Waited for 40 minutes for a turkey sandwich & scrambled eggs/bacon! Not sure why it took so long since it wasn't that busy and no waiting for a table food was good but just not with the wait read more

What an experience! A well prepared meal is one thing, but when a well prepared meal is paired with quaint European atmosphere and a staff that exhibits the love of what they are doing, it becomes a culinary experience. I would suggest this place to anyone who loves food. My wife and I ate lunch there when we arrived in Santa Cruz and we returned for breakfast later in the week before heading back to the Sierras. The baked goods are excellent, the loose leaf tea was something we rarely experience while traveling and the excellent meals were just the right size. We hate the way many restaurants heap too much food on a plate just to see much of it returned to be dumped in the trash. The small touches were welcomed; a slice of whole cream butter and a dollop of jam on the plate were a welcomed sight compared to the packaged alternatives in a chain restaurant. Sitting outside on their patio while smelling my breakfast being made through the open window into their small kitchen reminded me of Europe, where food is revered, friendship is honored and culinary experience is an art. This was an experience I would like others to share, please visit! My best of luck to the owners and staff of this fine establishment, thank you. We met a wonderful young woman at the restaurant who was producing fine art pencil drawings at one of the open tables - wish we remembered her name and how to get ahold of her . . . if anyone knows her name, add a comment on Yelp. read more

Ok I'm going to be honest this place was bad. I haven't even gotten my simple order of a bagel and eggs in 45 minutes. The host was an asshole the whole time, from when we called about wait time to when we asked where our food was. We will not be returning. read more

For the price this is 5-star. For the ambiance 4-star. This is akin to a funky beach shack (the beach is about 1/4 mile away), so it is very relaxing; the outdoor patio is very nice, but too much street noise. Oh wait, this is a restaurant. This is home cooking at it's best. For $5 I got a delicious egg scramble with fresh vegetables (often harvested from their garden) plus toast. My breakfast was the right amount, not too much. They had mini cinnamon rolls for 50 cents - as decadent as Cinnabon, but in a guilt-free size. Also they have a breakfast buffet bar - if you find what you like there, it is $8 per pound - you manage your own portions! read more

Seems like great quality of food but for a small place/small parking lot you would think they wouldn't deny someone a Togo order when they're busy (which is quite often). As someone who works in a restaurant togo orders are the easiest way to not have to deal with a line getting bigger and people standing around waiting for their food for longer then they need to... Odd service here. read more

Three of my friends and I were sitting outside doing schoolwork and there were at least two empty tables around us, not to mention the numerous empty tables inside. The lady who worked there told us very rudely that we had to order something or leave and then she threw a menu on our table. We went in and ordered something and she came outside and threw the food down in a bag and told us we had to take it to go because the cafe "wasn't a study place". So rude considering we ordered something at her request and she still told us to leave! read more

NEVER EVER EVER EVER worst service worst food worst thing ever. We waited one hour for over priced cold nasty food. There was small proportions it's unbelievable. Wish I could put zero stars. Employees were rude / weird and kept calling me "darling". Pretty offended. Workers were unapologetic and inconsiderate and yelled at me for asking if it was almost ready. Don't do it eat at McDonald's or any where else ever read more

Lovely chill place with great staff and yummy, healthy food - and good espresso drinks. Special shout out the the dishwasherguy with the Monster Magnet shirt - he was soooo nice. read more

I mean.... super delicious, great atmosphere. And sure, inexpensive but the portions are just not substantial. I'd much rather pay an extra few dollars(if that's what it takes... but shouldn't) to have a bit more scramble and a full slice of toast. And I don't think 10 potato pieces are worth $3? Correct me if I'm wrong. If you're going to continue charging $7 a plate maybe warn the customers that it's not necessarily filling because I feel like fixing your hunger is usually why one would go out to eat. Idk. Also the wait time? So damn long which I understand because they don't have a full kitchen... I just feel as if they're under prepared for the customers intentions. read more

this place has it all. and then some. gluten free vegan veggie grub and crazy gooey almond milk mochas all the way to your classic bacon/eggs/coffee. perfectly done with a little bit of homey sass and a lot of love. great atmosphere outside or inside, just don't take my favorite front window seat! read more

Love this place, the food is really good, great options, organic, and really healthy, however the portion sizes can be ridiculous, I think if you pay over $12 for a meal it should fill you up. read more

I had such an amazing experience at this little Cafe. My friends had come out to visit me for my birthday weekend and we all came to brunch at the Windmill Cafe. The owner was there and had a great sense of humor and helped us order. The atmosphere is amazing and cozy both inside and out and it feels like your at an old friends place. The food and coffee was great and so were the people working there. It made my birthday weekend even more spectacular and I definitely plan on going back. read more

So happy to have found this place! Cozy local vibe, amazing smoothie and scrambles cooked with veggies from their garden. They even make their own jam-yum! read more

