This is one of those restaurants that boasts options like vegan and gluten free but lacks anything that is actually tasty and good. It seems like most people who eat this way don't really care what their food tastes like, as long as it meets their self prescribed dietary restrictions. The breakfast tacos have cabbage in them and are an atrocity. The most basic breakfast plate came with overdone eggs and sad toast. I had the salmon and lox bagel which was $13 and looked like it was made at Vons. With so many incredible breakfast options in this town, I'd highly advise to avoid this place unless you have the an allergy to gluten or enjoy tiny portions of bland food. read more

We arrived this morning with high hopes of finding a nice new place. As we pulled in the wife said it was cute. We parked, walked up to the entry and it was blocked off from the inside. I asked if we could eat inside and was told no. This is a cold day with rain coming and we have to eat outside? Why we couldn't eat inside is unknown but I noticed a sign mentioning masks were required. Nobody was inside the restaurant but the host from what I could see from the outside, and all paths were blocked off anyway. The host seemed preoccupied with other things and didn't seem to have time for us, but maybe she was having a bad day. This is March 4, 2023 and they require masks when you're not eating. Hey, it's their prerogative, but if that's their policy we won't be back. I'd like to hear if it's their actual policy, old old sign, or at least get an explanation why we couldn't eat inside. We asked why and were ignored. So we drove to the Crows Nest, which has never let us down in our 28 years of eating at the Crows Nest. read more

Sweet place. Breakfast and lunch. Had breakfast. Eggs were perfect and the Americano was one of the best I've ever had I highly recommend this place. read more

A new favorite for us to visit when in town! Went here with my husband and then went back a second time with his college kid. Both times were fantastic. I am always on the lookout for places that have vegan options (for me) and this place did not disappoint. They serve the best tofu scramble I have ever tasted! And those potatoes-yum! The tofu burrito was just as delicious too. My husband enjoyed the bacon the most (so not vegan lol) and we loved the decor and ambiance of this quaint little place. We cannot wait to come visit again! read more

Windmill Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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Was hopeful to sit inside but closed completely understand. I've wanted to stop here for years. Gal I spoke with was unenthused, asked how old the building is and she said it's on the sign over there and I said I was hopeful to come and get on my computer and eat and she shrugged. Didn't feel very welcomed and probably won't come back for that reason. read more

I went in around 3:30pm on a Wednesday, they had two people call out "sick" (day after New Years) and therefore were a bit slower than normal in the kitchen, I didn't mind as it wasn't their fault their employees left em hangin'. Vegans, rejoice, for there is vegan breakfast! I had the tofu scramble, it arrived steaming hot, and I liked the small-chopped greens that were mixed in, added a good crunch. Potatoes, great, toast, great, also an assortment of vegan muffins that I didn't try but looked great. I had a lemongrass tea that was wonderful, with my tofu scramble. Outdoor seating is in a cute yard area surrounded by flowers, indoors is a great cottage house-turned eatery look and vibe. I brought my laptop and sat in a nice corner next to a window, in a well-lit eating area. It was great, will be back. read more

Great food, reasonable prices, fresh and healthy, and exceptionally friendly staff. Call and place your order, pick up or eat outside. The best choice for breakfast or lunch on East Cliff Dr. In Santa Cruz, CA. The only negative, they are not open for dinner. But their gluten free, vegan, and vegetarian menu options more than make up for no dinner options. read more

This is my favorite coffee stop in the Santa Cruz area! Wonderful people, beautiful outdoor seating & landscape. It also has a wonderful menu of breakfast and lunch options, and treats! Thank you! read more

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I almost didnt leave a review because I would hate for this gem to get overcrowded. Freakin love this place! I try to eat clean which includes GF and Windmill caters to my menu desires. Had the GF french toast which was outstanding. I actually got a second order to go (it's that good). My new breakfast AND lunch spot. read more

It was chill, yummy and very nice folx working there. It's just a cute spot. Appreciated the vegan options

Rude staff, Costco OJ, bland sandwiches. Oh and pls don't get the hot chocolate. Tacoes were decent but I would really love a little kindness from the staff. read more

Food ok but the coffee was obviously an accident - undrinkable. Perhaps their coffee is usually ok but if so they should have checked before serving this. We had issues getting the taste out of our mouths. read more

Nothing special here. Had the breakfast tacos. Three tacos with egg potato cabbage and some type of sauce. There was a constant flow of people, so there is something drawing people in. Maybe I missed something. Parking is tight. Cool windmill building on East Cliff. Lots of outdoor dining, no indoor dining today. I don't think its worth a repeat visit. read more

