Such a cute hidden gem in Imperial Beach. It almost looks like a house, so it's easy to miss. It's nestled between the VA center and the El Tapatio Restaurant. Parking is a bit rough since it's street parking only, but it's totally worth it. The outdoor patio is surrounded by lush greenery, making it feel cozy and tucked away. They have a good variety of both Mexican and American breakfast options, along with a lunch menu. Their coffee selection looked delicious, and we opted for the Horchata Latte and the Lavender Latte. The Horchata was a bit too sweet for my liking, but my friend LOVED it. I really enjoyed my Lavender Latte. She ordered the Florentine Egg Benedict and I had the chilaquiles. She said they were the best egg benedict she's ever had because they're served on focaccia bread. I really enjoyed my chilaquiles, especially the tangy salsa. The potatoes were crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and full of flavor. The service was good. Our server was attentive, checked on us throughout our meal, kept our water glasses full. It's a charming little brunch spot that is worth checking out if you are in IB. read more

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I recently coordinated an incredible family wedding reception here at Cafe Arandas with catering from El tapatio (their sister business). Their team was so easy to communicate with and went above and beyond to make the day special. The cafe is already so cute, minimal decor was needed. Their team had everything organized & ready to go and that the staff and catering was top tier. I was so impressed! It is the perfect event space for a small-med sized gathering. I highly recommend renting the cafe as an event space for baby or bridal showers or small receptions their team will hook it up and make your day extra special! Great coffee too!! read more

Arandas Cafe - Beautiful latte from Cafe Arandas and our minimal decor made for a sweet event! Pictures by Jessica Paige Photo Co - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Imperial Beach, California

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Had breakfast last saturday morning. The food was good. However, the service was horrible. Mind you, the girls were very sweet. But, EXTREMELY slow. I had to ask for water twice, hot sause twice & the check twice. There was no urgency in the job. They were so very slow. And having worked the restaraunt business when I was young, you know you do not lollygag. You have to be speedy. That said, we will not be returning. read more

.....I feel like I ordered something relatively simple, but I still found a lot of things to nitpick. For the coffee, I find this big and wide cup rather ostentatious for me just ordering regular coffee. That doesn't matter, but it does cool down too fast when I want to drink it slow. Also, the handle on it is too small for how big the cup is. It's unwieldy to drink. The eggs are fine. The potato and toast are both really plain. The potato has the most average texture and no seasoning at all. There's no jam, which is not an issue since I tend to devour toast as long as there's other food. But it doesn't even have a dab of butter on it either. It's truly just toast with nothing. And this is on top of my portabello really being more quinoa than anything else. So now I have quinoa, potato, and toast. No hot sauce either. I should've asked for a fruit cup or something instead of toast. I guess most people ordering this breakfast probably wouldn't want it to have a really strong flavor, so I'm in the minority. The quinoa also only has spinach. Not even a bit of tomato. Finally, I like my mushrooms hot and juicy. This portabella is kinda dry, deflated, and sad. read more

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Great breakfast. Great coffee. The chai latte is a favorite as well as the pancakes. Nice vibe. Would recommend. read more

I came here not knowing what to expect. I find it hard to find good breakfast/brunch places and this place is one of the good ones! Good selection, friendly staff, and delicious food at reasonable prices. I got the nutella french toast and it was very good! Very filling. Check it out!! This place is vibing with outdoor seating. read more

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Lovely place. Found it by chance. The service was amazing. We stopped there only for some coffee which by the way, was delicious. Can't wait to try them for some food. If you are in the area, try them out and share your experiences. Happy coffee time read more

Disappointed in today's visit. Waited at the host stand for what felt like an incredibly long time as staff saw us and didn't acknowledge us to get a table for two. We sat down and ordered and received two juices, we ordered one and didn't get the coffee until reminding the waitress after our breakfast was served. Other tables received water and fly swatters, we did not. Another waitress gave us our check and to go box as I have no idea what happened to our first waitress. They served focaccia bread on a Benedict, the crunch was missed and the food wasn't that great. Overall this was a ho hum experience. read more

