This place is an awesome greasy spoon. LOVE breakfast, full plate, flo serving you, nice and cheap and quick. Great soups and chowder. Huge burgers, best fries and ranch. Salad bar is legit, and the supper is great too. Enjoy it any time of day. The ritz....? Nah. But delivers as advertised. A local favorite. A+ read more

Had one of the best meals ever here after a day/night of wine tasting. A true little hidden gem of Lompoc. Friendly staff; a real cozy traditional American diner! read more

Walked in with my family looking to have breakfast, waited by the area to be seated for 10mins being ignored by wait staff. Finally found a table to sit at, sat for a further 30mins with no one coming to take our order or apologising for the wait, absolutely nothing. Will never be back, very poor customer service. Even if the place is busy, there are ways to acknowledge people to let them know they will be coming to take their order etc. Do yourself a favour and go to American Host! read more

We had a very strange interaction with our waitress. Her sense of humor was strange and a little offensive and our group felt unwelcome. One person's food came way after all of us had finished eating (and it was a salad). The thing we were all the most excited about was leaving after paying our check. read more

The service was excellent. All three of us enjoyed our meal. I had the corn beef n hash and it was good. Will return if in the area. I recommend that you give it a try read more

Food was decently priced, service was very slow, waitress was a nice lady, but coordination is not their strong suit. We got moldy food, lipstick covered coffee mugs, and waited forever just to pay. I actualy had to grab first staff i saw so we can pay and leave. Then after swiping my card at the counter, he went back to clearing tables not even letting my friends pay. I had to call him back again. So just very uncoordinated, and moldy food, dirty dishes. The waitress lady was nice, thats about it. Wont be going here again. read more

Budget Cafe - Lipstick still on cup - Cafes Near Me - Lompoc, California

See all

Terrible food. Terrible service. I ordered a breakfast sandwich for 3.99 as advertised. I asked to switch bacon for sausage and they charged me 5.00 more. So 9.00 for a breakfast sandwich. I should have demanded a refund but I was in a hurry. read more

The waitress was terrible. She does not know etiquette when it comes to matters of the kitchen, speaking loudly for all patrons to hear. 'Green' tri-tip for starters. Code 'brown' in the restroom etc. My bacon cheeseburger is the only reason I gave 2 stars. It was good. Service sucked balls for a dead Friday evening. Beware of the green meat, and the lizard like waitress!! If your in the area, you may as well go to Jalama Beach Cafe down the street. read more

Budget Cafe - The 'Low' Budget Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Lompoc, California

I literally made this account only to leave a bad review for this place I didn't even go inside I was calling to order food and the lady on the phone was super rude I asked her that I wanted to pick up and the she said "what do you want"rudely and made me not even wanna eat there you guys really need to work on you costumer service bc I was looking forward to eating there but not with that kinda energy read more

Not half bad! We were in town for a wedding and the little town of Lompoc didn't have much in the way of food so we past this place with a big "JUICY BURGER" sign so I demanded we eat here despite the horrifying name. Budget Cafe...seriously, it's like you're giving a prewarning to expect shitty everything. Luckily that wasn't the case. I grew up in a small town and this little place looked just like every other small town cafe...lots of seating, no frills, specials on the board, a lunch counter and a bunch of grumpy locals. Our waitress had zero social skills but she did her job so that was good enough. I got the avocado burger with no bun and my dude got a bacon cheeseburger. The meat was surprisingly fantastic, perfect chargrilled burger, fresh toppings and decent fries...couldn't ask for much more, and at $5 and some change each, you couldn't ask for much less either. read more

This is an awesome little place to eat! It's kid friendly, the staff is friendly, and the food is good. Allergy friendly? Not too sure. I've only eaten there once since we found out our little one has allergies, but I know we told them what he couldn't have and he still had a reaction. So, maybe something they overlooked or maybe a new allergy, I don't know, but be careful. Bottom line, will be going back. Really yummy sandwiches and burgers, and you can get them on croissants! Seriously, I heart the croissant sandwiches! read more

