to the beach, yet I had never really noticed it before. Today--Easter Sunday--while driving back from the coast, we found that most restaurants were either closed or opening late. When we spotted this place as we drove by, we turned around and stopped in for lunch. The shop is small and simple, yet bright and clean; with all the doors open, the natural light and fresh air from the sea create a wonderfully airy atmosphere. Upon entering, we were warmly welcomed by the very friendly staff, and the menu offered a wide variety of choices. The food was served quickly. What I particularly liked was how little grease there was on the dishes at this establishment. We thoroughly enjoyed my meal . Thanks to the attentive care of the highly responsible staff. Will definitely return in the future to try other items on the menu.

    Leslie Y.

    This cafe is small but mighty. What it lacks in size is more than made up for by service and quality of the food. We found a table inside right away on a busy Saturday morning, and we were attended to promptly even though business was already booming. After we ordered our food, we didn't have to wait long for them to arrive either. The menu might not have exotic and sophisticated selection, but the food was prepared with skill and care. I ordered the Florentine, and I loved every bite. Mine didn't come with the famous hash brown, so I sampled some from my wife's plate. It was indeed delicious and crispy, but not overdone. Parking was interesting in this tiny shopping center, and it fills up quickly. Grab a spot if you're lucky.

    Potato's

    I don't usually leave reviews, but this place honestly disappointed me. I'm embarrassed I even chose to wait and eat here before going somewhere better. I'll start with the one positive: the blueberry muffin was really good. Now the negatives. We ordered the tomato soup and it was extremely salty like overwhelming. We had to send it back. After that, I ordered a burrito with potatoes, and the portion of potatoes was really small (I even took a picture because it was that bad). It honestly made me frustrated. The burrito itself was just okay, nothing special. We also ordered a salad and it honestly sucked barely any dressing and not mixed properly. On top of that, our waitress had a dirty shirt with noticeable stains, which made the whole experience feel even less clean. To make things worse, they still tried to charge us for the soup even though we returned it, which felt really sneaky and unprofessional. The service was just okay at best they never offered refills for coffee or water. Overall, not a good experience.

    Allen G.

    Stopped by for a late breakfast and had a solid experience overall. We ordered the Corned Beef Hash N' Eggs, ABC Omelet, The Club, Biggie Small Burger, and a Michelada. The corned beef hash, ABC omelet, and the Biggie Small Burger were the standouts for me -- straightforward, good flavor, and portioned well. The place has a laid-back neighborhood feel. Staff was friendly without being over the top, and food came out at a good pace even though it was pretty busy. Seating is tight since the café is on the smaller side, but it works for what it is. If you're around the area and want an easy breakfast or lunch without anything too fussy, this is a solid option. I'd go back for those few dishes alone.

    Corned Beef & Hash
    Sammy L.

    We accidentally stumbled upon the small cafe because they had outdoor seating so we could bring our dogs. What a happy surprise! The staff were all so nice and friendly and the food was absolutely delicious. Fluffiest pancakes ever! The corn beef hash was sooo good. So happy to have found this cozy little local spot!

    Vanilla latte with almond milk

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    2 months ago

    Cute and cozy brunch, we love this place! Had a delicious michelada to start. Food and service were perfect!

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    1 month ago

    First time coming by here, hit the spot, can definitely see us coming back, good food and service

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    Just discovered this place . Food was so fresh & yummy & our waitress, Esperanza, was very kind . Thank you

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    9 months ago

    Great food and service! Menu had a great variety of options from American to Mexican.

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    Page 1 of 9

    Ask the Community - The Small Café

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    For parties of 6 or more, reservations are always available.

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    Sideburns

    4.3
    (385 reviews)
    3.4 mi
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    The regular cheeseburger is basically a McDonald's cheeseburger if McDonald's actually had quality…read moreingredients. Hit the spot. I was really impressed with the meat quality as well as the bread. I usually don't get anything fancy on my burger so I tried the standard cheeseburger. Next time I might snazz it up and get one of the fancier ones.

    Only really bad part is the area. One side of the street is…read moreclean and nice but the others are dirty and filled with less than reputable looking characters. The burgers are good though. This is probably why most people came in with online/phone orders for pickup and got the heck out of there in a hurry. Fries are okay at best but the onion rings are fantastic! I don't recommend the smash style burger because it's smaller and doesn't come with the fixings, but if that's your thing than by all means enjoy. I got the backyard bbq burger and it was very tasty. Not the best I've ever had but it definitely hits the spot and prices are not bad at all here. If I happen to be in the area again I would definitely be down to phone in my order and pickup for takeout to enjoy the tastiness somewhere I feel a little more comfortable. Staff was also very friendly - when they could be seen at least, but it was one cashier/server with two guys in the kitchen and although it's a small hole in the wall place there is still plenty to do if you're understaffed so I'm not even mad about it. Thanks ya'll!