Although this is a pretty place that is walking distance to the ocean, I was not impressed with their food. I ordered their avocado toast and it truly was underwhelming. The salad on top with lemon juice was good but avocado and the toast weren't that great. Their green tropics smoothie, however, was EXCELLENT!! read more

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Natalia was our waitress and she was amazing!! Parking can be challenging but not impossible. Indoor and outdoor sitting is available. read more

Arandas Cafe - Sign - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Imperial Beach, California

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First time here and definitely my last. Horrible service. Waited 15-20 minutes for a cup of water. Others around my table all received their drinks before my cup of water. I politely asked for a water again and the waitress responded very rudely . Waited al an hour for our food . Never checked up on us for before or after . read more

My husband and I were recently there and unfortunately not the best experience. This place is lacking customer service for sure, they dropped off the food...never came back to check on how things were... the chillaquiles had a good flavor but were soggy upon receiving them... my husband had the chicken and waffles, those were ok, but the chicken was missing flavor... I did mention to the lady that the chillaquilles were soggy and wasn't able to really eat them.. She just brushed me off..no apology...nothing... I will not be returning.... read more

Arandas Cafe - Chicken and waffles - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Imperial Beach, California

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We have been to Arandas Cafe on multiple occasions and it is always a great experience. Food is delish! My fave is the berry bliss French Toast. It's definitely one of our regular spots to dine. read more

Food was 3/5 but love the place and service. I only say 3/5 because my sandwich was definitely missing one of the ingredients it said on there. Was in a time crunch so i didn't say anything. Sweet potato fries were really good though! read more

I stopped patronizing this café about a year and a half ago because the service and quality was horrible. I felt like the youngsters working there just really didn't care but I gave it another try today Friday after my morning yoga and I was quite pleased. I'm not sure if it made a difference that the woman running the front was I believe one of the ladies that used to wait on me at El Tapatio. Maybe bringing in the boss Lady helped but I received my food in a timely manner and the food was super yummy as I remembered. I also noticed the service with other patrons was quality. I will definitely be going back and bringing in my friends again. Thank you and blessings! read more

Great brunch spot. Reasonable prices. Great service. I had the classic pancakes with bacon and eggs. Good place to come on a lazy Sunday or during the week for breakfast or lunch. Ambiance is casual. They don't rush you which is great. read more

Arandas Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Imperial Beach, California

Such a cute Cafe. Walking into this Cafe brought me into a whole experience of vintage chic. I love it. We didn't try the food just the coffee. It was Absolutely delightful. The young lady made our coffees taste like bliss :) definitely recommend read more

I choose this place for breakfast. When the nice waitress greeted us, she asked us where we would like to sit since it had been raining. We opted for outdoors in which she offered a corner table and asked if we wanted the heater on. After scanning the menu and realizing there's no adult beverages, we told her we were hoping for mimosa in which she replied that the restaurant in front did. She didnt have no issue and said she understands. We thanked her and appreciated her. Kudos to Lucero. read more

Had lunch with a couple of friends on a Tuesday in November. The place is quiet and secluded due to the well protected patio. The restaurant is about 4 years old and it looks great, the whole place is clean and appealing. Most of the seating is outside on the patio, well protected from sun, wind and rain, surrounded by potted plants, so welcoming. The interior is also lovely and a very nice bathroom. There was only one server (owner or manager) but it was a slow part of the day/week so it was perfectly ok. My friends loved the ambiance, great place to catch up with friends. We had the waffle, pancake with eggs and sausage and a chicken sandwich with sweet potato fries, a couple of freshly squeezed orange juice and coffee. Everything tasted good and well presented. read more

Only visited for coffee so don't have any feedback on food at this time but the server was friendly and welcoming. Will return to try food shortly. read more

I hate to write bad reviews on service as a server myself, but it took 15+ minutes to get greeted and another 20 for our subpar food to arrive (our drinks didn't even get delivered until our food came out although we ordered them in the beginning). I would be more understanding if it were busy, but it was noon on a Wednesday and there was only 1 other table aside from us. "house potatoes" are literally just halved baby potatoes baked with no seasoning.. not even salt. the mayonnaise on a sandwich we got had one single drop of mayo. extremely disappointing and bland. it almost feels like all the money spent on opening this place only went into the appearance without considering food quality or hiring enough people to give adequate service. read more

