So glad we stopped by here. The food was delicious and came out quickly! So quickly, the seagulls grabbed themselves a slice as soon as the box touched the table (make sure to protect your food ). Everything here is tasty. The staff is friendly & informative. Great place to go before or after your visit to the aquarium Burger & pretzel were my fav read more

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I used to like this place but had a recent visit this last Saturday that just really put me off. The line was pretty crazy so we ordered pickup. The instructions in the pickup site and text were to wait until the staff lets you know it's ready. We waited outside for 40 mins before I walked in to check and saw my bag with my food on the counter. I asked one of the staff if this was ready for pickup and she had rudely told me that next time I need to let the staff know I'm here. Um...im not sure if they forgot to update the status of my order to let me know that but how would I know? Then they made my drinks after I asked another staff member that I was still waiting on my drinks and those came out in the next five mins but to be honest they were mid. The breakfast burrito was good though, but service was bad. Just another hyped up spot thanks to tiktok... read more

Blue Whale - Please update your pickup instructions - Cafes Near Me - La Jolla, California

My family was spending the weekend in La Jolla Shores, and I wanted to go to Shell Beach to see the tide pools. Low tide was early in the morning, so I wanted to get some breakfast first. A photo of the Ube pancakes at Blue Whale popped up on Yelp and I had to try them. First of all, Ube is the food of my people. My parents would often bring back a jar of Ube from some monastery in the Philippines. Plain Ube is pretty tasty in itself. It's funny and good to see it in different forms now. My next favorite might be Ube ice cream, and then an Ube cheesecake I had. These Ube pancakes were good, but maybe a little too sweet with the amount of syrup they put on it. If you've ever had an Ube donut, it kind of tasted like that with some syrup on top. Would I get it again? Yes, but maybe a healthy dollop of whip cream instead. read more

Blue Whale - Ube Pancakes - Cafes Near Me - La Jolla, California

I wanted to try this place because I kept hearing how awesome it was. Everything sounded great about it, the location, aesthetics, food, beach vibe, and service. What do you know I was able to find parking in La Jolla easily. It just so happened I turned on Fay Street which is another busy street in La Jolla, and someone was backing out of their parking spot, so it was meant to be. I walked a short distance to Kline street which was the cross street of where "Blue Whale" is located. At first, I felt like I was not going to try it here because of the line of people and people everywhere outside and a long line inside the place. I decided to wait because I did not know when I would be back. When walking in, the vibe is cute, casual, and beach themed. The music is energizing and happy too. I placed my order with a friendly cashier and told her I wanted it to go because all the tables outside and inside were filled. But, someone was getting up from their table and I quickly walked over to snag the table inside. I had a cute, small table up against a window. Again, another sign I should try it. I ordered a sugar-free latte and avocado toast with an egg on top for added protein. Guess what, my food arrived in five minutes. Shannon, the manager brought it to me. I was so impressed how fast the service was and the friendliness here being so busy! She runs this place so professionally and efficiently. She is super friendly also! The rest of the staff the cashier, waitresses and waiters were also accommodating, friendly, and helpful too! Shoutout and Kudos to the chefs who create such deliciousness with the food. And, kudos to the baristas also who make such flavorful drinks. You all ROCK! The avocado toast with egg was incredible! So artistic with the presentation and the flavor was pit of this world DIVINE! The coffee was superb! I i understand the hype here! They deserve more than 5 stars! Whether you are a local or visitor, "Blue Whale" is a must! Outstanding in every way! #yelpsandiego #sandiego #lajolla #lajollacalifornia read more

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It's a cute cafe with cozy beachy vibes. But it was just alright and the matchas were just okay. The two signature/seasonal matcha's we got were enjoyable but tasted mostly milky/watered down. On the weekend brunch that we went the line wrapped around the building too so idk what the hype was all about but I wouldn't wanna wait for that lol. The food looked good but we didn't eat there. Drinks: 5/10 Service: 5/10 Atmosphere: 8/10 Value: 5/10 read more

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Love this place! It is crazy busy ever since it went viral on social media so you have to get there early. They food and drinks come out really quick but seating is limited. We got their seasonal drinks and were so impressed with the quality and taste! I will definitely be back even if it's for a coffee on the go! read more

Blue Whale - Cafes Near Me - La Jolla, California

Blue whale is a super popular cafe near La Jolla shores! Because of social media it blew up so a lot of people come here to try their unique dishes. I specifically wanted to try their Ube pancakes. The pancake was good! However the Ube flavor is not strong but if you just love a good pancake then you'll like it for sure. The downside is because there's so many people there is not enough seats. So I asked for my food Togo in case a seat didn't open up. In summary, it's a cute little cafe, try to come here during off peak hours for a more calm vibe but even if you come the wait isn't super long. read more