    Photos
    Inside dining art
    Inside dining art
    Smash Burger with tots - @rayz
    Smash Burger with tots - @rayz
    Inside Decor

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    The Ordinarie

    The Ordinarie

    4.2
    (959 reviews)
    3.9 mi
    $$

    My wife and I had an excellent Sunday brunch experience here. We sat in their shaded patio and…read morelistened to the duet jazz band sipping cocktails and eating delicious food. I started with a cup of their beef and barley soup. My wife and I both make this at home from scratch and we're both impressed by theirs. My wife took a taste of mine and instantly ordered her own. Very rich and flavorful. I kept looking at photos of their take on chicken and waffles and knew I had to try it. Seriously epic and was good as it looked. They coated the chicken in a chili rub that gave it a sweet and spicy flavor when paired with their maple syrup. Served on top of a waffle and topped with an egg. I loved it and would probably order again on my next visit. My wife had the American plate which was your classic eggs, bacon, potatoes, and sourdough toast combo. High quality ingredients elevated it beyond your typical diner food. Drinks were great too. I had their house made bloody mary which had a nice kick to it. My wife had their brunch version of a Corpse Reviver cocktail. After our meals were done we finished with an Irish coffee since everyone was ordering them. Perfect service, relaxing atmosphere, and delicious food will definitely have me returning very soon! Parking is free for 2 hours at the nearby garage on 3rd and is a very short walk. The closer garage on Broadway is not free. You can make restaurant reservations on their website but it wasn't needed when we went.

    I've never had a restaurant refuse to honor a confirmed reservation. This review isn't about a…read morerestaurant making an honest mistake (things happen, I get it). It's about how management handled it. We made a reservation three days in advance to watch the Mexico World Cup match. We arrived 10 min early to our reservation in anticipation of the crowds. We received confirmation by both email and text, but when we arrived, we were told there was no reservation and "nothing they could do." Despite showing proof of our confirmed reservation, they refused to honor it and told us there were no tables available. Seconds later, another group walked up and asked to join the waitlist, and he gladly added them. I then asked why we couldn't be added--considering we had a confirmed reservation--and only then did he put us on the list. When a restaurant makes a mistake, the bare minimum is trying to make it right. We should have been given priority on the waitlist. Instead, after nearly two hours of waiting, we were still ninth in line even though the wait time for our table size showed 0 minutes. We left without ever being seated. Thankfully before the match began, we walked over to Broken Spirits (5 min walk away) where they seated us within 15 minutes and even gave us complimentary drinks to celebrate the game. The difference in hospitality was incredible. This wasn't my first disappointing experience here, either. On a previous visit, I waited outside to be seated for so long that I eventually gave up and seated myself at the bar. To make matters worse, the food and drinks don't justify the price. Cocktails are around $20, filled with ice, and underwhelming. As a customer, I left Ordinarie feeling dismissed and disrespected. Between the poor service, overpriced menu, and management's complete lack of accountability, I won't be returning. If you're in the DTLB area, I would recommend better drinks/better service at Broken Spirits or Midnight Oil :)

    Photos
    Drink specific cocktail glass
    Drink specific cocktail glass
    Grilled Chicken Sandwich|ISM Beer
    Grilled Chicken Sandwich|ISM Beer
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    Poly Burgers

    Poly Burgers

    3.9
    (144 reviews)
    3.9 mi
    $

    Hubby and I had the chicken teriyaki and a cheeseburger with fries. Everything was delicious. We…read moredefinitely will be coming back.

    Today at 5:05p I called to find out what sides comes with a dinner. I was immediately placed on…read morehold by a young lady for 9 minutes . No one ever came back to the phone to say anything! I listened to orders being placed as she continuously greeted customers. At one time I did hear a couple of customers order a dinner and I heard her ask if they wanted fries, salad or half of each. Their online menu does not indicate the sides available. It was at this time, 9 minutes later hung up. I tried to call back and the line was obviously busy. I placed my order online for burgers and fries and drove to pick my order up. It's not what I wanted but I knew what I was getting. When I arrived at the restaurant i asked her name. She said, Kate. I explained what happened and she indicated she forgot about the call. I told her good customer service would have been for her to come back to the phone if even to say, I hadn't forgot about you and will be with you shortly. She admitted I hadn't forgot a valid point. I ordered 2 burgers, a double cheeseburger and a bacon cheeseburger both with fries. To make matters worse the cheese was not even melted on the burger. Just a cold slice of cheese on both burgers. I had bit into the burger before realizing the cheese was cold and not melted or soft. I'm going to give Poly Burgers a rest. Today's experience was frustrating.

    Photos
    Poly Burgers
    Bacon cheeseburger
    Bacon cheeseburger
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    The Small Café - breakfast_brunch - Updated July 2026

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