Breakfast tacos were on point! Corn tortillas, scrambled eggs, potato, cabbage, salsa.. so good. Some of the cabbage was crunchier which gave it a good texture. Added some hot sauce and it was perfect. I also had an iced americano with almond milk. Great little spot for all day (until they close at 3ish) breakfast in Santa Cruz read more

Windmill Cafe - Breakfast tacos with a side of avocado - Cafes Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

The actual café is really cute with lots of ambiance. That's about it. The food was inedible. I understand that it's hard to manage a restaurant during Covid but not being able to manage to make a decent sandwich has absolutely nothing to do with Covid. My tuna on a croissant was literally dripping with mayonnaise. The crispy croissant because soggy quickly. The table next to me ordered French toast which looked like someone's mother made it in a rush, trying to get the kids off to school on a busy morning. It was embarrassingly ugly and boring. No fruit, no syrup just 3 slices of thin white bread dipped in egg. Again, there is no excuse for poorly prepared food. read more

This place has so many things going for it. It's very cute on the outside, as well as the inside; the food is all organic, so you can feel good knowing that what you're eating is better than what you get at most llaxes; and the food is freaking delicious. I ordered the grilled goat cheese and smoked salmon sandwich. The sandwich wasn't huge. but it didn't need to be. It was stacked where it mattered: with the smoked salmon. The flavor on the salmon was glorious. They didn't over use the goat cheese. It was. very subtle flavor, which doesn't overpower the salmon. A plus. My sandwich cost about $8.50, which is not bad for what you get. This place is very unique, and you are sure to miss out of you don't check it out. read more

Windmill Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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Pros: prices are VERY reasonable, place is cute and unique with a windmill on top, funky art and painted walls, no hour long wait for Sunday brunch like a few other very popular places in town, a number of vegan and gluten-free options. Cons: noisy inside and out. Outside has quite ample seating in a pleasant outdoor space but the road is literally a couple feet away and the road noise is one continual whoosh after another. The inside amplifies the conversation of groups of 3-5 especially in the back section. The food takes a while. We all liked our food. I loved the freshly made chicken chanterelle soup-very soothing and nourishing. I also had the coconut curry which was supposed to come with organic brown rice but they were out of the rice, so I opted for potatoes. The flavors were delicious, would have been even more yummy with rice. My friend liked her salmon bagel but thought it could have used some capers, dill, or red onion on the bagel. My man devoured his eggs and bacon with no complaint. The food did take a really long time to come out but the quality and flavors made it worth the wait. Just be mindful if looking for a quick bite. read more

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1 star was generous .. this place sucks. we ordered the Maca Picchu smoothie which tasted like water and banana super boring and bland, and a Gluten free apricot muffin- tasted like cardboard... no love put into the homemade smoothie and or muffin... waited over 30 minutes for the basic breakfast they only do scrambled eggs FYI with rude sevice.... Go somewhere else read more

Cute and charming little place...love the cute little garden in the backyard and the historical windmill house right by the harbor. Good food with vegan and gluten free selections for breakfast fast and lunch. I loved my Salmon with coconut curry and my son had the Breakarito and vegan waffles. Will definitely come back! read more

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vegans: this is a vegetarian friendly menu if there ever was one. They have tempeh in many recipes which is desirable because it's significantly more protein than tofu. It tastes better and has great texture too. Try the Reuben sandwich and add hot sauce ‼ Props: my vegetarian friend, Kim Richardson, told me about this place. I've been missing out for too long read more

So glad we found this place. They not only have veggie and vegan options but also gluten-free! Having recently gone GF breakfast is so challenging when going out or traveling. This place has multiple options and the baked goods I saw were also GF (like mexican chocolate brownies and date almond muffins). We tried the GF waffle. It had so much cinnamon and flavor all it needed was butter. Delicious! We also tried the scrambled eggs combo because I wanted the bacon (thick and crisp!) And home fries, then upgraded the eggs to include the greens offered in a different egg dish. It was all served perfectly hot and tasted like I'd just made it myself. Butter came soft and spreadable, a big plus at breakfast, and the toast arrived with homemade strawberry jam. This plate was a great example of how simple food, cooked well, can be elevated to another level. IDK when I'll be back.this way but if so, I'll definitely come back here. Try it! read more