Wow, what a hidden gem! My two friends took me there for breakfast today. All of our meals were delicious and the coffee was amazing! When I say it's hidden, it really is. It's right off Palm Avenue in Imperial Beach but if you weren't looking, you would miss it. It's directly behind El Tapatio. If you want breakfast or lunch at a quaint cafe with a wonderful outside patio and great service, this is the place to go! I can't wait to take MY friends there! read more

2 stars is a little generous. I only put 2 because the ambiance is great, however, the service wasn't great. We left before our orders were taken. Waited in the front with no acknowledgment from any of the staff. A "we will be right with you" would've made such a huge difference. Staff walked back and forth where the wait to be seated sign was. No verbiage or eye contact at all. It just left a bad first impression so we decided to leave to another cafe down the way. read more

I met some friends here from out of town, we were a party of 6 adults and two babies. The restaurant is very stylish and cute. We didn't order right away but the was water available at our table. Afywr we did put in our drink orders, I think the drinks came out over a span of about 30mins despite there being very few guests dining. My Mexican hot chocolate was a mocha instead so i sent it back and repredered. Still, they didn't bring the correct one without being reminded, and without another 20mins passing. Nobody came back to check on us and in total, an hour went by and we didn't see any food or even have any hope of it being ready anytime soon. We ended up letting them know we'd be leaving which didn't seem to be any trouble since they likely hadn't started preparing out food. They didn't offer to cover the drinks or give us a giftcard for next time or anything so it was a very disappointing experience overall especially since the menu sounded great and we were all looking forward to trying different breakfast items. The two stars are for a changing table in the bathroom, and tasty drinks (I snuck some of my toddler's smoothie and it was great). read more

Fresh, delicious, good portions, lush garden setting - best restaurant in IB in summer 2026!

The coffee is great 5/5 The food was delicious 5/5 The service was amazing 5/5 The locale is hermoso 5/5 The staff was friendly and very accommodating on a cold morning. The food was really good. Benedicts were made perfectly. Bread could of been a bit more toasty. Plants everywhere and just a nice feeling of relaxation. Will totally be back. read more

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I wanted to try someplace different today. Aranda's is located just behind El Tapatio's Restaurant and next to a VFW. Fast service and seating, it took about 5 minutes for someone to take my order... My food came out within 10-15 minutes. It was fairly busy for this small restaurant today, with about 10 tables occupied. There is minimal indoor seating and covered outdoor seating. They had these strange looking things on a couple of tables; they looked like pilloncillos with propellars, haha. After sitting for a few minutes, I figured out they were shoo fly shoo thingies. It's a great idea for outside dining. I chose to sit inside to avoid a coastal breeze because I didn't bring a jacket; however, there were a few flies inside which came to be a little annoying. I didn't have one of those shoo fly things, I didn't ask for it, nor was I offered one. The food was good. Not bad. Not wow spectacular. Portions were average. My toast wasn't buttered. Just plain. I didn't ask for any butter or jelly. I ate it plain. I noticed one table had a problem. Apparently, no jus came with their au jus sandwich. These customers were seated just before I was. The hubby ate his meal, but wifey waited 15-20 min for them to make "the sauce". They asked for the sandwich to be warmed and to come out when the sauce was ready. They didn't appear to be too greatly agitated. Their whole meal was comped, and the staff handled the issue very professionally. The customers were about to just leave when the wifey's food finally came out. They laughed, and then she stayed to eat. Afterwards, the couple came in and left a tip for the servers. Overall, my experience was a solid 3.5 stars. Get rid of the flies, butter up my toast, and I think it I would bump up my rating to 4 or 4.5. read more

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Today, I woke up wanting somewhere new. My first thought was finding somewhere with an amazing Mexican mocha. Amanda's cafe was a hit. Very cute, trendy spot with a huge variety of drinks. My mocha was good. I did need to ask for simple syrup to be added. I prefer my coffees on the sweet side. Hubby got the French toast he was happy they did not skip on their servings. My sandwich was also enough for two. Love finding hidden treasures, especially so close to the beach. Now for a walk on the beach with my amazing Mexican Mocha. read more

