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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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

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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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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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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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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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

the line is always worth it! amazing gluten free options (always cures my hangover) and a lovely patio area. the inside is VERY cramped/overwhelming so i'd avoid trying to work/linger. the breakfast sandwich is delicious & served with a hash brown. i got a banana latte & it wasn't very good - ive been disappointed many times by the coffee but not the food! read more

Blue Whale - Morning Sando - 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

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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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

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 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

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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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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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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I am obsessed with this spot! So far every item I've tried has been 10/10 & the ambiance is such a vibe if there is a line it is 100% worth the wait read more

Blue Whale - Strawberry Fields Matcha Toasted Coconut Latte - Cafes Near Me - La Jolla, California

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Food was really good and pretty. Atmosphere was nice! Wooden vibes, ceramics, plants, outdoor seating, shade included etc. Country music. San diego surf vibes. Loved the smoothie options. Loved that there was a vegetarian burrito option! The line was insane out the door.. hard to get through entrance/exit. It's crowded when you wait for drinks. They forgot to make my smoothie. That would have been ok until they decided to tell me maybe i had not ordered it. Lol. Except i remembered the $12 smoothie and was like NOPE. I paid for it. No apology. Anyway i finally got it but by then the coffee was cold. We got over it. @baybitesnsips on tiktok read more

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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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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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

These trendy ube pancakes were just as fluffy and purple as they looked online! Everything was tasty and sweet and the inside was beach home themed. Service was great and no wait to get seated. read more

Blue Whale - Ube Pancakes Morning Sando Iced lattes - Cafes Near Me - La Jolla, California

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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Cute spot. Long lines. Got a smoothie and it was pretty tasty. Also got the breakfast bowl but it really wasn't anything special. I think we just ordered the wrong thing. Sometimes we end up ordering healthier items on the menu and regret it later! Oops!! Next time, I'd get the French toast or the breakfast burrito. read more

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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Cutest decor and vibe! I met a friend here for lunch today and we both enjoyed our lunch! She got the Steak tacos with the Mango Iced tea and I got the Baja Bowl with steak! Both meals were great. It is a busy spot so be prepared to wait to order AND for a table. It is definitely worth the wait read more

Blue Whale - Baja Bowl and Aji Tacos - 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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This was a cute little cafe! I went on a weekend, so it was busy and a crowded. I had originally ordered a lavender latte but it was misheard as a regular latte when I received the receipt. No biggie, since there was a lot going on. They brought the food to us based off super cute painted blocks of wood with numbers on them. We did have to go back to the counter where we ordered to grab utensils and napkins though. The food my friend and I ordered (ube pancakes and chicken & waffles) were delicious. The pancakes were completely finished, and as well as the chicken. There pancakes had the perfect Ube flavor and the Ube butter made it even better! The horchata waffles were good, but the spicy chicken definitely stole the show, which is why it was the priority to finish - my friend and I were plenty full, hahah. Hopefully I'll visit again when it's less crowded - the food and drinks were good! read more

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

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Both the toasts tasted so fresh and had an explosion of flavors !! The toast size was larger than expected and was the perfect size to get me full. The bread was a little hard to bite, I wish it was a bit softer but the flavor was amazing !! The bread tasted freshly made but a little too toasted / chewy for me. I preferred the matcha over the chai. I got the matcha with oat milk. It was very earthy, with a strong matcha flavor. The chai was with coconut milk but it was tasted watery. All staff was super nice !! Your orders come out quick read more

Blue Whale - Salmon Lox Toast, Open Face Tuna Toast, Kyoto Matcha Latte, Vanilla Chai Latte - Cafes Near Me - La Jolla, California

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Ube pancake is a bomb, read and heard low reviews about this pretty dish, but it's actually really light and yummy. Street parking, and love the ambiance here, good to date, hangout with bff, or like me had a great mom-daughter morning! read more

Blue Whale - Ube pancake is a bomb, read and heard low reviews about this pretty dish, but it's actually really light and yummy. - Cafes Near Me - La Jolla, California

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Surprised at the low rated reviews. They either stepped their game up, or I went on a good day. Went on a Saturday and service was quick. Didn't have to wait long for our food, drinks surprisingly came after we started eating though. I got the poke bowl and it was amazing and so filling. I also ordered an acai smoothie. Loved that it wasn't too sweet. Cute cafe near the beach. read more