Great! Had the chicken fried steak and eggs and it was good. Nice crispy to the chicken, gravy homemade to perfection, and eggs cooked to order. Perfect meal. Wife had the burger and it was good. Fries are steam fries which were big and crispy too. Daughter had grill chesse and she gave it a thumbs up. Serivce was excellent. We will be back. read more

See all

I come to this place all the time and I usually get great service but today was the exception. Me and my kids came in to eat today and we were waiting for someone to take our drink orders, it was not busy at the time but I wasn't rushing so i didn't mind the wait. Ten minutes later a couple comes in and sits right next to us, not even a minute passes and they get amazing service while we are still waiting for them to even take our drink order. At this point I'm in shock that the same waitress that sat us was right next to us, ignoring us while serving people that came in 10 minutes after us. I loved this place but they have lost a customer for bad service. read more

It's not a high class fancy place; it's a small town comfy place. A good variety of breakfast, lunch, and dinner options that are all served all day. Good size portions and not very expensive for what you get, which is nice. We get friendly service, food is fresh, and food tastes good. It's a nice little place to go when you want something casual for everyone's needs. read more

Amazing prices! Amazing service! Great environment! Great food! I dont know what more you could expect from this restaurant. Their busiest time is probably Sunday mornings after church but for the most part there is no wait to get seated and you usually get to pick where you want to sit. All food is good whether it's breakfast or lunch. Tastes "just like mom used to make" you can't go wrong choosing this place to eat. read more

The service is not so great for big parties, but when two of us go, it's good. The food comes out fast and our coffees never get low. My favorite is the Eggs Benedict with hash browns, and then I order a cinnamon roll. The cinnamon rolls could use more icing, they're kinda dry because there isn't enough of it. It's always quiet when we go, and there isn't too many people, which I like because it's small and quaint. It could definitely use some renovating/updating because everything looks old and dingy. Overall though, the food is good and they have great items on the menu! read more

Cheap diner food that satisfies. Nothing to write home about, just decent diner chow. If you're looking for a Niçoise salad or Scallop Carpaccio and an amazing dining experience, you're an idiot. The name of the place is the Budget Cafe. read more

We went there for lunch during a Santa Barbara wine country trip. Friendly service and average diner quality food. Not much to add to that, other than the fact that the service was a bit on the slower side. read more

I was thoroughly impressed. We got there about 7:30 and three women was running the show. The Cook, the table busser and the hostess/greeter/waitresses. They all worked together to get food out nice and hot but also good. It's an old school diner with old school prices. I can dig it. But Ms. Waitress was working hard for her money that I had to leave her a tip for my take out order. She was good very organized efficient in tending to all her customers. I haven't seen multitasking of that kind since I've been off work. ;) read more

What a little hidden gem THIS place is! The food is very good and the portions reasonable, price is right also. The waitstaff are friendly and fast, the atmosphere is homey and comfortable. I have never had a bad cup of coffee here, either. Plenty of parking in its own lot, both in front and to the side. Bathrooms are clean and well-stocked with paper products, and they are WARM, which is a big plus! The specials are very good too, and a good value also. A perfect place for locals (there are a LOT of locals and seniors here as well...always a very good sign), seniors and families...a real find! I highly recommend it if you are looking for a real American diner with real food, staffed by friendly and competent people :-) read more

Old-fashioned diner feel with solid comfort food and good service. I had the chili-verde omelet special that isn't even on the regular menu, and it was really good. Normally I would have taken a picture of it, but by the time I reeled my appetite in, there wasn't enough left except for the empty plate. I ordered a side of hash browns covered with country gravy that they changed $1.99 for. It was also really good, but much more food than even brunch should be - I ate it all anyway. Full coffee cup all the time and a staff that knows when to check on you and when to leave you alone, like right now as I'm writing this. FIVE STARS all day long! Will I be back? YES, SIR! read more