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Was across the street and I've been wanting to try the coffee here for a while! I'm glad I stopped by the line was long but moved pretty fast.  The coffee menu looked super good and the special drink menu caught my eye right away. The drink I ordered was bomb and I added an add shot. I got the lilac dreams w/ oat milk iced, I give it a solid 10/10. I love that you can taste the ube flavor and the espreso in the coffee was nice and smooth. Service was kinda mid, lines were out the door and the location is very small with some seating inside and out. It does get crowded but it could be a vibe. Also, the playlist was on point. I'd come back to try the food menu and another coffee. read more

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My friend and I finally got to trying Blue Whale! We ordered the banana cream top matcha, and I loved how thick the cream was - you can also tell they use real banana! I do wish there was more matcha powder. It was definitely very pricy (we spent $8-9/drink) so definitely an option to treat yourself! The space was really beachy, cute, and aesthetic, and the girls working were so sweet! I'll be back for their food (: read more

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Like many others, I was excited to try this place after seeing it on social media. What they didn't show online is how packed this place can get on the weekends, when I came on a Saturday afternoon the line was out the door and wrapping on the street. Even if you end up getting through the line to order, there doesn't seem to be a guarantee that there will be a table for you as seating was relatively limited. I ended up getting a to-go order since I didn't want to wait in line, but was a bit disappointed in the food given the hype. The California burrito was good but could have been more flavorful and the fries could've been crispier, and the mango sticky rice matcha was great in concept but the matcha flavor could've been stronger in execution. read more

Fast service and friendly workers. The food was presented nicely but didn't taste as good as it looked. The ube pancakes were extremely dry even with the provided syrup and had no ube flavor at all. The sandwich was good, but nothing crazy. Besides that, the drinks were good. read more

Blue Whale - Ube Pancake, Ube Glaze Cronut, Golden Bloom Matcha, Other... - Cafes Near Me - La Jolla, California

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Food is incredible. Coffee is pretty good as well. There are lots is drink options! Only comment I have is that seating can be very difficult to find as it is such a popular place, so it can be a bit tight if you're trying to dine in on a busy day. read more

Blue Whale - Cafes Near Me - La Jolla, California

I've been to Blue Whale a couple of times. Mostly I've had takeout coffee & burritos. Today I ordered my Big Wave burrito through Uber Eats. I picked it up, and it was ready at the time promised. Ordering through Uber Eats definitely makes the food more expensive though (by $9). I ordered it this way because I was in a time crunch and I had some Uber Cash to spend. I brought my bounty back to work, and noted that there was a nice crisp on the tortilla, although the flavors were somewhat overpowered by the saltiness of the soyrizo. I think this burrito would taste better if the items were mixed together rather than siloed in separate areas of the dish. I could barely taste the hash browns or the eggs really. But overall, it worked to satiate my morning hunger. This is a busy little cafe with indoor and outdoor seating. It is cute inside and has a rustic, beachy feel. When I walked inside to pick up my food, I noted that most of the tables were full, and there was a line of people waiting to order. I wanted to take more photos to show you the inside, but the place is so small, I felt like I'd be in the spotlight if I was bopping around taking pics. Anyway, this is a nice option for breakfast, brunch, and lunch in the Village. They have a solid selection of breakfast items, drinks, smoothies and bowls. There's street parking, and the area is very walkable. Mahalo! read more

Blue Whale - Exterior seating & entrance - Cafes Near Me - La Jolla, California

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Worth the hype ! Yes the line was long with a 30+ min wait. We weren't able to find seating either so we went to a local park to eat. My bf for the lobster roll and I got the crying tiger with a blueberry matcha. The crying tiger and its fries were soooo good. Tender and super flavorful. My bf loved his lobster roll and appreciate it was a big sandwich rather than just a hot dog bun like other places. The blueberry matcha could've been sweeter and the matcha flavor could've been stronger. Little bit on the milky side tho. Definitely recommend this brunch spot ! Food took a fat min to come out tho due to being so crowded read more

Blue Whale - Blueberry matcha - Cafes Near Me - La Jolla, California

This place is super cute. Love the beachy vibe. We arrived just after they opened and it wasn't too busy. When we walked back by at 9:45 though it was packed with a line out the door. I really appreciated all the gluten free menu items. We got an açaí bowl and the gluten free French toast. I will be back to try the ube pancakes and the gf chicken and waffle. read more