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Blue Whale serves the best acai bowl I've had since Maui - seriously fresh, flavorful, and satisfying. The restaurant itself is cute, though there isn't a ton of seating outdoors. I came on a weekday by myself and was able to snag a table, so timing definitely helps. Everything else on the menu looked amazing, and I can't wait to go back and try more. Great spot for a healthy, delicious treat! read more

Blue Whale - Cafes Near Me - La Jolla, California

Blue Whale is a cute shop with a darker cozy interior and a patio with tables, chairs, and some coverage depending on where you're seated. The hubby and I swung by mid week and sat outside. We ordered an iced vanilla latte with almond milk for him, while I had a cortado. The latte was good and not overly sweet. Both of our drinks had coffee grounds on the bottom of the cup, which was disappointing. The food ordered by those around us looked flavorful, bright colored, and seemed to be enjoyable. The ube pancakes looked delicious while the lox toast was the most popular item on the day we went. read more

Blue Whale - Iced vanilla latte and a cortado - Cafes Near Me - La Jolla, California

Got the morning sando. Decent taste/portion but not something I'd desperately go back for. Don't fall for all the videos on tiktok, not like the food was bad but very underwhelming for all the hype. You're not missing much. However my friend got the matcha latte and said it was surprisingly tasty and would get it again. I went on a Sunday. My advice is that I placed a take out order because other yelp reviews reported the line is usually insane. I highly recommend doing the same and do it before driving there because the line was indeed ridiculous. I would also recommend that if you do wait in line, you should try to have someone wait in line for your party while you scout for a table because if not, by the time you're done ordering you better hope you're lucky. For take out, I'm just glad the food didn't taste or looked rushed and glad it was ready by the time I got there (I placed the order before my 35 min drive). I don't think the food I ordered would've been worth waiting in that line but considering the popularity maybe if I got something else it would've. read more

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

Blue Whale is a small restaurant in La Jolla serving up coffee, smoothies, acai bowls, and sandwiches for breakfast and lunch. It gets busy and there is minimal seating. Nonetheless, the service is great and the food comes out fairly quickly. I had an açaí bowl which was good and I liked the small chocolate nibbles on the top. I wish I tried more items to give the place a more thorough review. If you are in the area and want a coffee or a quick sandwich check this place out. read more

Blue Whale - Acai Bowl - Cafes Near Me - La Jolla, California

3.5 rounded up to 4 The lobster roll was delicious and is something I would come back for. Steak and eggs were good but nothing special. The sourdough bread was good as well. The lavender latte was pretty good but I'm personally not a huge fan of coffee so it was not favorable to me. The matcha latte was not good at all, it was grainy and watery. Service was great, employees were nice and were very quick. read more

Blue Whale - steak and eggs, Lobster Roll, lavender latte, kyoto matcha latte - Cafes Near Me - La Jolla, California

We had super high hopes for the Ube Pancakes from here but we were disappointed with how the turned out. Firstly they were $16 for two pancakes ($22 on Uber Eats). We ordered pick up. Secondly, when we opened the box, I could already smell the burnt pancakes. The top pancake wasn't too bad but the one below it was burnt. Maybe it would've been different if it we dined in, but the quality shouldn't end up like this regardless. read more

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Monday lunch date (11:30 am) with my goddaughter. Parked a few blocks away but she found parking out front. No lines as a we ordered at the counter. Service was friendly and smooth. We had a choice to sit indoors I had the Ube Pancakes and they were delicious and not chewy. My goddaughter ordered the Açaí bowl and enjoyed it. We split a Breakfast Burrito and it was as good expected. A good burrito but nothing special. My coffee was also okay. Oh and I ordered a Chocolate Cronut and it was very good. If anything, I would comeback to try the other flavors. I loved the flakiness and moist layers. read more

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Came here for brunch with a few friends on a Saturday morning and it was super busy but luckily the line moves quickly! I got an iced almond milk latte with the lox toast on the side. Both were delicious and the bread on the toast tasted fresh and was a generous portion. They have outdoor and indoor seating and it's a nice play to sit and hangout for a little. I would definitely recommend this place to others but just be prepared for it to be busy if you come on a weekend. read more

Blue Whale - Lox Toast - Cafes Near Me - La Jolla, California