Budget Cafe - Inside the diner. Not fancy - just old-time comfortable. - Cafes Near Me - Lompoc, California

See all

Brilliant small town place .. American food, great breakfast, great service.. Ambience is small town diner; even has a counter. read more

In town for a short weekend getaway and thought I would try this place... well.. I wish I hadn't ... the food was okay, the server was okay although there were 2 waitresses who were talking so loud and not working at all... the entire time I was there, so we were told to pick a place to sit and I chose a booth in the corner I was very surprised to see tons of nats or some type of black flying little bugs on the wall.. I moved to a table .. again more of this little bugs.. this place needs to be cleaned maybe instead of talking those girls should have been cleaning. read more

Down to earth, homey feel. Friendly service. Food is good and presentation on plate is nice. I enjoyed the view from the big plate glass windows in front. read more

Worst service ever! Waitress just slams things on table and walks away .

Decent step above a greasy-spoon style cafe. Linguica and eggs, beans. Above average salsa. I used to go here quite a bit with my Grandfather for a ritual/tradition breakfast. He absolutely loved this place, swore up and down it was the best in Lompoc. Love ya Gramps, but I disagree. I came to find out years later that his license had been permanently suspended due to his age and my Uncle wouldn't let him go any farther than a five block radius from his house in the car. Maybe that's the case with the other five star yes,.. FIVE STAR reviews of this slightly above average cafe. read more

if i could click a zero star option i would. went in and waited to be seated. 10 minutes went by and all the hostess/waitresses did was glance at us no greeting or nothing. they even started avoiding us and going around the other side of the restaurant. they had many booths open and weren't all that busy. after 30 minutes or so with no interaction we just decided to leave. read more

tues 9a.m 4 other tables besides us. clean bathrooms nice waitress $20 = 1 coffee 1 oj 1 biscuits & gravy 1 steak & eggs 1 pancake/egg/ssg combo (no eggbtrs or turkey products) there is also an la times vending machine in case youre dying to read up on your hood while youre on vacay ($1 for the paper) this is quite the cafe in a small town: quaint, no frills. no booze. lizardy looking mid age waitresses, old fat white guys gibbering over coffee. & delish cheap brekkie.. will return next time we're up here read more

Love the chubbi bacon burger and hashbrowns at any hour. Not exactly the friendliest to the waist but oh so worth it!!!!!

AVOID AT ALL COSTS! Horrible Service! Don't bother this place and its staff clearly don't need your money. NEVER AGAIN!

Went with our grandson to make the long trip across the parking lot from our motel for a dinner on A Saturday night about 7:30. There were four tables occupied by regulars. Fancy place, no. Clean place, YES! I always look at the window of the entry door if it has one. Theirs was clean, along with the floors (older). Our table and booth seat was spotless and not sticky, and from the look of the others, the same looked true. They have a tiny salad bar and the plates were all immaculate which, is often not true. The salad bar was basic with an iceberg lettuce mix, a few toppings, four dressings (the blue cheese is the thickest with huge chunks of blue cheese that I have seen in years,,, delicious!) and a plus for me, they have 3 bean salad. This along with the menu is old school perfection. The menu is large, with something for everyone. The name, Budget Cafe, to me means cheap food. Both in WHAT THEY BUY and the price they charge. The menu price is more than fair but not cheap. Portions are huge and the quality is good. They DO NOT BUY CHEAP GARBAGE TO PUT ON THE MENU. The fish and chips that both my grandson and I had was Alaskan Cod and was delicious. It wasn't pollack, or whiting or the ever mysterious "fish". My wife had the corned beef hash and eggs... The hash is canned just like she wants! Delicious to her! The service was fast and the food arrived quickly. You can have the best food in the world but if the service is crap, chances are, the place won't be around long. This place has been around longer than many of you have. Ivy was our waitress and she rocked! I have been in food service for 35 plus years. I love fancy, I love funky and I love this place. If you are a snob go somewhere else, otherwise enjoy! read more

Okay food, okay price. Not the best breakfast I've ever had, also not the worst.