We were hungry for adventure :) and coffee of corse, so we set out to find a breakfast place on the way down from big basin after camping for a few rainy nights. Looked up a place to have a hot cup of coffee and also somewhere that would accommodate a smoothie for the kid-oh plus a dog friendly patio since we had our bodyguard slater with us.... "Windmill it is" we said. When we pulled up it was picturesque -the quaintness of the place. We pulled around back and our jaws dropped in awe of the established garden and fun trinkets dispersed among the greenery. We sat in the sun at a picnic table covered by a large umbrella. Coffee came out first, I ordered a dirty chai, the best I ever had- super gingery and strong. We ordered smoothie as promised for the lad, a massive salsa filled egg breakfast burrito for the 6 yr old with the appetite, a veg curry for the college student-newly crossed over-vegetarian, and a veg croissant for myself... seriously, wow!!! Couldn't have been more impressed with how spot on all the dishes were and how satisfied we left. Inside was adorable. The crowd was chatty and eccentric. Staff was warm and helpful.We could have stayed all day, as we drove off we sort of pouted a bit. We will be back on our next road trip north, we miss you already windmill. read more

This place seems very "hipster" lol. A lot of vegetarian and vegan options though. It was a bit pricier than most places. A lot of the food here is easy to make at home yourself. Went because a few girls wanted to check it out. Would I go here again? Probably not by myself, but with the fiancé. read more

While it is not posted anywhere, this place has a minimum purchase amount. This one star review is not about this policy. I understand if a cafe prefers not to be used as a coffee shop. This one star review is for the disdain with which this message was delivered to me as though I were a malicious customer. I walked in on a Saturday morning, noticed most inside tables were empty, ordered an espresso drink, left a tip in the jar, sat down inside and started reading; however, within an hour, the male owner/cashier asked me to leave since I had not ordered a full meal and his cafe was too busy to be used as a place to read. I looked around very confused. The cafe was not crowded inside--only 3 of the 9 indoor tables including mine were occupied. There was no one in line to order. My suggestion to the establishment; Post a sign explaining your rule. Something like this: "Weekend Policy: We kindly ask that you make at least a $10 purchase per person for every hour that you remain on our premises. That way, we can accommodate as many patrons as possible. Thanks for your help." Even with a posted sign of this policy, that would not excuse these further rude and extremely uncomfortable interactions: -When asked if their macchiato was a single espresso shot, he said "I know what it is" as though I had accused him of not knowing. In fact, I was confirming that it was a single shot rather than a double. -I moved a chair from another table so that I could have a spot to place my backpack on, since I was the only customer in the room at the time. The same man entered the room, put his hands on the chair, removed my backpack, and told me that I could not have that extra chair because it was blocking access to the door behind me. Again, I understand and support fire codes and I also know there is a less aggressive way to express this policy. -I watched a large family come in and sit down. The male owner came over and reprimanded them for moving tables together on their own. In a chastising tone he said, "I will do this for you, but normally I don't seat tables of 7 here. That is what the large tables out front are for." The family seemed confused since those front tables were already full. Were they supposed to have waited out front? How could they possibly have known what to do without a formal greeter at this cafe? At first, I gave this gentlemen the benefit of the doubt that he was having a terrible day. Now that I've returned home and read through other people's reviews, I see that this man is the owner and that he and his wife have received five years of 1 and 2 star service reviews for similar reasons. I'm shocked they can stay in business treating people this way. read more

this charming cafe has terrific breakfast & lunch, great coffee, lovely service.

Best mochas ever and a great atmosphere. We love this place!

Yum! I was going to upload a picture of my food, but I took a bite and couldn't stop eating! I had the best gluten free waffle, a yummy smoothie and some bacon. This place has an awesome menu! We will be back... read more

This used to be one of my favorite gluten-free breakfast places. I especially love the rose tea. Unfortunately I will not be returning to the windmill Café. The atmosphere has changed and I found the cashier/server to be rude and condescending. After waiting 45 minutes we left without our food! read more

We love the Windmill Cafe. It's a great place to study, enjoy a pot of tea with a friend, grab a delicious organic coffee, or feast upon a nourishing meal. Mary is a fabulous cook/baker with great taste and commitment to high quality, local, organic food. Her gluten free muffins are ridiculously tasty! The Windmill Card is one of Santa Cruz' treasures! read more

I love this place! Nothing could be better than coming in to the mellow music, Mary's warm greeting, the fab and free flowing coffee, the good wifi, nicely spaced tables, and homemade delectable food. Veges from their back garden go into their yummy daily scramble....a bargain at $5......and their bacon is the best! The atmosphere is welcoming, non hurried and homey. I've only had breakfast here, alone and with family, but its the only place I go now, after trying most of the other Santa Cruz spots. read more