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We were around La Jolla and looking for something to eat when we stumbled upon this place. The cafe is super cute from both the outside and the inside. They have a little corner inside where they sell their merch + other items such as jewelry and art prints. Their brunch looked so good but they stop serving at at 3PM. They also had a Build-Your-Own Acai Bowl which I really wanted to try but I ended up going with the Ahi Poke Bowl instead. My partner ordered the Crying Tiger Ribeye (the photos looked so good!!) Our food took a little longer than expected to come out, especially because it wasn't really busy during the time we went. The poke bowl and fries were good. The Crying Tiger Ribeye was way too salty for me but was borderline acceptable to my partner. Everyone is different so I think it would've been better if they only lightly salted it so that the person eating it can adjust it to their taste and add more if necessary. Other than the saltiness, the texture was nice and it was yummy. I really enjoyed the vibes of this place. Super cute! Note: They don't take cash payments! read more

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The coffee, food, and service were all great. I was pleasantly surprised with the short wait time for receiving the food and drinks. Seating is limited with how busy the place gets but tables do turnover quickly. read more

Blue Whale - Tuna salad - Cafes Near Me - La Jolla, California

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100% recommend blue whale for breakfast. This is one of the best breakfast burritos I've had, I asked them to put carne asada in it instead of the default options! All my friends loved their orders too! The food is so high quality and flavorful -- especially their steak! HOWEVER! I would not recommend their lattes, we all felt like our lattes were super milky and the matchas didn't have a taste. Still 5 stars because of how amazing the food is! read more

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Stopped by Blue Whale and ordered the Cali burrito with a side of fries. Everything tasted fresh, and the burrito was flavorful and filling. The fries were crispy and paired well with the meal. Overall, it was a great experience, and I'd definitely come back to try more items on the menu. read more

Blue Whale - Cali Burrito - Cafes Near Me - La Jolla, California

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blue whale is definitely a very cute spot and popular for a reason. you can't beat the cottage-feel of the cafe, and their food / drinks are pretty good! i am taking off a star though from my latest experience. we had ordered coffees online for pickup and had been waiting for probably 30 minutes when they still had not been called out/ready yet. we finally asked someone if the drinks were coming out, they said that they don't start making the online drink orders until you "check in with someone at the cafe" which was not clear at all when we ordered online. they finally made the drinks after that but it was a very confusing experience. if that is their policy they should definitely make that way more clear moving forward! read more

Blue Whale - Baja Bowl with Pan Seared Salmon - delish! - Cafes Near Me - La Jolla, California

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BLUE WHALE @ LA JOLLA The seating situation here on weekends is INSANE, but the food was super yummy and well priced. I think it's mostly limited service since you order it at the front-- but overall the workers were very sweet. It was definitely the perfect beachy vibe, I was a little confused on the menu since items were served only certain days though. read more

Loved this little spot! Probably one of my favorite experiences as I loved the vibe and the mango sticky rice iced matcha with coconut foam was phenomenal!! They have smoothies, matcha, coffee and food. We went right after our beach day and it was a nice refresher! They have indoor and outdoor seating. The service was quick! Definitely worth a visit. read more

Went here on Wednesday afternoon around 2pm and the line wasn't too long (just up to the door). I ordered the tiramisu latte and it was amazing! Perfect amount of sweetness :) I also ordered the classic french toast. It was good but nothing super special. My friends and I were able to find a table outside pretty quickly. The chairs were extremely wobbly but it was whatever lol. Parking wasn't too bad, I found street parking few blocks away and my friend was able to find a spot right infront of the store! Overall cute brunch/cafe spot when you're in la jolla! read more

Blue Whale - Cafes Near Me - La Jolla, California

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Small restaurant in La Jolla that gets pretty busy so expect to wait a bit for your food. We came here on a weekday for brunch and were luckily able to snag a table by the entrance before a big group came in. Counter order and find your own table. The blue whale brekky, steak & eggs, and French toast were all delicious. I really like the sauteed greens that came with the brekky. The French toast was beautiful and was basically desserts for breakfast. Yum!Portions were big. read more

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Honestly super overhyped. the food is okay but I feel like more people come here for the vibes and aesthetics. You have to wait very long in line to order and it is definitely not worth the wait. Service is ok, they do not check up on you, you order then they give you your food that's all. The Breakfast Sandwich is very small and overpriced for what it is. If you're looking for some place to take good picture and eat pretty food this is your place, but if not I wouldn't recommend. read more

Blue Whale - Chicken & Waffles Morning Sando Morning Sando - Cafes Near Me - La Jolla, California