Awful service, my family and I came in on a Sunday morning. It wasn't busy at all. We were sitting waiting to be served for 20 mins. We walked out. Do not recommend. I'm not surprised that there weren't many people there. Must have to be a regular or over the age of 75 to get good service... or service at all. read more

The chef can make a steak! Driving up to San Fran and we needed a place to stop and fuel up. Looked like the only place in town that was open before 9am so made our way in. Seated ourselves as soon as we got in. The decoration and set up is very old school diner/cafe. Makes you feel at home. Waitress was very courteous and on top of our orders. Made sure our cups never went more than half empty. Food came out looking and smelling great. Tasted even better. I had the tri-tip steak and eggs with a aide of home fries. Everything was delicious and seriously exceeded my expectations of a small town place like this. Bathroom there is only one stall and one urinal. Pretty clean for the most part. I wish they warned me it was on a timed light though. Shut off while I was washing my hands and freaked me out. Only down fall was the coffee. Had no kick to it or hardly any taste. Could be a lot better. Other than that great place. Recommend it of you're passing through here. read more

Been through Lompoc twice. Ate here both times. I had the Huevos Rancheros with avocado. Super yummy! The salsa is great! The atmosphere is really dated but who cares the waitress was nice, the food was good and the price was right! I will eat there again if I am in town! read more

We stopped in for breakfast one morning, there was a short wait and we assumed that it must be because the food and service would be very good. NOT! Our waitress was fine, as accommodating as possible, however as we sat was noticed that the other two waitresses areas were seating and serving patrons while we sat for over an hour waiting for a simple breakfast! Apparently there's favoritism to certain waitresses as their customers were served before all of us in our section! This is appalling...what happened to filling tickets as they come in, not putting later ticket orders in front of others??? Whoever the manager is, they should be fired...you do not belong in food service. You allow waitresses to push their tickets through at the expense of more than a dozen other patrons who were waiting, looking around to see if anyone else was served and watching the rest of the place gradually empty out before our food was served! Don't bother eating here, in addition to poor kitchen management, the food is definitely sub-par. My eggs were over cooked, my husband ordered a soft drink which turned out to be syrup water. So, he asked for another and it was the same. Your staff does not know how to mix the sodas...try training them!! read more

Had breakfast here with my boyfriend. We usually stop here all the time before heading out to santa barbara. The food was below average-Nothing special. We recieved our food and my boyfriends hashbrowns looked like they had been sitting in a warmer all morning. They were dry and burnt. When i got my order my scrambled eggs were burnt. Usually I wouldnt be so picky of those things but the worst part came when my boyfriend asked for a water there was a cockroach floating above the ice. I was baffled as to how they missed a cockroack in the water. If they didnt realize it then they have some serious cleanliness and cockroach infestation issues. I took the water to the front and asked for a new water and the man that was in the front i assume the owner didnt even apologize and was too busy counting the register to even deal with the situation himself he simply said oh we will get a new water to you. The waitress came and asked us what was wrong with our water and we told her and she seemed more baffled and shocked than the owner did. She gave us great service. Sadly the owner doesnt take this establishment seriously if he is letting a cockroach infestation get so severe that they are coming out in customers waters. read more

Found this place passing through Lompac...what caught our eye was the "burgers big and thick" sign in the window...burgers were neither and tasted like frozen pre-made patties, fries were good and service was ok other than the fact that the waitresses had drama and we knew all about it...so we were entertained and that's why I gave another star :) read more

Mediocre at best. They live up to the name Budget. Flavorless food, bad service. Unless you're a regular.

Friendly but slow service, so don't be in a rush. Decent food but didn't really like seeing the cook without gloves.