Windmill Cafe - Main entry area inside the windmill. - Cafes Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Cute enough spot, nice staff, mediocre food, LONG wait for food. Order and pay for food at counter first. No free coffee refills, but refills are only $1. Indoor and outdoor seating available, and while we don't have a dog, we enjoyed seeing lots of pups out. For me, if they expanded their menu a bit (sad they didn't have pancakes), and somehow found a way to pick up the pace with the food a bit, I could give a higher rating. read more

This place is amazing and we make sure to go several times when we're in town. Great food ( try the breakfast burrito!], lots of outdoor seating, friendly service and a very personable, talented owner. Good coffee too. Bring you dog if you want. A short walk to the beach afterward. read more

The food was so good!! Ordered the lox and goat cheese on an everything bagel and the breakfast tacos. So fire and the smoothie was super good. The service was really great and the location is just super cute too read more

This place is amazing. My daughter and I have celiac disease, and it was so awesome to be able to eat safely. The young lady who took our order was knowledgeable, and kind. We ate delicious, gluten free food! Their breakfast tacos were amazing. And my daughter loved the turkey bacon avocado sandwich, on delicious gluten-free bread. Plus they have a great gluten free brownie. Thank you so much! read more

People were nice, but food was awful. My friend had the glute free waffle, and we expected a good waffle even though it was gluten free but it was card board. It tasted super dry and not tasty at all. I got the french toast and it was good but I ended eating half of it and found a black hair in it. The lady was nice and gave my friend a refund on her waffle. read more

"5 SHAKA'S" Simply put this place is "My Spot"... When I go to get coffee I look for a clean and friendly place that has GREAT Coffee coupled with GREAT SERVICE and GOOD PEOPLE! This place has it all! Mary the owner is the sweetest and most sincere and hardworking ppl in the business! She goes out of her way to make sure your trip there is A+ Great little parking lot and always familiar and friendly faces gracing the place! HUGE PROPS to Mary for such a great little spot here on the EASTSIDE of Santa Cruz! Keep up the great work! read more

Windmill Cafe - Old school shot of the place! Also a "Historical Landmark" in Santa Cruz! Check this place out! - Cafes Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Drive across town to try a new restaurant for breakfast , I was definitely disappointed in the quality of food that was delivered it did not taste great or smell good , I ordered take out which was given in a paper box , I had placed napkins u der the box , since I paid for it I ate it although I can not say I enjoyed it at all it definitely wasn't anything I would go back for , the entire bottom of the box was drenched in oil from the food so much that that bottom of the box cracked open luckily ihadthe napkins under which prevented it from spilling out every where in my car the napkins were also soaked with oil , the food had no flavor. At least the hostess was nice . Definitely wouldn't recommend I eat out often and this was by far one of the worst, I usually dont write reviews but I was definitely unhappy with the food. I would have been better off throwing it away sort of ruined my morning to have such an awful meal that I went far to try too bad i didn't check the yelp reviews before going over if I didi would have saw the similar experiences others had from eat at this place , anywhere would have been better what a shame that they are allowed to sell such garbage. read more

I love this place! Down to earth, delicious, wholesome foods. Mary, the owner is a dream. I always bring my out of town guests here for a lazy morning breakfast. I also bring my morning meditation buddies here in our post-meditative glow. Try the gluten free bread - Mary makes it herself (secret recipe I've heard) and it's hearty and perfectly textured. My favorite smoothie is the Pleasure Point - I feel like I'm in the tropics when I have it. If you like warm drinks, my favorite is the Rose Congu Black Tea, with organic 1/2 and 1/2 it is decadent! The scrambles are great, with garden-picked veggies, egg scramble, tempeh scramble, tofu scramble I've had them all and they are always spot on with flavor and texture. Also try the goat cheese croissant sandwich. I could go on and on. I'm so grateful Santa Cruz has this gem. read more

When I started doing reviews on yelp, I realized that I'd have my share of bad places to review, as well as good. This is one of the bad. The minute I walked in, I had a feeling of regret. The staff seemed more concerned with their strategically placed tattoos, than providing decent service. My 1 star will go the one and only person working there that managed to have a smile on her face. The 2nd star was for the breakarito which was ok. Definitely not worth a return visit. read more