Definitely too small for the amount of people coming in on weekends. It's overwhelming with the tight space and the large line plus the people waiting around for their food/table. I would suggest ordering to-go just in case you can't find a seat. The portions are large. I got a Cali burrito and it was really solid, but my family said the lobster roll (more like a sandwich since it was on two slices of white bread) was average for the price. read more

Blue Whale - Inside - Cafes Near Me - La Jolla, California

Cute spot but way too small of a space and that makes it feel super overwhelming in there. We ordered the Morning Sando (4/5), Steak and Eggs (3/5) and the Chicken and Waffles (3/5) and that 3rd star was because I was happy to see that it was gluten free. But the waffle was crumbly and the chicken had zero flavor. Drinks- Tres leches latte. I didn't taste tres leche flavor at all. It honestly only had a honey and slight cinnamon taste to it. It wasn't terrible but definitely didn't understand why it's called a tres leches. Strawberry matcha had the tiniest layer of strawberry foam and the matcha was all milk with just a small hint of matcha flavor. I will say all of the employees were all very nice and friendly and keep the line moving at a decent pace. Don't think I'll be back but glad to have tried it. read more

Blue Whale - Morning sando, steak &eggs and chicken and waffles along with the Strawberry Matcha and Tres Leches latte - Cafes Near Me - La Jolla, California

Cute brunch spot, very packed in the weekends, waited about 30-45 minutes. You order and choose a place to sit down. Tried their short rib with fries which was fantastic, the meat was soft and complemented the fries well. I loved their California burrito, good amount of meat and it was very filling. I tried their chai latte and unfortunately did not like it, was too watery. Service was great and quick! read more

servers were so nice!! they accommodated our needs and gave us to go boxes etc food was absolutely amazing and id def go back too for their other stuff i got their cookie oreo special latte and tres leches latte lox toast and chicken and waffles were good too read more

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This is my go to spot whenever I'm in La Jolla! As a gluten free person I love this menu & always find something delicious! The variety is great, the service is quick, & it's a great beach side spot! read more

Blue Whale - Chicken & waffles, avocado toast - Cafes Near Me - La Jolla, California

Blue whale is usually pretty busy and seating situation is pretty hard as it is first come first serve but the food is delicious! They have a lot of gluten free options and gluten free Ube pancakes which are amazing. Highly recommend if you are looking for a unique spot to grab some breakfast or brunch! read more

This restaurant was super cute! We arrived around 2:30 on Saturday and there was a good number of people there. Despite the busy restaurant, we got our food pretty quickly! We ordered the ube pancakes and the chicken and waffles. The ube pancakes were fluffy and perfectly sweet. They could have used more ube flavor but I liked the vanilla undertones. The flavor and crisp of the chicken on the chicken and waffles was good but the waffle and chicken was a bit dry. The menu also said it was a horchata waffle but there wasn't a lot of horchata flavor. Ratings Ube pancakes: 4/5 Chicken and waffles: 3.5/5 read more

Blue Whale - Ube pancakes and chicken and waffles - Cafes Near Me - La Jolla, California

BLUE WHALE @ LA JOLLA Parking is BUSY, and I mean like you'll have to find street parking a bit far especially coming on a weekend. Luckily, my best friend and I got dropped her, and the line was already out there, right near their trash cans in an alley that smelled HORRIBLE. Not sure why it was just out in the opened near customers. The place outside is aesthetic, white, and cute. As for the inside, could be 100% renovated, looks like a bland cafe, especially being in La Jolla and for this prices, no room for upgrades? It took forever to move forward in the lines, luckily we snatched a table while still in line. We ordered their classic Brekky, Ube Pancakes, and a Matcha Latte + strawberry syrup. Overall, the Ube Pancakes ($16) were the star of the show. It was full of flavor, good portion, and sweet. I really enjoyed it and would highly recommend coming to try it. However, the brekky was the worst thing. Coming in to about $18, the eggs tasted like PLASTIC, not exaggerating because numerous of tables next to us had thrown out / barely touched their eggs either. It was so gross, felt like a middle school cafeteria slob of eggs. The bread was decent, bacon was crispy, and the veggies was soggy. The hashbrown itself was pretty good, it's not fresh, legit think it's bought in bulk to be reheated and made. We ordered two extra hashbrowns for a whopping $3 each. The matcha latte + ($1) for strawberry syrup was good, but not any real strawberries are actually added, just straight syrup, flavor lacked of high quality matcha. Overall, I'd come back for the Ube Pancakes but nothing else. The flavour and quality was lacking for the other items, and the place itself was small, long lines, and barely any spots for parking. read more