The Windmill is NOT KID FRIENDLY. I am a local person who just lives down the street and has visited the Windmill several times because yes there food/ coffee are great except very small portions. I have had several bad experiences here The owner is not friendly and inviting, I waited 45mins for my food and after 30mins of waiting for them to get the toy box they keep around for children I got a very rude response from a male that works there he said in a very impatient tone"everyone needs something today" I ordered potatoes for my daughter and while everyone else got fried potatoes they microwaved her's. Today I wasnt even at the door and the owner came out and excused my daughter of picking plants there and then begin not only to lecture me but lecture her!!! Its never ok to lecture someone else child. Im ok with never going back there but there rudeness lost them a regular customer willing to spend a good amount of money... THEY WILL MAKE YOU FEEL UNWELCOME IF YOU HAVE YOUNG CHILDREN. read more

Had the weirdest experience there studying, had only been there for 10 min...the guy working there brought my friend food and when he walked by the table he said, "Do you want anything, because we'd really like to pay our bills!" I guess stopping in for a sec with friends is not allowed unless you're going to buy something. Won't be stopping in here again for hostile treatment... read more

I love the Windmill Cafe. It is my favorite breakfast place. I can feel the love in the food. It is dog friendly. The price and quality are great. Something for everyone. It is a good place to meet with friends and relax and talk. read more

This cute little cafe is delicious and has many gluten free options. The sandwiches and bagels are delightful, and the homemade gluten free bread is excellent! read more

Love this place, great food, good prices, and great staff. Overall a neighborhood favorite!

What a great cafe! I typed in 'gluten-free Santa Cruz' on google and found this place. They serve yummy gluten-free French toast made with a really hearty dark bread. The waitstaff and owner are super nice. The decaf coffee was great too. I'll be back! read more

third and final time trying what I hoped would be a great local spot. had the blt the first time, meh. had the scramble with veggies and it tasted only of soy sauce on the second visit. third time I asked what was in their gluten free muffin, and they told me a "proprietary blend of flours" I asked which ones (as i am concerned with more than gluten in my diet) and they became rude and proceeded to not say another word to me for the rest of the transaction. pretentious and over priced. bummer. read more

Never been here before. Picked it because it was midway between where I live and the person I was meeting lived. Couldn't believe how much I enjoyed it. Plus it was very pet friendly out on the patio where we ate. I'll make it one of my regular stops now when I drive through Santa Cruz. Note, I did have one minor concern. They don't take your order at the table; instead, you have to go to the counter to order/pay. Normally that's fine for me, but when I have pets with me, it's kind of hard to leave them alone at the table so I can go in and order. read more

LOVED this place! I was in town for business and stopped in for brunch. The staff was incredibly nice and the restaurant is so cozy and inviting. Not to mention the building itself is so cute! My dog really enjoyed the outdoor patio area. Will definitely return next time I'm in town! read more

A hidden gem in midtown. This cafe is my new favorite, with incredibly moist homemade gluten free bread on one of their sandwiches of organic locally sourced ingredients, combined with a REAL super food smoothie, and some vegan coconut oil based fudge for desert; you can't go wrong! I love to come and study with their free wifi, sip on a homemade chai with almond milk, and visit with the locals. It's chill, comfortable, quiet, and right across the street from the ocean. I highly recommend it! read more

Love love love this place! Food is amazing, on the healthy side and super fresh. Great staff and garden.

Cute place. A little to "hippie" for me. Got a turkey bacon avacado sandwich. It was good. Took about 15 minutes for them to make it though....and I was the only person in line. Girks were nice and friendly. read more

I don't usually leave negative reviews, but this place was truly awful. Ordered a muffin and coffee cake. Both tasted like hockey pucks. Not that I know what one tastes like, using my imagination of course. We eventually just left after over an hour of waiting for our main dishes. Don't buy the four star rating! read more

Horrible service!!! It took more than 30 minutes to make 2 orders of scramble eggs. By the time the food came out my coffee was cold. I can say I'm never coming back. read more

Very welcoming place. You feel like you're visiting family. Loved sitting on the patio for breakfast. Veggie Omelet was fantastic. Just all around, pleasant. read more

We feel so welcome here and the food is amazing! Dogs and children are treated with respect. The ambiance is great. Love the fresh gluten free baked goods read more

Excellent menu and friendly staff. Smoothies and coffee are delicious. Overall, a little pricey though.

Kind of funky, which I liked. But I was disappointed in the food. We had scrambed eggs, bacon, sauteed vegetables, and carrot-tarragon soup. The eggs and bacon were passable. The vegetables were tasty, but the serving was very small. However, the soup was barely edible -- it had a very unfortunate choice of spices. (And I like a variety of spicy cuisines.) Also, it was quite frothy, which is a very unusual texture for a soup and one I don't recommend. I wouldn't consider going back. read more