Yelpers didn't steer us wrong, SO glad we tried this cozy Santa Cruz restaurant. It was easy to find, given that it's the only windmill in town :) and there was more than enough parking in the private lot (it was a weekday morning). CUTEST SANDWICH I HAVE EVER HAD! I can't tell you how tickled I was when my grilled goat cheese and smoked salmon sandwich arrived. Check out the photo to see for yourself: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/windmill-cafe-santa-cruz?select=kAxEEKVlsLS48NrwfUvh0Q The salmon and goat cheese sandwich was very gooey and extremely rich, but incredible. I was thankful to have shared my table with my favorite companion willing to switch halves :) Will definitely return for tasty eats at this lovely, local, family-owned restaurant! ---VEGAN, GLUTEN FREE, VEGETARIAN, and HEALTH FRIENDLY!--- read more

Windmill Cafe - Awwwww - Cafes Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Happen to be by the harbor on a Sunday morning, this place is amazing !! Small place, so don't expect a huge restaurant. They have plenty of outdoor as well as indoor sitting area. To order it can get a little cramped during rush hour (we didn't mind) we ordered the Surfs Up breakfast platter (if I recall the name exactly) anyways it was the perfect portion. Eggs, amazing bacon, toast, and home potatoes for $9 hell yeah! (The homemade jam is delicious) coffee was great, service lacked. We ordered at front, got our food, but she never came back to ask if everything was fine or if we needed coffee. But 4 stars because food speaks volume read more

Windmill Cafe - Small OG, regular coffee - Cafes Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Breakfast is basic. They serve 1 piece of toast with your eggs. Potatoes are soft and need salt. Their pastries I like. They have stringent mask wearing still which is a real deterrent for me. I'm not an anti masker. Their dining room is cold all the doors are open, chairs stacked up. Very unappealing. Service is good. read more

It's a quaint breakfast place with hours 7 - 3ish. Delicious smoothies, all fruit. Vegetable croissant was fresh and very tasty. We'll come again when back in Santa Cruz. read more

Windmill Cafe - It's a quaint breakfast place with hours 7 - 3ish. Delicious smoothies, all fruit. Vegetable croissant was fresh and very tasty. - Cafes Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

I had their famous Turkey, avocado and bacon on toasted sourdough bread sandwich and it was amazing! Plus a hot tea, it made a delicious lunch. Location is very nice, feels like you are invited into someone's house and you are their guest. Will come back for sure! read more

The ambiance of this cute ass café is spot on. The front patio is surrounded by greenery with a wall of plants to shield the hustle and bustle from the street. I've never been to a café like this and when I saw the menu i was even more excited. I am vegetarian so I love some exotic vegetarian choices and they had a variety of vegan and vegetarian options. I order the tempeh bacon and avocado sandwich and I highly recommend it. I overall, highly recommend you check this place out, you'll be glad you did read more

Another fabulous brunch with my family! The food was delicious and there was something for everyone! The staff was so happy and friendly and an overwhelming feeling of being at home! We can't wait to make another trip in! The owner showed me her garden where she grows vegetables and herbs to add to dishes- you can't get any fresher than that! read more

Windmill Cafe - Beautiful windmill cafe! - Cafes Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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Lovely peaceful sunny afternoon, treated to a tasty and nutritious lunch at the Windmill Cafe. I couldn't resist my favorite Asian stirfry vegetables with seared wild salmon, and fabulous locally roasted Alta coffee. Remember to smell the roses on your way out read more

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Our favorite local breakfast spot with the complete Santa Vibe! Garden fresh herbs and veggies, plenty of vegan and gluten-free options, as well as traditional cafe fare. Friendly, hardworking staff doing their best to provide excellent service (even during a pandemic)! The café itself is quaint charming and feels like the place where you want to be a regular customer with plenty of outside seating amongst the flowers. Our favorites include the breakarito, The Daily Scramble, the Seared Salmon & Veggies, and Surf's Up. Take some time out to sip on a coffee and enjoy! read more

I love this place. We came into town for a wedding and our Inn was just steps away. Whodda thunk we'd be treated to such a delightful breakfast at the default, don't feel like driving option!?! I've only been here once so I give it four stars instead of the five it probably deserves. The service was delightful and the healthy food options were many. I had fakin Bakin, egg and cheese on a bagel. It came reasonably quickly with this really surprising sauce on it that, at first, I was unsure about but once tasted - it was yummish. Trust me, it was good and was just a smidgen so it didn't mess up the sandwich balance. Eggs were not overcooked (a rarity) and cheesey wuth the bagel toasted nicely. The Fakin Bakin was tempeh strips I think, they were ok. The atmosphere is casual and really nice with an area to suit whatever mood you're in. Inside in the high traffic area, inside in the quiet dining area, or outside on the patio. Love this place! Wait, I already said that. Just go here, eat, enjoy. read more

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