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We showed up at Aranda's with friends visiting from out of town and were completely ignored for about 10 minutes. When I finally asked for a table for 12, the hostess said the wait would be an hour--even though there were three empty tables in plain sight. I asked if they could be put together, but she flatly refused. It wasn't just what she said, but how she said it--her tone was rude and dismissive. I'm usually patient and willing to wait, but the lack of courtesy made us leave. We went to Pizza Port instead, where we were welcomed right away and treated kindly. Aranda's really missed the mark on hospitality. read more

Arandas Cafe - Empty tables - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Imperial Beach, California

I'm really particular about my coffee, but this Lavender latte hits the spot! The food is fantastic, and the staff is incredibly friendly, making it a wonderful brunch spot to enjoy. read more

Arandas Cafe - Lavender Latte - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Imperial Beach, California

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Food was flavoured well with a cute ambiance. It's a shame this restaurant is not out on a Main Street where it can be seen easily. Such a great restaurant for IB. Definitely going back. read more

Arandas Cafe - Brunch - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Imperial Beach, California

The Chilaquiles were so so good everything in that restaurant really is good. A smoothie the cappuccino the ambience I really recommend it. You will love everything on their menu and the restaurant is so cute. The restaurant is adorable. read more

Fantastic customer service, coffee and food were DELICIOUS. Found this hidden gem on our morning walk and we will absolutely be back! Sitting outside was beautiful, they put the heater on for us and we really enjoyed it! read more

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Great relaxed ambiance! The Mexican hot chocolate was delicious paired with the Berries French toast. True Gem in Imperial Beach. Planning to come back again read more

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Great food, clean, friendly efficient staff. Nice menu, great tea and cocoa. Thank goodness IB, one win for the home team. Beautiful patio. read more

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Arandas Cafe is a cute little hidden GEM!!! The coffee is GREAT!!! I'll drive here for a coffee before going anywhere else in IB! Service was good! The staff were very attentive and very accommodating! They genuinely care that you're having a good dining experience. Parking is plentiful off street around the neighborhood. The patio dining is dog friendly. We ordered a plain grilled chicken breast for our puppers. Our food was very good! I had the eggs Benedict florentine atop focaccia and requested the spinach on the side. Surprisingly it was creamed spinach with a hint of lemon. I was very impressed! The eggs were cooked perfectly! Poached to perfection! I would definitely order this again. We also ordered a chicken club sandwich. Chef forgot the chicken and we told the server. The waitress offered to make a new sandwich but we just asked them to bring us the chicken breast sliced for our pups. The server brought out a HUGE plate of freshly grilled chicken breast sliced perfectly for our pups! I'm not sure if that was a regular portion but it was very much appreciated!!! Arandas is a GREAT find for the South Bay!! I will definitely be coming back and recommending them to EVERYONE! read more

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Hidden gem for sure. Veggie omelet was cooked exactly as I asked, and was excellent. Bacon cooked as I asked, crispy, and the bacon was thick. Husband had chilequilles and they were excellent. The cream for the coffee was warmed up, and that's such a rare thing and so nice. Presentation was beautiful with edible flowers on top. Atmosphere was gorgeous. They have lots of plants and a heater on the patio. The inside is nicely decorated as well as the patio. The super attentive server brought our dog a pup cup and a small container of waiter. Everything was so good, and we will be back this week again when our family arrives. This is a nice clean place to eat, beautiful food, darling place inside and out. We will be back. read more

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This placed served the purpose of having brunch. I had chicken and waffle. It looked pretty but it was flavorless. I could have done without the flower petals on the food. No one finished their breakfast. My daughter in law had the burger. It was good. And the bacon was good read more

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I went with my daughter for lunch .. the restaurant is very nice .. delish coffee and menu items very generous and amazingly priced I had the best avocado toast ever with eggs and crumbled cheese ..my daughter had a yummy chicken salad soup The service was prompt and attentive very friendly too. What a great find !! Thank you ladies we will be coming back with all the family for brunch very soon .. read more

Food looks and tastes great at a reasonable price. The house is clean and comfortable. I went early, and the server was busy setting up for the day, leaving me to my own. It's a good spot in general. read more

Arandas Cafe - Eggs Benedict and pancakes. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Imperial Beach, California