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First time going here! Right off the bat there was an insane line out the door and onto the street. It was a Saturday morning so I assumed this place was really good since it seemed extremely popular. Once you get through the line, you order at the kiosk, get a number, and find an open seat. Although the line was long, there was plenty of seating inside and outside. I ordered the ube pancakes (seemed very popular with the crowd), the blue whale breaky, and a matcha - total came out to $48. The ube pancakes were delicious, not too sweet but delicious flavor. I got the Blue Whale Breaky to even out the sweetness which consisted of eggs, toast, bacon, hash browns, and sautéed greens. The eggs - not good. They were hard and had a weird griddy texture, tasted like they were premade from powder and scooped up for serving. Everything else - amazing. The hash browns were crispy and perfect as well as the bacon. I would definitely recommend the ube pancakes and to stay away from the eggs. Also parking is difficult so you may need to circle around a bit but eventually you'll find some. The service overall was great. The employees were very nice and patient even though there was a line out the door so it was nice that they maintained a great attitude towards all the customers. The inside is decorated very cute and beachy which I also really liked! read more

Blue Whale - Cafes Near Me - La Jolla, California

Your social media presence was influential. It's what I wanted for Mother's Day. To avoid the long wait I asked for pick up. Had I'd know it would ruin my morning with my daughter I would have never suggested it. Customer service was atrocious. The pick up was not to anyone's standards. My daughter picked up the food me drinks she ordered for us and the girl at the counter was clearly annoyed she worked there. Ignored her. She should be retrained or put in the back. Nevermind ignoring the customer but didn't even finish giving the order. No drinks. My daughter had to ask a manager for the drinks. Comes to the car as we drive off I open the bag and items are missing. I guess no one checks orders. Had to double park. I called and warned the cafe she was upset. They gave her the one missing item and they ran out of croissants. Mind you it's what I wanted. They gave her an extra Oreo cronut. This was the worst experience. I do not recommend this establishment read more

Discovered Blue Whale after researching cute brunch spots to go to while I was in San Diego. We came on a Sunday afternoon and wauuu it was poppin and I knew I would loveee it bc they were blasting Justin Bieber! We ordered the ube pancakes and the big wave burrito. My fav was the big wave burrito -- SUPER flavorful and filling. The ube pancakes were good as well, but a bit too sweet in my opinion. It looked busy from outside but we got in and out pretty fast, while dining there. I absolutely loved the views since this was near the beach // in a nice neighborhood :-) read more

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The breakfast Sando was so yummy everything down to the bread tasted fresh. Outside seating was pretty with vibey music. Definitely recommend the Tres Leche Latte SOO good. read more

Blue Whale - Breakfast Morning Sando - Cafes Near Me - La Jolla, California

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Vibes were so good, great place to stop for breakfast after an early morning at the beach or before you head out. The coffee is really good -- best lavender latte I've gotten in a long time according to my boyfriend! But the food was definitely so-so. I think they're known for their ube pancakes which were pretty good but lacking in ube and overcompensating with sweetness. I love chicken and waffles and I always order it if it's on the menu, been burned a couple times... happened again here. Waffles were pretty soggy, didn't deliver on the horchata, and the chicken was so tough and dry it was difficult to eat. But it's not gonna stop me from ordering chicken and waffles whenever I can, so I guess it wasn't that bad ‍ read more

Blue Whale - Ube Pancakes and Chicken & Waffles - Cafes Near Me - La Jolla, California

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honestly, the food was absolutely terrible and super overhyped. I saw it all over TikTok and was super excited to try it, first of all they had barely any things in stock, they ran out of more than half of the menu. I ordered the mango sticky rice, Matcha, as it was a special. it was so watered down in the chunky and it taste expired. It was literally sour. The açai bowls also tasted very cheap and super processed. Really expected more from this place !!! and more for a $10 matcha that's pre whisked !!!! read more

Blue Whale - Mango Sticky Rice Matcha açaí bowl - Cafes Near Me - La Jolla, California

Great stop for brunch in La Jolla! We stumbled upon Blue Whale on Sunday morning, and got there just in time before a huge line formed! Definitely recommend arriving before 10am. It was around this time it seemed like both a church and workout class let out, because the line stretched down the street. There is seating both inside and outside, and we found ourselves looking for an open table for about 5 minutes after ordering. We ordered a matcha, breakfast burrito, ube pancakes, acai bowl, and a side of hashbrowns. The large acai bowl was the perfect size, and was extremely refreshing when sitting outside in the sun. They had a build your own bowl option at the register. I appreciated that the matcha came in a glass mason jar since we were dining in. read more

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